mitz18

9 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

Respectfully no you do not. You have an open window with room dividers that create the illusion of a balcony.  

with an un-airconditioned room (as we both know)....

4 hours ago, Cruise till you drop said:

 

My feeling is that it will seem more like an room with a big window as opposed to a regular balcony.

 

Question - any advice on how to make an IV feel like a regular balcony so we can better enjoy what we like about outside balconies

 

.

Your feeling is correct and that's how we felt.

Answer - no.  Others will tell you to close the dividers and you'll feel like your on a balcony.  I disagree and have been in two IVs.  You will feel like you have three walls around you (behind you & each side) and a open glass window in front of you.

Don't take me wrong, you'll still hear the ocean, maybe feel the wind, & if like us you have rain on a sea day, you'll enjoy the extra space in the cabin.  But IMHO it will NEVER feel like a standard balcony because it is not.  Enjoy it for what it is - and infinity view room.   And PS, regardless of what you read on CC, when the window is open the a/c in the room is off - even with the dividers closed.

10 hours ago, cublet said:

Hello,

 

Aside from the width, there's also the step - the door frame is not flush to the floor of the cabin.

 

Regards,

 

Cublet

took the words out of my keyboard 😀

3 hours ago, LINDAE3213 said:

are the Grand Suites on the Jewel  ( deck 10 )  under the pool or windjammer or both ?   anyone stayed in them recently and had any noise issues ?    

looking at deck plans I think they are under the pool / solarium area but it's so hard to tell when I try to layer the decks and look at the color code.

jewel deck plans.docx 598.96 kB · 6 downloads

Like Renee, we always compare distances from an elevator even going as far as using a ruler to compare deck from deck.  Not an exact science of course, but so far for us has been close enough.  We seem to notice more noise being below the pool than the cafe - at least the cafe has some carpeting. 

13 hours ago, SilentHill said:

Hi Gang,

 

I have a question. Our cruise is something like 43 days out. Oasis of the seas.

 

We booked a GTY suite last year for this sailing.

 

So my set sail pass, says the following:

Deck - 12

Stateroom - GTY

Muster - EO3

 

At the very top of the sail pass directly under my name is says "Sea Class". On the bottom of the sail pass there is a barcode. Well I don't have an iPhone. I have Android. I scanned the barcode with a scanner app on my tablet and there the room assignment was, last 5 digits.

 

So essentially I know my GTY is gonna be this Junior suite, right? Has anyone ever experienced something like this and ended up with a different cabin assignment? Also, I think I read this in a search, but info might have changed. Are you allowed to switch your cabin once your number has been shared officially?

 

thanks!

In theory - and RCL can be rather theoretical from time to time - your GTY room is not firmly assigned until check-in.  You are guaranteed the category (ie Jr Suite) but no a specific room.  This was told to me by the agent in the Diamond Club.  However, as Mommabear indicated, believe it is rare for them to change it once it is shown on the bar code.  Enjoy

39 minutes ago, Bellarion said:

For the first time, we are thinking about booking dinner at Chops Grille, if we can purchase a two for one deal!  My questions are: 1) are the charges added to your ship account or on a credit card upon purchase, 2) concerning the tip for two people, is it added to the bill or cash only, 3)  recommended amount for two people?

 

Any way they charge is fine, just like to know in advance.  Thanks so much!

Chops is nice - hope you enjoy it.  If you reserve it in advance, you can charge to a credit card or you can use OBC if you have any.  If you reserve onboard, it will be charged to your room account.  I believe the price will be + grats, but you can check on-line.  But keep in mind if the service is really good, you can give more tip, either charged to your account or cash at the table.  Amount of tip is purely an individual thing.

19 hours ago, pugbeary said:

 

 

2.  Regarding Beverage Package - I'm trying to decide if we should purchase one.

 

 

 One thing to look at is how many days you'll be on board.  If every day is a port day and you plan to go ashore every day, you'll drink less on board.  If there are several sea days or you tend to stay onboard during port days, you may drink more on board.  As said by others, the general breakeven is around 6-8 drinks per day. If you're not really a "drinker", just pay as you go. 

3 hours ago, broadwaybaby123 said:

If sound isn't an issue for you, I'd say go for the Ocean View rooms off the Promenade.  Be warned though: the Promenade is where they host the "70's Disco Party" which will be LOUD.  

and privacy is an issue when curtains are open.....

Was on the Dawn in January from San Juan and actually got to go to Montserrat.  Everyone on board was great and she is now our favorite ship.  Glad you had a good time 

1 hour ago, vjt said:

Mitz18...I am responding because I had been thinking about the social issues.  But, perhaps I might sound a bit offensive...but these are my thoughts for what they are worth:  Absolutely, the fewer cruisers could have been a factor.  We were all unstressed by any type of activity that might include lining up, meals or listening to guides.  I am pretty sure there were no "groups" onboard, perhaps two couples traveling together...not even sure about that.  But also, it was a long, very expensive cruise on an expensive ship and before the end of the school year, at that.  So the passengers were sort of late middle-aged, extremely well travelled and, you might say, very "well raised." That is, polite and considerate, even friendly.  Also, the crew and captain absolutely went out of their way to speak English as well as French.  Everyone understood it was a bilingual cruise and were polite throughout announcements.  They set a fine example.  I am interested to see what the crowd will be like on the Madagascar cruise next January. I'm afraid it might be more typical of what others have had to report.  

Thank you for the honest thoughts and I look forward to hearing about the next cruise.  I hesitated to inquire as the sheer nature of the topic can be offensive, however one does not know if one does not utilize the experience of others.  I'd be the first to admit that having been fortunate enough to travel the world also means I've been unfortunate enough to see the rude side of people everywhere.  It's a part of life I guess, but would want to know what I am getting into before going as to be prepared.  Thanks again for the thoughts and safe/enjoyable travels to you going forward.

12 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

And of course at that point it's too late to give the booking to a TA.  But can you call SS and ask for a different consultant, as @Xerxella plans to do?

Not sure - every time I call it goes directly to my "assigned" consultant so they have caller IDs routed.  Might be able to try calling from a different phone but it all sounds like a hassle.  

6 hours ago, George C said:

We went from sky to penthouse, got specialty restaurants and liquor set up to liters of liquor of your choice.

curious, how much (percentage wise) did you bid over the min to "win" the PH?  Did you bid the min; 50% above; etc?  Just curious w/out being too invasive 🙂

4 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

You get the amenities that come with a room -  e.g. 2 bottles of Spirits of your choice, free specialty dining etc.    You do not get the perks of the room  e.g. extra points or drinks package, free internet etc unless you already had them.

Hope you enjoy Ponant & are "welcomed"

11 hours ago, needingwifi said:

Just following up after our stay in 938 to help others in the future:

1) floor to ceiling windows were super nice. Very right rooms especially for colder destinations

2) location versus pool and panorama lounge and other venues was great

3) contrary to above, noise from pool deck was terrible. You could hear people walking all day everyday and the deck chairs scraping sometimes before 07:00 am. The first night we woke up at 4:30 am. It’s because Silversea cheaped out on the deck not investing in teak which is why the deck chairs and smokers area above the cabin furniture makes extra noise. 
4) noise from adjoining cabin was okay but present. When they are in room dining before us it was clear to hear the cutlery on plates for example. 
5) room definitely smaller than veranda rooms, noticeable namely on the couch plus amount of storage space under the desk/mirror.

Hope that helps others decide what to book!

I can see that - we decided for a deluxe veranda on deck 8 simply to avoid any deck noise and never had any issues (above or beside).  Unless no choice, I'll always try to avoid being 1 lever below the pool deck on any vessel.  Otherwise hope you enjoyed the Dawn - we really loved her layout and thought she was a beautiful lady.

Our original SS cruise consultant moved up/on and we were assigned a new one that seemed uninterested at best.  Always hard to get a response, didn't seem to care about concerns and treated us like just another "booking" vs guests.  Will never book direct w/SS again.  

On 8/17/2023 at 9:49 PM, vjt said:

Hello Jazzbeau and Mitzi 18. Jazzbeau, thanks for the link to my recent and detailed description of our recent trip to the Arctic on Le Commandant Charcot. I think your questions will be answered there, and possibly more. The short version on this particular topic is: this is a very different cruise than even most expedition cruises. First of all, folks on this ship are very well travelled, virtually all had been to Antarctica and many already to the Arctic. They understand this type of cruise, are very congenial, regardless of nationality and do not seek special treatment and don’t complain should the weather be less than ideal. Socially, yes, we tended to mix with anglophones or francophones, but informal greetings or conversations were relaxed in both languages. The former were from many countries, and that was fun. For excursions on zodiacs, we went with a common language. The crew and Captain were scrupulous to be sure we all had the same information at the same time. At dining, or bars or performances, everyone was treated extremely 5* well! Some lectures were not available in both languages, but recaps took place with everyone together, in both languages.

This was our first Ponant cruise, so my conclusions are not applicable to their other ships or cruises. This was strictly an expedition cruise, so everyone had the same general goals and interests. Second, we all understood that we were experiencing the very best of modern ice cruising and we were all very grateful. The passengers were super well travelled, polite and interesting. Finally the crew, food and accommodations were brilliant….so we were all very happy! In short, a unique experience. If there are more specifics you would like to know, feel free to ask.

 

 

Sorry have been off the grid for a bit.  Read & enjoyed your recap and looks like a great trip.  There has been a lot of discussion regarding the feelings of “separation” between passengers & glad you did not experience that - I just wonder how much the fact yours was an “expedition” cruise and/or the small amount of passengers played into that.  Not really a question; more of an out-loud thought.  Again, thanks for the review & glad you enjoyed the trip.

On 8/18/2023 at 1:47 PM, Keith1010 said:

Thank you. 

I was informed wrong.

 

Keith

Silversea has moved their smallest ships to expedition and have slowly moved to the 500-700 guest range.  Loved the Wind (200+) when she came out & was unsure if we would like the “larger” ones.  Was on the Dawn in January & although almost 100% sold out, never felt like there were 590 on board.  Great layout, beautiful ship. Never been on Crystal, was in process of booking when it all went down, but do plan on trying.  New SS ships such as Nova hopefully will be largest they build. It appears that Crystal ships are about same size & I presume they similarly don’t feel crowded.

On 6/13/2023 at 8:16 PM, vjt said:

Jazzbeau,

I am beginning to have a slight bit of trepidation from reading your excellent blog. As I previously reported, we will be joining Le Commandant Charcot next week for a 19 day cruise to Greenland and Svalbard. By its very nature, we will be spending most of our time aboard. We will certainly be most upset to find that anglophones are second class citizens, and I will certainly make note of that as we go along. I myself attended high school in Paris, but my husband speaks no French. Frankly ( no pun intended) I have little hope of much comraderie from the francophones as a group…but some might be interested in visiting with us. I also expect a number of Germans as Hapag Lloyd has no great cruises to this region this year. And perhaps there will be other Europeans as well. Wish us luck!

 

VJT - not meaning to hijack a thread, but curious how your trip was.  Same issues with treatment?

4 hours ago, CJANDH said:

 

The bean counters are pricing SS out of the market.

except the ships continue to be full or nearly full......think prices are here to stay unfo,.

On 7/27/2023 at 1:01 PM, Orator said:

Asked a question on the difference of pricing on a cruise and land based price. Said that he wanted to narrow the price gap. To me that means higher prices.

Yep saw that interview as well.   Basically said ships are full, demand is high, people paying the fares and there is room to increase.  I don't see any fire sales anytime soon.

On 7/27/2023 at 12:22 PM, dex08 said:

After asking her about this, she said she was on (what she thought was) the Celebrity website and clicked to chat with an agent. Obviously, she was on the wrong website because the Celebrity site doesn't have a chat feature plus the email from the random travel agent.

 

How does is a random travel agent able to pull up our cabin information? My mother does not have our Captain's Club # or our RC Crown & Anchor Club #. I'm wondering what information did she provide for them to get this information?! 

Sorry but is it possible she actually was on Celebrity website?  If not, and she can remember what site she was on, I agree with the suggestion of calling that "agent" and seeing how they got the info.  If your mom cannot remember, you can always check the "search history" on her computer to see where she has visited.  Good luck

6 hours ago, ncgolferette said:

Ten days ago I made a reservation with a TA for a cruise on the Ascent for September 2024.  The reservation was for a SS1 and price I was quoted was $17k.  Today, I checked celebrity’s web site and the price for the same type of suite had jumped to $23k!  I have until Tuesday to make the NRD.  I’m somewhat overwhelmed as to why Celebrity has increased the fare so much in ten days.  It appears there are tons of cabins and suites available for the sailing.  Are they getting ready for another “sale”?  

The CEO of the group (RCL) was on CNBC and discussed the prices and admitted that their pricing has increased.  He also made it sound that even with the higher pricing the ships are full and he feels there is more room (& demand) to continue to increase prices.  The profits are back up, demand is higher than pre-Covid levels so IMHO high prices are here to stay for a while.   We booked a cruise in March and the current rate is 30% higher so in line with what you mentioned.

1 hour ago, keesar said:

Neighbors want to take their first cruise with 3 and 5 year olds next April.  I have been asked for assistance.  What cruise line do you recommend and how long should the first cruise be considering children that age?  Two rooms or one?  They looked at Disney but thought it was pricey.  Thank you for your thoughts!

IMHO not Celebrity as it is not geared to young kids.  Try Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, maybe Carnival.  Disney would be the best - the cost might be offset by the fact there is a lot for kids to do.  Look for lines whose ships have game areas, slides etc.  Do an internet search for "best cruise lines for kids".  Only 2 rooms if one adult and one kid in each - but would agree with "mom" above and suggest only one room

8 minutes ago, TowandaUK said:

We ate in Murano last month. It was exactly the same menu as when we first dined there in 2014. 

Thanks - that's what I was afraid of.  Appreciate the info as my stupid app does not want to cooperate with the above mentioned suggestion 😬

2 minutes ago, ZoeyVictoria said:

I have no idea, lol.  We are retired, so no kids who would be interested, and live in a condo, so no room for extra or silly things. We might be the only people with senses of humor odd enough to hide them on other cruise lines. 

I get it!!!   We just normally re-hide them on same voy/ship for someone else to find - I'd forget to take it on the next voy LOL

7 minutes ago, CruiseCrew123 said:

It’s on the app

I looked - it just says "menu subject to change" but no link to a menu.  🤔