Cruisegoer

On 8/21/2023 at 7:37 PM, BermudaBound'05 said:

On the ship now, here’s day three

This is a lunch menu correct?

On 8/3/2022 at 3:55 PM, Bencruisin said:

I checked the Royal FAQ page and found a mention of the PR birth certificate issue. I'm not upset that this PR rule caused us to be denied boarding. I'm upset that there are situations like this where cash refunds are not policy when the customer is expected to know more than the subject matter expert/Royal booking agent.  After being told we could use birth certificates we didn't investigate further so I consider the blame to be shared with the agent we depended on.

No cruise lines have ever made it policy to guide the documentation requirements by the government to travel.  It's generally a liability if they were to do so and also they do not represent the US government who makes the requirements for national security or other reasons.  It's kind of a buyer beware situation and actually a terrible shortcoming by Customs and Immigrations & Naturalization if you ask me as they don't even do a good job on their websites to guide cruisers.

Going on Carnival Jubillee in May 24, was on the Celebrity Summit last August 2022 and food had already gone way down hill since my Apex cruise earlier in Feb 2022.  Buffet's were unremarkable and Dining room menu's lacked imagination and the sea day brunch was a mess.  Tuscany Grille was good but Le Petite Chef was just about the show, strip steak and french friends were the menu so nothing thrilling.

I haven't sailed Carnival since 2018 but food is always consistent.  I've always been a big fan of quick options of Burritos at the Cantina and Guys Burgers but even to have the Wok and deli sandwiches made fresh to order has kept me happy when on a Carnival cruise.

10 hours ago, cheer25mom said:

I have been on the Mardi Gras, which is pretty much the same ship at the Jubilee. If you are used to Celebrity, it isn’t going to knock your socks off. It’s new and shiny, but the service is definitely not the same level. No one is going to come to you for anything, you will be going to the bar yourself every time you want a drink, and restaurant staff was constantly frazzled and rushed. The food definitely isn’t going to impress either. It’s basic food, nothing special with the exception of the up charge places. We really liked Emerils and Rudy’s but everything else is standard cruise fare, nothing wrong with it, but nothing stand out either. Nothing we couldn’t get at an average restaurant at home. 
 

as for options, the bar options are very similar. Shows were pretty much unwatchable for us. Nowhere near actual theater quality, basically a bad variety show. The only place I think they have an edge is music. There is more live music on board, and it’s more of what we enjoy. 

I hear all you've said but I cannot say I've experienced anything different on my last 3 Celebrity cruises.  With the drink packages all lines have seemingly cut back on bar waiters because it cuts back on drinking which saves the cruise line money.  I have not had any food product of such quality on Celebrity to make it memorable.  While I enjoy the shows I'm not expecting Broadway, give me some cuties on the stage and I'm fine or better yet an off-pitch vocalist to give me something to cringe to.

16 minutes ago, 1Virgo said:

Strictly my opinion, but I would recommend booking Aqua class which gives you access to the Blu restaurant, much smaller and better food than main dining room.  

 

Celebrity is not Carnival. 

not everyone who cruises can afford the suite life or Aqua class. Glad to know people like class systems in 2023.

Carnival has way better food selection and quality wise than Celebrity these days, just compare the menus and options.  I'm Elite on Celebrity but going on my first Carnival cruise since 2019 next May on the new Jubilee. My last Celebrity cruise was July 2022 on the Summit, prior to that on the Apex in Feb 2022. I'm expecting the Jubilee to knock my socks off so not sure when I might be returning to Celebrity until their standards go back to the casual elegance it once was.

I was on the Summit in July of 2022 and there were plenty of places of bad rust around windows, on balconies and other outside railings.  Let's hope they can do something about that while in dry dock.

So I generally use a large online vacations website to book my cruises.  Today I was looking at a cruise that if I booked for 2 passengers would be roughly $120 cheaper than booking the same cabin at the solo supplement rate. Has anyone ever created a "phantom" second passenger who doesn't show up on the day of sailing? I know the cruise line likes for passengers to generally Check-in prior to the cruise but I don't believe this is mandatory, I'd just have to make a reservation for 2 and name a second passenger.  I could probably book under a friends name who I can provide a good portion of info. Thoughts?

Over 600 cruisers signed up for this group and no one participates in Cruisecritic, that's disappointing.

On 9/11/2023 at 1:26 PM, DrSea said:

I don't eat any seafood

You need a new name then.

3 hours ago, MisterOJ2 said:

So, I'm pretty excited about the new menus. I *think* I understand how they work. But I'm not 100 percent sure. If I'm wrong about any part of this, please let me know.

 

* The new menus are basically set up for 8-day cruises, with the last night (Night Eight) being the menu that includes Beef Wellington.

* The two elegant nights essentially have the same menu, only the second one will have lobster instead of the shrimp/fish cake.

* On 7-day cruises, the second elegant night is on night 6. So, I assume that means without an eighth night, 7-day cruises don't get the Beef Wellington menu? Right?

 

Okay, assuming that's all correct, what do you think that would mean for an 8-day cruise that takes place over Christmas? In the past, Carnival has had a special menu on Christmas Day. Do you think that probably will be the case again this year? And if so, does that probably mean my 8-day Christmas cruise will not get the menu that includes Beef Wellington, since the Christmas menu will take up one of the days?

I wouldn't think that is necessarily true. They might drop another non-Elegant night's menu, not just what's listed as the 8th night, it may just depend on availability when ordering. I'm actually surprised the Lobster and Beef Wellington aren't on the menu on the same night but I see they do have Prime Rib that night.

On 8/30/2023 at 8:46 PM, RagDadTX said:

I am sailing out of Galveston next January and will be coming into town day before.  Can anyone recommend some good seafood restaurants for a precruise dinner?  Also, does anyone know if there's a gay bar on the island that would be good for a nightcap?

Thanks for your time and responses.

Following!

2 hours ago, C-Dragons said:

Why do you think age is a factor in their choice of cruise lines?

Starting with our very first cruise and continuing to the present, the criteria has always been the same - Quality over Quantity.

Once we sailed with X we found that it was the perfect fit for us.

YMMV.

Perhaps you're satisfied with saving up for one nice "big" trip per year or perhaps you're at an income level you can afford a more costly vacation without having to save up.  Other people prefer to get away more frequently and enjoy down time without breaking the bank so they budget to that, and sometimes "meh" is the best they can afford.  It's kind of like an argument of flying Delta vs Frontier, both get you to the same location but people are willing to pay according to the comfort and reputation of the airline chosen.

25 minutes ago, hubofhockey said:

 

This is an interested thread. Oceania, especially with the new simply more fares, is pretty all inclusive and really not that much more than Celebrity and more than Carnival.  Not sure what you mean by affordability.  If you get less out of a more affordable vacation, that's not real value.  

Well it's pretty simple, a person making $250,000 a year can afford a much different level of vacation than someone making $50,000.  I mean sure both could potentially be on the Apex but one would realistically be in an interior while the other is in the Retreat.  I highly doubt someone on a lesser income would consider spending on an Oceania cruise line sailing.  Seems kind of obvious to me, weird this doesn't register to you?

18 hours ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

 

The first thing that came to mind for me was it sound very American. Like what you would find at TGI Friday's or Applebees. Not a dig at them, but that's probably inline with what most Carnival cruisers want. 

 

The first menu appetizers are:

Pasta with lamb (odd for an appetizer - definitely not Italian)

Duck rolls (?)

Shrimp cocktail a la 1961 (Celebrity is guilty of this too)

Mixed green salad

Ceasar salad 

Tomato soup 

Wild rice soup with chicken 

 

Hardly imaginative items here....

Haha, I need to eat at your local TGIF/Applebees because I haven't found much papperdelle with braised lamb, beef carpaccio, grilled swordfish or beef wellington on their menus.  Unimaginative perhaps in that 95% of cruise lines have or have had the same type of offerings in their MDRs but still sounds like a thoughtful, upscale meal to me.  Now, since you evidently don't understand cultural/societal differences.  It's quite common in for the pasta dish to also be offered as a smaller appetizer portion, at least that's what your noted oddity referred to. 

16 hours ago, clskinsfan said:

16 hours ago, Charles4515 said:

I would rather take one excellent cruise on a line like for example Oceania than two or three meh cruises for the same price. These days I believe in quality over quantity. 

 

How old are you exactly? Most people vacation based on affordability.

15 hours ago, hubofhockey said:

 

Food itself is not very subjective.  Some ingredients are unhealthy and substandard, especially if those ingredients aren’t fresh, contain transfats, or bad oils (or even comes out of a can!).  Chefs can make food taste good with flavors, but I don’t believe the quality of ingredients you get on certain lines are acceptable.  If your palate is used to burgers and pizza, then it wouldn’t make a difference.  

LOL, unless you're in the kitchen or the food supplier of any cruise lines you really don't know what you're talking about.  You have no basis to believe ingredients on one are any more healthy than on another.  Food is a matter of taste, some people have none and to most flavor is absolutely what matters.

1 hour ago, doghog said:

Looks like we won't be cruising with Carnival. No escargot. 😇

I'll take frog's legs over escargot any day!

2 hours ago, TheHawk1 said:

Yes, that's true.  However, with Carnival in the Appetizers and Entrees section, there are 2-3 selections each that caught my attention almost every night... sometimes it would be difficult to choose. To be presented with that much variety on Celebrity would be a pleasant surprise. 

Why wouldn't you get everything you like instead of having to choose?

Let's face it, food is very subjective. IMHO HAL has the best food and presentation in both the MDR and buffet but overall they have very little seafood.  Celebrity can be hit or miss but has changed a lot in the last year.  When I did the Apex in Feb 2022 the food was terrific and the buffet was first class.  When I sailed the Summit (my 3rd time on her) last July the food was mediocre and the quality was subpar and this was long before the announced cutbacks. Royal has been that way for years (my last in 2015).  NCL, I've only done once in 2006 and there really wasn't anything memorable about it, the most memorable thing I recall was that the "lobster night" in the MDR was better than their french bistro specialty restaurant they used to push.  Carnival definitely has a different vibe but they have options galore.  Their steakhouse has always been excellent and tons of options to plain resort buffet style foods in the lido is impressive.  I think their MDR food is great and they don't charge $16.99 plus gratuity for a 3rd entree only $5.

20 minutes ago, Silkroad said:

Nice looking menus, even without the uncharge items. I’ll wait for reports about how the food tastes. 

So you think Emiril Lagasse is going to put his name on a poorly tasting dish? Who's to blame then, Emiril or Carnival? How many Carnival cruises (and how many nights cruise) have you taken to believe their food is so terrible?

I just can't believe what I'm reading!

https://profcruise.com/carnivals-new-dinner-menus/

On 8/28/2023 at 11:53 PM, CatieM80 said:

Woo-hoo! Just time for my Celebration cruise next month! I see the final versions have been released as well.

https://profcruise.com/carnivals-new-dinner-menus/

These menu's sound wonderful! Can't wait for my Jubillee cruise!

Balconies!!!  The oldest of the fleet, mostly under 100,000 tons have very few balcony cabins.

I'm sure we can all agree that Celebrity has always been a step above the major RCI, CCL, NCL lines but in the last year alone with re-branding away from "Always Included" and the numerous quality cuts to both service and food quality, do you think Celebrity ever was or is still a Premium brand? Please understand by Premium I don't mean on the level with Viking/Crystal/etc because the price tags simply don't align.