Lastdance

Your money; your choice!  Are you a gambler?  Would you be okay if the cabin was obstructed?  The value is very minimal, IMHO!  Value for location might make it desirable, but when you bid, you give up control of what is a known entity.  What is your opportunity cost for the unknown, or what you hope to gain?  Good luck if you make that choice!

On 5/24/2024 at 8:11 PM, lifeisrealygood said:

Not weight related, but age related.  My wife & I are 77 years old, and really enjoy the Golden Eagle Catamaran in St Marten.  Probably have been on that catamaran a dozen times over the years.  But, alas, a few years ago, they set a 75 year old age limit on the excursion.  No way around it.  It is a Celebrity Shore Excursion, and they know our age, so when we go to book it, it just says "Sorry, you are too old".  It is really a bummer, but insurance sets the rules.  We love catamarans, and as of now, no other Caribbean island has an age limit on any of their catamarans, so we are good, except for the Golden Eagle in St Maarten which we really loved.  We are both in great shape, and excellent swimmers, but ........................Oh Well

I hear you loud and clear; this age limit thing is definitely a bummer.  “Sorry, you are too old,” would make my blood run cold, but we do not do Celebrity’s shore excursions.  I know all too well about insurance, but love it when the age goes up to 99!  So sorry that age has discriminated against your favorite catamaran excursion with an arbitrary number; however, you can still seize the day using other tours...it is very difficult for companies to get past the norms on insurance, but that will never stop us from doing everything we can to stay healthy!

I will be in an IV on Ascent for its fall TA, so whether I like it for not will definitely give me time to access the pros and cons.  I prefer suites/SV’s because of being outside and more emersed with the sea air, but going with an open mind, especially if a MoveUp is not in my future.  Okay, so I am very skeptical, but this trip will determine whether I ever book this in the future..Concierge GTY because that was all that was open except a rediculous price for a suite!  My DH said to just book it!

6 minutes ago, ROXY GIRL said:

It's me again asking about the sunset verandah. I have vertigo spells a little bit. Not very often. Is there any constant rocking back and forth on these balconies? We have been on 30 some cruises. Never had this sunset balcony. We always pick mid ship balcony. I've never had any problems so far. My husband can sleep anywhere. Forgot to say deck 10.

Hope everyone is having a great Memorial Day . Thank you all for your service.

I also have vertigo, but have stayed in a Sunset suite and SV on Apex for a b2b crossing the Atlantic.  I never had one episode at all.  I was on deck 11 for both cruises.

1 hour ago, Stem to Stern said:

Do I presume correctly that you are asking about MSC Yacht Club?

 

YC on Seascape is all monotone neutral colors.  Our suite was ALL gray.  The lounge and restaurant were elegantly and tastefully outfitted in browns, creams, and whites.  Overall the ship is new and gorgeous.  We enjoyed exploring outside the confines of the YC.  Cocktail Bar was one venue we frequented for a change of scenery. The pink, actually mauve, that you may have seen could have been on Davina.  

 

The number of children in the YC will vary depending on the time of year.  In early-December 2023 we only encountered a handful of well-behaved little people ranging from toddlers to teenagers.  The pool deck is so huge that you can easily find your own private quiet corner of you choose to.  

 

The 7-night itineraries suit us working folk for a bit of rest and relaxation.  We can drive to the port the day of the cruise and only use at most five PTO days.  We can always come up with something new to do in a Caribbean port we have visited multiple times previously.

 

MSC’s itineraries are very repetitive, but we don’t plan on cruising with MSC more than say every two years.  Our future cruise calendar is full through April 2026 as we are finding the early bird sometimes gets the worm.  Five of the six deposits are on Celebrity and one on Azamara.

 

Is your Oceania TA on an R-class vessel?  If so it will be very similar to Azamara’s.  We are booked for our second go with them.  The first time around we enjoyed the intimate feel of the ship, friendly crew and fellow passengers, and White Night deck party.  We did not miss all the noise that we encounter on Celebrity.  The pool deck was packed on sea days.  This upcoming sailing is port-intensive, so I booked us on the cheapest verandah on Deck 6.  We were in this location previously and it was fine.  Although I felt like we were experiencing a lot of pitching and rolling overnight as we traveled between ports.  We like to branch out and try new lines, but Celebrity is still our comfort zone.

 

Yes, I was asking about the Yacht Club.  Our Oceania cruise is on Vista, so the newest ship at this time.  Celebrity is still in my comfort zone for the ship experience in the Retreat, along with itineraries other than the Caribbean; however, we love the longer itineraries, so really enjoy the b2b’s.  We are not huge sun people, but our PH status will allow for a new experience on Oceania, along with concierge and above, so that should be interesting.  Everything will be new to us which is a plus, except for a smaller gym experience.  Furthermore, Oceania does have a more unique choice of itineraries.  

Thank you for clarifying the newest ship on MSC, as the price point is certainly lower for suite amenities, especially if comparing with Celebrity.  We are only booked out through 2025, but have plans for new releases in 2026, none which are available at this time, so TBD.  

Many thanks for your excellent reply!

14 hours ago, Stem to Stern said:

Sorry, I am a bit late to this party.

(But I am never late for breakfast in Luminae.)🤣🤣🤣

In all seriousness, The Retreat is what we are used to and content with.

BUT we did love our 2017 Crystal Cruise and would do it again in a heartbeat.

Will we do MSC Yacht Club again?  Probably.

YC on a Sea-ship is a whole lot closer to Crystalesque luxury than The Retreat.

What about the suites themselves, as I look at the photos and see pink carpeting and some blah colors.  Also, more kids in those areas too, after reading some reviews, not to mention shorter itineraries.  Am I correct or are some of my concerns unwarranted?  I am doing Oceania’s TA in May, 2025 for its itinerary and a smaller ship experience.

17 hours ago, jelayne said:

Those cabins sell quickly as they have actual balconies combined with aft view.  We booked the Apex in January for October 2025 and only 2 SVs available when we booked.  

We also booked an SV and Suite for Apex’s October TA(b2b), so I actually watched those two types of cabins/suites disappear fast.  I guess the early bird getting the worm is alive and well.  Actually some suites were greyed out only to appear.  We booked in early December for our October 25 cruises.

2 hours ago, Cruise Puss said:

I feel vindicated now. I didn't imagine it then. I really thought I was being an idiot, but she did go further than usual. Thank goodness! 😁

I would venture to guess that all of us have had those moments, but some of us wouldn’t be as honest as you.  It is all good!🥰

32 minutes ago, RichYak said:

I believe overbooking is happening. There's too much potential revenue for it not to be happening. With the move-up program, there is a constant flow of cabins becoming available. Cruise lines can resolve the situation prior to embarkation day if done conservatively yet there haven't been enough cancellations to meet the number of guarantees sold. It's a very manageable risk.

I booked my first GTY cabin.  Location and over-booking were the first two concerns that came to mind with Ascent’s TA.  We had a suite on a Caribbean cruise for November, but I canceled that due to my last Caribbean Cruise and something the OP mentioned-crowds. However, the stock is doing great and yes, retirees are spending their money.  I don’t believe in a perfect vacation, but I certainly have had some that were, IMHO, very close.  Those were vacations that had a variety of experiences, not just cruising or in the Caribbean.  

I am doing Vista with an open mind; new ships are my choice for cruising, so starting with a TA next May, 2025.  If this goes well, then I will look at Allura’s itineraries, along with those on Vista.  We love eating outside, not to mention do not need a lot of assistance with anything.  I love hearing that ships do not feel crowded, as that is my hope for a smaller ship experience.  If one does not try a new cruise line, new experiences will be lost for sure.  Celebrity’s suite prices on her new ships, especially in Europe are just crazy, so trying a PH to see if that works for us.  My only concern is the gym, but my DH tells me not to worry; I will be fine with just cardio and a few weights.

20 minutes ago, Escruiser1962 said:

I feel like I'm pretty savvy and intuitive about these kinds of decisions and strategies, but the smaller ships on short cruises just have been 100% capacity. It is what it is. All good. Just thought I'd ask about crowds on certain ships small or large at 100% nowadays.

We do not do our first smaller ship until next May, a TA from Miami to Lisbon.  My DH and I are anything, but the norm on cruises, so will use the same strategies with a little tweaking onboard...LOL!  We do love traveling in suites, so that is a plus, but costs a lot more too.  Timing/planning helps too, but dependent on excursions etc.

We also stay away from the Caribbean too; we did that last December and found the crowds to be everywhere onboard and very slow-moving, mostly due to “float the boat” by a lot of Floridians who can just jump on a cruise and go with that Florida’ discount.  So, maybe a huge plus for some, just a negative for us.  Everyone is different with what they consider to be a great cruise, or one that is more appealing to their liking.  Differences make the world go round.  

We are doing the reverse a year from November, so are able to visit friends and relatives.  I was wondering the same about the PC area and rental cars that would be one way.  

2 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

They may indeed oversell a specific classification with Guarantee.  They usually handle this with their Move-Up program.    Those in the specific cabin are moved up (for a bid) to a higher classification and the Guarantee get those rooms.

So, would this eliminate a GTY from participating in the MoveUp program?  I guess it would depend on timing?

As far as eating in the OVC, go when it first opens and have a much better selection of seats, not to mention food presentation and less crowds.  There are strategies for everything, as ships cater to the masses...

Those big busses scare me🫁, so I do not ride them.  The kids at school keep me full of stuff, not to mention make sure I get a dose of whatever is going around at the moment. I also live in a “high desert,” one of the worst culprits for sinuses, so I use an irrigator by NeilMed.

As we all age, our immune systems change, so washing hands and covering mouths is one way to help keep us well.  It is just unfortunate that many do not bother to do this on a regular basis.

immunosenescence - the gradual decrease in immune function that comes with age.

I think we all need to wait for postings from actual cruisers, but then again, it is always different depending how each ship implements each “new” service.  🤷‍♀️

We have been to all of these ports except Funchal; the people were very welcoming!

34 minutes ago, MsSWhite said:

Hello! Celebrity is offering a 9 night Best of Greece cruise. The only date that works for us is October 26-November 4. I'm worried about the weather being cooler. I'm assuming no beaches, pool or sunscreen?? Any experts or past cruisers that can offer advice or info would be greatly appreciated!!

I wouldn’t put away the sunscreen, but definitely prepare for cooler weather.  I have only been there in early October, so cannot comment on your exact time period.  Only Mother Nature knows for sure.  Weather is so hard to predict, but you can Google the average temps for information.

3 minutes ago, Cruisegirl6 said:

We can dine at the specialty restaurants for free?  Did I understand correctly?

Just RS and above, so same as before.

I will be “onboard” with this when I truly experience all of it, plus my lounger.  This is a wait and see for me due to pricing: however, I am glad Celebrity is listening, yet nothing really that new, but bringing back what we had, IMHO.  

I hope the crew are alerted to this; honestly, I do not know how they keep up with the continual changes!

3 hours ago, C-Dragons said:

IMO, X is getting a lot of first time passengers crossing over from other cruise lines. The demographic is not necessarily the same which would explain the differences in behavior.

This is so true!  I keep reading on social media sites about how marvelous Celebrity is from first-timers, the ones who are out and about until all hours.  The stock price indicates this too!

19 hours ago, PTC DAWG said:

Sort of off topic, can a booking be changed to AI after the original booking?  Not AI originally…we have an SV and are looking to convert it to AI..no current SV’s showing on our cruise on Ascent..Jan 2026.

 

not booked as a guarantee originally..

I have been told that it can, but most likely depends on the individual you speak with about this.

16 hours ago, mcatmcat said:

off topic 

what u can update from a guarantee to any room after final payment because they wont let you do it 🤨

Once you have a guarantee, you cannot pay extra to upgrade either if your cabin has not been assigned.  This has happened to me.  Now, I am wondering about MoveUp: however, my price was very good.🤷‍♀️

I usually book suites when the cruise is first open for booking, so this is all new to me.  It is difficult to play the game without the rules.  We are elite+, so bringing water onboard, as we drink very little alcohol.

21 minutes ago, jelayne said:

I’m thinking that fewer emails to HQ could be better.

If HQ thinks they have changed the policy but the ships on request will put them on balconies that had them previously it could be a win-win. 
 

The reality is that the vast majority of cabins have not had loungers so the change impacts a small percent of the passengers.  I say let HQ think loungers are gone and let them focus on things like the wines available that are important to a large part of the passengers.
 

 

Maybe you are giving Celebrity too much credit?  Maybe not, jelayne, but I will be implementing plan A, B and then C if necessary.🤷‍♀️

Unfortunately, communication is not one of Celebrity’s strong points, not to mention all the outsourcing, newbies and incorrect information.