Redking

Hi Jim,

I am so excited for this.

Like you, we've made the decision to "stray" from Celebrity 🤣 and Ponant is on our list.

Wishing you and Iain a fabulous cruise and  really looking forward to following along.

Cheers, Kim.

3 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

I have almost always booked on-board for cruises as much as 2 1/2 year in the future.   Especially after Celebrity just cancelled our November 2024 TransAtlantic leaving us with the first 1/2 of a B2B not cancelled -  will not be booking any future cruises while aboard.    I may purchase some of the Future Booking Certificates. 

 

I have to agree with @Redking and started looking at other cruise lines after 23 years of only sailing Celebrity.

Thought of you this morning Jim when I saw they had cancelled their season in South America. So disappointing. We have two cruises booked with Scenic Eclipse II one from Chile to Tahaiti and the other to Antarctica. So much for not being sure about small ships🤣. Likely we'll take the hit and loose our deposits on two Edge sailings when we cancel.

Looking forward to your Ponant review. Is it September?

On 8/20/2023 at 2:12 PM, miched said:

With all of the negative threads about  cutbacks I wonder how the Future Cruise Bookings are doing?

 

In the past I would book  1 or 2  cruises or just open certificate early in the cruise to avoid the the rush at the end of the cruise.   People would decide to book another cruise while on board for the extra perks because they had a fantastic experience.   This would be the last few days  and there were long lines to do that.   
 

Reading the negatives threads I doubt if many are booking another cruise while on board.   
 

I have 8 more cruises booked. Depending on my experience on our next cruise that is in a Sky Suite I may bite the bullet and cancel the others when final payment is due  and lose the $100 because they are all non refundable.   A small price to pay compared to the thousands it would cost for a inferior product if the current policy continues

 

I doubt if they will miss me as there are a lot of first time cruisers that don’t know any better and I think that is the market they are after.  

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

 

 

 

 

I agree that it seems many of us on this forum are no longer in X's target demographic. In our case the once 55+ parents travelling with their teenage/young adult children have "matured".  Time for a change and let our adult children take our places 😀 

4 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Agree that Celebrity corporate should get a copy of this but I also think CC followers of the Celebrity board would also be interested.  As it happens, like the OP, I too have just booked us on Regent for an 11 night Med cruise for 2025.  I have 2 more cruises on the books with Celebrity.  Final payment for one is next week.  I may cancel it...don't know yet.  The other is for May 2024 to Alaska.  Will probably keep it even though it's a SS with diminished perks.  The point is, people who come here to read about Celebrity may also be interested in knowing where future former Celebrity cruisers are turning.

As a lurker on the Regent, Seabourne and Siverseaas forums I've noticed a few familiar Celebrity forum names. I agree it's helpful to make the comparison. 

40 minutes ago, flossie009 said:

A Mermaid Vesper Martini

 

 

 

🥂

8 hours ago, pappy1022 said:

It is interesting that Regent is attracting so many new people even with their high cost of cruising. I would guess that this is more true on shorter itineraries since the total cost is a little more palatable.

Falling standards on other Cruise Lines? I'm lurking on here because we've been considering a change to the ultra luxury lines for the past few years. We weren't however sure that we would enjoy the feel of a smaller ship. Our recent experience in a top end suite and soaring suite prices on Celebrity have been the impetus to make the change. We're prepared to pay more for a better experience, including a decent G&T 😀.

15 hours ago, Gilly said:

 

Tell me what makes the perfect drink for you, please?!

This from Diffords Guide which a CC member kindly recommended:  https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/835/gin-and-tonic

The proportion of gin to tonic is what I would follow. From memory the Fever Tree slogan goes something like ... when 3/4 of your drink ..

We have some fabulous cocktail bars on this side of the world, some specialising in gin. I would once have been served my gin with the tonic on the side in a Collins or even and Old Fashioned glass. These days we have our G&T in a gin glass which I believe they use on Regent:

In a bar, I like how they match the garnish with the botanicals in the gin. I used to do it at home, but find it too much of a faff! 

Harris Gin (from the Scottish Island) is my current favourite with FT elderflower.

It's 9.23am here, too early for gin 🤔

Loving your review, thank you.

11 hours ago, Gilly said:

@Mudhen  I haven't seen her....but that doesn't mean she's not here!

 

There are a great number of new staff - more accurately, new to us.  We recognised hardly anyone when we boarded.  It appears my (new) role in life is to train Regent staff to make a "proper" Gin and Tonic - i.e. one where the gin isn't drowned in a whole glass of stale, anonymous tonic water.  So far, I have about an 80% success rate, though I'm aiming for 100% reliability by the time we leave 😉      Well, we all assume a mission in our lives, don't we?!

Why is the quest for a decent G&T so challenging? I think you've summed it up perfectly. Surprised that even Regent fall short. Pictures of their glassware are impressive. Keep up the good work 👏 

19 hours ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

Yes, thank you, I have heard of dialysis at sea.  The logistics of getting down to Florida and pacing my treatments is just too much for me to worry about.  I’ve had other medical problems on top of this.  This is the first summer in 6 years that I haven’t been in surgery.  I’ve survived heart failure, colon cancer, 9 inches of my colon removed, kidney failure, dialysis 4 hour sessions 3 times per week, triple bypass, 6 trips to OR for vascular surgery, upper GI bleeding and now I will undergo a kidney transplant.  The transplant will be my 15th trip to the OR in 6 years.  Good grief…I haven’t had enough spare time to take a cruise even if I was able…LOL.  Hopefully I’ll get the kidney in 2023 and 2024 will be my year to cruise once again.  To all of you out there…count your blessings!  

What an amazing attitude. Sending best wishes and thanks for reminding us to count our blessings!

Thank you Alexandra, always love following your adventures. Next stop the Edge to Singapore?

On 5/29/2023 at 11:31 AM, Jim_Iain said:

 

I believe I will do the Comparison here on Celebrity.    The Ponant Board is VERY SMALL and I would feel like I was taking it over.   They only have 15 pages of posts and most posts have fewer than 10 replies. 

I think that's a good idea Jim. Seems like many of us Celebrity loyalists are considering other options and itineraries. We're on the point of joining friends on a Scenic Eclipse Antarctica cruise out of Dunedin. I cant even find a Scenic Ocean Cruise forum on CC. Look forward to your Ponant adventure.

Thank you once again Jim (and Iain) for taking us along on another wonderful trip. Really appreciate the time you give to doing this,  especially after my somewhat faltering first attempt!

Safe if somewhat delayed travels home. Looking  forward to your next Live, will that be your Ponant cruise?

On 5/16/2023 at 9:25 AM, luvthec said:

We just got off the Eclipse in Honolulu May 9th.  

 

We were in a CS on deck 10, so these comments only pertain to our experience.

 

The lack of outlets is ridiculous.  My husband had to move his laptop/phone chargers off the desk so I could plug in the hair dryer and curling iron (no acceptable outlet in the bathroom).  We brought 1 extra European converter so we could utilize the Europe type plug on the desk.  We did pull out the nightstand and found an outlet behind there so we could charge a phone overnight and a Kindle during the day.  If they know there is an outlet behind a nightstand, why wouldn't they put some kind of extension on the nightstand so it could be utilized?  

 

One of my biggest complaints is the peeling paint on the balcony.  I mean EVERY SINGLE MORNING it looked like it had snowed.  I had to get a towel and clean off the table, chairs and lounger, then put a towel in front of the sliding doors so as not to track paint onto the carpet.  I peaked next door to see if the problem was just our balcony and our neighbors both had problems as well.  Our room steward actually had to vacuum the balcony every morning, it was that bad.  

 

I noticed ripped carpeting in the Oceanview Cafe, very scratched flooring and worn furniture in the library (where we spent a lot of time due to the pathetic "premium" internet in our room), sinks out of order in the common area ladies rooms, just little things, but it does become noticeable.

 

The toilet in our room was so old, there were scratches that had left a permanent dark gray ring about an inch thick, due to the scraping of the metal while cleaning the bowl.  

 

First world problems?  yes.  But when you pay a lot to stay in one of the nicest suites for 18 days, expectations are high.

 

 

I concur.

I can't believe those sinks in the ladies and gents toilets near the Ensemble Lounge are still out of order. We sailed back in January and they were out of order back then.

There was also  really bad smell in Micheal’s Club by the bar.

I've seen a few questions regarding the condition of the Eclipse. Giving an objective response is challenging given we all have differing "thresholds". It's a bit like the subjectivity around food reviews. Best I can say is if you're familiar with S class as new (this was our 3rd time on the Eclipse)  you'll likely be disappointed compared with say the Silhouette and Reflection that have be updated - I haven't been on either so solely based on reviews.

Conversely, the condition of the ship is reflected in the price. Our suite on the Eclipse was approximately 1/3 the price we'll be paying for an equivalent suite on the Edge.  This might therefore be worth considering if the itinerary is priority?

For us and yes it's a personal thing, we won't sail on an "unrevolutionised" Solstice Class ship.

9 minutes ago, wendyam76 said:

I graduated with a BSc Zoology in 1991 from Aberdeen University! Robert Gordon’s is indeed a University now also. In fact I teach at Robert Gordon’s College - the 3-18 school the University developed from. Our pipe band played for the first major cruise line to dock at our new harbour, Aida, just a few weeks ago.
Many of my friends went into the oil industry and safety thankfully is greatly improved. However anytime I hear more than one copter go past I worry. 

Coincidence, I did first year Zoology but a wee while before you!

6 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

I think the norm for the OnBoard booking of a suite is $900 pp.    It might be cheaper to get a OnBoard Certificate and then have it applied once home if you would prefer to limit deposit.   Not sure how that works.

You're correct Jim. We paid $100pp for the certificate. You have to pay the additional suite deposit when you lock in your cruise.

2 hours ago, wendyam76 said:

Happy Birthday Iain!

@Redkingwhich course/University were you doing/at? Piper Alpha was the eve of my 19th birthday - I live in Aberdeen and over the helicopter flight path and still remember the sound of the helicopters that night. We lost so many that night and my mum who was in insurance at the time remembers going to hand our cheques.

Wendy

BSc Psychology. Class of 1984 at the then only varsity, Aberdeen 😉. I think Robert Gordons is now also a university? Piper was a terrible, terrible disaster.

3 hours ago, RD64 said:

In Celebrity’s defence ( and no doubt others will follow) I am sure it has to do with people booking multiple cruises which they may (may not) have any intention of actually taking, but are playing the waiting game - hoping that the price will decrease prior to final payment.

Agree! And several other variations on that theme. 

39 minutes ago, MMMCruiser said:

Loving this thread - thanks for letting me follow along.

 

I was in Invergordon in 2018 on a cruise - I recognize Cawdor Castle and the gardens there.  The sail in through the oil rigs is something I won't forget.

Wow oil rigs near Invergordon. Clearly a long time since I lived in Scotland. I only ever knew them when I was a student in Aberdeen and they were out in the North Sea half way to Norway. It would have been around the time of the terrible Piper Alpha disaster.

15 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Thanks for coming along! We did had a great time and hopefully that nasty looking storm in The Ditch the other day didn’t do too much damage in New Zealand. 

A windy night and a Sunami warning! Otherwise all good thank you.

Ken, can't thank you enough for taking us on your travels. I can't believe it's nearly over. Seems like it was just yesterday you left Sydney. 

Wishing you safe onward travels and look forward to your next adventure.

Kim.

1 hour ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Thanks to the recent @OnTheJourney thread about Blu, it got us thinking about the canapés we used to get in the afternoons when we had previously booked an Aqua cabin, most recently on the Summit back in August and on the Constellation the previous December. Not anymore. When I called Guest Services to confirm this, they said only concierge cabins (besides the suites) get them. She also suggested we check out the website to see what the current perks are for booking an Aqua cabin.
 

So I did and guess what, there are no more “daily delectable delights”, but there was a “Welcome bottle of sparkling wine (upon request)”. If I remember correctly, which sometimes isn’t always the case 😂, we used to get this automatically delivered to our cabin on the first day when we boarded the ship. Unfortunately, I didn’t remember this until yesterday when I checked the website, so we missed out on 3 bottles of the free bubbly, as we’re on a B2B2B. 😱
 

Oh well, hopefully I’ll remember this on our next Celebrity cruise in an Aqua cabin in July 2024. But if you’re curious about the actual perks of either Aqua or Concierge cabins, here’s what is currently on the website.

 

 
Then I checked out Concierge just to verify they still get the Daily Delectable Delights, and they do, plus the bottle of bubbly (but only if they remember or even know to request it). 😂

 

 

I've always pondered on what is the point of Concierge? Not sure this answers the question but at least they get some nibbles that you don't in Aqua. Meanwhile ...... there us Blu!

46 minutes ago, cluso said:

When I was served my dinner last night at a local restaurant, I thought about you.  It included succotash with black eye peas, onion, tomato, and OKRA!  Very tasty.  Sorry, I just had to show you...😁 

We could start an Okra and Beets thread just for Jim. I nearly posted a photo of the roasted Beet Hummus that I made the other day.

3 minutes ago, Redking said:

 

 Oops forgot ti hit quote!

Pjays on Reflection? Interesting, I thought that was only on Edge Class. Not that I really need them, but X sure are consistent in their inconsistency 🤣 Didn't get any on the Eclipse back in January.

6 hours ago, groryjm said:

 

For pre dinner I made a Diana’s bitter and as I had no simple syrup improvised with sugar... It was good

 

 

We opted tonight for Luminae and while the food and service were good I will have to add that having first had this set of 14 menus back in 2015 it hasn’t changed a great deal since, Repeatedly cruising the menu does start to get a little familiar. That said the specialities are also unchanged in 8 or nine years so the food being good is fine but the sameness of the menus is a getting us jaded. Cunard on our last cruise while also excellent would I suspect also be a bit tiresome on a constant repeat. Which do I prefer? I am still undecided , but will give a few more days to give an breakdown.

 

 

 

 

Not to forget the bourbon and peaches and the ultrviolet

 

 

 

We ended our evening with another episode of Bluestone 42, a calvados from Cranston at Michaels, a boulavadier from Joe ath the WCB and truffles in our room form Mudit our buttler

 

 

Oh and our JimJams arrived 😎😎😎😎😎😎 along with a CC invite to the helipad tomorow and the daily ... along with a warning on what to do if you have CVOVID!!!!!

 

Pjays on Reflection? Interesting, I thought that was only on Edge Class. Not that I really need them, but X sure are consistent in their inconsistency 🤣 Didn't get any on the Eclipse back in January.

 

3 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

We started with Dundee Door.  It was so nice out and we were all so fit he suggested we walk down.   No one was there and even Danny was taking pictures.  He said it is early this clear and warm. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

Another one for the arch list! May even be the one another member posted on your Solstice live? Looks stunning.