ratherbtruckin

Why is it at least 1/2 of the responses are telling the OP to quit complaining about a change in itinerary and that the cruise line has every right to do that.  Did you even read the original post.  He/she isn't complaining about the itinerary change.  The purpose of the post is to wonder why Celebrity seems to hold back info. which the OP feels he/she is rightly entitled to.  I agree with the OP that it definitely seems like Celebrity is slow in putting out info., such as an itinerary change, and wondering, and rather annoyed because of it.  Again for all the posters with 1 million posts who are just going to respond that they have every right to change the itinerary, it isn't about that.  For instance, we showed up last year and were greeted at check-in with a note letting us know St. Lucia was changed to Martinique.  I find it very difficult they made that decision the day of embarkation, but I'm sure all these "helpful posters" won't hesitate to let me know they are sure that Celebrity made the change minutes before I reached the check-in desk.  Even letting us know the night before would have given me a chance to spend an hour and come up with a new plan.  Surely they have the ability to send out an email/text to everyone sailing on that ship.  They can certainly send out email blasts for every upsell/new sale out there.  

14 day Caribbean on the Breakaway out of NYC in January, 2015. Didn't have high expectations because it was our first mega-ship and we prefer the smaller, quieter ones. We had done a couple Celebrity and Princess and just had it in our head that NCL was more like Carnival and less like Celebrity (we were wrong). Also sailing out of NYC we expected a lot of NY, NJ, and New England folks (sorry, but you guys can be a bit intense compared to our rural, midwest folks we normally hang out with). We got our first balcony and absolutely loved it. We also loved the Breakaway and the opportunities a larger ship offers such as more music venues/performers and different dining options. There were many places to avoid the dreaded crowds. There was a very diverse crowd with a ton of international guests which we loved observing and meeting. It was our longest cruise to that date and we loved that. But the best part was the giant storm we encountered on the way home. Three days at sea back to NYC and the 2nd we hit a major storm. I took a picture of the TV screen and it said 38 foot waves and 70 mph wind. We had been on about 8 cruises prior to this one and always kind of enjoyed the wave action. We always wondered what "real waves" would be like, now we know. The captain started warning us when we left Antigua, which was our final port. On the first day at sea he made several announcements about the storm we would be encountering. At dinner he came on and let everyone know the ship would be getting into it from midnight to about 2 AM and it would be at it's worst from about 6 AM to early afternoon. He was right! Needless to say we were seriously primed for the storm. I was so excited I couldn't sleep. We were on the lowest balcony deck and the spray from the waves was hitting our balcony. Not mist, honest to goodness spray from the waves. They shut off the deck, obviously, where the shuffleboard is, which we were over top and hundreds of waves would wash over it. We went up to the buffet as soon as it was to open and had to physically hold onto the plates on the table or they would slide. It was definitely a bit intense the higher on the ship you went. Early afternoon it started to die down and the next day was smooth as silk. What an experience!! And isn't that one of the reasons most of cruise, to experience things we don't normally get to!

Yes, we do it regularly and it is great. It especially works well when checking in around 1 or so when the rooms are ready. But we also do it when we arrive earlier and just have a seat at the buffet with our stuff. What we have found and most people don't realize is you can bring suitcases on, not just carry-ons. There are generally 2 sizes larger than carry-on size, the medium size suitcase and the large ones. We found large suitcases had to be checked with a porter because they won't fit through the scanner, but the medium size suitcases do fit. So now we always cruise with a carry-on and a medium size suitcase each and we have always been able to board with everything with us. It sure is nice to have unpacking done by 2:00 and never have to worry about when and whether everything will arrive.

Agree that you are in luck if Sue is the CD. Wife and I had sailed about 10 times and really never thought much about the CD even though some were more memorable than others. At the end of the day we just never thought they individually impacted a cruise all that much personality wise and how visible they were. I always figured, and still believe mostly, that a great deal of what makes a CD great or so-so occurs behind the scenes. We had Sue as CD on a 14 day Eclipse in Nov./Dec. 2017. When we got off my wife and I both said that was the first time we ever loved a CD and felt we would love to sail under her again. Before that we never felt anything other than general amusement at some of them. A fellow named Max on Costa comes to mind. We would actually factor Sue being a CD into whether we would select a certain cruise over another. She was that good.

We were on this tour a few years ago and had an abysmal time. I do not need the bathroom regularly, but I was dying for one by the time I finally got to visit one. As someone else said, it isn't just the bus ride, it is the theater, waiting in line to disembark, waiting in line to board the bus, sitting on the bus waiting for it to leave, the well-over-an-hour bus ride due to trying to get out of the city at rush hour, the waiting to get off the bus once at the ferry, the waiting then to board the ferry, and then having to wait because 100 to 200 people are all in the exact same situation and need to use and extremely small bathroom. But the worst was the bad weather we experienced and the inability of the ferry to provide any protection. I am an avid outdoorsman and hunt, fish, hike, and bike in all 4 seasons and all types of weather and this was pretty rough. You have a smaller ferry type boat packed to the gills with cruisers and the torrential rains start. There simply wasn't enough room for everyone to fit under cover. They passed out cheap 50 cent ponchos, but still 20 percent of the passengers were out in the torrential rain with thunder and lightning. Temperature is at probably 90 degrees with 100% humidity so after a short amount of time those plastic ponchos turn into there own little greenhouse. When you were able to find a spot to stand under cover you were literally pushed up against people like the good old fashioned lifeboat drills where you stand outside six rows deep pressed up against each other. BTW, not to belabor the bathroom point, but getting to the bathroom through a throng of people who aren't giving an inch was next to impossible. And I kept thinking I can't believe I paid a ton of money for this. Next time I'll just give someone a $10 bill and a baseball bat and they can rough me up. That was one of my first cruises and I quickly learned my lesson with ship based excursions. The canal was neat, but next time I'll do it one a cruise ship. I'm sure if you got good weather that would help, but the bathroom situation is tough regardless of the weather.

On longer cruises of 14 days or more we have gotten an offer to have a bag of laundry done for around $25 or $30. It is usually a paper bag and you stuff as much as you can in it. It is returned in a couple of days. I can't remember which cruise lines we have been on that offered this. Does Celebrity?

We will be visiting St. Lucia for the second time in November. Last time we booked an excursion a few weeks beforehand with Spencer Ambrose. We had a great time and highly recommend him. This time around we would like to wait until we arrive at port to schedule a snorkeling excursion in case the weather is not good. Have any of you booked last minute like that from the port in St. Lucia? Do you know if independent tour operators similar to Spencer Ambrose will take extra guests? We can't imagine that it would be a problem but don't want to just assume either.

We had a wonderful excursion that involved animals at the Port of Limon in Costa Rica. We hired Oscar Brown Tours for about 6 hours and he drove us all around the area. It was $75 per person and that included all tickets and fees. We got to choose what we wanted to do that day. We first went to the Jaguar Rescue Center and spent about 2 hours there and had a full hour to hour and a half tour. It included about ten minutes of playtime with a bunch of baby howler monkeys. What a hoot that was. Boy were they excited to see us. Get on there website and check out the Center, it is very legitimate in animal rehab. Got to check out sloths and toucans up close and personal also. The toucans were fascinated with people's toes who wore sandals, you really had to watch them! We then went to a banana plantation and spent about 1/2 hour touring that which was unbelievable. Then we took about a 1 hour boat tour on the Tortuguera Canals which was really great also. We were lucky enough to see a couple of wild sloths and best of all 2 Jesus Christ lizards. Those are the ones that run on top of the water. Fascinating. Our guide constantly whipped the car off the road at some tree/bush and would pick something and bring it back and show/explain what it was. Nutmeg, Cocoa pods, Coffee beans, Berries they use to dye make-up, and about 10 others. Finally he even bought us some miniature bananas which were very intensely flavored. Think double or triple a regular banana. Finally we stopped at a nice beach close to the port and spent the final hour watching the waves. One of the best days in a port ever!

I'll second that about not stressing out. We just got off on Sunday from the 14 day BA and had no trouble booking shows and changing some reservations. We loved the first Burn the Floor show and made reservations for the second show a couple of days later. We booked Second City about the 5 day in and enjoyed it so much we booked a show for a few days later. Didn't enjoy our Le Bistro dinner and had it booked another night so we cancelled it and booked a dinner at a different specialty restaurant. All of them had availability. The cruise was fantastic and don't believe all the negative comments on here. We never waited in lines or felt the ship was packed (and it was sailing at capacity), the theater always had seats as long as you were 10 or 15 minutes early, the food in the buffet, MDR's, and specialty restaurants exceeded our expectations, staff was fabulous, ship was clean and beautiful, entertainment was some of the best. All in all a great experience.

I'm not sure why you keep stating that the ship wasn't sailing at capacity. There were two very prominent signs in the Guest Services/Atrium area stating that the ship was completely booked and therefore no cabin changes or upgrades would be possible. They were up almost the entire 14 days. I also would have to disagree with your statement about needing to be in the theater at least 30 minutes prior to a show. We attended the 9:00 or 9:30 showing of every show except the second showing of Rock of Ages and Oh What a Night. We never arrived earlier than 20 minutes before and most of the time were exactly 15 minutes early and the theater was never more than 1/2 filled at that time. The 9:00 shows with the individual performers such as the juggler, hypnotist, and comedian had plenty of open seats around us. Maybe you attended the earlier 7:00/7:30 shows. What a great cruise it was and wasn't that storm on the last day incredible! What an experience!

I'll be on the 14 day Jan. 3. BA sailing and would like to take advantage of that laundry bag special. I do have a pretty bad allergy to detergents and fabric softeners with strong fragrance. Anyone with the same sensitivities have any experience with the detergent they use and whether they use a fabric softener/dryer sheet type of thing at all. I'm not looking for what brand they use or anything like that. If you have a sensitivity to it you know what I'm asking. Do the clothes come back strongly scented or do they smell somewhat neutral like the sheets/towels/washclothes that are washed by the ship? Thanks a bunch!

You ALLOWED the choice of cabins by waiting till last minute to book this cruise.

 

There are "other ship noises" such as below a night club or gym, not just the engine area that have been covered here at Cruise Critic.

Give me a break! And you "allowed" the 1 day flight delay because you "chose" the fly. And you "allowed" the car accident where you were hit by the drunk driver because you "chose" to drive a car that day. And you "allowed" yourself to get food poisoning because you "chose" to eat out.

Just because you don't book a cabin until the last minute doesn't mean you should give up all expectations of a reasonably comfortable cabin. We all know you aren't going to usually get a prime location cabin by waiting until last minute or booking a guarantee, but it shouldn't have major inconveniences far different from similar cabins.

I mean by your logic if you go to a crowded restaurant, you should expect the worst food and the worst service because everyone was there before you. Or if you get there are only 5 jars of sauce left on the store shelf and you take one, assume it is spoiled and unedible because you weren't there a few hours ago.

We were on a Carnival ship last Jan. and parked at the pier in FLL. We wanted to grab a nice breakfast at Robert's Restaurant, which is a fabulous restaurant we love about 10 minutes from the port, and then drive up to Disney. We did self-disembark and were off the ship, in our car, and at the restaurant by 7:00 AM. I know you don't have your own car, but if you are on top of things and are ready to go when they give the OK, I don't think you will have much problem making it to the airport in time for your flight. There are just too many people who can't get it moving when they need to and prefer to have a leisurely last morning. It was shocking how fast we were through customs and walking to our car. Good luck!

No it wasn't very crowded at all. There was plenty of space and we sat pretty close to the restaurant/facilities. You could move your lounger where you wanted. Something interesting I never saw before was for a couple of hours somebody had a water jet pack and was taking people out to try it (for a fee I'm sure). Do a search for Water Jet Pack if you don't know what it is. I had never seen one before in person and it was pretty fun watching people try and use it. Some serious wipe-outs.

I put a review of our visit to Darkwood beach a few weeks under the "Antigua Beaches" heading if you are interested. I've never been to Valley Church. Enjoy whichever you pick, it's a great island!

I'm guessing what the OP really is getting at is "does the CD, while doing his/her job, need to be as publicly intrusive as they are on Carnival?" It seems to me every time I hear/see the CD in a public setting they are yapping about something which is already easily known by anyone who cares (i.e. what that show is tonight and what time it starts) or simply trying to pump up sales (i.e. don't forget about all the "valuable" jewelry and art on sale TODAY ONLY!). I'm pretty sure nobody would argue that the entire entertainment department on a ship needs quite a bit of managing. But so does the dining operation, which is just as important to most passengers as the entertainment, except we don't hear 15 announcements a day from him/her. How about the housekeeping/hospitality manager, let's hear 10 messages a day from them about how you can purchase those wonderful robes and it looks like most of our stewards have completed the morning cleaning of your rooms. After cruising on Celebrity last year and coming off the Freedom a few weeks ago the amount of messages/hawking of products/reading of Fun Times is really intrusive.

We just got back from an 8 nighter on Carn. Freedom. We were at Antigua from 8- 6 and had a great time. Sail-in was on of the best we've ever seen as there are beautiful cliffs with some cute tiny beaches on the starboard side. Even a small waterfall so make sure you are up on the deck for sail-in and sail-away as this is one of the better ones. We don't take ship excursions. About 1/2 the time we take an independent excursion and 1/2 the time we just do something ourselves. At Antigua we walked a very easy 5 to 10 min. to the bus station and got on bus #22, which we took to Darkwood Beach for $1.50 a person. Just a note that they wait until the bus is full (about 20 people) before they leave and we waited for about 20 minutes. It was great people watching as the bus station is right next to the market so we didn't mind the wait. It was about a 15 - 20 minute ride. Darkwood Beach was just beautiful and there is only one restaurant/concession and we rented 2 chairs for $5 each. You can put them in the sun or in the shade so no worries about that. Changing rooms and bathrooms are there also. Nice little restaurant that had very reasonable drinks and food prices. Swimming was nice even though it wasn't an ideal weather day and we got in the water twice. Antigua beaches aren't real good to snorkel off of (better to do off of a boat or just wait til a different island) but there was some reef a short swim out. I love to snorkel, but we were also at St. Thomas and Tortola on this trip and both are better for the snorkeling so this was just a beach day. We spent about 5 hours there. One of the things we liked best was the incredible view we had of Montserrat and Mt. Soufriere (which is an active volcano) which had steam spewing out of it. Waited for the bus less than 10 minutes when we decided to leave and the charge was again $1.50 per person, and that is U.S. dollars. Before we got back on the ship we got a roti at Roti King and we loved it. If you never had one go for it, it was great. Hope this helps.

I'm not sure what your budget is, but here are some options for truly cheap experiences. At Grand Cayman walk literally 5 minutes into town to the bus depot (the buses are minivans) and for 2 to 3 bucks catch a bus to Cemetery Beach. It's less than a 10 minute ride, there is a grocery store nearby, and the snorkeling is great. A little exploration on the Grand Cayman message board and you can find detailed instructions about the bus. When you want to return, stand by the road and about every minute a bus goes by and wants to pick you up. It is truly that easy. Wander around the port area if you have any extra time. At Cozumel go to where the taxis wait and ask a few people if they are going to Downtown San Miguel and split the taxi (mini bus) fare with them. I would guess we paid about $5 for both of us when we shared it with another couple we met at the taxi stand. Why should two people pay when 4 can split the cost? Wander around the town, especially the back streets. They are awesome. Find the local elementary school, the outdoor food market (about 4 blocks back), and tons of local stores. You can walk back to the ship (about 3 miles) along the beach (there is a nice sidewalk the whole way) and pass all the resorts and beach bars. Another option would be to take a taxi to Dzul Ha (The Money Bar) and hang out all day. They like you to buy something (we bought a $10 plate of ultimate type nachos) and you can hang out all day. Their facilities are top-notch and the lounge chairs/umbrellas comfortable and the snorkeling is pretty good. Heck it's an all day parade of snorkeling expeditions where everyone paid $40 to $60 bucks per person and you paid about $8 for the taxi and $10 or less for food. Any extra time can be spent exploring the shops around the port. I know everyone has a budget, but you can truly have a great experience for under $20 at a port if you enjoy just people watching and exploring. I forgot to mention the town square/plaza in San Miguel has great benches for people watching and taking an afternoon/morning siesta. Don't make it a big deal since it's your first cruise, just keep it simple and enjoy!

My wife suffers from carsickness, especially in the mornings. Later afternoon and evening is usually fine. Unfortunately most tours are in the morning and early afternoon. We always book an independent tour for ourselves and I communicate with the operator in very clear terms the problem. I tell them we may have to improvise and cover less miles on the tour if my wife is feeling sick. We ask for the slowest, most cautious driver they can provide if there is a choice. I also state that if, in my opinion, the driver is not following my directions with regard to speed and smooth driving there will be no tip and the second half of the payment will not be paid (Never pay more than 1/2 up front and try to arrange for complete payment at the end as it gives you more leverage). We have done this quite a few times after some bad experiences and it has always worked. I guarantee you that if you contact a few tour operators, at least one if not all will understand what you want and be more than happy to work with you. Quite frankly, it works out to an easier day for them as they probably cover less miles. And in addition we have found the tours to be much more enjoyable even when you see only 80% of what was planned.

DW and I sailed the Equinox on an 11 nighter in December for our 4th cruise and absolutely loved the ship and the Celebrity experience. We cannot wait to go again. We had previously sailed twice with Carnival (Miracle and Legend sister ships) and on the Costa Fortuna (it was cheap). The Miracle and Legend both had incredible walking areas. You could stroll all the way around the top of the ship and on the bottom promenade you could stroll on three sides without being diverted (the front of the ship was not accessible) We absolutely loved strolling for awhile, leaning against the railing for awhile, strolling some more. That was one of my very few (I can't even think of another right now) disappointments with the Equinox. They seemed almost to attempt to seperate you from the ocean when you were outside compared to the two Carnival ships we sailed. Again, the Celebrity ship and experience was far superior, but we definitely felt our access to the ocean was limited. Even when walking the upper deck the height and depth of the railing prohibits leaning on it in a relaxing way while looking out over the ocean. And furthermore there is often a 2ft. plexiglass shield above the railing! That being said the Sky Lounge is a fabulous area, and something the Miracle and Legend did not have. My wife and I both felt though that our access to the ocean was limited.