Keys Kathy

I know what you mean, but really, do you think as you are walking down the hall someone is going run into your room? That is what DH said to me.

We dress occasionally because we want to. X does not require it. Just no shorts or ripped jeans or trashy outfits.

No, you will not get kicked out. Just be careful, on some ships they are right below the pool deck and they start moving pool chairs very early in the morning. If you need an assessable cabin, you book early. Once they are released to the public, it is yours.

Wife and I have a suite booked on Ascent Jan of 2024. This will be my first suite experience on Celebrity. We used to do Suites. Congrats to you for winning the Lottery! We can never afford them again on X, so we are switching to MSC Yacht Club. It is actually a better product at a price we can afford.

40 somethings want to relax after the kiddies are in bed. When they are in their 50's, perhaps X will be interesting, but, it will be the same things that brought us to X in our 40's. Beyond the podium, speakers talked about the gold standard and what NASA contributed to society, crafts, which I never had time for before and learning something new, even if it was napkin folding. I think X is really out of touch, I still want my mind to be challenged, but now I am there more for the staff, who are great. Personally, I prefer learning, not spending the day drinking and playing trivia. They don't even have napkin or towel folding anymore.

Loyalty has its privileges, laundry being one of them. I have purchased guarantees many times. You can move to any other cabin in the same category. We ended up in some pretty nice cabins with a guarantee and some very ordinary ones. In my opinion, food is about the same on both, but I think X has better service and more flexibility when it comes to special orders, like a baked potato. The most important thing is to be kind to the staff. If you speak with them and try to get to know them a bit, you will have the largest scoop of ice cream, the biggest lobster tail, and be the first one to be served at the bar. Friends we have cruised with always are surprised by the service we get. That happens because we interact with the staff. Once the staff knows they are with us, they get the large Martinis at cocktail hour. We went to Eden one night for dinner. I called the Chef over and basically told him we were putting ourselves in his hands. Not only did we have an amazing dinner, but the Sommolier coordinated with the Chef to choose our wines. A few nights later, we took our friends, they were brought lobster even though it was not on the menu that night. KINDNESS MATTERS!

One Christmas we were on the Connie. It was about 6:30 AM and I was poking around the hall trying to find the ice machine. An officer was walking by and asked if he could help, when I said I wanted ice, he asked why I didn't call my cabin steward. I replied, "Because it was Christmas and I didn't want to disturb him"! He said he would get it. I turned out to be the Captain. My point? All of their Captains are great. Kate is still special though.

I would go. Capt Kate is friendly and approachable. Based on the cost of the jewelry, she makes a lot more money than I do.

This sounds like the phone vs the keypad.

It is one of those things that Americans are not very proud of.

Which ones?

Did you mean Buttweiser? The King of Hers? Seriously though, since deposits mean so much, why did they shorten the time on the "Book now, Book later"? They gave me 6 months to use it. It used to be at least a year. I don't know if I will find something by August and it doesn't give me the opportunity to look at the late 2025 itineraries. I read somewhere that now it is 90 days. If you don't use it, it is an automatic refund. I would believe they would like to hold on to that money. Explain, please.

Me too!

I can understand that. If you notice, Apex and Beyon are already on the Exciting Deals list. If they were that full, why would they be there? Could it be that Exciting Deals aren't that exciting anymore? Just a marketing gimmick? Personally, I am a bit tired of trying to figure out their pricing. Is it AI? Base? I have been pricing several sailings for the last 6 months. Regardless of the sale, the price is the same. Needless to say, I am bewildered, and having to hunt down a price is frustrating. It seems like a bait and switch. They put so much time and money into advertising AI, you think that is what you are getting and then it is not. They should have a filter for AI or cruise only. The AI they sometimes have under offers does not cover all sailings.

there may not be a logical reason Now THERE is the answer!

What I don't get, and yes I am a shareholder, is why build the last two ships in the current economy? I have to believe the penalties would be a lot less than the building costs. We have walked away from deposits because of our earnings, why wouldn't they? Why continue to increase debt? Looking to all you math people out there!

You watch the pennies, the dollars take care of themselves!

Personally, I love the common spaces on the Edge ships, we just can't stand the IV. Eden is my favorite for the bar, the Cafe, and the restaurant. We were not in favor of the Martini Bar because it was so limited, but I understand they have changed that on Beyond and beyond..... Eden is a great place to meet people and dance! The restaurant has one of the best desserts I have ever had. It was the Aztec something. YUMMY! Steak house? Meh, Bistro? Really good but a bit pricey for a luncheon tuna sandwich. Raw on 5? We have had good and bad experiences there. It is worth it if you are getting a decent discount. Real Estate in the Keys has changed and we have to cut back. Does anyone out there want to buy or sell property in the Florida Keys, or know of anyone? Please fund my cruise addition!

I believe they cut back to less than 14 days because the shareholder OBC goes from $100 to $200 on the 14 day.

M class is great, but not as much emphasis is given to the Suites since the Retreat didn't exist until far after she was built. I believe they have done a great job updating the Millie and the Summit. We have not been on the Connie lately or the Infinity. If you like a good cocktail, go to Cellar Masters, they are so much more than wine. Nice changing rooms at the spa and the indoor pool is a big plus. IMO, each class of ships has its pluses. We are not a fan of IV, so we get the Sunset Veranda instead. We can't afford suites anymore. I would have liked to have had a suite experience on the Beyond where the Retreat is more like MSC Yacht Club. Oh well, we'll be in Yacht Club in October.

Our nearest is about 90 minutes away. We leave the "rock" and go shopping at Costco, Total Wines, Aldi, and Walmart. We do it about twice a month. When you live in a rural area, you are used to it!

I bought a 26" Desley on closeout at BBB. I brought it home and found out that the zipper didn't work. They replaced it with a newer model for free. I have a 26" Delsey for $25.

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