Bery

Our family members (17) received FCCs in May 2020 when we cancelled our family Empress cruise due to CoVid.  We used all of them to rebook on Empress.  RCI told us that told that our original 17 FCCs may be used for a new bookings until April 2022.  Does anyone know if we should receive emails with our new FCC confirmations and the new date?

Hi,  I cannot say how sad that we are. Yes - CoVid was the last stroke.  We always have loved cruising:  Above all - our Bermuda cruises - our first cruise on RCI Song of America (1996, 1997, 1998, 1999) and the others: Celebrity Zenith (2000, 2001, 2006), Holland America (2011, 2012), Celebrity Summit (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018) and Holland America (2019).  Our 17th cruise to Bermuda on the RCI Empress of the Seas to Hamilton and St. George was to be our last hurrah - where we began our enchanted and lovely journey . We planned a celebration of my husband’s 90th birthday with 3 generations of our family (15 children and grandchildren and us) on the Empress for July 2020.  My husband, one last time, wanted to visit Bermuda on the smaller ship to St. George and Hamilton.  With our final payment due and CoVid with us, we decided to cancel in March 2020 and so we rebooked in May for a 2021 July sailing on the Empress.  Then again it was snatched from our dreams,  We looked forward to our last cruise, our last toast of so many, at our favorite “paradise” at the Hamilton Princess after 16 Hamilton Princess toasts to the most beautiful place that God made!  Slainte!

We used our FCC ($500) to rebook Empress for Bermuda in July 2021 and paying an additional $500 deposit.  We are wondering if we can now get the refund for the total of $1000. Anyone know?

Just now, Bery said:

 

31 minutes ago, godawgs227 said:

We just cancelled with them and they are giving the $100 cancellation fee back to us as an FCC.

See entry #37:  7 bookings @ $1000’s of dollars.   Now  $700 cancellation fees.  Family together for 90th birthday celebration.  Longtime client cruisers. Many referrals.  No loss of income to agency. Loyalty not reciprocated.

I probably should have mentioned: We are paying for 7 bookings (a 90th birthday family celebration).  $100 cancellation fee X 7= $700 in cancellation fees.  Yes, a CRUel CON.

Both of us are over 80 and naturally concerned.  To our inquiry, our multi-years TA will also charge us $100 to cancel our July cruise if we need to do that.  We think it is a CRUel CON.

Hi,  24 years ago (1996) we first sailed on Song of America in a tiny inside cabin.  A small ship with a great Crow’s Nest bar and great food and  a fun vibe.  The food was more than great - on lobster night, the waiter served a whole lobster and cracked it for us at the table - yummy!  We sailed to Bermuda,  3 years in a row, because we loved S of A and Bermuda so much -  but especially the Crow’s Nest with its waiter who served hot delicious hors d’ouvres.   In June 1997, we sat in the CN during a tropical storm and enjoyed watching massive waves lap the pool deck as we sailed.  During the rough seas, the dining room was quite empty and paper bags were available at every elevator station.  We have sailed many cruises since but Song of America remains our favorite ship - no bells - no whistles - no slides or ice skating - just a great tiny ship with a great crew and great food and Bermuda! We are sailing to Bermuda this year on The Empress which is small enough to dock in St. George and Hamilton.  As Mark Twain famously said, “.  ...Heaven.”  See you there!

Is Chops open for lunch on embarkation day on the Empress?

Hi  We are new to RC.  If we bring the 2 allowed bottles of wine, is there a corkage fee?

Cynbeth,  That is interesting.  I was told recently that we cannot expect Beverage packages etc. for our July 2020 E of the Seas not be available until November.  How long ago did you learn the prices of the packages?

I called RC last week to ask about this.  I spoke to a RC agent and his supervisor and was informed that the drink packages info may be posted in November.  As this was a novel idea to me after 22 cruises (Celebrity, HA, etc.), I asked about this RC policy on our Roll Call (7-20-20) and was told this is not unusual on RC.

My above question is not accurate.  I would like to know the location for the B1 Muster Station on the 5-12-19 Summit cruise.  Thank you.

I would like to know before boarding on 5-12-19 where our Muster Station is located.  Can anyone tell me where Muster Station 1 is on the Celebrity Summit?

The Irish recipe for potato pancakes (Boxty) is: in blender grate 4 medium size potatoes with 1/2 medium onion + mix with 1 large egg and 2 tablespoons of flour. Fry in bacon fat until crispy brown. Serve buttered. Yum

As Shakespeare said, “ The quality of mercy is not strained ... . It blesses he who gives and he who takes.”. The service givers who give good service make our trip very nice. We give extra to express our appreciation. It is all good

Thank you all. We have gotten a great deal of valuable information from the experiences and knowledge of the above contributors which we intend to use in preparation for our next Celebrity cruise. It is true that when bad things happen, we are on our own but it is heartening to know that you all are there for us and each other. We all are better off for Cruise Critic! Forewarned is forearmed!

Not to borrow trouble but what should we know to prepare (besides travel insurance) if the unexpected occurs on our upcoming cruise? I have read threads from cruisers who report receiving much support from Celebrity and those who report receiving inadequate assistance from Celebrity on ship and/or at foreign ports. We would like specific info from those with experiences which may help us and others.

Thank you. We love your review. Next May will be our 9th Bermuda visit and you have described some new adventures we had not considered and we would love to try. Was Overproof Charter in Somerset Village the fishing outing you enjoyed?

We always find these boards as an invaluable source of info. Thank you all who responded. I am looking forward to checking out MDR (we did not know it was open for lunch on Day 1); if not, we can try Aqua Spa or the Mast Grill. Pickle loaf sounds delightful!

I dislike buffets. So we have always had lunch at Bistro on 5 after boarding. We are booked on Summit next May o/v so we are not eligible for MDR lunch. My DH dislikes the items on the Sushi on 5 menu. Are there alternatives to these 2 lunch venues?

It is possible that Celebrity policy may have changed but in 2013 my son's family had a similar situation. His daughter had a must-do party and was unable to embark with us. My son was able to arrange with Celebrity for his wife and daughter to join him and us on the Summit in Bermuda. See if your T/A can arrange it.

We got the X notice about Summit dry dock changes. It appears the goal is to create a new upcharge venue (MUTS) and to change Normandie to an Italian steakhouse. We are booked for May 2016 and we are primarily interested in whether X will fix the squishy flooring, the broken cabin furniture, the cracked and dirty bathroom tiles and other evidence of wear and tear over Summit's long life as documented in recent reviews. Any news?

I have seen several mentions that Summit will be refurbished next year. Was this confirmed? What is actually known?

My husband and I had service jobs in our college. We always bring a stack of $1.00 bills to tip for extra service. We enjoy our cruises so much we actually enjoy sharing our joy with those who give us joy. I would recommend it.