Jack Horner

Is Celebrity still a premium line?

Never really was - that was a marketing concept that some backroom spin doctors thought up - very successfully I might add - Welcome to modern luxury is their next trick :)

There is a reason why RCL's stock has gained all most 70% over the last 12-months = PROFIT

When I vacation I do prefer smart casual & the main reason is that I don't have to pack all those extra clothes;) .

 

Imo in time it will not be mandatory to dress formally on formal nights .I feel it should be of personal choice & not mandated by any cruise line .Vacation is for relaxation inho:)

 

What is your choice?

You would be happier to choose a cruise lines like Carnival, Costa, Disney, MSC, NCL or P&O these low end mass market cruise lines though good value for the money will not be a refined and elegant experience. Certainly you should not choose the top luxurious cruise lines like: Regent, Crystal, Silversea, Seabourn, Orion and Oceania. Even Celebrity might not meet your particular dress code needs.

We love Select as well. We make our reservations ahead of time and choose to sit at a table with just the 4 of us. If you like your server you can ask to be there each night and if you don't then you can sit somewhere else! Very flexible!!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

How do they know you are select? Do they have a list that they check when you come into the dining room?

Finally convinced DH to go for a Transatlantic this November 1st on Silhouette. Can experienced Transatlantic cruisers give me an indication of roughness of seas and outside temps for the crossing from Rome to Ft. Lauderdale? Will we be able to use the balcony on all those sea days?

This attached PDF doc might give some idea of what you could expect:

North Atlantic Repositioning Trip Weather.pdf

Thank you for the info. I wonder if the deck level makes difference. Some say lower decks have less motion?

If you are concerned with motion look for a cabin as close to the middle of the ship as possible to minimize the pitching and as low as possible to minimize the rolling plus these cabins avoid much of the noise by being away from the back and forward sections of the ship (propellers, engine exhaust pipes, thrusters, anchor, fore & aft mooring stations with their heavy rope winches). On the Celebrity Solstice class ships the middle of the ship on deck 7 has the best of both worlds as far as noise & motion is concerned. Deck 7 is the lowest deck where you are noise isolated by having cabins above & below & you.

One thing to watch for is cabins on the highest & most expensive decks that are located right underneath the pool deck as you will experience a fair amount of noise each morning, say 5:00am or so, the crew begins un-stacking all of the chairs and moving/dragging everything back into place.

.

The lounge or sometimes a portion of it is reserved for the elite happy hour. They have to have it somewhere.

I get the feeling there is a sense of entitlement. :D

We sailed the Caribbean on the Eclipse and thought it was a wonderful ship with great evening entertainment. We will be sailing again on the Eclipse in April, this time a 14-day transatlantic crossing.

 

The nightlife was really hopping on the 7-day Caribbean cruise; not so much on the 2-week European cruise we took last October. We had a great time but the guests were a bit older then us (we're in our mid-50s) and the entertainment and nightlife was a little subdued.

 

Maybe there was a difference because of the ships themselves (the European cruise was on the Infinity). Or maybe the longer cruises attract an older clientele and thus a different kind of evening entertainment.

 

Can anyone tell me what to expect? Do you think the comedy club and disco will be open on the Eclipse on the transatlantic cruise?

Repositioning TA cruises

Repositioning cruises are one-way vacations and are usually very reasonably priced and will give you a unique opportunity to embark on an out-of-the-ordinary journey to see multiple destinations in different continents of the world. The most common itineraries are trans-Atlantic voyages from US to the Mediterranean in the spring and the reverse in the fall, although there is an endless combination of itineraries periodically offered throughout the year as ships move from one region to anther region around the globe.

Repositioning cruises appeal to travelers who seek unique itineraries with relaxing days at sea and like the idea of using a cruise ship as a leisurely means of travel between destinations. Transoceanic repositioning cruises are frankly adult-oriented. As such passengers generally tend to be upper-middle-class older demographic seasoned travelers who want to spend days relaxing and being pampered onboard luxury resort-style ships as they cruise from one seasonal cruise region to another. The other attraction is stopping to explore interesting ports along the way but for most the ship is the destination and ports along the way though interesting are expensive distractions.

When at sea cruise lines provide extra entertainment and activities to prevent passengers from getting bored plus host enrichment programs with topics that range from finance, astronomy, to wine education, Smithsonian sponsored lectures covering wide number topics or listen to well-known authors and motivational speakers. You can also attend lecture/talks by the crew on subjects like navigation, ship maintenance, ship design etc. Demonstrations on fruit and ice carving, culinary demonstrations or cooking competitions by the ship's various chiefs. Most ships have a library and onboard a spa and fitness center and include activities like taking dance lessons, playing bridge, attending shows. Or you can do nothing and just chill out, watch a movie or read a book or do some people watching.

Because you are going from one part of the world to another you will need to make travel arrangements to board the cruise ship and to return home. To be safe because there is a great distance between the port of departure and your next port of call you will want to give yourself some wiggle room when booking your flights. Arrive at your departure port one or two days in advance of embarkation, for your return budget some time for ship and airport delays and other emergencies.

When packing for a repositioning cruise, you'll need warmer clothing than if heading for a Caribbean cruise. Don’t forget a pair of good walking shoes and a windbreaker for shore excursions. You will also need to include a few dressy outfits for the evenings, as most repositioning cruises host formal elegant dinners. (The longer, more expensive up-scale cruises take "formal night" to extremes. Tuxedos are suggested, but even the most exclusive ships will accept a dark suit and tie.) Generally, the mood on board a repositioning cruise is country club casual. Dressy shorts, slacks, jeans and other casual attire is the norm throughout the day. Swimsuits, t-shirts, sarongs, tanks, trunks and workout clothes are reserved for the ship’s deck, gym and pool.

The economics of repositioning cruise is extremely attractive. Where else can you vacation in luxury 5-Star environment excellent service with full breakfasts, 5 course lunches and dinners plus entertainment and activities all for $80 - $120/per person per day?

Caveat: If you cruise with the expectation that the ship is the destination then choosing the right cruise line becomes vital. Low end mass market cruise lines though good value for the money will not be a refined and elegant experience. The upper end of the income spectrum passengers cruise with the top luxurious cruise lines like: Regent, Crystal, Silversea, Seabourn, Orion and Oceania. Though the majority of fixed income upper-middle-class older demographic seasoned travelers travel budget does not extend to this level of luxury cruising. This leaves cruising options in the so-called “Premium” cruise lines like Celebrity, Cunard, Holland America and Princess. As to the cost differentiation between the “Luxury” and “Premium” cruise lines can be substantial. On a 16-day transatlantic it is in the region of nearly 60%, in round numbers $5,000 vs. $8,500 in a balcony cabin plus multi destination one-way airfares for two.

Currencies vary depending on your port of call, but credit cards are widely accepted in many destinations worldwide. Direct-dial phones are available onboard. You can send and receive emails and faxes from the ship’s Internet café. Wireless Internet usually is available either in public areas or your stateroom. Charges will be billed to your onboard account. As for cell phones, you can make and receive calls onboard if your wireless provider has a roaming agreement with the cruise line.

.

Hi everyone , I can't find a thread on how to get our luggage tags before we sail . I've already done express check in and saw something about tags but with no direction on how to get them . Any help would be appreciated . We sail Apr . 5 2014 out of Miami .

How do North American Celebrity passengers get luggage tags for their cruise? (See Note 1)

The prerequisite to requesting Celebrity’s colorized luggage tags passengers must have

1. Completed your online check-in

2. Have received your electronic cruise document eDoc (See Note 2)

3. Have an assigned stateroom/cabin number

Passengers may request their complimentary preprinted Celebrity luggage tags by logging on to Online Check-in. Once you log-in by providing your name, last name, and ship & sail date, select "request" in the “Luggage Tags” section of the Cruise Documentation page.

• Passengers can request for Celebrity's colorized Luggage Tags 49 days or less before you sail BUT requests must be made no later than 14 days prior to the sailing date
  

• Passengers who take advantage of this program can expect to receive their ship luggage tags by mail within several business days.
  

• Passengers can print their own luggage tags from page 3 in the “Xpress Pass” documentation which is printable directly from Celebrity’s web site but you cannot file this “Xpress Pass” document permanently in either Word or a PDF doc formats.
  

• Passengers are to ensure all bags have luggage tags attached before arriving at the pier.
  

• Passengers who do not qualify for this program can secure their ship luggage tags from any of the porters at the pier.
  

Note 1 – Each Luggage Tag Mailer contains eight (8) colorized tags, specific to your ship, sailing date and stateroom assignment. Simply attach your luggage tags to the appropriate luggage items prior to your arrival and your bags will be delivered to your stateroom. Guest who receive paper documents and have an assigned stateroom will find their personalized ship luggage tags inside their booklet.

Note 2 – eDocs is provided electronically by Celebrity via the Internet (eDocs). You trigger the sending of the Celebrity (eDoc) by requesting it in the Celebrity’s “Online Check In” page just above the Luggage tag information. Or you can ask your TA to trigger the sending of the eDoc. You can request a printed version of the cruise document which can be obtained for a fee of $35 per book.

As the 15/16 schedules roll out we are looking at getting a cruise on the books. We've always been intrigued by a TA cruise. While we love interesting ports, one of our favorite things about cruises are sea days! So here are my questions for those of you who have taken TA cruises.

As always thank you to everyone on this board for their input and advice!

Repositioning cruises are one-way vacations and are usually very reasonably priced and will give you a unique opportunity to embark on an out-of-the-ordinary journey to see multiple destinations in different continents of the world. The most common itineraries are trans-Atlantic voyages from US to the Mediterranean in the spring and the reverse in the fall, although there is an endless combination of itineraries periodically offered throughout the year as ships move from region to anther region around the globe.

Repositioning cruises appeal to travelers who seek unique itineraries with relaxing days at sea and like the idea of using a cruise ship as a leisurely means of travel between destinations. Transoceanic repositioning cruises are frankly adult-oriented. As such passengers generally tend to be upper-middle-class older demographic seasoned travelers who want to spend days relaxing and being pampered onboard luxury resort-style ships as they cruise from one seasonal cruise region to another. The other attraction is stopping to explore interesting ports along the way but for most the ship is the destination and ports along the way though interesting are expensive distractions.

When at sea cruise lines provide extra entertainment and activities to prevent passengers from getting bored by providing a wide choice of entertainment & activities. Plus enrichment programs with topics that range from finance, astronomy, to wine education, Smithsonian sponsored lectures covering wide number topics or listen to well-known authors and motivational speakers. You can also attend lecture/talks by the crew on subjects like navigation, ship maintenance, ship design etc. Demonstrations on fruit and ice carving, culinary demonstrations or cooking competitions by the ship's various chiefs. Most ships have a library and onboard a spa and fitness center plus activities like taking dance lessons, playing bridge, attending shows. Or you can do nothing and just chill out, watch a movie or read a book or do some people watching.

Because you are going from one part of the world to another you will need to make travel arrangements to board the cruise ship and to return home. To be safe because there is a great distance between the port of departure and your next port of call you will want to give yourself some wiggle room when booking your flights. Arrive at your departure port one or two days in advance of embarkation, for your return budget some time for ship and airport delays and other emergencies.

When packing for a repositioning cruise, you'll need warmer clothing than if heading for a Caribbean cruise. Don’t forget a pair of good walking shoes and a windbreaker for shore excursions. You will also need to include a few dressy outfits for the evenings, as most repositioning cruises host formal elegant dinners. (The longer, more expensive up-scale cruises take "formal night" to extremes. Tuxedos are suggested, but even the most exclusive ships will accept a dark suit and tie.) Generally, the mood on board a repositioning cruise is country club casual. Dressy shorts, slacks, jeans and other casual attire is the norm throughout the day. Swimsuits, t-shirts, sarongs, tanks, trunks and workout clothes are reserved for the ship’s deck, gym and pool.

The economics of repositioning cruise is extremely attractive. Where else can you vacation in luxury 5-Star environment excellent service with full breakfasts, 5 course lunches and dinners plus entertainment and activities all for $80 - $120/per person per day?

Caveat: If you cruise with the expectation that the ship is the destination then choosing the right cruise line becomes vital. Low end mass market cruise lines though good value for the money will not be a refined and elegant experience. The upper end of the income spectrum passengers cruise with the top luxurious cruise lines like: Regent, Crystal, Silversea, Seabourn, Orion and Oceania. Though the majority of fixed income upper-middle-class older demographic seasoned travelers travel budget does not extend to this level of luxury cruising. This leaves cruising options in the so-called “Premium” cruise lines like Celebrity, Cunard, Holland America and Princess. As to the cost differentiation between the “Luxury” and “Premium” cruise lines can be substantial. On a 16-day transatlantic it is in the region of nearly 60%, in round numbers $5,000 vs. $8,500.

Currencies vary depending on your port of call, but credit cards are widely accepted in many destinations worldwide. Direct-dial phones are available onboard. You can send and receive emails and faxes from the ship’s Internet café. Wireless Internet usually is available either in public areas or your stateroom. Charges will be billed to your onboard account. As for cell phones, you can make and receive calls onboard if your wireless provider has a roaming agreement with the cruise line.

We are sailing on the Silhouette in 2 weeks and I was wondering -

If eating in Murano are you allowed to order 2 entrees like you can in the MDR?

 

I really want to try it out, but my husband tried doing that on the Constellation in 2006 and they gave him a huge hard time about it. His second entree came out when we were getting dessert, etc. It was a fiasco. I want to try Murano this trip because I have heard so many great reviews about it, but I want to know if he can order whatever he wants off the menu.

 

Thanks for your help.

Generally people go to the Murano for quality and not quantity.

Our April 20, 2014 TA just had a price drop, post final payment.

I called my online agency and they managed a considerable upgrade

from gty ocean view to C2 Verandah. I am so glad I asked. Still, we paid

more for the OV than the current balcony rate.

It pays to read the threads--had I not done that, I woulda been clueless.

Thanks! CC...

Susan

I notice that a Balcony 2A has gone up 10.5% from the price I paid in September. Plus at the time I had the pick of the prime location cabins as well. Just shows that trying to time the lowest fare is much like trying to time the stock market. So all in all I have the location I wanted plus I am still ahead on the pricing.

Most North Atlantic weather forecasts are dynamic hence a moving target. The further in advance the bigger the craps shoot but there are certain North Atlantic weather characteristics and weather patterns that can give you an inkling of what to “Normally” expect – if there is such a thing as normal when it comes to weather forecasting. Two ships leaving Fort Lauderdale for Europe a few days apart can encounter very different weather - See the attached PDF doc for some North Atlantic weather patterns that will influence the weather dependent on how far north or south the crossing route.

North Atlantic Repositioning Trip Weather.pdf

The Murano

We have eaten in all the specialty restaurants but did not like or appreciate the Qsine restaurant, we thought it was a gimmicky restaurant with mediocre food much preferred the Silk Harvest on the Solstice. Our favourite is the “Murano”

Perhaps Celebrity will have some 'specials' for Canadian residents?!?!

Yes and I know of some New York bridges for sale or alternatively some water front land (ready for development) in Florida.:D

Hi cruisemom2: Could you please email me a copy of your self-guided Herculaneum tour. We will be in Naples on the 4/May/14. My e-mail address is test-7@gto.net Thanks, Regards Jack Horner

In 7274 the bed was next to the balcony.

Thanks for the information. :)

We stayed in 7274 on Silhouette in November (category 2A), a hump cabin. What I really liked about this location was having the hideaway nearby. It wasn't so much the hideaway itself that made me love the location of the cabin, but having the hideaway there meant that folks would leave the main hallway and enter into the hideaway to get to the elevators (from one end), and from the other end they'd leave the main hallway to get to the elevators directly. This meant that the section between these entrances was largely traffic-free except for the folks that had cabins along that stretch.

 

Loved the location so much, I've booked it again for a Reflection cruise for January, 2015.

QUESTION: In Cabin 7274 is the bed next to the bathroom or the balcony?

.

Has anyone stayed on Deck 7 on the Celebrity Silhouette? We are looking at room options.

 

Is it better to be in the middle, front or back of the ship? I've only cruised x1 (on a 14 night cruise) so want to see what's the best room option.

 

Thanks!

I came upon this some time ago and found it useful:

Choosing a Cabin on a Cruise Ship

Now that you have chosen the right cruise ship you will find not all staterooms are created equally either. This fact becomes all too painful if you happen to choose the wrong stateroom for your cruise expectations. This is why cabin type & location selection is the second most important decisions that you can make before booking your cruise. The location of your cabin, along with the size and category, will determine cost

BUT having said that on most modern ships standard double staterooms by type (Inside Stateroom – Ocean View Stateroom – Stateroom with a balcony) are all basically the same, regardless of the deck they are on. So what is most important, in terms of a comfortable location is a stateroom's fore and aft position in the ship. Despite this, cruise lines tend to charge more money for cabins on the higher decks. There is little or no rational justification for this policy, beyond tradition plus higher decks are subject to more pitch & rolling motion in rough seas. Keep this in mind when booking your cabin.

If you are concerned with motion look for a cabin as close to the middle of the ship as possible to minimize the pitching and as low as possible to minimize the rolling plus these cabins avoid much of the noise by being away from the back and forward sections of the ship (propellers, engine exhaust pipes, thrusters, anchor, fore & aft mooring stations with their heavy rope winches). On the Celebrity Solstice class ships the middle of the ship on deck 7 has the best of both worlds as far as noise & motion is concerned. Deck 7 is the lowest deck where you are noise isolated by having cabins above & below & you.

One thing to watch for is cabins on the highest & most expensive decks that are located right underneath the pool deck as you will experience a fair amount of noise each morning, say 5:00am or so, the crew begins un-stacking all of the chairs and moving/dragging everything back into place.

We are new to sailing but we have never been on Celebrity, and we are very excited. We have looked through a lot of pictures, read a lot of reviews.

 

We have been on NCL, RCCL, CCL and overall we felt that RCCL had the best food.

 

In your opinion where do you feel that Celebrity stands out?

======================================

Food/Restaurant Reviews – Different Stokes For Different Folks

Reviews regarding food is very subjective and in most respects come down to something other than just food alone like:

• A person’s international experiences of different cultures and cuisines will influence a review.
  
• It is a matter of expectations. If expectations are low there is a probability of a good review if the expectations are high there is a probability of a poor review.
  
• An individuals level of education will also influence a review
  
• An individuals level of income will influence a review
  
• Individuals who entertain clients on a regular basses in 5-Star restaurants with unrestricted expense accounts will influence their review.
  
• The type and quality of food a person eats in their day-to-day lives will influence a review
  
• Quality of food from the embarkation port plays a large factor in food quality
  
• Length of the cruise is a factor
  
• One should also factor luck into the equation
  
• Last but not least it is just that everyone is different. I for one do not like fast foods and routinely avoid restraints without white tablecloths.
  
• I certainly do not appreciate hamburgers or pizza’s when a full breakfast and 5-course lunches & dinners are being served.
  
• Our personal favorite is of course is the “Murano”
   
   
  
  

If anyone wants to travel being in the US armed forces does not exempt someone from having a required passport upon entry and exit to other countries.

Is Celebrity Changing Its Marketing Strategy – see trackref’s full review http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=247007

I Quote: At our Cruise Critic Meet and Mingle, I had a chance to ask the Silhouette Cruise Director about the A Capella group which was conspicuously missing from the Daily Program. She advised me and my family that there was a new Celebrity slogan, 'Modern Luxury', and that A Capella groups were being phased out across the fleet because they did not meet 'Modern Luxury'. She suggested that if we wanted A Capella we should sail Holland America.

After reading this review I dread to think what is meant by Celebrity’s definition of “Modern Luxury” I am under the impression that this was Carnival’s Billy whack with loud music piped into all the public lounges & bars together with incessant public announcements informing everyone that either the hairy legs or belly flop competition was about to start at the pool. From my perspective reading some of the reviews lately there seems to be a definite change in Celebrity’s strategy I am hoping this impression is wrong/mistaken – Funny but I have been thinking after our next TA in April with Celebrity we should try Holland America as flippantly suggested! :confused:

It’s not a myth that the average unhappy customer will tell 10 people about the poor service he or she received. Well if this review is a reflection (excuse the pun) of both the Celebrity Refection & Celebrity Cruise Line it does not baud well for those of us that have chosen to cruise with Celebrity in the past or tend to in the future: A few of the comments if true would be of great concern to someone like me and I would image to most of Celebrity’s passenger demographic who are older and seasoned travelers. We will be on the Silhouette’s TA repositioning trip in April and will hope not to experience these negative issues. See the full review http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=246279 :(

Extracts from the review:

REFLECTION not a good reflection of SOLSTICE class ships, the addition of another deck with the addition of 104 more Aqua Class passengers only benefits Celebrity financially, but not any of the passengers. Formerly there were 258, now 362.

There was usually a waiting time since Blu restaurant is only slightly larger (in fact, 2 feet wider). It was unbelievably crowded, noisy and the food was neither creative, interesting nor innovative. In fact, it was among the worst of any cruise we have been on. Many of us deserted Blu for the Opus main restaurant after the first week. All of us are Celebrity Elite or Elite Plus passengers and none of us would ever pay anything extra for Aqua Class on the REFLECTION again.

Beware of the beverage packages. Several of us purchased the deluxe beverage package with wine available at up to $12.00 per glass. Well guess what? In Murano and the Lawn Club, the least expensive glass was $13.50! In the classic package you have only one white (Wente Chardonnay) and one red (Anakena cabernet sauvignon) from which to choose. On a 15 day cruise, you get mighty sick of the same red or white wine, but no alternatives were possible. Ordering another wine, even at $8.50 or $9.00, and there were plenty from which to choose, you paid not .50 or $1.00 extra, but for the full amount. A total rip off, in my opinion.

Gone is the classical music quartet, and it was the final cruise for the 4 acapella singers, all replaced by the worst type of elevator music imaginable played in all of the restaurants, lounges and even the corridors starting at the end of the first week. Other than staying in your cabin, there was simply no way to escape from it. Amplifiers were even placed outside of the shops blaring the most awful music. Each day, just as we were preparing to have a late afternoon cocktail by the pool, zumba classes were held there and passengers were even forced to move their deck chairs for the zumba classes. The noise level was truly unbelievable.

Guest speakers were held in Celebrity Central and hundreds showed up, unable to find seats. CELEBRITY is well aware that with 11 sea days and no intellectual pursuits other than the morning speakers, six or seven hundred normally show up. Previously on all other transatlantics, these functions were always held in the theatre. We were told to watch it on TV in our rooms. Just bad planning Mr. Celebrity.

Gone is one half of the Sky Observation Lounge, turned over to half a dozen suites for greater revenue. Instead of a wonderful 300 degree view, it is reduced to 150 degrees or less and feels like just a long corridor. It was so crowded; we could not even get in the door for the Elites 5 to 7 p.m. cocktail party, as there were 1,340 of us aboard.

Gone in all standard balcony cabins, is anything on the room service menu other than pizza, pasta, hotdogs or hamburgers. How about $20.00 for a steak, and $11.00 for your cheese platter to have with cocktails on your balcony? For breakfast, how about a crab cake for $9.00, steak n’ eggs for $7.00, smoked fish for another $7.00, fruit skewers for $6.00 or chocolate coated strawberries for $5.00. It could easily add up to $50.00 for a couple each time room service is ordered.

On a positive note, and there were many, the vessel was kept in a spotless condition. Our Stewart was discreet, never once intruding or even knocking on the door.

By now it should be obvious that we are not at all happy with the direction in which Celebrity is being taken with its new President.

As for REFLECTION, having been on all Celebrity ships except for SILHOUETTE, we would never again choose REFLECTION for our vacation. There are just too many negatives, and too many superiour alternative choices.

Food/Restaurant Reviews – Different Stokes For Different Folks

Reviews regarding food is very subjective and in most respects come down to something other than just food alone like:

• A person’s international experiences of different cultures and cuisines will influence a review.
  
• It is a matter of expectations. If expectations are low there is a probability of a good review if the expectations are high there is a probability of a poor review.
  
• An individuals level of education will also influence a review
  
• An individuals level of income will influence a review
  
• Individuals who entertain clients on a regular basses in 5-Star restaurants with unrestricted expense accounts will influence their review.
  
• The type and quality of food a person eats in their day-to-day lives will influence a review
  
• Quality of food from the embarkation port plays a large factor in food quality
  
• Length of the cruise is a factor
  
• One should also factor luck into the equation
  
• Last but not least it is just that everyone is different. I for one do not like fast foods and routinely avoid restraints without white tablecloths.
  
• I certainly do not appreciate hamburgers or pizza’s when a full breakfast and 5-course lunches & dinners are being served.
  

Our personal favorite is of course is the “Murano”.