varoo

7 hours ago, LSKC said:

 What can you use OBC for? just product or can you do cabin tips with it? book specialty restaurants? top up classic bvg to premium onboard?

Think of it as a deposit to your bank account, or a payment to a credit card account.

You don't specify what it will be used for when you deposit the money.

It just gets applied to pay for any charges you make on that account.

Similarly,  OBC is simply a deposit  (i.e., a credit) to your shipboard account.

You can't specify that it should be used to pay for this or that.

The result is that it can be used to pay for anything that you can charge to your shipboard account.

Using the examples you listed:

     You can pay for specialty restaurants because they can be charged to your shipboard account

      You can pay for cabin tips that can be charged to your shipboard account

but not for any tips that cannot be charged directly to your account.

(Guest relations has a form that specifies which tips can be charged.)

     You can pay to purchase or top up a beverage package because those costs can be charged to your shipboard account

   The reason why you cannot use OBC to pay for a deposit on a future cruise is that it cannot be charged to your shipboard account.

   Just about anything else that you buy on the ship can be charged to your shipboard account; therefore it can be paid for with OBC,

On 11/1/2019 at 8:00 AM, chemmo said:

.......On another occasion we received an email saying we had an outstanding balance of $0 which must be paid. Bizarre as we booked through Celebrity U.K. and paid in ££. Even more bizarre after contacting Celebrity and being told not to worry we then received the stronger version of the mail threatening to cancel our cruise as we still had $0 outstanding.

This reminded me of a friend who had been making payments on his car and had the car paid off in full. 

Then he kept receiving requests for payment of the remaining balance due of $0.00, even threatening to repossess his car if he didn't pay.

So he sent them a check for $0.00.

It seems to have worked as he never heard from them again after that.

Sorry Bo and Alsmez, but I disagree.

The airline websites do not even come close.

I don't intend to come across as a Celebrity cheerleader, but IMHO Celebrity is the clear winner here, definitely deserving first prize for having the most convoluted, redundant, inefficient and poorly designed  website of all. 🤨😉

5 hours ago, zitsky said:

 

 

Edit: Do you think it likely that check in will take more than an hour?

Normally, No. 

But there are some circumstances where it does happen.

Usually if you arrive later in the day you can walk right on with no lines, no crowds and no waiting, regardless of your loyalty level or stateroom category.

If there is still an internet lab on your ship (i.e., if the space has not yet been converted to additional staterooms), you can probably find someone there with an internet package who is willing to check you in for your flight and print your boarding pass.

I have done it for other passengers, as have many others, because we go to the lab on the day before debarkation to print out our own boarding passes  --  just because we prefer having an actual hardcopy printed boarding pass, not only the electronic version.

Just go to Guest Relations and ask them to distribute the OBC however you wish.

The person who is giving up his/her share must authorize it, of course.

Passengers do this all the time so the Guest Relations employees are very familiar with the procedure.

My favorite dress code distinction is the difference between "jeans" for Smart Casual and "designer jeans" for Evening Chic.

I picture the ship's official label inspector at the dining room entrance on Evening Chic nights, examining the tush of each passenger to compare the label on everyone wearing jeans to the official Celebrity list of "approved" designers.

(I know at least one passenger will try to add "Kirkland" to the list of approved designer labels.)

To save on employee resources, perhaps the tush inspector can also be assigned a ruler and do double duty measuring sleeve lengths as well 

 (unless that is a union position, in which case a different individual will be required).

One controversial issue that has not yet been addressed:  If wearing a jacket, should a man be required to remove the jacket to have the length of his shirt sleeves pass inspection?

And for all the legal experts out there, does this constitute gender discrimination?

For those who truly care about their jeans, here is an article from Forbes

     How To Shop Spring 2019's Hottest Denim Trends 

How gullible are we ?

1 hour ago, TeaBag said:

.......Have been sailing with Celebrity for 25 years and have never received an email for a birthday discount, not even when I've been booked on a ship on my birthday.  I really do wish Celebrity would work on consistency.

Believe me, you are better off not receiving it.  Every time we receive one, there is some kind of restriction on it that makes it unusable for us.  Some gift!

All it does is get our hopes up for nothing and only reminds us that we will be a year older.

It's would be better not to offer any birthday gift at all than to dangle one temptingly before you and then as you reach for it, snatch it away.

Someone should tell Celebrity management that a true gift comes with no strings attached, to use as you wish.

On 10/24/2019 at 9:21 PM, thinfool said:

Lastly, remember, all TA's get the same price from the cruise line,..........

That is definitely not true. 

Some travel agents  (typically high volume agencies) get better prices from the cruise lines and furthermore some can offer lower group rates to their customers.

Different TA's can offer better deals for different cruises.

The TA we used for our last cruise will not necessarily be the best one to use for our next cruise.

If booking a last minute cruise at a rock bottom closeout sale price, there is not too much that a travel agent can offer you, so it doesn't matter that much how you book it.

But if you are booking an expensive cruise at full price (especially if booking multiple cabins or a high-level suite) then it certainly pays to shop around and compare offers from different travel agents because some can offer you much better deals than others.

If you first book the cruise directly with the cruise line, you may want to shop around, compare offers, and then transfer your booking to a travel agent at a later date for additional benefits.

But make sure to know exactly what your cruise line's transfer policy is and when their transfer cutoff date occurs.

In any case, do remember to pay for the cruise with a major credit card so that you have the protection of the credit card company and peace of mind........just in case anything should go wrong.

10 hours ago, LHT28 said:

First  if you are flying I would not choose  a 28" case

5 hours ago, clo said:

Why?  And I don't even know what size our check-able bags are 🙂

Airline weight restrictions.

We found that a large bag becomes overweight very quickly, even though barely over half-way full.

We can actually pack more, without exceeding the weight restriction, by using a smaller, lighter bag.

The towel animals seem to depend on the stateroom attendant you happen to get.

Celebrity normally does not do towel animals (except for small children or special occasions), but we find that if our stateroom attendant has recently come over to Celebrity from another cruise line that does towel animals, then that is when we are most likely to get them.

We noticed that lately Celebrity has been using  Endicott Arm instead of Tracy Arm on many cruises.

1 hour ago, gerelmx said:

I just fired my TA, she never gave me anything extra and the last problem, she could not solved it. I fix it without her help. says the saying that one scratches the fleas alone without needing help.

Hooray!  It is about time.

The people here on Cruise Critic kept telling you that your TA was giving you very bad advice that would have caused you needless inconvenience and extra expense.

We were all so happy for you when you finally decided to ignore her advice and everything turned out well for you in the end.

Here is wishing you many more wonderful cruises without any fleas to scratch. 😉

8 hours ago, ghstudio said:

Note: in our experience, there is no one "best" TA....we travel quite a bit and we use 4 different TAs.

 

Good advice.  Different TAs are able to offer better deals for different cruises; better prices and/or better perks.

So the TA that offered the best deal for our last cruise may not be the best one to use for our next cruise.

As long as you make all payments on a credit card you have the protection of the credit card company in case there should be a problem.

Oh, I forgot to mention that on the ship they were charging a gratuity fee on top of the price they were charging for the Zumba class!

Has anyone heard of Zumba classes anywhere other than on a cruise ship where they tacked  on a gratuity charge?

47 minutes ago, TeaBag said:

You forgot Zumba.  I really miss that but not enough to pay for it!

We were on several Celebrity cruises where they had free "Latin Dance" classes led by the ship's own activities staff..

The music and movements were similar to Zumba, but without charging an extra fee to use the "Zumba" name.

Unfortunately, they were often held outdoors on the pool deck where it was too hot and noisy, with many onlookers sitting around gawking and talking.

It would be nice if Celebrity would offer such classes as a regular activity on all the ships in temperature-controlled comfort, as they do with the ballroom dance classes.

On 10/5/2019 at 11:48 AM, eel said:

In February, we will be on Celebrity Edge out of Fort Lauderdale.  The day we get back, we board the Harmony of the Seas in Port Canaveral.  The cruise leaves at 4:30 PM and we need to be on board by 2 PM. We have a rental car lined up to drive to Port Canaveral.  The drive is about 3 hours.  I believe if we hit the road by 9 AM we will have sufficient buffer to get to the ship with time to spare.

 

What is typically the earliest we can disembark if we walk off with our luggage?  We are hoping we can get off Edge no later than 7:30 or 8 AM. 

It looks like you will have plenty of time to make your connection, but I just want to offer a piece of "security blanket" advice that should relieve you of any time restraint pressure.

Talk to the concierge on your first cruise, explain your situation, and ask him/her to coordinate with the concierge on the second ship so they will know to expect you and will put you on the manifest for the second cruise.

We were once in a similar situation, transferring from a Celebrity ship to a Royal Caribbean ship and needing to travel from one port to another to catch our second cruise in a different city.

As it turned out, we were delayed in transit so we did not arrive  until nearly an hour after the boarding time cutoff, just as they were starting the muster drill. 

But because they were expecting us, they had us on the manifest and one of the ship's officers even met us at the gangway to take our passports, check us in and hand us our seapass cards right there.

We were so grateful to the concierge who handled the arrangements for us, because if we had simply shown up so late on our own, we would have been denied boarding.

1 hour ago, jc foster said:

  Today I was going thru some old papers when I found a Celebrity Open Passage which I had purchased back in 2012. I had placed it in my safe and had totally forgotten about it. If I remember correctly this has no expiration date. Is this correct? Also can I use this with a travel agent or only Celebrity. Its been a long time and I have sailed Celebrity several times since I purchased this but I totally forgot about it and I am totally in the dark. Any help would be appreciated. thanks Clark

You should be able to use it either way. 

Look at the terms of your Open Passage because they offered different types with different restrictions on them.

The way we prefer to do it  is to book the cruise directly with Celebrity initially using the Open Passage certificate (or any other applicable certificate we may have).

We choose our cabin, perks, meal preferences, etc. and get everything lined up just the way we want it.

We then take advantage of the 60 day grace period to look around and compare offers from different travel agencies. 

At the end of the 60 day period, we transfer the booking to whichever agent offers us the best deal for that particular cruise.

It pays to compare offers each time because different travel agencies are able to offer better deals for different cruises. 

So the travel agent that gave us the best deal last time may not necessarily be the best one to use for the next cruise.

Here is a link to the

  Celebrity Cruises Travel Agency Transfer Form

I strongly suggest that you get a written statement from whichever  travel agent you choose in advance spelling out exactly what additional benefits they will give you.

On 10/20/2019 at 9:14 AM, OceanCruise said:

....... Is she able to use a rental electric scooter/power chair for the cruise? Unless she is really tiny, it is a lot of work to push a manual wheelchair down the carpeted very long corriders to get to dining and different venues.

I totally second the recommendation to  get a power chair, (especially if the "pusher" is not a  strong, muscular person).

I found that each time I pushed someone in a manual wheelchair past the fire doors on a ship, I needed to turn the chair around to pull it over the threshold backwards. 

Otherwise, if pushing it forward over the threshold,  it could bump the passenger up out of the seat.  Pulling it over backwards was a lot easier.

But then once over the threshold, I often needed to keep pulling the wheelchair while walking backwards down the narrow hallway  until I could find a space wide enough to turn the chair around so I could push it forward again.

A power scooter/chair gives the user independence, not needing to rely on someone else to get around.

It is typically the temporary wheelchair users who most require assistance.

Many long-term wheelchair users have really developed their arm and shoulder strength so they are able to maneuver  around independently, as well as being able to assess their space requirements for situations like getting on and off elevators without running  over people's feet.

Definitely get a handicap accessible cabin with grab bars on a moving ship that may be rocking or unexpectedly lurch.

5 hours ago, LibrarianBecky said:

 

5 hours ago, LibrarianBecky said:

Hi there,

 

I have a couple of embarkation day questions that I'm hoping someone more familiar with Celebrity could answer for me:

 

1.  My boarding documents list 2:00 pm as the time to be at the ship.  I would prefer to go earlier, since we will be checking out of our hotel by 11:00.  Is it a problem to go earlier than the assigned check in time?

 

No problem to go earlier, except that if you arrive before boarding begins there are likely to be long lines and you will need to stand/sit around waiting in the crowd at the cruise port until they start the boarding process.  Then they will call groups in order of priority.

Quote

2.  What time are cabins usually ready on Celebrity?  I would prefer to take my luggage (one suitcase and one carry-on) with me if the cabins will open up by 1:00 or so. 

 

As previously mentioned, you now can go directly to your cabin to drop off your carry-on bags as soon as you board the ship..

If your suitcase should be too large to fit through the scanner, they will tag it with your cabin number, place it on a cart, and deliver it to your cabin later.

Either way, it is not a problem.

They will usually leave the suitcases they deliver in the hallway right outside your cabin, but occasionally they will bring them inside.

The Summit has a wonderful, friendly staff and crew.

It should be in great condition as it was recently updated.

We think it is the ideal size for a cruise ship, not too large and not too small;  easy to get around and you can dash back to your cabin for something you forgot without feeling like you are hiking for miles.

Have a wonderful cruise!

3 hours ago, kearney said:

I just noticed the OP and was going to make the same suggestion. This does sound like a miscommunication. 

I agree.  Every time we have had a cruise cancelled, we always received a full refund plus  a certificate for additional OBC to apply to another cruise.

I expect that to be the outcome here as well.

In any case, as a previous poster mentioned, the OP could contest it with the credit card company and get a full refund that way. 

However, I really don't think that will be necessary.

Miaminice, just want to thank you for taking the time to post all this great information and let you know it is much appreciated, especially by those of us who have not yet cruised on the Edge.

2 hours ago, lovedecruise said:

........Some have suggested asking for a cabin change if we weren't happy with a guarantee allocation, but I thought it was pretty well a done deal once a cabin is allocated.  Has anyone had success getting a change when they have been unhappy with a guarantee allocation?

 

The policy, for some strange reason, seems to vary depending upon one's nationality, or by the country in which you book the cruise.

Americans are permitted to change to any other available cabin in the same category, but some Brits have reported that they were not allowed to do so.

I have no idea what the policy is for New Zealand , but you may want to check and find out before making your decision, or maybe someone else who posts here will know.

Good luck!

On 10/15/2019 at 3:01 PM, BEAV said:

How will her cruise card be coded? If coded Select, do we have to explain we're in the same stateroom every time we enter the Morning/Evening Elite gatherings?

It can very depending on who the Captain's Club host/ess happens to be on that particular cruise, or even on which method is the most expedient at the time.

Sometimes they just put a sticker on the seapass card of the roommate, and other times they issued the roommate a special additional card good for admission to the Captain's Club events.

In any case, it is a good idea to go see the host/ess at the beginning of your cruise to explain your situation and find out which way s/he prefers to handle it. 

They usually have a desk or counter set up in a public area on the ship to chat and answer questions, so it is really much better to do it there in advance instead of waiting to explain your situation at the entrance to the first Captain's Club event.

20 minutes ago, zitsky said:

If you have no status but have a scheduled time, when do you go???

Whenever you want. 

If you choose to arrive early, you may need to wait around until they begin boarding and then wait until your group is called.

The "scheduled time" is merely a suggestion; their attempt to try to spread out the arriving passengers, but in reality passengers arrive whenever they want.

If you arrive later in the day,  you can usually walk right on board and have full use of your stateroom immediately with no waiting around at all.

10 minutes ago, jc foster said:

    If I carry my Passport, X Press Pass, credit card and money in my travel vest I could board the ship should all my luggage be lost. Correct ? I have printed the E Docs in the past but they really are not necessary. Correct?  Thanks Clark

Yes, you could board even without the Xpress pass.

We have been cruising for years and never print the e-docs.

On the rare occasions when they include vouchers, we print out only the vouchers.

However, I would be extremely unhappy if I ever needed to be on a cruise ship without at least my carry-on bag, which has all the essentials I need and enough clothing for several days.