Team Stag

My wife & I always bring Yeti style cups on the cruise with us. We use it for occasions like this as well as pool side to transfer frozen drinks (lets them melt slower). We also leave them at dinner time and the ask the room attendant to fill the cups w ice instead of the ice bucket.

I think it's great it has returned. We purposely didn't book Eden on a future cruise because of our Apex experience (the app showed the tasting menu; they didn't offer it while on board). I guess we need to make a reservation for Eden for our upcoming sailing!

When we were on the Apex in November, Eden was no longer offering the tasting menu. Maybe it was just for that cruise or the policy had changed. We noted our disappointment on the survey.

Personally, I love Lumanie. The level of service and food is outstanding. Definitely as good or better as any specialty restaurant I've tried (which is all except for Le Voyage). However, we still eat one or two specialty restaurants a cruise simply for a little variety. Personally, I found the steak house a little underwhelming. If you are a steak person from Texas, I expect you would too. Not terrible but it's not the level of excellent steak houses IMHO.

This thread got me curious; so I did a little research. In 2013, we booked a balcony (Caribbean 7 day) on the Reflection (at the time 1 year old ship); the cost per person for a balcony was $1000 (before port taxes and fees). Booked this year on the Beyond (1 year old ship) - balcony (kind of) (Caribbean 7 Day) - cost: $1000 / person (before port taxes and fees). We all know the prices today are not that of 2013. When I look at the price of flights, hotels, theme parks and restaurants - all are considerably higher than they were in 2013. Eggs, fuel (although it was high in 2013), meat, seafood are much higher than 2013. So we understand getting on a ship in 2023 at the same price as 10 years ago; there will be some differences. The steak I had a Christmas dinner was twice the price it was at the same restaurant in 2013. Why should Celebrity be any different? We continue to look at all vacation options and continue to return to Celebrity due to the value. Sure - the MDR isn't what it was in 2013. But they also have made a lot of cuts since we started cruising in 2003 (remember when there was a crab leg night??? although that might have been a Princess cruise). But when I get on the ship, I have an idea of the experience I'm going to have vs paying a lot more for an unknown all inclusive or extensively planning a multiple night week somewhere else. As far as 2025 pricing, we all know the prices move dynamically. As we approach 2025 cruise final payment, people will cancel, interests will change and price will move based on what the market is willing to support. When I look at 2025 pricing, I look at that simply as a tool for the executives to raise the stock price. Terms like "bookings are strong" - "predictive revenue is really high / higher than the past" etc. While cruising is our passion : to the RC executives - it's a business. And the higher they raise the stock price, the more money they have to pay down debt, buy new ships, (and get paid bonuses) etc. The golden rule of selling something "Never give away price; because you will never get it back". People are always happy to pay less for the same thing; but rarely want to pay more. Just my 2 cents.

This is my favorite post on CC this year!

Depends on the Ship. The last time we sailed on E-Class; the Le Grand Bistro and Raw on 5 were open. I don't believe reservations were available for either one for lunch on Day 1 - it was just walk up service. The App may be able to give you an idea of what else could be open other than the OVC. EDIT - Sorry - just read where you said Reflection....It appears Raw on Five would be your only option.

In 2021, we sailed on the Edge and then the Reflection. At the time, the Edge was newest ship available and Reflection was on like it's 3rd cruise (coming back online). The Edge being new was beautiful and fantastic. The Reflection (which we had been on before) was in great shape and the only minor complaint I could come up with was a small mechanic knocking while under full speed (none of the rest of the party noticed it & nobody online has since said anything about it - so I'm assuming it was resolved or settled). We enjoyed the Reflection so much our cruise for 2022 was on the Equinox (a sister ship to the Reflection - aka S-Class) but also ended up returning to the Apex late 22 for a family trip. Personally, if I was booking a suite, I would go with the Apex. If I was not booking a suite on the Apex, I would go with the Reflection. I enjoy the smaller bars that the Reflection has vs the giant ones on the Apex. Also, Tortola was a great port to visit. Really enjoyed our stop there last year.

I’m in the camp where I normally have some ones in my pocket and tip as I see fit. Not guaranteed everytime; just when it feels appropriate. I will say; unlike times in America, when I do tip say a bartender; I don’t feel that I’m treated with any other priority than other customers around me who may not be tipping. I do feel in America - I received adequate service at restaurants (order taken, drinks refilled, food delivered, checked on etc) where as on a cruise boat; I feel like the staff truly cares if I’m having a good time. Or a good meal. Or whatever.

False - while the food is not the main reason we cruise Celebrity; Food is always is a major element in any trip we take. Especially if I am locked into a location for 5+ days, poor food can ruin the entire trip for me. In fact, while booking our most recent cruise; we looked very hard at Virgin Voyages simply because everyone raves about the food there even if the rest of the experience isn't our cup of tea. And we will most likely try a 4 day cruise on VV later this year to give it a whirl.

We are considering an upcoming cruise that visits Roatan. I know Roatan is well know for it's diving but have always thought of it as a destination vs cruise port diving. Our boat doesn't offer any scuba excursions. Does anyone have any recommendations of private companies they have used in the past? Thanks.

Some of it is technique as well. You have to get use to using your mouth to inhale and exhale. If you exhale via your nose - you fill the mask cavity with air and it has to go somewhere (typically breaking the seal and escaping). You also have to focus on not "smiling" too much. This also breaks the seal allowing water to enter. This one can be tough especially seeing all the cool stuff down there. Dive shops will have much higher quality especially on the silicone rubber. This softness allows it to flex some and fit faces better. If you do go the dive shop route, please make sure they instruct you how to remove the inner layer to avoid fogging.

Good Stuff. Thanks for sharing. We have an upcoming ABC cruise; so I appreciate the info.

Harris gave you incredible advice. I will simply share my story as it's similar to what you are looking to do: We scheduled a cruise for my wife's 40th Bday for March 2020. While looking through excursions - she mentioned that she wanted to try Discovery Scuba bc no certification was required. 10 years earlier - we had discussed getting certified. The shop we went in only did 10 person classes and you had to give 2 weekends in a row and some other policies. With our travel schedule, it just didn't work for us & kind of went on the back burner then forgotten. Due to my work world revolving around safety, it stays at the forefront of my normal concerns. So before committing to Discovery Scuba I want to talk to a professional about the safety of it. We have a scuba shop close to our house (different than above) and so we stopped by and asked the instructor about Discovery Scuba. He put us at ease about the safety aspect and exactly how it would work. As we continue to talk he mentioned that we could consider getting open water certified with them then be eligible for 2 tank dives etc. Not sure if they were running a special or not but the cost wasn't a whole lot more than Discovery Scuba through the boat was going to cost. We expressed concerns about being done in time (this was about 1 month out). This particular shop does small group training and worked with our schedule to get us certified (partial online, partial classroom, pool dives and then open water dives). So we were able to get certified in time for our cruise & started planning spots to dive (most recommended shops provided by Harris above). Now - our Cruise ended up getting canceled due to Covid. Which probably turned out to be the best thing for us. Eventually some dive sites opened here and we were able to go put our new skills to use. Needless to say our first couple times diving by ourselves was interesting. It wasn't bad; but it's different by yourself, getting comfortable assembling equipment, weighting etc. In a couple months, we eventually went down to the Keys and did some boat trips there and continued to learn more. My suggestion is : even after you are certified be sure to do some practice dives in your area and get comfortable with your equipment and skills before just jumping on a boat and diving with a group. Or at least request a private divemaster to join you as you build that comfort level. In hindsight, we would have been a mess going straight from certification to diving off a boat in the Caribbean. When we went on her reschedule BDay cruise in March of 2022 - we much more confident divers and really enjoyed the total experience and all the Caribbean had to offer. Everyone is a new diver at some point and the diving community is extremely helpful with others getting started in it. Just my 2 cents.

Personally - a leaky mask ruins the snorkeling experience. So bringing my own that I know fits my face and works as well as a snorkel that I know that only my mouth has been on - is worth the trouble of hauling it on the boat & taking it on the excursions with me. Also note - we live in Florida so we don't have to pack it on an airplane taking up space in our luggage. I've never snorkeled in Nassau so I can't comment about how good it is there.

The answer is Yes. While it might not be called what it is in the Retreat, most of what they are just renamed drinks that are available. If the bartender has been there a while, they will know how to make them (assuming they have all the proper ingredients at that station).

That is correct. If someone is willing to pay full price or whatever the discounted pre-cruise price is, then yes - they can reserve available times that are offered. I do believe they don't sell ALL time slots beforehand but some who have had the speciality dining packages have shared that they have not getting their preferred times.

While typically shorter cruises can be a more lively atmosphere, I would be surprised if this one is "over the top" booze crouse. Typically your heavier partiers are younger in general. Jan 3-5 is would be the absolutely worst time for younger people to take a cruise. You are literally using 3 days of vacation the first of the year after you most likely have just finished a Christmas / NY type break. If you have kids, they are starting classes again so you aren't pulling them out of school. Could I be wrong - absolutely. I have been before. Many times - ask my other half. But from my vantage point; IDK if its going to be as bad as say a 3 day cruise that starts on Thurs or Friday and ends on Sunday / Monday.

I wonder if this is a short term change due to all the challenges they had last week. Anyone following some of those threads read about dining wait times. Maybe this is a reactive solution to address the previous issues. If so, well done to Celebrity for being dynamic and trying their best to improve the guest experience.

What are the RCI benefits? (Sorry for highjacking the thread)

I put my phone in airplane mode. It allows me to turn off the cellular signal but still use wi fi (for the celebrity app, texting the better half etc) and blue tooth (headphones / watch). Turning off my phone is my favorite part of cruising!

Nervously checks Roll Call on upcoming cruise. 🤞 Exhales major sigh of relief.... ☺️

I fly 40+ times a year. Noise canceling headphones are a lifesaver. Granted I fly out of Orlando - so every flight is packed with kids excited for vacation or crying because they are leaving. 😆 But I also use them in the hotels, conference calls, cruise ships and just about anytime I want to get away. I use Bose quiet comfort earbuds, my wife (who also travels) uses air pod pros and likes them but has recently gone back to Bose wired version for my comfort. They are pricey. But they are also worth every penny.

In Cozumel, we use Roberta's Scuba Shack. While we normally sail with Celebrity, Roberta's is right off the dock that they use. Her boats are a little older but small groups and great service. In Costa Maya, we have used Doctor Dive. Right down in Mahuahal. They basically leave from the beach, go dive, then return for your surface interval, grab another tank and off on another dive. Great communication from them.

Typically the concierge cabin location tends to a more "preferred" location. I use quotes - because preferred location is obviously very subjective. But for S-Class as others have said - Same Size room and balcony.