Lsimon

Does anybody know the current prices for iphones and I-pads ? We'll be on board "Summit" in a few weeks and we also have lots of OBC to burn through.

Thank you for your help. It would be great to know approximate prices beforehand so I can compare.

They do not cell iPhones nor any cellular iPads. Just wifi iPads.

Prices will be the same, or approximately the same, as the USA Suggested list price.

Take a look at this thread (It is a permanent sticky on the main Celebrity board) which explains the Roll Calls:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=547106

On my upcoming 9 night cruise I'd like to upgrade my Premium Non Booze to Premium Booze with only 4 days left, maybe 3 days if allowed. Here is my question. If I upgrade at say 7AM at the coffee bar, with say an Irish Coffee (YUM!), do they charge me for the last day too, disembarkation day? I'm looking to upgrade on the morning of the 6th day on our 9 'day' cruise. Would I be charged for 3, 4 or 5 days for the upgrade? Sorry for the complexity. I guess the question is, do I pay for each 24 hour day or just from the time I upgrade. Thus I could wait until afternoon to avoid an extra day of upgrading my package.

 

Pat

Prices for the drink packages and upgrades are priced per night, and not per day. So you'll be charged for the remaining nights of the cruise regardless of what time of day you purchase. So there will be no price difference between upgrading at 7AM vs. 3PM.

I have no idea what the cut off time is if you were to buy a package late at night.

They do cut off sales a few days before the end of the cruise so be sure to ask about the cutoff date once you are on board if you are planning on waiting until the end.

Our ports: Cozumel, Costa Maya, George Town, Havana (we are on an English cruise), Playa del Carmen, Monetego Bay.

 

Are there any things which you can do for free in the locations above. I don't mind paying for a taxi to get to the place or a few drinks but I want to keep the cost as minimal as possible. Thank you!

If you like Snorkeling, some really good snorkeling (or diving) in Grand Cayman is at Eden Rock a short walk from the tender port. I'd recommend going in at the Eden Rock dive center which is the second place you'll pass if you turn to the right (with your back to the sea) and walk a few blocks. They rent snorkel equipment there. Ask the people there to point out the buoys marking the reef as the best areas are about 100 yards offshore - not difficult with flippers on.

For the best options in each port you might also ask on the related port of call board here on Cruise Critic. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=587

You should indicate what type of activity you like. The least expensive in most ports is just walking around town (not too exciting for me at most ports) or taking a taxi to a beach.

It should not be called a Gratuity (defined as a voluntary payment to show appreciation for exceptional service) but rather a Service Charge (an additional mandatory payment). Then everyone would have to pay, the cruise lines would know exactly how much they would recoup, and they would be able to pay decent wages to all their staff in the service sector. All the griping over 'stiffing the staff' and whether Brits and Aussies don't understand the culture could be a thing of the past. Calm..:)

A truly brilliant idea that has been brought up many times on these forums. Almost as good as the idea of just including enough in the cruise fare to cover adequate wages without any need for add-ons. If only it was reality. But it is not the reality of Celebrity, nor of it's main competitors, and not a good reason for not tipping as some choose to use it to justify their actions.

I believe that Celebrity charges US $12.95 per day per person for the gratuties on your shipbaord account.

 

Does anyone know if one can go to the purser's desk and sign a form , saying that you will tip on your own ? (that way they will not charge your shipboard account)

 

Another question, does anyone know if the crew actually receive the amount of tips, that Celebrity charges the guests ?, or does Celebrity take a cut first, and then distribute.

 

Then how do they distribute the tip ?

If you are planning on stiffing the staff by saving a few dollars then, yes you can have the gratuities removed at Guest Relations unless they've been prepaid.

But if you want to tip directly on your own then save some time and effort and just leave the tips in place. The staff does get them. Also, if you have your tips removed word is that the staff have to contribute any cash tips they get directly from you to the tip pool so you can't divert tips to a specific individual, and bypass the tip pool, that way. From everything I've heard, the only time they get to keep any direct cash tips is if they are over and above the auto tip amounts (i.e. extra tips paid in cash if the auto tips were left in place).

Thank you so much for the info!. It doesn't make a bit of difference who gets what, I was just curious. Seems to me that a few years ago somewhere it actually listed how the gratuities were split.

Celebrity used to list this in their documents, brochures and website but discontinued publishing a breakdown a couple years back.

EDIT: I've found that these are still broken down in the UK brochures you can download from Celebrity's UK web site:

Restaurant Service* Per Person Per Day

Waiter $3.72

Assistant Waiter $2.16

Dining Room Management $1.16

Stateroom Service* Per Person Per Day

Butler (Suites Only) $3.50

Stateroom Service $3.58 ($4.08 for Concierge Class

& AquaClass staterooms)

Alternative Service*

Other Service Personnel $1.38

When you book a cruise that advertises “gratuities included” does that just mean for dining and stateroom -- or does it also include the 18 percent tacked on to drinks?

Gratuities included only includes the daily fixed charge gratuities - see those listed in the second post above by JUHUNTGOLF. This is for the dining, stateroom and some other staff.

It does not include any of the percentage add on gratuities such as drinks or spa services.

Quick point of clarification -- those of us who are Elite+ are not charged for Tea Forte at the Cafe al Bacio as that product is included in the specialty coffees provided as an Elite+ benefit.

Yes. I didn't mention this in my post as most Elite+ members are already aware of this and are also already aware of what is offered on Celebrity ships.

Talk to the Hotel Director immediately. They owe you a discount on a future cruise plus dinner in spacialty restaurant and maybe a massage. You would hear me complaining all the way back to Miami.

 

I have received discounts for future cruises twice due to issues during cruise. Don't take no for an answer. Don't waste your time talking to customer service. Make an appointment immediately with Hotel Director.

I agree with the above. We ran into this on one cruise and received a future cruise credit for a discount on a future cruise.

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Café Al Bacio has Tea Forte and its AHHHHMAZING!!!

 

The Tea Forte is very good but it is an extra charge item at somewhere around $5 a cup, unless you have one of the unlimited beverage packages which include it. It is also only sold at the extra cost espresso bar and possibly in the specialty restaurants as well.

 

Some people like the Field and Selects tea served on board which is basically an institutional brand. But to safe if you want to enjoy tea other than the Tea Forte served at the extra cost espresso bar then I'd recommend you bring your own tea bags with you.

...The Cabin Steward and Waiter now don't know who stiffed them now till well after they are gone....

Actually, they receive a printout of who has the prepaid/charge tips in place and who has had them removed a couple days before the end of the cruise. Not sure of all of the reasons why they get this but it is likely so they'll know who to expect the basic tips in cash from. My understanding from these boards is that cash tips from people who have had their charge tips removed have to be submitted to the ship's tip pool but that extra cash tips from those who have already paid/prepaid their tips can be retained. So the staff needs to know who has paid and who has not.

Hi,

 

I have read that there is an afternoon tea served on board. Can anyone tell me when, where, and what is served?

 

Thanks!

In case some of the above replies are confusing: Celebrity no longer offers a complimentary "proper" Afternoon Tea for most cruisers. By proper afternoon tea I mean a sit down affair with table service including courses of sandwiches and savories and desserts and sweets. A proper Afternoon Tea is also frequently called High Tea in the USA although I understand this means something very different in the UK.

The Afternoon Tea referred to in the above postings as being in the buffet or Aqua Spa is a self serve buffet which has some tea sandwiches and sweets. There is no special tea service other than the snacks.

The Elite, or Elegant, Tea is an event for Elite Captain's Club members and above which is a sit down tea service once a cruise which is a very basic Afternoon Tea. The tea served is the same complimentary tea offered at most meals and in the buffet.

There is also an extra cost and very proper Afternoon Tea offered once during most cruises in a specialty restaurant. It is, or was, called a Champagne Tea and the basic price included a glass of Champagne, or a sparkling wine, with a lower price if one did not want the wine. The tea offered is (or was) a nice quality loose leaf tea.

...Dependant on answers we will consider using a pre loaded $ credit card to purchase the drinks package whilst on board, and also finalising our account.

 

We have never used a pre loaded card previously but there does appear to be many advantages, (including purchasing of $ when exchange rates are favourable)?...

Using prepaid cards, or bank debit cards, is problematic at best. This is because cruise lines, like hotels and rental cars, make an authorization check when you register the card. For prepaid and bank debit cards this results in money being subtracted from the card balance or taken out of your bank account until the authorization expires which might be after your cruise. As you spend during the cruise Celebrity will do additional authorizations which further compound things. Worse yet I frequently see cases where for one reason or another the final charge doesn't exactly match with the authorizations and as a result it does not offset them but instead tries to add to them and might exceed the value of your bank account or prepaid card.

I'm not even sure if Celebrity accepts prepaid cards for that reason.

What you need to do is register a regular credit card when you check in and then change the card over to the prepaid card on the last day. That way all "holds" are from on the regular card and it leaves your currency card with no problems to pay off your balance and for you to spend what is left.

Be careful as they sometimes can't change payment methods nor accept alternate payments after a certain cut-off very late in the cruise. So if you want to make payments using an alternate card from your registration card be sure the check with guest relations a few days before the end of the cruise and ask when the latest you could do this is.

Does anyone know if Cafe al Bacio serve de-caf coffee?

Yes they do

I eat breakfast either in the buffet or room service in my cabin.

I eat lunch in the buffet, pool grill,or Aqua Spa cafe.

The buffet is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner

Check out your Daily which is delivered to your cabin each evening. It has the hours for all the places to eat on board.

 

MDR is where I eat dinner . Usually I go to one or two specialty restaurant during a cruise. I have never eaten dinner at the buffet. I might try it next cruise

I remember my first cruise, it is very exciting doing some planing.

Have fun and tell us what you liked about cruising when you return.

This is what we've done as well and is probably the most common approach.

The MDR is open for breakfast every day but we've breakfasted there very rarly. I prefer the selection in the buffet.

The MDR is open for lunch on sea days only. ***** quite a few cruises I've only eaten lunch there once or twice over the years. Both breakfast and lunch are sit down service with menus there.

The MDR hours for breakfast and lunch are very limited. Usually around 90 minutes each. Buffet serves breakfast from pretty early until just before lunchtime - sometimes with a 1/2 hour break between and sometimes not. Lunch usually runs 2 1/2 hours and there is usually different snack options that run after that. Certain buffet stations like pizza, pasta and salad bar run from lunch through late night. The pool grill usually runs from lunch time through 6PM.

There will be hours listed on your daily program. Hours do vary slightly by itinerary.

First off if an excursion sells out then there will be a waiting list and you'll lose your spot immediately when you cancel and go to the back of the line when you attempt to repurchase.

Second, I can't think of anything more infuriating and time wasting to an excursions desk employee than someone coming up to cancel a booked excursion and then immediately re-book it. I'm not sure how they'd handle that - hopefully they'd refuse to do it or at least to do it that day. If I was waiting in line behind you I know I would not be to happy about it.

I sure hope you aren't serious about being so disrespectful to people's time and effort. There are plenty of things to spend your on-board credit for on the ship.

It almost sounds as if your TA wants your cabin for some reason. Perhaps other cabins in that category are sold out, and they have a friend or relative who wants to be on that cruise...

This was in the back of my mind as well.

...I have never heard of ANY cruise line cancelling ANY upcoming cruise because there was a flu/virus outbreak on a PREVIOUS cruise....

I agree. I think I read years ago (at least 4 years or more) about an east coast cruise being either cancelled or delayed for a couple days but it was pretty much a last minute decision, no more than a day or two in advance if that. That's the only time I can recall hearing of a Celebrity cruise being cancelled for Noro. Usually if things get bad they'll delay boarding by several hours while they thoroughly clean and desensitize the ship and that is usually effective except where there is a lot of noro at the port location and it is brought back on by embarking passengers.

I once took a cruise following a severe outbreak of Noro on the prior sailing and other than boarding late, and some "code red" precautions the first couple days of our cruise, there were no issues and no unusual number of sick passengers so they do know how to fix the problem.

There seems top be two camps on this on past threads here on Cruise Critic about using foreign currency.

The most popular option seems to be use of ATM's on arrival in Europe or another foreign country as they offer the best exchange rates (although check with your bank as some have a foreign transaction fee).

Personally, I use the other options which is getting enough foreign currency in advance of my trip to cover my minimum expected needs. So I only have to use the ATM's if I need to supplement cash needs towards the end of the trip. I get foreign currency from our local bank. The cost is 3% or 4% higher than using an ATM but there are no fees and the convince of this really doesn't cost that much ($30 or $40 per $1,000). Getting cash in advance also means I don't need to worry about getting to ATM's (although they are not hard to find in Europe), and no concerns about daily withdrawal limits nor whether my card will work overseas or not.

Of course that is only applicable for trips to areas where foreign currency is needed. For trips to the Caribbean where the US dollar is almost always accepted I think most just take enough currency with them when they leave home.

Variation on the theme. An often discussed (argued) topic is whether a Passport is even needed to cruise. So, for those who chose not to carry a passport but rely on birth certificate + photo ID instead, do you carry such documents with you on excursions?...

Birth Certificate and Photo ID are accepted by USA Border Patrol as acceptable identification for closed loop cruises from a USA port. But those documents will not get you on a plane should you miss the ship while out of the country and may not be acceptable ID for otherwise moving across boarders. So they do not have the benefit of carrying a passport.

I do carry photo ID such as a driver's license at all times. In the Caribbean we usually go to a beach or sail boat trip and on those I carry my ID, money and ships pass in a waterproof pouch so I can take it into the ocean with me.

In Europe I've always carried my passport. I guess if the ship is holding it there is nothing you can do but if they're not. My reason is that if we ever miss the ship for any reason (late, accident, illness) the passport would be needed to catch up with the ship. I would imagine that one could go to the American Embassy and get a replacement but doubt it would be quick enough to catch the ship at the next port and you never know what else might come up.

Interesting. Wonder what the circumstances, politically, were at that time. We have been to the Med three times and have never been asked to submit our passports. Regular, U.S. Citizen passport?

The ship will not collect passports unless one of the countries on the itinerary has notified them that they wish to examine the actual passports rather than rely on the ship's check-in examination. A given country might do this as a matter of course or as a random check. As a result it more common that the cruise line does NOT collect passports on most itineraries but it is not too uncommon for it to happen.

I've never been on a cruise before - but when we go to Mexico every year, I leave the passports in the safe and make sure that I have scanned copies of our passport pages stored with the pictures on my cell phone. If you don't have a scanner, a good photo might work. I also email copies of the images to myself so that I can get to them from a web browser.

 

I also carry our US Global Entry cards; but if you're not signed up for Global Entry, that's kind of a moot point.

 

--bruce T.

The answer here is that if you are staying on a land based vacation then it is impossible for your hotel (with your passport in your room safe) to leave the town without you. But when cruising you could miss the ship for a number of reasons. While a scan or photocopy might help in some situations it is not going to get you across boarders or onto an airplane.

Do you have to pay for this hot water at Cafe al Bacio? What time is the cafe open?

I don't know if they'd charge or not, but for some reason I'd feel odd going into a place that sells all their drinks and asking for a cup of hot water for a tea bag I brought myself.

The hot water in the buffet has been just fine for me when making my own tea in the past. It is built into the self serve coffee machines there and while it might not be boiling it is very hot.

To both Lsimon & Ghstudio..It's quite simple, the business owner may ask: "Is your animal a service animal?" The person asked has to say yes or no. The business owner then may ask what service does the animal perform. If the person refuses to reply to that question, they may be refused entry. They can not inquire as to the person's suspected disability(personally, they should show some proof, as to requiring the animal)) It's up to the business owner to decide what to do. For me it's simple(I don't care about you P/C folks,so clam up!!)If they refused to answer as I stated earlier about what service the animal does,the person would not be admitted,period! We've got precious space & only would allow legit service animals entry.

This is the current law. I was wondering what the difference under the new law would be and how you would determine that a service animal is a fake under the new law without risking a "harassment" claim.

This story appeared in the local newaspaper :

 

 

 

Fake service dog bill goes to governor

June 1, 2015 | Filed in: 2015 Bills.

 

A bill that punishes owners of fake service dogs and protect those with invisible disabilities who use a service animals has been sent to to the governor for his signature.

 

Although much of the bill, HB 71, reiterates rights and rules included in the Americans with Disabilities Act, it also makes misrepresenting your pet as a service animal or harassing a disabled person with a service dog a second-degree misdemeanor, punishable by 30 hours of community service for an organization that assists the disabled or other group decided by a judge. The community service must be completed within six months.

 

If Gov. Rick Scott has not signed or vetoed the bill by June 16, it will automatically become law. The law becomes effective on July 1.

Since the bill makes "harassing a disabled person with a service dog" a crime as well, I wonder if it provides a method for determining if a service dog is a fake or a real service dog and what that method would be.

Hope someone can answer this question! For our upcoming cruise we have the 123go Classic Beverage Package. OH doesn't drink alcohol. Would it be possible to switch him to a Premium Non Alcoholic Package and upgrade me to the Premium Alcohol Package without incurring any cost? On paper it looks as if it would save X money, but don't know if they would allow it.

There have been numerous reports from others on these boards who were able to convert their classic alcohol beverage package to premium non-alcoholic at no charge by going to guest relations ASAP after boarding. I've heard that if you contact Celebrity in advance by phone or email they will say no but that the personnel on the ship will do this. Since it apparently isn't an official policy your mileage may vary but I'd give it a try.