Extended stay on ship at end of cruise

[midwestlady]

I was on Celebrity's website and saw listed under Outstanding Service a section on "extended stay", where, for a fee, you can have an extra hour in your stateroom and then utilize the ship up to an hour prior to sailing. We will fly home the same day as disembarktion, but will have quite a bit of time to kill before our flight. I was wondering if anyone has used this service? I don't believe it was offered the last time we were on a Celebrity cruise.

[Wine-O]

I was on Celebrity's website and saw listed under Outstanding Service a section on "extended stay", where, for a fee, you can have an extra hour in your stateroom and then utilize the ship up to an hour prior to sailing. We will fly home the same day as disembarktion, but will have quite a bit of time to kill before our flight. I was wondering if anyone has used this service? I don't believe it was offered the last time we were on a Celebrity cruise.

 

I've never heard of such a thing. Can you stay for the buffet, then disembark?

[Azulann]

i just went to the web site. It must be something new.

 

It says that it is only for European cruises. :( It sounds great. For $59.00 you get access to many areas of the ship, lunch in Bristo Five, use of Spa, fitness center, pool.

It is great for those who have a late flight .

[junglejane]

We're curious about this too. This is what the website says:

 

This optional program allows you to extend your cruise vacation, remain onboard and enjoy some of the ship services until 90 minutes prior to the ship's next departure. Complimentary breakfast and lunch in Bistro on Five, non-alcoholic drinks from Café al Bacio, first-run movies, access to the pool, fitness center and select spa services plus lockers in the spa changing room. You'll even have an extra hour in your stateroom. Enroll at the Guest Relations Desk onboard. $59 per adult, $29.50 for children ages 3-12, free for children under 3. Credit cards accepted all day for bar and spa purchases. Available on all European sailings.

 

I wonder if it's available for a Caribbean sailing. We're planning on booking a 5 pm flight from Miami for our Silhouette cruise. Do you have to haul your luggage around with you all day?

[cruisestitch]

No, not available on Caribbean sailings. As it says, it is only on European sailings.

[Ando]

This would be a great idea to introduce on the Asia sailings too as the majority of flights leave Asia in the late evening and it's always a challenge how to fill in the day when you have your luggage to schlep around too.

Actually, it would be great to introduce on all sailings!

[AerynSun_JohnCrighton]

We're curious about this too. This is what the website says:

 

This optional program allows you to extend your cruise vacation, remain onboard and enjoy some of the ship services until 90 minutes prior to the ship's next departure. Complimentary breakfast and lunch in Bistro on Five, non-alcoholic drinks from Café al Bacio, first-run movies, access to the pool, fitness center and select spa services plus lockers in the spa changing room. You'll even have an extra hour in your stateroom. Enroll at the Guest Relations Desk onboard. $59 per adult, $29.50 for children ages 3-12, free for children under 3. Credit cards accepted all day for bar and spa purchases. Available on all European sailings.

 

I wonder if it's available for a Caribbean sailing. We're planning on booking a 5 pm flight from Miami for our Silhouette cruise. Do you have to haul your luggage around with you all day?

 

Where did you find that on the site???

[rwr235]

Where did you find that on the site???

 

I think its posted a couple of different places on the website...but you can read all about it...

 

Main Page

News

2011

Page 5

Oct 3, 2011 News Release

 

Hope this helps

 

 

Woody

[Sunny Visor Girl]

I wonder if it's available for a Caribbean sailing. We're planning on booking a 5 pm flight from Miami for our Silhouette cruise. Do you have to haul your luggage around with you all day?

 

I'd suggest you take advantage of the luggage valet service. We did this on our recent Equinox cruise from Fort Lauderdale. We did not see our checked luggage from the time we put it out in the hall until we landed at our destination. Just be careful with what you leave for your carry-on.

[helpthejuggler]

Here is the link

 

http://www.celebritycruises.com/aboutceleb/pressDetails.do?event_date=2011-10-03&event_type=press_release&pagename=press_room_details&sequence_code=A

 

It isn't clear if the Bistro on 5 lunch is included or if drink packages cover the later departure.

 

Interested to hear any experiences of this option and the logistics of luggage and transfers etc.

 

Qs

Would your offloaded luggage be held until you leave the ship in the afternoon.

 

What happens with transfers already arranged through Celebrity. Assume this would all just occur later.

 

Does your drink package still operate on the last day?

[sjaak]

We used this option last November when sailing on the Equinox in the Med. Disembarkation at Civitevecchia and a flight back home at 4 pm. We could use our cabin until 9 am and after that just went to Cafe Al Bachio, our favorite spot onboard. We had the premium drink package and because we used our creditcard to pay the bill, we still were able to order whatever we wanted. Don't know how it works when you pay your bill in cash.

 

The luggage was held apart and there were a few late shuttles (pre-booked onboard) available to get you to the airport. I think we left the ship about 1.30 pm and the shuttlebus was almost full. It's an option many people seem to like.

 

I know for sure I would like this option to be available everywhere. If flying from Miami the earliest available flight for us is at 5 pm, so would definitly use the option to stay onboard a little longer.

[lopar]

Here is the link

 

http://www.celebritycruises.com/aboutceleb/pressDetails.do?event_date=2011-10-03&event_type=press_release&pagename=press_room_details&sequence_code=A

 

It isn't clear if the Bistro on 5 lunch is included or if drink packages cover the later departure.

 

Interested to hear any experiences of this option and the logistics of luggage and transfers etc.

 

Qs

Would your offloaded luggage be held until you leave the ship in the afternoon.

 

What happens with transfers already arranged through Celebrity. Assume this would all just occur later.

 

Does your drink package still operate on the last day?

 

Hi,

 

I did this last week on the Silhouette. It was $59 each and for that we got our stateroom until 9am, lunch in bistro on 5 and anything from cafe al baccio. We had the premium alcohol drinks package but it's not valid for the extended stay program. You can buy alcoholic drinks using a credit card, though when we had a glass of wine with lunch they weren't really sure what to do. In the end they took the credit card details, wrote us a paper receipt and said it would be processed later in the day. The staff said it was only the second sailing on Silhouette that the extended stay had been offered and so they're still working out the details.

 

There was also a bit of confusion on the paperwork. We didn't receive our luggage tags and the details of how the last day would work until 7pm the night before. The paperwork asked you to put out your bags between 11pm and midnight. You can also store your hand luggage the next morning so you don't have to carry it around the ship. The paperwork said take it to guest relations but it was actually taken when you re-registered the next morning.

 

We had to go to the passport bar at 9:30am and have our picture re-taken and a new seapass card was issued. We also got a security pass on a strap that you hung around your neck to identify yourself to the crew. There were wristbands in the pack we received, but the security card around your neck seemed sufficient ID and I didn't see anyone wearing them.

 

It was quite odd being on an empty ship until about 11:30 when boarding started. At that point everywhere was open, beforehand it was only cafe al bacio and the bistro. There was a lot of cleaning going on so we had to move a couple of times whilst they jet washed decks etc. I did feel a bit in the way of the staff, but the woman serving in the cafe said she was glad to have something to do. I think a lot of the back to back passengers had gone into Venice for the day, so it was only the 50 or so extended stay passengers left on board.

 

The latest you could stay was 3:30. We had a transfer to the airport booked and could choose 2:30 or 3:30pm. We all met in the dining room, where our hand luggage was waiting, and then walked off ship to reclaim our luggage as normal in the customs area. A coach to the airport was just outside. We had the 2:30pm departure and the coach left at 3pm.

 

We fancied a lazy day so the extended departure worked well for us. It was a shame to miss another morning in Venice, but we'd already had 3 days there and I was hiding from the sun after getting heat rash!

 

Hope that helps,

 

Denise

[Mercury]

Thanks Denise. We're considering the extended stay and your post really is very helpful!

[Azulann]

I am hoping they offer this feature beyond Europe in the months ahead.

 

I am doing a Panama Canal cruise in Jan and would love to stay on the ship before my late flight from San Diego.

[Florida Fan]

I'll be on a transAtlantic in November (Rome to Fort Lauderdale) and was interested in this program. However, it sounds like once we get to the U.S., we won't be able to stay on ship. I can check with Celebrity, but maybe someone knows?

Lenore

[cruisestitch]

Still not available on Caribbean sailings -- only European. Maybe someday this will change but for now it is not available in FLL