For those just off Century

[caviargal]

Two questions:

 

1) was Aqua Spa open for lunch on embarkation day?

 

2) how early should I be able to leave the ship in Miami? We are Elite so will have priority.

 

Thanks!

[slotaddict]

Sorry cannot answer about the aqua spa cafe, we went directly for the fattening stuff.

 

If you are Elite you should be the first off, however, I am Select in CC class who should have had priority debarkation but we were the second color off the ship. We had a limo pickup at 9:00 am and were requested to meet in the Rendevous Lounge at 8:55 am. Our plane was leaving at 11:55 out of FLL. To close for my comfort. The ship was not cleared by Customs until after 9 0'clock, then they called the color white, we went to stand at the steps on the 6th floor so we book when our color was called. We noticed people leaving the ship who had green tags, so we just went right to the debarkation point and left the ship. It was easy to get luggage and out the front door. We had a problem with our limo but that is a story for another day.:D

[caviargal]

Thanks, slotaddict. I was afraid of pushing it. We have a 2:55 out of FLL and have rented a car but I was hoping to make a 10:50 instead. We are also in a CC cabin but I think we shall stick with what we have and while away the morning on Las Olas.

[BettyInToronto]

I am a little nervous by this information. If the first group (or 2nd) off the ship is after 9am then when would the last person be able to get off?

 

I am told that the early flights go first. Makes sense, however we do not have a flight but do have a 26 hours drive facing us on the return which we hope to do on Saturday & Sunday as we're supposed to be back to work on Monday. :eek:

 

Someone did advise us to talk to the purser and see if s/he can get us off early. But if not, when would the last people disembark?

[slotaddict]

You know it all depends on the FLL airport. Last January on the Zenith the airport was a nightmare, so many ships in, security lines very long. This time we checked our baggage with the Sky Cap went right to security and we through the line in about 10 minutes. Not a bad experience at all, we had time to spare, but I am afraid if we waited until our color was called and then had the problem with the limo, we would have been up the creek.:eek:

[npb]

Aqua spa cafe was not open for embarkation on 11/13.

We are Elite members and did not get off the ship until around 10:00. A problem with Customs clearing the ship slowed things down.

 

They called a few colors before coming in an annnouncing that we could all go. Usually, Elite get off first, but I guess there was a need to get people out for air reservations.

 

We drive to port so usually get a late color. If we are in a hurry, we go to guest relations and get new tags the night before. No problem.

[BettyInToronto]

Thanks for the tip ndp. We are diriving too but it's for 26 hours.:eek:

 

We'll go to guest relations and see if they can get us off earlier and not last. We hope to do 13 hours each day and if we can't start until 11am then it's almost impossible to do that the first day.

[ocngypz]

AquaSpa Cafe was not open.

 

Elite did not receive priority disembarkation. As a matter of fact, we received the next to last color. All we received was Michael's CLub in which to cool our heels.

 

Immigration and Customs were late, that is why we had the delay.

 

Brown7 which Elite received was originally scheduled for 9:15am. First group was self disembarkation (There was a large bus group). They were originally scheduled for 830.. but of course ran late. This was the first time I've ever seen a bus group scheduled ahead of any one else. Normally, groups and Cruise Connection buses are in the last group.

 

It's going to get to a point with Elite members (especially with 4 and 5 night cruises now.. they'll be in the majority as opposed to the minority.

[stinsowm]

I agree Elite perks were nothing in getting off early. We got to go to Michaels Club and were also given Brown 7 and there were not even enough seats in Michaels club. We were definitely not first off the ship.

 

I did enjoy getting a tour of the bridge.

 

Unless I missed it there was only one Captains club party this cruise and this was for all captains club members. Not one for Select/Elite like on the longer cruises. Captain is a very charming man.

[ocngypz]

I agree Elite perks were nothing in getting off early. We got to go to Michaels Club and were also given Brown 7 and there were not even enough seats in Michaels club. We were definitely not first off the ship.

 

I did enjoy getting a tour of the bridge.

 

Unless I missed it there was only one Captains club party this cruise and this was for all captains club members. Not one for Select/Elite like on the longer cruises. Captain is a very charming man.

 

 

I asked about the separate select/elite cocktail party and was told not on the shorter voyages.

[Friendly Cruiser101]

Disembarking off of The Century Sat. 11/18 was a horror show for us.

 

We are also CC, Captains Club Elite, and handicapped using a wheelchair, which give us a super duper priority, but very happy to be one of the last off the ship, no rush for us, our nice and easy to make and planned that way flight out of Miami was at 3:30 PM.

 

Purchased Celebrity bus transfers and their much touted luggage ship to airline to destination program. They said "you put your luggage outside your door and the next time you see it, it will be at your airport final destination.” They told us to throw away our “white 1” checks replace them with the airline bar-coded tags and be at the Customer Relations desk at 8:40 AM. My reply: we would rather get off the ship last. They said that we had to leave at 8:40 AM so that we could pass through Customs with all our luggage which would be handled by the luggage transfer company. They would them put it on a truck and we would go on the bus.

 

So with our 2 carry-on bags, wheelchair and my wife we preceded to deck 5. When the elevator opened all we could see was a mass of humanity, blocking the elevator lobby and all the staircases. When we tried to get off the elevator and pass thru the crowd one person was in our way and said "I know what you are trying to pull and I will not move". I will spare you the details of the ruckus that followed. We never were able to get to the Customer Relations Desk.

 

At La Guardia we had to wait for all of the luggage from our plane to run off the belt and to when we realized our luggage was not on the plane. Went to the office and they finally found our luggage it had arrived 3 hours before us and was in their holding area. So that added another hour to our interesting journey.

 

When we made the arrangements for this new luggage program and bus transfer I asked many question and went through the entire process with them step by step. They were correct about 25 % of the time the rest they guessed at. I would have rather the employees at Customers Relations said they did not know rather than guess at the questions to my questions

 

Even if the program went without a hitch, if you use the on board internet for your boarding passes or at the airport the self service kiosk for boarding passes and luggage tags Celebrity’s program save so little that the $10.00 per person charge is not worth it.

Recommendation: Do it the old fashion way.

[DancerOT]

Quick question .... I have heard that there is a ventriloquist on board. Does anyone know who it is? We saw one last year on Infinity who was great! Just curious if it is the same one. Thanks!

[npb]

We also had a wonderful ventiloquist on Infinity in April. It was not the same one on the Century. We did not really enjoy the one on the Century.I guess he was good, but not very funny.

[gwrod]

Babette,

 

Did you see where they had two separate wine blendings, one for elite and one for select? Five people showed up for the select and they cancelled it and had those 5 come to wine tasting later in the day at no charge.

[FLACRUISER99]

Does everone still get the blue tote bag????:eek:

[Hoosiermama]

We arrived at the airport exactly one hour before our plane took off. That was cutting things pretty close in my opinion. We were also white tagged, early disembarkation and we were sent to Michael's club. We were supposed to wait until a representative came to get us, but no one ever showed up. We kept asking the crew in Michael's club, if something was wrong and they told us to sit and be patient, which was another challenge because there was nowhere to sit. Around 9:45, my husband left Michael's club to find some answers and he was told that we had went to the wrong place! My husband showed them our invitation/instructions and they just kind of shrugged and sent us in the right direction. It took awhile to get our luggage because it was the only white tagged luggage left and it was hard to find.

 

This was our first cruise on any ship, so we trusted that they knew what they were doing. In hindsight, we definitely waited too long, before we looked further for answers, so that's a lesson well learned. This was on the Constellation and it was the only black spot on the otherwise perfect service that we had received through-out the entire 11 day cruise.

[Hoosiermama]

jtutak, I got a tan tote bag.

[slotaddict]

Does everone still get the blue tote bag????:eek:

 

There is a blue tote bag in the closet upon your arrival. Then the tan ones are given out to the CC class cabins, or not:confused:

[hcat]

Caviargirl: we have a 4 pm flight from Ft Laud & our next cruise goes to that port as well, so I know we will be at the airport way too early...sometimes in Fll they won't even let you through to the flight (& food area) that early..-- Flight was the only one we could get & did not want to stay over another night...where will you keep your bags when you go to enjoy Las Olas? We would love to do the same but with all the luggage it does not seem feasible unless we rent a car? Other option is a tour they offer to the Casino but not really crazy abt that idea--like to get the airport abt 2 hrs early...any ideas will be appreciated???

[caviargal]

Caviargirl: we have a 4 pm flight from Ft Laud & our next cruise goes to that port as well, so I know we will be at the airport way too early...sometimes in Fll they won't even let you through to the flight (& food area) that early..-- Flight was the only one we could get & did not want to stay over another night...where will you keep your bags when you go to enjoy Las Olas? We would love to do the same but with all the luggage it does not seem feasible unless we rent a car? Other option is a tour they offer to the Casino but not really crazy abt that idea--like to get the airport abt 2 hrs early...any ideas will be appreciated???

 

We have a rental car for the return for that reason. I wish they offered Luggage Valet but they do not to FLL.

 

There is no good answer for this that I know of. The only hotel there is Riverside and I do not know if they will check your bag for a fee if you have lunch there maybe? Their restaurant, Indigo, is quite good and that would solve your problem. Then you could stroll Las Olas til you had to head to the airport.

 

Just a thought.

[FLACRUISER99]

Thanks Slotaddict

[slotaddict]

Caviargirl: we have a 4 pm flight from Ft Laud & our next cruise goes to that port as well, so I know we will be at the airport way too early...sometimes in Fll they won't even let you through to the flight (& food area) that early..-- Flight was the only one we could get & did not want to stay over another night...where will you keep your bags when you go to enjoy Las Olas? We would love to do the same but with all the luggage it does not seem feasible unless we rent a car? Other option is a tour they offer to the Casino but not really crazy abt that idea--like to get the airport abt 2 hrs early...any ideas will be appreciated???

 

There were a couple of people who showed up at the airport way early. The porters would not take their bags or check them in. Three hours early is the limit.