poffles

The rooster (chicken?) part of this looks like a painting, especially the darker bluish feathers on it's back. Love this picture! I keep looking at it again thinking maybe you did actually take a photo of a picture LOL

So excited to follow along with you Jim, you do such awesome reviews. Interestingly I had just started considering this exact itinerary that you are doing, both cruises, in a few years (2027) when they release those dates as a retirement celebration trip. The flight still gives me pause from my far east location (2+ days) but the cruises look so enticing and it would bring me back to Canada at least a bit closer to home. Meanwhile I will drool following and have a better idea what I could expect on this crossing, mine would be minus the lovely suite you have. .

Not sure why you are pointing this out to me. I know there are other threads on this, there are many thread on just about everything on Cruise Critic, but I didn't feel the need to point that. I responded to what the OP was asking in the here and now, showing my current experience doing a fresh new login. I definitely know Celebrity has many 'days', we go back many years. I also work in IT (for too many years) so I know how both the user and the back end role play in the cause. Also have to consider that in this case it was the weekend when many organizations do backend maintenance.

I just tried and was able to login without error, laptop using Edge browser. Doesn't mean it still isn't a Celebrity back-end issue. As others have said, I would definitely try clearing cache as that at least gives you a clean slate to retry login.

When I've booked an offer through BCC, free or otherwise, I have never felt any pressure to spend any amount of time playing in the casino, they would not make me pay it back if didn't gamble on that cruise. I've done so if i wanted to and the only gain aside from just wanting to play is perhaps getting future offers. Is there something I'm missing? That said, an inside or similar cabin with no perks becomes extremely unappealing on short cruises that (not Celebrity's fault) cost a fortune to fly to so that is my reason for not being so quick to jump on offers.

The offers have some value which is known on 'their' end so this could be done based on that value and of course other things like availability. I recently booked (subsequently canceled) an offer which somewhat mimics what you are asking. My offer was concierge, my friends was ocean view (for same cruise/sailing) and I inquired with the BCC agent who looked and said sure we can do that ... we got an aqua room. The value of my friends ocean view must have been sufficient to bridge the 'current' difference in stateroom cost. Similarly, I've inquired another time a bit further back when we both had lower class staterooms and it was not the same experience, an upgrade of any sort still resulted in difference in cost that would have been applied. Definitely inquire if booking. Even if you don't fully get a 'free' upgrade, the cost might be reduced enough to make it worth it to you. Alternatively it might be better to utilize the other half's offer to do a B2B 😉 Happy sailing!

I extremely dislike Celebrity's use of 'Have It All' in recent promotions and also totally viewed it as pulled from HAL's use of this same verbiage (that they've used for ages). Upon reading, it totally felt like bait and hook knowing that HAL uses it in the context of included packages and gratuities and such. To use 'Have It All' in reference to 'why pick one beach, city, restaurant or even one pool' .. really???? I feel this one to be very confusing and misleading. .

For me it's been watching closely, seeing someone share here that there is a sale, logging in regularly online to look if prices have changed, take note if Celebrity is promoting a sale, anticipating milestone sales like Black Friday and watching closer at these times. I've never received an email specifically pointing out a drinks sale (that I recall) and if I have it's definitely not something I would rely on or you will surely miss one.

Let me share my current ongoing experience with the Nexus renewal process to show how varied one's experience can be. Two people same household renewing ... I submitted online for both the same day literally one after the other. Neither had any changes (ie address) within the five years so I anticipated and hoped no interview required. Applicant 1 & 2 application date: Jan 4, 2024 Applicant 1: Still pending review (March 22 as I write this). Applicant 2: Approval notification March 1, 2024 (no interview required) Applicant 2: Card received in mail March 8, 2024 😲 Interesting that the one I submitted first is the one still pending; clearly it's so random you can't rely on any experiences reported by others. I have nothing booked so I'm not anxiously awaiting a new card so it's more interesting observation of processing times. I'm also good knowing the current card is good until the new one is processed. ..

You've voiced what I felt (this one and prior) about the overall vibe of these 'presentation-Q&As'. Feels just too 'great' and the non answers just make that felt even more, all the talk of past and upcoming President's cruises .. going to wonderful ports 🙄 and such great things planned. Questions answered by rewording the question(s) and explaining what it would take to do something and we are talking and discussing and then .. next question. Wait, what was the answer ??? Even a timeline of when the 'assessing' will be done would be welcome. I don't like to hate on things and have been happy to watch these to get the PUPs but I have often liked watching even if off the side of my desk. This one and the prior few have been very disheartening. Upon reflection, talk of the wine additions seemed to be the closest to something specific of all the things she spoke of, but I'm a beer drinker so whatever (low class 🙂)

Laughing at this. Did you respond to ask 'why do you make booking itineraries available so far in advance?' Yep all your fault 🙃

It applies to Elite and up so + not necessary. I just reached Elite before my recent cruises late last year and this was a perk I was able to take advantage for the first time, was pretty nice to have clothing refresh. I wrote ELITE on the top of the laundry list form.

As others have said, recent cruises the 'wine' was not waiting in my room and I just let the room steward know day/time I wanted it and it arrived sitting in an ice bucket. Opposite happened with canapes, they were horrible prior so I requested not to have them (ever) and still received them the first full day but then after that my 'request' must have reached someone as they stopped. There is something about unidentifiable cheese sitting on a plate for heaven knows how long that is off putting for me. Maybe this could be a waiving of room delivery fee for x number of times/days instead .. Celebrity are you there?

This change kicked off Oct 2023. This is still *noted at the bottom of an FAQ page. As others have said, it was a go forward change to newly purchased (AI bookings) after this date. Celebrity's All Included FAQs .

Similar to what others have said. If you are booking a new cruise on the Celebrity website, the prices presented on the front page are now (typically) Cruise-Only fares. As you proceed to 'book', after you select your room you will be presented with a screen much like the one below (just a random 3 night I selected) and it will give you All Included option which will indicate the added cost. This would of course vary based on cruise/length. If you book Cruise-Only fare then you purchase a drinks package later. Drink packages along with many other things are available for purchase when you log into your booking, much like buying excursions or specialty dining.