Ergates The Ant

Did a couple of cruises on Princess, but not as enjoyable as Celebrity. Didn’t go into the casino on Princess, but the stink of smoke managed to pervade surrounding areas anyway. Celebrity definitely our preferred line on the smoke free front. The Celebrity buffet has always been good, whereas Princess selection was poor, and the serving area was cramped. Preferred the more spacious coffee shops on Princess. Last celebrity cruise, the beverages manager finally realised that the seating area at Il bacio was far too small for the demand for morning coffee for us Brits, and opened a nearby specialty restaurant to accommodate us all!

I’ve only ever been required to prepay gratuities on the UK site, when I was booking anytime dining. There was no availability for anytime dining on my recent booking, only fixed ( late) dining, and I didn’t have to prepay. Usually, I will prepay anyway for convenience, but this time I will have them added daily to my on board account, and pay that with cash, as I have some US dollars left over from a cancelled holiday. What I meant by saying the service charge is included in the prices in the UK, is that the restaurant is entirely responsible for paying the staff wages (plus all the other overheads of providing the meals) unlike the situation in the US.

If the gratuities are included in your fare, you have, IMO, made your contribution. I would only give an extra ‘tip’ to a staff member who had gone out of their way to provide over and above service. A gratuity is added to the cost of every drink you purchase on board, so no need to tip extra.

You won’t make a saving though, as far as I understand. The prices for UK drink packages will be 20% higher, to include the cost of the ‘tips’, ditto the cost of individual drinks on board. A coffee in il Bacio is $5 on our upcoming cruise, whereas I’m sure I’ve seen it previously at $4 plus of course the 20% gratuity. Annoyingly, they don’t do the same with the cruise fare in the UK, so that is an extra added on afterwards. It would make things much simpler here if it was included. If it is a compulsary payment, it has to be included in the overall cost, to comply with UK law. Therefore it has to be deemed a discretionary payment, and as all Brits are used to having the service included as part of the costs of meals out, drinks, or even hotel stays, it’s not surprising that it is regarded as an actual ‘tip’ or little extra for over and above, and often removed in favour of rewarding those who go beyond what would be expected.

Thanks, hope that is the case this time, lydnsyd.

Previous Celebrity cruises from the UK have had kettles in the room. ( for making proper tea) We are on the first cruise after the Transatlantic this month. Does anyone know if Celebrity are still providing these? I’ve just been watching someone’s blog, where they said there was no hairdryer in the room. Never had that before, not planning to pack mine. Also, looking at the drink prices on the App, these seem to be 20% higher, than I’ve seen reported elsewhere. In the past, cruises from UK have included the extras into the quoted costs, as that is what we are accustomed to here ( a legal requirement, in fact) Thanks in advance.

I’ve never been asked for ID using a credit card in Norway. However, in the past, many American credit cards still had to be swiped and a signature supplied. Asssuming you now have cards that require a PIN, or are contactless, that wouldn’t be necessary now.

I would certainly bring my own snorkel and mask if I was into swimming. The whole idea of putting anything in my mouth that had been used by someone else, with no guarantee that it had been properly sterilised ( and I mean sterilised, not disinfected ) would fill me with horror. I would start by looking on line at proper sports shops to get ideas of prices and specifications, and read reviews. Then you’ll be in a better position to find something cheap enough to work well. Depending on where you are boarding your cruise, and whether you have shopping time, I’m sure they will be readily available at beach / sea area shops and supermarkets.

Well, I’ll be setting off soon in an Infinite Balcony cabin for the first time, so I’m still interested in reading the views of those who have already experienced them! Please carry on posting your likes, dislikes and comments. Everyone brings an individual viewpoint, and I’m happy to sift through the posts to pick out the issues that might be relevant to me!

I’m sure the ship and passengers wouldn’t have been in any danger. However, the restriction would likely to have been to preserve and protect the delicate underwater systems of the local marine life. The damage to the environment could be irreparable, and the damage to the already dubious reputation of cruise ships could be far reaching. At a time when cruise lines are having to invest hugely in minimising their environmental impact, and already facing a backlash from ports of call like Venice, and the UNESCO Fjord areas, if the ship did contravene local restrictions, this will and should IMO end badly.

One difference you may notice if that a lot more women will wear skirts and dresses, especially in warmer weather. I visited a big airshow in California in temperatures in the 90s F, and I think I was the only female in a dress despite the heat. Everyone else was wearing either knee length shorts, or even jeans. The current fashion in the UK is to wear dresses, often below knee length, with white trainers with those no show socks. Very practical in warmer weather, cool around the waist and comfortable for walking. And you can wear them into the evening with pretty sandals and a nice necklace. ‘Capri’ trousers tend to be only popular with older ladies, and short shorts for the very much younger. You will see a lot of women in leggings in the UK, despite them only really looking good in smaller sizes.

I’ve never seen a man in a thong on a cruise ship! However, European men often wear fitted bathing suits, like underpants? Speedos? In fact, in France, long swimming shorts used to be banned in public pools , as deemed unhygienic. I don’t know if this is still the case? Another thing you may notice on port calls in European cities, is that many residents will be dressed for work, and will be very smartly dressed indeed. Obviously more relaxed at weekends, but cruise passengers dressed as if they are attending an archeological dig might feel as if they stand out a bit.

I have always printed off our boarding passes, and don’t have a smartphone. I’m assuming the boarding pass will show somewhere in the Celebrity app on my iPad, but that doesn’t have a wifi connection of its own. I hadn’t thought of taking a screenshot as well, but that’s a very sensible suggestion, so I shall do that as well! Nothing like belt and braces!

Have only done one cruise in the US and that was Alaska, so nothing to compare. However I would say that most ladies on board in Europe tend to dress up a little in the evenings, although not to the extent of very formal ballgowns as apparently is common on Cunard. I tend to put on a nice dress or a glittery top with smart trousers. My husband doesn’t dress up but wears tidy shirts and ( long) trousers, and doesn’t look out of place. Always makes me laugh when I see comments about men being required to wear pants in the evenings, as pants usually means underpants in the UK! I also see a lot of comments about men being upset that they can’t wear shorts in the dining rooms in the evenings. Unless you are in the Med in high summer, temperatures in Europe are often lower than expected, and some ‘long pants’ would probably be very welcome indeed!

Thanks, StopThe World, that’s really helpful. We always decline the evening service, but didn’t realise we would get any captains club benefits. Would be nice to get a choice of service time too.