Diamond lover

2 hours ago, h20skibum said:

This is what they look like on Royal. They are free for junior suite and above, and $5 if you want one and you are in a standard cabin.

Knowing their limited functionality, I wouldn’t buy one. I would just stick with the seapass card.




Past Reviews post 184

Wait, on top of being awful, you BUY them?  Like, it is an option for purchase?  Argh!!  

Seriously, I keep my seapass in a pocket or in my bag, I would never wear it on a lanyard....dear God what am I getting into lol?  Seriously, do Celebrity pax really wear lanyards?  I am getting nervous now.

On 2/5/2019 at 1:55 AM, Pier290 said:

The reality is they are the latest and greatest convenience on a vacation....and most high end resorts and luxury ships are now using wristbands....we never had to remove them to be scanned luckily or I definitely would not have liked them as much!

 

There's nothing I hate more than having to fuss and fumble around with a sea card.... especially at the pool when I have to keep my eyes on my bags at all times while I swim to make sure no one will take it.    If it's on my wrist ..... Worry free!   I can handle wearing a sleek wristband for a week without it cramping my style or ruining my evening wear....

 

Really hope Equinox gets them!!! 🛳️❤️🍹

Good Lord, what “luxury cruise line” has people wearing plastic wristbands?  Absolutely none that I have been on (Regent, Silverseas etc).

I cannot imagine anything I would like less than wearing this for 16 days on my upcoming cruise, but for those who would like it, I hope it becomes an option for you.  Option being the operative word.

Bingo on a ship used to be fun.  Now it is outrageously expensive, and payouts are dismal.  Lining their own pockets. I will never play again.

Just now, NCHPcruiser said:

You are always able to order off the Main Dining Room menu in Luminae (except on the Edge) which includes several entrees that are offered each night.  When dining in Luminae I frequently order the Salmon from this section of the MDR menu.   

Thank you so much for this reassurance.

Could I piggyback on this thread and ask a quick question.  I am admittedly quite a boring eater....and I am in a Sky Suite.  Does Luminae have any standard dishes, as the MDR does, that are always available?

Honestly, I am allergic to seaweed and shellfish (but not fish itself thankfully) I do not enjoy lamb, cilantro, cumin/curry or kale or avocado. I promise you, those restrictions wipe out a lot of menus in elegant places lol.

i never “fuss”, and I am always happy to make do with an item on the “you are a boring eater” menu....if it is available?

My husband and I had this same situation a few years ago, albeit not with this cruise line.  Just prior to a much longed for cruise, my man was injured.  Injury was all good, but next thing you know he had life threatening blood clots, and subsequently was being treated accordingly.  

As the departure day approached, he was deemed well enough to travel BUT had to fax in bloodwork every day, to adjust the blood thinners accordingly.   I called the cruise line, who called me back to confirm this was doable.  I confirmed it was covered by insurance and Bob’s your Uncle, great cruise had by all!

  I sincerely hope you have similar results.

6 hours ago, Sekhmet said:

It might also be worth mentioning for Sydney that if it is just a port of call rather than the start/finish of a cruise, the ship may not be docked at all.  We will be aboard Celebrity Solstice calling at Sydney en route from Perth to Auckland in March, and are scheduled to be anchored at Athol Bay and tendered in.

I am on that cruise as well, and I did not know that!  Thanks for the info Sekhmet!

When I was on The Reflection in September, the barkeeper would let me have two Pinot Grigios at once with my UBP.  Hope it is the same on The Solstice next month!

On 1/23/2019 at 4:48 PM, Bruin Steve said:

 

1)  We've been in Select Dining...but as I reported in my original answer to the actual subject of this thread, they try to sit you with the same waiters every night...On our 14 night Millennium cruise, for example, we had the same waiter 8 of the 10 nights we were seated in the MDR and another on the other two.  On our Alaska cruise, we had the same waiter every night...and he remembered us when he saw us back on the SE Asia cruise.  At lunch and dinner, of course, we had a variety of waiters.

 

2)  When I say I "can be critical", I meant in terms of later reviewing the cruise here on cruise critic or when writing back to the cruise lines.  And I have VERY RARELY found anything to be critical about in regard to the dining room service.  If the waiters sense anything from me, it's that I am happy...Probably why our Alaska cruise waiter was so happy to see us again.

 

Funny, one of my thoughts on you was perhaps YOUR waiters perceived YOU as someone who might short them in the reviews, so they felt that need to lobby you...

LOL that wasn’t my post you were quoting, but I love it!  Thanks @ipeeinthepool

And perceptive.

16 hours ago, ghstudio said:

 

It was not an arbitrary decision on Celebrity's part to change prices on UK origin cruises to include the gratuity....it was done because those on those cruises were complaining about having to leave tips as part of their drink cost.  Perhaps one should question Celebrity on why they continue to have that policy.

 

from Trip Advisor...parent company of cruise critic:  https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Travel-g186216-s606/United-Kingdom:Tipping.And.Etiquette.html.

 

I am not questioning different customs in different countries, however when in Rome...... and leaving the standard tip is what "the roman's do". 

Except the Romans don't tip lol.

6 hours ago, iyhie06 said:

Thank you wrk2cruise! that's what we were trying to figure out. if we get those perks too... glad you replied 🙂

That is fantastic news!  What a treat for you.  I really hope that this opportunity presents itself to me for my cruise on Solstice next month.  May I ask, how long is your cruise?  And congratulations!!!

8 minutes ago, davekathy said:

But we they begging and pleading with you to give them 10s? We've also experienced the same end of cruise last day reminder to fill out the post cruise survey when we get home. No pleading or begging for a score rating.  We haven't heard that spiel for a few years now. Even on RC.  There is even one question in the PCS that asks you to identify anyone that has asked for a rating of a 10. 

In my book if they mention the rating with pretty well every course they serve AND at the end of the meal on your last two dinners (and one lunch) I consider that overkill, I call that pleading. Its just a shame they feel they HAVE to do this. Also on day of departure when we went for breakfast we were absolutely snubbed by our waiter. Felt as though it was because we didnt add additional gratuities at last dinner. Maybe not, but we all felt that way. 

17 minutes ago, ipeeinthepool said:

 

It's everywhere on Celebrity and Royal.  Every ship every time

Again, thank you. Sorry you experienced it, glad you validated my concerns.

Now, hoping that sitting in different areas of MDR (when there) will do the trick.  I never complain, I never send food back, I am personable and  cheerful at dinners....just serve me and dont beg for 10s and tips. Period. 

1 minute ago, hcat said:

We have  been repeatedly reminded about the survey on most of them towards the end of the cruise, , by cabin attendants and  waiters in mdr.  We dine in BLU now,   it's a bit more subtle but we are still reminded to rate restaurant high.

Whew!  Not “just me” as suggested!

The last two (I had veered away from Celebrity for a while strictly due to itineraries)

Pretty sure its not just me LOL.  I’ve never had anything like it on Radisson/Regent, Princess, Cunard, Royal Caribbean, or NCL. This was in a class of its own. Maybe it’s just the Reflection. A lot of people were commenting on it.  They also asked us to give them tens every single time we went into a specialty restaurant we were completely flabbergasted by this  

2 hours ago, D C said:

Interesting. I don't recall servers ever asking for good survey reviews in any restaurant.  Not saying they didn't make some mention, but certainly nothing that was memorable. 

 

I've also never felt compelled to extra-tip, but there have been occasions on which I certainly have done so for someone who went out of their way to make my experience more enjoyable.  I've also singled out individuals on the survey for a job well done.  I hope in those instances, that it comes back to them favorably. 

Wow. Have you been dining in the main dining room? Because as God is my witness I have never been so inundated with requests from everyone (head waiter, waiter, Sommalier) begging me pleading with us to please give them a 10.  On my last celebrity cruise my waiter actually said he was very disappointed because he thought he got along really well with another group on the ship but in the end he got nothing from them   He also got nothing from us 

I always select "anytime dining" on whichever cruise line I am on.   Just like at home, I don't know in advance when I'll be hungry!

I am on The Solstice February 28th, and this time I am going to ask that I be seated in different sections.  I am hoping that if I am seated in different sections every night (or often enough, I'll be in Specialty Restaurants some nights) I will not be barraged with the constant pleas of "please score me a 10 on the post cruise survey" by the servers, on the last few days I am at the table.  This really, really bugs me, and in fact ruins my experience.  I figure if I have a lot of different servers, they can't possibly drone on about it.  

It is the shame of Celebrity (and other cruise lines) that they scare the staff to death about these ratings.  Also, even though we have prepaid gratuities, I think the hostesses sit you with more or less the exact same servers every night, boosting their chances of us enhancing the gratuities.  Really, what's the point of pre-paid gratuities?  They're meaningless if everyone is still expected to tip AGAIN (and I definitely got the feeling that everyone was expected to tip again on my September Reflection cruise)

Just my thoughts.

Ya, me too.  I can get on all the other boards, but not Celebrity

It will probably be different entertainment than it is now.  I am on board at the end of February for 16 nights, I will update you then (and try to find out if the talent on our cruise is extended past May)

cheers!  Charlene

I sailed Cunard, Carnival (forgive me), Royal Caribbean, Princess and Celebrity.  Then I enjoyed 75+ nights on Radisson Seven Seas Cruises, which of course became Regent.  After which,  I sailed Celebrity again, Norwegian, and Celebrity again!  And going on Celebrity February 28th.

So yes, you can “go back”

6 hours ago, ipeeinthepool said:

I still don't understand the process.  I'm never invited to participate and when I go the Move-up section of the website and enter my information, it tells me there are no rooms available even though there are other  CC members on the same cruise putting in bids for cabins.  I guess they don't like me.

Maybe it's because you pee in the pool?  

14 minutes ago, jagoffee said:

Looks like 14 day Reflection cruise in a Balcony cabin.

You’re good!  Thanks.

I'm going to OUR CC Party (I normally don't either) on Solstice (February 28th sailing) because I want to meet all the other people who have been chatting and posting.  I don't care if anybody from the ship pops by.  We are celebrating retirements, and many other things. Together!  Still going to be nice to put a face to a name, etc.

On 12/1/2018 at 11:31 AM, Arno. said:

I wish....

Here is the offer for Jan 4 cruise.  We have an angled balcony on the hump and have no interest in moving..

 

Arno thank you so much for the photo of these bid minimums.  Would you please tell me, how many days was your sailing for?  And what had you booked (Concierge, Aqua) before the offer?