Kitekat

We need to be on a cruise with you and learn how to play! We have never gambled... that being said my DH prefers to spend his time at the martini bar and that is definitely a diminishing return!

Agree there is no right or wrong way to do this. We have used it as a way of getting a better deal on USD although that does depend on the rate. We watch the trends and make the decisions. We check excursions and would only book ship's tours if it is something special that we can't get elsewhere - we have had situations where we were obligated on one cruise, due to covid restrictions and there was no getting around that! You do get penalised if you take cash out at the casino - and if you have put the cash into your account that would negate the benefits of buying the 'Gifts'. If you are on B2B cruises you need to load each cruise separately and then cash out at the end of each one else it will go back to your card. 6 months sounds like a fantastic holiday! Have fun and enjoy!

It is worth checking the exchange rate that Celebrity are offering. Last year when the rate was $1.22 (bank rate was lower than this), the exchange rate through 'Gifts by Celebrity' was $1.27 with no commission charge. We bought several lots of $25 directly onto via credit card - the charge was made in sterling so there was no further charge (and we have a Natonwide card as well as Starling). We used this onboard to pay for restaurants or excursions. The cash at then end was great as we could convert to smaller bills and for additional tips for our steward, wait staff etc. I would emphasise that this is not actually OBC - it is like putting cash into your account before leaving at an advantageous rate. I have seen it when it goes the other way - which is why it is always worth checking what rate you are being offered. We have done this many times - indeed, it was brought to our attention on the CC boards several years ago!

This is under 'Gifts by Celebrity' and is treated similarly to OBC but not exactly the same. It can be given by any friend or family member who has your book ref etc or as in our case 'bought' by ourselves for us. It is a way of loading US dollars to your account prior to your cruise. If there is any left at the end of the cruise it is refunded to the card used to gift it. And as it was a 'gift' you are able to do with it as you want. Including convert it to a cash account at guest relations with no penalty. This does not work with OBC directly from Celebrity, in those cases clear OBC rules apply. If you live in the US you can still purchase gifts of $25 - although you do not gain any benefit of exchange rates which you would from Australia, Canada or the UK. But friends might like to buy you a drink or dinner perhaps...

I have done this a number of times when the exchange rate has been in our favour. It's an excellent way of getting OBC in USD. You can purchase up to 9 lots of $25 in one go - process all of those to full payment. It irritatingly requires you to put in a message and 'from' for each $25 but other than that it's not an issue. You can then go back and purchase another nine lots of $25... and go through the whole process again. For those of us overseas - there is no commission charge and the cost of $25US that you see ($36.5 above) is what gets charged directly to your card. It's a complete no brainer to do this (and we did it for both of our Eclipse cruises B2B last year). If you have any left over at the end of the cruise, you can ask for your account to be converted to cash and the excess given to you in dollars - useful if you cruise regularly, need money for future tips or have a trip to the states planned.

Thank you for the information - our points are way out (missing some 200 points!) and a future cruise, so fingers crossed.

We are on Az Journey 3 April 2024 - Cherry Blossom Intensive, B2B with Asia Intensive on 18 April. Really looking forward to it although it's a little on the back burner as we are on Quest cruising the east coast of South America to Antarctica and back to Rio for new year, followed by Iguazu Falls...

Loving all the information as we are doing this same cruise next year. All the trips, food and experiences are so interesting and useful. Please keep it coming! Thank you so much!

Thanks to all who posted here. Just booked our DIY return trip to Iguazu Falls in Jan 2024, staying at the Belmond as we are heading out from Rio. The information you all provided has really helped sort this out especially post covid!

Also, depending on how long you have been sailing with Azamara / Celebrity, points were originally awarded on a different basis. We have a short cruise that we did with Celebrity where we had on 1 point and another longer cruise where we were awarded 5 points under the old scheme.

We have also heard that the Crew Welfare fund can also help crew members who have to return home due to an emergency before the end of their contracts.

I would expect Celebrity to supply some masks and it's good to know that they are. During our cruises with Azamara in October last year and with Viking in February we were supplied with excellent quality masks as we needed to wear them when not eating or drinking, except when we were on the outside decks in the fresh air.

Again, I agree people will hid their symptoms - although many may not even know they have caught covid now. But we do expect the head office communications department and the ship to be issuing the same instructions. It may well change tomorrow but today, please be consistent...

Oh, I agree. But I would like them to be consistent and accurate. It's good to be properly prepared.

It was interesting to note that we received the email this morning, soon after a posting that Eclipse now required masks. We sailed Azamara in October last year and Viking this February, where masks were mandated and in some ports we were unable to leave the ship unless on an escorted tour. Just disappointed that the communications are not actually being consistent between the parent company and the ship with a couple of weeks to go.

We received an email from Celebrity this morning which included information about masks: "All guests should wear a mask while travelling through the terminal and in public indoor spaces or crowded outdoor spaces onboard. Guests under 2 years of age will not need to wear a mask.Celebrity Cruises follows the requirements in all jurisdictions we sail, and please note that mask requirements may vary by the destinations visited on your sailing and/or disembarkation port. This policy is continually updated, and any changes will be shared with guests.Please note: These protocols are subject to change." Nothing about masks being mandated.

Can highly recommend going the independent route which we did pre-covid. Tickets for the HoHo bus were available at the tourist info building just outside the station but they had a computer malfunction while we were queuing and so were unable to take a credit card! We walked towards the bus stop to get more cash only to discover a small shop around the corner which also sold tickets and was able to take a card. Also we were told that it was the same price to pay separately for entrance fees as to combine them with the ticket. By taking an early train (about 06:30) we arrived before the bus tours and were able to enjoy some parts when they were a little quieter. The HoHo bus drivers are hugely informative and that was how we discovered the millennium path connecting many of the points. Highly recommend walking along parts of it, if you have a good head for heights!!!

Very good advice from Jelayne. Definitely your sommelier can be your new best friend!

This sounds very similar to Azamara's offerings. The classic and premium packages are all wines by the glass. In addition, if you would like wines by the bottle you can purchase (3, 5 or 7 bottles) from a limited selection. Azamara offered about a dozen reds and about the same number of whites. I don't know how many Celebrity will offer as it's been some time since we sailed with them. Cost offers a discount on the regular pricing. If you can't drink a whole bottle they will cork it and keep it for you to drink on another evening.

From Naples, I would recommend going to Herculaneum. The metro station just up from the cruise berth will get you to the train station from where you can catch a train direct to the town, Ercolano. A walk down hill gets you to the well preserved Roman remains. An English speaking guide is worth while although you can wander around on your own. The remains are way smaller than Pompeii but much better preserved. It's an easy trip and not too far to do on your own.

From reading this thread, it does seem that Azamara have improved the everyday wines since our time on Quest in October when we were drinking the dregs that RCL kindly handed out at sale time. However, we were told that Azamara had bought a vineyard in Slovenia and the first of these new wines (a red, rosé and sparkling) were brought on board and served at some of the functions eg Azamazing Evening which was also on board. We found the wines a little rough and the sparkling too sweet. So what has happened to these wines? We have the premium package on our next AZ cruises next year but, if they are still doing it, we would purchase a wine package which gave us a much better selection. A good sommelier is worth their weight in gold!

Same here! I am going to give up until Monday as weekends are often maintenance time. And the UK often lags behind in terms of delivering anything

Yes - have tried several times without success. Just get repeating white X on blue background and then returns to login screen. |We had an email this morning from our TA asking us to enter vaccination status the link from the form doesn't seem to work (although we are away from regular home wifi at the moment). It may just be that the website is overwhelmed... it's always been flaky even after it was rewritten by Andersens

Absolutely! Especially as Celebrity have never bothered to read our request for our bed arrangement!

If you haven't mentioned your dietary issues before your cruise, you should see the maitre d' as soon as possible on board (no need to race there🙂) and discuss your requirements and issues. Celebrity, like many other cruise lines, is very good at accommodating dietary requirement.