CruiserFromSC

10 hours ago, cricketgirl said:

We are booked for the New Year's sailing on Acsent and this sailing also does not have specialty dining reservations open yet.  I just keep checking once a week or so and will continue to do so until it becomes available.  I called Celebrity about a month ago asking about this and the rep had no clue when they would make them available.

@cricketgirlI called Celebrity Captains Club today and was told that all specialty dining is fully booked for my cruise.  I was surprised by this but the lady I spoke to said that she could not see any reservations either so she called and was told all venues fully booked.  🤷🏻‍♀️ Not sure what to believe but we are thinking or cancelling and rescheduling since we will not be able to enjoy any specialty dining. 

On 4/27/2024 at 2:31 PM, Water_Baby_ said:

We sailed on Ascent for the Christmas cruise this past December. This was the 4th time we had sailed at Christmas on Celebrity so we had a good idea what to expect.

 

It was impossible to find available times in Specialty Dining except for a few options at 930 PM (too late for us!). Beginning in early October, I tried booking online and I even spoke to Captain's Club. Everything was booked ... We wound up eating in SD only one night (Eden - and it was excellent, worth every penny). 

 

As it turned out, the sailing had a number of large families - big groups of 25 or more, and since many of those groups had someone in a suite, they seemed to snag all of the reservations. We've never before encountered this and I don't know if it was because the ship was brand new, or sailing from FLL, or people are still wanting special travel experiences.

 

The downside was that we didn't get a chance to try any of the other SD restaurants. The upside was that we were always able to get a table in Blu the minute we walked in since so many people were dining with families in SD or one of the MDRs.

 

So my suggestion would be to find out exactly when you can reserve and book early. You can always cancel later if your plans change. 

Thank you so much for this information.  I keep checking to see when SD reservations open and nothing yet.  I appreciate you sharing your input.  

On 4/26/2024 at 10:48 AM, Liao said:

If you are in an upper suite, you need not worry about specialty dining reservations, shoreside or your butler will accommodate all of your requests.

We’re in a Sky suite so I’m not sure what, if any accommodations, will be made for reservations.  Thanks for your reply. 

5 hours ago, mahdnc said:

 

We have done several Christmas/New Years sailings including this past Dec.  Specialty dining will not be bookable until about 90 days before sailing.  When pricing does come out you will find that the prices are very high (with a special menu) for Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.  For the other evenings, the pricing is slightly above normal.  

Thank you so much for this information.  We couldn’t figure out why we were unable to book anything yet.  

Hello everyone, can anyone tell me if there are any special dinners/activities for Christmas cruises?  We are traveling on the Ascent over Christmas and are trying to plan some specialty dining but the specialty dining option is not currently open to make reservations. We thought that this option may open about 6 months out.  Any insight? Also, we are thinking of Eden or LeVoyage for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day but wondering if there are any special dinners in the main dining rooms or Luminae that we should consider.  Any advice or insight would be much appreciated.  

5 hours ago, countess5 said:

We actually went through the edge of a hurricane in the South Pacific on Explorer! Talk about rocking and rolling! 😂😂 🌪

 

Wow, that sounds and looks crazy!  I’m glad all was well in the end.  

5 hours ago, countess5 said:

Enjoy your next leg, we have friends joining you in the Retreat. They are in a sky suite. They will stay on after this next leg and do the transatlantic to NY.

We will join Beyond this winter for 14 days, part of our 47 day winter cruising.

 

Continuing to follow! 

 

Cheers! 

 

Thank you!  I hope your friends enjoy their time on this beautiful ship as much as we have.  I would love to try a TA but I’m a little worried about seasickness…even after 20+ cruises. 😂

On 10/1/2022 at 5:29 PM, terrydtx said:

In August on the Reflection we had a very strong thunderstorm between the mainland and Messina which delayed our docking and the cancelation of most shore excursions, including our Mt Etna winery and Taormina private tour. It was also the first time we had been in such an intense thunderstorm while cruising. The ship was like one big sail and the broadside winds were an issue.

I’m sure that was such a disappointment!  I feel so badly for those that missed Livorno and potentially a once in a lifetime experience.  

On 9/30/2022 at 8:54 PM, SailingHigher said:

If you are on the fence about paying extra for Le Voyage and if you like gourmet dining, do not hesitate. The three course dinner is the lowest price option. It comes with multiple surprises and a very large number of choices for appetizers, entrees, and desserts. It is more than enough food for anyone. I highly recommend it. I wish I could add some photos, but the wifi/Internet is not helping me at the moment. Plus, I’d hate to spoil any surprise. Each item is beautifully arranged and elegantly served. 

 

 

We are actually booked for the second leg of the cruise at both Le Voyage and Eden.  I’m looking forward to it.  Thanks for the tip. 

On 9/30/2022 at 11:05 PM, Lastdance said:

 

We would definitely use Ingrid again. She was lovely and we thoroughly enjoyed our time with her. 
 

Good luck getting into Israel.  Are you planning on doing a live blog?  I’ve always wanted to go there and would love any insights.  

So an update since our missed port in Livorno. Our Livorno port day turned into a sea day and we spent it trying to stay out of the wind.  We were able to dock in Civitavecchia on Thursday  and the rainy day that was forecasted turned in to a partly sunny, warmish day with no rain.  We walked around the port town.  
 

We had a lovely dinner in Rooftop Grill and the food was very good.  My DH said the Branzino was exceptional.  The show last night, Elements, was not really our cup of tea nor was “karaoke” style Headline the Band so after a little casino time, we called it a night.  
 

We were back on track with our sea day yesterday and that was the first time ever in 20+ cruises that we’ve ever experienced lightning and thunder on ship.  Everything was rocking and rolling.  Pretty interesting when visibility is probably less than 1/4 mile.  
 

Yesterday, we also had our B2B meeting. There are approximately 45 people that are B2Bers.  Painless process described for our turnaround day on Monday. 
 

Today, we docked in Messina, Sicily.  For any of you that happen to be a Godfather movie fan, we took The Godfather tour today from Messina with ItalyTours.  As we debarked, we were stopped by the port official that asked for our tickets.  All we had was an email confirming our private tour for 6.  She asked if we had their phone number.  Luckily, I had the number from when they called me about our cancelled port in Livorno.  When we called, they had to confirm with ItalyTours that we did in fact have a tour.  About that time, our driver, Antonio, arrived and all was well.  Just a heads up to be sure and have your confirmation email with you just in case.  
 

After that bit of excitement, we made our way to the village of Savoca and visited the bar that Michael met Appolonia’s father and then the church and streets where they got married.  Everything is in honor of Francis Ford Coppola in the town.  Before the movie, they only had the bar.  On the way back down, we purchased fantastic olive oil and then stopped at Bar Vitelli for some lemon granita and a glass of wine (I know, it was only 9:30am but how many times would we have that opportunity 😉).  
 

From there, we visited Forza d’Argo.  This small village is where a lot of the scenes from Godfather Part III took place.  Very quaint village and beautiful views.  
 

Lastly, we visited Taormina for a lunch stop and visit to the main pedestrian area.  All in all a lovely day that we thoroughly enjoyed.  
 

So, I promised a review on our dinner at Le Petite Chef.  I’ve experienced it on two prioir cruises and two different ships…Equinox and Edge.  And I loved it.  The story/animation was cute and the food (pea soup/crab pasta/filet) were both wonderful.  They have changed the menu and the story and, to be honest, I did not enjoy it as much as the two previous visits.  The food was good (tomato tart/poached shrimp/short rib) but the evening was not as enjoyable as my earlier visits.  Just my opinion.  
 

And now a big disappointment for a lot of people today.  We were scheduled to dock today and overnight in Livorno.  The winds had other ideas. ..40-50 knots caused us to not be able to dock and became a sea day.  The captain and crew reacted quickly and worked an opportunity for us to dock in Rome (Civitavecchia) tomorrow and then resume the rest of our cruise.  Unfortunately for many, Livorno was their only opportunity to visit Cinque Terre so very unfortunate for them.  For us, since we are on a B2B, we rescheduled our visit to Cinque Terra for our return to La Spezia on October 6th.  Our tour company ItalyTours called me this morning when they saw we weren’t going to be able to dock and worked with us to make the change for our return trip (original tour was to Florence) and will refund our money for today’s tour without any muss or fuss.  Again, I am usually reluctant to recommend tour companies because everyone’s opinions are subjective, but ItalyTours has been very user friendly and have wonderful customer service.  We have 3 more tours scheduled with them so I will keep you posted!!  🙂

3 hours ago, SailingHigher said:

We are on the same Beyond cruise. I’ll echo the comment about the shower complexity in some suites. Twice I’ve screamed very loudly as the overhead rain shower head drenched all of me with very cold water! I’m learning slowly how to master the two knobs that control the wand and the shower head, but it is so far a great challenge to reach the knobs, avoid the cold water lurking in the pipes, and avoid spraying the floor area past the tiled shower walls. I love a challenge, though. I’m going to conquer this before October 3! 

Exactly.  
 

Bummer that we didn’t get into Livorno today.  Hopefully, the rest of the cruise goes smoothly.  

Just now, theopup said:

What an amazing tour you were on the day sounded wonderful. And spectacular pictures 

Thank you!!

I am currently on the Beyond doing a similar itinerary and trying to do a live blog.  We are 4 days in and have 13 days left to go (B2B) so maybe my blog would help with some ideas.  The title on the Celebrity CC boards is “Beyond Live(ish) B2B Barcelona to Rome and Rome to Barcelona, September 24 and October 3, 2022.”

Anyway, we did a tour yesterday from Nice (Villefranche) and it was fabulous.  Here’s what I wrote:

”So, I don’t usually make recommendations on tours, etc., but I am making an exception in this case.  We took a wonderful 8-hour excursion from Villefranche with Ingrid S with Tours by Locals.  The name of the tour was “3 Countries in a Day.”  This was an exceptional private tour.  We drove along the middle and upper coastal roads with photo stops of Nice and Villefranche and the took a guided tour through the village of Eze (only 29 residents).  The only way to see the village is on foot though and it is a very steep climb.  But, at the top (429 meters/1400 feet), you have spectacular views of the French Riveria.  Then we drove into Italy to the Italian Riveria village of Dolceacqua for a lunch stop and a guided walk through a medieval village.  Next, we drove to the Principality of Monaco and drove a short way on the Formula 1 race track and visited the port with luxury yachts and the palace in the distance and then an opportunity to visit the casino in Monte Carlo.  This was a fantastic tour if you wanted something a little different.  Highly recommend.”

1 hour ago, cruiztime said:

Happy Birthday. Can I ask you what you did (or will do) with the balloons to dispose of them? Have you noticed many other balloons around the ship? Thanks. 

Thank you!  They are still inflated and attached to the ceiling.  One deflated and the cabin attendant took it away.  I’m not sure what he did with it.  I haven’t noticed any other balloons.  

3 hours ago, H2OH! said:

Eze is spectacular. When we were up top, we saw a couple get engaged. It was one of those extra special and unexpected events when sitting atop the eagles nest :). The climb up is not for the faint of heart that is for sure! 

 

Following along. Thank you for taking the time to share  your trip. I tried once when we were in Alaska but was so busy vacationing the "live blog" when silent. LOL. 

Wow, that’s wonderful.  Beautiful memories for that couple…and you!!

I’m afraid that mine may go silent as well.  😂 I admire those people that do such a great “live” blog.  

Yesterday, was a beautiful day in Nice.  We were in Villefranche and tendered in.  It took about 20 minutes.  
 

So, I don’t usually make recommendations on tours, etc., but I am making an exception in this case.  We took a wonderful 8-hour excursion from Villefranche with Ingrid S with Tours by Locals.  The name of the tour was “3 Countries in a Day.”  This was an exceptional private tour.  We drove along the middle and upper coastal roads with photo stops of Nice and Villefranche and the took a guided tour through the village of Eze (only 29 residents).  The only way to see the village is on foot though and it is a very steep climb.  But, at the top (429 meters/1400 feet), you have spectacular views of the French Riveria.  Then we drove into Italy to the Italian Riveria village of Dolceacqua for a lunch stop and a guided walk through a medieval village.  Next, we drove to the Principality of Monaco and drove a short way on the Formula 1 race track and visited the port with luxury yachts and the palace in the distance and then an opportunity to visit the casino in Monte Carlo.  This was a fantastic tour if you wanted something a little different.  Highly recommend.  
 

It was a long day so we had a quick dinner in Ocean View and then called it a day.  We are in Santa Margherita today and with no planned tours, we plan to take the tender in and walk around for a bit.  
 

Dinner tonight is at Le Petite Chef so I’ll report back later tonight.  It’s always a wonderful meal so I’m not expecting anything different tonight.
 

1 hour ago, AbbyCruiser45 said:

My parents are onboard for a B2B, so it's great to follow along here too. Thank you! 

Great.  I hope they’re enjoying it as much as we are.  

5 hours ago, scottam said:

The folks on the Roll Call for this sailing plan to meet at Sunset Bar at 4:30 when we sail away from Civitavecchia. Join us! I will have a green bamboo straw in my drink. I look forward to following along here on your cruise 1, and maybe we’ll meet on your cruise 2! 
 

Cheers, happy birthday,  and happy cruising!

 

Tammy 

Thanks, Tammy, I’ll try to find you at sail away.  

6 hours ago, johnnyb18337 said:

Happy Birthday.

Thank you!

6 hours ago, theopup said:

Happy Birthday 

Thank you!

6 hours ago, hawkesbaynz said:

@CruiserFromSC Glad you are having a great cruise😀. We were supposed to be on the Beyond for this cruise but cancelled on Wednesday☹️. My 60th cruise too. You will be enjoying the sailing for us😄. 
 

Our travelling companions both contracted Covid and DW so disappointed she did not want to travel (I did!). They easily got a refund whilst I had to argue for FCC under ‘cruise with confidence’. Can plan another cruise anyway and booked a trip to Porto for a few days this weekend (just DW tho). 

Oh wow, I’m so sorry.  That’s a huge disappointment!  😟 I was wondering about the cruise with confidence plan since most of booked so long ago under it.  I’m glad they gave you FCC.  Hope you have a lovely time in Porto. 
 

and Happy Birthday!!  

8 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Thank you so much!!

8 hours ago, hcat said:

H A P PY  B I R T H D A Y!

Great way to Celebrate on BEYOND!

 

Are you going to do any spa visits???

Thank you!!  I’m not sure yet.  Old age is causing some sciatica issues 😂 so I thought a massage might help.  Any information that I can get you?