Stem to Stern

After completing the southern loop route, we headed north toward 1,000 Steps.  By then it was too bloody hot to continue, so we turned around and headed back to the office.

I am so glad we saw the 1,000 Steps, but getting there and back through town was an uninspired journey.  
Take the time to fully enjoy the points of interest along the south route making sure to stop at Sebastian’s Beach for a cold adult beverage and a dip in the water.😁

Those little sandwiches were self-served in the last Retreat Lounge I had the pleasure of visiting.

Now why, on page 16, am I still bothering to read the back and forth on this thread?🍿😂

https://www.celebritycruises.com/content/dam/celebrity/pdf/CEL-Special-Needs-Form-Revised-062221.pdf
 

I googled special needs form celebrity cruises.

25 minutes ago, Hilaurennn said:

We don't know if celebrity is great, or if it's great because it's the only company we've been with :) we were thinking it would be good to try something different to get a feel for cruising in general 

We have sailed on Celebrity about a dozen times.  Like yourselves we also like to try other lines to keep our travel fresh and exciting.  We have tried Azamara, Crystal, and MSC Yacht Club.  
 

Crystal has gotten a bit pricier in recent years, but we regard our only Crystal experience as the tantamount in luxury, service, and country club casual atmosphere.  The culinary options, full promenade and spacious pool deck really wowed us. 

MSC Yacht Club impressed us with its spacious, self-contained, ship-within-a-ship concept enabling us to never leave the privacy and exclusivity of the Yacht Club if we chose not to.  But we also had the fun, party atmosphere available in the GenPop if we wanted to go explore.  MSC’s Sea- ships are glitzy and gorgeous.

Azamara is a much smaller, cozier on board experience with only 600 or so passengers.  It might remind you of your favorite boutique hotel.  Older, but beautifully maintained and traditionally decorated smaller vessels that allow for sailing into smaller and more interesting ports of call.  We have our second Azamara cruise booked.  It is a 9-nighter starting in Dublin and ending in Reykjavik with only one day at sea.  We have two stops in The Faroe Islands and five stops in Iceland.

On all three of these we found fellow passengers civilized and eager to socialize and engage, but they did not party like it’s 1999.

The following holds true in the US and Canada.  I gather you are in the UK, so I do not know how different travel agencies are there.  In the US I sought out and found a good travel agent by asking around.  You are not allowed to ask here.  It is against Cruise Critic rules.

Eventually I started working with other travel agents that offer better “group pricing” and perks such as on board credit compared to booking directly through the cruise line.  I compare offers from various travel agents and let them know I am comparing.  More often than not they will work to earn my business.  

Don’t be put off by prices on the cruise lines’ websites.  You may be surprised at some of the group prices travel agents have.  I have also been booking very far out into the future.  So far this year, I have placed deposits on cruises into April 2026.  

Other earlier mentions of Viking and Oceania are also intriguing.  I agree with you regarding Virgin Voyages - hard pass.  Many Celebrity cruisers have migrated to Princess and Holland America for more varied itineraries.  You should also try Celebrity’s other two classes of ships.  
 

If you want to continue to have premium experiences like you had on Apex, then you may have to splurge and up your cruise budget a bit.  Because I strive for the best experiences for my money, I spend a considerable amount of time researching and planning.  Cruise Critic, Facebook groups, and YouTube are excellent places to start.  Cruising is a wonderful way to explore the world.   I hope this is of some help to you.😃

I had to go look at a photo to remember.

Our seat cushion was vinyl on Silhouette back in April.  Not sure about the backrest cushions.

28 minutes ago, Ellis1138 said:

 

On 7/15/2024 at 1:21 PM, jlawrence01 said:

Three unique "off the beaten track" attractions in the ABC islands.

 

Aruba - The Old Protestant Church that is a few blocks from the dock.  The pastor will give you a brief tour of the church, show you the collection of 400+ year old bibles, and will answer ANY question about Aruba.  It is better than most enrichment programs on the ship.

https://www.monumentenfondsaruba.com/project/protestant-church/

 

 

Bonaire -  If you have never been in a Dutch grocery store, check out Van den Tweel supermarket.  This store sells a wide variety of imported European products.  It is a 15 minute walk from the cruise dock on Industrial Rd.

https://www.facebook.com/vdtsbonaire/

 

 

Curacao - In the downtown area, there are two unique sites that are worth a visit.

 

There is the Curacao Philatelic Museum contains all of the stamps issues by Curacao as well as the other Dutch Antilles islands.  It is in a back alley and worth a 45 minute visit.

https://www.cpostinternational.com/postmuseum/

 

The Mikvé Israel-Emanuel synagogue in Curaçao was consecrated in 1732. It is the oldest synagogue in continuous use in the Americas. The synagogue connects you to Spanish and Portuguese Jewish roots that can be traced back to the Iberian peninsula of the 1500s.

https://snoa.com/

^^^^^ Some great ideas if one has already visited all the usual points of interest.

Or if one is not so much a water person.

On 7/13/2024 at 5:57 PM, cruisetonowhere10 said:

Eagle Beach in Aruba often makes lists of top beaches in the world. I’ve only stayed at a small boutique adults only resort there and highly recommend the beach, however visiting might be different.  

What is the name of this resort?

Would you recommend it?

May I ask OP why specifically are you looking to jump ship?

13 hours ago, C4HCG said:

We are currently on the beyond in a suite and luckily haven’t had any problems. Speaking to others on the sun deck and nobody has mentioned a problem either. Luck of the draw I guess.

Thank you for the encouraging report.  
If anyone in a Sunset Verandah mentions any noise issues, I would be eager to know.  

Interested in current lounger status on Beyond’s Sunset Verandahs.

2 minutes ago, Tigermad said:

It’s supposed to be on all weekend. If you look using different devices the prices change. 

So I have read.

X IT at its finest.

I will screen shot it next time.

But I am leaning towards not biting the bullet.

Update:

Yesterday Premium Package was $64.99 pppn (on my sailing.)

Today it is back up to $79.99.

I checked on the website and in the app.

Happy Labor Day Sale!!🤣

On 8/29/2024 at 11:55 AM, laurieb said:

If the premium package is part of an Azamara promotion, you can upgrade your drink package to ultimate; we did it a couple months ago.  If you purchase a premium package, you cannot upgrade to the ultimate drink package.  

23 hours ago, manc said:

We upgrade to Ultimate as with premium included and loyalty discount it is good value. As well as the cocktails the wine is our choice

We are Discoverer level and have the Premium Package included under our booking promo.

I have a few questions about upgrading to the Ultimate Package.  Apologies if these have been asked previously.
 

Do we just pay the difference between the two packages to upgrade to Ultimate?  

How much would that be in US$ please?

How much of a discount will we receive on the upgrade with our Discoverer loyalty status?

We only have Shore Excursion OBC, so would it be best to purchase this upgrade pre-cruise by calling and using a credit card or put it on our on-board account once on board?  

Would the upgrade price be prorated if we waited until day 2 or 3 of the cruise to upgrade to Ultimate?

Thanks in advance for your answers.😎

7 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Correction

Oh SNAP !!!

I am too much of a rules boy for all that.

But I do admire your smuggler’s prowess.

Meanwhile I will come and go from the casino for my complimentary drinks while “gambling.”😏

(Forgot to add that one to my work-the-system list.)

13 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

The more I read our comments the more I thinking of cancelling the drink package

For us the numbers don’t compute.
Embark with one bottle of wine each

Bloody and Bellini Elite B’fast everyday.

Elite HH everyday.

Is there a free Captain’s Club Wine Tasting??

Is there also a CC Officers’ Soirée where booze flows freely?

I never did a TA, but it seems the F&B mood on a TA might be a bit more free, lax, and loose perhaps??🤔 

I may just be thinking wishfully on your behalf.

That was a helova deal.

Yep, not happening here.

After getting lit at HH we would both need to down 2x $17 cocktails and 3x $17 wines each night just to break even.  
And he still would not be getting his afternoon skinny lattes.😆😆

I would rather spend the calories on food.😇

24 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

still debating

Similar first-world dilemma here.

Premium Package on 35% off sale is still more than $1,500 US for the two of us on a 10-night sailing.

That spend seems to defeat the purpose of taking advantage of an excellent cruise-only hot deal.🤣

DH may have to imbibe during Elite breakfast and drink OVC swill the rest of the day.🙃

We will pay as we go for his nightly Sapphire martini. 

28 minutes ago, Cruisingirl2012 said:

Has anyone seen better than 35% off beverages package on any sales they have?
 

That is the best I see currently on two of my 2025 bookings.

Poor Fred.  Abandoned at the spa.  

Probably being fed a drastically-reduced calorie diet.

But enjoying a daily massage.

Actively being recruited by Park West to paint.

Don’t let Sinbad “Sweetie Bird” the Parrot read all this.

Who replaced Eddy?

3 hours ago, Terre said:

You will LOVE your Sunset Veranda!  

I can hardly wait!!

Which one were you in?

Did you have a lounger?

5 hours ago, Terre said:

Our Sunset Veranda this past May did not

Good news!  
Thanks for reporting this.

I have not read too many (if any) unfavorable noise reports about SVs.

Beer can often be quite filling.😉

Pabst Blue Ribbon if in steerage.😂

Bars around the ship may also have the yummy wasabi snacks tucked away if you ask.

Don’t forget the white gloves and tails.