little britain

42 minutes ago, mil76 said:

Thanks @little britain for the Top Tier.  My streak of missing these continues.🙂  I also heard the most represented country on the ship is....Australia?  Not sure if I believe that one.

 

I didnt notice the thunderstorm either.  My expectations for weather this cruise are so low that a day like today is considered sunny and balmy.  I have done Alaska the past 2 years in September and I think I saw direct sunlight for about an hour total, so I am geting used to bad weather on cold-climate cruises. 

 

Today's weather reminds me of 3 and 4 day Navigator cruises out of LA in winter.  Only difference is the Scots are the ones out on the Flowrider In just swim trunks rather than the Canadians. 🥶

 

New pinnacle was an Australian and top cruiser was an Australian 🇦🇺.. so you may be right!! 
 

There was apparently a huge thunder storm last night around 2am. I slept like a log!

The forecast winds and rough seas have not materialised- it’s very calm and dare I say, sunny out there! 
 

Top tier this morning. Half the ship are not C&A members 

11 minutes ago, jmh2006 said:

I got off Explorer on June 1 in Ravenna and took the bus to Ravenna station.  It was $12 pp and you can choose from different times depending on your train.  We picked the 10am shuttle for an 11:30 train and had plenty of time.  You will also get your luggage tag to coincide so our was 34 and our departure was 9:30.  It was easy peasy!

Is the bus trip about 15 mins into Ravenna? 

On 6/11/2024 at 11:35 PM, RocCruisers said:

So there were six (6) buses/tags that went to Marco airport. 6:30, 7:15, 8:00, 8:00, 8:30, 8:30, and 9:50.  The 6:30 was for tags 1 and 2.  9:50 was in the last group off the ship.  

Great!

do you have the times/prices of shuttle Ravenna railway station 🚉 too please? 

@mil76 you didn’t mention how cold it is and the potential gale force winds ..?!? 

13 hours ago, Tlbecker1 said:

I agree.  We have cruised on Celebrity twice, but we did it for the itinerary.  We have another one booked, but it was before the new Zenith/Pinnacle agreement.

We have another 3 booked, before the agreement- purely because they offer far better itinerary’s and actually have a ship in Europe over the winter. 
But the status match is purely icing on the cake! 

3 hours ago, hallasm said:

This is the list from Port of North Cape cruise calls - Preziosa is 1 pm to 2 am. Many cruise ships have stops in Honningsvåg during midnight due to the Midnight Sun - however August is too late for Midnight Sun. 

 

2025…

Have been in touch with Blue Puffin tours and they say they hope to run a tour to NC even in the middle of the night for us! 

19 minutes ago, hallasm said:

Which MSC ship and date? I can see  Msc Preziosa from 1 pm to 2 am at Honningsvåg cruise call list.

Preziosa August 14, 2025

1 minute ago, Another_Critic said:

It may be that there's too many PZs.  Maybe there's 2 Zs, but 50 PZs.

Feedback in other places seems to be that most Ps have never even set foot on an X ship so I would think this first week of the experiment would be too early for the RL to be overrun already? 

18 hours ago, cruise wizard said:

 

You won't be meeting them in the Retreat Lounge (unless you are in a suite). I am on the Beyond and our cruise is one of the first to have P's as Junior Z's...........sorry no space in the RL - just suite guests and "real" Z's. I haven't asked the Retreat Concierges if there is a "magic number" that allows JZ's in.........maybe I can get an answer from the CC Loyalty person. Wish me good luck!!!!

Interesting.. it specifically says the PZs/ Zinacles/Piniths/ (!) may be allowed in… I find it hard to believe there are that many Zs on board ?  Perhaps they’d been told never to allow the interlopers in!? 
 

1 hour ago, mil76 said:

Hope you packed for miserable weather, or as they say in England...Friday

Will I still find you by the Flowrider??!

Off to put yet another jumper in the suitcase! 
It’s midsummer’s day on 21st!! lol 😂 

Still confused about the timings of this stop! 

On 6/3/2024 at 1:20 PM, RocCruisers said:

We got off Explorer on May 25 in Ravenna.  We pre-purchased the transfer to Bologna train station for $30us pp. That day, there were three different departure tag numbers that went there at 7:15, 8:15 or 9:30.  

Do either of you still have the sheet with all the departure times and destinations please?  A friend wants to know what time the earliest flight from VCE is allowed? Thanks. 

4 minutes ago, Billy Baltic said:

Out of curiosity, where does it say this?

Absolutely no where I suspect !!

Or if you see a price drop 📉 you can cancel and rebook at the lower price. It’ll take +/- 14 days for the bank to process the refund ( depending on your bank’s cycle) 

11 hours ago, z4ltw said:

how exactly do you change the app to a different cruise?

It’s pretty much the same menu rotation for every ship

if menus  not loaded yet for your sailing,

in app click on head

Upcoming cruises/ view All

scroll down 

Don’t see your cruise; add it now

Browse our ships

select the same ship and this/next weeks sailing date

Click dining

8 hours ago, adakat said:

I'm sailing on Brilliance in June 2025, so I was trying to figure out what the most recent refurbishment would be at that time.  However, I think Brilliance is scheduled for the following during the April/May timeframe:

 

2025 Apr 12: 15 days, one-way from Miami to Portsmouth UK

2025 May 13: 8 days, one-way from Southampton to Barcelona

2025 May 21: 9 days, one-way from Barcelona to Piraeus-Athens

Which is what I said 🤷‍♀️ - the drydock is between arrival in Portsmouth on 26/4 and first sailing on 13/5 

7 hours ago, steveru621 said:

Only if Celebrity has a better itinerary.

You’re kidding aren’t you? 🤷‍♀️

Celebrity itineraries are far better than RCI which just visit the same old same old year after year. 

33 minutes ago, leaveitallbehind said:

It is not an argument. But I think a key point you may be overlooking is that the vouchers are not exchanged for a bottle of wine, they are for a discount on a bottle of wine.  Unlike using vouchers for a single glass, you are still paying for the bottle of wine with the voucher - it is not free based on voucher exchange. One voucher equals a discount on one bottle of wine. That is the program and why it is not a negotiation. They will not take multiple vouchers in exchange for a bottle at no charge.

 

Per the information I originally posted, a single bottle of wine priced under $100 is at a 40% discount when using a single voucher, and a single bottle of wine over $100 is at a 20% discount when using a single voucher. That is why multiple coupons per bottle would not be necessary or even able to be used.

But people have in the past exchanged vouchers for wine. I have seen it with my own eyes.

I was wondering whether this was just an amenable barman or whether it is becoming more frequent practice.

 It seems stupid to get them to pour 5 glasses ( 4.3 glasses or 3 glasses if you’re using English 250ml measures) when they could just give the bottle instead. I am very happy to hand over the requisite number of vouchers. I do not need to pay any money. 
 

53 minutes ago, leaveitallbehind said:

Sorry, I don't get it. As I said it is not a negotiation. If five are not necessary, why expect the bartender to take them? They are of no value to them and likely they won't take them as they each have to be credited with a transacted beverage. You can just leave them on your card and they will expire every day if not used - they do not accumulate.

 

They are also valid for other beverages as well, not just your wine, and if you don't use them all during the day, you can cash them in at the end of the night for unopened canned or bottled beverages (beer, Truly, soda, water, etc.) and take them back to your stateroom for another time.  They also can be used on others traveling with you, such as a spouse.  

No, you are not getting it!

2 hours ago, RocCruisers said:

We got off Explorer on May 25 in Ravenna.  We pre-purchased the transfer to Bologna train station for $30us pp. That day, there were three different departure tag numbers that went there at 7:15, 8:15 or 9:30.  

Perfect - thanks !

2 hours ago, leaveitallbehind said:

@little britain it is not a negotiation. The vouchers are valued at 20% off wine bottles valued in excess of $100, and 40% off wine bottles valued at less than $100.  I see no limitations on use with one voucher per purchase. 

 

From the T's & C's from the C & A benefit descriptions:

 

6_Each day of the cruise, Diamond members receive four (4) complimentary drink vouchers, Diamond Plus members receive five (5) complimentary drink vouchers, and Pinnacle Club members receive six (6) complimentary vouchers up to $14 in value ($13 on Singapore sailings and $15 on Australia sailings). These vouchers can be used at any time and at any bar onboard or onshore at our private destinations. Drink vouchers may also be used toward a discount off the purchase of any bottle of wine — 20% off bottles over $100 and 40% off bottles under $100. Every time a drink voucher is redeemed, a zero-dollar ($0) receipt will be provided and must be signed. Youth members will receive the same daily allotment of complimentary vouchers as their parents of the same tier and may be used toward the purchase of non-alcoholic beverages (including mocktails). All drink vouchers reset daily at 5:00am and are redeemable until 4:59am the next day. Excludes Starbucks, Bionic Bar, and Desserted Milkshake Bar.

Two scenarios:

Barman please pour me 5 glasses of wine and please use 5 vouchers.

versus

Barman please give me the bottle of wine and please use 5 vouchers.

Its easier, it saves me going to the bar 5 times, it is less work for them as it is only one transaction, which leaves them more time to serve others, and it is less washing up as only one glass is used not 5!!!  

1 hour ago, not-enough-cruising said:

I would imagine the variation in prices has to do with the cost associated with suppliers in differing countries. 

So getting a bottle of Whispering Angel which is made in France across the Channel to England is somehow more costly than getting the same bottle to a ship in Sydney or Miami??!

1 hour ago, Missusdubbya said:

Yes, one voucher for 40% off a bottle

But how many vouchers to get the bottle for free? I’m thinking 5 glasses in a bottle so 5 vouchers for a bottle?  Anyone successful in negotiations recently?!