psychtobe

how is the food in the haven restaurant? that would be pur primary reason to upgrade. unless the rest of the ship is an ugly boozefest we don't need a special secret corner but if that is the case we'd probably choose a different ship anyway. 

ah, thank you for the clarification.

I posted this elsewhere but someone suggeated I try the NCL forum.

hello the above are two cruises we are considering spring 2024 for family of 4 with two teens ages 14 and 17.

The ports sound more interesting on Celebrity and we liked them on our last cruise eight years ago. But read some of the food has gone downhill and that is important to us. Would a Haven suite on NCL and thus access to Haven restaurant be a better option? we don't want to do specialty reataurants every night because with four of us that will add up quickly, but on either ship we could do them once or twice.

possible drawback to haven is officially no kids under 16 allowed on Haven sundeck which leaves our youngest and thus us out. but then i read that on some cruises there are lots of under 16 on that deck. not trying to be a rule breaker, but if it's a function of behavior i'm not worried about our 14 yo. more about our 17 yo lol.

thanks for your thoughts!

yeah our family is there so dont need a rental car or hotel, but flights will get crazy and getting from house to airport after the eclipse will be a nightmare if the one in Oregon was any indication.

11 hours ago, YourWorldWithBill said:

I agree with donaldsc: plan to arrive early. As people become aware of the April 8, 2024 rare total eclipse that happens to pass right through Dallas and follows a slim track through North America, I bet that travel will get very busy. A couple of weeks ago I had to cancel a booking for a group cruise scheduled for that week, when I found out about the eclipse. I know people who have already booked hotel rooms in smaller towns in hope of clearer skies (less polluted air).

we live in the path of the eclipse from a couple years ago and a little pollution made no difference. It was a magnificent sight, we were all much more moved than we thought we would be. Obviously if it’s cloudy or raining everyone is out of luck.

Thanks for the tip on cruises out of New Orleans. I found an NCL cruise that would work, the ports aren’t too interesting to us as we’ve been to Costa Maya and Cozumel before and not divers so not too into Roatan, but we could make do.

There is a Haven 2 BR option for a decent price. How is the Haven restaurant or more specifically how does it compare to the MDR on Celebrity? We are really willing to pay extra for food. Unfortunately one advantage of the Haven (16+ only on the sundeck) is a drawback for us, because our son will be only 14 at the time of the cruise.

great we do like being outside on a true veranda and don't love the sun or at leadt I don't so maybe that is best!

so it sounds like an aft cabin option with traditional vwranda might work best for us?

i don't understand this magic carpet. if it's outside your balcony  do you not have a balcony anymore!m? can you walk from your balcony on to the magic carpet?

Is there anywhere to look at reviews of specific cabins? I know some are louder than others, beneath a dance floor etc and best to avoid but how to tell?

Hello,

Looking at Ascent for 2024. One week Caribbean cruise.

Plan to get a balcony for myself and spouse, and an OV or inside room for two teenage kids. For the right price 2 adjoining OV could work.

When I look at booking I get all kinds of options and I am confused about what any of them or or whether they'd have value to us. We don't use the wifi, or drink packages, or go to the spa, or take many cruise excursions. We read, we use the gym, we watch shows, we wander around ports on our own. We might eat at a specialty restaurant once. I think some of these classes have dedicated public areas but it's all a little confusing. There are suites of various kinds, Aqua class, Concierge class, etc.

re: the food, the Ascent as the MDR and buffet included in the cruise fare. The CC review also says "several other restaurants are included" but doesn't say what those are. I presume pizza is one of those. Does anyone know what else?

Any other thoughts about the Ascent (obviously it's new so maybe speculative) or Edge class ships or Celebrity in general? We were very pleased with it during a 2 week S Caribbean cruise but that was years ago.

One other question about non-refundable deposits. If you buy a refundable cruise now, then cancel, then rebook, can you switch to the non-refundable deposit option then? Obviously prices can increase over time.

Hello cruisers,

We need to be in DFW on Sunday April 7 to see the total solar eclipse on Monday April 8 (family lives there) and we want to take a cruise the week before.

We will be flying from the west coast ~ either a red eye Friday March 29 or morning Saturday March 30. Thus we think our options are:

1. Ft Lauderdale

2. Galveston

3. Southern California. Probably less interested in the cruise options/ports, though the travel will definitely be cheapest.

Galveston has mostly short cruises.

We found a Celebrity Ascent - Western Caribbean - 7 days out of FLL that leaves Sunday March 31 and returns Sunday April 7. The refundable balcony option is around $3500 for 2 including all port fees/taxes, and around $2500 for the inside room, which is within our budget. The date fit our travel needs well.

We enjoyed Celebrity in 2015 though I'm sure things change especially post-COVID. For us the food is really important and Celebrity was better than Princess and much better than Royal or Carnival. Interesting ports next most important. We don't do spas and so forth. 

We'd probably get a balcony for ourselves and put our teenage kids (17 and 14) in their own interior or OV but it would be nice if it were on the same floor (not required).

If you have any general suggestions about how to organize our thinking or planning, cruise line to consider, etc., please let us know. Ports to look at that I missed or if the West Coast of Mexico really has a better option.

Thanks in advance!

forget st petersburg, Viking had a Kiev, Black Sea, Bucharest cruise. obviously that’s been deleted but 2023 is still for sale.

Do you think the itinerary i listed would have many Asian/Chinese/Japanese guests including some families?

What do you mean by ship only excursions? Is that an Oceania policy, a COVID reality, something else? As a rule we are very DIY, have only once done a ship excursion and almost always make our own arrangements, rent a car, wander the city on our own, rent bicycles, whatever the situation calls for. 

One of the reasons my kids might enjoy this trip is they both speak Chinese, and one of them loves Japanese food. And we are all foodies one way or another, so with Oceania's reputation and this itinerary sounded quite appealing.

I do appreciate the honest info, including that this might not be a great fit for us. I will keep researching (and dreaming)! Not ruling anything out at this moment.

Last cruise six years ago and we would love to go on another before kids age out. This brochure from Oceania is something else. Very inspiring, we did lots of dreaming and sighing together this weekend.

I can’t get weeks off work no matter how incredible 50 days from Tokyo to Dubai sounds, but something like “Imperial Interlude” Hong Kong to Tokyo spring 2022 14 days is doable.

Have read through these forums a bit and a few questions.

1. Will kids generally hate Oceania? My kids would be 12 and 15. They are experienced travelers but on Celebrity and other cruise lines they definitely enjoyed the kids’ product (of course they were younger). We could leave them with a friend but they would love to see China, Taiwan, and Japan.

2. We are mid 40s. Very active (interested in hiking, kayaking, etc). Will we feel out of place on this cruise? I understand the clientele is older. We’re not looking to make a lot of friends but it would be nice to have some similarly active folks our age on the ship.

3. Where can I read to understand more about the O Life included airfare options? We’ve never booked airfare with a cruise before, always on our own, but given COVID and international flying we would prefer the cruise line option.

4. We don’t drink alcohol, so we would choose either the shore excursions or the shipboard credit (generally the ratio seems to be $100 per excursion per person). Is there a consensus as to which is the better value? Obviously credit is more flexible.

In early married life we tried Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Princess, and Celebrity. We seem to be moving up the chain. Getting older and tastes change. We really enjoyed Celebrity but the idea of a less crowded ship, fewer people, smaller ports is very appealing (though this itinerary really isn’t visiting smaller ports).

Any other tips/thoughts for a possible first timer on Oceania?

When I look at the description [recipe] for bread I see no mention of a stone, so it is a foreign object.

 

When I look at the description of a Cherry, I see a seed [pit] so it's not a foreign object.

 

If fruit with seeds are not fit for human consumption a lot of produce stores [or wherever you buy your fruit] must be in big trouble.

You may be aware that grain such as wheat is grown in fields. of dirt. often with stones. That is how stones occasionally come to be in wheat, or dried legumes, or bread. That doesn't mean it belongs in my food or that it cannot injure me if it appears. The same is true of seeds, pits, bones, etc. If I am served a turkey burger and end up injuring myself on a bone, the person who prepared and served the burger has some responsibility to make me whole, since I had the reasonable expectation that there would be no bones in the burger. That is true even though bones are an intrinsic part of turkeys. Likewise with the cherry. If the cherry is reasonably expected to be pit-free, and then I break my tooth on the cherry, there is reason to think I should be made whole.

Naturally, depending on the details and circumstances, a company may or may not acknowledge responsibility, especially upon first contact. That doesn't mean they are or are not responsible. In my case with the bread company, they were responsive initially but then went into a long hibernation, at which time I considered seeking legal representation. In the end, that was not necessary.

Would I be more forceful with a lawyer if I were served food on a cruise ship that injured me? It depends on the circumstances.

sorry, doubling after splitting. see how long it's been? Point is, favorable rules make for favorable odds, but they aren't widely available.

If I made $5 per hour I'd have to be 20 times or more to make it worth my while, so that would be $100 to $400 per hand. Winning at that bet size would definitely attract attention. And frankly, counting cards at blackjack is grueling. It's really not fun at all. I much rather play craps. Even double odds on a cruise ship is only 0.6% house edge, so for an average $20 bet the house is winning about 12 cents per bet. That's worth the price of entertainment, assuming you have the cash flow to stay in.

Slots on a ship sounds like a recipe for losing to me.

Disagree completely that correct counting of cards with favorable rules cannot be profitable. This is not a matter of opinion but of math. At the extreme consider a single deck dealt to the bottom where dealer stands on soft 17, and there is infinite splitting and splitting after doubling is permitted. Throw in surrender and the player has the mathematical edge. Of course most rules are not so favorable. Infinite decks are essentially uncountable so that is a great defense, but a 6 deck shoe with a good card counter is beatable. The edge is small so there will be large variations but the edge is there.

I no longer count cards as it takes a lot of work and I make a lot more money at my day job. When I did it I won, but the hourly rate was less than minimum wage so it was more a way to pass the time cheaply than a way to make a lot of money.

not if you're counting cards. I recall that cruise ships often have very favorable blackjack rules. And I suspect the dealers and pit bosses aren't as sophisticated at spotting counting as in Vegas.

bumping for any more thoughts...

Agree, but I recall that they only permit single odds so that the overall bets still favor the house at a higher percentage than if you were permitted multiple odds.

That would be disappointing. I think Carnival had double odds last year, not sure. I'll be on Eclipse in one week and will know for sure!

The odds at single odds are 0.8% house edge - pretty small, but not as good as triple odds (0.5%). No odds is a house edge of 1.4%.

We'll be on the same cruise. We always get to POM by 11 am and have never had to wait to board. I think your plan is reasonable. If you can drop your car off closer to Port, that would save you some money on the cab from MIA and be more convenient. I have been on this cruise before and you will love it but get ready for lots of kids/families due to the holidays.

We'll be one of those families with kids so we're ok with it. :D

Thanks for all the advice. We are so ready for this vacation and can barely wait to get started.

Leaving on Eclipse Sunday from Port of Miami. It says I can arrive beginning 11:30 (11:30-3:30).

I am renting a car, returning it to MIA airport, then taking a taxi to POM. If I get to MIA airport at 11 am is that about right to get to the Port between 11:30 and 12? From the standpoint of minimizing the waiting in line, what is the best time to arrive at the port?

craps is a better bet than slots, especially on a ship where slots will be tight.

We are sailing Dec 21 Eclipse and 1 of our 2 cabins got an offer for a free 5 hour excursion with Distinctive Voyages in Barbados.

What is this all about? Why were we offered this?

As only 1 of our 2 cabins was offered I doubt we would go, unless someone says this 5 hour tour of Barbados is THE thing to do while there. Myself, I was hoping to drink some rum. :D

I have noticed that in general that the specialty restaurants on Celebrity are priced quite a bit higher than other cruise lines. I feel that the starting price is more of an MSRP. (manufactures suggested retail price). Pricing it high gives them room to discount and the passenger feels that they are getting a deal. This is a common marketing practice for car dealers and retailers. I wouldn't pay full price for any of their specialty restaurants and I think others feel the same way as I never saw much activity at Normandie or Qsine on the Summit.

That's an interesting observation, thank you. You may be right. We're leaning against any specialty restaurants during our upcoming 14 day cruise, but for 'half price' or roundabouts we'd do it. But on our last cruise, the specialty restaurant was $30, and we felt it was fair, so really we'd be paying the same as last time and feeling we got a bargain.