Gist Ducky

Hello Cruisestitch. I actually met you on board, this past January, on the Silhouette. You are as wonderful in person, as you are the cruise critic boards. Since you obviously sail a lot, I was wondering about your experience on the M class ship versus the S class ships. We have sailed S class several times, and absolutely love it. Sailed the E class one time and did not love it. Just wondering on your overall thoughts on the M class versus S class. Thanks!

13 minutes ago, Majkman said:

I guess here is a good place to ask a question. We are booked on International flights, and someone in our group has stated that since we are booked thru Flights By Celebrity, one of the perks is our drink package is automatically upgraded to the premium....?

 

I don't personally care (being a simple beer guy), but I do like having all of the facts.

Can anyone confirm or deny this alleged benefit??

 

Keep the sun out and the waves calm,

 

Andy

We have used Flights by Celebrity several times, most recently in January. We never received an upgrade to a premium drink package, either internationally or domestically.

We were in a hump balcony room on the Silhouette in January. No loungers present. I should have asked for them.

I would recommend Hotel Campo di Fiori. A lovely boutique hotel right in the center of the walking district. Not too expensive.

Sorry to hear about the Celebrity Air problems. There are pros and cons to booking with CA vs. directly with the airline. One of the major benefits is that Celebrity Air is generally cheaper. Also, you can cancel up to final payment.  A major con is that air routing is often changed a lot before your actual trip. The reason for this (I found out from a Delta representative) is that cruise lines typically hold off paying the airline itself until the 11th hour. Even after you have paid your final cruise payment (including airfare), the airline itself has likely not yet been paid. Since the airline is holding “an unpaid reservation,” they feel at liberty to move it around to their benefit until it’s paid. I have learned, over the years, to do most bookings directly with the airline, even if it costs more.

I just met cruisestitch onboard. What a nice lady! Thank you cruisestitch for organizing this thread and keeping us all informed.

I didn’t know it was a “thing.”  And you would think I’d be more informed about it!

We have only sailed once on the Edge, with an aqua class infinity balcony. Once was enough!   I would also say I would not pay for aqua class again on the Edge. Blu was an absolute disappointment.  A view directly into lifeboats,  not to mention mediocre food.

I have never been required to do this on a cruise ship before. I once had my passport “held” on an Italian train traveling overnight from Austria. It was a bit of a mess trying to get it back, but I blamed that on the disorganization of the train crew.

4 hours ago, Stockjock said:

I've seen several people write, "co-branded cards will never see these offers".  I work for one of the big Wall Street firms and we offer a co-branded Platinum Amex essentially free if certain terms and conditions are met.  I can tell you that I routinely receive these offers.  I currently have an offer for $150 back from $500 spent on RCCL.

The problem I seem to have is that one can only have 100 Amex Offers at once.  So on my Amex Platinum, I have moved 83 offers over to the saved category (Mostly offers expiring soon), and they immediately populate my offerings with new ones, bringing me back to 100.  Because my queue is full, I miss out on some deals.

I have Amex Platinum, Amex Gold and 3 Amex Blue and so far, I don't see the Celebrity offer, but again, those queues are full at 100 other offers, so new offers cannot be added.

Thanks for the tip about moving offers over to the saved category. I did not know that was possible. It’s definitely worth a shot!

I have a Delta Reserve AMEX.  I got no offer for Celebrity.

My husband and I have cruised a lot on Princess (elite status). We only discovered Celebrity in the past decade but now consider it our favorite. My overall impression is that Celebrity ships are less crowded than Princess. And Reflection is our favorite ship of any we have ever sailed on.

We are booked on the Reflection, July 11, out of Amsterdam. Norway Fjords for seven days. Just curious if anyone has heard about that cruise. Thanks!

I am typically-abled and 6’4”.  I think they are high.  That said, the tub is significantly higher as you get in as opposed to getting out.  I wonder if a small step could be used on the outside of the tub to accommodate a person.

Portland.... ah... probably not.  Astoria yes.  Celebrity does regular stops there. At the confluence of the Columbia River and Pacific Ocean.  Remember Lewis & Clark? This was their destination.

The Reflection is my favorite of any cruise ship I have ever sailed on. By far. I particularly like Aqua class on Reflection. I concur with others that the Penthouse deck (11) toward the bow is the best placement (A2). You simply have to examine a deck plan, paying special attention to deck 12, to make sure you are not booking under a high-traffic area.  Blu and the Persian Spa are well worth the extra money. Bon voyage!

We had friends in Regal M108. They loved it and try to book similar cabins when they sail.  As you know, there is a huge balcony but largely unusable at sea due to the bow position.

The balconies on Royal class.  Terrible!  Ridiculously small.  I understand there are a few “normal” balconies on newer Royal class ships.  I only took one cruise on the Regal, but the balcony was a true disappointment.

Aqua class on X is pretty darn nice. There is nothing really similar on Princess. One aspect of Aqua that is not spoken of much is the restriction of a maximum of two people per cabin.  This makes the Aqua class sections of X ships feel somewhat calm and tranquil. To my knowledge there is no equivalent to that on Princess. And also the food in Blu, not to mention the view from Blu on S class ships, is exquisite.

Thanks for all replies. We are booking deck 9, which seems to have no issues. Best wishes to all!

Thanks for any input.  I have heard that some aft suite balconies are smaller than others (deck 7-11).  Can anyone provide observation on this?

My husband and I have cruised on both. Each ship is significantly different, almost as if you were on another cruise line on each. When I think of adjectives to describe the Reflection, I think of: sophisticated, artful, elegant. For adjectives for the Edge, I think of: edgy, youthful, experimental. We typically travel in aqua class, and I would not recommend that for the Edge. Blu, on the Edge, is a disappointment.

I’m interested too.  I am already booked on the July cruise.

Right, c-boy!

I just noticed this on the Princess website. I wonder if it is a foreshadowing of replacing the Discovery TA, still listed as scheduled, on 11/24/21. Thoughts?