CruisinCons

I don't remember seeing the tender boats when we sailed Majesty.  Maybe there was specific life boats that served as tenders?  The Norway (not Song of, but the big one) has separate ones that she carries on her bow.  

http://www.captainsvoyage.com/norwegian-cruise-line/ss-norway/ss-norway---little-norway.html 

4 hours ago, h20skibum said:

What is a muster drill?  We had to take our life jackets from our cabin to a US Coast Guard Emergency Drill.  At least that is what they call it on Big Norway, in the daily schedule we got.  It shows all our activities for the day, and it is two type written pages.  Can you imagine how many typists they must have to do these?

 

I like how open and airy our lifeboats are.  I would hate if they were covered.  You can see all around, and it makes it so easy if you have to bail out water.

 

Don't you love that the Norway carries her own tender boats?  No waiting for boats to come from shore!  It's so much fun to watch them lower the tenders over the side. Make sure you check that out!

We're booked on the Song of America soon, she's going to seem so small after sailing on the Norway. But we're anxious to try her out.  

18 hours ago, RFerrington said:

We are on Oasis on 1 Dec and the shows that are coming up to reserve are 

 

Cats

Aqua 80's

Frozen in Time

One Sky

Headliner

2 Comedy Shows

 

One Sky sounds like a main theater performance...kind of like Blue Planet on Allure.  I can't believe that they would not have a new ice show but isn't Frozen in Time an old show ?  Aqua 80's is obviously an AT show and of course, the perennial favorite, Cats continues.

 

Probably the only ones we will bother with is One Sky and the AT show.  We'll wait until we get onboard and see what the Genie suggests.  I asked the Genie if Oasis will have cover bands since they have added the Music Hall but we haven't heard back from her yet.  I will be VERY happy if she says that there will be a cover band.  I will let everyone know when she answers.  Seems like she should get back in touch with us pretty quickly since she has no current guests to attend to !

For the Dec 8th sailing, we have a Journey tribute band, Resurrection, in Music Hall.  

14 minutes ago, Joebucks said:

 

I think the Key at $16.99 is probably the closest I have been to purchasing a priority program. With that said, I agree with what you are saying. On paper, it sounds like a bunch of amazing things. In reality, it's Royal trying to make a mountain out of a molehill so people will feel special and/or feel like they are getting everything at a discount, for things you wouldn't otherwise miss.

I can't wait to see on Empress what we'll actually get to do for lunch.  Chops is the only specialty restaurant on that ship, and it's such a small ship I can't imagine they sell many.  There are only a handful of suites, most of them junior.  Maybe we'll actually get to eat in Chops.  LOL 

30 minutes ago, sharonna3 said:

First timer on RC. Did purchase with the same thought...Time to change my mind. We are planning the Surf and Stream-2 (our son competes & we like to watch). The price difference (approx $10/day) seems to be worth it for the benefits added. I've read the negative reviews and realize not everyone needs/wants the internet package, which is my justification. No we wont use all benefits.  So let me ask this........Would the key be worth it at $10/day for say ....embarkation, lunch (even in MDR with Chops menu), Show seats (rather than going super early), Carry-on drop off/delivery and maybe a marquee attraction? (just to say I did it, at maybe an inconvenient time). Your thoughts please?

For this sailing I mentioned, we're really torn.  We're Diamond, so already have some embarkation perks with that, and Empress is sailing from Cape Liberty which is a 45 minute ride from home, so no flights to worry about.  We'll have no carry on other than my purse - everything else goes in checked luggage - so no carry-ons to drop off.  It only has a rock wall, and the main theater for shows.  We're docking in Hamilton & St. Georges, Bermuda, so no tendering.  There really is no huge benefit other than the lunch. If we didn't want the Voom, I would never have purchased it.

For us, we don't do the physical activities - rock wall, flow rider, ice skating - so in the ships with higher prices that offer those special private times or cut in lines, definitely not worth $10 a day for that.  But if it was an itinerary with a lot of tender ports or show venues, $10 a day may be worth it to me.  For our sailing, it's just about $3 a day per person, so for that I can accept the lunch.  😄  

Our sons are gamers too.  We usually have no idea what we're watching but it's fun to see their faces up on the tv screen.  LOL 

1 minute ago, Biker19 said:

 

I meant to say stream. LOL 

18 minutes ago, Pushkin said:

We just disembarked from the Summit yesterday.  We left the room around 7:30 with our bags.  About a 2 minute wait to get off the ship, about a 5 minute wait at customs, 5 minute wait for Uber.

 

We had a 1 pm flight, so we had Uber bring us to Barrachinas to store our luggage.  We thought we would have to wait around until 9 am, but the doors were open and they took our luggage (about 8:15 am).  It worked great!  They give you a ticket to claim your luggage and tell you the cost is $5 fee (not sure if per bag, or total - we gave them $5 for each bag).  

 

We ordered an Uber to the airport from the corner near Barrachinos at 10:30 am.  Car was there in 5 minutes.  Drive to airport, run through Agriculture luggage check, checking bags with Delta and going through TSA, took 40 min total.  We were told it would take 2 hours.  Turned out to be a great way to spend a few hours (Old San Juan vs airport).

 

 

Worked well for us!  We got off Summit the sailing before you.  Customs lines were super long - we grabbed a porter and that line was only about 10 minutes.  We  must've left at the most popular time.  We didn't rush, as we knew there was no hurry.  Our baggage number was 10, and when we got there I'd say there was 4-5 other bags waiting to be picked up.

At Barachine, we were not told it was a $5 fee, but that the guy "works for tips" and we gave him $5 for each bag.  They were doing construction on the restaurant and the bags were stored in the lower hallway.  I think we were there before 9am as well.  It was a feels like temp over 90 at 8:30 am, so we wandered OSJ for about half an hour, came back sweaty and went to the air conditioned upstairs breakfast area and enjoyed some pastellitos (I'm sure I got that spelled wrong) and they even made us pina coladas.  We grabbed a taxi from around the corner and were at the airport pretty quickly, within 25 minutes.  

There was no one in line at the ag scan for SW's terminal entrance, so we zipped thorough and had our luggage tagged, weighed and on the belt in about 15 minutes.  Our flight was 2:15, we got to airport around noon.  Since it was so hot, we didn't mind the airport a/c over wandering OSJ too much.  LOL  

16 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

In your previous post you said it comes with Surf, just wanted to make that distinction for others.

 Is this my post you are referring to?  

59 minutes ago, CruisinCons said:

16.99 on Empress August 17, 2020.  We didn't think it a value worth paying on that ship, but grabbed it as we have plenty of time to change our mind.  LOL  It's a Monday to Monday cruise, and we are both expecting to go to work when we get off the ship (we live 45 mins from port.)  Being able to walk off and not get stuck in a long self-assist line may be worth it.  It's currently priced at about $38 more than the 2 device Voom, and once we eat our Chops lunch in the MDR we figure we got the equal value.  My hubby is usually stuck either sharing my 1 device Voom or being stuck with surf only, so it'll be a treat for him to have his very own surf plan.  😄 

Sorry my wording wasn't clear.  What I meant is that I usually buy a surf & stream, as I periscope while at sea, and my husband either shares my S&S when I'm not using it or buys surf only for himself.  With the Key, he gets his own 'stream".  

12 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

I'm pretty sure Key comes with Stream, though on Empress that doesn't buy you much extra.

It does, and that's the real benefit for us.  Hubby gets his own Voom.  😄 

3 minutes ago, royalnewbie said:

My January 2020 Oasis cruise is stuck at $21.99.....waiting for $19.99 to pull the trigger course I would love a $16.99 and I would be more than happy to jump.

 

I'm thinking the ships with the lower amount of Key amenities will have the lower prices.  My Allure May 2020 sailing is $26.99 a day, as is my Anthem in December 2020.  My December 2019 Oasis is $22.99 a day. 

You can expect to have an amazing vacation!!

My best suggestion is to use the search function and see what others have posted about your specific questions.  Visit the Ports of Call section of these boards, and research your port stops.  You can also look for information on your embarkation and disembarkation ports as well. There is a ton of resources here.

1 hour ago, FinallyConvincedDH2Cruise said:

I am also sailing on 11/24 and noticed we weren't charged.  Any benefit of calling it in now vs doing it daily on the seapass card?

Cost is the same either way.  It depends on if you want to see the larger charge on your seapass account at the end of the sailing or not.  If you want to put your cruise week charges on a different credit card than your gratuities, then call and do it now.  I try to use my cards so big charges hit on different billing cycles.  Makes my monthly budget happier if I pay things like this in smaller increments. 😄 

That will vary by sailing.  Usually 90 days out, they will start to appear in your Cruise Planner.  I start checking around 120, but only because I'm stalking the prices for excursions, internet, drink packages, etc...

16.99 on Empress August 17, 2020.  We didn't think it a value worth paying on that ship, but grabbed it as we have plenty of time to change our mind.  LOL  It's a Monday to Monday cruise, and we are both expecting to go to work when we get off the ship (we live 45 mins from port.)  Being able to walk off and not get stuck in a long self-assist line may be worth it.  It's currently priced at about $38 more than the 2 device Voom, and once we eat our Chops lunch in the MDR we figure we got the equal value.  My hubby is usually stuck either sharing my 1 device Voom or being stuck with surf only, so it'll be a treat for him to have his very own surf plan.  😄 

11 hours ago, Showme72 said:

It looks like Oasis is losing SOBOR after her 2019 amplification. Can someone confirm this? Will there be a place to get those wonderful margaritas?

Thanks for the help.

Definitely losing Sabor.  Are those margaritas available on ships without it?  Not sure.  I've only been on the smaller ships lately.  We are on Oasis December 8th.  If no one reports in before that, I will.  My husband loves the avocado margaritas.

Got off Summit yesterday - there were more taxis than passengers departing!  LOL  We took one into Old San Juan then another later to the airport.  Lots of taxis everywhere, at the port, in town, and at the airport. 

Worth the extra few bucks to not sit in the heat and wait.  By 8:30am the feels like temp was in the low 90s. 

Just got off the Summit yesterday, and spent most of my free time at the Martini Bar.  They never measured once - just free poured.  Always had exactly they right amount for the glass, too.  Pretty amazing these bartenders!! 

I took a bartending class way back when in college and we were taught that a "part" does not mean a specific measurement.  That word was used just to make the recipe that could be increased or decreased based on the size of glass.  It's hard to put into words 30+ years later, but I can offer an example recipe:

1 part vodka

1 part rum

2 parts midori

3 parts simple syrup

If you used 1 part = 1 oz, this would make a drink that was 7 oz and thus when adding ice you use a tall glass.

If you wanted it in a small cocktail glass, 1 part = .5 oz, thus giving you 3.5 oz of liquid plus ice so use a small glass.

So, 4 parts just means equal measurements of each liquor if recipe calls for 4 ingredients.  If there are only 2 ingredients, then it's half one and half the other.  This enables the bartender to memorize the recipe and then just customize it to the size of the glass.

I'm sure bartending rules have changed since the 80s, but that is how we did it way back then.  LOL 

It was pretty clear to me as well.  I've read the charts from both sides and understood them each time.  Not sure how to make it much clearer...

2 hours ago, Luvcrusn said:

It's like a wonderful grown up milkshake. Here's the recipe. I sometimes ask them to swirl some chocolate around the glass before pouring. It makes it even more decadent and yummy!

1 oz. Amaretto liqueur

1/2 oz. Kahlua

1/2 oz. Baileys Original Irish Cream

1 oz. Vanilla Ice Cream

1 scoop of ice

Mix all ingredients in a blender and serve in a tall glass.

 

You're welcome!🥳

 

OMG so amazing!!!  

Okay, this is our first Celebrity cruise, we've done four other cruise lines but Summit will be our first for this line so I have to ask.  They have ice cream at the bars to make this drink??  Is there certain bars to ask for it at?  (I realize I can't get frozen drinks at Cellar Masters and assuming Martini Bar)  We've cruised Royal the most, and if we want, say a frozen mudslide (which we'd make with ice cream at home) they will use ice and whatever milk product they keep back there.  But not ice cream.  So Celebrity has ice cream at the bars? Or will they do what Royal does.

Thanks! 

Great review!  We're on Summit the day after tomorrow and can't wait!

One question if you're around in next day or so @Turtles06, did the Captain tell you before leaving that you'd be sailing past the SoL?  I want to be ready to record it if we do - I'm hoping we can as it's the repo to San Juan so she's saying good bye to the NY Harbor.  I'm sure I'll be able to tell by the direction we are heading, but I want to be in a good location to periscope if we do. 

On 10/9/2019 at 3:19 PM, Luvcrusn said:

I always look forward to enjoying Frozen Toasted Almonds, which is made with Baileys as an ingredient, when on board. It concerned me when I saw Baileys removed from the Classic package (which we usually have) that there'd be an upcharge. Happily in the cruises we've taken since the change was made I'm still able to enjoy them without an upcharge and they taste the same as always. 

We like a toasted almond as our night cap...what is this frozen version?  Sounds like a great hot tub drink!

4 hours ago, LibrarianBecky said:

 

Our flight out of San Juan does not depart until 3:45.  I would love to explore Old San Juan, instead of sitting at the airport.  What do you do with your luggage while touring, though?

We're going to give this a try:  http://www.barrachina.com/#servicios

They will store your luggage from 9am on, so we expect to take our time getting off them ship, mosey on over to OSJ, then stop off at the restaurant to leave our bags.  We'll wander the area a bit, return back and have 2nd breakfast/early lunch, collect the bags and taxi to the airport for our 2:15pm flight.  Since we need to be there a minimum of 2 hours for the ag screening, we'll catch a cab around 11:30-45am.  

42 minutes ago, villauk said:

 

 

Unsure why it states above that Elite Plus and Zenith are equivalent to Royal’s Diamond level, because they are not. One has to obtain sufficient points sailing with Celebrity after Elite level to become Elite Plus or Zenith members.

It works the same way going from Royal to Celebrity - if I am Diamond Plus on RCCL I'm only Elite on Celebrity.  The highest levels cannot be transferred, they must be earned. 

7 minutes ago, wowzz said:

You live and learn !

It's for security reasons, harder to break a 6 digit code than a 4 if your card is stolen.  Same logic as using longer passwords.