daisy-mae

My only experience with Celebrity has been on the Solstice, and I really enjoyed the hot glass show. That said, we will be sailing on the Equinox on a Mediterranean cruise in September, and I find it a little odd to be experiencing on board glass blowing while in the heart of some of the most famous glass producing regions in Europe. Perhaps Celebrity has decided that it is a little redundant on their European sailings.

Also, is it possible that their arrangement requires the folks at Corning to pay for some of the travel expenses for their staff? If so, then there may be some reluctance to send folks off to Europe for the summer when their presence may be required at home during the tourist season. (Just a thought)

What is a "maditory photo"?

You might also want to consider the embarkation/debarkation ports. Does each cruise return to the same port, or to a different one? Some ports may have easier access than others, or easier airline connections from your city.

Sometimes it's the little things that leave the most lasting impression.

If a company is going to offer a service (be it a celebratory cake or something else) then it should be provided, especially if the customer has met the requirements. If it is too much trouble, then perhaps Celebrity should just discontinue the practice, rather than adopt a hit-or-miss approach.

We have only cruised with Celebrity once, so I can't address all of the issues. However, after six cruises with a number of different cruise lines, the single most frustrating experience for us has been related to our dining requests. Although we are always given assurances that the reservations for all couples in our group (usually 3 sets) are linked, we invariably find ourselves at different tables, and end up spending the first part of the day upon embarkation lining up with other disgruntled passengers at the Maître d's desk.

JimHam4 and daisy-mae, are those schnauzers I am spotting??

Gracie and Lovey our 2 mini schnauzers are curious.:D;)

Yes, that's Rocky, and he's wearing an Ottawa Senators coat.

I wasn't a dog person until my son adopted him, now I think that mini schnauzers are the cat's meow.

;)

I wouldn't count on it.

We cruised during the Stanley Cup finals one year and were unable to get anything but a brief mention during the morning sports roundup from the night before.

This may sound like a silly question, but what do passengers do when there are multiple sea days? I enjoy relaxing as much as the next gal, but if the weather is too cool or windy to sit on the deck, what else is there to keep one occupied?

I have been reluctant to book a repositioning cruise for fear that with so many meal options available around the clock, I would likely need a new wardrobe by the time I disembark.

The call center is not on the east coast however it's location in Wichita, Kansas has been getting hit pretty hard with storms also.

I'm not sure the call center location would be a factor. I was referring to the great majority of cruises (Celebrity and others) leaving from east coast ports, and the problems accessing these ports because most of the airports have been severely affected -- including many airports further west, because of the domino effect.

Is there any chance the delay is due to the bad weather slamming the east coast?

With all of the flight cancellations, there are probably thousands of passengers scrambling to make alternate arrangements for cruises departing this weekend. I would be inclined to cut Celebrity a little slack...

That is an interesting looking case.

I believe that most cruise lines do not restrict the number of pieces of luggage one takes on board, so I don't see why you would be prevented from having it in your cabin; having the wheels will make it easy to move around as required, and it may fit upright in a corner. It would be interesting to know if there are golfers who cruise with their clubs, since the case looks to be about the size of two golf bags.

It might be a good idea to check with the cruise line, or a travel agent who specializes in cruises.

Enjoy your pre-cruise ride; it sounds like you will have the best of both worlds (in terms of a vacation).

We saw a couple with folding bicycles. They unfolded them at ports and took off on their own to tour the cites - I thought it was brilliant. They probably just stored them in their cabins, but I don't know how easy it would be for you to do that. I hope you can find a way to bring your bike along!

Folding bikes are a great way to travel -- we took ours on a cruise to Bermuda a few years ago. Because they fit into their own suitcase, they were easy to stow until we docked. Once assembled, they were a little more cumbersome as we had to navigate around them in our OV cabin (we were careful to keep them well away from the bedding and other furniture).

We sought permission from the cruise line (not Celebrity) before embarking, and were sent a waiver to sign and return. At no time did they challenge us as we were leaving or returning to the ship with the bikes. If you don't intend to use your bike during the cruise, you may be able to bring it on board in a box or large plastic bag (available from some of the airlines) and prop it up against the wall in your cabin.

Hope it works out for you.

Although our preference is a balcony cabin, we opted for an ocean view on our cruise to Bermuda a few years ago, and had no regrets. The seas were rather rough in both directions, so the balcony would have gone unused. Add to that the fact that only one side of the ship has a view of the port when docked, we had a 50/50 chance of seeing nothing but the great wide ocean anyway.

I think saving the extra cash for shore excursions and treats is probably a good strategy.

Have fun!

Ship: Solstice

Cabin #: 6181

Deck #: 6

Category: 2D

Area: port, almost midship

Bed near: balcony

Quiet?: very quiet, once we solved the problem with the wind buffering the balcony divider (slipped folded piece of cardboard between glass and clamp)

Balcony view: not the best --obstructed by large tender (as opposed to smaller lifeboats). This cabin on deck 6 would not be my first choice unless I received a substantial discount (or onboard credit); the same location one deck above would be preferable if the view is a concern. This was a last minute cruise for us, so there were very few available cabins remaining (and we got a very good deal).

Balcony size: Good, with room for 6 people to stand (we had two reclining deck chairs and one table; the steward was not able to provide more seating as it was apparently against safety regulations....)

Wind a problem?: not once we figured out how to properly secure the sliding door.

Soot a problem?: no

Problems/comments: apart from the fact that the view from the balcony is obstructed, this is a great cabin. The location is just about perfect for accessing the elevators/stairs closest to the MDR, pool and buffet decks. This is an adjoining cabin, with an extra set of doors beyond the room door (as opposed to inside), so there is no loss of wall space.

I guess that makes sense.

There is at least one cruise line that has a rather novel program whereby passengers are encouraged to fill out a form for outstanding service performed by individual crew members. The forms are available at the guest relations desk, and there is no limit to the number that can be used by each passenger.

Apparently the comment cards are instrumental in assessing staff performance, can lead to promotions and/or certain perks, and are greatly appreciated by the crew.

The other really important thing: you have to deposit the survey in the designated boxes. We put ours in the box by the guest services station. If you leave the survey in your stateroom, it will be thrown out- it needs to be placed in one of the designated boxes. The survey also covers other aspects of the ship/cruise. Hope everyone has a wonderful cruise!

Thanks for the reminder. We filled out our survey and handed it in at the guest services desk before disembarking from a sister ship.

I can't help wondering, though, if the survey is so important to individual staff members, why would your steward not make sure that it is passed along to the appropriate department, rather than simply discard it?

I guess there is nothing stopping you from getting the $4.99 one and then removing it from a rental car. Does anyone see a problem with this?

I've just done a little research, and the paranoid side of me sees two problems. Apparently the $4.99 pass does not beep to tell you that the information has been read as you go through the toll booth; I would feel more comfortable if there were a way to test it to make sure that the toll has been registered.

Second problem -- it appears that these things really stick, and could be hard to remove. I'm not sure how much time we are willing to spend scraping and washing the inside of the windshield at the end of our holiday and before boarding our plane (and we don't want to be charged for "damage" to the vehicle).

Can anyone confirm that these cashless tolls have only been introduced from Miami down towards the Keys? Thanks.

Thanks to all of you for the "heads up".

We will be driving a rental car around Orlando, then to Port Canaveral and back. Can anyone tell me if there is sufficient warning that a vehicle is approaching a cashless toll road before it gets past the point of no return?

We don't mind paying tolls at a booth, but would hate to be taken advantage of after the fact.

I wondered what anyone thinks about the forward balcony Caribe cabins on Sapphire princess. C115-C205 and the like. Starboard. Northbound Alaska. Any thoughts? I didn't have the option for an aft starboard, which I'm sure would have been most peoples first choice. So...forward starboard on Caribe?

 

Thanks!

We have recently returned from a week on the Crown Princess (similar design to the Sapphire???), where we had a forward Caribe balcony on the starboard side (C215). In terms of location, we thought it was fine -- close enough to the staircase to run down to the casino or plaza, or even up to the buffet (helped to work up an appetite).

We did not feel much in terms of ship movement either. HOWEVER, there seems to be a problem with the way the balcony door is adjusted -- it tends to rattle and groan, particularly if the wind hits it, so if you are a light sleeper it can be annoying. It didn't seem to bother my husband, but most nights my sleep was fitful because of it -- despite the wonderful beds and bed linens. This may be endemic to the Caribe deck, or may have been a fluke. Perhaps others can shed some light on the situation.