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The drink packages do cover other things that you might pay for (non-alcoholic) so study them and see if the math works for you.  I used to primarily drink soda and a few cocktails per day, and it was never cost effective to get a package based on that.  Even less so now that I don't drink soda.  Celebrity raised their prices pretty significantly on these packages in the recent past, and they're no longer the deal they once were IMO.

https://www.celebritycruises.com/blog/cruise-drink-packages

7 minutes ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

Agree.  The abuse that a cruise ship receives is unbelievable.   The OP noted lots of cosmetic and small issues.  Many cannot be sorted with passengers on board.  5+ years of wear - remember crew used ship during covid - take their toll.

Am sure we could find similar items in our home that needs repair.  Some would take a minute and others longer.  Should I replace my guest bedroom window with a broken seal?  Sure, but will wait till weather and my schedule permit as it will take 3 days to get the new window back from the glaziers. 

Are you charging your guests a few thousand dollars?  The equation changes somewhat when its an international corporation that is in the hospitality business.  The photos alone would be enough to make me not want to take the chance that I'd have to deal with the same.  X has been skipping needed maintenance for several years now, but their excuses are wearing a bit thin (as are the curtains). 

There is no special dress code specific to Luminae, if that isn't clear.  Read the FAQ dress code for the ship and you'll be set.

If you're prone to motion sickness and know it, I would stick to mid-ship.  I have definitely felt more motion at the rear of ships and had it affect my sleep (also felt it in the restaurants at the back).  I take motion sickness meds the day before I step on the ship.  People who are not sensitive to this type of thing don't really get it.  

Since you're booked through a TA, you'll need to work through them, so if your TA is not going to process these changes, you'll have to escalate above the TA to a supervisor.  Who, frankly, is most likely going to parrot the TA's points, as those are the standard rules.  I think the only real recourse is if they can plead mercy on your behalf to see if the cruise line will grant some sort of waiver for some of this, which they may do if you're willing to pay the same amount you're currently going to be paying anyway.  Something like keeping the second cabin so you have more room for you and the kids to spread out.

Another alternative would be to see if mom would consider still going and have someone else help dad at home for a week.  Maybe invite another relative to join her.  If she's having to be a caretaker, then she needs a break from that periodically.

I thought it was the assistant waiter who would fetch bar drinks.  That has been my experience at least.  On one cruise, one of us ordered a champagne cocktail the first night, and he kept bringing one every night, even though it was unwanted.

For the large group question, also remember that the upper suites get specialty dining as part of the suite so they may not want to dine in Luminae every night.  Could also be that other cabins want to do their own thing on some nights.  I'd try to pre-plan some of this and see if you really need a table for 12 every night.

Short cruises attract partiers so even if you book multiple ones to make a longer trip, it's just exposure to the same type of traveler.  Nothing wrong with people who want to party but not conducive to the relaxing vibe I prefer if I'm going to take a cruise.  It's also very hot in the Caribbean this time of year in addition to the unknowns with hurricane season.  Don't really understand the strategy.  I think they need to get rid of a couple of ships or should look into offering more varied itineraries during the summer season.

Whale migrations have been happening for a long time.  What has changed?  Has it really changed or is this a corporate decision to justify cost savings?

X just started using CocoCay years after it opened.  I would bet that RCCL will use the newer one exclusively for awhile.  I think there is an open question as to whether or not offering CocoCay or any other private beach day is a net positive for X yet.

Of the ones you've sailed, Celebrity is going to be most similar to Princess as there is a lot of crossover between those two and HAL.  What level of room you book can also come into play (suite or not).

For those of you canceling or not booking future cruises, please drop a note to Celebrity corporate to let them know why.

For anyone who wants to ask the President on the next President's cruise, please also mention in your question how patronizing it is for her staff to hide behind safety as an excuse.

A few FAQ threads seem innocuous but then the mods would also have to keep on top of the changes.  Also a bit off-putting to go to a board and see a full page of sticky threads at the top where you have to scroll to another page to get to the new stuff.

HAL has a thread that began in 2018 where they dump all smoking related questions.  Seems like a good idea until you realize that the policy has changed over the years and it's impossible to find the current experiences buried in 50 pages of responses so people inevitably just ask again and again anyway.

Daytime dress code allows shorts throughout the ship.  Smart Casual is for the evening in the main and specialty restaurants and the theatre.  You can also do Smart Casual on Evening Chic nights if you want.  Sneakers or walking shoes are fine any time of the day, even on Evening Chic nights.  I'd suggest black ones if you have them (they'll pair with most anything).

https://www.celebritycruises.com/faqs/all-faqs#what-to-pack

See "What to Pack, What to Wear" section as well as the Dining Dress Code section.

Waxed cardboard cannot be recycled so that's just a bit of green-washing.  I think cruise ships should do glass bottles and clean/sterilize for reuse, personally.  Or just stop providing the single use plastic bottles altogether.

I mainly drink canned sparkling water and it's in a standard soda can that is hard to cut yourself on.  Why they chose the cans they chose is a mystery because they were dangerous.

Re: the buffet and empty tables.  I worked at a restaurant in my long-ago youth that had a line you went through to order/pay and then you went to find a table.  On busy days, people could not understand why we wouldn't let the whole family sit down to claim a table before their party went through the line.  If the seating is full, the people in front of you cannot clear the line.  I think ship's buffets should work the same.  First in, first out and don't let people camp out at tables if they're not eating.

X doesn't help anyone by throwing towels on every chair, making it appear as if they've been claimed when they haven't.  I don't understand why they do this.  People would very easily learn that they could go pick up a towel when they need one and it would be more clear what chairs were already taken.

Chair hogs are not limited to X of course.  Same happens anywhere there is a pool.

The safety reason is quite condescending in its absurdity.  Every other line provides loungers on balconies and right up against railings on public decks.  X will apparently bring you one if you ask.  So how does it follow that the reason they're being removed is because they're suddenly unsafe?  It's insulting that the executive office is telling people this.

As with all of the amenities, X hopes you won't know to ask and they can save money when they need to buy more with the rationale that no one is asking for them.  Not to mention that training is so inconsistent that many people will be told it's not possible when they do ask. 

You know who doesn't put this burden on its passengers?  Their competitors.

I'm on team "it's a long walk."  I'm not mobility challenged but being in those corner aft suites, you get a lot of steps in.  I did forget something on one of those walks, and we were already running late.  Having to go back to the room added more time to the lateness.  I prefer the M-class aft elevators for convenience.

Interesting observations based on your experiences.

I would give HAL the award for best buffet.  It might have more limited selections but those to me have always been well prepared and consistently good, plated at the correct temp and served to you by staff, so they have less of the "ick" factor than the traditional buffet experience.  Their desserts are always consistently better to me, too.  I feel like Celebrity goes for style over substance too often (pretty but zero taste).

Every line has its strengths and weaknesses.  The real takeaway is to get out there and try them to see how you like them.  I understand why people develop brand loyalty, but I feel like you're missing out if you don't mix it up every now and again.

Keep an eye out in the next few weeks for how Vancouver is doing boarding.  They tend to tweak it season to season, but Canada Place is often a hot mess.  In years' past, priority didn't get you much of anything in terms of getting past security and immigration.  Any cruise line specific priority would only help for the parts of the process they control (check-in).  Cruises earlier in the season also tend to be more chaotic than later in the year, and of course the number of ships on the day you're sailing is a factor.  Check out the West Coast Departures board and also monitor the upcoming trips that people on Celebrity will be posting about. 

https://www.celebritycruises.com/gifts

I think they were just trying to be helpful.  You owed the money due to their mistake but better to handle it while on the phone than to risk your reservation getting cancelled because you now owe a balance you didn't pay.  Modern computer systems are great at automating a lot but sometimes it can be detrimental to the customer, especially once the people who set up the system initially have moved on and their replacements have no idea how it all works.

Most of us somehow survived childhood boredom.  If it was a mistake, it was a mistake, but you won't know that until it's done.  Are you willing to lose the $1K?  Otherwise, go and make it a fun trip for your family.  Celebrity is more sedate than NCL.  Knowing that now, you can plan for it. 

Love your photos.  Oftentimes people post their food shots and people scream "looks delicious!" and I don't see it.  Yours actually make the food look good, or at least real-to-life (I saw a sketchy baked potato).  I will say that HAL's food almost always looks a lot better to me than comparable lines, and your photos really capture that.