Palms2Pines2Sea

Jim, we will be joining you on Monday for the crossing. Have a wonderful warm-up on The Infinity, and we hope you find her in good shape. We will be packing and planning, and looking forward to meeting you and Iain onboard.

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We bring (and enjoy) the Starbucks Via coffees for the first cup of the morning.

We do find the MDR and buffet coffee to be pretty poor, but we prefer a fairly strong cup.

1 hour ago, stevea36 said:

Not sure about X, but on RCI you are now limited to 12 containers (each no larger than 17oz) of non-alcoholic drinks per cabin and they must be carried on.  (you can also still bring the 2 750ml bottles of wine per cabin as well)

Thanks Steve, I had heard the same intel on RC, but I'm still interested in confirming if X has also adopted that policy.

We have done it many times in the past, affixing a luggage tag, and dropping it with the porters, later finding it in our room onboard.

I have heard/read that others have said that the new policy is that they must "carry on" any cases of water or soda.

Can anyone share recent experience?

Many thanks 😎!

We have found that the number of staff onboard Transatlantics can be quite variable. I think this is due to MANY employment contracts starting or ending at either end of those crossings.

1 hour ago, ghstudio said:

I tried miami and tampa.....those should be large enough airports to cover most airlines....

You would think, but look at FLL.

The presence of Norwegian Air in FLL drives the prices lower for most competing carriers, but only in and out of FLL.

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4 hours ago, ghstudio said:

Just tried to check a few flights on both systems...."flights by Celebrity" and "choiceAir.

 

Flights by Celebrity could find no flights to/from two cruises, one in Europe, the other in Asia...and I was looking at economy and checked various dates on all flights.

 

ChoiceAir found one way flights from Europe (we are using air miles one way) but they are the same $2000+ charged by the airlines.  Apparently the one way fare agreements with the airlines have gone away, at least to/from us and European ports.  The system could find round trip's, but also at the same price as the airlines (as expected).

 

No I didn't try calling...both sites are supposed to work from the internet and it's painful to go over date options and airport options with a person....we are flexible and choose the least cost routing....and we have four departure/return airports we can use....and Tokyo has two major international airports, etc.

 

Have others had better luck with international flights.

If you are looking in and out of RSW, you will probably find NOTHING that seems reasonably priced. Please check MIA or FLL as your gateway.

That strategy works well for us, and then we do a one way rental car back to SWFL.

I think the differentiation between the two packages might be whether your soda comes from a fountain or "gun" style of dispenser, versus it being served in a can or individual-serving bottle.

With the premium package, your soda (based on availability) will most likely come in a can.

With the classic package, your soda MIGHT come from a post-mix dispensing system.

And with that being said, when we have had the classic package, we have received our sodas in a can. YMMV.

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34 minutes ago, bebe08 said:

We have never done a Transatlantic cruise...I am looking at the FLL to BCN cruise on the Infinity this April as a possibility.

I have read that beverage packages are not typically given as a perk on these cruises, however can you still buy a beverage package or is it strictly pay as you go?  We aren't totally committed to this cruise...just doing some research to see what the "total" cost will end up to be.  We have always had a beverage package as a perk, so need to factor in the cost.  TIA

 

I'm on this Transatlantic that you referenced. 

In my cruise planner on Celebrity's website, the premium beverage package is currently on sale for $34.50 per person per day. Classic package is $29.50 per person per day.

Hope this helps.

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2 hours ago, CruiseAF said:

Is there anywhere to get fresh squeezed lemon or lime juice for upcoming cruise on a solstice class ship? 

 

At at worst case is there lemons or limes somewhere that I can squeeze myself with a Manuel juicer?

Absolutely. 

Bring with you a small plastic juicer (these cost about $4).

Once onboard, as Bo suggested, check OVC, or a bar, for fresh lemons or limes. If you are unsuccessful there, try working your way up the chain of command: bar manager, F&B manager, hotel manager. If you ask nicely, someone along the way will be delighted to help you.

But you will probably have to do the squeezing yourself!

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3 hours ago, Arno. said:

New format, Less detail.

 

 

I love the "new format, less detail". 

Many thanks.

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9 hours ago, mfs2k said:

Do the staff on Celebrity share cash tips or if you give extra to your bartender, waiter or steward for going above and beyond, do they get to keep it?

Please be advised that there is no CONSISTENT policy, and that the final destination of your cash tips will vary greatly from ship to ship, and from venue to venue.

We have found that the most reliable source of information is the hotel manager. If it is your wish to see your cash tips shared/pooled, or if it is your wish to see your cash tips retained by the individual to whom it is given, then you are wise to ask the hotel manager how to best realize your wishes. And it's best to accept that the wishes that have been embraced by the "team" will preempt what your wishes might be. We recently gave a generous cash tip to our Elite Happy hour bartender, and let it be known that we wanted it to be his and his alone. He graciously told us that his team had elected to pool all extra tips, and we were happy with that choice, even though it went against our desire that those $$ were to go to just him.

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Please just be aware that Persian Gardens lay-out and location can be different depending on ship.

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I would confess to skepticism. 

The ABV is higher than wine, and any Japanese sake is likely labeled "seishu", which connotes liquor.

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Interesting thread, and great comparisons. We have always liked HAL, and have consistently found the standard of service to be superior to Celebrity. But all things considered, we have gravitated mostly towards Celebrity.

I think it's fascinating to look at HAL's latest ship (Nieuw Statendam) and Celebrity's Edge. I've always said that Celebrity has a great deal of allegiance from the baby boomers, but the boomers' parents sail on HAL. And in looking at these two new ships, it seems that HAL, with the NS, is making a STRONG stride towards courting the boomers. I'm not sure who Celebrity is going after with the Edge...(I will find out myself when the prices come down!).

For anyone looking for some livelier entertainment options, particularly live musical performances, I would encourage a look at HAL's Nieuw Statendam.

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It's my understanding that the Infinity MDR is lacking in tables for two (last time in the MDR for us was Reflection, where there were many tables for two).

Can anyone confirm?

Would also be interested if any recent Infinity passengers can give an idea of their waiting times to be seated at a table for two. TYIA!

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My recent experience with this: a call to Celebrity confirmed that they were open to "matching" the offers/perks from a travel agent. The reality was, when I itemized the perks offered by the travel agent for the cruise that I was interested in, the Celebrity representative was unable to generate the same benefits. Those benefits were, in fact, listed plainly for all to see on this particular travel agent's website. The reality that I'm hearing from many is that they are tired of the lack of service from the so-called big box travel agencies, and I hope that Celebrity is responding to that by making it known that they are willing to attempt to match the travel agency's offers.

Please recognize that there are many variables in all these conversations about booking with the cruise line vs. booking with a travel agent, and which perks are involved. YMMV. But by all means do the research and get what you can!

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On ‎1‎/‎28‎/‎2019 at 7:24 PM, sgcass123 said:

 Is a flight at 9:05 am unrealistic???  

Unrealistic?  Probably.

Stress inducing?  Even more probable.

Ill advised?  Probably definitely.

Lots of flights (and trains, and maybe even boats) available from Amsterdam to England. Relax and take a later departure.

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2 hours ago, denby said:

Jagoffee, We are boarding Silhouette on Friday. First time for a long time we do not have a drink package. Do you know if the elite drink credits can be used in the dining room. Thanks

Elite drinks were available in the dining rooms on Reflection in November, and Infinity in December.

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17 hours ago, Fouremco said:

Given the horrible impact on the environment of single use throw away plastic bottles, it's great to see the number of people who use refillable personal water bottles. 

That's exactly what I was thinking, but I didn't want to state the obvious to someone with 100,000++ posts!

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I have it from a very reliable source that cancellations on Edge bookings have been coming in fast and furious. The April Transatlantic is now showing several categories available when a week ago there were only suites.

I think it's likely that Edge pricing and deals will be sweetened substantially in the near future.

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We have found the eastbound/springtime crossings to be somewhat less expensive, but of course it all comes down to supply and demand....excluding the Edge, where all rules are off. The fall crossings passengers benefit from the extra hour(s) when clocks are set back, and with the crew getting a bit more rest than they do going eastbound, many of us have noticed that the crew is somewhat "cheerier" and more engaged on the westbounds. I think that these are just a couple of reasons that the fall crossings are slightly more in demand, and slightly more expensive.

There seems to be fewer deals out there for airfares across the pond (many threads about this), and this may have a strong bearing on demand for Transatlantic crossings.

In the last few years, prices for almost all Transatlantic voyages have gone up, but there are still some great fares to be had!

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Another point about the Elite happy hour offerings. On three Celebrity ships in 2018, we asked for, and received Pinot Grigio. I think it's a popular and inexpensive varietal, and Celebrity is probably making it readily available for Elite happy hours fleet-wide, even if it isn't listed on the menu.

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As a veteran of a few Transoceanic voyages, I can say comfortably that Trivia and sea days will continue.  There are few other options at 3pm in the middle of the ocean...especially if it's not exactly pool weather.

OTOH, I would look for trivia to continue to disappear on warm-weather, port-intensive itineraries. I think the powers that be have started to cringe at the sight of all those passengers taking up all that space and producing $zero of additional revenue for RCL.

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Fantastic information here. Thank you for sharing!

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