ShipsDoc46

53 minutes ago, Vitalsign said:

I presume shipsdoc46 is not cruising but on a land based holiday Cruisers have a hold allowance of 20kg

Yes,thanks for your reply.On this occasion it is a land based holiday.

Booked for a Tui flight for next June and see that our hand luggage is 10Kg but the hold is only 15Kg.

When we fly to catch a cruise ship we always fly the day before if at all possible.Planes get delayed or even cancelled.Not to worry you ,we just do not feel comfortable taking the risk.

When cruise lines commission a new ship they cost in millions in building their beautiful theatres ,no cost spared.

The cruising population is often of a "certain age" where hearing problems are not uncommon . Indeed many have to endure aids in helping them.

However on these ships there appears to be no help for these passengers with their problems by having loop systems in the theatres or their staterooms. Why on earth not ? or do you know of any that do ?

Like most of the respondents we pack the paperwork,medications and electrical gear such as camera ,iPad ,phone in a "carryon" ,We also split the currency we need between carryon and handbag.

Many thanks for that reply slidergirl .You certainly posed some interesting comments there to ponder . Obviously someone with a great deal of experience in the hotel business .( I don't mean to patronise ).

Thanks for all the suggestions. We have lined up a few hotels that we like and all have mixed reviews on TripAdvisor but thats life what suits one person etc etc.Will keep an eye on them but as we have difficulty in booking them yet will,as someone suggested try at the end of September.One hotel after emailing them wanted a credit card number with expiry by email to book .I really didn't fancy that . I feel that it is safer using a booking agent like Hotels.com .

We prefer to have a table for two. Not that we are not sociable but with poor hearing I find trying to hear others with so much background noise difficult and embarrassing. We have in the past enjoyed the company of a large table with fixed dining and made some very good "friends" .But, alas with the change of circumstances we are forced to change.

Seen the shelf with books left by previous cruisers in the libraries . As we take Kindles, like so many these days we do not have the books to leave which we would do being the case.

I use both ,depends on offers direct with the cruise line at the time. I find an online booking agent does offer a little extra ,not a lot. Once booked though find the contact and flexibility of the agent better.

On the last couple of cruises we have been on we negotiated tips included .Both of those were on Celebrity ships and came with Select Dining so useful .

We are revisiting a Celebrity ship next year where Select Dining appears off the agenda now we managed extra OBC so will remove the tips at the Guest Relations desk and use the envelopes on the last night.

I cannot see any good reason to otherwise pay for tips in advance.You are not paying extra for good service just makes it feel like an added tax and there is enough of those.

We are booked in on a Eastern Med cruise next year out of Barcelona. Can anyone recommend a Hotel for a one night stay before a cruise there ? Looking for somewhere central perhaps on or near to the Ramblas so plenty to see ,do and find somewhere decent to eat.A hotel not too expensive but clean and friendly. Thanks for any reply.

We are off on a Celebrity cruise next week and are looking forward to it.We were both disappointed with the change last November to "Evening Chic" rather than the formal evenings previously . We both enjoy the chance to dress up , it is only for three evenings out of a 14 night cruise and we could use other eating venues it we did not wish to go "formal ". We are still taking our formal evening wear and will enjoy the evenings. This change to Celebrity's format gives the cruise line the opportunity to dumb down further the quality of the product . With more passengers taking less bother to make some evenings special it does relieve Celebrity of the necessity to follow suit. I know that there is a general move towards casual eating but I am of the old school which says ,"this is a pity".

Can the button down, sport shirt be short sleeved ?

As long as the shirt has sleeves the length seems not to matter.Enjoy the "Chic Evenings" and enjoy the cruise too.

Hi, could you answer a question for me? Your cabin 9292 does it have the bed nearest the balcony doors , or nearest the wardrobe ?

Many thanks

A couple of years ago on the Eclipse we were rang by our TA saying that Celebrity had contacted them offering us an upgrade from a Concierge stateroom to a Skysuite but wouldnt give us a cabin number. The offer was just for 24 hrs. We declined the offer.Unsold stateroom are ones that are obviously left over, why? because nobody would want to pay for them for the position they are in. Some of the Skysuites are in awful positions .

On a recent review on here it mentioned that Bistro on 5 in the evenings served Indian cuisine .

We took a cruise on the Eclipse in its first year and remember the performers around the ship and they were all different and we enjoyed them all. The production shows in the Theatre have always been pretty naff . Last year on the ship there appeared very little around the ship except the house band as an alternative entertainment in the evenings.

We are again on the Eclipse in a couple of weeks and it sounds like things haven't changed much.With the money RCI are supposed to spend on these "creations" you would think it shouldn't take much to get things better. The management obviously are easily pleased.

Many thanks for your excellent review .We are again on the Eclipse in a couple of weeks time and are interested in the change in the evenings to Bistro on 5. Sounds really good would give that a try if it were on while we were there.

We are on the Eclipse in a few weeks time.This will be the first time since the change from formal evenings .

We find the new dress code confusing to say the least. We enjoy wearing formal wear and find these days that there is little opportunity to do so.On a cruise there has been traditional events where on some evenings there has been an excuse to dust off the Tux.

I thought that I would pack my tux and white DJ . On reading the board here I have now changed my mind and will just be taking a linen jacket with a button down shirt ,shame.

Celebrity over the past 4 -5 years have been making formal evenings less of an event with menus the same and senior officers less in evident.So, it is not surprising that Celebrity is leaning more and more to the casual and I expect that dining will be anything goes in the end.Why change the formal evenings which many enjoy like us when there is ample opportunity to dine in casual eateries elsewhere on the ship where formal attire is not needed for those who only wish to dress casually.

Just off the Eclipse. Plenty of Menus around advertising the Gastropub but never saw anyone eating there. Cellar Masters is now open planned and looks a lot lighter and more inviting.

Yes,there is no self laundry on Celebrity ships.Any washing, do a sink wash and hang on a clothes line in the shower room.Not very good though.The laundry service is hit and miss and expensive.The OH had a nice blouse ruined last year ,we complaioned and the Guest relations added some $ to our OBC.

On the Eclipse we enjoy a lazy breakfast in the MDR but you do need plenty of time to enjoy it. Dashing out on a Port visit ,then its the push and shove in the Oceanview.Its quick and easy.Never tried the Tuscan restuarant for breakfast been meaning to.

What we tend to do it take a European adapter and a small extension with three 13 amp sockets.Thats all we need for charging phone,iPad etc.

Thanks for that information.Good to know.

We are on again in a few weeks time so will use your tip and try again.

Thanks