derekjp47

We were in St. Kitts just last week on the Reflection. We took the train tour and had a blast. We're seasoned cruisers so we know the islands well, and the train tour was one of the best. The shops around the port aren't anything special, if you want to enjoy and island you have to venture out, it's an education for the children to experience a different aspect of life than what they are used to seeing. Enjoy yourselves !

I've seen quite a few threads about overbooked cruises and it appears it's common practice. However, it seems from most people's experiences, you get some kind of notification a week or two out from the cruise that it's overbooked and the cruise company gives you the option to still take the cruise or be offered an upgrade on a future cruise. It's your choice whether you hang on to the booking or you happily get bumped for an upgraded room.

 

Has anyone had the experience of only finding out when they arrive at the port that there just isn't a room for you?

 

This happened to us recently, and the while there is compensation, there really was no option to get on the boat at all. As a first time cruiser, this was quite a disappointing experience. Just wondering how often this happens that there is no notice whatsoever. So you already take your leave from work, book your pet into the hotel, arrange housesitting, pack you bags, fly in from another country, only to find you can't board that ship.

I maybe wrong, but I don't think this is possible. The cruise line is compelled by law to turn in a passenger manifest to the authorities three days prior to sailing.

This being the case, I don't see how an overbooking could happen. I like many others have been cruising thirty plus years and reading this site all the time and have never heard such a story.

You are not sorry..........

 

If you are in a waiting room, you used your friends woe to make a snide point. Really wrong.

I totally get the point, with all the problems people have, being on a cruise and being a few hours late is nothing to complain about. Some people just like to complain about everything, instead of enjoying what you have, the majority would love to have been in that persons place on the ship, even if it were late.

What has been Celebrty's policy lately regarding on board purchases of liquor. Last cruise they would net let you pick it up until the morning of debarkation, where in the past they let you pick it up the evening before ? It's very difficult to pickup during debarkation.

I'm also from Mobile and have been on many cruises. Their is no comparison to make, Costa Maya is way nicer than all of the ports in the western Caribbean, that includes Cozumel, Belize & Roatan. It was developed for the cruise lines and is extremely nice. Nothing wrong with Progresso, but just not in the same class as Costa Maya

Yep, watching same thing and wondering what's going on, Elation and Escaped docked

I believe I am correct that Celebrity offers Catholic mass during lent. They use priests who are vacationing. Last year on Silhouette they offered a mass everyday in the comedy club theater, except for the last day, they utilized the large conference room on deck 14. The priest would advise to look ar the daily schedule to determine where the service would be held. The HR director on Silhouette at the time participated in the last service as he is a Deacon.

Just go to one of the major cruise booking websites like cruise blank something and plug in the information like you are looking to make a reservation, that will show you the cabins available in each cat.

Several years ago I contacted the person in food and beverage in the home office to make a request, it worked, they provided exactly what I asked for. It's worth a shot to call Celebrity and ask for the food and beverage department and see if you can speak with someone to assist. You have nothing to loose by trying, I don't like waiting to board, it's sometimes too late.

OTE=Fogfog;46816665]Our group is celebrating

a wedding anniversary

a University graduation and

a Birthday

during a 14 night cruise on

the Eclipse.

Have read many times where brilliant experienced folks are able to reach out to the CD/Maitre D with respect to adv planning.

I do not know which nights are the 3 formal nights and also need to make some arrangements. When my TA called X...that person on the phone said they had no idea how to reach the CD/Maitre D--which sounds like...baloney.

Would love some advice / likes or email...and if you have such--I will post an email here so you can respond. (this site doesn't have intra-member messaging does it??)

Thanks in advance. I know that the members her at CC are the best for correct info.

Cheers

I join the majority of those who are upset and opposed to the overnight concept in the Caribbean. The only plausible reason for this is $$$, surely know one can be naive enough to think you can compare overnighting in Europe to the Caribbean, it's not even close. I just hope those in charge at Celebrity will read the feedback and respond as some other lines have done and reverse their decision on something that is obviously not positive. I hate to say this but I predict if they go through with the plan, within the first month they will have an incident one night and learn the hard way that they have made a mistake. While the islands are nice during the day, you won't find me out at night, it just doesn't have a safe atmosphere and is a disaster waiting to happen.

What was Celebrity thinking or rather not thinking when they made the decision to overnight in the Caribbean. To compare this region with Europe is ludicrious, not even close. What are you going to do in Aruba, walk across the street to the casino ? In the other ports, their just isn't that much compared to the experience of a night on the ship. Then their is the safety factor, you won't find me walking the streets of any of these ports. My opinion, this was a poor decision in atttempting to differentiate itself with the competitors. They will probably experience more cancellations than additional business by this decision.

I for one am not happy about the recent change to our cruise to overnight in St. Martin. We were looking forward to the original itinerary, and thought it was perfect. Now we have a ten day cruise on the Equinox, and just four ports. I've lived in the Caribbean, and taken numerous cruises their, and I see no point to overnighting. One if the pleasures of a cruise is the dining and entertainment experience each night, I don't care to go out on an island at night, can't seeing it being better than the ship, plus additional cost and also concerned about the safety aspect. I'm seriously thinking about an alternative vacation.

Steve, I do apologize for my comment yesterday, you are obviously I good guy, and well liked on the website. I'm Elite with Celebrity, but do not go to the evening cocktail event, we enjoy having the drink package and like using it throughout the day, and also at the various Venues around the ship in the evenings and at the nightly shows. I guess different strokes for different folks. Enjoy your cruises !

First off, I have never cruised with a "drink package" before...It has never been remotely worth it to me to pay $49 or $59 per day per person...especially when I was already getting free drinks in the Elite Lounge for two hours pre-dinner every night...and off the ship in port most days...and, if I wanted a drink or two after dinner, those couple of drinks might cost about $16 to $20 a day--no way to ever get close to $49 or $59 worth...

 

So, now, on two of my upcoming cruises (not on my Millennium Alaska cruise where I got a really cheap price with no 123Go perks...or on my Xpedition Galapagos cruise where it's all-inclusive anyway)...But, on my Silhouette Western Caribbean cruise next March and my Constellation Iberia cruise next July, I had options on the 123Go promotion--in the Caribbean, it was one of three (of Gratuities, a $200 OBC or the Classic Drinks package)...for the Med cruise, it was two of three (Gratuities, $300 OBC or drinks)...

 

 

 

My initial instinct was to pass on the drinks--since, as I said before, I get free pre-dinner drinks...plus, now as the new Elite Plus perks allow, Iget free specialty coffees as well...

But, when I thought a little more about it, for the Caribbean cruise, the free gratuities are really worth only $168 for the two of us...For the 13 night Europe cruise, the gratuities are worth $312...

 

So, for the Caribbean, with the choice of one, it's really $200 versus the drinks...

For Europe, with two choices, one is the gratuities--worth more than the OBC--and, for the second, it was a choice of $300 versus the drinks...

So, the question is whether we really get $14.29 per person per day benefit...and, for Europe, $11.54 per person per day value...

 

It sounds like it should be easy--to most people...but, figuring we're in port most days on both cruises and get free drinks in a less crowded setting with great service from 5-7 every night...and free specialty coffees anyway...it's really a case of maybe wanbting one extra drink or so late night (only so much we can drink!) or maybe drinking Diet Coke rather than Iced Tea with dinner...or, maybe, my wife, if she isn't tipsy fromthe pre-dinner drink, getting another glass of wine at dinner (she's a real "lightweight" drinker)...

 

Anyway, as Elite Plus members, the Drink Package isn't really as much a benefit to us as it is to non-Elite cruisers... (I'm not trying to be snobby here, just pointing out that the free drinks package is far more a benefit to non-Elite cruisers...and adds a lot less for Elite and Elite Plus cruisers).

 

So, to any other Elite or Elite Plus cruisers, do you guys take the Drink Package on those 123Go deals? If so, how do you see it affecting how you cruise?

 

Just a dumb side question: People note that you can also get bottled water to take off the ship with the package...So, will they give you more than one bottle as you leave? When we're touring long days in the south of Spain in July, it seems we might go through more than one small bottle of water each...

For someone trying not to be snobby you sure are doing a good job, you could have fooled us. Don't need to say anymore, you seem to have all the answers

I've posted a few threads asking some questions about where we can use the Classic Pkg. And it seems from responses some report having to wait 20min in the main dining room for a glass of wine in the package. REALLY??? If this is the case we may call and cancel the pkg. Since we're doing a 16 day TA, I thought we might really get our use out of it. Maybe?? Maybe not??? After spending over $1800, there's not much chance I can talk hubby into spending more.

We have had the Classic package the past three cruises and not one time did we encounter a problem. We had to tell the wine somolier to stop filling our glass at dinner as we had enough. It's a great deal, wouldn't want to cruise without it now.

DF recently sailed on the Silhouette and said the ship was rocky and could feel the vibration.

Just off Silhouette, no vibration, that is unless you use the beverage package to the max.

Just got off Silhouette last Sunday and have had the Classic package for the past three cruises, I couldn't tell you the difference. We utilized the card a lot, and all the drinks and wine we previously ordered were available on this last cruise, still a good deal. Some people just like to be negative regardless instead of just enjoying life, and some things are just not worth worrying about, especially those over which you have little control. Just enjoy your cruises!

Thanks for the review. I just booked this week for March 2016. Do you have any photos of the ship you can share?

I have lots, but your best view is to go to you tube and review the videos, much better perspective.

When you go to a restaurant, grocery store, shopping in general, do you get into the businesses methods of operating, I don't think so. That being the case, why should we try and get into the business of interfering with how the cruise line operates its business. They have set gratuities you either pay in advance or have added to your account, and if you want to give additional, it's your business. It is not our business how they distribute, the market will dictate wether it's working correctly or not.

I failed to mention that I witnessed many men being turned away from the MDR on formal night because they didn't have a coat. Some who I saw needed more than a coat to comply. It's nice to see them enforcing a standard of dress for formal night.

Just got off the Silhouette Sunday, and they turned away quite a few men on both formal nights who did not have coats. Nice to see they are attempting to establish a minimum dress code during formal nights. Many of those turned away weren't even close to the requirements.

We just returned from the Silhouette March 8 western sailing and it was outstanding. We have taken the cruise three years in a row and the ship looks just as good now as it did the first time. Boarding was a piece of cake, twenty minutes from pier to buffet. We ate in select dining every night and it was outstanding, no need to spend extra for specialty restaurants. We also had the classic drink package and once again experienced great service everywhere on the ship. The entertainment was terrific, and Richard Spacey has to be the best CD on any ship, he is a trip. Walk off debarkation was also easy, drove out of the parking garage at 7:38. We love this ship and the staff and can't see how anyone can have any complaints, looking forward to trying the Equinox on our next cruise.

We have been on numerous cruises out of Fort Lauderdale and always do the self walk off. We drive, but always are out of the port before 8:00. The airport is within sight of the port, so unless something unscheduled happens, you should be fine. We actually flew one year, and we' were so early they moved us up and we took a 7:30 flight home.

We have done both and while we like both cruise lines, Silhouette is our favorite ship. Rooms are nicer, balcony much larger, ship layout easier to navigate, Regal only has two elevator banks and no midship staircase. Food, entertainment and service about the same. Can't go wrong with your choice either way. Happy cruising !

I've been waiting to see if someone else would bring this up, but it looks like I'm the one to get the honour. We were on the Christmas sailing of Silhouette. Great time, no major concerns. I was taken aback, however, as we were joined by two dogs at all venues. A pair of teacup Yorkies, pushed in a stroller by their "mother" or her son. Cafe Al Bacio, Martini Bar, and yes, the MDR on formal night. The dogs had special outfits for formal night. Our asst waiter did a double take, and said, "I think I just saw two dogs in the dining room!"

 

I put my comments on my survey.

 

Did anyone else notice them? If you weren't there... would dogs in a stroller impact your "Modern Luxury" cruising experience?

I'm a big dog lover myself, had one my whole life, but if I came accross the situation I read about regarding this eccentric couple with a pair of Yorkies on my cruise, the dogs would have a long swim home. That is so selfish of this couple and demeans the true purpose of service dogs.