alexandria

Quick question...can the OBC from CCL stock ownership be combined with the Seabourn OBC for a referred new guest? Thanks!

I wrote a review on it which is in this forum and on the Cruise Critic review section for the Celebrity Summit. Been cruising for decades with dozens of cruises under my belt. I found Celebrity to be okay, not great, not terrible, just average. No better than Royal Caribbean, worse than HAL but a step up from Carnival and NCL. But that's just my experience, others may be thrilled with their X sailings. You may indeed love it. Go with an open mind and see how the Celebrity experience works for you. My next three cruises are booked on luxury lines: Regent, Seabourn and Silversea. Enjoy your cruise! 🛳️

On our first (and perhaps last) Celebrity cruise in November that was the room service fee except for continental breakfast using the door hanger order card. That was at no charge.

You don't have a smartphone?

I've got three luxury cruises booked so far this year. All booked in the past two months for travel in 2024. Two are just under $200pp per day, one just under $300pp per day. But you have to have flexibility in your travel schedule to regularly book at those rates. As a retiree, I enjoy such flexibility!

Why are customers so interested in this? The fascination with the compensation of cruise line employees seems odd to me. After all, there isn't this type of discussion about how a restaurant, hair salon, hotel or other service industry allocates gratuities where some employees are compensated, in whole or in part, by tips. If the level of service onboard fails to meet expectations such that the passenger believes a 20% gratuity is excessive, it is up to that passenger how to address it. That could include, in their discretion, reducing or even eliminating the gratuity. How they choose to handle such service failures is nobody's business but their own. 😎

The ordering a "serves two" dish for one isn't the difficult part...it is trying to finish a "serves two" dish as one that is the challenge! 😃

Take a look at the Celebrity Beyond in a SS (~310-460 sq ft) for the 10 nt Caribbean departing Nov 15. If you include prepaid gratuities the total is $15,081.10. Now compare that with Regent Seven Seas Grandeur in a Deluxe Veranda Suite (341 sq ft) for the 10 nt Caribbean departing Nov 14. Total price (not including airfare) is $11,598.00. No butler but included excursions, drinks, gratuities, wifi and such. For the $15k or so you'd pay for the SS on X, you can get a Penthouse Suite on that Regent sailing (561-626 sq ft). That will add a butler to the amenities. Compare also with the Seabourn Ovation in a Veranda Suite (~365 sq ft) for their 10 nt Caribbean departing Nov 30. Total price is just $8,398.00. Includes drinks, gratuities, wifi and such. Seabourn doesn't include excursions or a butler but your personal suite host and your suite attendant (yes, two people) will essentially do everything that the butler on X would do. You can even order caviar and champagne to be brought to you anywhere and anytime day or night. For the $15k or so you'd pay for the SS on X, you can book a Penthouse Suite (534 sq ft) or a Penthouse Spa Suite (~700-730 sq ft). And while Silversea doesn't have a 10 nt sailing to the Caribbean, you can book the Silver Shadow in a Classic Veranda Suite (345 sq ft) for their 14 nt Caribbean departing Dec 3. Total price is $14,500 and that includes a butler, excursions, drinks, gratuities, wifi and such. As I've noted before, for those who don't require all of the bells and whistles of the large "theme park" style ships and enjoy a more laid back cruise experience, there are great luxury cruise alternatives out there. However, because the luxury lines don't run the same regular "bus routes" back and forth from south Florida to the Bahamas, Caribbean or Mexico, it does take a little more time, effort and flexibility (or a great TA) to find a sailing that is suitable and that represents a good value.

I like those as well. But I was referring to one in the galley so Celebrity could shred some cheddar off the blocks they already have. It seems like asking for some shredded cheese on a salad is a very reasonable request by a passenger. That's been a staple on every salad bar I can recall seeing.

Maybe bring one of these instead:

😯 Nothing like great customer service... I suppose they don't have a cheese grater either.

Great idea! Now I know how to occupy my time during sea days on my next cruise. I'll bring my band saw and lathe and finally make some progress on those woodworking projects I have been putting off! 🤣

Can you make that flight? Certainly. Will you make that flight? Probably, but maybe not. The question is whether you are willing to accept the risk that you miss your flight. If the ship is delayed returning to port or being cleared by authorities, if passengers are delayed disembarking or clearing customs, and/or traffic or other delays occur (including delays at the airport, like checking baggage or clearing TSA), then there is the possibility that you will miss your flight. In order to arrive at your gate in time, everything has to go smoothly. There is a reason that every airline recommends that travelers arrive at the airport two hours before a domestic flight. As others have mentioned, taking a cab instead of Uber, having no checked bags and having TSA PreCheck or CLEAR will help you get to the airport and your gate faster. However, if you are going to miss your flight, you must notify your airline before actually missing the flight. Otherwise, you are a "no show" and the airline may not be willing to accommodate you on a later flight. Then, if you do notify them ahead of time, the airline may either rebook you on a later flight or put you on standby. As others have noted, Sunday is a very busy travel day with many cruises returning and full departing flights from FLL. Most airlines are filling their flights to full capacity and even overbooking. So if you miss your flight you could find yourself waiting at the airport for many hours before getting a seat or even having to wait for a Monday flight. If the airline you book has a limited number of flights from FLL to your home airport, your risk of an overnight delay is even greater. Plus, if your return flight follows a day or two of IROPS even elsewhere in the system, without that confirmed seat you could be stuck at FLL even longer than one night. And finally, depending on the airline and the ticket you book, changing your flight at the last minute may require you to pay any difference in fare which could add up to hundreds of dollars per passenger. So it all depends on your risk tolerance. Personally, I'd book a later flight and enjoy a nice leisurely breakfast onboard, avoid the mad rush to be off the ship early, and eliminate the risk, however small, that I miss an early flight and am forced to wait all day at FLL before they put me in a back row middle seat on the last departing flight with two connections only to get home at 2am on Monday! But that's me. You do what works for you! 🙂

I agree with your comment. I wonder...is it possible for just one passenger to order an entree that "serves two"? While I hate to suggest wasting food, if a couple is dining and one wants the steak, chicken or sea bass and the other wants something different (or if one diner is a meat eater and the other a vegetarian/vegan), that is the only way for each to enjoy their preferred main. Perhaps if enough people do that, or at least make that request known, Seabourn will make a smaller portion size of those dishes available to order in lieu of the "serves two" option. Otherwise, you are exactly right...the menu becomes limited to one fish option and one meat option.

What did the Celebrity staff at the Oceanview Cafe tell you when you asked for shredded cheese?

Solis on the Quest is scheduled to open Saturday night (January 20) according to a FB post by Seabourn.

Photos of Solis on Quest...

Because the OP's friend cannot control the decisions of others about what cruise line to sail with their children. The only control the OP's friend has over whether there are disrespectful or discourteous parents with small children on his/her sailing is to choose a cruise line that does not permit children onboard. That is the only way to prevent a re-occurrence of the experience. (Note, however, that selecting such a cruise line does not prevent unpleasant experiences when sailing with ill-mannered adults.) Additionally, the OP reported that it was their friend who first indicated his/her desire to "stick with Viking, which doesn't allow kids." So it appears the OP's friend has, without the need of our input, decided what cruise experience best meets their expectations and desires. One cannot control the choices and behaviors of others, one can only control how to respond. 😀

Don't forget that Silversea and Regent both include shore excursions in the cruise fare! I've previously noted in other threads that the base cruise fare for some of the sailings on Celebrity (not including drink packages or gratuities) are higher than base cruise fares on Seabourn, Silversea and/or Regent for similar sailings in similar cabins. All three of those luxury lines are pretty much "all-inclusive" and include all drinks, most (if not all) dining venues, gratuities, room service and even caviar wherever and whenever you desire! Seabourn and Regent do not charge extra for any of their onboard dining options, including in their "specialty" dining venues while Silversea charges a pretty penny for LaDame, Seishin and Kaiseki. Silversea and Regent include your choice of excursion from a selection of excursions in each port of call (with more extensive excursions available at additional cost) while Seabourn does not include excursions (but does include transportation to town where cruise ports are more remote). I believe all three lines now include unlimited basic internet (via Starlink) although they may charge extra for more than two devices per cabin or for streaming and VOIP enabled internet. Seabourn and Silversea generally have a base cruise fare that is lower than fares on Regent. So for those who enjoy quieter and smaller ships with a higher crew to passenger ratio, more refined and personal service and dining options with a wider variety of offerings that are generally of higher quality (think a two inch thick filet mignon on the "always available" menu) but who are willing to do without the vast entertainment options or waterpark/themepark style amenities provided on many of the ships sailing today, many luxury cruises may offer a better value and a more enjoyable cruise experience! In any event, choice is good! Fair winds and following seas to all...🛳️

It sounds like you and your husband are very considerate travelers. Kudos to you and others like you who are mindful of the travel enjoyment of others. 😃 But permit me to digress a bit...I'm not sure when the trend of taking your infants and toddlers on cruises and international travel began. Maybe it was around the time when the senior HS trip evolved from being a few days at the beach or other locale within a few hours drive to tours of Europe and other similar far-flung places. When I was growing up (in one of the wealthiest counties in the US at the time), none of my contemporaries did that kind of traveling with their families. And when we did travel, woe be unto me or my siblings if we were not well-behaved when dining out...it wasn't mom and dad taking turns taking the the offending child outside. It was dad taking us outside (usually in search of a woodshed)! 😧 Our own (now adult) children were raised to be well-behaved and respectful (even addressing other adults by "sir", "ma'am" and only by their last names "Mr...." and/or "Mrs....") and they were regularly complemented by other adults, including when we took them on cruises and other trips. But times change and not always for the good. Courtesy and manners appear to be completely unimportant to some who have a very self-centered "me first" approach to life. It really isn't much different from those who engage in loud conversations on their cell phone in public settings where such is just not respectful of others who are nearby. Some even insist on putting their phone on the loudest speakerphone setting so that all around can hear both sides of the conversation! We encountered several instances of such boorish behavior in the Solarium on our recent Summit sailing. Unfortunately, there isn't much you can do about such rude persons other than to strive to avoid them and the places they frequent. 🙂

Not at all. As others mentioned, for decades that has been the norm at hotels, at gas stations, on cruises and anywhere else that the final total of a transaction is unknown when the credit card is presented. It isn't a "deposit", they simply submit a temporarily authorization of a certain amount to your credit card that would ordinarily cover any anticipated transaction total. If you don't spend any money onboard, then nothing is charged to that credit card and the temporary authorization automatically drops off, often within just a few days. If your credit limit is such that the amount of the temporarily authorization presents financial challenges for you, then perhaps the decision to sail on higher cost luxury cruise lines should be reconsidered. 🙂 But unless I am misreading your post, it seems that the issue is not one of financial hardship but of annoyance. If that is the case, don't let it bother you...just enjoy the trip!

Or option C as mentioned by this person who contacted you...choose an adult-only cruise line (or a cruise line where children are less likely to be onboard and where, perhaps, parents are more considerate of the comfort of their fellow traveler).

Your post is unclear (at least to me). What are you trying to accomplish? What is the issue? Why would you potentially be a day or two late with final payment? If you are hoping that the charge for the final payment will go on the following month's statement, since you say that final payment is due the day after your credit card closes out (assuming you mean the end of the billing cycle), just pay it the day it is due and it will go on the new billing cycle. If that credit card is expiring or is being closed, either make final payment before it expires/closes or use a different credit card. If you have maxed out your credit limit, just make a payment early to bring your credit card balance down. However, if you don't have the funds to pay the balance down then perhaps going on a cruise vacation at this time would not be a wise financial decision. To answer your question directly, if you don't make final payment on or before the due date, your booking will be cancelled and your deposit will likely be forfeited. If cabins are still available after your booking is cancelled, you can rebook at the prices now in effect.

What time does the motorcoach transfer from Anchorage to Seward generally depart?

We are considering a Silversea voyage that ends in Tokyo. Flights home depart HND late afternoon/early evening. Does Silversea offer a disembarkation airport transfer with sightseeing that will help us fill a few hours while allowing us to see some Tokyo highlights?