long time lurker

Jim- the medical evacuations that Lastdance is referring to us off the Beyond. We diverted to Bermuda and are currently anchored off St Georges.

Enjoy the upgrade. I am not sure if the tub vs shower in an accessible, but the tip is an odd shape and tough to step into. You might enjoy the shower more.

We are currently in a sky suite on the Betond right off the elevator lobby. We have no issues with noise.

Hi, and thanks for taking the time to post a live review. We leave on the beyond on Sunday and have been following to see how smooth the crossing is so far. That is great news about the improved bourbon selection. Could you tell me if the Angel’s Envy and Blanton’s is covered by the Premium package. Enjoy your cruise!

We generally sail Concierge for cabin location. I found the concierge to basically be an extension of guest services. It is often a shorter wait for the concierge to handle guest service issues.

This is a common problem when booking always included. For whatever reason the cruise planner does not show the upgrade option. The easiest fix is to call Celebrity directly, or better yet, since you have a TA let them do it for you.

Just finished boarding. It was pretty easy. Security was a bit of a line, but moved well. Once past security there was a separate line for those with status or club class. At the time I don’t know if it saved any time as boarding had already begun and there were no lines anywhere. We arrived at the port around 11:30. Hopefully your process goes as well.

I see you!

Thank you for all the replies. From the varied responses it sounds like the embarkation may be crowded, or easy. There may or may not be priority and it may or may not be useful. I will pack my patience and be ready for anything. Looking forward to my first time on Princess.

Long time cruiser, but first time on Princess. We are booked in a Club Class Mini-Suite on the Royal Princess leaving SF on March 2. I have watched some You Tube videos for San Francisco departures and see that embarkation can be quite busy. According to the Princess web site we get “priority embarkation” as part of our Club Class fare. How does this work at the Port of San Francisco, or is this just marketing “fluff”? Thanks in advance!

We are on the June sailing from Athens to Ravenna. I was able to call and get a Celebrity transfer to the city center(Tronchetto I believe) for $58pp

The basic drink package should cover coffee at Cafe Al Bacio, as long as it does not add alcohol.

If you connected using your Elite minutes and did not disconnect that is why your minutes were used up the next morning. The minutes are for time connected, not for time actually using. I usually go to the internet desk and ask them to allow access for me to “toggle” between basic and premium minutes so that I can stay connected, but can save my elite minutes for when I need a better connection.

That is correct. My husband had the upgraded Wi-Fi and he had much better connectivity.

I just got off the Equinox and had the basic wifi package. I was unable to access CruiseCritic while on board.

Equinox has “alcoves” on the lawn. You can find them under dining in the cruise planner.

All balconies on an S class ship are covered except the sunset(aft) balconies. The balconies on the slant of the hump are larger, so deeper cover. Also those on deck 12 have the pool deck overhang, amounting to deeper cover for the balcony.

The only savings, I believe, in upgrading prior to boarding is to apply your loyalty benefit. This has to be done by calling prior to sailing. I agree, it seems to just clog up the customer service agents.

We are also booked on this sailing. How were you informed of this?

Specialty dining on the Summit is very limited. The choices are Sushi on 5 (Ala Carte), Tuscan Grille, and Qsine (Le Petit Chef). Our best meals have been at Sushi if you do not mind the A la Carte menu. Tuscan is a more traditional menu and dining room, but the service and food can be very hit or miss. We have not tried Qsine as the concept does not appeal to us.

The sparkling wine is a single bottle. Some people use it for sailaway. It currently needs to be requested of your room steward when it is desired.

You should have both cards when you order, at least initially until the bartender recognizes you.

One

I would like to add my thanks for this trip report as well. It is always a pleasure following your travels. Thank you also for taking the time to answer all the questions. We will be doing the New England trip at the beginning of October. I appreciate the preview. Safe travels home and best wishes for your surgery.

Thank you JIm! I appreciate you interrupting your vacation for me. We will be pleasantly surprised 😀.