Jenlegs

Babyher, your post cracked me up! My son is just like your oldest - I've said since he was little that he would one day say to me "Mom, this is Susan. We're getting married - tomorrow. And by the way, you're already a grandmother." DD, on the other hand, will share way too much information, with all the gory details, right from day 1. It's astounding how different they can be!

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We went on a cruise in February -- it was my fourth, but my wife's first. She was excited about the trip, but once we boarded, she found herself becoming increasingly anxious about being on the high seas. She even woke up on the second day covered in hives. What's funny is that she is a commercial airline pilot! She even admitted to finding comfort by looking at the clouds instead of the water. By the second day, she was completely fine and we have booked another cruise for next March.

I wonder if it might help for you to research the heck out of the ship, the itinerary, etc. I did that, mostly because I was excited about the trip and wanted to start experiencing it ahead of time, but I did notice that when I boarded, there was a certain familiarity to it. Cruise Critic has thousands of photos of every ship afloat, and reviews written by first time and veteran cruisers alike. And I'm sure you'll find kindred spirits on one of the cruising with kids threads.

I hope you can enjoy your trip -- it sounds like you have a very full plate, and it would be a shame to not be able to relax and take advantage of all a cruise has to offer.

Hi Guys,

 

The CDC has some great info on Noro here: http://www.cdc.gov/norovirus/about/overview.html. The menu that runs down the left side of the page covers a bunch of topics, including U.S. Trends and Outbreaks: http://www.cdc.gov/norovirus/trends-outbreaks.html.

 

If you scroll down that second page, there's a whole section on common settings for outbreaks. More than half of the Noro cases each year happen in long-term care facilities. In the grand scheme, the number of cruise-related outbreaks is small in comparison.

 

Here's the specific page for Noro on Cruises: http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/pub/norovirus/norovirus.htm. To quote from that page, "health officials track illness on cruise ships. So outbreaks are found and reported more quickly on a cruise ship than on land."

 

Hope this helps!

I also found it interesting that the ship crew members contract Norovirus and such at dramatically lower rates than passengers -- either proof that you can build up immunity, or that diligence CAN be taught! We remarked often on our February cruise that the people that refused the Purell in the Oceanview were probably the ticking time bombs!

We were on the Silhouette in February -- without a drink package. We found the martinis in the Martini Bar to be excellent (and STRONG), although my wife wasn't crazy about her Manhattan. It wasn't really a quality issue, but more of a personal taste thing, as she likes to make her own at home. The only drinks we didn't enjoy were pina coladas from the pool bar, but then, the last time we had them we were in Belize where they were made with fresh coconut and local rum!

I just renewed mine, with a name change, and ordered the passport card as well. There was a note at the bottom that said I might get the passport, the official court order for my name change and the passport card all separately. I guess with the price they charge these days they can afford the postage :D

April Fool's?!?

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We fly stand-by, as my wife is a pilot, so we rarely, if ever, check bags. We each took a rolling carryon and a smaller bag that fit on top for our Western Caribbean cruise in February and wanted for nothing. We packed carefully and made notes afterwards for our 2017 cruise (leave one dress behind, take two extra t-shirts), but I wouldn't have it any other way.

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Yes - Select Dining is on the 2nd level of the Grand Cuvée, which I believe is on Deck 4.

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Bonine is definitely easier on the body than Dramamine. I'm very prone to seasickness, and there's nothing like a fear of vomiting to make you...well, vomit. We had higher than expected swells on our Eastern Caribbean cruise in February, but between the sea bands and Bonine, never experienced any ill effects.

One of the problems with either is that you really need to use it before you feel the effects of the motion -- they work better at preventing than mitigating. I probably ended up taking Bonine longer than necessary, but it prevented me from being unable to enjoy my vacation, so I'm okay with that.

Incidentally, we also decided that our next cruise will be a bit later in the season. Previously I had cruised in May and June, with no issues, but found the weather in February to be a little less cooperative.

I hope you are so caught up in the excitement of your vacation that you don't have time to give it a second thought!

A passport fulfills the requirements of two other forms of ID, because it proves both residency and citizenship. For a closed-loop cruise originating in (and returning to) the US, you can get away with a driver's license, but you will always need your SeaPass for disembarking and returning from port.

I recently changed my name, and didn't have time to fix my passport before my Eastern Caribbean cruise from FLL. I was nervous that I would have trouble, even though everything I had read said a driver's license would be enough, so I brought my court order, passport with the wrong name, and birth certificate. I honestly don't recall if I had to show my birth certificate at check-in or not, but I probably did. Needless to say, I sent away for my corrected passport as soon as I got home.

I also live in NH, which is one of the states that is considered "non-compliant" with regard to establishing citizenship or residency, so having a valid passport will likely prove to be essential. If you have a valid passport, I wouldn't worry about it one bit.

My mother in law was disappointed in the selection on the Silhouette. I agree that your best bet is to bring your own books, or even better, an eReader, so that you aren't left with nothing to read. It is a nice place to sit with a book, however, regardless of whether you bring your own or choose one of theirs.

We're sailing on Reflection next March and secured a 2D verandah room on 6. I typically book only inside cabins, but the perks made it worthwhile to upgrade to an oceanview (particularly since the cheapest room we found acceptable was not the least expensive in the inside cabin categories). Imagine my excitement when we were offered a mid-ship obstructed view cabin for the same price as the oceanview! I honestly don't expect to see much of anything, but the idea of having fresh air and sunshine was enough for me. I'm looking forward to posting lots of pics to help future cruisers with their cabin decisions when I get back.

If I were a web developer, I would pitch my website improvement plan to Celebrity, and gladly take payment in the form of a cruise!

We cruised on Celebrity for the first time in February. Previously, I had sailed with Norwegian (honeymoon), Carnival (with toddler in tow), and Royal Caribbean (with 4-year-old and 7-month-old baby). There were supposedly 100 children on board, but I only saw a handful, and I actually felt bad for them -- there's not a whole lot to do on a Celebrity ship for kids.

Upon our return, we decided to book a cruise for next year, and did a ton of research because we wanted to avoid winter and spring school vacation weeks (mostly because of flight difficulties, as we fly standby). I was tempted to book the RC Allure or Oasis, because they are just breathtaking ships, but in the end, we went back to Celebrity.

We're a married couple in our mid- to late 40s. Our kids are 17 and 21, but because our trip is intended to be an adults only getaway, we decided to avoid ships with water slides and climbing walls, etc.

Now, if you decide to take your kids someday, I can recommend Carnival's kids' program without hesitation. If I was traveling with little ones, I would go with Carnival or Royal Caribbean in a heartbeat!

Happy cruising!

I did not get an itemized bill under my door, either, and completely forgot about it until I arrived home. I called Celebrity, and within ten minutes had a PDF in my inbox.

We did pre-book one shore excursion for our recent Eastern Caribbean sailing, because we heard it was popular and would likely sell out. Long story short, my SIL forgot to book my MIL, and the trip did in fact sell out, but I went straight to the shore excursion desk on embarkation day to find that there was still space available. In fact, it looked as though they had added a second trip because it was so popular. The only time we couldn't get the excursion we wanted was when our trip was cancelled at the last minute -- there were only a couple of options available, particularly since most of them had already left.

My suggestion would be to do your research -- if there's something you absolutely MUST do, book it in advance, but otherwise, make it a priority once you board. Because Celebrity has a pretty liberal cancellation policy (24 hours before departure), we did a LOT of booking and cancelling, so the chances are good that you won't have any issues. Good luck!

A very interesting discussion topic, and I must say that I feel differently about this than I did last month.

My first cruise was on Norwegian in 1992 for my honeymoon. Then, we took our 3-year-old daughter on a Carnival Cruise in 1997, before we had our second child in 1998. Finally, in 1999, we took a family reunion cruise to celebrate my grandmother's 80th birthday -- this time on Royal Caribbean.

I returned on February 21 from my fourth cruise -- this time, on the Celebrity Silhouette. We had a fantastic time -- there is really nothing negative about the experience, but I couldn't help but gawk at the RC Oasis in port next to us. When I came home, i was intent on booking a cruise for next year, and began researching the various options (note that my most recent cruise was a gift from my sister in law, so we didn't choose the ship, the itinerary, or anything ourselves). This was my wife's first cruise, and she is completely sold on the experience.

I literally booked and cancelled a dozen trips -- the Oasis of the Seas, the Norwegian Getaway, at least one of the Holland America ships, if not two. But when it came right down to it, I realized that Celebrity embodied everything I want in a cruise vacation at this time in my life. I'm not in my 20s anymore, and my kids are grown. I'm sure that if I were to take a cruise with my 17- and 21-year old I would choose something a little more exciting, but part of the allure of Celebrity is that it doesn't have water slides or rock-climbing walls, so there aren't many kids on board.

Maybe someday I'll have grandchildren, and can share with them the excitement of traveling on a floating city, but for now, Celebrity has earned my loyalty.

364...and counting! :D

I'm considering getting my Known Traveler as well, but you should check to see if your local airport can regularly accommodate this. Some smaller airports don't have a PreCheck line at all, or it's only open limited hours, so it's not worth the effort or expense. I mostly fly out of Boston, so it's worthwhile for me, but if I go to one of the regional airports, it probably won't make much of a difference.

Don't forget the true highlight of the Silhouette gym experience -- refrigerated hand towels! :D

Don't forget the true highlight of the Silhouette gym experience -- refrigerated hand towels! :D

We sailed on the Silhouette on Valentine's Day -- the Molecular Bar was still there, although we never made it, but we did enjoy the Martini Bar and the martini flight "show." My father-in-law is a big fan of craft beer, and was happy to find that Cellar Masters had an interesting selection -- perhaps not the largest selection afloat, but some thoughtful choices. He participated in a craft beer tasting one evening (I believe it was $20 per person) and enjoyed it very much.

We cruised Celebrity on February 14th this year, which ended up being school vacation week for K-12 in Massachusetts (we flew out of Boston). There were supposedly 100 kids on board the Silhouette, but we saw probably six of them the entire time, and they were well behaved. I actually felt bad for them, particularly when we docked next to the Oasis!

I did a TON of research before booking our next cruise, and opted for Celebrity again, partly for this reason. I did find some interesting statistics on spring break dates for 2017, as follows:

February 19 - Massachusetts K-12; college 103K

February 26 - New Hampshire K-12; college 320K

March 5 - college 1.78M

March 12 - college 2.27M

March 19 - college 980K

March 26 - college 301K

Aside from being overrun by kids (I have two; I love them dearly, but this is MY vacation), we have to be mindful of flight loads, as we fly space available. Also, check the cruise line's policy for minimum age to travel alone, if you're concerned about college spring-breakers -- some require passengers under 21 to travel with someone who is at least 25 years old.

SHIP: Silhouette

CABIN #: 1032

DECK #: 10 (Sky)

CLASS:

AREA:

BED NEAR: n/a

QUIET?: YES!

BALCONY VIEW: n/a

BALCONY SIZE: n/a

WIND A PROBLEM?: n/a

SOOT A PROBLEM?: n/a

PROBLEMS/COMMENTS: This room is in a little alcove, all by itself, behind the elevators. Easy access in and out, and we never heard a peep from other passengers or cabin stewards (even though the service doors/elevators are right next door). Room service remains accumulate nearby, but the service is so good that you rarely see more than a glass or two on the cart (no day-old breakfast plates, etc.). This room does not have a sofa, but instead a chair and side table. I preferred that, and felt that it was easier to move around in than many of the balcony rooms. We did experience quite a bit of rocking/pitching due to rough seas, and I would recommend a cabin on a lower level closer to the middle if you are prone to seasickness.

Awesome! Looking forward to meeting up. I haven't cruised since 1999 (we're not that old, I swear), but this is my wife's first cruise ever. I think she's in for a real treat.