zitsky

3 hours ago, Laurab23 said:

The Daniel Boulud is prepared by the ship chef,correct? The email makes it sound like Chef Boulud is preparing it.

 

Laura

No Daniel is not cooking the food.   I think he was on a cruise when this got started.

1 hour ago, leaveitallbehind said:

I don't know, do you apologize?  There just is no point or value to the majority of the comments.   If the shoe fits....

Polite people apologize for causing distress.  What else can I do for you?

3 hours ago, leaveitallbehind said:

And this three year old thread was resurrected for this???  Sorry, just don't get it.

I apologize?  Sometimes it happens.

50 minutes ago, patty1955 said:

 

Does it ever change?  I don’t sail for 8 months.  On Millie in Bali.

1 hour ago, miched said:

If the ship still has a library you will find a few of the cookbooks that people left. 
 

We did a chefs table.   I had a premium drink pack.    I mention that to the sommelier.   He suggested a red wine.   I tried it and it was ok, nothing special just red wine.  I am not a wine expert or connoisseur.   I asked if it was covered by the package and he said yes it is $10.   Fine.   My glass would get between 1/2 and 3/4 full and he would top it off.   At the end of the dinner and he started to top it off again and I told him not to.    I think I left about 3/4 of it.   He then gave me a bill to sign.  It was for 6 glasses of wine at $10 per plus the gratuity.  I asked why I was getting it and he said because it was $10 over the premium allowance.   I didn’t want to make a scene so I signed it.  It was for $72.    I took the receipt and went to GR and told them the problem.   The next day I got a call.   The charge was taken off and they were sorry for the misunderstanding.  
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

Thanks for that.  Like you I bet a lot of us go with the premium package so we are NOT charged.  I’ll watch that.

1 hour ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 I guess you have never met anyone who was the off spring of an alcoholic parent that put alcohol about everything else in their life.  

 

 Sometimes I have to question your sense of humor and this is one of those times. 

 

I apologize.

2 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 I wish it was only $5,000.  If it was then I would have no problem paying $158.00 each for a mean when there is free food readily available. 

 

 

My husband doesn’t let me tell people what we spend on cruises.  It’s more than $158.  If I spend more than that I consider a dinner here or there part of the overall expense.

I liked the last Boulud dinner for the reason my husband does not.  The company.  I sat next to some teenagers who were with their parents.  I talked to them briefly but they were quite rude.  They stopped listening to my life story long before I got to my 5th job.

I think my husband thought we would all sit there debating whether French Bordeaux was better in 1967 or 1973.  But no, we are not that special.

3 hours ago, MandL said:

We were in a suite and invited to the Chef’s Table on the Millennium in March. It was a great experience. The Galley tour alone is better than the typical Galley Tour.  As for the wine, the Sommelier will try to upsell you the $60 per person (plus gratuity). Not worth it.  The wine is not free flowing.  You are better off with using your Premium wine package and upgrade if you choose.

Dinner was fabulous, along with photograph and cookbook.  A one time experience.  

What was the excess baggage charge for the 50 pound cookbook?  On the Eclipse we were never offered it.

Thanks for the advice.

8 hours ago, markeb said:

 

Are you going to skip the wine pairing? I know it gets ridiculous at some point, but I want to believe it's curated for the menu. Which unfortunately the standard wines won't be. But the wine pairing can also be a LOT of wine, and at some point you stop appreciating it. (Years ago on I think Brilliance of the Seas we did a Chef's table that automatically came with the wine pairing. It was a great dinner. I rarely do wine pairings, even though I understand the theoretical benefit.)

I was going to skip it but someone told me it is a LOT of wine, lol.  Honestly the last time I liked the food but the wines weren’t memorable.  I usually take notes if they’re good.  
 

Plus there is little time to ask questions about the wine since they are so busy.  I’ll probably skip the wine pairing and use our premium package.  

We booked Aqua a few times then Sky Suite twice.  We will probably go back to Aqua unless prices are really great.  The MDR was good for lunch last time since. Blu doesn’t do lunch.  I want to avoid the MDR or buffet on port days for breakfast when I have an early excursion.

1 hour ago, cheeseheads4ever said:

Wow ! Seriously ! $158 a person? You got to be kidding me. All I can say is….

ENJOY!

I’m joking with you but….  
 

$5,000 cruise?  No problem!

$158 dinner?  Too expensive.
 

2 minutes ago, justcrusn said:

Someone wiser than me once said about aqua class

“They took the worst cabins and gave them the best restaurant” 

Indeed most aqua cabins are under an overhang with little skyview and sometimes noise from the public deck above. But in reality they aren’t the WORST location….

We absolutely love Blu, would eat there over mdr in a heartbeat.

And not to be picky, but you don’t just have access to Blu, it is your assigned restaurant.

You’re right.  They aren’t in the engine room.

Yes.  There is a reason I book Aqua and it's not for the cabin locations under the pool!  It's for Blu.  Last time we did eat in the MDR for lunch on Eclipse and it was good.  

Thanks all.  I went ahead and booked it.  It may not be perfect but it's a nice alternative considering we won't have Murano.  With gratuities I think the total was $380+ so pretty expensive but it's only one happening once.

Would anyone care to share what they paid for it or if the price I see is reasonable?  I’m guessing $157 pp is before gratuity and without wine pairing.

Since we're in the Retreat I don't know that we want to do many specialty restaurants.  My husband likes Tuscan, I like the Daniel Boulud dinner.  On Millennium, without a Murano it seems that the Boulud dinner is more interesting.  Does it often sell out before the cruise?  I'm trying to figure out what's a decent price for it.  Right now it's on a small discount of $157.99 per person.  We have some OBC coming on board and there could be a better sale so I'm debating whether to do it and when to book.  I'm guessing there is no chance they will do the Veuve Clicquot dinner.

Lavazza is ok but I prefer Illy and Peet’s at home.

45 minutes ago, HLR said:

Of course it's a gimmic...how could it be anything else? They're projecting a tiny man on your dinner plate. Jajaja!

It is pretty amazing how they use the Star Trek replicator / transporter thing to beam food onto your plate.  In 2024.  🙂

I worked with a company that did this back in 2000.  Not with food though.

I think with guarantee you get what's available but you can try to move.  I did a move up bid to Sky Suite which was nice.  We had a shower curtain in the bathroom but it was the Beyond so no leakage problems.

51 minutes ago, RichYak said:

I don't know what it is about IV cabins that makes some people so delusional.

I usually don’t get wet when I sit inside a room and close a window.  I see the poster is comparing a finite veranda with an infinite one.

16 minutes ago, cruisetonowhere10 said:

My only cruise to Alaska was with Disney (with my kids who went in the water in the outdoor pool.) I don’t know if Celebrity will have them open, but I wouldn’t discount outdoor swimming if she’s really into it.  Temps could also be warmer than expected (or colder) hard to predict this far out.  Our plan if the weather is nice in Seattle is to have embarkation day be a pool day for sure. 

 

The only problems I saw are 1) a family that didn't want to share their hot tub (it's a public, adult area!) and 2) so many kids in the pool that adults could not use it.  I wouldn't mind having family time if the kids would just stop calling me that old fat guy.

8 hours ago, katenmax2 said:

Same to you my fellow Vet!

 

I'm not versed on how specific country restrictions are about carrying on coffee beans.  I think grounds might be a better way to go but again, not sure.  I've only sailed on Mediterranean and Caribbean cruises and Celebrity allows us to bring onboard.  Never had an issue with customs in any airport (only brought them into Mexico though). As long as you keep the grounds onboard the ship upon embarkment and not take into port, I do not see any issue.

 

PS:  I retired here to sunny Florida after living for 15 years working in DC and living in Northern Virginia (Arlington)🙂.  I miss the seasons but after visiting at Christmas this last year, glad I made the move!

 

If you are going to tell people to travel with ground coffee, I may have to stop listening.

I did travel with ground coffee and a French press that doubled as a coffee cup thirty years ago on my trip across Russia and China.  I later used an Aeropress given to me by the inventor.  But back then, I was young and stupid.  😂

8 hours ago, 1Virgo said:

Perhaps you should let her know that she wont be spending a lot of time in a pool as weather definitely not the Caribbean.   We did Alaska during May and although it was warmer than normal, people wore spring jackets and hoodies and no one was in the pool.   This is a different cruise for her.  Prepare her

 

The Solarium, adults only pool area, may have a family time 4 - 7 pm. Depends on ship. We ve never seen a time longer. 

On our Patagonia cruise, as it got colder you would see kids and adults in the hot tubs at the main pool or on the solarium pool and hot tub.  We had family time for 2-3 hours daily.

Wow.  I would NOT like that at all.  So much for an adults only area.  Can I go to the kids club and play video games?

4 minutes ago, katenmax2 said:

Well, there are apples and oranges here.  Drip coffee makers often are so basic, they fail to bloom the coffee grounds - essential to producing a quality coffee without bitterness.  Even IF the drip coffeemakers - Read, I have one of the better ones - A Behmor Brazen 3 (for large pots, and it blooms coffee at my desired timing settings), they do not allow for the disposal of the initial first bloomed bean coffee disposal. These intital drippings are bitter.  A pour over method allows for the blooming as well as disposal of the intitial bitter coffee dripping.  More work, yes.  The result is a full flavored coffee without the bitterness.  Of course, ground size is an additional element in play. Pour over or espresso pour over, require a smaller grind than drip coffee makers.  It's a play to your taste like for both methods.

 

That all said, Al Bacio, onboard Celebrity has the best offerings for THEIR coffee vs bringing along one's own equipment and beans.  

 

If I booked a long cruise (say 28 days or better), you'd bet your life and hands down, I would bring along my own grinds and drip equipment. Yes, I AM a coffee snob but actually find Celebrity Al Bacio coffee tolerable - especially with an added shot or 2 of espresso.

 

I haven't heard about the full moon vs crescent moon but, think you are pulling my leg on that one.  And yes, I enjoy Ethiopian coffees as well. Kona, Jamaican Blue Mountain and select small grower Columbian are my favorites.

You mean to tell me that you bring your own espresso machine onboard, and they let you?

This is like the folks who tell me to put the $10 Lodi Cabernet in a decanter.  After I’ve aerated it, of course.