letsgogogo

Several questions from experienced Celebrity cruisers who have used move up..

1. Is it typical to get the MoveUp invite email this far in advance? If not, why do you think this is? I ask because this sailing is about sold out except for a few inside an ocean view cabins. Summit on 10/3/22. 

2.  Have any of you gotten bids accepted this far out, at 73 days!

3. Have any of you had a bid accepted for say a veranda, then later received another move up offer for a suite at a later date? I’m guessing this just does not happen. I booked an inside cabin because that’s all was available when I reserved. My move up offers were for all categories except for suites. Curious if a sky suite would be offered at a later time for a second move up bid.

I entered a bid for all categories, offering something in the “strong” bid range. Fingers crossed. Trying to gauge if I might get a bid win sooner rather than later. I realize it can come as late as 48 hours before the sailing.

We booked e bikes through www.pedegobarharbor.com. Never have ridden an e bike but both experienced riders here. Admittedly out of shape the last several years but leisurely riding is no problem. If it’s raining we will rent a little electric car from this place called Acadia Gem. All of these book up so best to reserve and cancel later if needed. 

23 hours ago, bye-seaya said:

For a quiet spot we like the Ensemble Lounge. Great little areas within the lounge with comfy couches and chairs. For a fun more active bar we like the martini bar and sit at the bar for bartender mixing entertainment or chatting with fellow guests. 

Totally agree about Ensemble. I haven’t been on solstice in years but if we are talking about lounge that leads into all the specialty restaurants, that’s the one. After dinner service closes, this bar is quite relaxed with a softer vibe. Live music later here is a chill vibe rather than party vibe. The other poster regarding cafe Al baccio…also a great idea. Honestly, nightlife on solstice Alaskan sailings, outside of the disco, it’s all pretty mellow. Except perhaps on the evenings on sea days. 

Martini bar on any celebrity ship. Any where from 6 - 8:00. 

3 hours ago, Sox Fan Cruiser said:

Just had a really bad experience with my travel agent and my booking was almost really messed up.  Luckily I caught their mistake and had it corrected.  

 

I know that people book with Celebrity sometimes and then move it to a travel agent.  But I can do it the other way around?  Could the travel agent just delete my booking?  Will they charge me a penalty?

 

I never use a TA and would rather deal with my Celebrity Planner who is much more proactive and responsive.  (I didn't have a Planner at the time and needed some help.)  They didn't give me any special deal or anything like that.  It's the straight Celebrity pricing from the website. 

I am booked both ways and find the TA much better than calling Celebrity. Ridiculous hold times to get someone on the phone, and you have the buying power of just yourself. TAs, especially those that specialize in celebrity cruises, are able to buy rooms in bulk and often offer incentives that you won’t get directly from the Celebrity because they are booking hundreds…thousands of rooms, not one. It sounds like you have a terrible TA. None of this answers to the question you asked 😒

This is a selling point for me. I have always wanted to do a Scandinavian cruise on X but never booked as I refuse to visit Russia and I’m not up for wasting a port visit on a ship. 

On 6/20/2022 at 2:56 PM, runner2013 said:

 Could those of you who really enjoy Celebrity and sail with them often tell me what keeps you coming back? Food, atmosphere, service, or something else entirely?

All of the reasons you mentioned about princess. I have not cruised princess but I know people who have and they say Celebrity is quite similar but with a more modern twist. All that, plus the food, service, etc.

6 hours ago, ScottC4746 said:

I my early September cruise approaches I am starting to get realization of what evenings will be like for me.

 

DH who is normally up at 3:15 AM to get ready to leave for work at 4 AM and home at 3 PM often falls asleep by 7:30 PM.  He cannot differentiate work time and vacation time as he has had this schedule for 27 years.  This leaves me on my own in the evenings while he is back in the room sawing logs, bless his heart as we say in the south.

Am I going to be the only one "painting the town red" in this situation?  I see cruise evenings as doing what you normally don't do at home: latish dinner, shows, nights on the town, etc.  I just don't want people gawking at me (social anxiety here) sitting in a corner of a lounge sipping on my adult beverage alone.

Find the gays on the ship the first night (or any night) at the Martini Bar around 7-7:30. Tell them about sleepy husband and you are a bachelorette for the evenings. You’ll be adopted. 

12 hours ago, ScottC4746 said:

When I did the RCCL cruise, a lot of the other passengers were, let's just say a bit edgy and rough around the edges.  It almost had a feel of, "uncle got out of prison so we are doing a family trip," type crowd.  I know we are comparing different categories of cruise lines like comparing a VW to a Rolls Royce.  Just thought the higher end cruise line would deter some of that.

This most common on Caribbean cruises, especially on shorter sailings. More common on RCCL than on celebrity. Alaska sailing on celebrity was not like this at all. 

12 hours ago, ScottC4746 said:

 

This exactly why I would not book in aqua class again unless I got a reasonable MoveUp. My very first cruise at all was in aqua class on solstice. Met so many wonderful people and we formed a little social club. One couple were in a suite but the rest were in regular cabins. We ate most dinners in the MDR by choice to enjoy everybody. All that up charge just for the option of dining in Blu is not worth it. I had a couple spa treatments but that doesn’t require aqua and they allow use of the Persian gardens for a window around your appointment. I didn’t use it any other time. 

I have always understood it to be 2 per cabin and this is what’s stated in the FAQs on the Celebrity site. But I have heard and read posts from others suggesting this has changed. If so is that official and documented anywhere? Or just lax enforcement? 

4 minutes ago, LuAnn said:

Can I book specialty dining reservations for an individual restaurant on line using OBC prior to boarding? Thanks!

Yes. Login and use the Cruise Planner. From there select specialty dining, pick your place and dining time, and at check out you can opt to use your OBC.  

Sushi on 5 is lovely. It’s great on embarkation day when the buffet is chaotic. Quiet, relaxing, and excellent food. Yes you pay a la Carte but prices are far reasonable compared to a similar quality sushi spot in a major city.

1 hour ago, letsgogogo said:

The wines available on the classic (basic) drink package are not bad wines. Rather they are high quality inexpensive wines from large, high volume producers. Celebrity is well recognized for the excellence of their onboard wine programs. That said, I’d be curious what you are wanting to bring onboard. If you are looking to enjoy more import wines…burgundy…Bordeaux…better quality Italian bottles, etc., plus more unique (lower volume production) wines poured by the glass in the main dining room or more so in the speciality restaurants, then the premium package is a must. 
 

if you ONLY drink wines, won’t avail yourself of the martini bar, and want to order more unique bottles than you’ll find on EITHER drink package, then I’d say skip the drink packages altogether and order wines by the bottle.

 

You absolutely may order wines at the bar and bring to enjoy with your room service. And you can order bottles in the restaurants and then take any unfinished wine back to your room. The main purposes for bringing 2 bottles onboard are:

 

1 you have a very special bottle you wish to enjoy during your cruise. 2. You are not buying any drink package and you want to offset paying for wine on the ship by bringing your own. 3. You want to enjoy wine in your cabin and don’t want to have to visit the bar to get it and don’t to pay for it through room service.

And to clarify… when I call out Bordeaux and Burgundy above, I’m not referring to classified growths or village wines. Some examples of what you might see on premium package options would be things like Louis Jadot Bourgogne blanc/rouge or perhaps Macon. Cru Beaujolais, Spanish Crianzas or Reservas or Italian sangiovese that would retail for $12 - $18, Seghesio (entry level) Zinfandel, etc. It's not going to be coveted California cabs,  no Village level (let alone above) burgundy, no Priorat. If you have your heart set on enjoying some really unique wines, you sure can. Celebrity is prepared for you. But those will be by the bottle, at what I found to be lower prices than you’d pay at typical restaurant. Be realistic about what you’ll get for your “premium” bev package. And if you have a bev package they give you a discount on wines by the bottle.

The wines available on the classic (basic) drink package are not bad wines. Rather they are high quality inexpensive wines from large, high volume producers. Celebrity is well recognized for the excellence of their onboard wine programs. That said, I’d be curious what you are wanting to bring onboard. If you are looking to enjoy more import wines…burgundy…Bordeaux…better quality Italian bottles, etc., plus more unique (lower volume production) wines poured by the glass in the main dining room or more so in the speciality restaurants, then the premium package is a must. 
 

if you ONLY drink wines, won’t avail yourself of the martini bar, and want to order more unique bottles than you’ll find on EITHER drink package, then I’d say skip the drink packages altogether and order wines by the bottle.

You absolutely may order wines at the bar and bring to enjoy with your room service. And you can order bottles in the restaurants and then take any unfinished wine back to your room. The main purposes for bringing 2 bottles onboard are:

1 you have a very special bottle you wish to enjoy during your cruise. 2. You are not buying any drink package and you want to offset paying for wine on the ship by bringing your own. 3. You want to enjoy wine in your cabin and don’t want to have to visit the bar to get it and don’t to pay for it through room service.

I would not book an aqua class in the future after having done it for my first celebrity cruise. If I can upgrade for a small cost, perhaps. The cabin is the same. On a typical seven or eight night sailing, by the time you enjoy one or two specialty restaurants, and eat in the main dining room on occasion in order to spend time with friends who are not an aqua class, you are then paying to eat at Blu a handful of times. If you intend to take all your meals there, that’s different. I have cruised in both aqua and concierge class. I don’t think either are worth it. Access to the spa… book a spa treatment on a sea say and you get access anyway. 

I’m super picky on wines and other half only drinks IPA beers, nothing else. Well except the martini bar. Need a premium plan to cover any of those. Separately it’s nice not worrying about how expensive a tab might run. Easier to just plan for it and forget about it. 

This a trend in restaurants too. I heard an industry expert on NPR explain this. It’s very deliberate. The louder it is, the less people can speak and they tend to just drink more instead. Higher bar revenues.

The next piece doesn’t really apply to cruise ships, but also… the deliberate use of hard surfaces to amplify volume levels. Tables turn more quickly..higher revenues.

I have never cruised in a suite class cabin. However, on embarkation day, on first meet up, I tip our cabin steward $40 -$50 and thank them profusely in advance for making our vacation great. Other than serving an in suite meal, I can’t think of anything on this thread that our stewards did not handle. They handled ice multiple times, tracking down IPA beers (we had bev package), snacks, reservations. Hot water carafe each morning to brew our own pour overs. They cover a lot of cabins so being patient is key but I felt spoiled and taken care of. Even if you’re not in a suite, a generous tip up front plus some kindness can get you nearly suite level service. And I reward great service again at the end. 

On 5/4/2022 at 8:46 PM, MMMCruiser said:

I have been reading here for a while, and I have seen several posts where people haven't been happy with the service they have received from their hosts.  I also see that there are different classes of suits, with different services included, but I'm quite confused as to what can be expected with certain cabins.

 

I have never sailed with Celebrity.  I am considering booking an Aqua Sky Suite on either the Apex or the Beyond for next summer.  The price is quite high compared to a regular balcony cabin, and I have read conflicting information regarding what to expect. 

Can someone here please let a newbie know what we can expect from our host/butler?  We aren't high maintenance but of course would like to know what things would be reasonable to request.  

 

Thanks in advance. 

We did this same sailing in 2016, that same week. It was fantastic. The gays all congregate around 7 or 7:30 at the Martini Bar. You will meet lots of great people and the scenery is phenomenal. One of our most memorable trips. 

Joel and Cory here in Houston. Just booked this sailing! We have sailed on 2 cruises previously, both on Celebrity. Alaska on Solstice in 2016. Eastern Caribbean on Equinox in 2019. Met so many nice people before and during the cruise. Looking to connect with others booked on this trip. 

15 hours ago, sunsuit said:

Beware of hidden baggage fees when using Choice Air

It's not particularly Choice Air. Welcome to air travel on any major carrier (other than Southwest Airlines.) They have all moved to selling a bare bones economy class (where bags and seat assignments are considered luxuries and paid separately) or an upcharged regular economy (not even referring to "premium economy" here) where you pay for these basics. I booked United flights on Choice Air for an upcoming Miami sailing. Never had the option to select a more inclusive fare, so I'll get stuck with bag fees. Choice Air is just passing on the lowest fare offered by the airline. Those typically do not include bag fees. This is the state of air travel these days.

8 hours ago, Cruising Forever! said:

Since Infinite Verandas are "WILDLY POPULAR", all balconies converted to IV format.  (This will never happen)

 

You are correct that this will never happen. Not if they are "Revolutionizing" the entire fleet for a budget of $500M. Also, of all the love-it-or-have-it aspects of Edge, I think the "wildly popular" infinite format is the most reviled. I haven't read any review from a long term Celebrity cruiser who actually likes the infinite veranda. I showed videos of these to a friend who travels regularly on balconies or suites on Royal. She said, "Ewwwww, that's horrible! I'd never book that."

Another friend who is a travel agent and cruises Celebrity frequently said, "If you gave me a free cruise right now on either Edge or any other X ship, I would not choose Edge. There's no feeling of being outside. You're inside your cabin, staring out a window. It's like an Oceanview room with an opening window. And forget about allowing 1 person to sleep late in a darkened room while the other enjoys the morning outside."

I do wonder if they will quit this aspect of the Edge design after Apex is rolled out.

As for the OP who hates the neutral decor tones of Edge cabins...  I really like the aesthetic. It's clean and bright and breezy...until 2 years of cruisers have left their mark. A dry dock may come sooner than later.

My favorite excursion while on Solstice a few years ago was a combination White Pass Rail with Bike tour from Skagway. We took White Pass on the gorgeous ride up to the Canadian border, then were picked up by a separate tour company that equipped us with rain gear and well maintained mountain bikes. We rode downhill the entire mountain, through twists and turns, with photo stops at many scenic areas, and then finally Mendenhall glacier. While there were a handful of very short uphill segments (like a minute or 2 each,) the ride was mostly just coasting down the mountain back to Skagway. It was a super fun way to see a lot of scenery and stay a little bit active. But honestly, any person who is out of shape but comfortable steering/braking a bike would be fine.)