Citymom92

Just now, cruisestitch said:

Where is the cruise? The drinking age is different in different locations. If sailing out of the US, they are very strict about being 21 in order to get an alcoholic beverageWhere is the cruise? The drinking age is different in different locations. If sailing out of the US, they are very strict about being 21 in order to get an alcoholic beverage

Aha I had not thought about that-the cruise is out of the US, Fort Lauderdale to BVI and USVI mostly, so it sounds like they would follow the US laws regardless of ports. Makes sense! 

I booked onboard our cruise in July for my husband and I for the same itinerary for early July 2023. I splurged and reserved a suite and put down the deposit. We got a good bit of OBC for this booking due to several deals at the time, over $1000. When we got home we started thinking that since it will be my husband's 60th birthday and our youngest daughter's 21st at the end of July we'd like for all five of us to go next year.

My questions:

1.Does the OBC change any time you change the original reservation? If we change the reservation to a different sailing a few weeks later (still Equinox, same itinerary) and go for two veranda cabins instead of one suite, do we forfeit all the OBC from the prior reservation and just get the current OBC offer? We're still paying well over what we would have paid for the original suite, not downgrading in price if that matters. 

2. If I would lose the OBC by changing the suite, could I keep the OBC if we keep the suite and date early July but add a cabin for our three kids (which is before our youngest turns 21). Then I guess my question would be how strict are they about her not being 21 yet for the drinks package? I'd buy the drink package for my youngest, if the system will let me even do this. My two older kids are over 21. 

Thanks for any guidance! I'd love to know how best to proceed and if there's a way to keep the OBC! 

51 minutes ago, Bill Miller said:

I agree. Dealing with the vax documents, pre cruise covid tests and dysfunctional airlines can ramp up the anxiety in anyone. After you pass these challenges and finally board your most excellent Celebrity ship, I recommend loose fitting cotton clothing and an immediate trip to the Sunset Bar. You've earned it. A well deserved, Bon Voyage.

Thank you! Yeah these last few months have felt like a year. We can’t wait to get on the ship. 

Thanks so much for the link @jelayne. I swear I looked at the page earlier and it didn’t go into what happened before boarding. And I was confused by heading that we might have had to have booked prior to March in order to get a refund. I appreciate you taking the time to respond so quickly. 

I just had a minor panic attack reading another thread about testing positive for Covid right before the cruise. In that thread a poster noted that now pre Covid cancel penalties are back in effect.
 

 I booked the July 2  Equinox cruise about a month ago, directly with Celebrity, and with celebrity insurance, but after the March 2022 deadline for Cruise with Confidence . What happens if one of us tests positive in the day or two before the cruise? Do we get FCC or refund or is there a penalty loss of some of the cost? We are both vaxxed and double boosted but obvs not total guarantee that we won’t pick it up this week though I’m avoiding most indoor spaces and still wearing a mask all day at work. Poring over my insurance doc but it’s typical contract speak and hoping someone has a sense of what to expect. Thanks all!

I just booked the scrub and massage for our last port day in Nassau, based on your recommendation. I had the absolute best massage ever on the Equinox two summers ago. So had to get the scrub and massage this time. 

We are on this sailing July 2 and your review is giving me life! I love the detail, the stories, the pics. I know it’s not easy to post while on vacation but I just want to let you know how much it’s appreciated. It’s the first thing I check when I wake up! Thank you! Wish we were there with you this week! 
 

After doing a similar cruise on Milly last summer with only 500 passengers, now thinking a cruise the week of July 4 might be quite the shock. Only hoping there’s not a bunch of wild kids, which, as others have said, is a big part of why we like Celebrity so much. Anyway, can’t wait! 

Does anyone have any good suggestions of an app to use and create a calendar of activities prior to date of embarkation when you finally can add them to your Celebrity app? Each time I've waited, and ended up missing something like a band or activity because I overlooked it on the day I was trying to add everything to my planner in the app, which isn't terribly helpful anyway. I think I remember using an app at Disney that was super helpful in tracking all bookings, reservations, shows, etc, you could look at it and it would say something like "here's what's going on right now". Super intuitive and helpful. It would be great for something like that, but I know it might not be out in the ether someplace. 

14 minutes ago, Flyonby said:

Salvatore called to see if we liked cocktails. The answer yes please!

Keep ‘em coming Salvatore! I’m glad they’re getting some treats to you. Can they live stream the entertainment shows maybe? Just to have another diversion. Heck I’d watch a live stream of the lobby just to have something different to look at. 

I am so sorry to hear your cruise has been disrupted by Covid. I avoided it for two years and then got it in March-even vaxxed and boosted was no match for Omicron at a dinner party where I totally let my guard down and attended without masking at all. I hope your symptoms are mild, and you feel better quickly.

It's making me rethink the cruise we have booked on the Equinox for July 2. If Covid seems to be spreading rapidly on board, and people aren't masking but coughing all over, not sure I want to risk getting it again, or for my husband to get it for the first time. I know since we're vaxxed and boosted we aren't likely to die from it, but I'm still suffering through a few (minor) long covid symptoms like extreme fatigue, and would really like to avoid getting it again. 

The cabin prices for nicer upper deck verandah and concierge class cabin guarantee are basically the same on an upcoming Equinox cruise. I wonder though, would any concierge cabin have an obstructed view? Also, I know the perks now for concierge cabin aren't all that great, but is it worth it at least for the extra Captain's clubs points? 

Just double-checked that the cancellation went through, and sure enough, it did. I'm still going to wait and see if our dates open up for July. I really feel like we need to get away, like everyone these days, I know. Thanks for everyone's responses, I appreciated the support when I was kind of freaking out. 

Well the good vibes helped, and they cancelled the cruise and are refunding the deposit! After being on hold for a long time, the reservationist said that since I was cancelling within 24 hours I would get a full refund, with no penalty. Whew! 

We've had a terrible year (father in law died in February, mother in law died last night) and I impulsively started to book a cruise for July and paid the $500 deposit just an hour ago. Now I realize the dates won't work, but it looks like since I within the 90 day window, I have a cancellation penalty. Any ideas if I can cancel wihtin a 24hour window?

On 7/1/2021 at 11:33 PM, bEwAbG said:

There was this recent thread with some info from others. 

 

Maybe the OP of that thread @Citymom92 will be able to chime in with more details of what happened after the cruise this week.

 

 

Hello all-to circle back on this topic we never heard back before the cruise, even though I emailed asking for an update the day or two before. As soon as we boarded, I went to Guest Relations and they seemed perplexed. The agent kept saying "you either win the bid or you don't", right, that's why this was unusual. I even showed her the email to prove what I received. (I was a little annoyed with this because I felt like she thought I was lying about it.) She just kind of shrugged and said she never heard of that and if I had been upgraded I would have heard before the cruise. 

Of course, I understood that the bid would/should have been won or not accepted. Celebrity should have just kept with that wording instead of what I and several others received. 

1 minute ago, FLMom said:

Add me to the list of recipients! I bid on three different suite upgrades. three emails received today. Two were the “sorry,  not this time” variety. But the third had the verbiage about forwarding the request to the ship. If we get it - great - if not we will still be cruising 😀

If we get upgraded, even though we paid for it, it might just be the hook I need to get my husband fully invested in cruising! haha

Actually I'm on the June 26th out of St Maarten-maybe your port is different. Still I'm dying to know what the email is about. 

4 minutes ago, judatt said:

Just received an interesting email from celebrity for our cruise departing Saturday, June 26. The email basically said we’re not able to confirm your move up at this time but have forwarded your request to guest services on the ship. 
always before the email just said your bid was not accepted. Anyone have any experience with move up and ever received this email about forwarding the request to guest services on the ship?  Thanks. 

Ha ha JINX I just posted the same message for the same cruise on the same subject! 

Hi all-only have cruised a few times, and have never tried a move up bid. We are on the June 26 cruise out of St Maarten in a verandah and received the email saying we could bid on a move up cabin. The minimum bids weren't great, but I did end up bidding on the Family Verandah. Today I got an email saying that they were not able to "confirm my upgrade" to a FV, but have sent my request and bid to the onboard crew for review. They say they will see what last minute cabins become available.

Does anyone know what this might mean? I've only seen that usually bids are accepted or denied. I know this cruise is at a very low capacity (we were told no more than 50% but someone on the ship this week said that they were told only around 380 passengers are booked for next week). Could I still get an FV or is that not very likely at this point? As always, thanks for your experience! 

Oh gosh now I’m worried. We’re on the Millennium next Saturday and I booked flights through Celebrity day of thinking the 10pm

sail time would be okay. Our first flight leaves DC to Charlotte at 6am then we’re supposed to be in St Maarten at 1:20pm. If it’s a Celebrity air booking and flight out of Charlotte is delayed causing us to miss the cruise, what happens? 

8 hours ago, jelayne said:

I don’t get it.  They said they would start cruising at 95/5 and reduced capacity.  If the Edge starts sailing at about 30- 35%  roughly 1000 passengers thats 950 vaccinated and 50 not vaccinated.   When I go out to dinner at home, or stand in the grocery check out line, or go to the movie at home I think I have a greater chance of being seated next to a unvaccinated person that on a ship.   Not to mention that the person boarding the ship has been & will be tested.   I can’t say that for the people in the grocery, restaurant or movie.

We are vaccinated and are comfortable that should we get the virus the vaccine will do it’s job.  The only thing I’m unhappy about is we aren’t booked until October.

Being exposed to someone in a grocery store is vastly different than on a ship. I believe the concern isn’t that vaccinated people will get sick from Covid. It’s the fear that a ship with Covid positive travelers (vaccinated or not) could infect people on islands still struggling to get the virus under control and/or overwhelm the medical staff on ship. Plus the concern that the ship won’t be allowed to disembark really sick passengers makes it everyone’s problem whether you’re vaccinated or not. 

12 hours ago, basenji56 said:

You basically are adding $1068 to the cost of the cruise for the unvaccinated.  More if they have older kids along.  Plus requiring masks and segregating them.

 

Not sure if this will be enough of a deterrent to the wealthy.

. . . Or enough of a deterrent to the ignorant anti-vaxxers. But hopefully they’ll start getting turned away at port once the ship check in hits 5% and maybe they’ll start to wonder if it’s worth it. Personally I’m mad my vaccine didn’t make me magnetic or whatever else the stupid conspiracy theory they have going this week. 

Interesting- I find it much more desirable to fly into another place I've never been than to Florida honestly. And the flight add on was about $500 cheaper than booking on my own. There's no direct flights to St Maarten, but I'm ok with that to avoid Florida.  

When the pandemic hit, my husband and I both said we would never cruise again. (We've only been on a few, but enjoyed them all) Fast forward a year and we are fully vaccinated, and very encouraged by Celebrity offering fully vaxxed cruises. Honestly knowing that all crew and passengers are vaccinated is the only way I would cruise again. Like so many people, we're desperate to relax and see the ocean again, so are looking at two cruises (one with just us, the next with our older kids, also fully vaccinated) for this summer! Thank goodness for science and medicine!

15 hours ago, harryfat1 said:

Hi, Donna,

 

Thanks for the kind words. 

 

With everyone being busy, family vacation is the only time we can get everyone away from their phones/computers.  As with most teens, my kids look at their cell phones and laptops more than the rest of the world around them.  Only during vacations can we get their focus away from various social media or video games...

 

We miss cruising.  It's a fun and relaxing form of vacation.  You don't have to look for a place to eat daily or park the car or find fun things to do through Yelp.  Will be interesting to see what the cruise experience looks like after they start sailing again.  Doubtful we will cruise in 2020 as we will wait out to see how everything unfolds.

 

Harry  

I am so glad I kept this thread in my pinned column for responses! It's been really nice to read this thread again, and also hear that I'm not the only one with kid who are soo focused on phones/laptops, etc, until we all go on vacation. My kids are now 23, 21 and 18, but they still all love to vacation together with us. Someday that will change. We are cruise newbies, having only been on three, and just one with the kids, but I am also interested to see what cruising looks like in the coming years.