PostcardJar

All right guys, one more Luminae question. For dinner, generally speaking, does dining take about the same time as in the MDR?

 

 

 

Rollie

Yes.

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Ok you suite experts. As we would like to experience the suite life as so as possible, what time should we arrive to board the ship? What time does Luminae open?

 

 

 

Rollie

Enjoy! It is so easy to board when you are in a suite.

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Another suite question. Can I assume that Luminae is open for lunch on embarkation day?

 

 

 

Rollie

Yes. Plenty of room there for bags.

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I don't mean to hijack this thread, but all this talk of Luminai and premium packages makes me have to throw a curve now. After 70 cruises, 26 on Celebrity, we finally got around to trying Regent. All I can say is our next cruise, wherever and whenever, will be on Regent. The two X cruises we have booked for later this year are now in jeopardy.'Nuff said.

Regent is on our list of cruises to try.

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Usually 300 days.

 

 

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Good to know. Thanks.

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We just booked Celebrity Reflection for Sep 30 2019 sailing out of Barcelona. When will Choice Air be available for us to check out pricing? I went into cruise planner and there isn't an option for flights yet.

I think that has to do with the airlines and when they release their schedules. My guess is a year ahead, but that’s a guess.

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Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to everyone (like Hydrokitty) for suggesting I find the flights I want and then call to get the Choice Air rate. We just saved over $1,000 on our business class seats to Rome. I never would have called but for having read this thread.

Thank you, again!!!

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The new cards no longer have a barcode or a magnetic stripe on the back of them. Everything is done by tapping the card now. Even boarding and disembarking the ship.

 

Oddly enough too they also list the last date of the cruise on the card. Not sure if that’s a glitch or if the new normal. Seems a bit odd.

 

Very interesting. So the new date a “card expires” date, perhaps?

Thanks for sharing!

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With many key Reflection people including both Captains and the HD to the Edge and both Captains from the Summit going to the Reflection I guess there will be other key people from the Summit moving over as well.

 

 

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The captains from Summit are going to Equinox (Capt. Kate) and Millennium (Capt. Alex).

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I hope it never comes to that. The last thing I want to do is to carry my phone around the ship - specially when I am at the pool where it would be left unattended.

I think it is RCI’s answer to the Princess Medallion—but it can be on any device. I agree, I hope a card remains an option.

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Wonder how tapping the key card will work out..and will that apply for exit and entry from the ship....Can't wait to hear more. Enjoy your cruise.

They scan a bar code for entry to and exit from the ship, so it may not change that part. I read that X (and RCI) are working to make entry to your room be "cardless." Whatever wireless device you have (like a phone) would act as your room key.

We aways get off the ship at every port...problem....can't find an excursion we want to do that doesn't break the bank...we have 2 kids along too...wanted to do day trip to Nevis but heard boring for kids and it's expensive! !

 

Will we really be missing out a ton if we don't check out St Kitts?? Also heard it's not the safest.......

 

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St. Kitts was our favorite stop. Beautiful and friendly people. Go to the top of Brimstone Hill if you can.

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[quote name=musicalianne;

Some of the best food' date=' ever! After the first night, they will know you by name in Luminae, they will know your likes and dislikes, what you enjoy drinking...you will feel at home! My husband and Tyrone, on the Solstice, really hit it off. Service was incredible!!

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And the sommelier will even pair wines for you! Luminae is amazing!!

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This thread was a great read!

 

We are going to experience Celebrity for the first time next month in a Celebrity Suite. We have been fairly loyal to Royal, Princess and NCL usually in a full suite, but I am very excited to try out Celebrity after reading all your endorsements.

Just to clarify... we can dine in Blu, Lumanie or Silhouette? My wife enjoys a fixed dining experience with the same servers. Is Silhouette the only option where we can request a fixed seating time?

 

Thanks you all for sharing your knowledge and experiences.

You can dine in any of them, but Luminae is best IMHO. You can order from the MDR menu in Luminae, if you’d like—even mixing and matching menus for each course. Like another poster said, talk to the maitre’d and you can have a fixed meal experience. They will bend over backwards to make you happy.

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Yes. You can fly in weeks prior to a cruise or fly out weeks after a cruise. You can also fly to/from destinations far removed from the cruise ports.

 

They usually give you a GREAT MANY different flight options on different airlines and departure times. Check different dates as well, sometimes flights on earlier/later dates are less expensive enough to pay for a night or two in a hotel.

 

Recently flew from Tucson to Zurich for only $297.80 three days early for a cruise out of Rome.

Thanks for the info!

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The 18% gratuity is included in the Classic Package. If you order a drink above the limit you pay the difference + 18% on that amount.

There is no charge for room service except for very late at night through very early in the morning. It is a small amount, around $5 to $6 I think.

Yes, you can have just coffee delivered to your stateroom in the morning.

We don't drink whiskey so can't help you there. We always have the Premium Package so don't pay a lot of attention to wines on the Classic Package. If you find the Classic Package isn't working for you, you can upgrade on board for $10 + 18% gratuity. You do not have to do it when you board, if you wait a day or 2 you would pay for the remaining days. There is a cutoff time to upgrade.

Agree with ChezMaryLou...consider upgrading to premium once on board. If you have OBC it can be used to do this and will open a lot more possibilities for you. No need to pay extra gratuity if you don't want if you stay within the package as it's already included. Any room service (including coffee) should probably be given $1-$2 gratuity.

How tricky do they get with an itinerary? We are booked on Reflection at the end of June. It sails from/to Rome. We'd like to fly to Rome, but then stay on in Europe after the cruise and fly home from a different city. Would they do that?

The Infusion bar is amazing, very much like the World Class bar on the S ships. Hours are 5:30-10:30 PM located on deck 5 in the same area as the Gelateria across from cafe Bacio.

All cocktails are $15, so if you have the premium package it will cost you $2.36 per drink. Completely worth the upcharge. All cocktails are made with fresh ingredients, the bartender prepares all the ingredients daily, As of the Dec 30th sailing there was one Bartender, Filippe excellent bartender, nice guy.

I think there are 9 cocktails, the menu is shown on a tv screen sitting on the bar, no printed menu yet. I'll try to upload some photos.

The bar and all in it look great, thanks for sharing. But am I the only one slightly annoyed that a premium package won't cover it? I know you get a great discount, but still...

We have just booked our first suite. We my have overindulged a bit, but I think it's a once in a lifetime thing. We booked a celebrity suite on the Equinox. Anyone have pointers for a newbie. We have cruised on Celebrity many time. Thanks

 

Rollie

We've done suites several times--and find we simply can't bear the idea of going back. Luminae and Michael's club are amazing, as are the extra perks that come with a suite.

As far as the butler...we find our butler to be helpful in securing reservations for specialty dining, holding seats for the show on formal night, and helping book excursions. They also will bring breakfast within about 8-10 minutes of your call in the morning instead of the 30-45 minute wait for room service. And they will customize it (i.e. if you want extra bacon or something) for you.

Enjoy!

Specialty restaurants usually have lots of discounts on board. Often you’ll find their staff outside the buffet at lunch taking reservations. You can also go to the restaurant during the day to make a reservation—and you’ll also find deals at that time.

As to the quality of Tuscan...we are from Nebraska in the US, and find we can make a better steak at home for less, so we are more apt to try QSine or Silk Harvest. Tuscan isn’t bad, but it isn’t amazing, either.

The view from Tuscan on an S class ship is pretty incredible, though. Just make sure the ship is underway when you go.

Well, by the time I called my TA, there were only two prices shown on the web. So I don’t know what it was other than maybe a glitch.

FWIW, we did book the cruise.

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Thanks for the great video--we will soon be aboard so it's nice to see such a complete video.

Thanks, we’re going on this ship in June 2018 . Very helpful

 

 

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Are you on the Jun 29 cruise? If so, we'll see you on board!

Michael's is great because they get to know you and what you like--it is very personalized. If you want something they don't have, they'll get it. Same for the sommelier in Luminae--we once got a bottle of wine that was exclusive to Tuscan Grille, but we asked and he got it for us. If you're in a suite, it is all about making sure that you have what you want wherever you are. You'll love suite life--it is more than just more room in your cabin.

And now it's January, 2018. Any other dining news from Edge? I do understand X's desire to keep its cards hidden for as long as possible.