Cruise Puss

27 minutes ago, Colin_Cameron said:

I guess they're getting it ready for the cocktail parties.

Of course, hadn't thought of that.👍

9 minutes ago, tacticalbanjo said:

It’s a beautiful day here, the Pavilion Pool

is packed. So of course they’ve decided to shut the bar at 3.30pm. No one seems to be taking much notice of the little signs saying the bar is shut because it’s so nonsensical. Edit: Now quite shut at 3.55pm despite plenty of people round the pool. Bizarre scheduling. 
 

The pool here is bizarrely shallow. They can’t have filled it because my 5’4” self can comfortably stand in the deep end which advertises itself as having a depth of 5’11”! Hopefully they will fill it all the way soon as trying to swim results in grounding yourself about halfway along. It was nice and warm today and I’ve enjoyed a lovely swim and a soak in the whirlpool while kiddo is looked after 3 decks up in the Play Zone. 
 

The gelataria is a nice touch. The rum and raisin was delicious. And if you prefer a Mr Whippy they’ve got the temperamental machines inside so you can enjoy a free ice cream. I’m glad they didn’t take the free stuff away when they added the paid for stuff. Sometimes I’m in the mood for a good old Mr Whippy. 

I love it! Why do cruise lines still make such dreadful decisions even after decades of experience. It beggars belief....

At least the ice cream is good. 😁

22 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

I wonder if this one way system is actually sensible. It means joggers are constantly getting stuck behind amblers like me, who can’t easily see them. To avoid stiff necks and possible collisions, it would be better if joggers went one way, and strollers the other, so each could see the other coming and take suitable action, don’t you think?

What a good idea. We like ambling as well and it's not always easy to see out the back of your head to avoid people approaching from behind!

51 minutes ago, LadyL1 said:

From Cunard webpages re Grills Terrace.

 

Take pleasure in the sweetness of doing nothing, whiling away hours in the beautiful Grills Terrace, exclusive to guests of our Princess and Queens Grill Suites. Accessed with your suite room key, this peaceful space features two infinity hot tubs with a view out to the horizon, as well as an array of different seating options, ideal for sunbathing with a book or enjoying a glass of something cold and some nibbles. Attentive waiters are on hand to attend to drinks orders and other requests, and to ensure that your time spent here is as idyllic as possible. Found in a central location, the Grills Terrace is a superb option for relaxing after lunch, before heading back to your suite to get ready for the evening ahead.

………………

If this is open to all, without any kind of card access, it will become a bun fight for a seat. An appealing area with infinity hot tubs, who wouldn’t want to be there?

I for one, would be extremely annoyed if that does happen, after the huge premium paid for PG/QG.

I agree. The prices for a QG/PG are a lot more than Britannia Club or Britannia cabins (inside or out) & include the use of an EXCLUSIVE terrace and bar/lounge area. If this is open to everyone it will lose its appeal and, I'm pretty sure, will annoy an awful lot of people.....

1 minute ago, MylesS said:

The only one that springs to mind that doesn’t have bar seating is the Commodore Club, though I could be missing one or two.

That's weird. I would have thought that would definitely have some.

Do you think they will be added, or is it a permanent thing?

10 minutes ago, Colin_Cameron said:

Tha Chart Room,  Carinthia Lounge, Queen's Room,  at least three of the outdoor bars and probably some others. 

Many thanks. 👍☺️

1 minute ago, Colin_Cameron said:

I'm with Myles on everything here.

Lovely photo! 👍☺️

Hi everyone,

Possibly a daft question, but how many of the bars have seating actually at the bar?

Thanks in advance. ☺️

On 5/2/2024 at 5:56 PM, Pear Carr said:

I must say I prefer the look/style of the PG cabins and restaurant compared to QG - good job that’s what we have booked!!

Agree. We've got a PG in August and much prefer the look of the cabin and the restaurant.

4 hours ago, Solent Richard said:

A weather check across the Sooent from our balcony lifter our hearts for a good day…..

 

 

…so lunchtime finds us meeting up with old friends at Southampton’s Harbour Hotel’s 6th floor HarBar  waiting for our Sunseeker taxi service….

 

Wonderful hotel with a great view!!

Just now, bluemarble said:

 

Or how about "Dreamboat Annie" perhaps? One of my favorite songs by the rock band Heart.

'Heart' - now there's a great band! 👍😊

We're on her in August, but looking forward to hearing about her beforehand.

Noticed you live in Inverness.  My Uncle has lived up there since the 1960's. He lives in the Blackpark area. He used to live on the other side of the hill overlooking the Firth in an old Shepherd's Cottage, but he moved last year.  I adore Scotland (I'm a quarter Scottish) although I haven't been for some years.

It's certainly a long drive! I've driven it myself from here in Oxfordshire, but down to Southampton is even further.

Have a safe and enjoyable trip down. 🙂

On 1/12/2024 at 9:49 AM, StopTheWorld said:

When check in opens for your cruise (usually 45 days before - check the app for your cruise and it will show the date), you select a boarding time. Arrive at the terminal at that time. When you check in on the app or website you enter your passport details,  and  on the day of boarding you are prompted to answer a few health questions. Therefore once you arrive at the terminal it’s usually a very quick process to board. 

Thanks for this. Sounds very similar to what Princess used to do. 

We've already downloaded the app so will check at the appropriate time. 😊

Once on board can you go straight to your cabin or not?

Also, where is open to eat?

Many thanks.😊

As a first time Celebrity passenger, can anyone tell me how boarding works when you board in Southampton.  We're from England and travel down from Oxfordshire on the day, which usually takes about 1 and a half hours.  We've done a lot of cruising, just never with Celebrity.

Many thanks for any info. 😊

My Husband and I were on QV just before Christmas and all the Formal nights (and I prefer that term) were well adhered to - thank goodness.  In fact, we saw staff politely asking passengers on a few occasions who were in the Chart Room Bar to leave after 6pm as they were not dressed appropriately.  No fuss was made, and the passengers got up and left.

Yes, you can dress in whatever clothes you are comfortable in, but you should then keep to the areas designated for more informal wear on Formal nights and adhere to the dress code for certain areas after 6pm.

I do agree that the 'themes' can be taken for 'fancy dress'.  Perhaps it would be an idea for people to use the internet to look up what 1920's styles, for example, actually mean.  Items do not have to cost a lot. I purchased accessories from Amazon at extremely reasonable prices, and 1920's style dresses do not have to be 'expensive' (although that term means different things to different people).

Cunard are, unfortunately, one of the only cruise lines that continue to have such a formal attitude, and it is what most of us travel on Cunard for.

As most cruise lines do not now have this attitude, perhaps those people who prefer a more relaxed way of dressing for the whole of their cruise should stick to those lines and leave Cunard to those of us who love dressing more formally.

14 hours ago, trinitygirl said:

Thank you!  It was nice to share with people who love to cruise.  Right now I am on the Celebrity Reflection and the culture shock is real.  This is only my 7th cruise; the first two were with Celebrity in 2010 & 2014, then I have had 4 with Princess since 2019.  The gap between the two means I had forgotten or never realised how different the aesthetic and the vibe is between the two lines.  I am trying to withhold judgement until I am acclimated or the next two weeks will be less fun than I was hoping.  But hoo boy, things are different over here.  

Been lovely to read all your comments.

We are trying Celebrity next year and will be very interested in reading about your next cruise.😊

1 hour ago, trinitygirl said:

Hi everyone, its our last day!  A lovely blissful sea day to finish. I am about to head up to the main pool for a swim - i haven't been in there yet and I figure it will be packed all day long so I am going before breakfast so I can at least know I have been in there! 

 

Yesterday was Grand Turk, and it was lovely.  I headed out on a snorkling tour; we had a warm up at a baby spot because there were a number of new snorklers in the group, and then headed to the Library Reef, right on the edge of the Grand Turk Wall, where the sea bed drops away to 7000 feet.  The water was a pure indigo over there, and it was gorgeous.  There were a lot of fishies - all the little tropical ones and lots of big fish like snapper - and it is bliss to spend time in the water watching them, but the reef itself, like all the reefs I have seen over here, was nothing special.  unfortunately for me, I snorkled the Great Barrier Reef back in the late 90s - there are no words to describe the poetry in motion down there, and nothing else since (not even the red sea in Egypt) has come even close to the colour and perfection.  Now that its pretty much gone, I feel such sorrow whenever I go snorkling, to think that we just let such a magnificent treasure die. Anyway, it was wonderful to spend time in the water, and then even better to get back on board to enjoy some ship-side silliness and thanksgiving dinner, followed by a last lovely bath in that gorgeous bathroom in my suite.  I am going to miss that bath so much!!

 

Some photos:

A beautiful sunset at sea:

 

I thought the Sky Princess was a huge ship, but we felt dwarfed by Carnival Mardi Gras - what an enormous ship!

Grand Turk from my cabin window:

 

A monument to the Friendship 7 splashdown:

 

 

Thanksgiving decorations:

 

 

A demonstration of towel art:

 

Thanksgiving Dinner:

I had the special cocktail - it was super delicious:

I had the pumpkin soup (very yummy), then the green salad, and the gnocchi which was too rich for me and most of which I didn't eat.  I didn't have dessert but the people at the next table had pumpkin pie, pecan pie and apple pie and they weren't impressed with any of them, so I don't think I missed much except calories I definitely didn't need.

 

 

more silliness - I scored 19/20, being tripped up by a law in Minnesota prohibiting bingo more than twice a week.

Lovely photos.  We loved Halloween on Sky and would love to do Thanksgiving on her as well.

Grand Turk looks amazing as well.

You will be pleased to know that the Great Barrier Reef is, in fact, recovering, despite what the media around the World would have you believe.

Enjoy your last day. 😊

2 minutes ago, gsmith2424 said:

Captain just made an announcement about 5 minutes ago, medical evacuation by helicopter. 

Thought so. Sad for the person/s involved.

54 minutes ago, gsmith2424 said:

Just an FYI for everyone on this cruise we did a U-Turn in the middle of the night and now heading back towards the Azores.

Do you know why?

Is it a medical emergency?

(By the way, we were on the cruise before you and were in a Penthouse Suite (R612). We thought Georgia (the lady Suite Concierge) was wonderful, as was the Suite Manager.  We loved that every morning she would come round Sabatini's during breakfast asking how we were.  We also enjoyed the pre-dinner drinks and food between 5:30 and 7:30 every night. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did. 🙂)

5 minutes ago, laslomas said:

A cargo ship has collided with another ship in the area and gone down. I believe Iona is involved in the search for survivors.

 

Blimey! I didn't guess that one!

That's unusual.

Why is Iona stationary off Bremerhaven?

Lots of SAR vessels as well, plus a helicopter.

Has someone gone overboard?

Is this only an Elite perk or do Platinums get an invite too?

Does anyone know if NFL games are shown on Sky when she's going out of Southampton?

We are on her from 29th Oct for 12 nights to the Canaries and wondered if they'd be showing any then.

19 hours ago, lx200gps said:

Discovery Princess, 7 Day California Coast out of LA

Thank god for that! We're getting on Sky on the 29th out of Southampton and I was worried you were talking about our cruise! 🙂

13 hours ago, lx200gps said:

Thanks for the kind words. I do have a follow-up, having just had a chat with a particularly helpful CSR at Guest Services, who was able to confirm what had been posted on our Roll Call. Take 5 is being modified right now in preparation for a slot pull tournament happening ON THE NEXT CRUISE after ours, so the voyage departing right after we disembark, on October 14. The modifications to Take 5 are temporary and he said Take 5 would revert back to its former glory right afterwards. Thinking out loud, I'm not sure it could be turned back into its former self fast enough to be available to folks embarking on the following cruise, so it may still be out of action for a week or so after this tournament has gone away.    I did peek into T5 just now, and the work has started, there being some slot machines already installed, along with some signage about the tournament.

Not a problem. ☺️

Thanks for the update.

Stupid question, but what ship are you on?