Silvery Seas Cruiser

3 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

The next Edge Class has been named Ascend and will start sailing in 2023 according to a Future Cruises presentation we just heard. 

This is what I hope for. Please, Celebrity, do not make so many Infinite Balconies on Ascend. Have more traditional balconies so that those of us who prefer a traditional balcony can have a choice. 

Just now, Silvery Seas Cruiser said:

So totally agree with this. I had a nagging knee injury on Apex and found Eden beautiful but just too painful to negotiate. All those stairs and steps and ramps. Oh my! Plus agree about the low slung chairs. With my aching knee, getting out of the chairs was an issue. But not just in Eden, Many chairs in public areas were too low for me to exit comfortably. And the rows of chairs in the theater were so close that there was almost no knee room. I am only 5 feet five inches tall. Just can't imagine how longer legged guests endured having their knees mashed up against the seat in front for an hour.

But I do have to say that the Theater is something to be experienced with that digital backdrop. The Rockumentary show was so amazing Hubby and I went back that same night and saw it again. We just never do that, but that show blew us away. I'd book Apex again just to see that show again spite of Apex's other drawbacks.

10 hours ago, cruisestitch said:

If you are mobility challenged, Edge is probably not a good choice.

 

Don’t try to use a scooter in the handicapped elevator in Eden.  The entry an exit doors are at right angles so you can’t maneuver a scooter in it.

 

pools have steps or ladders, not gradual entry

 

part of the Martini bar area is only accessible by stairs, also part of Eden.

 

chairs throughout Eden are so low that they are difficult to sit down in or stand up from.

 

transit through the “forest” is difficult if you have limited sight.

 

all in all, there were several design blunders when it comes to handicapped access

8 hours ago, deliver42 said:

I booked the aft on the Beyond because I didn't want an Infinity cabin.

We just sailed on Apex in an aft cabin on Deck 8. We really liked the view and had a balcony long enough to have a lounger plus two chairs and a small table. The overhang is not very big, so if if it rains there isn't a lot of protection. But it does permit you to get a great look at the stars on clear nights.  We did get some minimal black soot from the ship's smoke. Some times the smoke was pretty low hanging seemingly right over our balcony. 

Another small disadvantage is that it is definitely a long walk from the elevator to the back of the ship. 

I did that cruise with a knee injury so it was a challenge to do that walk, but if I had been in condition I wouldn't have minded.

I would gladly book this same cabin again. I really, really don't care for the Infinite Balcony concept at all. Trouble is, these aft balconies are so popular they can be hard to book. That leaves you with the "porthole" balconies that have their own drawbacks  with their narrowed view and location or get a much more expensive suite. My wish is that when and if Celebrity designs a new class of ship, the choices for those who prefer traditional balconies will be far greater than they are on Edge Class ships.

We were just notified today (Oct 25) that our seven night Nov 27 cruise on Apex will not be stopping at either Key West or Grand Cayman. Instead Apex will add Costa Maya and add a sea day. We are really disappointed about Key West, but I had doubts all along our ship would really stop there. Grand Cayman took me by surprise though.

On Equinox the muster drill was digital. You watch the muster instructions on your smart phone app or state room TV and check that you did it. Then you go to your muster station and check in with crew there showing you sea pass. It is over very fast. We did not have to go to lifeboat stations or wear life vests or go in large groups to a muster station to watch muster instructions.  It is so much easier and quicker now. I really hope this new system remains in place after Corona Virus protocols finally are over. 

The exact same thing happened to us. When we attempted the home test, the bottle containing  liquid was empty. Luckily we had ordered a set of three so we had a back up. We were given a number to  call for a replacement. Here's where it really gets weird. They promptly sent us six more test kits,  yes six more free! A friend of ours is cruising soon, so we gave some to her.

22 hours ago, davekathy said:

What do you mean by " very few dressed up that night."? The CD has nothing to do with the restaurant side of the business.  Unless you consider going to the MDR entertaining. 😉Not sure what the covid protocols would have to do with the evening suggested dress guidelines for the MDR.

I didn't mean CDC policy, I meant the ship's COVID protocols, I was wondering if possibly the ship had a more relaxed attire policy about chic nights for whatever reason.  By "very few dressed up at night", I meant I saw only a few people really dressed up on chic night the second one. By a few, I meant maybe twenty percent. I recall past cruises when nearly everyone I saw was dressed up for chic nights or the long past formal nights in days of yore. So, in short, the clothing choices on this Equinox cruise were decidedly more casual throughout most of the ship than have experienced in the past for whatever reason passengers made those choices. I am NOT second-guessing their choices. 

All told, I would have to say that the twelve-night cruise on Equinox I just sailed was the most casual I have ever sailed on any ship. Yes, there were passengers who dressed to the nines at night.  I don't know how passengers dressed in the main dining room. I don't eat in the main dining room any more having given that up several years ago. but I did notice that guests at the Martini Bar on Deck Four usually did seem to be quite well dressed. Not sure why that would be. 

We ate in Murano one evening and for lunch the one day it was offered. Most were well dressed at night, but some were casual. At lunch more were casual such as men wearing shorts. Some will believe that because it was lunch, such casual attire is totally acceptable and others will argue that it isn't a good choice in a fine dining restaurant. Regardless of what guests wore, the Murano staff appeared to be doing their best to provide a high standard of service. 

Just got off Equinox twelve-night Southern Caribbean  cruise on Oct 8. Hardly any guests wore masks. Yes, a few did. The crew was fully masked at all times. Some wore double masks. A few crew members allowed their masks to slip below their noses. If I recall, you did have to mask up in the Fort Lauderdale terminal before your vaccination card and negative COVID tests were checked. 

Ports (Leeward Island ports) required masks be worn. You also have to show vaccination cards to leave ship in those ports.

Just left Equinox 12 night. To my surprise, chic night was the third night and maybe the next to last night. I say "maybe" because very few dressed up that night. I had packed clothes for three chic nights on a twelve night cruise, but never saw any written announcement about chic night after the first one. I don't know if this represented a new policy or COVID policy or if each cruise director has the say over this on his or her particular ship. 

Tell you what I'll do; we may be sailing on Sept 26. We are Elite Plus and not in a suite. We very much enjoy the elite breakfasts. I'll gladly tell you if this perk is still offered. But this is the caveat...we want to go one minute and don't want to the next minute. We have never felt so  unsure about any cruise before, but this one has us worried. However, we are leaning toward going right now, so I'll answer your question if we do go. Or perhaps some kind soul will beat me to it. 

Say, anybody know why a large life boat appeared to be chasing Equinox out of Port Everglades?

Hubby and I really enjoyed the Edge sail away. It was so much fun to hear the ship's horn again (and again and again!) It was nice to see so many folks gathered on the grass watching Edge. Also was happy to see the fire boats spraying a greeting. Plus, just like old times, the trumpets and other noise-makers put on their usual display. I'm so happy that cruising is coming back. At some points over 3, 600 people were watching the web cam. Maybe they were as happy as I am.

Well, for what it is worth, we just booked a twelve-night Sept cruise on Equinox a couple of days ago. Celebrity took our money as we had to pay in full because of the date. We have our fingers crossed hoping the cruise isn't canceled, but, frankly, I am more worried about hurricanes than an outright cancellation. It looks like this is starting out to be a very busy hurricane season.

We just spoke to a Celebrity rep an hour ago and were told that at the end of our cruise back in Fort Lauderdale, every passenger would be given a nasal swab test.  Our cruise will end in October, so no telling if that rule will still be followed.

Thank you very much for your quick reply. It looks like Mariner has a lot of exciting new features. Mariner was the very first cruise we ever sailed. It will be nice to sail again on that ship. Brand new to sailing, I thought she was pretty darned impressive then, but it will be fun to see how Mariner has changed after all these years.

3 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

She just had a $100M+ amplification in the last 2 years.  
https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-ships/mariner-of-the-seas

3 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

She just had a $100M+ amplification in the last 2 years.  
https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-ships/mariner-of-the-seas

We are considering a 2022 cruise on Mariner of the Seas because we especially like the itinerary.  Thing of it is, we haven't been on Mariner since one of its earliest sailings out of Port Canaveral years ago. Has anybody sailed on Mariner just before the big cruise close downs? Has it undergone any major renovations, design changes,improved amenities or such in recent years in an effort to be more like Royal's newer ships?

Doesn't the state of Florida have some say in this? Gov. DeSantis placed strict limitations on municipalities to impose restrictions on behavior such as COVID-19 mask mandates, curfews, closures of certain businesses, etc.  The state of Florida has other limitations on municipal powers reserving that certain rulings can be made only at the state level. I don't know if anyone in Tallahassee has weighed in on the cruise ship limitations approved in Key West.  I do wonder if the municipality of Key West does enjoy unrestricted ability to make such a broad policy.  

We've sailed into Key West many times and spent many happy times there when we drove to the Keys and stayed a few days. For us there are distinct advantages either way. I can see why residents of Key West might resent the cruise ships that tower over the piers and unload passengers by the thousands during the day time. But we will miss being on those ships if they really never can dock in Key West anymore.

But my understanding was the main issue was the environmental impact of the big ships, It has been said the water has cleared up beautifully since no cruise ships have arrived. Key West did allow a considerable number of impressive power boats to dock there this week end, Nov 11 to 15, even though the annual power boat races were canceled & replaced with a toned down Poker Run. 

While I do appreciate the environmental arguments, I do feel that the economic impact of this decision will have a great impact on many businesses in the Old Town area where more cruise ship passengers visit.  It may take quite a while to deal with the fallout, but Key Westers did get a preview of what will happen because of the lengthy COVID-19 lockdown. They knew how hard it was on businesses and employees, but chose to limit cruise ships anyway. 

I had my hopes up the OP had inside info on some fascinating new ports, but I had a good laugh anyway, which I need.

On 10/20/2020 at 10:18 AM, Argo. said:

All of this speculation of getting points to reach a certain level may soon become meaningless. If the rumours are true that Celebrity will become an all inclusive cruiseline the perks are included in the fare, which I am sure will be substantially higher than now.  

 Not entirely. Perks such as priority boarding and departure, special exclusive events such as cocktails and meet the captain, premium bathroom soaps and amenities, afternoon canapes and treats delivered to the room,  priority seating in the theater and priority reservations in premium restaurants, and so on could go to highest loyalty tiers. 

What might be impacted is classes such as Concierge Class or Aqua Class cabins.  Not sure what advantages they would have if paid perks are now all-inclusive.

Much as I dream of cruising again or going to Disney World, I really don't dare try either one.  Even if I did want to, my husband doesn't want to. So that's that.

My husband, my sister and I have enjoyed all three seasons of High Seas. Sis and I really enjoy the fashions, hairdos and red, red lipstick. We enjoy the ship's decor but miss balconies. Those suites seem really big. So much closet space. The plot isn't the best, but so much abut the show makes up for that. We are really saddened that the third season will be the last. 

We also watch Love Boat. That show really makes me miss cruising and ache to cruise again. We have three cruises booked, but don't know if any of those cruises will be sailing. We are still hoping against hope that the 2021 New Orleans Mardi Gras cruise on Equinox will sail, but because it is early February, I 'm not sure it will happen.