TheHawk1

13 hours ago, NooCruzer said:

The DH and I are sailing on Beyond right now on the Panama Canal Cruise. We went through the Agua Clara (new) locks into Gatun Lake. Unfortunately our long-pre-booked Culebra cut ferry excursion was cancelled the night before, presumably due to traffic and delays expected in the canal entry. We took a bus excursion to Panama City instead, saw the iMax presentation and the Miraflores locks up close but not in :-(. My summary impression is that all the excursions will involve long-ish rides whether bus or ferry, sketchy food availability, plenty of time in heat +/-rain and +/- air con. I say this not to complain but to inform; eat a good breakfast knowing you’ll be back for dinner, grab water on your way off the ship. We had LOTS of older folks with all kinds of mobility challenges (short of wheelchairs or scooters) on the bus and they did great but it’s a long-ish day.

We've booked the "Agua Clara Locks and Old Panama City" tour this coming February on Beyond.  Just curious how long the bus ride is to Panama City?

On 12/4/2024 at 4:14 PM, Pushka said:

Thankyou for your excellent analysis. Sounds like tender priority is a miss when on a celebrity excursion. Your observations about the theatre priority remind me of Qantas premium boarding on a plane where it seems that many are priority and that line is often longer than general boarding. 
 

We are a bit torn with this kind of suite versus the sunset Aft balcony we currently have and which is so much less expensive. Half the price. Your review has helped a lot.  All of these sunset balconies have been reserved but these Sky suites are wide open. 

I am also booked on this cruise in 2026.  I have reserved an SV, which I thought would be a good compromise, as better than IV for being able to go outside and see the scenery but without breaking the bank on a suite.

Fun fact looking at Black Friday sales.  The difference between purchasing a premium drink package and a classic drink package is $3 per day, so why wouldn't someone pay the small bit extra for the better package?  But to upgrade from the classic package I already have to premium is $20 per day.  Gotta love Celebrity's makes-absolutely-no-sense pricing model!

1 hour ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

It is a bit crazy to use some of the best views on the ship for a gym that probably used by less than 5 % of the passengers 

Do you have any data to back up that claim?  From my experience as a gym-goer, they are well used.

The app just requested another update, the second one in a week. Now all the MDR’s appear under Specialty Dining Restaurants, but without menus? And no sign of Luminae listed at all.  Do the geniuses at Celebrity IT dept think this is an improvement?

1 hour ago, ajconova said:

We booked porthole veranda on Xcel. $169 more pp and 2 extra days than Ascent. Great price for all included. Refundable deposit was $789 more. Well worth the piece of mind, since the cruise is 2 years away.

The refundable fare for a Sky Suite booking on this cruise was over $2,000 CAD higher, which is a 10% increase over the regular fare. That’s some expensive peace of mind I’m having trouble justifying, even though I’m really interested in this cruise.

5 hours ago, jelayne said:

Trying to decide between the Ascent and Xcel, so I have a hold on both.  It’s is too early in the a.m. to make decisions😂

I think the fact that Xcel leaves from Barcelona, which is a much easier departure point than Civitavecchia and makes two extra port stops (Seville and Gibraltar) makes it the more interesting itinerary between the two.

52 minutes ago, Tigermad said:

Thanks but it doesn't. Certain cruises are not working and others are. The app was updated today but has made no difference.

Don’t you love how the app forces you to take the update but then it’s worse than the older version? My upcoming cruise only shows specialty dining options now… no other restaurants or menus available apparently.

On 11/5/2024 at 6:12 AM, hawkesbaynz said:

The Med cruises are available (on Ascent anyway). The 2026 Medcruises are about £1k more for a SV more than we paid for this September. Includes East Med from Rome. Regret buying a future cruise as there are cheaper alternatives.

While I agree Ascent is over-priced, what's surprising is that an 11 day Med cruise in an Ascent SV is only $2K more than on Eclipse for similar cabin and itinerary. When looked at from that perspective, it's a relative bargain for a ship that's 15 years newer (I'm expecting more snide comments from people who continually defend older S class).

What's really galling is the additional $2,000 surcharge on top of the base fare to have a refundable deposit. I don't see any other cruise line charging as much to secure a reservation with a refundable deposit.  It's difficult to plan two years out and lock in something now, unless you have the benefit of booking on Future Cruise where the $200 deposit can be considered a throwaway if your plans change.

In both the 2024 and upcoming 2025 seasons, Royal was offering several longer Greek isle cruises on Odyssey (9 - 12 nights).  For the just released 2026 season, they appear to only be offering 7 night cruises. That's disappointing that they're cutting back.  This is the type of itinerary I would only ever do once, so I don't see the value in going on a short cruise that doesn't cover all the possible ports in that area.

11 minutes ago, Cruise Junky said:

Sweet. I feel the same way about Edge class. Leave the M & S class to us. 

Win Win

2 hours ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

I rather do a cruise on an older Celebrity ship than on a new RCL ship 

Celebrity couldn’t pay me to go on either S or M class. 

6 hours ago, cublet said:

Hello,

 

So it looks like Royal's plan to put rubbish itineraries on old rust-bucket ships to drive loyal older cruisers to Celebrity with better itineraries and enhanced benefits to make way for newbies and families has worked.

 

Regards,

 

Cublet

In 2025, Celebrity has several Greek island cruises slated on Ascent.  If this new information is correct, then the only Greece itineraries Celebrity is offering in 2026 are on the rust bucket Eclipse. If that's the case, then it's back to Royal and Odyssey as the only option for a relatively new ship in the RCI family.

Was thinking about booking this itinerary on Odyssey when 2026 dates are released.  Your review was very helpful in answering questions about the various port stops.  Thanks for all the information.

On 4/22/2024 at 5:05 PM, jonsmom said:

I do.  The email address is dbacuna@curacaorenaissance.com

Curious how far ahead you booked? I called the Renaissance today and they said they only take reservations 2-3 days in advance. That would mean trying to call them from one of the other ports on the itinerary before we arrive in Curaçao.

Have signed up for this excursion in February and it specifically mentions a two hour stop at Sorobon beach. There are also a lot of “sights” mentioned as part of the tour, but I was assuming those are just drive by highlights and not actual stops? I won’t be happy if the majority of the trip is stopping at a bunch of dull attractions and reduced beach time.

1 hour ago, NMTraveller said:

This sounds like standard credit card protection to me ...

Absolutely, when processing a credit card transaction. That was not the case here.

3 hours ago, RichYak said:

To be clear, this is the issue in this case, not Celebrity IT. 

No, the issue is the mandatory requirement of providing credit card information when none is required to complete the transaction. And since the shopping cart function didn’t work that way just a few months ago, the change was made by I.T. 
 

Whether or not it was intentional or a mistake is up for debate.

So, Celebrity's programmers are at it again, making changes to their web site that nobody needed or asked for.  I went to take advantage of today's Flash Sale to book some specialty dining for an upcoming Beyond cruise. I have more than sufficient OBC to cover the reservation amount, but the Cart Checkout wouldn't let me proceed with the purchase.

Why you ask?  Because for some reason, Celebrity doesn't have the 3 digit security code for my credit card on file and has just recently made that a mandatory field in the shopping cart checkout.  Even though I have already purchased six items previously for this cruise, a combination of dinners and excursions, with only having whatever credit card info that was already on file be sufficient. And all the more irritating because they don't require any of my credit card information to complete a transaction that is completely covered by OBC.

I refused to provide the code just out of principle, since it wasn't needed before.  It appears I may not be dining at Fine Cut on this cruise after all.

On 9/14/2024 at 2:55 AM, cravecruising said:

This afternoon was the Effectors Homecoming parade in the Promenade. It had helped that we had seen the show back in December on the Odyssey, but nonetheless, it was still a nice way to spend about 20 minutes seeing the singers, dancers, and colorful costumes and props. 

I can't believe Royal is trying to make The Effectors a thing... like anyone would have a clue who or what these characters are?  And yes, I've seen the show on Wonder and still have no idea.

Oh for the good old days when Royal could afford the licensing agreement with DreamWorks for an actual character parade.

51 minutes ago, NicNac4498 said:

Icon has a full musical production, so I am unsure what you mean?

Wizard of Oz may be a production and it may even have some music in it, but it is not a Broadway style show like the others on older Oasis ships.

7 hours ago, canderson said:

For you, it will be a bit of a good news / bad news situation unless you're in a suite.  The E class ships don't have the interior space that other ships use as an indoor forward observation lounge (e.g., S class Sky Observation Lounge, M class Reflections Lounge), nor public outdoor space (e.g., S class Solstice Deck, or M class open deck). 

 

The forward space on E class is

 

Deck 14 = spa area

Deck 15 = gym

Deck 16 = Luminae restaurant

Deck 17 = Retreat sun deck

 

So the suite pax definitely get the best/most forward viewing space, and what's left can get pretty tight.  I don't know of Celebrity makes exceptions for non-suite access on canal days or not.  I don't even know if they move the tables back to make viewing better in Luminae for anyone, or equipment in the Fitness Center (gym).

 

So, if like most people, you're interested in seeing the approach from a forward position, you'll want to do some planning while aboard ahead of your arrival at Panama.  I'd ask early while aboard, and whatever you get for advice, be prepared to be up early on the morning of your arrival to find yourself a spot.

 

We've not yet been through the 'new locks', so you'll have had an experience that would be new for us.  All of our Panama runs have been on 'Panamax' ships through the old locks.  Beyond is about 25' too wide to make it into the old locks!

 

One more bit of advice.  There's a positively BRILLIANT book about the creation of the canal called "The Path Between the Seas", written by David McCullough.  We were most fortunate to have had him aboard for one of our full Panama transits.  Between the medical, financial, political and engineering hurdles, it's a wonder it ever happened.  Still in print and well worth a read.  It does not cover the engineering of the new locks, though, having been written before their completion, and sadly, McColllough died in 2022.  This book will set the stage for your visit, allowing you to appreciate it more than you might otherwise.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Path-Between-Seas-Creation-1870-1914-ebook/dp/B002FK3U4Q

or wherever you prefer to get your reading material.

 

 

 

Thanks again for the tips. I am fortunately in a suite for this particular cruise, so will make sure to get the most out of the viewing perks for Retreat guests.

2 hours ago, canderson said:

2) In and Out (your cruise does this) - the ship transits the Gatun locks near Colon and enters Gatun Lake.  You get the full experience of going from the Atlantic, through the locks, and into Gatun Lake.  All passengers who wish to do so then get off the ship for excursions.  Alternately, you can stay aboard at this point.  Later, the ship returns back through the locks from which it came, and parks at the docks in Colon.  At the end of your excursion, if you took one, you're delivered back to Colon to board the ship.  So you can either stay aboard and go back through the same locks, or take an excursion and meet the ship outside the locks.

This is the most helpful explanation I've seen of how this itinerary works. The details on Celebrity's web site are useless.

I'm on Beyond on Feb. 24 sailing, which also includes Panama canal.  I chose to do a ship excursion to Panama City since I figure it may be the only time I ever get to go there.  But knowing that I will still get half of the "canal locks experience" is more than sufficient.

Thank you for the information.

On 9/7/2024 at 9:29 PM, teachmetolive said:

I'm a bit baffled by those who don't like Luminae, but of course to each their own. I have NEVER had such delicious food and attentive service in a main dining room. The food was absolutely delicious in Luminae and well worth the upgrade for me, along with the real veranda and Retreat lounge.

I'm baffled by those who actually like Luminae.  What some say is good service, I find to be excruciatingly slow, especially between courses.  And the food is very hit and miss, with some nights offering nothing appealing on the menu. For E Class ships, where you don't have the option of ordering something from the MDR menu, then I end up making alternate plans for the evening and losing out on the perk I paid for. The ability to eat in Luminae is at the bottom of my list for reasons to be in the Retreat.

Royal stopped being the Broadway at Sea cruise line a long time ago. These days, they’re focusing more on either the weekend party crowd (Utopia) or families with kids (Icon), neither of which are interested in seeing theatre shows.

Apparently the New York Times doesn't think this is such a great idea in today's story

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/27/travel/icon-of-the-seas-new-ships.html 

Calling Icon class cruisezillas, that make the Titanic look like a fishing boat LOL.