TFLG

Higher $$$ for less quality.

:confused:Did you even read the post:rolleyes:

Some of ya'll are over thinking this dress code thing.:rolleyes: If you feel like it dress up if you don't, don't. In the mean time, I will be sportin ma kilt and gettin ma groove on!:D

Oh, good to know in case I need to convince my husband when booking another Coastal :D

It's nice, some holes right on the ocean, kinda Pebble Beach esq... The pics are from my very first cruise in 2004, a 4 day Mexican Riviera aka booze cruise on Carnival. I beat the "pro" from the ship:D.

I've done the winery tour in Ensenada and it's by far the best thing to do in that port. There is a nice golf course (Bajamar) that I've done an excursion to and it's really nice too.

Is the October cruise 7 or 8 days? Curious because the May Coastal is 11 days.

The Oct 1st sailing is 8 days, the one before this is a 7 day. It's a round trip from LA up to SF and Back with other stops in Santa Barbara, Monterey, Catalina and Ensenada. The 8 day has an overnight in SF which is why I went with it versus the 7 day. And that extra day will make me Elite:D

Give me decent single malt scotch, cognac, etc.

 

Hank

I like the way you think.

Unfortunately my wife cannot stand Evian so we always take the cheaper water. I'm not a water snob and will drink it from a hose pipe if need be. Probably burned our my taste buds on Macallan:rolleyes:

The last 3 times we have cruised has been on the Allure of the Seas. Which we obviously love.

We have been on smaller ships but it has been awhile. We are booked on the Radiance for the 9 night Alaska cruise this May.

Also, it just seems like the cruise lines tend to put their older ships, which aren't as nice, over on the West Coast and then you feel like you kinda got ripped off a little.

 

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Yes, we do tend to get the clunkers here on the west coast. I loved it when the Mariner sailed out of LA. We sailed on her twice and loved it. The M Class are older but the layout of the ship is decent and it does not feel crowded like the older Carnival wrecks that sail from LA. We enjoyed the Millenium last April even though the ship was showing it's age in some areas. (dreadful smell down by the gangway on that one). We are just hoping the night life is decent in Oct. It was good on the Millenium in April but horrid on our Eclipse cruise in Nov. I find it very hit or miss on Celebrity in the night life dept. RCI is way better if you like to stay out and party.

If you're talking about the May cruise on Infinity, the ridiculous balcony prices dropped 40% yesterday from $5K to $3K. ;)

For the Oct cruise I got AQ for $1700. Just booked it a few weeks ago.

My first Pacific cruise in 2009 I paid $479 on the Mariner for a 7 day in an oceanview cabin. How times have changed.

We are SoCal residents and we did a Pacific Coastal last year. We had been to the port stops hundreds of times, but we LOVED the itinerary. We loved it so much we are doing a California Coastal later this Fall and another Pacific Coastal in a year, all on Celebrity. No flying! Flying has become an expensive hassle so we are looking more closely at Celebrity West Coast and also including Hawai'i and Mexico itineraries on Princess.

 

I just talked to my California TA two days ago about Celebrity replacing the Century with another California based ship. She said she has talked to senior marketing staff at Celebrity and no final decisions have been made yet, but that Infinity is being considered for a California base as soon as an Edge ship comes online. I am not starting a rumor because no decisions have been made yet, but keep your fingers crossed!

I would love to see more ships based on the west coast. There's so many more itineraries they could do. I don't understand why it's always just PV, Cabo and Mazatlan. The ports in the Sea of Cortez are so much nicer than Mazitlan. Ixtapa is even better, they could do 14 day trips and go to Costa Rica and back. And even 14 day west coast up to BC or even Alaska would be great. I enjoy the west coast to Hawaii cruises too. Not a big fan of the round trip but I think they could do a one way there and a one way back and still fill the ships.

We live in CA and have done 3 four day cruises to Ensenada. One on Monarch of the Seas the last year it was based here full time and the other 2 on Carnival. We have done 6 other cruises (1 to Alaska, the rest in the Caribbean) 3 with DCL and 3 RCCL.

It would be nice to do a cruise where we don't have to fly across the country and have an extra travel day.

For those of you who have done the Pacific Coastal on Celebrity, could you please share your thoughts on your cruise, the ports, the ship, etc. it would be myself, my DH, and our DS (14). Also, how is the wifi on the ship, as my son might need to do some work for school.

Thanks!

 

 

 

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We have booked our first Cal Coastal for Oct this year on the Infinity. It's an 8 day with an overnight in San Fran. I've done one Pacific Coastal that went up to Victoria and Seattle and back again. We enjoyed that one. It wasn't a warm cruise so if sitting out on deck and taking in the sun is what you are after the Cal Coastal might not be the best cruise. The Oct 8 day has 5 port days so that's not an issue since most days we are off the ship. Most of the ports are places we enjoy going to anyway so that's a plus. Well except for Ensenada, that place just blows and Catalina isn't exactly a thrilling destination either. Much rather have done San Diego. I'm sure we will enjoy it. We know the ports, we know where to go and what to do. And best of all, NO FLYING! Oh, the Wifi is hit or miss but mostly miss in my experience. If seems to work well if you go to the internet cafe and use their computers. Using you own device can be painful especially in the evening after a port call. But on the plus side your phone will connect in nearly all the ports and if you are close enough to shore you might get service on the ship

I think I'm missing something. :confused:

 

Dan

You missed the fact that the sarcasm button was on!;)

I've sailed that time of year several times and never had a problem. You never know so you roll the dice. Chances are good you will great weather but there's always the chance your ship will have to divert to another port if a storms coming.

I didn't find concierge any better than a regular veranda cabin. Some silly canapes (than 9 out of ten times we didn't eat) and a couple of oranges don't really justify the additional cost to us. The other "perks" of concierge are just fluff. A pillow menu... please. We are in AQ in October and hoping that we feel the additional cost is worth it there. Looking forward to trying Blu and I'm sure the wife will use the spa once or twice. We are in Concierge again in June but the only reason I booked it was because it was nearly the same price as a Veranda and I wanted the extra CC points. I do prefer the location of the Concierge cabins to the Aqua class though.

Mine is all jacked up too. Now it says my CC# does not match my info... :rolleyes:

I've already asked a few questions about wine, beverage packages etc and I think I'm starting to get a handle on cruising but still have questions:

 

I understand the only dining options included are MDR and buffet. Other than the dine for a fee options is that it for food? Or are there smaller snack venues?

 

Is the gym free? We are Concierge class - if that makes a difference.

 

Excursions? Can you just get off the boat and walk around and come back whenever you like? (Assuming the boat is in a port lol) Or do you have to do an excusion?

 

Do you recommend excursions? We're doing Eastern Caribbean and love to snorkel.

 

They tell you to take cash and credit cards with you on excursions? Hoe the heck do you do that if you're snorkeling?

 

TIA folks. Truly appreciate how helpful everyone is here.

There are some other places to get food. Room service is free, the Mast grill out by the pool has burgers etc, the El Baccio Cafe has cakes and pastries, and there is sometimes food in the Solarium at the Spa Cafe. Really finding food should never be an issue

Gym is free

When the ship is in port you can come and go as you please. You don't need to be on an excursion. You should always take some cash, a credit card and photo ID when you leave the ship. You never know what can happen and getting stuck in a foriegn country with no money or ID would be very bad. Find a waterproof pouch to keep your stuff in when snorkeling although most excursions are safe to leave your stuff with the guides.

I've done the Hawaii to west coast 3 years in a row. And the price increase is significant over that 3 year span

2014 Veranda Cabin with free grats $1050 (10 days)

2015 Outside Cabin with Bev and grats $1400 (11 days)

2016 Veranda gty with Bev and grats (last minute deal) $1900 (10 days)

The 2015 and 2016 would have been about the same price if cabin category was the same however the 2016 booking was a last minute deal so they prices should have been less. The difference between the first year with no bev package and the 2nd year with the bev package was $700pp if I would have booked the same cabin. So, yes, the free stuff isn't! :rolleyes:

I understand that and I'm ok with it. I'd rather pay upfront and know what I'm spending rather than getting a $2k bill at the end of my cruise.

Fear not after reading the other thread I have Emailed Celebrity a link to Google Maps. They promised to use it if they lose their way;)

My main beef is -- we won't be going on a cruise this winter. And it is really, really cold outside.

 

I have to remind myself we're going to Alaska next summer and it will be fine.

 

:(

 

Melissa

lol, you're cold..... wait for it.....so you booked an Alaska cruise:D

My favorite drink was the Fresca Picante from the Molecular Bar. That thing was fantastic. My favorite cocktail that you can still get is only available in Sushi on 5. Don't recall the name but it was made with Jalepeno infused vodka. It was very good and my next cruise I will see if the bartender in the world class bar will make them for me. No luck on the last one, the bar staff was terrible on that cruise. There was a cocktail I liked in the Sky Lounge, I think it was the Leo. I don't recall what was in it other than scotch but I sorta remember knocking a few of them back:D I also like a Painkiller when out at the pool, but I have to teach the bartenders how to make it every cruise. They don't measure anything so it's hit or miss with that one.

If it wasn't for the fact I usually cruise with a large group of friends I would probably go on Royal rather than X. The night life is hit and miss, but mostly miss. The Sky Lounge is usually busy until 11 or 12 if the music is decent, sometimes it goes even later. Pretty sure Reflection does not have the Quasor club, so I don't know what there is to do once the Sky Lounge shuts down. On the other S class ships we would head down to Quasor once sky lounge died. Some nights it would be hoppin, but most nights it was 20 people or less. Still fun with our group though.

2d is obstructed, 2c partially obstructed. Those are deck 6 so you will have the lifeboats coming up to about the railing on your balcony.

 

On our recent Eclipse cruise lots of folks were unhappy when the cruise director insisted on blasting play by play for pool volleyball...throughout the entire pool deck (and above). There were about 16 folks playing volleyball and hundreds of others with no interest. But Celebrity insists on disturbing the masses for the gratification of a very few.

 

Hank

Hey now, I love the volleyball:D and half the pool deck was cheering us on. Peace and quiet available for no charge 50 yards forward in the solarium!:p

My reservations are there but my captains club is now all messes up. It says my numbers does not match my info..... worked just fine last week.

Lets hear it for stinky cigars!:D

We (18 of us) were on the same sailing and enjoyed it as well, well most of it. Not sure I would rate the MDR nor the specialty joints quite as high. We had some problems in both. Overall the MDR food was very good and our waiters were fabulous as usual. Our sommelier had a large stick wedged in his bum and he would disappear for what seemed like hours. But he did always serve us fantastic wine. After a few days he knew our preferences and then just brought us stuff. All he needed was a personality and he would have been awesome. In the Murano they dropped my wifes food and in the Tuscan they brought her the wrong entree. Poor wifey had a rough couple of nights. Sushi on 5 was horrible except the appetizers and also empty the night we went. I'm not a sushi snob but I eat it a lot and I know good sushi. The sashimi was disgusting and obviously frozen and thawed multiple times to the point it turned to mush. The rolls were not great either. Luminea was fabulous, best meal of the cruise.

We also found it near impossible to find a chair at the pool. The Sunset Bar was also hard to find a seat in the evenings. I love to see busy venues, but add a few chairs at the sunset bar please! That place was hopping every night at sail away and most other nights too.

Our biggest gripe was the bar staff. In particular the Sunset Bar and the Pool Bar (where we primarily hung out). Those guys were just not happy at all and no matter how much we tried they just seemed like they were angry. And I've had one or two of them on other cruises and they were fine. I actually had one start arguing with me. Fortunately another bartender broke it up. I asked for a painkiller (rum orange juice, coconut and pineapple juice, and he hands me some pink thing that taste like a strawberry milkshake. When I handed it back I said he had given me the wrong drink he got all upset and said "he didn't know how to make a painkiller". I told him he's been making them for me for a week and told him what was in it. then he got pissed. But he really had made me at least a dozen of them before. having a bad day I guess, but it seemed a lot of them were. I wonder if the tips are down now with the bevy packages everyone seems to have?

The bartender at the world class bar was a bit of a stick in the mud too. He would not make anything other than the menu drinks. Never had an issue on other ships at this bar. Oh well I usually take care of those guys at the end of the cruise. So it saved me a benjamin. Martini bar staff was fabulous as usual, but man it sometimes took forever to get a drink. That's great to see, but add some servers!

Now onboard musical entertainment is where this cruise fell flat on it's face for us. The 2 ship bands were ok. Not great but when they picked the right songs they sounded pretty good. But there was a solo act (a young man) we kept running into him at the sunset bar and his music was not what we expect at a sail away. It was slow and depressing. The solo guy was sometimes out at the pool too. Come on that's just not pool music on a Caribbean cruise. And then there was the duet, gal singer and keyboard player. OMG, they music they played was awful . It was like a cross between Bjork, Alanis Morrisette and Morrissey sung with a super high nasaly voice. (yes if you're under 50 you probably don't know any of those bands). And they put her out at the pool in the afternoon. And if you think it's because I'm too young (yea I wish), my mom and dad were on this trip and they hated the duet too.

The entertainment in the Sky Lounge was pretty good most nights but at midnight the spell wore off and all the staff turned into pumpkins. The music ended and they started closing the bar. regardless of how many people were in it. I'm also wondering the the beverage packages have something to do with this. Seems if people are paying for drinks you keep the bar open. After they shut the Sky Lounge, most night we would then head down to Quasor where the DJ was playing music. Most nights were pretty slow in there with less than 20 people, so the DJ would put a playlist on and vanish. No chance to request any decent music. But we did catch a few good nights where the crowd hung around to 3 or 4am.

Obviously the Ensemble lounge is not our cup of tea so I don't know what the entertainment in there was like (probably that duet I hated:rolleyes:). The band in the grand foyer seemed to be well liked, and we saw them a few times out by the pool. Oh and for the first week or so ZERO music on the pool deck except the few live acts. We ended up buying a bluetooth speaker in Curacao so we could have some music. The Solarium is for peace and quiet, out by the pool we want some decent Caribbean music (play some Bob Marley dammit:D).

The evening parties on the deck were great and very busy. Had a really good time at the two we went to. The comedian was really good especially the midnight show (and it was clean too, not a single F-bomb). I only saw a couple of other shows and walked out of two that I didn't like (the fiddle dude, and one of the production shows). I did enjoy Jayne Curry (my wife also married a mediocre Golf Professional:o).

Overall for a Caribbean cruise the entertainment was pretty low key, and probably the second worst of any Celebrity cruise I've been on. Our OZ/NZ cruise on the summit was the worst. That ship died at 9pm..... This one was way better than that but not as good as most of our previous cruises.

Seems like I did nothing but complain:rolleyes: But overall we had a great time and really enjoyed the itinerary . Most of our meals were fabulous, The buffet was great and those fish and chips (freshly cooked) were amazing. With the exception of a few angry bartenders the staff was fantastic as usual. But please, Celebrity, get some decent music for those of us that don't go to bed at 9pm!