Poconolady

I’m sure they can, just order it as you want it. I’m a tea addict and absolutely love their Tea Forte teas, both over ice and hot. 

Cafe al Bacio is our “ go to” spot after dinner, esp on Apex. It’s fun to watch the comings and goings of passengers while listening to music. We opt for people watching over going to the show most evenings.

Really interested in your review. We are on the Aug 9 sailing and I have been struggling with what clothes to pack. I know, layers—, but “which” layers? Hoping to get a better idea from watching your report.  Hope you continue having a great trip!

Following along, we are on the Aug 9 sailing.

So glad I found this thread! We are on the Aug 9 sailing, so I am following  along for all-of your tips, esp the Iceland weather and recommendations for packing. We were on Infinity in Jan. for the Antartica cruise, so I-assume some of those clothes are going to make the trip. Can’t wait to see what's next!

On 6/12/2023 at 1:09 PM, patterson3 said:

Is deck 11 preferable to deck 10? We are currently booked in the 2 center sunset verandas on deck 10 on a sailing on Celebrity Ascent next year but this morning I noticed that both of these same staterooms are available on deck 11. I assume that the view will be pretty much the same (obviously several feet higher), but everything else would be pretty much equal? 

SV’s on 10 are quiet.

If you sail on an E Class ship, then check out the cinnamon rolls at the Eden Cafe, they are fantastic!! Eden Cafe is in kind of a hidden area, open for breakfast and lunch, complimentary. Indoor and outdoor seating.  Try it!!

Well, since it-takes almost two hours to get thru a dinner, I assume these early diners are trying to make the early show. Not everyone is a night owl and wants to stay up late. Also, since people travel from all parts of the world to take a cruise, perhaps these early-birds are Europeans, Asians etc, and its some other time entirely according to their inner time clocks.

Now, on the other hand, If they are going to state that the opening time is 5:30, then 5:30 should be the earliest that they seat  anyone. Opening times are set so the staff is ready, the food is reafy, etc.

I also miss the ice tea that they used to bring to the room. I recently  asked for it and they brought it on the Apex, but said they couldn’t on the Infinity, however they compensated by bringing extra waters daily and bringing a kettle for me to make my own tea. The afternoon  canapes?  I’m glad to see those gone, in the okden days when you could order a shrimp platter or cheese plate, then they were worththe extra trouble to the staff.

I recently went thru Drakes Passage where the seas were sending waves over our 11thfloor balcony. In preparation for this I ordered seasick accupressure bands from Amazon. They worked like a charm, one on each wrist whenever I started  feeling queasy I just pressed on the contact point and amazingly felt better. They also sold similar ones  in the apothecary/liquor store.

Thanks for the step by step directions of leaving the sjip and getting to Amsterdam Central Station. We will be doing the same when we return from our Iceland cruise in Aug. and I have been trying to figure out the best transfer options. This was very helpful. Is luggage a problem on the subway portion?

Jim_lain, back to the oatmeal. Have you tried the oatmeal in the Eden Cafe? They also have terrific cinnamon rolls, breakfast sandwiches and the absolute best brownies and choc. Chip cookies! Its not Luminee, but might be a change of pace after so many days of eating in the same place.

We were on in January for the Antartica cruise. We had a deck 11 Aqua cabin, the room seemed fine and was well tended. The only problem was the shower, which leaked water all over the floor. We had multiple service calls, but they never fixed the problem with doors not sealing enough to keep the water in its place. (No extra obc or future credit for our inconvenience, either). Also, satellite tv stopped working early on and was never restored, very little choice for tv, thank goodness for the spotty wifi to keep connected with the world.

We were on Infinity in January for the Antartica cruise- fabulous time!  Just wondering if others had trouble with satellite tv reception? We lost all satellite leaving Arusha and  it never came back, even when in port stops where there should haves been some reception.

Does anyone really ever buy anything from these stores? They are always empty.

We were on the Jan 14 sailing and I ended up with covid when I got home, too. Not the best souvenir, to be sure. 5 weeks later and I’m still not 100%.  Gave me a lot of time to edit, delete and organize all of my penguin pictures, going  to start work on my trip photo book soon.

Thank you for taking the time to do the “Live” report of your cruise. It was fun following along, viewing your pictures and reliving the happy memories of our cruise in January. So glad to see your clips of Iguazu. Do you have any pics of Puerto Madryn to share?

We used Estancia Tours and were very pleased. There really is no actual “tour” you  are basically paying for transportation and admission to Volunteer Point, so if your first choice is booked up, go with another of the providers listed above. You will have  the same experience , and only pay about half of what the ships tour is charging, for the same thing. Volunteer Point itself is self explanatory, you just walk among the penguins and enjoy their antics, (just don’t touch them), listen to their  singing and experience what its like to be up close and personal with such fascinating creatures. There are three types of penguins here, and each is different in not only looks, but their colony structure. The King penguins are truly the kings here, but the Magelliantics  seem to take over the beach area and the Gentoos have  their own little haven.  The ride is rough, people with back or neck problems should be aware of that before booking, the excursion ends in Stanley with time to poke around the limited number of shops and to see the church before lining up for the tender back to the ship..

19 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

Some of my favorite “friends”  from when we went a month ago! They always look so well dressed. Did  you go down to the beach? 

On 2/14/2023 at 8:46 AM, tce40 said:

Celebrity transportation from Rotterdam to the airport for my September, 2023 British Isles cruise is only $29.95.  Pretty good deal.  I signed up for it but will continue to monitor the situation at the airport because if it is still a problem in September, I'll cancel this and get a cab earlier in the morning.

I’m interested, where did you find the $29.99 transportation, and how did you book it? I can’t find it for our cruise. Do you know what time yours is to arrive at the airport?

Thanks

With a 3:30 departure time out of Amsterdam, what will the latest boarding time be? Its too early to check in and book an arrival time, but not too early to be making other  travel reservations. Will arrive by Eurostar, not by air. Trying to decide to come in a day early or not.

TIA

4 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

After a somewhat crappy day in Ushuaia, we had unbelievably perfect weather at Cape Horn. Film at 11. Now headed south. Hope we don't fall off the edge of the planet.

Hope you have a smooth sailing thru Drakes Passage! 

41 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

Not sure how much Internet there will be south of Ushuaia, but there will be more to see. Around Ushuaia is where the fun begins!

41 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

Not sure how much Internet there will be south of Ushuaia, but there will be more to see. Around Ushuaia is where the fun begins!

Love Ushuaia!!! 
if you have time after your excursion, there are great restaurants in town, featuring whole king crabs, one of the best treats of the trip! So fresh!

,

10 hours ago, sunpsyche said:

@PoconoladyThanks for your detailed advice. One question: is there a need for waterproof pants? I think I have the rest of it covered. 

No, waterproof pants aren’t necessary, unless you are going on a shore excursion in Argentina that warrants them.

15 minutes ago, gizmodog said:

Thanks as the cruise goes along can you keep us updated? 75 in a cabin, I would be roasting!

im planning on layering but am wondering if I’m bringing enough warm weather clothes, especially if the ship is kept warm.

The interior ship temp was fairly constant throughout, I’m going to say in the 65- 70 degree neighborhood. During the sea days I wore long pants and long sleeve shirts, sometimes with a sweater,  and ( yes, I know there were always some in shorts, even outside on deck in Antartica), for Antartica you are going to need layers of cold weather items if you are on deck. I wore long underwear, jeans, wool socks, waterproof shoes, a layering turtleneck, polar fleece sweatshirt, a down coat with a waterproof/windproof shell over the top of all that. Scarf, gloves ( with the fingertip grips so I could work the camera) and polar fleece hat with the hood of the coat up. Yes, a walking sausage, but I was able to walk around on the upper deck and truly enjoy the experience I had come for. It was easy to go back to the cabin and shed a few pieces when needed. Be sure to pick up a lap robe from the pool deck to have for use  on your balcony.

Packing for the trip was tricky, but honestly, you really do need  some clothes for every season. Mix and match them up to gete tra layers when necessary. Buenos Aires, Puetro Madryn and Montevideo are HOT,, HOT, HOT. Ushuaia was cool ( 50’s in Jan) and Falkland Islands in the high 40-50’s. The days after Ushuaia, and thru the Antarctic are cold on deck, pools and hot tubs are closed, they bring the tables and chairs into the Oceanview to provide for more seating.

Dining rooms and the theater were comfortable, but I either  had  on long sleeves or had a sweater or pashmina with me.

Now, , if you don’t plan on being outside on deck or taking any shore excursions you could wear shorts and tshirts the whole time and save a lot of luggage space!

Meatloaf- yes, and it was good! In keeping with BLu having healthy menus, the portion was not large.