cruzeluver

Really looking forward to your report. Will be on Reflection out of Barcelona in September.

"Familiarity breeds contempt." If E-class ships are sailing at capacity at prices X is happy with then I don't see why they should change.

If there are folks dumb enough to pay it, then Carnival should be smart enough to charge it. If no one books at the higher prices, then the prices come down.

Really enjoyed it on Apex. From our view it did make the room feel larger. Made almost no noise when opening/closing. Now we are not ones to spend a lot of time in a stateroom anyway so our needs are modest : we don't get fussed about room size, layout, where is the balcony in relationship to the bed, does the balcony have a foot stool etc.

Oh thank goodness, another thread turned into why "infinite verandahs are evil and will mean the end of civilization as we know it". Both ships are lovely. I assume the itineraries are the same? If not, go with the better itinerary.

MSC definitely has the better itineraries in the Med and that should be given a lot of consideration. I cannot imagine accepting a lesser itinerary out of loyalty to Royal. What has already been stated about MSC is pretty on the mark. Ships are stunning and kept absolutely spotless. Service is reserved which we actually prefer. Food can be a bit hit and miss but the same can be said for Royal.

I give the BBB as much consideration as they deserve (none). Anyone can negatively or positively rate a company. Its as reliable as any online reviews. We have made one purchase from Effy (diamond studs) and were pleased. Stone carat weight, color and clarity were exactly s advertised. And price paid was in line with what it should have been.

The perceived "cut-backs" started in the late 80's/early 90's when the major lines decided "economy of scale" was the way to go. Build bigger ships that can hold more people, charge lower fares and reduce service. This is hardly new. And since that time there have been those that have complained long and loud thinking it will change things, or that these changes are going to drastically hurt the cruise lines. They have been wrong on both counts.

We too went to Bimini this year on Celebrity Infinity. Loved it! We rented a gold cart for the day and saw everything we wanted to see. Hit several beaches, had a wonderful lunch at a local place and met some charming locals. If you prefer your Caribbean ports to have tons of tourist infrastructure and chain restaurants like Margaritaville or Senor Frogs then it won't appeal to you, but that is precisely why we loved it.

Willing to bet 60-70% of those calling could obtain the information they need some other way, tying up the lines and making it difficult for those who MUST call for the assistance they need. We use a TA so never have a reason to call Royal. I work for a financial institution and that is the approximate percentage of our calls that clog our phone lines : "what is my account balance?", "what is that $5.00 charge on my account?", "what time does the downtown branch close?" All information they could get online or through our automated system, but instead the tie up our phones and those with fraud or other serious issues get to wait on long holds.

If a particular excursion on a particular sailing has sold well, they would be crazy to discount it.

Anyone who has worked in customer service for more than five minutes deserves a medal. And a gold watch. And to be paid more than anyone in the NFL.

Loved our cruise on Apex. It was exciting to see X branch out and do something different. Eden was a fun space and our dinner there was one of the best we have had on any cruise. The Infinite verandah was lovely, very spacious. The ship design was modern and sophisticated. We still love the M and S class ships as well, but different is a good thing!

BBB ratings are not worth the dynamite to blow them up.

Yes, the city guides in Puerto Plata wear government ID's as well yellow or orange shirts.

Cannot find a source to confirm that the port of Belize is closed to cruise ships. Perhaps this was an assumption?

Windjammer is fine for a quick breakfast, occasionally for lunch, but we much prefer being waited on for dinner, either in the MDR or at a specialty restaurant. Getting through dinner in 30 minutes or less is not a goal for us.

We like them just fine. But I don't give the little box I sleep in that much thought anyway.

We docked at Taino Bay in Puerto Plata last month while on Celebrity Infinity. If you follow the sign to exit the port area, as soon as you leave the complex there will be men in bright yellow shirts. They are paid by the government to escort tourists around the city. Our guide spent close to 3 hours with us. We saw everything we wanted including the fort, umbrella street, the square , the pink street and more! There is no fee for their services but of course a gratuity is much appreciated. He made sure we were safe and shared a lot of information about the island. A wonderful day and we got to spend it with a local. Really got a feel for the island.

A few more thoughts I have had on this topic....... There are a lot of little touches that elevates the Celebrity experience over Royal : 1.rolled cloth towels in the public bathrooms instead of paper towels 2. better space-to-passenger-to-space ratios, so fewer passengers, less crowded on board 3.fruit kabobs and sorbet served poolside 4. better crew-to-passenger ratios, so more attentive service 5. Celebrity spends more per passenger on food and it shows in the quality We still love Royal as well, in fact our next cruise is on Serenade.

We love both Royal and Celebrity with just about an even number of cruises on both. When we want lots of onboard activities, and a high-energy atmosphere we go with Royal. When we want a more sedate, relaxing cruise with service and food that is a step up, we go with Celebrity.

Thank you for the review. We board Infinity a week from Saturday. Will be our first time back on M-class in many moons. Glad to hear about the excursion in Grand Turk as we have it booked. We have been contemplating La Petite Chef and think we may pull the trigger. Ryan

We liked ours' on Apex and would gladly book again. We were told in advance it would be closed for two hours on a port day for cleaning. Other than that we could have it open as much as we wanted.

Thank you so very much for taking all of us on your cruise with you! We are booked on the same itinerary for 2023 on Reflection and have already gleaned so much good information! We plan to head over to Portofino for at least a couple of hours but I think we'll more than likely take the bus one way and the ferry the other. Enjoy the rest of your cruise!! Ryan

Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and MSC all dock at Taino Bay. Amber Cove is used by Carnival Corp, brands ; Carnival, Holland, Princess etc.