Gracie115

The balcony did not have a lounge, just chairs. The "S" class has lounges. The tub/shower combo, especially in rough seas is very difficult for one to stay stable and upright. There is a fixed glass panel that you reach across to turn the water on and then a glass door that opens into the tub. There is one small grab bar on the wall opposite the opening. The tub wall itself is unusually high, higher than the "S" class, which is also high. Anyone with mobility issues would have a problem. It was ok until we hit the high seas from Hurricane Martin but with only the one grab bar I nearly fell several times because of the rocking seas. On a good note, the shower itself is great, with lots of power. If you are young and have no mobility issues you will be fine.

Our experience with the shoreside concierge on Apex for our TA that just ended was lousy. We were in a CS and didn't get contacted until 5 days before the cruise. I had a few different requests and none were taken care of and our email went unanswered. A 2nd email was sent to her 2 days before the cruise asking if she had received the initial email and that was never responded to either. Pretty lousy experience. If they are only going to help when they feel like it then why bother? Thankfully we had a wonderful butler in John who took care of nearly everything we had asked for from the "shore side concierge." This has NOT been our experience in the past, the concierge was very helpful but this time......not so much.

The CS on Solstice class and now Edge are completely different than the M class ones. The balcony on the S class, especially if you get one on the back or front of the hump is huge. The bathroom has entrances from both the bedroom and living room. There is a walk in closet on the S class ships. We love the S class ships CS, our favorite stateroom on X. We just finished a TA on the Apex in a CS and while we liked the suite there were definite downsides from the S class ones. No walk in closet, bedroom is MUCH tighter on space, the tub/shower is more difficult to maneuver than the S class, especially in rough seas. The balcony was smaller and had no lounge. We still liked it but probably would not pay for it on a future Edge Class. The balcony on the M class is an "add on" it did not originally have a balcony at all. We stayed in it prior to the balcony add on and really liked the suite except for the bathroom location which is through the bedroom. Have always wanted to try it again since the balcony was added.

Our experience with Rome Cabs was outstanding. We hired them for a pick up at FCO to Albergo Del Senato, then the next day to Tivoli Gardens. The next day they provided transportation from Rome to Tuscany area near Pisa and the cooking school we were attending for the week. Finally, a week later they picked us up at the cooking school and transported us to the Civitavecchia port. The cooking school was very remote but they found it with no trouble. All transports the drivers were on time, actually early, every time. We couldn't be more pleased with their service. Someone here awhile back asked if anyone had any experience with Rome Cabs outside of the Rome and port area. We certainly did and will be seeking their help again the next time we find ourselves in Italy, which we hope is very soon.

Yes' we were notified it would be an issue for four days, but it was actually about 7. Haven’t had this happen on any of our TA’s though for more than a few hours.

On the Apex right now, last day of our transitlantic and I have to say that the Internet has been really really poor. while we were still in the med it was fine but once we left the Azores getting even the simplest email through was very difficult. I’ve never had this kind of issue before on seven transatlantic’s. It has been disappointing especially since this is a new ship.

They are still on Apex, which we are currently on and agree with @jelayne Like the smaller burger

We did this with Spain Day Tours, really wonderful day. They did the same, broke the bus into small groups once we arrived at Alhambra.

Boy is THAT ever true

Thanks for the clarification and also the reminder that we can trade the champagne on arrival for a bottle of wine.

Interesting, we've never thought to ask for any alcohol when in a CS. We aren't champagne drinkers do you think there's any chance of a bottle of wine instead at no charge?

That's true if you enjoy specialty dining, which we haven't since the inception of Luminae. Having said that usually the price difference is larger on the cruises I have looked at for an RS vs. a CS. For instance, the CS we have booked for a TA in April 2023 is $3,000 less than the RS. Enjoy your cruise on Silversea.

Well I think that's true...a CS doesn't compare to an RS... but neither does the price..

An RS....sure... an SS, I don't think compares at all to a CS. Its more than a little extra space, I am referring to the "S" class ships with a walk in closet, huge balcony, large living area (albeit with an over large coffee table), 2 entrances to the bath, 2 TV's. What's not to love? We are about to experience our first on an "E" class ship when we sail on the Apex, but expect we will love it too.

It took us over 3 hours to check our bags, go through security and get to the gate back in May and that was with assistance from Delta. Never would have made it otherwise. We arrived at the gate 5 minutes before boarding. I would either change the flight so you have a lot more time or try to get something that doesn't involve Heathrow at all, which is what we plan to do in the future.

We've been in both Celebrity Suites and Royal Suites, we love them both. I know some don't like the CS but it's really our stateroom of choice especially if we can get one on the back side of the hump on the Solstice class ships. The balcony is enormous. As to amenities, CS does not get the free specialty dining or the bar set ups and other beverages that RS gets but other than that our butlers did an equal job in both. We saw no difference in service, I'm sure you will have a wonderful time.

I have read several times that one of the entertainment choices on O ships is the piano entertainer at night. What kind of music do they play? When I think of piano bars I think of sing alongs, or songs that are familiar to most people. I also realize a piano entertainer may strictly be instrumental, which can be great too. Just trying to figure out which way O goes with this.

Or possibly more of their clientele (like us) prefer never to eat in the buffet so it is not the main emphasis of their food quality. We avoid the buffets on ALL lines as much as possible.

We have been on 2 cruises in the last year and getting ready for a TA on the Apex in 3 weeks. We can't wait. The "sparkle" is still there for us. Always just thrilled to be on board. Both our cruises in 2020 & 2021 were wonderful, outstanding service and great food. I think attitude can make a huge difference in how you enjoy/experience things. Both our trips had people wearing masks most of the time and the crew ALL the time, that alone sets the stage for a different experience. There was significant "social distancing" in the first one, so not as much interaction with other cruisers. The world has not even come close to recovering from the impact of Covid and considering the financial bind it put on ALL the cruise lines I am just glorious that they are still operating. If there are hiccups along the way, we just roll with the punches, a hiccup is a lot better than a shutdown. 21 days till we board Apex....WOO HOO!!!!!!

Our TA on Apex in 3 weeks appears to be about 90% full at this point.

I have only used EMED tests and did it with my phone. Your phone already has a camera. EMED (and I'm sure the others) have a website which will instruct you what to do. You do have to set up your email and have a password(with EMED anyway). When you are ready to do the test you sign on, and an agent will take you through the rest of the process. I definitely recommend doing a "practice" test at home so you know how the process works. Once you do that you'll see just how easy it is.

Yes, I think so. The west coast from just south of Tampa to well past Naples won't be ready for tourists in 5 weeks. The hotels that are open will be taken by workers, people whose homes have been damaged/destroyed and insurance agents. Key West all the way up the East coast and Central Florida to the Panhandle will be fine. Yes, a few of those areas, Ormond Beach, St. Augustine, Daytona had some flooding and power outage issues but they should be recovered for the most part in 5 weeks.

I looked for a thread on this and couldn't find one. Interested in knowing what entertainment is available after 7PM on the Marina. Thanks

I agree completely. The servers in Luminae begin their day before 7AM and don't finish until after 10PM at night. Yes, they get a couple hours off in the afternoon. They work hard and we appreciate it by not only saying so on a comment card, or in the case of my last cruise a letter to the CEO's office, but also by providing additional tips for a job well done. The letter I sent was shared, almost immediately, with the staff involved and I received several "thank you's" from them. But I am also sure they appreciated the additional tips. Ditto the above for our room steward.

I like this idea!! Have been hesitant to add to our account because just wasn't sure how it worked but nice to know I would be able to give something to the person being tipped so that they know about it.