mtnlvr53

7 hours ago, STIG OF THE DUMP said:

There is a problem at Celebrity with drinks packages upgrades at the minute. I phoned them and was told it would be sorted in 48 hours but that was over 2 weeks ago - still not sorted. I asked if this was just a problem with my account but she said that its across all cruises and very random as some people can upgrade - She couldn't do it over the phone either as she said the option isn't available on her side either. The lady at the call centre said Celebrity are aware and working on the issue.

I just went onto my cruise (January) and it was available, only a 5% discount

14 hours ago, pschweig said:

 

...I realize I’ve focused on your gf concerns but I’ve found “no sugar” items were clearly marked. It was easy to manage my diabetes on board. I think you will find that HAL takes food allergies very seriously. I feel totally “safe” eating on board. I hope this was helpful. 

Thanks for you thoughtful response. I appreciate it!

The last entries I could find on this were back in 2021: before booking a cruise, I wanted to know if anyone could tell me how HAL is doing today meeting it's customer's dietary needs?

Are Items in the buffet clearly marked?

Are they still allowing you to have a menu the night before to order from the MDR?

Thanks for your input

Janet

So far, no cruises from Celebrity for the Solar Eclipse that I see. Has anyone heard anything about Celebrity's plan to cover it? 

We have looked at Princess and Holland America and they both have cruises for that time period with the plan to be on the ocean during the eclipse. 

It's a short eclipse only about 1-2 minutes of totality, but I think I could be fun.

Janet

1 hour ago, zanydoc said:

Thank you all for your replies! Has anyone gotten a special pillow? We like those foam shaped cervical pillows-would love to request that. And do we ask the cabin attendant for the sparkling wine or the server in Blu? The other amenities like robes, slippers…do we have to actually ASK for those, too? Thanks!

 

The nicer robes should already be in the room. If they are not: ask the room attendant they will get it to you. 

You will get an e-mail asking you what in-room fitness items you want. What I don't see was the weighted blanket that I have requested twice. It's nice to have something to cover up with while reading/watching TV etc without having to disturb the bedding. My husband enjoyed the goofy acupressure mat.

They no longer have afternoon "tea" snacks in the room. Not that they were that special but I kind of liked having something brought in. 

Talk to the Matre 'd in Blu about any dietary issues. Ask about getting food from the other main dining rooms if you don't see anything you like. They SHOULD be helpful with that. Because I am celiac they were more than helpful with accommodating my need for gluten free, including bringing in other gluten free desserts to the dining room (if you order the day ahead).  (They actually have the following day's menu to review so that you can see what will be served if you request it.) Because you will normally have the same server, they become familiar with your drink orders since they see you every day and the room is pretty small. That is a disadvantage, too because the tables are pretty close together and at time it gets noisy.

I enjoyed Aqua class but the price has gotten high and it used to include the basic drink package but no longer does. 

Take advantage of the 2 waters a day: you can get them cold with the frig before you go out for a shore excursion, etc. 

We used the heated chairs everyday, very relaxing and they face the front of the ship which is a hard view to find. 

Our last cruise into FLL was a mess. I don't know why (maybe a clearance from customs)but there was a substantial delay getting off the ship. I wasn't sure we were going to make our 1:00 flight.

32 minutes ago, emdmistycc said:

Besides the small selection of books in Eden, there is also a small selection of books down at Guest Relations.  You need to wait in line and ask for them to open the cabinet.

 

elaine

I saw the same thing on the Apex but not until the last day of our 23 days onboard. I guess that should teach me I need to ask. Haha

Janet

I medicate my dogs for kennel cough for when they are in close proximity to other dogs. 

We need "Cabin cough" medication for cruises. haha🤣

2 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

When I looked at the regulations it pertains to Opioids - including Sleeping Pills 

Medicines that fall under the Opium Act

 

Examples of medicines that fall under the Opium Act are:

 

• strong painkillers;
• sleeping pills and drugs to reduce anxiety, such as Valium or Seresta;
• medication for ADHD, such as Ritalin or Concerta;
• medicinal cannabis.

 

I've traveled for the past 20 years with sleeping pills and never once was stopped or asked for such a certificate.    Personally I will continue to travel without going to the bother of the certificate.

Thanks for doing that: saved me from looking it up!

No spa activities are on sale yet, I like to reserve a massage at some point on the trip. I have lucked out in the past, so I'll have to keep my eyes peeled!

We ate in each of the 4 MDR options. We preferred the 3 that weren't Normandie. The lines were always longer at Normandie and the menu just didn't appeal to us,  so opted for one of the other 3. We picked because of the "specialty items" for the night.

The oxtails were yummy. My husband loved the carrot cake in Cosmopolitan. It also seemed brighter.

We probably ate at Tuscan the most frequently. I am celiac and have to avoid gluten: they were very accommodating in modifying a dish to meet my needs.  This restaurant is considerably darker than Cosmopolitan, but sometimes that just feels "right" and maybe seems to fit the menu more. We also ate at Cypress frequently and could always find something that was enjoyable.

Each of the 4 have several dishes in common, that change nightly. The specialty items did not change significantly on our 13 day cruise. It was a complaint w/ some diners. 

What I would say is that if you check out your menu on the app, you will find something that you can enjoy in any of the MDR locations. Enjoy!

I was hoping for Northern lights? No luck with that?

I know this is at the front of the ship: what I can't remember is if it is outside the Spa area. We were Aqua class so we went there everyday and my husband loved these crazy statues.

We were on the Apex for 23 days last fall. I would classify dress as a bit dressy in the main dining room (or Blu). Men in slacks or dressy jeans and a collared shirt or sweater with some sport coats and women in dresses or nice pants and a pretty top or sweater/jacket.  On Chic night the dress went from fancy dresses for the ladies and tuxedos for some of the men to dress not that unsimilar to every other night. So, I would say that as long as you are clean, in decent long pants or skirt you will be fine. 

I would say definitely not as casual as the Caribbean or Alaska.

We were told the canapes were no longer served on the Apex.

The pillow choices were nice, I got a really good one 🙂

You should have gotten your choice of several "health items" I got the weighted blanket and really like having a cover without having to get under the bed covers. 

We like the usage of the Spa facilities and sat on the heated chairs and watched the ocean go by every day. You can also use the saunas, showers, mineral room, etc. included with your room fee. We cruised when you still got the beverage package included, sadly that and the gratuities have been dropped from Aqua class. 

I did like Blu, the service was definitely personalized and the food was good. the Maitre 'd was top notch and the hostess greeted us by name every day.
 

It is definitely walk in and you will be seated. I know that before we travelled I was a bit concerned because all of the MDR seemed to require reservations. (Most of the MDR locations, on the Apex anyway, let you walk in without a reservation.) What is interesting is that many people come the same time every day, so we often sat by, or near the same people every day. They are very accommodating and even brought food from the MDR to me. That may be because I have food allergies and sometimes there was nothing on the Blu menu that I could eat. 

I've tried booking flights for our January ABC cruise. The flights are open but I get all the way through the booking and keep getting an error message. 

I've tried for the last 3 days. Anyone else experiencing this right now or am I just the lucky one?

Thanks

Janet

My husband definitely wore jeans to Blu on our transatlantic 2023 and there was no problems whatsoever.

We didn't get left behind but we were on a Celebrity Tour in Avignon, France going to Pope's Palace and the tour left a couple behind. The guide tried to find them but to no avail and we took off on the bus. The trip back to the ship was several miles(I want to say almost 1 hour) so it wasn't all that likely that they took a cab back after we left...

I always wondered if they made it back to the ship on their own or if they got left behind.

40 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

I find it rather amusing that after four ships in over five years we STILL are having this debate. 

Me, too. And can't you close the doors and the A/C stays on even with the window open?

The thing we didn't like (once we got the windows fixed to stop the noise) was where the windoow"rail" is. With the small-ish chairs the window rail is right at eye level if you want to sit instead of stand at the rail.

I wish it was curtains rather than the blinds so you could open the curtains a bit in the am to see when the sun is coming up. It just feels really closed in with the dark blinds. But, hey, that's just me...

Did I still have fun? Yes.

Would I book one again? Yes

6 hours ago, zitsky said:

@gold1953 My reason would be not being sure I’m getting the right figures to change my booking.  But I am not sure how I can be certain if the TA is giving me the right story.

 

@WrittenOnYourHeart I chose a non refundable deposit which I’ve done several times.  So I don’t think I can cancel.

 

If I can save 50% I think we would choose to do it.

My TA group bookings have a refundable deposit (part of the group perks) so that's worth checking out. Aqua class rooms have been ridiculously expensive recently particularly in view of the removal of the free (included) classic beverage package. I asked my TA why that was and she said she thought it was because Blu had become very popular and people wanted that class because of it so they don't seem to mind not having the bev package. 

So check to see if your Aqua class pricing included the beverage package. That could make a difference. 

We have cruised on both but the Eclipse was pre-Covid. The crew was super friendly and I liked the glass blowing experience. We had a Concierge cabin that was a bit noisy- I wish I could remember the cabin number. But our parents had a regular balcony cabin with a larger veranda and it was quiet as can be. Our waiter in the main dining room was amazing.

The Reflection we were in a Aqua class room and it was very nice. The Blu staff was very accommodating, and the food was very good. The overall staff wasn't quite as friendly (but it was post Covid so it's likely somewhat due to that.) I also LOVED the Lawn club grill; so much that we ate there twice. I am celiac and can't eat gluten and the waiters went above and beyond to be sure my food was gluten free.  They went to the main dining room to get me dessert because their menu had nothing gluten free. 

I would definitely sail on both again. (actually, we have a cruise booked on the Reflection for the ABC islands)

Janet

On 3/7/2024 at 11:38 AM, Kittybay13 said:

Our friends had an Oceanview Balcony (one of the few cabins that looks like an Oceanview but has a typical door going out to an alcove balcony) and they had zero noise.

 

I think it is the new style veranda windows and the doors that go with them, coupled with the ceiling tiles.  But I haven't heard about this issue on the Apex or Edge.

I mentioned before: we had a problem on the Apex in an Aqua room. It was the infinite veranda doors/windows that was causing all the problems. 

9 hours ago, calicakes said:

Yeah, thats a good point.  I booked with a well known cruise TA.  Who by the way, just provided me with my cancellation notice after I asked about 5x.  I needed that notice for the insurance. 

Really, really sad that you missed it. But I read somewhere that they count on your spending considerable $$ once you are on the ship: drinks, spa, specialty dining, shore excursions, etc. They lost all of that income by you not being there.  Sort of the same reason solo cruisers can't pay for a "phantom roommate": not really fair in many ways but a bit understandable because you didn't fulfill your contract through no fault of your own. 

Again, really sorry that you missed this amazing trip. Hopefully you can go on another occasion. If you've got the time, I recommend a land sea trip. I wish Celebrity had them for more than Alaska. We did Princess and it was great: Uluru, Great Barrier Reef, Aborigine tribe, and Sydney: great quick visit of Australia with more time in each location than a normal cruise stop. 
' 

We have used them in Stockholm, Helsinki, and Copenhagen. We bought the tickets online directly from the bus Co so we didn't need cash on the street and saved a ton from the cruise ship price (which I think is completely ridiculous unless you are a long way from the first stop). They worked well and we were able to get off and on at several stops and still got back to the ship in plenty of time