Guindalf

No, you don't get any specialty meals on Celebrity unless you're in an upper suite. The only 'free' specialty dining on NCL is part of the Free At Sea promotion and not given as a matter of course anyway.

A rollator is not an option, unfortunately, because I need the scooter for around the ship and in other ports and flying in would make it difficult to transport both. I guess that, as I can get on a bus or in a van, I'll be leaving the scooter behind and relying on a cane for the rest.

Yes,we have an accessible stateroom and I've filled in the special needs form for me and the DW's CPAP. This is not our first rodeo, but thanks for the reminders. We'll be on Celebrity Summit in the Retreat, so maybe the concierge will be a little more knowledgeable.

DW has found excursions for each port (except ST Martin, where we're going to just take it easy as we've been there a few times) . We'll hope they'll work, either by taking the scooter or being a short walk with somewhere I can leave it for the duration.

Oh, and yes, it does come apart. It's a Pride Revo 2.0.

We're flying to San Juan, PR in a few weeks and our cruise visits St. Martin, Antigua, St Lucia, Barbados and Dominica. We have found one accessible tour in Antigua and something we think will work in Barbados.

Anyone have any recommendations? Should we just book what we think will work, see someone on board and cancel if they won't at that time? We're happy to book direct, so it doesn't have to be through the ship.

TIA.

I have limited mobility and use a scooter to get around. It's capable of coming apart for travel or can be left behind for a tour in a car or bus.

Any recommendations? We'll be there in mid-October on the Celebrity Summit. We also need recommendations for Dominica.

I don't think it's unfair. You get what you booked in terms of perks and points. If you wanted the Move Up room, why not book it in the first place? If you DO bid on an upgrade, I'll bet it's not much higher than the minimum price and you keep the perks and points originally chosen.

YOU chose the level you were willing to pay when you booked. It's not up to the cruise line to give you more. They're not forcing you to upgrade.

Personally, I have never nor will ever bid on an upgrade. I choose what I want and I pay for it (at the best rate and TA offers I can get). Then I stop looking for Move Up offer in the same way I stop looking at pricing to see if I could save $50 two weeks before we sail!

I use an online TA and keep in touch with the same person every time. He looks after me and often, I get more OBC than is offered in their ads. We are on the Summit next month in a Sky Suite and on top of the $150 offered by the cruise line, we have an additional $600 provided by the TA. 

I’m not going to say what I think is best, just that it suits me. We’re pretty low maintenance and not checking prices every two minutes and on the phone if it’s $5 cheaper - and I don’t partake in the Move Up offer. I book the stateroom I want. Therefore it pays to get a few bucks back. The DW loves the occasional new Coach purse too!:)

Yes, you can eat in the MDR any time you like. There's absolutely NO NEED to inform the Blu hostess. You'll hand them your card when you go into the restaurant, which will log where and when you dined. It's no-one's business but your own.

Chic nights are typically the 2nd and 6th nights of the cruise with the latter being 'lobster night' in th MDR.

It would be great if this could be a sticky in every cruise line. Please feel free to comment if I've missed anything. There is no need to go over old ground and debate whether or not you should partake. that's for another thread. 

Let’s try to end all the questions about the policies and actions concerning when and how much to tip and when to remove gratuities (if at all).

I Do not intend to preach or tell you what you should or should not do. That’s your decision, but I hope I can help you draw your conclusions with your eyes open and not with half-truths, rumors and downright lies.

We’ll start with a clarification of terms.

1.        Daily Service Charge (DSC).

This is the amount added to your account each day and is intended to supplement the income of various members of the crew including stateroom attendant and assistant, wait staff and people behind the scenes that you don’t see. The actual distribution of the DSC is not and should not be your concern. It’s usually something around $15-20 per day but can vary depending on the class of cabin, etc. Compare this to a ‘resort fee’, often charged by hotels, especially in tourist areas like the beach or Las Vegas.

The DSC is often called ‘gratuities’ or ‘tips’, which is technically inaccurate and adds to the confusion. Only education of the terms will help.

The DSC can be removed if you feel that you have not received the exceptional service that is usually provided, and the situation can’t be resolved at the service desk. It should NOT be removed because you feel you want to reward specific people, which should be done with either additional individual gratuities or simply by filling in the ‘exceptional people’ form provided.

2.        Gratuities/Tips.

These are automatically added to services like drinks, specialty dining and spa treatments among others. It’s usually 18-20%. Any time you order a drink, eat in the Steak House, get a massage, or maybe even use the childcare, this charge will be added automatically. If you have a drinks package, and drink that is over the limit of your package will have the gratuity added to the extra amount (example, you order a $12 drink with a $10 limit, you will be charged $2.00 plus 40 cents in gratuity).

Many people like to add a cash tip for a favorite bartender, but that is entirely optional and not necessary. If you have a drinks package, the gratuity is built in and not charged or expected on top.

WHO PAYS?

The answer is simple- YOU DO. Whether it’s called a DSC, a gratuity or a tip, or it’s built in to the cost of the cruise, it’s all part of the crew’s salary. Those that say ‘I’m not tipping because the cruise line should pay’ are hurting the crew and no-one else. The cruise line IS paying, because all wages are paid ultimately by passengers, no matter how it’s presented. If the cruise line doesn’t make money, then neither does the crew. The DSC is presented in a form that gives an incentive to them to perform at their best.

MY OPINION.

OK, this is what I think. I think that all prices should include any gratuities and/or tips. I think the DSC is, or was, a way to keep the overall price down and increase the spend of the passengers once on board. I think now, $140 on a seven-night cruise will not make a difference between cruising or not for most people.

As a Brit who’s lived in the USA for the past 28 years, I’m aware that the tipping culture Is not normal for the average Brit or Australian traveler and tips ARE built into the fare. This is why so many of them are so indignant when sailing on a US-based cruise line. To this I say the rules are there for everyone and do not change based on your nationality. When in Rome, etc.

If you feel that your cabin steward has been exceptional, then please do feel free to give them a tip at the end of the cruise – ON TOP of the DSC. Don’t take it from others. If you feel that a crew member is performing below an acceptable standard, in your opinion, don’t rush to remove the DSC, let Guest Services know immediately so they can put it right for you.

Suite guests have the added dilemma of what to tip the concierge and butler. There is no definitive answer because each person is different. They DO receive a percentage of the elevated DSC, but most feel the need to give them an addition amount, depending on the service requested and given.

Please bear in mind that although it may not be YOUR culture, it IS the culture of the services provided. Until everything is absolutely all-inclusive, you are required to follow the rules, even if your opinions are different.

1 hour ago, QuestionEverything said:

Based on my review of Reviews and ongoing topics on this Site, Luminae is not well received by many customers. It appears that Retreat customers often eat elsewhere, order from the MDR or Blue.

I have not been in the Retreat or Luminae, my observations are only from CC.

 

With respect, the information on CC is often inaccurate, so to base your own reviews on them is ridiculous, wrong and just plain dangerous. You are giving other people's opinions as your own, which is foolish, so stop it now!

As for the OP, you can order from any (free) menu, but on Edge class ships, the MDR galley is at the other end of the ship, so it is not available on same night. You can request it for the following evening and they will try to accomodate you.

Disappointing. I love a good Bloody Caesar!

15 hours ago, amurray88 said:

“He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone" - Jesus.

~

I read about that in his blog!

'70% of ll quotes on the internet are made up - Abraham Lincoln'

4 minutes ago, Oceangoer2 said:

I was thinking of the purchase of each drink WITHOUT the package.  Should have read OP's note more carefully....mea culpa.

You STILL got the math wrong! Gratuity on $10.00 is $2.00, not $2.40! The only way you would pay $2.40 is if the drink was $12.00 and you were paying the difference over $10.00.

1 hour ago, TheBeardedCruiser said:

We have no idea where this passengers cabin was on the ship.

 

What we do know is that "having enough money to afford a YC cabin" and "appropriate behavior" don't always go together. No more so than being in the "normal cabins" equals "bad behavior."' I'm confident that wasn't what you're implying, but I wanted to clarify.

 

I've never seen a passenger as belligerent and drunk as this guy, in or out of the YC (or YC equivalent)!

Actually, this was intended as a tongue-in-cheek comment, following my first comment that this has nothing to do with the cruise line (or the class of passenger).

There is bad behavior on very cruise line and every price point. I have seen more drunkenness generally on the two Carnival cruise we've been on (never again), and we were in the Haven on the NCL Breakaway in February, where an elderly trans couple took great delight in telling us that one or other of them had to be taken to their room in a wheelchair because they were too wasted to walk on several occasions! This was at various times of the day, too, as they were missing meals while sleeping off a session of Johnny Walker Blue.

First, the cruise line doesn't matter. A drunk is a drunk.

Second, a drunk is a drunk., and one that doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut deserves all he gets! I suspect this was not his first brush with the law due to drink.

Third, the one who's suffering, unfortunately, is 'his girl' (as that's the only relationship confirmation we get). Drunks do not care who they hurt, sadly.

Finally, I would like to think this is not indicative of they typical MSC passenger. We'll be on our first MSC cruise in February, albeit in the Yacht Club, and I hope this is not what we can expect!

It used to be you could get something like 30% off if you ask on the first night. We always take advantage of that even if we get a package (just ask to charge it separately). 

No, I complained to the concierge - along with the complaint for the broken scooter.

Just off the Norwegian Breakaway, where I had cause to be very upset, so passing this information on, so maybe it'll help someone.

When they say 'you cannot take a scooter on the tender', cry 'FOUL', because I didn't.

We had the excursion to the turtle farm booked. We had to meet in the Manhattan Room where I was told I couldn't take the scooter on the tender. When we got down to the tender, I asked where it had to be left, and was told to leave it to one side and they would move it and bring it to me when back on board (I had to give them my cabin number). I was helped on dock to get to the bus and my DW had to push me around the farm in a wheelchair.

On the return trip, we were on the tender when I suddenly exclaimed 'You have to be kidding me'! when someone on a scooter (identical to mine except it had four wheels to my three) rolled up the gangplank and onto the boat!

Back on board, we had to wait about 10 minutes or so while they recovered my scooter. We returned to the forward tender station, but left from the aft. Eventually, someone rode it up, sitting on the back of the folded seat! That lead to part two of my story - a dead scooter - which took us 24 plus hours of pure hell, but that's for another time.

Thanks for the responses.

Yeah, no FaS this cruise, so with five nights, we would only need two specialty meals as we're in the Haven anyway. We sail on Sunday, so nothing's booked, but the concierge can work wonders if needed 😉

We had a two meal plan booked and canceled when I checked the Platinum perks. We'll find out Sunday what we get, but we DO get the drinks package as Haven guests.

On our last cruise (in the neighboring room) in February, I had a couple of guests who had the upgraded drinks package buying our johnny Walker Blue for me. I doubt I'll be that lucky this time!

We became Platinum after our last cruise and looking at the tier benefits, I have a question.

The new benefits include 'Dinner for Two' and 'Dinner for Two with a Bottle of wine' (both per stateroom). Does this mean we can visit two specialty restaurants or something else? Also, are these benefits just once when you reach Platinum status or per cruise?

We sail on the Breakaway on Sunday, so I would like to know if I need to book a dining package or not. We're in the Haven for five nights, so two specialty meals will be more than enough.

Do you have somewhere you need to be? If not, take your time and enjoy your last morning! You need to be out of your room by 8:00am, so why not let the system work for you. Have some breakfast and let the maniacs fight for position as they try to get off the ship and catch an 8MAM flight back to the US!

I would plan for a 9:30am shuttle. Bear in mind that whoever you use knows what disembarkation is like and will be flexible on time. I guarantee that, even though it may be your first cruise, they've done it plenty of times before!

It's a promo, not actual cash, s it never existed in the first place! If you're expecting to get it back as cash, or even OBC, not a chance.

BirdTravels is wrong. MOST TA OBC is refundable. Usually, only OBC provided as a perk by the cruise line is non-refundable.

On our last cruise (in February), we had $575 in TA-provided OBC and we also got $50 for a missed port. After spending a few dollars, we were able to go to guest services on the last evening (or final morning) and we were handed the balance of just over $600 in cash. We were also given $100 in non-refundable OBC for that missed port, which bought some Toblerone, etc.!

Another thing to consider is that prices are often quoted with the current promotion applied.

For example, if the cruise price is $1000 and it's 'second passenger is 50% off', the prices shown are likely to be $750 each. The discount would come off the rack rate, not the discounted fare!

When you upgrade, you retain the original perks. In this case, it would be the one meal. After final payment, you were lucky enough to get a balcony, so I would be thankful that they were giving me that and not upset that i didn't get another free meal!

After final payment, the cruise line is under no obligation to give you anything at all, and sure, prices get reduced when you get closer to sail date, That's the nature of the beast.