Gonzo70

19 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

And that's why I say the PSVA uses legal definitions and not common sense – no part of the Caribbean is a 'distant foreign port' except the ABC islands.  Go figure!

My understanding is the definition of "distant" for the PVSA is outside of North America. The ABC islands are in South America, so qualify as distant just as a stop in Colombia qualifies for a Panama Canal cruise starting in one US city and ending in another. The non-ABC Caribbean destinations cruises generally call upon are within North America so they are not considered distant (i.e. Jamaica, St. Martin, St. Thomas etc). It is not random/arbitrary that the ABC islands are considered distant versus other Caribbean islands, it has to do with them being the islands that fall outside of North America.

2 hours ago, JL87 said:

I don't think that would qualify as blanc de noirs as Fromenteau is basically Pinot Gris. I think the only two black grapes allowed in Champagne are Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.

Fromenteau grapes are grey/rose colored, so closer to red/black grapes than white grapes, but a bit of a hybrid. They are one of seven grapes in the Champagne region permitted to be used to make Champagne. 

18 hours ago, JL87 said:

Technically a blanc de noirs sparkling wine is made from red or "black" grapes. In Champagne that would mean Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier. Who knows what you might get in Virginia!  Could be any red grape I guess. I've actually had some good Virginia wines in past. I'll try to find some of the Thibaut-Janisson. 

 

The only Champagne I've seen on Celebrity covered by the BP recently is Montaudon. It's perfectly fine unless you're very picky and willing to spend more money.

A blanc de noir from Champagne could also be made from the lesser known Fromenteau grape. 

15 hours ago, zitsky said:

 

I haven't had much experience with corked wines.  Did they taste a bit "off" or like vinegar perhaps?  What was the reaction when you sent back #2?

Corked wine has a musty smell, like wet cardboard or a moldy basement. The taste is dull with no-to-minimal fruit flavor. It is not an all-or-nothing phenomenon, but a wine can be slightly corked and most will not even notice to extremely corked where the smell is very off-putting, or anywhere in between. Vinegary wine is caused by too much oxygen being exposed to the wine, generally either a cork that doesn’t sufficiently seal off the wine or a wine that has been left open too long. 

1 hour ago, hiccups said:

Although it's in small print at the bottom of the menu, just wanted to point out the 20% gratuity is included on the bill for food.  My DH didn't realize this and tipped on top of that, which meant he left about a 50% tip.  We had nonrefundable OBC, so not a big deal, but we kind of laughed about it afterwards.

I think you misread it; it says gratuity will be “added” not that it is “included.” It does not specify it applies to the food; in all other restaurants on Celebrity gratuity is only added to beverages and not to food, so quite possible none was added to your food order - though you’d have to verify with your receipt. 

17 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

Kobe Style Beef Sliders?  They cannot say it is Kobe beef since it is not.  So what exactly is Kobe style?  Just regular ground beef with the price of Kobe?

It’s just silly marketing lingo; no such thing as Kobe beef sliders/burgers - they have way too much fat content to be used that way even if someone wanted to spend a couple hundred dollars on a burger. At least it is legal to say “Kobe style” even though it is a meaningless term and misleading. It is a step in the right direction from when they called it “Kobe beef” - something which a few restaurants have been successfully sued over, for false advertising. Hopefully eventually they will end this silly practice altogether and stop using the word “Kobe” on their menus to try and sound like the mystery meat they are using is something extremely rare, prohibitively expensive and luxurious. 

20 hours ago, cb at sea said:

When you're sailing, you're not close enough to really see anything.....and the open decks provide a 360 view of anything you may miss from your balcony.

Have you sailed this itinerary?!? At times you are so close to the fjords you might be able to jump from your balcony to land with a running start. You also pass by glaciers and are close to land while going around the horn. I spent hours on my balcony watching the beautiful scenery during this cruise. 

2 hours ago, drakes2 said:

If it was brought onboard on embarkation day you are allowed 1 bottle wine per person. I would not have let them take it so easily. The rules are clearly stated. 

The policy has always been two bottles per stateroom/suite not one bottle per/person. 

On 12/22/2019 at 11:59 AM, Fouremco said:

 The second option would be to dispute the charge with Amex.

 

 

This would only be a viable option if the OP has no intention on ever sailing again on Celebrity or any of the RCCL brands. Companies sometimes ban people from future business for disputing a charge that they feel is valid.

That is an odd amount, so doubtful to be related to a promotion. It is also too large amount to be because of a change in taxes/port fees. It looks like you posted recently about changing a shore excursion - was it one you booked through X? If so the amount may be related to a refund from the excursion you cancelled. If so, there will probably be a separate charge for the excursion you switched to, assuming that is also with X (see if you have any pending charges or confirmed charges on your credit card).

I really enjoyed my dinner at Jose Enrique

It has been a while since I ordered one, but historically it was always six mini-martinis. If you have a favorite, most bartenders would likely be willing to swap it in upon request.

1 hour ago, MEcruzr said:

What other gins do you recommend?

For a martini, my second favorite gin (after Monkey 47) is Old Raj. For a negroni my favorite gin is Kyro Koskue. Even people who tend to be whiskey drinkers and think they dislike gin generally love a negroni made with Kyro Koskue.

A true martini would be approximately 2oz of gin and 1oz of dry vermouth stirred (not shaken) until it is diluted with about 1.5oz of water (served with either olives or a lemon twist). The chilling generated from the stir tones down the ethanol notes so the more subtle/interesting notes of the gin and vermouth to be pleasant. If using lower end gin and/or vermouth then typically one would not dilute as much (as the ethanol taste will mask the inferior quality) or make it a variation on a true martini and add additional ingredients to be the forward flavors, i.e. lemon drops, chocolate “martinis” etc. Using vodka is also a “play” on a true martini. A true martini using good quality ingredients should never be shaken; while it may be more of a “show” it messes with the texture and more subtle aromas and flavors, which are what makes a great martini great.

A lot of people who tend to order “martinis” with vodka or extra components haven’t had a true martini made with good quality gin and vermouth and well executed. Mediocre gin or a martini made poorly can really taste bad, whereas with vodka being a neutral spirit, a great “vodka martini” doesn’t exist but it is also more difficult to make a bad “martini” with vodka. A martini with excellent gin (Monkey 47 is my favorite) and good vermouth that is executed well is a treat. 

Thanks for the correction; I was a Liddle' off; it is $25.

Corkage to consume the wine in a dining venue or public lounge is $35 per/bottle. No charge to consume the wine in one's stateroom/suite.

12 hours ago, Oville said:

What is your definition is intolerant?

I am not the in charge of such definitions. The prevalence of lactose intolerance is 65%. A significant majority of people become lactose intolerant after childhood. It is the norm.

https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/lactose-intolerance#statistics

Approximately 2/3rds of adults are lactose intolerant; it is the norm. 

20 minutes ago, Glendakayself said:

 You can then call and ask to be assigned any other cabin available in the category you were assigned.

While this is generally permissible for North American bookings; bookings made in Europe do not have this option.

On my Edge cruise even those in suites were having trouble getting slots from the dining package for Fine Cut (most slots were booked prior to the cruise starting). Try to take care of this first thing after you board; but be prepared with a Plan B. The more flexible you can be in terms of day/times you are willing to dine, the better your odds. A 7-8pm time slot is likely the most difficult; either an early time or late time is more likely to be open (if there are any openings).

Agree with the others; this is not a big deal in the least. Last cruise I had was out of Port Everglades but I purposely chose to fly into MIA because I prefer spending a night there than FLL. Was an easy Uber ride the next morning to the port and cost under $40. Probably only cost about $25 more than a cab or Uber from a FLL hotel to the port would have cost. I'd be stoked for the $100 credit for this tiny hiccup.

2 hours ago, slei15 said:

Check out the Cozumel Chef and do one privately.  A quick google search will bring you to their website.  The cooking class with Josefina at $80 per person is awesome, as are their local food tours with Jerry or Emily.

Strongly agree with this advice. Have done the Cozumel Chef food tour twice, once with Emily and recently with Jerry. Best Caribbean excursion I've ever done. Extremely well run company, friendly people, and amazing excursion. Consider it a blessing; probably MUCH cheaper than what you were going to be doing with Celebrity and likely a superior experience to boot.

https://www.cozumelchef.com/

7 minutes ago, hcat said:

Are there any afternoon snacks served there?

At Michael's? If so, then yes. There is afternoon tea-time served by the butlers with finger sandwiches and some scones/pastries. Then just before dinner some canapes are served.

Top suites (Royal and above) include a bottle of Champagne; lesser suites receive a bottle of sparkling wine. Top suites also always come with a premium beverage package; lesser suites often, but not always, come with this as a perk.

Jackets are not required for any dining venue on Celebrity on any night.