mac_tlc

This one was for eight of us and worth every single penny. Having the kids and grandkids all together is priceless, and won’t be possible forever.

You can see Hairspray on Symphony now. Chicago lasted 5 years. I like Mama Mia over Cats or Grease. Great finale. mac_tlc

Not exactly. When Oasis came out the Broadway show was Hairspray. Cats came on board when she went to her first dry dock in 2014. Allure originally had Chicago when she started in 2010. mac_tlc

Hairspray

I agree. Current pricing is changing our outlook on cabins and cruiselines too. mac_tlc

We have a couple suites booked on Celebrity coming up. They were booked long ago and at nowhere near todays pricing for the same cruise. Their suite prices on the cruises we have booked are anywhere from 40-100% more than we booked for. Needless to say, we will not be booking at their current prices. If you really want sticker shock look at a suite on Wonder, or even worse Icon. Simply incredible. Hence our gravitating to Celebrity and even MSC or Oceania. Would bet that a lot of those suites on your Apex cruise were booked a while ago too. mac_tlc

We have used Rome Cabs (www.romecabs.com) in the past and were very pleased.

No, it’s in the main theatre.

I think Jim is on Apex TA.

What a wonderful review and a great read! We have not done MSC yet, but with the cost of suites on Royal and Celebrity along with the status match on MSC, we are looking at the Seashore out of PC for Fall 2024. Thanks for the review. mac_tlc

That single supplement seems like a killer. I was looking at the Nov 2024 Silo TA and for two, in an S1, its $392 pppd. Regent was pricing out higher than that for two. I have been perusing Oceania lately too, but haven't found any value proposition for the sailings I was looking at and their very port intensive itineraries aren't for us. Pretty sure I would not do the smaller Oceania ships. Viking with no casino and onerous payment terms doesn't draw me in either. I don't really care whether a cruise line says its "premium" or "luxury" or any other marketing term. If I like the experience and the offerings and the price is acceptable, then we are happy. For the cruises we have booked, Celebrity meets those terms, however, their current suite prices for 2024/25 are outside that boundary, so that's why the search has begun. mac_tlc

Enjoying your review. Welcome to the Celebrity board! We have almost 30 Royal cruises so far, but if it's just the two of us, it's Celebrity. mac_tlc

Great recap and an excellent story about the Magic tray! Interested in what you do next year, whether it’s all E-class or a mix of cruise lines. mac_tlc

I think technically, no. That would still constitute a change in sail date. Never hurts to ask. mac_tlc

Ouch! I never heard of that happening, I hope it was resolved. Even if they had to forfeit the entire $500, they should have gotten $300 as an FCC. I guess a few extra questions at booking time are in order! mac_tlc

I believe you do have it right. Anytime you change the ship or sail date, you incur the $100 change fee. With the latest changes, if you cancel entirely, you lose the entire deposit. If you can wait until you are on-board in 16 days, book it onboard. The deposit will only be $100 pp and you have less exposure. OK, now tell me when it is!! mac_tlc

We did an open future cruise booking on Beyond in early February and we have one year to choose a cruise in order to get the OBC. IMO, that is a pretty big change. Here is the "fine print" from our on-board booking e-mail I received after we returned home: A Cruise Later reservation does not guarantee stateroom or sailing availability or cruise price until you convert it to a confirmed booking by selecting a ship and sail date and paying all required deposits. It must be converted to a confirmed booking within (1) year after the Booking Date in order to be eligible for the future onboard credit. If not converted within one (1) year from the Booking Date, you will not receive the onboard credit and your deposit will be refunded. However, given Celebrity's changes to the non-refundable deposit program, I'll probably only book on-board now, so as to keep the possible $$ lost to $100pp. mac_tlc

We also just purchased the GeoBlue Trekker and we’re also looking at MedJet. Seems to me the biggest difference is you decide if you want to be evacuated back to a hospital near home if you have Medjet while GeoBlue makes the decision if, in their evaluation, sufficient care is not available where you are. Having never been in that situation, and hoping I never will, I can see the possibility of also getting MedJet. mac_tlc

Stunning pictures of a beautiful country! Can’t wait! We even have an overnight in Honninsvag. My wife will love the temperatures —— she hates the heat 😂😂😂. mac_tlc

Looking forward to following along! When I see your screen name, I look forward to our journey to your homeland this June on the Jewel of the Seas and going to the Arctic Circle and North Cape! Enjoy the warmth. mac_tlc

In the non-suite areas, I would say the Sunset Bar on Beyond is a wonderful upgrade from Edge/Apex. Very well done. The Grand Plaza on Beyond has the Martini Bar in the middle as opposed to off to one side— allows more bar seating at the expense of a bit of the dance floor. In the suite areas, everything is a bit bigger. Retreat Lounge is completely inside on Beyond while Edge and Apex have an outdoor seating area. The ships are still very similar and I’m sure you will enjoy Edge!! mac_tlc

I know. They typically have to front the entire deposit for suites when reserved, not so for cabins below suites. mac_tlc

Groups rarely if ever include suites.

I figured sooner or later they would join their sister. What it means to me is either book on board or wait longer to book. No more bookings 12 months or more out. mac_tlc

I’d really be interested in a LIVE with that itinerary. mac_tlc