kwokpot

On the Celebrity section, most definitely. I wouldn't say the same for the Carnival section.

It would be nice if Celebrity allowed the value of the free minutes to be applied immediately to the purchase of longer Wi-Fi packages.

The most important additional benefit is complementary espresso-based coffee drinks (non alcoholic) from either the dining rooms or Cafe Al Bacio. Some of the discounts on other things are slightly higher.

Despite all E-Class theaters having nearly identical layouts (the video clarity of the giant LED screens are higher on the latest 2 ships) the shows on both the Beyond and Ascent are on another level in terms of production values and overall quality. TBH content-wise they're all quite similar (familiar pop culture songs, acrobatics, dance sequences, aerial acts) so it's HOW you put together various acts for a show that will determine how well it's received.

And OF COURSE, NO mention that there aren't TV's in the room.

I have to agree that the Royal way, for us, is preferable. TBH there were many nights we didn't use all of our drink coupons, even when we were traveling with family members who didn't have status or a drink package. I think the best thing is that it applies to any drink and you pay the difference if it's over the limit of the voucher. I place that number one and availability to use throughout the day as number two why it's better than the Celebrity way.

Since the Celebrity Elite HH is now available in multiple bars taking drinks to dinner is a non-issue;there's no prohibition. In years past when the HH was in one dedicated lounge it was against the rules to take out a drink from the HH lounge location. So your worries about this is unfounded.

Unlike Royal's program, the rules on Celebrity's HH doesn't allow sharing. Having said that, do people in your situation get another drink 5 minutes later and give it to the other person? Of course people do. So it depends on whether one abides by the rules or bends them. That's not for me to say.

Here's a link to my FIRST report on the Inaugural Edge sailing way back in December 2018 where I basically explain the same exact thing about the IV window and the HVAC.

Apologies for the strong reply. This topic is a pet peeve of mine since people love to make up stories and insist things that are patently false. Then there will be conjure that Celebrity can in a drydock convert the bifold doors into real doors and then the AC can stay on. Don't get me wrong, I love the IV cabin. On our Ascent cruise we left the window open overnight for two nights when we went to bed. We like our room temperature on the warm side so on a few nights it was fine for use to sleep with the window open but no AC.

Since Elite Happy Hour is available in most bars on the ship she can be with you at those bars. Obviously she wont get free drinks but you can. That's the beauty of allowing Elite HH to be available at many bars as opposed to just one private lounge.

The bifold doors control nothing. They act like closet doors to create the illusion of a separate room. What controls the HVAC is opening or closing the window. When the window is open, the HVAC shuts off. When the window is closed, the HVAC is operationable. This is the way it is on ALL E-Class ships and it will NEVER, EVER change. Anyone telling you any other information is literally lying to you.

Mac_tlc I'm curious to hear what you feel is the passenger age demographic on your current cruise is. On my Ascent cruise the week prior to yours my guesstimate was the majority of passengers were between 50-80. There's another thread on the Celebrity board where a younger couple wants to cruise on Celebrity in Europe in the late summer/early Fall and would like to be among more passengers in their 30's and 40's than people their parents and grandparents age. I chimed in that's not the general demographic of a Celebrity cruisers. What's the predominant age range on your current cruise? Thank you for any insight! BTW, my husband and I are 62.

I don't mean to be argumentative but I have scoured the internet about the Moxy Southampton and cannot corroborate your account of no TV's in the room. If anything, it was the opposite, with people saying the big TV was the only positive thing in the room. All descriptions of the rooms at that hotels from multiple sources state there's a TV and I have yet to see a review that says otherwise. No closets, tiny rooms, yes, no TV, definitely not. https://www.pleasantholidays.com/Europe-Hotels-Moxy-Southampton#:~:text=All 208 of its guest,and drinks and a bar. https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/souox-moxy-southampton/rooms/

Thank you for your contribution but I thought it rather odd that a brand new hotel in 2024 wouldn't have a TV and seems like you misremembered that detail. Here's a photo of a room at the Moxy Southampton which clearly has a TV.

If I were you I would seriously consider NCL. We sailed on the brand new NCL Viva in December on a Caribbean cruise and just back last week from the Celebrity Ascent also Caribbean. The passenger makeup between the two flagships on a similar offseason Caribbean cruise was stark. The Viva is a beautiful ship and can compare favorably with Celebrity's E-Class ships. The MDR food was about on par with the Ascent but the Ascent's buffet can't be beat. The Viva has a food hall that included and a great alternative to their buffet. I see the Viva is doing itineraries you're interested in the timeframes you're looking at.

That is NOT the demographic of Celebrity cruisers. The majority of the passengers will be 50-80. If you want to sail with younger passengers and not Royal then I would suggest NCL, Virgin or even MSC.

On the Ascent the Captain's Club Coffee Lounge/Private Continental Breakfast is held in Le Grande Bistro Restaurant every morning from 8-10. On the 1/14 sailing of the Ascent there was no invitation for sailaway with the captain.That could be due to weather, which frequently cancels this event. HEre's a list of the CC Elite and Above events on the 1/14/24 sailing on the Ascent.

IHG:Staybridge London Vauxhall. Hyatt: Hyatt Regency London Albert Embankment Hilton:Doubletree London Victoria

Doubletree London Victoria Station

Oh boy! Too bad.You'll miss the smoke bubbles!

Don't worry, it's unlimited drinks during 5-7.

frteach: That's not correct. The Celebrity Elite Happy hour is unlimited drinks from a selected menu from 5-7 at most bars except for a couple and not from any restaurant. It hasn't been limited to three drinks for years and years, definitely since before covid. Edit: It was unlimited drinks when you last sailed Celebrity in 2022.

I did some of these ports last year in July, albeit on Celebrity. I'll cut and paste my trip report entries that are relevant to your cruise. I'll also attach some photos. Day 9 Greenock/Glasgow, Afternoon I had a late start to get to Glasgow on my own. The Greenock Central rail station was a easy 15 minutes walk, even quicker if you walk fast to catch the train, which I did. I even had time to buy my return ticket at the ticket office which for off-peak travel was under 9 pounds. The trip was about 40 minutes and it was quite full up with families and children all going into town on a nice summer Saturday. Glasgow Central Station was crazy busy and once I got onto the city streets I realized one reason why Glasgow was so busy, it was Pride Day! I don't mean to be presumptuous but I didn't expect the thousands of people in the Glasgow city centre celebrating Gay Pride. It made me feel very proud as an out gay married man and I had to spend a little time supporting my community and enjoyed watching everyone having a great time. The Glasgow Cathedral was beautiful and the organ was playing which added to atmosphere and grandeur of it. Equally interesting was the adjacent Glasgow Necropolis, or cemetery. I wish I had some more time to checkout some of the headstones and monuments. I enjoyed walking the many pedestrian only shopping streets and also checked out some of the beautiful high end shopping arcades. I spent less than three hours in Glasgow and felt I barely scratched the surface of this city. The architecture is historic and I'm glad I got to a few different areas around the main city centre. Day 10 Belfast, Morning and Afternoon I leisurely got ready for an afternoon in Belfast. The City provides a shuttle service that cost 10 dollars/pounds/euro return which is a great deal. It picks and drops off right in front of Belfast city hall by the Visit Belfast tourist office. Starts at 9:00 and last shuttle back from Belfast was 5:30. It was about a 15-20 ride. Having never been to Belfast I wasn't quite sure what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised how o much new construction has obviously occurred among the traditional Irish architecture. The weather was all over the place. It was around 62 but when the rain clouds moved in a cold wind comes with the rain showers. Then after awhile the rain stops and the sun is out and it becomes warm. The St. George's market was crowded with people and it was a fun place to explore. In Philly we have one of the country's top market, The Reading Terminal Market, and this has a somewhat similar vibe, albeit a lot less grocery stalls and more individual prepared foods stalls. It was interesting to see some food stalls were wildly more popular than others with long queues of people. Lots of photos to follow. I enjoyed just walking all around enjoying all the architecture and especially the street art (Another attraction that Philly is famous for the world over, street art/murals). I was out about four hours and had an enjoyable afternoon. Took the shuttle bus back.. Cobh/Cork Photos Belfast photos