IrishMis

This is a luggage story that’s half “confession” half “embarrassment”but fully happy ending. We live in Orlando and cruise quite a bit out of Lauderdale.  Most times we carry our luggage off so we can hit the road quickly.  But since turning 70 I have been badgering my semi-control freak husband that we should SLOW DOWN and let them do the work for us.  Soooo this past New Years cruise on the Reflection he allowed us to do that. We pack fairly light,  each 1 medium bag.  Mine is purple with lime green tags….pretty easy to find.  We were the first group off, each grabbed a bag and off we go to the turnpike.  2 hours into the drive I get a call from X saying they have MY BAG with my name on it in the terminal and believe I have someone else’s.  As no doubt you can imagine the next 30 minutes were pretty “unpleasant” though stronger words could apply😂.   I’ll spare you the rest of the gory details but  we were blessed beyond believe that the other couple lived in Fort Pierce and would be driving up the turnpike with our bag while we waited VERY PATIENTLY to correct my mistake.  They were as nice as could be which could have been WAY different…..because the delay didn’t improve either of our days but nothing as awful as you encountered.  Both bags WERE identical, Travelpro purple with lime green tags.   All of us were about the same age, had eaten next to each other in BLU 3 nights earlier.   Ohhh…..and just for a laugh….they said they spent the first hour looking for a black bag because they thought that’s what they brought.🫣😜watch out us old folks WE are everywhere🤷‍♀️.  If I meet you in a cruise I’ll see you at the walkoff.  Sue

We just did a week on Reflection Sky Suite with  pole. My favorite travel MUST is/are tiny battery operated candles from the dollar store...2 for a buck. I placed one of mine right behind  the pole next to my bed and it was not a problem. I sleep so soundly on cruises i didn't want to bump not it, 7 days...no issues, perfect cruise but thought the butler was not worth the extra tips. Would have been just as happy with our good room steward   Sue

just got off Reflection Sky suite 8340 a few days ago.  Loved the room and the balcony  but i will say that i put a battery candle on other side of pole during the nite as i am a deep sleeper and was anxious i might run into the pole is needing to use bathroom. I ALWAYS travel with several of those tiny candles and they really come in handy. 

We recently used Spain Day Tours in Bilbao while sailing Crown Princess last month. We HIGHLY recommend them and thought it was the best excursion of our back to back 26 day trip.  Weather was a big issue on this sailing and many folks onboard were disappointed by loosing money with companies they had paid up front and then were not able to get into port. Spain Day did NOT require payment up front and their registration process is easy and efficient. I booked directly with them through their link online and we became part of 5 small buses they brought to the port at 8 AM. Some folks were from CC roll call, others were not.  Our guide spoke perfect English and showed us a wonderful day which ended in a lovely plaza where we could have free time to shop or visit a cafe.  We did the latter and had plenty of time. and some great local wine.   Sue 

Just got off Oasis yesterday from a Boardwalk balcony. we booked late and it seemed like a good deal. cruised alone with no kids and it was SOOOOO LOUD...  i would NOT recommend.  I actually read that maybe the week before we cruised but already had made payments and so not much we could do. We NEVER sat out there......only used it to dry out clothes. hardly any breeze either which was disappointing as we could find breezes lots of other places on the ship. I'd go with Central Park, we did that before and were very happy.....thought we'd try something new and wished we would've taken an inside rather than that.  

We are Elite Plus and have loved X for a long time.  The Solstice Class to us was a huge step up, in spite of the  silly grass which always seems to be "resting".  We have enjoyed many great times on the Millennium  class ships and miss the T Pool on the newer ships. Also, we enjoy the loyalty perks X offers as well as their reciprocal agreement with RCI which we have been using more often recently.  We have never booked a suite but have cruised almost every other cabin type depending on how port intensive the cruise is and where.  We were sooo excited about the Edge and cruised with another Elite level couple first week of January  in Aqua IV cabins.  All 4 of us were VERY disappointed in the balcony and also the entertainment.  It was definitely too "edgy" for us.  On the plus side the cabin bathroom was awesome and quite well designed, far better than any other i have been in. We all loved the new lounge chairs in the Solarium even though sadly the Aqua Spa Cafe keeps dumbing things down food wise. For us, money is always a factor as to whether to pay the premium for the balcony as room size and i imagine the bathroom would be similar. Sleeping is easiest in inside rooms with money left over for extras which they push hard on the ships.  The shops were so high end i was frankly shocked.  So, hard to say what you should do. I have yet to have a cruise where i just wished i wasn't there, but the real truth for us was the Edge had more of disappointments than "wows!" for us.  

I appreciate the "heads up" about activities on the way home. Some of what i have read implied fewer activities. Do they do any exercise dance classes...Zumba or anything of that nature? Could anyone comment on the weather onboard out and back....do i need a jacket if wanting to walk the promenade deck....of course i understand weather varies by the day but we are from FL where it is always hot or a little less hot......except this week, lol, which of course no one can really plan for.

Thanks for your review. We are sailing the same ship and itinerary in 10 days. Been reading the boards and getting a bit discouraged though i know often complaints get more press than the good things. Relatively new to HAL, do lots of Celebrity and Princess but liked this itinerary AND leaving from San Diego. We too will be celebrating our 48th anniversary though won't have a suite.....hopefully by the 50th will get lucky enough.

Thank you very much, i will work very hard to get the card....and you are correct, the number is on the airline website not the boarding pass....only indication of TSA recheck

Could any of you who have global entry tell me if you use the ID card GE issues at a cruise port? We have only recently gotten our numbers but never received the ID cards. We have no issues at airports because # is loaded onto the boarding pass. In the meantime the program has changed names to "trusted traveler". I think we fell though the cracks with the ID cards because when i call the phone numbers listed on the GE website they are all disconnected. Be very curious to know how the system works at cruise ports. Thx, Sue

We are Elite Plus on Celebrity and also high level on Princess. I agree with so much of what has already been said about the slippery slope of services being eliminated.....though i still appreciate the loyalty perks on X. Love my wine but don't need a beverage package to have fun. But like most folks on this thread, looking for a change. We are booked on the 18 day Hawaii trip in January and will be curious as to how it goes. We took HAL because we prefer to cruise out of SanDiego and Princess has 1 less day on the islands. Be curious to hear feedback about things like line dancing or Zumba. I have already accepted the fact that it will be an older crowd because of length of trip. Hey, Im not that young but still love some peppy exercise! Really was disappointed when X started changing for exercise stuff that used to be free and prefer not to pay $15 just to find out if i can really DO the class. I also like to go to lectures but from what I'm reading here that could be a disappointment. Which ship had the overhead AC? wouldn't like that either......we are on Oosterdam

Is Lee Moreau gone for X all together? I thought she had been head of loyalty

I have read, re-read and forwarded to DIL your wonderful comprehensive review of Oasis. We will be a party of 12 the week of Thanksgiving celebrating my husband 70th bday which will fall on Thanksgiving day. We are treating our family which is a real stretch, so i was thrilled to read a family can have a great time without buying tons of extras. We were planning to pay for rooms and gratuities only, but will spring for soda packages for our 6 grandkids per your advise. my husband and i are frequent cruisers on Celebrity and usually avoid holiday cruises, but the timing of this one is too sentimental to resist. We all live in FL so that helps a lot in transportation. So, we will expect more crowds and try not to let it affect us. I LOVED your comment that it's hard for anything to actually live up to our expectations and THIS cruise did for you. So many comments on the boards are negative and it's so encouraging to read your positive review. Thanks for taking time to do that.

Last Thanksgiving we did a cruise 5 weeks post foot fracture. Had 4 more weeks to go and was non weigh-bearing. DH reserved a wheel chair day I had the fall. Subsequently, I bought a knee roller similar to what was in link from Cruzzinma. I used both, but far and away enjoyed the knee roller. As another poster said, I felt like I got plenty of exercise using it rather than being pushed and feeling so much more handicapped. One of the biggest reasons I enjoyed my knee roller, and it was a life lesson at same time, I was on eye level with others rather then " beneath" them. Interesting experience both ways. Another really SILLY observation was the looks on faces of other cruisers when elevator door opens and they see either the wheel chair or the knee roller which takes up HALF THE SPACE in the elevator. Plus half the time I was only moving 1 floor. Big lesson in patience for others in future experiences. Make sure knee roller has basket though most do, bought a cheap backpack to slide over handle bars and I was almost self-sufficient. We did have a handicapped room which did help with showering and storage of both devises. Some evenings I let DH push me to dinner because I was really tired from all the miles I logged during the day. I broke my right foot, my dominant side, so I became much strionger for the experience. Was a Carribbean Cruise so we did no excursions. Went out in Falmouth on knee scooter but returned to ship quickly as pavers everywhere and hard to steer knee roller over that kind of surface. Another observation, knee roller fun conversation piece, wheel chair not at all.

This past Sept we spent 4 days pre cruise at Hilton Garden Inn because we got an amazing price. 5 years ago we spent 3 days in same hotel. It is very convenient and got us to the port very efficiently and cheaply. But I agree with poster who says take the bus to Piazza Rome. The buses are so easy and it definitely is way closer to the action if you only have 1 day. My very best advise is PACK LIGHT. Everything they say on CC packing advise is true about slugging your luggage in Venice. We've been 3 times and love it even time, a sail away like no other. ENJOY!

We took the spring TA on Equinox, our 4th TA.......had so much fun I didn't even read my normal quota of books. i thought Alejandro and his staff were the BEST we ever had. They MADE the trip in MHP. Loved all the free dance classes they had poolside and matinee shows in Celebrity Theatre. My DH is a CPA/Auditor....he only laughs on the inside, so he tells me. Alejandro and his staff had him laughing on the outside every day. No small accomplishment. Sailing Equinox in January and really hoping Alejandro will be on board but 7 days in Caribbean is not the same as the rhythm that comes with the multiple sea days. That may be a strange word to some folks but TAs just aren't for everyone.

Hello All, Hubby and I are very frequent cruisers mostly with Celebrity and Princess, but have done about 5 RC, even 1 several years back on Oasis. We are NOT well experienced with kids programming but planning to take whole family, including 6 grandkids ages 4 to 14 for DH 70th bday in 2017. Would love some first hand info regarding your experiences particularly as it pertains to how many hours programing is available as well as facilities. And of course, any other helpful info as it relates to "group". there 12 of us. Thx Sue

Lee did not comment on that though the question was not asked. What she did say that is that she sits in on meetings of various departments and fights for benefits to be preserved or increased. As for Zenith, their were only 2 cruisers that qualifies on that level I believe. Last year I was aware there surely more more than that. I was a bit surprised this year as to how they handled the excursions. Last year they had 1 offering which I thought was memorable and well handled. This year they sent an email which I initially misread inviting us to 3 excursions Lee was hosting but we're not complimentary. The 3rd one which was a concert the last night in Croatia, showed up in the excursion printout and actually had 2 price points...a more expensive price for the VIPs which was the Elite and above I believe. We did attend the event which was a beautiful setting, but really could not understand why the price difference. I'm my opinion, if we were VIPs why the higher price just for the heliport sail away which they offered twice last reunion cruise for no extra fee. The free excursion we did have was an opera house with 3 tenors singing and it was excellent and quite memorable.

I agree with Garda, the reunion cruise is special for a reason. We went on the 1 in Alaska last year and liked it so much that we booked then for the reunion cruise this year in Venice. We are Elite Plus and love X, but the Reunion Cruise is a unique experience which makes it a bit more memorable. Also, Lee Moreau woks very hard for the extras for CC and it is so encouraging that she REALLY cares about the loyalty benefits. She held a Q&A one day where she gracefully fielded many questions and was able to give info I had not heard or read before. Part of that info was that she is the first person to hold the position she does....and she earned points to become Elite as a passenger before she was an employee. That was meaningful to me as it indicates she understands by experience both sides of a decision rather than having it be heresay. She was responsible for inviting a guest entertainer Ana Rucner from Croatia to perform onboard. Ana was an incredible performer and a lasting memory of the cruise and Croatia. And I'm a softy....i do love the little goodies in the room at the end of the day.:)

Thanks for that info about the Pier Piper Cruise. I did go to the website that was referred to earlier in the thread and that is exactly what it showed. Made me feel like that was just a travel agency who book multiple rooms. No problems at all with that. I appreciate nicely dressed, polite men which is all I have ever encountered from the gay community. Just didn't want to feel i was infringing on their territory either. Can CC run someone for the political scene. lol!

I decided to read this thread because I am booked on one of the charters next February/March. On the advise of a friend who had just disembarked, we signed up for the Flower Power cruise. We are very frequent cruisers, Elite pLus on X, but this is the first time ever doing a charter. It's ridiculously expensive--even for the inside cabin we booked. I had to really give my DH a big sales pitch mostly based on the fact that when all the Flower Power fun was happening way back when, we had 3 kids, no money and not much fun. So trying to make up for lost time. Aside from that, we are booked on the Eclipse TA 4/16/17 and had no idea it was a gay charter. I think of myself as mostly a tolerant individual but not sure how I feel knowing that. Obviously their charter is different because they didn't "categorize" us upon booking. Does anyone know what percentage of the ship they are allowed in order to be called a charter? Sue

We just disembarked the Equinox last Friday in Barcelona after the TA. First time we got the unlimited internet, it was 14 days for $129 but we are Elite. My husband was THRILLED with the connection he had every day out at sea. We had done several transatlantic before and internet was nearly non-existent. ENJOY

It's almost impossible for me to believe but we are about to do our 58th cruise.....better than half of those were inside cabins, mostly on Celebrity and Princess. I agree with other posters that the size is the same for inside and ocean view and sometimes even balcony rooms are no bigger. We did inside cabins for same reason you are, more bang for,the buck. We have no regrets. Have seen much more of the world than we ever dreamed possible. Now we are doing some places we liked most a second or even third time and choose cabin depending on the port intensity of the cruise. Next week we are doing a TA and have a balcony because i love to read out there though I expect to be cold......I live in FL and get more heat than I'll ever need, lol. I only wish I had joined cruise critic sooner and found out how great the private tours which can be booked with other folks can be and soooo much less expensive than ship tours. Don't let people scare you that you won't get back to the ship on time, we bought into that philosophy for a while but found the tour companies VERY focused on getting us back on time with the added ability to move faster and see more. Have a wonderful cruise.

Actually I am from Orlando, FL. Chose that screen name when I first joined CC while planning a trip to Ireland. DH did talk to X and they did tell us they could not guarntee us in advance which hotel we might get which wasn't what we had hoped to hear. Very much considering upgrading the flight but have no points on any airline so am a bit worried we may not get a seat on our preferred flight. But I do appreciate hearing from those who have possibly done Australia on their own or who love their City Stay experience. They do offer the drink package with City Stay which cannot be purchased for a TP so that is under consideration as well.

We are Elite Plus X cruisers who are planning our first trip to Australia in '17. Considering taking the City Stay even though we think it is fairly expensive just to help adjust to jet lag etc. I would be interested to hear from anyone who has done a City Stay package in any of the cities and hear about your satisfaction level. Thx Sue