arbroath55

We cruised for the first time with Celebrity in May and 3 of us had pre-purchased their `Classic Drinks Package`, the challenge we initially faced was nowhere is it specified what it actually includes other than the term `House Brands or pours` We just short circuited the process by presenting our classic cards and asking what drinks are included with this card? For beers it`s the draft/tap on the bars that have them, though in practice this is Heineken and bottled beer tends to be Heineken or Coors Lite. Spirits are unknown ( to me ) brands and I do know a bit about this as I owned a pub for 19 years, the wines were ok from memory there was a chardonney, sauvignon blanc, a dry rose, a malbec and a merlot. On the night of my birthday we ate in the sushi restaurant and went for fizz, the very nice server just kept topping us up and there was no charge on our bill. They have this slightly strange thing of only offering wine by the glass, even if all 3 of you are drinking the same wine they won`t leave a bottle on the table, likewise you can wait 10-15 minutes in some bars at peak times to be served but they won`t double up and serve you 2 bottles of beer. Overall I don`t think the Classic package is great value unless you are hitting the bar 4-5 times a day and if you have a preference for a particular brand then you are going to go thirsty. Travellers tip for avoiding the aforementioned 10-15 minute wait for bar service - go to the bar on deck at the back of the ship or the bar in the casino

From recent experience boarding at Vancouver Board as early as you can despite what your allocated boarding time is. The earlier you go = the fewer in the q Nobody ( check in staff ) matches up allocated boarding time with the time you are actually there as they are all too busy asking you to provide the same information that you so patiently spent time entering into the online pre-board system

There are a lot of people who are still very nervous about catching Covid, we are just back from a 5 week trip round Canada including 7 nights onboard Eclipse late May/early June and we saw plenty in masks and had to wear them on Canadian trains and flights. Seems to be any building or service that is government owned or operated = mask on, the rest is optional, so on return to Vancouver you can walk about the ship, get in lifts, go to restaurants and bars without a mask , walk down the gangway into the cruise terminal where you put a mask on, then exit and take it off. There is the onboard rule of wearing a mask in the theatre but the way round this is to take a drink in. The OP may just want perfect peace to write a book or whatever, we don`t know. Have room service for 7 days but bear in mind the food is prepared and delivered by people. My first post on here and I`m afraid you`re just not going to get the comfort and re-assurances you are looking for from me, it`s time to get out and live life again, I sat next to a woman in a restaurant in Banff who kept her mask on throughout her visit lifting it slightly to put food in her mouth, she just looked like a person who didn`t want to be there