CNSfromHI

No need to apologize, @CJMini ! I wasn't sure what "specialty coffees" meant and wondered if we missed something on our cruise 😃 Based on our experience, if you book the Classic package, then you should check out pre-cruise what that package includes by name if you're concerned about being charged additional fees. Onboard, it's not obvious -- you don't order at a bar from separate coolers or something -- and it seemed during our first few days that some servers would tell you "There's an additional $X for this" while some did not. As I posted somewhere else on here, by the end of the first week, after finding a spot or two where we enjoyed hanging out and had connected with a few servers, the package differences didn't seem to matter much. Baileys Irish Cream, which my bride enjoys, wasn't included but on one particular night, she ordered a few (doubles!), for which the bartender didn't up charge us. In fact, afterward, he frequently suggested it to her as a nightcap during the last week. Anyway, thanks again and I hope your upcoming cruise is awesome! cjr

We just completed our first Celebrity cruise and had the Classic package. How do you define "specialty coffees"? Both packages provide "premium coffees" and during our trip, our package included everything I wanted, from Americanos to lattes and cappuccinos, etc. Like us, it sounds like you're not focused on brand names so Classic might prove perfect. On one or two occasions, we ordered something above "our level" that only resulted in a $1 or $2 charge for the drink. Hope this helps, cjr

I had my iPad Mini in my backpack, too, and didn't remove it, but it was only the flask that flagged my backpack. Doesn't matter if I understand all of the nuances, ultimately; I'm just glad they do it for the sake of security. cjr

Flights by Celebrity. cjr

We took our first-ever cruise in late August and ran across CheckMyTrip, as well, @dlh015. As you already suspect, we concluded it's of zero use after trying it once. 😃 cjr

I guess we were just lucky, then, and somehow our bottle of Jamison's was missed as we re-boarded! Like I said, we bought it to carry home and never planned to open it onboard, so whether it was in our stateroom or locked up wouldn't have mattered in the end. Ironically, I also purchased an 8-ounce hip flask from the Jamison distillery that day. It's a lovely silver thing bearing their logo, and it's housed inside of a nice metal "box" with a removable lid. Obviously, the flask is empty and I decided to pack it in my carry-on (backpack). Heathrow security did NOT like the flask's silhouette when it passed through the scanner, and my bag was chosen for a firsthand check, unfortunately. Never even occurred to me that this might happen. cjr

Sincerely appreciate this suggestion! cjr

Thanks for your reply. cjr

Thank you for your reply, @wrk2cruise. I knew about the reduced deposits being returned after a year of inaction, but we weren't told anything about the OBC offer only being valid with a <90-day booking. Again, I don't blame Celebrity for that; it's my fault for not asking more questions at the time. cjr

During our recent cruise aboard Silhouette, the cruise-bug bit us and we wanted more. Unable to decide on a specific next cruise to book, however, we opted late on the last full day to use Celebrity's "Cruise Later" deal. Thus, we plunked down the requisite C-note per person and received a slip of paper with a confirmation number. My bride doesn't care about the 365-days-to-choose aspect and, less than a week off the ship, she wants to book our next cruise now. 🤣 Unfortunately, we can't seem to book it online, which we'd prefer to do. It shows up there under "future cruises" or something, but clicking the link delivers an error message of some sort. Do we really need to call Celebrity to use this thing? We didn't use a travel agent the first time, either, and don't wish to now. Also, first-cruise euphoria subsiding, I now note the slip of paper we received onboard says: "IMPORTANT: To secure your exclusive offer, please remember to complete your booking within 90 DAYS by contacting..." What exclusive offer? Don't we have 365 days to take advantage of this deal? Is there some additional benefit to booking within the first few months? Sorry for my caveat-emptor failing and so many questions. Any help/insights will be sincerely appreciated! cjr

Agree. cjr

This is what Celebrity posts right now about bringing alcohol onboard: Guests are only permitted to bring alcohol onboard under the following circumstances 1.) Embarkation day when each guest is permitted to bring onboard with them up to two (2) bottles of wine (which are subject to a corkage fee) per guest. A corkage fee does not apply to guests with the Classic Beverage Package or Premium Beverage Package. Security may inspect containers (including water bottles, soda bottles, mouthwash, canteens, etc.) at any time and will dispose of alcohol concealed in such container. https://www.celebritycruises.com/faqs/before-you-board That said, we recently experienced a wonderful excursion in Ireland of the Jameson whiskey distillery, where we bought a special-edition bottle of the stuff. I fully expected the ship to confiscate/store it when we re-boarded but -- despite running my bottle-bearing-bag through the security scanner -- we just passed through and I stored the bottle in our cabin for the rest of the trip. Bottom line: Not sure what happened in my case but perhaps you can take your chances? cjr

We were on the same cruise with you, Casualcruisers, and whoever stayed in the cabin next to us A) never seemed to venture out and B) steadily left many in-room dining trays outside in the hallway, starting at some point during the cruise. We never saw any medical personnel in the area, but we typically spent our time out of our stateroom. Anyway, it never dawned on me until reading your post that they might have tested positive/been quarantined to their room. Also, I asked about how full the ship was for our cruise and was told ~2,400 passengers. At 3%, that's more than 70 people, but I too suspect there were more than that. When the captain suggested wearing masks indoors (whenever that was the second week), we did so -- including when we disembarked/embarked for excursions, as well as the bus rides, and when riding in elevators, in crowded shops on board, etc. Hope by the time you/I cruise again, this won't be an issue anymore. cjr

Unlike you in another thread: "Perhaps. Perhaps not. I shared my personal viewpoint. It may not necessarily represent US culture." But I digress, cjr

☝️ This. I never assume, and taking the time to have stuff in writing has proven invaluable vs. trusting in the memory/veracity of strangers. Just saying. 👼 cjr

You wear headphones while boogieing on the dance floor. It's only "silent" if you take 'em off but it's a fun concept. On our cruise, we were simply wiped that night and needed the comfort of our bed, so we didn't partake. cjr

Wow. Yep, it's your vacation so cruise/dine/do whatever, however you want. Sorry I openly expressed my opinion. Next time, read the full thread, in which I posited "it's a personality thing... Neither way is right or wrong." cjr

Absolutely! cjr

Wasn't sure and sorry for the errant comment. cjr

We used anytime dining aboard Silhouette recently, with no set time, which I prefer. On vacation, my wife and I enjoy spontaneity instead of the usual "gotta do this by this time/date" we deal with otherwise. If you're still slave to a schedule, then what's the point vacationing? With the Luminae, we could visit anytime we felt like it, without a reservation. Usually we arrived 15-30 minutes after it opened (dinner, at 6 p.m.) because we felt hungry and the meal is more of an "experience" vs. the buffet on deck 14 or elsewhere, i.e., it takes some time. (Plus, sometimes, you just want to fill your cakehole without dressing up, too much fuss, because you feel wiped out after a long day, you're starving, etc. 😄) Anyway, the Luminae offers a specific menu (although I think you can also get anything from the main dining room served there, too). But our waitstaff always asked about allergies/dietary needs, so whether you have the same server/staff or not, I suspect they will accommodate your needs. cjr

I, too, hope COVID-19 transmission abates within the next nine months, both aboard ship and everywhere else! That said, during my recent cruise, I don't know if positive passengers were moved from their cabins or if there's even a way to find out where that might be beforehand or once aboard? By June 2023, I hope your trip is free from this worry and that you have a wonderful time. cjr

Our recent cruise aboard Silhouette featured a "silent disco" night to which we were invited. (Didn't attend, though, because my wife felt seasick as h*ll that day). Otherwise, I don't recall any other special theme nights (but I probably didn't pay attention or missed them). As for the spa, we received a coupon on three different occasions while aboard offering $50 off any spa service. My wife didn't take advantage of it, however. Because of our boarding time (12:30 p.m.), we ate lunch at our Southampton hotel -- luggage at our side -- after we checked out of our hotel room 90 minutes earlier. Thus, we didn't feel like eating right away once aboard. That said, we could have visited the Retreat Lounge for vittles, if I recall, or Luminae. I think Aqua class offers the same thing at Blu. cjr

Just received my single point for August, as well. cjr

👍 cjr

Whether to tip or not was a big unknown to us on our recent cruise. We spent an extra night in Southampton, England, prior to departure the next morning and visited a pub in the evening. As an American, I tipped the bartenders for each pint. Later, my wife and I connected with two awesome Brits seated at the table next to us and, in the course of conversation, we learned that tipping is not expected in the UK. In addition, our cruise package included gratuities, so we chose to only tip our Retreat butler and room attendant (2-3 times, spread out over two weeks), and then anytime we experienced really great service or someone who went out of their way to help us. This included a few bartenders, as well as Luminae staff. Honestly, it felt great to tip for quality service rather than just because it's expected. The previous post about bringing smaller bills is something we learned early on our cruise. We had the usual $20s and higher that you carry when traveling and, while you can break those bills easily at the Guest Relations desk, it's easier to just have smaller bills with you, which we will next time. cjr