CNSfromHI

Our experience about checking in "roughly 45 days before" is a bit different. Our next cruise, which we booked last year, departs March 27 but we could only first check-in on February 25. The same thing happened for our cruise last autumn, which was our first. For that one, the check-in window as actually shorter, and I was worried as h*ll 😨 Just FYI, and I hope your cruise is awesome @LuckyStar! cjr

Totally agree with this. Our "policy" is to arrive at least one day earlier than departure, regardless of where we sail from, just in case... We figure one extra night's lodging is more than offset by the months of planning, the joy of expectation, etc., that would be spoiled if we missed the boat. Hope that doesn't happen to you @Taclin01 🤞 cjr

I know many people love Luminae, and we enjoyed it on our last cruise, but we also appreciate variety – in terms of selection and ambience, and the experience overall. I highly recommend checking out a specialty place or two, if you can! cjr

We booked our next cruise last September, but couldn't check in using the app until February 25 -- roughly one month before we sail. From experience, this period fluctuates -- sometimes longer, sometimes shorter. Not sure if I could check in at 12:01 a.m., however. As for a profile pic, the app only allows me to take a "live" photo, i.e., in the moment. I cannot upload an existing image. Guessing, that's a security thing. Finally, we check-in entirely via the app. cjr

We received the post-cruise survey/evaluation around the same time Celebrity sent us the "final invoice" or "final guest statement" for our cruise. As I recall, this was the same day we disembarked the ship in Southampton, but I might be messing up the time difference. Regardless, it was pretty quick! cjr

My wife received a move-up offer via email from Celebrity, but I didn't, probably because she was the primary contact for our booking. cjr

My carrier (AT&T) unexpectedly nailed me bill-wise for two cycles after our cruise last autumn 😡 -- even though I'd turned off "cellular" on my iPhone, confined my (limited) use to the ship's Wi-Fi, only texted a few times while on the ship's Wi-Fi, etc. (I tried to add an international travel plan but AT&T wouldn't allow me too unless I upgraded my monthly plan.) Anyway, after my return and as others have said above, I learned on this Forum to place your phone in "airplane mode" to prevent the many non-obvious ways a mobile device uses data despite thinking you've locked it down. Also, based on your post, it sounds like you did not have the Celebrity app on your device? Please make sure you load that one before your cruise, which offers several benefits -- such as ship maps by level, a daily calendar of your events, a list of available activities, access to your onboard spending account, etc. According to Celebrity, you can use that app onboard using its Wi-Fi for free. Hope this helps! cjr

Yeah, now that you say that @mizLORInj, we had to wait for a bit until our GG points and those we earned on the cruise showed up. Hope yours just show up trouble-free, too! cjr

For us, selecting the GG option meant our room was fully serviced once a day instead of twice. This usually occurred late-morning. We still received a turn-down service in the evening, which sometimes included "tidying up" of a used hand towel, emptying of a trash bin, etc., but I wouldn't consider it an abbreviated cleaning service. cjr

Our GG points showed up at the same time as the rest of our accrued CC points after our cruise. cjr

For what it's worth, I add that the convenience of the all-included bits (drinks, Wi-Fi, tips) has an actual value, in my opinion. It's difficult to calculate a dollar amount based on one specific component, such as Wi-Fi use, drink consumption, etc., but I wouldn't overlook it. cjr

Love the click-bait thread title 😆 and I appreciate you posting this @newtocruiseinblue. Too much negativity. cjr

We spent tons of time on the Silhouette's Retreat Sun Deck last fall @Project_gal during our cruise because the weather was unexpectedly fabulous. Yes, there is a bar. It's on the port side, and there were about 7-8 stools, but only a few peeps sat there. Otherwise, the rest of this area is filled with full-length deck chairs; small cafe-style tables offering cushioned bench seating/individual chairs; a few covered "cabanas" (queen-size area under a canopy with many pillows); two-person loveseats around a small cocktail table; etc. You can go to the bar for your next round, but we found both a bartender and/or server would come to us. Very attentive service and, on our cruise, there was always a ton of seating-options available. As @Jim_Iain said, it's basically open "all day" but that does depend on the weather. A few evenings, as the weather turned, we watched the crew remove cushions and "batten down the hatches" in preparation. If you look at the photo I posted, you'll see a rope along the recliners in the V between top/bottom, to hold them tight in preparation. On a few days, this space sadly wasn't open at all because of nasty weather. Food is readily available, and staff members often brought about "nibbles" to enjoy, such as sliders. Otherwise, there is also a menu of select items you can order. There is a hot tub down a "half level" via stairs in the bow, which is also where the restrooms are located. This lower level also offers more seating, including a generous row of deck chairs behind a half-wall of glass between you and the bow, offering lovely, uninterrupted views of what's ahead. Not sure about a cabana cost but, based on our experience, there didn't seem to be one. It seemed that these spots were always available and people just plopped down into one. I suspect, however, that this is might be cruise-dependent; our upcoming Caribbean cruise will prove enlightening! Finally, here are a few other things I offer about the Silhouette Retreat Sun Deck: • Hold your cruise card against the entrance gate for a bit until you see the green light; don't wave it to gain access. • If you feel chilly, ask a staff member for one of the wonderfully snugly plaid blankets available. (We actually had two of these sent to our cabin to use on our veranda.) • During our cruise, the Sun Deck staff quickly remembered our names and our usual drink orders, which we appreciated. • We didn't need to, but we tipped those we appreciated service-wise. Overall, the Silhouette's Retreat Sun Deck proved one of our favorite spots, and I hope you feel that way too after your cruise! cjr

Our butler on the Silhouette last fall told us that the mini-fridge/-bar wasn't included but that he could restock it "on the sly" with water, soda and beer -- but not wine or liquor. At first we thought "Cool!" but after a few days, he became inattentive. At that point, we realized we could readily bring back a few bottles of water/soda from any bar whenever we wished because of our drink package, which we did. Also, we ordered room service a few times late at night and asked for a bottle or two of water/beer more than we wanted and stuck those in the mini-fridge. Finally, we befriended a few bartenders by then who also let us take a beer or two "home." Bottom line, other than wine or liquor, you should be able to keep your cabin supplied on your own, if necessary. Hopefully it won't be and you have a fabulous butler (or whatever they are called now) who keeps your cabin stocked! cjr

We stayed overnight at this Holiday Inn for our cruise last autumn and I highly recommend it. It's neat and clean, offers friendly service, it's not terribly expensive, and they don't mind people camping in the lobby after checking out until they can board. The best part is the location, as the photo from our hotel window shows 😀 As far as transportation, we used Heathrow Shuttle, a private-car service, both there and back. Comfortable sedans both ways, courteous professional drivers, door-to-door service, etc. Hope this helps, cjr

We had these in our suite last autumn and they were excellent. Far better than the smaller/compact set I would have brought along. That was aboard the Silhouette, however. cjr

Even though we like/use the app, we still received a printed newsletter every day last September on the Silhouette -- either in our room at some point or in the "mail slot" outside of our door. I'm not sure we even had the option to say "no thanks" to the paper version, but Celebrity makes it easy to recycle all of it regardless. Hope this helps and enjoy your cruise! cjr

I received this email yesterday around 5 p.m. here (Central), and it's the first CC offer I've received since October that didn't involve airfare, credit cards, booking a special CEO cruise, etc. cjr

During our Silhouette cruise in early September, we only experienced one staff member ask us (more than once) to leave a positive review for him post-cruise: the butler for our suite. While neither my wife nor I were particularly impressed with his attentiveness, we were both cruise noobs, and low maintenance in general, so we wanted to give him a positive review by name afterward. This is what he led us to expect; something asking about him/his performance specifically. Instead, the survey each of us received was generic, i.e., it asked about general experiences in various areas. Ultimately, we each left glowing reviews in the "anything else" (or whatever it was called) box at survey's end to mention him by name, and a few others, who stood out to us. On our next cruise, I intend to pay more attention and note those staff members whose service warrants attention. cjr

This was our tag last September... cjr

I hired a private car both to/from Heathrow/Southampton for our cruise last September, @walkersandtalkers, and I recommend it. On our final day (Sept. 10), we docked at 6:00 a.m. but disembarked at 8:45 for a 9:00 pickup. (I used a company called Heathrow Shuttle; I have zero affiliation with them and receive no benefit by mentioning them.) Our flight home left at 2:25 p.m. that day, and we arrived at Heathrow with more than enough time to check bags, go through security, explore a few shops, and even enjoy a nice late-lunch at a pub-style place in the airport (as well as a pint or two 😃). This cost more than passage on a train or coach, but jumping into a comfortable private car outside the Southampton cruise terminal and then stepping out right in front of the Heathrow airport terminal door -- with plenty of time to spare -- proved worth it in order to make our flight. Hope this helps, cjr

I'm like you and fretted about luggage tags, too, before our cruise in August. In our case, we didn't receive the e-doc PDF until 10 days before our cruise departed. Glad you received yours and hope you have a wonderful cruise. cjr

We've booked two Celebrity cruises entirely by ourselves, both online, and the second one was "pre-booked" using the "Book Now or Book Later" thing, but we've had ZERO problems so far. I hope your experience proves likewise! cjr

This is how I handle it. Given Celebrity's "tips included" thing, offering anything more was up to me and, when I chose to tip more, I wanted it to go to each person whose attentive service I appreciated. Therefore, I always handed him/her a cash tip and said "This is for you; thank you." I'm certain that some servers will still share that cash with others on their shift, but some don't. At the very least, I've overtly expressed my appreciation for exemplary service. cjr

I've seen this $40/bag option available for pre-purchase on our next cruise and wondered if it's a deal, as well. I've intended to "do the math" based on receipts from our last cruise, but suspect I will arrive at your same conclusion. Thanks! cjr