Winemaker_1

More than 3 decades ago I heard Jancis Robinson describe a Sauvignon blanc as "cat pee on a gooseberry bush". I've never forgotten how spot on that can be for some. However, there are many lovely Loire Valley examples, Sancerre being my favorite, but also Pouilly-Fume.

Read the fine print on the package, You can't make reservations until you're on board. There have been lots of complaints about that. Guest are sometimes unable to get a restaurant they want or have to dine very late.

This is on Summit, not Beyond, but some points may apply to being under the Sunset Bar/Oceanview Cafe.

Did the same thing. I'm not giving them ideas to cut. If they want that, they can pay my consulting rate.

Yes, really great photos. How long ago were these taken? Some of these entree are not listed on the Luminae menu these days.

Exactly. It only matters what you like. Try all the wines included in the PDP. See if there's something you like. Whatever you don't like they can dump. I would ask for a small taste of the upcharge wines before you order. That's a reasonable request that I think they will accommodate.

It's called flooding the zone. They are hurling cut-back after cut-back. Occasionally, they pull something back (that they knew very well would not be tolerated) and tell customers "we're listening to your feedback". But all the other cut-backs you aren't paying attention to continue. It's right from the politician's playbook.

Indeed. And you can extend that statement to many mass market still wines under $15.

You may just be drinking the wrong Prosecco. Prosecco can be made with varying degrees of residual sugar as shown below. It's a confusing scale but here are the levels. Look for something Extra Brut or Brut Nature (Zero). These will have little to no perceptible sugar. In the lab, 2g/L (0.2% sugar) is considered absolutely bone dry. Many people will not perceive residual sugar up to 5g/L (0.5%). It's all about balance for me. Given the right acidity, a kiss of residual sugar can be a good thing.

D2D does not require a pre- or post-hotel add on. I would think you'd be fine. As to transportation, seems like it's up to you to get on the transport or not.

From what I've read here in the last 6 months, maybe "Lauragate" is most appropriate. Pizzagate, cookiegate, butlergate, winepricegate, and solocruisergate. All on her watch, right? These required damage control or a 'walk-back'.

This is all very personal, of course. It's not a wine I consider special, either. Like so many California wines, they must price them at a level where there are many, many other choices.

Not a good price at all. That price listed is just the delta, i.e., it is $35 per glass ($17 you already paid in your PDP + $18 listed + 20% gratuity).

This looks like the wine list I'd expect if my local K-mart had one.

18 hours ago, HMR74 said: I discovered Aperol Spritz in a vacation to Greece and Italy this past spring and most of those were $10 or less but it's on premium package: hopefully not a surcharge Last April it was extra $1.20 for a Aperol Spitzer , and every bar made it differently 🤣 What if you order a glass of Prosecco, a shot of Aperol, a Pellegrino with lime or orange slices, and an empty glass? 😉

When we booked a suite this past summer we were assigned a 'consultant'. Frankly, she was close to worthless. Her only interest in us was trying to book additional family and friends on our voyage. Never called back if you left a message. Emailed her once and got a reply 5 days later. The Retreat Concierge line is better but you will get different answers to the same question every time you speak to someone. And the wait times on the line can be horrendous!

It's in nosebleed territory and several insiders have made large sales just recently. I don't own it but I'd dump it if I did. I like it at $60/shr.

There is always another 'gated community' within the gated community. Life on land is no different.

Just went through this. Officially, you're SOL. Practically, you may call and express your displeasure and request some kind of adjustment. We were rebooked with a cabin upgrade, but had to fight to keep OBC and gratuities on the rebooking. From what others have shared on this board, it sounds like we were lucky. You may very well get nothing.

Opportunistic gouging of the customer during a period where cruise bookings are higher than ever. It's as simple as that.

I've been watching these as I'm on one later this month, also. Celebrity has been repricing some sailings almost daily for several weeks now. They will fill every room at whatever price it takes. Once onboard, they will have plenty of chances to squeeze guest wallets for more $$.

I'm not sure if this is what you're looking for but the Retreat Concierge number I have is 877.738.7328. (US)

Speaking of Murano, why is it a French restaurant? It's a Venetian island?

Don't count your chickens just yet. Here's another story... We booked a Sky Suite in the summer of 2023 just before the rumors about all the Celebrity cutbacks broke. We, too, watched the prices increase. Then, 35 days before sailing, Celebrity cut the prices on our voyage dramatically. We suppose they needed to fill the ship. Our Suite booking was slashed to 50% of what we paid. We called Celebrity to request a fee adjustment or some kind of credit. We did not really expect much but thought it couldn’t hurt to ask. Celebrity politely refused to give us any refund citing that we were beyond the final payment date. That’s their policy. They did upgrade us to an ‘upper’ Suite but tried to strip our original OBC and prepaid gratuities. I complained until they relented and transferred them to the new booking. Even after the upgrade and transfer, we were still several hundred dollars in the hole. Celebrity would not issue OBC or FCC for that difference. I can’t imagine how the Move-Up bidders would feel after outlaying even more $ in the Move-Up process only to see the price drops.

What exactly is the priority dining for Concierge? Priority seating? It looks like dining reservations open up 90 days before sailing.