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12 hours ago, OfTheSeasCruiser said:

Thanks for a great review!

 

Did Captain Tasos and/or Alejandro mention how long they're onboard for? We're on the 4/27/24 sailing.

We're on that sailing as well.

@Salt Lifer thank you for your review.  This is our first cruise coming up and your info has been wonderful and very helpful!

I'll be going to Europe on my cruise and having never been before was wondering how widely accepted prepaid visa and/or mastercards are.  I didn't know how they worked with the exchange rate or if they can even be used.  Just trying to look for an alternative to carrying our main cards or a lot of cash.  We do plan on getting some local currency but didn't want to be carrying large amounts.  Thank you.

First time cruiser here.  We will be on the Ascent in April.  Our TA booked us for dining at a specific time so do we have to go at that time to the non-specialty restaurants?  Or does "Anytime Dining" apply to everyone?

5 hours ago, lisiamc said:

I would say don’t bring a lovely, new, expensive bathing suit on a cruise, or if you do, only use it for sunbathing. I’ve heard so many stories about the chemicals/salt water really giving a bathing suit a beating. (I don’t know first-hand. I can swim, and I will swim to avoid drowning, but I don’t enjoy it. And I’m really not keen on the “human soup” effect of loads of people sharing small pools and hot tubs!) Bring an old but still presentable suit if you can. That way you won’t mind so much if all the colour leaches out of it! 

Unfortunately I don't currently own a swimsuit so it would definitely be a new one.  And since I'm not much of a sunbather either it's definitely looking like it won't be worth the money to get one.

11 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

It sounds like you don't currently have a swimsuit and would have to buy one. If that's the case, and you don't think you'd likely wear it while onboard, then I see no reason why you'd need to buy one just for this cruise. (For the record, I almost never bring a suit on a destination-intensive cruise like yours.)

 

One thing I would mention is the need to have good, sturdy broken-in shoes for walking. Sightseeing in Europe can be rough on the feet, especially if there's lots of city walking. You need at least one pair of shoes with closed toes and a sturdy (not too flexible) sole so you don't get stone bruises if you will be walking on cobblestones. I always being two pairs of walking shoes so I can alternate every so often, which is better for your feet, and also just in case anything happens to my main pair.

 

I don't have one and am having a hard time finding one that fits properly that I'm comfortable in so was definitely leaning towards no suit.

I just bought a pair of hiking boots from Skechers.  I'm in the process of wearing them in now.  Didn't think about a second pair of walking shoes.  Definitely something I'll consider.

18 hours ago, crystalspin said:

I vote for smartphone only and no swimsuit (after packing them several cruises and never using). 

 

What cruiseline are you sailing?

We are sailing on the Celebrity Ascent. 

Hi all,

This will be DH and my first cruise.  We are going on a European cruise, Spain, France and Italy at the end of April through the beginning of May.  I realize "need" is subjective but there are a couple of things that I have been debating whether they will be worth buying just for this trip.

1.  Camera - with today's smart phones is a camera really necessary?

2.  Swimsuit - I am not a big swimmer and while I would enjoy the hot tub it is not a deal breaker for me to not use it.  None of the excursions we have planned are beach excursions so with this being the case is a swimsuit necessary, especially since I doubt I will wear it again after this trip.

Any other ideas for "needed" items that you can/can't live without while on a cruise would be greatly appreciated.  I am an over packer and am trying to whittle down my list as much as possible 🙂 

Thanks!!

@Charles4515 that is exactly the information I was looking for.  Thanks for the info!

11 minutes ago, mom says said:

Not sure how anyone could tell you whether or not you would NEED a wifi package.  I'm assuming you booked a cruise only fare and not the all included fare. Do you think you would need or want to use wifi while on board the ship? Then you need to get the package. I don't believe Celebrity sells wifi by the minute or day any longer, but I could be wrong. As noted above, if your needs are minor, you may be able to get by with free wifi in your ports at restaurants and bars.

I guess when I say "need" it is because I saw that the rooms are smart rooms and run off your sea pass and I wasn't sure how that worked if you didn't purchase the Wifi.  Also I wasn't sure how the app itself worked if you didn't have some kind of internet connection.  I'm not as concerned about being online.  I just want to make sure I can access what I "need" to access while onboard especially on sea days.  Thanks again!

First time cruiser here.  My husband and I are cruising on the Celebrity Ascent in April to the Mediterranean, Spain, France and Italy and I was wondering if I needed to purchase the WiFi package.  There is a sale going on right now so if I do need to purchase it I'd like to go ahead and get it.  Thanks!!