wheretonow?

We've loved the cabanas in the past, but at the low, low price of $999 for a regular cabana (never mind the floating ones) on our March 2020 cruise, I think I'll pass.   I understand the demand, but a thousand dollars is a bit much for comfy seating, bottled water and towels.   Hopefully there are beach chairs to be found....

We just tried the Anthem in March and can easily say this is now my new favorite class of ship. I just wish more of them sailed from the US. It's a wonderful combination of the wow factor of the newer ships with the openess and glass of the Radiance class. Lots of nooks and crannies to find a quiet place to hang out and lots of new things to try that are unique to this class of ship.

The only downside to sailing from New York was it was quite cool outside for the first few days, since we were sailing in March. But there is so much to do it was not really an issue.

I found the port easy to manage and navigate. They ride from midtown to the port was on the expensive side, but no more than flying into Miami and sailing from Port Everglades. Try pricing Lyft as it was often cheaper than Uber. Have a great trip!

A couple of pre dinner drinks and I don't care how I look? :eek:

I have mid length curly hair and once I've gotten it wet at the pool or beach the only recourse is to wash it and start over. I usually air dry (I know, not an option for you) or put it up if it's being particularly awful, but some of these suggestions are intriguing. You never know what you'll learn on these boards!

Hope these tips help and have a wonderful cruise.

Enchantment diamond concierge said it had been eliminated, but it was still available when you logged into Zoom as of 2 weeks ago.

The Internet package discount was 20% for Diamond and 40% for Diamond plus.

Glad to hear Millie confirm this, however I wish she would tell the rest of the Diamond concierges on the ships, as some of them are pretty convinced there have been changes :D

After much discussion here regarding the Diamond/Diamond + internet coupon, I left for my most recent cruise reasonably assured the free day internet coupon was still in play. This was based on the social media responses from several sources (discussed on the boards ad naseum). Lo and behold upon boarding the Enchantment the free day coupon was not listed on the in room sheet and the concierge confirmed it had been removed and replaced with a 20% off package coupon.

For me, this is a definite loss of value. Free internet (not discounted, not requiring purchase) is extremely helpful to our family during a cruise and was one of the benefits that caused us to sail primarily with Royal. Having to pay for a full package makes no sense for many cruisers and renders the coupon "benefit" useless for those that aren't looking to buy more. With the lessening of value of other loyalty benefits (balcony discount price more expensive than regular "sale" price, BOGO offers and package discounts in cruise planner better deals than the loyalty coupons) there is little value in having gained the higher loyalty tiers.

More annoyingly is that we are getting one message from corporate and something completely different in the actual experience. I am so frustrated with the disparity between what is marketed to cruisers pre-trip and the actual product delivered.

I realize that they can change the program at any time, just as we can change our loyalty at any time - but at least be honest and direct instead of trying to slip one by us and see if we notice. It's one thing to not value your longtime clients, it's another to assume we are idiots or won't notice the changes.

Rant over :cool:

Thank you Bob, as always :D:D

Another variation of the same question. We will be Diamond + on an upcoming Med sailing on the Jewel. If we book one person for dinner on the first two nights at the regular planner prices (no sales or discounts), can we show up with two and use the Diamond plus bogo? The advantage to booking ahead is to avoid the VAT added onboard.

Thoughts?

Just got off the Serenade about 3 weeks ago. Though it's called a Park Cafe, it's not like the Oasis class ones. It is a small area in the Solarium that during the mid afternoon has sandwiches, the carved roast beef (still delicious), a few desserts, a soup and a quesadilla of the day. Early in the day there are a few breakfast sandwiches and late night they have pizza. Next to it is another counter where they have a few types of salads and a small salad bar that they will serve you from. Great for a lighter lunch or quick snack and the only place open from 10:30 pm - Midnight that is free (since there is a charge for room service). Hours are limited so check the Compass for when they are open.

But yes, a roast beef sandwich on the balcony is definitely a possibility!

Incredibly helpful - thank you!

I can't think of another port where I spent so much time just figuring out how to get there :) Fortunately, I'm sure it's worth it.

This thread is great - I have been searching here for awhile trying to figure out how to get from my San Marco hotel to the ship and there is little clear information.

One question I haven't been able to answer - how do you know which terminal building to go to? Neither the port website or the cruise line has any information on where to go once you get to the port area.

Also, we were planning on taking the Alilaguna Blue line from S. Marco. Based on the above, this might be a bad idea. Does anyone else have experience with the Alilaguna stop at the port? Is it a longer walk than from the People Mover? They appear to end in about the same location.

Thanks!

We did a similar Rome in a Day tour from the port with our 14 year old son and 12 year old daughter. It was a long day, but we were able to see everything on our list, have a nice lunch in Vatican city, and stop at a few places I wouldn't have known to look for and I felt we had enough time to get a solid taste of Rome. We used Romecabs and they picked us up and dropped us back at the port (worth a lot of the extra cost not to have to navigate to the train station, IMO).

The tour did take the worry about learning my way around a new city in a short time period. I'm sure it could have been done on our own the the extra time it would have taken would have prevented us from seeing all we hoped to see.

We are cruising the Constellation to the Greek Isles in June and we are torn between doing Oia/Fira on our own with the ferry or a ship tour of Pyrgos and with a winery stop. We typically avoid ship tours and either do private ones or strike out on our own.

My concern is that there will be four ships in port and three of them arrive in the afternoon at either 1 or 2 pm. We only have from 2 - 9 pm to see the island, and with the walk/ride down from Fira and the tenders, this gives us a very limited schedule. This is our first (and possibly only) time in Santorini, and I know Oia is the place to see, but will it be too crowded/challenging to get there and back in the limited time we have with that many ships there in the afternoon?

TIA for any thoughts/opinions!

Just booked our kids into 9309 on the Harmony - view looks like a perfect combo of some ocean and boardwalk. I'd rather be further back so that the slides aren't right in your view, even if that means not being able to see the Aquatheater.

Does anyone know if the balconies at the end of the hall that overlook the theater are still there on the Harmony, or did those go away with the new suites?

"If you don't have anything nice to say, come sit next to me." - Alice Roosevelt Longworth

All those passengers who didn't sit by you completely missed out on some excellent conversations. One of my favorite trip reports to date. Makes me want to cruise solo with you. Wait, is that an oxymoron? (and who are you calling moron?)

I convinced DH, in a mad dash to become Diamond + (what is the facial expression for that? Smirk? I think royal wave is reserved for Pinnacle) that I needed a solo trip next Feb on the Serenade. Not a Beast by any means, but I'm looking forward to it.

I am completely offended that you called Love Boat obscure. Now Emperor's New Groove....Love the references and think I caught most of them. Maybe I'm the one who is obscure?

And you got to sail with Grant, one of my favorite AD's ever.

Thanks for sharing your trip and digressions with us - it has been a fun ride so far and I look forward to the rest.

I've not seen that one, but it may be local to the West Coast. It has been our experience that the tequila for sale in port is very regional.

In Cozumel, at the Royal pier, outside the port and duty free area there was a very nice tequillaria across the street near the Diamonds International shop. Still touristy and overpriced, but they sold samples and some pretty solid margaritas if you want to try something beyond the typical duty free stuff. I believe they had wifi as well, so a pleasant stop on the way to or from somewhere else.

Just asked my 16 year old teenage boy (also on the spectrum) and he said he liked the Batik factory. Last time we booked with Rose and Jim (http://www.roseandjimstaxi.com/testimonials.htm) and absolutely loved them. They took us where we wanted to go (Batik factory) and then made some suggestions around the island. The Fort is pretty cool too - with some great views and lots of climbing and lookout spots.

Feel free to contact me if you have any Royal questions regarding kids on the spectrum - we are veterans.

For my family, the private tour was great as they were able to be flexible when either my son, or my older parents, were done or needed a break.

We really love St. Kitts - it's a lovely island. Enjoy your trip!

I can't tell you how much I appreciate you sharing your trip with us. We are booked for a B2B (sort-of) next summer - 7 nights on the Constellation from Venice, 1 nt in Rome, followed by the same itin as you on the Jewel. Living vicariously through you and taking lots of notes! Buon Viaggio!

I am new to Celebrity and a bit confused. I am sailing the Connie in June and my cruise planner is still letting me book Ocean Liners. Am I correct in assuming this is a "famous" IT glitch and I am really booking Qsine?

The Ben and Jerry suite is a regular promenade inside cabin in size, but does have a ton of cow themed decor and a lovely view .... of the backside of a cow. The concierge perks are totally worth it though.

I believe the Sandemans is Ruby not Tawny, but I haven't ordered it for a few cruises. I know if you use the Diamond vouchers in another bar, they pour Ruby port.

Even if you can't find a drink you like, the atmosphere and snacks in the concierge lounge (as well as the fancy coffee maker) are nice. Feel free to order several different things until you find something you care for. The servers are always extremely accommodating and may even be able to come up with a new suggestion based on your preferences. Just be careful - if you are there more than a few nights they sometimes start bringing you your "regular" drink even if you were planning on switching it up. Happened to me a few times and I felt obligated to drink both drinks :o

Enjoy your cruise!

Thanks for the replies. I'm sailing with Royal. Looking for a group snorkeling trip since I want to with others and not on my own (so Money Bar is out). As of now I am comparing Eagle Ray, Cozemel H2O and the RCCL snorkeling boat tour.

I am traveling solo to Cozumel and would love to do a snorkeling trip. Hoping to do one or two reef stops or open snorkeling from the beach, although I have this isn't nearly as good in Cozumel. I don't want to just go to the Money Bar as I want to make sure I'm in a group for safety reasons.

Looking for a good dive company that picks up from the pier (prefer not to taxi to the pick up point). I'm wondering if I'm better off taking the ships tour since I know I would have a group and transportation but prefer independent operators.

Thoughts on a good fit?

Updated 4/10/17

**** Serenade OTS – Grant Martin was onboard onthe 3/27 cruise, a cruiser reported. Don’t know when he started or for how long….if someone can find out whois onboard that is wonderful.

Paulette,

I posted this earlier but it looks like you missed it. Grant Martin started as AD on the Serenade on the 3/17 cruise.

He was the assistant and just got promoted to AD. He still had a while on his contract as far as I know. His trivia is one of the best we've had in the fleet and he has a great energy and personality. One of our favorites and we hope he sticks around the fleet for awhile.

So, is this a first world problem or a third world problem? :confused:

I'd guess it would depend on what port you are sailing from ;)

OP - looking forward to hearing more about this trip. We are doing the Jewel Med B2B in 2018.

And on the bright side, I believe I read that in Europe you don't have to disembark and reboard the ship on turnaround day.

I am traveling as a solo cruiser. This place sounds wonderful, but with the palapas I don't know if they would accommodate a single cruiser (or if that would be weird).

Has anyone gone solo to Maya Chan? Any other beach clubs that might be a better fit?