bbappel

They aren't really removed, but are folded back and fastened. And fair warning, if you are in your cabin at night with the lights on and curtains open, the cabin next door can see into your cabin in the reflection from your glass balcony "wall" when the balconies have been merged.

Beth

Roll call for September 21 embarkation

Roll call for September 7 embarkation

 

Depending on which date you are going, above are the links for your Roll Call. You may want to chat with others who will be on the same cruise.

 

I'm on the September 21 cruise and we are just beginning to organize some private tours, as well as share information about the ship excursions we have booked.

 

See you over there - or if you are on the September 7 cruise, say hi to SteveinPhilly. We are both on the Equinox in January and thought we might be on the Summit at the same time.

 

Beth

Tee hee. I'm sitting here with a stupid grin, luckily I'm alone upstairs and my husband is downstairs. Great sense of humor, I'm glad you had time on your hands.

Beth

Mrsz - You have my sympathy for getting a guest relations agent who was clearly having a bad time. She probably had personal issues that she allowed to overflow into her work time. It is easy to do that if your personal issues are severe. Maybe she is quite nice normally - or she wouldn't have that job. Most of the agents I've dealt with have understood that their job is to make you happy, not to be obstructive. You were clearly in the right (assuming your explanation is correct, of course).

 

Several times I've dealt with issues at Guest Relations and in 12 years of cruising (primarily with Celebrity), only once have I been less than happy. In some instances I've been overjoyed. One Guest Relations agent on Eclipse took my word for it that our booking agent had promised us a bottle of wine (he had and it hadn't been noted in our record). I was willing to accept a deferral of the bottle to our next cruise (my suggestion), but instead she gave us a good OBC (I can't recall the amount) that we then used to book specialty dining since we had a drinks package.

 

So if it was one agent on one cruise, please don't think this means that all agents on Celebrity are like this. The majority are terrific people who want to make the guests happy.

 

While "disaster" might have been hyperbole - it is a pain in the tush to spend vacation time dealing with financial issues. In fact, that is the very reason we get the drinks package, so we don't have to deal with financial issues on our trip.

 

Happy sailing. I'm glad this didn't put you off cruising altogether.

 

Beth

It says Captain's Club members may board at any time.

And the Celebrity website says: Captain's Club Enrollment

 

Your Celebrity Cruises Captain's Club is a richly rewarding recognition program that's centered on one thing - making you the center of our attention. You'll quickly discover that the more you sail, the more rewarding your experience becomes. To access your members-only pages and exclusive offers, log in is required.

Haven't sailed with us yet? You can still enroll.

As a Preview Member, you'll receive our Captain's Club Newsletter to get an insider's look at everything new with Celebrity. You'll also have access to the private Captain’s Club area of our website where you’ll learn about our program.

 

Then, once you've enjoyed a Celebrity vacation, you'll be upgraded to a Classic member and be eligible for exclusive member offers, onboard benefits, and special events.

 

So one might be able to argue (with an innocent look on your face) that you enrolled in Captain's Club and thought that you were included.

Celebrity may mean Captain's Club Classic and above - but they aren't explicit about it, and they are encouraging Preview members to join the Captain's Club, then everyone should be included.

 

Southampton has some very photogenic places near the port, so if you are interested in photography, you might drop your luggage and walk around.

 

Beth

I think it's a Senior Nudist Cruise Group. That's what I heard. Ha Ha! Sorry, I couldn't resist.

 

Dang, you beat me to it. Love the idea.

 

Beth

I love the eggs benedict in the MDR at breakfast, so I order them the last sea day - or I'd have them every time we were there.

 

I like the appetizers, so I order an appetizer, a salad, and a soup (though I don't always clean my plate with them) then eat very little of my entree. One friend on the cruise ordered several appetizers and no entree. I do eat all my dessert and every dessert is better with a side of ice cream. So far, I've managed to keep weight gain on the cruise to under 5 lb - and on our last cruise lost 5 lb (but I was sick for a part of it and hiding out in my cabin).

 

If you have a drinks package, you can order a drink, taste it, and not feel you must drink it all. That helps.

 

Relax and enjoy!

I agree with Cruisetimesthree - don't worry about reviews, especially since you haven't cruised Celebrity. Sometimes familiarity breeds boredom with the exceptional that is Celebrity and an expectation to have that same Wow factor that we had on our first cruise.

 

It should be wonderful, and if there is something that doesn't meet your needs, please let your cabin steward how he/she can make you happy (as long as it is a reasonable request) - it is what they want to do, and when it happens, write a comment card (there should be one in the back of your "book" in the cabin) bringing his service to the attention of management. If it is in the dining room, let your waiter or assistant waiter know. Especially if you are appreciative (this could mean a tip, but a heartfelt thank you also means something), you should get whatever you need, as long as it is reasonable. We did ask for a footstool for our balcony (we know some people have gotten them when they requested) but our room steward was very apologetic that he couldn't do it - he asked and was denied. They are reserved for aqua class and concierge class I guess (I don't recall what he said but it made sense). We were just in a veranda cabin. I knew it wasn't a reasonable request and told him I understood. He did, however, empty our fridge, made certain we had wine glasses and ice in the ice bucket, and other little touches. We were on Eclipse and our room stewards were terrific. I was sick for a few days and they were very solicitous, checking with me from time to time.

All shall be well.

Please don't let your disappointment affect your attitude toward your trip. Nothing you get free with Elite is worth having a disappointing cruise. You have been given some wonderful, though expensive, suggestions for you to get to Elite. Here's an off-beat thought, if those items (laundry, internet, and drinks) are really important to you, then just paying for them might be the least expensive way to go. Internet is $50 each for 90 min; Select cruisers get a laundry coupon that costs $20 for what the elite get free; so the only big benefit is the elite lounge, which to be honest, most of the time we don't enjoy, as someone else said, the wine isn't so good, and even the mixed drinks aren't well done in general. On a recent 14 day cruise, I think we went 3 times. We enjoyed drinks in the Ensemble Lounge or the Passport Bar with non-Elite friends, and we got drinks we preferred.

Remember how fortunate you are to be able to go on these cruises. Most of the world's people don't get that opportunity.

To the contrary, the vast majority of the places we stayed had a 4:00 pm day of arrival cancellation policy. On the trip down that was essential since weather could have affected our plans.

Beth

Sorry folks, it was Fort Lauderdale.

 

Blue Heron, I'm sorry. Usually I do try to preview, but I guess I was just in a hurry to get this posted as a cautionary tale.

 

Agree 100% that the first rule of South Florida hotels is "you get what you pay for"--and this thread is a hall-of-fame example of that tired subject. The poster had been burned in the past by a no-tell motel in an industrial neighborhood billing itself as "airport-cruiseport" (Rodeway Inn). So still focused solely on price this time they end up booking a room even further off the tourist path!

 

Thanks for all the false assumptions - we weren't "burned" by the Rodeway. I didn't like it, but we got what we paid for and that was sufficient.

 

This year we booked the Sleep Inn in Dania Beach for precruise. Yes, we stay in hotels that many consider "cheap" but here's the thing. We were away from home for a month, so we stay in hotels that fit in our budget. I'd rather travel than stay home.

 

So based on the OP's experience: if you plan on stopping at the Hard Rock before and after cruising--even if only to play $20 worth--treat yourself (yes, a big treat) to a night there. Or at least find room in your budget for a Hollywood or Dania Beach area hotel; your safety and peace of mind is worth more that the savings of an off-neighborhood motel--where most of that savings will be lost in the extra time and gas spent to get where you really want to go.

 

The Hard Rock was just something to do, not a destination. We understand the economics of Ft. Lauderdale, and all of that, but this was a Choice Hotel and they have standards. If this had met Rodeway standards, I wouldn't have commented. This place is below those standards, but it will improve because Choice now knows about the issues and is taking action.

 

We will now take a 24 hour cancellation policy seriously and do our best not to book a first-time hotel with such a policy. That was the biggest problem. If we could have cancelled, we would have moved on down the road. I just wanted other people to know that this place is below normal "cheap hotel" standards. Some of us on Cruise Critic like to cruise, but choose to limit our budgets, and can't fit the expense of the better places and the cruise too into that budget. Some choose to stay in inside cabins just to be able to enjoy a cruise. We don't but I get it and wouldn't criticize their choices. This was addressed to people who must choose a cheaper hotel, not to those of you who have less limited budgets.

 

That said, one of the people on our cruise stayed at one of the more expensive hotels and still had water bugs and mildew and problems.

 

Sorry if I'm being sensitive but I feel very much attacked for trying to save someone whose budget is similar to ours from having the same difficulty. Is it any wonder some people criticize our boards.

The biggest advantage to booking something with the cruise line is dealing with your luggage. Generally they put you on a bus, and your luggage underneath and you are able to tour in comfort while not having to schlepp luggage around. Confirm that this is true, and not that your luggage is going separately since this could result in your luggage arriving before you and being unsecured.

 

You could rent a car and go to the Liberty Science museum in Jersey City or Ellis Island from NJ. That might be less than the ship excursion, but you wouldn't be seeing Manhattan. The only concern I would have is getting a car with trunk space for all your luggage. If you are a light traveler, this might not be a problem. Either museum would be a fun visit. Ellis Island you would want to book ahead to make sure you got in.

 

Geez, if we were home I'd do it for $158 :D but we will be away.

 

It is a good idea to find something to do - waiting around Newark Airport isn't my idea of a fun day.

 

Our similar but other places experiences:

Rental car: In Ft. Lauderdale - we booked Hertz supposedly Port Everglades with a cruiseport shuttle. Hertz picked us up and we dropped the car at the airport. We had a 7:00 pm flight so it totally made sense. We drove around and enjoyed the sights, then had a really nice early dinner/late lunch before going to the airport. You should be able to do this at Newark.

 

Ship transfer: We took a Celebrity transfer from Southampton to Heathrow with a visit to Windsor Castle and it was great. The next time, we hired a driver to do something similar with a stop in Winchester. It was good but he didn't stay with the car (like we'd expected) so our luggage was not so secure. Nothing happened, and I'm guessing he knew the area and that it would be safe. They have CCTV everywhere in England it seems.

We booked this hotel for post-cruise, and arrived admittedly early since we came after leaving the ship. We were appalled at the wide open ground floor rooms with mattress stacked etc since construction was going on. It is across from a Salvation Army so I wasn't happy about all those open doorways. I'm not a NIMBY-type but this is just an open invitation to mayhem. So we wanted to cancel, no dice since they have a 24 hour cancellation policy and Choice Hotels was not able to override it. So we tried to check in. No early check in. We figured we would at least be able to drop our bags before going to the Hard Rock Casino. I wasn't thrilled about leaving a car full of cruise luggage parked at the Casino where I had been warned against sitting in my car pre-cruise when I ran out of gambling funds (I went through my $20 too quickly) and was sitting in the car reading. No, we won't store your bags, and go away and don't bother us. Now that meant the rooms were being cleaned, right? When we returned at check-in time, we saw that wasn't exactly why we couldn't check in. Our room was a renovated room (and a nice room at that), but the tub was never cleaned before or after renovation and was the original tub. A can of cleanser would have done wonders. I was wishing I had packed one.

One elevator worked well, the other - not so much - and we were told to take the working elevator, though it wasn't on the same side as our room. This may be a nice place when the construction is finished IF and ONLY IF they hire a serious cleaning staff to go in and clean every bathroom. It doesn't help to have pretty granite on the walls if the tub itself is grey-black. There was new tile on the floors, but the workers hadn't cleaned up the grout and had left an ugly mess.

I usually post praise for places, rather than criticism, but I feel you need to be forewarned. The owners are obviously pinching every penny they can; possibly aren't paying staff well, since the front desk people seemed pretty disgruntled leading to their unfriendly treatment of guests. We won't choose this place again, and unless it is your only choice, I wouldn't recommend it. I did let Choice Hotels know, since it was below their standards (which may not even be very high).

Oddly enough, we chose this over the Rodeway since I wasn't all that happy with the Rodeway - but I would have preferred it. The Rodeway faults were nothing compared to this place.

Some of my dissatisfaction was simply the filth, and some was the fear for security. If they clean up the dirt and make it secure, it could be a nice enough place. I won't be finding out, though.

[quote name='Clydesmom7865']This will send many into a tizzy but on my first cruise I left my envelope of extra spending cash (several hundred dollars) in the safe without locking it. Not one cent missing. Wallet, cell phone, laptop, tablet, camera etc. all left in room with no troubles on both cruises. [/quote]

It wasn't our first cruise - but we did the same thing the first day of our most recent cruise on Eclipse. After putting everything in the safe, my husband thought I locked it and I thought he did. We just closed the door (solstice class) and went out to the muster drill and sailaway party. That evening we discovered we hadn't locked the safe - and we had left a plastic bag of cash, etc. Nothing had been touched. We had excellent room stewards.

Beth

And they have lockers where you can put your clothes, etc. while you enjoy the company of the dolphins. We loved it, and I thought it would be hokey.

Beth

Help. I'm trying to pack for an Eclipse Caribbean trip (we leave in 2 days) and just wondered about lockers. We are taking the Celebrity Five Star Island tour from St. Thomas.

On a tour like this, what do you do with your "stuff" like your sea pass, money, camera, sunscreen, clothing, etc. If you are just sitting under an umbrella, you can watch your possessions, but what about when you go in the water. Last year, the only time we needed something like that was in Cozumel, and the place where we went had lockers. My camera isn't underwater, so I want to take it only if there is a locker where I can put it when I'm swimming or snorkeling. Any help will be appreciated.

 

Beth

Help. I'm trying to pack for an Eclipse Caribbean trip (we leave in 2 days) and just wondered about lockers. We are taking the Celebrity Sightsee Marigot & Beach Getaway tour.

On a tour like this, what do you do with your "stuff" like your sea pass, money, camera, sunscreen, clothing, etc. If you are just sitting under an umbrella, you can watch your possessions, but what about when you go in the water. Last year, the only time we needed something like that was in Cozumel, and the place where we went had lockers. My camera isn't underwater, so I want to take it only if there is a locker where I can put it when I'm swimming or snorkeling. Any help will be appreciated.

 

Beth

Help. I'm trying to pack for an Eclipse Caribbean trip (we leave in 2 days) and just wondered about lockers. We are taking the Celebrity Coastal Cruise to the Pitons tour.

On a tour like this, what do you do with your "stuff" like your sea pass, money, camera, sunscreen, clothing, etc. If you are just sitting under an umbrella, you can watch your possessions, but what about when you go in the water. Last year, the only time we needed something like that was in Cozumel, and the place where we went had lockers. My camera isn't underwater, so I want to take it only if there is a locker where I can put it when I'm swimming or snorkeling. Any help will be appreciated.

 

Beth

Help. I'm trying to pack for an Eclipse Caribbean trip (we leave in 2 days) and just wondered about lockers. We are taking the Celebrity Shadowfax Champagne Lobster Cruise tour.

On a tour like this, what do you do with your "stuff" like your sea pass, money, camera, sunscreen, clothing, etc. If you are just sitting under an umbrella, you can watch your possessions, but what about when you go in the water. Last year, the only time we needed something like that was in Cozumel, and the place where we went had lockers. My camera isn't underwater, so I want to take it only if there is a locker where I can put it when I'm swimming or snorkeling. Any help will be appreciated.

 

Beth

Help. I'm trying to pack for an Eclipse Caribbean trip (we leave in 2 days) and just wondered about lockers. We are taking the Celebrity Swim with Turtles, Shipwrecks, Snorkel & Beach tour.

On a tour like this, what do you do with your "stuff" like your sea pass, money, camera, sunscreen, clothing, etc. If you are just sitting under an umbrella, you can watch your possessions, but what about when you go in the water. Last year, the only time we needed something like that was in Cozumel, and the place where we went had lockers. My camera isn't underwater, so I want to take it only if there is a locker where I can put it when I'm swimming or snorkeling. Any help will be appreciated.

 

Beth

Help. I'm trying to pack for an Eclipse Caribbean trip (we leave in 2 days) and just wondered about lockers. We are taking the Celebrity Sailaway Beach and Snorkel tour.

On a tour like this, what do you do with your "stuff" like your sea pass, money, camera, sunscreen, clothing, etc. If you are just sitting under an umbrella, you can watch your possessions, but what about when you go in the water. Last year, the only time we needed something like that was in Cozumel, and the place where we went had lockers. My camera isn't underwater, so I want to take it only if there is a locker where I can put it when I'm swimming or snorkeling. Any help will be appreciated.

 

Beth

I love the mashed potatoes since I never make them except at Thanksgiving and then I'm too busy to eat them. I'm the only one in the house right now who likes them so it isn't worth the effort to make. Baked are easier than mashed, despite others comments. So my husband orders the baked potato and I enjoy my mashed.

B

Check in at 7:25 am on Friday and show up at 6:00 am and you should be fine. Just a suggestion.

Beth

We will be sailing on January 11. Glad OP is enjoying the cruise. Thought there was a way to sign up for CC party on the Celebrity website. How can we sign up?

 

C'mon over to the Roll Call. We've got some chat on a few excursions going on, and a Dropbox with additional info.

Beth

.

I wonder if a Balcony cruiser is assigned better seating in the MDR then an inside cruiser?

 

I don't think your cabin determines your table location, since we were in a hump-angle Balcony and had a table in the MDR in a dreadful location. We didn't ask to change because someone has to get that table, so we just dealt with it. It was not going to ruin our cruise to be at the back of the room near the kitchen (and maybe our food was warmer ;)). We were traveling with friends and that was the important factor.

 

We have achieved a little Captain's Club status, and I still don't like it when people post their status in their signatures, but in their defense, it does add to the credibility of their responses to questions - a person who is Elite Plus has been on quite a few Celebrity cruises, so probably has answers to most questions. Some people don't like that I put the cruises I've been on. I think if we all work from the premise that most of us are on Cruise Critic because we want to help others, maybe that will make the discussions a little more palatable. And sometimes even the best of us gets cranky (though I don't think I've ever seen Larry Simon being cranky), so please forgive us when that happens.

 

Beth