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@Salf777 I should mention, I've done other TAs and this one the internet was actually worse than some others. It's quite dependent upon the ship's particular route, the location of the satellite/s, and even the weather. There are times you can get good service even mid-ocean, but it would not be fair to plan on being able to work reliably during a TA crossing, and definitely not to plan on using either Wi-Fi or video calling. Harris Denver, CO

I was on the Edge TA from Rome to FLL, that sailed October 2022 The ship had the Starlink internet active. Alas, what people miss about Starlink is it's designed around serving land masses and the coastal areas; which makes perfect sense. I had the premium package, and on the mid-ocean portion of our cruise, the internet was essentially useless, and certainly would not have supported reliable working from sea. Harris Denver, CO

What do you suppose you're going to accomplish with this phone call you propose to Celebrity? The State of Sinaloa, Mexico is on the US State Department's list of "Do Not Travel" level alert, which applies to Employees of the US government as a rule, and serves as a recommendation to others. However, that warning specifically does not include Mazatlan, which is the only cruise port in Sinaloa Celebrity calls upon. I'm curious about your motivation. I specifically remember that - when Celebrity was not sailing to the Mexican Riviera - you posted repeatedly about what a disservice this was to the Southern California customer; and you posted your opinion repeatedly that due to the Chikungunya virus Celebrity should move ships from the Caribbean to the Mexican Riviera. Now, you are using a similar unreasonable extension of a call for heightened caution to rail against the Mexican Riviera cruises. Is it Celebrity you don't like, or cruising you don't like? Harris Denver, CO

Exactly this. My nephew turned 18, and enrolled in Captain's Club, and got credit for his previous cruises. I'd keep seapasses, and the invoice showing the person listed as a passenger. Harris Denver, CO

Unfair?!?! Karen, It's a bonus, or a gift if you will. They could make it "fair" by just reducing the service for everyone, and giving no extra points. Harris Denver, CO

I'd contact Hans Pleij at CURious 2 Dive. There are several really good dive sites there around the Director's Bai/Caracas Bay area, and there's a little bar/restaurant right there at the Tugboat beach, where non-divers could swim and snorkel The sunken tug boat, and the pier adjacent to the beach both have a lot of really interesting marine life, just in the shallows there I've seen octopus, seahorses, and all sorts of other animals. I'm not sure how large your group is. Hans has always provided up with port pick-up and return, but he has a relatively small pick-up truck (4-door like a Nissan or Toyota). I'm sure if he can help you he will. https://www.curious2dive.com/en/ Harris Denver, CO

@Barwick CruiserYou are inside final payment date, so you would lose money according to this matrix: 89 to 75 Days Prior to Sailing 25% oer guest 74 to 61 Days Prior to Sailing 50% per guest 60 to 31 Days Prior to Sailing 75% per guest 30 to 0 Days Prior to Sailing 100% per guest Harris Denver, CO

Discover Scuba dives are simultaneously the biggest selling tool for scuba certification, and the biggest hindrance to people pursuing their Open Water Diver certification. Why? It depends on how it's run. If done properly, the Discover Scuba will inspire a person by introducing them to scuba in a safe, comfortable environment, where it becomes clear that being among the sea life, and in the ocean environment is so much more than they imagined. If done improperly, the person will feel rushed, and uncomfortable, and likely will not pursue diving at all. Some disagree, but for me diving and snorkeling are completely different sports. Snorkeling you're mostly at the surface, and many people never dive down. Even if you do - even if you're quite adept at free diving - you're time underwater is very limited. With scuba, you're literally immersed in the experience. Some things you will never see from the surface, either because they're too small to see, or their habitats are hidden in the reef. Even the sea life and reefs you see from the surface, take on a different characteristic entirely when you are among them as opposed to observing. I hope your Discover Scuba indeed makes you want to move forward with getting your Open Water certification, and becoming a diver. Harris Denver, CO

Getting back on track, I got my 5 points today (Jan 13, 23) for the last webinar. Harris Denver, CO

You're set. Having the Celebrity app on your phone is helpful for things like completing your health questionnaire, and completing your muster videos. Harris Denver, CO

I suspect you missed the option to select a room, although that may have been at a higher price as well. If you just made the reservation, go through the process again. I suspect when you see the Aqua Category, and select it, it will show both Aqua and Aqua GTY. If not, there nay not be any rooms available, and GTY is the best you can do. If you find there are, you can call and get them to change your booking to the room you select. Harris Denver, CO

Yes, first will be tenders for Celebrity's shore excursions, which generally depart from the forward deck 1, while simultaneously regular tendering begins at the midship deck 1. First will be Elite and above Captain's Club members, and then those with tender tickets. Generally by about two hours after they go to open tendering, and tickets are no longer required. Harris Denver, CO

For years it has been the case that solo bookings will not show GTY rooms. Consequently if the low price is based on a GTY room, if one goes through the booking with one passenger, it will show the lowest priced specific room, but not the GTY price. If a solo wants a GTY room, the Revenue Department at Celebrity has to manually created the booking It's a simple enough process, but does require a phone call. Harris Denver, CO

No ships that haven't received the "revolutionizing" have any schedule as to when it will happen. The pandemic took the budget for those. I was on Infinity for 40 nights from November 11 through December 21, in a standard veranda room. It's true the ship's decor is somewhat dated, and the stateroom on the revolutionized M class ships now have a design I prefer. That being said, if someone offered me a free cruise on any Celebrity ship - and for the sake of this lets imagine the itinerary was the same - I'd be very likely to choose the Infinity. Why? The ship's crew. All Celebrity ships have fantastic staff, but the Infinity currently has a leadership team that has inspired the crew to work as a team with a focus on guest satisfaction. Beyond that, while the decor is not as "current" as other ships, the ship is well maintained, clean, and certainly not "run down". Given that you have found itineraries that appeal, I would assure you that it's entirely possible to have wonderful cruises upon the Infinity. Harris

While I'll confess I may be "assuming facts not in evidence", regarding the amount of room service food ordered and not consumed, I'm guessing you're not aboard now, so your statement that not only the amount but the quality of the Ocean View dinner offering has been reduced would be the same sort of assumption. I have a suspicion a lot of our concern here will resolve itself. As others - perhaps you @LMaxwell - have pointed out, people bringing their concerns to the attention of Celebrity's management has been effective in the past. I can conceive of more nuanced ways to have room service streamlined; and I imagine if I can, my fellow Cruise Critizens will do a fantastic job sharing their thoughts with Celebrity. We do know from the for-fee pool side burger experiment years ago, or even the greatest indignity ever attempted against the cruising public, the elimination of night chocolates; that Celebrity is capable and willing to revisit these changes. I'll also confess that I might not have the right frame of mind here, since I very rarely have order room service, and I can't recall the last time I ate dinner in the Ocean View. This may be a case where I lack appreciation as it's not my ox being gored. Now I'm hungry for gored ox. I hope they have that on the MDR menu next cruise. 🙂 Harris Denver, CO

Well, for all the complaining, I've been on a lot of cruises, and have seen the number of people that eat in the Ocean View for Dinner. It doesn't make sense to have a set-up similar to what they do at lunch for the number off people there for dinner. If food is consumed - even gluttonously - I'm all for it. But food prepared, and then discarded because it's not eaten doesn't enhance anyone's cruise experience. So "right-sizing" the offering makes sense both from an economic stand point, and from a sustainability stand point. Similarly, while room service is popular, it's enjoyed by a relatively small percentage of guests on board. The fee, while clearly unpopular, would seem to be an amount that is more to curtail frivolous orders than to actually be an insurmountable burden to those for whom room service is clearly very important. I base this on the fact it's a $9.95 + Grat flat fee, rather than an ala carte charge. I remember when the late night fee - which works on a similar basis - was implemented, There was a similar hue and cry about the corporate greed, and the potential for starvation of cruise passengers. But clearly the primary reason was that a lot of late night room service orders went unclaimed, because there was no answer at the door upon delivery, since the guest had either fallen asleep or passed out. I suspect - nay, I know - a good percentage of the room service orders are just because of the novelty of "free" room service. I see so few of the people posting here about how absolutely essential room service is, comparing it to their room service experience at hotels. I wonder what possible difference there could be between ship board room service and hotel room service. It can't be the cost, because so many here have made it abundantly clear their interest is strictly "not the money, but the principle". Yet, thanks to either my cynicism, or my lack of imagination, their aversion to paying $9.95 is the only answer I can come up with. Harris Denver, CO

Please, at least learn something about what you're commenting on. The Onboard Revenue Manager specifically has oversight for all the shipboard functions designated as within her span of control. These are the revenue generating departments such as the onboard shops, the shore excursions department, the casino, the art auctions, etc. All dining and beverage is not under the Revenue Director, but is instead under the Food & Beverage Director. Her responsibilities include all restaurants (MDR, Blu, Luminae, all specialty restaurants, Ocean View, etc), and all beverage operations (all bars, wine service, etc). Beyond that the Revenue Director is not responsible for finding new ways of charging or making cuts; but instead for managing all those departments and the employees assigned to them. Beyond the above, as a moment's thought should have made clear, changes such as imposing a nominal fee for room service, or right-sizing the evening buffet to properly serve the number of guests partaking is not a ship level change, and thus wouldn't come from the Onboard Revenue Director in any event; but instead are fleet wide, and clearly the corporation decided to implement changes, apparently effective on January 1, of the new year. Beyond that all the changes that seem to be causing such concern are under the purview of the F&B Department, not the Revenue Department. Harris Denver, CO

Please do. Harris Denver, CO

Oh, it's cancellable, you'd just lose money. As far as "Bait & Switch", that has a specific legal definition, and is illegal, and I can promise you this is not it. Your agreement with Celebrity did include cancellation penalties, and did not include a promise of included room service. Harris Denver, CO

Your recourse would be to cancel your cruise, or pay $9.95 + 18% each time you order room service. Harris Denver, CO

It's cheaper to buy the two device package, rather than two one-device plans. A couple can share the two device package. Harris Denver, CO

Since you've booked with a TA, check your credit card statement for the initial charge you're expecting to see refunded. Was the charge direct to Celebrity, or to the TA? Different TA's use either method. If the charge is to the TA, that's who has your money, and with whom your direct issue is with. If the charge is with Celebrity, of course that's where your actual dispute lies. The other problem is that Celebrity rightly feels you've got an agent, who they have promised will be their only point of contact regarding your booking. You agent now is still servicing a reservation for which they will get no commission, so they are now working for nothing; and thus have little incentive to spend time on your issue. Harris Denver, CO

Yes you should if you want it. Lots of things cost money now that used to be included in the price of something (e.g bag fees on airlines, estimates on home improvement work, etc). As the consumer the choice is not to pay or not pay, it's to patronize the business that charges the fee or not. If I don't like Delta's bag fee, I either don't check bags or fly Southwest. If I have to have bags, and Delta is the only airline flying the route, I pay the fee. If I don't like Celebrity's room service fee, and free room service is the reason I cruise, I shop for a different cruise line that doesn't have the fee (BTW those are going to be far more than $10.00 a day more expensive). Otherwise, I find an alternative way to get fed. Harris Denver, CO

You're question makes perfect sense. The service charge would be the cruise line's, the gratuity would go to the employees. Harris Denver, CO

Earn 1 Tier Point for every: > $1 wagered on slots > $2 wagered on Video poker Earn 8 tier points for every: >$1 theoretical on table games The casino has a figure for how many hands are played per hour, and then they try to rate the payer's "typical" bet. Harris Denver, CO