ScubesDad

That is the logical conclusion. Just as the OP was willing to go early for the 5:30 opening and not for the 5:00 opening. much ado about nothing

Up until this post I was leaning in support of your position; but then you became part of the problem by going early. Regrettably there is no easy solution to this problem. Open early and you encounter all the issues previously listed here. Open on time with a large line then you have a significant service issue in that orders for each segment of the meal hit the kitchen at the same time and results in slower response time, resulting in a prolonged meal service time. No win situation. We all want the window table...but we always can't have it. On our recent April cruise, we witnessed the good, bad, and ugly over the window table. One evening around 7pm a couple were being escorted to their table and they walked past an empty window table. The couple requested that table. The issue was that the table was just vacated maybe a minute or so before and was not cleared and reset. While the hostess tried her diplomatic best to explain, they were not relenting. Finally the hostess requested they have a seat out by reception while they prepared the table...nope they wanted to sit now...finally it took the maitre'd to assure them the table was theirs but they had to go to the reception area to wait. This was in Luminae. Life is too short to have to deal with these dramatics. I am on vacation. If someone cooks for me, plies me with wine all through dinner and then cleans up.....I am a happy camper. Just for the record we usually head off to dinner sometime between 6:30 and 7.. Usually no line at all and we snag a window table about 1 in 3 nights.

If this is accurate, and I contend it is not, then Celebrity will be losing many excellent employees as their contract expires. Having been both a managed employee and an employee manager I am well versed in the problems associated with 100% reliance on surveys to determine employee performances and compensation. The major problem is many clients refuse to select a "10" or top box because they perceive no-one to be perfect. Many of the issues are management related or lack of management as the case may be. We just returned from a three week road trip which included seven hotels and a few B&B's. Every hotel send out a "thank you first staying with us" email and an invitation to complete a survey. I completed ever request...honestly and factually. There were some small issues which were dealt with on site; however there were a few that were obviously management related. If Celebrity is not informed about the good and the bad they cannot reward the good or correct the bad. I will continue to provide honest feedback when required.

OMG, love it. I also worked in an occupation where a suit and tie were the uniform of the day. I always packed "work clothes" for dinner......

You can stuff quite a bit in the cloth bags. We generally fill out the forms and fill the bag smallest to largest and innecessary use the largest item as a cap over the top of the bag tucked in to the opening and pull the drawstring tight and tie a bow. The contents are not touched until the bag is in the laundry department. Personally I think it is quite presumptive to expect someone else to pick up your laundry.

The benefits you would receive for the one cruise in December may cost you$100, max $150. Save yourself the expense and use it towards another cruise.

I believe the only Irish whiskey they stock is Jameson. In the past anytime I have asked for something else, ie Redbreast, or Teeling I have been told all they have is Jameson. By default it would be on both packages.

We have experienced both and have a a preference for the med. For us Alaska was a once and done experience. We did the land tour independently. we were there in late July and did not find the trip to be overly populated with children; however the demographic mix was younger. The experience is more nature/scenery and history. For us the experience was similar in many regards to things we have experienced here in Canada. The med is much more focused on history and culture. We have been several times in the summer...yes August, and are returning in '23 in October. August is the traditional European holiday period and it is hot and busy. We will probably return to the med and Greece a few more times but definitely not in August.

Our early cruises were in the C1's on the M class across the stern of the ship. The only benefit we considered was the location......looking at the wake. We enjoyed breakfast on the balcony....when it was a real table and late evening after dinner drinks. The canapés were a liability and we would ask for cheese and crackers. We only attended the boarding day lunch once and found it to be a good activity while waiting for the cabin to be ready. Is it worth it....that is up to you to decide

Check with the retreat host/hostess when you get on board. We regularly sail in suites but are never in a hurry to get off quickly except for a cruise a few years ago. The suite luggage goes off first and is waiting as soon as disembarkation begins. We met the hostess in the retreat and she escorted us to the front of the line to exit. We were picking our luggage up 5 minutes later and one of the first people through customs.

Just to kick this can down the road.......both our kids worked as lifeguards, after their stories I will not get in to the pool or hot tubs unless I do it first thing in the morning, after I know the hot tub was drained and cleaned.

Such a great term, with all due respect.......just did a quick check from Civi to the Termini station Rome..1 hour 10 minutes using the toll road. It is approx 3 am in Italy and accordingly the traffic is light. Every trip we have taken into the city in the morning rush has been between an hour thirty and an hour forty five. Just because you haven't seen it, doesn't mean it didn't happen.

Therein lies your answer. The process was developed by the risk management group and vetted by the lawyers to provide a reasonable assurance that they are covered should something go sideways. As long as people continue to book cruises and passenger volumes increase their actions are being confirmed and validated as reasonable and acceptable. Currently generating cash flow is their prime concern, and as long as people book Celebrity sees no reason to change. If new bookings start to decline and people cancel existing bookings Celebrity will be compelled to investigate and respond. Complaining is meaningless as it is very unlikely to bring about change, unless it is accompanied by action.

I don't understand why this discussion draws just vitriolic responses when someone makes a decision based on the information they have access to. Everyone makes a risk analysis based on their own parameters; some of us are risk takers and some of us are risk adverse. Neither position is correct or incorrect, it is what is correct for the decision maker at this point in time. In answer to the question asked, yes it is a concern that I may be quarantined in an OV or worse, or I am be dropped in a foreign country and forced to quarantine at my own expense. I cancelled our June cruise to Iceland because of the hoops we would have to go through. We cruise to travel, not travel to cruise. We tack a week or so on the front and back of a cruise and spend time on our own exploring. I developed a plan B. Learned wecan travel to Iceland and back without the needful testing, as we are fully vaccinated/up to date. Travel involves 2 airports rather than multiple airports, so reduced risk of exposure. We booked an independent tour through a tour company which includes a vehicle and accomodation, we provide our own meals. We set the time and places we want to stop. We will take tests with us and should we become exposed/infected we can self quarantine as required. In our assessment significant less risk, greater flexibility, and an added bonus less costly. I just picked a new destination and kicked the cruise ahead by 6 months. There is travel outside of cruising.

We ran into this on a med cruise. It has something to do with the EU tax regulations and the ship not leaving EU territorial waters. It was several years ago and the ports of call were all in Spain, Italy and France. Regrettably I cannot remember the details but the VAT was charged on any ship purchases which were not prepaid.