DCPIV

There isn't a single one, and they all have different email addresses. 

Are you calling 1-877-RETREAT and then selecting option 3 (or whichever for a Retreat Concierge)? I've never had a wait of more than a few minutes. 

13 minutes ago, StillLooking4Adventure said:

I got mine today.  Check #4.  It says expiration dates have been extended for an entire year as per the FDA

As noted, the expiration has not been extended BY a year. It's been extended TO a year after the manufacture date. 

1 minute ago, Indykitten said:

I wonder when Grand Cayman will reopen. All I've heard so far is "early next year"

The other, more realistic answer is "when they want to."

11 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

They bartender in the Equinox RL also made an excellent Negroni, much better than the one I had in the Craft Social bar. It was my second favorite drink in the RL. I got hooked on Negronis while spending a few weeks in Italy in 2018.

Negronis are one of those things I drink on cruises much more so than otherwise. It's no wonder that it was the first thing I ordered from the first bartender I saw on board the first cruise I'd been on in two years. 

1 hour ago, cruisinghawg said:

Yes now, but not sure if it has always been that way prior to the change around 2K.

Pinnacle didn't exist until 2011, when they changed from "cruise credits" to "cruise points."

If you had 100 cruise credits or more at that time, you were Pinnacle.

1 hour ago, bouhunter said:

CBD oil from hemp is legal federally FYI........  And you're obviously not even close to getting my point.

The moment you board that ship, you no longer are in the USA. 

Well, I don't know why that photo came out upside down. That's Alaska, not Australia. 

We've done it twice. What's your land itinerary? 

Chances are that you will be on the coach quite a bit. Alaska is enormous (and that's coming from a Texan). It's so very worth it, though. It's staggeringly gorgeous, and you want to see the interior. You really do.

Also, it gets light very early in the morning and stats that way very late in Alaska during the Summer, and folks love it up. You have plenty of time to get out and about.

Luggage isn't a problem. It's handled very much like a last night on board. Put your bags out before you hit the sack at night. They load them on the coach and deliver them to your room the next day. You can bring a carry on with you, if you like. 

I'm not going to lie to you and say that the land tour is a relaxing meander through the Alaskan interior. It's got a bit of a pace to it. Again, though, it's totally worth it. I'd do it again right now. Well, maybe not RIGHT NOW, but next Summer. 😉

It didn't hurt that, on both occasions, we had excellent hosts/guides that were with us for the entire time and kept us fired up. I have nothing but fond memories (and the first time we were traveling with young kids).

It's smart to do it before the cruise. You get on board, and then you relax. 

Pro tip: If you get a chance to take a helicopter up to a glacier, just do it (especially if it's the one that takes you up to the mushers' camp).

6 minutes ago, RedneckBob said:

RedneckBob is back.  Can reduced capacity mean one person less than full. Bottom line is if all cruise lines sail with less capacity there will be no cruise ship to sell on!

I get it. Don't get me wrong about that. I want the industry to survive and thrive. I've already sailed Celebrity twice since the restart. I'm sailing Celebrity on Thursday, in February, and again in the Fall. I don't expect a full crowd on Thursday, I kinda hope there is a full crowd in February, and I'll be mighty concerned if there isn't one in the Fall. 

But don't sell me or anyone else something you won't deliver. Celebrity now appears to be doing that. That bothers me. 

As for your question about one person less than full, sure, that may very well comply, but consider this. Is that the sort of operation you want to do business with? Is that how you would operate your business?

20 minutes ago, Purplsmurf said:

especially since I had read that people checking in to other cruises couldn’t get in until 3 pm and they were checking in when it just opened.

That was some oddball thing that was going on for a little while. It happened to me twice, but it always got fixed well before sailing. 

1 hour ago, terrydtx said:

We were blown away by the Retreat service and experience, so much so we will no longer cruise with Celebrity in any cabin less than a Sky Suite.

I'm inclined to agree, although it's not like I've been anything other than thrilled with Celebrity service outside the Retreat, as well. 

While we're relating fun Retreat Lounge stories . . . .  The RL bartender on my recent Summit cruise, as well as the one a month prior, was an exceptional man named Daniel. The first thing I ever ordered from him (on that first cruise) was a Negroni. That led to a small chat, a part of which was Daniel relating that he made countless Negronis while working for an Italian line. I remarked that it showed because it was an excellent drink. 

When I was making my "farewell" on the second cruise, he insisted upon making me another before I left. A small but treasured gesture. 

34 minutes ago, scrabble6 said:

Good info.  If have a couple of questions:

1. Does checking in earlier give you an earlier boarding time?
2. Check in for my cruise opens Dec. 15th.  Does it open at any particular time?  Should I check in at 12:01 AM?

Thanks!

1. Maybe, maybe not. It sometimes takes a little while for all the slots to open up (your guess is as good as mine as to why). It can't hurt, though, as you always can go back and change it to whatever else may be available at the time. 

2. I understand that it opens at midnight Eastern time, but I've never sat there and confirmed it. 

Yes, those were virtual certainties. 

Noted! Bermuda brings on dogs. It should make no difference to me, as I'm not going to bring anything on, but it's just good stuff to know. 

I'd go ahead and order them for a December sailing.  You should be just fine ordering two weeks out, if you would rather, but you should not have an issue with expiration (if that's your concern).  

6 minutes ago, thompson4131 said:

Wife & I purchased home test kits.  Will we need to make separate calls to the monitor site or can we take our separate tests on the same call?

You'll need to do them separately.  If you have more than one device, you can do them at the same time.

1 minute ago, Charles4515 said:

 

Some  ports search onboard the ship with sniffer dogs. The dogs have sensitive noses. Many believe the ports do that to get revenue by assesing large fines.  The Bahamas and Bermuda are notorius for that.  So it does not matter what it looks like. What matters is if there is enough THC that the dogs detect it. 

I've never seen officials on board with dogs.  I've often seen them on the pier checking folks getting on or off, but I've never seen them on board.

You might very well get an email from the D Concierge prior to your sail, and you might be able to bring it up then.  If not, I'd just call when I got on board (extension should be on a letter in your room).

19 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Be kind, do some of the work yourself. Once on the ship, the app and/or a call can do all of that.

I like to do a lot of that sort of thing on my own, but I also have found that the Concierge (Diamond or Suite) can get some things done that I cannot and other things done better than I can.

As you can see from that link, the amenities for GS and above are substantial even on Mariner. 

That breakfast in Chops is not to be underrated.  It's a large step above Windjammer.  It's not as quick as running through WJ, of course, but it also doesn't typically take a lot longer.  It's a heck of a lot nicer way to start a day--that's for sure.

The Concierge can be very valuable, as well.  While it depends on the Concierge (most are excellent) and your needs, you'll be very happy to have the Concierge if you need one.  Just a tip if you find you need something: give the Concierge a call when you think of something you need, even if it's just to leave a message.  If you wait until the Concierge Lounge "office hours," you might find yourself waiting behind someone else who needs something.  Chances are that the Concierge can take care of stuff or, at least, facilitate it earlier.

The Concierge Lounge is a nice place to be.  If you already have a drink package, the financial advantage is nothing, but it's still a nice place to grab a small bite before dinner or just to have a quiet spot to hang out.  The biggest downside is that it's something of a hike up to the top of the ship.

The other perks may or may not make a difference over your cruise, but they are nice to have when you want to use them.

2 minutes ago, Merion_Mom said:

You can always get a box of crayons and colorize them yourself.  😉

 

I'm totally suggesting that to a friend of ours who loves to color!

I can't speak directly about RCI, but things worked fine on Celebrity when I booked during the double points promotion there and then repriced after it was over.

One thing, though.  Make sure you have a document that supports you (i.e., the Guest Copy with the booking date on it).  I ended up having to make a phone call to get the double points.  They had to verify a few things.  I ended up not needing it after all, but it made things a little easier (and it was peace of mind while on hold during the verification).

Frankly, you always want that Guest Copy, but here's another reason why.

18 hours ago, Steve&Teri said:

Ok a quick question.  In the edocs suggested color printer for t luggage tags but didn't sound  like it has to be.  Has anyone ever used none color ones  luggage tags . We don't have a color printer at home the one I have access to at work isn't color.  So just want to see if anyone as used ones not in color tags

I'll chime in with the others and say that we've had no trouble at all with monochrome tags. No worries at all.

25 minutes ago, George C said:

My cvs said they would have results in one to two days , not good enough 

Was that for the PCR test or the rapid test?  Around here, the rapid test comes back within hours (if even that long).  It's the PCR test that takes a day or two (or three).

On 11/4/2021 at 5:55 AM, Ipeeinthepools said:

I’ll bump this one back to the top.  Has anyone ordered these tests recently?  I’m hoping that they exhaust the old stock soon and begin shipping tests with longer expiration dates.  It would be nice to have tests that could be used until late 2022

They are sending out newer stock, but it might be a while before they get to anything expiring late next year.  Some other threads are reporting expiration dates in March (including the extension), but that's it.

16 minutes ago, Guppy99 said:

Seriously? Celebrity has never guaranteed less than full capacity for any particular cruise. Why should this be a cause for a refund (outside the normal refund rules? It was just aside benefit in an otherwise unprecedented situation.

They've been advertising reduced capacity and touting it as a selling point for some time, now.  They still are, as a matter of fact.

On 11/7/2021 at 7:48 AM, ltcpda said:

This two day testing procedure has become worrisome.  Has anyone knowledge if the Navica App works properly?.  Are proctors available 24/7?  What is the wait time?

 

Do we have a choice to use our laptops for the BinaxNow test and avoid the App?  

No need to worry.  It's pretty easy to do (especially if you've seen that YouTube video).  The app works fine, but I didn't really bother with it.  It was nice to have as a backup, but I just printed the results that came via email shortly after completing the test.

Proctors are available 24/7.  When I did it about a month ago, the wait time was virtually nil.  That's what others continue to report.  I'm doing the test again tomorrow, and I expect the same.