DCPIV

7 minutes ago, mfs2k said:

You can pre-order a bottle or two of vodka which will be delivered to your stateroom upon arrival and get glassware and ice from your room steward.  As for mixers, you can order sodas and juices from room service. Bloody mary mix might be harder. 

It is an option, but at $100-130 per bottle, it's can be a pricey one depending on how much you intend to take advantage.

7 minutes ago, mfs2k said:

You can pre-order a bottle or two of vodka which will be delivered to your stateroom upon arrival and get glassware and ice from your room steward.  As for mixers, you can order sodas and juices from room service. Bloody mary mix might be harder. 

It is an option, but at $100-130 per bottle, it's can be a pricey one depending on how much you intend to take advantage.

I look forward to hearing your reports.  We're not on Equinox for nearly a year, but it's always fun to hear what's going on.  Cheers, and Happy Cruising!

Also be sure that all the details are correct on your negative Covid test result.  When we sailed on Celebrity Summit on July 31, we discovered at the pier that DW's printed result had an error on it.  Due to what must have been a typo, it showed her result was reported on "July 9, 2021," rather than the actual date of "July 29."  The testing date was correctly stated as "July 29," and I also had my test result that was all correct.  As in your case, the higher-ups talked for a couple minutes and waved us on through.  It was fairly obvious that someone made a mistake, so we weren't overly concerned.  However, it would have been worth a few moments of our time to examine the result and get that mistake corrected just in case.

Since we're telling stories about the vaccination card, DW also has one of those.  She was recently on a Carnival cruise as part of a large group.  Another of the group members had a problem on her card.  I don't recall exactly, but there was some detail left off regarding that lady's second shot.  Fortunately, the folks at the pier were able to clear it up with a phone call, but it took closer to an hour for them to get it all sorted.  Still, she was able to board and had a marvelous time. (The other group members boarded without any trouble.)

10 hours ago, canderson said:

This one is a good bit more current, and reflects pretty much the same at a more detailed level.  In this, you see the SS and CS with the PBP.

 

 

 

1577641448_AMENITIESGRID8_12.2020-1.xlsx 120.8 kB · 11 downloads

As much as I would like it to be true that a CS came with all those goodies regardless of fare (because it would have saved me close to $1000 on the recent booking), they do not.  Luminae, Lounge, Sundeck, Retreat Host, priority boarding, and other what-nots may come with a suite under any circumstances, but not the gratuities, wifi, PBP, or OBC.

In fact, the spreadsheet states that those particular goodies are "Not included w/ special fares or Move Up Upgrades from any non-suite stateroom." 

1 minute ago, canderson said:

When did a complimentary PBP actually start for SS and CS?

It started when they started "The Retreat," so recently. However, going back to my recent unpleasant surprise, I can tell you that it's hardly complimentary (although not badly priced, either).

4 hours ago, LGW59 said:

That’s what they posted re premium drink package, yes it’s included 

As @jagoffee said, that's not true. The premium package is a "Retreat" perk (along with the Stream wifi, suite gratuities, and OBC). As I learned from my recent unpleasant surprise unknowingly booking a suite with a simply sail fare, the Retreat perks do not automatically come with a suite.  

A Move Up bid would work the same. 

12 minutes ago, markeb said:

Drinks of the day priced $2-3 over the package price would probably create some revenue, but given how they push the package pricing, it would probably be a hard sell to get people pay for it.

Indeed. That would have to be a remarkable "drink of the day."

6 minutes ago, zaxanon6 said:

That may vary by ship/cruise. It was offered on embarkation day on Millennium when I sailed in late August (a pleasant surprise).

Good to know! I'm glad to hear it! 

9 minutes ago, Northern Aurora said:

 

We are Zenith level of the CC club but were also in a suite for our Millennium September B2B cruises.  Since the MDR lunch for Concierge class staterooms was offered on those cruises I am guessing that Zeniths not in suites could have boarded in time attend that Concierge Class lunch.  Zeniths, no matter what type of stateroom they booked, are invited to that embarkation day lunch

I believe the Concierge class lunch currently is not being held on embarkation day.

This is quite an account!

How is Millennium? I'm scheduled to come on board the day y'all pull into Fort Lauderdale. 

That would not be a weight loss day for me if I were there. 

3 minutes ago, cruising teacher said:

Do you know if Zenith passengers can board with Suite passengers ie

anytime?

Not at present. 

@pcrum I'm not aware of Broadway style shows but they have had some great vocalists. 

To be honest, I'm not much of a "show" guy and might only catch one or two (if any at all) over a cruise. I much prefer the live acts in the bars and lounges. I hope someone else comes along to give you more info about the shows. 

I forgot to mention that there is DJ music up in Sky Lounge that goes good and late if you're interested in staying up after midnight. 

1 hour ago, pcrum said:

We are also looking at the Summit.  I know it's an older ship, but it seems it has been recently upgraded?  Any thoughts?

Yes, Summit was recently "revolutionized" and is a beautiful ship. It's pretty hard to comment on the quality of the night life at the moment, though, because she's been sailing at such low capacity. 

There's no piano bar on Summit, but there is excellent live music that usually goes until 11:30.

Yes, many of us have dealt with it. We had that situation in Barbados. None of the offered tips really interested us (there weren't many in the first place), so we were content to have a lovely, relaxing day on board. 

For something different in Aruba, check out Trikes Aruba. That was a fun day! 

Keep in mind that whether you need to take bubble tours is typically dictated by the ports, so you're not likely to see that vary from line to line. 

If you booked an Always Included cruise, you'll have wifi. If that's the case, use a messenger app. That's what DW and I have done, and it worked very well. 

The Celebrity app really is a lousy way to try and communicate because it doesn't give notifications. You don't know there's a message waiting unless and until you open the app.  

As far as phone messages and sticky notes go, that would also be a lousy way to reach folks like me. Once I've left my cabin in the morning, I rarely go back until I go get cleaned up and changed for dinner and, after that, until I'm off to bed. 

12 minutes ago, 39august said:

Isn't pier 25 in Port Everglades the only pier with a designated suite boarding lounge?

There was one at Terminal G in Miami. 

@goofysmom99 I'm so sorry to hear about your knee! May you recover swiftly and smoothly! 

I didn't notice any specials on recent Summit sailings, but I really wasn't paying attention since we had the premium package. 

If you enjoy fun bartenders, you definitely need to get to the Martini Bar. 

The music in Cellar Masters is fantastic, as is that in Rendezvous Lounge. Really, all the music on board is terrific. 

If you are in a suite, don't miss the Luminae Burger. It's phenomenal. 

Summit is a marvelous ship with the best crew I've ever sailed with. All these recent Summit threads are making me jealous! 

8 hours ago, misguy said:

I don't of any backup plan for a class I teach live.  Was the Wifi good in port?

I didn't try the wifi anywhere other than the ship. 

We take ours with us when we are off the ship and not on an excursion bought through the cruise line. Even if we're on a ship excursion, we may very well still bring it with us, but we feel a bit better leaving it onboard if the ship is looking out for us to some extent. 

If we take it, we leave a copy onboard. That's where you want your copy to be if something happens because it will make getting a replacement much easier. The ONLY thing a copy is good for, folks, is getting a new passport. Well, it's also good for wrapping fish (small ones), but that's about it.

A passport card is a fine option if you are travelling in Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, or Bermuda. Other than that, it's only good in the same way a copy of your passport might be.