texanitalian

I was checking my reservation late last night for my October cruise and it showed reduced OBC and said I still had a remaining balance.   The balance was paid   July 02 and we have already checked in.  I got a email  around 1130 pm central standard time saying changes were made and OBC credits are no longer paid in full.
 

Something happened last night, so be aware that the app doesn’t show balances and you need to check directly on the website.  
 

Check your accounts!

22 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

If you have booked under the Always Included program, have a Classic (or Premium) Beverage Package as a perk, or you've purchased one, then bottled water is included. There are other (non-alcoholic) packages too that include water. Otherwise, you'll pay for it. Personally, I like the taste of the ships'  water and often use a refillable bottle with it for excursions.

 

One used to be able to bring on cases of bottled water, but there was some recent indication that with Celebrity's move away from plastic water bottles to aluminum cans, this would no longer be allowed. I don't know if this has been resolved. Perhaps someone with more current information can comment.

We did purchase the classic beverage package.  Is the bottled water 16 oz and available at all bars to bring back to your cabin?

50 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

Yup, we tend to bring bottles of water or soda each time we head to the cabin for the first couple of days to stock up. And no, no charge. We leave room, of course, for the two bottles of wine that we bring aboard.

First time on Celebrity—we were  planning to bring bottled water during embarkation to carry during port days.  Is this necessary, or is “free” bottled available somewhere on the ship?  Thanks. 

58 minutes ago, abbydancer said:

Good evening from day two of our cruise.

 

We were in Nassau today, and we are allowed off. 

We slept in a bit, and woke up with 5 minutes of Luminae closing.  So I suggested we shoot for the Elite breakfast lounge in Tuscan.  We didn't exactly hurry, so we got there at 9:59 and they were closed.  We then headed to the Retreat Lounge, also closed.   So we did the best possible thing - headed to Al Baccio for a latte and a pastry.

 

After that, we gathered our things, and headed out of the ship.  All we did was take a walk through the port area.  I did buy a MAC cosmetic item that I couldn't find in New York, but that was pretty much it.  We did look at some government buildings and saw this:

 

 

 

It commemorates the granting of the charter for the Bahamas by King Charles the 1st in 1629.  As a British history fan I found it fascinating.

 

We headed back to the ship and dropped our stuff.  After a brief rest, we decided to go to Sushi on 5 for lunch.  An interesting choice, because I don't like fish.  However, I've always been curious, and it's open on a port day, so I decided to try it.   

 

Glen opted for a glass of sake, and I had one of their cocktails, the Asian Pear Smash.  It was good, and the pear garnish was quite good.  

 

We started with miso soup, and then shared chicken gyozas.  The miso came on a soup spoon with miso past and veggies and tofu.  The server poured hot water into the bowl, and we mixed the paste into it.  It was very good, and Glen said it transformed the sake.  

I followed it with the Kobe beef ramen slider. 

 

 

 

 

 

We will be on the Equinox in two weeks and assumed that you could only leave the ship in Nassau if you were on a Celebrity required excursion. This is posted in the healthy at sea travel requirements:

Excursions provided by Celebrity Cruises are required in:

•  Nassau

I am curious if others were able to leave the ship on their own, which would be awesome.

6 hours ago, chemmo said:

If they are restricting numbers on Equinox as they are on Silhouette I would pre book…Sometime the timing is more important than the cost.

 

Sincere best wishes on your anniversary!

Thank you!

4 minutes ago, chemmo said:

The menu stays the same, so lobster is always available. If you have s specific day and time you want to dine (special occasion) I would suggest you pre book.
 

Restaurant discounts are a bit hit and miss. On our last Equinox cruise there were discounts for Tuscan and LPC but not for Murano and by mid cruise it was fully booked. In contrast on Eclipse Murano’s was offering discounts…Sometimes discounts come with a limitation on day or time available.
 

Before we had speciality dining included with our suite we used to book a dining package. We would then head to one of the speciality restaurants immediately on boarding to arrange days and times. If you decide to wait until you are on board there is usually someone from the speciality restaurants just outside the buffet. Ask them about any deals they have. 

Thank you. We will be on the Equinox next month and will be celebrating our anniversary.

First time sailing with Celebrity and new to specialty dining also.  We do not have a dining package, but would like to eat at the Murano.  Should I make reservations before sailing?  I am assuming that the menu changes daily, is lobster only available on certain nights?  
 

Will there be special pricing on board?  There is a 30% discount on day 1 and there is one day with lunch available for $35/pp. The app also says there is a cancellation fee, so I am not sure if I should book now or wait until onboard.  We have no OBC!

Thanks!

Did you make prior reservations for the golf cart online or just walk up in the morning?
Is it an hourly charge or half day charge?
 

Thank you for posting pictures and great tips!

1 minute ago, micheleata said:

 

Yes, definitely.  I always bring a printed copy.  I have only had one issue, it was with some TA OBC that did not show up onboard.   I gave my confirmation copy to Guest Relations and they fixed it for me.  I'm so glad I had my copy.

That’s exactly what I was thinking. I don’t want any unexpected charges to settle at the end of the cruise. 

Thanks to all replies. I’m planning to carry a copy of my confirmation just in case I have any problems. 

On 9/13/2021 at 3:02 PM, Jeremiah1212 said:

You can request the Booking Confirmation from Celebrity. If you booked through a TA, it's typically found in the remarks section. The itemized portion of charges may or may not have the rate code which is really what matters. Invoices direct from Celebrity usually have it listed also. It will look something like AWLAYS INC, ALWAYS INC NRD, 20 PCTSAVE, ELEVATE, ELEVATE NRD and so on.

First time cruising with Celebrity.
My email confirmation does state “ALWAYS INC NRD”, but I do not see any reference to the package within the app on my phone.  Just curious to know if this is normal or what should I see?  I’m guessing my seapass card will have some reference to the classic package?

We are on a 9 day cruise with 4 sea days and the tips/gratuity  alone will be $279.  Even though we are not too big of drinkers, I think it will be nice not to worry about a big bill at the end.

I’m assuming that we can still have  tequila shots or Baileys 🥃 .  

This was allowed on NCL a few years ago.  

Thanks!  

4 hours ago, cruisestitch said:

Don’t forget that without the drink package you would pay for teas and coffee’s at Café al Bacio, bottled waters, soft drinks, etc.

 

be sure to factor things like that in, as well as gratuities.

First timer with Celebrity.
Can someone tell me what type of coffee is include with the classic beverage package?  Are Expresso, lattes, cappuccinos included at Cafe al Bacio or will there be an additional up charge?

Thank you. 

https://www.celebritycruises.com/healthy-at-sea/us-travel-requirements

It is very difficult to search within a topic — it keeps searching all boards. Please advise how to search “within” a specific board or topic for iPhone, iPad, and laptop. 

Thank you for your honest opinion. We have previously sailed mostly NCL in the past, and are now retired and wanted to 

try something different.  We are not interested in spas or gambling and are generally happy with main dining or specialty restaurant.  We are considering a Caribbean 11 day cruise with a regular midship veranda since this will be our 1st time with Celebrity.  Hope to do a TA in 2021!

We have never cruised Celebrity — are there benefits with Aqua class over a deluxe midship veranda on deck 8 or 9?  

On 10/12/2019 at 3:43 AM, shipster60 said:

Finished a great Mediterranean Cruise today. Our first time on Reflection and she is beautiful. I wanted to  a few thins that are often asked about. We were in an Aqua stateroom on the hump. Our balcony was large and when we arrived we had two chairs with footstools and two lounge chairs like those around the pool. The loungers really took up too much room. We asked for them to be removed and they were after the second day. Our room steward was also able to change our canapés for a cheese plate and our sparkling wine for red.  I’d be glad to answer any other questions. 

On 10/14/2019 at 1:48 AM, mrsgoggins said:

 

If it were coffee, I'd be more inclined to take it back to my room, but usually I'm a tea drinker .... and being a Brit, like it made in a pot with a cup and saucer, so a bit more difficult/impossible.

Do you recall the balcony number?  How was the view from your balcony?  Than you!

Leaving Bar Harbor, Maine on NCL Gem

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Thanks -- I will definitely check out this car service!

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Thanks again for all tips -- I will definitely search the boards for more information about the CBP clearing process.

Fortunately, we will be staying with my daughter who lives in Manhattan before the cruise. What time should we arrive since there are 4 ships in port that day?

On the last day, I am assuming that we could have an extended breakfast and then return to our cabin -- do we then take our luggage with us as we "wander" in the public areas until final call for self-walkers? If all works out, I'm thinking we could walk off around 8:30 - 8:45 am?

My daughter uses Carnel often-- and she thinks there is a charge when pickup time is changed -- so thanks for helping me figure this out!

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Thanks everyone, especially Mking8288 for the information. We will be onboard the Gem for New England/Canada cruise Oct 11-18. Now I know to allow time for all the "extra" checks that must be done.

We have used Carmel car service in the past and have been pleased with them, but I know that they will not be happy if they have to wait. I hope the pier pickup service is not too hectic and we will be able to locate the driver. What would we do without our cell phones !

Thanks, my flight is now booked for 12:45, so I will plan a pick-up time for 9:15 am.

I just couldn't remember how late you could actually stay on the ship when walking off with your luggage. Since ship arrival time is 8:00 am and not 7:00am like my prior 2 cruises, I wasn't sure when disembarkment actually started.

The last time that I was in NYC on a Saturday there was a lot of traffic that day so I need to take that into consideration also.

Thanks. I was almost considering the 10:30 flight! But I would still like to know what time I should plan to disembark in order to set up a car service pickup. They only allow a ten minute wait time and will charge extra if you change your pre-scheduled pick-up time.

Is 9 or 9:30 am ok? What time does disembarking start?