papadave

While I own stock in all 3 companies because the shareholder benefit of credit to your onboard account for as many cruises as you take is a good deal, the value of each of these companies today as investments is questionable.    Very high negative earnings per share, a bit of smoke and mirrors when it comes to the outlook over the next few years -- bookings are high, but many of those bookings were bought and paid for a year or two ago and are actually further discounted because of the added value given to future cruise credits on rebooked cruises -- I really don't know how the stock price will keep rising.   As an industry they are vulnerable to rising fuel prices, increased expense as they start to bear more responsibility for mitigating environmental damage caused by cruising, service on debt, etc.    When they issue additional shares to raise revenue, the price of outstanding shares should drop.   However, the stock market is no longer based on investment fundamentals, so the stock price could hold and climb.   You could probably make more money buying when the stock is down by a dollar a share, selling when it goes up by a dollar a share, then repeating this 1,000 times.

Daniel A --

There are a lot of people who don't believe that either a mask or a vaccine is a good idea.  We go far off topic for this thread trying to argue the validity of that position.   All I am saying is that we don't need to have a rule without sensible exceptions made out of necessity.  

I would be okay with most people being vaccinated and those with a narrow list of legitimate medical reasons not to be vaccinated to have permission to join.    However, people who don't want to get a shot without a legitimate medical reason can just stay home until the pandemic is over.  My hope would be that the exceptions would be minimal (pregnant women, for example) and that the requirement involve certification of a medical condition.   Plus, I would like the cruise like to be upfront and supply everyone going on board with a head count of the number of people who have the medical exemption.   Perhaps, set aside a dining area for those with medical exemptions and those traveling with them.   Come up with a way to co-exist with those few with medical conditions.   In short, a vaccination requirement with an asterisk for exceptions, would be my comfort level.

2 hours ago, ScottC4746 said:

I was very hesitant to open the thread fearing what the responses would be.  We have been cruising since the late 90's on Princess, RCCL, and HAL and never had a problem being who we are.  We aren't dancers both because both of us have two left feet and no rhythm.  Glad you got very supportive responses.  We always get a two top table and attend the LGBT or Friends of Dorothy groups.  The only issue we think we might have had was RCCL in 2005.  There was a large family (10 top) next to our two top and we saw them the first and last night only.  We feel it was us, but it may have been they aren't into formal dining.

It would not be a shock if a family of 10 couldn't handle sitting together for a multicourse meal for more than one night.    When we were with a full family group, for my parents' 50th anniversary, we had very few meals where all of us made it through dinner start to finish and quite a few nights where we rebooked as smaller groups or some of us just ate in the buffet.   

Back in 2005, I remember the coded name "Friends of Dorothy" which parallels "Friends of Bill" and that phrase seems to have passed as cruise lines often make an effort to show that they are inclusive and don't need to hide anyone away.

That much said, public displays of affection, straight or gay, are not in everyone's comfort zone, so if you are doing much more than slow dancing, you may get some side eye.   Still, I've seen that happen regardless of sexual preference.

Lastly, if you find yourself more comfortable with a near guarantee that you won't be judged, ask any cruise line if they have designated gay cruises.    Certainly, that would be at your option, as anyone who is judging you has problems of their own which they need to deal with.   You should be able to enjoy your cruise and not worry about other folks' hang ups.   

Dance like nobody's watching.

It is your vacation.    

If someone doesn't like it, let them go sulk in their cabin.

The last time I checked Freedom, Fascination and Liberty still had 1A cabins.   That much said, a lot of ships are in dry dock right now while sailing is on pause, so changes are possible.  I have been on a couple of short (4 night, 5 night) cruises in a 1A and was completely comfortable.   However, there was no threat of quarantine during those cruises, so it was just a place with a bed and a bathroom.  At the time (and this was close to 10 years ago) the cabins were $239 or $249 per person for the entire cruise, so it is hard to imagine Carnival making any money on passengers who take these cabins to be thrifty.   Of course, a cruise line makes more money on casino revenue and other things, but it is hard to imagine the cruise fare I paid covered the cost of meals, clean sheets and clean towels.   On a short cruise, I would take a 1A cabin at a low price without hesitation.

We are trying cabin L-6019, which is configured so that it runs stern to bow -- something we prefer.   Based on a video I saw about ship construction, nearly all cabins are the same size as they are modular and put together to form a ship almost they way you would put together something made out of Lego.   However, I have gotten lucky in the past on older ships where some rooms actually run larger.   While my trip is not until later this year, if it actually sails I will take pictures and better describe the cabin.

With more hope than good sense, I booked a combination of cruise and flights for the HAL Statendam, which leaves from Amsterdam on July 18.   If the cruise is cancelled, as is likely, everything is fully refundable.   If not, we have a great cruise planned on a newer mid-size vessel, going to places we have not yet visited, with the cabin of our choice.   Of course, the odds of the cruise going as scheduled are not impressive, but I'm not really putting money on the table if HAL cancels this cruise.  As we have not been on vacation since 2019, it is fun to plan one even if it does not take place.   I saw some interesting options for the pre-cruise days in Amsterdam on Airbnb, including houseboats on the canal and a yurt.   I'm not even sure what a yurt is, but now I'm curious about staying in one for two nights.   

Well, September is a long time off when you put everything in perspective and realize how much has changed in the last two months.   At one extreme, transmission of the virus may be behind us and we are living a relatively normal life.  If there are 3 or more companies producing vaccines and nearly everyone is vaccinated, it is possible that we can cruise like we used to.   On the other hand, there could be 3 or more new strains of the virus that are not addressed by the vaccine.

I've never had any issue with anyone refusing US dollars in English-speaking Canada, but typically if you give cash they don't exchange at true value -- either at par (USD$1 = CAN$1) so you are losing a little bit of money, but hardly worth worrying about if you are not spending much.  You can always get Canadian dollars at an ATM, but you will incur some transaction costs that may not make it worth the bother.  Credit cards appear to be accepted nearly everywhere.  I've charged the cost of a donut and coffee at Tim Horton's.

Summit (same layout) cabins 9104 and 9106 were surprisingly quiet.  While located below the end of the buffet restaurant, where the ice cream is served, there was hardly any noise from above.

Thanks for all the replies and advice.  Frankly, I don't need the specific wine list, just a general understanding of the variety and price range available on the ship, which the pictured list did quite well.  I was hoping to see what was available in the under $40 range, so I got a general sense.

For anyone who cares, I am packing a couple of mid-priced bottles (retail around $25-$35 each).  The white is a Muscadet, the red is from Tuscany.

Breakfast has been available on disembarkation day on every Celebrity Cruise that I have ever taken.  Usually, service starts fairly early.  Main dining room service may be from a slightly limited menu, as I recall.

If the availability of the onboard credit doesn't impact on whether you are going to book, there is no harm in requesting the credit.  We got a decent deal on our cruise (prepaid gratuities and a very fair price for Aqua class) and I was not counting on the credit, but asked for it and received it.

If you are only booking if you get the credit, call Celebrity and let them know how important it is that they answer your question.  If they can't give you an answer, then don't book.

Thanks so much for posting this.  I know what to bring and I see what I might purchase on board.  It's worthwhile, for me, to pay the corkage fee for two bottles this trip.

I am hoping to see a contemporary wine list, for comparison, to decide whether to carry on wine or just go with a choice from a wine list.  Unfortunately, the Google images of wine lists appear to be for lists from 15-20 years ago.   I'm sure that if someone posted a wine list from the main dining room, or from Blu, I would be able to figure things out properly.  When I say a wine list, I am referring to a list of wine sold by the bottle.  The Google image that lets me know that Celebrity sold a bottle of 2002 White Zinfandel for $20 gives me no useful information.  I can tell that the list is from 2003 or 2004, but all that tells me is that the list is too old to be useful for comparison.  I won't spend $100 for a bottle of wine that retails for $20, but I will spend close to $50 for a bottle that retails from $20.

As an aside, I checked the Celebrity website and looked at the wine that they highlight as examples for their wine packages.  The two wines noted in their $119 package retail for around $10 a bottle.  The two wines noted in the more expensive package retail for around $15 a bottle.  

Google did not help me all that much.   I saw a lot of old wine lists and, even though I was searching for Celebrity Cruise wine lists, got a number of Princess Cruise wine lists and other cruise lines' lists.  If you got a hit on a list that is clearly for Celebrity and clearly less than 5 years old, please post a link.  Thanks.

We are traveling soon and I have had no luck finding a current wine list with prices.  I know that the corkage fee is $25, so it makes little sense to bring a $20 bottle if a similar wine sells for less than $50 in the restaurant on board.  If you have a photo of a recent wine list or a link, it would be appreciated.

I am shocked that no one mentioned Barney Greengrass.  If you are looking for a place that exists in NYC and not elsewhere, where locals eat, you should look into this place.  Ellen's is cute, but it is all tourists all the time.  If you want to go to a Brooklyn Diner, go to a diner in Brooklyn.

As a lower Manhattan resident, and also as someone working downtown, I may be able to give you some more recommendations if you specify your choice of cuisine and price range.  For example, if you would like Italian food, there are a number of venues inside of Eataly, which is among the closest places you will find near the World Trade Center with good Italian food.  If you want to eat on the water, there are a couple of places with good food in the area.  If you enjoy Japanese food, I would recommend Takahachi.  

It sounds like some context is needed is specific cases -- Bermuda shorts in Bermuda, kilts as formal wear for those of Scottish heritage, and I am sure there are many other examples.  Staff should be able to tell the difference between appropriate clothing and not adhere to arbitrary rules.  Personally, I am not keen on anyone who would be old enough to wear long pants at a British school dressing in shorts for dinner, but find general neatness a better standard, if much more difficult to define.  If you would not look out of place poolside or at the beach, you are probably not dressed for dinner.  If you are dressed for dinner, you should look out of place sitting next to the pool or on the beach.

I am, of course, always correct and no one else's opinions matter.

Congratulations on being the first gay couple to go on a cruise ship!

7 minutes ago, hcat said:

Very interesting..wonder what was there before or was it always there!

Thanks for sending the game room photo.  In the photo, I only see one table appropriate for game playing, as the other tables appear to be at knee height if using the chairs in the room.  Is there more than one table suitable for cards and other games?

I have a quick question about space for playing board games, as you posted a picture of people playing a game of checkers in a bar area.  Do they have any area designated or appropriate for board game play?  We were on the Summit last year, and they made arrangements for us to use QSine a few times during sea days, but overall it was difficult to find space and we were asked to leave a number of areas where we attempted to play games.  We are booked again this year, but were hoping that the renovation would have changed the situation from last year.  

Separately, doesn't Celebrity offer an excursion of some sort for B2B passengers on turnaround day?  As a New Yorker, I have never been on a B2B sailing with Bayonne as the turnaround point, but I have been on a few B2B sailings elsewhere and always had the option of one or more excursions.

You may be able to book yourself, not through NCL, for a lower rate.  Orleans Express runs busses between Montreal's airport and Quebec City.  I took it last year for my NCL cruise.  There are a number of busses every day.

Also, if you are talking about the cruise that I believe you are talking about, you may start in Quebec City with the ship docked for two days, giving you a lot of flexibility for arrival.  Essentially, when you leave the airport, you take the next available bus to Quebec City and the ship will be there, unless you plan to get to Quebec City before the ship gets there.