newfiegirl4

On 5/8/2024 at 2:17 AM, Volk9048 said:

Thanks for the responses. Might be worth the upgrade. My only thinking was the classic is fine for me but it requires both of us to upgrade. 

Just remember if you upgrade and order mixed drinks, make sure to ask for “ your “ preferred brand of liquor! Just off the Silhouette and countless times our party of 6 ordered drinks(frozen) in particular were made with (classic pkg) brand liquor! Seen it with our own eyes countless times. I mean why pay to upgrade and still be given a lower brand liquor? We show our cards which say premium pkg! Not fair at all!

On 4/8/2024 at 8:05 PM, tarheel87 said:

We had a simply wonderful time on Reflection this past week.  It was our first time sailing with Celebrity and it won't be our last!  A few notes:

 

We spent two nights in at the Courtyard at Fort Lauderdale Beach prior to the cruise.  We had a stupendous view and really enjoyed watching ships coming in and seeing the Reflection waiting for us on the second morning.  We had a King Junior Suite and when we walked in ( a little after midnight on the first night) we realized the air wasn't working.  When we expressed concern, we were told the hotel was full and we could check out for no penalty and find another hotel (unlikely that we would find one on Easter weekend).  They did get someone up the next day to work on it and while it was still hot, it was bearable.  We paid a lot for the room and I was frustrated with their attitude of "sucks to be you" and their refusal to do anything to make up for it   This is the second time in 3 months that we have had major problems with a Marriott property (over Christmas we stayed in Charlotte and the water was out for most of the day and we were basically told the same thing) and I suspect we'll be mostly staying in Hiltons after this.  

 

Boarding Reflection was a breeze and it was lovely to be able to put our carry on luggage in the room and explore the ship.

 

Our room was 7161 and was a verandah on the hump.  We loved the room and spent a lot of time on the verandah.  We could occasionally smell cigarette smoke but otherwise we were quite content.  I did think that storage seemed to be more limited than previous cruises we had been on, but I may have been imagining things.  We did take an approved extension cord that had three outlets plus several usb ports and that may have been the most important item we packed because there were only two outlets in the cabin and I needed one of them for my CPAP.  Speaking of that, a huge bottle of distilled water and a long extension cord were awaiting me in the cabin.  So glad I asked for them in advance.

 

I thought the food was good to excellent.  We ate most dinners in the main dining room and there was only one dish that I actively disliked, the chicken saltimbocca.  We ate one meal in Murano and one at the Lawn Club Grill and enjoyed both.  We had breakfast and lunch at the buffet and were very pleasantly surprised (we are not usually buffet people). 

 

We only attended one show because we loved listening to the live music and I fell in love with Cellar Masters.  We also really enjoyed the Ensemble Lounge.

 

We felt that basic wifi was suited for us.  I could do most apps.  We didn't need to stream anything and I was able to (very slowly) send some pictures to family and friends.  We upgraded to the premium drinks package and while I'm not positive that it paid for itself (we are not heavy drinkers), it was nice to not have to worry about being charged for every thing that we had to drink.

 

A number of people we met on the cruise talked about how many children were on board but for Easter Week there were fewer than I expected and all were well behaved.  

 

Our room attendant was amazing and we really liked the people who worked on the ship.  We had one off night in the main dining room when we were seated in a different section, but everyone else was wonderful.  

 

We went to Aruba, Curacao, and Bonaire.  In Aruba we did a sail and snorkel with the ship and there were a lot of people on board but I really enjoyed it.  In Curacao we went on the trolly tour.  That's not normally the thing for us, but we got to see much more of Willemstad than we could have on our own and we enjoyed our walk back to the ship.  In Bonaire we rented a premium golf cart from Bonaire Cruisers and did the south loop.  We really enjoyed it but wished we had spent a little more time at the beaches.  We did have a difficult time finding the gas station to fill our cart at the end (as did several other people) but would absolutely rent from them again.

 

 

So it seems Marriott chain is going downhill! We stayed at the courtyard by Marriott in Plantation and we booked 2 rooms next to each other. One room was infested with little red ants. They wouldn’t move us when we asked, said they were full. When we asked for a refund for the inconvenience they conveniently pulled 5 rooms out of their as*. That’s how many rooms we went into until there were no ants!!! Absolutely ridiculous. 

On 2/26/2024 at 2:15 PM, SG65CB said:

Our cruise on Jewel of the Seas stopped in Trinidad on February 20, 2024. The cruise line was offering a beach break excursion to Maracas Beach for $79 per person. This was for transportation only and did not include chairs, umbrellas, food, drink, or restroom access. As you will see, this is way overpriced, and you have to go on their schedule instead of your own. I know people say you should take the cruise excursions so the ship won’t leave you behind, but we had 5 people and $400 for a ride to the beach was a huge premium to pay for this guarantee.

Given the price of the official cruise excursion, we decided to wing it and go to the beach on our own. 

Trinidad has regulated taxi services. The port operation seemed to be well-organized. When we got off the ship and went into the cruise terminal a taxi dispatcher approached us and asked where we wanted to go. I told her Maracas Beach and asked the price. It turns out the price is $25 per person round trip. This includes one hour drive to the beach, two hours at the beach, and one hour driving back. She said we could have an additional hour at the beach for $20 (this is a flat fee, not per person). The way it works is the driver takes us to the beach, waits for us, then brings us back to the ship. We did not have to pay the driver until we were back at the ship. When we arrived back in port we paid the agreed price and also gave a tip.

We were put into a taxi with two other passengers (7 total). The license plate started with an “H” which designates an official taxi. We wanted the extra hour at the beach and the other passengers agreed, as did the driver. This is something you’ll need to negotiate with your fellow travelers. The drive to Maracas was uneventful, the driver was quite personable and pointed out the spots of interest and answered our questions. His name was Dunston but goes by “Dubu”. We stopped along the way at the Maracas Lookout, a scenic overlook where we took pictures, then continued to the beach. The driver dropped us off at Uncle Sam and Sons restaurant and instructed us to meet him there at the agreed return time. This appears to be the place where the taxi drivers hang out during the day. There were free restrooms onsite which we could use. There were also showers in the restroom, although our driver asked us to please wear dry clothes when returning to the taxi. 

As we walked across the street to the beach we were greeted by a “chair guy”. He offered to set us up with lounge chairs and umbrellas. The price is $20 for two chairs and one umbrella. As a bonus he gave us a fifth chair for free.  He took us over near Richard’s Bake and Shark and gave us chairs. The chairs are hard plastic and we noted most people had pads on their chairs. We asked for pads and he brought some over. We were in the second row of chairs, eventually they added a row of chairs behind us. We had arrived before the bulk of the excursion buses. 

Since we were at Maracas Beach we of course had to try the bake and shark sandwich. If you don’t want shark they also have bake and kingfish, bake and shrimp, bake and chicken, bake and vegetables, etc. etc. “Bake” refers to the bread part of the sandwich. They give you the bread and your selected meat, then you go over to a buffet table and add vegetables and sauces. I had bake and shark plus fries, the price was $11. The prices are posted in local currency. They accept dollars and Richards gave us our change in dollars. The exchange rate is roughly 7 to 1 but instead of posting prices in dollars the cashier was using a calculator to determine the price. My sandwich was delicious, be careful because some of the sauces are more spicy than others and they were not labeled. There were a few people in line at Richards, but later I saw over 20 people in line and a long line at the place next door too. Plan accordingly. (There are many bake and shark restaurants at Maracas Beach, Richard’s is apparently the original.)

 

Drinks are reasonably priced for a tourist area. Bottles of Carib beer were $3, bottles of pop and fruit drinks were $2. Side note, the pop is made with sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup like in the States. (Pop = soda for all you non-Midwesterners.)  Richard's had a table set up where you could order drinks instead of standing in the long food line to get a drink.

Half of the drive is in the city and half is in the scenic countryside. You are basically climbing up a mountain, then going down the other side. The roads are narrow and there are lots of cutbacks as it traverses the mountainside. That's why it takes an hour to drive roughly 13 miles. On the ride back to the ship the traffic in the city was horrendous and it took over an hour to get back to port. Be sure to leave yourself plenty of time to get back to the ship. We left the beach at 2:00 and were at the ship at 3:15. The ship was scheduled to leave at 6:00 p.m. so obviously I gave ourselves enough time in case of any transportation issues.

A lot has been made about the U.S. State Department level 3 travel advisory for Trinidad. When we were in Barbados the day before, our tour guide told us there is an ongoing battle between gangs and the police in Trinidad and be careful. I suppose if you are a foolish tourist and go places in town you shouldn’t go then you could find trouble, but we saw nothing to cause any alarm. It was very much like any other Caribbean port. No roaming criminals, and no rifle-toting guards patrolling the port or the beach. Just a bunch of friendly people making a living. They were much more laid back than in Jamaica which also has a level 3 advisory. I saw no reason to be uneasy and given the chance I would gladly stop in Trinidad again. 
 

Thank you for your review! We are doing the bird sanctuary tour through the ship. First time at this port and had some OBC to use so we decided to use it on this one! 

On 3/7/2024 at 12:32 PM, Plato123 said:

Our cruise is a month away and many excursions are already listed as sold out.  How likely is Celebrity to add additional capacity for excursions or would we be better off with a third party excursion?  More specifically we are interested in excursions in Ponto Delgada and Porto.

We have a large OBC and hoped to use it on excursions.

Keep checking often as some people cancel and then openings reopen.This happened to us for our upcoming cruise next month for Tobago!

On 3/7/2024 at 12:37 AM, mjeffv said:

On Silhouette in April and have been reviewing the app for activities.  Seems like there is quite the variety of game shows.  Probably wouldn't want to see all of them.  Below is a list of game shows -- are any better than the others or in the don't miss category?  Any I missed that we should check out if on board?

 

Say It

Charades
Perfect Pair
The Naughty List
Whisper Challenge
60 Seconds or Less
Majority Rules
The Challenge
True or False
The List
Yes or No
Celebrity Heads

Isn’t there “Deal or no Deal” as well? I thought I read that somewhere. 

52 minutes ago, cnice515 said:

How did you go about reserving a taxi?  I think we have decided on Valley Church Beach for our June arrival but I have not figured out how to pre-book a ride.  Any help would be appreciated.

I found this lady a number of years ago and we’ve booked with her each time we are there. 
Valey Church was nice but a steep drop off which was horrible for getting in and out of! 
I found her on Trip Advisor. Her name is Emelda Roberts. If you have Facebook you can message her on there. That’s how I keep in contact with her. Make sure to mention me (Cathy Connolly). It’s always nice when they have recommendations!! Happy cruising!

3 hours ago, PORT ROYAL said:

Take a slight risk with a visit to Turners Beach.  There usually is the only gentle slope entrance to the sea, to the far left of the beach, by rocks, when facing the sea.  It’s a narrow strip, but visible from the beach.   

Shared shuttles from the port are available.  

We have reserved a taxi for 6 people. We have been to Antigua a few times. Done touristy things but just want a beach. Thank you!

3 hours ago, PORT ROYAL said:

As the drop off is a recurring problem for Antigua’s beaches, because the action of tides is impossible to predict.  Here today, gone tomorrow.

Therefore, do consider a Rock Pool day at Sheer Rocks.  

This will give one peace of mind, also the opportunity to spend a wonderful day, with excellent food/drinks and service.  

Views from day beds are truly wonderful.

links..

https://sheer-rocks.com

https://sheer-rocks.com/blog/pool-experiences/

 

 

 

Thanks.

I agree and understand the beach erosion. it’s an ever changing landscape lol. We are only there from 10-5 I think so probably won’t waste that much money to only stay a few hrs. I’m thinking of the exchange rate too 😂. 

Hey there. Has anyone been to Long Beach recently? Wondering how easily you can get in the water? I have knee issues and find it difficult in the drop offs…lol 
Thank you 

A word to note that the beach has had some erosion since last year. We went there and couldn’t get in the water. A big drop off when entering the water and ocean was quite rough. Some people needed rescuing to get back to shore. Apparently Ffrys beach was just as bad! I had been to Ffrys a few years ago and was absolutely pristine. Not anymore. I guess the storms have done some damage to the shorelines!  

3 hours ago, kabmab said:

There are persistent (and fairly recent) reports of sewage smell in aft cabins of Caribbean Princess which we noticed in May 2022.  Luckily, our cabin was forward.  We're elite on both Princess and X, booked on Sun Princess in 2025 but prob wouldn't sail on Caribbean Princess again.  Adding we did like the extra space of the mini suite.

 

We were at the very aft of the ship (balcony) in Nov, 2023. No smell at all!! Thank goodness! A note to add. While an aft balcony was beautiful the state room was very small!! 

On 2/11/2024 at 1:55 PM, lifeisrealygood said:

I am very surprised that no one is mentioning what my wife considers the best perk of all for concierge class.  First, the robes you receive in a concierge cabin are the bigger, fluffier robes that are actually robes as opposed to the flimsy one in the normal cabins.  She loves the heavy robes for just laying about in the cabin.  Also, the towels are of the bigger fluffier variety.  I am surprised no one has mentioned those two items.  They are delightful, given the nice robes to lounge around the cabin and the big wrap around towels that  can be used after the many showers you seem to take while on a cruise.  We always book concierge.  It is certainly not for the canapes, which are dreadful, or the sparkling wine which is no better than "two buck chuck".  We could care less about the embarkation lunch or the breakfast in a certain place reserved for concierge guests.  It is all about the robes and the towels, and secondly the location of the cabins,  The rest of the stuff is of no benefit to us.  Just our two cents.  

To be honest I didn’t even realize the difference in the robes or towels. Now maybe the towels (I have long hair and something rung a bell when you mentioned that…lol). Only did concierge once. Not worth the extra money(that we paid). 

Celebrity Reflection hands down! Just off the Caribbean Princess in Nov and to for warn you the AC in the cabins ( well ours anyway) was horrible. Always too warm. Couldn’t get it cool enough! We asked our room steward and all was said was to keep curtains closed, still didn’t work! Smaller venues on ship, which when filled was always warmer than it should be!
Only the 2 plugs over by the desk. A pain if you need access to plug in multiple things, phones, hair dryer, curling iron….etc. Just a few things that we experienced. 

Good luck on your decision! Happy cruising 🛳️🥂

On 1/16/2024 at 9:23 AM, MissP22 said:

That's very unusual. Someone must have disturbed a nest. 

Well there must be many nests as they were everywhere we walked from our chairs to the beach! Others spoke about them too!..lol

2 hours ago, seeyouinthesun said:

I was there today. No problems at all. Did not see one. 

That’s fantastic. I guess they sprayed the island then as promised! Now hopefully everyone will/can enjoy….even the bartenders who were stung while I was there! 

15 hours ago, cruisingcousin1 said:

I was at Princess Cays the first week in December.  The water was beautiful and not bothered with yellow jacks or bees.  It sounds like maybe a seasonal issue.  We had a relaxing day on PC.  

I cruised Nov 26- Dec 4. This was my first time ever experiencing anything like this in any Island that time of year. 
Thats why I asked as it was horrible! 
 

Hey there. Just wondering if recent goers to the private island had any issues with the wasps? I was there in November and couldn’t stay as wasps were swarming and I am terrified of them. While there spoke to a few guests who were saying the same thing. Couldn’t even take advantage of the clamshell that was booked and paid for, or the drink pkg, as I was told wasps everywhere around the bar, even a waiter was stung, Ouch! So got back on the ferry to head back to the ship. Never even stayed an hour!!
Apparently I was told that after a visit to guest services the island was going to be sprayed. 
I hope future guests did enjoy it. 
 Happy Cruising 🥂

13 minutes ago, Kelownadon said:

Does anybody know what the regular upgrade price was?

I had checked earlier today and to upgrade from classic to premium was $22.?? Pp, Canadian! 
Certainly not worth $400 for both of us for a 10 night cruise!

Cheers 🍸

This is fantastic news for your parents! A great son you are! 💙. 
I hope they have a fantastic cruise! Happy sailing! 🛳️.

Catherine 

16 hours ago, Wineaux007 said:

All martinis at the martini bar are $17.  No classic package martinis available.  You can get a smaller martini at the other bars in a smaller glass with the classic package.

Has this changed recently? As of this past March it was available! 

On 9/7/2023 at 5:44 PM, rowval said:

Hi I just booked a cruise thru Celebrity, we are Canadian, they said that we cannot get travel insurance thru them because we are Canadian? We have a out of country medical insurance plan, but wanted to get insurance for cancellation due to medical , just in case

who does everyone use? 
 

Canadian here. We have a Bank of Montreal Mastercard world elite! Check it out. It has trip cancellation, trip interruption…..etc. 

Good luck with it!

19 hours ago, AMediator said:

Hi Everyone 

 

Thank you to all the amazing people that share information on these forums. I try to read as much as I can before I post. However - I'm not getting a clear answer on this question. Or if I am maybe it's just not logically making sense to me.

 

I'm cruising on the eclipse in December.  This is my first Celebrity Cruise but about my 30th overall. 

 

We have purchased the classic package. 

 

I understand the different levels and quality of alcohol that's available under these packages.

 

Where I get confused is the drinks on the menus.  It is my understanding that our package covers any drinks under $10 or the type of alcohol that's listed under that package. 

 

We really didn't see the need to spend so much more on the premier package when we just basically drinking whatever. 

 

However, this girl likes a good martini and I was very excited about the martini bar. 

 

I just saw the menu at the martini bar in the martinis are a whopping $17 each.  

 

My classic package states it only covers drinks up to $10. And in fact there was not one drink on the entire menu that was under $10 with the exception of beer.  

 

So now I'm kind of asking myself, what did I just commit to. And should I be upgrading to the premier package?

 

One question that I cannot seem to get answered is this... if I go to the martini bar with the classic package and order a martini am I going to be charged the $17 or am I going to at least get the $10 credit for the classic package and then pay the difference? I mean that seems reasonable right that you would just pay for the upgrade difference and cost if you're going to have one drink outside of the package?

 

If I'm only going to have a couple martinis this makes sense to me.

 

But if paying for the classic package denies me the ability to have a martini without paying for it 100 percent separately outright then I've got a problem. 

 

I'm so excited for you all to weigh in on this....

From what I understand is, with the classic pkg there are 3 martinis you can get at the martini bar in a 2 oz glass!! I think the Cosmo, Apple and Pear(not sure about this one). I’m hoping this will stay true for our April cruise. I was on the Silhouette in March but had the premium pkg, but…. I did see the smaller glasses! 
those prices are crazy!!! 
One thing I realized is, if you have premium pkg you need to emphasize to use the better alcohol lol. 🤔 

3 hours ago, ladylemondrop said:

We are onboard! Horrendous journey but embarkation was fast and smooth, our cabins were spotless and we headed straight to the Martini bar for a much needed refreshment! 
After that we have just stopped by the Mast Grill for a burger, they were good, not as juicy as they used to be but nevertheless very tasty. 
All crew have been welcoming, and offering to help us with dining or drink packages. We had no issues booking our speciality dining. So far, so good! 

29 minutes ago, chemmo said:

Every time we read about people saying we are flying in at x hours, the journey takes y hours and expect to be boarding at z hours I put a post on to say travel in the UK is not predictable!
 

We live about 3 and 1/2 hours from Southampton but have never been brave enough to drive down on the day. Between football matches, boat shows and other miscellaneous events to say nothing for strikes and the weather journeys to Southampton are rarely simple…

 

So pleased you are now on board, have a wonderful cruise!

The drinks look Devine! Love the Martini Bar. Those guys are such a hoot! Always so cheerful and fun. Love the fun they bring to the bar! 
Enjoy, we will be back on her in April! 🍸🥂🇨🇦. 
Catherine. 🤗

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I rather the key card like on other cruise lines lol. Likely mine will end up in beach bag and then to evening bag lol. 

Hi, wondering what the best choice is to carry around? Thinking land yard might be the best option! Looking for advice please. Thank you.