SFCAcruiser

It is interesting to read about the variations in practice for monitoring admission to the breakfast. Obviously there are no "right" or "wrong" posts on this thread - just different experiences. 

On my longer cruises, I have been asked to show my sea pass on the first few days....and then the Captain's Club host seems to disappear from the entrance; occasionally seen circulating among the passengers, but often not seen at all.  

17 hours ago, Karen Lynn said:

...
This would be refundable OBC 
 

As a side note, the credit card refund has been prompt, in my experience.

17 minutes ago, jlbartley said:

To clarify, in your experience they do allow you to move rooms to same category if their is availability? I was thinking they didn’t allow it and I’m trying to think it I should factor that into my luck equation 😉

I only tried that one time, with success, within the V2 category. This happened for me pre-Covid, but I have read reports on Cruise Critic that this is still possible.  

7 minutes ago, jlbartley said:

...

I'm leaning towards taking a chance on one of the guarantees, we tend to be budget travelers so this fits with my desire to save some money. What would you do?  Any help or thoughts you can provide would be appreciated!

A guiding principle to bear in mind when considering a GTY booking - you should be mentally prepared to be assigned the worst cabin in that category. If such a cabin will diminish your cruise experience, then you should avoid a GTY booking. But if you are not particularly fussy about cabin location, then take a risk to save money. 

I have, on occasion, booked a GTY verandah when I noticed that all the least desirable V3 cabins were sold out, at that particular time. But inventory changes frequently, so there is a risk of getting a V3, but I have never experienced that type of assignment. A friend of mine has had this assignment. 

Also, if you are assigned a cabin in a V3,2, or 1 category, you will likely be able to select another cabin in that same category if you are not happy with the location of the original assigned cabin. 

Those of us of a certain age may recall Clint Eastwood's famous line. "Do you feel lucky?..."

10 minutes ago, Qofhearts said:

Thank you everyone for your replies. Having never cruised before...

I have been negligent in failing to welcome you to the Celebrity Board on Cruise Critic (coincidentally owned by TripAdvisor). I hope you enjoy your time and make informed decisions for your cruising goals.

1 hour ago, Qofhearts said:

...We so disappointed about reading these reviews, as I thought after reading the cruise critic ones and watching many YouTube video experiences  I’d made a great choice 

 

You read positive reviews on Cruise Critic and saw favorable YouTube videos. Yet you prefer to put your faith in the negative reviews on Trip Advisor? OK, we all have to do what works for ourselves. But good luck in finding a cruise line which does not have negative reviews posted somewhere. 

It seems to me that you would do well to avoid Apex since you would embark with a skeptical attitude and perhaps set yourself up for an unpleasant cruise. (I've never been on Apex)

Have you looked into the luxury brands like Silversea, Regent, Seabourn? These are all a lot more expensive than Celebrity, so they may not be consistent with your desires. Asking for recommendations from Celebrity cruisers will likely not be helpful to you; if you ask 10 people here, you will get 20 answers... then what do you do?

17 minutes ago, Alakegirl said:

Can you see this on line somewhere? I’m guessing not on the app but where?

Yes, I can see this credit online when I sign-in to my cruise. The upper right section of the screen displays Onboard Credit $xxx

35 minutes ago, fair-winds39 said:

...We’ sailed with other cruise lines and have done the “once a day” service, ....

As others have rightly mentioned, this topic has come up in the recent past and posts contain useful information. When you read those comments, bear in mind that Celebrity's program is not "once a day". - it is indeed twice a day but with some small modifications that few of us even notice. 

1 hour ago, cruiseforus said:
 

...so all good. Thanks everyone! 

 This issue seems to be resolved to your satisfaction,  but I will add a small note for readers who have similar needs on future cruises.

I have always requested an extension cord and distilled water in advance, but these items have never been waiting for me in my cabin. Other cruisers have had different experiences. I have always asked my cabin attendant for these items and they have always been delivered promptly and without any problems. 

43 minutes ago, the penguins said:

... We also spoke to the Hotel Director who said that whilst ship's were always subject to unannounced inspection to have one just 24 hours after a scheduled one was unusual but thanks to the quick action of the Duty Team Officers they had past both inspections. The next day service was back to Buffet.

That is an interesting anecdote, but I am surprised by the Hotel Director's lack of discretion in sharing the details which acknowledge the ship's lack of compliance with local regulations. I have found staff to be "tight-lipped" when things do not go according to expectations. 

28 minutes ago, cruiseforus said:

Are there any other places for lunch on the day we board other than the buffet? 
is the main dining room open?
 

This thread is useful 

26 minutes ago, chamima said:

We are Elite Plus on Celebrity.

Status match gives us 350 days on Silver Sea.

When I look at their loyalty program it says one gets a free 7 day cruise for that level.

So can we get our first cruise on Silver Sea gratis?  🤭

You should read the "fine print" in the email from Captain's Club, which includes the following:

Since Loyalty Match members only receive the Member Level and not the VS Days, they are ineligible for the Venetian Society benefits listed below.

• “Sail with Us” referral prior to first Silversea voyage
• Complimentary cruises
• Milestone recognition
 

Does not apply to GTY cabins, per the terms and conditions

14 hours ago, abbydancer2003 said:

As far as I know, unless they've changed it, Go Green includes towels and trash in the evening.  Just not a full cleaning.

Your experiences are identical to mine. We have always gotten twice daily service in the Go Green program. I do not know what the evening service consists of, but I have  not noticed any difference at all from the traditional service. I do not need the extra points and enroll in the program as a small (tiny) way to minimize our environmental impact and to make the cabin attendant's life a little easier. 

21 minutes ago, hinterlandboyz2 said:

If we don't purchase a Wi-Fi package are we still allowed to receive the complimentary 90min of Wi-Fi?...

Yes.  In my opinion, the internet benefit for Celebrity (90 minutes over the duration of the cruise) is better than the "24 continuous hours" offered by RC. Just remember to log off your internet session to preserve your remaining time.

This is a frequent question here. This link from last month will give you more information. 

Note that you are likely to need a reservation for the free wine tasting event. On my last cruise, I tried to reserve a couple of days in advance and was put on a waitlist, which I eventually cleared. Our tasting was done in the front half of Blu dining room, so capacity was limited. In times past, the event was held in a section of the main dining room and had a larger capacity. On our 14-day cruise, there were two free wine tasting events. 

18 hours ago, Lvntrvl said:

I appreciate the above comments. My heart tells me to go to Volunteer Point, but my wallet is leaning towards Bluff Canyon Reserve (significant cruiseline discount). Thank you.

You probably already know this, but as a reminder to others..... cruise ships frequently cancel their port stops at the Falklands due to weather concerns. I did the research and evaluated options, but was disappointed our stop got cancelled one day in advance. It is important to make sure you will not be charged, or will at least get a full refund, if the cruise cancels that port call. 

2 hours ago, barante said:

...I am soon going to Buenos Aires again. The country's economic situation is bleak. How does one change moolah these days?

Was in BA last week and changed US$ the same way you have done in the past - "blue market" money changers on Florida Street. We relied upon credit cards as much as possible, but changed US$ for some small purchases. The exchange rate fluctuated from what it had been couple of weeks earlier indicating a slight strengthening of the ARS peso. We always check the online exchange rates from the Visa credit card site to get an idea of what is a good exchange rate. This Visa site is not the same as the official exchange rate. Blue market exchange rate was better than credit card rate.

1 hour ago, jimbo5544 said:

I am pretty everyone knows, but the monument is two pieces and the whole between them is the shape of the Albatross    

Hi. I will be embarking the day you disembark, so I have been following along.

I have a question re: photos you took at 06:15 AM.  

We are not early risers on cruises, so just wondering if we should plan on a very early day 🙂    If we sleep in, will we miss the lighthouse and albatross monument in all their glory?  I suspect so, but just wondering. 

9 hours ago, YankeesFan4Life said:

So our upcoming cruise in August, the MTD is sold out and the only option is an 8:30PM seating.  I've read conflicting posts of showing up and getting a pager for the MDR?  Is that true, or am I stuck with an 8:30 dining option?  I'd hate to eat late and miss the shows...I know I'm going to try to do some of the specialty restaurants but I do want to try all the options in the MDR's on the ship as well...

Some of your wording suggests it is an E-class ship. In that case, see the above comments. 

I will add you do not need to wait until you board on M and S -class ships. Ask your travel agent, if you used one, to put you on the waitlist for MTD. Whenever I have done that, I have always cleared the waitlist well in advance of the cruise. 

3 hours ago, kekcatbert said:

My honey is very concerned about whether the "good" tonic and ginger ale will be available on the Eclipse? Also, any kind of ginger beer available? Assistance much appreciated!

It sounds as if "honey" is looking for Fever Tree. Don't count in it - Bring your own mixers if it is important to you, as it should be. Drinking a premium gin with the onboard Royal tonic makes no sense to me.  But is it worth the hassle? 

9 hours ago, jmm18 said:

... My question is if our move up offer to a Suite category in Retreat is accepted....

Which suite category?  The confusion among passengers arises because it makes a difference as to which category of suite you upgrade into, as described above in Post #5.

17 minutes ago, CruisersTimesThree said:

I just did my check in for my upcoming Feb cruise and in the email I received after completed there are step by step instructions for preparing for boarding day. 
#3 says “have all your medication on hand and not packed in checked luggage”

I have never had anyone at check-in ask to see our prescription medication, is this something new? 

Nothing new. Staff will not want to see your medications. Notice is a reminder for us to not risk losing valuable items if our checked luggage goes astray. Airlines will make the same suggestion re: carry on luggage. 
 

2 hours ago, sheeng said:

OMG - After 50+ cruise the very worst embarkation ever!....

I could go on and on but I won’t. Plenty blaim to go around but I now have a glass of wine in hand and life is good🤗

 

Thanks for taking the time to post here. It is useful to know for those of us boarding through end of March. 
BTW did Celebrity ever notify you about the change of terminals?