SFCAcruiser

This is the first report I have read about a cruise ship docking in Cabo. I am under the impression that all cruise ships anchor and use the tenders. I can't imagine where any large ship would dock in Cabo. Are you able to provide more information about your experience, such as where the dock was located?

I believe this is a common misunderstanding. I've used FBC a number of times. FBC makes no such "guarantee", at least not in writing.

The photos look great. But over the years, I have learned there is a huge discordance between the dessert presentations in OVC and the taste. From my recollection of earlier threads, I am far from alone in my opinion. Presentations are often fabulous; taste, not so much.

You probably already know, but as a reminder for others - on the E-class and S-class ships, there is a "branch" of Café al Bacio at the entrance to the OVC. The E+ benefit works there as well as the main al Bacio. I do not recall if this il Secondo Bacio exists on M-class, but others will remind us.

A similar discussion appeared a few weeks ago. You can read more perspectives HERE

...although the drinks are unlimited during the two hour window, there is a special Captain's Club menu from which you may order your drinks. There will be an information sheet re: CC benefits in your cabin that will advise you as to which bars may not be used for the free drinks.

FYI - This PUP runs a little under an hour; I hope the ship internet cooperates. The general consensus here is that this presentation is perhaps the best one to date.

No, there is no "catch". No expectation of you gambling once on board, and you get whatever Captain's Club amenities which you might be entitled to.

I would assume the cruises leaving very soon are highly unlikely to sell-out at this late date. There is more time for Celebrity to sell cruises in April at full price. These BCC offers are, in my opinion, a "clearance sale" so February cruises have been marked down.

Perhaps BCC did its job and managed to fill your cruise? We will never know, but it does not seem to have any effect on your fun. I look forward to your next installment since I will be on Edge next month - my first E class cruise after many on M & S class ships. Thanks for sharing.

Basically Celebrity has been running a "clearance" sale on poorly-booked itineraries and using the BCC to offer this promotion to some of us. Short answer to your next question - nobody here knows why some of us get the offers and others do not. It might be discourteous to Orcagirl to hijack her great thread about the Edge since this topic has been discussed a number of times since at least last Summer. Search this forum for "BCC" (Blue Chip Club) and some threads will pop-up.

My (and others') latest offerings for select Caribbean sailings were for the 10% discount and a free classic bev. pkg., wifi. gratuities. The $7 pp/day for your cruise offers is a new "feature". Seems that the offers evolve over time for whatever reasons.

There are several discussion on the Spain port section of Cruise Critic. This one mentions concerns a passenger has about an 11:30am flight. In theory, you could make your flight, but you should have a Plan B as a back-up if you encounter any delays along the way. I would be risk averse and take a later flight, or spend the night in Barcelona. But your risk tolerance may be greater than mine. Do you feel lucky?

8-10

From yesterday's thread. Blue Chip tiers

You are correct. Packages need not be purchased. The original post described a situation in which one passenger in a cabin decided to purchase an alcohol package, and the new policy is that all stateroom passengers must also purchase some type of beverage package and it need not be the same package.

For clarification, I believe that all stateroom passengers have to book some type of package

If you are taking Solstice to Mexican Riviera, the passenger load may be less than your previous experiences; the OVC may not be the "madhouse" you have seen on earlier cruises. But I assume it will be crowded somewhat if you visit in the "prime hours". If the madhouse is a concern for you, as it is for me, consider adjusting your boarding time to later in the day. We typically check-in after 1:30pm and get to the OVC around 2:00 or a little later when the crowds have diminished.

The Solstice did not play the theme from the Love Boat. What you heard was the horn from the nearby Princess ship. If there is a Disney ship you encounter along your trip, you may hear "When you wish upon a star". The Celebrity ship will be a standard blast from the ship horn.

Seems to be a good question to ask the bartender. They use the smaller glasses for the free Elite cocktail hour, so perhaps bartender was confused?

Welcome to the Celebrity board. Your understanding of the gratuity situation is correct. This is a highly personal decision and no additional cash tips are needed or expected. However, like other posters, I choose to give some extra money here and there. I consider it a minimal form of wealth redistribution/noblesse oblige As points of reference, I will say we always give a cash tip to our cabin steward, and our dining room waiter (even with Select dining we often have the same waiter most nights) and often to the MDR hostess if they have taken the trouble to remember us and our preferences. Bartenders are often given cash tips by us, but to be honest, we do that to establish a rapport with a particular bartender and give him a reason to remember me. We never order room service, but I have read these boards for many years and it seems very common for passengers to at least tip for room service deliveries. As part of our cruise planning, we bring a lot of small US currency in anticipation of our desire to provide some additional cash to hard-working staff.

What was the approximate date of this experience? What you describe was routine pre-Covid shutdown, so I was just wondering if this practice has persisted.

For me, it is about the pricing and the OBC given by the TA in addition to whatever the cruise line may be giving. If you find a travel agent who can give you a better deal than the cruise line, then go with the TA. I have only used online agencies, but I consider myself to be a "low maintenance" cruiser - I do my own research, select my cabin, pay my money, take the cruise, and come home. I rarely have had any need to contact the TA after making the reservation. You may have different travel needs and an online agency may not be appropriate.

Hi. I have a question about the cloth laundry bags, since they are new to me. In the past, we had thin paper laundry bags and for most cruises we were told we could send out 30 items. I always spread the 30 items over two bags without any problems, and labeled them as "1 of 2" and "2 of 2". Now it seems that there are smaller cloth bags, which are nicer but smaller than the paper bags. Are we (E+) able to send out "30 items" or is the benefit "one bag" of laundry? If it is 30 items, can we distribute the items over two bags?

Thank you for posting. At what time of day were your observations?