georgiaguy

Some 30’s and 40’s, and then a mix of the ages upwards. Some on the far older side but a variety in middle. Remember too that depending on the ports in Europe there isnt always as much for people with mobility issues to do because a lot requires walking.

I worked for Celebrity as youth staff and a general rule of thumb, if school is in session there will be fewer kids onboard. Back then, at least, it would average less than 30 kids after the fall semester began. We also took the 10 night Greece, Italy, Montenegro, and Croatia in June 2022. We were both late 30’s at the time. That was best cruise we have ever been on. Admittedly it was only 2/3 full but it was the ports that really made the trip. The ship itself, Reflection, had a good mix of folks and was also really incredible. I highly recommend it.

We are coming aboard in about six weeks so looking forward to this!

Well it has been a quite a few years so all my info comes with a tad bit of “or at least that is how they used to do it”

It depends on the manager. They will sometimes allow kids to move down a group in situations like your but it also depends on the kid counts. I would check with the manager once onboard. (I am former Celebrity youth staff)

Was just there a 10 days ago and had an incredible day. Spent that whole day by the pool and in the hot tub. Have a great time!

Most ships are selling out or almost anyway. Not trying to be glib but isnt this a perennial on cruise ships? Even when I sailed in June ‘22 on a 2/3rd full ship it was challenging to find chairs. Then again they also had more chairs still stacked and not out which shows they are doing some kind of calculation. The companies always have to balance the number of chairs by needed space by number of people who will actually use them. As much as the chair hogs are a problem, there also tend to be a lot using the chairs as well. Never fun, but that is a reality.

What folks have said about travel agents running them and being more active with more people finding it is all true. My next cruise the, coming up on six weeks away, is a trickle with very little activity.

Of course. I don't disagree. I was more disagreeing that very little of the tips go to the staff.

I could be wrong, but when I worked for Celebrity in a non-tipping position, the tipped staff actually made more than I did typically after gratuities. Maybe things have drastically changed and I would agree this is not how people should get paid but the fact remains that I made less than tipped staff so in this case it might actually work in tipped staff’s favor.

No need to be rude. Just dont read it until the day of the actual cruise. Or better yet dont read it if you dont like how they do it. Just move on.

It does dock downtown. The timing is a little tricky but food and beverage should in plenty.

I used to work for Celebrity in the youth program. I am not just making this up anecdotally. The ships have a standard staff of 4 to 5 youth counselors but for Presidents’ Day weekend, spring break, summer, and Christmas break they hire extra staff to come in. Can’t guarantee anything of course but it wasnt uncommon to go from 20 kids onboard to several hundred. Still not as much as other lines but enough that the kids program is very active at all ages. For more recent evidence the review I shared above mentioned there were over 300 kids on for a Dec ‘22 cruise.

Also might want to read this review.

If it is when school is not in session there should be a good number of kids onboard. They also have the camp at sea program. Kids Club on Celebrity Beyond: Camp at Sea Camp at Sea is broken out into two age groupings. Shipmates are between 3 and 5 and must be potty trained to participate. Expect activities to center around arts and crafts at the Creation Station, and age-appropriate learning activities. Cadets are ages 6 to 9, and the line has a special nautical program that teaches the basics of sailing, including navigation, time and weather patterns. The Cadets are more likely to have activities in other areas of the ship, including the Rooftop Garden. Tweens and Teens on Celebrity Beyond Captains (10 to 12) have a less structured approach to Camp at Sea, with the ability to sign themselves in and out. Video games are in plentiful supply for this age group, thanks to a partnership with Xbox. You'll also find lots of sports activities, scavenger hunts and theme parties for this age group. Teens have their special Basement area on Deck 2, with the ability to drop in and out. The Spa also has a teen menu, with an emphasis on teeth whitening, facials for sensitive skin, quick manis and pedis, and hair care. You can also schedule mother-daughter spa time.

My last cruise with Celebrity was an incredible trip. I am sure there were things that were not perfect but I cant remember any at this point. By contrast, I was on a Royal cruise last weekend as part of a group and there were definitely things where I found myself going…I like how Celebrity does this a little different.

We had to choose between a FLL 10am or 3pm (or later) flight home and decided not to rush and worry about the 10am. What would you do with the 4-5 hours of waiting? Just find a comfy spot at the airport and wait it out? I figure we will leisurely leave the ship, though not to the point be the annoying final passengers that the crew is desperate to get off the ship. Beyond that I am open to suggestions.

Bon Voyage!

Not all move up offers are that much. For our cruise on Reflection least year we got upgraded from veranda to a sunset for $200pp. It was absolutely worth it by the way for 10 nights in Italy, Greece, Croatia, and Montenegro.

I would hold off on rushing to judgement of Celebrity. I worked as a youth counselor for Celebrity about 15 years ago and to be hired they did an extensive background check and required all youth staff to have a college degree or equivalent depending on the country. Also the kids program area had more cameras than any other part of the ship for specifically that reason. They even taught us things like if a kid was struggling to button their pant after using the bathroom to have the kid stand in front of the camera make all your motions very obvious so there could be no question what was happening. Now that is not to say that they cant learn from this or that their standards could have lessened over the years. They should be able to talk about how they are going to ensure it doesn’t happen again. But unfortunately things like this do happen in all kinds of places because unfortunately you sometimes dont know someone is a monster until they do something monstrous. Also just a general disclaimer, just because a guy likes working with kids isn’t suspicious. All the guys I worked with were good people, myself included, never hurt any kids.

I think it isnt merging as much as cross marketing. Doesn’t hurt to put it out there in case there is crossover of folks who are interested in a huge new gigantic ship. Worst thing that comes from it is no one clicks on it so no downside to it.

We got a moveup to a sunset on Reflection last year and I dont recall any concerns with vibrations. It is a bit far down the hallway but as long as it isnt a mobility issue just think about it as burning extra calories!

Looking forward to your review. We will be on in March in a porthole veranda so will be interested in that as well. Are you in a forward or aft?

Forgot to say that when I worked for Celebrity I working in the kids program.

In the summer the kid count onboard goes way up so making use of the kids program for the 4 & 7 yr should be a lot of fun for them. Like someone else said the 1 yr old is tough because the minimum drop off age is 3, though they used to have the ability to hire a babysitter for an additional cost if you wanted to have a nice dinner out without the toddler.