Denny01

We’ve done a suite - Sky suite - on a TA, then tried the Move Up on our New Zealand cruise and got it! Love the Retreat and I agree, it is Very dangerous because I just booked another for our Norway cruise. Im in trouble and its All X’s fault. We started with OV, and X offered up an upgrade to a balcony on our next cruise and I said, why not…..never went back! And that was why I didnt even want to try a suite…..oh well Am going standard Balcony on a few other cruises, but I look at any cruise with some At Sea times and decide it is a Retreat option I thought what would I do with a butler and I kind of worried about not being around younger people and getting isolated. Not true. I mentioned to the butler that we wouldn’t be dining the next night, we had reservations for Eden and it was a bit later than normal…..the butler stepped out and called, and came back with the time we wanted. Had my birthday and yeah, previous stewards have decorated, but this time I had balloons all over the place - a great cake and a bottle of bubbly! And the Retreat was grand. Very helpful in many ways - had the future cruise guy come up and meet us; knew our drink preferences; and met lots of younger people and all we met were very nice and low key. And kept enjoying the rest of the ship even though the Retreat was special. I didnt feel isolated at all. I love the X common areas and I didnt see the Retreat as a Ship-within-a-Ship. Could enjoy it but not end up just there. You can do that but all X class ships have such neat common areas and we love to enjoy many of them. The Retreat is an addition, not a replacement. For us. Enough. I have to accept I wont be passing on quite as much as I had planned to the kids. At least I wont leave charge cards with a few Retreats on it for them to pay off……I hope!! Den

The OP is on a private tour. They could check the day prior at the Customer Service Desk to see if they will provide early tendering when tickets are distributed and have the tour reservations info to show them. my experience w private tours is they are well aware of how long it takes to get off a ship when tendering especially since this is a port I assume has lots of tendering. they will wait. We’ve been late and the tour knew what was occurring and waited. den

I know this sounds like a set up, but TCM just played ‘Tootsie’!! I forgot how funny it was…..and perfect timing for this set of posts. Den

I gave up on them…..I couldn’t find any that matched my Tux! I thought a good set of 6” heels would be great, being 5’6 and 3/4ers (Im Very sensitive to ‘heights’), But just didnt work it. At my last Dr Appt, the nurse measured my height and told me I was 5’5”. I told her I was 5’6”+…she said “we tend to settle as we age”. I told her that was ridiculous and she should fix her measuring tape!!! Den

No, Only what I say is Critical!! Obviously. But in truth, what the Line sets as rules, especially ones They consider critical and go through our baggage and so on Is Critical. Do I care if someone brings booze on….nope. But the Line Does. Do I care if someone hogs the cherished lounges next to the pool - nope. I dont sunbathe for any length of time. But many do. Do I care if someone hogs the exercise machine and I cant get to….NO!!! I go up the first day or so because I was truly planning on exercising throughout the cruise….and never go back..hehe. Do I care if someone shows up very late at our table then orders multiple dishes and extends the time we get to dessert - YES!!! Moved to another table over that one because the staff wouldn’t manage that couple. They were, as you’d expect, a bore also! OK, enough. Ive done my job adding to the next 100 posts!! Den

Now we can get into a discussion on what is a ‘critical rule’! Dress code? I dont really look through the dining crowd in order to judge, but I also dont really enjoy the guy walking in wearing his ‘dress’ shorts - yeah, right. But not a biggie, just reflects on him…..and 99% of these dress posts focus on us guys - mainly because so many of us guys never got beyond our teen years. Helps me identify who is someone I’ll not get into any discussions with. But then there is the sneaking booze. Biggie? Yup, to the Line trying to make a buck, and to us who dont want to pay higher costs because some couple just cant keep from cheating. Or my favorite for women: i cant live if someone saw one wrinkle in my outfit so I sneak my iron - what harm is that. Being an old Navyman and having fought more than a few shipboard fires and lost more mattes to them than combat, that is a Critical Rule. But there are many who ignore it. And many others that drive each of us crazy - or we come up with some excuse to ignore. Thought Id add these so we can get 100+ more posts!! Den

And considering Austrailia doesnt have ‘foreign ports’ that are close by as the US does with Canada/Mexico and so on to use, this could be a very big issue. We just completed an Around NZ cruise out of Sydney and stayed aboard for a S Australia Wine cruise down to Tasmania and back….fantastic. But there aren’t any foreign ports that are within 2 days cruising. That would be too bad because that cruise was a great one….as was NZ. Den

Agree with the ease of embark/disembark in Rotterdam. we stayed a few days prior in Rotterdam and Loved it! Stayed on the island near the terminal in the Room Mate Bruno, walking distance of the terminal. Lovely. Flew into AMS and trained to Rotterdam. Easy and cheap. Den

With the addition of the E-Class ships, I see that as an increase in value for the $. I also take advantage of the major 2nd and 3rd person discounts and that helps. So does the single SR when our daughter joins us and not in our SR. But to be frank, I dont do a lot of price comparisons with other Lines. The only time we go another Line is to join friends or a special itinerary, and of course for the River cruises we enjoy. Stick with Celebrity because I still see it as a good value for the money, and ‘saving’ a few bucks with some other Line isnt worth it…..to us. Again, another biased opinion of someone who really doesnt ‘shop around’, and doesnt spend a lot of time comparing what I spent prior. Den

I’m afraid the beach scenes arent a biggie for us. We live on the Fla Panhandle with beautiful white beaches, so we cruise the Caribbean for the Ship, not most of the ports. We have better beaches, nicer restaurants and I can buy Chinese things here cheaper than most Caribbean ports….including this one. So…… when we go the more local cruising through the Caribbean, it is for the ship experience. Do step off some but just to wander a bit. And it’s funny when people exclaim how nice it is for us to live in Fla and be able to just zip down for a cruise quickly……we live 8+hrs to FLL/MIA. Atlanta is closer to them!! And of course This opinion is Very biased. Den

Been on 4 TA’s and love them. You will spend a good deal of time inside the ship so you will need a bit more nicer outfits. Your idea of a few sweaters and a jacket is a great idea. Layering gives you flexibility. port-intensive cruises are a bit easier to plan for since you can check weather; a TA is tricky. But not a biggie since if the at sea wx turns, you can just be inside. And agree some inside venues can get cool. but a nice martini helps! enjoy!

OK, Ive cruised a lot and lots on Celebrity, but never concentrated much on the Gym. Used the rowing machines and a few other things but never checked out the classes. Been doing a 3-day a week exercise class for a while at home that we use a chair some and do work with weights and stretch bands and such. Good for us. Does Celebrity have similar classes? Going on the Around NZ for 12N and then S Australia 9N and think it would be good to have that available. Does anyone know if that type of class is available? Den

Try cec@celebrity.com. Den

Also depends on how long and what tours you are taking. We usually get enough for cash tips and a few bucks handy in local $. We get it prior to the trip via our Bank. it gives very good rates. It can be tricky getting to a local ATM sometimes so we carry $100’s in local funds…usually. Not in Caribbean and Mexico, but certainly in Europe and Asia. And others are right about using CC’s is the norm; and tour guides would take US $ but we do like to use local money for tips and if I find something that take cash. A number of local small stores give a better deal taking local cash. Den

Your room steward is the one who picks up the laundry bag and will either tell you it’s too late or make sure it’s ok. Had one fellow cruiser tell us their steward brought back their laundry and told them the laundry said it was too late and was too chancy. They were mad but I told them the steward and laundry staff were properly taking care of them and we’d all been told what was the last day and they had tried the day after. For some reason they didn’t appreciate my comment. It’s always the fault of some staff. realize not only does it take time to launder and insure it’s done prior to packing day, the facility has a Huge job at the end with all the bedding and much other coming in at once. They obviously have enough stuff to immediately make up rooms but they need to process all the incoming. den

We’ve done a number of 12+ day cruises and one bag has been sufficient. But that is very subjective. We take 7-8 days of clothes and enough underwear but again hard to judge for others. One is enough for us. den

We are on our way! We left home this afternoon and staying in Tallahassee now. Will be in Fort Lauderdale tomorrow and board the 22nd at 1130ish. what great photos. Thanks. den

@keesar is right, the lobster casserole is a full tower of lobster and the crab cake is fantastic every time. I keep planning on trying another of the great looking dishes but just keep going back. den

I’ve enjoyed Princess but I find the common areas more crowded and the theaters require you to be there Very early to get decent seating. not been on Enchanted so could be off the mark on this. also, more announcements and pushes. den

I Completely agree it is terrible to post snide responses!…..you are asking who a CD is of a guy who mixes his daughters names up!?! my wife hates it when I introduce her to someone I’ve known for 20+ years by telling them her name and hoping they tell her their name! At least I don’t forget her name (most of the time). den (I think)

I just wait for my TA to tell me how they fixed it. Den

The Ascent is in Freeport now. Will pull into Port Everglades Terminal 19 tomorrow at 4:45am or so. I wont be watching!! Den

Ive ordered barista-style in other locations and they go get it. Been a bit of a while since on M, but they had an espresso machine at Oceanview. Den

Another option is to use a professional Travel Advisor who can make the changes. Or call for you. And all the other things we end up doing that they can. I always wonder about the posts where people say “I like to book myself so I can control it and take care of things as soon as I need to instead of a TA’…and then these emails about how long it really takes. Booked directly; booked via 800; booked on line. Found a local TA who undercuts many of these; covers me in many areas; has a person who helps with insurance claims, etc. A professional Travel Agent/Advisor, not a Booking Agent. Den

Another reason some Celebrity ships are using Terminal 18 is because of Ascent. Ascent comes into the port the morning of the 19th and docks at Terminal 19. The Reflection uses Terminal 25 on the 19th and departs; Silhouette arrives Terminal 25 on the 20th. After Silhouette departs the afternoon of the 20th, Ascent moves from 19 to Terminal 25 and remains there till it departs the afternoon of the 22nd. Because Ascent is there for two days, the Equinox uses Terminal 18 on the 21th and the Beyond uses Terminal 18 on the 22nd. Both Beyond and Ascent then depart the afternoon of 22nd. Den