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keesar

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Everything posted by keesar

  1. Some additions to the review: Cruise Director The Cruise Director was Luigi. He was a positive, upbeat and energetic individual. We enjoyed his presentation. A great addition to the staff. Internet We had one Basic Package and one Premium Package. Both were just fine in sending basic emails with no photos. The Basic Package could not send photos or use apps like FaceTime. The Premium package was sometimes able to send photos and sometimes not. I received notices of " x number of unsent messages". As for FaceTime on the Premium Package, I was able to see and hear the individuals I called but the video portion of myself was not stable. On some occasions, FaceTime would not work. When I asked staff, they acknowledged the difficulties and suggested I would have better results at a port. In St. Maarten, I used the free Internet offered at the Great Beach Excursion and I was successful. Covid I would estimate only about 1% of cruisers wore masks. I wore a mask on the plane and in the Theater. Tested negative this afternoon. Hope it continues.
  2. Here is the problem. On our cruise this week, we turned our watches ahead and then later in the week backwards. However, many cell phones did not automatically adjust to the change. So be careful as you could be an hour off.
  3. Monday: Arte in Theater and Paradise at Eden Tuesday: Jazz Joint with Eden Cast held at the Club (Latin Fiesta with DJ being held at Eden) Wednesday: Elements in Theater Thursday: Dreams at Eden Friday: Stage Door in Theater and Decadence at Eden
  4. I felt the same way after reviewing the app. But don't worry. There was a jazz quartet, solo pianist, solo guitarist, two acoustical duos, and the house party band. Quite a variety.
  5. We were not allowed to order from another restaurant while dining in Blu. We asked and were turned down. We went to Normandie and had dinner there. French onion soup is available daily in Blu. I am not sure about the salad but I think it is an everyday item. The soup was excellent but filling and served HOT.
  6. Just enjoyed a great cruise on the Beyond this week. Here are some observations: Embarkment Very smooth. They only allowed those with the assigned time parameters to board. We were able to drop off our carry ons and place valuables in the safe upon boarding. Passengers 3100 passengers with 235 Elite Plus and just under 500 Elites. A somewhat younger group than our past cruises on Celebrity. I found the passengers as being very friendly. Food Food was excellent as was the variety. I was somewhat anxious after reading some past comments. We enjoyed the food at Ocean View with the number of dishes offered. No lines for drink service there. We sailed Blu and the food and staff was outstanding. Fully staffed and members worked as a team. We ate twice at Eden and it had to be one of the best Specialty Restaurants we have dined at on Celebrity Ships. Great food and outstanding service. Fine Cut Steakhouse was excellent. We also tried some of the Main Dining Rooms and were pleased. Be aware that there was a quota for walk ins for dinner. We arrived at 6:15 and were turned away in Normandie. Room We were in Aqua Class 9253. It was a quiet room.This room had an overhang from the suites above which provided shade. Many whom we spoke with had noise issues in their rooms. Maintenance came to their rooms and to try to care of the problem. I really liked the Infinite Veranda. Gave us more room and we did not have neighbors peeking in over the rails. We had more storage space in the room than on previous S-Class ships. We received new towels twice a day with a total of 6 bath towels. There needs to be an in-service program in how to operate the shower in Aqua. Took us a while to figure it out. Entertainment The theater is just spectacular. The shows were outstanding with a group of talented singers, dancers and acrobats. On this ship, the performers had to be both proficient in both we were told. All shows were packed. We had to get there early. Contrary to reports, staff does serve drinks in the new Theater. Staff Staff included a number of new, inexperienced crew members. Then you had staff that had opened other E-Class ships. All were friendly and accommodating. Activities The dance classes were fun. I really enjoyed Trivia as the prizes included a FREE Mast Grill Hamburger or All You Can Eat Pizza. That served to reduce the amount of cheating. The Activities Staff were alot of fun. We did the art classes and the instructor was a skilled professional artist who was very patient with all. The best part was that it was FREE and included 3 glasses of wine. As they had expected 36 guests and there were 10 of us, we were encouraged to have seconds and thirds and... Pubic Bathrooms Entry into public bathrooms (as most public doorways) is by placing your hand near a sensor. Be aware that some of the public bathrooms are for a single passenger. They do NOT lock automatically. So make sure you manually lock the door as you may be seen doing your thing.if another passenger opens the door. However, thankfully, most facilities accommodate several guests. Disembarking We purchased transfers through Celebrity with our OBC. One word to describe it: chaos. There was no one at the appointed meeting place at the Theater. No one to direct you to the location of the luggage. We had to wait in a long line for busses to return from the airport. Only one line for people going to Mia, FLL and an excursion. The good news is that we had a later flight, the weather was beautiful and sure beat waiting in the airport terminal. Summary There has been a lot of negativity on this Board. We are experienced Celebrity cruisers and despite some cutbacks (no Welcome Aboard drinks, no late afternoon appetizers in the room, reduction in number of menu items to choose from, etc., we felt that Celebrity still offers a great product. We had a wonderful time.
  7. No lunch for you. Breakfast is served daily.
  8. Just under 3000 passengers on Beyond this week.
  9. Maybe the two of them can visit my former room on the Solstice. Worn carpeting and holes in the sofa. The wooden frame around the closet bottom was broken. The big question is whether Lisa will actually stay aboard the entire cruise.
  10. Actually, we just dined at Eden a few minutes ago on the Beyond. The crab cake appetizer is made with blue crab and is outstanding. The pan roasted shrimp (from Spain) dish was also excellent. We had the Nova Scotia lobster casserole and the filet mignon/beef Wellington which were tops. Service was very attentive and the meal went smoothly. Recommended. Very popular on board.
  11. We are on the Beyond and it says that on the menus at the Specialty Restaurants.
  12. They have instituted a $20 fee for each additional entree.
  13. I am also on the Beyond on the same floor as 9200 but Port side. Very quiet and no sounds. I had been worried from the reviews but feel fortunate. We had those sounds one year on the Eclipse. They were coming from the a/c ducts.
  14. Yes, there are bottles or cans of water available at the bars.
  15. I had called Captain's Club during the week and was on hold for 90 minutes and hung up. Yesterday, I called the Celebrity's number on my reservation and, to my surprise, someone immediately answered and took care of the upgrade very quickly. Shocking...😀
  16. From Beyond: $20 charge applied per additional Entrée ordered
  17. You may be charged $20 for each additional entree in a Specialty Restaurant. I have never been charged for an additional appetizer but expect a $20 charge for an additional entree.
  18. The difference between the pre-cruise basic and premium internet was $13. I got 30% off that difference. Quick transaction over the phone.
  19. I just upgraded yesterday. We received the Elite 30% discount. The cost of upgrading for a 7 day cruise was $63.
  20. When I think of the Mast Grill, I visualize those former hockey pucks sitting in a pool of "liquid' waiting to be served. Best bet is to ask for the patties to be brushed with butter and grilled and then load up the burger with sautéed onions, mushrooms, fresh onions, pickles, horseradish, mayo, ketchup and mustard. Make sure you have a stiff drink to wash it down.
  21. If you don't see what you are looking for, you should ask the staff there as some items may be available in the storage closet.
  22. We were discouraged from booking a room near the Magic Carpet by our Celebrity Cruise Planner. She booked the room on the other side for us.
  23. Many were probably getting ready to head out for the Early Birds specials.😀
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