ILgirl

Wow!  I am doing the Escape TA in November and spending 4 nights in Barcelona pre cruise.  Thanks for all of the time and effort put into your review.  My excitement level has peaked!  Hope you can join us on the TA!

Hi Lois, I have sailed Celebrity 15 plus times with the last 10 or so solo since my husband’s passing.  I recognize your name from the solo cruising boards and always appreciate your posts and comments.  With Celebrity’s recent upswing in solo pricing I thought my Celebrity days were sadly over.  I found an affordable October cruise on the Eclipse so I will be enjoying your comments/review.  Thanks for taking the time.  Greatly appreciated!

34 minutes ago, AbbyCruiser45 said:

We’ve had a fantastic sea day! Started the morning with some reading on the Magic Carpet. This was a great spot in the early morning, since not too many people were around yet.

We did a few activities today including the escape room table top game, a bocce tournament in Eden, and trivia at the Club! The escape game was so fun. The puzzles were a good challenge and our group won some sweet Celebrity t-shirts! The Oceanview Cafe was busy for lunch but manageable. The theme was American food and they had great burgers that were actually medium rare. Tomorrow is supposed to be a French theme so I’m looking forward to getting something more unique.

Dinner tonight was at Tuscan. Somehow, I forgot to take any pictures! Everything we had was excellent though. I had the Pumpkin Salad which had roasted pumpkin and a big chunk of burrata on a bed of arugula. I also had the shrimp soup which was rich but good. The server warned me that it tasted like seafood (which I would expect) so I assume people complain about it. For the entree, I had the steak Diane and a half portion of the carbonara. The steak was cooked perfectly and was really tender. The pasta was excellent as always. I love the handmade pasta, it really makes a difference. Finally for dessert, I had the cannoli which is the signature for Tuscan. It was perfect and not too sweet.
 

Our server was also super fast. We were done under an hour and a half which is pretty fast for a group of six. Our sommelier was Zintele and let me just say she is now my favorite staff on any Celebrity ship. She was so funny and also great with the wines. If you’re dining in Tuscan, be sure to request her section! 
 

We ended the night as we always do with a twirl around the upper decks. It was so peaceful and nice.

As a little sour note, we don’t love our stateroom attendant. We’ve interacted with her twice out of necessity and she has never actually introduced herself or asked our names. We also got back to our room tonight around 8:50 and it was not turned down. I know that’s early but I am early to wake and early to sleep, which has never been an issue on Celebrity before. We found her working on a room and let her know I was turning in and we did not want any service. We hinted that we go to bed early (Kaleb was being kind, he’s playing poker now and I’m the lame one) hoping that she would pick up that we would like to have the turn down earlier. Regardless, I called Guest Services to communicate that also and they did not have much to say. It was just a first for me to enter the room in the evening and not have it turned down. It’s a small thing but it was off putting since it was such a departure from what were used to! Oh well, hopefully it’ll be different tomorrow. For now, I’m looking forward to another perfect sea day! 

I don’t understand why you hinted to your cabin attendant that you would like your room turned down earlier, hoping she would pick up on your hint,  but then called Guest Services to complain which no doubt got her in trouble. Why didn’t you just make it clear to the attendant of your preference for early turn down service?  It doesn’t seem fair to me. She may not be a mind reader.

I just took the Epic TA which embarked on 4/7 from Port Canaveral and ended in Rome on 4/19.  I have been on 30 plus cruises with the majority on Celebrity and Princess.  My last 10 cruises I’ve been solo due to losing my spouse.  The Epic was my second NCL with my first being last June on a TA on the Getaway.  I had a solo balcony on the Epic.  No argument, the cabin layout was strange.  Sailing solo or with my spouse, no problem.  If I was with a friend, it would have been weird.  That said, the food and crew were outstanding!  A great trip.  I think it comes down to who you are sharing your cabin with because of the funky layout.

I just posted a Celebrity bargain price on a 10/21/24 Eclipse 7 night sailing using a FL resident rate on the thread listing solo bargains.

Celebrity Eclipse 7 night Eastern Caribbean on 10/21/24 from Ft. Lauderdale.  Full disclosure, inputting the FL resident in the reservation dropped the price by several hundred dollars.  Prime inside, cruise only, approximately $900.  Gratuities are an additional $126.  Classic pkg and internet adds another $600.  I always book AI but I am Elite and play in the casino so I thought I would test the cruise only out and see how I come out cocktail wise using Elite and cocktails while playing.

5 hours ago, justcrusn said:

Approximately an hour, maybe a little more

Thx much!

How long does it usually take from the port to the center of Rome by car?  Thx.

I am Elite on Celebrity traveling solo.  Have always done AI and grab a single on E class when available which I enjoy very much.  Due to being priced out, I recently sailed Princess twice and NCL on a transatlantic with another transatlantic on NCL coming up in April.  Would I prefer Celebrity?  Yes.  Did I enjoy Princess and NCL?  I sure did.  A previous poster referenced the TA in November on Silhouette from Barcelona.  Twelve nights in an inside with gratuities but no bev package or wi fi is $1,600.  Only four ports and 12 days.  NCL for 13 nights transatlantic from Barcelona in a single (not studio but a single) is $1,900.  This includes 8 ports, wi fi, bev package, gratuities and 3 specialty dinners.  Also, the first $50 of each shore excursion.  I’m really sorry to leave Celebrity but it is becoming a no brainer!

On 1/9/2024 at 6:37 AM, GenerationX said:

Thank you so much! Unfortunately we are going to be cruise missing each other by a matter of days again!

 

Jeremy and I actually just booked a basic veranda (the last non-retreat room available on the whole ship) on the 2/3 Reflection southern Caribbean sailing!

 

The holiday season was really hard on us and it’s been a tough recovery. We figured a cruise may be just what we need to relax and get our heads right again. Plus I can’t think of a better way to celebrate being done with dry January than to spend a week with the martini bar!

 

Enjoy Ascent! I can’t wait to hear what you think of her!

Thanks, Charla! I hope you and Jeremy have a blast!  One of these days we will meet….just maybe not on Celebrity!😀

1 hour ago, GenerationX said:

I didn’t think there was any way cruising could be made any more mentally or emotionally fulfilling…but then here comes @ILgirl with cruising for SPITE! 🙌🏾👏🏾

 

Yasss, Queen! You get on the Edge sail to Hawaii and make Celebrity eat that 7K for all of us! 😂

Hi Charla!!!  As you know, ANY reason is a good reason to cruise… even spite!😀. I think I might take the Hawaii cruise and treat it as my “swan song” to Celebrity!  This is crazy, but I was thinking about you this morning.  I am on the Ascent on 1/28, booked a year ago when life for solo travelers on Celebrity was still good.  I thought, maybe, just maybe 🤞 Charla will be aboard to check out the new Ascent.  I just found your wrap up post on the Beyond so I know that won’t be the case.  Hoping that when you do select your next adventure that you let all of us know where we can follow along.

I’m sorry for your loss.  Good luck in getting through a busy January at work AND dry January as well.  You are a stronger woman than me!😀. I will toast you on 1/28…maybe more than once!!

I booked a solo IV ( which I have sailed in several times and enjoy very much) on the Edge 13 night Hawaii sailing in September.  I booked it well over a year ago at a price of $3,100 with AI. The booking also includes $550 OBC.  The two days in Maui have been scratched and replaced with sea days.  Pre cruise and post cruise stays in Vancouver and Honolulu are also pricey so I was considering cancelling.  For the heck of it I looked up the current pricing for the solo IV.  It is $10,100! Now I think I might go because I don’t want to give Celebrity the opportunity to resell my cabin and make $7,000 more, ha ha!

I am booked on www.Kuralu.com for my January 2024 Ascent cruise.  Good reviews on TripAdvisor.

Happy cruising, GP!!!  I’ll be boarding the Beyond tomorrow. I won't hold a grudge cause you took our berth, ha ha!  Happy Anniversary too!

I did a TA in April and lost an hour for five nights.  I invested in a $10 travel alarm from Amazon.  Each night before bed I set it to the new time for the next day.  I always knew that one was correct if I woke up during the night as my phone didn’t keep up with the changes.

22 minutes ago, Straughn said:

I booked cruise only for my Connie cruise in March. When I compared the prices of AI to cruise only with one classic beverage package and one Wi-Fi added, the AI was almost $800 more. I am glad I went with cruise only as the Black Friday specials are excellent. I got both the Premium Beverage Package and Premium Wi- Fi for $835, including gratuities. There have been times when adding AI was a better deal, but it is usually by on a few $$. It pays to do a cost comparison. 

 

@ILgirl, Where did you learn that solos would no longer be charged for a second beverage package if we select AI? 

It was listed in the program changes when Celebrity was about to roll it out.  Happy you got a good deal!

I also travel solo.  I haven’t booked anything since the program change but Celebrity touted that under the new program (the one EX gratuities) that solos would no longer be charged double for the beverage package.  Again, I haven’t tested it but I was told by a Celebrity rep that it is still usually cheaper to book AI as it is commonly discounted 40 percent.  This, no doubt, doesn’t account for sale prices. I have noticed that the AI charge seems to vary by cruise so you always have to do the math,  

I am on the same Ascent cruise as the OP.  I am sailing in a solo IV which I have done many times before.  I enjoy being mid ship on deck six but have to admit a little extra storage space would be nice.  The size of the cabin itself is fine.  I received the move up offer yesterday.  A concierge IV for $100 which for single occupancy would be $200.  This is the lowest I have ever seen.  I’m tempted but will probably decline as I am worried about the assigned location of the new cabin.

Thx for this review!  I always enjoy reading your posts/reviews.  I upgraded my beverage package to premium earlier today for both my November Beyond and January Ascent sailings. World ClassBar here I come!

Solo balcony on NCL Epic TA leaving Port Canaveral on 4/7/24, 12 nights, arriving in Rome on 4/19.  Including Free at Sea for $1,886.  Only two ports but I love the sea days so I’m happy!

Hi Charla!!  I am BEYOND excited for your review!!  I returned from the airport this morning after dropping off my very talkative friend who had been here for a week.  In the blessed quiet of my house I thought, hey, Charla and Jeremy have to have started their adventure by now.  Yay!!  I just booked a transatlantic on another line (Celebrity is pricing me out as I am a solo traveler) for April that ends in Rome.  I hope to spend three or four days post cruise so am excited to experience the land portion of your journey as well.  Thanks, as always, for taking the time to bring us all on your journey.  Hope you guys have a blast!!

I am on a Celebrity cruise in January, 2024 that visits Tortola,  Some of their cruises offer Jost/Soggy Dollar as an excursion and others do not.  Mine did not so I went in search of an option.  I signed up with Kuralu.com.  I am a solo traveler and the price is $152 all in.  Some snorkeling, an open bar and of course, Soggy Dollar.  It reads great on the website and they were very responsive to my inquiry.  It is always nice to have options!

I am on the second Beyond cruise after the TA sailing on 11/22.  I checked in at 11:00 am today and the earliest time shown was 12: 00 to 12:30.  Perhaps I missed the earlier time?  The Ascent also sails that day so I am wondering about our berth.  Does anyone know?  Thx!

Hey Jim, I don’t know if you guys are football fans but today at 3:25 CST is the Chicago Bears Green Bay Packers game.  It is one of the classic and oldest  rivalries in the NFL.  If you fancy a cold one I’m sure you will find a fun and enthusiastic crowd watching the game in one of the local establishments!  Hope you have a terrific trip!

I sail mostly solo and have 4 booked with Celebrity on E Class solo IV cabins in the next 12 months.  With the four MDRs I think I will avoid “mashed potato gate” so I’m not concerned about the food.  I always book AI and I am being priced out for future cruises.  Even before all of the negativity on these boards I took an NCL transatlantic which was always on my bucket list but unaffordable on Celebrity.  It was different but thoroughly enjoyable.  Sailing Princess next week after a 10 year hiatus.  I am open to any line and am excited to try something different.