ChelleBee

Good question. The RC website isn’t very clear. I think you should check with your travel agent or cruise specialist ( whomever booked the cruise for you), or call Royal Caribbean customer service. 

Hi we are sailing on the Summit January 14-25, 2020.   I know in the Caribbean, Sundays are quiet days on the islands with not much open.  What do you recommend to do while we are in port there on Sunday, January 19? DH and I have been so busy with work that we haven't even looked at excursions for this cruise.  Previously, we've snorkeled with turtles over ship wrecks in Barbados, but we're thinking of doing something different this time.  

9 minutes ago, mom says said:

Well of course it's possible- if you don't bother to look at the deck plans. They provide the deck plans for a reason.

Thank you for your snarky reply.  You are the just the kind of person that makes me not want to even come to this site let alone comment.  I did look at the deck plan, but didn't pay attention to the "contour" of the side of the ship.  Relax and try to be friendlier.  

On 9/4/2019 at 10:08 AM, mom says said:

It never occurred to me that anyone would book a cabin  (other than a guarantee) without first checking the deck plans!

As for the balcony , I've never had any expectation of complete privacy when out on one, whether its on a ship or on a building. Of course you can see and be seen if you're at the railing. If you're that shy, stay further back, closer to the wall.

When we booked our January 2020 Summit cruise, I looked to make sure there was no cabin across the hall (to cut down on congestion if everyone is leaving their cabins at once) and I checked to make sure it was cabins above and below.  That's it.  I didn't realize it was a hump/slant cabin until about a week later when I was talking to my sister about her cruise on the Summit this October to see if we had the same rooms.  So it is possible for people not to realize the actual outside location of the cabin when booking.

Has anyone else heard about this?? Caribbean Princess lost power and was adrift 40 Km off the coast of Dublin Ireland.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/cruise-ship-adrift-with-up-to-4-500-aboard-hit-by-engine-failure-1.2745555

The Houston/Galveston area is the 4th largest metropolitan area in the US. There is barely any public transportation. If it is raining or there is construction on I-45 traffic can be a night mare getting on or off the island. We picked up my sister in December on an extremely rainy Sunday morning. Our usual one our drive to Galveston took 2 1/2. We finally got to the port at 10:30 and then had to go find somewhere to park in town because debarkation was delayed because of three things...1. customs inspection of all crew 2. a medical emergency 3. three male guests getting arrested for drugs as the ship docked. She didn't leave the ship until almost 1 pm.

If it is a nice day and you do end up getting off the ship fairly early, but have a late afternoon flight, why not go to NASA or Kemah boardwalk. Both are down in the area of Hobby airport.

For dinner the first night, we took advantage of a discount rate for Qsine (it’s typically $40 per person). It's a rate the Maitre D tempted us with while we were changing our MDR seating assignment earlier in the day (more on that later). Qsine is a specialty restaurant on Summit that Celebrity says ”offers a culinary journey that delivers elements of surprise and delight.”

 

 

Basically, you sit in funky chairs, are handed an Apple iPad to choose menu items from (don’t worry, the waiter is standing by to guide first-timers and the technically inept - like Windows based me – through the ordering process) and in the end, you find your table filled with wave upon wave of TOO MUCH food! Are you surprised and delighted?

 

For the most part, the small dishes are pretty good. Spring Rolls, Angus Beef Sliders, Disco Shrimp (served in a flashing bowl), a really tasty Persian Chicken that slides off a mini-saber it was skewered on, a Trio of Meatballs (beef, turkey and veal), a tower of munchies - like fries and onion rings, salad, hummus, a 2 oz petite filet mignon; the choices were endless. And that’s before you’re presented a dessert menu designed like a Rubik’s Cube from which you twist-and-turn your choice of sweet delights, like cheesecake, chocolate logs and cherries jubilee.

 

The main dishes were hot and good. But iPad ordering can easily lead to gut-busting gluttony, so be careful if you dine there. It’s just way too much food, even though each dish is essentially an appetizer. In fact, on both occasions when we dined at Qsine, we had our waiter cancel the latter half of our order.

 

While eating at Qsine is unique and exciting (I guess), it also requires a degree of attention on the diner’s part – and that’s work to me. It’s probable more fun when dining in larger group where there are more mouths to pawn the food offerings off on. This amount of food simply overpowers a single couple who feel guilty about leaving food on the plate, and I actually found myself missing the more traditional specialty restaurants like Tuscan Grille - where ordering is easy and you know what you’re getting.

 

After dinner - which was late due to evening muster and sail away - we crashed back in our stateroom, knowing we had a port of call right off the bat the next morning: Tortola.

 

Day 2 – Tortola – Jost Van Dyke Escape Shore Excursion

 

I wish I could say we saw Tortola, but we never glimpsed more than the pier. Turns out Mrs. Winks had booked us on a Celebrity sponsored shore excursion (a rarity for us) after getting a recommendation from a work friend. So right off the ship, we were given wrist-bands and little red #12 circle stickers to adhere to our sweaty shirts (just like first graders on a school field trip) and were whisked off to a waiting catamaran that took us on a picturesque half hour voyage to one of the smaller British Virgin Islands, Jost Van Dyke.

 

 

Our tour leader tried to convince us the island was named after a female pirate, who was a lesbian, and hence the genesis of the slang term “dyke”. But a little Googling (when we found a free wi-fi hotspot, that is) revealed it was more likely named after a male Dutch privateer who used the small island as a base camp.

 

Our catamaran came to anchor about 30 yards off a narrow strip of beach and we had a choice of jumping off and swimming in or piling into pontoon boat tenders. No matter which option you chose, you were sure to get wet at least up to your knees, which led to the apt name of one of the beach bars, The Soggy Dollar.

 

Mrs. Winks swam in, leaving me responsible for getting our two bags of excursion gear ashore via tender. Our outing included a free chair/umbrella setup, one rum drink and a bbq lunch. In the picture above, you can see Winks receiving his drink ticket “communion” from our tour guide, Big Daddy. A humorous ritual he performed with everyone on the charter.

 

 

Once ashore, I looked over the sea of cruise mates laid out on their loungers, I realized once again, I could be doing the same thing, half an hour away, poolside on Summit. Without having to lug around excursion gear and getting my shorts wet. This is an endless bone of contention between Mrs. Winks and I…. this waste of time and money perpetually spent for a day sitting in the sun in a beach chair and having a cocktail - which equates to nothing more than being on the ship on a port day. But sadly, it’s an argument I always lose.

 

 

We were free to wander off our little section of the beach (though Big Daddy insisted on us using the Buddy System), and we were warned lunch and drinks would be at our own expense “out there” and he’d not be responsible for our safety. Brave first graders, we wandered away from the cruise crowd and discovered some of the more isolated sections of the shore line. Along the way, we passed several bars including Gertrude’s, The aforementioned Soggy Dollar and One Love, each with its own style, beer prices and gift shop offerings.

 

Lunch was a choice of grilled hamburger or hotdog (yikes), some condiments and a bag of chips. Glad I checked my vegan penchant at the door! We stayed at this Van Dyke beach for several hours, while I impatiently ripped my hair out, and then by about 1 pm Big Daddy called for the swimmers and pontooners to get back to the catamaran for our return trip home…. Which would end up being an adventure all on its own, as our tiny ship headed directly in to a massive wall of rain!

 

Most of us were hanging out on the bow, enjoying the respite an increasing cloud cover gave us from the sun, when Big Daddy suddenly raced out of the covered section of the craft and pointed at the grey mass in front of us. “That’s rain folks! A big squall. Hurry inside.” Which nearly everybody did. Except for the clueless Winks couple, who are hopeless Jets fans, and some hearty New England Patriot fans they just met who decided this was the moment to prove which of us was made of the heartier stock!

 

 

This picture doesn’t begin do justice in depicting this harrowing scene - as the hail-sized drops of frigid rain pelted us unrelentingly for 15 minutes - while the ship steadily plowed its way through this tireless and evil squall. It was literally like being water boarded - you suddenly realized it was somehow possible to drown, while above water, in the wind, by thrashing rain that was literally displacing all the available oxygen around you.

 

It was one of the most incredible endurance matches we’d ever experienced over the course of our admittedly sheltered lives... But eventually the storm passed over us and we arrived back at the Tortola dock, drenched to the point of having pruned finger tips - and chilled to the core. That’s when Mrs. Winks laughingly reminded me that tonight was formal night!

 

It was our first night in the main dining room. Second Seating. An option we had chosen so we could experience a consistent wait staff – something we had missed over the past few cruises when we’d chosen anytime dining. We arrived to find our table-for-two was butt-up against another table-for-two (okay, to be fair to Celeb, maybe there was an inch of separation) which in turn was butt up against round for 6. This presented the most awkward table layout ever - and we felt sorry for our servers who literally had to negotiate several long aisles, unable to easily slide pass by tables, just to deliver service. And we realized we didn’t really have a private table for two. We had tablemates, inches away, who it was impossible (and rude) not to acknowledge. We were at a table for four, with a table of 6 endcap. Now that’s Modern Luxury!

 

 

More thoughts on this dining situation later, but for now, here’s a tip for all cruisers everywhere… whether you’re anytime dining, formally seated or just slumming it in the buffet… If you ever see the name Andrew J. Rivers show up in your daily activities list as the comedian on ANY ship you sail worldwide. Run. Run for the hills!

 

He’s young, inexperienced and not very talented. He’s got about 5-minutes of passable material which would be acceptable, except for the fact that the ship gave him a 40 minute time slot… and he had NOTHING to fill it with. It was painful. And I’m one of the most forgiving audience members ever when it comes to tolerating comedy acts.

 

The jokes about his inability to get a date were tiresome and sad. And he kept referencing Seattle, his home town, with no real jokes about it - just that he was from there. Then he did a short shtick on how rap music (which he grew up on) is no different than the Beach Boys music his father used to listen to… Both being about trying to get with “bitches” and having cool rides. (Guess he didn’t see the Brian Wilson bio pic we saw on the flight down to Puerto Rico, Love and Mercy, which details the painstaking attention Wilson gave to creating the Beach Boys' sound). This comic's performance was truly one of the worse I’d ever seen… on a ship or not. People were walking out in droves.

 

Fortunately, the second comedian, who played several nights later, was much more competent, talented and funny.

 

Coming up Next: Our only Sea Day, CC Meet & Greet, Cabin Crawl and our aft neighbors host a Steely Dan listening hour at sea… at 2am.

Great review. I can hardly wait for the rest. Ken and I are in the picture with the lovely and talented Mrs. Winks on the boat in the rain. Alas, we weren't as hardy and brave and you. Once the rain started stinging really hard we gave up. It certainly was an adventure though.

This will be my first cruise with Celebrity & am considering the Southern Carribean leaving out of San Juan on 10-31-15. I realize this is during hurricane season & just wondered if anyone has been on this cruise around this time of year & how was the weather? I know weather in unpredictable, I guess I'm just looking for some reassurance or someone to tell me I'm completely nuts!! Ha!:D

This will be our second late October cruise. The first on was in 2010 and the weather was absolutely perfect. We always get trip insurance just in case though. I have no doubt that if we were on the ship and a hurricane came our way, the captain would make sure we always stayed safe. It would be a bummer to miss any of the ports, but safety is way more important than an 8 hour visit to an island.

Thanks for the information everyone. I think I will take the concierge class stateroom title with a drink from my classic beverage package and just go with the flow of the ship.

Chelle

We sail on the Summit Oct 24 from San Juan. This will be our first cruise with Celebrity. We have a C2 stateroom. I know there are perks like priority boarding, canapés in the evening, a tote bag....but...

Has anyone actually had to use the Concierge for this class of staterooms? What would you use them for? On land we've used them to get theater tickets or dinner reservations...is it the same on the ship?

Thanks in advance

Chelle

Hi everyone:

I am new to Celebrity. I was wondering if there is a fare viewer option with Celebrity to see if there is a price drop for the cruise I have booked on the Summit for Oct 24, 2015

TIA

Chelle

Jack Daniels and JD Honey were on the list on our last cruise.

here is the link to the list on Celebrity's website

https://secure.celebritycruises.com/celebrity/media/celebrity/shared_assets/pdf/Classic-Premium-Bev-Pckgs.pdf

Jack Honey is on the Premium list only:rolleyes:

For basics like rum and coke, rye and ginger ale, or gin and tonic, it works like you said.

 

But for those looking for a fruity drink with multiple ingredients, or to try something new or different, you have to know what you're asking for because the drink menu drinks are listed above the $8 price point of the classic package.

thank you now I understand the problem. I am going to print the list of classic brands from the celebrity website and also the list of drinks from the link posted above from the other thread. ;)

I plan to be prepared for my cruise alcohol bingeing:D

I was wondering why I just cant ask for any cocktail and if I have the classic package the bartender makes it with the brand of alcohol included on the list.

so if I have the classic package my rum and coke is made with lets say bicardi. if I have the premium package my rum and coke is made with lets say mount gay...

is it really more complicated than that?

I really wanted to put something "catchy" in the subject line but its Monday....couldn't think of anything - I'll take some suggestions for the future ;)

 

So this is mine and my DH's first cruise with Celebrity onboard the Reflection in December. We have one of the large (deep) 1A verandah cabins. What is Celebrity's policy (if any) regarding the verandah doors? leaving them open? does it shut off the a/c inside the cabin? For those of you panicking, please, dont panic, we will NOT be opening them and keeping them open as I have read that it affects the temps of cabins around us - besides, my DH loves the all "natural" a/c. Just curious as to the workings of Celebrity. We actually were tempted to try and spend an evening outside on our verandah - maybe set up a cot or something....that's just a maybe - a wait and see type spur of the moment decision! Thoughts? We wont get locked out of our verandah will we? does the slider lock automatically? I hear there are a couple other ships that have that feature. I did read one post where a poster asked about dragging her bed out there - no, we wont be doing that lol

 

Also, with regard to Puerto Rico we get there at 3:30 and from what I have read, not much to do there. None of the excursions listed on Celebrity's website appeal to us. We dont want to go to a beach. we would more be interested in a tour, driving/walking. Maybe grabbing an authentic meal from one of the local restaurants (not touristy restaurant) . Any ideas or suggestions? Perhaps a few of you have been there and can offer some advice?

 

Thank you in advance for your input. And please, if you have nothing nice to say, keep it to yourself. I do love a healthy serving of sarcasm though (its what keeps me giggling in the middle of the night when I read some of the posts here), so bring it! :D

Hi Jersey Girl:

I have not sailed on Celebrity yet--our first one will be in October. But we have sailed out of San Juan. If you are arriving at 3:30 on the day before you sail, there is a wonderful night walking tour of Old San Juan. Legends of Puerto Rico. Debbie was our guide. For a restaurant, El Jibarito on Calle Sol in Old San Juan is excellent. Of course you can always go to Barrachina, the birthplace of the Pina Colada. That is on Calle Fortaleza, also in Old San Juan. You can find all three of these on Trip Advisor.

I hope these suggestions help. Have a great trip.

Chelle

we stayed at the Marriott stellaris casino in feb 2014. It was about $40 round trip from the hotel to old town and back. It is a little further than the pan American peir, but not much.

I think the suggestion from t_car was good...ask your driver to stop for a couple minutes so you can buy water on your way to the ship/your hotel.

when we were on the valor a year ago, we spent the sea day at the very back of the ship on the panorama deck. we went up right after breakfast and there were only a couple people up there and nothing was "reserved". it didn't get crowded up there until around noon. Once we'd had enough sun we also went down to the lobby deck to cool off in the shade.

How is it that Houstone News found a body, did it wash ashore or was it found by helicopter and the news alerted the authorities?

here is the link for channel 2 out of Houston with the breaking news.

http://www.click2houston.com/news/body-found-believed-to-be-of-carnival-triumph-passenger-who-went-overboard/31866004

Hi. My DH and I are considering the Pearl for a partial Panama Canal cruise in March 2016. By then the ship will be 10 years old. I was reading the member reviews for the ship, and a few of them said she was very clean but looked tired and a bit worn. Does anyone know if there is a dry-dock scheduled in the near future?

Thanks

Chelle

we did this cruise on the valor in feb 2014. it was amazing. we arrived in san juan on Saturday and explored the city most of the day. got on the ship sunday morning around 11:30 so we had lunch and explored the ship. we were in our cabin by noon. it was the most relaxed and easy embarkation we've ever experienced. we unpacked and went out on deck to enjoy the sun and pools until our friends arrived around 3pm. once they were settled, we all left the ship and explored the city and had dinner at a local restaurant and got back on board around 8pm.

the ports were all great. I didn't think the ship felt crowded at all. I do have to say it is a very port intensive cruise. only one sea day. you may need a vacation to recover from your vacation if you do lots of excursions.

this is the announcement from john heald's fb page yesterday

MIAMI (July 22, 2014) -- Following strong consumer response to Carnival Triumph’s first-ever longer length voyages from Galveston and San Juan, the cruise line has added three new 10- to 12-day cruises departing in winter 2015 and visiting beautiful and exotic destinations throughout the Caribbean and Central and South America.

Additionally, Carnival Magic will offer a series of four- to six-day voyages from Galveston in winter 2015, marking the first time that the 130,000-ton ship has offered a short cruise program from Texas.

“Based on feedback we’ve received from our guests and valued travel agent partners, we are pleased to be able to provide even more itinerary choices from Galveston,” said Gerry Cahill, Carnival president and CEO. “These new longer cruises on Carnival Triumph visit a variety of beautiful destinations while offering more time to enjoy the ship’s many fantastic and exciting features. At the same time, the four- to six-day sailings on Carnival Magic are the perfect choice for those looking for a shorter cruise featuring all the wonderful innovations aboard our newest class of ships,” he added.

Exciting 10- to 12-day Cruises Aboard Carnival Triumph

The newly scheduled voyages on Carnival Triumph include three exciting options:

• An 11-day southern Caribbean voyage from Galveston to San Juan Feb. 9-20, 2015, calling at Grand Cayman, Aruba, Bonaire, Grenada, Dominica and St. Maarten.

• A 10-day exotic eastern Caribbean voyage from San Juan to Galveston Feb. 20 - March 2, 2015, with visits to St. Thomas, St. Maarten, Antigua, St. Kitts, St. Croix and Falmouth (Jamaica).

• A 12-day Journey of Discovery cruise round-trip from Galveston March 2-14, 2015, featuring Grand Cayman, Limon (Costa Rica), Colon (Panama), and Cartagena and Santa Marta (Colombia). From Colon, guests will have the opportunity to take an optional excursion for an up-close view of the wonders of the Panama Canal. The call at Santa Marta will mark Carnival’s first-ever visit to this beautiful and exciting seaside city.

The three voyages can be combined to create an unforgettable 33-day seagoing adventure visiting 15 ports across two continents.

During these voyages, guests can relax on some of the world’s most beautiful beaches, visit centuries-old historical landmarks and attractions, and enjoy a diversity of shopping, dining and sightseeing opportunities, all while experiencing Carnival Triumph’s impressive array of Fun Ship 2.0 dining, bar and entertainment innovations. These include Guy’s Burger Joint developed in tandem with Food Network star Guy Fieri, the cocktail pharmacy-themed Alchemy Bar, BlueIguana Cantina Mexican venue, the poolside BlueIguana Tequila Bar and RedFrog Rum Bar, and more.

The three new voyages complement Carnival Triumph’s previously announced series of 10- and 11-day cruises from Galveston and San Juan in 2015 and 2016. Two 11-day cruises sail from Galveston to San Juan Oct. 24, 2015, and Jan. 16, 2016, and two 10-day cruises will operate from San Juan to Galveston Nov. 4, 2015, and Jan. 27, 2016.

First-Ever Short Cruises Aboard Carnival Magic

While Carnival Triumph is sailing these longer length cruises, Carnival Magic will, for the first time, offer a series of four- to six-day voyages from Galveston in February and March 2015, providing consumers an opportunity to experience the ship’s many unique features on a short cruise program. Aboard Carnival Magic, guests can experience SkyCourse, a suspended ropes course offering breathtaking views to the sea 150 feet below, as well as the Cucina del Capitano family-style Italian restaurant, Prime classic American steakhouse, the Caribbean-themed RedFrog Pub and a stunning indoor/outdoor café and live music venue called Ocean Plaza.

Carnival Magic’s short cruise program will encompass two four-day cruises to Cozumel departing Feb. 19 and March 5, 2015; two five-day cruises to Cozumel and Progreso, Mexico, departing Feb. 14 and 23, 2015; and two unique six-day cruises to Cozumel, Progreso and Costa Maya departing Feb. 8 and March 9, 2015.

aplmac we will be on the same cruise. michiganredrose is right our roll call is great and very active. come over and say hi.

hi i'm leaving on the valor in 11 days. can anyone tell me what the shows are like..if there is a live band during the shows or all piped in music? also does valor have a dj on the lido deck or one of the small combo/duos?

thanks for your help

in 2010 when my husband and i were on the miracle and docked in dominican republic we were shopping in the port area looking for decent cigars and met the parents of one of his employees. they had apparently heard us say something about connecticut and asked us where we were from....we had drinks with them later that evening.

but one summer while we were at cedar point amusement park in sandusky ohio we ran into one of our older daughter's basketball team mates and her family. we all lived in indiana at the time.