kearney

An iron gets confiscated...but drugs... even weed can get you kicked off the ship and arrested...

Looking at the latest 30% off sale..which technically works out to be the same as 60% the second guest... anyway.. for my 1A cabin the gross price..before discounts is up 62% vs what I booked it at in Jan and up 12% from last week's sale. the net is now up 43% from what I paid (factoring out OBC differences). So inflation impact is clearly seen here. Glad I locked in the Aug cruise when I did.

Do contact the CEO... this is the kind of thing she wants to nip in the bud...so to speak... I suspect the pot smoking is an even bigger concern for cruise lines than smoking..which is still a big deal. Having drugs on board a ship is a big no no.

I started thinking about this when I realized that there were issues with 4 of the drugs I take... statin, blood thinner, anti-arrhythmic and calcium channel blocker. Some need to be stopped for a time and others the dosage needs to be modified and in any event I would have to be monitored. Based on FDA info and information from cardiologist. So my issues may be unique.

Talk with your doctor... not cc. They know your history and they know what adjustments should be made to your medication..if necessary. From what I read the initial studies done for approval were done on unvaccinated. So they assume the impact will be the same on vaccinated. I assume those tests are being done...The point I clumsily was trying to make is that Paxlovid is not Tamiflu and should not be treated as just something OTC you take at the first sign of symptoms. Once you are on the ship it is a bit late to discuss your options with your doctor.

I had a short conversation with my pharmacists about pharmacists being allowed to prescribe..not just dispense, Paxlovid. He was on a call about this...the pharmacists were not enthusiastic because it takes a lot of time to determine which patients can take it. Often the patients aren't that familiar with the drugs they are taking and as I noted earlier and he confirmed... with many Cardio related drugs the patients need to either stop taking their meds or in some case doses need to be adjusted and in all cases the patients need to be monitored..for what he called a small benefit. He told me that the pharmacists were concerns that the screening process alone would take all day and take the time away from the regular jobs. I just can't see this ever being handled on a ship.

I have a number of concerns about Paxlovid being given by someone other than the passengers physician. From what I have read there are significant drug interactions with many different medications...particularly those for Cardiovascular issues. For example it interacts with some statins, blood thinners, Calcium channel blockers, anti-arrhythmics among them. In some cases you need to stop the drug you are taking, in others the dose has to be adjusted..and in general the patient should be monitored while all this is going on. So do we really expect the ships physicians to be in a position to make the call for you on how to handle your other drugs? What really concerns me is that they are now allowing pharmacists to prescribe Paxlovid... When I first heard this... I wondered if pharmacists were worried about potential malpractice issues should something go wrong... Then I discovered that sometime in 2021 they passed a law protecting groups like pharmacists from liability associated with Covid treatment. So as a patient you should be aware of the issues associated with getting this drug. The irony is the intent of Paxlovid is to prevent poor outcomes among those at high risk... yet it is likely this group is taking a medication that has an interaction with Paxlovid.

moved

We ususally tip shuttle drivers, porters, two people who wheel DH onto the ship and off, excursion guides and drivers, periodically bar servers and coffee servers, even though we prepay gratuities a bit for hostess, waiter and assistant waiter. How much depends upon what is done and how long the cruise is... we bring about $350 and then hit the ATM on the ship...near guest relations for additional. the charge at the ATM is $6.. I try to layout my estimated needs ahead of time so I have an idea on how much to tip. Last cruise I also tipped the Maitre 'd .. and at dinner he poured us what I believe was a premium red vs the classic. I didn't give him much...but he appreciated the recognition. some people have suggested the staff in the rest rooms.. so I may bring a bit more next trip. These people went without work for a long time and many are still trying to make up for past loses.

I think that the more formal feel for Celebrity...may have more to do with the way the dining room is set up with nice table cloths and nice glassware. I haven't sailed other lines in recent years..but I thought some cruise lines dispensed with table cloths... does anyone know if this is true? I like the Riedel glassware they use with the thin edges vs the thicker types you often find...just makes the wine taste better. If you notice.. in the Ocean View the plates aren't plastic like on Royal..although the glasses are... but perhaps this is to avoid glass being carried out to the pool area.

That is a good question..with hard drinks DH usually orders a double.. and hasn't had a problem..but the is usually later in the cruise after he has been tipping the server. 🙂 They probably have to ring them up separately.... perhaps if he ordered one and when it arrives immediately order the second... hopefully someone has an answer based on experience.

Okay... I found another link which shows the inside of a forward facing cabin with square window..in this case bed is by the window...my guess would be that the cabins you are considering will have the bed by the bath.. just a guess.. Hope this helpshttp://thecelebritycommitment.com/360/EDGE/Deluxe_Ocean_View/Deluxe_Ocean_View.html here is the link..where you can see what other categories look like inside http://thecelebritycommitment.com/360/EDGE/Edge.html

This link should help you get an idea on how obstructed various cabins are http://thecelebritycommitment.com/360_Millennium_Class.html Boy this is an old thread

How about get it braided in a port and cut when you get back home 🙂

I am not a parent..so my opinion may not be valid.. When I was young, my parents took us to Europe.. this was back in the 50s and 60s... there was no organized activities for kids..but we still had fun. I was probably 6 and my sister 3. I have distinct memories of driving in the Alps looking down at sheer drops off the side of the road of hundreds of feet and small villages in Germany. One memory in particular of watching a thunderstorm's lightening around a ruined castle on the Mosell river and screaming with delight at each strike. Remember kids often have more fun playing with the boxes the toys come in than the toy itself. The question is. how much fun will you have? You may not have much time alone. So you need to check with Celebrity to see if they have any baby sitting options..so you can go to dinner alone a few times.

I doubt they would have an issue with who is drinking...by the way...you can have the wine in your cabin on your own..so no fee. That is what we have done...Alas I don't think the cabin attendant would have champagne glasses...but perhaps they do.

That is good to know... the only time I have had to make a claim was with Allianz and that was painless and quick.... thanks for the info

So if you have the classic package no corkage fee..but if you don't what is the fee in the dining room? I thought it was $25...

Squaremouth isn't an insurance company... they sell policies from a number of different companies...our last policy happened to be with John Hancock... while I haven't had a claim... I would have contacted the insurance company..not the company that brokered the deal..did you try the actual insurance company that issued the policy?

I drill down an look to see what the end price is made of... when you see a large percentage discounts.. it matters if the price it applies to had changed dramatically... so I like to look at each component including perks...but then I am cheap...and retired with the time to do that..... While you are correct in that the base price is meaningless...the discounts are applied to that. So to make deal look good..they have to raise the base to allow big discount...

More power to those willing to pay $1000 pn pp.... People who are willing to do that..help subsidize my significantly cheaper 1A cabin. If not for them... I would not be able to cruise that often. And since they pay so much more than I am willing to pay...I do not begrudge the extra perks they get..they have paid for them... A few years ago.. I looked for 7 day cruises on Royal (balcony) for less than $150 pn pp... But in moving towards Celebrity and its longer itineraries and better food etc.... it creeped up... but last cruise was about $188 with AI and next one is about $180. But looking at the price increases over the past month the same cabin would now cost an estimated additional $50-$75 depending on the sale...with AI. When looking at the 60% discounts...you really need to drill down and look at the pre discounted gross price... I noticed my cabin when up about 45% vs when I booked in Jan

On the provided link... scroll down and in big letters it mentions wifi... within the box by that heading it does mention 90 minutes of wifi streaming. I like the 90 minutes on Celebrity over the 24 hours on Royal... allows me to check email on several days vs a 24 hour period

I had a nice talk with my doctor about getting a second booster. He told me that he was treating a patient with Covid who had recently returned from a cruise.. was double boosted, tested before hand and masked indoors... His opinion was that while vaccines seem to help prevent serious disease.. they really weren't particularly effective in preventing illness. He felt that there was no real benefit for another booster ..at least right now... He felt that even with just the three shots we had good protection for serious illness. After the first shot DH developed sores on his arms that have never completely gone away.. and the first shot was in Jan '21... I got pretty sick for a few days... so if there is no added benefit.... I am not sure I will go for the 3rd booster. Now if Novavax is available with the latest strain..I might consider getting that...but I have no idea when that will be available.

I found this review with photos of 8103... it is an example of a cabin with a bed by the bath..alas it does not show the bed..but you can see how the slope impacts cabin headroom. Looks like it is the only one with a review.

Usually If you look at the Edge deck plan...you will see notches where the cabin is a bit wider. That is where the bed is. Given the slope... the bed will be back a ways from the window regardless of if it is closer to the bathroom or closer towards the window. I think the spread sheet may have a few photos showing how these cabins are configured. However, for the particular cabins you are considering... the notches aren't clear. You might ask Celebrity directly (ExecutiveOffice@celebrity.com). Normally I wouldn't suggest emailing the executive office..but in the past I have asked similar questions and they couldn't answer. I like bed by the window in most cabins..so we can park a scooter in the cabin... Another clue to bed placement is if you see a sofa bed that is by the window.. same if there is a drop down berth.