hcat

we went ahead and booked ECLIPSE for Jan 2026... in AQ Class so BLU should be pretty much the same. Will look for update info as time passes

Thank You dctravel!

Great tour pics but a very ambitious day...Lunch spread looks great! Glad you got a credit for lack of a/c on the bus. We are sticking closer to home these days but if we wander again, it is noted that summer is VERY hot and crowded in those ports.

good suggestion.. will do!

We have also done E Class since their debut... all so far but Apex and EDGE twice. For us the dining time, ease of seating and location matters! Just annoyed (not worried) that what we originally had on our res was changed to a later time of 6 p.m. I am sure the maitre d will take good care of us at the earlier time , they are very helpful and do their best to please guests. We do try to stick close to our regular eating routine ..home or away. This works best for my Type 2 blood sugar control...using meds, and careful meal choices, and not using an injectable. As you are aware, the venues also differ quite a bit, despite menu crossover... Larger ones have more " bulk" seating... row tables etc, and have a busier, and a more crowded feel at times. Not running up and down to another restaurant. We prefer smaller and quieter for dinner, and have been lucky to get waterview/ sunset / or alcove seats at the early hour... Also a plus to get the same dedicated waitstaff.. who we can tip individually. We will be at one of the bigger ones (Cosmopolitan,? for bkfast and lunch on some days) so no need to have dinner there.. so no worries..

nice excursion pics..sounds like a unique stop...combines history, nice castle, gardens and fun! Will pass that one along..good for families!

kind of off topic.. but mentioned above : on Oasis, the small library was filled to capacity with sleeping guests snoring and drooling... Same for the upstairs lounge during the day... like the day room at nursing or adult home. Solarium on X similar but not as acute!

so we checked our APEX res today.. seems we originally had ANYTIME DINING but somehow, unknown to us were switched to SELECT: 6 p.m This is not acceptable..we like to arrive and be seated when dining opens.. We do not do buzzers abd cannot stand on long lines for which the E Class ships were not designed. We also do not want a 6 p.m. res in either large dining rm, where they sit duos across ftom eac other at long tables..no space! Once and done with that fiasco! We called in & the Rep could not switch us back ..She said we were now "Waitlisted" for 'Anytime."..We asked her to check again & she then said we had it 'back on the ship" , but she could not send us anything in writing. Hmmm! Total flim flam...On nights we want to go to Tuscan or Cyprus, we will arrive 20 min before opening & hope for the best. E Class mdr Dining seems screwed up as it has evolved! We will have to be wary of this going forward!

yes.. a good part of the confusion is b/c they do not update the listings and are inconsistent with terminology. We are booked on ECLIPSE for 2026. and have chosen to return to AQ Class..We will fill in with some specialty dining to be pre booked closer to cruise date. (Have to figure out what Specialty venues are on board.)

sounds like inflated pricing for Tourists, no A/C ...and a crowded area. But seems you made the best of it! As for the sauces on your main courses: we always ask for it on the side. Other than in BLU, Celeb seems to drown the food in sauces and gravies...not fans of that!

Very nice pics & trip tips, as usual.. I think the lunch choice made by OP was perfect for her family...but others may be inspired to try something else. Good to have options

we prefer the 2 smaller venues, if possible same time , same table or area & same waitstaff. has worked out well previously but we can be flexible other than needing early time. worst seats are long tables with tight seating across from your partner... like boarding house style

on E Class ships as originally set up, it was working well. Pick a fixed time and you were assigned to one of the large dining rooms. Pick a res ahead at any of the 4 mdrs..for the time u prefer on each or all nights. Or line up if no res were made. Seems to now be more confusing with lines and beeper. . For Jan 2025, on APEX, we are booked in an SV...We have set res for a few Specialty Rest already booked and prepaid . BUT will try to book our fav mdrs for other nights for our preferred time. Must dine early and not a fan of beepers or the buffet! Wish us luck! On non E ships: on Silho, we have all Spec res and just one night with a res in the MDR at 6..Hope it will be honored! On Eclipse, went the easy route an will be in AQ Class with BLU.. and maybe 2 specialty res closer to our sail date! X has made it less organized ..sort of a food court line up! .

Wow... looks like the least known port turned out to be a winner! No tranportation snafus, city bus tour, upscale meal and shopping! Are you scoring it a 10+ ? love your cruise wardrobe..esp being nicely dressed in daytime ports!

there may be sales on dining and extras you might take advantage of once u book.. waiting carries risks.. depends on ship, itin and dates we book early..and always make out with our best price for cabin we like

We stick to the BLU menu but after a few days we may ask for some variety in the pre dinner spreads....very easily accomodated. If we do not like the dinner menu we go to Specialty or try to get res in the MDR. And must make one trip for waffles in the buffet.. hot and fresh!

beautiful..like a painting! I guess the restaurant. was overpriced, but if it had A/C and no crowds, maybe worth it!

we are not on FB and surviving.. due to rising Cable costs in Fl.. thinking of just doing internet & skip tv for a few months.

Thanks, I had no idea.. we always signed up for "all included" which required internet, but we do the E+ minutes first. Our needs and tech knowledge are minimal! Old school..

We have had basic wifi on E class ships.. Never had any issues with basic yahoo e mail or posting multiple photos and paragraphs to Cruise Critic for a live from review. ( Android phones & tab) We checked e mails from home and sent e mails as well..and we had minutes left over from our E + allotment. Guess it depends on the ship and location, and other stuff we don't do.

sorry. I did miss that! Good old Walmart!

gross!

we never make extra comments on reviews for X or any products.. Some ask if they may quote you but mostly once written it is fair game!

Thanks...

We actually squeeze swimsuit, nighties, undies, 1 dressy & 2 casual outfits plus shorts & shoes into our carryons.. just in case. Arrived in Seattle once WITHOUT any luggage..Luckily, we went a day ahead.. luggage arrived at pre cruise hotel last minute..by taxi. Have also observed suitcases fall into the water ...and staff just looks like " oh well" So we now come prepared! Hope OP will come back with an update.