NutsAboutGolf

Absolutely won't for everyone yet many may be surprised that your boss may let you have a week of vacation off within 2-4 weeks. Present it something like this (everyone's job is a little different) "Sorry for the short notice but my S.O. and I found a fantastic deal on a cruise that leaves in 3 weeks. My S.O. was just approved for the time off, if you approve me to go I have spoken to Mr./Ms. ABC who will back me up and I will be available by email if a work emergency arises...If there's anything else you want me to take care before I leave just let me know"...Again, won't work for everyone but it may work for you if you ask

There's still the pricing "dirty little secret" no cruise execs ever talk about which are the "fire sales", or when they lower their pricing if there isn't enough occupancy often peaking 4 weeks or less...There's some for Alaska right now

Exec's that say "I believe we're OVERpriced" don't stay at their jobs for very long

Lol…We can keep pointing out bread-eater exceptions all we want; not everyone going to Blu are even on a diet

Yet overwhelmingly majority those on a healthy diet do indeed avoid white bread and pastries. Obviously people can cheat on their diet

It’s just ironic is all…First interaction for dinner is a breadbasket or for breakfast, pastries. I’d imagine the first time cruisers may be caught off guard

Seen it on every ship but not necessarily every breakfast and we always see the bread at dinner and pastries for breakfast where if you answer "no thank you" they'll usually ask "are you sure?" lol...Not saying they're pushy just that it can take you telling them no at least twice

Sounds like fun! Some even have waterparks and lazy rivers...Many of us would love for cruise ships to have a lazy river going around the perimeter of the entire lido deck. The icing on the cake is it might even reduce the number of chairhogs...lol

We in the US LOATHE it. Tipping now seems to be the norm for take out where they rotate the screen around and you see 18%, 20% (already highlighted for you) or 25% and there's usually zero transparency to who or whom your tips go to. In some cases, a % of your tips goes to upper management who are hardly ever at the restaurant. Worse, we often can't avoid tipping even when traveling to foreign countries even if they don't have a tipping culture. Most of us have probably seen this first hand at a restaurant/ice cream shop/cafe in cruise ports

This article dives a bit deeper into the details...Example: "The Fine Cut Steakhouse will now offer a new dish—the Lemon Poached Lobster Tail with melted leeks, shiitake mushrooms, lobster ravioli and a house-made beurre blanc sauce. Additionally, guests of the wellness-minded Aqua Class will have the opportunity to dine al fresco for breakfast or dinner in Blu’s new outdoor terrace space." Surprisingly, X announced in the press release "Combined, the four main restaurants offer travelers over 84 dishes to choose from". Surprised they put an exact number to it https://www.travelagentcentral.com/cruises/culinary-experiences-onboard-celebrity-ascent-unveiled

They did the pilot menu so there's a very good chance the menu's will be different once the Ascent sails

The Blu concept as a "healthy" restaurant has always been a bit of an enigma. Sit down for dinner, who's the first waitstaff member you usually see? The bread deliverer, often they sneak up from behind and plop the bread basket and 3 butters down. Then you tell them "no", it's usually "are you sure?" and "why don't I just leave it". Next is usually the sommelier pushing alcohol. Only then do you get the actual waiter who may even recommend the pasta dish. At the end, you get a dessert menu where there may be one single "no sugar added" (which means it has sugar). Is breakfast better? Not really, first interaction is usually the pastry person and again you often have to say no two or three times, then its the person with a tray full of high-sugar smoothies. Its somewhat like playing a game of wack-a-mole if you actually want to eat healthy at Blu 🙃

Look in Cancun and Playa Del Carmen; with most of travel, there isn't any "fixed" prices, it's dynamic based on occupancy. But for one example, in Playa Del Carmen next weekend to the following weekend (7 nights) there is a RUI for $251/night all in for two adults. You get a room that's the size of Celebrity suite, fast internet, free drinks, free food, activities, a nightly show, several huge pools and its beachfront with free loungers. Staying static at a AI resort every now and then is a nice change up from a cruise

Cliff notes: - No new restaurants - Eden will offer a plant-based tasting menu - Some of the specialties and Blu (oddly no mention of luminae) may be re-designed and/or have "elevated" menus

It's a strategy to offer packages, Virgin doesn't follow this. When X crew (often the bartender) says "X loses money on every drink package" they mean compared to the person who pays $15 for a cocktail that costs X less than a dollar in supplies

Pretty far from an apples to apples comparison as most don't cruise to US ports of call and there are also airbnbs which can be far cheaper than hotels. There are some very luxurious land resort AIs that are extremely affordable in Caribbean

It's basically been this way for decades but in many industries, its the corporate culture that needs to change

Unfortunately, I can't think of any passenger friendly gains since the start of the besides the e-muster (which most other lines do) and starlink which is just important to the crew who are usually far younger than the passengers (Capt Kate needs to post her TikToks). They have no interest of changing from the Spiny lobster to the Maine lobster that even Carnival serves. X turn-down service's days are number for non-suite guests

Thanks, so this was offered once per sailing? May not be the original green costume nightly show but glad they’re doing some kind of show

Do you have a link to the video? I was on the Beyond in May and there weren't any those shows. I was also on the Edge in 2021 and I confirmed with the staff that those shows where entertainers dress in costumes were paused and replaced by musicians/DJs

X's DNA is transitioning to RCI. If anyone cares, email the exec office and while you're at it, request that Maine lobster replaces the Spiny lobster

It seems X is no longer is doing the Eden ongoing interruptive dancing shows and it's only music (usually live but they occasionally they just have a DJ). The E-Class main theater shows are more modern and better than the non-E class shows but they only do their own original "Broadway-style" shows. What you get on RCI, copy and pasted: "Tony Award®-winning Broadway shows— including CATS, Saturday Night Fever, Mamma Mia!, Grease & more!" Additionally, depending on ship class, you have ice skate rink shows, aqua theater shows, a dedicated comedy lounge, a sing along piano bar and karaoke

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/07/25/musk-explains-why-hes-rebranding-twitter-to-x.html -Elon Musk recently explained why he decided to rebrand Twitter to X and noted that it’s more than just a name change. -Still, it’s a move that many business analysts consider risky, undoing years of branding behind Twitter’s blue bird. -Musk plans for X to expand to “add comprehensive communications and the ability to conduct your entire financial world.”

They’ll probably have a sale over Labor Day weekend yet buy now and if there’s a sale, cancel and re-buy at the sales price. The internet price can and has in the past increased in price without notice

It was just so random, no one used the PA at all yet until we're almost to the ship then someone comes on the PA speakers and says "if you had a great time in Belize say Yeaaaaaah!" Then something like show your appreciation to the tender crew who keeps you safe 🙄. Most of us were somewhat confused if it was a some kind of joke as it was just so random. In all fairness the Belize tender crew did help people who needed onto the ramp/tender, yet the icing on the cake was a Belize tender guy stood by the exit gangway ramp on the tender boat with his hand out while 3' behind him the X crew were the ones on the ramp "keeping us safe" by helping those who needed assistance. Maybe this isn't against any rules but the execution was just strange