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12 hours ago, Lolou127 said:

Unfortunately I don’t think they’ll speak to me as I booked via a TA here in the U.K. 😢

No, Celebrity is unlikely to communicate directly with you as the booking ‘belongs’ to the TA. We find UK TAs often unwilling or unable to make any changes to bookings. Whilst some of this may be laziness a good portion is probably because they have a group booking agreement with X which probably does not have flexibility.

After booking through a TA once or twice initially because their prices were slightly better or they offered a little more OBC we have found we prefer to book directly with X. 

4 hours ago, C4HCG said:

Off topic but that made me 🤭. Don’t doubt what you say to be true but it applies equally to Americans. Us English invented queuing and would never push in 

I guess the intolerance/lack of thought of some and the support of others makes travel the adventure we all enjoy…

We have arrived in Barcelona a few times. Getting off the ship was usual time, starting at 7ish for self embarking. We have had a leisurely get off on both occasions later on but on both occasions our US friends needed to be off quickly and reported a larger than usual number of guests queuing to get off quickly.

In our experience catching a taxi is a bit hit and miss. Whilst port staff were sorting an organised queue unfortunately some guests were ignoring the queue and literally ambushing taxis as they approached. Unfortunately not all Europeans understand the etiquette of queuing…

The airport is a bit rambling but no worse in our experience for check in and security than most European airports. On a positive there is a pay for lounge if you decide to wait in comfort for a later flight and do not have access to a business lounge.

It may help people advise you if you state the time of flight you are hoping to catch. In Barcelona I would consider a flight after 11.00 but prefer one after 11.30. 
 

If the flight time you would prefer is early, consider an overnight stay. Barcelona is a fantastic city….

Just now, Lolou127 said:

Be careful if you have any OBC and it’s not currently being offered as you will loose it, well that’s what they’ve told my TA as our cruise price has dropped and an Aqua class room is now only £150 more but we’d loose our OBC!

Yes, sadly you do need to be careful with any changes…However, if you have a drinks package and WiFi it can often be difficult to find something to spend that OBC on! You definitely need to consider what is important for you.

If you ask for a copies of the menus for the full week on boarding the M’D or concierge will print them out in order for you. As they literally only have to print it isn’t a big job for them. You can then choose the days you like the menu to dine in Luminae and look at speciality restaurants the nights you don’t or chat to the M’D about other options with 24 hours notice.

Also in Luminae you can request starters to be served as a mains, sauces to be served on the side…They will try to accommodate you. You can also ask at the end of the evening to look at the menu for the next day and request changes just as people with food intolerances do.

Alternatively to paying for speciality restaurants remember you can use the MDR, buffet and room service too. Especially on a longer cruise a buffet ‘graze’ one night can be a good option as can dining in.

I must confess to never having used the everyday menu other than for the onion soup. I always feel it is a waste of a dining night to compromise with a simple piece of chicken or salmon….

I don’t know what room category you are in but worth looking at the cost of higher levels of room. If you upgrade to a room at least £1 more than you have paid I think they will upgrade you. Hence, you won’t get any money back but you may get a better room. Worth a try…

Many questions are asked by new cruisers or new to Celebrity cruisers. I must have answered the same question about RS/PH free laundry about 20 times and questions on the shore side concierge about 30! 
 

Am I complaining? No! It is payback for all the naive questions we asked when we started cruising. We were so grateful to those who took the time to reply to us politely and thoughtfully…

Quite simply if you have the time and no one else has answered a question already just do it with good grace, just as you would help a lost tourist in your home town despite the fact they are stood next to the tourist information centre!

1 hour ago, LMHSRN said:

The Equinox does not have a Retreat Deck yet.  Going into dry dock soon but currently nothing special

It does have one with comfortable seating and good service but unlike the Silhouette it is one level only and no jacuzzi air bar. It is there but as you say ‘nothing special’.

7 hours ago, HopefulCruiser123 said:

We are booked in The Retreat on Equinox.  DH is in a wheelchair.  According to Cruise Decks . Com it does not appear there is an elevator to this deck.  Can anybody confirm this.?  Will we be excluded from enjoying this Retreat perk?

It is not accessible. There was a disabled lady when we cruised on Equinox (a few years ago now) who complained to the concierge and was given access to a cabana on sea days. I am unsure if it was complementary or at a reduced rate but definitely the concierge took on board the disappointment of the couple on finding they could not access the suite deck. I can only suggest you chat with the concierge on boarding.

We found the suite deck disappointing…Not enough shade, no water feature to dip in…The staff were nice and drink and food service was good but we spent very little time there.

6 hours ago, yoj13 said:

Oh thank you for the info.  It would be Fort Lauderdale.  The flight home is out of Miami.  We've done it quite a few times but usually we are on the 1715 BA flight and this one would be circa 21.00hours.  It's a long day, made even longer by the fact I hardly sleep the night before in case we sleep in!

 I think we have done one Fort Lauderdale port excursion with drop off at Miami. I think it was to Hollywood Beach. No issue with the excursion but we were at the airport at 3pm which could be too early for you. I would look at hotel day package.

43 minutes ago, kr00t0n said:

Brits are OBSESSED with tea 😄

….and proud of it!

All Celebrity ships have a few kettles on them. We have requested and received a tea tray set up when in a suite world wide. 
 

22 minutes ago, asctony said:

I guess people who cruise out of the US don't know how to use a kettle? 

On the ship we prefer our own tea made in our room so even if they can use a kettle they don’t always know how to make tea!

You didn’t dream it, it does exist but only at certain ports. Which port are you sailing into? I know Southampton and Rome offer this but unsure what other ports. 
 

Celebrity does offer some excursions with drop off or you could look at booking a day stay at a hotel or hiring a car for the day with port collect and airport drop off.

I asked if I could take sherry on board some years ago and was told, yes. No problem boarding with it.

1 hour ago, Saltykitty said:

Donna thank you so much for your reply. Very helpful. I dont look forward to dealing with the insurance paperwork so the refund for yhe add ons automatically is great news. Yes I am very disappointed as i planned this for a year but there is nothing to do except go home. I know there are more vacations to come one day

Remember to keep receipts of expenses etc to forward to your insurance company. So sorry for your loss of holiday, hope your Mum is soon on the mend. As another poster said you will be refunded any cruise bookings via your card but it is likely to take a few weeks.

15 hours ago, FolsomMike said:

Our Millennium cruise starts tomorrow. (Yay!) But the weather forecast for Tuesday is horrendous (1-2 inches of rain). We have a Celebrity excursion to Fuji booked. Anyone have any idea what the chances are that it will be cancelled if the forecast doesn’t improve ?

We had rain here too but just morning drizzle. We had some fantastic rainbow views from the ship to shore early morning. I believe that tours go ahead unless there is a storm risk. If there is a risk of thunder and lightning then they cancel/delay tours.

It is in the cruise lines interest to have tours proceed but they are very conscious of their responsibility. The best information you will get is on board not on CC…They will know the most up to date weather information and cancel/delay/curtail excursions as they see fit.

14 hours ago, cruizingOmi said:

They will make you step on scale as it's a Safety issue and more weight requires more fuel. 

We have done several helicopter excursions worldwide and always been weighed. In addition where you sit is also determined by what you weigh to keep the helicopter balanced. We did a Grand Canyon flight where my then young son and I were in the front going and my husband, a tall man and his equally big son were in the back. The tall man and his big son were cross that they couldn’t have the front seats coming back after the champagne breakfast. The pilot tried to explain the reasoning but they were not happy…

There are options to get the feeling of more space on both Celebrity and RC…As this is a Celebrity forum I suggest…

Look at booking a Cabana on sea days…Not cheap but guaranteed space and a touch of being looked after.

Look at booking a suite with access to specific suite areas…

If you don’t want to pick up excessive suite price increases try these tips. Some do have additional $ costs but can be worth it. Sea days are usually the ones where crowding is an issue so… Why not on sea days do the following…

Enjoy a late start, book a light breakfast in your cabin and simply relax…

At lunchtime pre book either Suchi on Five or if on a ship that has it Lawn grill or The Porch. Not mega expensive and you have a relaxing lunch away from the buffet crowds.

In the afternoon look at enjoying something inside… There is often an afternoon broadway show, or stroll around the decks, watch a movie or simply enjoy a bar or your balcony. About 3.30 - 4pm head to the sun deck. People will be beginning to head off out of the sun…You head into it and enjoy a dip and some sun at its lower and more enjoyable best. Relax, enjoy…

Head back to your room to get ready for the evening. In the evening head off to the speciality restaurant you managed to book at a discount because you were happy to book a late time or simply head to the MDR knowing you have had a relaxing and unstressed day unlike those who have spent the day ‘guarding’ or ‘searching’ for space…

35 minutes ago, Escruiser1962 said:

That's okay! I figured there wouldn't be any solution. LOL Well, we can vacation other ways besides cruising. Thought I'd try and ask anyway. I appreciate your responding!

I honestly think there are solutions, it is that sometimes you do have to be creative. If you know certain areas are going to be busy then choose an alternative…I always find that if something doesn’t work then don’t keep battling it. A long time ago we decided to make sea days special by doing what most people didn’t…

So much about enjoying any vacation is about making it work for you…

8 hours ago, Titan_Cruiser said:

Do they really enforce these weight limits? I understand for something that involves a piece of equipment (i.e. the bicycle or segway, although I have done both with other cruise lines) that may have a weight limit but a sailboat or catamaran, I just don't understand. 

I understand the restriction on these totally. The bicycle and Segway will have weight limits on their specifications. To hire them out to people who exceed this limit could be seen as negligent. Probably, in reality, it is not enforced but if a clearly over the limit person arrives to collect a bicycle or Segway the company can then (sensibly) refuse.

Re sailboat or catamaran their life jackets will have a weight limit. Also you have to consider that worse case scenario of a heavy person being unconscious/in trouble in the water and staff having to haul them out.

Sadly many people will miss out on excursions because they are considered too old, have a back or neck issue, are too heavy. The bottom line seems to be liability. 
 

7 hours ago, bigbenboys said:

I look at it this way. If the restriction is 250lbs and you get hurt or die on the excursion. The insurance company is off the hook. You signed a contract knowing the rules.

This seems to be something that people (after paying a fortune for an insurance policy) then ignore…We know a couple who took an off road jeep excursion, she jarred her neck and needed medical treatment which her company refused to pay for as she had previously seen her doctor for advice on back pain and had been diagnosed with osteoporosis. The excursion had clearly stated not suitable for anyone with neck, back issues.

Personally, whilst there is nothing nicer than being able to do what you want when you want I have no issue with a company placing whatever restrictions they feel maximise safety. I do feel for the strong swimming 78 year old and the 260lb would be sailor but….

8 hours ago, C-Dragons said:

Imo, you have the winning answer.  The tour operators have to have insurance and the insurance companies set the “rules”.

3 hours ago, Boxerlover2 said:

Is the complimentary access to SEA Thermal Suite and Persian Garden a new perk for Royal Suites and above? 

This has not been listed as a perk before. However, I have heard of it being given on a few reviews.
 

From personal experience we have never been offered it (or requested it).
 

I can’t comment on E class ships but I think it is a wrong move on S class simply because of the size/design. In our experience on M class Persian Gardens isn’t usually mega busy, perhaps because it isn’t that nice to be in on. However, on S class it can already be over busy owing to the small number of tiled beds (and people being a bit greedy with time spent on them). Not really fair on Aqua guests and those paying for a pass to suddenly make it available for more guests…I can see complaints from many here. Perhaps better to allow RS guests and above to have one/two free visits pre booked. 

We were on a Mediterranean cruise with some sort of Doctors convention on board. It was fantastic! Sea days 10 - 12.30 they were in conference in the theatre. They dined as a group in the MDR (own area) at lunch. Afternoon back to their own groups. Never had such quiet sea days poolside or in the buffet! Early evening they were all over the ship (still wearing badges) but no trouble, no special venues booked. They were all second fixed dining too so no blocking first seating or select…

Nice people and well organised by the cruise ship.

2 minutes ago, We-R-Off said:

Definitely in the process of changing flight, even to the day after if necessary. 

Totally agree…Just too tight for comfort!
 

We have done many cruises and whilst the 7am start to disembarking has been the general we have had two cruises where it has been after 8.30 am. One we believe was because of a staffing shortage in customs and the other was something to do with a medical issue. On both occasions we sadly saw people frantically on phones and we have seen people in tears at the airport when they have missed their flight and are struggling to get another.

We have also flown in/out of Amsterdam a few times and our experience there hasn’t always been smooth either…

We always ask for a kettle to make tea on board and (whilst they are not generally available) our butlers have always managed to get us one. Perhaps you could take an old fashioned hot water bottle on board and fill as needed…If you request a kettle via special needs for this purpose it shouldn’t be a problem.

In my experience of writing live reviews they start in one direction then develop a life of their own….

I remember starting posts with a focus on the experience of three adults in a RS and then researching and getting photos of the new inside cabins following a query. On another occasion my journey to the ship actually became more remembered than my live cruise (posh frock cruise for those of you who can remember…).

Don’t overthink it just write from the heart about your  experiences both positive and negative and respond to the questions and queries you receive.

So pleased you are now home. Hopefully, bruises and aches and pains will ease and you can get further advice.

Thank you also for coming back on with the board and sharing your experiences. Much as we all hope we are never faced with your scenario it is always good to know what to expect. Always frustrating when someone puts on a post and we don’t know how things work out.

Sincere best wishes for any further treatment required and a speedy recovery and that your pussy cats gets used to the cast and wheels!