chemmo

Our impression of Luminae is exactly the same as yours…No faulting the service but we do find the menu limited. The menu is not helped by the way it is described, on our first few visits we were often surprised with what was delivered. After that we would ask exactly what x, y or z was and frequently asked for sauces to be served on the side. We also found vegetables were frequently a garnish rather than a portion and got in the habit of ordering a side salad each meal. We are planning on dining mainly in Tuscan or Sushi. Whilst we know both well from other cruises it would be nice to know what they are like on Infinity. If you visit either please comment on food and service…

What a pleasure to read your review! Such a lovely balance of admitting there are areas for improvement but the general impression of a cruise well enjoyed shines through!

Looking forward to following your posts! Hope you have a fantastic cruise! We had a fantastic cruise on Silhouette, hope you enjoy too.

I raise my glass here in the UK to you both “Make every moment of your cruise time together special, make it count…”

A bit like me 40 years ago…I am still petite but not sure I can vouch for the rest!

As a new phase in my life begins I am more alert to looking at future cruising opportunities…I am sure you are going to be overwhelmed with questions…

Absolutely! I have clear memories of a rep trying to convince me a RS was a bigger room than a PH on the Eclipse as the RS was the biggest room on RC! When she finally got the information up (which we directed her to) her understanding of perks included/needing paying for was scary as she tried to sell us a premium drinks package! Needless to say we decided not to go ahead with booking… We have found UK TA’s lacking in general knowledge of cruises and sometimes have a real preference to recommend one line over another…

We board on the 19th…The itinerary has a lovely balance of places new and revisited…

So looking forward to following your adventures! We are not boarding Infinity until next September so interested as to how you find her. Surprisingly we considered just about every ship in the fleet before we decided we fancied a return to M class. There is something about the ship’s layout that is very classy. Your window looks lovely! I can imagine sitting next to it reading a book on a sea day!

Oh, I love your live posts! Almost like being there. It will be interesting to read the ‘facts’ of the small ship experience and to get a flavour for the ‘feel’. Over the years I think it has been the ambiance of Celebrity that has kept many of us loyal… How many of us will you tempt to try a dalliance with another?

I think it was the M’D (Marco?) who suggested we chose a few specials on the Eclipse. Another he did for us was a crepe Suzette…When we boarded again in Barcelona he greeted us as old friends and had arranged a special starter for us that first night! Such happy memories…

Agree…

We have been lucky enough to have booked a RS a few times and the included speciality restaurants really is a bonus. We tend to book Tuscan on nights where we are leaving a port and Murano most of the rest…On a few cruises the speciality staff have been kind enough to make us a ‘special’ when they have realised we have had 3+ bookings. I will never forget the smell of the Steak Diane prepared table side….Wonderful!

We are from the UK so our T&C’s will be different than yours. However, Celebrity genuinely made every effort to accommodate me following the sad passing of my DH this year. We had two cruises booked. We cancelled one with no penalty and transferred the other. Staff we spoke to were both caring and compassionate…Genuinely couldn’t have asked for better customer service. Quite simply if your sister in law decides to keep this booking I suggest she phones up and asks for all options available. They will, hopefully, as they did for me, go through all options. Obviously I have no experience of NCL…I would suggest with the cruise on that line being so imminent your sister in law may need to look at insurance policies and T&C’s on credit cards which may offer some cover she may not even be aware of… Deepest sympathy to you all…

We cruise Celebrity because we like the full ship experience. We book Silhouette, Eclipse, Infinity….to enjoy what is on board… We usually then book the Retreat because we want the bigger room and what goes with it but that is an ‘accessory’ just like booking a speciality dining package…In years gone by when our cruises were more about itinerary we wouldn’t have been able to afford nor would we have wanted or appreciated a suite… I do find some posts quite divisive…a bit us and them…Not appropriate, not needed in my personal opinion…We are all simply lovers of sea travel…

Unfortunately Celebrity are beginning to price out us. Villa suite for three guests from Southampton £36,500…After posting that someone must be willing to pay as there are no RS or PH available…Iconic suite available though at only £68,500… I just can’t see the justification of spending that amount…there are just so many other options available at a fraction of the price… The rudest guests we ever met were in one PH when we were in the other…Their manner and attitude to staff was awful…After one conversation in Michael’s Club we made every effort to avoid them…They met all your undesirable criteria ‘rude, loud and expecting everything’…

The Grand Marnier soufflé is lovely but I love the smell and the theatre when they make the ballon rouge!

This was our best cruise ever! Fantastic time… Look out for dining package offers on line or when you board…Recommend with the length of your cruise you give them all a go! Murano, traditional speciality dining, quality food and excellent service with that added bit of drama of table side preparation. Our favourite. Tuscan Grill, a steak and pasta venue with great wake views, ideal to sit there as you leave a port and slowly watch the land fade into the distance… LPC, fun rather than fine dining. If you haven’t experienced before it is worth doing but most people find once is enough… Sushi on five, much more on offer than just sushi. We often enjoy on a sea day lunch rather than in the evening… Sincere best wishes for a wonderful cruise!

The nature of changes resembles a group of individuals with no real knowledge of cruising being locked in a room and told they can’t come out until they have a list of ways to save on spending and ways to up income… Everyone has their own little idea, the chairperson hasn’t a clue which ideas are good and which are bad so agrees to all random ideas! The proviso being if they don’t work they can always cancel, reconvene and try a few more…

Firstly, Infinity is not in for a full refit so I can’t see them wanting to reduce stocks significantly. We were on the Summit just before she went for her revolution and didn’t notice any shortages etc. What we did notice the last day were some sun beds and chairs being stacked and strapped from mid afternoon, presumably to be taken off the ship. We had decided to get off as late as possible and saw a procession of mattresses leaving….

If someone in a CS has put in a bid for the RS then that frees up a CS 🤞 for you!

It’s scary how much you drink on a cruise! It seems to be just a constant flow…

A later get up…Or if I wake early a leisurely coffee on the balcony. No preordering coffee on a sea day so often a quick visit to the cafe for a take away… Head for Tuscan that doesn’t stop it’s Captains Club breakfast until 10am. Sit watching the wake views sipping a Bellini enjoying the delights of a salmon plate or if I am hungry enough an ultimate platter… After breakfast a return to the room for a rest, check on emails update live review and answer any questions. Browse the Today and decide if I am going to attend any of the activities/talks. Every cruise I say I will do more of these but frequently the desire to simply enjoy the deck wins the day! Head for a swim in the Solarium. By now most sun beds will be taken. Not bothered, I will simply place my sandals and throw over dress on a ledge or a chair in the Aqua Spa cafe if it isn’t open…Enjoy my leisurely swim then head towards the sunset bar dripping along the way…If I am still very wet on arrival I will continue to drip on a toadstool whilst I sip a pina colada… Lunchtime will depend on the ship, if there is a Porch then that is probably where we will head, if not then Sushi on five…Whichever we choose we will dine lightly… Afternoon, a very leisurely stroll around the ship making sure I keep out of the way of the serious joggers and don’t fall over the sun beds many of which have moved from their regimented positions to an interesting obstacle course. Stop and chat along the way to fellow guests and meandering staff simply savouring the sounds, sights and smells of a cruise ship at sea. When ready a return to the room with a drink to enjoy on the balcony where I will make a pretence of reading a book and gently rock to sleep for a restful afternoon nap. Murano tends to be our evening dining venue on sea days…we are rested enough to enjoy a longer meal. Freshen up, decide where to enjoy a pre dinner drink…If it isn’t too windy perhaps the sunset bar, if I care about my hair perhaps the Retreat lounge or ensemble lounge…Check the music on and where it is happening… A really leisurely meal…Savouring the food service and atmosphere. We love that Murano manages to be classy without being pretentious, formal without being stuffy… Probably a drink somewhere after, maybe listening to music near the atrium or in the ensemble lounge or retreat lounge or perhaps just head back to our room and enjoy a last drink on the balcony…The beauty of a sea day is you can make it up as you go along… OP thank you for such a lovely thread to remind us of the joy of cruising!

Only time we have had it is in a suite and brought by the butler. We had not requested it, simply returned early to our suite saying we were tired and going to watch a film. A few minutes later he returned with a bowl of warm popcorn for us. It may have been microwave…not sure but it was a much appreciated gesture.

We nearly cancelled a cruise when I realised I would still be wearing an orthopaedic boot when walking…However we decided to go ahead… Pool side staff super helpful getting me in/out of the pool using the ducking stool! Ladies cloakroom attendant helping me access as I limped on my crutches… People poolside manoeuvring their sun beds to fit me in… Tuscan staff seeing me struggle to get comfortable on a chair and descending with a multitude of pillows… I couldn’t have been better looked after. It is the staff and the clientele on Celebrity that create the ambiance that keep us returning! OP, thank you for this breath of fresh air post!