chemmo

Room service is definitely something that effects some people more than others… One thing I think a lot of cruisers will be doing this year are comparative spreadsheets of cruise lines. Simply looking at a standard veranda price across several lines is no good. You do have to see what comes with each to get a ‘real’ price. Room service charge is simply one of those commodities to add into the equation along with the cost of drinks, specialty restaurants etc. Personally we have always preferred one of us to throw on shorts and T shirt and head to Cafe Al Bacio for quality coffees rather than order the standard coffees from room service. Even when we cruise in a suite where the butler will deliver specialty coffee we often simply collect ourselves…

Pop in the day before you are booked in and let them know. They should be able to provide options you can pre order. If you only let them know on the night the choices may be more limited. Remember the choices of food will not, however, follow the storyline.

Thank you. One of my main reasons for posting was, as you say, to remind fellow CC cruisers ‘of the importance of building memories not putting them off’. There seem to been so many posts recently from people asking ‘Should we upgrade?’, ‘Is the speciality dining worth it?’, ‘Should we cruise?’…. Whilst cost and value for money are important (especially in these difficult times) there are times you can never get again…As a couple we were firm believers that we would make our holidays as special as we could. No regrets.

So wonderful to read your post. I was unsure if I should report on the forum at all but somehow felt it would be like not telling friends of many years…Over morning coffee I would relate to Pete the latest happenings. We would discuss changes and follow live posts. If someone asked a question or made a comment we felt we could add to we would discuss the response. As you say, we were introduced by CC and your friendship is treasured. Your emails in recent months have supported me so much. Your ‘morning distractions’ (thanks for this mornings) have given me a focus to remember each day that ‘life will go on…’. It will never be the same but it will go on. I will find a new normal…I know when Pete wished me a Happy New Year he meant it…He wanted me to continue to live life to the full…

Sincere best wishes for a full recovery. So pleased you are also ‘making it count’. Many people assume it is only the rich who book higher suites when in reality many, like us, are simply choosing to enjoy life the best we can. On our last few cruises mobility was becoming an issue for both of us. We could no longer easily enjoy the sightseeing but we could still enjoy the sea and the ship! The Silhouette really is a wonderful ship. We loved our last cruise on her, especially the extra speciality dining venues. Please post when you are on board. It would be lovely to follow your adventures.

I remember many of our shared conversations. I seem to remember chat about when our respective children were no longer cruising with us. Our son never stopped cruising with us! As a young adult he holidayed with friends but somehow always managed to fit in a cruise with us too. Then as he met his fiancée we thought the end of our family cruises would happen but no, she simply joined us too. The close bond my husband and son share is, I am sure, partially due to the quality time they spent cruising. Wonderful memories!

We have enjoyed your posts too. I was the ‘typist’ in our joint CC venture. When we did live posts we would discuss what to write…I would draft and read to Mr Chemmo. He would invariably think of something important I had missed, add more factual information and check my spelling! Following his edit we would then post. We have many wonderful cruise photographs and land holiday photographs too…condolences today have been coming in from Australia and the USA as well as the UK from friends we have made over so many years…So many people don’t get to do what we have…We have visited so many wonderful places, made so many wonderful friends…In the months before we lost my husband we had many happy afternoons reminiscing our adventures… We feel very blessed.

Sincere thanks to everyone for their thoughts and prayers… Memories will comfort me… As a family we will cruise again…. Chemmo will go on…

Sincere best wishes for a wonderful cruise…Silhouette is our favourite ship…

My little posh frock seems to have a life of its own, regularly resurfacing in a range of posts…. My husband would be so amused to see it mentioned once again, especially in this post! I do still have the dress I think I need to wear it first night when I have the courage to cruise once again…

Virtual hugs are much appreciated. Like yourself, posting live has always enriched our cruise experience. We loved to be able to pass on factual information or tips that may help other cruisers and also to simply share our experience. During the last few challenging months we have been vicariously enjoying the live posts of others, especially yours…Until I feel ready to cruise again I will continue to do so.

We did not go on the Silvermoon in Barbados… Like you friend said, it is important to focus on how blessed we were to enjoy the time we had…

Part of the pleasure of cruising for us has been the planning and anticipation…We have both loved asking questions on CC and answering the queries of others. We always felt very much a part of the CC family, hence my reporting his loss. ‘Chemmo’ will continue, I will still be following and posting…

Thank you! Although we have made the toast ‘Making it count…’ for many years in many venues it has always been extra special when cruising….We used to always dine in Tuscan Grill first night of a cruise and make the toast with our first drink as we saw the port slip into the distance and day drift into night…Magical moments…

On New Years Eve my husband looked each of us in the eye and wished us a wonderful 2023. He knew he wouldn’t be with us but did want us to continue to enjoy life to the full. We do have cruises booked, when we are ready we will return to the sea…

This was totally our outlook on life. We have known for some months that Mr Chemmo would cruise no more but he and I took great comfort from the fact we had done so much. We have traveled the world, made so many wonderful friends, enjoyed so many amazing moments….Quiet times on the balcony, wonderful meals in Murano….No regrets. As those who have followed my live reports over the years will know our son invariably came with us. He is comforted by the fact that cruises also gave him quality time with his Dad. We are so pleased that we did one final cruise with him and his fiancée last year. During the time of his illness I have continued to post…Particularly encouraging those who say ‘should we upgrade’ or ‘should we try a drinks package’ or ‘should we try a dining package’ to go for it! We have no regrets…So pleased that we did enjoy our cruises to the full.

Under the name of ‘Chemmo’ my husband and myself have regularly contributed to CC over many years. At first to ask questions and, in more recent years, as we became more experienced to offer information and advice, particularly about the RS and PH experience. We loved doing our live reports. My beloved husband is now sleeping his last sleep, no more shared cruises but no regrets either… Our cruise toast was always to ‘Making it count’…We did…We enjoyed so many happy times… Chemmo will continue with me and his son and future daughter in law…The heart will go on…

In our experience even in the PH the binoculars are rubbish….We usually bring our own. If you have significant OBC you could buy a pair on board. May be worth starting a new thread to see if decent binoculars are for sale on your ship…

Agree, with some physical disabilities business class flights are a necessity not a luxury for us for long haul. Whilst accepting some price increases on cruise costs and possibly some reduction in product provided seems almost an inevitability to cost of business flights is becoming prohibitive….

Comments like that are tempting fate….

Personally I’d panic and be on the phone to Celebrity not writing on here. Let us know the story…

To be perfectly honest even when in the PH we only usually put things in to launder we would put in a mixed wash at home. You do have included dry cleaning so there is an alternative for skirts, dresses and trousers. I think most regular cruisers have ‘cruise clothes’….skirts/trousers that mix and match with several tops. I also think that most frequent cruisers also choose lightweight fabrics that don’t crease. Add a few accessories and you never feel you wear the same outfit more than once. There rarely is a need to wash delicate (or loved) items on board. Even when we have a pre cruise holiday stay and a post cruise stay we usually barely use our Elite+ allowance let alone the unlimited offered in the PH.

No microwave other than in the butlers pantry area of the PH on m class I think. We have never had a microwave in the PH on S class ships.

Sincere best wishes for a wonderful cruise. We have cruised Solstice twice, both in RS but have cruised in the PH on other S class ships. The PH is decadently spacious and the banks of windows make it wonderfully light. Ideal for entertaining. The balcony is quite long and thin but does have a covered area so useable most of the time. Great dining table and wet bar area inside and the table on the balcony is also a good size. As the ship has not yet been revolutionised you will still have a piano. A great place to drop your cards or keep a box of chocolates! On the negative side the ship has not had Michael’s Club revamped and has no suite deck area. To get the most out of a PH you do need to communicate clearly with your butler, the concierge and other staff. A couple of examples…. The butlers bring afternoon treats. They always look wonderful but often they are not what you want at that time of day. If we ate them it would spoil our evening meal. Make it clear what you do/don’t want. We usually request a small afternoon tea selection and have to stress the word ‘small’. If you want to dine in suite for a special occasion let the butler know the day before if possible. He can then usually arrange alternatives to the standard menu and course by course service. The concierge can usually arrange bridge tours and other behind the scenes tours. Let them know on boarding if you are interested. On the evenings you plan on dining in the speciality restaurants make sure you communicate any table preferences. For example, a window seat in Tuscan, a corner seat in Murano. Enjoy!

Each time we do a longer (or less port intensive) cruise I intend to do all the things I never get around to doing usually including… seeing all the shows attending the podium lectures attending cooking demo’s reading lots of books attending a wine tasting…. Somehow it never actually happens… We meet interesting people and find we prefer chat to shows. I highlight the podium lectures/cooking demo’s then get comfortable on the balcony with my book that doesn’t get read because I am staring at the ocean. Mean to go to the wine tasting but then find I am enjoying a swim, a chat, a coffee… I guess my instinctive feeling is if you board a long cruise wondering about how you will fill the time then perhaps long cruises aren’t for your mindset. Long cruises to me are all about slowing down, having time to people watch, sea gaze and star gaze….