merprincess

A dinner recently on the Equinox at the Tuscan Grille (2-13-16). The filet was superb, all the sides and dessert were fabulous. The service was exceptional.

My goodness, I really can't understand what the big fuss is about. When you go to upscale restaurants around town, do you analyze what other patrons are wearing? Does what they wear impact the enjoyment of your dinner and whatever occasion you may be celebrating? Are you so distracted from interacting with your dining partner(s) because of what you may deem as not up to your standards of dress by others?

Are the folks who are in suites and aqua class on board to be trusted more to wear the appropriate dress because they spend more for their accommodations? Therefore the dress code for them in those venues is not "formal" and there appears to have been no controversy or concern for them to adhere to the standards.

But, for the "regular folk" that are not booked in the higher categories of staterooms, there is this great concern that the relaxed dress code for the MDR will harm the sensibilities of those that would cling to the tradition of tux/suit/formal dress? Are your fellow MDR patrons not to be trusted to know what is appropriate? This appears to be class discrimination among that particular group.

I believe that there will always be people whose choices in clothing will not suit the standards of others. Who is to determine what those standards are? I find all this hand wringing over who is wearing what to be so inconsequential in light of so many things going on in our lives and the world.

There is no ban on wearing formal wear, there are just more choices being offered. Everyone should just concentrate on enjoying their vacation and stop being the fashion police.

Almost 2 years ago on a Med. cruise, my husband was approached by the casino manager and offered membership in blue chip. We had never heard of it, but it sounded good. On that cruise we were comped for dinner at Tuscan Grille for ourselves and another couple - dinner for four and drinks.

Since then we have been on two blue chip cruises and they worked with us to get a good deal on a non-blue chip cruise we are taking with family members.

When you go on a blue chip cruise, you are invited to a cocktail party the first day and are given gambling money based on credits from your last cruise. It really is very nice. The cruise includes the blue chip member and companion/spouse.

On a recent cruise on the Infinity I wondered how they tracked my husband's gambling (he does slots) because the machines are the old ones not using cards. The casino managers evidentally keep an eye on you and watch your gambling habits.

I hope they will allow an upgrade to a balcony rather than have an inside cabin for future cruises.

We have been on two "blue chip" cruises and had a deluxe veranda cabin on each. We will be doing a transatlantic in October that was not a blue chip cruise, but we were able to apply our blue chip credits to obtain a concierge class stateroom. This wasn't a free cruise, but was still a good deal.

We were surprised to get the recent email with new blue chip offers that include a deluxe inside cabin. I wonder if Celebrity is downgrading their blue chip deals. Hopefully they would allow an upgrade to a balcony stateroom for an additional fee because I do like the verandas.

I don't know about the Cellar itself, but I know it wasn't accepted in the machines at all.

 

As far as me cheating. Yes I did cheat. I will admit it. Am I bragging, no, I'm just making a truthful statement about my experience and I can tell you that a lot of other people were doing as well. The whole discussion was whether or not purchasing the package was worth it. So I was just elaborating on my experience. To each their own. I dont think I was "stealing" from the cruise line. Frankly, most of the bartenders knew what I was doing and didnt give me a hassle about it. I had no issue using my own card if need be.

 

 

Edited to add:

Cheating...Inst it cheating if you bought the drink package and cancelled it and then bought it again when it went on sale?? Thats "cheating and bragging" too.

My husband and I enjoy our individual beverage packages. We would never want to try to scam the system, it would definitely impact on the enjoyment of our cruise if we would have to feel that we were constantly on the verge of being "found out." Of course it evidentally did not bother you...

It's on the front page of Celebrity's home page

Thanks so much I do see it now.

I understand that Celebrity will be offering the 10% discount again, June 1 through June 15, for all 2012 sailings.

How did you find this out? I am not seeing any info about a discount, please if you have more info about this, let us know. We are sailing in August and want the premium package and would purchase it now if it is indeed on sale.

Thanks!

 

Many thanks both for the help. I think that a drinks package would be useful for us as its one more thing we dont need to think about and we do like a cocktail and to try things that we dont normally do!:o All the advice and help has been really useful and I think we have at last decided what we are doing each day and booked accordingly - really looking forward to the cruise, only 2 weeks to go :D

 

Hope you have a great time!

The quick answer is "NO", we didn't think that drinks package would be worth it for us and our interests, needs. Being so port intensive is a key factor, as you wisely noted. A few drinks are nice for us, but at that roughly $58 a day cost, WOW, you'd need to drink lots and lots to reach that break-even point, EVERY DAY!!!! Signing bills is a little bit of a pain, but I was happy to do "pay as we go" and not have dropped the "BIG BUCKS" on a drinks package. We have been on Seabourn and Silversea where drinks are included, without added cost, but we just don't drink that much, even when "free", to say we needed to have it with Celebrity. Hope this helps. Keep the good questions coming.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio[/q

 

You really don't have to drink "lots and lots" to benefit from the drink package. We had the premium package on our recent 12 day Med. cruise (same itinerary as Terry's) and found it worked quite well. We did not keep track of if we were "ahead" or not. However, we drank specialty teas and coffee, plus premium water which we took with us at ports and had with dinner. A martini ($12.00) plus 2 glasses of wine during the evening ($12.00 ea) and that cost is easily met. We were on vacation, and while we kept in mind that we had busy days in port, and were not partying til all hours, we did enjoy drinks, etc. that we would not normally indulge in.

I understood that Kotor (in Montenegro) uses Euros & that Kuna is for Croatia (Split, Dubrovnik etc.) - can anyone confirm? Thanks.

Yes, I can confirm that it is euros in Kotor and kuna in Croatia.

We were in Kotor last month. We were tendered in and walked over to the old town section. After 4 organized tours prior to this, we decided to do Kotor on our own. We had a relatively leisurely day of strolling though the old town area and visiting St. Tryphon's Church. We browsed in some shops, bought some souveniers and had a lovely lunch across the town square from St. Tryphon's. We ate outdoors at the La Pasteria (highly recommended by Rick Steves) and sampled some local wine and specialties. After touring the French Riviera, Florence, Rome and the Amalfi Coast, this was at our own pace and very enjoyable.

I hope you were able to have someone take a few pics of you with your wife enjoying your fabulous trip. I would like to see that. Safe travels going home...

Mary

Happy Anniversary - How special to celebrate it on your cruise!

Mary

Hi Terry - I am curious, what mode of transportation did you use to get from where the Solstice was docked and into Venice? How did it work for you?

Mary

I know I"m not Terry, but I did the same tour the week before (except we went to Pompeii instead of Herculaneum) and I didn't find it to be too much driving at all - I will again suggest you request Carmine, he is a highlight. He will make frequent stops, and you'll have time to walk around in Positano, and honestly, if you tell him that you want to stop somewhere or not be driving a lot, he'll tailor the trip to your wishes.

 

I honestly can't say enough about RomeInLimo.

We also used RIL for the Amalfi Coast and our driver, Tony, was fantastic. He was flexible and made enough stops so that it did not feel like we were just driving. He took us to a wonderful family restaurant in Ravello. After wine and some limoncello, he led our group sing-along to "That's Amore." The limoncello at the restaurant plus a bottle of limoncello presented to us at the end of our day were compliments of Rome in Limo. Tony also purchased Italian pretzels and a bag of cherries for our group of 6 to munch on while driving. But, aside from all the little "perks", our driver, Tony, would have still been outstanding as he catered the day to what we wanted, and also had great suggestions.

Mary

Your photos are wonderful andf help me to relive our recent cruise. I look forward to the rest of your pics and info.

Mary

We did the Reidel workshop on our May 14th cruise aboard the Solstice. We found it really interesting. I was quite skeptical that a certain glass would make a difference, but found it to be true.

We purchased our workshop before our cruise and was not aware that they would serve you wine in the glasses during your cruise. One of the sommeliers that conducted the workshop made the comment that Celebrity does not serve wine in these glasses anywhere except in Murano because of the expense involved with breakage. They are very delicate glasses.

We used RIL for three tours in Italy. We had Clara in Pisa/Florence, Rolando in Rome with Paola as our Vatican guide and Tony for the Amalfi Coast (Naples). All had different styles but were very accomodating and knowledgable. I would highly recommend RIL for any tours planned in Italy.

We booked an aft balcony on the Solstice and am looking forward to being there! I think sometimes you have to try it out for yourself instead of going by what people say on these boards.

:)

We have just returned from the Mediterranean Cruise on RCL’s Brilliance of the Seas that sailed from Barcelona on August 19th. I have submitted a full cruise critic review that should be posted soon, but below are my specific comments for the tours we did with RIL:

 

We used Rome in Limo (RIL) for our private tours in the next 3 ports. I would absolutely recommend them as they were truly professional from the first time I contacted them, to answering all my questions, to providing us with exactly what we asked for. Thank you, Jany and Duman! The RIL contact info is

Rome in Limo Company

Mr.Kafelebasi Duman

Via C.T Masala 42 Ed.9

00148 Rome, Italy

http://www.romeinlimo.com/

info@romeinlimo.com

 

From USA & Canada;

Phone 011 (39) 328 652 6705

Fax 011 (39) 066 020 0736

 

From other Countries;

Phone +39 328 652 6705

Fax +39 066 020 0736

 

Livorno, Italy.

 

Pisa and Florence was the first of the 3 tours we booked with RIL. Our driver Clara (or actually Maria Clara) met us on the pier at 8:00 am and whisked us away in the mini-van that would seat 7 people. We were in Pisa at 8:35, but the access to the tower allows only 45 people every 30 minutes. Clara quickly negotiated for us to be allowed in so that we can spend 25 minutes climbing the tower instead if waiting for the next group. I stayed back with Clara (I was in the tower in the past) and we spent time just chatting while the rest of my family climbed the tower and enjoyed the view. After a short walk around and mandatory “hold the tower” pictures we were off first to drive around Pisa (did you know there is a SECOND Leaning Tower in Pisa?) and then to Florence. I do not want to go into all the details of our Florence tour, but I do want to mention that everything was fantastic and we did exactly what we wanted to do and saw everything we asked RIL to see. The only place we were not able to visit was the Great synagogue as it is closed on Saturdays. Clara was talking to us all the time and even thought she is technically a driver and not a tour guide, she provided us with so much detailed information that we probably will not be able to retain. She knew every corner of the city, the best place to have lunch (fresh paninni sandwich and a glass of wine from a place that looks like a hole in the wall, but fabulous food!), the BEST place to have gelatto and everything else. Clara really knows the area well, she truly loves it and she made our day very informative, enjoyable and fun! After a busy day we were back to the ship shortly after 5:00 pm.

 

Costs:

Your tour costs as quoted by RIL, plus tips as you see appropriate. Cash only.

Pisa tower access: 15 euro/person. CC accepted.

Ufizzi Gallery: 10 Euro/person plus 4 Euro per ticket if you request RIL for advance ticket reservation (worth it as there is no wait time spent). Cash only.

Academia Gallery: 10 Euro/person plus 4 Euro per ticket if you request RIL for advance ticket reservation (worth it as there is no wait time spent). Cash only.

Lunch at a “hole in the wall” plus gelatto”: about 7 euro/person.

 

Civitavecchia, Italy.

 

Rome was our second tour we booked with RIL. Our driver Nicola met us on the pier at 8:00 am and showed us to a spotless beautiful Mercedes Benz. The car was top of the line, but it may not be comfy for 3 “above average” people in the back seat. Nicola also has a pilot’s license and he expertly “flew” our car to Rome. We had a nice chat in the car and, as we approached Rome, Nicola began the information portion of the tour. Again, he is a driver and not an official guide, but I am not sure how much more info a tour guide would be able to provide. Throughout the day Nicola provided us with a lot of info, so we really did not need any guides in any of the places we visited. In Rome tourist buses are only allowed to stop/park in certain places, but because we were not with the bus, we were able to squeeze through the narrow streets and get really close to the places we wanted to see. Nicola recommended a nice place for lunch which was very good indeed. We had a great day with Nicola and we saw so much in less than 8 hours in Rome! We were back to the ship shortly after 5:00 pm.

 

Costs:

Your tour costs as quoted by RIL, plus tips as you see appropriate. Cash only.

Colloseum (includes entrance to the Emperor’s palace): 12 euro/person. CC accepted.

St. Peter’s basilica: free

Pantheon: free (we could not go inside as there was a Sunday mass, but could see the church through the open doors)

Jewish Museum/Synagogue: 23 Euro for 4 of us. CC accepted.

A couple of churches where they have interesting artwork: free, but we gave some donations.

Lunch: 40 euro for 4 people, including wine and tip. CC accepted.

 

 

Naples, Italy.

 

Amalfi Coast/Positano/Sorrento/Pompei was the third tour we booked with RIL. Our driver Rafaele met us at 8:00 am and after a short walk we were shown to our van that would normally seat 8 people. He gave us a brief overview of the area and its history and we headed off to Positano and then to Sorrento. The drive along the Amalfi coast offers the most beautiful views, but beware if you have vertigo/issues with the heights. Rafaele made the drive look effortless, expertly navigating forever winding road. On our way to Positano we stopped at a roadside fruit stand where Rafaele got us some local grapes to taste – yum! Positano is a very picturesque village that was used for several movie sets, but it very touristy. Sorrento is beautiful with a lot of nice shops and many, many tourists. After a nice lunch in Sorrento, we started off to Pompeii. This place is a “must” to see! We met our private tour guide Gino and we spent 2 hours with him walking through the ancient city and learning about its history. In 2 hours we were able to see about 5% of Pompeii! After Pompeii we were on our way to the ship with Rafaele singing “O Sole Mio”. We arrived to port at about 5:00 pm and Rafaele presented us with a bottle of limoncello compliments of RIL. Very nice touch!

NOTE: This is a good tour to share with others as there is little chance that there will be issues as to the itinerary. The Positano stop was about 30 minutes, and a couple of hours in Sorrento is plenty for every one in the group to do what they prefer.

 

Costs:

Your tour costs as quoted by RIL, plus tips as you see appropriate. Cash only.

Pompeii: 11 euro/person. Cash Only.

Pompeii tour guide (pre-booked by RIL on our request): 100 euro for 2 hour tour (absolutely worth it). Cash only.

Lunch in Sorrento: 50 euro for 4 people (with tip and free limoncello shots provided by the restaurant). CC accepted.

Thanks for the detailed description of your tours with RIL. We are scheduled for Florence and Rome with them in May 2011. I have a few questions if you would be so kind to answer:

For your Rome tour did you buy the tickets ahead of time in order to avoid lines? RIL is recommending we do so for the 2PM time slot at the Vatican. Also did you purchase tickets ahead for any other sites? Did you get the guide for the Vatican that RIL provides at an extra cost?

Also did you do the "highlights of Rome" such as the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Forum, etc. Did you feel very rushed as though you were just trying to pack everything in? I anticipate that the day in Rome will be pretty exhausting, so any insight from your personal experience would be appreciated.

We are not too worried about Florence (we are skipping Pisa) because we are there on Monday and 2 of the major museums are closed. So that tour will probably not be as complicated.

Thanks - Mary