bigAWL

I can only comment on the Celebrity website.  I did figure out that it only shows cabins it thinks are appropriate for your party size.  For instance, if you put in three guests, obviously it won't show cabins that can only hold two.  But if you put in two guests, it will not show you cabins that can accommodate three or more.  This is not ideal for two groups of two who want connecting cabins.  Many times, those connecting cabins are a double connected to a triple/quad.  So even if there are connecting cabins available, you may never see them.

2 hours ago, suekel said:

3.  I have not bought a specialty dining package.  How hard is it to make a reservation once onboard?

 

I'm sailing first time on Eclipse next month.  I was able to book (and pay for) specialty dining restaurants weeks ago.  If you purchase a dining package, you specifically CANNOT book before boarding the cruise.  Check out available reservations now, unless it's different on the Apex than on the Eclipse.

The article says:

"Amsterdam has become a victim of its own popularity, attracting 20 million annual visitors."

and

"Cruise ships have become a symbol of the problem, with more than 100 mooring in the capital every year."

Those 100 ships probably don't bring more than 400,000 guests each year, which is a drop in the bucket of 20M.  But those ~400,000 certainly spend much less per person than those using hotels and restaurants.  Unless the ship fees to the port can make that up (maybe they can, I don't know), then it's an easy call to cut cruises off first.

Will they go after river cruises, as well?  It seems to me that would have a much bigger impact on the river cruise industry than the ocean cruise ban does for that industry.

1 hour ago, cococruiser said:

I was on Silhouette in May. The Champagne was very elusive! The brand was Eugene 111. I’ve added a picture of it. This was on our table, so I had to zoom in and screenshot. Excuse the picture quality. 

I assume you purchased that bottle?  Or was that offered by the glass on a drink package?

I explored this question a few months back.  Based on responses from those who sailed Concierge in the past, this is the best list I could come up with for what the Concierge staff can do for you (or presumably for anyone, since they are not actually there exclusively for Concierge class guests):

• Dining reservations and changes
• Print boarding passes
• Tender tickets
• Help with general problems
• Help with Guest Services issues with a shorter line

Of course there are other benefits that go along with your booking, but I was specifically looking for services performed by the Concierge staff.

If you're interested in reading the responses I got, here's the thread:

Do be aware that not all SV verandas are the same size.  While they all have the same depth (door to railing), some are wider and others narrower.  I think the widest ones are 2152, 1674, 1206, 9382, 8344, 7364, and 6312 (my guess is these book up the fastest).  The ones just to the starboard side of those seem to be quite a bit narrower (subtract 2 from those room numbers to get the small ones).  Others may be some degree in between.

2 hours ago, jbcallender said:

My cruise docs for my 8/4 cruise say "1 Bottle per passenger", of age of course.

What does it say under "Before you Board"... "What not to pack?"

For what it's worth...

Both of the following paragraphs appear in my Cruise Docs (Guest Ticket Booklet) that just became available to view today for Eclipse from Vancouver to Alaska on Aug 13.

"Guests are not allowed to bring beer or hard liquor onboard for consumption or any other use. Guests wishing to bring personal wine onboard with them on embarkation day may do so, limited to one (1) bottle per guest, but when consumed in any shipboard restaurant, bar or dining venue, each bottle shall be subject to a corkage fee of $25.00. A corkage fee does not apply to guests with a Classic Beverage Package or Premium Beverage Package."

"**Two bottles of wine per guest (of legal drinking age) are allowed on embarkation day, subject to corkage fees. A corkage fee does not apply to guests with the Classic Drink Package or Premium Drink Package."

12 minutes ago, CruiseCrew123 said:

The whole point of Le Petit Chef is that you eat what the animation is presenting . I think You lose half the enjoyment if it’s different 

Sure that's the point.  But if they won't eat anything that's presented, then why bother?  I assume one could feasibly enjoy watching the animations and then east something different.

On 7/12/2023 at 6:47 PM, davekathy said:

Their names. What differences are you exactly looking for? Why not wait until the cruise is over and decide for yourself if there are any. Others positive or negative opinions and experiences would have no value to us. We like Celebrity and RC equally. Never cruise with Carnival. 

Many differences have nothing to do with opinion.

9 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

The kids menu is available at all restaurants as well as Specialty ones. 

I was wondering about this specifically for Le Petit Chef, which I think has the most limited menu of all.  Do they offer kids menu options, as well?  

I know how to ignore a user.  Is there a way to stop an entire thread from showing up on my forum list?

Thanks!

4 hours ago, heckofagator said:

thanks for the thoughts all.

 

Unfortunate that we just missed the 50% off sale.  And I'm also a bit worried about the AI pricing but I guess we'll have to wait and see what it looks like in the app once we book.  I did see something about the AI package costing like $2000 in another thread (I had to look up what "AI" was) and I just dont know that I'd be able to stomach that cost, to be honest.

 

how does AI work when you have 2 people in the cabin?  Do they still force the other person to get the drink package if the other gets the AI package?

 

I do enjoy drinking on vacation and in the past from what I remember, these drink packages were always around $500 so it was just nice peace of mind not to have to worry everytime you went up to the bar.  But the $1000 price is giving me a bit of pause for some reason, that just seems like a lot of money.

As said by others, AI must be chosen at time of sailing and applies to both cruisers.  Even if you choose not to go the AI route, and choose to add a beverage package later, you will still have to buy it for everyone in the cabin (or zero-proof package for those under 21).  Some have reported getting that requirement waved due to medical or related issues, but it's a case by case basis.

Thanks for the honest review.  Did you experience or have any thoughts about specialty dining, Mast Grill, Café al Bacio, or other onboard activities?  And there have been discussions on this forum about noise levels around the ships' public areas/venues, particularly concerning loud music.  Was this your experience, as well?

The current pre-cruise rates showing for premium drink package is: $109 - 20% = 86.99

I agree the All-Included booking rate is probably the way to go, even if you plan to upgrade from the classic drinks package to premium ($20 per guest per day).

1 hour ago, Obobru said:

Just make a list of what you want and ask the server to serve it all on one plate. 

 

On the Silhouette a couple of weeks ago we had everything to make a full English. Fried eggs, baked beans, back bacon, British bangers, grilled tomatoes,  mushrooms, fried bread, toast, and on some days they had black pudding but it was the more grainy variety not the Bury style which I prefer. They also had HP sauce to finish it off. 

I wonder, do the baked beans on the ships change depending on the sailing?  In North America, baked beans are usually sweeter and smokier compared to British baked beans.  Or maybe both styles are offered wherever they are?

55 minutes ago, RichYak said:

Tuscan is one of the MDRs on E-class ships.

Ah, of course.  I was thinking Tuscan Grill specialty restaurant.  Thanks.

I love black pudding.  Though I grew up a very picky-eating American, I've traveled a lot and tried a lot of things that I never dreamed I would ever eat.  That said, my wife (who has traveled the world with me) still won't touch black pudding.

I would love to get a full English or Scottish or Irish on a cruise.

5 hours ago, BEAV said:

 

I didn’t get the allure, either. Until I was upgraded to CC class, thanks to the MoveUp program. Went to the CC lunch in Tuscan on Edge and thoroughly enjoyed the quiet, unhurried, relaxed lunch. A nice respite from the hustle/bustle of embarkation day. 

I assumed it was always held in the MDR.  But being held in Tuscan... is that just an E-class thing? Is it a different menu from the MDR version? Does it happen often?

Traveling Concierge Class on the Eclipse in August with my 82 y.o. MIL.  Assuming we are invited for one of these, what are the mobility issues we should be aware of?  She can do a couple flights of stairs at a time, no problem.  And I can help steady her where necessary, but handrails are always helpful.  Would there be any seating available?

Beautiful!

For U.S. citizens arriving in Vancouver a few days before boarding a cruise, is it recommended to use ArriveCAN?  Does it save much time?

6 minutes ago, Steve H said:

Just off Sunday,  the service was great in the MDR food was good as was the buffet. We were a family group and we had a great dinner in Tuscan also got 20% off the price. Music in the foyer was loud but everyone enjoyed it and it was packed.They had the concierge lunch,  we had a CC on the hump it was nice. The weather was great, overall a great time except some of us got colds near the end tested negative for Covid.

Thanks!  What the concierge lunch on embarkation day?  Others reported it happening later in the cruise on a port day, but that may be due to differing departure times for different sailings.

1 hour ago, K&RCurt said:

Sorry for the delay, I had a busy weekend!

 

I think at this point every Carnival ship has both a "Guy's Burger Joint" and "Blue Iguana Cantina" and these, IMO are far and away the best burgers and Burritos, tacos on cruise ships.   The newer "Excel class" ships also have 3 different "Street Eats" walk up windows on the pool deck with a rotating menu of steamed goodies like pot stickers, etc, Various specialty fires and grilled kabobs and satays.  Additionally they have "Shaq's Chicken Shack" which has fried chicken sandwiches. 

 

HAL used to have great burgers, including Lamb Burgers but they revamped the burger venue on the Lido and now they are just "meh" and X had pretty much the same burger quality.  RCs were better than X or RC but a far cry from Guy's on Carnival.  RC did have very good Hot Dogs and Sausages on the Oasis, but I am not a big hot dog fan.

Ok.  I guess I was confused then.  You said in your post from Friday that you considered Celebrity to have the best "casual food" far above the others, including Carnival.