gillme

With Intercruise the pick up times for Arvia and Iona are now about an hour to an hour and a half later so that your check in time is corresponding later. Since this change our check in time has been 3pm but you do go straight to check in. It actually works better with a quiet check in and security. Pick up times for the other ships is as before. 

We attended a virtual bridge tour on Arvia yesterday undertaken by one of the officers, Ross, and it was excellent. Very well attended at 2pm in the theatre it lasted about 50 minutes including a Q&A time at the end.

Hi, we’re sailing on Silhouette next month to Scandinavia from Southampton and have the Classic Drinks Package included - the cruise has been carried forward many times from pre Covid days! I am confused by posts on Facebook as to what the upper price is for drinks on this package. Some say $9 some say $11 On the Celebrity website it shows $9 but then I’m informed that it depends where you are sailing from…and to!! I’m happy with the cocktails that are shown as being included when I look at my app for the cruise but would like to know what anyone’s experience has been sailing from Southampton on Silhouette with the drinks.

Many thanks in advance for any responses. Looking forward to sailing with Celebrity for the first time! We have done a number of Royal Caribbean from Port Canaveral and Southampton

Gill and Malcolm 
 

Hi, we did self disembark on 11 July at Liverpool. We checked with security on the A deck gangway at 06.45 and told we could go ahead. We collected our cases from the cabin and were off just before 7.  One of the mini buses for people requiring assistance was waiting and the driver offered to take us straight up to the terminal - and then very quickly through. We usually try to leave it until after 7am to ensure the conveyor for your luggage is turned on! Unfortunately in May they couldn’t find anyone to turn it on! My partner managed to push his case up and a kindly port worked pushed mine for me! We user Uber for the first time and we were home by 7:45 am. 

Thank you everyone! More than happy with yellow! 🚢🥂🎊

Thanks Peteymil. It’s really the pink ones we hate! I was prepared to bring our own too! 

We are taking our first Celebrity cruise in August and would be grateful if anyone could advise what type, name or package colour of the artificial sweeteners onboard.

Many thanks in advance for any response.

Gill and Malcolm 

But it’s nice to dream!! 

We’ve just got details of formal and special nights on our upcoming Balmoral Christmas cruise and that includes British Night which we enjoy. It does state that for this other Nationalities are welcome to represent their own homelands. 

Nice to see you posting again! We remember you from Island Escape boards. 

We’ll be boarding for two weeks from 8 May and our first time on Marella Explorer and looking forward to it. See you on board! 

26 sleeps until Explorer!! 🚢🚢🚢🥂🥂

On Explorer now and Mark Rous is C D. He was our AM on Independence last June.

We’re sailing on Explorer on Sunday!! 

Interested to see your comments as we were on Independence in June. This was our second cruise on her and thought it not as good as prior to the the added cabins. Thank you for taking the time to post the review and looking forward to the next instalment.

Good luck getting a sun bed on the Veranda!! We’ve done approx 4 cruises on Discovery 2 and only once managed to get two in the late afternoon...in the shade!!

We were on the 14 night from Southampton on 2 June - after refit - having previously sailed on her last year. It was noticeably busier in the bars in the evenings and sometimes could not get a seat in a number of bars we wanted to ie Schooner, Casino Bar, Champagne Bar. Luckily the new Playmakers could usually find room for us!! The shows were busy but we are happy to get there early and are early risers to get a lounger on sea days. We did stay in the loungers once we got them and it was good to see in the Solarium at least staff removing items from seats that had obviously been ‘reserved’ early but not used after 30 + minutes. These were quickly taken by others and there were some very surprised people arriving to claim ‘their’ lounger! I did congratulate the staff member for undertaking this task.

I don’t think the extra numbers have put me off Independence as we’re looking at cruises for next year to book when we go on Navigator in September!!

Sorry but I do not agree that Fred Olsen cruises are superior to Marella and we are familiar with both lines. Also, if you sail from Scotland you obviously have a number of sea days to get you in a similar location to a fly cruise like Marella. We love sailing from Liverpool with Fred Olsen because we are usually unpacking in our cabin within an hour of leaving home but there are disadvantages.

We’re just off Independence this morning too! Thought the food was very good in the Windjammer and loved it’s new look ...and the handwashing stations as you go in.

However, with the additional cabins and their passengers it has made the ship very busy and I’m not sure we will book her again. This is a great shame as we loved the ship when we sailed on her last September but then we managed to get a seat to enjoy a drink after the show in the theatre. This time it was mostly impossible.

The staff and service were as good as ever.

7 days Independence!!

We’ve just returned from a cruise that called at Cuba and there is only room for one ship in port. We had to leave some late passengers behind as although we waited for a while there was another ship waiting to take our place.

We had a Central Park inside last April for a B2B and loved it. Great sitting by the window overlooking the park both day and night.

We had a Central Park inside for a B2B last April and loved it! Particularly the window seat where I could put my feet up with a book looking over the ‘park’ ...even better in the evenings with all the lights on.

Which others have you had?

Joff was CD on our 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th cruises. We haven't had him since 2012, and no other CD has been better than him, although Abe Hughes, who we had in July on Harmony comes close.

We also liked Leigh in 2012 on Explorer, but he's been gone for a while now.

We’ve only done two other RCCL ships, Freedom and Oasis both from Port Canaveral and can’t remember anything about the cruise directors! The recent Independence Cruise was from Southampton.

Joff Eaton Independence of the Seas. The only RCCL Cruise Director I’ve liked! So far that is!

Confusing as previous posters suggest kettles will be provided.

We were on Independence in April in a JS and had kettle and coffee maker.

If you are in a standard balcony cabin or lower you do not get a kettle.

I always ask the cabin steward when we first meet him and maybe because i always give a tip when we first meet he often gets me a kettle if he can.

We get cartons of milk with our room service cereals as well as a jug of coffee and i pay for the hot breakfast too but if you want continental breakfast there is no charge.

 

Sent from my Kestrel using Forums mobile app