luvthec

56 minutes ago, lienf said:

I had this happen on an MSC cruise and the bag was found 2 months later. MSC were not helpful at all and when they found the bag the choices to return the bag were to pay $200 for the return or if not they would keep the bag. I tried to escalate the charge up the line but eventually I got no response. Now have Air Tags. Sounds like Celebrity handled the problem much better than MSC. 

Oh, the first of the 15 reps we talked to told me I'd be responsible for the cost of shipping it (from Honolulu to Virginia).  After that conversation it was decided that X would pay.  

I will be purchasing some kind of tracking device before the next trip.

Lost luggage update.... one month to the day, our bag finally arrived at our house!

I want all of my mistakes to help any other poor soul that may have this happen one day:

1 - Do NOT wait to contact the cruise line as instructed by the port personnel.  

2 - Do NOT listen to the shoreside personnel that tells you, "there is no way the ship would have left the bag in Honolulu" (or whatever port you disembark).  "They would have put it back on the ship and taken it to the next port to ship it".

3 - Don't wait to escalate, go straight to the top if you have to.

It was 3 weeks before anyone at Celebrity bothered to get in touch with the port manager in Honolulu.  It was only after my DH contacted the president's office (of X, not the White House) that they finally called the port.  The port manager tells them he has the bag and was just waiting for instructions from X to tell him what to do.  

It was on a Fedex truck the next day and we got it in a week.

Between my DH and myself, we talked to 15 different people at Celebrity before we got this resolved.  Horrible follow-up on every level.  

On 5/27/2023 at 1:54 PM, bnurick said:

Hello, we have an upcoming sailing in a CS Deck 10 #1235.  Any chance it was the same CS?

We were in 1112, but both staterooms on either side of us had the same problem.  You are on the port side so I don't know if the paint is chipping on that side.  

9 minutes ago, jelayne said:

I have been on 17 and 18 N sailing and those venues you mention have always been the only included options. With a 14night menu rotation and the theme nights in the OV we found more than enough options.  

Have you been in the OVC since the beginning of 2023?  What theme nights?  I asked about this very thing and was told that the theme menus are "mainly at lunch".  There was stir fry, the Italian bar, salad bar, a meat carving of some sort with some vegetables.  

Took the Celebrity ship excursion from Auckland and I can't say enough great things about this tour.  It's pricey, but so worth it.  The movie set itself is fantastic (and I'm not a LOTR fan) and the included buffet was some of the best food I had on the entire 4/22/23 Syd to HNL cruise!

We had a great tour guide that gave lots of behind the scenes info that was so interesting.  

Scenery is beautiful along the way as well.

On 5/24/2023 at 4:02 PM, 39august said:

The only "retreat" features on Eclipse are Michael's club and  Luminae for dining. 

And free room service, such as it is.

8 hours ago, CruisinShips said:

It sounds like the OP was being specific about the issue being on the Eclipse (as they said they had a good experience on the Beyond).  I'll be on the Eclipse in October, so I am more curious about others' accounts of the food on that specific ship.

Like everyone keeps saying, food is subjective.  This was my first full X cruise (I was booted off the Reflection's last sailing in 2020).  My beef (no pun intended) was the lack of included options, especially for dinner.  You have the MDR (or Luminae/Blu) a pathetic OVC or room service.  The Spa Cafe closes at 2PM and the grill at 6 PM.

For a short cruise, not an issue.  For 18 nights, issue.

7 hours ago, PTC DAWG said:

So no fresh cooked egg station at the breakfast buffet?  

I was also on the 18 night SYD to HNL sailing and the lines at the egg stations were so long and disorganized it was hardly worth the wait.  When the OP says runny, he means egg soup.  My DH waited in line for 30 minutes one morning just to get a toasted muffin and omelette.  I was already long done with breakfast by the time he got back to the table.

We did start going close to 10 am and the lines were much shorter so it does depend on timing.  

The longer you spend on a ship, the more you notice.  The  more you pay for a stateroom, the more you expect.  It's also about comparison to other ships. 

Our last sailing was on the Royal Princess in an aft corner suite that was AHHHMAZING.  That sailing was a 14 night TA and I never once got bored with the dining options.  When your included dining options on X are Luminae (or MDR menu), OVC (so boring) or 4 selections on the room service menu, it does get a little tedious after 18 nights.  Ona 7-10 day sailing, I wouldn't have noticed.

Also, having my luggage disappear on disembarkation and the best we've gotten from the shoreside retreat office is a shrug at best, that definitely soured my experience, no doubt about it.

Manage your expectations and you'll be fine.  

One of the most disappointing things about this situation is the lack of contact from anyone at Celebrity.  Since the original phone call from the cruise terminal worker, there has not been one Email, text or call from ANYONE at Celebrity.  It's been 10 days, you'd think there would be some contact.

2 hours ago, IrishMis said:

This is a luggage story that’s half “confession” half “embarrassment”but fully happy ending. We live in Orlando and cruise quite a bit out of Lauderdale.  Most times we carry our luggage off so we can hit the road quickly.  But since turning 70 I have been badgering my semi-control freak husband that we should SLOW DOWN and let them do the work for us.  Soooo this past New Years cruise on the Reflection he allowed us to do that. We pack fairly light,  each 1 medium bag.  Mine is purple with lime green tags….pretty easy to find.  We were the first group off, each grabbed a bag and off we go to the turnpike.  2 hours into the drive I get a call from X saying they have MY BAG with my name on it in the terminal and believe I have someone else’s.  As no doubt you can imagine the next 30 minutes were pretty “unpleasant” though stronger words could apply😂.   I’ll spare you the rest of the gory details but  we were blessed beyond believe that the other couple lived in Fort Pierce and would be driving up the turnpike with our bag while we waited VERY PATIENTLY to correct my mistake.  They were as nice as could be which could have been WAY different…..because the delay didn’t improve either of our days but nothing as awful as you encountered.  Both bags WERE identical, Travelpro purple with lime green tags.   All of us were about the same age, had eaten next to each other in BLU 3 nights earlier.   Ohhh…..and just for a laugh….they said they spent the first hour looking for a black bag because they thought that’s what they brought.🫣😜watch out us old folks WE are everywhere🤷‍♀️.  If I meet you in a cruise I’ll see you at the walkoff.  Sue

if there had been any bag left in our group, I would have thought this was the answer.  They just grabbed the wrong bag in their haste to get to the airport.  But, there was not a bag left.  So, my next hypothesis is that it was a porter assisting a guest and just grabbed one too many bags.

4 hours ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

Can also use something like this which are affordable

 

Love it, I may go with this idea as my husband hasn't loved any of the "unique" luggage ideas.

I'm embarrassed to admit, my cheeseburger (w/ mushrooms!) and all of the toppings was one of my favorite meals on my recent 18 day TP on Eclipse.  I ate it while reading a wonderful book (which I took from the library) sitting in the solarium while drinking my Pina Colada (thank you premium drink package). Oh, in shorts & T-shirt w/ no mascara!  Fries were great too!   

8 minutes ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

I travel more than most, I want to share this should be a wakeup call to everyone:

1) Buy apple air tags or tile tracking devices

2) Never put anything irreplaceable in the luggage you're going to put outside your stateroom or will check on a plane

3) PRO TIP, while more geared towards traveling on a plane, its still good advice for a cruise...In your carryon, always have a toothbrush, TSA-size-approved toothpaste, deodorant and any other toiletries you may need if you have an unexpected overnight stay.  If you have the room, throw in a pair of boardshort and Tshirt

 

In 2019 I did have a missing bag, I didn't hear a peep until 7 days later on turn around day, it most likely went on another cruise or it was lost in the terminal.  Filed a claim with X, was told if it wasn't found I COULD be reimbursed UP TO $250 yet because it was found I'm not sure how that process would work.  They called me, told me they found it, confirmed my address and to my surprise overnighted it (not cheap) to me and didn't charge me

This was a huge wakeup call for me.  I've always been concerned about missing luggage from a flight, I never gave it a second thought that someone could take our bag in error after disembarking a cruise.

I'm buying my husband a bright green suitcase with yellow ducks on it.  No one will every take it in error again.  I'm sure it was an innocent mistake, but it has left us with a huge mess.  

The airtag type device is a must from now on.

Thanks for your saga, I'll keep up hope.

Side note, the person that had called us from the HNL pier is no longer answering our calls & texts. 

Seeking advice from anyone that has ever had their luggage "misplaced" after disembarking an X cruise.

Long story short, we disembarked the recent 18 night Sydney to Honolulu (ended 5/9) sailing and went to retrieve our luggage from our group # and one of our bags was missing.  We waited for 1.5 hours until every piece of luggage had been brought off the ship, just in case our tag had fallen off.  The luggage was nowhere to be found.  

I filled out the "Personal Property Report" at the pier, was told to contact X's Risk Management Dept in a week to see if it had been found.

We left for the airport and prior to boarding our plane, we get a call that our bag had been found on another bus and they would be shipping it to us.  Okay, easy enough.  NOT!

I contacted X, was told I need to go to chargerback.com and fill out a claim form.  Done.  Called again to see if there were any updates, was transferred to the retreat desk, they told me the bag is probably back on the ship and would be sent from the next port.

Has anyone ever gone through this before?  If so, did you ever see your luggage again?  

We just got off the Eclipse in Honolulu May 9th.  

We were in a CS on deck 10, so these comments only pertain to our experience.

The lack of outlets is ridiculous.  My husband had to move his laptop/phone chargers off the desk so I could plug in the hair dryer and curling iron (no acceptable outlet in the bathroom).  We brought 1 extra European converter so we could utilize the Europe type plug on the desk.  We did pull out the nightstand and found an outlet behind there so we could charge a phone overnight and a Kindle during the day.  If they know there is an outlet behind a nightstand, why wouldn't they put some kind of extension on the nightstand so it could be utilized?  

One of my biggest complaints is the peeling paint on the balcony.  I mean EVERY SINGLE MORNING it looked like it had snowed.  I had to get a towel and clean off the table, chairs and lounger, then put a towel in front of the sliding doors so as not to track paint onto the carpet.  I peaked next door to see if the problem was just our balcony and our neighbors both had problems as well.  Our room steward actually had to vacuum the balcony every morning, it was that bad.  

I noticed ripped carpeting in the Oceanview Cafe, very scratched flooring and worn furniture in the library (where we spent a lot of time due to the pathetic "premium" internet in our room), sinks out of order in the common area ladies rooms, just little things, but it does become noticeable.

The toilet in our room was so old, there were scratches that had left a permanent dark gray ring about an inch thick, due to the scraping of the metal while cleaning the bowl.  

First world problems?  yes.  But when you pay a lot to stay in one of the nicest suites for 18 days, expectations are high.

2 hours ago, padgman1 said:

Good for you.

Probably smart, too, as we currently have friends on Eclipse who have tested positive for COVID-19 while on the ship...( not to be a Debbie Downer, just being factual).

Unfortunately, it's the reality we find ourselves in.  Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.  I just hope we don't miss Tahiti!

Like I tell my husband, our children will have NO PROBLEM spending our money on nice vacations and first class airfare when we're gone.  

What we just paid to upgrade from an SS to a CS for our upcoming Sydney to Hawaii TP was ludicrous.  But, if I (or my DH) gets Covid and we have to quarantine in our stateroom for days on end, I want a separate bedroom/living room space to get away from each other.  

This is a once in a lifetime vacation for us.  If we sailed 3 or 4 times a year, on B2B etc., probably wouldn't have happened.  

Only if you bring a REALLY long extension cord!

I'm sure I won't touch on all of the wonderful things that came with our Island Princess suite last month, but here are a few:

Dining:

• Breakfast in Sabatini's (can you say free Mimosas and specialty coffee?)
  
• First night complimentary dining in a specialty restaurant. The "dine line" will call you or you can call them.
  
• Ordering from the MDR menu for room service. This didn't seem like a big deal until I experienced it. After a long port day or late port, being able to just chill in the suite and order ANYTHING from the menu was amazing. We were travelling with another couple and we ordered 4 of everything and then some. Tell your room steward on the first day that you want breakfast and dinner menus delivered every day. Our steward didn't deliver them until we asked.
  

Room Amenities:

• Very thick robes and slippers (you can keep the slippers)!
  
• Really big and thick towels. I didn't know they were special until our friends saw them and confirmed that they were way better than theirs.
  
• Basket of fruit (including grapes, both red and green, strawberries, kiwi, pears etc.)
  
• A lovely orchid
  
• The bar set-up: little mini gin, vodka etc. change them out for the ones you want, just ask your steward. Same with the water, coke, sprite, tonic....change them for what you want.
  
• Canapes delivered the first night, 6 different ones that you can taste test, then they give you an order form to hang on the door each day to order more.
  
• DVD order form - you can check out 2 at time. Just check off the 2 you want and they appear when you return to the room. There are over 100 you can pick from.
  
• Chocolate covered strawberries on formal nights.
  
• Corsage and boutonniere for the first formal night.
  
• Water is supposed to be delivered daily. We had ordered a case beforehand so we didn't bug him about this. He brought extra water bottles once during the 15 days.
  

Bathroom amenities: (I know I will forget some of these)

• Lotus Spa shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion
  
• 2 lip balms
  
• gel eye mask
  
• Lotus Spa mist (lemon or citrus, can't remember)
  
• nail file
  
• Qtips/cotton balls
  
• sewing kit
  
• bath salts (for you jacuzzi)
  
• shoe polish, shoe brush and a shoe bag to send your shoes out? We didn't do this, so not sure.
  
• there were other cute little things in a bag from the Lotus Spa, just can't remember them.
  

Misc:

• Can you say free laundry! Put it in the bag and voila, comes back on hangers in your closet.
  
• Lighted make-up mirror. This, along with my own little vanity area, made the room really special.
  
• Our room steward was AMAZING! He knew from day one that our friends met us in our stateroom for wine before late seating every night. He always had 4 wine glasses ready for us. Need extra Q-tips? Done. All we had to do was page the room steward and he was there or called within 60 seconds.
  

These were suite amenities, and had nothing to do with how many cruises you have been on with Princess. This was our 2nd Princess cruise. If you are Elite, you may get more goodies.

Enjoy! I LOVED the Island Princess. A cozy ship with just enough to do and lots of space to do NOTHING!

Just last week, we took the Princess snorkel excursion on the Jolly Pirate ship and loved it. The whole trip was about 3 hours, included a fun bus ride to Moomba Beach, 3 snorkel stops (including the Antillah Shipwreck) and a few turns on the rope swing. The bar was open after we did the Antillah, which included all of the "pirate punch" we could drink. We loved it and I'd do it again.

We are cruising in September the partial canal trip and this ship is new to us. No International Cafe so where can you get espresso coffee on the Island Princess and use the coffee cards.

 

 

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La Patisserie on the Island is open from 6am to 11pm. There were trays of muffins or pastries in the morning and small sandwiches around lunch.

I just returned from a 15 day full transit SF-FLL with a stop in San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua. We completed a simple form that had a few Yes/No questions regarding general health. Nothing specific about yellow fever.

We did a ziplining excursion with Da' Flying Frogs. They picked us up the pier and dropped us off in town so we could walk along the beach and shop at a few stands for souvenirs. Lovely little place.

I was also on the March 15 SFO to FLL cruise. Great experience and great service. The entertainment was very good, especially the string quartet. Had a great dinner at Sabatini's! I do miss being able to walk fully around the ship on Promenade Deck. I plan on doing a full review soon!

I agree about the string quartet. They were lovely. I also liked how they used the Atrium for lots of demonstrations, like making martinis, or chocolate desserts. You were able to watch for a few minutes, then wander off without feeling like you were getting up in the middle of a presentation. Loved their use of this space.