larry_s_taco

My LRC set came with chips to use. You would be able to play with those since no money is involved. 

I just found your posts. Sorry for being so late. Thanks for posting. We are considering a trip on the Oosterdam in 2025. We are really looking forward to all of you thoughts. 

Great input from everyone. TeeRick, good to hear from you it's been awhile. I'll probably look into the Voyager (1st) & Radiance class ships. I'm not unhappy with Celebrity at all. In fact I have another one booked on them right now. Sometimes it it just nice to shake it up a bit. Lol. I may be easy, but I've never had a bad cruise.

We haven't sailed on Royal for years (1990's). We really like the Celebrity Millenium, and Solstice class. We are considering trying Royal again. For those of you who have been on both, which Royal ships would you consider similar to the Millenium and Solstice class ships on Celebrity? Which ships would you recommend and why? We really don't like the very large ships on any line we have been on. We plan on avoiding prime family travel time as we are aware Royal is much more family friendly. 

For those who have recently been on the Vista: What was your favorite food in the main dining room? 

On 2/4/2024 at 6:02 PM, GenerationX said:

The mind reels that with all my luggage I could’ve forgotten anything I could possibly need on this cruise, but boom, here it is. My white evening gloves are still sitting on top of my chest of drawers at home.  Oh well. 🤷🏽‍♀️

 

Sharing some pics from MDR lunch.  The Andalusian salad was nothing special but I got my veggies in.  The pear raspberry cobbler dessert would have been really good if it had been warm (as advertised) instead of room temp.  The duck teriyaki was more well done than I like my duck but was really good. I cleaned my plate.

 

There’s a duck dish on the  menu tonight too, but is it too extra to have duck twice in one day???

 

The bars around the ship are completely slammed and apparently there’s an issue with the dishwasher by the specialty restaurants and the poor Ensemble lounge guys were running low of glassware, so I’m drinking my Pinot noir from a daiquiri glass…first world problems…

 

More to come later from evening chic night.  For now it’s showtime! 

 

 

 

 

 

Great pictures. It always seems that I invariably leave something behind. Usually nothing I can't live without though.  

1 hour ago, PORT ROYAL said:

To assist… link to Menus (tap on Menus with a dropdown to Wine etc) https://www.hhbh.com/ocean-lounge

Enjoy

Very informative. It sounds wonderful. 

2 hours ago, PORT ROYAL said:

One’s personal favourite….. https://www.oceanloungesxm.com

Request the Chef’s very “Special Seafood Platter” in advance for 2 to share when booking.

Also, their wine list is exceptional, with a Montrachet to complement the Platter.

 

Thanks

Is there anything around the cruise ship port that is walkable and worth seeing in Tortola? We don't have a tour planned and was wondering if we should book one or just walk around. 

Does anyone know of good restaurants in Phillipsburg that you would recommend. We always end up on the French side and have not spent much time around Phillipsburg itself. 

Glad you are on. I agree Celebrity boarding is usually glitch free. We are getting on Reflection on Feb. 17th. We are looking forward to your input. 

This is why I really wished that they had kept the practice of having the ship staff serve in the cafe. It just makes sense when you are dealing with that many people around that much food and that many utensils. I am glad that Celebrity is that diligent about reporting and cleaning. 

You did so well documenting your trip. It has been fun to follow along. We are going to be on the Solstice early next year. What do you think about the ship?

On 6/1/2023 at 5:52 PM, marazul said:

Yes, there are plenty of taxis everywhere.  Your hotel can flag one down for you, call a taxi or point you to the closest taxi stand.

Do the taxis take credit cards?

Thanks

On 9/12/2023 at 6:05 AM, dickinson said:

As the title says we just got back from our cruise ending in Barcelona.  Just wanted to mention a few things.

 

We stayed overnight at the Hotel Colon.  Perfect location and a nice hotel.

We used a taxi when getting off the ship to get to hotel.  At the end of the trip the driver told us how many euros.  I used my credit card on Apple Pay and asked for a receipt.  I noticed it listed both euros and also US $.  Sure enough, he charged it in US $.  I was mad but didn't have time to say anything. Not too much extra money though. On our taxi from hotel to airport we made sure to tell driver to charge in euros.

 

We did a walking tour with Runnerbean tours of the Gothic Quarter.  It was a good tour and I would recommend them.

 

I was very unsure of how much time to allow at the airport for a 6:05 am flight.  Wanted to sleep as long as possible!.  Our first flight was to Rome so inside Schengen area.  Not sure if that made a difference. We ended up getting a taxi at 3:30 am.  He drove fast and there was no traffic on a Sunday at that hour.  We were at the airport in under 20 minutes!  We saw some people sleeping on the floor inside the airport.  Our airline didn't open their ticket counter (we had to get boarding passes there because our second flight was another airline.) til 4 am so there was a a bit of a line.  Having business class seats though let us get through another line where we were the 2nd people.  We actually saw at least one restaurant open at that hour if anyone is looking for a bite to eat.

 

The hotel had a list of things to watch out for because it means pickpockets. Some I have not seen mentioned is to not participate in card and dice games you see on the streets.  I didn't see anything in our short time.  They also said if you are offered flowers in the street and the sellers are standing very close to you, they are trying to pickpocket you.  If someone says you have a stain on your clothing and points to your clothing, they are trying to pickpocket.  If driving a car and you stop at a traffic light if someone says you have a flat tire or car is on fire... don't get out but drive a short distance and lock the doors before making sure it is not true because they are trying to rob you.

 

One last thing.  There are tons of people in Barcelona!!!!

 

Hope this info helps someone!

I have a question about the taxis and credit cards. Do they have card readers in the cab? I don't have apple pay so I would have to use a traditional credit card for payment. 

Thanks

5 hours ago, hcat said:

Received this in advance of our final payment date for ASCENT..( hope not all there is?) Never received this type of e mail before.

 

"As an Elite Plus member in our Captain's Club program, here are some of the benefits you'll receive**:

•	Access to a coffee house-style breakfast and Evening Cocktail Hour
•	Two complimentary bags of laundry
•	35% off Wi-Fi Package or internet upgrade
•	15% discount at The Spa
•	15% discount off specialty dining cover charge (onboard only)
•	20% off Drink Package or 15% off upgrade to Premium (pre-cruise)
•	5% discount on small group discovery shore excursions"

We are Elite getting close to Elite Plus. Gotta book more cruises!

Thanks to everyone for your opinions.

I know everyone's food preferences/ restaurant types vary. We are very open to any type of venue. I'm interested in everyone's opinion on which one they would prefer for a special occasion and why. 

Thanks

6 hours ago, roger b said:

 

 Hi Katie,

                  This is the second time this poster has tried to answer questions on Mallorca DIY,

I am afraid that you would be taking the biggest risk of missing the ship if you follow his advise.

 The train would get you back to Palma by 4pm ,since you have to be aboard at least 30 mins before sailing,this gives you 30mins .

           It is 20/25 mins by taxi to the port , well if you think you can leave a crowded train station and find a taxi in 5mins Good luck!!

             Also Alserod not living in Palma does not Know that know the Paseo Maritimo is a complete mess with road works .

                Please do not try it !!

Thank you, Roger, for being our person to go to for sound local advice. There is nothing like having a friend who lives there who knows all the ins and outs.  

On 9/13/2023 at 10:28 AM, shipshape sam said:

We like trying some food dishes we would not have otherwise.  My favorite is Escargot every night.

Escargot every night is one of my favorites as well. 

My favorites are the Millineum and Solstice class because I like smaller ships. That being said I haven't been on the larger class ships of Celebrity. I have been on larger ships on other lines. Someday I may take the plunge and find I like them as well on Celebrity.

We are elite on Celebrity. Like all other cruise lines, they have their strengths and weaknesses. What are your favorite things about a Celebrity cruise? I'll start, I really like the varied itineraries. 

2 hours ago, marazul said:

Why don't you download it now and see what happens?  If it goes away (it shouldn't), you can download it again just before you go.  It is a free app that anyone can download.

I downloaded the app. To get the audio tour you have to pay for it. I guess I'll go ahead and pay for it and see what happens.

On 7/29/2023 at 5:51 AM, edinburgher said:

As nobody has yet replied, I suggest  you contact the palace directly and ask them as they will surely know the answer. Check their website for a "contact" option.

I'll give it a shot. Thanks

7 hours ago, Les43 said:

It’s a wrap!

 

Our cruise ended yesterday morning and we walked off the ship with our bags just after 6.30am. After such a relaxing cruise, the alarm going off was a rude awakening! I had organised a private transfer with Viator and they turned up on time and whisked us off to T2 at Barcelona airport. The airport was busy but the line to check in our bags at Ryanair was moving and we were soon through security and in the departure lounge. We had a bite to eat and a coffee and then headed to the gate. The flight boarded and left on time so all went to plan. The flight was scheduled to take 3 hours but only took 2 hours 25 mins so that was great although Edinburgh airport was chaos. They held us in the plane for half an hour while they decided which gate the plane was to go to and then the lines for passport control were very, very long as several flights had arrived at the same time. Once through that our bags didn’t take long and we picked up the car and headed home. We got home just after 3pm so not too bad.

 

A few final thoughts then about our cruise.  We both had a fantastic time and really enjoyed the 5 nights in Rome and the 10 night cruise. Celebrity were great as usual and we enjoyed Reflection for the second time. This was our first ‘retreat’ experience and we really enjoyed it. We loved the extra space in our Celebrity suite and also the separate bedroom although we thought the room was tired and in need of updating.  For example, the seal around the bath was discoloured as was the shower screen and there were marks on the surfaces of the furniture and on the balcony furniture. We thought our Butler (Kate) was good although we are not convinced we made full use of her services. Our stateroom attendant was disappointing and appeared to have a bit of an attitude, especially one day when we wanted to change for lunch to go to Luminae and he was less than pleased as he wanted to clean the room. We also weren’t hugely convinced about the cleaning. There was dust on the bedside lights and on embarkation day we got the sense the cleaning had been rushed and not quite finished. The public areas of the ship seemed in good condition and we didn’t spot any issues. 

 

We thought the food was excellent and we really enjoyed Luminae. We thought it was better than the MDR. We also thought the OVC was great too and no reduction in choice or quality. Service was excellent and staff were very cheerful and helpful. The bars were good and the drinks plentiful 🤪. We did not go to any of the shows so can’t comment but we thought the live music was disappointing and a bit bland this time. 
 

One tiny observation, we were surprised not to see more changes as a result of the pandemic. We were really surprised at the lack of hand sanitising stations around the ship and the fact that staff were not reminding folks to wash ‘ sanitise. It was like Covid has never happened.  We were not aware of anyone who was ill on the ship during the cruise although I did hear yesterday of one person who contracted COVID on Sunday. 

 

So, in summary, would we cruise Celebrity again? Oh yes and we are already considering summer 2025 ( we don’t like to cruise every year). Our one observation would be that we will avoid July in the Mediterranean again as the high temperatures were just too much for us. We will look at June or September. Would we book the retreat / suite class again ? Absolutely, we are converts especially with the extra space in the stateroom and the additional amenities. Although having looked at cruises in a Sky suite on the new Edge class ships, I think they are priced very high and way out of our league! 

 

Thanks to all of you for following along and to those on the cruise who have contributed.  I have enjoyed writing my first semi-live review and will certainly try one again. I hope it has been helpful and has allowed some of you to cruise vicariously with us! Until the next time……….🛳️⚓️🛳️❤️

Thank you for your great review. I was a real pleasure to read.