serendipity1499

Both Princess and HAL a lounge dedicated to the highest category of cruiser for drinks and snacks.

Not so! Maybe Princess does but HAL does not! Hal only closes the Crows Nest once per cruise for Star Mariners..As stated we are four star on HAL & receive one invitation to a cocktail party usually in the Capt's Quarters or the Crow's nest..They only once closed the Crow's Nest to all Psgrs for the special Capt.s Cocktail party for star Mariners..All the rest of the time the Crows Nest is open to all Psgrs!

Our Friends who were only one star on HAL were up in the Crows Nest every night with one exception..We normally cruise for 10 plus days at a time & have had 16 or 17 cruises on HAL..We do get invited to a Star Mariner Luncheon during each cruise but they don't close the dining room either to regular Psgrs..The use either upper or lower DR for Star Mariner Luncheons & we are usually invited for cocktails in the Capt. Quarters..

We actually never got into the SKY Lounge Bar as they have it roped off to Capt's Club members..

Back from our First Celebrity Cruise over Christmas & New Years but unfortunately can't do a Review because I'm dealing with a major flood which occurred in our condo one week before departure.. Had a Boat Parade party & after the party a pipe broke in our condo.. All our wood floors are torn up, the Built ins with the Murphy Bed & my computer will be pulled out tomorrow & stored in our Garage while the wood floor is still being pulled up & replaced..We were going to cancel our cruise but the Estimator from the Insurance Co & our Friends convinced us to go & let the mitigation company pull up the floors while we were away..Only the floor under this computer & the built in is still here but we have to get the floor pulled up & sprayed to prevent mold..I packed with 36 fans & four large de-humidifiers running in our two bedroom condo..At midnight 5 days before the mitigation company was vacuuming out water..They left aroiund 3 a.m.

The Crew on Celebrity is fantastic..We are four star on HAL but wanted to try Celebrity with our Friends.. My DH is not well & we were able to obtain the same table for four with our Friends in open seating every night with the help of the Assist. Dining Room Mgr. We were also fortunate that we had the same dining room stewards every night..Unfortunately, all the names escape me as the folder I brought home has been packed away in our living room since the my computer will be disconnected tomorrow..But after we get the floors replaced & we are settled again I'll be sure to come back & name them all!

IMO the crew is told to push the more expensive wines..One thing we were not happy with was the fact that not all the bars have house wine.. We normally only drink one glass of wine in the afternoon for happy hour & then one at night so we did not purchase a wine package..They were trying to push to most expensive wine package..

DH & I drink usually white wine, my Friend will drink either white or Red while her DH doesn't drink at all..Once in a while DH & I had a Bahama Mama instead of wine in the afternoon in the sky bar.. House wine is not listed on any of the menues which IMO it should be..

White house wine is $6.00 a glass & Red house Wine is $9,00 a glass but (big but) only in some Bars.. In the Martini Bar they do not have white house wine & tried to charge me $9.00 for a glass of wine in the afternoon when I asked for house wine..When I complained about the bill the Waitress told me that she did not know that they didn't have house wine! How could a Waitress not know they don't have house wine? :rolleyes: The bartender came & spoke to me, apologized & then changed the bill for me, but I should have been told before hand that this bar does not have house wine which to me is ludicrous.. In the ocean bar the bartender charged my Friend $6.00 for white house wine one day & the next day when she went to get white house wine another Bartender charged her $9.00 & told her they do not have house wine.. How could she buy it one day but not the next day?

:rolleyes:

So my question is: Why isn't House Wine listed on any of the Menue's?:(

Also the sky bar was closed every night between 5 & 7 except to Capt. Club Members, which would never happen on HAL or any other line we've been on.. HAL has happy hour for all Psgrs every night, which we do enjoy..

However, all in all we still had a good cruise, :cool:because of the wonderful crew, which will be named later..

As promised will be back when PC re-installed..On my way to get DH's dinner now..

Ist Celebrity cruise on Refflection..Leaving for the Carib. tomorrow & packing today..Does Celebrity give Psgrs shopping bags on their first port day with the Celebrity logo on it?

I'm really trying to Underpack (that's almost possible for me- by taking less shoes & unused stuff..LOL) & don't want to throw in another cruise lines cloth shopping bag, if we'll receive one on board..We are in a basic balcony cabin..

Thanks..Now starting to get really excited about our first Celebrity Cruise..:cool:

P.S. Did a search, but could not find info..Just threw in a small umbrella which we've never used, but something I always pack

Does the Reflection also have night lights in the balcony cabins?

:cool:

I usually take a large battery operated candle on cruises to use as a Night light.. If there is a night light, then I'll only take the small battery tea lights for atmosphere..

We board the reflection Dec 22 & looking forward tour first Celebrity Cruise.. Just now getting excited about our cruise..Assume our dressy nights will be Christmas Eve & New Years Eve..

Have never been on a Christmas cruise before & making up my clothing list while wrapping gifts for our 10 Grand & Great Grand Kids..Fortunately they are coming to visit us after we get home..This time I told them they have to come in family groups, not all 10 at once, so I can get to enjoy the little ones..:cool:Looks like some of them will get T-shirts from the Caribbean this year..

Another Grand daughter is getting married next year & adding two more little ones to her brood.. There is an old saying that "it's cheaper by the dozen" :cool: Wonder if that's true!:cool:

Hope you have a great cruise..

Thanks everyone for your comments..I ordered a pair of toeless hose for my cruise..Of course my dressy dresses or palazzo pants are long, so no one will see my ugly legs..

Today they are very ugly as ran out to put our car in the garage at 10:30 last night in old sandals which had lost traction.. Slipped on some wet pavement, fell flat on my rump & scrapped some skin off my right ankle/foot..It's now bandaged but we leave on our cruise in less than three weeks.. So hose it will be & might need to spend a few nights like last night on a heating pad.. Now I really need to get a DR's note for my heating pad which comes with me on our cruise.. :eek:

My rump still hurts, & my cropped pants were full of mud, but I'm delighted that I did not break anything as had the right hip replaced a few years ago....Thank goodness no one was around to see me fall.. BTW I hadn't even had one drink..:loudcry:

Now that you have an overwhelming response of "no hose with sandals", let me say I wear hose with some sandals. The nude-toed pantihose in the evening with dressy sandals with heels. I prefer how my legs look in hose, I prefer how the sandals feel on my feet, it is EVENING so the lights are dimmer, and seriously if someone can actually see that my pedicured toes are (slightly) obscured by my hose, they are FAR too close to my feet.

 

Casual sandals during the day? Bare feet.

Love it! Thanks..I too think my legs look better in hose!:cool:

Thanks for your comments..

Has anyone every tried the toeless hose?

https://www.macys.com/shop/product/hue-toeless-sheers-with-lace-panty?ID=2251649&pla_country=US&cm_mmc=MSN_Bing_Seasonal_PLA-_-All+Product+-+BS_All+Products-_-11617622401-_-pg105214_c_kclickid_7ade106a-8996-45ce-9ea8-da8d562f9530&trackingid=489x105214V

They might be something which would look good on legs which are not tanned..Years ago I had a pair but did not like the fit of them..They might be better now..:cool:

Just read on-line that Meghan Markle broke the (British) rule of going bare legged in public by not wearing panty hose..

It was said that this is now a rule in the U.S.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/whats-hot/meghan-markle-broke-this-royal-rule-at-her-engagement-announcement/ar-BBFYR7k?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=iehp

I'm considered elderly (by my kids-not me) & have always been told by the kids that I should go bare-legged if I wear sandals.. Therefore, I've been trying to do that, but find it uncomfortable..:cool: When I wear closed shoes I always wear some type of panty hose or knee highs if in slacks or long dresses..

Would I now be in style if I wore hose with sandals, or should I continue to go bare legged with sandals?

BTW I always get Mani's & Pedi's with matching polish..

Spirits are only allowed to be brought onboard during Halloween.

Thanks for the laugh of the day..:cool:

We booked our cruise back in July and thought we had a good rate. Just this week I saw it dropped several hundred dollars a person. Its a cruise out of San Juan so I imagine they have lots of vacancies and want to fill the ship for our mid January cruise. I have never cruised on a ship that wasn't sold out. Do you notice a difference in the crowds?

I am a bit disheartened that between the six of us we are paying over 3000 more for this cruise but I know it's because of the hurricanes. I am still happy to be cruising, even with the hotel cancellations and the higher price.

Why don't you call & see if you can get upgraded cabins..It doesn't hurt to try..:cool:

We booked our cruise on board last year on board because apparently you get a better deal. We just found out we have friends that booked our cruise only 8 weeks out and they got a terrific deal on the same ship. They didn't get every perk that we got however it hardly makes up for the difference of money that we paid. It definitely was not worth our booking so far in advance. We would like to call Celebrity and challenge this has anyone else ran into this.

There is nothing to challenge..You did get a better deal, originally..And you got to choose the cabin you wanted..But after the Hurricanes all prices dropped & your Friends were able to take advantage of their deal too..They had to take one of the left over cabins..You at least kept some of your perks..As another poster said Cruises are not the only things which fluctuate..I bought a car & paid for a deal I thought was wonderful..Now our Neighbors came along several months later & bought the same car for a larger discount..

Yes I paid more for my car but got the color I wanted..Our Friends took what was left over..:(

I don’t think it’s 50% but it was very high. There were hundreds of quarantined suitcases in clear bags in reclaim. Everybody who was ill got escorted off the ship and through customs quickly.

 

How does Celebrity normally deal with these things after an outbreak? Are pax compensated?

Don't understand why anyone would expect to be compensated? Outbreaks occur in many different venues because there are so many careless people who don't use hand sanitizer or water to clean their hands..

We will be boarding Reflection for Christmas & hope that we will not get sick, but if we do we will not expect compensation..:cool:

I use Vodka!

Put vodka in a spray bottle. 1 spray on clothes, 1 spray in my mouth; 1 spray on clothes, 2 sprays in my mouth...I continue until I no longer see any wrinkles!:D

Priceless!:D:cool:

Needed this laugh today! Thanks(y):D

It might be hot outside but all the interior spaces will be air conditioned. Long sleeves might be welcome.

I agree..Most MDR's are very cold!

Cruise security never said anything. Cabin steward never said anything as it was left in plain sight during all my cruises. I don’t need to try not to get caught. You sound so very nice!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Thank you for confirming that..

I find that there are times that some posters make their decisions that something is or is not permitted because they think they should or should not be permitted..LOL

Suggest you take these posts with a grain of salt..

You might want to look at the Celebrity WEB site, called FAQ's, where many questions are asked & answered..

I've done a lot of printing lately & using a great deal of ink & paper..:o

Have now decided that I will only print up what is absolutely needed for our cruise..

Have a folder filled with all kinds of things on our Dec cruise..It will take me hours to go through it all! :loudcry: Now made up my mind to try to conserve & if we book another Celebrity cruise I'll download the FAQ's into my PC..LOL

Just because you didn't get caught doesn't mean that steamers are allowed....they aren't.

Where does it say steamers are not permitted? This is a copy of the paragraph referring only to irons on the Celebrity WEB site called FAQ's..

Quote

Other Items

Question -Can I bring a hairdryer or other electrical appliances with me?

Electric razors and hair dryers can be brought with you. Staterooms for most cruise lines are equipped with 110 volts AC and are capable of handling all normal appliances. Some appliances may require the use of an adapter. Keep in mind, cruise lines do not provide irons in your stateroom and they prefer that you do not bring one along, due to the fire hazard. There is often laundry service on board should you need a special outfit ironed. (close)

Unquote

If you can show me where it says specifically that steamers are not permitted I will apologize..

I stopped brining my steamer only because it is quite large, however I too was able to use it on several other lines without it being confiscated too... My steamer does not get that hot & it has an auto shut off..

Downy wrinkle release or the homemade equivalent works

 

Hang them in the bathroom while you shower helps too.

I hang many of my things inside each other..In other words, put my husbands long sleeve shirts inside his suit jacket..I do this with many of my clothes too as I wear a lot of jackets.. Then I put them in plastic bags & hang them in our hanging suitcase..Other clothes I roll up when placing them in our suitcase such as tops..I'll put three tops together & then roll them in one roll.. I put old paper towel rollers or cut up a long roller from wrapping paper, inside to start the roll..Packing a suitcase pretty full so things don't move is good too.. Also use a lot of tissue paper between garments if I pack some things in a flat suitcase..

If push comes to shove & something is terribley wrinkled, I use the downy wrinkle release & hang the garment in a hot steamy shower..

When we were on our very long cruise we were on a ship which had a laundry room & once or twice had to go down & press the garment myself or I'll send it out to be pressed..

Staying in touch with my family is very important to me when I cruise. In the past I have been able to buy enough minutes to be able to email, text, or FaceTime with them every few days without breaking the bank.

 

Celebrity’s new internet package offers unlimited for a 14/day cruise for 287.00, or 19.95 an hour, or 24.95 for 24 hours. None of these options address most cruisers’ needs. Do I want to be on the Internet for an hour straight, or for 24 hours when I’m on vacation? NO!

 

All I need is 5 -10 minutes a day to be in touch with my family

 

100-200 minutes would be perfect for me. Instead there is no reasonable choice to meet my needs.

 

Celebrity needs to go back to minutes for purchase that can be spread out throughout a cruise not compressed into a limited, short time period.

I hope that Princess and HAL have not discontinued blocks of internet minutes for purchase.

Do you have that many days at sea, that you can't wait till you are in port?

If you have a hand held device, why not wait till you get into Port & use the free services which most of the crew use..

When I was on our big cruises & had to keep in touch, with the family, that is what I observed the crew doing in all our ports..:cool:

I did not have a hand held & purchased about 100 minutes several times on our last long cruise, but waited until we boarded the ship to purchase it..

Hello all,

 

I have searched the "General" boards and have not found a home for this question and wondered what X passengers use and/or prefer.

 

It is time for new carry on luggage and as I prefer hard sided luggage, I Am asking here on CC what others prefer and the brand... I have Delsey now which has served us well for over 12 years and it has been a real trooper alas, time to retire it...

 

TIA for your input and thoughts...

If it were me I would purchase the Delsey luggage again..They are having a big sale on e-bay of Delsey..

https://www.ebags.com/brand/delsey?sourceid=MSNKNBLU&couponid=94790994&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Brands%20-%20Luggage%20%26%20Travel&utm_term=delsey%20luggage%20reviews&gclid=CIH2iqDew9cCFTS6swod4zgJzQ&gclsrc=ds

We presently are using American Tourister soft sided but next time I will seriously look at the Delsey spinners..

Forgot to mention be careful about the size of your carry-on..Many airlines require different sizes for carry-on luggage & might require you to check the bag in. See https://www.ebags.com/BuyingGuides/luggage-and-travel/carry-on-luggage-size

Several Psgrs have been complaining about the sizes listed..

The ship looks wonderful but the prices are extremely high. The lowest sky suite cabin for the inaugural on the 10 day package is $18,631 per person, September 22, 2019 is $14,011 per person, and the December price is identical.

 

They are definitely aiming for a different target market on the pricing. The pricing on the Xpedition through its remaining 10 day package itineraries are significantly lower for the Xpedition Suite or Penthouse Suite categories in 2018 on similar dates.

How many days is the total cruise at that price? We did a 68 day on HAL's Prinsendam in Jan. 2013 in an outside cabin to SA & Antarctica (Outsides have large windows but No balcony) ..The fare in an Outside cabin was just under $17,000 each for the 68 days but that did not include tours in ports...We saved up for it & used some of our IRA monies to pay for it..We also sold our big house & moved into a condo..That was a trip of a lifetime for us..We would love to go again someday but don't think it is possible..:( That was one trip we can never forget!..:cool:

We're not "mega yuppies" either! Some of our Friends have much more to spend than we do..However, we're older folks who know what it is to save for something which was iimportant to us!

LOL. So true.

 

I honestly haven't found it noisy for the Captain's announcement. In fact on the P'dam on my cruises, many do listen because they are interested.

 

There are lots of places to go to though if you need to hear them and want to be assured of silence.

Completely agree!

Thank you for taking the time to post this. I knew it wasn't a law but could not remember where I read that.

You are quite welcome & thank you too for quoting Both of my posts!

Hope you have a wonderful time on your B2B cruise.. We are looking forward to our first Celebrity cruise although, I wish it was longer..We tried, but could not talk our Friends into a longer cruise..One lovely thing is that my Friend & I don't have to shop, cook, wash pots & pans or make beds for 11 whole days & nights.. Yay!:cool::D

Re my previous Post..FYI See Post No. 10 on the HAL CC site where I quote chengKP75 :

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2473632&highlight=MUSTER+DRILL+2ND+TIME+ON+B2B

:cool:

Yes...there will be a small fridge in the cabin. Room service can also bring you cranberry juice each morning.

 

And for the cruiser who asked about attending muster again...yes, it is required by law.

Actually it is not required by law, it is up to Celebrity &/or the Captain to decide if the Psgrs must attend on the second leg..We were sent letters by HAL & advised if we had to attend the second Muster or not..

This is the law & it was confirmed by Cheng KP on the HAL board, who BTW is a Cruise Company Officer.

The law states: Quote The legal requirement is for the muster drill for newly embarked passengers, or once a month, so if your B2B....2B is less than 30 days, they don't need to have you repeat. Unquote

We've been on B2B's on HAL & several times did not have to attend the second time..However, there were times our Captain decided ALL Psgrs must attend..