vkb2751

18 minutes ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

 

I've had issues in the past, and what seems to work is to say "There should be no charge because I'm elite plus, correct?".  One issue was the crew member didn't even know Elite+ shouldn't be charged in the first place which was surprising, the other time they said there was a charge for it on embarkation day.  In both cases, a more senior crew member corrected the crew and promised I would receive a refund.  Never did, had to go to guest services

we had the same issues on different cruises - employee said charge on embarkation day, employees not knowing elite+ shouldn’t be charged. No one issued the refund and had to go to guest relations on different cruises. How hard is it to train the staff?

Thanks for the heads up. Cabin on hold. Will talk to TA today to finalize! Our friends tried to book last night - all C1 cabins sold out.

On 12/19/2023 at 7:50 AM, gnome12 said:

But I looked at May 18; that was where I found that the 9:30 and 10:45 departures were sold out on Norway's Best (or had never been allocated to them).

thanks for the head up. Just booked 10:45 RT for 4 of us for May 18. 9:30 was available earlier but was sold out when I went to book?

It is random. Al’s, we left our call back info last 2 days and haven’t received any call!!!!!! 

4 minutes ago, jelayne said:

What about the cookies and other pastries at Al Bacio!

according to the poster there are no cookies or macroons at Al Bacio! Only pastries.

Someone just posted on other social media site that cookies at Gelato counter on Equinox cost $2 plus 20% gratuity. Don’t know if this true but pic says so.

We had someone @Bacio say the same to us on Beyond in January. A few of the staff repeated the same thing - not on embarkation day.We asked for the supervisor and it was sorted out. The staff was not properly trained! 

The changes started yesterday on Equinox. There are no classic selections- it is all in 1 menu. Will try to post pic of menu tonight. We are on btb and will see what happens next cruise as it is 8 nights.

1 minute ago, jelayne said:

No filet or lobster showing on any night without uncharge.  

Correct!

We are on the Equinox. All the addition cost items are on the menu. Shrimp cocktail and Salmon are only available every other day. Cheese cake only on first night. No lobster on the menu for the entire cruise. The waiter said they are trying to match Royal Carribbean menus.

relaxed luxury???????

Meenu and Vinod

37 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

 

15 hours ago, Hlitner said:

There are several different docking locations so saying "near the port" is not all that useful.  All the docking locations are along the river, but can be some distance from each other.  IMHO, it does not make a lot of sense to try to be close to a port.  Taxis within Lisbon are relatively inexpensive and it makes a lot of sense to just find the best hotel (for the price) that is convenient to restaurants and the main part of town.  We think the best way to see Lisbon is to use the E28 Tram (which covers much of the historic district) and the E15 (connects town to Belam).  

 

I would look for a hotel within a few blocks of the E28.  Using the tram is much cheaper than the HoHo and is a lot more fun.

 

Hank

We stayed at Hotel Smeraldo. It is a great location. Walking distance from all sights in Lisbon except Belem area. Tram E 28 starts right in front of the hotel. We were there 5/1 to 5/4 and the line for E28 was always long (people were waiting in line for 2 hours to get on!) we could see the starting point from our window and no matter what time it was the line was v long. 
 

the hotel has elevators and a rooftop bar!

35 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

I wonder if this is the case on Beyond only?  We have not seen this comment from Edge or Apex. 

same on Edge TA

2 hours ago, BazingAu said:

I posted a shorter version of this earlier today in the roll call, but it's not very active, so hoping to get more responses here.

 

We will be staying in a local hotel prior to the cruise in Barcelona (roundtrip). We will probably end up taking a taxi or similar to get to the ship from the hotel. However, we have to head to the airport right after the cruise to catch our flights. What is the easiest way to get to the BCN airport from the cruise terminal? I didn't see any options for a transfer or shuttle from Celebrity online. Only a "tour and transfer" which wouldn't work for us because we have a noon flight. Basically, I want to avoid a situation where we are fighting other passengers for a taxi or uber, or waiting forever for a public shuttle bus because the lines are around the block, etc. We want something pre-booked and hassle free. Is there such a thing?

We are just back from Edge TA that ended in Barcelona. We took the first transfer through Celebrity at 7:05 am. The cost was $ 29.95 pp it was a 20 min drive on a Monday morning with no traffic.

2 hours ago, Lastdance said:

As promised, a couple of night time photos of Dubrovnik.  It is so peaceful here at night, not to mention very beautiful…

Great pics. Did you take them from the ship? 

We were charged $15 amenity charge after we left the ship. This was on Beyond returning 1/15/23. Have been told it has been corrected but still no refund on Credit Card. Was told last week that it takes 6 to 8 weeks to be processed! Mistake or scam, it is happening too often. Will see when we get the refund finally.

My dh got the email with his correct CC # and points. However, I got the email with a new/different CC# and 0 points. Did anyone else see this?

2 minutes ago, Seacrab said:

I mean there’s cost reduction, and then there’s outright axe-wielding. 
 

To be honest, the menus look incredibly disappointing compared to what they used to offer.

Agree! We thought we could eat in OVC if we didn’t like anything in MDR but the dinner menu in OVC has been reduced to about a third of what they had. I get that they are trying to reduce wastage and save money but shouldn’t have cut options in MDR and OVC at the same time. 

52 minutes ago, Seacrab said:

Thanks, I’ve been on plenty of E-class. 
my question is about a reduction in choices in the signature section. 

Yes, the signature collection now has 3 starters - either 2 salads and a soup or 2 soups and a salad. No appetizers in the starters. Also, the main entrees have been reduced to 3 including a vegetarian entree. Seafood selection has been changed, lamb dishes are all gone, and a lot of pasta choices have been added on various days. We don’t eat beef but beef entrees have also been removed or changed. This was on Beyond January 8, 2023 sailing.

1 hour ago, miched said:

The best thing to do is to submit a comment to detail card when on board

 

Then when doing the survey rate the areas that don’t relate to service unless that is needed as a 1 if you aren’t happy.  
 

Don’t give them a 10 in areas that have been cut, give it a 1

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

we submitted the comment card on day 3 of the cruise re reduced menu in MDR and OVC and didn’t get any response from Hotel Director or anyone else. Also wrote comments on survey but no response so far! We were on Beyond sailing 1/8/23.

1 hour ago, RichYak said:

 

 

Another theory would be that since Celebrity is trying to shed it's loyal customer base to appeal to a younger crowd anyway, why not cut back drastically. The new passengers won't know the difference. If the food looks pretty on instagram, does it really matter what it tastes like?

Celebrity tried that when they introduced AI bookings. Couldn’t get enough bookings so introduced Sail Only and Resident Rate options. Will see how this works out! 

4 hours ago, RichYak said:

If you believe the app, Millennium's MDR menu has changed. Starters are almost all soups and salads now. I don't see things like spring rolls, ravioli, crab cakes, beef carpaccio. They're all gone. Similar changes with entrees as well. For instance, no beef wellington. Choices, yes, but the high quality ones are gone.

Same on Beyond!

45 minutes ago, jelayne said:

It could also be that the OV options change based on how full the ship is.  A ship sailing at 40-50%  occupancy may offer fewer options in the OV compared to a ship sailing at 85- 95% capacity.  

Beyond has 2,800 passengers this week

On the Beyond Oceanview at dinner time - only thing missing was the grill station. Salad bar, bread station, Indian, Spanish and other hot food stations all open. Also, pasta and stir fry stations open. 

On the Beyond Oceanview at dinner time - only thing missing was the grill station. Salad bar, bread station, Indian, Spanish and other hot food stations all open. Also, pasta and stir fry stations open. 
 

today is listed as sweet and savory crepes! Will see what else is open! Looks like it varies by ship somewhat.