Clydesmom7865

Does Celebrity offer formal Bridge play on their ships? If so, do they offer

duplicate bridge. I traveled Celebrity several years ago and they had a bridge

session both in the morning and afternoon that was run by a bridge expert who was employed by the cruise line. Does Celebrity offer this on trans-Atlantic

 

There was a discussion about this last month here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1966403

 

Celebrity talked about bringing one back but it hasn't happened. On both my cruises I did not see a huge demand for bridge players. There were a couple of small groups on their own but nothing formal.

[quote name='bbappel']It wasn't our first cruise - but we did the same thing the first day of our most recent cruise on Eclipse. After putting everything in the safe, my husband thought I locked it and I thought he did. We just closed the door (solstice class) and went out to the muster drill and sailaway party. That evening we discovered we hadn't locked the safe - and we had left a plastic bag of cash, etc. Nothing had been touched. We had excellent room stewards.

Beth[/QUOTE]

I WISH I could say that it was a case of he did/she did but I cruise solo.
I WISH I could say that I simply forgot to lock the safe.

Sadly I didn't. It NEVER occurred to me that an employee would steal from me. It was about 3 or 4 days in that I secured the money a lot better but I think that was for me not due to an actual security need. :o

[quote name='CruisinCindy']We always keep our valuables in the safe, i.e., passports, money, credit cards and jewelry and have never had a problem even when we forgot to lock it. As another poster said, I'm not worried about the cabin attendant, it's the other passengers I'm more concerned about. On our recent Celebrity cruise, one of our friends accidently left his iPhone on the treadmill when he was finished working out. He didn't realize it until he got back to the cabin and went right back to the gym. It was gone. He asked the gym staff if anyone had turned it in, checked with Guest Services and Security, all to no avail.

Then, he later realized that his treadmill was located under one of the security cameras, so he asked Security to review the video. Yes, he had to ask them to do this, since they didn't initiate that, but they did it. They did a great job then, and watching the video, they saw a passenger take the phone from the treadmill. Without being able to identify him by name at that point, they used various camera videos and their facial recognition software to follow him back to his cabin and get his identity from there. They then flagged his Seapass and when he tried to leave the ship at a port stop, Security stopped him and questioned him about the phone. He did have it and made some excuses about intending to turn it in, but it had been nearly 2 days and a trip to Guest Relations takes 5 minutes, so everyone knew he had no intention of turning it in. Even so, our friend was so grateful to have his phone back that he declined to press charges.

The culprit was a middle aged, regular guy, not shady or shifty, so I guess you can never tell which people will succumb to temptation to do something dishonest...[/QUOTE]

A family at the pool at Disney had a similar problem when someone went into their backpack and took the husband's I-Phone. He activated the "Find my phone" app on his I-Pad and notified hotel security. They tracked the phone to one of the boats that transports guests between parks and resorts. Notified security at the next stop for the boat and when the guy got off they were waiting for him and detained him. Found the phone and he was arrested and booked for theft.

NEVER underestimate technology when it comes to solving a crime!

This may be a crazy question, but we are driving so actually COULD do it, but does anyone ever take their own little beach chairs for the pool deck? Mine has a shoulder strap ( and a cup holder for my drink :D) so it would be easy to carry on board. Not sure if I WILL do it but might be something to consider? Anyone ever see this? Is there even room to set up by the pool like this ( we will be on Connie)?

 

There is NO room by the pool to set something like that up. There is barely enough space to walk between the chairs and in some cases NO space in between the chairs. Parents who bring strollers that block the aisles are asked to collapse them because it is too difficult to walk.

 

I personally have never seen anyone do it.

I personally had no issue getting a decent deck chair at the pool on the Equinox or the Eclipse. The chair hog issue did not seem to me to be a major problem.

 

On both my sailings I noticed the pool butlers actively policing the area and if stuff was left sitting on a chair unattended for a period a card was placed regarding not tying up the chair. After 30 minutes the items are removed so that the chair is open for use.

 

I saw one person come unglued because they returned 90 minutes later to find their chair occupied by a new person. The pool butler handled it somewhere out of ear shot.

 

Go and don't worry about it. If you are having difficulty locating a chair ask a staff member if they would cruise (no pun intended) the area for unoccupied by hogged chairs and release one for you.

This will send many into a tizzy but on my first cruise I left my envelope of extra spending cash (several hundred dollars) in the safe without locking it. Not one cent missing. Wallet, cell phone, laptop, tablet, camera etc. all left in room with no troubles on both cruises.

 

I was amazed at the number of tablets, phones, cameras and kindles that people left on the chairs while they hit the pool, restroom, or buffet.

 

Could a theft happen? Sure. However, I make sure to double check that the door closes behind me and to not leave valuables unattended in public places as it isn't the cabin steward or staff I fear but other passengers.

 

Remember the old saying "all a lock does is keep an honest man honest." If someone is REALLY going to steal from you they will.

The beach towels left in our cabin have always been yellow. The pool towels are blue. The beach towels are replaced as needed. They also make cute towel animals--we got two last week.

 

Both of my staterooms were concierge class so I don't know if that had something to do with the color of the towel. As for the towel animals: got one one time on the first cruise and that was it. Not a deal breaker for me since I don't have young children.

Just because your co-worker "says" it doesn't make it true. Assuming this isn't a trolling post. NONE of what you post appears to be based in fact since the MDR closes at 8 and your friend would be kicked out LONG before 10:00 am.

 

There is no where for them to "relax" while new passengers board. The ship won't start boarding new guests until your friends are rounded up and disembarked.

 

Nice try.

Do the ship supply towels for use at the pool? Going on my first cruise on 15th February on Celebrity Reflection and just wondered if I needed to pack a beach towel!

 

LOTS of them poolside. No need to pack any. They will also provide a towel (beige) in your state room for port days to take off the ship to the beach etc. Make SURE you bring it back or you will be charged for it. The cabin steward will ensure you have a fresh one for each port day.

It is my understanding that soda is not complimentary during dinner and there is a charge. Can I use my Non-alcohol package for the soda during dinner? If I can use my beverage package for the soda during dinner. Is the wait staff already aware that I have a beverage package or would I need to alert the wait staff?

 

Yes you can use it and has been said really attentive bar staff will keep track. My friend had the non-alcoholic package and by night 2 the bar staff would have her Diet Coke waiting for her with a glass of ice each night at dinner. She didn't even have to ask.

Also urine is sterile but it's icky not to wash your hands after visiting the toilet but urine doesn't spread diseases it's the other business that does.

 

Urine is sterile INSIDE the bladder. Once it passes into the urethra it is NOT sterile. Not at all. It picks up bacteria, skin cells and all kinds of things as you eliminate it. "Urine is sterile" is the excuse people use for not washing their hands after using the restroom or for peeing in a pool or hot tub.

 

Stop and consider that while an individual person may believe what they personally did in the bathroom was "clean" you have to touch the handles, fixtures, dispensers and anything else that someone else with unclean hands touched and left their germs on.

Is it a big deal if my passport has my middle name on it and my Xpress pass does not? I saw a few times where it had to be an exact match. Sailing on Summit in March.

Love this board, and thanks all for your assistance...

 

No. My passport also has my middle name and I have NEVER put it in for an airline ticket or cruise reservation and NO ONE has ever stopped me. They look at the first/last name and the expiration date. If the first two match the ticket and the last one is valid for at least 6 months they check you off.

 

The only one who EVER used my middle name consistently was my parents and if they did it was NOT for doing something good. :D That was my clue that I should voluntarily retreat to my room and pray.

I consider myself a pretty good tipper but maybe I'm wrong. I just don't get tipping a driver separately who has no interaction with the passengers on the tour. It just doesn't seem like a tipped position to me. I'd appreciate thoughts pro and con on this.

 

The ONLY time I have tipped a driver was my 14 day trip to Israel where our group had the same driver for the entire trip. He was with us 24/7 and away from his family as we traveled around the country and stayed overnight in other areas during the tour.

 

In Belize on my ship's tour to the Mayan ruins I had bought a couple of the most expensive beers the restaurant served and shared them with our tour guide who was VERY happy as it was one he loved but could not afford. He declined cash when I offered it after having drinks together.

 

On small day tours of a few hours I don't see the point to tipping the driver.

Howdy gang,

 

I may be a bit late to the parade, but I wanted to know what other solo travellers are thinking/doing regarding the conversion.

 

I have done about 23 weeks on Celebrity (22 of which were solo), including finishing a two-weeker yesterday on Eclipse. I have been Elite for several years, and am pleased with most of the benefits.

 

I have been pretty loyal to Celebrity, always promoting their brand to my friends and acquaintances as "the best of the mid-range cruise lines."

 

On Eclipse these past two weeks, many Elite Plus members with whom I regularly travel suggested that there is a movement afoot to get more credit for solo travellers than was originally offered by the line. Since we pay 175% of the per person price, we should get 175% of the credits, right?

 

Can anyone please point me in the direction of this Celebrity solo traveller movement?

 

Thanks,

 

Marc

 

175%? Try 200% I have yet to be charged less than the full two person price. I know they are NOT going to back down on that policy but supposedly they are "considering" increasing the cruise credits due to the higher fare paid. I do not know of an official movement though.

 

I would support solo travelers getting cruise credits equal to the higher percentage fare paid. If you find the movement let me know.

This is the same method used on Celebrity Eclipse as well. Invitations are given only to those in the Elite Captain's Club.

 

Not true at all. I was at the basic Captains Club level when I sailed on Eclipse a year ago and was invited to BOTH sail aways on the helipad. I was not even close to Elite status and many of the people who were there were not elite either.

 

Captains Club status had NOTHING to do with the invitations because several first time cruisers were there too.

 

The invitations were sent purely at the discretion of the ship. How they chose I do not know.

I am sorry I asked the question, expecting a simple answer. I don't defend smokers, knowing it is a habit that some, for various readout or won't quit. I stand on neither side of the smoking habits of other. I didn't expect it to turn into a pissing contest. Merely was curious as to how this was detected or dealt with.

From now on will keep my questions to mysel

 

When you ask a question about a hotly contested subject and a controversial one then you get strong opinions. No one attacked you for asking but the smoking question is probably near or at the top of that list.

 

The reason it gets so intense is many people CHOOSE the Celebrity line for their no smoking policy and to have someone deliberately ignoring the rules for their own selfishness tends to get people going pretty quickly.

 

To give you an example as we sailed into port in Columbia I was trying to enjoy the moment when a woman stood right next to a large no smoking sign and lit up. I pointed to the sign and said "there is no smoking here." She blew smoke in my face and in her best Spanish said she didn't speak English.

 

Thankfully a crew member came over and tapped her on the shoulder and in his BEST Spanish told her (I presume) there was no smoking and when she put the disgusting thing out on the deck walked her somewhere for a chat at least I presume.

 

So NO, there is no "simple" answer to the smoking question as there can be a great discrepancy as to if it is enforced depending on who the crew is.

One reason you may see someone smoking on their balcony the 1st day and then not after that is because they did not know they were not allowed to smoke on the balcony, and it is not always security that tells them. On our last cruise I was talking to one guy in the smoking area and he had no idea smoking was not allowed on balconies, once he knew he stopped.

 

Not everyone that smokes on his or her balcony is some inconsiderate jerk that thinks they are allowed to break rules, many of them do not know about the rules.

 

Really? The no smoking sign on the stateroom key, the no smoking sign on the railing on the balcony, and the literature in the room explaining there is no smoking in the rooms/balconies and where the smoking areas are located is not enough to inform a smoker of the policy?

 

I think it is less of not knowing the rules and more of testing the waters to see if neighbors will complain or if they can get away with it the rest of the cruise.

I am not a slots player and don't really understand how it supposedly pays out but I did make friends with a guy and his mother on my last cruise who are big slots players. They both said that Celebrity slot machines are REALLY tight and they usually make some money but over all they were not worth playing compared to land based casinos.

The point was not to worry about all this sterilization. If you read about it- you will see that nothing is really sterile anyway. As soon as you put it on a drying rack- bacteria is all over it again. But this is a good thing- the baby has to build up immunities. The world is full of bacteria!

 

Think of what kids put in their mouth- their feet, their fists, anything they can suck and knaw on- what about pets that lick them and that they pet... it's ok! They will live.

 

I have to agree with all of this. I know it is the recommendation in the UK but it really is outdated and I am in the medical field. By 6-7 months they are crawling and think about everything they touch as they explore their world and that is the oral stage where it promptly goes in their mouth. It seems rather silly to be sterilizing bottles and nipples when the kid is dragging their blankie behind them on the floor across the house and yard then sucking on it!

 

Can you sterilize until they are a year old? Sure but there really is no health advantage in a healthy baby and if you don't do it they will turn out just fine.

 

If you are that concerned there are sterile disposable diaper inserts and bottled water which eliminate the need for boiling water. (which you don't have to do on board ship anyway. Don't let this one issue stand in your way.

Is there anything about dumping dirty nappies (diapers) at sea? lol only joking. Seriously what do you do with the dirty ones when its changing time?

 

It is a maritime violation to dump them at sea (the Humpback whales filed a lawsuit about 10 years ago and now it is banned) so that isn't an option.

 

Last time I checked there is no prohibition against tossing them to the balcony below yours or on to a neighboring one as long as you are not smoking a cigarette while you do it. I recommend that you do your tossing after lights out though so that no one catches you. :D

I had no trouble in the Ocean View Cafe, my stateroom, or the pool areas. YMMV

In the UK it's advised to sterilise bottles for the first year, medically advised. You wouldn't use tap water until it's boiled and cooled.

 

Then the solution on board would be to bring the type of bottles with disposable inserts and use bottled water so that sterilization isn't necessary. The cabin steward or wait staff could heat water in the microwave when a bottle is needed and the parents can add powdered formula to it.

 

The nipples and bottles themselves can be cleaned with regular dish soap if disposable inserts and bottled water are used.

If you are sterilizing bottles then your baby is too young to travel. The baby has to six months old. No one is sterilizing bottles by this point. I took my baby on Celebrity when he was seven months old and all I brought were some bottles, dish soap and a bottle brush. I brought powdered Enfamil in single packets. I used tap water from the ship when I needed to prepare the bottle for feeding. No refrigeration was necessary because I only prepared it right before I used it. By six months your child will be eating mashed table foods as well and I didn't bring or need any baby food either. There is such a huge variety of food in the buffet and they are happy to puree foods for you in the dining room.

 

To be fair the baby may not be too young but have a medical reason for sterilizing the bottles.

When our first was born I remember asking the doctor or nurse how long we needed to sterilize the bottles. He told us that one day we'd see our son chewing a shoe or something he pulled out from under the sofa and realize that it no longer made sense to bother with the sterilization.

 

THIS. LOL With the fourth child in our family we could hear him making this slurping noise quite frequently during the day. For weeks we could not figure out why until one day we saw him spit out the dog's food and grab a new handful of Gravy Train to suck on. At that point we wondered what else he had been snacking on that we had no clue about. :eek:

Just the opposite...When we go to sea level it takes much more to feel the alcohol. Which drives up the bar bill. Seriously, we can drink much more at sea level and not feel it. LETS GO PATS!!! Please take out those donkeys.

 

No the Donkeys need to advance so that Seattle spanks Peyton hard. I think mother karma has a bad reality check in store for John Elway and Peyton Manning for what happened to Tim Tebow. I am pretty sure that she would get great joy at pulling the rug out from under both of them in the Superbowl if given the opportunity.

 

Of course I am no fan of either team but suffer just as much since I follow Dallas. 20 years and counting with NO glory. SIGH. :eek: