Buckeye94

The answer depends. Which team are you supporting? 😉

I usually eat dinner in the MDR or Specialty restaurants, but I have to say that dinner in Oceanview can be delightful. Quiet. Fewer guests so staff are very attentive. Never had to wait long for wine to be topped off. Yes, steaks, lamb, lots of tasty options. Maybe not the flair of the dining room, but I also felt comfortable dressed very casually and plenty of window seats!  (You know, night 9 or so in a 12-night, and you just don't want to get dressed up again...until you realize it's almost over night 10 or 11! 😂)

 All that said, and to the OP, I do hope they offer more than chicken. Although I must say, I had the most tasty, moist, herb and lemon roasted chicken in the Oceanview cafe.

I like to begin my evening dinner with a cocktail, which usually means a stop at the ol' reliable Martini Bar. Sometimes, I see cocktails that look interesting on the MDR menu. I don't see the MDR cocktails on the menus at other bars, and when I've asked, they haven't always known how to make the drink. If I'm sailing Beyond, and I want an Old World Old Fashioned (Woodford Reserve, yeni raki (?), orange bitters, figs - ingredients that may not be at every bar location) outside of Cyprus Restaurant, where would I go?  Where are the MDR cocktails made?

3 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

When I have to get through and know I'm in for a long wait.   I put in my ear buds and turn the volume down.   Wish you could turn off the constant -  "Your call is valuable to us.................."

After almost 2 hours on hold, I can tell you all about sailing on Celebrity Flora, the first ship designed specifically for the Galapagos Islands destination. You'll enjoy luxury all-suite accommodations...  😩

3 hours ago, zitsky said:

OK thanks for the replies!  As long as I don't have to eat lobster........

Oh dear. I was excited to see this post because I have a answer, but my reply includes lobster. 😂 Sorry! 

I have only sailed Aqua once. One night, I was seated at dinner and struck up a conversation with the couple next to me. He was eating a dessert, and she had noodles! ? ??  She raved about the lobster soba noodle starter. She even ordered a second starter after her main instead of dessert! It really was that good...for those of you following this thread who like lobster.

AND, yes, you can order more than one starter. Enjoy! Happy sailing and dining! 

1 hour ago, Belfast1916 said:

Hi we are booked on the Celebrity Equniox Caribbean cruise and since it's our very first cruise we would really appreciate some advise.

We have booked (travelling from Ireland) The classic Always Included, however, we saw a YouTube video and it showed the drinks menu

from all the bars (December 2021) and most of the cocktails were over $9.  Is this the case and should we upgrade to the premium drinks package before we board?

 

Welcome to Celebrity and to cruising! The first time I took a cruise I thought "never again," but I gave it a second chance and I'm hooked! It's all about your interests, your expectations, and finding your own best experience.

As for drink packages, review what's covered under Classic (shared above). You might be fine with the choices available. If you like higher end spirits and wine, you might want to upgrade.  Unless there is a great sale on upgrades, I wait until I'm on board. You also might want to wait until you're on board and can see the selection available as I've heard some supply issues have impacted what's available. I usually head to the Martini Bar and upgrade with them. They get credit for that.

There will be people everywhere trying to get you to upgrade your drink package, buy specialty dining, on and on. Smile nicely and move on. Once on board, anyone can help you. You choose.

Happy to answer any questions I can. Hope you have a wonderful vacation.

Julie

35 minutes ago, Buckeye94 said:

I think I met @Jim_Iain on a Greek Isles cruise out of Rome on Edge back in fall 2019. They may have been the kind souls to loan me $2 so I could get back to the ship. The details are sketchy!

 

Hmm, I may need to get a map dress. Definitely shopping for something Gatsby appropriate! 

 

I'm so excited! My next cruise wasn't until my 12-night Patagonia cruise in January. This is perfect!

Ugh, I wish I could edit for a longer window! 

@GenerationX I meant to say that I think I met @Jim_Iain (maybe, possibly), and it will be nice to meet more people like you and @hcat since I've followed you all for so long here!

Julie

7 minutes ago, GenerationX said:

 
 

Ok this is SUPER COOL!!! Now we have to start planning our Gatsby outfits for the party.
 

Oh and do you already have a map dress for embarkation day? 😂

 

Can’t wait to sail with you!

I think I met @Jim_Iain on a Greek Isles cruise out of Rome on Edge back in fall 2019. They may have been the kind souls to loan me $2 so I could get back to the ship. The details are sketchy!

Hmm, I may need to get a map dress. Definitely shopping for something Gatsby appropriate! 

I'm so excited! My next cruise wasn't until my 12-night Patagonia cruise in January. This is perfect!

1 hour ago, GenerationX said:

This is a BRILLIANT idea. We are DEFINITELY throwing a Gatsby party on Beyond!  I’ll let Red know too.  I need to join the roll call for that one as well.  I’ll be in a solo cabin so I probably won’t have room to host but perhaps we can make a friend in an Edge Villa or Iconic or maybe commandeer a corner of the new and improved Sunset Bar for the event.  I’ll even spring for the first bottle of Veuve.

 

You heard it here first, folks! Gatsby party on Beyond hosted by hcat and GenX! November 8th sailing! Anyone who wants in on this book your staterooms! 😁

I can't believe I'm doing this, but I have been so inspired by your posts that I'm adding myself to the Beyond Nov 8 sailing!!!!  

I enjoyed his wit and wisdom here on the CC Board. Makes me smile to imagine what he was like in real life. May his memory be a blessing.

I went solo on the Eclipse April 2019 PC San Diego to Vancouver. We had a very active Roll Call starting with dinner the night before the cruise. Several of us have stayed in touch. We would have had at least one reunion cruise if not for the pandemic. That made the experience even better.

Sailing under the  Golden Gate Bridge was exciting. We were lucky to get two nights in San Fran due to missing Monterrey for weather. 

The good...

It was easy planning since I was familiar with some of the port cities. I enjoyed taking to the B2B passengers who had come up from South America. No wifi or international phone set up. No currency exchange considerations. If anything happened, I was in my home country (remember I travel solo).

The not so great...

It reinforced how little we see of a destination on our shore days abroad even if it seems like a jam packed day. I knew what I wasn't seeing.

Bottom line, I love CA and the Pacific Northwest. Instead of a road trip, I sailed! And a day at sea here or far away is better than any day at work! Meeting new friends was the unexpected bonus! 

On 2/3/2022 at 2:24 PM, goofysmom99 said:

The first time I attended a VC dinner, I wasn't too sure about their choice of a malbec on the menu.  It was served in this Riedel Amadeo decanter.  Every single time, everyone has been surprised how different the malbec tastes from the decanter (I want one).  

Oh dear! That was a beautiful, no, gorgeous decanter...Until a gentleman at our table (he really was more Celebrity than Carnival) suggested that it resembled a Chambong (https://www.amazon.com/CHAMBONG-Champagne-Shooter-Bachelorette-Engagement/dp/B07473TMXF/ref=asc_df_B07473TMXF/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=269052721906&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15993363105589735937&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9014973&hvtargid=pla-474729839216&psc=1) We all learned something that evening! 😀 

Oh, and I want one (the decanter) too! 

I was on the 12/11/21 Reflection sailing. VC dinner was visible on the app before sailing but could only be booked on-board. I went straight to Cellar Master and spoke to Nelson. He said the dinner would only happen if enough people signed up. Challenge accepted! I talked it up at dinner and other wine events I attended. A couple days later, Nelson tracked me down on the aft deck enjoying lunch to give me the good news and sign me up. $150 and worth every penny. Fantastic menu. Held in the private dining room in Murano. Conversation started slow, but we were all old friends by the end of the night. We all stumbled to Cellar Master afterward to thank Nelson and signed up for another wine tasting. The next day, I mentioned to the head sommelier that we had a great time and many of us would be at the tasting. She arranged to seat us together.

It's more than a dinner and fine wine. A wonderful experience. I will do this again! 

2 hours ago, little britain said:

Errr ....No -as our flight is outside 24 hours (as mentioned already)

Worth a call (and a back up plan), but they might be flexible with "24 hours" and "1 day".  Just like the pre-cruise testing.  They say within 48 hours, but they are only enforcing 2 days, not specifically the hours.  I can have a test at 8am on a Thursday and depart at 5pm on a Saturday.  Not sure where I saw it, but I think that is the rule the airlines are using (day before) for this new rule.  The question is whether Celebrity's proof of 24 hours is really 24 hours or next day for the complimentary testing.  Otherwise, it looks like it's $95 for Celebrity, test at the airport, or take an Abbott test with you and do it where and when you can.  Sorry, that's not really helpful (and we won't know for certain until someone has firsthand experience), but maybe lessens your concern over 24 v. 36 hours?  I hope the best for you!  Safe travels.

Did you book this online or in the app before boarding, or did you have to wait to book onboard? I sail next weekend on Reflection. I see this dinner listed in the app, but not able to book in Cruise Planner.  

This insert was included with my tests. See note #2. Fingers crossed, no problems! 

41 minutes ago, zitsky said:

 

Hi Julie.  Can you explain in more detail how you found the menu?  Because I thought you had to look at a specific venue to see menus?

In the app, I went to Dining and Restaurants. The chef's table and champagne dinner appeared in that list. Click on the event and there is a link for the menu. Doesn't look like I can book it through the app yet. 

I'm not sure when the menus appeared for the venues and events, but my cruise is only 20 days away. Hasn't been there all along.  

I found this menu on the app for my Dec Reflection cruise. It's on Day 5 which is a port day.

I'll be hunting down someone to book this when I board! 😀

Julie

12 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

 

Unfortunately, by the time I booked, the any time dining was already booked up, so I selected the 6:00/early dining time.

Keep watching or call to see if you can be put on a waitlist for Select, if you want that. Otherwise, as a solo traveler, if you don't like your assigned table, it's much easier to fit you in to Select or change assignments than for a group. It's always worth asking for what you want, especially if it's not an outrageous request! 😀 I hope you have a fantastic vacation.

I almost always sail solo on Celebrity. Don't do assigned seating for dinner is my #1 recommendation. If you do Select, you can dine alone when you choose, e.g. running late and want to catch the show or an event, or you can sit with others for conversation, or sit with new friends you make during the cruise. Enjoy doing what you want, when you want! 

If you do assigned seating and your table mates don't show or aren't to your liking, tell the maître d'. They want you to have an enjoyable vacation and will try to change your table. Have fun! Solitude rules! 😀

I've seen posts here and on other threads questioning how they would know if documentation was fake or how they would confirm vaccination.  I'm sure someone here has traveled to a destination that required other vaccinations beforehand, e.g. African safari or countries where malaria is prevalent? How was that handled? 

I LOVE that this thread is still going! Thank you, thank you, thank you! 

Sashi was a solo performer I saw on Eclipse, and she was going to be on Apex. Amazing! 

https://www.sashiatsea.com/music

For the best info on Edge class ships, do a search for posts authored by vtcruising. She made it her mission to learn and share everything she could about Edge. She passed away last year, but her posts were the most thoughtful and will live here forever.

I love the S-class ships, and I sailed Edge last Fall. Not crazy about the IV or the new Martini Bar location, but it is a lovely ship.  I LOVE the four MDR choices on Edge, and I thought the nightclub was fun (some odd seating though).  Nice way to spend a week or two! Oh, how I miss cruising.  I usually choose based on itinerary, but if I had a choice, I'd take Solstice class over Edge and Edge over Millennium.

That's just me, but you asked! 😃  Have a wonderful time whatever ship you choose.

Julie  

Sorry to break the joke chain, but I love you all! I read the first page of posts back in March. Then, my cruise was cancelled, the news was getting worse and worse, and I couldn't bring myself to log in to CC.

Flash forward, I have a Dec 2021 cruise booked with my FCC, and I stumbled upon this post. Wow, you guys are funny and amazing and just what I needed. I'll come back with a joke. Thank you!