amzgirl

Let me preface this by saying I have not cruised since 2019 and I tried to search for an answer but could not find one.

I am planning a 30th anniversary cruise to Alaska in 2025, June, July, or August.

We have not cruised Celebrity, being RCCL cruisers, but I am liking the idea of Celebrity for that trip and since Celebrity honors RCCLs frequent cruiser program (at least they used to) and to have a bit of a different experience.

I understand that those itineraries will not come out until October or November 2023.  I want to put a deposit down ASAP so we get the location we want.

Does Celebrity adjust the fare if the price lowers after booking?  Is it very difficult to do?

Also if there is some way to be alerted when the cruises for summer 2025 come out, I would love to know how to do that.

Thanks in advance.

10 hours ago, Oceansaway17 said:

After reading this thread, I must say I am amazed at all the fuss about having a certain table or waiters. Then again if you have a special needs person, then that is the only time I would agree to aim for the same.

 

I like trying different locations and different people.  ALL waiters are good.  And it is nice to meet other people too.

 

Then again I solve all this by just going to the wonderful nightly buffets up stairs.  It is where the Captain eats and it 

is much quieter and quicker.  You can view and selection your food.  Easy Peasy.  No fuss with the MDR.

 

As a side note, try DCL as they rotate around 3 dining rooms and you will have the same staff and table mates.  

This was actually the first time we requested a specific server, only because she was so wonderful with Matthew.  I didn't really give a hoot about the table, as I kept telling the staff, it was the server I was after.

I find the buffet to be too much work, especially when it can get quite crowded and one of us has to fetch two plates of food, one for us and one for Matthew.  That being said, we did go to the buffet for dinner twice and for other meals numerous times.  That's what's great about cruising, there is something that appeals to just about everyone.

Just now, LMaxwell said:

 

Aren't they credited for nights guests do not show up as well though; if they go to buffet or specialty dining, or skip dinner altogether? 

I would be curious to know this as well.  We skipped two nights, and both nights we told Treshana in advance that we would not be coming.

1 hour ago, Biker19 said:

If you have a standing reservation after a few nights it becomes routine and it's not unusual to just sit at your usual table without bothering the MTD host.

That was not at all encouraged on this cruise. It was too crowded. Most nights we actually had to check in twice, once at the end of the line and once up at the podium.

2 hours ago, cruisegirl1 said:

I’ve never heard of passengers walking in for MTD dinner  and seating themselves. How is that even possible? 
 

We’ve only done my time dining for a few cruises and have been under the impression that you are not guaranteed the same table or server every night. That is why we mostly opt for traditional seating. 
 

m

Actually we have always gotten the same server every night every time we’ve done my time dining. On night one they just put your reservation in for the rest of the week with the same server and usually the same table. So unless you’re unhappy with your server on night one, you should be able to get the same server all week pretty easily.

8 hours ago, reallyitsmema said:

All of this should have been handled with the section head waiter and the maitre'd.  After finding the waiter and table combination you wanted the first night, someone should have stopped at the podium on the way out and asked for that table for the rest of the week.  It is then put in the reservations for the rest of the week and it could have also been noted this was needed for your son.  If this couple was actually bypassing the podium, the waiters should have had it dealt with as soon as they saw someone seated at the wrong table as they would know that is assigned to you.  The section head waiter will deal with any issues but they need to be made aware of the problem.  You shouldn't have to try to beat a family to the dining room.

Yes that section and table was in my reservation for the whole cruise, but unfortunately the other couple kept trying to grab it. 

And yes, they should have immediately moved them on night two, but I think they were just trying to placate them, not realizing that the same couple would try the same thing every night of the cruise.

1 hour ago, 4minimark said:

We got ours in the planner for $49pp for 7 night Allure next week.

Yes we got that deal as well. It’s the lowest I’ve seen it.

4 minutes ago, Ashland said:

How do you find out where your muster will be just curious ?...Not cruising until May on Harmony...

Your Muster Station code is on your seapass card and there is a sign on the back of your cabin door directing you where to go. Also during the drill the staff members are everywhere telling you what area to go to.

Our table on night three was all set up pretty for us.

So my family was supposed to be on the 9/1 harmony of the seas sailing for seven days, but it was shortened to three days. We ended up taking the cruise anyway and had a wonderful time, and with the combination of refunds and onboard credit we booked the cruise we just came off of, the 10/27 Harmony with almost the same itinerary.

During the first cruise, we fell in love with our dining room server. Her name is Treshana. We have an adult disabled child with autism, and she was just absolutely amazing with him. Not just being polite, but actually interacting with him and just going above and beyond. So of course naturally for this cruise we decided to request her again.

Our first night of my time dining, we requested her as well as a table close to the window if possible. It turned out that the table close to the window was useless because it was always pitch black by the time we got seated, but the first priority was getting Treshana. She remembered us and we had a lovely first night. She even got her new assistant waiter, Noor, all excited about serving us. He was fantastic. 

Returning for night two, and unfortunately it seems that someone took our table. A couple just decided to sit themselves there, without telling anyone, and I’m not even sure they checked in. So that meant that Treshana‘a section was full and we had to be seated with another waiter. She was absolutely mortified and so upset. When I excused myself to go use the restroom, she came made a point of running up and apologizing profusely. I told her it was no problem, she explained what happened with the other couple, and we decided to just make sure that they weren’t going to do that to us again. So we started showing up about 15 or 20 minutes before our reservation.

It was never a problem for us to show up early, because Treshanna was making sure that our table was cleared and ready for us, and usually by the time we got through the line and the crowds it was close to the 7 PM reservation time anyway. We managed to foil that rude couple for the rest of the cruise, until night six. On that night, when we arrived, we were told that our table was currently occupied by another family that was finishing their meal, and would we mind waiting. We did not mind at all, and five minutes later Treshana came up to explain to us that the family was being a little slow in leaving and she had another table prepared for us. No problem, we made our way back with her and sat where we were told. 

In the meantime, the other family left, and Treshanna immediately directed Noor to pull a bunch of tables together, including that one, for a large group of 12. Several waiters were in the process of pulling together the tables when that couple again sat themselves down where they were not supposed to. This time, it was unavoidable, Treshanna had to ask them to switch tables because she needed that table for her large group of 12.

They were NOT happy. Even though they seated themselves, they felt entitled to that table. They ended up complaining to management, who of course by now already knew the real story anyway. I made a point of calling over the head waiter for that section, Rueben, and raving about how amazing and wonderful Treshana  and Noor were. I also made sure to give them extra tips and we will be mentioning them quite a bit when we take our survey.
 

So, please, I know that some people might think that “my time dining“ means just show up anytime and sit yourself anywhere, but it does not. You would be best off letting them make a reservation for you all week like we did. They have a system, it works pretty well, just follow it, sit where you are told, and don’t be rude to your server or to other cruisers by behaving like that couple did. 

20 hours ago, lenquixote66 said:

My wife and I belong to a theater club and see 8 to 10 shows a year.We get a group rate and have Orchestra seats for all the shows.I love theater acting.In my opinion there is nothing better.We did not see Hamilton yet but one of our daughters saw it several times.She went to high school with Javier Munoz who was in the original production.

My daughter and I hated to admit it, but we saw Hamilton and CFA within six months of each other and we agree, CFA is superior.  Hamilton has amazing music, but you can get all that listening to the soundtrack.  CFA is so much more.

On 10/7/2019 at 9:40 AM, George C said:

We enjoy going to plays in NYC and in Dallas,  one of our favorites would be Beautiful which is about Carol King, another good one would be Come from away. 

Come from Away would be AWESOME and considering that the actual show is only 1 hour 45 minutes with no intermission and minimal sets, it would be easy to do.

I absolutely love that show and want to see it again when it returns to Florida in the spring.  You go from tears to laughter, sadness to joy, it is an amazing show.

There's been a lot of itinerary changes due to hurricanes lately, perhaps they are tired?  

1 minute ago, rimmit said:

 

I was on the oceanic in 1990.  How I remember that ship.  It seemed so big.   The entertainment was questionable, but that was when Disney didn’t have a cruise line and their characters were contracted with premier so it was fun to have them in the MDR.  While the ship wasn’t much, the service was incredible.   Had your name memorized before you boarded the boat.   Would never let you open your own door EVER.  Would run down the hallway to keep you from opening it.   If you mentioned in passing ANYTHING, like magic it would happen.  A different era.... and a different price tag.

Funny, we were on it for our honeymoon in 1995 and I do not remember the Disney characters on it at all.  I just came across a T-shirt from that cruise, if you did a pub crawl and had a drink in every bar in one day, they gave you a shirt.  There were only 6 bars!!!  LOL and here my hubby and I thought it was quite an accomplishment.

Last cruise for us was Indy in 2015 and the wait staff for MTD quickly learned my hubby likes a particular whisky, poof,  it was brought down to the DR from another ship bar and there was a cocktail waiting for hubby every time we showed up.  I think the dining room service is still excellent, especially if you take the time to get to know your server, and even with MTD you can get the same server every night, which is nice.  We don't see the need to pay extra for ship dining at this point.

I also think cruises in general have gotten more affordable, so you are getting a lot of bang for your buck.  And it's still remarkably easy to pay for nothing extra, except for your booze, of course.  There are a lot of options to spend extra money on, but none of them seem at all necessary to me.

Having sailed less than 10 cruises in my life, I don't think I have a line in the sand yet.  That being said, my first cruise was 30 years ago on the Big Red Boat, so I am old enough to remember how things used to be.  To me, while the chocolates on the pillows and free room service have gone away, the ships and more importantly, the amenities and entertainment, have improved considerably.  I remember REALLY tacky shows, and I seem to remember lip synching, now they are just top notch entertainment, and not just in the theatre, but in the bars and lounges as well.  So yes, no more chocolates on the pillows, but both the quality and quantity of things to do have more than made up for it. 

I booked somewhat last minute for the hurricane-affected 9/1 Harmony cruise.  We had rooms VERY far apart on the same deck.  As we were heading to muster we happened to talk to a crew member and they told us to just to to the same muster, since they check you in electronically, it's no problem. So that's what we did.  I was quite happy about it. No trying to find each other afterwards.

47 minutes ago, Lilystar said:

I worked at Kennedy Space Center for about a year and am local to the space coast. I would not choose the guided tour as you will be able to do things more at your leisure if you don't. There are a few things that you will not want to miss, which are all included in your price of admission:

1. The bus tour onto the base where you will get a bus tour of the facility and they will drop you off at the Apollo Saturn V center. Watch the presentation movie/exhibit, it's amazing. Then walk at your own pace through the other exhibits. There is a tribute/memorial to the Apollo crew that lost their lives that you will definitely want to see. After you're done, you just go out to board the bus back to the main complex. I do recommend you do the bus tour first thing when you get there.

2. The Atlantis Exhibit. It's the building with the big fuel tank and rocket boosters out front, right by the bus loading area. The actual orbiter from the space shuttle is there and it is built around an entire film/experience. Don't miss the movie/experience part and the big reveal later. It brings tears to my eyes every time and I worked there for a year!

3. Heroes and Legends- it's an experience/exhibit when you first enter the park. Save this for later in the day though as everyone walks in and goes directly there because it's the first thing they see.

4. If you are in the complex at the time of the Astronaut Encounter....go see whomever it is talk. It only takes about 35 minutes and they have an astronaut 365 days/year to give a talk 2 times daily about what he/she encountered while in space. I thought this would be boring, but depending on the astronaut, can be really cool!

 

Have a great time. KSCVC is an experience for sure and well worth your time.

Love this advice.  Yes the preshow/reveal of Atlantis always has me teary.  I don't get tired of seeing it.

On 9/20/2019 at 7:21 PM, AlohaLivin said:

The new map is up!  👌 And I just emailed it again to everyone that I had listed before (or at least that was my intent). Do let me know if you do not get the google maps email dated today 9/20. It should be 99% - 100% as it was before (although the default background is the street level map). Again, I hope that everyone gets something good from it and has a wonderful journey 

 

1. @gnargnarz I also included you in the current map so you should also get an email. 
2. The CC user with an email address that begins "Amrsprfmom" - I hit an error message as a non-google account holder when sending the new map; I assume there was a second email in the list that you received (since I would have hit that problem the first time too), but just in case I did want to note that google asked for an email associated with a google account (even if not a gmail one). 

I would love for you to send me your map as well.  Thank you.

Now ya'll are making me itch to get back on a Freedom Class.  Maybe for next year, the Independence is close by.

It's the same on Harmony.  We adapted quickly and thankfully have rooms on the same side of deck 7 for our next sailing, LOL.

We went on the shortened cruise and got our FCC within a few days of returning.  Immediately applied it to our 10/27 make-up cruise.  We booked through Royal.

What a great thread.  Didn't know you could do this!  My hubby would love a curry, saving this bit of info for our cruise coming up.

I guess it depends on how important the dining package would be to you.

I would point out, the Central Park balconies seem to me that they would be some of the hottest balconies on the ship, although it would not be quite as bad in April.

1 minute ago, Host Clarea said:

 

You can still get the outside promenade deck (with metal / plastic chairs, not wood) on Royal's Sovereign, Vision, Radiance, Voyager, and Freedom classes.  Don't know about Quantum class.

I am just looking at Royal's ship class guide now.  Handy!

http://www.royalcaribbeanincentives.com/content/uploads/2018-2019-Fleet_Guide.pdf

Thanks for the info.  My hubby and I have fond memories of the Sovereign of the Seas, an even smaller ship I believe.  One of the things we loves was wooden deck chairs, the kind with the adjustable backs, on the decks that ran completely around the ship.  We would hang out there for hours.  You don't see that anymore because ship designs cram in as many balcony cabins as possible now.  Perhaps we will look at a smaller ship next year.