flyingv4me

GO WAHOOS!!!!  University of Virginia for the win!

Sailing Nov 11 and getting off the ship on Nov 21.  Too early for the changes it seems.  Ah, well.  Hoping things improve where needed.  Sailing in a SS, I'm already worried about the butler situation.  Pity the food upgrades probably won't occur until after my cruise is over.  I must comment about the video being 8:51 long with barely 2:30 of F/B updates.  That being said, the video did show they are listening.  Glad to see.

Make sure you book early.  My November cruise on the Equinox has no specialty reservations remaining.  I wanted to book Murano for our 41st anniversary and seven days after Celebrity opened bookings they were already booked. If that is the case for your cruise, make sure you go to the restaurant of choice first thing after boarding.  They frequently hold a few slots for last minute bookings.

Hope you enjoy your cruise!

Works for the beer selection as well.  They didn't have Anchor Steam in their coolers but got a case and made sure it was available.  Excellent response to any reasonable request.

Total disconnect from the normal day-to-day.  Phone goes in the safe and stays there until disembark time.

Our first cruise was to Hawaii on the Millie.  We were going to a luau and my wife was wearing a white orchid printed dress.  As we're leaving the ship a woman who was also going to the luau walks up to Lockie and presents her with a beautiful white orchid for her hair.  She said that such a beautiful woman deserves a beautiful flower!  It matched her dress perfectly and my wife glowed the entire evening!  We saw this woman on other occasions on board and she always seemed to be simply enjoying life to the fullest.  What a lasting impression she made on both my wife and me!

I'd have to stick the medallion in my pocket.  I don't wear a watch (use a carabiner watch) because I hate having something around my wrist.  

Congratulations! Excellent reward and much deserved. Keep on writing about your Celebrity cruises! They certainly help me between cruises!

I've done one cruise over Halloween and the ship was decorated and many of the staff were in costumes. Guests were encouraged to wear costumes and while a number did it wasn't the majority. That being said, there were many parties throughout the ship and everyone had a great time. There was no "trick or treating" that I saw, but it was a longer cruise with very few children on board.

On our last cruise our cards didn't work on embarkation. Jole led us to Michael's where she took new photos and created our new cards. She was pretty great taking care of dinner reservations in Murano to making sure we knew of special entertainment and a visit by senior officers. We also met some great people in nearby suites and had pre-dinner drinks with them most evenings. The Michael's bartender, Rosie, took care of our drinks, including stocking their bar with my beer of choice. Luminae was a very enjoyable experience, with well prepared food, a knowledgeable sommelier, and excellent service.

You'll enjoy your suite experience, I'm sure!

We prefer cruises in the 10-14 day range; however, we've done two B2B's Eastern/Western Caribbean 7 day cruises equaling 14 days. We stay in the same cabin so turn-around day isn't a big deal. Frankly, one thing we do like about a B2B is the last night of the first cruise. Seeing the luggage in the hallway and knowing you have another week is its own little pleasure.

You've made it clear that you're going to do whatever you want, so the purpose of your OP is quite obvious, and it is not that you were honestly seeking an opinion. But I'm going to give mine anyway.

 

These "celebrities" are not doing this cruise out of the goodness of their hearts. There is a financial advantage to them in one form or another. So giving them a thank you gift is naive.

 

Your taste in art may not be the same as these "celebrities". You have a taste for watercolours, in presumably a nostalgic/Norman Rockwellish style. The objects of your affection may well prefer a totally different style - perhaps modern art or urban photography. While I'm sure you will be thanked politely before these cards are quickly passed to their handler, don't be surprised or devastated that they will be preserved for posterity in a circular file folder.

This.

My wife and I really enjoy Michael's Club. On our last cruise I asked for an Anchor Steam beer. Rosie didn't have it but got it from the Gastrobar, where many of these beers were kept. She told me that she talked to them and got a case for my consumption. By the end of the cruise there were several others in Michael's that were enjoying the Anchor Steams. LOL! Rosie was great!

Nor does Equinox.

We always ask to have our mini-bar emptied. In our experience, once the Butler realizes what you are stock-piling, he or she will stock the fridge with whatever you are drinking. In our case, it was water, San Pellagrino and an occasional coke. One replaced a bottle of red wine when we were almost finished with the bottle we got when we embarked. We have been in suites on the Summit, the Solstice and the Eclipse. YMMV!

Last October this was my experience as well. In fact, day one my butler asked what soda, beer, et cetera we'd like in the mini-bar. While I know this isn't the norm, it certainly is appreciated and pretty much guaranteed a nice extra tip at the end of the cruise! As an added bonus, the frig actually kept items cold and not cool like most seem to do.

I think one thing that really got to me was that by the end of one cruise I knew what song was next on the playlist. The ships need to change things up and not simply repeat the same loop over and over.

My sister-in-law is a TA and I couldn't be happier! While I'm savvy enough to handle most booking challenges, it's nice that I have someone I know and trust in my corner. Perks are also nice! :cool:

We’re on Silhouette next week. The hot. Glass show has been replace with another food venue on Silhouette. I will miss the Corning glass show, and would love to do a glass blowing class next time we are on a ship that offers it. There are plenty of places to eat, but glass blowing would be a very unique experience. I hope others will tell you (us) that it is worthwhile.

Enjoy your cruise—I love Equinox!!

Silhouette and Reflection have never had the hot glass show and were built with the Lawn Club Grill instead. I personally love the LCG! :cool:

Excellent interview. I appreciate your sharing it with us.

Just curious as to why you'd like to know how long it takes them to get ready when you "don't need help." :confused:

Last October we stayed at the InterContinental for our cruise. When I made the reservation I asked for a bay side high floor room. When I arrived at check in I was told that I had been upgraded at no additional charge and that, "I think you'll like your room." I was given the top floor corner penthouse facing the port! The view was stunning and the accommodations spectacular! Once in a lifetime upgrade, I know, but my wife and I truly appreciated and enjoyed our stay!

There are many restaurants near the hotel, and the restaurants in the hotel are also excellent.

Never heard of that, but wish it were so and retroactive. I've brought along quite a few new cruisers in the short time I've been cruising.

Congrats!

I do have a question: Will you get captain's club points for the Royal Suite or Sky? I would assume Royal since money is changing hands, but am curious.

Again, congrats and enjoy!

We sailed on her last October. We loved the ship, restaurants, and vibe. Excellent cruise from beginning to end.

Specialty restaurants include Murano, Tuscan Grill, Silk Harvest, and Sushi on 5. We especially love Murano. I agree with Texed. I wish there was a Lawn Club Grill. That would make Equinox even better.

Very enjoyable! Thanks for sharing...we love the Equinox!