cruzers j&n

Freddy,

You and your family are in for a real treat. We went back in 2014 and to date, Norway still is one of my favorites. We are not outdoors/nature enthusiasts and still were blown away.

Our particular sailing attracted a much older crowd (i.e., 60+) and we did not see many kids, so just be prepared. We saw perhaps a handful of teens that were likely bored out of their minds (beginning of cruise) but at least they had each other and by mid-cruise, they seemed to be happy and stayed active on the basketball court (on Constellation).

Not sure of your itinerary, but re excursions, the standouts for us were 1) Pulpit Rock at the port of Stavenger and 2) the zodiac rides at the port of Geiranger. Both were truly once in a lifetime experiences and the scenery took our breath away. I feel these in particular are very well suited for your kids' age bracket, assuming everyone is relatively fit and enjoys the outdoors.

Pulpit Rock is not offered by general excursions team and would need to be arranged privately with either a private guide or the 'upgraded' ship excursion team. I have to warn you, it is not cheap, but wow - what an experience. And no, I don't regret spending the money, for us it was totally worth it, even though it was admittedly a rather painful experience for my husband and I who are not exactly athletes.:D Do yourself a favor and google Pulpit Rock for photos before deciding and if you do go, pop a pain reliever BEFORE starting your hike. Just a side note....we found out after our hike that German athletes use the Pulpit Rock trail to train for major competitions, should give you an idea of how strenuous it is - but our 8 yr old climbed it easily! Ahh, to be young again...

For a more detailed port summary, I'm including a link to my review which you may find helpful. Just scroll towards the bottom to skip the ship review and concentrate on the ports:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=258639

Hope this helps and enjoy your cruise!!

Hi there - I recently completed a B2B cruise and wrote a review which included photos of what was included in the various drink packages. Here's a link to the review, you can check out the photos which I took at one of the bars which should give you the breakdown of included drinks.

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=539197

Hope this helps!

Hello MSC YC fans,

I was trying to determine the closest experience of YC, would you say it's comparable to a true luxury cruise (Regent or similar), or more like Celebrity? If hotel brand is easier to compare, is it closer to a Ritz/Four Seasons or more like a nice Marriott/Hyatt/Hilton?

My guess from the many reviews/posts I've read so far that YC is likely a cross, but not exactly true luxury standards but pretty exceptional? Would you say that's a pretty accurate assessment?

We've cruised with Regent, Oceania and Celebrity and enjoyed them all (each have strengths in different areas). We enjoy diversity with passengers, crew, and destination BUT when cruising as a family, need to have high standards of service with regards to a child's food allergy that is life threatening. This is where I've found that a luxury brand shines, as the service ratio is higher and the staff are trained to be very detail oriented.

Most reviews I have seen tend to compare YC vs. the regular MSC product or with one of the mainstream cruiselines so was curious if the feedback would still be as positively reinforced if compared against Regent/Silversea, Crystal, or Seaborn?

Would love to hear any feedback (good or bad but I'm guessing most will be very positive!). Many thanks in advance. I am eager to give MSC a try, especially the YC! :)

Aloha Arsesta,

Firstly, congrats on your marriage and upcoming honeymoon! I totally understand your dilemma and have a similar travel style so feel like you are a younger version of me. :) So here is what I would be telling my younger self:

Agree with other comments about the train not being reliable. Besides the possibility of strikes, there is the cultural difference with regards to time schedules. So for example, a 3pm departure could be 3ish: more like 3 pm plus/minus 10-15 minutes. As long as it leaves in the 3 something range, this is deemed acceptable in Italy! Totally different scenario than traveling in say, Austria, Germany or Switzerland when trains are generally extremely punctual.

I get that you want to see as much as possible, especially with the long haul flight over. So while you may not regret rushing and seeing all that you can, I am pretty confident you will feel ripped off afterwards. Trust me in that if you enjoy traveling, you will find a way to return!

So with 3 days precruise that you can play with, and considering you will be on your honeymoon, I would suggest you look into going to the Amalfi Coast instead. Positano, Amalfi, Ravello, and Sorrento are all beautiful areas perfect for a romantic vacation and they are all close together, so you can visit more than one town (they are similar but if you have the time, visit them all). You can also combine a trip to Capri from Positano (quickest way is ferry but you'd have to check schedule). With the jet lag, this would be a very nice intro into Italy at a very relaxing pace. FYI, I only visited Positano, Amalfi and Ravello in one single (but long) day but importantly, did not feel ripped off even though the area was immensely beautiful. I would have felt ripped off though with just one single day in either Florence, Venice or even Rome. Also, Florence in particular will likely still be very crowded at end of Aug/early Sept so you would waste a lot of time waiting in lines for the museums.

Not sure what you are planning to do when the ship docks in Naples, but it's likely you'll be offered a tour to Pompeii so if you do that, you will have covered off some very nice spots already and save Venice/Florence for another trip.

I know others enjoyed Civitavecchia but I wasn't too crazy about it. To be fair, I only saw the outskirts and did not fully immerse myself. If I weren't going to visit Rome (or another city) precruise, I'd probably just spend one night prior in Civitavecchia just to make the transfer on the ship easy peasy and not use more of my precious vacation time than is necessary. If you do decide to visit the Amalfi coast, I'd highly recommend using a transfer company to get you to the port....or take a train with a few hours of cushion time just in case!

Hope this helps and enjoy your trip!!

Combination of using iPad and chubby fingers:D

Hi Peter,

When we visited last year, we found that most shops and restaurants listed prices in both kuna and euro, so I think you'll be fine using euros if you don't feel like getting kuna. Just a few precautions though....1) all the public bathrooms we visited required kuna, and kuna only, although I would guess that is depends on what kind of mood the bathroom attendant is in, and 2) when I did the conversions from kuna/euros to my local currency, the price in kuna wa definitely more favorable, so just something to be mindful of.

Also, right near pile gate in Dubrovnik, there are several ATMs where you can easily exchange money. If I recall correctly, there is an ice cream shop near the ATMs so a good excuse to spend any leftover kunas, problem solved!:p

Thanks CruisingChick....I plan to stay onboard to start unpacking in our new cabin (couldn't get same cabin for both cruises) but our first leg will just be as a couple (20th anniversary so our son was not invited :D!). The 2nd cruise our son is joining us, although he does not even know it yet. This will be a fun surprise for him at the end of a good school year.

Never done a B2B cruise before so not sure exactly what to expect, but I hope I can just move my luggage over to the 2nd cabin myself, assuming the room steward is ok with that. Any ideas?

Good to know about the parking situation after 1 pm, hopefully hubby can make it back to the port by 11 or even 12 noon but he'll have to hurry.

Thanks for your replies! Has anyone arrived at the port at 2 pm or later? I wasn't sure if the parking garage would be full or lines very crowded then. I'm hoping hubby can self disembark by 7:30 or 8 am to drive home and return w/our son by 11 am but not sure if he can make it back that fast.

Hello,

We have a B2B cruise on the Summit coming up this summer and have a question re the parking situation in Bayonne. We did a dry run recently to make sure we could find the place easily and were surprised at the size of the parking garage. It looked somewhat small considering both Summit AND Anthem passengers would be sharing it. Can past cruises lmk if it be large enough to house all these cruisers??

Also, we are doing the 1st leg as a couple to celebrate our 20th, but will be doing 2nd leg as a family. So hubby will need to get off quickly after 1st cruise and drive home to pick up our son. If they arrive by 2 pm, will there even be parking spots available? Just trying to figure out best way to manage this. Any suggestions welcome!

Thanks all in advance, this will be our 1st trip to Bermuda and we're really looking forward to it based on all the great reviews! Now hoping for good weather and smooth sailing!!:)

Thank you all for your feedback, I've contacted my TA and hopefully soon a booking will be finalized. Looking very forward to trying AZ and meeting all the friendly cruisers onboard.

uktog - I have your same problem! Now I only pack s-t-r-e-c-h pants and sundresses! :)

Hello! I am considering an upcoming AZ cruise to celebrate our 20th this July, however, the recent reviews have me wondering whether this would be a good decision. I understand that there would be issues coming out of dry dock but the concerns expressed (anything from food quality downgrade to service issues to a clingy shower curtain - yes, a pet peeve of mine too!) seem like matters that should have improved after a dry dock, not worsen! Are these reviews over the top or should we look elsewhere to spend our hard earned money? We have cruised with Celebrity, Oceania and Regent (and happy with each one) so were thinking of trying out AZ. We are fairly independent travelers in our 40's/50's with love of different cultures and good food. We have 1-2 glasses of wine with dinner but love specialty coffees. For this trip, we are looking for something relaxing rather than our usual go-go-go style. Thanks in advance for any insights.

p.s. We sail first for itinerary, then for the ship. The itinerary we are considering covers Venice, Hvar, Split, Dubrovnik, and Tirana. Hvar, Split and Tirana would be new for us so I hope these are worthwhile.

Hello – for those of you who have already taken the ‘Pearl of Adriatic’ sailing (or similar itinerary – Venice, Split, Hvar, Dubrovnik, Durres), would you HIGHLY recommend it? This sailing happens to fall on a special anniversary for us (our 20th!) but I’m afraid it will be…ahem….a bit boring, as it only has 2-3 new ports for us (Split, Hvar, and Durres – and Durres in particular doesn’t seem to attract much positive feedback). We are early 40’s/50’s, enjoy culture, a sense of adventure and great food. We have sailed with Regent, Oceania and Celebrity and enjoyed them all (for different reasons though). Hubby is a bit “Europe’d out” but I was thinking of doing a pre-cruise land trip to Istria to make the trip a bit more interesting. Any thoughts or suggestions? Would be grateful for any feedback. Thanks in advance!

Hi there - we currently have a mid-ship veranda cabin for our 2 week cruise in the Mediterranean (August). For those of you who have stayed in a FV on the Equinox (or any S-class) during the summer months in Mediterranean, did you feel a lot of movement? I am very prone to seasickness so always prefer a mid-ship location, however, we are traveling with our 9 yr old son and would love more space.

FYI, we have stayed in a corner FV on the Constellation last year and absolutely loved it! But, there was one day where I was ka-put from the motion so that stunk. I think the forward is even more prone to motion but I'm wondering if the Mediterranean will be ok? We have sailed in May previously in Mediterranean and I was fine but we had a mid-ship cabin.

I suppose if I get some seasickness meds in advance, I may be ok but rather not take anything if I can avoid it.

Thanks in advance for any feedback! :)

I saw this thread and just had to post! We sailed over the summer on the Constellation and my son, who has a severe peanut & tree nut allergy, ran into a a very scary scenario with cross contamination.

Despite our TA notifying Celebrity of his food allergy in advance, and reminding the dining staff constantly (who were familiar with his allergy and excellent by the way), he was still served a dessert that was cross contaminated with nuts. The dessert, per se, didn't actually have any peanut or tree nut ingredients - however, it was clearly cross contaminated. My son had allergic reactions when he took a bite so we gave him his allergy meds on the spot, which we always travel with despite the 'safe' food environment. This occurred during the worst possible scenario - a sea day - so it stresses the need to always be prepared.

Despite having dedicated food allergy areas, I should point out that I saw cross contamination throughout the ship. For example, the same ice cream scoop is used for nut ice creams and nut-free ice creams. The same tongs are used at Cafe Bacio to serve pastries with nuts and those without. By no means was I expecting Celebrity to go out of their way to accommodate my son's allergy, but they do need to clearly identify items that are safe/not safe for those with life threatening food allergies.

I am happy to say that some good came out of this...our TA had a cow over the incident and had Celebrity contact me to discuss what happened. I was told that a memo went out fleet-wide shortly afterwards explaining food allergies and highlighting the dangers of cross contamination given what happened to us. I really do hope that sharing my little guy's experience has made things safer for others.

So yes, do go and enjoy your cruise but don't assume others will fully understand food allergies...and most importantly, always carry your emergency meds. You never know when it will save your life.

Safe travels and happy cruising!!

Hi Terry - I saw your recent post to CJ and I've been meaning to tell you that I love reading about your trips and your photos are just downright amazing!! They make mine look embarrassing! I think X should hire you to lead one of their photo courses!

Now back to CJ's Norway trip... :)

Hi CJ,

Firstly, yes, I would highly recommend using a TA. The cruise will not cost you any more money than booking directly with X, except they do the leg work for your trip. That may not sound like a lot but this will spare you the frustrations of trying to get thru a call center, especially to ask about cabins or dining reservations. Also, many TAs will offer some type of additional perk (perhaps an onboard credit) so you can always ask.

Re the boredom question, I had the same EXACT concern...not just for my 8 yr old but also for my husband, who is anti-cold climates. Neither of them really wanted to go so I was completely outnumbered and was starting to even worry I made a very big and costly mistake. To boot, none of us are real nature enthusiasts but when we got there - wow! Even we were really impressed with Norway's scenery, and guess what? We all enjoyed it as well. We tried to vary our excursions so it didn't get repetitive. After a while, the waterfalls - as stunning as they are - start looking the same, lol! So that's why we purposely chose a different activity for each port of call.

If I'm not mistaken, I think X goes to Norway using the S-class ships next year and if that is the ship you will be taking, they really look beautiful (only have been on Constellation) and I would think would have more variety of entertainment than on an M-class ship. X does try its best to offer something for everyone so I'm sure your family will find some things that you'd all enjoy. If you can get a larger group of family/friends to tag along, even better!

I think the best advice I can offer is to set your expectations properly. If you're looking for a Mediterranean style of cruise, Norway is not it. But it will offer you grand and majestic scenery which is a very humbling experience. Also, the Norwegians were extremely friendly.

p.s. I just recently read about this little known outdoor park in Oslo where kids can have loads of fun (I think it offers ziplining!!). I'll try to find where I saw it and post back the name. Your kids may also like the experience of visiting Oslo's ice bar. Believe it or not, we got so distracted w/other sightseeing that we forgot to visit!!:(

Chrissiejames,

We went on a different ship (Constellation) to the Norwegian fjords this past July but would think your experience may be similar to ours. As one who is a fan of warm Caribbean waters, the pool was too cool for me personally. I noticed the only ones using the outdoor pool during our trip were the hearty: kids! There were also a few adults swimming but if I had to guess, they were from cooler climates and were just grateful to be able to swim.

There is an indoor pool but during our cruise, it was limited to adults, with the exception of the 5-7 pm range when kids/familes were welcome. Of course, this always conflicted with our dining times so we were never able to take advantage of it.

There were hot tubs in use so you could always enjoy those if the temperatures don't cooperate on your trip.

Also - on our particular sailing, the age skewed to a much older group/elderly crowd. Despite the summer timing, we had few children but my son didn't mind as that meant he could have more personal time w/the counselors in the fun factory and more video/gaming opportunities!

I did a review of all the ports we visited which you may find helpful in planning if you choose to go. Just do a search for "food allergy warning" plus "Norweigian fjords" and you should find it.

Hope you have an opportunity to go - Norway is a beautiful and active destination.

Thanks for all your feedback! What would I do without CC or Tripadvisor these days?

It seems like many prefer the cruise approach to Bermuda to help manage the expensive prices on land. Would you say they are comparable to other British islands, say Grand Cayman or Turks & Caicos (which I feel are on the higher side in the Caribbean)? I agree that on our 1st trip to Grand Cayman, our eyes bugged out from the grocery prices. :eek: However, after our recent trip to Norway, I think we're officially immune to sticker shock. $8 for a single Snickers bar? Yup!

All in all, it's encouraging to read so many say that 3 days is a good amount of time in Bermuda. While we do enjoy an occassional sea day or two, we prefer more active (port) days on a cruise as we cruise mainly for the destination. I was just surprised that I never came across a "3 days was too short" type of comment in the reviews so good to know you can catch much of the island sightseeing just by taking the shuttle.

Thanks for all your comments and please keep them coming!:)

Hello - we're considering a cruise to Bermuda (on Summit from Bayonne). For those of you who have already been, did you ever feel that you were rushed or shortchanged on time while in Bermuda? We have never been and were concerned that we'd be too rushed seeing everything in only 3 days.

I've been told that Bermuda is small, and that many hotels do not have beach front properties so a cruise is a good option. We tend to enjoy relaxing on the beaches and all of our Caribbean vacations have been at least a week in duration so 3 days seems so short in comparison, especially if the weather isn't all that great once you arrive (considering it IS a beach destination).

What do you think? Thanks in advance for all your replies.:)

Law Chick...I totally get your dilemma. Hubby and I are very busy parents in stressful jobs, the last thing we'd want is for our much anticipated vacation turn out to be a weather flop. On a cheery note, although we haven't been to Bermuda yet, we've been to Caribbean many, many times throughout the years and yes, we've experienced rain but never for a total 7 days straight. So, despite the gloomy weather forecast, the chances of you actually getting awful weather througout your entire cruise is somewhat slim. Besides, I can't tell you how many times we've been bummed by the forecast to be pleasantly surprised after arriving at our destination.

We recently returned from a cruise to the Norwegian fjords and although our forecast was rather depressing, guess what? We had the really great weather for most of the trip! Who knew? You could always set your expectations rather low like we did and if you get a day or two of sun, then you'll be happy.

What I'd be concerned with personally is how rough the seas will be. Obviously if it's hard rain, the waters will be more rough and if you're sensitive to motion, you may want to consider taking some meds or cancel.

I can tell you that if it were my hubby in your shoes, he would cancel although I'd try to stick it out. Having good weather especially at a beach destination is a big deal for him, and given his limited vacation time at a stressful job, I can't blame him for wanting a good vacation. Hope the weather clears for you so you can make an easy decision.:)

NLH Arizona, Scrappertraveller & gemmasjoy - thanks for your kind feedback and glad you found the review helpful!

irishwitchy - weather....oops, I did forget to include temps! What I've learned is that you can get all major climates in Norway in a single day. We were extremely fortunate and got mostly sunny clear skies with no humidity (no bad hair for most days) with temps around the mid-60's F. It rained lightly a few days but not enough to disrupt any plans to go out. Our particular cruise was June 26-July 8. Of course, there were some days slighly cooler and warmer too. I think the warmest was in the mid-70's F and the coolest was in the mid-50's F. Because of the wind, often times I would get too cold walking outside the ship after dinner time if I had short sleeves - long sleeves would have been ok. I also was very comfortable in the dining room in the evenings and I'm the type of person who is typically cold.

I found the things I wore most often were 3/4 sleeve tops, and when it got cool, I wore my camisole underneath as an extra layer - it's very thin so easy to pack. My heaviest 'jacket' was a cotton sporty one, I didn't bother bringing my fleece because I couldn't stuff anymore into my luggage. I did bring a light fleece jacket, heavier sleeveless vest and windbreaker for my son and he wore the fleece jacket most of the time. I brought a light windbreaker but never used it. By contrast, my hubby brought only 1 jacket and it was a windbreaker type but a bit heavier than the typical ones. He often packed it up in his backpack as he would get too warm by the afternoon.

I brought 5 short sleeve tops and it was too many - I only wore 2 around the ship. The best things I brought were lightweight tunics from REI. I liked they that they came with hoods in case it rained - but honestly that was just for fashion since the hoods weren't large enough to really protect you if it really did rain. Look for athletic wear and you'll find many synthetic type outfits which clean up much easier than cotton, still breathe, and are generally more lightweight to pack.

Regarding shoes....I understand your dilemna! I bought at the last minute a pair of skechers since I did not want to bring my bulky sneakers and ended up bringing both - but hardly wearing the skechers. You'll want worn-in sneakers at least if you do hiking since your shoes will get very dusty and depending on the excursion, you may encounter small rivers where your shoes will get soaked. Unless you intend to do a great deal of hiking, don't think you'll need hiking shoes per se but a good pair of sneakers will do. Since you're going in August, I presume the weather will be warmer so you might be ok with the sandals....although if it were me, I would definitley bring the closed toe ones for added protection.

If you are short on luggage space, I would say go for the sneakers/hiking shoes and you can 'cool down' by wearing a short sleeve top or lightweight/capri-like pants. Many of the sports stores sell pants that you can roll up/zip off if it gets too hot.

I debated about the very itinerary you are going on next month for the better (warmer) weather but ultimately went with the earlier one since it coincided with our anniversary. You will have a wonderful time - and hopefully even warmer weather than we did. At least you have a fighting chance of using the outdoor pool!!:)

Feel free to ask more questions while my memory is still fresh....I assure you it won't last very long!

I’ve seen many questions on the boards inquiring how an Oceania cruise compares with a Celebrity cruise, so will do my best to give some feedback. I realize these lines are not in the same category so truthfully it is not fair to compare against each other, however, hopefully this will help those planning future cruises. Also, we're not seasoned cruisers and only have cruised 4 times prior to Celebrity so the review is just based on our 4 past experiences.

Precruise

We stayed at the Movenpick Amsterdam and its location can’t get more convenient for cruisers – right next door! I was debating staying there vs. a more central location, but did not find the walk to town bad at all. It’s only about a 15-20 minutes leisurely walk and that’s with a child. The time goes quickly with plenty to see en route.

Embarkation

Embarkation was efficient, I think we boarded around 11 am and from start to finish, it lasted around 30 minutes. By comparison, we just waltzed in for both Regent and Oceania check-ins but they don’t have the same crush of passengers as Celebrity. It was a bit of a zoo once we got onboard the Constellation but we managed just fine and were excited to explore the ship.

Cabin

Our cabin (corner family veranda) was wonderful – spacious and with plenty of storage space. I especially appreciated that there is a separate walkway before you actually get the room, so that the bed isn't the first thing exposed when you open the stateroom door. The veranda was plenty large, especially for our family of 3. I thought sleeping would be an issue with the nearly constant daylight but the black-out curtains worked very well. The bathroom was a totally different matter altogether – we thought it stunk, literally! The bathroom itself and décor were basic and ‘functional’ but what was awful was the ever present smell of urine no matter what, yuck! We’ve never encountered any bad odors on our other cruises so perhaps this was just this particular cabin but next time, I’ll be sure to bring an air freshener. With Regent and Oceania, we only had oceanview categories but their cabins were still more luxurious compared to Celebrity, especially the bathroom. But overall we were very happy with our cabin so no complaints there other than the stinky bathroom.

Dining

Overall the food was very good! We preferred the dining room meals over the buffet. The breakfast/lunch offerings included a wide range for everyone, variety was never an issue – but honestly I didn’t feel anything offered was truly outstanding. After being so spoiled by Regent and especially Oceania, Celebrity’s buffet seemed more like a cafeteria - which was fine but not the highlight of the cruise as it would be on Oceania. Celebrity’s Indian food at the lunch buffet was consistently very good; the selections did repeat themselves but we didn’t care since they were so yummy. The roasted bone-in meats were also consistently good. I found myself getting very impressed with the dining room dinners, even thinking that some courses came pretty close to Oceania. Of course, there were several so-so meals there too – hubby managed to pick those, lol! My favorite entrees were the prime rib, chateaubriand, and Colorado lamb chops and no, I am not a big red meat eater but they were so delicious that I could be converted. My 8 year old son, who absolutely hates steak, devoured the chateaubriand, as well as the delicious salmon tartar appetizer that I shared with him. Desserts were pretty good too; the dining room chocolate cake was consistently moist and tasty and at Café Bacio (and sometimes at the buffet as well), we especially enjoyed the chocolate and coffee flavored cake – surprisingly not overly sweet so perfect with a cup of coffee. I admire the large variety offered on the ship to accommodate all the different tastes and cultures. It was nice to see Executive Chef Gavin surveying the goings on during the busy lunch hour at the buffet and yes, he is very approachable! He and his team do a wonderful job feeding so many people and doing so with such variety, certainly not an easy task.

We had one meal at Oceanliners and that was a complete mistake! Firstly, there is such a strong upsell for alternate dining throughout the cruise that it was actually off-putting but since this was our first time with Celebrity, we figured we’d give it a try. The Oceanliners menu included Chateaubriand and since we enjoyed ours so much at the dining room, we thought this way we could have it again. My hubby and son ordered the chateaubriand medium (slightly pink inside) and it was completely over cooked and not tender. I ordered the sole and asked for a butter/lemon sauce (sole Meunière) and it came back with a side of just melted butter so the dish tasted greasy vs. delicious. Oh well, we didn’t complain and did our best to enjoy our meals. However, we were very taken off guard when our bill arrived. The person who sold us the package (Carlos) told me he would give us a discount, using the wording ’20 for you and your husband, and 10 for your child’. I even repeated “20 per person and 10 for my son?” and he agreed. I mistakenly assumed that meant $20/adult and $10/child being the discounted price but he meant 20%/10% off so that translated to $40/adult and $20/child (regularly $50/adult) so our bill was nearly $130 after taxes/gratuity. I never would have guessed that a specialty restaurant surcharge would be so expensive at $50/person, especially when the dining room was quite good…so you've been warned! To be clear, we have no issue in paying for dining surcharges but those selling specialty restaurants need to be forthright about the full charge, not using wording that can be misleading. That is just tacky, unprofessional and simply bad taste that reflects poorly on Celebrity. That said, the service from the waitstaff at Oceanliners was excellent and comparable to Oceania and Regent.

Kids Club

This was the main reason we chose this sailing. We prefer Oceania for its quality of meals, high level of service, and country casual dress code, but needed a kids club for our son to make this truly an enjoyable family vacation for everyone. So we utilized the Fun Factory quite often, usually in the afternoons after a busy day in port or after dinner. There were not many children on this cruise, but around 10 in the 8-10 age range so my 8 year old son enjoyed his time interacting with the other kids, several that spoke only very limited English but it's wonderful that children can still get along despite language barriers. This was a great opportunity for him to get exposed to other cultures and nationalities which was one of our goals. I wish the counselors took the kids outdoors to play basketball to take advantage of the court or use the pool, but perhaps they are not permitted to do so. The programs rotated daily and the counselors worked hard to keep the kids entertained.

Entertainment

We only caught a few shows: illusionist (fun and engaging), Cirque du Soleil themed show (my son enjoyed a lot), and a very talented pianist. If you've seen Cirque du Soleil perform in the past, I don't think you'll be overly impressed with Celebrity's show but admittedly that's a tough act to follow. For the pianist, we were actually expecting classical music but he played more contemporary music with a recorded orchestra in the background which was not our particular taste, but his talent was showcased nonetheless. The CD JC and his sidekick Mark put on entertaining 'daily shows' and just watching JC laugh is enough to put anyone in a good mood. Many times, I would catch my son tuning in just for laughs. During the late afternoons/evenings, there was a duo playing the near atrium area (you could hear/see them playing from Café Bacio). I had a chuckle reading a previous review saying the girl played the same thing over and over on her sax - which was true, but I suppose she has a playlist she has to follow. Captain Tasos was also a good sport joining along for some of the activities.

As a side note, it was so fun to catch the World Cup matches on the ship! They set up a viewing area at the Cellar Masters and although satellite did not always cooperate, it was great to be able to catch most of the games and share some camaraderie (whether it’s rival or not!) with the other guests.

The outdoor pool was in use during our cruise and only the hearty were using it - kids! Needless to say, we enjoyed the hot tub instead and indoor pool which was primarily an adults only area for most of the day.

Service

Service overall was consistently friendly and good. Honestly Oceania and Regent are better in this regard in that their staff appear to be more seasoned. For example, Oceania/Regent staff were very observant and anticipated my needs before I even had to ask whereas there was none of this on Celebrity….but you pay for this type of service. Also, at any buffet on Oceania/Regent, you are always offered beverage service (virtually no waiting for this) and often there are staff ready to take your plates to the table for you. This wasn’t a big deal for us but this type of service can be helpful for those that may have difficulty with mobility.

A Big Celebrity Oops - Food Allergy Warning!!

Unfortunately, we had one very serious issue concerning food allergies. My son has a severe peanut and tree nut allergy which is life threatening and the Dining Room staff were fully aware. Towards the end of our cruise, my son ordered the chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream (supposedly no peanuts/tree nuts) and upon eating the ice cream, he said ‘this has nuts’ since he had an immediate reaction (itchy throat/mouth). I had a taste of the ice cream and sure enough, I could taste some type of brittle, not the usual vanilla flavor. Our poor waiter Renato, who is the best ever, ran to the kitchen to double check with the chef and came back reassuring us that the chef confirmed the vanilla ice cream had no nuts. The head server/maitre d’ also quickly came to our table to tell us that the dish had no nuts. However, what bothered me most was that there was no acknowledgement of the reaction my son was having – it’s not something he would make up, nor the fact that it’s very possible that there was cross contamination in the kitchen. It’s a busy kitchen and human error is very possible - the person scooping the ice cream could have scooped up something other than vanilla, or more likely, used a scoop that was already used previously with a nut ice cream. Clearly, they were focused on confirming that there are no nuts in the vanilla ice cream for fear of a lawsuit rather than truly looking into what could have happened. Once we got back to our cabin, my son threw up his entire meal – another sign of cross contamination. I did phone down to the dining room after this occurred, as I wanted to warn them not to give that same dessert to others with a peanut/nut allergy. Hopefully they did their part.

As a warning to others with peanut/tree nut allergies, please be aware of the cookies! I noticed that a variety of cookies were displayed in the buffet, clearly labeled with nut warnings. However, there were identical jars and cookies at Café Bacio without any warnings. I asked several times whether the cookies had any nuts and each time, depending on who was working there, received a different answer. They also use the same tongs to pick up items so obviously cross contamination occurs on a daily basis. As a side point, we loved Café Bacio and thought Celebrity’s coffee area was superior to Oceania’s – larger and more extensive menu.

Ports/Excursions

Ports visited from Amsterdam were: Stavenger, Olden, Molde, Alesund, Geiranger, Flam, Bergen, and Oslo. This was the one time we didn’t book excursions in advance since so much was weather dependent. Thankfully, we were blessed with really great weather and were able to maximize our time outdoors. Oh, and we didn’t encounter any mosquitoes and I am a mosquito magnet, thank you Norway!!

Stavenger: We climbed Pulpit Rock and survived!! While researching for our trip, I came across so many comments saying that there was no way you could do this and make the ship. So I emailed a colleague who used to live in Norway and got encouragement to visit while docked in Stavenger. Most folks took the fjord cruise to Lysefjord, but Rodne Fjord runs this exact excursion and is located a few steps from where we docked so if you’re going to do, I would suggest checking them out first as they’re bound to be much less expensive than the ship’s excursion. An excursion to Pulpit Rock is not even offered on Celebrity’s shore excursion listing so you had to ask for it. Of course, expect to pay a lot (it was over $800 for all 3 of us) but I would say it’s worth it (and our anniversary present J). They had to rent out a bus (super new and clean), arrange for ferry transportation, and then transfer another 30 minutes or so to the hiking base for Pulpit Rock. It is doable if you wanted to do independently although I would not recommend this as you can waste a lot of time trying to figure out where to go and the hike itself will take around 4 hours roundtrip unless you’re already a fit hiker (then maybe 3 hours). The hike is very dangerous, with the trails consisting of large rocks with 45 degree angles and they are very wobbly. It’d be very easy to break an ankle or fall from this type of terrain. My hubby thought he was going to have a heart attack since the hike was so strenuous and was cursing me out at each step (happy anniversary)! Try not to bring a heavy backpack as it will feel as if the weight doubled very quickly. Meanwhile, we were so worried about our 8 year old being able to make the climb and he was the one who had the easiest time. So unless you are younger or are super fit, please google Pulpit Rock for some photos first so you can have an idea of how challenging the climb is. If you’re able to go, you’ll be rewarded with an amazing view (and photos). Big tip: take an advil before you hike!

Olden: We took the ship excursion to Briksdalen Glacier and loved it! After yesterday’s hike to Pulpit Rock and still sore, we were somewhat concerned about this hike as it was classified as ‘strenuous’. It’s a piece of cake compared to Pulpit Rock! The entire hike was very beautiful and when you get to the glacier feed, the water is a beautiful teal color. This was my favorite excursion since Pulpit Rock was so agonizing in comparison.

Molde: We wandered around town and got free wi-fi. Just follow or look for the crew and you’ll find the hot spots. We paid for a wifi package and were dropped so often that we didn’t think it was worth it. Just go to port and get free wi-fi. The town was small but pleasant to stroll around especially since the weather was beautiful. We were originally booked on the Path of the Trolls tour but cancelled out thinking it’d be too long of a day (spend time mostly on the bus). We ended up running into someone who went and said it was just ok.

Alesund: The morning we arrived, it was dreary so we stayed put. By lunch time, it was back to being nice and sunny so we went into town but didn’t find much to do so went back to the ship. This was my least favorite port but to be fair, we didn’t explore very far. Destination services recommended the saga islands and aquarium but my son wasn’t interested so we ended up cancelling.

Geiranger: Absolutely majestic and beautiful, defies words. I’m not even a big nature lover but I loved this port, it's my absolute favorite. Years ago, I thought I hit paradise bliss when we visited French Polynesia (Bora Bora, Moorea, Tahiti, etc.) and saw so many beautiful motus. This is a different type of beauty…you’ll just have to go yourself and experience it! We took the RIB boat excursion and it was fantastic, hubby's favorite excursion. We booked the later one (vs. early morning) and was glad we had a later slot since it gets cool on the water. You’re given suits that make you look like a race driver so you’re protected against the wind, so don’t overdress or you’ll get very hot in your suit. The place that runs the excursion is right on dock, so you can save yourself some money and book directly with them. We didn’t know any better so booked with Celebrity and paid a small fortune. You’ll also have time to take the hike to the beautiful waterfall, which is located near the camp site. Walk about 10 min from dock and you’re there. Also, there is free wi-fi in front of the ice cream store.

Flam: After seeing the views from Pulpit Rock, Briksdalen Glacier, and then Geiranger, I have to admit that Flam was just ok for us and the train ride was our least favorite excursion. We had an overcast day with some drizzle, so perhaps that affected our perspective. The train was so crowded (not a single empty seat) that often times you couldn’t see much as people would get out of their seats and block the view trying to take pictures. The waterfalls that they stopped at weren’t more impressive than the scenery in Geiranger on the RIB boat, except that you’re fighting crowds to get a photo on the train excursion. You also stop by a hotel that serves waffles/coffee which was a nice treat. We were thinking of combining the train ride with a downhill bike ride but glad we didn’t as the roads were slippery from the rain and I would have wiped out. I should point out that the train station is a literal 2 minute walk from dock so you do not need to go through the ship’s pricey excursion. Again, we paid a pretty penny booking through Celebrity because I was worried about navigating to the train station but I should have done some homework. Do book online early as the times do get sold out quickly.

Bergen: Enjoyed this port, one of the better ones for shopping. Some of the open wide areas reminded me of Vienna (Kartnerstrasse in particular) so very easy walking. The fish market is close by (10 minutes), although a heads-up that many merchants there only accept a chip & pin embedded credit card, so US bank issued credit cards will not work. Arm yourself with local currency if you do not have this type of credit card and want to eat there.

Oslo: We took the HOHO bus and visited Vigeland park. I couldn’t believe we forgot to visit the Ice bar! I knew it would be very touristy but we wanted to go for fun, oh well. Was not overly impressed with Oslo although we enjoyed the park.

So overall, we really had a wonderful time and enjoyed this cruise, enhanced by the friendly crew and staff and of course the wonderful weather. Favorite ports were Geiranger, Olden and Stavanger in that order. If you decide to visit Norway, pack lots of layers. I packed gloves/hat just in case and never needed them, although a nice scarf for the ladies could dress up an outfit and provide some added warmth without adding much bulk. If I had to do over again, I would bring much less cotton clothing. I brought those for my son as they are comfortable, but they take a lot longer to dry when laundered. The synthetic clothing was much easier to clean/dry. We had a huge veranda so could take advantage of laundering ourselves over a 2 week trip.

If you have life threatening food allergies, please do yourself a favor and be prepared for the worst. You can’t expect that everyone will understand how severe allergies can be so arm yourself with vigilance and medication and enjoy your cruise.

Hope you’ve found these observations somewhat helpful in planning your trip! Happy travels to all.

We've been to many of these destinations previously but not all, and based on our experience would say that both itineraries really do look great. What I would add, however, is that the time of year you're considering is important. For example, when we visited Ephesus, it was in early June and it was so incredibly HOT!! I can't imagine going in August. However, the Greek isles were pleasant in June for sightseeing but the water was quite cold and not great for swimming. So if you're thinking of tagging on a trip pre or post cruise, you'll want to go at least in July/Aug/Sept if you intend to swim on the isles. We spent nearly 2 weeks in mid June between Athens, Mykonos, Rhodes, and Patmos and the weather was nice & sunny and perfect for strolling around. Also, the Greek isles each have a very different personality so don't think that if you've seen one, you've seen them all. Enjoy your cruise with whichever itinerary you chose!

Hi Scubamommy - enjoyed reading your trip report....and looking forward to your next one. :) Did you notice any sports equipment or sports oriented games at the FF? I thought I read in a previous post that there was basketball - although I can't imagine a ship having space for a court. Just curious as to what types of sports activities they offer as I rather have my son being active rather than sitting playing videos or watching tv...plus he loves playing sports. Thanks in advance!

Dear fellow CC mates,

For those of you who are currently booked and are not happy with their existing cabin, just a heads-up that a veranda cabin on the July 5 Quest sailing will soon become available. Currently, they are all sold out no doubt due to the popular upgrade/choice air credit promotion held earlier last year.

Unforunately, my in-laws are no longer in a position to care for our son during the trip so we have booked a cruise instead with Celebrity to the Norwegian fjords, hoping it is a more family friendly cruise that we can all enjoy.

For all of you on the Quest sailing, have a wonderful time!! Please post a cruise review...Croatia has been a place I've been wanting to visit for a very long time....some day I hope to get there!:)