Mr305

Thinking of booking a Celebrity cruise. How bad of an idea is going with the base cruise fare?

Seas have been rough lately, not the kind of boat you want to be out at sea with. Thank you for sharing the picture.

Carnival Celebration has been doing 2-7 knots last hour or so just South/Southwest of Key West. Sea rescue or man overboard?

It’s going to get rough next 2-3 days as you head South. Fun starts tomorrow morning and will progressively get worse.

Just got off Celebration yesterday, MDR was ok. Breakfast was a mixed bag, some mornings it was good, others not so. Service was incredibly slow mornings and evenings. BTW, we went to the steakhouse on Thanksgiving Day, filet mignon was tough and sides were small plus cold. Emeril's was a hit this cruise, everything we ate was delicious and hot plus it was served quickly.

I was on Horizon a couple of months ago and it was being offered, had lunch there on embarkation day. I don’t remember it being advertised anywhere, just head there when you board. It’s a quieter venue, compared to the Lido madness. Menu is limited and if you are looking for certain beers they might be limited due to provisions being underway.

Norwegian Sky has been in rough seas since last night, doesn’t look to be getting any better. Anyone onboard?

Those are not StarLink numbers, looks like the old internet system. If you cruised on Celebration, those speeds are way higher.

I have two of them, they are nice and battery last a long time. Bought them at the Carnival online store.

When was elegant night? Which shows were on each night?

Steakhouse free wine is first night or first elegant night. Plus if I remember correctly, pricier wines are discounted during the same. I’ve taken advantage of this policy, it’s across all ships. Most recently did so on Conquest.

Been on Magic prior to its recent dry dock but here are some comparisons: Magic: Rooms are a bit dated, at the time I went on, the carpets were in need of replacement (Stains). Mattress was on its way out but besides this and above, everything else worked as expected. Rust was everywhere, even the paint job as a whole had an orange look to it (Pre-Covid). Shower curtain, no big deal. Staff was fantastic as well as all the dinning venues, older Carnival shows but you'll enjoy them. Internet was abysmal. No USB or additional outlets by the bed, just the desk area. Celebration: Blazing fast Internet. Rooms are a bit more narrow but longer, bathroom is on the small side. It has a shower door and lots of storage space. Plenty of outlets at the desk area, USB by the bed, both sides. Newer ship, decor is more pleasing compared to Magic. Not that the Magic decor is horrible in any way, shape or form. More modern/upscale looking. Lots of dinning options including some new restaurants (Shaq's Chicken, Rudi's Seafood Grill, ChiBang, Street Foods by Lido (3 options), Emeril's. Lots to do on the ship while at sea (Bolt, Bigger Obstacle Course, Multiple Pools,Etc.) Al Fresco options when it comes to dinning/eating, as well as plenty of outdoor seating areas. Loft19 as well as an expanded Serenity area. Ship is big and didn't feel crowded at all. The only negative about the XL Class is the stage area where most shows are held, seating is limited as well as the viewing areas. It will be a turn off as you'll have to get there quite early if you want good seats. Limited shops, for a ship this size, not many. Also, depending on where your cabin is, the viewing angle to front/back of the ship might be limited. Unless that is, your cabin is one of the ones at the very edge of the ship or a Cove Balcony. Avoid a cabin next to a Suite (Corner Ones) as they can see into your cabin from their balcony. YouTube to get a better idea. Main dinning room food or service was not great, however, I went on the inaugural cruise out of Miami. Expected as the crew is just getting their sea legs when it comes to service. Breakfast is served in different venues, plenty of options, not just Buffet or Main Dinning Room. Guy's Burger has its own covered seating area. Pig and Anchor is much larger, includes a "Heroes Tribute Lounge", plus you can get dinner as well as a free breakfast option here. We had a great time on both, I prefer Celebration. In fact, we will be back on this Thanksgiving on a 7 Day to the Eastern Caribbean. With that said, you can't go wrong with either one.

I think Crown Bay is mostly used by Royal Caribbean.

Keep in mind, VPN adds overhead, if the ship has the older WiFi service (Slow), it will make things crawl. As Carnival moves the fleet to StarLink, this will no longer be a concern.

A VPN is what secures your connection when on Public WiFi.

The trick to Grand Turk is to head to Jack’s Shack or just passed it on the beach. It will be sandy and free of rocks, plus you are away from the crowds. If you hang a right, there’s a smaller beach but very rocky. However, it’s peaceful and you’ll find a cruise center bar with food. Whatever you do, stay away from Margaritaville, tourist trap and packed with people. Outside of the cruise center, there’s not much to do or see.

Last year we did a 6 day on Horizon and most recently, a 3 day on Conquest. The weed was out of control on both these ships, you could smell it on people’s clothes as they walked by or when sitting out on the balcony. Celebration was a bit better last Thanksgiving but you would occasionally smell it. Not sure if this is also an issue on other lines but it’s getting frustrating, you can’t enjoy the balcony or some parts of the ship. As a result, we’ve started to look at other lines for future cruises.

I was on Conquest last weekend on a 3 Day Cruise. Carnival’s clientele has definitely changed. A lot of the folks on board were first timers. Our biggest issue was weed, even with dogs at the terminal, they were lighting it up on the balcony day and night. I’ve done about three of these cruises over the years, never seen anything like it. Let’s just say, that was my last 3 Day Cruise, at least on Carnival. I’ve also done 7 & 8 Day Cruises on Carnival, everyone is well behaved and the folks are a bit more upscale. Lots of Gold and Platinum cruisers. It’s a shame, all this does is destroy the product/brand. Hopefully the upcoming price increase will eliminate some of these issues.

Been on both twice, I prefer Horizon. - Teppanyaki - Steak House w/Piano - Cheery on Top has shakes - Newer ship

Someone got pictures of the potential waterspout from a friend aboard Valiant Lady, see Apex TranAtlantic thread in the Celebrity forum.

Another ship just behind Valiant Lady has significantly changed course. Celebrity forum has an Apex TransAtlantic thread going on, also nearby.

There’s an Instagram post about Valiant Lady stating that the ship encountered a severe wind storm. Pictures show quite a bit of damage to upper deck furniture and pool area.

Conquest pulling in to Port Miami after leaving earlier today, any ideas as to what happened? Guessing medical emergency. She’s been off the coast all evening.

How’s the WiFi service, will be on Conquest in June?

We sailed Magic on 2019, New Years cruise. She was a rust bucked at the time, long overdue for a dry dock. Room rug was heavily stained and some of the drawers were broken. However, we had an amazing time and the crew was fantastic. To date, we still talk about how much fun it was. Shortly after, COVID changed the world.