mr_bad_example
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Posts posted by mr_bad_example
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Full details here:
Use the packages everywhere.
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MAtravelbug,
We have experienced Blu on both the Summit and the Silhouette. We tend to dine at odd hours and rarely found ourselves in Blu for breakfast.
Generally speaking, we enjoyed the food, although we found the menu too limiting for a 14 night cruise if one is not eating at the specialty restaurants some of the time. We did not like that the bread selection did not change at all, and asked the F & B Manager about changing up the breads, since there were other breads served in the specialty restaurants. Lo and behold, beginning the next evening, they changed the bread selection daily!
Take a look at the menus, both on the ship and posted elsewhere on this site, and compare them to the MDR and specialty menus, then decide where to dine. Don't miss Qsine, but be sure to go with a group, or go very hungry, as you'll want to try as many things as you can! On our cruise, they offered us an iPad if one of us could eat 20 of the items. We did not try, as we knew it was a herculean task.
Keep this in mind: Aqua Class guests are generally spending more than the hoi polloi and they are typically older, as well. The food may be less flavorful than you might expect, as a result.
Derek and Katherine
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Wine-O,
Thanks for the smoking info! Love your "handle;" wish you were going to be on our 8/30 sailing.
Derek and Katherine
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Our experience on Celebrity has been from Inside to Aqua Class, although not on the same cruise, although we did go from Inside to Concierge Class on the same cruise, but that's another story.
The things we missed most when Inside were the wall of windows you get when you book a Balcony and above cabin and the additional space, perceived or otherwise, that came with the non-Inside cabins.
We have never paid for more than a Balcony cabin, so all of our Aqua Class experiences have been as a result of upgrades. Our preference has always been to look at the QPR (Quality/Price Relationship) when booking; we'd rather two cruises in a Balcony cabin than one in a Suite. I've left the Suite Class out of the information below, since that is a horse of a very different color.
No matter what class you are in, your cabin attendant is your friend. Ask nicely, and if he or she has access to it, it will magically appear. If your cabin attendant goes above and beyond the call of duty (gives you fresh sheets daily, get you bathrobes when you are in an Ocean View Stateroom, etc.) show him or her your appreciation. If you're on a budget and can't afford more than the standard gratuities, consider telling Guest Services, the Concierge or the Guest Services Manager about the eXceptional service; they have ways to reward the crew when guests take the time to single out those who go above and beyond.
An added bonus is that those crew members ALWAYS remember you. There is nothing like coming aboard to hugs and kisses from the crew as the word spreads that you're back (as happened to us on the Summit last fall), or getting emails over the holidays from crew who remembered us fondly.
We can't speak for Princess, but we can speak for our experiences on RCCI, Carnival and Holland America, and we believe that Celebrity is a "cut above." Judge for yourself.
Things you don't get if you don't book Concierge Class on Celebrity:
Services
Priority check-in
Express luggage delivery
Personalized Concierge service
Priority disembarkation based on your travel needs
Complimentary shoeshine service
Access to the exclusive Concierge Class Pre-departure Lounge
Dining
Main and specialty restaurant seating time preferences
Expanded room service menu
Amenities
Welcome Blanc de Blancs sparkling wine with a commemorative label featuring exclusive art work from the ArtCenter/South Florida artists
Pillow menu to suit your sleeping preferences
Daily delivery of Afternoon Savories
Plush bathrobes
Fresh fruit
Custom-blended bath amenities
Use of binoculars and golf umbrella
Extra handheld hair dryer
Celebrity tote bag
Stateroom Features
Hansgrohe® massaging showerhead
Things you don't get if you don't book Aqua Class on Celebrity:
Services
A Personal Spa Concierge to arrange Spa treatments
Welcome bottled water (two bottles, which posters say is replaced on request)
Daily delivery of flavored tea
Priority check-in
Express luggage delivery
Priority disembarkation based on travel needs
Complimentary shoeshine service
Dining
Exclusive access to Blu, a specialty restaurant featuring "clean cuisine" that also serves complimentary breakfast every day
Upgraded room service menu
Amenities
Complimentary access to the Persian Garden and Relaxation Room (Relaxation Room on Solstice Class only)
Aromatherapy diffuser
Pillow menu
Additional bathroom amenities, including shower gel, facial spray and lip balm
Plush bathrobes
Slippers
On-demand wellness programming including meditation and yoga
Stateroom Features
Hansgrohe® shower panel
Fog-free mirror
Enjoy your first Celebrity cruise.
Derek
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Jetswdo,
Many thanks for the "live blogging" review!
We are back on the Summit for the third time in 14 months for the August 30th sailing.
If you don't mind questions, could you tell us if smoking is still allowed on the port side at the Sunset Bar?
Many thanks, and safe travels!
Derek and Katherine
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If the Cup Match is held in Somerset, be sure to go! I was there in 2004 for the Match with my late wife and we walked from Cambridge Beaches to the pitch.
The locals were incredibly hospitable and the Match was a great time.
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Recent posters in this forum have indicated that Celebrity has copied the MUTS concept from Princess, and the movies on the Summit are shown on Deck 12, aft. The sound is said to be so loud it is audible IN the Deck 11 Aqua Class staterooms with the balcony doors closed.
Search this site for more details...
We have been on the opposite side of the deck and really enjoyed the stateroom, especially the quick trip downstairs to the Sunset Bar, but that was before MUTS. We are back on the Summit at the end of August.
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I received the email on Friday, June 6th headed "Massachusetts residents can save now. Save later. Save twice."
In the body of the email, it read: "Book your vacation May 12-June 15, 2014 to enjoy this offer. Plus, ask about our FREE PARKING at the port."
Having booked during that period for the June 15th sailing, I immediately called Celebrity and was told I was eligible for the voucher and that I was the first person to have called about the offer.
On Monday, having called to called about a problem printing our xpress pass (Celebrity couldn't print it, either), I asked to make sure the voucher was in the mail, as we are sailing on Sunday and we need to have the voucher by Saturday.
At that time, I was informed that there was a "problem" with the voucher. Two hours, three representatives and a long explanation about how marketing, customer service and revenue can't agree who has to pay for my voucher (I don't care, really, I just want what I was told I qualified for), I was given an equivalent OBC through Resolutions.
It is disappointing that the certified vacation planners are told one thing, which they tell the customers, and Celebrity does quite another thing. I wonder how many other people simply gave up without fighting for what they were promised...
Help with Summit to Bermuda
in Celebrity Cruises
Posted
We enjoyed at two week westbound TA on the Silhouette in late 2013 and our August 30th sailing on the Summit will be our third time in two years.
Each of the ships have their own charms. For a seven night cruise, we prefer the Summit for its size, warmth and most of all for its convenience - we drive three hours to the port, take whatever luggage we need or want and embarkation/debarkation is a breeze. No flights, no weight limits, no bag fees, etc.
We work stupid, crazy hours and when we travel we want to leave the stupid, crazy stuff behind, so we enjoy cruises with many sea days. For me, there is nothing more pleasant than sitting at the Sunset Bar, smoking a cigar, having a properly prepared mojito (or three) with new friends, solving the problems of the world, or simply reading a book, while taking in the sights, sounds and smells of the sea.
The Summit is big enough to lose yourself in, if you so chose, and small enough to feel cozy; we prefer the crew, as they appear, from a guest's perspective, to be a close knit group.
Would we like to see a larger choice of specialty restaurants? Sure. Would we like to see more activities on the sea days? Yes. We'll see what Ken Mills has planned in nine weeks. Would we like them to get rid of the DJ playing hip hop, or have them play music the adults on the cruise can dance to, you bet!?! That's an issue on every X ship.
Did we love the lawn club and a chance to sit with a large group of cigar smokers at the bow in comfy chairs on the Silhouette? Absolutely! Did we love the Lawn Club Grill and the large Cellar Masters? For sure. Did we drink all the Taylor's 20 year old tawny on the Silhouette and use up all the fresh mint? Damn straight!
But the Silhouette doesn't sail from New Jersey...and they dropped the 123GO promotion (at least the part with the beverage package) on the TA's and TP's...
Derek and Katherine