marcij Posted March 2, 2010 #1 Share Posted March 2, 2010 Does anyone have a spreadsheet of helpful hints/tips for the S ships? This will be my 10th cruise, but first on an X ship. I've searched all 10 pages that are accessible, but don't see a thread or "sticky" with helpful hints info. I did try the search function, but wasn't sure what someone would have called it, so when searching "helpful hints or tips" all it gave me were the hundreds of threads on here with tipping (gratuity) debated. Any help would be really appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellbon Posted March 2, 2010 #2 Share Posted March 2, 2010 what do you want to know. . food, bars,, the cabins themselves or bathroom or what. many of us have been on the S class but I perfer to answer the correct question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcij Posted March 3, 2010 Author #3 Share Posted March 3, 2010 I'm looking for info that only an experienced X cruiser might know. On a different website cruise board for Disney, they had helpful info in one thread with things like what time is better to board, what times rooms are available or if you can drop your luggage when you board, what you can roll on as far as drinks and how Disney wants you to do it, if you have an inside cabin bring an alarm clock with light or a flashlight as their alarm clocks aren't lit and it gets dark, bring bungee cords to keep connecting doors open, you can order room service the night before as a "wake-up" call. Order room service and take it off of the ship to your destinion (if allowed by country), bring extension cords or a strip of outlets to plug in as there aren't many outlets, a "secret" deck in the back of the ship open to the public but not accessible from an area well-traveled, bring a bunch of one dollar bills for tips for room service... just lots of tips. Some of the questions I can ask or try to research, but there are things I don't know to ask because I've never been on the X "S" class. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitkat9438 Posted March 3, 2010 #4 Share Posted March 3, 2010 Which ship will you be on? The best thing to do is go to the search feature at the top of the Celebrity thread and type in the name of your ship or the cabin number you will be in, etc. and you will get all of the threads with information regarding the ship and or cabin, and sometimes you will find pictures. another thing you can do is start a new thread titled "All things ....(name of ship)" and ask for any help and suggestions relating to that ship and itinerary. I have done this with great success. Usually most the tips you mentioned can be carried forward to any cruise, with the exception of the secret decks, etc. Here's some tips of my own for Celebrity. 1. Most people like to board the ship between 12:00 and 1:00 if they are early boarders, like us. That way you can drop off your carry on bags in your cabin and get some lunch, then explore the ship before it gets too crowded. 2. We always travel with a travel alarm clock, even though Celebrity has wake up calls. 3. Concierge and Aqua class cabins are the same size as the regular cabins on the solstice class ships. You get many perks, plus an extra cruise credit (2 instead of 1). I particularly like the expanded room service menu you get in this cabin class. I will post the menu here for you. Concierge class menu: Concierge Class Signature Dishes ___Granola Berry Parfait ___French Toast Finger with Marmalade Butter ___Baked Bananas ___Scrambled Eggs with Fresh Asparagus Spears ___Sunrise Fritata ___Russian Sevruga Caviar (30 gr. Jar) with Traditional Trimmings - $44.50 Concierge Class Smoothies ___Mixed Fruit Smoothie ___Strawberry Smoothie ___Blueberry-Watermelon Smoothie ___Omega 3 Smoothie (prepared with Soy Milk) Concierge Class Teasers ___Classic Champagne Cocktail - $5.50 ___Mimosa - $5.50 ___Kir Royale - $5.50 ___Bloody Mary - $3.45 ___Virgin Bloody Mary - $2.50 ___Michel Roux Champagne, Half Bottle - $25.00 ___Laurent Perrier Rose Brut, 750 ml. - $95.00 ___Moët et Chandon Nectar Imperial, 750 ml - $72.00 Freshly Squeezed Juices ___Orange ___Grapefruit ___Pineapple ___carrot Chilled Beverages ___Tomatoe ___Cranberry ___Apple ___Fresh Milk ___V-8 ___Prune ___Skim Milk Fresh Fruits ___Honeydew ___Cantaloupe ___Banana ___Kiwi ___Pineapple ___Grapefruit ___Orange ___Mixed Fruits Yogurts ___Plain ___Strawberry ___Blueberry ___Mixed Fruits Cold Cereals ___Corn Flakes ___Raisin Bran ___Special K ___Oat Bran ___Total ___All Bran Hot Cereals ___Oat Meal ___Grits Eggs To Order ___Scrambled ___Fried ___Poached ___Boiled: __Minutes Special Instructions: ________________________ _________________________________________ Omelets ___Plain ___Cheese ___Mushrooms ___Ham ___Fine Herbs ___Smoked Salmon ___Western ___Onion Omelets can also be prepared with ___Egg beaters or ___Egg Whites (please check) From The Griddle ___Bacon ___Link Sausage ___Ham ___Low-Fat Chicken Sausage ___Canadian Bacon ___Corned Beef hash ___Hash Brown Potatoes Pancakes ___Plain ___Buckwheat ___Banana ___Blueberry Served with maple Syrup Pastries & Muffins ___Assorted Danish ___Croissant ___Blueberry Muffin ___Bran Muffin From The Bakery – Assorted Bread & Rolls ___French Bread ___Plain Bagel ___Multi-Grain Bread ___Onion Bagel ___English Muffin ___egg Bagel ___Soft Rolls Toast ___Whole Wheat Toast ___White Toast ___Rye Toast Preserves & Spreads ___Strawberry ___Marmalade ___Lt Cream Cheese ___Blueberry ___Honey ___Salmon Spread ___Blackberry ___Butter ___Raspberry ___Margarine COLD CUTS ___Salam ___Danish ham ___Black Forest Ham ___Smoked Salmon Hot Beverages ___Coffee ___Decaffeinated Coffee ___Black Tea ___Earl Grey Tea ___Darjeeling Tea ___English Breakfast Tea ___Herbal Infusion (__Mint __Chamomile) ___Hot Chocolate ___Hot Milk ___Green Tea Service Hours 6:00 Am To 11:00 Am Service Time Requested _________ Guest Name _______________________________ Stateroom Number____________ __________________ 4. Celebrity's solstice class ships' balcony cabins are roughly the same size, but the cabins on the angle of the hump have much larger balconies. I will post the desirable cabin numbers for both M and S class here. These are comments from other posters, not mine. Solstice Class: I personally LOVED my C1 hump cabin #1243 - about triple the size of a standard balcony - it was HUGE!!!!! Literally the largest non-suite balcony on the ship! The balcony was great for hosting cocktail parties - we had 25+ people out there one day! Being on the aft part of the hump there was virtually no wind issue to deal with. We got sun when we wanted it, and shade if desired as well. Due to balcony depth there were no privacy issues related to the angled shape. There are 58 +/- cabins with the same size balcony we had - they are: Resort Deck: 2105, 2109, 2106, 2110 Penthouse Deck: 1547, 1552, 1601, 1605, 1606, 1610 Sky Deck: 1075, 1044, 1231, 1243, 1247, 1108, 1120, 1124 Panorama Deck: 9155, 9192, 9209, 9215, 9237, 9241, 9266, 9270, 9292, 9296 Vista Deck: 8199, 8162, 8255, 8259, 8281, 8285, 8228, 8232, 8254, 8258 Sunrise Deck: 7159, 7206, 7215, 7219, 7241, 7245, 7260, 7264, 7286, 7290 Continental Deck: 6155, 6156, 6209, 6215, 6237, 6241, 6210, 6214, 6236, 6240 Most of these are on the hump, but some are forward where the ship starts to indent. The rooms run the range from Category 2C, 1A, C1, or AQ (with the exception of 6209/6210 which are categorized as 07 Obstucted Balcony - great balcony at a small price!). There are also many cabins adjacent to the ones I listed that also have oversized balconies that are about double the size of normal ones, but I would go for the triple sized ones first 5. We prefer to bring on our own water and soda. You can put a luggage tag on it and Celebrity will deliver it to your cabin or unload it in a carry on suitcase and carry it on yourself. You are also allowed to bring two bottles of wine. 6. Celebrity has a beverage package that you can purchase if you like to drink alcohol. You will have to check Celebrity's website for pricing. I paid $22/day for the frozen drink package and it was well worth the money. At the top of the Celebrity thread there is a "sticky" for the Solstice ship, with cabin information. If you will read through this thread you will find a lot of hints and information about the various cabins and there's also a spreadsheet that someone went to a lot of trouble to compile. Any ship in the solstice class will be similar to this ship. That means the Equinox and Eclipse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Blue Sky Posted March 3, 2010 #5 Share Posted March 3, 2010 I'm looking for info that only an experienced X cruiser might know. On a different website cruise board for Disney, they had helpful info in one thread with things like what time is better to board, what times rooms are available or if you can drop your luggage when you board, what you can roll on as far as drinks and how Disney wants you to do it, if you have an inside cabin bring an alarm clock with light or a flashlight as their alarm clocks aren't lit and it gets dark, bring bungee cords to keep connecting doors open, you can order room service the night before as a "wake-up" call. Order room service and take it off of the ship to your destinion (if allowed by country), bring extension cords or a strip of outlets to plug in as there aren't many outlets, a "secret" deck in the back of the ship open to the public but not accessible from an area well-traveled, bring a bunch of one dollar bills for tips for room service... just lots of tips. Some of the questions I can ask or try to research, but there are things I don't know to ask because I've never been on the X "S" class. Hello Marcij Our tips would be for 'S' class Take a book light as no lights on balcony, and attach to table for evening meal on balcony. Elastic band for the hairdryer as its one of the type where the button does not stay depressed. best wishes Mrs Blue Sky:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitty9 Posted March 3, 2010 #6 Share Posted March 3, 2010 I'm looking for info that only an experienced X cruiser might know. On a different website cruise board for Disney, they had helpful info in one thread with things like what time is better to board, what times rooms are available or if you can drop your luggage when you board, what you can roll on as far as drinks and how Disney wants you to do it, if you have an inside cabin bring an alarm clock with light or a flashlight as their alarm clocks aren't lit and it gets dark, bring bungee cords to keep connecting doors open, you can order room service the night before as a "wake-up" call. Order room service and take it off of the ship to your destinion (if allowed by country), bring extension cords or a strip of outlets to plug in as there aren't many outlets, a "secret" deck in the back of the ship open to the public but not accessible from an area well-traveled, bring a bunch of one dollar bills for tips for room service... just lots of tips. Some of the questions I can ask or try to research, but there are things I don't know to ask because I've never been on the X "S" class. I've been lucky to have cruised on most of the lines out there, and the questions you ask are pretty much generic and have the same answers---nothing really changes all that much from cruise line to cruise line. And what's the case for the S class ships is pretty much the same for the rest of the fleet---and honestly a lot of what you ask is the same for nearly every mass market line. Basics don't change much. Like other lines, you can board the ship around 11am. I've found that the shortest lines are around 1 to 2pm. But most passengers like to get on asap, and that's the case with all ships, so it will be crowded as soon as the terminal opens. Again, like most every line, the cabins are generally ready between 2 and 3 pm. As for luggage, again, it's pretty much the same for all ships. You can drop off your luggage as soon as every passenger from the previous cruise has left. You don't want to do that any earlier because you run the risk of having them mixed up with the bags from the disembarking passengers. Room desirability depend on what YOU want and what YOU can afford to pay. Desirability is different for everyone. Some prefer rooms mid deck, others prefer the aft cabins, some want a bigger balcony and for others, it doesn't matter as long as it's a cabin and it fits their budget. Some don't like cabins right below noisy public areas because of the perceived noise factor, but to others it's not an issue. But again, these things are considerations for every cruise ship. Perhaps if you list what cabin category you're interested in, we can give a few pointers on what might be considered the most popular ones. For us, we prefer the aft cabins because we love seeing and hearing the wake. Others love the bump cabins and still others absolutely want mid ship. There's no one correct answer to the cabin issue. As for the booze issue, Celebrity doesn't allow hard liquor to be brought on board (I don't think any cruise line specifically states that they allow passengers to bring on booze), but they do allow two bottles of wine per cabin. Like other lines with similar no booze policies, that doesn't mean people don't do it, but it is the policy not to allow alcohol. There isn't a limit for water or soda, and that is the case with most other cruise lines as well. While they don't specifically say "hey, bring all the beverages you want", they also don't specifically say no. Every line I've been on has the ability to pre-order breakfast by just filling out the card and hanging it on the door before you retire for the evening. And no matter the ship, everyone brings the dollar bills for room service tipping. As for the extras you bring, it's the same for just about every cruise line. Some people feel they need to bring all the amenities like a bungee cord (I still don't get that one---connecting doors on Solstice are held open by a magnet), extension cord, duct tape and the rest. Most passengers just seem to walk on the wild side and don't bother with the extras and make do with what they have. You are not allowed to take any food off a cruise ship unless it's factory sealed products like granola bars, cereal boxes and the like. Nothing that room service prepares is legal to take off the ship, especially meat, fruits, vegetables and baked items. This is the same for every cruise line. But like I said in the beginning, most of what you're asking about is the same for every cruise line. Not much of the basics, like the extension cord or the extra outlets, changes because you cruise on different ships. BUT there is ONE thing that makes all Celebrity ships different from most lines and that's their restrictive smoking policy. You cannot smoke in cabins, on balconies or in any inside public space with the exception of their observation lounges, on one side of that room only. You cannot even smoke in the casino. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellbon Posted March 3, 2010 #7 Share Posted March 3, 2010 I find that i am getting on the ship in FLL about1230.. i drop off my carry on and then go have lunch. i agree about the travel alarm clock just to know the time.. i do not wear a watch. i use they wake up service daily plus breakfast in cabin. Also no one mention the day you leave the ship if you can stay on to 930-10-last call you get off the ship fastr and tru customs in minutes. i sit at the coffee bar. many women carry their on hairdryer- i do not use one. hope all of us were some help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcij Posted March 3, 2010 Author #8 Share Posted March 3, 2010 There are actually a number of big differences in X and Disney, so I appreciate the time you guys took to type the information out. I had been able to find cabin info thanks to the sticky, and we are staying in an AQ cabin, traveling with people in three other cabins. I've also seen lots of debates on tipping and restaurants/dining, so this helps a great deal. Thanks again for your time and help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
germanyboy Posted March 25, 2010 #9 Share Posted March 25, 2010 We're on Celebrity Mercury October 2010- 17 nights Panama Canal Is it 2 bottles wine per person or couple you are allowed to bring on. I've seen both ways. And anyone know how many electrical outlets per inside cabin--say 8164-- and where they are? Germanyboy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camella Posted March 26, 2010 #10 Share Posted March 26, 2010 Germanboy - it is supposed to be two bottles per cabin. However people have been known to take two bottles per person without a problem. DON'T SHOOT THE MESSENGER HERE!!! Celebrity has a great wine list with prices in all ranges so you should be able to find what you want at a reasonable price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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