The "new" Celebrity Secrets thread

[chamima]

Just thought of another question.

Are there chocolates on the pillow at night? (I know it's a little thing but I look forward to it. )

 

I also have a Princess related question. On Princess we can "gift" ourselves cash pre cruise (it's charged to our designated charge card) and then pick it up from the Purser on the cruise without any extra charge, thereby having cash for excursions, etc. without having to carry that cash with us on the trip to the ship.

Can we do this on Celebrity?

 

Since I got so many responses so quickly about the chocolate, does that mean no one knows if this is possible or not?

[viewtech]

Celebrity is actually running a special on the drink packages right now. 10% off. I believe this does not include the wine packages. You have to purchase the package before June 15th. Check Celebrity's website for details!

Just purchased wine package and it is included in the 10% off special! Yahoo !!!

[AerynSun_JohnCrighton]

Mr. B. and I save every last chocolate (after all, we did just have dessert, plus ice cream earlier in the day) and bring them all home.

 

It's almost a contest to see who can have one left when the other person's are all gone.

 

Btw, you can bring a bottle of your own wine to dinner, but the corkage fee is $25.

 

What about the bottle they give CC and above??? Does this require the corkage fee? I was hoping to take it w/ me and 'upgrade' it to a Riesling the first night!!

[Lois R]

I also have a Princess related question. On Princess we can "gift" ourselves cash pre cruise (it's charged to our designated charge card) and then pick it up from the Purser on the cruise without any extra charge, thereby having cash for excursions, etc. without having to carry that cash with us on the trip to the ship.

Can we do this on Celebrity?

 

Since I got so many responses so quickly about the chocolate, does that mean no one knows if this is possible or not?

 

Hi....you basically want to have credit already on your account, correct?:)

Yes, you can do this.....call the Bon Voyage number on the website

and you can give yourself as much $ as you want. You do not pick up

anything at Guest Relations though. It will be money on your account...

and everything you buy will be charged as usual and the credit will pay

for it......make sense? I have done this before so I know first hand

and it works.....

 

Oh wait, you want cash? Sorry, misread your post.....nope, I have

never done that before........don't know if the credit card process you

are referring to is available or not......

[chamima]

Hi....you basically want to have credit already on your account, correct?:)

Yes, you can do this.....call the Bon Voyage number on the website

and you can give yourself as much $ as you want. You do not pick up

anything at Guest Relations though. It will be money on your account...

and everything you buy will be charged as usual and the credit will pay

for it......make sense? I have done this before so I know first hand

and it works.....

 

Oh wait, you want cash? Sorry, misread your post.....nope, I have

never done that before........don't know if the credit card process you

are referring to is available or not......

 

 

Lois

That's kind of what we do on Princess.

We call their version of Bon Voyage and "gift" ourselves cash for OBCs but once onboard we can take the vouchers and just get cash for them.

Saves carrying cash on the trip to the ship AND we get benefits from charging them on our charge card. We pay it off before the cruise so have no interest charges either. It's a win-win-win.

 

I wanted to know if Celebrity has any version of this.

[Lois R]

Lois

That's kind of what we do on Princess.

We call their version of Bon Voyage and "gift" ourselves cash for OBCs but once onboard we can take the vouchers and just get cash for them.

Saves carrying cash on the trip to the ship AND we get benefits from charging them on our charge card. We pay it off before the cruise so have no interest charges either. It's a win-win-win.

 

I wanted to know if Celebrity has any version of this.

 

In 9 years of cruising with them, I have never heard of it. As for carrying

cash? I am probably old school and I sail solo (not that it matters)

but I always carry some cash with me on every trip.

[gdpups]

How did you get the 10% off the wine package? When I check it shows the normal price for the wine packages, but discount for the beverage packages???

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

What about the bottle they give CC and above??? Does this require the corkage fee? I was hoping to take it w/ me and 'upgrade' it to a Riesling the first night!!

 

You may take it to the MDR with no corkage fee since the bottle came from Celebrity. We always share ours with our tablemates. Your cabin steward will send it down. Reports differ on the success of trading it in for something else. You can certainly try.

[dfwtraveler]

DW and I did two cruises on S-Class ships in 2011 (Solstice and Eclipse). Here are a couple of pearls:

 

1. The Oceanview cafe (Lido-style buffet) tended to be packed around 9am for breakfast and 1pm for lunch each day on both ships. Not sure why, but watching where the crowd moves and when can help you avoid aggravation when heading up to Oceanview for meals.

 

2. You'll have an excellent opportunity to try new foods so be adventurous on X! Because Celebrity ships play host to folks from "both sides of the pond," the Oceanview had a much wider variety of foods at all meals than other cruise lines and gave us a chance to try some new things for free (i.e., bangers & mash at breakfast time) we normally wouldn't have tried.

 

3. Take care of your sommelier and he/she will take care of you. If you are an oenophile, engage them in conversation and take care of them. You may be fortunate enough to score a free tasting at your table in the MDR.

 

4. The wine tastings and Reidel glass tasting experiences are worth every penny. Again, if you like wine you owe it to yourself to go. Very reasonably priced and your sommelier can help with additional samples of wine you like. Just ask.

 

5. On the S-Class ships, we found that everyone congregated around the Martini Bar just outside the MDR before and after dinner. Get there early to get a seat at the bar where you can enjoy all the tricks the bartenders do while they make martinis and people-watch on Formal Nights to your heart's content.

 

6. If you frequent the Molecular Bar during your voyage, the mixologists may offer to make you special, "off-menu" drinks. If this happens, DO NOT pass up the opportunity! On my 40th birthday the mixologist made a special drink for me that's one of the best things to ever pass over this set of lips.

 

7. The best currency on these ships isn't American, it's in the form of prepaid international phone cards. Do yourself a favor and spend $50-$100 (or whatever) on a pack of them at Costco or Sam's Club. Dole them out as a reward for good service or to ensure good service. You have no idea how much this means to these people!

 

OK, so these aren't necessarily secrets but they were things that made our cruise more enjoyable. Again, just ask and you may be pleasantly surprised at what you receive.

 

Great advice! I never thought of handing out pre paid phone cards but its such a great idea. This is our 1st celebrity experience so we r excited.

[ibouncetoo]

Celebrity is actually running a special on the drink packages right now. 10% off. I believe this does not include the wine packages. You have to purchase the package before June 15th. Check Celebrity's website for details!

 

Hmmmmmm...thought this was for CRUISES prior to 6/15...better go back and look to see if I can get this discount on a cruise for next year.

 

(New to Celebrity and my head is spinning...thankfully I have a lot of time for learning!)

 

.

[Muushka]

I combined all the tips and here is a new list, well 3 actually including the acronyms. Feel free to correct or add to it.:)

 

Commonly Used Acronyms on Cruise Critic (thank you Joanie)

 

HAL - Holland America Line

X - Celebrity Cruise Line

RCI or RCCL - Royal Caribbean International or Royal Caribbean Cruise Line

CCL - Carnival Cruise Line

CC - Cruise Critic

DH - dear or darling husband (depending on mood "D" might stand for a based term *Grin*)

DW - dear or darling wife

DD - dear or darling daughter

DS - dear or darling son

DSiL - dear Son In Law

DDIL - dear Daughter In Law

MIL - Mother In Law

FIL - Father In Law

BF - Boy Friend

GF - Girl Friend

DF - Dear Fiancee or Dear Friend

SO - Significant Other

OP - Original Poster (i.e., the person who started the thread)

FOB - Friends of Bill W

FOD - Friends of Dorothy

IMO - in my opinion

IMHO - in my humble opinion

JMHO - just my humble opinion

YMMV - your mileage may vary (what happens to you may vary as what happens to me)

CD - cruise director

ACD - Assistant Cruise Director

SHOREX - Shore Excursion (office)

HM or HotMan - hotel manager

GRM - guest relations manager

NL - Neptune Lounge

SoE - Signature of Excellence (HAL's new Standards for their ships)

TA - Can stand for either Travel Agent or Transatlntic, depending upon the useage in a Post/Thread

PCC - Personal Cruise Consultant

FCD - Future Cruise Deposit (You pay this while on board a HAL ship)

FCC - Future Cruise Consultant (the person you pay the FCD to while on board ship)

OBC or SBC - On/Ship Board Credits

PG - Pinnacle Grill

MDR - Main Dining Room

AYWD - As You Wish Dining

M&G - Meet and Greet

FAQ - Frequently asked question

e-Docs - Electronic Documents

B2B - Back to Back cruises, usually on the same ship

IIRC - If I recall/remember correctly

TIA - thanks in advance

AFAIK - as far as I know

FWIW - for what it's worth

FYI - for your information

BTW - by the way

OTOH - on the other hand

IDK - I don't know

ROF - rolling on floor

ROFLMAO - rolling on floor laughing my a** off

LOL - laughing out loud

VBEG - very big evil grin

GMTA - Great Minds Think Alike

IMCO - In my considered opinion

IMHO - In My Humble Opinion

IRL - In real life

ISO - In search of

JK - Just Kidding

JMHO - Just My Humble Opinion

JMO - Just My Opinion

OIC - Oh, I see!

OMG - Oh My Gosh! or OH MY GOD!!

OT - Off Topic

PITA - Pain in the “a**” (Use this if a board friend has gotten a little heavy handed with acronyms)

POV - Point of View

PTMM - Please tell me more

RE - Regarding

TMI - Too Much Information

TTYL - Talk To You Later

WB = Welcome Back

WRT - With Respect To

YMMV - Your miles may vary (Your view may be different than mine)

 

Joanie

 

 

Food, Drink and everything

 

1)On most cruises, if you would like to eat at a specialty restaurant on the first night, ask when you get on board....because they generally offer a discount if you eat there on the first night.

 

2) If you pre-purchase meals at the specialty restaurants and they offer a discounted package on-board, you can take the discounted package and they will (if you tell them) adjust what you paid with a credit to your on-board account

 

3) Sign up for internet the day of departure on the ship. In most cases, they will give you an additional 20% minutes on any package bought on the first day. (make sure you ask)

 

4) For those that are Jewish travelling at Passover, ask guest relations if there will be a special service/meal on your cruise (there will be, but they may not know about it). It is often never announced in the dailies....you just have to ask.

They don't always put Friday night services in the dailies, either. Look on the bulletin board which is generally somewhere near the guest relations area. There are always Friday night services, though they are mostly do-it-yourself led by one of the braver passengers.

 

The treats in the glass case at Cafe Al Bacio are complimentary and they can be packaged to go. The mini-sandwiches, which are available mid-day make a great appetizer to go with pre-dinner wine/cocktails on the veranda. Just keep them cold in your room fridge. And the desserts are delicious whenever!!

 

Every Celeb cruise we have taken the Friday night Sabbath Service has been in the Daily sheet, its always at 5.30pm and Kosher wine, Books, Challah (bread) and Kippot (head covering for men) is supplied and yes its a DIY service.

 

1)The "refrigerators" in your rooms are not "refrigerators", they are coolers. Don't expect things to get ice cold in them. This is by design.

 

2) Concierge and above passengers who receive a bottle of bubbly (I'll call it bubbly instead of champagne because it isn't champagne) and prefer wine instead have two options:

 

a) ask your room steward/butler if they can exchange it for the house red or white wine (generally works for us if the request is accompanied by a $5 bill) but officially they don't do this.

 

b) take the bottle to dinner with you and ask the somelier to credit you towards a bottle of wine.

 

3) If you are concierge of above, you can ask that instead of the afternoon canapés, you get cheese or shrimp cocktail. Note: they will only deliver the canapés if you are in your cabin...frankly, it's no loss if you miss them, but that's just my opinion

 

4) yes, celebrity provides binoculars in concierge and above cabins, however if you actually want to see anything, bring your own.

 

5) solstice class ships have two US plugs and one European plug on the desk.

 

6) solstice class ships have night light function built into the bathroom lighting...M-class don't so if you want a night light, bring one.

 

7) do not assume that just because you locked your cabin door, no one can come in. The room steward's key overrides the inside latch. Use the do not disturb sign.

 

8) you can withdraw cash (US dollars) in the casino and it will be charged to your on-board account. There is a charge of 5% to do this. If you have unused OBC's, then you care about this one.

 

9) Pay attention to the drink specials on the daily sheet.

 

10) No, if you will be elite at the end of your cruise, you can not get credit early....many have tried. If you are B2B and will become elite after your first cruise, see the captain's club host/hostess and they will arrange for you to be elite on the second cruise.

 

11) If you are elite, you are welcome to drink as much as you want at the function, but you may not take drinks out of the room (to your cabin, to dinner, to anywhere). This applies to both breakfast and the cocktail hours.

 

12) You can ask for smaller portions at QSINE and/or remember that you do not have to finish everything served before they give you another. Yes, it is enjoyable for 2 people although many seem to feel it's better with large groups.

 

13) At breakfast and lunch buffets, walk around before you dive in....some things are sort of hidden and you won't see them if you immediately stop for the first thing you see.

 

14) If you are on any sort of special diet, go to the place where they are handling dinner time changes and remind them (or tell them) of your restrictions.

 

15) If you ask, they have anchovies for caesar salads...if you don't ask, you won't get any.

 

We asked to have cheese brought rather than canapés and it was always delivered whether or not we were in our cabin.

When the Butler comes around with the tea cart, he will leave you little sandwiches and cakes also if you wish. He has all sorts of goodies - fresh fruit, too.

We did a B2B last year and on the first cruise it was combined, but on the second we were told that it was not possible. (re. Internet minutes)

 

The cheese plate sometimes comes with fruit and sometimes crackers or both.

Usually the cheese plates are very cold and we have to wait until the cheese comes up to edible temp. I would think that having it delivered earlier would be a benefit. Then it would be at room temp when you wanted it. Whenever we've ordered a cheese plate we asked for wrapped crackers.

Sometimes we found the crackers were a bit limp by the time we got to the cheese plate so we started picking up breadsticks from Cellarmasters on the way back to our cabin. Along with a glass of wine to go with the cheese, of course.

The treats at Cafe Al Bacio are complimentary, even if you do not order a beverage.

We prefer to order cheese or fruit plates from room service whenever we feel like having them instead of getting them delivered automatically at tea time each day.

 

That way they don't sit around getting limp or soggy the way they do if they are delivered when we are not there, and we can have different snacks on different days, as the mood strikes us.

 

If we want snacks at tea time, we like to go up to the afternoon tea area at the buffet because they have a much larger variety from which to choose than what is brought around on the carts.

 

Besides, we often get ice cream in the afternoon when we are up there too.

Sometimes we just feel like having pizza instead of the tea time snacks.

 

We kind of like to look over all the options on display first before deciding and try to rationalize away some of those extra calories by taking the stairs.

On our last Celebrity cruise, we asked our butler not to leave the canapés if we weren't in the room at tea time - unless there was just something we had to try. He was very good about letting us know what was good and what wasn't so good.

 

If you like pancakes, have him bring you some for breakfast. Better than standing in the line waiting. If they are not hot, complain. Try eggs Benedict in the cabin. Are they hot? Ask him to clean your shoes if they get dirty. Use your butler. Dial that phone number.

 

They used to have cheese plates with a larger selection of cheeses but there is a cheese plate available from room service that you can order whenever you are ready for it. No need to save one from the afternoon. It's the same cheese plate.

 

on the S Class ships...Cellar Masters has an awesome cheese and olive, bread stick set up before dinner! We always swing by and have some....the cheese is MUCH better than the buffet cheese. That's my secret

 

Steak Diane is available in most of the "fine dining" specialty restaurants. It's not listed on the menu and you have to ask for it in advance. We always book for embarkation day and ask then. The next time we're there, we get the table side preparation. Great show and the food is amazing.

 

Regarding Steak Diane - I just got off the Equinox and on the last night we went to Murano's. The server offered to make me Steak Diane and while the lobster dish looked tempting I took his advice. Other then marrying my wife 40 years ago this might have been one of the best decisions I've ever made. Try it once; try it often and enjoy.

 

You can bring aboard your own soft drinks and bottled water. Stop in at a store on the way to the cruise port to buy some twelve packs or so-- you don't want to try lugging them with you on a plane because of the weight and because of what might happen in a depressurized cargo hold. Bring a roll of duct tape with you and tape the cases together, then put a luggage tag on it. It will be delivered to your cabin for you.

 

Have your cabin steward clear out the mini fridge so you can keep your soft drinks and water cool (not cold). Put what will fit into the fridge and store the rest under the bed until you need to replenish.

 

I have several aluminum water bottles that I use for the gym. The bottles are lightweight and take up very little room in a suitcase. I fill them from the tap for excursions and keep one in the cooler as well.

 

I have no problems with the tap water on the ship. It's reverse osmosis treated, making it no different than bottled water, which is nothing more than reverse osmosis treated tap water.

 

Re the Casino(fruits & slots) play it the first few nights of your cruise not the last few as you may find the odds against you

 

On one of our cruises, we hosted a "small" CC get-together on the verandah of our FV stateroom. We asked our cabin steward if he could get us some extra ice and handed him a pretty green picture of a President. He not only got us the ice, but showed up with a LARGE plate of shrimp.

 

You will find complimentary hard and soft ice cream and sorbet, by the Buffet area. The hard ice cream is made onboard, and it's quite good.

 

There's also a Gelateria located near Cafe Al Bacio, but there is a charge for the Gelato.

 

Don't forget the wonderful sauces that are to the left of where the ice cream is served!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

My "secret" is milkshakes! Just get a couple scoops of ice cream placed in a tall glass, and add milk from the milk dispensers. Stir. Voila - free milkshake! Really hits the spot after a hot day in a sunny port location.

 

My secret is out, but I use chocolate milk.

 

And when you prefer an iced coffee Starbucks-type drink, that is easy to make too. Drop some ice-cubes into the bottom of a tall glass, ask them to add the scoops of ice-cream, hold it under the coffee spout, very slowly run hot coffee over it to start melting the ice-cream, then stir.

 

And Muushka's secret is vanilla ice cream (scoop or soft serve) with OJ and Diet Sprite. Tall glass too. Yum.

 

For those who like a sweet treat in your room, if you bring a paper cup to the ice cream counter, they will fill it up for you with the candy they have available for toppings (sour patch kids, peanut m&ms, Reese's pieces among others). One friendly ice cream staffer even tried to give us an entire unopened FIVE POUND bag of sour patch kids! We declined but he was very nice

 

Paper cups are available at the tea/coffee station in the buffet and they are happy to fill them to the top with your candy of choice!

 

If you enter the Texas Hold Em poker tournaments during the day ($60 buy-in) you do generally get a free alcoholic drink if you want one. My husband doesn't like alcohol so got a large bottle of Evian each time. This seems to be the only time they give free drinks in the casino to those who are not "high-rollers."

 

If you particularly enjoy having a couple glasses of wine in your cabin and have a drinks package, get a mid ship or aft room (S-class). There are very few bars forward and it can become quite a hike to get a glass of wine from a forward cabin, which takes away from the pleasure.

 

Waffles are served in the buffet, during breakfast. just look for the line! They only seem to have 1 or 2 waffle makers in operation so it can be a long wait (especially if the person ahead of you takes 4 waffles).

 

Not sure if it applies to the other Solsticized M-class ships, but on Summit they have added night lights built into the bathrooms (at least in the inside cabin we just had). Little things like a night light can make a big difference...

 

My husband and I loved the new look of the Celebrity Summit after being Solsticized but we were disappointed that the game room was gone. That is until we said something to one of the Activity staff. We shared that we loved playing Scrabble and didn't want to have to schlep the game in our already stuffed luggage. When we returned to our cabin a couple of hours later there was a scrabble game waiting for us. We had a great time playing on our veranda with a glass of wine...even better than the game room... We should have known...with Celebrity, all you have to do is ASK.

 

Our casino host on the Solstice was a lovely red-haired lady from England (I don't remember her name) and she told us from the very first night that she thought the casino rake for poker was too high and that's why the drinks were "on her"! That held true for the rest of the week. I did notice that a lot of the players were unaware of it, and once my husband checked with the waitress that it was complimentary and then ordered a drink, everyone else hopped on board and ordered one too! We did of course tip the waitress as in any casino

 

 

They also have soft serve on Celebrity, at least on the S class ships., both on the Oceanview Cafe and at the Mast Grill.

 

We discovered last cruise that during "happy hour" at the different bars, we could purchase my large water and DH's soda at a "two-for-one" price. We had previously thought the two-for-one happy hours were for alcoholic beverages only, but we were presently surprised. Happy hours were listed in the ship's daily schedule.

 

It is MUCH better to wait for fresh waffles, hot off the griddle. It really doesn't take that long. No comparison with those which have been sitting in the warming tray.

 

My wife LOVED the lotion in our room. We asked our cabin steward for more. He filled up a large water bottle and gave it to us. We STILL have some! I use a little everyday after I shave. It's been at least two years. The smell reminds me of cruising every day.

 

In Aqua class you get two bottles of water per cabin, per day. Sometimes the room steward don't refill if they see the bottles from the other day out and untouched, so we "hide" the unused bottles in a cubbie somewhere. You can also try to ask your steward to give you bigger/extra bottles of water if you going for a long hot port day!

 

If you are not Aqua Class and really want to indulge in the Persian Garden experience, you can buy a half price pass for the cruise on Embarkation Day.

So for a 13 day cruise like we are about to do, that is $75 for the pass.

You get them at the Spa Desk, on sale that one day only. That is $6 day, can't beat that. Steam, Sauna and relax on the heated chairs watching the world go by. I was also told that if you are Elite on Celebrity, you get one free pass to the Persian Garden, but only on a port day. Correct me if I am wrong.

 

Elite Member Benefit:

Complimentary access to Persian Garden (on one port day of your choice, while the ship is in port)

The folks running the on-board shops on Celebrity will report you to US Customs if your purchases total more than $830.00. You will receive a letter stating that you must report to a meeting with a Custom official before you disembark. We showed our Canadian passports and were passed through because the purchases were not remaining in the US. We did see several US citizens having to shell out custom fees for their on-board purchases. I checked with shop personnel on a subsequent cruise and was told that it was "company policy" to report seapass purchases to US Customs.

 

There are regular train services to central London from Southampton. The station is only a few minutes from the docks, taxi costs around £6 - £7. (may have gone up a little as petrol prices have risen)

 

There are also bus services from Southampton to central London which cost less than the train. Taxi price about the same from docks.

 

http://www.nationalexpress.com/coach...gn=Southampton

 

http://www.greyhounduk.com/

 

 

 

1.)If staying in a suite, you can ask your butler to get your canapes from Cafe il Bacio each afternoon. We also asked for "artisanal" cheese instead of the standard cheeses and a baguette instead of crackers!

 

2.) You can ask for your wine to be served in Riedel glasses when dining in Blu and most other dining rooms on the ship. It tastes so much better that way )

 

1)If you are concierge of above, you can ask that instead of the afternoon canapes, you get cheese or shrimp cocktail. Note: they will only deliver the canapes if you are in your cabin...frankly, it's no loss if you miss them, but that's just my opinion

 

Our experience has been that they will deliver them whether you are there or not. We order ours directly from room service and ask them to be delivered at the same time every day (we order the cheese plate). This can actually be done with a number of things, but we happen to like cheese (although as you say it is nothing to write home about)

 

11) If you are elite, you are welcome to drink as much as you want at the function, but you may not take drinks out of the room (to your cabin, to dinner, to anywhere). This applies to both breakfast and the cocktail hours.

 

Don't disagree, but we have found that if we stay until the end (we are late diners) we can generally walk out with however much of our drinks are left and no one stops us. This of course could vary by ship. We have found some of the Captains Club host/hostesses to be more guardians of the door than the customer service ambassadors they should be.

 

For B2B:

1. Many get the same SR so they don't have to move, but if you have to move, all you have to do is pack up the stuff in the drawers and your Steward will bring a clothes trolley for your hanging stuff and you luggage to move to the next SR.

 

2. Depending on the port (Rome for example), the turnaround port may be treated just like a port of call. They give you a new cruise card and close out your old one the night before, and all is done. In US ports, you have to go through Customs which is a hassle, but thats it.

 

3. the alcohol you buy on the first cruise and stored for you (buy at the shop or in port and taken for storage) is returned the night before port entry, and you get to keep it....meaning you get to use it on the next cruise!

-----

For Concierge (and above?), you get a more extensive breakfast list for room service, that includes a great parfait. But for standard SRs, we wrote it on the card and got it! Could just depend on luck though.

 

the Bistro on 5, it is open on Departure day and is a great place to eat ($5pp) if the Buffet is crowded.

 

The ships now have an iPad walking 'tour' of the art onboard. we got it at the Service Desk, checked it out for the day and it was very interesting. Gave you good info on the art and displays around the ship.

 

Something not mentioned, at least on Infinity at back of breakfast buffet (on one side) they make made-to-order eggs Benedict/ poached eggs...loved this! And for lunch, at the back made to order Panini's.

 

If you ask for the mini bar emptying to put your wine in, when you find it empty, search under your bed. The steward can't take it out if the room,if they do they are financially responsible for it. Search under your bed, it will be hidden in a bag or box until you leave. no good to anyone who actually want it removed completely.

 

Not sure about Celebrity, but my husband tried to buy a pack of gum from a shop on a ship this year and they don't sell gum! It seems kids were dropping it from their mouths and making a sticky mess on the carpets.

 

As an aside, Orlando airport is totally gum-free purchasing but because of security -- seems people are able to stick a wad of chewed gum in a door. They didn't go into detail, but I got the point.

 

So, if you're a "courteous" gum chewer, best bring your own.

 

M&Ms are at the ice cream counter, I have seen mini ones, peanut butter ones and the ones with the nuts in the middle. Yum!

 

Just a warning on changing cabins on b2b. The room stewards might not be able to have trolleys available for moving you. On our Australia b2b on Century 2012 we had 400 b2b. Those that had to change cabins had to pack their suitcases, which were then tagged with the new cabin number and were moved on disembark/embarkation day. As with all cruising there are always exceptions to the general rule. Just part of the adventure (This was Muushka's experience also)

 

About high tea time, the Cova Cafe (or what it is now called) has the most scrumptious treats imaginable. Keep your eyes peeled

 

Get a bowl of M&Ms from the ice-cream counter. We happened to bring some small food freezer bags with us (you never know when they might come in handy!) and would put whatever we didn't eat in them so when we fancied a quick chocolate fix we had some in the room or while out in port!

 

Another point, which I'm not sure if it's really a secret, but some of our fellow travelers did not realize that there was storage directly above the bed on the wall. It usually has a spare pillow/bed throw in it, but it was big enough for DH to put some of his clothes in.

 

:D:DFunniest tip::D:D

Here's another funny tip about m&ms. Turn them upside down and the ms become ws. Clearly a Weight Watchers diet pill.

 

Barq's root beer is available, yummy in a float!

 

Better yet, go to Cafe El Bacio or whatever it is called and get their free finger sandwiches or pastries and take to your room. Yummy, did it every day.

 

They have sugar free ice cream.

I looked into this last year as we were docking in Gibralter - hopefully this will help you.

You are allowed 200 cigs. l litre of spirits at duty free prices.

If you buy in a shop in the EEC then yes you can bring more BUT they are duty paid in that country and so much more expensive than duty free. They are still cheaper than the UK but make sure you keep your shop receipt. I think they must also be for your own consumption.

 

Because the shops were selling as much as anyone wanted to buy in Gibralter people thought they were in the EEC and so could bring what they wanted. Back in Southampton customs were out in force - they knew which cases they wanted opening and tables were covered in packs of cigs./spirits. I believe this also applies to the Canary Islands.

 

I hope this helps you - many people did not understand and had their goods confiscated.

 

Not really a secret but as stated before, the "refrigerators" in the room are coolers. We always keep the cabinet door open so that the interior doesn't get so hot (no circulation with the door closed). It doe help keep the refrig cooler than having the cabinet door closed. Tell your room attendant so that he doesn't close it while you are away from your room.

 

With regard to the Specialty Restaurant wine/dine packages the included bottle of wine carries a $35 "credit" in the event you want to deviate from the somewhat-limited list on the package. For instance, two nights we wished to upgrade to different wines available in the MDR, but not on the inclusive list in Murano's. One night we ordered a $51 bottle of wine off the MDR list and paid a $16 upgrade charge. Another night we ordered a $36 bottle of Celebrity's Cellarmaster Cabernet, thus a $1 upgrade fee. This offers terrific flexibility if you're a picky wine drinker and you find the package list too limited and/or restrictive.

 

Also bring along some extra extension cords in order to plug in the re-chargers and other connections for our laptop, iMusic players, razor, camera battery re-charger, etc., etc. Lots of electronics are a part of families these days!!

 

I thought that extension cords were a no-no. I understood from someone else who brings one on board that they hide them and only use them at night so they aren't taken away.

 

I take a Belkin mini surge protector which gives me 3 us grounded outlets and two USB ports in a very compact unit. Never had a problem and I always leave it plugged in at the cabin desk.

 

On all four of my cruises with different lines and companies, I have always taken a short, multi-plug head for use on that desktop area. Never a problem or question. Clearly if you have some of those long, small-wire extension cords that could be a problem for people tripping on, etc. Some of those types of long, thin cords are also bad if you try to plug in a 1500-watt hair blower for use in another part of room. Safety and common sense!!??

 

If you buy the restaurant package they offer on the first day, $70 for three restaurants, you also get 25% off of any bottle of wine over $40.

I ordered a $90 bottle of wine in Murano and didn't get the discount. I asked the manager, and he'd never heard of the discount. I went up to my room, and got the flyer and showed it to him.. He credited me the 25%.

 

You must eat in each specialty restaurant once. Remember, three meals at Murano cost a bit more than three meals at Silk Harvest...different prices. If you buy the 5 special meal packages, that package tells you which two restaurants you can eat at twice. As I recall, you can only eat at Murano once on either package.

 

All three of the specialty restaurants are really great. We got the 3 meal pkg deal (one meal at each) w/o wine. You can get it w/wine or a 5 meal pkg either w/ or w/o wine. Silk was a casual wonderful feast of so many different foods/tastes it was unbelievable. Try to go with a group of 6 or 8 to really have fun sampling everything. Murano is the nicest, try the three petite filets or the tableside lobster, both are fantastic and DO NOT MISS the soufflés for dessert!!! Get one Grand Marnier (very subtle flavor) and one chocolate (very intense flavor), then share/mix the flavors a little. Tuscan Grille was my favorite. Steak tartar was awesome, shrimp and scallops, fantastic. View during dinner, fabulous (try to get a later seating during sunset)

 

If you are a fan of classic/oldies rock you are going to LOVE the party band, Intenz. (Say "hi" from Fred and Robin!) Passport bar chocolate martinis are to die for(2 for 1 before dinner). Ask Putu at the martini bar to pour you a flight of sample martinis, strong, yummy, fun, and the best deal on board. Indian curries at the buffet are great. Gym is very nice.

 

 

For those of you who want to save a few valuable calories for dessert, they will make you a turkey burger at the Mast Grill. Takes a bit longer as they have to get them from somewhere, but they are delicious and definitely worth the wait.

 

On the recent Eclipse transatlantic, bonus minutes were only available on the $100 (less a few pennies) and up, and not on the $49.95 package (which the coupon covered. At least that is what the literature said---I didn't persue further

 

One thing we really liked is the warm scones with cream and strawberry preserves in the Oceanview in the late afternoon. They became my favorite dessert of the trip. The scones were part of the OV afternoon tea.

 

The waffles and pancakes at breakfast were good too, we saw the cooks make them upon request and put them right on your plate

 

 

On "M" class the waffles are in the aft of Oceanview Cafe. On "S" class they are near the entrance to the breakfast buffet on the starboard side.

 

1.The Oceanview cafe (Lido-style buffet) tended to be packed around 9am for breakfast and 1pm for lunch each day on both ships. Not sure why, but watching where the crowd moves and when can help you avoid aggravation when heading up to Oceanview for meals.

 

2. You'll have an excellent opportunity to try new foods so be adventurous on X! Because Celebrity ships play host to folks from "both sides of the pond," the Oceanview had a much wider variety of foods at all meals than other cruise lines and gave us a chance to try some new things for free (i.e., bangers & mash at breakfast time) we normally wouldn't have tried.

 

3. Take care of your sommelier and he/she will take care of you. If you are an oenophile, engage them in conversation and take care of them. You may be fortunate enough to score a free tasting at your table in the MDR.

 

4. The wine tastings and Reidel glass tasting experiences are worth every penny. Again, if you like wine you owe it to yourself to go. Very reasonably priced and your sommelier can help with additional samples of wine you like. Just ask.

 

5. On the S-Class ships, we found that everyone congregated around the Martini Bar just outside the MDR before and after dinner. Get there early to get a seat at the bar where you can enjoy all the tricks the bartenders do while they make martinis and people-watch on Formal Nights to your heart's content.

 

6. If you frequent the Molecular Bar during your voyage, the mixologists may offer to make you special, "off-menu" drinks. If this happens, DO NOT pass up the opportunity! On my 40th birthday the mixologist made a special drink for me that's one of the best things to ever pass over this set of lips.

 

7. The best currency on these ships isn't American, it's in the form of prepaid international phone cards. Do yourself a favor and spend $50-$100 (or whatever) on a pack of them at Costco or Sam's Club. Dole them out as a reward for good service or to ensure good service. You have no idea how much this means to these people!

 

OK, so these aren't necessarily secrets but they were things that made our cruise more enjoyable. Again, just ask and you may be pleasantly surprised at what you receive.

 

As mentioned, the "special drinks" are covered under the premium beverage pkg.

 

The international calling cards were very helpful in two spots: martini bar outside of MDR and the Pool Bar. If you want to do this, it's a good idea to approach them before the bar gets crowded. I agree with Lois that the service on X is outstanding, but sometimes these cards will get you some unexpected perks. Besides, these hard-working people don't make a lot of $$$ and they really appreciate every little bit.

 

 

Most of the suite perks are the same at all levels starting with Sky Suite. According to the Celebrity website, Royal & Penthouse suites get a couple of extra perks. Click here & scroll down for details.

 

Got to agree on the ice cream being wonderful - especially the non-traditional flavors. Another suggestion. Order chocolate chip cookies from room service. They arrive still warm and are great with a glass of cold milk.

 

 

We would go up to the cafeteria around 5 and get a big plate of sushi and bring it back to the room for an appetizer before dinner. Enjoyed it with a drink on our balcony as we left port.

 

Here's a Celebrity tip: Bring a set of cloths that is two sizes too big. That way, you will have cloths that fit you on the last day of the cruise. Do NOT do yourself the disservice of trying to diet while on-board.

 

For those new to cruising: All the cabins are made with metal walls! (And the doors, too.) Remember magnets(bring or purchase at ports) to hang up itinerary, notes to steward or each other; or calendar of specialty restaurant/show reservations. The 3M Company is now selling “Post It” notes with full sticky backing.

 

On a safety note: if staying in a hotel pre- or post- sailing, remember not to use the hotel internet to do any personal financial clean-up as those Internet ports are not secure and easy to hack. (I received a note from our company’s security officer about this last week.)

 

Just got off the Millennium and had Concierge Class, was able to swap out champagne for bottle of chardonnay...took it to Qsine with us...was great

 

On Celebrity you put your sea-pass card in the slots only to earn points that are awarded in proportion to the amount you wager and the number of spins. You then trade in your accumulated points for key chains, t-shirts, specialty restaurant dinners etc. Your card will get you cash from the cashier that is charged to your ship account at a 5% surcharge.

 

 

 

Another one about the ice cream...on S-class, there is a soft serve machine located in the Aqua Spa Cafe. They generally turn it on in the early afternoon and is in operation until around 4 PM or so. They have cones and bowls and pretty basic vanilla or chocolate alternate.

 

Typically the laundry / dry cleaning / Internet packages are tied to the Captains Club, so you would want to enroll. When you enter your stateroom, there will be an evelope for you and your traveling companion with those specials in there: discounted pictures, discounted drink special, etc. These are coupons.

 

If you are not a Captain's Club member, head down to the iLounge to check out their packages.

 

Generally on embarkation day there will be an employee in front of the specialty restaurants or MDR signing guests up for dinner reservations. You can ask them. Any of the specialty restaurants should be able to assist you if you wish to purchase the dine or wine / dine package.

 

I save every last chocolate (after all, we did just have dessert, plus ice cream earlier in the day) and bring them all home.

 

It's almost a contest to see who can have one left when the other person's are all gone.

 

Btw, you can bring a bottle of your own wine to dinner, but the corkage fee is $25.

You may take it to the MDR with no corkage fee if the bottle came from Celebrity. We always share ours with our tablemates. Your cabin steward will send it down. Reports differ on the success of trading it in for something else. You can certainly try.

 

 

Medical Information

 

We usually freeze a block of "blue ice" to carry the insulin in while we fly to our departure port. I put a label held with clear packing tape on the blue ice with our cabin number and name and ask the cabin steward to put it in their freezer and return it before we debark. That way we have something to put in the insulated bag to keep the medicine cold on the way home.

 

If the diabetic is on a pump, as my DH is, or uses a pen, they will give you a smaller sharps container to use for finger sticks. If you don't need to dispose of syringes, there's no sense having that big old red bucket taking up space in the cabin.

 

I've just purchased a special insulin carrier from Magellan's that is supposed to be reusable and activates with cold water. I'm going to give it a try before we leave for San Diego. If it saves us having to explain the block of blue ice to TSA every time, it's worth it.

My wife's insulin stayed fine in the fridge on our Solstice cruise. We always carry a fridge thermometer with us. Once, the hotel fridge was set so cold, her insulin froze. What a nightmare to get it replaced. For that reason, we do not keep her active vial in the fridge. We bought a cool sleeve that keeps it fine for several days. The coolant pack is water activated, does not need to be chilled prior to use.

My wife is on an insulin pump also. We purchased that water activated carrier. It is important to note that it is not designed to carry unopened vials. Those must be refrigerated. Therefore, we use the blue ice carrier for the unopened vials, and the Magellan sleeve for the "in use" vial. We always carry a fridge thermometer. In a hotel last year, the insulin froze, destroying it.

 

We utilize the Animas vacation loaner pump. Would hate to be at sea and suffer pump failure. We also carry a back up meter with back up test strips, spare parts for the pump and twice as many infusion sets as we think we need. Our netbook has the program to upload pump settings as necessary. We also carry a Glucagon emergency injection kit. Ketone test strips, her Dexcom supplies with additional sensors, and a small sharps container. We also carry prescriptions if we need to purchase insulin

 

Airlines will et you have an additional carry on if it exclusively holds medical supplies. They always pull it for an inspection. Please ask them to wear fresh gloves when examining the contents.

The sleeves are not engineered to keep the unopened vials at the required cooler temperature than what is acceptable for open ones.. They can keep them cooler than summer air, but not like being in a refrigerator. We bought one, thinking the same thing as you. However, when we first used it, the insert had a disclaimer in it. We choose not to use it for the unopened vials. Not worth the risk.

Hate to go off topic but I am curious about the loaner pump, my husband wears a Minimed pump and always just gets a prescription for (Lantus I think) and carry's syringes in case of pump failure, how does this loaner pump program work? We will have to see if Minimed offers anything similar.

 

He also carries double the amount of infusion sets split into two bags in case of loss or theft. He never worries about refrigerating his insulin (wondering if he should..) He also gets a letter from his doctor in case there are any TSA questions.

 

Minimed most certainly does. We have gotten one from them in the past. It's around $50 which is mostly for shipping. The pump is red so you always know which is the loaner. Call their 800 number and they will help you.

 

Now that he has a new pump ad the old one still works, we just take the old one along (and lots of fresh batteries) as a spare. His Endo suggested that he keep the old one for that purpose.

 

Last year, when DH got his new pump, I surprised him with a skin from "Skinit" with his favorite baseball team's logo. He's quite proud of his NY Yankee decorated pump.

 

Animas has a vacation loaner pump program where you let them know when you will be travelling. They send you a backup pump that you only open if necessary. If not returned, they bill you for it. We have used this service several times. Not sure if medtronics provides this service. We both know the grief if you need to switch to MDI. call your rep and see if they can do this. If they say no, tell them that Animas does it. We also pack a spare cartridge cap and battery cap in case they crack.

 

The only insulin we must keep refrigerated are the unopened vials. The open vial we keep in either in the fridge or a cool dark place.TSA has never given us a problem, but we carry a letter anyway.

I just checked the literature that came with the bag. It's a "Frio" brand and there is not a single word there about not putting unopened insulin in the bag. It does state that, after activating the bag, the insulin should be at refrigerator temp before putting it in the bag. Nothing about opened or unopened vials. They even make a pump specific bag, which I learned from the literature but Magellan's didn't offer.

 

DH has a pacemaker, too, so he never goes through the magnetic metal detector. He either wears the plastic clip or the one that's a little zippered bag that attaches to his belt. Zipper is nylon.

 

If the airport has the X-ray machine, he can go through that fine, pump and all. We really have the most trouble with the block of blue ice. It seems to set off the TSA folks more than anything. I always take the thermal bag out of the carry-on and put it in a tray, too.

 

He has difficulty walking long distances when he carries anything, so we just get him a wheel chair. I have found that getting us through security with the pump, pacemaker, blue ice, bi-pap machine, etc. is just easier when he goes through with the wheel chair attendant.

 

Insulin in the bottle or pens are good for 30 days as long as they are not exposed to temperature below 37 or above 80 . The room in the cabin is cool enough to store insulin in room temp but you can also store it in the room cooler. My son has Type I diabetes and is on an insulin pump and we travel a lot worldwide with no hassle even in Asian or African countries where the weather is hot.

 

Hate to go off topic but I am curious about the loaner pump, my husband wears a Minimed pump and always just gets a prescription for (Lantus I think) and carry's syringes in case of pump failure, how does this loaner pump program work? We will have to see if Minimed offers anything similar.

 

He also carries double the amount of infusion sets split into two bags in case of loss or theft. He never worries about refrigerating his insulin (wondering if he should..) He also gets a letter from his doctor in case there are any TSA questions.

 

 

My son has Type I diabetes since age 6 and he will be 18 soon and we travel around the world since he was 2. He is also using a Minimed Insulin Pump 7 series. All you need to do is call the 1800 minimed number and tell them that you are out of the country for certain dates and they will send you a loaner in a box or tube. It is always wife to bring extra supplies, meters and medicine while travelling. Glucagon is a must and Insulin is good on room temp for 30 days opened as long as it is not exposed to temp below 30 and above 80. Room temp in the cabin will suffice. Bring extra meter if you have one and ask one from the company of your meter if you don't have extra meter. They will be glad to give you one for free. Don't forget the batteries for both meter and pump. Good luck.

By the way, for those on blood thinners, such as Coumadin, it cost an arm and leg to get my wife's checked because it varied so much right before the cruise and her Dr wanted it checked during the cruise....had to twice and it was expensive, and I never got reimbursed. So now we have a portable Alere blood checker that we will now use for cruising and just email the results, if needed.

I also have a CPAP machine and they will provide an extension cord if needed for that evening hook-up.

A word to the wise: bring Everything medical you might think you might possibly need in the way of pain meds, Imodium, Pepto Bismal, etc. Only report to the ships doc if you are fine about being restricted to the ship- and to your cabin- for AT LEAST 24 hours, more at his/her discretion. Fight it and you can and will be put off the ship at your own expense.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[May B]

Oh now that is cute. Mr Wright likes to eat his chocolate while I hoard mine and then enjoy them sparingly. He insists I should share with him.

 

So sorry. Even loving wives will not let you eat all of your own and then half of ours.

 

We might make trades, though. Perhaps you could be enticed to save the ones you know are our favorites (Espresso!) and when we get home, I'll trade you a Caramel for an Espresso?

[May B]

Hey May, I thought we were the only ones to do this!.:D..Still have a few left from our last cruise.... have been trying to lose a few pounds or they would've been history long ago!!.:eek:

 

I'm delighted to hear that you have a few left. A true challenge is saving the last one for the night before heading out to the next cruise!

[May B]

What a great bunch of stuff you've compiled that we've all posted. GREAT JOB!

 

And thx also for posting Joanie's abbreviations/acronyms.

 

Gotta admit that CC.com is just a super duper place. Nobody can dispute it!

 

:D

[BonVoyage2010]

Hmmmmmm...thought this was for CRUISES prior to 6/15...better go back and look to see if I can get this discount on a cruise for next year.

 

(New to Celebrity and my head is spinning...thankfully I have a lot of time for learning!)

 

.

Check the flyer. Look like it is available for most sailings thri 4/13. We got the discount on our 2/9 Eclipse cruise.

http://creative.rccl.com/Sales/Celebrity/General_Info/Special_Offers/12029276_CEL_BeveragePackageOffer_Flyer.pdf

[newsier]

Check the flyer. Look like it is available for most sailings thri 4/13. We got the discount on our 2/9 Eclipse cruise.

http://creative.rccl.com/Sales/Celebrity/General_Info/Special_Offers/12029276_CEL_BeveragePackageOffer_Flyer.pdf

 

I have a cruise on the Infinity in May of 2013 - this sale just misses my cruise.

 

Does amyone know how often they offer these dink package sales, any particular month?

 

Thanks,

 

Glenn

[telecomgirl111]

I have a cruise on the Infinity in May of 2013 - this sale just misses my cruise.

 

Does amyone know how often they offer these dink package sales, any particular month?

 

Thanks,

 

Glenn

 

On another board someone stated that there was a sale run last January.

[WineAndMusic]

Thanks SO MUCH for all this info. VERY timely for us. We'll be going on our first Celebrity Cruise in Sept - The Wine Immersion European Cruise. We upgrade to CC - - so we're very excited about the trip and real lucky to have found this new X secret tips thread. Looking forward to exercising many of them, like milkshakes & root beer floats & bubbly trade-in.

 

Thanks to all!!

 

Gary

[TLCOhio]

I combined all the tips and here is a new list, well 3 actually including the acronyms. Feel free to correct or add to it.:)

 

Super great summary and listing. I especially liked your listing of the various acronyms. But, one of those acronyms was missing and forgotten. It's . . . BS. We know what it means, right? A few posters and some cruise lines spread it out there.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 88,292 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[sailnjmom49]

Hi all,

 

Great idea with the new board. Every Celeb cruise we have taken the Friday night Sabbath Service has been in the Daily sheet, its always at 5.30pm and Kosher wine, Books, Challah (bread) and Kippot (head covering for men) is supplied and yes its a DIY service.

Just a little FYI my husband always step up to conduct Friday night services whenever we cruise which is twice a year. For us it is one of the highlights of each cruises especially when we are in Europe. Our next cruise will be on Eclipse TA in Oct. However he always will ask first if anyone else would like to daven.

sailnjmom49

[Sunshine81]

Sailnjmom49-

We're on a Wine Immersion in Oct and then coming home on the TA.

We'll see you on Friday nite on the Eclipse in October (or Nov). My husband will be more than happy to defer to yours. It's always interesting mixing with the Brits.

 

Thanks to all of you for the interesting tips including the insulin tips. My daughter will be on the Summit in Dec so the info comes in handy.

 

Pam

[sailnjmom49]

Sailnjmom49-

We're on a Wine Immersion in Oct and then coming home on the TA.

We'll see you on Friday nite on the Eclipse in October (or Nov). My husband will be more than happy to defer to yours. It's always interesting mixing with the Brits.

 

Thanks to all of you for the interesting tips including the insulin tips. My daughter will be on the Summit in Dec so the info comes in handy.

 

Pam

Hi,

Have you check out the web site for the Oct TA. Optfire does a wonderful job with the site. We were on the TA last Oct and she put a web site together for that cruise. A lot of information check it out

See you in Oct

sailnjmom

[Mercury]

Thank-you Muushka - your summary is FANTASTIC!!

[ClaudiaB]

Oh now that is cute. Mr Wright likes to eat his chocolate while I hoard mine and then enjoy them sparingly. He insists I should share with him.

Oh I do think Mr. Wright is wrong! ;)

 

btw we also save our chocolates and bring them home. I also prefer the chocolates at Cova/Cafe Bacio. I wonder if I asked our steward or butler to sub those out at night -------

 

On a related note, I "happened" to mention to our butler that I love raspberries and strawberries. I didn't say I wanted any, but when he asked what we liked or needed I said that. That was on intro day 1. Day 1 through day 13 I had a small bowl of berries every afternoon.

[24butterfly]

Sometimes I think I book these cruises just so I can post on these boards......

Thanks for the tips--will TRY to remember about the artisinal cheeses for afternoon canapes--I tend to get stupid (brain dead) on vacations.....I think I need an extra week of sea days to try everything! :)