Roll Call Celebrity Summit 27 May

[Kiwifruit]

Hi Micha,

 

Hmmm another day closer. Sorry for delay in responding but my computer died and I had to reformat the hard drive before I could access the internet again. I was missing to checking upon the Summit to see where it was and seeing the weather ... LOL

 

I hope you and Jess are both feeling better and find sometime to relax together over the weekend before you go away. I know what you mean about travelling alone you don't want to force your company on other people. I have travelled by myself quite a lot, particularly before I met Dougal, and enjoyed it but did find it a bit awkward on occasion particularly at meal times as I don't enjoy dining by myself. I have never done a cruise by myself but I guess being seated at a table with other people is an advantage when travelling alone?

 

Three more sleeps ..... Yippee ;-)

 

Cheers,

 

David & Dougal

[Germancruiser]

Hi David and Dougal,

 

I know how it is, when the computer breaks- Jess get´s so angry when that happens from time to time, I am always waiting, that he will through the whole thing out of the closed window! LOL.

" Our" Summit left Vancouver and is now sailing towards Seward. I hope the present passengers are good to her, since the next passengers that board are we! I bet you watched her also.

I am feeling not bad, but not as good as can be. Jess´s Back is better. For the moment I have a running nose and headache, but I have time until thurseday.

I always asked for a table with a least 4 o 6 fellow passengers. Just 2 times it took me a while to get used to my tablemates. We had so much fun together when I met my now friends in Chicago on board Millenium, that we dinned at Olympic- Restaurant together, which I never would have done alone. While cruising we already decided to cruise again togehter- and we did- on the Summit 2002 ( In a previous post I wrote 2003, which is incorect! )

Yeah 5 more sleeps for me. I think of you when you are on your way.....!

Can´t wait for my " blind date" with the two of you . LOL. If that suits you also I would say Cova Cafe portside, 6 pm Friday 27. Mai!

I apologize for the many mistakes I may make while chatting with you!

The closer it gets----- the more excited I am....!

Greetings

Micha

[Kiwifruit]

Hi Micha,

 

I like that "blind date" ....LOL. Tell Jess I sympathise with him as I was ready to throw the computer out the window .... it's so frustrating!!!

 

I also watched Summit sail out of Vancouver. Its funny to think that next time it sails into Vancouver we will be on board. Very exciting, I just hope weather is a bit warmer by then.

 

Cova Cafe sounds good at 6pm, what time do you arrive in Seward? We will be arriving early and hope to board the ship about midday, then we may get off again and have a look around Seward before we leave. We have requested a table for six at the late sitting, this will be a new experience for us because on all our previous cruises there has been no set dining times or seating arrangements and we have dined when we wished. When we get on board we will see if we can get a booking in the Normandie restaurant for Saturday night ..... that way if we like it there will still be time to dine there again before the end of the cruise .... makes me sound greedy but I enjoy good food ..LOL

 

Hope you have a great weekend.

 

Cheers, David & Dougal

[Germancruiser]

Hi David and Dougal,

I told Jess about your Computer, I shall say hello from him! I also really look foreward to our " blind date" !

Let´s cross fingers about the weather. As long as I watched I seldom saw the sun shining! We will enjoy our cruise however the weather will be, I am sure.

I also have late seating, but I have no idea, how many tablemates I will get.

I leave the Anchorage Hilton at about 11 am, which means I am not sooner than 4 pm on board. So at 6 pm I am sure that can make it at cova cafe. Mhmmmm these chocolates that come aside every tea or coffee..... to die for! It should be really great if we could mangage to go to the Normandie one time together! As you I love and enjoy good food. When I remember the Creme Brule' at the dinning room, the cherries at Normandie......!

I wish you a great weekend too.

Greetings

Micha

[Kiwifruit]

Hi Micha,

 

I love chocolate, its a real weakness of mine and often try and sneak Dougal's chocolates when he is not looking ...LOL

 

I will request a reservation at the Normandie for three people on Saturday night just in case you wish to join us ... you would be most welcome. Its exciting to think that in exactly 7 days we will be onboard.

 

Take Care,

 

David & Dougal

[Germancruiser]

Hi David and Dougal,

 

ha, Jess is doing the same with my chocolate- LOL! Funny!

I would love to come with you to the Normandie Restaurant on Satureday! Thank you very much!

I thought the same thing in exact 7 days- we know each other already in person and have sailed away already!

I am sure, we can have fun, it seems to me, that we have a very similar sense of humor! LOL!

Greetings and have a good weekend!

Michael

[ronhow]

Hi David and Dougal and Michael too!

 

Just arrived home tonight from 14 incredible days on the Summit. I have to write my review for Cruise Critics which I will probably do over the weekend. But as I promised you guys, I wanted to quickly let you know some stuff.

 

As you know we sailed on May 6th and completed the cruise this morning. It was the repositioning for you guys who will sail here from either Seward or Vancouver. We left her this morning with the Mercury at her side as well as Holland America's Statendam.

 

She is a beautiful ship in every respect. We were in a Royal Suite so we were pampered beyond compare by our butler. All of the staterooms are beautiful and well appointed, lots of room everywhere. Friends and family had a Sky Suite and Concierge Class balcony cabins and everyone was very comfortable.

 

There were many guests on the ship from Europe, particularly England and a lot of Germans. Also met a lot of people from down under including 2 guy couples who were traveling with girlfriends. It was great seeing so many germans as my dad was born in Germany and I speak a little German. In fact, there was a guy who was German but lives in LA and is the Opera Director.

 

We had 4 FOD parties. First one was night we were in San Fancisco, how appropriate. There were probably about 40 of us, most of which were very friendly. Funny though, Ronald and I went to the second FOD party and we were the only family there. I guess everyone decided to ditch that one. But the first one, third and fourth were great. They did 2 of the parties in Michaels Club (nice place to have a drink with piano player) and 2 of them in the Bar at the Edge of the Earth (deck 11 forward). Of course, the parties upstairs at the Bar at....were full of us. We danced totally unbothered and the straight people danced with us...it was a hoot everytime they played Donna Summer or a disco song as we all got up first and they joined in. Nobody on board including Celebrity Staff could care less about gays...at least it was not obvious to us.

 

Got on the ship in about 15 minutes at about 11AM. We were off this morning

in 10 minutes. You are told to report to different areas of the ship for disembarkation depending on what type of booking you are. Because we were in Royal Suite, we were to report to the Normandie at 8:10. We arrived fasionably late at 8:40 and were called at 8:50 to depart. Quickly went through customs and our bags were right in front of us as we stepped into the baggage area. INCREDIBLE!! Out of every cruise we have been on, we have NEVER gotten on and off so quickly and efficiently.

 

Now speaking of the Normandie, RUN to it....it was so fabulous, we went twice. And that was difficult since we had a table for 8 (all my friends and family) next to the Captain's table which was another hoot. But, we had such a fantastic waiter and busboy, we didn't want to miss having dinner in the Cosmopolitan. Use caution at Normandie as it can be very expensive. It can simply cost you the $30 or you can go the other route and have the Chef's choice of wine with each course. Wine is a fortune, like $40 a glass and up sometimes, so it gets pricey. And if you choose this option, your entire party MUST do the same thing. So, your better off going the $30 route and ordering a bottle of wine if you like. There is a different wine list obviously in Normandie and a little pricey.

 

Cosmopolitan was wonderful. Try and get a table on Deck 4 at the rear of the dining room in front of the huge windows....it is a treat. We were lucky as our travel agent had arranged for our table which was number 400. Lazaro is the waiter and Luis is the busboy.....we had a ball with them.

 

Our cruise had 3 formal nights, 4 informal nights and 7 casual nights so it was a lot of dressing in tuxedos and my sequined vests which caused a bit of a stir (ha,ha). We skipped 2 informal nights and had dinner up in the waterfall cafe.....very nice, you MUST make reservations and you should tip at least $2 a person. You order off a menu and are served...great views from the windows and you can wear jeans if you like.

 

The Waterfall Cafe is wonderful for breakfast and lunch. At breakfast, they have everything. Don't miss waffel station and omelet station....both excellent. Lunch is themed every day and was extremely good. Lunch in Aqua Spa was good too as was great hamburgers and hot dogs at Poolside.

Did one breakfast and one lunch in Cosmopolitan...they were OK. We enjoyed deck 10 much better for breakfast and lunch where Waterfall and everything else is. We did breakfast many mornings in our suite with friends and family served by our butler....very nice! If you are concierge class or higher, you are served very nicely in your room with linen and fine china. Don't know what you guys have booked.

 

Gym and Spa were fantastic although there is NO steam room in the gym. There is one in the Persian Gardens but that is a whole other story. On our cruise it was only $89 for the whole 14 days in the Persian. Thalotherapy pool is very relaxing...did that a lot because we could not use the outdoor pool because of the weather. Although, we had incredible weather...never rained in any port and we were in places like San Francisco and Seattle. We even had a sunny day in Ketchikan and it rains there all the time.

 

Entertainment: The Celebrity Singers and Dancers were absoultely incredible. DO NOT MISS their shows...they did 3 on our voyage and they were fantastic. DON'T MISS Gleason Magic...friends of mine from here in Las Vegas and they put on a great show. The comedian was OK, hated the juggler and absolutely hated Ping Xin a duclaimer (sp) player. It's something like a xylephone and he was BORING! Don't know if you will have him on your ship. Also a singer....we didn't particularly care for him either.

 

Party Band seemed to grow on us. They played a lot of Ballroom type music.

Chamber music at the Cova was very enjoyable...we really liked that...violins and such...nice to have a drink and listen to them. There is a guitar player up in Waterfall...he wasn't too bad. Piano player Roger Carr was lots of fun....he plays in Michaels Club and some other areas.

 

Ship activities were typical stuff like other ships...they do a good job. They had some different lecture series things and they were good. Even had some computer classes which were on our deck and packed everytime I went by. Internet worked so so.....I bought a 200 minute package for $120. Had computer in my suite so it was very convenient and I didn't even use it all up by the end of the cruise.

 

So much I want to tell you guys but really tired....we spent the whole day in Vancouver and then flew home to Las Vegas this evening so didn't get home until about 11PM.

 

So I can't think straight now. SO NOW GUYS ask me questions and I'll tell you everything.

 

My rating on a scale of 1 to 10 would be an 11.

 

The ship is beautiful, spotless and you can't tell there are 1950 guests on board with another 954 staff.

 

The Staff, Officers, every single person I came in contact with were absoultely wonderful. Sincere, wanting to please and constantly asking what more they could do for us.

 

We had a BALL, sometimes TWO!!

 

So ASK ME QUESTIONS!

My Best to you guys,

Howard.:) :) :) :)

[Kiwifruit]

Hey Howard,

 

Great to hear you had such a good time... your review was fabulous and I can sense that you are still riding high on a wave of contentment, thats the way all holidays should be ;-) The suite sounds like it was totally indulgent and you were pampered just the way one should be on holiday.

 

We are in a concierge cabin so I think we are entitled to be served breakfast in our room which could be nice on the balcony weather permitting. Looking at the weather though it still looks to be a cool so any wardrobe advise would be welcome ... we were not planning to take any heavy duty clothing but rather dress in layers ...will we be warm enough?

 

You mentioned the FOD meetings in your post and they sound like fun, do you know if these were scheduled automatically or do they need to be requested? By the way did you sign up for the CC Connections party on your cruise and if so what was it like?

 

I would also appreciate your advice on tipping (being from Australia where tipping isn't routine like it is in the US). Did you leave your tipping until the end of the cruise or did you tip along the way? Is tipping in accordance with the Celebrity guidelines sufficient or should we tip more? Its always a bit awkward in the US as we never really know what is customary and knowing that people in your country rely on the tips for a living we don't want to short change anyone.

 

Thanks very much for your advice on the Normandie Restaurant too, we plan to go at least once as we both enjoy our food and by all accounts the food there is first class. Guess that means we will also have to regulars at the gym to keep the weight under control so its good to hear that is rated highly by you. Do you know if they have any spin classes there? We have already earmarked the Thalasotherapy pool as somewhere to chill out and I understand thats a kid free zone. On that point, were there many children on your cruise? We have gone for late dining and our TA has put in a request for a table by the window so hopefully we will secure a good spot.

 

Lastly, do you have any recommendations regarding "must-do" excursions in port? We have not really booked anything yet other than hiring a car for the day in Skagway to drive up to White Pass and Emerald Lake.

 

Thanks again for providing us with such a comprehensive report and so promptly, you both must be very tired? I'm sure I'll think of some other questions to fire your way over the next couple of days. We fly out on Tuesday to Seattle (via Sydney and Honolulu so that will be a long day) and the stay the night in Seattle before heading to Anchorage the following morning.

 

Look forward to hearing more when you have the time,

 

Cheers, David & Dougal

[Germancruiser]

Hi Howard,

 

thanks for your great report from your cruise from over here too. I followed your course via the bridgecam of summit.

You had a great experience though. You had a 14 day cruise, I would love that too. As I read it has been a great time.

As David already said, it should be great to know about the clothing you have needed.

Now I can´t wait to get there and I am sure we wont get disspointed on board the Summit!

Greetings and thanks again.

Michael

[Germancruiser]

Hi David and Dougal,

 

 

have you seen the bridgecam.... the sun was shinning.... so let´s cross fingers! LOL!

Just two more days for you. 4 days for me. Start the packing this sunday. It makes the cruise come close, when I see my clothing around my suitcase. LOL.

Have great weekend!

Greetings

Michael

[ronhow]

Hi Guys,

 

Got some well deserved rest and then had to unpack which was a trip unto itself. Now it's time for lots of laundry (even though we had a $110 bill on the ship) and lots of stuff going to the dry cleaners. By the way, if you need something pressed, cleaned or laundered on board, their prices are very modest and very quick service. Just have your cabin attendant take it away for you. When we arrived we sent out some things to be pressed and got them back early the next day.

 

Before I answer your questions, I have some news that's not so good. I didn't know this last night when I wrote but found out early this morning. My sister had joined us on the trip and she and her hubby were concierge class. We had to report to the Normandie yesterday morning and she and Ronalds sister (also Concierge class) had to report to the Cinema. As I told you, we were off the ship in 10 minutes, quickly breezed through customs and got our luggage. We then rented a car and spent the day in Vancouver and did not arrive at the airport until 5PM at which time we again had to go through Customs. We waited in line at Customs about 15 minutes with no problems.

My sister reported to Cinema at 8:40AM and was not let off the ship until after 10AM at which time they went through customs and it took more than 45 minutes. Because they bought airport transfers their luggage went directly to the airport which was good. Upon arrival at the airport, they claimed their luggage and had to go through customs. Here came the problem. They waited in line for 4 hours tugging their luggage along with them. This happened because 3 ships docked at the same time and there were thousands of people that had to go through customs. To make matters worse, their plane was delayed 2 hours which meant they would miss their connection in Chicago to their final destination, New York. They ended up flying to Chicago and they had to sleep over and fly home this morning. It was a nightmare. Ronald's sister rented a car and drove to Portland, Oregon to visit family and didn't have that problem although she did not depart the ship until 11AM. They kept them sitting in the cinema the whole time. I realize you are from Australia and Michael is from Germany, so you will NOT go through US customs but just to warn you, it is a nightmare in Vancouver since so many ships come in to that port. We were fortunate because our plane was not until 7:30PM so we missed the mess.

 

Glad you guys are Concierge Class (don't know what Michael booked) as you get some special stuff. When you arrive you will have flowers and champagne in your room as well as binoculars, umbrella and really nice robes and a tote bag. The ONLY thing you keep is the tote bag. Everything else is charged to you if you leave with it, so be careful. Each afternoon, you get some hor d' orves. We did not like them and asked that they bring us shrimp instead and it was done. So if you like, just ask. Concierge class has a different room service menu so take advantage of the breakfast being served to you by your attendant especially on days when you are in port because the restaurants are packed due to people leaving early for shore excursions.

 

I looked up your itinerary and have the following comments.

 

Hubbard Glacier was fabulous. It was probably the coldest place on the entire cruise. We spent it on our verandah with our party of 8. Had our butler bring hot chocolate, coffee, pastries and some sandwiches. Also had some nice wine to warm us. We kept out TV on with the bridge cam so we could see the front of the ship and people out there were FREEZING in the wind. On the verandah, you are shielded from the wind....just a friendly suggestion.

 

In Juenau, we did a City Tour and a one hour stop at the Mendenhall Glacier. We really enjoyed that. We did not buy that one from Celebrity...we bought it from ShoreTrips ahead of time...probably too late for you to do that now.

 

In Skagway, we did the White Pass Train which was fantastic. We did a round trip. Some people we met did the train up and the bus back and hated the drive back...so not sure what the best is for you.

 

We did not go to Icy Point, so can't help with that.

 

Ketchikan...we did a terrible tour we bought from Shoretrips...would not recommend. In the afternoon, we did the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show which is a short walk from the Pier. We had lots of fun with that. It's $29 a person and you can buy it on board at the shore excursion desk on Deck 3

Great shopping here....look for a store called THE OUTLET STORE...it's all the way at the end of the pier....great prices and anything you want can be found here. I bought very little in the other ports as had no time for shopping and waited for Ketchikan (our last port) and did great here. By the way, DON"T eat at Annabelle's.....we had bad experience there.

 

Vancouver....we just drove around on our own and went to the Capilano Suspension Bridge which was a lot of fun.

 

We also did Catalalina Island, San Francisco, Seattle, Victoria and Sitka as well as the Inside Passage which was very pretty, however, cold.

 

The weather....we were incredibly lucky the entire 14 days. We had great weather. It never rained anywhere and some places such as Ketchikan were having a heat wave, like 65 degrees. Of course we brought some warm clothes just in case, but really never needed them. I wore dockers with a tank top and something heavier on top so I could take it off in case it was too warm and sometimes I did. It really was much warmer than we thought.

However, days at sea were cold as we were in the open ocean a lot. There were some days where we could not eat outside at the Waterfall Cafe because it was too cold or windy. But, it is warmer than you might think, so don't worry. You don't need heavy clothes. Layers will do fine.

 

Yes, I signed up for Cruise Connections party and we did go. However, most of the people at that party were people I was talking to for months on these threads and wanted to meet them. They were a lot of fun and we spent some time with a few of them (none of them family) The party is in the morning and lasts about an hour. The Cruise Director is there and gives a nice talk. By the way, our cruise director was great, however, he got off the ship with us on vacation, so don't know who you will have.

 

FOD parties....I had called Guest Relations to ask if they were going to have one and was told by the Ass't Cruise Director that they always have them and to watch the daily for the time and sure enough there they were. It is spelt out in the daily...Friends of Dorothy gathering. I would call and check anyway, just in case.

 

Tipping....I was so impressed when I read your post about tipping. You are real gentlemen to ask that question. I say this because I heard a lot of talk on the ship from staff about the fact that foreigners (please excuse word) or non US people do not tip. From what I understand, non US people are used to tips being included with everything or some feel they do not have to tip. But you are so correct when you say some people rely on tips for their income. These people work very hard and do rely on the tips. From my point of view and probably because we live in Las Vegas, I may tip a little more. At the end of our cruise, we tipped a total of $665 but keep in mind, our cruise was double the amount of time as yours, so we were required to tip more.

Based on my cruise, this is what Celebrity will ask that you tip:

Stateroom attendant (cc class) is a little more...$4/day/person or $8X7=$56.

Ass't Stateroom $2.00/day/person or $4X7 = $28

Waiter $3.50/day/person or $7X7 = $49.

Busboy $2.00/day/person or $4x7 = $28.

Ass't Maitre'D .75/day/person or $1.50X7 = $10.50 DO NOT TIP HIM UNLESS HE COMES TO YOUR TABLE EVERY NIGHT AND DOES SOMETHING SPECIAL AS IF YOU LIKE ESCARGOT, TELL HIM THE NIGHT BEFORE YOU WANT IT THE NEXT NIGHT. IF YOU DON'T SEE HIM, DON'T TIP HIM!

Ass't Housekeeper...same tip as Ass't Maitre D and same thing, if you don't see her or she doesn't do anything for you, don't tip her!

 

These tips are what they expect. You can give more like $5 to $25 or so if you think they deserve it. If you think they did not do a good job for you, you should tip less than expected. For example, we were not happy with our stateroom attendant and her assistant. I talked to the Assistant Housekeeper and they shaped up. However, their expected tip was $98 and $56. I gave her $100 and him $50, so I only gave her $2 more and him $6 less. However, both thanked me several times, so I believe they were happy.

On the other hand, out Butler was Exceptional, Incredible and ADORABLE. His expected tip was $98 and we gave him $250! And NO, I didn't misbehave with him! HA! HA! So tipping is what you feel about their service. If your happy and feel you want to give more, you can. If not, that is fine too. You are at least acknowledging them with something. Lots of people give them nothing...which is a disgrace!

 

The Thalo pool is wonderful and you will enjoy it. Yes, I did not see kids there so probably kids free. No, there are very few kids on board...very rarely saw any. Funny though, last afternoon I was sitting in the waterfall with my magician friend having a drink, and the day camp marched through. I would quess there were about 25 kids in total marching through. And remember not to miss my friend, Gleason Magic...you will love him, cute too!!

 

They gym has different classes everyday...check the daily. I made it a habit each night to read the daily so I knew everything for the next day. Good idea is to bring a highlighter and highlight things you want to do.

 

We did early seating this time and absolutely loved it. Usually do late, but got tired of sometimes going to a show before dinner and sometimes after which is that way on Summit with late seating. Also, late is at 8:30 not 8:00 as on most ships. So you don't get out of dinner until at least 10:30, then show, then Bar at the Edge of the Earth (disco) so it would get to be really late. We did lots of shore stuff and had to be up early every morning, so main seating worked out great. You may want to reconsider as you read on and change to early.

 

The People on the Ship: I just realized I don't know how old you guys are. Ronald and I are in our mid 50's and we were probably the youngest people on the ship. The majority of the guests were much older, lots of wheelchairs and walkers. Of course, there were some younger than us, but not a lot. Since our cruise was 14 days it attracts older people who have the time and money, so therefore, not a lot of younger people, especially singles...very few. Don't know what you should expect on your cruise with age group.

 

Bar at the Edge of the Earth: Do you know about the Cirque du Soliel experience? Do you know about the white night? Before, I go into all that, let me know.

 

What is your cabin number?

 

Sorry I have been babling but I want you guys to have fun and enjoy Miss Summit as much as we did. Ask me more questions!

 

My best,

Howard......only 2 more days to go!!!:) I am sooooooooo jealous!!

[Kiwifruit]

Hi Micha,

 

Yeah it is good to see the sun shining on the bridgecam hopefully the weather will hold for our cruise. I have at the 10 day forecast for each of the ports (not that they are necessarily reliable) and the forecast is looking pretty good. The day we are in Skagway it is forecast to be fine and 74F so we may even be able to break out the shorts ... LOL

 

Only two more days at this end until we take off and I'm now at the stage I can't wait to get on the plane and order my first G&T.

 

I hope you are both feeling better.

 

Cheers, David & Dougal

[Kiwifruit]

Hi Ron,

 

Thank you very much for all your advice its much appreciated, it always good to be forewarned as to what we should expect.

 

I have noted the laundry and drycleaning prices are very reasonable and cheaper than they would be at our local drycleaner so we will certainly make use of that rather than doing it at this end only to find everything creased when we unpack.

 

I was interested in your sisters experience in getting off the ship and clearing customs etc. Fortunately we are spending 3 days in Vancouver so we will be in no great hurry to get off. Do you know if its possible to order breakfast in your cabin that last morning? Our flight out of Vancouver leaves late evening so hopefully we will miss the cruise ship rush. We have to fly back home via LAX so we will have to clear US immigration even although we will only be in transit which is a bit of a nuisance. (I really don't like LAX and where possible try and enter US in Honolulu or San Francisco where the immigration officials always seem friendlier.)

 

It was also pleasing to hear your comments regarding Concierge Class (we are in cabin 8068). I wasn't really sure what you got for your money but the price differential for us was only $50 each over a standard balcony cabin. By the way did you experience any rough weather or seasickness on your cruise and how is the Summit with respect to its stability. I'm pretty hardy (must have been a seafarer in a former life ;-) but dougal is prone to a little seasickness if it gets rough.

 

Thanks also for your advice regarding the ports, a lot of the things we are looking to do are weather dependent so we are a bit reluctant to lock ourselves into anything ahead of time but from what you say it seems that even if you miss out on the cruise excursions there are still people at the docks offering excursions? We were looking at the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show so value your recommendation and will certainly give that a go.

 

The thorny issue of tipping is always difficult, I don't think its that "foreigners" are mean, I just think its a cultural point of difference between North America and Europe, Australia, NZ etc. I really don't think people from outside the US realise how little hospitality staff get paid and that people are in fact reliant on tips to make ends meet. That having been said I often find it awkward deciding who to tip, how much and when etc. I think I understand from your post that you did all your tipping at the end of your cruise? or did you tip some people along the way?

 

I was interested in your comments regarding main v late dining. We have been deliberating about this choice for a while as all our previous cruises have been on smaller ships where you could dine when, and with whom, you wanted. One of the reasons we chose the late dining was to avoid children (not that we are anti-children but just want a relaxed dining experience in the company of adults ...hehe), but given your comments regarding the number of children on board this might not be such an issue. Am I right in assuming that there are no set sittings for the Normandie restaurant?

 

I was also interested in your comments regarding the average age and demographic on your cruise. I suspect it may be a bit different on the shorter 7 day cruise but I think Alaska generally attracts on older and possibly more sedate group than the Carribean. We are both in out late 30s but happily socialise with anybody ..... I am finding that age is very much a state of mind these days (or maybe thats the just the voice of a pragmatist taking over as I get older myself ;-). I would be interested on your comments regarding the whole cirque du soleil experience as it has been getting mixed reviews on these boards. Did you take any special clothing, masks etc for the occasion?

 

Thanks again for your help.

 

David & Dougal

[ronhow]

Good Morning David and Dougal,

 

Woke early this morning to a beautiful sunny day...temperature today is projected to be 106 a big difference from the 60's we were in just a few days ago but we love our wonderful desert climate.

 

So happy you are finding my information helpful....it is my pleasure to assist you guys...hope all this stuff helps in making your voyage wonderful.

 

Sounds like you will be OK with customs since you are not leaving Vancouver on the day you dock. Just talked to my sister and she is so thankful it is all over and behind them now. They had an incredible trip and she doesn't want that experience to dampen her high. So happy with that. To add insult to injury, one of their bags were lost and they just received it this morning...so all is well.

 

Since Dougal is prone to seasickness, I would take some medication along. The ship is very modern. In fact, called the GTS Summit. GTS stands for Gas Turbine Engine. The stabilizers are great for a ship her size. However, we had many days of intense "movement". This was becasue we were in the open ocean as we were told. Apparently, the Pacific Ocean is very rough. You could literally see the swells in the ocean which was making the ship rock at times. Some nights we were rocked to sleep. It was extremely rough sailing between San Fran and Seattle as well as Victoria to Hubbard Glacier. Since you will be travelling within Alaska, I would think you will be OK but just to be safe, Dougal should bring some meds with him in case.

 

Shore Excursions: If you do not book many ahead of time, no worry. There are MANY tour operators at each dock. All very reputable. They are not like tour operators in third world countries that you may have experienced on other cruises. In fact, we booked no excursions in Catalina, San Fran or Seattle....we purchased everything we wanted to do right on the dock. Only thing I would caution you is we went at the start of the season, so in most ports we were the only ship. Many of the ships were repositioning during our 2 weeks and were not yet in Alaska. However, they all will be in Alaska during your trip so it may be a little more congested and harder to get the shore excursions you want. Example: In Ketchikan (our last stop) there were 3 ships in port with us so it was VERY crowded.

 

So glad you understand the tipping issue. You are expected to tip the majority of the people on the last night of the cruise. However, if you go to the Waterfall Cafe for casual dinner, you should tip as you go, minimum of $2 per person. My sister and Ron's sister tipped their stateroom attendant $5 each time he served them breakfast in their cabins as they were Conciege Class. We did not tip our Butler for breakfast as we added to his tip at the end of the cruise.

 

Somiliers or wine stewards or bartenders or cocktail servers have tips added automatically when you purchase something, so NO need to tip them at all.

By the way, if you like martinis, be sure to go to the Martini Bar (think Deck 4). Great place to have a drink and socialize and WONDERFUL martinis!

 

You might want to rethink the late seating (you still can change it even when you board). Children should not be an issue on your cruise as school is still in session. School does not end in the US until mid to late June in most cities. Come to think of it, I do not recall ever seeing any kids in the Cosmopolitan Restaurant.

 

Normandie: There are NO set seatings. When you call for reservations they will ask you what time you want or tell you what time is available. We went once at 6PM and once at 7PM. Normandie is on Deck 3 and you should allow about 3 hours for dinner.

 

I totally agree with you that age is a state of mind and I too, as I get older, don't pay much attention to age. That said, you are totally correct to assume that people who travel to Alaska are older than those who might travel to more exotic locales.

 

The Cirque Experience: I too read all the mixed reviews before our cruise. However, being from Las Vegas where we now have 5 different Cirque shows, and being in the entertainment business, I was very interested in partaking in the experience. Keep in mind, it is not a show, it is an interactive experience where the characters come right up to you and interact. There were several nights where you went to the Bar at the Edge of the Earth and the characters were simply there. On one night at precisely 10:17PM they have the White Night (you will miss this if you are late seating). You are requested to wear white clothes and a mask. We brought white clothes with us and masks that we purchased at a party store for about $3 each. When we arrived, we were taken off the line and put on the dance floor which had a white shear curtain around it. We were told we were to dance when the music started and the doors opened. There were probably about 50 of us picked for this. The doors opened, the music started and the lighting was turned on. The need for white clothes is for the lighting effects (truthfully I didn't think it was effective). Then at the appropriate moment, the curtain whizzed open around us to reveal us all dancing. There were about 200 people or so in attendance. Only about 50 had white clothes and masks. The rest were older people just sitting there in regular clothes trying to figure the whole thing out. We had a great night and really enjoyed the characters.

However, I do not believe the older people enjoyed it at all. Most left after about a half hour. The whole Cirque thing is a great idea. However, it does not fit the demographic of this ship or probably this cruise line. I think it would work much better on Carnival as they attract a younger crowd who may be more familiar with Cirque.

 

If you choose not to wear white or masks, I don't think you will have a problem. They let anyone in no matter what they are wearing. Keep in mind, if you don't bring masks with you, they can be purchased at the Cirque store on board. Prices range from $20 to $100 each!

 

Your cabin: We were in Royal Suite 6142. All suites are at the back of the ship. Your cabin #8068 sounds midship and is on the same side as we were since it is an even number. We had the choice of which side of the ship and we choose our side. We were very happy with this side of the ship.

 

I think I answered everything. Let me know if you have more questions, happy to help. Micha, any questions from you?

 

2 days before you fly off.....I don't envy your long flights!

Best to you all.

Howard.

[Germancruiser]

Hi David and Dougal,

 

yeah for you just one more night, I bet you have everything in order already!? Weather still looks nice though, so you are right, mabe we should take some shorts with us. I haven´t planed to take some with me- but now. Hm in case I can buy a new one... LOL.

I truly feel much better now. Weekend was pleasant, I took it easy, figured out, what to take with me, it all is in our office room in our appartment now. Even my binoculars are ready to get in the suitcase.

I have to work two more days then....! Can´t wait! It´s facinating how totaly different the scenery look when the sun is out....!

I wish you both vey pleasant and save trip to our Summit! Until we meet in Cova Cafe Sat. 6 pm. I am so curious and look foreward to meet you both in person.

Greetings

Micha

[Kiwifruit]

Hey guys,

 

Ron - Thanks again for your insights into life on the Summit, these are most valuable but it sounds like we won't want to get off ..LOL

 

Here the weather is pretty good, beautifully fine and about 70F but getting a bit cooler in the evenings as we approach our winter but nonetheless very good for this time of year and probably not do different in temperature to Alaska (at least thats what we are hoping).

 

Your comments regarding the shore excursions has put my mind at ease, I was a bit fearful that we may miss out all together. Given all the eating we will be doing we hope to do some of the activity based excursions such as cycling and kayaking and it looks like we can arrange this through local operators in each port.

 

We are still undecided on dining times .. 6.30pm seems a little early and 8.30pm a bit late but given the late sunsets will probably stick with the late sitting. Does this still allow us time to catch a show afterwards? This way we can still eat a little earlier the evenings we dine at the Normandie (any dishes there you particularly recommend?). We will certainly check out the shows you recommend, I have been to cirque du soleil when they toured down here and very much enjoyed it so we will check that out too.

 

Hope you are both settling into life back in Vegas .... it must be quite a surreal place to live? I must show Dougal someday as he has not been there.

 

Micha- Its getting very close now and the bags are packed and only one more sleep to go before we start our great adventure. Just in case we don't have time to exchange any more messages we hope you have a good flight and look forward to our "blind date" at 6pm at the Cova Cafe. I feel like we should be wearing a flower or carrying a briefcase so you can identify us ....LOL

 

Cheers, David & Dougal

[Germancruiser]

Hi Ron,

 

thanks a lot for all the information you gave us. All questions I might have had are answered already. You should write for a newspaper, it brought our cruise very close. I have never heard from the Cirque think. So know after you wrote about I know a lot more. Sounds interessting. I always choose late seating, cause it gave me more time to get ready for dinner though!

I met many now real friends on previous cruises, some are my age, some are much older than me, I don´t care how old people are- you said it right its in the mind how old one feels!

I wish we can talk with all the fun and good feeling you talked about your cruise when ours is open. But I am sure we will.

It´s so kind of you to tell us all you have experienced and wish us a great cruise and share your great cruise memories with us!

Thanks so much again!

Greetings from Germany

Micha

[ronhow]

Hey Guys,

 

Happy to assist you all.

 

Early seating is at 6 not 6:30, so may be too early for you. Yes, you can catch the shows as they will be either before you dine or after. Only thing you might have to rush for is the White Night which is precisely at 10:17PM, but I guess you can be late too.

 

Have a safe, healthy and wonderful trip and have a drink to me!

 

I want to hear all about it when you get back.

 

BON VOYAGE

Howard.

[Germancruiser]

Hi,

 

Ron- for sure we will have a drink to you! And we will let you know how our cruise has been. Thanks again

 

David and Dougal,

 

yeah, looking foreward to our " Blind Date" too. As you know my face already, just in case I can not figure you out, you can give me a sign. LOL. Can´t wait- 3 more nights....!

Again have a save and pleasant journey!

Take care!

Greetings

Micha

[Kiwifruit]

Hey Guys,

 

Ron - Thanks for all the info its been invaluable, we will certainly raise a toast to you when we get on board...... hmmm looking forward to trying out those martinis ;-)

 

Micha - Hows the cold going, I hope that you are fully recovered? Look forward to catching up with you onboard on Friday .... can't believe that the time is almost here.

 

Cheers, David & Dougal

[Germancruiser]

Hi David and Dougal,

 

thank you, I feel much better this monday morning! Not fully recovered, but already okay to travel. Weekend was a bit rough though- I felt not so great, but now its really okay!

True, I also can not believe, thats its just around the corner! Can´´t wait also!

Jealous about you flying tomorrow- for two more days to go!

Greetings

Micha

[Kiwifruit]

Hi Micha,

 

Well the day has finally arrived and we are pretty much organised. Dougal can't find his bow tie so we will have to go purchase another one for him. We fly out from Melbourne at 3pm so still a little bit of time to kill before then. Dougal's mother has invited us over for lunch and then she will drop us off at the airport which is nice of her.

 

Hope you are feeling better and we wish you a safe and enjoyable flight(s).

 

Looking forward to meeting,

 

Bon Voyage,

 

David & Dougal

[Germancruiser]

Hi David and Dougal,

 

I guess you are pretty much on your way allready now. For me it two more days, final packing starts tomorrow. I fly out of Stuttgart Thrus. 11.30 am.

Hope you find a nice bow tie for Dougal. Same happend to me a few years ago. Had to buy one on board the ship..!

I feel much better, so I am ready to fly.

Again have a save and pleasant journey!

Until our blind date! (Can´´t wait)

Greetings

Micha

[ronhow]

Are you guys home yet~

[Kiwifruit]

Hi Ron,

 

We just got back to Melbourne this morning after our long flight home and so we are feeling a little jetlagged and I'll keep this response brief but provide more detailed summary later. I Suppose you heard that our cruise was shortened by one day due to some mechanical problem and we missed out Ketchikan which was a little disappointing, that having been said we had a wonderful time and made the most of the altered situation by spending more time in Vancouver. The service, food, staff, entertainment etc all exceeded our expectations and the facilities offered on the ship were generally first class. We were also very fortunate with the weather and enjoyed the port visits and found it remarkably easy to do our own thing in each port rather than using the ships excursions.

 

The only downside for the cruise was the way guest relations handled the whole notification and compensation aspect of the shortening of the cruise but I won't get into that right now. Suffice to say Celebrity should enrol a number of its personnel into a course in customer relations and complaints handling ... :-) In any event we enjoyed the cruise tremendously and will not let these hiccups deter us from cruising Celebrity again.

 

Cheers, D&D