Honeymoon on the summit - special dinner

[kfowinst]

Hi there

 

We will be on the summit for our honeymoon next march - the southern Caribbean itinerary (Barbados - st marten - san Juan etc). I am thinking about booking one special dinner (we are on a budget). We are in oceanvjew room and have classic drinks package.

 

Would you vote for Qsine or Normandie? Sea day or first/ last night? Do we need to make reservations? Is there any other experience (on or off the ship) people would recommend for our special occasion? We don't have a balcony for sail away, so any romantic spots? Are the romance packages celebrity sell worth it?

 

We are in our 30s from the UK and this is our first cruise experience although we have been to Caribbean before (Mexico, Honduras, Belize)

 

Thanks in advance!

Kerry

[phoenix_dream]

I love Qsine, but for a more romantic experience definitely go with Normandie. It is fantastic. I would definitely not do it the last night as everyone tends to get involved with packing and starting to be depressed that the cruise is over:) (although some may feel that is a nice way to end the trip). I would also not do it the first night as you are busy unpacking, getting settled in, finding your way around the ship. That said, they often will offer discounts to the specialty restaurants on the first night of the cruise. If budget is a big concern, this could be a plus for you. For that option, wait until you board the ship. In general, it is good to make a reservation to get the date and time you want. On the other hand, sometimes if the restaurants aren't getting booked up they might offer a percent off the price - but that is a chance you take. You might want to see how full your cruise is - if it is really booked up then you might want to book ahead.

 

(how do you do that? If you booked with a travel agent (TA) ask him/her. If you booked yourself, there are websites which will show all available cabins. I cannot list them here as it is against the rules as they are actually travel agent websites.)

[Karen@Steve]

Definitely vote for Normandie. Excellent service and a very intimate experience. If you mention you are on your honeymoon they will definitely take it up a notch further. We went there for our anniversary and everyone was wonderful. I'd plan on a night mid cruise when people more interested in the shore experience then planning a special night.

[JFontaine]

My thoughts:

 

Unless you are going for a reduced cost dinner in a specialty restaurant, which are sometimes offered on the first night, I would not go the first night. You have an 8 or 8:30 departure from San Juan. The fort is lit up, and it is a very pretty departure. You want to be outside for that. Any deck will do, or in the aft where there are seats and a bar. The first night will also have the muster drill before you depart. And the first night's menu in the main dining room is usually pretty good - prime rib has been on the first night menu. Nights two and six (your sea day, if I have your itinerary correct) are the formal nights, so I would skip those too. I would also skip night seven because you might be rushing around, packing, etc. Since you are n a budget skip the decorations and romance packages; bring a wedding photo to decorate your room! You can order free room service every morning (except the last) for breakfast in bed - it is tradition to tip your delivery person a couple of dollars. Have a wonderful trip.

[Redtravel]

Honeymoons are special. Enjoy. Either specialty room is nice. Normandie has good food and very slow service. Qsine is fun.....lots of quirky things. Do not miss it. Come hungry and bring a camera. Bistro on 5 is the best. For $5 you can eat anything and as much as you want in a very nice setting. Room service can bring you a very private meal. I love ordering lunch from room service. It is especially nice sitting out on the veranda eating lunch. Room service hamburgers are very good.

[We're The Groupnors]

We love both restaurants, but for a romantic dinner definitely Normandie!! We love sharing the chateaubriand for two, finished tableside. It's just such an intimate evening!

[K.T.B.]

Qsine is definitely a great experience and they can make it more romantic for you if you inform them that it's your honeymoon.

 

My suggestion is look a the menus for both restaurants on Celebrity's website and decide which one interests you the most!

[CateW]

Normandie definitely. If you are on a budget do not book this until you get on the ship. The first night they normally offer 50% off but be sure y head there as soon as you board to make your reservation. Go late like 8:00 or z8:30. Congratulations!

[kfowinst]

Thanks everyone for your really helpful replies. Normandie sounds like the ideal venue for a romantic meal and the beef sounds amazing. Really special and definitely worth the surcharge. Worth booking ahead if our cruise is busy (thanks for tip re: checking with TA).

 

We plan to try and visit Qsine too if we are lucky enough to get a 50% discount on the ship.

 

Thanks for the invaluable advice on formal nights, first night menu and skipping the special packages. Taking a wedding piccie to decorate our room instead is a fab idea; definitely doing this! Yep we are on the itinerary when our sea day is the first full day of our cruise . We definitely want to be in the MDR on formal nights so thanks for the tip off.

 

We will be sure to mention its our honeymoon when we board - our travel agent has made a note of it on our booking, but it won't hurt to let Celebrity know again!

[kfowinst]

P.s. can't wait for our honeymoon now- you guys have got us all excited. The sail away from San Juan sounds wonderful!

[Ciyra]

My husband and I cruised for our honeymoon on a very strict budget, but found that when people found out it was our honeymoon special things just happened. Bartenders giving us champagne, cruise director sending us chocolate covered strawberries. It was really nice.

 

I was gifted with quite a bit of new lingerie before our wedding, so my husband's favorite thing about the cruise was "nap time" every afternoon when he got to see a new "outfit." LOL. Also, we brought battery tea lights so we could have some nice lighting. Little things like that don't cost you anything on board and make it really fun.

 

Just remember to relax and don't put pressure on the trip and you'll have a great time. Congratulations!