my first cruise

[GWDAD]

Hi my Wife and I are going on our first cruise for our 25th wedding anniversary.

we are going on a 14 night Exotic Southern Caribbean Cruise on the 3rd Jan 2015 flying into Miami, we are sailing on the Celebrity Eclipse (Celebrity Cruises) going to the following destinations,

1 night in hotel in Miami on the 3rd Jan 15

Board ship and depart Miami 4th Jan 15 at 4:30pm

2 days at sea 5th & 6th Jan 15

1 day Oranjestad, Aruba 8am to 8pm 7th Jan 15

1 day Willemstad, Curacao 7am to 11pm 8th Jan 15

1 day Kralendijk, Bonaire 8am to 5pm 9th Jan 15

1 day at sea 10th Jan 15

1 day Castries, St, Lucia 8am to 5pm 11 Jan 15

1 day St, Johns, Antigua 9am to 6pm 13th Jan 15

1 day Basseterre, St, Kitts 8am to 5pm 14th Jan 15

1 day Philipsburg, St. Maarten 8am to 5pm 15th Jan 15

2 days at sea 16th & 17th Jan 15

Arrive back in Miami on the 18th Jan 15 at 7am

 

We have onboard bevarage package (all drinks), inclusive service charge, Romance package and are staying in a Concierge Class cabin

 

The questions are?

 

1. Are all tip's included in the inclusive service charge?

2. What will the weather be like?

3. What clothes will we take with us?

4. Should we book excursions before we go?

5. How much spending money should we take?

6. What are Celebrity Cruises like? ae they 5 star all the way like we have been told?

7. How do we find out what hotel we are staying in when we arrive in Miami?

8. What to do in Miami on return as ship gets back at 7am and flight home is not till 8:45pm?

9. Any other tip's ideas anyone might have for first time cruisers as I want this to be a really exceptional holiday for my wife and I as we did not have a Honeymoon when we got married.

[Leviathan2772]

Before I answer your questions. Do yourself a favor and upgrade to Aqua Class. For this special occasion, this upgrade is worth every nickel.

1) Tips are included if you elected to pay for it up front.

2) It will be warm to hot very likely, 70-80 and humid everyday.

3) Follow the "what to bring" on the Celebrity website.

4) Book excursions before you go, they do get booked up.

5) Spending money? Hmm... I bring at least $200/day for port days.

6) Celebrity is more "adult driven". A 5* experience depends on what you book.

Inside cabin, Aqua Class, Sky Suite, Etc. They are all much different

experiences. You get what you pay for. The inside cabin experience was not

bad, it was gReAt, but the Sky Suite experience is INCREDIBLE!

7) Call Celebrity about your hotel accommodations.

8) When you arrive back in Miami. Maybe rent a car a go to Key Largo or just go

to South Beach?

9) Aboard the ship abide by the "Golden Rule". Kill the staff and other guests

with kindness and just have a great attitude. Things will happen, just roll with

the punches.

 

Have an INCREDIBLE cruise, and an even better anniversary!

[jomf]

1. Are all tip's included in the inclusive service charge? Mostly Yes, if you prepaid, but people tip a couple of dollars for room service if you use it.

2. What will the weather be like? Very warm

3. What clothes will we take with us? Shorts and tshirts for daytime wear ( or whatever you are most comfortable in)Evenings the dress code is mostly smart casual, chinos and a collared shirt- smart jeans etc Formal nights either a suit or at least a jacket, unless you eat at one of the speciality restaurants then the code is smart casual.

4. Should we book excursions before we go? I would only book an excursion if that is one I really want to do, otherwise there are taxis at the dockside. Research the port, see what you would like to do, then either book via Celebrity or direct with the operator. We took a helicopter ride in St Lucia, booked direct and saved lots of money.

5. How much spending money should we take? The majority of places will take a credit card, we take around $100 cash for most ports. The ship is cashless though, everything will go on your bill

6. What are Celebrity Cruises like? ae they 5 star all the way like we have been told? We think they are, the food is very good, the service excellent. We would agree that a smile goes a long way.

7. How do we find out what hotel we are staying in when we arrive in Miami? Ask celebrity

8. What to do in Miami on return as ship gets back at 7am and flight home is not till 8:45pm? Celebrity should offer a trip which will end up at the airport.

9. Any other tip's ideas anyone might have for first time cruisers as I want this to be a really exceptional holiday for my wife and I as we did not have a Honeymoon when we got married.Try the speciality restaurants, don't worry about what other people think, talk to the other passengers - we have met some great people on cruises! Think about upgrading the drinks package to the premium package.

[micmacmissy]

Well, you sure picked the right cruise for your first trip! You're going to have a GREAT time.

 

For excursions, you can either book through the cruise line (which gives you some peace of mind that you can't miss the ship if something goes wrong, but will cost you more), or you can book on your own through a private company. Booking on your own will probably save you quite a bit of money and might yield a better tour.

 

To book on your own, one good place to start is on your roll call (look for the 'find your Celebrity roll call' link on this page). There you will meet people on the same cruise, and you can plan excursions together. Trip Advisor is a good place to check out 'things to do' in each port and you'll see companies reviewed. A little research goes a long way!

 

Have a wonderful time. Celebrity is a fantastic cruise line and you chose well!

[WestLakeGirl]

Unless you are really spa people, don't book Aqua Class.

 

Don't feel the need to run out and do a shore excursion on each island. Staying on board and enjoying the relatively empty ship, having the pool and other facilities nearly to yourself, will be the way to go sometimes

[CruisingGatorGirl]

9. Surprise her and book a night at the specialty restaurant, Murano :) there is a charge for this restaurant but we find it well worth it. You can google or search on here for the menu.

[bbeltmom]

We did this itinerary sailing on Jan 11th this year. The weather was much less hot and humid than going in say March - still 20-25C every day just not 25-30C and suprisingly very little humidity compared to what we noticed on our previous trips to the Caribbean which were in Feb and March - it was beautiful! We were very fortunate on our sailing we saw very litte rain, but the Captain did tell us that the previous sailing had rain every day.

 

If you can afford the splurge go for the Sky Suite. We had an S1 on the back corner and it was fabulous! We actually had empty drawers :eek:!

 

We have booked the same cabin for just a little later in January for 2016 for our 30th wedding anniversary since we had such a fabulous time! Two weeks was SO very relaxing!!!!!!

[A Sixth?]

You have indeed picked an excellent cruise, and as your first ever cruise a perfect fit!

 

I have it on good authority some of the nicest people on the seven seas will be aboard your cruise! :p

 

A good way of meeting some are by joining the roll call, an on-line chat exchange with other people on your cruise. Advice, shared tours and general tips all for free, and there's an official party for the group thrown by Celebrity. :D

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1812738&page=30

 

See ya aboard!

[GWDAD]

Before I answer your questions. Do yourself a favor and upgrade to Aqua Class. For this special occasion, this upgrade is worth every nickel.

1) Tips are included if you elected to pay for it up front.

2) It will be warm to hot very likely, 70-80 and humid everyday.

3) Follow the "what to bring" on the Celebrity website.

4) Book excursions before you go, they do get booked up.

5) Spending money? Hmm... I bring at least $200/day for port days.

6) Celebrity is more "adult driven". A 5* experience depends on what you book.

Inside cabin, Aqua Class, Sky Suite, Etc. They are all much different

experiences. You get what you pay for. The inside cabin experience was not

bad, it was gReAt, but the Sky Suite experience is INCREDIBLE!

7) Call Celebrity about your hotel accommodations.

8) When you arrive back in Miami. Maybe rent a car a go to Key Largo or just go

to South Beach?

9) Aboard the ship abide by the "Golden Rule". Kill the staff and other guests

with kindness and just have a great attitude. Things will happen, just roll with

the punches.

 

Have an INCREDIBLE cruise, and an even better anniversary!

Hi thank you all for the replies to my post and the great advice.

It has been suggested that I should upgrade to Aqua class but my travel agent said the only difference is access to the healthy eating restaurant and spa, my Wife unfortunately hates other people giving her a massage and I don't intend to be eating healthily as for cabin n aqua class I was told the same as the concierge class (we have outside balcony deck 10)we have a romance package which is for one of the speciality restaurants we were going to chose the one with the iPads (again recommended as best on board by travel agent) we have also got the full drinks package and fresh fruit everyday delivered to the cabin with bathrobes and slippers and an on oars spend of $500.

Is it worth upgrading to a larger suit than the concierge class ?

[Antonintassie]

Hi

 

This cruise has a fantastic roll call we are new cruisers and the people on the roll call have been extremely welcoming and helpful.

 

Kind Regards

 

Anthony

[jkgourmet]

Unless you are really spa people, don't book Aqua Class.

 

Don't feel the need to run out and do a shore excursion on each island. Staying on board and enjoying the relatively empty ship, having the pool and other facilities nearly to yourself, will be the way to go sometimes

 

Probably the best advice of the thread.

[MicCanberra]

Hi thank you all for the replies to my post and the great advice.

It has been suggested that I should upgrade to Aqua class but my travel agent said the only difference is access to the healthy eating restaurant and spa, my Wife unfortunately hates other people giving her a massage and I don't intend to be eating healthily as for cabin n aqua class I was told the same as the concierge class (we have outside balcony deck 10)we have a romance package which is for one of the speciality restaurants we were going to chose the one with the iPads (again recommended as best on board by travel agent) we have also got the full drinks package and fresh fruit everyday delivered to the cabin with bathrobes and slippers and an on oars spend of $500.

Is it worth upgrading to a larger suit than the concierge class ?

 

Doesn't appear like it would be worth the extra dollars in your case.:D

[monicajay]

I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time celebrating your 25th. This might not make up for the lack of a honeymoon but it will come close.

 

Definitely plan your shore excursions in advance. We prefer to do private ones that we've read about on these boards and/or tripadvisor such as Royston in St. Kitts and Cosol in St. Lucia. They are cheaper than the ship tours and are usually much smaller groups so more personalized.

 

We like to leave some ports with nothing actually booked but I've still done the research and we have a plan A,B and C. This can work in St. Martin where there are taxis to the beach areas or the town area so you can just pick when you get there.

 

I agree with the idea of a specialty restaurant, for the night of the actual anniversary if you are on board for it. We did Chops the RCL steakhouse and it made it very special for us.

 

Congratulations and enjoy your vacations.

[johnritt]

Blu, the aquaclass restaurant is nice, though I wouldn't call it a health food restaurant. I liked its size, and I liked the breakfasts. My wife loved the canapés and infused teas that they delivered to aquaclass rooms every day.

 

If it's not much of a cost increase, aquaclass can be worth it, just for the smaller, more intimate dining room. I wouldn't pay a bundle for it though.

 

No matter what you choose, you have picked a great cruise and will have a wonderful time.

[Gracie115]

Hi thank you all for the replies to my post and the great advice.

It has been suggested that I should upgrade to Aqua class but my travel agent said the only difference is access to the healthy eating restaurant and spa, my Wife unfortunately hates other people giving her a massage and I don't intend to be eating healthily as for cabin n aqua class I was told the same as the concierge class (we have outside balcony deck 10)we have a romance package which is for one of the speciality restaurants we were going to chose the one with the iPads (again recommended as best on board by travel agent) we have also got the full drinks package and fresh fruit everyday delivered to the cabin with bathrobes and slippers and an on oars spend of $500.

Is it worth upgrading to a larger suit than the concierge class ?

 

We love Aqua Class and Blu, the restaurant you dine in when in Aqua. While the food is not as sodium or sauces filled I sure wouldn't call it "healthy." Really though it IS the reason to book in Aqua, the spa is VERY secondary, but if Blu doesn't interest you than what you have selected will be wonderful.

 

As far as temps are concerned, I don't know where you are from, but you picked the ideal time to cruise the southern Caribbean. Yes, it will be warm but it won't be beastly hot most of the time and the humidity MUCH less than if you were sailing in the summer/spring/early fall.

 

As far as tips are concerned if you prepaid then you are fully paid as far as what is suggested/required. However we ALWAYS tip any room service delivery with a few $$ and we also tip whoever winds up being our bar server or bartender of choice a few $$ early in the cruise and during it too, especially if it is a longer cruise like the one you are on, as that has helped with continued great service, ESPECIALLY when on the beverage package. I am sure there are those that would disagree with me but we've done it and NOT done it and the difference is plain to see. We always bring a pack of $50 ones on each cruise so that we can do this, again, it is NOT required but we appreciate how hard ALL these people work and are happy to do it. Just something to consider.

 

Have a wonderful cruise, what a great first one for you....I suspect you will be hooked when it is over!!!:)

[CruisingGatorGirl]

Hi thank you all for the replies to my post and the great advice.

It has been suggested that I should upgrade to Aqua class but my travel agent said the only difference is access to the healthy eating restaurant and spa, my Wife unfortunately hates other people giving her a massage and I don't intend to be eating healthily as for cabin n aqua class I was told the same as the concierge class (we have outside balcony deck 10)we have a romance package which is for one of the speciality restaurants we were going to chose the one with the iPads (again recommended as best on board by travel agent) we have also got the full drinks package and fresh fruit everyday delivered to the cabin with bathrobes and slippers and an on oars spend of $500.

Is it worth upgrading to a larger suit than the concierge class ?

 

Good advice. You will find a lot of Aqua Class fans on here. We are not aqua class fans because of the same reasons you mentioned, we would not use the spa and we really enjoy the MDR (main dining room) as oppsoed to Blu (where you eat in Aqua). However, we are fans of the concierge class, which you booked. You get an extended room service for breakfast in concierge class. Take advantage of that, enjoy breakfast on your balcony :)

[awhfy]

Do upfront research on the ports. You may decide to stay on board some or most of a port day (best time to get a pool chair). We've done this itinerary twice & are doing it again this year. We always find something different to do or see. Bring an underwater camera (helps for beachy days), comfortable shoes, hat, plenty of sunscreen with you & just go enjoy! We didn't get a honeymoon either, started cruising on our 25th anniversary too--this year is our 45th; lordy we've been cruising for 20 years--how did that happen? Seriously, do your homework, trip advisor is a great place to start looking

 

 

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[MicCanberra]

Do upfront research on the ports. You may decide to stay on board some or most of a port day (best time to get a pool chair). We've done this itinerary twice & are doing it again this year. We always find something different to do or see. Bring an underwater camera (helps for beachy days), comfortable shoes, hat, plenty of sunscreen with you & just go enjoy! We didn't get a honeymoon either, started cruising on our 25th anniversary too--this year is our 45th; lordy we've been cruising for 20 years--how did that happen? Seriously, do your homework, trip advisor is a great place to start looking

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Great advice. BTW, congrats on your 45th.

My wife and I try and have a honeymoon every cruise.;)

[DWhit]

Hi thank you all for the replies to my post and the great advice.

It has been suggested that I should upgrade to Aqua class but my travel agent said the only difference is access to the healthy eating restaurant and spa, my Wife unfortunately hates other people giving her a massage and I don't intend to be eating healthily as for cabin n aqua class I was told the same as the concierge class (we have outside balcony deck 10)we have a romance package which is for one of the speciality restaurants we were going to chose the one with the iPads (again recommended as best on board by travel agent) we have also got the full drinks package and fresh fruit everyday delivered to the cabin with bathrobes and slippers and an on oars spend of $500.

Is it worth upgrading to a larger suit than the concierge class ?

 

It seems to me your travel agent is giving you good advice, and you have a wonderful cruise planned. I would add that since you have the drink package, it is sometimes harder to spend the on board credit, so keep in mind you can use it for excursions booked onboard. Of course, you can also shop onboard with it as well, something your wife might like.

 

Nothing against Aqua Class, but based on your post I am sure you will be just fine in Concierge class.

 

Have a great trip!