Other newbie questions

[39august]

First timer on X sailing Silhoutte in Dec. Where is a good place to wait for cabins to open, please? Are bars open upon embarkation: some, all or which? Do you get a small scale copy of deck plans at check in as on RCI? Can you go to MDR, check your table, and request a change if necessary? I have e-mailed the Celebrity dining site that I read about here on CC and asked for a table for two. How likely am I to get it, please?

[leaveitallbehind]

Similar to RCI there are bars open - pool deck, etc. You will be greeted with a mimosa or glass of champagne upon boarding . You can wait pretty much anywhere - perhaps take some time to explore the ship. Lunch is available as well at the buffet, which IMO is quite a bit better than RCI - as is the food overall. You can go the the MDR and check on table reservations.

 

What is your C & A status - there is reciprocity with benefits beginning at RCI Platinum / Celebrity Select. (Points remain accumulated with each cruise line). Contact Celebrity to enroll in their Captains Club. If you are RCI Diamond or higher you would be Elite on Celebrity - and there is an Elite embarkation lunch available.

 

I think you will enjoy Celebrity - we have and currently have all of our future bookings with them. To us it is a better customer focus with Celebrity than RCI and as mentioned, we think the food is measurably better as well.

[39august]

Thanks. I have seen you on the RCI boards many times. Pinnacle on RCI so Elite on X. Never heard of an Elite lunch. Where is the Elite lunch held please? Will we get something about it upon checking in? .I asked about bars for my husband, as I probably won;t have a drink before evening since I usually go to the gym on boarding day. Gym and alcohol don't play well together!

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Celebrity does not have an elite lunch but they do have an elite breakfast. We haven't gone for years so can't give too much info. If you are booked in a Concierge Class room you can go to the MDR for lunch on embarkation day. Suites have Luminae open for lunch. You should get a small map of the ships layout when you check in. If you don't ask for one.

[dkjretired]

Celebrity does not have an elite lunch but they do have an elite breakfast. We haven't gone for years so can't give too much info. If you are booked in a Concierge Class room you can go to the MDR for lunch on embarkation day. Suites have Luminae open for lunch. You should get a small map of the ships layout when you check in. If you don't ask for one.

 

Just to confirm they do NOT have an Embarkation lunch or any lunch for Elites.

[keesar]

There are usually guided tours early in the afternoon of the day of departure. You will be usually led by 2 crew members and it is a great intro to the ship.

 

You will probably experience an upgrade in the food but a decline in entertainment. Less energy on X.

 

The Elite breakfast is usually of a continental variety with mimosas, etc. included.

[leaveitallbehind]

Have seen you quite a bit as well - nice talking with you. I just read the posts regarding the lunch. My mistake as I thought it was for Elite status but we have been Concierge on our cruises with Celebrity so I guess that was it. Thanks CHEZMARYLOU and dkjretired for the correction.

 

...and the gyms' - as with RCI - are very nice as well.

[39august]

Thanks for all the good information. Good to hear about the gym. Looking forward to a cruise that is not so family oriented and with a complete no smoking policy inside the ship. The casinos on RCI are now the smoking room. Lots of folks seem to just go there to smoke and that smoke rolls out to adjacent areas. Also looking for better food. We usually eat dinner in the buffet at this point in our cruising life. We will try the MDR, if we can get our table for two, a couple of times at least.

[leaveitallbehind]

Thanks for all the good information. Good to hear about the gym. Looking forward to a cruise that is not so family oriented and with a complete no smoking policy inside the ship. The casinos on RCI are now the smoking room. Lots of folks seem to just go there to smoke and that smoke rolls out to adjacent areas. Also looking for better food. We usually eat dinner in the buffet at this point in our cruising life. We will try the MDR, if we can get our table for two, a couple of times at least.

 

If you are a fan of the specialty restaurants, they are very good as well. Murano and QSine are two of our favorites. Be sure to check out the Spa Cafe in the Solarium - nice healthy alternatives. And I couldn't agree with you more regarding the smoking policy on Celebrity and that on RCI - a nice change!

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[Tiggertastic]

Anywhere you like but you may want to explore, grab lunch, sit in the hot tub, anything is possible. They're usually open around 1.30 if no before sometimes

 

 

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[Luvcrusn]

As stated, the lunch in the MDR is for concierge class only except occasionally a few B to B cruisers get invited. Otherwise, the OVC (which is crowded), the Aqua Spa Café, in the solarium, the mast grill are open for lunch as alternatives and I'm not sure about Sushi on 5. If it is open it's a for fee restaurant and not included. It's menu is ala carte. Bars are open around the ship, and if you have a beverage package you can use it immediately upon boarding.

 

We always check on our table in the MDR as soon as we board. We always request a table for two and have always gotten it, with one exception. On that occasion, the maître d immediately remedied the assignment, so the likelihood is that if you requested it, you'll get it. If not ask for a change. It's best to do this immediately upon boarding. Have a great trip!

[TeaBag]

If you really want to have a table for 2, you should ask for Select dining. This is a separate area of the dining room and most of the tables are for 2, but there are larger ones also.

 

We always go to the Spa cafe upon embarkation. It is much smaller and quieter with a selection of healthy food set out on plates.

[helen haywood]

We just find a scenic spot and have a drink and wait till the announcement that the cabins are ready. Then the Buffet clears out and we can enjoy lunch!

 

 

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[Canadianhey!]

First timer on X sailing Silhoutte in Dec. Where is a good place to wait for cabins to open, please? Are bars open upon embarkation: some, all or which? Do you get a small scale copy of deck plans at check in as on RCI? Can you go to MDR, check your table, and request a change if necessary? I have e-mailed the Celebrity dining site that I read about here on CC and asked for a table for two. How likely am I to get it, please?

 

My last cruise in Oct we did not receive the deck plan upon check in. Not sure if that is the norm now or if our package was just missing it.

[Luvcrusn]

If you really want to have a table for 2, you should ask for Select dining. This is a separate area of the dining room and most of the tables are for 2, but there are larger ones also.

 

We always go to the Spa cafe upon embarkation. It is much smaller and quieter with a selection of healthy food set out on plates.

We have always had traditional dining late and have always gotten the requested table for two without any problems. In my experience they try to be accommodating.

[AnOnymously]

My last cruise in Oct we did not receive the deck plan upon check in. Not sure if that is the norm now or if our package was just missing it.

On Constellation in September we were never given a deck plan.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Maybe they did stop giving out deck plans, I guess I never paid too much attention because I pretty much know the layout of the ships. They might have them when you check in or at guest relations, if you ask for one. Each deck has a schematic near the elevators and the public areas are shown in or near the elevators.

[Xport]

Maybe they did stop giving out deck plans, I guess I never paid too much attention because I pretty much know the layout of the ships. They might have them when you check in or at guest relations, if you ask for one. Each deck has a schematic near the elevators and the public areas are shown in or near the elevators.

 

Several years ago, Celebrity stopped giving out small scale deck plan maps during check-in [they were part of the folder containing one's SeaPass card]; apparently, the vast majority of them--knowingly or unknowingly--were quickly found in the trash... But they are indeed available upon request at Guest Relations...

 

Though I know the ship layouts too, the schematics/signage around the ship--including in/near the elevators--strike me as well done...

 

Original poster... You may well have picked up on it but, contrary to the practice on Royal Caribbean, port-side staterooms on Celebrity are odd-numbered and starboard-side staterooms on Celebrity are even-numbered... I found Allure fairly easy to negotiate despite her size but my preconceived notion about stateroom numbering, based upon my Celebrity experiences, was initially unintuitive [and it took me a few days to figure out that the hallway carpets are differently colored--port versus starboard-- and that the horizontally mounted, teardrop-shaped room number placards point forward on the mega-ships; you won't find--but won't need--need the same conventions on Celebrity ships]...

Edited November 13, 2017 by Xport

[Xport]

As stated, the lunch in the MDR is for concierge class only except occasionally a few B to B cruisers get invited.

 

Though relatively few in number--and some cruises have none aboard--Captain's Club Zenith members also have the option of having lunch in the Main Dining Room on embarkation day...