Royal Caribbean Cruisers -- How Are Things Where You Are? (was "Routine" ​ 😁 ​day in lockdown... how was yours?)

[BonTexasNY]

4 hours ago, jagsfan said:

I made it through my surgery. 
It hurts to cough or even move, and they’re going to make me get up and sit in a chair.

I was visited by vampires and ghosts of past, present or future all night. So now I’m really sleepy and still they come! I feel like poor Scrooge. Typical hospital torture!

Breakfast was Jello and apple juice. In tiny cups. I won’t drink the broth till they make me! I’ve nothing but liquids since Monday at 5:30 pm. Here it is Thursday!

Won’t know anything till pathology results tomorrow or next week. 
 

Mimi, I thought of you yesterday and today hoping all went well.  

Praying those vampires and ghosts of past are gone for good with the best possible pathology result!

 

When I had my gall bladder out many years ago, NOT laproscopic but invasive, I was on broth and jello for a quite a few days.  One day I was given GREEN jello for lunch.  I hate GREEN jello.  I told the tech rather loudly and in a pissed off tone, GREEN JELLO??? This is my main course.  Isn't there another color you have ?  I was given red, orange jello from then on.

 

I love Archie Bunker's definition of jello:  Rubberized fruit. 🤣

[FromSea2ShiningSea]

1 hour ago, Ozark_Kid said:

I found a couple cruises around January 9 and then found out they were already signed up to run at Disney. That’s ok with me but I am worn out trying to figure it out so I am somewhat giving it a break for awhile.  I still have to peak every so often.

If you don't mind sailing out of the West Coast, take a look at Mexican Riviera on Navigator.  We'll be on the January 17, 24 and 28.

 

We've only been on Celebrity one time so far.  The Millennium.  A smaller ship.  Food was very good.  Will be on the Solstice Best of Japan April 2023 and TP after.  This will be our fourth attempt for this itinerary.  It kept getting changed and cancelled due to charter and COVID.

 

Check it out. 

[Ozark_Kid]

48 minutes ago, Arzeena said:

Along with what Dani mentioned, there is free laundry, one bag per elite member per cruise, Elite happy hour or coupons loaded to your card, wine tasting, 10% discount at the spa, and other things.

No balcony discounts, but different # of points for booking balcony, Concierge, Aqua, Suites. I love Celebrity. We started with Royal and then went to Celebrity. I do prefer Celebrity. It is just different.

 

Some of us here are on the Anthem in January. 9, 20,  and other dates. I promise you if your friends cannot cruise we will not be bad company 😁.

The one bag of laundry per elite sounds really good.  It may cut down on how much to pack…..maybe 🤔.  And it sounds like drinks on cards too.  Sounds good to me.  Does one fill obligated to dress up at dining? I’m not a tie guy and most of the time I would rather not have a jacket.

 

When looking at the Anthem, those where the dates I wanted.  Much of that was knowing who would be on it.  I am sure we all would enjoy our time together. 

[ReneeFLL]

23 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

 

The rain stopped about 30 minutes into our beach day. Then the sun came out and it was sunny all afternoon. Typical St. Maarten weather. Did not bother me a bit.

 

Having a great time Lenny. I love St. Maarten

We are in St. Maarten today. It rained for a little bit which was nice since it cooled it down some. It has been very hot. All of the shops are closed except bars, restaurants and some small shops along the waterfront. It’s their Remembrance Day.
 

5 hours ago, OnTheJourney said:

Wow...I should have such a temperament. I cannot resist a milkshake. 

I haven’t had any since cruising restarted, but a Baileys milkshake is tasty. Go to the soft serve ice cream and have them put some in a glass and then add Baileys. 🍹

[Luckynana]

8 hours ago, h20skibum said:

Happy Veteran’s Day today 

 

 

Granddaughter is marching in the parade later today.  We are anxious to see her baton skills. The baton was one of our gifts to her this year.

Happy Veterans Day, Mark!  I was a baton twirler in the PAL (Police Athletic League) when I was pretty young.  My brother played the drums, and my older sister played the Glockenspiel.  It was great fun marching!

7 hours ago, bobmacliberty said:

 

Other than a first cruise on Disney, we've been all Royal.  Lately, I'm becoming more and more intrigued by Celebrity, especially their newer ships.  Transferring to Elite status is a nice bonus.  I think I'll do some research as well.  Doesn't hurt to look, right?

I love cruising on Celebrity, the Silhouette and Equinox are beautiful ships.  Great crew, and great food (IMO).  We've been on the Silhouette for a couple of cruises;  in fact, our last cruise was on the Silly back in 2019.  We'll be on her again this coming February.

5 hours ago, George C said:

Happy Veterans Day , I will get a free lunch 😁, we loved our color days in Barcelona, stayed at a cool place hotel universal Barcelona it had a rooftop bar and pool with a fantastic view of the city, hope we can get back there someday. 

Happy Veterans Day, George, and thank you for your Service!  Jim's gotten free dinners when we're in Florida.  I didn't really see anything about free meals here in NJ where we live.

5 hours ago, jagsfan said:

I made it through my surgery. 

I was visited by vampires and ghosts of past, present or future all night. So now I’m really sleepy and still they come! I feel like poor Scrooge. 

Won’t know anything till pathology results tomorrow or next week. 
 

Thank God your surgery is finally over, Mimi!!!  You've been in my prayers and will continue to be.  I know what you mean about those visits during the night.  2 years ago, they thought I was having a stroke, and the bloodwork and heparin shots seemed never-ending!  Luckily, it wasn't a stroke.

Praying for all good news with your pathology results.🙏🤞🥰

4 hours ago, Arzeena said:

We are sore but fine. Thank you.

I gave RJ an address tag sticker 😁😉 LOL! Never got a voting sticker either.... they gave me a pen.

I love your great sense of humor, Arzeena!

[Ozark_Kid]

41 minutes ago, bobmacliberty said:

I don't think Viking would be our cup of tea, although to be fair, I haven't really looked into them.  We like Royal because of the variety of activities and entertainment.  I know some of you follow Tony from La Lido Loca and he summarized it well in a recent video.  His favorite class of ship across all cruise lines is Oasis class, but he has never used the flow rider, the zip line, the rock wall, and I think he also included a water slide.  He likes Oasis class for the entertainment...the Broadway shows, Aquatheater, comedy club, etc.  We are the same.  We like the "energy" on an Oasis class ship, even if we don't use all of the amenities ourselves.  I don't think I'd like a higher end cruise line just because it has really good food and service.  We need to do more than just sit around, relax, and look at the ocean.  I can do that at home.  I should probably check out Viking, Seabourn, Azamara, etc. in more detail before making assumptions about the experience.

 

The Celebrity Edge class seems to be a little more like Royal with "bells and whistles" while also being a little more upscale with food and service.  And the Retreat area looks very nice.

This is also how I feel.  I am not using the zip line and the rock wall any more, did use the flow rider last time but I still can’t skip the slides.  I love the entertainment and the energy.  

[OnTheJourney]

35 minutes ago, FromSea2ShiningSea said:

This will be our fourth attempt for this itinerary.  It kept getting changed and cancelled due to charter and COVID.

A familiar story for many of us I suppose. Next October will mark a third attempt at doing the exact same fly/drive itinerary, plus a 3rd attempt in spring at a few cruises. It has been like a new investment strategy - accumulate money from canceled and rebooked cruises, etc. but never get to actually go anywhere. 

[OnTheJourney]

1 minute ago, Ozark_Kid said:

We need to do more than just sit around, relax, and look at the ocean. 

[OnTheJourney]

Ozark...tried to add a reply but it didn't work.

 

I see your point! But for us, having time on the balcony to just sit, relax, and read, plus walking around the outside decks, enjoying the evening shows, of course the food, and doing ship excursions (or just getting out and walking when in port) is sufficient. I'm not into the cruise ship crowded pool scene, although sometimes use the indoor pools. Nor do we participate in many other group-oriented activities though sometimes attend those 'chef at sea'-type cook-off contests. 

 

Definitely take a look at Viking and the others of that genre, but I foresee you might find it a bit too sedate. There is not quite as much of the usual daily activity sheet bustling with lots of get-up-and-go events. Generally an older demographic for one thing. 

 

I think Viking has really interesting itineraries (not that other larger cruise lines don't, but just saying...worth looking at). We had fantastic onboard lecturers for our Northern Lights cruise. It was neat to see that nearly EVERYONE attended the science-oriented presentations. I'd venture to say (and again, no criticism directed at anyone) that the average Viking guest is more destination oriented as opposed to cruising for the sake of cruising, i.e. pursuing the 'energy and entertainment' that you refer to - which is absolutely fine.  That probably came out all wrong, but I think you probably get what I mean. It's a different type of demographic.

 

"Whatever floats your boat"...😁  Or, my dad would say, "that's why they make vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry"  (back to the ice cream thing again LOL)  

Edited November 11, 2021 by OnTheJourney

[Luckynana]

21 minutes ago, ReneeFLL said:

 

I haven’t had any since cruising restarted, but a Baileys milkshake is tasty. Go to the soft serve ice cream and have them put some in a glass and then add Baileys. 🍹

That sounds downright decadent!!!!  I'll have to try that, Renee!

[Ozark_Kid]

44 minutes ago, FromSea2ShiningSea said:

If you don't mind sailing out of the West Coast, take a look at Mexican Riviera on Navigator.  We'll be on the January 17, 24 and 28.

 

We've only been on Celebrity one time so far.  The Millennium.  A smaller ship.  Food was very good.  Will be on the Solstice Best of Japan April 2023 and TP after.  This will be our fourth attempt for this itinerary.  It kept getting changed and cancelled due to charter and COVID.

 

Check it out. 

We did the Mexican Rivera in 2010 on Mariner in celebration of my youngest daughters graduation.  The whole family and our friends family got to go.  We really enjoyed Cabo. We walked out on our own in Mazatlan and that was a bit of a mistake.  We ended up in a rough looking neighborhood but eventually made it to the market place.  

[Luckynana]

HAPPY VETERANS DAY TO ALL OF OUR VETERANS ON DANI'S THREAD

 

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE!!!!  GOD BLESS YOU!!!🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[Sheal]

2 hours ago, Ozark_Kid said:

The Elite perks are something I need to get familiar with.  Do they also have balcony discounts?

I do not believe so but then again I have only booked Aqua class because I enjoy the restaurant, Blu.  If Elite they do give you A2 pricing for an A1 balcony.  Both are balcony class but I believe the A1s are more centrally located.  I wanted to try Celebrity because I, too, was tired of the endless BINGO, BINGO, BINGO announcements along with the ART auction hawking every hour or two.  I find the line to be more to my liking, without the announcements and less children overall.  I feel their ships are most closely aligned to RC's Radiance class. 

[dani negreanu]

1 hour ago, Ozark_Kid said:

So even if you transfer from RC Diamond to C Elite you don’t get the upgrade on your first cruise?

 

Actually,  I'm not sure about it, that's what I've been told. At the time, I was new to Cruise Critic, and it took me time to understand all the "nuances".

 

1 hour ago, Ozark_Kid said:

 It also sounds like you have to call to get it as opposed to booking on line.  

 

Pls. see my reply above.

I've always used a travel agent, and she's doing it for me. On my invoice, it appears like this: E4 --> E3.

 

1 hour ago, Ozark_Kid said:

I was hoping once I transferred status I could enter a similar C&A # like on the RC website.

 

You'll be allocated a # for Captain's Club (the equivalent of C&A). May be, if you'll have a CC #, you'll get the discount right away....

 

Re: balcony discount.

Every time I've tried to use it, my agent said it is not "combinable" with other better offers (like group booking) she had then, and, for me, what mattered was the "bottom line" -- the best price, whether is through group booking, a secret rate for TAs only*, or "balcony discount"😁

 

*secret rate - a rate they're not allowed to publish, to be given only if you ask for an estimate....

Edited November 11, 2021 by dani negreanu

[OnTheJourney]

1 minute ago, Sheal said:

I have only booked Aqua class because I enjoy the restaurant, Blu.

We recently got into booking Aqua and really like it!!  Blu is so nice....quiet...usually get a table at the window. 

[Sheal]

1 hour ago, dani negreanu said:

No, they have a "free category upgrade" instead, though not on your 1st cruise on Celebrity.

 

Starting with your second, if, for example, you book a E3 category, you'll pay the rate of the lesser one, E4. It ranges between 70$-100$. You have to ask for it when booking.

LOL.  Guess I should have read a little further.  Thanks Dani. 

[Sheal]

1 hour ago, Ozark_Kid said:

 Not sure if it is just the way they advertise but it looks like every meal is a dress up meal.  

Not at all, smart casual works well.  My husband doesn't even bring a jacket anymore on either line.  I believe in Luminae (suite dining room) more people probably dress up.  I can not attest to that and my sister who has eaten in there is on the Apex this week.

 

We will be on the Edge in February I expect.  I just need to work on finding a dog sitter.  I keep pushing it off and it will be here before I know it.

[lenquixote66]

16 hours ago, Bailey & Sophie said:

 

Why? Because you say so?

No reason. Personal preference.

I have never met a person who did not like ice cream .I do not want to get too deep here or say something that might cause an argument on Dani’s wonderful thread .Therefore,I will accept your statement that you just do not like ice cream.

[lenquixote66]

6 hours ago, ownedbypets said:

 

I don't like ice cream, milkshakes, ice cream cakes or anything that contains ice cream. 

Wow,have you always not liked ice cream ?

[lenquixote66]

9 hours ago, h20skibum said:

Happy Veteran’s Day today 

 

 

Granddaughter is marching in the parade later today.  We are anxious to see her baton skills. The baton was one of our gifts to her this year.

In my opinion this is one of the most important holidays .I was outside today for a doctors appointment and saw that nearly every house in my area had a flag outside.

The condo that I live in has the American flag at the entrance every day of the year.

[lenquixote66]

11 hours ago, sgmn said:

Hubby is learning to play the piano.  Having breakfast being serenaded by Christmas tunes 👌 

He's not bad seeing he has no musical knowledge before, been learning now for about 18 months 

That is great.We have a piano in the house and whenever I can I will try to play something.

[lenquixote66]

5 hours ago, jagsfan said:

I made it through my surgery. 
It hurts to cough or even move, and they’re going to make me get up and sit in a chair.

I was visited by vampires and ghosts of past, present or future all night. So now I’m really sleepy and still they come! I feel like poor Scrooge. Typical hospital torture!

Breakfast was Jello and apple juice. In tiny cups. I won’t drink the broth till they make me! I’ve nothing but liquids since Monday at 5:30 pm. Here it is Thursday!

Won’t know anything till pathology results tomorrow or next week. 
 

Mimi,I am looking forward to you telling us that you are fine.

[Arzeena]

59 minutes ago, Ozark_Kid said:

The one bag of laundry per elite sounds really good.  It may cut down on how much to pack…..maybe 🤔.  And it sounds like drinks on cards too.  Sounds good to me.  Does one fill obligated to dress up at dining? I’m not a tie guy and most of the time I would rather not have a jacket.

 

When looking at the Anthem, those where the dates I wanted.  Much of that was knowing who would be on it.  I am sure we all would enjoy our time together. 

No obligations. I wear jeans with a top most nights. Not torn jeans but normal ones. I dress them up or down. I do wear sundresses sometimes but I don't think you will look good in a sundress and may end up on facebook! LOL😉😁. Sharon on the other hand will carry that out well. No formal nights, they call it Chic night, and you can dress to kill or you can be casual. No compulsions on tie and jacket.

 

 

[Sheal]

*secret rate - a rate they're not allowed to publish, to be given only if you ask for an estimate....

 

Like Dani, it has been a while since our first cruise on Celebrity so I may not have my facts straight but I believe I received the "upgrade" on my first cruise due to my RC status.  I do book with a Celebrity rep since I have to make them aware of my status to get the A1 at the A2 rate.

 

Besides the free laundry they also have a free item of dry cleaning per person. I use them both for myself in order to pack a little lighter. 

 

We still travel on RC since we started about 15 years ago.  We have traveled every year with another couple who have a now teenage son.  RC fits better for families with the many activities.  I think he would be bored to death on Celebrity.  He spends the entire day on the basketball court, plenty of kids his age, at least during Spring Break. 

[Sheal]

7 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

The condo that I live in has the American flag at the entrance every day of the year.

My daughter's does too.