Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

Live from the first cruise in the Pandemic

Germancruiser

By Germancruiser,
in Celebrity Cruises

 Share

Recommended Posts

bones774

bones774

Posted
Posted
13 minutes ago, Germancruiser said:

I think it was a rather reduced price- they advertised them as Premium All inclusive- the drinks in the Spec. Restaurants were not included. 

do you think they sold out all the cabins they intended or had avail  to sell? a reflection of peoples interest in cruising again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
markeb Great Review Rare

markeb

Posted
Posted
11 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

Not sure where Germancruiser lives either.  I lived in Augsburg many, many years ago.

 

 

10 hours ago, Germancruiser said:

Wonderful news- markeb- if you can manage Bayrisch oder Schwäbisch- we both will come along admiarbly- since that is excatly where I come from. The call us here " the Bavarian Swabians"- die bayrischen Schwaben. I live right in between Stuttgart and Munich- in a not so big town called Ulm.

 

Last hijack, but this is actually too funny!

 

I lived in Augsburg in the early '90s for a year before moving to the Oberfalz for the remainder of my time in Germany. Last night, at a wine tasting, I met two people who had also lived/been stationed in Augsburg, and now Happy Cruiser shows up as a third in less than 24 hours. And Germancruiser is from Ulm, right along A8 from Augsburg to the west, which I've travelled many times. 

 

Good memories.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
TeaBag

TeaBag

Posted
Posted
12 hours ago, Germancruiser said:

Sorry it took  me so long to respond- but the ships internet was quite bumby at times- so I had a hard time to get anything posted or to catch up on the re´s! Was this cabin crawl on board Silhouette ( 2019) or on board the Constellation (2010)? That´s the only ones I have taken part of!

Constellation 2010.  We later booked 7002 on Summit because it was such a huge cabin and we loved it.  No problem with waiting till you got home to respond.  After all, your cruise was short enough without having to spend all your time getting back to people.  Thank you so much for entertaining us cruise deprived.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Jasper95

Jasper95

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Miaminice said:


It’s copy/paste in google translate then...

 

1 hour ago, trbarton said:

I’m using an IPad. Any suggestions. 
 

Tom🤔

 

You can just copy/paste the link to the blogpost into Google translate, it will give you a click-able link to a fully translated page 🙂

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Germancruiser Great Review Rare

Germancruiser

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Amazing how many of you are familiar or have even lived here for a while- and so very close to my hometown.

7 hours ago, TeaBag said:

Constellation 2010.  We later booked 7002 on Summit because it was such a huge cabin and we loved it.  No problem with waiting till you got home to respond.  After all, your cruise was short enough without having to spend all your time getting back to people.  Thank you so much for entertaining us cruise deprived.

Ah I remember this cabin too- really a great cabin- this particular cabin was occupied by a German couple living in Teneriffe I suppose it was. This cabin crawl was really fun- slightly chaotic- but great to see all the cabins.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
C-Dragons Holiday Sharing Rare

C-Dragons

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Germancruiser said:

Amazing how many of you are familiar or have even lived here for a while- and so very close to my hometown.

Ah I remember this cabin too- really a great cabin- this particular cabin was occupied by a German couple living in Teneriffe I suppose it was. This cabin crawl was really fun- slightly chaotic- but great to see all the cabins.

The couple from Tenerife, was their CC name Tenerife Sharon? We used to cruise with them years ago.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
questor

questor

Posted
Posted
23 minutes ago, C-Dragons said:

The couple from Tenerife, was their CC name Tenerife Sharon? We used to cruise with them years ago.

Are you talking about the 2009 cruise from San Juan to Barcelona in '09? I met Sharon and Hugo on that cruise and later they visited us when they were in Williamsburg.  That cruise had so many things going on and the cabin crawl helped me decide what cabin I wanted when we cruised to South America.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Germancruiser Great Review Rare

Germancruiser

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Next part of my little review. The Entertainment was – as I already mentioned downsized to one performer or four at most. So no big dance shows- and the like- to avoid big congregations on the stage.

Kudos to the Entertainment – Team- they really put together a nice and tasteful bunch of events.

All custom made for a German ship of course.

It really felt not much different – Entertainment wise- as any other cruise. There was Bingo, workshops for this and that. A baking seminar- how to make their “ Artisan bread- hm- I did not attend – I did not like this Special Artisan Bread AT ALL. One even could buy this bread and take home- it had just to be pre- ordered.

 

The ship was nice layed out – the passenger flow- well- can´t say much about that- due that we sailed not even at half capacity- but I suppose I must be okay. They call Mein Schiff 2 “ The Designer Ship”! Not for nothing. I did not like all decors and furnishings, but – again- each has his own taste. In some places to colourful, to modern.

A very nice option was the Juice – Bar- you could choose from the menu- fruit drinks- fruit- shakes or you could create your own juice with the ingredients ( fruits)  of you own liking. That they could adopt on board X- ships- I am sure cruisers would love that. That was – again not included in the Premium All inclusive. The prices where quite okay though. Every morning I got my style fruit drink and took it with me to the dinning room.

 

What seems to be an absolutely must on board a German ship- a beer bar- I did not went there since, I first did not like the bar at all- no view- the only window was blocked from a lifeboat- second I hate beer- I can´t even stand the smell of it.

 

The shops were rather upscale- nothing of interest so I did just a little window- shopping when walking by.

 

The  Casino- rather small- as already mentioned- doubled as smoking lounge. Very nice furniture- again no view- did just a quick “ jump in”- to take a few pictures.

 

For me the absolute highlight was the fleet meeting in the Deutsche Bucht- before entering German waters. First Mein Schiff 1 arrived – identical sister to our ship- so it was great to see “ ones own ship” sailing past. The sailed alongside for a while- stopped and started the “ horn competition”! Quite a nice gesture from Tui Cruises. In the early evening hours three other Mein Schiff´s arrived next to us. Mein Schiff 1 left already- she had to get ready for her first passengers the next day.

Mein Schiff´s 3, 4 and 5 sailed a while next to us- then all engine´s to the stop- and all four ships- MS 2,3, 4 and 5 stopped in row – slightly staggered. Then the captain came over the intercom and introduced those ships, when they came out and so such things.

One could hear he was greatly moved by the occasion- as was the cruise director and the passengers. No´s 3,4 and 5 sailed as “ ghostships” with just a skeleton crew on board. Such a meeting never happened before- and the captain wished that this would be a once in a lifetime experience, since ships are made for passengers. ( and making profit)

Then they played the Mein Schiff Hymn- usually played during sail away- “ Große Freiheit” ( Big Freedom or Great Liberty) Goosebumps for all of us! Very moving, indeed.

 

Last but not least a few thoughts about this first cruise with over a thousand passengers. Could this particular cruise have worked sailing full capacity- I doubt it! I wondered what profits Tui Cruises could make out of these short “ Blue Journeys”. I read that they offer now 7 day cruises – starting this month- then shore excursions will be allowed, too.

Sailings will also reduced to 60% capacity.

Would I go back or change to Tui Cruises altogether. Well,  if Tui Cruises or Hapag and Aida Cruises will be to only cruise lines offering cruises in the pandemic- I always would take a Tui cruise- Hapag is far to expensive and Aida- well- that’s the equivalent of Carnival- made for families and party people.

If cruising goes back to normal, hopefully in the near future,  I will stick with X and Cunard.

After being on a almost brand new ship- very similar in furnishings and the like as the Edge Class, sans those infinite balcony´s,   makes me think twice about trying the new Edge Class ships. I had to cancel two cruises planed for this year- one a Transatlantic on board Queen Mary2 sailing from NY to Hamburg and one Apex- cruise – visiting Italy and France.

What I saw of the Edge class did not impress me in the least, but my curiosity got the better of me- so I booked this canceled sailing.

Let me end in saying how grateful I was to get this opportunity to sail in the midst of the Covid 19 crisis.

We had huge protests against the restrictions in Berlin this past weekend. Unbelievable- I am glad our government acted swift ( for some not even swift enough) and determined to keep Covid at bay. No cruises would have been possible if the cases here would not have gone down and were kept at bay.

Cases in Germany are erupting again, not overwhelming- but sure a tendency is to make out  – due to the homecoming people from foreign country´s like Spain, Italy, Turkey or the “German Island”  of Mallorca.

Thank you all for reading my posts and those nice comments. Stay in good health and that we may all cruise again in the very near future.

My only wish is- do wear your mask- keep social distancing- the world is in this together- no country has been spared.

Bye for now! If you have any further question- just ask!

  • Like 28
  • Thanks 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites
questor

questor

Posted
Posted
17 minutes ago, Germancruiser said:

Yes that is their Screen Name- Sharon and Hugo- Tenerife Sharon. I really nice couple. We lost contact though.

We stayed in contact for awhile via email and then I didn't hear back from her.  Have not seen her post on cc. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
wrk2cruise

wrk2cruise

Posted
Posted (edited)
8 hours ago, questor said:

We stayed in contact for awhile via email and then I didn't hear back from her.  Have not seen her post on cc. 

 

 

I remember the name well.  I guess they moved away from Celebrity as I searched for them by CC user and found posting on RCL and Princess roll calls recently.

Edited by wrk2cruise
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Germancruiser Great Review Rare

Germancruiser

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

I just came across the message that Hurtigruten stopped their ships again, after the infected crew members. 

TUI CRUISES plans to go on 7 night cruises now- ALLOWING SHORE EXCURSIONS-  in my opinion that is at a to early stage in den pandemic, allowing passengers bring the virus back on board. 

Wouldn't it a terrific blow to the cruiseindustrie to get stopped again after their careful soft opening?

I know many planed cruises for next year- i still hesitate to do so. Even though my fingers are itching book... 

Edited by Germancruiser
  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...