JamieLogical's March 19 Summit Sailing

[JamieLogical]

Two weeks from today I will be flying to Miami for my next sailing on the Summit, so now seems like as good a time as any to start this thread. I am undecided on whether to pay the difference for the "Premium" wifi so I can liveblog while on board. But either way, I will be taking notes each day onboard and posting them here, either live or once I get home.

 

I booked this sailing back in January using the Future Cruise deposit I had purchased onboard the Summit in November. The price was right with the solo rate being reasonable and, at the time, round trip flights to Miami were only $155. Of course, after much hemming and hawing, I ruined the cheap flights by deciding to make this a B2B with the 4-day March 24 sailing. That meant having to book a new return flight and by the time I did that, just the one way flight was $194.

 

This is the second time I have decided to turn a 5-day on the Summit into a 9-day after having already booked flights through Celebrity and have had to eat the cost of just booking a whole new return flight. Next time I book a short sailing, I am going to think long and hard about whether I'll be turning it into a B2B or not before booking flights!

 

For the first leg I was booked into room 6030, which is one of the Sweet Sixteen verandas on Deck 6 forward. I picked this specific room for its large balcony. For my second leg, the same room was unavailable, so I booked room 9173, which is an angled bump-out balcony. I wasn't concerned about noise from Oceanview Cafe, because on my last Summit sailing, I had been in an AQ right across from this room and noise had not been an issue. Fun fact: this will be the first time I have ever stayed in a port side stateroom!

 

Yesterday, I found out that my minimum bid to go from my veranda to an Aqua Class had been accepted. I payed $70 ($35x2), which works out to $14/day. My new room in an A2 on Deck 9 midship. Too bad 9175 was unavailable, as then I could have just moved right next door for my B2B.

 

So, here's the super weird thing about my bid. I check inventory on the whole ship every day. On Wednesday afternoon, there were 70 AQs available and 12 2Cs (my old category) available. Yesterday, after my bid was processed and even into this morning, there were 69 AQs available and 13 2Cs. Does this mean MY bid was the only bid that was processed? Why would they process my lone, minimum bid before any others?

 

Edited March 4, 2022 by JamieLogical

[JamieLogical]

Sorry I had to cut that first post a little short so I could tend to some work stuff. I wanted to talk a little bit about where I'm at in my pre-cruise planning. Beginning on Sunday, I plan to start self-isolating to avoid testing positive for my pre-cruise COVID test. I still have to come to work, but I have an office with a door that closes, so as I did with past pre-cruise periods, I plan to wear my KN95 from my car to my office, close my door, and then just return to my car with my mask on when it's time to leave. I will avoid all face-to-face interaction with other humans. I also won't be hanging out with friends/family in person after Sunday. If I do have to run any errands, I will wear my KN95 and be as quick as possible.

 

I haven't given much thought to packing or supplies yet. I have the packing list for my last two 9-day cruises, so I don't think I will need to change anything from then. I did get some sauce on one of my white linen shirts on my last cruise that I need to figure out how to get out or just break down and buy a new one before sailing.

 

I can't schedule my COVID test at Walgreens until 8 days out, so I am patiently awaiting getting that scheduled.

 

Flights seem to have stabilized. There was a bit there where it seemed like flight times were changing like crazy. But the last flight change notice I got was just a flight number change, not an actual flight time change.

 

It looks like we really will be going to both Dominican Republic and Key West. Both of those are ports I have been scheduled to sail to post-restart, but were canceled. So far, no itinerary changes.

 

I had hoped to do the cable car in Puerto Plata, but I found out it has been closed for months because it got stuck and hasn't been approved to reopen after repairs. I was really bummed out to learn that, because it was an excursion that will actually be better for me to do solo. My husband is terrified of heights, so would never do it with me.

 

As it is, I now no longer have any excursions booked. If I get off the ship, I will just be exploring on my own in all the ports.

[BEAV]

Following.

 

Enjoy your deep dive into your thoughts and pre-cruise planning. 

 

Interesting, indeed, about your AQ bid with regard to category specifics. 

[KKB]

Jamie, I really enjoy all your thoughts on cruising, having followed you since you jumped on board Celebrity last summer. Can't wait to see your thoughts on this one!

 

We are by no means Celebrity only cruisers...they just happen to be the ones we have cruised more often & most recently! You & I have a common sense of value & that usually drives what cruises we book...although I have become a bit of a SHIP snob...I am dying to sail the Beyond! (yet the Infinity is 40% cheaper for an extra day for the same week...ugh!)

And now that I am retiring in May/kids out of the house, our visions of where to cruise now have expanded beyond the Caribbean (tho it is NEVER out of the picture).

 

Hmmmm....you may have inspired me to start my own TR early for the Apex next week.

[Jim_Iain]

I've pulled up a chair and look forward to our report. 

 

On you upgrade the reason the number of AQ's may have remained about the same may be that a number of AQ's were upgraded to SS.  One never knows for sure or whether they had unreleased cabins they used for the upgrades.

 

The good thing you got your upgrade at the minimum bid.

[JamieLogical]

1 hour ago, Jim_Iain said:

I've pulled up a chair and look forward to our report. 

 

On you upgrade the reason the number of AQ's may have remained about the same may be that a number of AQ's were upgraded to SS.  One never knows for sure or whether they had unreleased cabins they used for the upgrades.

 

The good thing you got your upgrade at the minimum bid.

 

The Retreat has been sold out on the sailing for weeks, so there definitely weren't a bunch of upgrades to SS from AQ. I have been monitoring inventory across the whole ship every day. Someone else on my roll call got upgraded from an interior to an FV today, so more upgrades may be going through I haven't had time to take a full inventory of the ship this afternoon yet.

[JamieLogical]

1 hour ago, JamieLogical said:

 

The Retreat has been sold out on the sailing for weeks, so there definitely weren't a bunch of upgrades to SS from AQ. I have been monitoring inventory across the whole ship every day. Someone else on my roll call got upgraded from an interior to an FV today, so more upgrades may be going through I haven't had time to take a full inventory of the ship this afternoon yet.

 

Well, I thought maybe more bids were being processed because someone on my roll call got upgrade, but it seems that the upgrades are still happening at a snail's pace because the changes in inventory from yesterday are pretty minor. There are 3 fewer A2s available and 4 fewer FVs available. Still 65 total AQs available and down to only 6 FVs available. The inventory for most other categories stayed exactly the same with the exception on 1 more interior and 2 more ocean views available, which I assume are from some of the few who got upgraded to A2s and FVs, like the person on my roll call.

[parrothead33]

Looking forward to once again following your next sailing.  Have a great cruise.

[mrb5000]

4 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

Sorry I had to cut that first post a little short so I could tend to some work stuff. I wanted to talk a little bit about where I'm at in my pre-cruise planning. Beginning on Sunday, I plan to start self-isolating to avoid testing positive for my pre-cruise COVID test. I still have to come to work, but I have an office with a door that closes, so as I did with past pre-cruise periods, I plan to wear my KN95 from my car to my office, close my door, and then just return to my car with my mask on when it's time to leave. I will avoid all face-to-face interaction with other humans. I also won't be hanging out with friends/family in person after Sunday. If I do have to run any errands, I will wear my KN95 and be as quick as possible.

 

I haven't given much thought to packing or supplies yet. I have the packing list for my last two 9-day cruises, so I don't think I will need to change anything from then. I did get some sauce on one of my white linen shirts on my last cruise that I need to figure out how to get out or just break down and buy a new one before sailing.

 

I can't schedule my COVID test at Walgreens until 8 days out, so I am patiently awaiting getting that scheduled.

 

Flights seem to have stabilized. There was a bit there where it seemed like flight times were changing like crazy. But the last flight change notice I got was just a flight number change, not an actual flight time change.

 

It looks like we really will be going to both Dominican Republic and Key West. Both of those are ports I have been scheduled to sail to post-restart, but were canceled. So far, no itinerary changes.

 

I had hoped to do the cable car in Puerto Plata, but I found out it has been closed for months because it got stuck and hasn't been approved to reopen after repairs. I was really bummed out to learn that, because it was an excursion that will actually be better for me to do solo. My husband is terrified of heights, so would never do it with me.

 

As it is, I now no longer have any excursions booked. If I get off the ship, I will just be exploring on my own in all the ports.

 

I am bummed about the Puerto Plata Cable Car too!! I've been keeping an eye on it but with no change in the past few months I guess it's very unlikely that it's going to reopen by our visit. The view from the botanical gardens at the top looks amazing, though! If it's a clear day, we might still take a taxi up there for the view. Either that, or just spend some time at the pool in the new port area and take a walk over to the fort ruins. We're not planning on getting off the ship in Nassau.

[JamieLogical]

4 minutes ago, mrb5000 said:

 

I am bummed about the Puerto Plata Cable Car too!! I've been keeping an eye on it but with no change in the past few months I guess it's very unlikely that it's going to reopen by our visit. The view from the botanical gardens at the top looks amazing, though! If it's a clear day, we might still take a taxi up there for the view. Either that, or just spend some time at the pool in the new port area and take a walk over to the fort ruins. We're not planning on getting off the ship in Nassau.

 

I won't be getting off in Nassau either and the new port area in Puerto Plata does sound nice, so I think I would be comfortable exploring that area on my own as well.

[NCTribeFan]

I'll be following along.  I sail on Summit in April (my first on X, but over 40 cruises total).

 

Was originally booked on Infinity for 4 nights for this past March.  That was cancelled and we were moved to Summit and it became a 5-night sailing.  Original itinerary included Key West. I've never been and had 3 other cruises that were to call there cancelled.  X changed our port to Cozumel many weeks ago.  I'm a little bummed that we were changed so early yet current sailings are calling there.  Oh well.

 

I turned my short cruise into a side-to-side.  I'll disembark Summit and board MSC's Seashore (which is about two times larger than the size ship I prefer!!).  I haven't even booked my return air.  I typically fly SW but their options to Miami aren't great, so I booked AA down the day before.  I need to book SW for the return.

 

Keeping my fingers crossed that I'll be able to test myself while on Summit.  My TA will be on the ship and she'll have streaming wifi so she can work.  I'm taking a test with me.  Hope the wifi will be stable enough that the call won't get dropped in the middle of my test.

 

I've looked at all the photos of the ship I could find.  I've even read all the MDR menus.  I'm really looking forward to sailing on Summit.

 

Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

[vickykay]

Jamie, you will be perfectly safe walking around the new port area.   Buy some of the local coffee if you are a coffee drinker.  I bought a bag in Feb and it was delicious - very smooth.  I wish I had bought more.  Enjoy.

[jimbri]

Looking forward to your review

[cangelmd]

MLooking forward to reading about your adventure!

The Summit has been revolutionized, correct?

[jcbc522]

Jamie:  My husband and I will also be on the same two cruises that you will be on.  Looking forward to meeting you!  Your posts are always very informative and will be following along on this thread.  I'm hoping to be at the sail away with beads on!

[JamieLogical]

3 hours ago, cangelmd said:

MLooking forward to reading about your adventure!

The Summit has been revolutionized, correct?

 

Yes, the Summit was revolutionized from top to bottom. I was on in November and it feels like a brand new ship. Everything was beautiful and pristine, which is why I couldn't wait to get back aboard!

[JamieLogical]

1 hour ago, jcbc522 said:

Jamie:  My husband and I will also be on the same two cruises that you will be on.  Looking forward to meeting you!  Your posts are always very informative and will be following along on this thread.  I'm hoping to be at the sail away with beads on!

 

I will be at the sail away. Just look for the woman with purple and blue hair. I am impossible to miss!

[JamieLogical]

Well, I would love to report that I made a bunch of progress towards cruise preparation over the weekend, but that would be a big, fat lie. I finally got around to trying to order more Rebound Patches this morning and found out that, if I order them from Amazon, they won't arrive until after I sail! Usually Amazon has 2-day shipping on them, so I didn't think to order them earlier. Luckily, I found some on walmart.com that should be here in  7 days. So, still in time for my sailing, so long as they actually do ship that quickly. I probably should start thinking of a Plan B, in case they don't arrive....

[KKB]

6 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

Well, I would love to report that I made a bunch of progress towards cruise preparation over the weekend, but that would be a big, fat lie. I finally got around to trying to order more Rebound Patches this morning and found out that, if I order them from Amazon, they won't arrive until after I sail! Usually Amazon has 2-day shipping on them, so I didn't think to order them earlier. Luckily, I found some on walmart.com that should be here in  7 days. So, still in time for my sailing, so long as they actually do ship that quickly. I probably should start thinking of a Plan B, in case they don't arrive....

I usually just bring powdered pedialyte.

Tell me about these rebound patches... 

[JamieLogical]

4 minutes ago, KKB said:

I usually just bring powdered pedialyte.

Tell me about these rebound patches... 

 

I have been using them for a few years now. Just put one on in the morning each day of the cruise. They don't help with dehydration... you definitely still need to drink plenty of water, but they completely eliminate hangovers. I haven't had a hangover since I started using them. I use them a lot in my real life too usually, if I am going to have more than one serious drink in a row (not something lame like a WhiteClaw or a bear with <6% abv, but some high abv beers or hard liquor.
 

They are mostly just a whole lot of vitamin B, but in patch form it releases slowly throughout the day, rather than taking one big hit of B12, like with a 5-hour Energy.

[KKB]

2 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

 

I have been using them for a few years now. Just put one on in the morning each day of the cruise. They don't help with dehydration... you definitely still need to drink plenty of water, but they completely eliminate hangovers. I haven't had a hangover since I started using them. I use them a lot in my real life too usually, if I am going to have more than one serious drink in a row (not something lame like a WhiteClaw or a bear with <6% abv, but some high abv beers or hard liquor.
 

They are mostly just a whole lot of vitamin B, but in patch form it releases slowly throughout the day, rather than taking one big hit of B12, like with a 5-hour Energy.

Worth a try--just ordered!

Funny when it said delivered by tomorrow. 

Then when I made it 2 boxes...NOPE. Saturday delivery (THAT WON'T WORK!)

So ordered 1 box.

Looked again. 1 box would be delivered by Weds.

OK...so got my 2 boxes in a weird roundabout way!

 

[KKB]

2 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

 

I have been using them for a few years now. Just put one on in the morning each day of the cruise. They don't help with dehydration... you definitely still need to drink plenty of water, but they completely eliminate hangovers. I haven't had a hangover since I started using them. I use them a lot in my real life too usually, if I am going to have more than one serious drink in a row (not something lame like a WhiteClaw or a bear with <6% abv, but some high abv beers or hard liquor.
 

They are mostly just a whole lot of vitamin B, but in patch form it releases slowly throughout the day, rather than taking one big hit of B12, like with a 5-hour Energy.

(somehow your response ended up in the Move Up Tracker thread??!!)

Yes, I ordered 2-6 packs. One coming tomorrow, one Weds.

[JamieLogical]

31 minutes ago, KKB said:

(somehow your response ended up in the Move Up Tracker thread??!!)

Yes, I ordered 2-6 packs. One coming tomorrow, one Weds.

 

Yeah, I just saw that. Asked the mods to delete it. Definitely did not mean to post it there!

[Von & John]

Looking forward to your review Jamie...

We board the Connie the day b/4 you board the Millennium - dependent upon wifi - may not read the actual review, until we are off the ship 🙂  

Thanks for taking us along with you again!

[JamieLogical]

Exciting movement in my cruise prep this morning! I got my Walgreens COVID test scheduled for next Thursday! The Walgreens around here let you schedule one week out, so first thing this morning, I was on the site getting my test scheduled. In other news, I have determined that the stains on my white linen shirt from my last cruise came out successfully in the wash, so I do not need to buy a new one. No update on my Rebound Patch delivery. The weekend is sneaking up on me and I will have to do all my laundry and make sure I have all the supplies I need for packing.