Your best pre-cruise Celebrity Tips please!

[andrewp]

It's been almost 20 years since my last Celebrity cruise and so much has obviously changed!  I'm taking my wife and two boys (9 & 13) on the Apex's December 27, 2025 7 day cruise that includes Key West, Bimini, Grand Cayman and Perfect Day at Coco Cay. 

 

I'm wondering if you have any MUST DO, pre-cruise planning that is specific to Celebrity beyond the usual get the app and check in online?   Things we should book ahead of time, things to bring that make a Celebrity cruise better.  What about when you get onboard, do you rush to book anything as soon as you step onboard?  We love going to the Chef's Table on Princess and I know to book that as soon as we board!  Any special dinners or activities that you kind of have to know about to get a reservation?

 

Anything at Coco Cay like cabanas?  Are they worth it?  Not much into waterslides and such, they prefer snorkeling.  

 

Any tips or ideas are appreciated!

 

Andrew

[keesar]

If you are thinking of dining at a specialty restaurant, book asap before you board.  At that time of year, the prime spots will quickly be reserved.  And about a month before your cruise, there may not be anything available.  

 

It is my opinion that the cabanas at Coco Cay are overpriced.  Plenty to do there without incurring those expenses.

[Tierun]

If you’re not booked for all included, I’d book drinks and wifi packages now. Then keep checking for price drops and rebook if necessary.

[chemmo]

Make sure you board fresh and ready to enjoy. Don’t fly in the day of your cruise, preferably enjoy a day or two in Fort Lauderdale first.

 

As others have said prebook dining packages etc. 

 

Look at excursions on line with Celebrity, privately and by joining others through your roll call. Involve your son’s in the choices made. With four of you taxis may be a good option for beach days…
 

Make sure the kids have lots of stuff downloaded on their iPads. Take a few things to enjoy together like simple packs of cards. There is an app where you can point your iPad at the stars and it will name them. My son loved doing this on deck at night with his Dad.

 

Sincere best wishes for a wonderful family cruise!

 

 

 

 

[Georgia_Peaches]

2 hours ago, chemmo said:

There is an app where you can point your iPad at the stars and it will name them.

Omg!!  How cool is that?!  Thanks for the tip!  I would love that too. 

Edited April 22 by Georgia_Peaches

[snohorules]

deleted

Edited April 22 by snohorules

[prmssk]

We always watch the safety video in the app from our hotel or the ride over to the port.  It becomes live to start tracking whether you watched it mid-morning embarkation morning.  Then once we board, we head straight to our muster station to check in so that we can get that part completely done with and start enjoying our cruise.

 

Celebrity lets you drop your carry on things in your cabin upon boarding (even though cabins aren't always quite ready) so that is usually our next stop.

 

There isn't really much, if anything to rush to book once you board, if you took care of all your bookings ahead of time.

 

I personally wouldn't pay what they charge for Cabanas at Coco Cay but that is a call you have to make.  There are lots of free loungers and umbrellas or for a more reasonable price you can book a beach bed.  We usually don't spend money at Coco Cay.

 

36 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Omg!!  How cool is that?!  Thanks for the tip!  I would love that too. 

It is very cool to be able to so easily identify stars and constellations (and even planets).  I use SkyView Lite but I'm sure it isn't the only app out there like it.

[andrewp]

16 hours ago, keesar said:

If you are thinking of dining at a specialty restaurant, book asap before you board.  At that time of year, the prime spots will quickly be reserved.  And about a month before your cruise, there may not be anything available.  

 

It is my opinion that the cabanas at Coco Cay are overpriced.  Plenty to do there without incurring those expenses.

 

I was looking at the specialty restaurants.  Is there one that is better suited for the kids to join us (if you've sailed on Apex)?  They are well behaved and have eaten in fine dining before, they definitely have better taste in food that I did when I was a kid, neither will eat from a kids menu.

[andrewp]

I haven't gone as far as the online check-in yet, but do they still assign you a check-in / boarding time or is it just a "onboard by" now?  I'm undecided on if we rush to be the first to board or just take our time.  That's why I was wondering if there is anything that needs to be booked onboard as soon as you board!

 

Thanks!

 

Andrew

[39august]

You are assigned a check-in time when you sign in for your Express boarding pass which is available 45 days prior to boarding day. 

[Tyler414]

Book anything and everything you may want to do now.   As time goes on, minds are changed, sales happen, you can always cancel and get a refund.  Or cancel and re-book under the sale price and receive a refund for the discounted price.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

They might enjoy the show and food at La Petie Chef.  If you want to do the Chef's Table book it as soon as it is available on line.  Usually it is only once per cruise and sells out, especially for a holiday sailing. Most of the dining for a holiday cruise takes a while to show up on line and they didn't offer the dining packages on these sailings.

 

New Years Eve will be a chic night and there will be parties throughout the ship.

 

 

Edited April 22 by CHEZMARYLOU

[andrewp]

Does anyone actually do the All Included package?  On this cruise, it was $3500 for a non-refundable fare but if I add the All Included, it's over $8500!  That's the only change I made.

 

If I buy onboard can I add a drinks package for only my wife and I or do the kids need it too?  I don't find them as forthright as Princess is with their Plus package.

 

Andrew

[andrewp]

26 minutes ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

They might enjoy the show and food at La Petie Chef.  If you want to do the Chef's Table book it as soon as it is available on line.  Usually it is only once per cruise and sells out, especially for a holiday sailing. Most of the dining for a holiday cruise takes a while to show up on line and they didn't offer the dining packages on these sailings.

 

New Years Eve will be a chic night and there will be parties throughout the ship.

 

 

Definitely going to book into Le Petite Chef, that looks really interesting.  

 

So the Chef's Table should show up for booking in the app at some point?  I'm so used to Princess where you have to book onboard!  

 

We're looking forward to New Years onboard, we've never done that before.

 

Andrew

[Lena11033]

42 minutes ago, andrewp said:

Does anyone actually do the All Included package?  On this cruise, it was $3500 for a non-refundable fare but if I add the All Included, it's over $8500!  That's the only change I made.

 

 

I do not get the all included, I buy cruise only and add tips. Then I wait for sales in the planner for anything else I want.

 

 

[zitsky]

3 hours ago, andrewp said:

 

I was looking at the specialty restaurants.  Is there one that is better suited for the kids to join us (if you've sailed on Apex)?  They are well behaved and have eaten in fine dining before, they definitely have better taste in food that I did when I was a kid, neither will eat from a kids menu.

 

In my experience, if the kids are well behaved, they are welcome anywhere.  I used to work with the technology they use for Le Petit Chef but have never wanted to try that.  But maybe I will on our next cruise.  I've heard mixed reviews about the food quality.

 

On the Eclipse for the Daniel Boulud dinner there were three kids with their parents.  The kids were next to us and seemed a bit bored.  I'm not sure if that was before or after I told them my life story.  They seemed to like the food well enough.

[kiwichick62]

Keep an eye on the fares you have booked.  If the price drops for the same cabin category booked phone Celebrity, they will reprice your fare if you have not made final payment.  You keep any cruise bookings already made such as dining, excursions or all inclusive packages.  I did this twice for my upcoming cruise and saved thousands.  The only thing I lost was $50 onboard credit.  

[Rina155]

10 hours ago, chemmo said:

There is an app where you can point your iPad at the stars and it will name them.

oh wow!!  I am off to look for that app, I would love that.

[HopefulCruiser123]

How far in advance of a sailing can you  specialty restaurants and salon appointments or other spa services be booked?

[cruisetonowhere10]

14 hours ago, Rina155 said:

oh wow!!  I am off to look for that app, I would love that.

Yes this is a cool app….