What did you wish you knew before you booked?

[mkcurran]

Going to book my first Celebrity cruise shortly. Waiting on my TA to get back from her European cruise.

What did you wish you knew before booking?

Any advice to impart to a first timer?

 

Thanks!

[bikerunner]

Nothing at all, I love the adventure of new things and not afraid to ask any crew member on things.   Every cruise to me is a new adventure.  I do research on vacations and know enough people in the overall industry.  Main thing is I ask anyone how was the service.  That is a reflection in the long run on how the ship or any location is kept.  Crew staff who care you know they will go out of there way to make sure you have the best time.  I have learned not to focus on the minute details, ie what is the perfect room, best server etc.  Your question is very broad overall, more info on what class of ship and itinerary etc will get you better answers your looking for in the end.  Each sailing to me Is very unique and special with what any how I enjoyed.  

[omahabob]

1 hour ago, mkcurran said:

What did you wish you knew before booking?

The winning lottery numbers.

[cruisestitch]

4 hours ago, mkcurran said:

Going to book my first Celebrity cruise shortly. Waiting on my TA to get back from her European cruise.

What did you wish you knew before booking?

Any advice to impart to a first timer?

 

Thanks!

Learn the difference between the different classes of ship and know what Celebrity means when they call a stateroom (e class ships only) and infinite verandah—- it isn’t a verandah!

[Tudy]

This may be controversial. I wish I had known that a good travel agent could get me a group rate and extra onboard credit.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

3 minutes ago, Tudy said:

This may be controversial. I wish I had known that a good travel agent could get me a group rate and extra onboard credit.

Also booking at over 10 months out can get you an extra $300 OBC for a cabin , over the $120 OBC for booking a balcony from the TA 

[cruisestitch]

That may be true for some travel agencies but it is not universally so.

[bikerunner]

12 minutes ago, Tudy said:

This may be controversial. I wish I had known that a good travel agent could get me a group rate and extra onboard credit.

True that is a good point.   But that is part of the search I hope.   I have had mine for I dont know how many years at this point.  

[cruizingOmi]

34 minutes ago, Tudy said:

This may be controversial. I wish I had known that a good travel agent could get me a group rate and extra onboard credit.

That has thing to do with Good/ Bad Agent, some of them work for big Tavelcompanies which in turn reserve large blocks of rooms. Some are Independent  and can't reserve  as many. But they will always try to get you xtra OBC, maybe just not as much, 

 

[Sox Fan Cruiser]

Go to Cafe El Bacio and order an affogato.  It's a gelato and coffee drink.  If the gelato area is not near El Bacio, you can bring the gelato to them.  Yummy!  🙂

[canderson]

10 hours ago, mkcurran said:

Going to book my first Celebrity cruise shortly. Waiting on my TA to get back from her European cruise.

What did you wish you knew before booking?

Any advice to impart to a first timer?

 

Thanks!

It sounds as though you already have a particular cruise in mind.  Since the answer to your question may include information specific to the ship, can you tell us what you have in mind?

[MCC retired]

The price of drinks on Celebrity.

$11 beer !

[Ex-Airbalancer]

53 minutes ago, MCC retired said:

The price of drinks on Celebrity.

$11 beer !

You can check pricing on the app before you get on the ship,

so maybe if you wished you knew how to use the app , that would have been a better answer 😉😁

[chemmo]

11 hours ago, mkcurran said:

Going to book my first Celebrity cruise shortly. Waiting on my TA to get back from her European cruise.

What did you wish you knew before booking?

Any advice to impart to a first timer?

 

Thanks!

Just to make sure the ship you have booked and the itinerary you have chosen match what you want out of your vacation. Some lines are more focused on a party atmosphere and others on Rest and Relaxation. Likewise with itineraries, if you are a ‘beach person’ the Western Mediterranean probably wouldn’t be an ideal choice for you. Yes, you could find beaches to visit but you could find better (and much cheaper) elsewhere. If you like the history of an area be aware you will have limited time at each port. For example, if you are desperate to see Rome, Florence and Venice then you may actually be better giving the cruise a miss and doing a land tour. A cruise can only give you a flavour of each port of call.
 

If the weather is important to you check the weather at your ports of call at the time of year you are visiting. For example, the Mediterranean can be really hot July and August making sightseeing challenging. Then in October and November you will get some dull, wet and windy days…
 

Find out about different room categories on board and reflect on what you want/need. If you plan to be out and about all cruise and just use your cabin to change in then an inside is perfectly fine. If, however, you like your own private space to relax and unwind then you may prefer a room with a balcony.

Check exactly what is included/not included in the price. This may involve some calculations on whether or not to include WiFi and a drinks package. Whilst these can be added later it is often useful to know from the outset what you need/want.

 

People with any disabilities/mobility issues do need to check itinerary and room layouts especially carefully. There are some ports difficult for wheelchair/scooter users because of tendering. Some ports also have uneven pavements or cobbles which can be hard to negotiate. Some rooms have shower over bath set ups that don’t suit guests with mobility or balance issues.

 

Your question is a really good one…if people come back disappointed from a cruise it is often because they haven’t chosen the best cruise line or itinerary to meet their expectations/wishes.

 

[mkcurran]

2 hours ago, canderson said:

It sounds as though you already have a particular cruise in mind.  Since the answer to your question may include information specific to the ship, can you tell us what you have in mind?

ABC Cruise on the Reflection in the spring.

[cruzzzinma]

That it was addictive.

[mkcurran]

10 minutes ago, chemmo said:

Just to make sure the ship you have booked and the itinerary you have chosen match what you want out of your vacation. Some lines are more focused on a party atmosphere and others on Rest and Relaxation. Likewise with itineraries, if you are a ‘beach person’ the Western Mediterranean probably wouldn’t be an ideal choice for you. Yes, you could find beaches to visit but you could find better (and much cheaper) elsewhere. If you like the history of an area be aware you will have limited time at each port. For example, if you are desperate to see Rome, Florence and Venice then you may actually be better giving the cruise a miss and doing a land tour. A cruise can only give you a flavour of each port of call.
 

If the weather is important to you check the weather at your ports of call at the time of year you are visiting. For example, the Mediterranean can be really hot July and August making sightseeing challenging. Then in October and November you will get some dull, wet and windy days…
 

Find out about different room categories on board and reflect on what you want/need. If you plan to be out and about all cruise and just use your cabin to change in then an inside is perfectly fine. If, however, you like your own private space to relax and unwind then you may prefer a room with a balcony.

Check exactly what is included/not included in the price. This may involve some calculations on whether or not to include WiFi and a drinks package. Whilst these can be added later it is often useful to know from the outset what you need/want.

 

People with any disabilities/mobility issues do need to check itinerary and room layouts especially carefully. There are some ports difficult for wheelchair/scooter users because of tendering. Some ports also have uneven pavements or cobbles which can be hard to negotiate. Some rooms have shower over bath set ups that don’t suit guests with mobility or balance issues.

 

Your question is a really good one…if people come back disappointed from a cruise it is often because they haven’t chosen the best cruise line or itinerary to meet their expectations/wishes.

 

Thank you. That is a well thought out answer! 

1 minute ago, cruzzzinma said:

That it was addictive.

I already know that. 😆 Just feel like Goldilocks, trying to find the right fit.

[canderson]

1 minute ago, mkcurran said:

ABC Cruise on the Reflection in the spring.

Reflection, although very similar in overall layout to its sister ships, does have a few unique features.  This didn't impact our final choice in cabins, but did provide an additional alternative that I needed to consider before making the reservation.  We wound up in Royal Suite, but Reflection has some cabins all the way up front on deck 14 that were tempting.  They're called Reflection Suites and are unique to that ship.  If that level of cabin is of interest to you, don't forget to have a look at those.

 

Another anomaly not uncommon to other ships:  If you're considering a Sky Suite, be sure to check out the back corners all the way aft.  Those cabins have overall larger space than other Sky Suites, especially on the veranda.

 

An idea of the cabin class you're considering would help.

[mkcurran]

21 minutes ago, canderson said:

Reflection, although very similar in overall layout to its sister ships, does have a few unique features.  This didn't impact our final choice in cabins, but did provide an additional alternative that I needed to consider before making the reservation.  We wound up in Royal Suite, but Reflection has some cabins all the way up front on deck 14 that were tempting.  They're called Reflection Suites and are unique to that ship.  If that level of cabin is of interest to you, don't forget to have a look at those.

 

Another anomaly not uncommon to other ships:  If you're considering a Sky Suite, be sure to check out the back corners all the way aft.  Those cabins have overall larger space than other Sky Suites, especially on the veranda.

 

An idea of the cabin class you're considering would help.

Steerage class. Lol. Sometimes spa, but I don't see a thalo pool or spa tub un the spa, so unless the price is heavily discounted, we'll stay in steerage, likely an inside at that.

[Chrisclaire]

1 hour ago, chemmo said:

Just to make sure the ship you have booked and the itinerary you have chosen match what you want out of your vacation. Some lines are more focused on a party atmosphere and others on Rest and Relaxation. Likewise with itineraries, if you are a ‘beach person’ the Western Mediterranean probably wouldn’t be an ideal choice for you. Yes, you could find beaches to visit but you could find better (and much cheaper) elsewhere. If you like the history of an area be aware you will have limited time at each port. For example, if you are desperate to see Rome, Florence and Venice then you may actually be better giving the cruise a miss and doing a land tour. A cruise can only give you a flavour of each port of call.
 

If the weather is important to you check the weather at your ports of call at the time of year you are visiting. For example, the Mediterranean can be really hot July and August making sightseeing challenging. Then in October and November you will get some dull, wet and windy days…
 

Find out about different room categories on board and reflect on what you want/need. If you plan to be out and about all cruise and just use your cabin to change in then an inside is perfectly fine. If, however, you like your own private space to relax and unwind then you may prefer a room with a balcony.

Check exactly what is included/not included in the price. This may involve some calculations on whether or not to include WiFi and a drinks package. Whilst these can be added later it is often useful to know from the outset what you need/want.

 

People with any disabilities/mobility issues do need to check itinerary and room layouts especially carefully. There are some ports difficult for wheelchair/scooter users because of tendering. Some ports also have uneven pavements or cobbles which can be hard to negotiate. Some rooms have shower over bath set ups that don’t suit guests with mobility or balance issues.

 

Your question is a really good one…if people come back disappointed from a cruise it is often because they haven’t chosen the best cruise line or itinerary to meet their expectations/wishes.

 

Excellent/informative reply!

😊

[chemmo]

28 minutes ago, mkcurran said:

Steerage class. Lol. Sometimes spa, but I don't see a thalo pool or spa tub un the spa, so unless the price is heavily discounted, we'll stay in steerage, likely an inside at that.

If you are only going to use your room to sleep and shower in then much better to save your $$$ and spend them in the plethora of specialty restaurants! We are back on Reflection next September, can’t wait!

[PhillyFan33579]

14 hours ago, mkcurran said:

Going to book my first Celebrity cruise shortly. Waiting on my TA to get back from her European cruise.

What did you wish you knew before booking?

Any advice to impart to a first timer?

 

Thanks!

Not to use a TA. 

[mkcurran]

8 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

Not to use a TA. 

Care to expand on that?

[PTC DAWG]

2 hours ago, mkcurran said:

ABC Cruise on the Reflection in the spring.

That itinerary tends to sell quickly, don’t wait too long to book.  

[canderson]

1 hour ago, mkcurran said:

Care to expand on that?

Suspect that the poster is suggesting that not having access to your connection to Celebrity for an extended period can be a real liability, especially during peak season, and prefers to work directly with Celebrity. 

 

Then again, some of us do have a TA without that issue.  Mine was on a Tauck cruise last week and was available for contact by phone during any hours that sorta matched up between the U.S. and Europe, and by email the entire time. 

 

And I can assure you that Celebrity won't be calling you to tell you that your cruise was repriced the day after final payment, and that you can cash in on the difference as onboard credit.  Just had that conversation with my TA this morning.  $1,748 will take care of gratuities for our two cabins and a few bottles of nice wine to boot.