Celebrity Secrets they usually don't tell you about

[canderson]

How is the regular room service coffee? How does it compare to the Cafe Cova Java? If Cafe Cova Java is better can I bribe someone to bring it to my cave- er cabin (well it's a cave until I wake up...and come down from the cieling:o .)?

 

BTW: What are the prices for java drinks at Cova?

 

I'm leaving for a cruise on Infinity in six days and it would be nice to know how one of my favorite food groups is on board.

 

Thanks!

AZSHOW:)

No bribes unless you've got a suite, in which case, all Cova drinks brought up are free. Even w/suite, if you go down for one, you get charged. Go figure! A few sample prices:

 

Espresso, cappuccino, latte (various sorts of each), hot chocolate = $2.50

Iced cappuccino = $3.75

Tea, various flavors = $1.95 (get it in the buffet)

Coffees w/various liquors = $5.50

[Reese1717]

Go to cruiseclues.com. They have pictures of all the menus including Cova Cafe.

[tomatopa]

Widgit, what email address did you use to send it to? thank you.

[Char]

Widgit, what email address did you use to send it to? thank you.

Here is the information direct from the shareholder form:

 

Alternatively, you may fax all the required documentation (in a single fax) to 305/539-4645 or email jpeg images of all required documentation to shareholderbenefit@rccl.com.

 

 

The complete form is found here---> Shareholder Benefit 2005-2006

[tomatopa]

Char, thanks for the information. i think i will try emailing the information i previously sent by mail. thanks, Judy

[kromles]

Every dessert, every night is no problem, generally. Do you know how much of that stuff gets thrown away. Where do you think they get the stuff for the midnight buffet? And then where do you think they get the stuff for breakfast on the morning after the midnight buffet?

[stacey75]

I just made my final payment for my 1/2/06 Hawaiian cruise on the Summit. I am in a Sky Suite on the penthouse deck, #6121. Can anyone tell me anything about this cabin? Will we be seen by everyone out on our balcony? Did I get a good cabin with a good balcony? Any suite perks would be appreciated. I have never had a suite before. I want to use EVERY perk I am entitled to. So any suite perks, hidden info about the ship, or any info I need to know will be appreciated. I have already filed away the info on the chocolate covered strawberries, and having dessert delivered to our cabin for later in the evening. TELL ME EVERYTHING!!!

[HeatherInFlorida]

when you send in proof that you have 100 shares of RCL and the required form do they notify you that you will receive the ship board credit? thank you. have enjoyed reading all the helpful information.

 

You can also verify this through your TA within a couple of months of your cruise. I had the confirmation from RCL, but also got it added to my TA documentation. I even called Celebrity recently to verify our credits (including the Celebrity MBNA Amex points) for our 10/23 cruise.

 

Call me paranoid, but I've read too many posts about credits not being on the account once you board.

[DonMaryCar]

Thanks to all of you for the informative tips. DH and I have been on HAL recently and it has been 4 years since our last Celebrity Cruise. We are doing Back to Backs in January so this info is great.

 

Mary;)

[canderson]

While the solution no longer a secret, the solution is also not yet widely known and understood -- a whole lot of folks seem to be having issues with trying to book their shore excursions on line. Ever since Celebrity revamped their web pages in December of '04, the process have become far more difficult than it should be for many people, and for those who are completely frustrated in their attempts, perhaps this will help.

 

As of the time of writing, there are usually TWO issues involved that work to byte you in your stern quarters:

 

1) Celebrity's web designers use pop-ups to make the shorex page work

2) Celebrity's web designers don't seem to have taken into account that there cannot be two logins for any booking # at the same time.

 

POP-UPS

Due to the now very common use of pop-up blockers, one wonders what the web designers were thinking when they used pop-ups as part of the process of reviewing and booking excursions! That said, you'll need to find and shut off pop-up blockers. You MAY have several running at once and not be aware of it! McAfee, Ad-Watch, Windowx XP, the Google Toolbar and a host of other utilities offer this feature. You'll need to shut them ALL off -- if you can find them.

 

MULTIPLE LOGINS

Many have tried to book excursions through the "My Celebrity" route where you bring up your "My Celebrity", give it your password, identify your booking number, do the "Modify" thing, and then head for the Shore Excursion tab. The problem there seems to be that once you're logged into "My Celebrity", the system tries to create a second login for you when it switches over to the shorex pages, and the system refuses to allow for simultaneous logins for the same booking #, even when the system itself is trying to cause this! Worse, when you bail out to try again, it takes about 20 minutes before Celebrity's system "times out" your original login. Wait about half an hour to try the following after a busted attempt.

 

This is going to sound a bit odd, but it seems to work consistently (so long as the shorex for your cruise has actually been released! -- should be about 90 days out, but we're hearing about cases where you need to be even closer to your sail date!).

1. 
   Go straight to the MAIN Celebrity home page, "Plan Your Cruise" tab, then select "Shore Excursions".
   
2. 
   Choose the destination for your cruise, whatever it is, and click Go.
   
3. 
   Pick any port for your itinerary (doesn't really matter which one you pick). Doing this will route you to the shorex part of the web site, and will open a new window to do so.
   
4. 
   In the upper left, you'll see a "Purchase" and "Go" button next to it. Click go.
   
5. 
   Enter your booking number, ship, date and currency. If you booked online in the old days, this should be looking very familiar by now. It is IMPORTANT that you haven't tried to log in to "My Celebrity" for the prior 20 minutes when you do this else it'll bounce you.
   
6. 
   If at THIS point they give you the "Not available at this time" message, something is holding your booking record open already, or your excursions haven't been opened for your cruise yet. If it doesn't say "Reservation Number not Valid", at least you know that part is right!
   
7. 
   If you get past this, you can start booking excursions.
    
   Hope that helps.
   

[Aussie Cruisers]

DW and I are off to the Caribbean in January and we were having problems trying to get one particular excursion we wanted. Thanks for your detailed instructions for getting through! We booked successfully (and have since been charged) so we are totally STOKED to get it.

 

Good on you once more!

 

Mark and Katy. :) :) :)

[mconthehighseas]

I want to add my own kudos to canderson. Your past posts have been very helpful to me, and I really appreciate you adding your webshots link to your address. We will be on a cruise next week and plan to book a cruise while aboard. Your info will make our visit to the loyalty ambassador very quick and organized!

[canderson]

I want to add my own kudos to canderson. Your past posts have been very helpful to me, and I really appreciate you adding your webshots link to your address. We will be on a cruise next week and plan to book a cruise while aboard. Your info will make our visit to the loyalty ambassador very quick and organized!

Really appreciate that.

 

Once I got fully digital, it became easier to do the photos, but I still think I'll finally set up a proper web page after this next pair of cruises. I do NOT like the ... ahem ... "additional" junk software that Webshots.com allows advertisers to try to con you into downloading.

 

I'm curious -- I keep seeing "OTS" aside most of your past/future cruise dates. "Out to Sea"??? "On the Sand"??? "Officer Training School"???

[Char]

Really appreciate that.

 

Once I got fully digital, it became easier to do the photos, but I still think I'll finally set up a proper web page after this next pair of cruises. I do NOT like the ... ahem ... "additional" junk software that Webshots.com allows advertisers to try to con you into downloading.

 

I'm curious -- I keep seeing "OTS" aside most of your past/future cruise dates. "Out to Sea"??? "On the Sand"??? "Officer Training School"???

 

I think that would be "of the Seas" as in Voyager of the Seas or Mariner of the Seas. Most of the Royal Caribbean ships are named ****of the Seas, so it's easier to abbreviate the last part of the name.

[mconthehighseas]

Char, you are correct! Thanks for answering for me while I couldn't sign on.

Most of my cruises so far have been on Royal Caribbean, and while I been tempted to leave off the "Of The Seas" portion of the ships names, there are ships that have some of those names, so I compromised with OTS.

[canderson]

Char, you are correct! Thanks for answering for me while I couldn't sign on.

Most of my cruises so far have been on Royal Caribbean, and while I been tempted to leave off the "Of The Seas" portion of the ships names, there are ships that have some of those names, so I compromised with OTS.

I see them so very often just as "Serenade" or "Rhapsody" or whatever that I'd forgotten about the rest of their real names!

[canderson]

Smily test: Smily Face:)

Smily test: Frown:mad:

Smily test: Big teeth:D

 

Something new here --- if you go to EDIT your post, you'll see a text representation of the smily rather than the graphic now, but the graphic version shows up again once you've submitted your edits and posted them with "Save". I don't recall that being the case before.

 

For example, the first above is a right paren ")"

The second above is the word mad and a colon "mad:"

The third above is a capital d "D"

[Musicmom]

I'm trying to put together a group for July 19 on the Constellation.

 

Maybe would be interested.

molson53@charter.net

[bbeaton]

I see from the Celebrity website that you have to be a stockholder as of April 15, 2005. Do you know if this is a hard and fast rule? I only became aware of this benefit recently. Anyway around the date restriction?

[canderson]

I see from the Celebrity website that you have to be a stockholder as of April 15, 2005. Do you know if this is a hard and fast rule? I only became aware of this benefit recently. Anyway around the date restriction?

I recall a thread around here somewhere that indicates they've extended it for another year, and it includes the phone # to call at RCCL for information and forms.

[bbeaton]

I also read on one of these forums that if you book a future cruise while onboard a cruise, that you may get the same kind of cabin credit as well as a nice discount of the future cruise. But if you are not a current stock holder, why buy stock now (unless you think it is a good investment) if the cut off date was April 15? Do they renew the offer from time to time?

[bbeaton]

I also read on one of these forums that if you book a future cruise while onboard a cruise, that you may get the same kind of cabin credit as well as a nice discount of the future cruise. But if you are not a current stock holder, why buy stock now (unless you think it is a good investment) if the cut off date was April 15? Do they renew the offer from time to time?

[hoover5000]

I see from the Celebrity website that you have to be a stockholder as of April 15, 2005. Do you know if this is a hard and fast rule? I only became aware of this benefit recently. Anyway around the date restriction?

 

bbeaton

 

This has been the subject of numerous posts on several threads.

I know that the date has been changed and the benefit extended. I bought my stock well after that date and have received the credit on 3 cruises.

 

Double check if you wish:

 

its shareholderbenefit@rccl.com.

 

Tensi Weistreicher, RCCL, is very helpful. If you provide her with your reservation number, ship and sailing and advise that you are following up with a fax to (305) 539-4645 with a copy of your purchase documentation she will take care of it. I suggest you ask for an email confirmation. She has been very attentive.

__________________

[Lsimon]

Hello all - just got off the Summit last week.

 

Here is a small but good one. If you ask for toast, or a bagel, the person at the breakfast toast station in the Waterfall Cafe will make it out of rather plain loaves of bread, cut very thin or a plain small white bagel. At the same time there is a large assortment of some very nice specialty whole grain, rye and seed breads that look very fancy on display in front of him as well as some nice looking bagels (variety and style) and other rolls. They will happily slice and toast any of these if you request them. Much better the the basic bread they will toast if you don't ask.

[tomatopa]

I have checked and have received onboard credit for our stock purchased last month...also credit for the birthday email... had a little trouble with this. called and they said i did not qualify but when they checked it had been applied. sure hope they don't take it away. now waiting to see if we get credit for getting and using the Celebrity credit card.

thanks for all the helpful information.