Celebrity Secrets they usually don't tell you about

[deeva211]

Sorry if this is the wrong section but I am new to this forum.

 

We are booked on the Constellation on 8/4/07 for a Baltic Cruise. However on a web site I find the last posted cruise in 4/2/07 and the next is in Sep. I believe she comes out of refit on 5//19/07.

 

I am told our cruise is an exclusive; is it 'visible' to other cool cruisers in the US?

 

I see your cruise on the Celebrity website. It's a 14 day Scandanavia and Russia cruise. Roundtrip out of Dover.

[ernie5]

Upcoming cruise on the Mercury will be our first. Headed south to the Mexican Rivera on Nov 10th. We've read lots of good and bad. We have an inside cabin on the Penthouse deck.

Any "insider" advice to pass along...we've read most of the postings and got some good data, but were wondering if there is anything new??

[motherchic]

Upcoming cruise on the Mercury will be our first. Headed south to the Mexican Rivera on Nov 10th. We've read lots of good and bad. We have an inside cabin on the Penthouse deck.

Any "insider" advice to pass along...we've read most of the postings and got some good data, but were wondering if there is anything new??

I know this has already been stated but when we do an inside cabin we always keep the tv on, ( no sound ) on the channel with the ships cam. That way when the sun starts to come up, it shows on the tv. It doesnt wake you up but it at least gives you a sence of day or night, sun or rain. We find that really helps allot.

Our next cruise, this Feb we have our first CC aft balcony, which we are very much looking forward to. I have read that some cruisers would never cruise without a balcony. For us, if a balcony , makes the difference of being able to afford a cruise or not, then for us an inside cabin is just perfect. Our last was an inside cabin on the Connie ( 7 days for $500/ person) We had a great time.Hope you have a great cruise. Nadine

[Pontius Navigator]

I see your cruise on the Celebrity website. It's a 14 day Scandanavia and Russia cruise. Roundtrip out of Dover.

 

Thanks Deeva, we found that website now and all the cruises. The one we were looking at was the one by our UK agent. That had the May-Aug cruises missing. Apparently they were 'exclusive' to them. Odd tho'.

 

Roy

[kruzeesuzee]

I know this has already been stated but when we do an inside cabin we always keep the tv on, ( no sound ) on the channel with the ships cam. That way when the sun starts to come up, it shows on the tv. It doesnt wake you up but it at least gives you a sence of day or night, sun or rain. We find that really helps allot.

 

Why waste electricity for the approximately EIGHT HOURS you are asleep just to save yourself the five seconds it would take you to use the remote to click on the TV? I hope you will rethink this practice and just make sure to put the remote control on your nightstand.

[mrdorbert]

Why waste electricity for the approximately EIGHT HOURS you are asleep just to save yourself the five seconds it would take you to use the remote to click on the TV? I hope you will rethink this practice and just make sure to put the remote control on your nightstand.

 

I like the idea... If I'm not mistaken, the ship cam channel also displays the time. I'm pretty sure the ship's generator can handle the TV being on. It's not going to take much more electricty than a clock that I would otherwise bring along that would use 24 hrs of electricity.

 

Michelle

[ernie5]

I like the idea... If I'm not mistaken, the ship cam channel also displays the time. I'm pretty sure the ship's generator can handle the TV being on. It's not going to take much more electricty than a clock that I would otherwise bring along that would use 24 hrs of electricity.

 

Michelle

 

I have heard of people leaving the inside cabin door open to the hallway will also give a sense of more open-ness, but the pics of the cabins look like they have rather long hall ways past the bathroom to the main part of the cabin. Plus we are on the Penthouse deck and with perhaps "snooty" neighbors. Anybody else out there ever been on that deck with an inside cabin?? :)

[Drew B]

Drew could you possibly respond to me on any tips for that? I have a Tmo blackberry and could not get service to work on Summit in February. Granted this coming time around we have a 5 nighter, one stop being in FL so I won't be out of touch this time but it would be nice if I could get it to work next time. Another person on our cruise had Cingular and it worked perfectly for them.

 

I have no idea WHY it worked for me, but I was thrilled it did. I'm guessing because mine was a Pacific Northwest/Alaska cruise, we were never that far off shore or that far from U.S./Canada airspace. Your cruise in February must have been either Hawaii or Panama Canal, right? I would think it would be a problem being far out to sea or in third-world countries that I imagine don't get T-Mobile service...

[shofer]

TechKnowBabble,

 

When we were on our way to Hawaii, I was the only one in our group who could get a signal all the way but I had Cingular and that is what Celebrity uses. I had to stand in the hallway by the glass elevators to call my daughter on her birthday but we were still 1 day out of Hilo. Of course whenever we were docked, everyone could connect.

[shofer]

TechKnow Babble...

When we were on our way to Hawaii in January, I was the only one of our group who could get a signal on my phone at any time. I had to stand in the hallway by the glass elevators to call my daugher on her birthday and we were still 1 day out of Hilo.

 

Of course when we were docked, everyone could connect. But since Celebrity is using Cingular for it's connection it made it easy for me!

[stanjj111]

This posting is for "Celebrity secrets they don't tell you about". What do these recent posting have to do with this topic?

[alfiemom]

Thank you. This has really gotten off the subject. There are lots of threads for the other issues - phone use, inside vs. outside, ports, linens, etc. I really loved reading the "secrets" and hope to learn others here.

[madhatter's wife]

Steak can also be ordered every night in the dining room.

[Kathie44]

Aukcruiser, do Hawaii. You couldn't pay me to cruise the Carib. at the peak of hurricane season.

That being said, I am praying for safe Caribbean cruises for my sis and her DH (coming home tomorrow) and my son and his DW sailing 9/25 (their 13th anniv).

He sold his triathlon bike to pay for the cruise and announced it to the extended family at her birthday party in June. He said it wasn't only her bday, it marked another milestone--that as of 4/4/07 he had spent more than half his life with Mindy. He started counting the days foreward from their first date (5/20/88, two wks before HS grad.) and backward to his bday (5/7/70). It was so sweet, all the women were in tears and his 8 yr. old daughter threw her arms around him in a big hug.

Last year Mindy took him to Colorado and he spent a lot of time hiking and doing "manly" stuff, which he enjoys. So this year he sold his expensive bike (which also means retiring from triathlons) to pay for a cruise which he knew she would love. Of course, he'll find some adventure, too. lol

I don't know how he got so romantic--not from his dad! :D

 

1/02 Explorer E. Carib.

1/03 Explorer W. Carib.

8/03 Summit Alaska cruise/tour--Next time book Summit, earlier than Sept.

2/04 Adventure S. Carib.

2/05 Galaxy Panama Canal

6/06 Jewel Brit. Isles/Nor. Fjords + 3 days in London

1/07 Mercury Mexican Riviera

[joyful516]

The Parisan Gardens, basically a glorified steam room. We signed up for it and used it a couple of times, but we decided later that it was not really worth the extra money. It was nice not fabulous.

[Magic_Lawr]

On the first night of the cruise, ask your waiter to get the Maitre d' to come to your table. Ask him if you can have escargots as an appetizer at each future meal. He will likely inform you that escargots are on the second night menu. But, you can look forward to receiving them every other night. One additional note, though. Many times, I have had to send them back to be reheated. The same will work for many other specialty appetizers you may desire.

[dogboy]

Are there any 'secret' shortcuts on the Constellation to get around ship faster?

[CAKER]

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION !!!!

 

If you are near the center of the ship, the stairs or center elevator take you right to the breakfast area.

 

The main dining room is at 1 end of the ship, and the Celebrity theater is at the opposite end.

 

SOLUTION -- Change cabins before each meal and event so you don't have to walk so far, OR bring a scooter/skates/skateboard, or borrow those shoes the kids have with the rollers on the bottom.

 

PRACTICALITY -- ENJOY THE FORCED PHYSICAL FITNESS !!!

[lipping larry]

I always take a power strip, nite light, digital clock, wife takes hair blower(she can't stand the ones in the bathroom..no room) need extra plug forelectric toothbrush. booked on Z 1/19/07. anyone else have take alongs? never buy coke on board always bring it or buy at first stop.

[JuneauWhatIMean]

I had heard that a squeegee was a good idea for keeping your balcony window clean but I lugged one onto the Mercury last week and it didn't really work and I left it behind. The glass is actually stained by the salt water and the squeegee made no difference. And the stains weren't that bad. Also, at one point there was a window washing crew in the hallway. The squeegee did work on the sliding glass door so if that's important to you, go grab one from the 99 cent store. I also bought travel mugs there with the intention of leaving them behind if I needed the luggage space but they came back home with us.

 

Extension cord (I took 15ft.), nightlight, and travel alarm clock were very helpful.

 

A carafe of hot water is always available from room service. I used it for sugar free hot chocolate brought from home. (None on board.)

[JuneauWhatIMean]

Sorry ~ Double post.

[Fletcher921]

Wow' date=' what a lot of useful information! I went through all 45 pages and cut and pasted my own "Celebrity Secrets" email to send to the rest of my party.[/color']

 

 

I would love that compilation of these postings as well if your still have it somewhere??

Fletcher921 at cox.net

[Compass Rose Monica]

Wow' date=' what a lot of useful information! I went through all 45 pages and cut and pasted my own "Celebrity Secrets" email to send to the rest of my party.[/color']

 

 

I would love that compilation of these postings as well if your still have it somewhere??

Fletcher921 at cox.net

 

Here's what I gathered - it's not inclusive but things that I was interested in:

 

"alternative casual dining" in the Windsurf Café for $2. Choice of two appetizers -- fruit salad and smoked salmon, Caesar or iceberg lettuce, Cream of Carolina (corn) soup and four entrees: Roast Chicken, Salmon, Sirloin Steak and Lasagna. .. probably be the absolute best cruise ship dinner I have ever had that wasn't in a fancy "extra service charge" type venue. called on the room phone and made the reserrvation that day for the informal dining. I left the $2 on the table.

 

Served every night (just ask for it):

 

NY Strip Steak

Shrimp cocktail – ask in advance

Salmon and baked potato or mashed potatoes

Cesare salad

Asparagus and tomatoes any time you ask

Chicken breast

 

Have your waiter bring the Maitre d' to your table. Ask him if you can have escargots as an appetizer at each future meal.

 

Vegetarian menu: Might have some nice dishes to try in addition to the regular menu, such as pastas or interesting veggie dishes.

 

You can order fresh berries - rasberries, blueberries, strawberries -- with whipped cream every night for desert. And the whipped cream is fresh. Perfect for those on a low-carb diet!

 

Creme brulee available every night at dinner IF you pre-order it. You can ask them to make anything for your table for dessert and as long as you give them one day's notice you can have your desired desserts. Their Keylime pie is out of this world!!

 

Ask for a plate of raw vegetables, carrots, celery, fennel and the like to be placed on the table for dinner.

 

Ask for extra breadsticks and a cheese and fruit plate before dinner in the dining room as an appetizer.

 

In the cova you pay for coffees, hot chocolate, etc, but the pastries and cookies are free! The chocolate croissants in the Cova Cafe are not the same as served elsewhere on the ship. They are only made there and are worth the trip.

 

The room service chocolate chip cookies are HUGE!!

 

In the very back of the ship, there is also another place you can get sandwiches and some theme/ethnic foods, like Indian & Mexican. In the AM, that's where they make the waffles!!!!!!!!

Cheese and fruit plates for the dinner table OR for the room while getting ready for dinner.

 

Ask waiter to prepare a wrapped cheese plate/fruit plate to back to my cabin to have later as a snack.

 

I frequently ordered another appetizer in place of the soup course - never a problem. Our waiter also brought a big plate of bleu cheese every night for the table for the salad course - all of us shared a little for the salad.

 

The sushi bar is great. Ask for a sashimi platter

 

Room Service: If it's not on the breakfast door card, then just write in what you want. Ask for eggs benedict, omelet's, and pancakes, grapefruit, etc.

 

At the breakfast toast station: Instead of plain bagels and toast: Always on display are large assortments of some very nice specialty whole grain, rye and seed breads that look very fancy, 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.

 

Over-the-counter seasickness meds at customer service or the purser's desk are free.

 

The staff that you name in your compliments "brownie points" which add up to extra days off, good assignments and promotions.

 

Internet class, you an get free internet for 30 minutes (you just have to sit through the class).

[Magic_Lawr]

If you like to play cards, decks are often available from the Purser/Guest Relations. But not always. I suggest that you bring a couple of your own decks, just in case.

My wife and I enjoy a really dark cabin when we sleep. Unfortunately, many exterior cabin doors do not fit properly and have air vents at the bottom of the door. This allows light into the cabin and is not conducive to total darkness. To overcome this problem in the past, we have placed one of the extra pillows against the bottom of the door. Be sure you have brought a flashlight (with extra batteries) in case you need to find the WC late at night.

Counter space in the WC is very limited. This problem can be rectified quite easily. Bring the type of nylon shoe bag that hangs on the back of a door. Hang it up in the WC and load all your toiletries, cosmetics, etc. in the shoe slots. You can store your shoes in the clothes closets.;)

Magic_Lawr (NutmegSLG is my DW)

 

Upcoming Cruises -------------

01. Celebrity Constellation – Western Caribbean 10/27/2006 (11-night)

02. Celebrity Constellation – Western Caribbean 11/07/2006 (11-night)

03. Celebrity Zenith – Eastern Caribbean 01/08/2007 (11-night)

04. RCCL Enchantment of the Seas – Western Caribbean 01/20/2007 (5-night)

Past Cruises --------------------

01. Norwegian Majesty – Bermuda – 09/2000

02. Carnival Conquest – Western Caribbean – 01/05/2003

03. Carnival Spirit – Alaska – 07/02/2003

04. Carnival Spirit – Alaska – 07/09/2003

05. Celebrity Century – Western Caribbean – 08/02/2003

06. Celebrity Zenith - Western Caribbean – 12/07/2003

07. Celebrity Horizon - Western Caribbean – 12/10/2004

08. RCCL Voyager of the Seas - Western Caribbean – 09/2005

09. Carnival Legend – Eastern Caribbean – 09/18/2005

10. Celebrity Zenith – Western Caribbean – 02/2005

11. Celebrity Summit – Southern Caribbean – 04/01/2005

12. Celebrity Summit - Southern Caribbean – 04/11/2005

13. Celebrity Zenith - Western Caribbean – 01/05/2006

14. Celebrity Zenith - Western Caribbean – 01/09/2006

15. Celebrity Infinity - Western Caribbean – 01/15/2006

16. Celebrity Zenith - Western Caribbean – 01/23/2006

[Daphna101]

Hi Magic ,

 

I see from your history that you have cruised the western Carribean numberous times. We are on the Constellation Nov 2007.

 

Was wondering if you have ever been to Categenia Columbia, and to Panama. Is Columbia safe? and if you have been there, what type of curious as to your recommendations for excursions there.

 

On our cruise, we wont be going through the canal, but will be there for the day. Any tips on seeing the locks?

 

Thanks

Daphna