We haven't been on X in a while...have questions

[Schplinky]

Hi there,

 

We're gonig on Century in a couple of weeks and haven't been on X in a couple years. We have a few questions:

 

- we're trying late dining for the first time. Will the show be after our dining? We're hoping so, since if there's nothing to do and we're full, that wouldn't be great.

 

- do they do a formal tea on a 4-day cruise? Since we've never had late dining, we never tried it so we wouldn't be full for dinner.

 

- do they still have the martini tastings and are they offered more than once a cruise?

 

- I know this is a more subjective question but our CC cabin isn't any bigger than a regular balcony on an RCL ship. Do folks find that CC cabins are more nicely appointed than regular balcony rooms? It wasn't a great deal more than a regular balcony so it wasn't a big investment if it doesn't end up feeling like much of an upgrade.

 

- do they have wine flights in any of the bars on Century?

 

- expecting to thoroughly enjoy ourselves, we're wondering if X has a Next Cruise option the way RCL does? Can you book an RCL Next Cruise while on Celebrity?

 

-are the spa prices generally the same as on RCL? Are the specials decent?

 

- We'll be the equivalent of Elite, because of our status on RCL. Does this get you much on a 4-day cruise? I'm particularly wondering about the "special invitaitons" they mention (which they also mention in our CC cabin description) and am wondering if they do those on short cruises?

 

- we will be in a CC category. How early would we expect to get off in Miami if the ship is scheduled to arrive at 7?

[camella]

I just got off the Constellation and I will try and answer some of your questions but I can't answer all. Here goes..

 

Late seating dinner usually means the show is after dinner. There are some exceptions though maybe once during a 7 day cruise but I wouldn't think there is on a 4 day. I think sometimes it depends on the performers.

 

We are also Elite members and just got off a 10 day cruise. The coupon books should be in your cabin. They are better than before, they offer the usual casino double coupons, buy one wine flight and get the second one half off, there are coupons for percentages off on the spa, etc.

 

Speaking of the spa, they are about the same prices as RCL although I have to admit it's been a few years since I've been on RCL because of their horrible wine list and no carry ons. But the specials are pretty good and even better when you are in port.

 

The wine flights were in the Cova Cafe..the gourmet coffee place.

 

We just booked an RCL cruise for my parents while on the Constellation and received the $100 on board credit. You can book either line and still receive credit.

 

You will be put in a special lounge with coffee and pastries for your Elite status but I wouldn't count on getting off the ship much before 10:00.

 

Hope this helps! Have a great time!

[taralin]

What is a wine flight?

[Schplinky]

What is a wine flight?

 

Instead of one glass of wine, you get three small glasses of "related" wines. Like Wines of Napa, etc. The wine bar on Liberty of the Seas was incredible for this; they had two or three pages of flights in their menu. That ship has a separate wine and champagne Bar and the wine bar is one of the oft-missed treasures of that ship.

[Schplinky]

 

You will be put in a special lounge with coffee and pastries for your Elite status but I wouldn't count on getting off the ship much before 10:00.

 

 

 

10?!? What do they do for three hours? That would be the latest we have ever got off a ship, with our without priority tags. If the first people are getting off at 10, when do the last get to leave?

 

Thanks for all of your answers, by the way. I appreciate this because otherwise, 10 would have been an impatient shock! :)

[taralin]

Thanks for the wine info..we'll be on the Milli next week. My husband will enjoy his "flights"!

[Lois R]

The last people off go in the 10:00am range. I always request

to be in the last group because my flights always seem to end

up in the afternoons.

The early cruisers usually leave right after docking.

Looks like there is a misunderstanding in the timing here....first

folks are off between 7-8.

I love being last off:). When I sailed GALAXY last month

I sat outside AFT of the buffet and chatted with friends who

also disembarked late.

It was relaxing and peaceful.....no rush to leave.

 

I am elite as well, but much prefer to sit outside than in the lounge.

[Lois R]

Hi there,

 

We're gonig on Century in a couple of weeks and haven't been on X in a couple years. We have a few questions:

 

- we're trying late dining for the first time. Will the show be after our dining? We're hoping so, since if there's nothing to do and we're full, that wouldn't be great.

 

- do they do a formal tea on a 4-day cruise? Since we've never had late dining, we never tried it so we wouldn't be full for dinner.

 

- do they still have the martini tastings and are they offered more than once a cruise?

 

- I know this is a more subjective question but our CC cabin isn't any bigger than a regular balcony on an RCL ship. Do folks find that CC cabins are more nicely appointed than regular balcony rooms? It wasn't a great deal more than a regular balcony so it wasn't a big investment if it doesn't end up feeling like much of an upgrade.

 

- do they have wine flights in any of the bars on Century?

 

- expecting to thoroughly enjoy ourselves, we're wondering if X has a Next Cruise option the way RCL does? Can you book an RCL Next Cruise while on Celebrity?

 

-are the spa prices generally the same as on RCL? Are the specials decent?

 

- We'll be the equivalent of Elite, because of our status on RCL. Does this get you much on a 4-day cruise? I'm particularly wondering about the "special invitaitons" they mention (which they also mention in our CC cabin description) and am wondering if they do those on short cruises?

 

- we will be in a CC category. How early would we expect to get off in Miami if the ship is scheduled to arrive at 7?

 

Hi Lee, I sailed in Dec and it was a 4 nighter and yes there

was one formal night.

 

Yes, they have Martini Tastings and yes you can ask for it

on any evening.

Cannot remember 100% about the Wine Flight but I am almost

positive they offered it too.

Yes, you can book a Royal Cruise while you are on board.

[Schplinky]

The last people off go in the 10:00am range. I always request

to be in the last group because my flights always seem to end

up in the afternoons.

The early cruisers usually leave right after docking.

Looks like there is a misunderstanding in the timing here....first

folks are off between 7-8.

I love being last off:). When I sailed GALAXY last month

I sat outside AFT of the buffet and chatted with friends who

also disembarked late.

It was relaxing and peaceful.....no rush to leave.

 

I am elite as well, but much prefer to sit outside than in the lounge.

 

Whew! That's a relief. As much as I usually agree with you, Lois, I really have a "party's over" feeling on that last day and just want to go.

 

Can we get coffee and pastry that last morning through room service?

[hajekfam]

For Ft. Lauderdale, there is a difference in debarkation procedures. The elite lounge for debarkation is just the meeting spot with coffee, tea and rolls. They call out the tag colors as they progress in the debarkation process. We were elite and when we got our tags found that we were in the 6th group off. When I went down to guest relations to find out why.

I was told that the time that you will actually debark depends on your arrangements for transportation home. Ft Lauderdale requires that the cruiseline disembark those with flights first - in order of flight time - before those that have made other arrangements (post cruise stay, driving, picked up, etc). And of course Celebrity early flights get top priority, followed by those with other early flights. Since we did not have a flight as we were going to Ft Myers, we were in the first group of non-flight passengers.

The problem was that we had to be in Ft. Myers at a specific time and needed to be in the first group off as I had made my plans based on past experiences in elite debarkation. Guest relations quickly changed my tags to the first color off.

[Lois R]

Whew! That's a relief. As much as I usually agree with you, Lois, I really have a "party's over" feeling on that last day and just want to go.

 

Can we get coffee and pastry that last morning through room service?

 

Lee, I have never ordered room service so I cannot answer

that one.

 

As for the time you want to leave, make sure you go see Guest

Relations early in the cruise (remember its a 4 dayer so that would

be day 1:rolleyes: ). They can make a notation on your account before you

even fill out the disembarking form.

And when you get your letter in the cabin for color, time and where

to meet look over it carefully.

They are usually quite good but on Galaxy they had me leaving

at 8:15:eek: :( in error.

I went to Guest Relations and they quickly changed it for me:D.

Someone goofed up but it was taken care of promptly.

[Schplinky]

Lee, I have never ordered room service so I cannot answer

that one.

 

As for the time you want to leave, make sure you go see Guest

Relations early in the cruise (remember its a 4 dayer so that would

be day 1:rolleyes: ). They can make a notation on your account before you

even fill out the disembarking form.

And when you get your letter in the cabin for color, time and where

to meet look over it carefully.

They are usually quite good but on Galaxy they had me leaving

at 8:15:eek: :( in error.

I went to Guest Relations and they quickly changed it for me:D.

Someone goofed up but it was taken care of promptly.

 

Thanks!

 

Nothing will ever beat our one (and only) HAL cruise. We filled out all their on-line AND in-room forms and they still had us getting off at about 45 minutes before our flight. On that cruise, the ship sat in port nearly two hours while they paged people to Guest Relations (one presumes to pay their room charges).

[Jade13]

- We'll be the equivalent of Elite, because of our status on RCL. Does this get you much on a 4-day cruise? I'm particularly wondering about the "special invitaitons" they mention (which they also mention in our CC cabin description) and am wondering if they do those on short cruises?

 

quote]

 

We received no special invitations in the CC on the 5 night. BUT, the Elite status will get you invited to the formal tea! (That is prob my biggest issue with Celebrity that Tea is a "closed" event (and not really successful as they had less than 20 tea drinkers), and I plan to include it in a letter to them)

[Lois R]

Thanks!

 

Nothing will ever beat our one (and only) HAL cruise. We filled out all their on-line AND in-room forms and they still had us getting off at about 45 minutes before our flight. On that cruise, the ship sat in port nearly two hours while they paged people to Guest Relations (one presumes to pay their room charges).

 

Wow...did you make your flight?:eek:.

 

I had one cruise on HAL too. I have to say the entertainment

was very good. They had an Elton John impersonator who

was excellent.

I had some issues on board and was told by quite a few folks

over on the HAL forum to write a letter to the home office

about them (I posted over there while preparing for that cruise).

Before you ask if I sent the letter, I did not.

Just chose not to sail with them again.

[Schplinky]

We did make the flight after we switched tags. We mentioned we'd filled out all the forms (twice) and the woman said that it happens all the time and laughed as though it were all sort of fun.

 

We had some big service issues there, too, and I wrote the letters and just got angrier. We pre-purchased a one hour massage on Westerdam for $99 on their gifts web-site. Once onboard, the spa manager told me that my voucher (which said it covered a one-hour massage) wouldn't cover the described service. It made me so angry that I cancelled the appointment and just used the $99 as OBC. Then, when I got home, I emailed them and said they were STILL selling this on their web-site and how annoying it was. I got a very canned corporate letter telling me to contact Elemis if I was not happy with my salon and/or spa service. I did and was told by them to contact HAL for any gift I may have purchased from them I didn't like.

 

We won't be going back.

[naples queen]

Don't expect any room service on the day that you disembark in Ft Lauderdale. The buffet however is open.

[Schplinky]

For Ft. Lauderdale, there is a difference in debarkation procedures. The elite lounge for debarkation is just the meeting spot with coffee, tea and rolls. They call out the tag colors as they progress in the debarkation process. We were elite and when we got our tags found that we were in the 6th group off. When I went down to guest relations to find out why.

I was told that the time that you will actually debark depends on your arrangements for transportation home. Ft Lauderdale requires that the cruiseline disembark those with flights first - in order of flight time - before those that have made other arrangements (post cruise stay, driving, picked up, etc). And of course Celebrity early flights get top priority, followed by those with other early flights. Since we did not have a flight as we were going to Ft Myers, we were in the first group of non-flight passengers.

The problem was that we had to be in Ft. Myers at a specific time and needed to be in the first group off as I had made my plans based on past experiences in elite debarkation. Guest relations quickly changed my tags to the first color off.

 

Appreciate the heads up. Happily, we sail into Miami.

[Lois R]

Hi Lee,:) are ya'll flying down from Toronto for only 4 nights?:eek:

Or are you spending some time in South Florida too?

Long way to fly for such a shortie!!!

[Schplinky]

Hi Lee,:) are ya'll flying down from Toronto for only 4 nights?:eek:

Or are you spending some time in South Florida too?

Long way to fly for such a shortie!!!

 

It's Ottawa but indeed, we're flying down for the short trip. We're a little crazy.

 

Lee

 

p.s. Considering Soltice and Equinox (along with a few others) for a TA in fall 2009 (our first ever)

[Lois R]

oops sorry...Ottawa indeed...THE Captial;)

 

Boy, that is far to fly for only 4 nights though. I live 5 hours north

of FLL so for a 4 or 5 nighter is not such a long way to go.

But you are really far!

 

I had originally put a deposit down on Solstice but have

since cancelled it.

[Schplinky]

oops sorry...Ottawa indeed...THE Captial;)

 

Boy, that is far to fly for only 4 nights though. I live 5 hours north

of FLL so for a 4 or 5 nighter is not such a long way to go.

But you are really far!

 

I had originally put a deposit down on Solstice but have

since cancelled it.

 

 

It won't take us much longer than you. :) We're used to it taking forever to get anywhere warm in the winter...

[Lois R]

Won't take much longer than me? I no longer drive down

but hop a 45 minute flight:D :)

[Schplinky]

Okay, you beat me! 45 min would get me to Toronto or Syracuse. Not exactly the cruise capital of the world!

[Lois R]

LOL:D

 

I hope you both have a great time. Even though its only 4 nights

I urge you to try Murano's one evening.:)

My meal there was simply fabulous:)...actually by the final

day I truely wish I just eaten there all 4 nights.

[camella]

Just another little tidbit.. When we arrived from the Constellation we had a little bit of a delay because someone collapsed in the port I guess during early disembarkation. OK other posters...DON'T SHOOT THE MESSENGER HERE..but you can pretty much leave whenever you feel like it. They don't know what color your tags are when you are waiting because all you tagged luggage is downstairs and has been since 5am. So if you want to get off the ship earlier and have transportation (not from the cruise line) you should be able to get off whenever you want. Hope this helps! And like I said guys, don't shoot the messenger, just trying to give the guy some reality tips if he needs them!