Newbie cruiser - need advice

[crazy-dog-lady]

hello everyone! i have already learned soooo much from all your posts, so thank you for that. i am looking to book the century for my husband and i leaving miami the end of february. its a 5-night western caribbean, and this will be our very first cruise!!! super excited about it :D

 

so here are some of my questions:

-do you all find it better to book excursions through celebrity or use private local travel companies?

-whats the deal with gratuities? can you tip as you go along? or is it better to just pay one lump sum for everyone?

-exactly how "formal" is formal night? are we talking prom dress? or a nice silk dress to the knee (which is what i already have)???

-i've read reviews saying that celebrity cruises are like retirement homes at sea? is this true?? me and husband are only 26 and 29.

-should we reserve dinner at murano ahead of time, or once we're on the ship?

 

and i think thats everything.. for now. i appreciate all the feedback i can get. we are looking to lock in the cruise this friday!

[brenderlou]

hello everyone! i have already learned soooo much from all your posts, so thank you for that. i am looking to book the century for my husband and i leaving miami the end of february. its a 5-night western caribbean, and this will be our very first cruise!!! super excited about it :D

 

so here are some of my questions:

-do you all find it better to book excursions through celebrity or use private local travel companies?

-whats the deal with gratuities? can you tip as you go along? or is it better to just pay one lump sum for everyone?

-exactly how "formal" is formal night? are we talking prom dress? or a nice silk dress to the knee (which is what i already have)???

-i've read reviews saying that celebrity cruises are like retirement homes at sea? is this true?? me and husband are only 26 and 29.

-should we reserve dinner at murano ahead of time, or once we're on the ship?

 

and i think thats everything.. for now. i appreciate all the feedback i can get. we are looking to lock in the cruise this friday!

 

 

Hi

I'm going on my for Celebrity Cruise on the Century 2/23.....Even though I've never sailed on Celebrity, I can answer your questions.

 

Excursions - We always book thru the cruise line unless we are someplace we are familliar with like Key West (we live in Ft Lauderdale). I have a coworker that just did an excursion while on a cruise and the van/bus that they were on broke down. Ship was suppose to leave at 5:00, the got back to the boat at 5:30 and because it was a cruise excursion, the ship waited...wouldn't of happened if they went off on their own

 

Gratuities - A tip is always included when you purchase a drink on the ship (you will see the charge on the receipt you have to sign), there is also a line to add extra if you like. The last night of any cruise is usually when you tip your cabin steward, waiter, etc. We always do pre-paid gratuities that is added to our bill. You can do this before you cruise on once on board at guest relations. You receive coupons to give to each individual and can always add more to the envelope. If we order room service, we always tip a few dollars when they bring the food

 

Formal Night - Leave the prom gown at home. Your dress sounds perfect. I either wear nice black dress pants or a dress/skirt that goes to the knee.

 

Nursing Home :p - I sure hope not!!! You will find a wide spectrum of ages on ANY cruise. I think the Century will be a nice mix of all ages but I've never sailed her so someone else would know better.

 

Muranos - YES, if you can reserve before you board then do it. Speciality restuarants generally are very popular. We already called and got a 7:00 reservation on our cruise and on the night we wanted. If you wait until you board you may not get the night and/or time you want

[chessbriar]

do you all find it better to book excursions through celebrity or use private local travel companies?Being your first cruise and not overly familiar with the ports, you'd be better served by the ships excursions

-whats the deal with gratuities? They are automatically added to you account for service. For drinks it added to each order. For room service you tip when they come to the door

-exactly how "formal" is formal night? are we talking prom dress? or a nice silk dress to the knee (which is what i already have)???You should be fine

-i've read reviews saying that celebrity cruises are like retirement homes at sea? is this true?? me and husband are only 26 and 29. I've been cruising X since I was 31. I have never felt out of place. Being a shorter cruise there will be more young people as well. HAL is more like the retirement home. Median age about 55.

-should we reserve dinner at murano ahead of time, or once we're on the ship?If you want to go and they will let you reserve ahead of time.

[ustal]

We booked all our excursions through Celebrity - and for our upcoming cruise will probably do so again. For me, the security of knowing that if our excursion ran over, or was late back for any reason, they wouldn't sail without us, was definitely worth it. I'm a worry-wart, and cruise-time is relaxation time :o

 

You can tip as you go along - but every time you buy a drink or whatever, there's a 15% gratuity included, so don't feel like you need to tip everyone, all the time. I think the way tips work has changed since our cruise last summer - afaik, they get put on your account daily now, instead of prepaying them in a lump, or doing cash-in-envelope. You can adjust the daily tips up or down as necessary, I think. I'm sure someone more recent will have more info!

 

Formal night - silk dress to the knee will be beautiful. Some people don't make all that much effort, but I think it's well worth dressing up for. There'll probably be a few people in prom dress, but you certainly won't be under-dressed without one. If I were you, I'd save the price of a new dress for extras on-board :D

 

DH and I are about the same age as you guys. While we were definitely in the lower end of the age-range, it didn't feel like a retirement home. Even when I did trivia, and was probably the youngest by about half, our fellow cruisers were friendly and animated. So even if everyone at your table looks "old", don't write them off straight away :)

 

The Murano - book ahead! It wasn't possible for our last cruise, and we booked on-board. In fact, after our first trip, we were able to book another table there a few days later. So you could get lucky and find that it's no problem to get reservations. But this is truly a "must-do" - it's fabulous!, so you might as well book in advance and be sure, IMO.

 

Hope that helps!

 

Noirin

[BurgerBits]

Hi, CDL (Crazy Dog Lady)!!

 

My husband and I are crazy dog people, too. We actually believe that if our border collie developed opposable thumbs and found a checkbook, she'd have the locks changed while we were out...

 

IMHO, Century was lovely when we cruised her last summer - all age ranges, too.

 

Have a FAB time!!!!!

[Barry S]

You'll have a blast on the Solstice! We just came back from B2B cruises on it over Cristmas and New Year's.

You can do as much on the ship or as little as you want. Solstice isn't a retirement home. It's up to you. There are fantastic bars, good entertainment, dancing, and gambling. The days at sea are great for relaxing or going to the spa for massages. Be sure to see the glass blowing. I know this sounds boring, but it's, certainly, worth seeing. The pool area gets very crowded on sea days it's very difficult to find chairs, so get there early if this is what you like.

Excursions: If you want a "do something" excursion I'd advise taking a ship arranged program. For sight-seeing we always take a private taxi to tour the area. ( Remember, You can negotiate the price with the driver. )

Gratuities: Give tips at the end of the cruise. That's how it's done, and the crew expects it that way. Plus, it's easier for you.

Dinner Reservations: DEFINITELY book reservations at the specialty restaurants before you sail. If you wait until you're on board you wont be able to get one. We went to Murano and loved it. Also go to the Tuscan Grill; it's awesome. If you go there try to get Robert as your table captain. He makes a great caesar salad. If you do happen to see him please tell him that Barry, Ilene and Jess Silverman say hello and that he should take good care of you.

Formal Nights: You can be as fancy as you want. Or, you can wear that dress you talked about. You will see men in tuxedos and ladies in evening gowns. You will also see men in suits or sports jackets with or without a tie. I started wearing a suit and tie, but later switched to a jacket with an nice collared shirt. My wife wore dresses similar to yours.

Please feel free to ask me any more questions that occur to you.

Have a fantastic time. And, if there's any room in your luggage please take me along.

Barry :)

[BurgerBits]

HAL is more like the retirement home. Median age about 55.

 

I posted a poll on this board a while back about the ages of =X= cruisers (who post here, obviously...:D). The largest group was 50 - 59.

 

BTW, I'm 52 - and our signature photo was taken on Century, last June.

 

Oh - and I retired at 42.

 

So, I guess I'd better pack it in, eh? LOLOLOL Nope, I'm not sensitive about it, but there are an awful lot of us 'retired' folks that manage to get around just fine... :D :D :D

 

PS to Barry - the OP is sailing on Century, not Solstice...

[woodofpine]

-i've read reviews saying that celebrity cruises are like retirement homes at sea? is this true?? me and husband are only 26 and 29!

 

Crazy Dog - Lately things have been changing, around 3:40 AM in Michael's Club they do a 'Drop Kick Murphys' tribute hour and everybody moshes the H*ll out each other!:D

[crazy-dog-lady]

thank you all for your feedback and answers. and when i said "retirement home at sea" i was simply repeating a post i read on another board. my hubby and i actually met and instantly connected with another couple on our honeymoon who were in their late 40s and were a total blast! my question was more towards the vibe of the ship, for example is it all straight relaxation with no thrills, or an instant party when walk onboard, or somewhere in the middle?? we're just trying to get a sense of what we can expect. unfortunately we do not vacation often so we want to make sure that the century is the best way we can spend our time and money.

 

and one more question, can anyone give me the name and number of their travel agent? i keep reading that other cruisers have received on board credit for using a travel agent but we don't have one. and i've already called celebrity and they said that they're current promo does not give our specific cruise any credit, only sailings departing in march+ .

[Breezey]

To help you out with another opinion:

 

 

1- We never ever book through the ship. IMHO they are overpriced, overcrowded for what you get. We have done private local travel companies in the carribean and europe and have always had great luck. The private drivers are more flexible, your are in smaller vans and they provide more of a personal flavor. Which are your ports of call? In some instances you can get to beaches etc on your own. On one cruise to we got off the ship and they had agents for the same excursions that the ship provided just at the dock. We went on the same stingray tour for about 1/2 the price with our fellow cruisers.

 

2- others provided the answers on this one

 

3 - Yikes no prom dresses please although i have seem some bridemaids dresses which were over the top. Stick with the silk dress. Sounds fine.

 

4 - Ha ha. You are young but the shorter caribbean cruises tend to attract a younger crowd. I would go on the roll call for your cruise and you would be surprised by who you may find to befriend. One of our best cruises as far as parties was on the Celebrity Mercury to the Mexican Riviera. Major deck parties almost every evening. People of all ages danced up a storm. So no retirement home feeling but of course there will be a lot of us old people too :)

 

5. Yes book the specialty restaurant in advance

 

You will have a blast.

[Oceangoer2]

hello everyone! i have already learned soooo much from all your posts, so thank you for that. i am looking to book the century for my husband and i leaving miami the end of february. its a 5-night western caribbean, and this will be our very first cruise!!! super excited about it :D

 

so here are some of my questions:

-do you all find it better to book excursions through celebrity or use private local travel companies?

-whats the deal with gratuities? can you tip as you go along? or is it better to just pay one lump sum for everyone?

-exactly how "formal" is formal night? are we talking prom dress? or a nice silk dress to the knee (which is what i already have)???

-i've read reviews saying that celebrity cruises are like retirement homes at sea? is this true?? me and husband are only 26 and 29.

-should we reserve dinner at murano ahead of time, or once we're on the ship?

 

and i think thats everything.. for now. i appreciate all the feedback i can get. we are looking to lock in the cruise this friday!

Hopefully you'll be open to friendships with the 'older' people (anyone over 30?). We've made many friends younger and older. When we were younger, our best tablemates were in their 70's....sooo interesting even if they didn't disco! Now that we're one of the 'older' cruisers, we've made many terrific friends with young couples. Guess it's up to the individual to give each other a chance to appreciate the differences as well as the things people have in common. No-one clicks with everyone.

[woodofpine]

Crazy-Dog-Lady...

 

X is increasingly cool by virtue of its traditional-retro cruise style. Best party I've seen on a ship was New Year's Eve on Summit a few years ago. Party on pool deck, then torrential down pour, lightening blasting everywhere, party ended up in the front lounge...

 

Excursions:

 

Grand Caymen: Avoid the ship excursions and go to Stingray City with either Captain Marvin http://www.captainmarvins.com or nativeway http://www.nativewaywatersports.com In fact, nativeway offers a stingrays, reef, and Rum Point beach trip which I'd highly recommend since Rum Point is fabulous and not so easy to get to otherwise. Either of these operators offer more for less than the line excursions and they know the line schedule requirments. Stingray City is a must do excursion, hands down.

 

Ocho Rios: Don't bring any herbacius agricultural products back onto the ship. The locals will tempt and push... but you were raised in Reagan/Bush era so leave that sh*t to the seniors/children of the Tet Offense and Watergate! (What the H do kids know!)

 

In Ocho Rios Dunn's River Falls likewise is a must do. The locals are ugly/nutty around the cruise terminal so it's definately better to hire a decent guide; research the Jamaica board and check out Phil Lafayette, Peat Taylor, or Marva Shaw as guides. I like Jamaica, but what the hey, I lived in Washington Heights Manhatten once... Jamaica requires both a relaxed sense of humor and a security conscious BS detector. Or as a friend of mine once said... 'Ah Jamaica... where raw materials meet raw capitalism!' Roll up your sleaves!!

 

Key West is all about Duval Street.

 

Crew Tips: Leave it on your account, these folks work for $50 a month 70 hours a week otherwise.

 

Formal: Take something nice, real nice.

 

There are lines that party harder than X but none are a retro nice otherwise. And as far a age goes - these are children of the '60 - with ******; look out! anything's possible! :)

[Megamania]

Hey Burgerbits.

I believe we have a lot in common. I am 53,,,retired at 42,,,BUT I had a baby then!! Oh well,,,other than that - right.

 

to the OP,,,I believe age is only a number.....I am sure there may be other cruise lines with more of an age younger crowd,,,but I am sure I will find lots of people who are fun to be with no matter what age. My husband is only 40,,,so right there,,,,it is possible!!

 

Having said that,,if I were taking teens or pre teens I would probably choose another cruise line to keep them busy.

 

Happy Sails!!

[Casino Player]

hello everyone! i have already learned soooo much from all your posts, so thank you for that. i am looking to book the century for my husband and i leaving miami the end of february. its a 5-night western caribbean, and this will be our very first cruise!!! super excited about it :D

 

so here are some of my questions:

-do you all find it better to book excursions through celebrity or use private local travel companies?

-whats the deal with gratuities? can you tip as you go along? or is it better to just pay one lump sum for everyone?

-exactly how "formal" is formal night? are we talking prom dress? or a nice silk dress to the knee (which is what i already have)???

-i've read reviews saying that celebrity cruises are like retirement homes at sea? is this true?? me and husband are only 26 and 29.

-should we reserve dinner at murano ahead of time, or once we're on the ship?

 

and i think thats everything.. for now. i appreciate all the feedback i can get. we are looking to lock in the cruise this friday!

 

Howdy, congrats on your first cruise. You will like Celebrity Cruise Line. They have the best service and their food is pretty good.

When booking shore excursions go on the excursions with the ship. Reason, if anything happens and you don't make it back to the ship it will take off without you. If you go on an excursion sponsered by Celebrity Cruises then they will hold the ship if there are difficulties (a tire blows out on a bus, stuck in traffic).

About tips, on the last night of the cruise you will get envelops. Either place your tip in an envelope and give it to the person providing the service or put it on your sail and Sign card then you will receive a voucher to place in your envelope.

The silk dress will be fine unless you really wish to go with the prom dress.

Each cruise line has it's own identity. Celebrity is a premuim cruise line. You will not have announcements for every activity. Read the ship paper and select which activities you want to do and be at the location at the right time. On Carnival, RCCL, and NCL they make announcements for everything. On Celebrity they don't.

Since this is your first cruise with Celebrity Cruise Lines they won't allow you to make a reservation for dinner at a specialty resturant before the cruise. After you join the Captains Club you will be able to do so. For this cruise you could make the reservation when you get on the ship.

Have a good time. Enjoy the food, the shows, and all the activities. Play Bingo, go to the pool and/or hot tub. Go to the gym if you like. I try to do that in the morning, less crowded. I like to play in the Casino myself. My wife likes it too. There are lots of clubs and music venues if you like that and a cinema to watch movies in. There are also movies that they play on your monitor.

You could also use your monitor to take classes on gambling, shore excursions, watch the movie of the cruise, watch the view from the bridge. Before I went on my first cruise I also watched the movie "A Night to Remember." It is a good movie, four stars. It was about the first and only sailing of the Titantic.

[Host Anne]

Hi Everyone ~ Crazy-Dog ~ welcome to Cruise Critic and Celebrity. Century is one of our favorite ships and I'm sure you'll have a good time. We find people of all ages sailing Celebrity and have made friends from all over the world. I'd recommend pre-booking Murano as well. It's definitely a wonderful dining experience.

 

Unfortunately, Cruise Critic doesn't allow travel agent recommendations nor do they permit folks to post their email and ask to be sent recommendations.

 

Hope you have a fantastic time. Be sure to stop back and let us know how the cruise was. ENJOY!

[BurgerBits]

Unfortunately, Cruise Critic doesn't allow travel agent recommendations nor do they permit folks to post their email and ask to be sent recommendations.

 

Uh-oh - my bad! Apologies all around, I truly hadn't known this. So sorry :o! I was certain I had read about it being done elsewhere and didn't think it would be a problem.

 

Mea culpa.

[The_Big_M]

When booking shore excursions go on the excursions with the ship. Reason, if anything happens and you don't make it back to the ship it will take off without you. If you go on an excursion sponsered by Celebrity Cruises then they will hold the ship if there are difficulties (a tire blows out on a bus, stuck in traffic).

 

Since this is your first cruise with Celebrity Cruise Lines they won't allow you to make a reservation for dinner at a specialty resturant before the cruise. After you join the Captains Club you will be able to do so. For this cruise you could make the reservation when you get on the ship.

 

 

Good comments, but I think you can book online for any cruise, i.e. without being a captain's club member.

 

Also, regarding tours there are two camps - that is the risk that you say, but many will say that risk is extremely low. I believe most tour operators do not want either:

- the hassle, nor

- damage through word of mouth bookings, and will do everything they can to get you back by the right time.

[crazy-dog-lady]

Thank you all sooo much! All the info is very help and very much appreciated. I will continue to look online today and try to find some better deals. If not, I'm calling Celebrity first thing tomorrow morning. Either way, our mind is made up!

 

And sorry to the host, I'm just trying to get the best deal possible and asking for some help from experienced cruisers. Didn't mean to break the CC rules.

[librarylady19]

I found a great local travel agent by typing in my zip code on the Celebrity website and it directed me to them (scroll down home page of celebrity.com and you'll find it).

 

You can book Murano's through the Celebrity website - once you have paid for your cruise. You will need to create your "My Celebrity Account" first and then you can book dining and onshore excursions there.

 

Have fun planning!

[Longboysfan]

A nice tour you can do in Puerto Rico is the Bicardi Rum factory tour.

No ship involvement needed. Google it and you will find a lot of information.

 

The ship offers a similar tour but for a lot of $$$. Your private one would cose about $6 per person. Just get off the ship right away and head to the dock that has the ferry to the stop for it. The taxi from there is $3 per person per trip. - 2X3=6. The ferry from what we know is free.

 

My friends all did it and it was great. Ship tour takes a lot longer as they bus there.

You can see the Bicardi factory as you enter the port - they are to the starboard side of the ship. So it is just across the way from the pier.

 

Also on tipping. You can take the standard tips and put them in envelopes but also add some more $$$ for the people who gave you fantastic service.

 

And like they said above the drinks come with a 15% built in tip.