New to Celebrity, couple of quick questions

[itf]

This will be our second cruise, having previously sailed the Emerald to the Caribbean.

 

I've booked a spot on a trip to Alaska with Celebrity on the Mercury and now I'm trying to work out a couple of things that actually I found much easier with the Princess web site!

 

We've selected our dining preference (early) but I can't see a way of saying that we'd like a table for two. Can this be done in advance? If so, can it be done on the web site, or do I have to call?

 

I see that I can reserve shore excursions, but I can't work out whether they just get added to my shipboard account, or whether I have to pay for them before I go? Being in the UK, the prices are showing in UK Pounds but I presume the shipboard account would be in USD? Finding it a bit confusing!

 

I've pre-paid the tips and I see mention in the paper brochure we picked up of having something that I hand to the waiter / cabin steward? Is that correct? Almost proof that I'm tippping?

[willysgrandma]

On Celebrity if you book excursions in advance, yhou have to pay for them in advance. They don't add them to your shipboard accoutn unless you actually book them when you are on the ship.

 

Celebrity now does auto tips for all cruises, so you probably won't get anything to hand to the waiters if the do it similar to how other lines with auto tips work, weather you pre-pay the tips or not.

[oavcech95]

 

We've selected our dining preference (early) but I can't see a way of saying that we'd like a table for two. Can this be done in advance? If so, can it be done on the web site, or do I have to call?

 

I see that I can reserve shore excursions, but I can't work out whether they just get added to my shipboard account, or whether I have to pay for them before I go? Being in the UK, the prices are showing in UK Pounds but I presume the shipboard account would be in USD? Finding it a bit confusing!

 

I've pre-paid the tips and I see mention in the paper brochure we picked up of having something that I hand to the waiter / cabin steward? Is that correct? Almost proof that I'm tippping?

For the dinning you can call or email Celebrity, I recomend you to call, to ask it, but I recommend you to go with other people, you will have more friends

 

For the excursions if you pay it in advance it will be in pounds, if is cheaper in dollars, so wait and pray the tour is not full, and reserve it in the ship

 

And the tipping you pay is for everyone.

[The_Big_M]

You can't change the seating preference online, but you can request it via an agent. I don't believe you can ask for 2 specifically, but you can ask for small, which they will look at and assess with what's available.

 

If you do get the envelope for tips, it just has chits in it that you can hand out if you wish. It doesn't change anything if you do or not though so is just a matter of preference. (Staff can see whether it's been paid separately.) The cabin steward also provides that envelope to you so you don't need to hand it to him again (unless you were adding extra.)

[spearmint]

Yes, you can ask for a table for two, but you ask for it through whomever you booked; we use a travel agent. If you did it all online, then I suggest that you call captain's club and make the request.

 

We have pre-booked excursions from the website and in order to complete the booking you need your credit card. We put in the price in once in Canadian dollars and then we do it again in U.S. dollars and compare. If the prices are ridiculous in comparison, then we book in American dollars and let our credit card change it. If the prices are close, then we book in Canadian dollars. We like the idea of having that much paid before the cruise and so less on the shipboard account which will be big enough anyway!

 

We never prepay gratuities.

[CRUZBUDS]

The Mercury doesn't have a lot of tables for two.. Good luck.

 

One of our Mercury trips we had a table for 8 but it was just the two of us. We had the world famous Andrea as our server, so it was fine with us.