SebagoSue

I haven’t seen any CBC day passes available in the Cruise Planner for 2024.  All the normal cabanas and other items are available for purchase. Are day passes showing up on anyone else’s 2024 cruises? Or does Royal have another plan?  Like maybe once Hideaway Beach opens they turn the Beach Club into a suites only area unless you buy a cabana there, similar to Barefoot Beach on Labadee?  Just a thought.

I took a screenshot after clicking on “view more details” on the website list of my cruises.  That shows it’s a suite.  At Canaveral last week, just verbally saying suite got us through all the check in lines.  The “guard” at the suite seating area was a little tougher, but accepted the screenshot.

Thanks so much for the great review and pics @cruisellama! I can’t wait to check out the new Retreat setup next month. One question….do you know if they were still allowing some more “classic” type foods to be ordered at dinner in Luminae? Thank you!

@TimeRacer Definitely watch the International Flag ceremony on the pool deck.  Crew members representing every country onboard wave flags, wear special outfits and do unique dances from their countries. It was awesome to see!

Totally agree with everything noted by @asquared17 and @Neesa.  Serenade has a much calmer feeling than the newer, larger ships.  As long as you know what she has and does not have, you will have a wonderful cruise.  The way you can hear music rising through the Centrum and see fellow cruisers listening on 3 decks makes for a special experience. I also love the seating at the aft outside of the Windjammer so you can watch the wake while eating.

Just for kicks and grins, I checked my Celebrity cruise planner for a couple of 2023 cruises.  Under the  Packages tab, it just lists Dining and Beverage packages.  I’m not sure if the Premier Pass was there prior to this weekend.

@TXcruzerWhen you called, did they provide any additional info about this package?  Thanks!

Just bought it on a Symphony cruise.  Thank you all for the info!! 

We love the  D+ seating in the AquaTheater.  It is in the center section and starts about halfway back, so well behind the splash zone. We also like the reserved seating in the end section for the ice shows as @CrznTxnmentioned above.

They have recently built washrooms near the over the water cabanas on the south beach side (#11-20).  It is paved the whole way once you leave the “dock” and there are no steps into the washrooms.  I believe the washroom doors are wide enough for a wheelchair, but am not certain.

Thanks @FloatyBoaty!

@ScottD Which Celebrity ship did Bryan move to?  Thanks!

Depending on the number of people you have, a private transfer could even be less expensive than booking transfers through Royal.  The other thing to consider is that it is recommended you arrive at the airport in Rome 3 hours before your flight.  Sometimes there is a wait for the Royal transfer to fill up and to leave the port.  We used RomeInLimo last summer for a private transfer and they were excellent.

Enjoying your reviews very much.  Thanks for all the specific details!

As @AshleyDillosaid above, the special Valentine’s dinners will not be included in the UDP.  The same was true on our recent New Years Eve cruise.  At that time the special NYE dinner at Chops was about $100 pp.  I heard it mentioned that if you had the UDP, you could reserve the special dinner onboard for a large upcharge.  YMMV 

And the answer on Beyond this week is…. 7:00 and 9:00.

I’m trying to book some dining reservations and I am wondering about show times on the Beyond.  Does anyone know if they are 7 and 9, 7:30 and 9:30 or something else? Or might anyone have a recent Beyond daily schedule?  Thanks so much!

We love all the Oasis class ships, including Allure.  All the entertainment options are fantastic. There are many specialty dining options and we really enjoy those in Central Park. I agree that I wish it had a Playmakers, but with so many other choices we still think it’s a great ship.

For the cabanas closer to South Beach, they recently built a set of 3 single bathrooms that are just off the beach for the use of these overwater cabanas.  They are so much closer than having to walk all the way to the CBC building and they have an attendant who keeps them very clean as well. They have the same decor as the bathrooms in the main building.

Allure departing 12/26/23 is $1799 for overwater cabana.  “Low” given it’s a NYE cruise and other recent $3k+ prices.

Thanks @cruisellama!  That is what we ended up doing as well. Absolutely loved everything about the Retreat experience and can’t wait to try it on Beyond in April.

@NeesaSo glad you enjoyed your cruise!  I loved reading along - you made me laugh every day! Hope to see you on a cruise again soon!

So glad you love the beauty of the smaller ship and that the entertainment has been good!  Fingers crossed that your water temp goes UP and your ship A/C temp goes DOWN!  Enjoy your Thanksgiving at sea!!

I agree with all the wonderful insights above.  We used RomeInLimo for transfers and they were fantastic.  A noon flight should be fine.  I have always been told to plan on being at the Rome airport 3 hours before your flight.  
We stayed at the Argentina Residenza hotel this September, and while a bit quirky, was in a great location.  We really like being near the Pantheon- Trevi Fountain area as everything is so close to walk to.  Next time in Rome, we are planning to try the Singer Palace for a special treat.
if you can do the Vatican tour early in the morning, I would recommend it.  The crowds are less and you are still fresh.  We did the Colosseum/ Forum tour at night and it was a beautiful way to see the city at night.  We used the Tour Guy, Walks of Italy and Tours with Locals for various tours and they were all great.  We found Rome city center very easy to walk around.  Having an aperol spritz in the square overlooking the Pantheon for aperitivo was a great simple relaxing pleasure. 

Enjoy!

This is our first time on Celebrity and we are absolutely loving the Retreat on Apex.  When on Royal, we always leave a tip on the table after each meal (in addition to automatic gratuities.). We haven’t noticed anyone else doing this in Luminae.  Is there a different practice on Celebrity, especially in Luminae?  The service is fantastic and we just want to make sure we show our appreciation.  We are doing Specialty restaurants most dinners, but eat in Luminae for breakfast and lunch.  Thanks for your insights!