cruisellama

19 minutes ago, Plumlee2028 said:

$275 Million.  About $100 million less than what Crystal built it for.  It does sound like they will do some light modification at some point, removing the casino (which is gigantic) and the helicopters will probably be removed by the sounds of it.  

Kida funny.   I think  RCL sold off Azamara (3-ships) for around $200M during the pandemic.  But looks like thet ship was a great "going out of business" deal.

2 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

 

"Buy low"  most likely.  Must have some cash.   Their margins are pretty good from what I understand.

In general, Celebrity has no toys.    Royal does.

I'm not betting on any changes to US posture until 2024.   Think we're stuck with it.

On 6/7/2022 at 6:26 AM, Gears said:

The cruise fare for Celebrity is 'drinks included' as their classic package. There are no 'x' drinks per day based on your loyalty tier level anymore, and no happy hour. Every hour is happy hour. 

There is a Captains Club event for high tier that includes Elite and up/Diamond, but thats usually just one evening during happy hour.    During the period , you can access basic cocktails as well as whatever the CC specials are.  Or if you have an inclusive package on Celeb you're good to go so no need for the CC club benefit.

I just received an itinerary update.   They swapped Perfect Day for Nassau - YES - will take that anytime!

On 5/16/2022 at 7:25 AM, baltodave said:

Hi Everyone,

We (3 adults) are taking Rhapsody July 25 - August 1 with 3 stops in Greece (Mykonos, Crete and Zakynthos), 1 stop in Kotor, Montenegro and 1 stop in Split, Croatia. The cruise ends in Ravenna, Italy and I've already arranged a ride to Venice (BTW, we have room if anyone wants to join us there).

We've done plenty of cruises in the Caribbean but we are newbies when it comes to Europe.  Does anyone have ideas/hints for excursions?  Should we stick with RC's excursions (which tend to be pricey) or are there plenty of 3rd-party options (either in advance or at the ports)?

Thanks!

We were just through that area -  one pleasant surprise, eating and shopping at the local places is very reasonable.  In fact we thought the price value was better than what we have in the states at this time.  Also, the Euro dropped and is very close to the Dollar.

2 hours ago, Anarose said:

My fiance and I are honeymooning on Anthem of the Sea this upcoming November.  We have never cruised before but have opted for My Time Dining (MTD) to give ourselves more flexibility throughout our time.  However, now I'm having second thoughts because we have decided against any wifi packages in an attempt to fully disconnect and enjoy our time together.  Do you need wifi to make your MTD time selections on board, or are there opportunities on the ship to do so?  Everyone says you can do it on the app, but without access to the app is this a realistic option?  Thanks!

My time does give you maximum flexibility.  You don't need an internet package to use the app.  In addition, you can always stop by restaurants to make specific reservations if desired.  You can knock that out on embarkation day if desired.

South Pacific starting in Australia and ending up in the US or Canada.

On 7/3/2022 at 11:01 AM, cruisellama said:

Anyone able to bring this cruise up on the APP yet?   It shows up but when selected I get the beloved, "Still working on fun"  banner.   Totally understandable - but it is only 196 days out and they're done working on the fun  for our Allure cruise which is 336 days out.   So I guess its easier to finish fun on the older ships.

Fixed - just had to reload the APP and Wonder was accessible - Doh!

Just another entertainment venue.

4 hours ago, KalmKruiser said:

We live in the Dallas area and are sailing out of Rome in September on a Wednesday and are flying out the Saturday night before as reference. There's always a cheap hotel or airbnb option somewhere nearby.

You can get direct flights from DFW to FCO.

Direct flights if possible.   Get there a day or two early.

Anyone able to bring this cruise up on the APP yet?   It shows up but when selected I get the beloved, "Still working on fun"  banner.   Totally understandable - but it is only 196 days out and they're done working on the fun  for our Allure cruise which is 336 days out.   So I guess its easier to finish fun on the older ships.

Cruise ship NORWEGIAN SUN hit iceberg, damaged, bound for repairs VIDEO | NORWEGIAN SUN - FleetMon Maritime News

Enough damage to force an early return.

17 hours ago, TXcruzer said:

In March we had 12 people test at my house in less than 30 minutes.

Christmas week certainly did not do you any favors.

It really is as easy as I make it sound.

We too had issues before our June Med cruise.  The NAVICA APP would not recognize our tests as valid and after calling customer service, directed to use the web site to run through test.   Took about an hour to get through 2 tests.  As we were testing from our hotel room internet, very concerned with drop-off before completing the test.   Still don't know why the tests would not show as valid with the APP.

On 6/15/2022 at 11:12 PM, Ferramc said:

Hi everyone,

 

I’ve been a die hard royal cruiser for over 28 years (only a diamond as there were some lean, limited travel years).  I just got a really good deal on a Celebrity Equinox cruise - retreat class, royal suite - that I jumped on for next May.    Life has presented some unique challenges the past few months and it was time to do something positive.   This cruise it will be just my husband and me - we’ll be celebrating 35 years! 
 

Has anyone sailed the Equinox since it was refurbished? I know this is a royal blog but would love to hear thoughts on sailing the equinox compared to the Oasis class ships   Thanks  

 

 

 

 

Equinox is much smaller than Oasis and does not have any toys.   Pools, hot tubs, bars & restaurants.   Smaller ship, better crew/passenger ratio, and I've experienced a better service and dining experience.   Celebrity and Royal are different in what they offer.  Royal is clearly more of a family with/ or without kids line - lots of ship activities (water slides, rock climbing ,  carousel , escape room,  rock climbing, ice skating, and far more eating/drinking options) whereas Celebrity is more focused on adult clientele - no toys.  Quieter, focused more on dining and entertainment.  Both have casinos.  Oasis class offer large theater productions and aqua theater, Celebrity - more modest entertaining offerings.

1 hour ago, barjpoe said:

It states that its Formal attire. I'll be on Jewel in July and need to save weight can my DH get by with a dress shirt or should he also wear at tie. Do not want to take the suit jacket.

 

Yes

Next one Apex on 19 Nov 22

When ever I pay off, I call RCL and ask for a 0 balance folio.  They've alway's been good about it.

Sailed them once, and it was enough (just like Carnival).  Remember the service was exceptionally bad.

Not sure it really mitigates anything, catches a few carriers. But most likely a lot more un-confirmed +s are getting on-board.   As we've moved on to living with this bug, might as well drop it.   A zero infection case strategy is impossible.

9 minutes ago, cruisellama said:

As of 2 weeks ago, I didn't.      Had about $200 OBC in my bank.  I went to the casino and asked to move money from my ship account casino account.  They gave me a ticket to play in the machines, which I promptly played a spin then cashed out at the window.   I didn't see any charge on my folio. Other than the amount I moved.

I just rechecked my final  folio, and did not find any service charge for adding $$ to casino account from ship account.

As of 2 weeks ago, I didn't.      Had about $200 OBC in my bank.  I went to the casino and asked to move money from my ship account casino account.  They gave me a ticket to play in the machines, which I promptly played a spin then cashed out at the window.   I didn't see any charge on my folio. Other than the amount I moved.