SpicyCherry

8 hours ago, Sunny_D said:

I am curious how other cruisers have handled the “suite and non suite guests in same party” situation. I know every family/group is different, but I’d like to hear all responses. Do those of you in suites forgo perks like priority boarding to stay with non-suite members in the terminal? Do you eat at Coastal Kitchen sometimes (or all the time) even though they can’t? Have any of you in non-suite cabins ever felt a suite-purchasing family member was inconsiderate for partaking in too many suite-only perks while traveling with you?

We purchased the last CL suite on our Allure sailing, and by the time my husband decided to surprise his brother for his birthday and buy him and SIL a cabin, balcony was the highest category left. So I’d love to hear stories, advice, etc from anyone who’s experienced this situation before. Thanks!

@Sunny_DThis is a great question because we are going to have this situation on our upcoming sailing on Wonder in 2023. We booked a B2B on Wonder in a GS while we were on Symphony earlier this year. Lo and behold! My brother and sister-in-law decided to, for their second cruise ever(1st was a 4N on Mariner), join us as a surprise. In addition, another couple close to them decided to book as well. Happily, and to our further surprise, both couples booked a Junior Suite. Now, JS have access to CK for dinner only, based on availability. However, as @Neesa suggested, our reservations are linked so probably they can join us anytime we eat there. But on top of that, we all got the UDP, so probably will not be eating at CK that often.
The Problem: the Suite Neighborhood, including the Suite Sundeck and Suite Lounge….even the Diamond Club Lounge, for that matter. We really want to experience that new Suite Neighborhood private sundeck and lounge. We hung out in the Suite & Diamond lounges a lot on Symphony, as well as that private sundeck area. We even suggested that they upgrade, if possible, to the GS, however, at this point all GS are sold out for our sailing.

What to do? Not quite sure but will probably enjoy the Suite perks on a limited basis so as to spend some time with the others. Our friends/family that we choose to travel with are not generally ’clingy’ so we usually have time to ourselves. We have traveled with my brother and sister-in-law before but not the other couple, although we know them and like them very much. However, having said that, still not sure how to handle the situation. One good thing is, since we are doing a B2B, on the 2nd leg we can enjoy all the perks with NO GUILT!!! But we too are interested in how others have handled this situation.

Ahoy there️ We will be on this sailing as the 1st leg of a B2B. We will be with 2 other couples, 1 family and the other ‘just like family’!! Not celebrating anything special, just really wanted to experience Wonder and the Suite Neighborhood. Did our 1st B2B on Symphony back in April-May 2022 and got hooked, on B2Bs that is. Looking forward to ‘showing off’ an Oasis Class ship to my brother and sister-in-law. Their 1st cruise with us was on Mariner. Think they’ll be blown away by Wonder. Also they decided to book a Junior Suite this go round. We’re super excited!!

We’re from Long Island and they’re from Georgia…..395 days to go!!

34 minutes ago, Pattycruise said:

This is the protocol in the health portion of the Royal App for my 9 night New England/Canada cruise next week. 

 

....and this is what my 10N itinerary on Celebrity Edge in December says, at this point anyway....

2 hours ago, steverk said:

Just boarded serenade of the seas for a 13 night cruise. I had no issue showing a photo of my test strip 

Thanks @steverk for the feedback..... Enjoy!!!

44 minutes ago, not easy being green said:

On some Celebrity ships that are more than 9 nights, you need a proctored test and what we found out is the app (needed to be proctored) and the web page (did not need to be proctored) did not match up.  We planned on doing a proctored test regardless of what was required and this time it worked out in our favor. 

We called in advance and the info was still conflicting - and confusing welcome to ongoing Covid things!!! 

Thanks. That is very helpful. Erring on the side of caution is most always a good idea.

23 minutes ago, steverk said:

I leave for a 13 night cruise on Sunday.  I'll let you know how it goes.

Please do. Thanks. Have a great time…..where are you going? Which ship?

1 hour ago, not easy being green said:

For cruises over 8 nights you will need a proctored test as of today, we have always been using the  eMed™ Enabled 6-Pack COVID-19 At-Home Test and Lab Report either from the RC website and or the eMed site.  Cost is around $ 25 per test and all you need is an ID and an internet abled device that has a camera.  However the way things are changing all the time when it get closer to December check the website.  I check all the time nowadays, just in case things change and they do.

The web and the app are slightly different with testing so double check.

 

Thanks. I used the eMed test for my last cruise with no issues but that was when proctored test were required. Now that RC is accepting home tests that are not proctored, I was wondering if anyone had an issues when checking in at the port. I do check quite frequently(Alright, everyday….I admit it) to see if the testing protocols change. 

Has anyone had any issues using the unproctored home test for pre-cruise testing so far? I have a 10Night itinerary coming up in December on Celebrity Edge and unless RC updates their protocols before then to include sailings over 9Nights, I will still need to test. Any good or bad experiences out there??

And what I mean by issues is: Issues with the test results being accepted, in its various forms, when checking in at the port.

20 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said:

This is a ymmv situation.....

Recently they have been saying no to MDR in CK. In the past some requests have been honored, some not so much. Also if in the event they do, it won't be an ongoing thing. They might allow you to get regular lobster delivered on lobster night. But the won't allow you to have several items delivered eat night you dine. Since you are staying in a suite, better off having the MDR food you want delivered there.

A girl can hope, can’t she? Great idea about having MDR food delivered. I forgot about that. Thanks for the reminder.

We love the privacy and vibe of the CK and most times, the menu as well. However, sometimes…..not so much. I’ve heard that you can order from the MDR menu on occasion while dining at CK. Anyone have any experience with this? We will be on Wonder next year and would love to take advantage of CK even more than in times past. Thanks for any feedback anyone can offer.

On 8/30/2022 at 2:44 PM, smokeybandit said:

https://crew-center.com/celebrity-eclipse-stuck-vancouver-due-strike-departs-day-late

That's just crazy!!!

12 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

I wonder how long that lasts. Seems a waste of time at the pier to look at pictures since there's zero way to verify.

So true!! The picture could be of anybody's test, including the family pet!! It's time to just rip off the Band-Aid and let's get it on!!!

13 minutes ago, Bowen said:

I genuinely believe this will change again by then. I hope so!

I'm hoping so too....after all, it only took a few weeks for them to go from 6 nights or less to 9 nights or less. Do I hear 10????

3 hours ago, teddy said:

In my best Maxwell Smart voice: “Missed it by that much”

We are on Liberty August 28-September 4, and our October cruise goes to Canada. 

Talkin' bout "Missed it by that much"....You said it!!! Going on Celebrity Edge this December....Vaxxed & Boosted....good to go, no test right? Yaaaaay!!! Well, not so fast!! Our sailing is 10 Nights!!! Royal: Couldn't you pick a nice round number, like 10 or less??? "Missed it by THAT much"!!!!!!

8 hours ago, FrankCincotta said:

Hi all -

Traveling with my gf on Symphony October 22nd, who has never been on an Oasis Class Ship, and I am trying to determine which specialty restaurants we should sign up for.

We did chops on independence, which was good but I think we both want to try 3 new ones together.

My top 2 are below, but does anyone have recommendations on a 3rd? Debating between Izumi Hibachi, or Wonderland. Thoughts?

- Jamies Italian

- 150 Central Park

You will love Symphony!! 150 Central Park was awesome and as @Ampurp85 suggested, it may be worth doing twice. We did!! Wonderland, IMO, should be done at least once. It was a nicer experience on Anthem than on Symphony, again, IMO. Izumi Hibachi was nice, but nothing to write home about. However, what we did really enjoy at Izumi's was the Sushi & Sake Lunch, although not included in the Dining Plans. Hooked was a more casual experience but the soft shell crab was amazing and we had a really nice server, Ginny. She was truly accommodating...we asked for San Pellegrino and she was set to bring us Dom Perignon!! 

9 hours ago, Crazycruiser50 said:

We will be in Allure in a few months in a Grande Suite.  I’ve never been in a suite on an Oasis Class ship and therefore never had the opportunity to experience Coastal Kitchen.  Since we are strictly specialty restaurant type cruisers, I am curious if Coastal Kitchen is the same quality as the specialty restaurants.  Wondering if we even need the unlimited dining package on our cruise.

If anyone can chime in who has experienced both I would really appreciate it.

 

Have a great day!

I too agree with @OCSC Mike. We did a B2B on Symphony recently, both sailings in a GS. The 1st leg we did a 3N Dining plan and the 2nd leg, a UDP. We also wanted to make sure to take advantage of CK. It is a very pleasant place to dine, quiet and relaxing. Great ambience in the evenings. However, we found the food to be of superior quality in the Specialty Restaurants. So even if you eat dinner frequently in the Specialty Restaurants, fully utilizing the UDP, there are plenty of opportunities to eat at and enjoy CK....Breakfast, Lunch as well as enjoy the adjoining lounge for afternoon/evening appetizers. Welcome to the 'Suite' life...there's no going back now!!!

We are on Edge December 2022. We love Celebrity because our very 1st cruise was on the Celebrity Zenith many years ago. The standard was set. We enjoyed our Royal sailings immensely and look forward to our 2nd B2B on Wonder in 2023, but sailing on Celebrity is always like coming HOME!!

3 hours ago, Toby said:

Per their website, Celebrity Cruises (and a part of Royal Caribbean Group) is following suit with the same testing requirements as RC.  No surprise there.

We have a 10-Nighter on Celebrity Edge coming up in December so hope testing is dropped by then for longer sailings!! But this is good news. Testing is so super stressful.....drove me to drinkwaaaaay before 5p that day!!

1 hour ago, Cakemeister said:

My Emed tests expire in December so hopefully before then!

Exactly!! My eMed tests expire in November, about a week before I would need to test. I really don't want to buy more if I don't have to!!!

On 7/26/2022 at 9:33 AM, Kpen said:

Hi all,

I just booked my first cruise with Royal Caribbean for February of next year. I was hoping to book a Cabana for our day at CocoCay but the cruise planner is not showing any excursion offerings for CocoCay.

When do they usually open these for booking?

You just need to keep checking….everyday if possible. We are booked on Wonder for November 2023 and CocoCay excursions showed up about 2 weeks ago. 

3 hours ago, Sea Squirrel said:

I love me some Lavazza!  My wife bought a high end Nespresso but I prefer the Lavazza but just kept that to myself so I didn’t hurt her feelings. Oh well, I guess we just need to sail more often so I can get my fix, haha. Hope you enjoy that little beauty!

I'm not a coffee drinker at all....more of a Hot Chocolate girl myself, but I must say that waking up to the smell of that coffee every morning while onboard was quite enjoyable. Who woulda thunk it?? 

On 6/22/2022 at 9:14 PM, Moby Dick said:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=lavazza+coffee+machine&crid=3MSISK60A4LGL&sprefix=lavazza+coffee+mach%2Caps%2C92&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_19

 

Amazon sells one that is said to be the "BLUE" model.  However, if you look at the picture of it, it doesn't say "BLUE".  

 

Well....it has been accomplished. DH's Lavazza arrived today(from Amazon) and I can smell coffee as I type. And when I say it arrived today, I mean in the last 30 minutes and he's already brewing!! 

3 hours ago, JeffB said:

Long time Celebrity cruiser - have looked at this but never ordered it. You get a 750ml bottle of premium liquor, your choice, and a six-pack of assorted mixers. Some nuts too. Last time I checked it was $130.

Years ago, I booked the Captain's Quarters - premium suite - on Carnival Breeze. It was our family HQ. We had 10 people in various cabins that would join us for happy hour. I used this feature X2 and we had brought a few bottles of wine. It was great from a convenience standpoint given our needs. All I needed was ice and glassware - brought by the cabin attendant. 

For a "night cap?"  It's a bit pricey given you have a premium drink package. When you're ready to call it a night, grab your favorite tasty beverage at a convenient bar - even two per person - and carry them to your suite. If the description I provided above floats your boat though, go for it. 

Great info….Well, my DH loves his Jack’s before bed!! We usually bring a few bottles of wine onboard but figured we might change things up a bit. Thanks for the feedback.

57 minutes ago, PRMLVM said:

For those who tip at the end of their cruise, how do you find the people you want to tip?

For those who tip as you go, do you just toss the tip on the table before you walk out?  We've never been given anything to sign, and after dessert/coffee we just get up and walk out.  I've never seen money on any of the tables as we walk out, but as I'm looking through all the tipping "tips" most people are saying they tip as they go.  I'm just wondering at the actual mechanics of this.  Bartenders/walk-about servers you can hand them cash as you order or get your drink, but what about staff in casual eating areas or MDR?  (and if it's "money on the table" I assume it's divided amongst the people working our table?)

In one of the posts, someone mentions tipping at the carving station.  How exactly do you tip a person actively preparing food?

Finally (and thank you for your patience if you've read all these questions; I want to do it right): we've only ever been given ONE envelope in our suite at the end of our cruises.  Do we seek out more at Guest services?  Call the concierge/attendant and ask for more?  If we leave them (labeled) in the room can we trust they get to the right person(s)?  Or can we leave them with the concierge when (s)he disembarks us?  Or do we make a trip to some kind of dropbox?

Oh, I guess one more:  we seem to be booking more and more cruises....do our tipping habits get "reported" and follow us? (whether officially or word-of-mouth)?

We are end-of-the-cruise tippers…we were under the impression that the CK staff & Concierges get a share of the additional gratuities we pay as Suite guests, however, we decided to tip additional for outstanding service. We tipped our CK waiter, who served us every meal at our request, our stateroom attendant and both Concierges. 
As far as envelopes, don’t worry because they have extras in the Suite Lounge or, I’m sure at Guest Services. We gave everyone their envelope on the last evening…if you’re not eating at CK on the last evening, you can still swing by there or do so in the morning when they escort you down for disembarkation. 
 

We only tip as-you-go in the Specialty Restaurant, if deserving, and to some of the bartenders. But overall, we never feel under pressure to tip and we’re never made to feel pressured. Just do what feels comfortable to you.

2 hours ago, Reigert2008 said:

Never been in a suite, so not sure of the details.  Here’s a video from Allure that may help you narrow it down on the lava a site

i suspect it’s the Classy Mini

 

https://www.lavazzausa.com/en/coffee-machines

1 hour ago, Suite Snob said:

https://www.lavazzausa.com/en/coffee-machines/classy-mini

Thank you both.....I looked back in a video I took when we first arrived and got a snapshot....Looks like it says Lavazza Blue? Maybe? Will look that one up!!

My DH really enjoyed the Lavazza Coffee Machine in our Suite on Symphony. However, he neglected to note the specific model. Anybody know the model Royal uses? I want to get one for him as a gift.