rjweber3

When last I looked Celebrity still schedules Panama canal cruises regularly in the Spring and Fall. We went in 2018 on Infinity. It was great.

We spent a week at an all-inclusive resort on Antigua this spring. We felt safe and found several tours to get a better feel for the local culture and history. WE wandered freely in the towns and some tourist areas. Being a history buff, Nelson's dockyard was a great stop for me. The people and the place are very nice. I don't agree with some of their methods of raising capital, but I guess they do what they must. I am referring to Investment Citizenship. A person invests (Pays) a large sum and the government awards them Antiguan citizenship. This screams of opportunity for abuse. I like Antigua. We'll go back.

We cruised to Alaska in May. The weather then was great. We even used the pool at Icy Straight Point. We recommend the Radiance class as the best for outdoor viewing. Radiance has more glassed in areas and really allows the outside in. Of the two you specified I would pick Rhapsody. The Quantum ships are cold weather ships.

We have booked a cabin without a balcony only once. Never again. We do spend time, especially in the afternoons, after excursions, etc. on the balcony enjoying a good book and perhaps an adult beverage. Given that we have to fly to any embarkation port, the incremental cost is not so great. And worth every dollar to us.

We sailed Empress in August because it went to Cuba. We booked an Oceanview cabin forward. It looked a lot like the picture Matt poster above, not enough room for two of us to get dressed simultaneously. And the worst was that it had two overhead bunks that we didn't need. Folded up the bunks prevented us from standing beside the bed. To get into or out we had to bend over like Quasimodo and sidle over to where we could get in bed. Going to the bathroom on the night was an adventure that would have been funny if it weren't so painful. I've read lots of folks who love the price enough to go this way. For us, never again. Before we go back to Cuba, we'll wait for a better ship or cabin.

Our first cruise was on Explorer in 2000. Through no great forethought ended up with an aft facing balcony on Deck 10. We were hooked. We have tried to get them for our subsequent cruises. But they have been hard to get. We love the extra lounger space and the privacy. Once we could smell the diesel exhaust faintly. And, it is a longer walk to and from. But we prefer aft facing cabins if they are not all booked up. BTW, there is a Grand Suite on all the Radiance ships on the aft Starboard side of Deck 10. I think it is 1600. We have tried to book it for years. Big cabin with and acre of balcony looking both aft and starboard. I think there must be TAs with a permanent reservation for clients like us.

Just booked a 10 day England and Ireland cruise on Reflection. But its not until May 2020. Snagged a Sky Suite facing aft on Deck 12. We love to sit on the balcony and watch the wake.

Our TA is under the impression that any bids are conditional. If you bid, you are only considered if someone else cancels, then the highest bid wins. Most suites are booked well in advance. IMHO Royal is hedging their bets and saving the labor of calling to fill cabins suddenly cancelled. My TA also says there is no C&A preference as there was previously. Another C&A downgrade. We got an offer regarding our Serenade cruise in Feb 19. Didn't make sense to me.

Air 2 Sea with Royal has worked for us on several open loop itineraries. Alternatively, a good TA can make it happen also.

I use MS Edge as a browser. If I open a new "InPrivate" window, and then go to the Celebrity site, it works well. I suspect that there is some cookies or security issues in play here.

You are correct. I have called them girls for decades. Need to get correct. Thanks, 😎

When we cruised on Oasis just after Hurricane Michael, we were offered an upgrade from a GS to a Crown Loft Suite for $400. Jumped at it. I believe that they had some cancellations because of the whirly girl.

We sailed on Brilliance in November, no bites. But, I asked and they were there in the MDR each night thereafter.

The 500+ point gap between D+ and Pinnacle means we will probably die of old age first. Anyone who can cruise that much deserves the perks.

You didn't list the bets cruise-tours IMHO. My recommendation would be something like https://secure.royalcaribbean.com/cruises/11NightMountainValleyExplorerCruisetour3BPreTour-RD11B803?currencyCode=USD&sCruiseType=CT&sDateMin=2018-05-01&sDateMax=2018-05-31&sailDate=05%2F21%2F2018. We love the Wilderness Express train and Talkeetna is a really nice stop. We also have had great weather sailing in May.