We're not really going to have that option for our upcoming Celebrity sailing in August, as it's two weeks long and we're staying in Dublin for a few days post-cruise. Please tell me that even if there aren't separate containers marked for recycling, that some kind of action happens on board or after the trash is removed post-cruise to separate out recyclable items from the general landfill!

When I check in with RCL, I know where to find my luggage tags and Set Sail Pass.  I don't even know what it's called on NCL.  I checked in yesterday - anyone know where to find such equivalents?

TIA!

 

Can I bring power converters on a cruise ship?  I'll be on Regent Voyager going to Spain and France June 2022 and noticed there are not many plugs on that ship.  My sister wants to bring her curling iron for her hair.  What would be the best power converter to bring?

Last (and only) time we sailed Celebrity we disembarked in San Juan, and there was a local restaurant that would store your luggage for you, so we did that and I didn't think about what the cruise line offered.  Did I quick search online and nothing came up other than post-cruise tours.  But since Celebrity is moving into that higher level of service, I am hoping it's a service they may provide.  Like a put your luggage out the night before and the luggage shows up at the airport.  

I know covid restrictions have changed a lot, so it's a service that may not be offered right now, but is it something that Celebrity has offered in the past (and I can hope to be returned by Janaury)? 

I'm currently at the "Select" tier in Captains Club, due to matching my Royal C&A status, but can't figure out if my "5% pre-cruise drink package upgrade" discount is showing online or not. Do I need to call in to get this discount?

 

Also, does anyone happen to know how much the unlimited photo package costs onboard?

Thus began the search for a suitable replacement. We have some experience with Royal, having sailed 4 times with them, but were looking for something new and different, and a bit more upmarket. Thus the interest in Celebrity. The search has led to a possible good fit with Holland America on the new Rotterdam out of Fort Lauderdale. I have read (and fully enjoyed!) Billy's review of his Nieuw Stantendam sailing - and was looking for any more information about HAL in general: impressions, must-do's, things to know, what to expect, etc.

Thanks in advance!

 

Just curious for people's impressions of Princess in general, as my only experience so far is with Royal Caribbean (Freedom and Anthem of the Seas). And if anyone here has sailed Regal Princess, any insight / opinions about her venues, dining, etc. would be even more help. I see she's a pretty new ship, having started sailing in 2014. And it looks like she's comparable to a Freedom class ship in size / passenger capacity.

We're booked in a pair of aft-facing Premium Deluxe Balcony cabins, on deck 9 and deck 11. Chose those because those are the decks with semi-covered balconies; read that the uncovered aft-facing balconies had reports of soot issues at times, so figured this would help cut that risk while getting those aft views of the Med during sail-away and the few sea days we have.

So, I have no choice.

What I do have a choice about is the itinerary... or itineraries.

Seems like it's really hard to find sailings longer than 7 nights on the mass-market, upscale mass-market, or even luxury lines. Every line I've checked has mostly 7-night sailings, with a smattering of 10 and 11 night. Absolutely no one seems to have a 2-week itinerary option that isn't a transatlantic. So...

I'm thinking about booking a B2B, most likely out of Rome, that would cover eastern (Italy, Greek Isles, and if I'm lucky Croatia / Montenegro) and western (Italy, France, Spain). I know how port-intensive most Med itineraries are, and this may honestly be nuts to even consider. But I have some good reasons:

• This will most likely be our last vacation taken as a family. My older daughter will have graduated college and will almost certainly be starting a new job and living somewhere on her own; while my younger one will be starting college at the end of August that year.
• Only my wife has been to the Mediterranean before, and it will likely be our only trip there for many years.
• I have mobility issues that are only going to get worse as the years go by; I'd rather burn myself out in '22 and know I've seen as much as I could, just in case I'm unable to do that kind of trip in 15 or 20 years, when I'm retired.
• I won't have done any kind of big vacation in over 2 years by that point, so if I'm going to have a big trip then let's have a big trip

 

But is this overreaching? Are the itineraries so intense and draining that going for a second week is foolish?

I was figuring that any B2B we did would have at least one port overlapping both legs, so that we could use one of the overlaps as a "rest day" and just stay on the ship or do nothing more than go into town for lunch and maybe some souvenir shopping. And western itineraries do seem to typically have one sea day, sometimes two, so that will be another chance to recharge.

Would you do this, or should I just find the best 10/11 night option that we all agree on and leave it at that?

Shortly after booking, the Apex reveal was issued by Celebrity. I was struck by some of the commentary by the various X leadership members as being almost apologetic for the Edge and promising that Apex would be more traditional, if not in actual ship build but in offerings. For example, Eden menu will be made “more accessible”. And theater productions will be “more about the performers and less about the technology”.

One of the things I noticed in my research was the polarization of response to the Edge, ie people either loved it or didn’t. It seemed there was a segment of experienced X customers that did not like most of the changes, preferred the “old way”. My concern is that the Celebrity team is trying to modify offerings on the Apex to mollify that demographic at the expense of those of us that might enjoy the “new and different”.

Wondering what others take on this might be? 
 

BobJ

I know a lot of folks have seen their one-pager or email on this, but I wanted to dive into what this actually looks like, how this meshes with expectations we've already established, which things may stick around years from now, etc.

I'd love to get feedback on this and our other recent videos.  Please subscribe while you're at it!

Peace of Mind - NCL's New Health & Safety Measures Explained

 

Thanks,

Deb

What cruise line/ship?

What part of the world?

What activities/events onboard?

What would separate it from other cruises?

Just curious - I welcome any open feedback.