Cruise questions

[DK528]

Looks like we’re taking a family trip to Alaska on a Celebrity cruise in July. I get motion sickness so I’m nervous about that but I have time to figure it out.

I do have a couple of questions.

How does celebrity compare to other lines? I think I’ve heard not-great things. Although this ship (the Millenium) was recently completely redone.

Second, what’s the best way for me to take advantage of cruising offers that my gambling affords me to? Reading the mlife site, I think I could get a $750 certificate and some onboard credit.

Is there anything else I should look into to maybe get more?

Thanks!


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[bluesfan]

Alaska is amazing!!! I have cruised it many times. With the inside passage, the seas are much calmer, I barely notice that I am on a ship, so you should be ok.

I have gotten the Mlife offer, but they are never for Alaska cruises from what I can see or been told.

I actually signed up for a players card through the cruise line - NCL - and now get mailers with really great offers. I did this a few years ago, and we cruise every other year. This past year we did the new NCL Bliss and got a Haven suite for next to nothing. It was amazing.

I am sure someone with more info will come along. I have never done Celebrity so can't help there, I stick with NCL.

[CTslotters]

We’ve done two celebrity cruises and highly recommend booking an Aquaclass room that will allow you entry into their specialty restaurant, Blu. It was amazing, but everyone on the cruise would need to book it to gain entry (but no kids allowed). They are super nice balcony rooms which also give you use of the thermal spas (sauna rooms, heated loungers, aromatherapy dry saunas, Turkish wet saunas). We like that perk and they were always empty when we went. You can still choose to eat in main dining room with aqua class but it was really a step above (we did a non aquaclass cruise once and likely won’t go back). We did trip reports and you can see what we thought. :)
Believe it or not, Adam gets seasick. He takes a daily Dramamine and is fine, takes two if forecast is for huge waves. Have to start 24 hours beforehand. Makes you a bit sleepy though.
We want to do Alaska but love our sun, lol!
Feel free to ask any questions!!! :)


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[DK528]

Thanks to you both!
CTslotters we’re going with my nieces so we all won’t be able to do the aqua class rooms. But maybe I’ll look into it for my other sister and me if we room together :)


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[dvandentop]

Alaska is amazing!!! I have cruised it many times. With the inside passage, the seas are much calmer, I barely notice that I am on a ship, so you should be ok.

I have gotten the Mlife offer, but they are never for Alaska cruises from what I can see or been told.

I actually signed up for a players card through the cruise line - NCL - and now get mailers with really great offers. I did this a few years ago, and we cruise every other year. This past year we did the new NCL Bliss and got a Haven suite for next to nothing. It was amazing.

I am sure someone with more info will come along. I have never done Celebrity so can't help there, I stick with NCL.Did you do a cruise and play with ncl before starting to get offers?

[foamy]

Well we get the free cruise and God help me I'm thinking about going I don't know about going on a boat and not fishing off it.

[Cyndyga]

Well we get the free cruise and God help me I'm thinking about going I don't know about going on a boat and not fishing off it.

Just book some fishing excursions on every port stop!

[foamy]

Just book some fishing excursions on every port stop!

If it's like Bahamas the fishing wasn't good last time I was there.

[Nhcris]

Dina, cruising Alaska is amazing. Celebrity is widely considered to be one of the top main stream cruise lines. I am sure you will love it!

[Slotspert]

I was just on the Millenium in Asia this past November. I liked the ship and retrofit makes it even better. I LOVED Celebrity's 100% non smoking casino. and is the main reason I cruise with them. It is my favorite cruise line and I have been on all the mass market ships (over 70 cruises so far)--- yeah-- Im hooked. I have been to Alaska on a cruise ship six times... never had any sea roughness especially the inter-coastal voyages that stay close to the shore line. Heading up to Anchorage (instead of Seattle roundtrip) can get a little rough in bad weather as is the case in most of bad weather situations. Mlife reciprocity recognition is really good but the benefits have been watered-down int he past two years. I make Gold Mlife because of my Celebrity elite status each year and that's the best benefit.

[bluesfan]

Did you do a cruise and play with ncl before starting to get offers? I signed up for a card on a cruise a few years ago- Casinos at Sea. By the second day, they came over to say hi to me, and offer me stuff. I was surprised as I was not playing that much. I got a specialty dinner and chocolate covered strawberries delivered to the room. Before the end of the cruise I was given a letter with my assigned host for future cruises. About 1 month later I started getting mailers for free cruises, slot tournaments, etc.
We booked our next cruise 2 years later, and got free drinks from day 1 in the casino. We got a free room, but did upgrade to a balcony room and paid a small up charge. Based on what I see you play on your trip reports, I would think the same would happen for you. This is for NCL only as that is all we cruise.

[dvandentop]

I signed up for a card on a cruise a few years ago- Casinos at Sea. By the second day, they came over to say hi to me, and offer me stuff. I was surprised as I was not playing that much. I got a specialty dinner and chocolate covered strawberries delivered to the room. Before the end of the cruise I was given a letter with my assigned host for future cruises. About 1 month later I started getting mailers for free cruises, slot tournaments, etc.
We booked our next cruise 2 years later, and got free drinks from day 1 in the casino. We got a free room, but did upgrade to a balcony room and paid a small up charge. Based on what I see you play on your trip reports, I would think the same would happen for you. This is for NCL only as that is all we cruise.Great thanks for the info

[DK528]

Sorry I was confusing celebrity and carnival about reading not-great reviews :)

Thanks for the tips!


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[CTslotters]

Sorry I was confusing celebrity and carnival about reading not-great reviews :)

Thanks for the tips!


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Hahaha! Very different! [emoji23]
Can’t wait to hear about your future cruise and what you think of it! :)


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[KimKyle]

I get the free cruises from ncl but we have never taken one, maybe someday. I get very motion sick also but i never did when we had a boat and I don’t in planes,only cars. I have an hour commute each way in a very bouncy van so it’s challenging.

I use Reliefband. It is an acupressure type band that delivers a small shock and interrupts the nerve that makes you nauseated. I have the 2.0 now but I had the older model too. It doesn’t hurt and it works perfectly. I’ve struggled all my life and I hate taking the meds that make you sleepy or don’t work.

Check it out. Reliefband.com.


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[DK528]

Just had an incredibly frustrating few hours on the phone/hold with Celebrity.

Wanted to book an add-on package of 2 nights in Alaska at the end of the cruise. They must have only a few customer service reps because I was on hold for 40-70 minutes on three occasions. It finally got resolved but I legit spent more than 4 hours just trying to add it.

Moral of the story - don’t try and change your Celebrity booking after you make it!


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[TwoArmedBandito]

Ouch

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[DK528]

Also turns out my cruise is now more expensive than my family’s because the celebrity customer service reps screwed something up!!

I give up for the day. I have such a headache from this. #firstworldproblems


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[zeus]

Also turns out my cruise is now more expensive than my family’s because the celebrity customer service reps screwed something up!!

I give up for the day. I have such a headache from this. #firstworldproblems


Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkTell them they better get it straightened out or they will be hearing from your attorney! [emoji2]

Sorry the trip planning is such a PITA.

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[BigDaddy]

Dina, you could always pm me and I’d be more then happy to get you set up through the company I work for, URComped. With your play, you should only be paying port fees and taxes at best. I just hooked my parents up on back to back cruises in Venice, Italy and they don’t play anywhere near your level and for the two of them, it cost under $1300 for the first 7 day cruise and under $1300 for the second 7 day cruise and that’s on Royal Carribean and includes a balcony. Two people.

[Slotspert]

Just had an incredibly frustrating few hours on the phone/hold with Celebrity.

Wanted to book an add-on package of 2 nights in Alaska at the end of the cruise. They must have only a few customer service reps because I was on hold for 40-70 minutes on three occasions. It finally got resolved but I legit spent more than 4 hours just trying to add it.

Moral of the story - don’t try and change your Celebrity booking after you make it!


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Your experience is typical of this years changes I have seen across most cruise lines. I take 6-8 cruises a year across all major cruise lines. In the past it was simple to add or change the structure of a cruise reservation. Now the systems and promos are so convoluted, that, in most cases, you have to cancel your original reservation (hopefully getting the deposit refunded if it the right time frame), and then re-book the newer/better offer or add-on as a new reservation. The popularity of cruising has skyrocketed and ships are booking (in advance) like I have never seen before (especially the river cruises). Lately, I was receiving better offers for future cruises I had already booked. When I try to change to that better offer, the price of the cabin was substantially HIGHER thereby offsetting any benefit from the promo change.

[DK528]

My cruise is next week! Getting excited and nervous.

Celebrity has an option to basically pre-pay for casino play. For every $50 you preload you get an additional $5, up to $50 freeplay if you deposit $500 (so the card would have $550 total).

Has anyone does this or something similar? Doesn’t seem like there would be a drawback but would like to hear if anyone has done this!


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[Cyndyga]

My cruise is next week! Getting excited and nervous.

Celebrity has an option to basically pre-pay for casino play. For every $50 you preload you get an additional $5, up to $50 freeplay if you deposit $500 (so the card would have $550 total).

Has anyone does this or something similar? Doesn’t seem like there would be a drawback but would like to hear if anyone has done this!


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Never heard of it but never sailed Celebrity. I would do that though good deal!

[Reen]

My cruise is next week! Getting excited and nervous.

Celebrity has an option to basically pre-pay for casino play. For every $50 you preload you get an additional $5, up to $50 freeplay if you deposit $500 (so the card would have $550 total).

Has anyone does this or something similar? Doesn’t seem like there would be a drawback but would like to hear if anyone has done this!


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Have a wonderful time Dina! Sounds like a good deal, wishing you lots of good luck in the Casino!

[Elf70]

My cruise is next week! Getting excited and nervous.

Celebrity has an option to basically pre-pay for casino play. For every $50 you preload you get an additional $5, up to $50 freeplay if you deposit $500 (so the card would have $550 total).

Has anyone does this or something similar? Doesn’t seem like there would be a drawback but would like to hear if anyone has done this!


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That sounds like a great deal. I’m cruising in September and need to figure out how to get my casino money there. I sure don’t want to carry cash. Have a great trip! Can’t wait to hear about it.

[Slotspert]

My cruise is next week! Getting excited and nervous.

Celebrity has an option to basically pre-pay for casino play. For every $50 you preload you get an additional $5, up to $50 freeplay if you deposit $500 (so the card would have $550 total).

Has anyone does this or something similar? Doesn’t seem like there would be a drawback but would like to hear if anyone has done this!


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YES!!! I have done this pre-pay several times with Celebrity. Make sure to take your paper receipt with you onto the ship for evidence you bought this pre-pay at home. The main rule is that you have to play your players club card (which is your stateroom key) loaded pre-pay amount through one cycle of the money and then you are free to cash out (with the TITO voucher) whatever you win. Last year they actually gave $60 play for $50 but too many people caught onto it and they lowered it. Be advised that many Celebrity casino ships have on-board specials similar to this that you can buy from the casino cashier but the on-board bonus' are not always the same. I LOVE Celebrities casinos (especially the new Edge ship) if just for the 100% Non-smoking environment rarely found on other cruiselines (except Cunard is 100% non-smoking casinos now).

[Nhcris]

Wishing you a fabulous cruise! It definitely sounds like a good deal to me!

I can't wait to read all about it!