May 2023 - 7 Night Alaska Glacier Explorer (Seattle Roundtrip) Cruise on Ovation of the Seas
cruisedreamer22
Second Mate
WI
Joined 08/2014
20
Cruises4
Reviews78
Helpful VotesCruising is all about the R and R for me. I enjoy the ports, but am just as happy to relax on the ship and enjoy the view from it. I love to introduce others to cruising. An empty nester with 6 grandkids....the best reward for parenting! 🙂
Past cruises
January 2022 - 7 Night Western Caribbean & Perfect Day (Miami Roundtrip) Cruise on Symphony of the Seas
December 2019 - 7 Night Western Caribbean (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip) Cruise on Allure of the Seas
One of the best!
All in all, this was one of the best cruises I've taken....this was number 18. The other guests were cordial. Staff friendly. Good service. Dining room attendants were fabulous. Perfect weather. No rain. No ocean motion for those who don't like it. Great shows. The Christmas tree lighting occurred while we were onboard, so it was fun to see it transition to holiday decor. The Allures 9th anniversary during our sailing, so a replica cake of the ship was made and a piece given to everyone who wanted some. We also had an anniversary cake at each table one night to celebrate Royals 50th. Other than the engine noise and grumpy kids club staff, it was perfect!
May 2019 - 8 Night Norwegian Fjords (Dublin Roundtrip) Cruise on Celebrity Reflection
Breathtaking Fjords
I would highly recommend this cruise. Maybe later in the summer if you don't like cold or snow. Highs in the 30s and 40s, with rain or snow at times. If you dress for it, it's fine. Adapting to sunset at 11pm with sunrise at 4:00am was not easy. It was never completely dark. But the sunsets were amazing! I'd go again in a heartbeat!
November 2018 - 9 Night Southern Caribbean (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip) Cruise on Celebrity Silhouette
My first cruise on Celebrity was December 2018, on the Silhouette. I was not impressed. It was my 16th cruise, so I had many cruises to compare against it. I will say the staff was friendly, Sue Denning (cruise director) was a hoot, and the ship was beautiful. It seemed they were understaffed, especially in the dining room. The wait staff were literally running most evenings, provided slow service, and had no time to interact with their guests. The food was average. We opted for the buffet often, and I usually avoid them, but the food was better there. Staff felt unorganized in most areas of the ship. The shows were average.
We were celebrating birthdays and NO mention of them was made. Most cruise lines wait staff acknowledge with singing and/or birthday cake.
Our room steward often didn't replace things he took, such as towels, and didn't leave extras like toilet paper, etc. Again, I will say the staff was friendly.
On the way back to the airport, following the cruise, several Celebrity loyalists were commenting on how poor this cruise was and were speculating they had taken experienced staff from Silhouette and other ships to ensure the inaugural sailings of their newest ship were smooth. That made me feel a little better to hear the loyalist's comments. Several months ago I had booked a second cruise with them based on the itinerary, so I'm hoping this was a one off experience, and my second experience is what I expected my first to be like. A bit nervous, I'll admit.
I had a terrible experience with the flight booking for the next cruise, too long to list here, but they did fix the issue. I am leary of them at this point. Their website is not always user friendly, such as locking you out of your reservation for 20 mins, after looking at excursions.
Hoping for a much improved cruise experience next time.
December 2017 - 7 Night Eastern Caribbean (Port Canaveral Roundtrip) Cruise on Oasis of the Seas
This is my "Go-To" ship. It is beautiful! The food is delicious, with many options. The Park Cafe in Central Park neighborhood is a great place for a salad and sandwich, but it's small and can be very difficult to find seating. The entertainment is excellent, however, I preferred Hair Spray over Cats, just personal taste.
January 2017 - 7 Night Eastern Caribbean (Port Canaveral Roundtrip) Cruise on Oasis of the Seas
January 2016 - 7 Night Western Caribbean (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip) Cruise on Oasis of the Seas
September 2015 - 8 Night Pacific Coastal Southbound (Vancouver To Los Angeles) Cruise on Jewel of the Seas
December 2014 - 8 Night Eastern Caribbean (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip) Cruise on Independence of the Seas
December 2013 - 7 Night Western Caribbean (Port Canaveral roundtrip) Cruise on Freedom of the Seas
December 2012 - 7 Night Western Caribbean (Ft. Lauderdale roundtrip) Cruise on Oasis of the Seas
December 2011 - 7 Night Eastern Caribbean (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip) Cruise on Oasis of the Seas
September 2010 - 7 Night Canada & New England (New York roundtrip) Cruise on Caribbean Princess
November 2009 - 8 Night Mexican Riviera (San Diego roundtrip) Cruise on Carnival Spirit
December 2008 - 7 Night Eastern Caribbean (Port Canaveral roundtrip) Cruise on Mariner of the Seas
January 2008 - 7 Night Eastern Caribbean (Port Canaveral roundtrip) Cruise on Mariner of the Seas
September 2006 - 7 Night Alaska Voyage of the Glaciers Southbound (Whittier to Vancouver) Cruise on Island Princess
September 2005 - 7 Night Western Caribbean (Port Canaveral roundtrip) Cruise on Mariner of the Seas
February 1994 - 3 nights on Disney Magic
Allure of the Seas
Sail date: December 01, 2019
All in all, this was one of the best cruises I've taken....this was number 18. The other guests were cordial. Staff friendly. Good service. Dining room attendants were fabulous. Perfect weather. No rain. No ocean motion for those who don't like it. Great shows. The Christmas tree lighting occurred while we were onboard, so it was fun to see it transition to holiday decor. The Allures 9th anniversary during our sailing, so a replica cake of the ship was made and a piece given to everyone who wanted some. We also had an anniversary cake at each table one night to celebrate Royals 50th. Other than the engine noise and grumpy kids club staff, it was perfect!
Celebrity Reflection
Sail date: May 26, 2019
I would highly recommend this cruise. Maybe later in the summer if you don't like cold or snow. Highs in the 30s and 40s, with rain or snow at times. If you dress for it, it's fine. Adapting to sunset at 11pm with sunrise at 4:00am was not easy. It was never completely dark. But the sunsets were amazing! I'd go again in a heartbeat!
Oasis of the Seas
Sail date: December 03, 2017
This is my "Go-To" ship. It is beautiful! The food is delicious, with many options. The Park Cafe in Central Park neighborhood is a great place for a salad and sandwich, but it's small and can be very difficult to find seating. The entertainment is excellent, however, I preferred Hair Spray over Cats, just personal taste.
Celebrity Silhouette
Sail date: November 30, 2018
My first cruise on Celebrity was December 2018, on the Silhouette. I was not impressed. It was my 16th cruise, so I had many cruises to compare against it. I will say the staff was friendly, Sue Denning (cruise director) was a hoot, and the ship was beautiful. It seemed they were understaffed, especially in the dining room. The wait staff were literally running most evenings, provided slow service, and had no time to interact with their guests. The food was average. We opted for the buffet often, and I usually avoid them, but the food was better there. Staff felt unorganized in most areas of the ship. The shows were average.
We were celebrating birthdays and NO mention of them was made. Most cruise lines wait staff acknowledge with singing and/or birthday cake.
Our room steward often didn't replace things he took, such as towels, and didn't leave extras like toilet paper, etc. Again, I will say the staff was friendly.
On the way back to the airport, following the cruise, several Celebrity loyalists were commenting on how poor this cruise was and were speculating they had taken experienced staff from Silhouette and other ships to ensure the inaugural sailings of their newest ship were smooth. That made me feel a little better to hear the loyalist's comments. Several months ago I had booked a second cruise with them based on the itinerary, so I'm hoping this was a one off experience, and my second experience is what I expected my first to be like. A bit nervous, I'll admit.
I had a terrible experience with the flight booking for the next cruise, too long to list here, but they did fix the issue. I am leary of them at this point. Their website is not always user friendly, such as locking you out of your reservation for 20 mins, after looking at excursions.
Hoping for a much improved cruise experience next time.
Cruise tips
Not much to see and do there. Found the people there to be a bit rude this time. My third time there. We did Discover Atlantis excursion...the tour guide spoke too long the hour tour turned into 90 mins, lots of walking, but the aquariums are beautiful.
Perfect Day At Coco Cay, Bahamas
Our favorite day of the entire cruise!! We loved the snack shack options. Loved the beach bed. Looked for shells and played in the water all day! We had perfect weather! Other than other guests invading the beach bed area, it was the perfect day. I had to ask to be moved to another bed because the beach staff wasn't effective at moving the invaders.
It was okay, not much different to see/buy in their shops. We did the Dolphin Encounter excursion which was nice, but those who signed up for the next level....$50more pp actually got to ride them. We got to touch them and get pictures taken....that's the part where you feel robbed! $40 for one picture, and if there were two of us in the same picture it was $80!! And it was more if you wanted to pay in cash. Language barrier at times. Facilities okay. If you're traveling with someone who has a great camera, they can see you from the perimeter of the dolphin area and could take pictures without coming into the area.
Allure of the Seas
Beach beds are great, book early, beware of other guests just trying to help themselves to them!
Very nice! We did an excursion that toured the area, and an old village. Our tour guide was from Venezuela, and her English was pretty good, but the accent made it challenging at times. She married a Norwegian and moved there with him.
We didn't spend time in Belfast, but instead took the 6hour excursion to Giants Causeway. It was a beautiful sunny day, and the site was impressive. Many of the Cliffs there are like the Cliffs of Moher. Lots of places to walk there.
My favorite stop! Beautiful!! Quaint village. Took the excursion to Lake Loen, walked into a park area and saw a glacier, ate Norwegian waffles served with freshly made strawberry jam and homemade sour cream, it was delicious! The bus driver was amazing! Not sure how he navigated such narrow roads and kept us from going over the edge. If we met a car, the car backed up to get out of the way of the bus. It was crazy tight on the narrow roads. The shops at the ship pier were tiny and crowded, and the check out line took almost an hour. We didn't go into a second shop because of it. Things in Norway are expensive, but we expected that.
Great tour of the city, rich in history.
Loved this port. It was our first port in the Fjords. Woke to snow covered mountains surrounding us. A second ship was there too, so a bit busy in town. No free public bathrooms. Cost a dollar or so on a credit card to get into the portable bathrooms, but they were clean. We walked the 300 steps up to the Fjord Center. It was cold and rainy, but that was the norm. Some did an excursion up into the mountains for the view, but they ended up in a blizzard! The Fjord center was nice. Be sure to find the restroom doors there...unique symbols! Lol
We spent a couple days post cruise in Dublin. It was a bustling city with lots of options. This was our first time there, so a bit overwhelming navigating on our own. No official excursion by Celebrity. In hind sight, I would have spent the time there pre cruise.
Celebrity Reflection
Fresh ice cream is made onboard everyday, and the flavors change daily. It's complimentary, and in the buffet area, so even if you wouldn't normally visit the area, go have some ice cream.
I loved arriving here...passing under the bridge was incredible. We had 2 days in port which allowed us to use a local tour company, Dylan's Tours, and they were amazing! We did a night tour through the red bus company and we enjoyed that, but bring a jacket if you're riding open air up top. The Disney Family museum is in the Presidio, it was a nicely done history of the family.
Movie tour excursion was great! My husband was less than thrilled at my excursion choice, but in the end he loved it and was recommending it to others. We had the privilege of having the movie tour company owner as our guide! Many beautiful photo stops and time to walk around Pebble Beach golf course. Monterey was quaint...we enjoyed the cannery, local pizza place, and an ice cream shop. Kept our eyes open for a chance Clint Eastwood sighting. Didn't see him though.
Been here twice now---pre and post hurricane. The stop is too short. The forts are good to visit, as well as the Old and New San Juan city tour. If you're looking for local food, try Raices,..the Mofongo was tasty!
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