Valentine's Day Celebrity Cruise TR - Page 11 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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Those crepes looked amazing! Hard to believe it's your last night already . Sorry the shows were a disappointment. Do they have other entertainment going on in the lounges? It seems like there should be an alternative to the shows (especially if they aren't very good.) Congrats on booking your next cruise!!
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Very nice final dinner with a stunning view! Congrats on booking another cruise!
Thanks!
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Originally Posted by Russi01
Congratulations on booking another cruise!
Can't wait!
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Originally Posted by BelmontBelle
Those crepes looked amazing! Hard to believe it's your last night already . Sorry the shows were a disappointment. Do they have other entertainment going on in the lounges? It seems like there should be an alternative to the shows (especially if they aren't very good.) Congrats on booking your next cruise!!
They have music in the lounges, but surprisingly I didn't remember seeing any of the like corny game shows etc a lot of cruises have. The entertainment of course wasn't enough to sway me from booking another cruise! We also felt that because this was a short one on an older ship out of a second-tier port that maybe we didn't have the top of the line entertainment line up either.... So we'll see!
We woke up for our final morning and got ready to face the day. We had a time and place to meet for our group number to be called off the ship and through customs. I gathered up my carry on and painting (which I had acquired the night before wrapped up) and we headed off to breakfast at the buffet (we had 100% given up on the Main Dining Room)
Not the most enjoyable breakfast this morning, as I was just trying to eat while keeping my giant artwork out of the way of others and avoid anything happening to it. I couldn’t really focus on the yummy food! The auctioneer had told us we could actually carry it on the plane and they would put it in a special part in the front, so I planned on taking it as my carry on item. We headed over to the theater after we ate which was our meeting spot. We waited here for quite a bit and Cody ran into the family he had breakfast with the first morning! We both just kind of hung out and read and waited for our group to be called.
We found our luggage easily and headed into the customs line. It wasn’t too bad, certainly a line but nothing unreasonable. Then we headed outside into another beautiful Florida day and looked for the American Airline Check In so we could be rid of our bags…
What’s that? There’s no Check In at the port! Someone tell the AA website that please. So we reevaluated our plans and decided since we had all our stuff to haul around now, we would rent a car. We quickly got on our phones to find something reasonably priced and ended up with Sixt, who was who we were debating reserving a car with originally. Their shuttle came to pick us up about 15 mins later when all was said and done (we had to call for the pickup) and it was really just a van and just us in it! We quickly got the car and were on our way to the beach.
Since it was still early it wasn’t too crowded yet. I actually did pack a little blanket so we spread out on that and relaxed for a bit. We had our swimsuits but decided it would be easier not to change right away, but we could if we wanted to. After resting and relaxing a bit we got hungry and decided to find some food within walking distance. We used our handy smart phones and ended up at a cute burger place across the street from the beach.
Mini Sliders for Me
Sweet potato waffle fries to share (yum!)
Cody's Burger
It was a little greasier than I would have liked, but overall it was good! Cody’s burger was MASSIVE and he couldn’t finish it We thought about going back to the beach but my poor Irish boyfriend can’t handle just straight sun like that as much as I can… so we decided to kill our last bit of time with a movie. We looked up movie times and locations on our phones and found one at a mall not too far away.
We headed off and the timing was about right to see Robocop. We figured if we had extra time we could walk around the mall. Well let me tell you, this was not the kind of place you really want to be killing time. I can’t remember the last time I have seen a theater this old. Not even stadium seating! I don’t know about you all, but the ones like that near where I grew up all started closing down, I think the last one about 6-8 years ago. And they were CHEAPER before they were closed! This was normally priced! Anyway, didn’t matter, this is what we had to entertain ourselves!
The movie was good, nothing spectacular but I enjoyed it. I’m much easier to please with movies than Cody. We decided it was okay to head back to drop the car off at this point, as we’d be getting to the airport just a little early. We debated stopping at FedEx or UPS to drop off my painting to be packed and shipped home, but since we were told we could carry it on, we decided not to bother with it.
We dropped the car back off at Sixt after topping off the gas, no problems at all once again and they were shortly shuttling us to the airport! It’s somewhat of a weird set up, once we got to the airport we had to get on another shuttle to get to our terminal. I changed out of “beach” clothes and into something a bit warmer to come home in before we went to check in. I checked both my roller suitcase and my duffle, and Cody checked his bag as well. I was confused because I normally get two free checked bags, but I have since learned that Priority AAccess was mistakenly given to AAdvantage cardholders, so I wasn’t supposed to be getting that perk. Anyway, I paid the fee because I had my carry on and my painting. Cody still got his bag free with my card perks.
We go to head through security and they tell me I can’t bring it through! Quite rudely actually. They send me back to the counter and I’m like “uhh what am I supposed to do with this?” because of course I didn’t trust the luggage handlers to take care of it, it was glass! I’m on the verge of a meltdown because I just don’t know what to do. They are telling me it’s going to cost $135 or something outrageous because it would be my 3rd checked bag. I had it with me the whole time we were checking in and no one said ANYTHING about it. I could have carried on my duffle! In my obvious upset the lady offered to have it marked with the oversize luggage so it would be hand delivered instead of on the conveyors and I thanked her. Cody checked it as his second checked bag which knocked $100 or so off the price. But still, it was just awful! I was convinced I wouldn’t see this painting in one piece ever again!
Off we went through security and right to the gate, because of course all of this ordeal took a little bit. I finally had my meltdown while we were waiting (it didn’t help that Cody wasn’t being very nice or understanding during all this, you could tell he was tired too but he was being incredibly rude to me and I just can’t handle emotions sometimes!)
Finally we made it on the plane! No problems at all once I calmed down. It was actually a beautiful night for a flight!
Waiting for the luggage at DFW was one of the most stressful things ever. I was anxiously awaiting by the oversized luggage area for it to come out, expecting to hear rattling or see tears in the paper. BUT IT SURVIVED! I could have hugged the guy that brought it out! Our suitcases quickly followed and we were back in the car and heading home. Right to bed, as we had to work in the morning and it was late at this point!
Here’s the painting all hung in my living room. I loved it so much it actually replaced Sleeping Beauty! (Which is now in my bedroom, I like the new arrangement much more) Well okay, I also got new spring-y pillows for my couches so the warm tones really match more here now. (I had blue ones before and the SB painting I have has blue tones to it)
ETA: PS Does this painting remind anyone else of the Lion King? That's what I thought of when I got it!
I'm so glad the artwork made it home in one piece, although I can imagine how stressful the flight home was, wondering what had happened to it.
As I read your update, I couldn't help but think how lost we'd all be without our mobile devices! We all think nothing of getting on the phone to find things in the area and arrange last minute details, but of course once upon a time we didn't have that facility. How did we manage back then?
Glad your beautiful painting made it safely!!! And it looks lovely on your wall, especially with the yellow pillows on the sofa! . And yes, it does remind me of The Lion King!
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Lisa Co-Guide to Sharing the Adventure: Disney World Trip Reports
I'm so glad the artwork made it home in one piece, although I can imagine how stressful the flight home was, wondering what had happened to it.
As I read your update, I couldn't help but think how lost we'd all be without our mobile devices! We all think nothing of getting on the phone to find things in the area and arrange last minute details, but of course once upon a time we didn't have that facility. How did we manage back then?
I know personally I'd be lost without it. I've had a cell phone since I was 13! I was a little late to the smart phone game, getting my first iPhone after my DCP in 2010... but I don't even know what I did before that!
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Originally Posted by lfredsbo
Glad your beautiful painting made it safely!!! And it looks lovely on your wall, especially with the yellow pillows on the sofa! . And yes, it does remind me of The Lion King!
Thank you I really like how my "spring makeover" turned out and this painting really helped It's the first time I ever renewed a lease so I had to do SOMETHING to make my apartment feel new again!
So clearly, from parts of my previous updates you’ve learned that I booked a second cruise with Celebrity. So it couldn’t have been that bad! It certainly had it’s ups and downs and I’m going to try to recap piece by piece with you all a bit…
Stateroom
Our stateroom was… cozy. It was nice and we always came back to it clean and fresh. It was weird for me not having a balcony/veranda, but honestly I didn’t mind too much. There was one night I just looked up at the stars and remembered how wonderful and peaceful it could be to just sit and watch the sea go by and that’s when I missed it. For only the 5 days it wasn’t bad! The bed was comfy but there wasn’t much space. My suitcase went under the bed but Cody’s stuff stayed sprawled out over the couch/table area. We found ourselves tripping over each other quite a bit.
Entertainment
This was my biggest let down of the trip. The daily schedules didn’t have a lot to offer. There was no movie theater on board, no in-room free on demand, no movie projections by the pool, and seriously embarrassing “broadway-style” shows. We did however really enjoy the Galley Tour and heard great things about the first night’s entertainer that we missed and the Crepe Making Demonstration. So maybe we were just choosing wrong. I’m not letting this deter me from a future cruise with them because life is what you make it! We can always bring more books or maybe a deck of cards with us. There was a library on board that we didn’t get to explore as well!
Food
And this was the highlight! Aside from that one miserable breakfast experience, I found the food to be amazing overall! I thought I wouldn’t like being in the same dining room each night, but I honestly didn’t even miss the “rotational” dining Disney offers. The Specialty Restaurants were even more amazing! I’d definitely splurge on them over again. On our next cruise, we are hoping to get the Specialty Dining Package which gives you I think 3 or 4 for a bit of a discount. The buffet food was fresh and had enough variety to go each day. The Aquaspa Cafe was a nice alternative, although I wouldn’t be eating every meal there, not enough food! The wine and cocktail selection was also wonderful. Definitely enjoyed taking advantage of our drink package and trying a bunch of new things! The bars are plentiful and we found all of the bartenders to be friendly. Our MDR staff was fine, nothing outstanding but by no means bad. The Specialty Restaurant serving teams were tremendous. We made sure to tip where we felt it was deserved and didn’t rely on the room-added ones.
Ports
Nassau- I think this is the one we are all most familiar with. I really enjoyed my Chocolate Tour but not much else appeals to me on the island. Thankfully the next cruise doesn’t stop here, but I have no problem seeing why so many people don’t even get off the ship! We enjoyed walking around and seeing some of the old buildings, but parts are certainly quite run down. Atlantis is kind of it’s own thing, and can be a hassle to get to on your own. I think I’d rather go and just stay at Atlantis for a few days than venture there off a cruise.
Key West- What a beautiful place! The town is nice and clean with a variety of shops and goods. There are multiple things to do and I highly recommend the Butterfly Conservatory we visited. We didn’t spend a ton of time here, but we easily could have spent more. I love all the B&Bs too and would love to get a feel for Key West at night!
Fort Lauderdale- Unfortunately this little port left a lot to be desired. It’s nice that the port and airport are so close together, but that’s about it. The beach was fine but didn’t have a lot going on from what we could tell and there wasn’t much else to do in the town either. I’m glad we explored it once but I’m not itching to go back.
Value
I think for what we paid, this cruise was a great deal! Getting that included beverage package and upgrading really took a lot of the worry out of prices. We also didn’t do any cruise-organized excursions in the port so that saved us a ton of money too! Having to rent a car and pay for extra checked bags was a bummer, but overall we still got away from this trip not spending much at all (okay except my art purchases). I also just remembered that at some point I got two Alex and Ani bracelets. One is Bahamas-only and it’s a conch shell. I can’t remember which port now, but it’s a better value than the Disney ones! Anyway, a similar cruise with Disney would cost about 2x as much. Is added extra entertainment worth that for two adults? I don’t know. For families I wouldn’t recommend because the kids activities did not seem as good or as frequent. I didn’t find the service or the standards of the ship to be any worse though and was actually pleasantly surprised by it!
Travel Agent
This was my first time using a travel agent - I used Vacations To Go. He was super helpful and everything before the trip, taking care of anything within about a day. Once we were on the ship, we realized our on-board credit hadn’t been applied. He was out of office, so we contacted who the auto-email said. Well it took about a month and about 10 emails to finally get this all sorted. I received a $50 check and they offered to buy us a bottle of wine if we gave them a chance for our next cruise. So we’ll see… I really have no problem doing the changes and planning myself now that I know a bit more about Celebrity!
Future Cruise
Our on-board credits included onboard credit and the free dining package again (so before we didn’t get the credit) and since I’m a member of their rewards program, Captains Club, we received a complimentary upgrade. We already picked our stateroom and it’s one with an extra large balcony on Deck 8. Major upgrade from what we had this time! I think for a week-long cruise we will enjoy the extra space. The ship we will be on is different, but in the same class so we can expect similar everything. Cody’s parents were also so impressed with our fun and good deal that they booked themselves on next years cruise too! I think it came to about $900-$1000 for each person if anyone is curious. We only had to put down a $100 deposit and we have until December to change our mind with full refund. We haven’t booked flights or anything yet because there’s some other stuff going on in my life at the moment, but we’ve already picked tentative excursions Since it will be unfamiliar ports, we feel better booking through the cruise line for those ones!
Overall Impressions
We had a great time! It was just the relaxing little winter escape I think we both needed. Also, what a great way to spend Valentine’s Day! It works out well for me since I have President’s Day off too. I enjoyed the ship, the company, and the staff. There was a lot of down time but we also packed in quite a bit of fun! There was a lot of stress going into this trip, as in, we had a massive fight and almost broke up about 2 weeks before it. Ultimately we are a stronger couple now for it, but it was giving me a lot of concern to be locked in a tiny room with him so soon after all that happened. While we didn’t create life-long friends with our tablemates, we enjoyed getting to meet them and learn a bit about their stories. I learned my lesson about carry ons and flying too But overall it’s just so nice to be able to get away from the real world with that special someone and enjoy time together. I love cruises for the fact that you are so disconnected from the world! We leave for Disney tomorrow and I can’t wait to be on another vacation with my man away from it all
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Well I caught up just in time! overall it sounds like a great time!
The Butterfly place reminds me of our butterfly house here in STL. Glad the artwork survived and it does resemble Lion King! Looking forward to hearing about the next cruise!
I am so glad that your artwork made it unharmed back to you in the end. Great review of all the elements of a crusie. for sharing your experiences with us!
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Pixie Dust
We visited Puerto Rico on the Fantasy and we really enjoyed our time there.
But yep I can't wait!
Congrats on booking another cruise! 
Deb
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we didn't have that facility. How did we manage back then?
Disney Magic - Oct 2015
for sharing your experiences with us! 
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