Opening Remarks:
[Bob] We are not experts. This will be our 16th cruise and our 4th on Celebrity and 3rd Pilgrimage with Fr Ron. It will be the first time we have been on a cruise as part of an organized tour. We did a Greek Isles cruise in 2008 and have visited some of these ports. I will post our Presentation on the WIX Pilgrimage Blog site. Please ask questions as they occur to you, share your experiences if you cruised before don’t hesitate to correct me if I am wrong on anything. Also, if anything we say differs from what Magi sends out, believe Magi.
[Linda] The best advice we can give is to take some time to prepare, understand that not everything will go as planned and then relax and enjoy our time together.
What you need to do before departing and what to expect
[Bob] So what do need to do before you leave for Athens. First you may want to sign in to the WIX Pilgrimage Blog site that Fr Ron created. I posted most of what I now going to review tonight in a September 9th blog. Also, Fr may use WIX on board the ship to communicate Mass Times and room location.
Wix Blog
Download the Celebrity app to your phone. We will need the App on Board.
Create a Celebrity account
Check in – [ask if everyone was able to check in]
Are there any questions about the check in process?
[Linda] You may wonder why you had to submit a photo – the Sea Pass is your Stateroom key, your charge card and your security pass to get off and back on the ship. Lanyards are useful (example).
[Bob] Moving on from Checking In, the topic that seems to be of greatest interest is “what to pack” for the cruise portion of our trip. This is really Linda’s specialty. I do have a “guy’s” checklist of what I pack – and have a draft here for anyone interested.
[Linda] What to wear on board also gets a lot of YouTube attention. The attire on board is usually pretty casual and you’ll see quite a variety of wardrobes. These are some things that have worked for me:
· Skorts/shorts/casual dresses, casual slacks, dressier slacks for dinner/shows (one light, one dark)
· Casual tops, nicer tops to switch out for dinner. “Formal Nights” are not so formal - one of your dressier pants and tops works just fine and a small purse
· A sweater/jean jacket for dinner/shows
· Rain jacket
· Bathing suit/coverup, workout clothes (workout facilities and walking track), sun blocking shirt, sunhat
· Remember Church visits - scarf or light shawl to keep in bag/backpack
· Shoes - walking, sandals, dinner, flip flops for pool
· Ship Laundry, (we will use a laundry in Athens around Day 6)
[Bob] Next, let’s talk about the section on Managing Your Reservation. This section gives you your Stateroom number and assigned dining time – more on dining later. Once you have your Stateroom number you can go to Celebrity deck plans for the ship to see where you are and explore the ship. There are many YouTube videos that provide virtual walking tours of the ship.
[Linda] On the topic of Staterooms here are some things you might want to know – hairdryers, curling irons, closet space, hangers, magnets, outlets [US and European], robes, A/C, TV (rarely used but some helpful channel), getting to know your Stateroom Attendant, microfiber towels, camp suds, limited storage - packing cubes (wash clothes, no wash clothes in European hotels, …)
[Bob] Next, we will talk about the section on Explore Your Itinerary. This gives you your daily schedule while on the ship and lets you explore possible Celebrity sponsored excursions. [bring copies of our schedule]. We will not be the only cruise ship visiting some of the Ports. In Santorini there will be four ships in port with a capacity of 6,000 passengers. So, planning ahead makes sense. We have three Magi scheduled excursions, so you need to plan for Santorini: Mykonos and Nafplio. You can book Celebrity excursions in advance or on the ship. Passengers on a Celebrity excursion get priority getting off the ship so this may be a consideration in ports where the ship use tenders rather than docking. Linda will talk about tenders a bit later. In addition to the Magi and Celebrity sponsored excursions you can book with other third parties or select one of the tours/taxis that will be waiting at the pier when you depart the ship. A word of caution here…. cruise ships follow a strict schedule and depart from ports at a specified time that is posted as you leave the ship. If you are on a Celebrity sponsored excursion and get delayed getting back to the ship it will wait for you. The ship will not wait for you if you are on a third-party excursion or exploring on your own and get delayed. Also, we are in four ports where you will be on a tender back to the ship. Tender rides can take up to a half hour and you may need to wait in line both on the ship and at the port to get on a tender – so you need to plan. On many cruises we have seen people running down the pier to get back on ship, you do not want to be one of those people. We are in ports for a long time and the islands are small so morning trips on your own should be okay. Obviously, there could be security or scam pricing issues with selecting a tour on the pier, so you just need to be careful. We have never gone on any of these pier tours but have used taxi at some ports for short drives.
[Bob] Questions on booking excursions? There are going to be four cruise ships in Santorini with a total of just under 6000 passengers, so getting ashore and up the cable car may take some time. So, let’s talk about Tenders.
[Linda] Let’s talk about Tenders. We are in four ports where you will be on a tender to the port and then back to the ship. Tenders are the ship’s lifeboats and can hold a lot of people. When going ashore you wait for an announcement that the tenders are available, and you get in line on the designated deck. In Santorini you will then likely need to wait in line for the cable car up to Fira. It is a short ride and costs 6 Euros each way. Celebrity offers a Premium Access benefit which gives you priority to get off the ship at tender ports and some other benefits but at $500 per couple we did not purchase that package. We are patient people. The islands are not going anywhere.
[Bob] In addition to excursions there are other on board purchases you can make in advance including enhanced drink package and WIFI; spa treatments; ship tours and events, and specialty dining venues. I think we all have the Classic drink package included so you can decide if you want to upgrade to the Premium drink package. I posted a comparison of the two packages on our Wix blog, and you can decide if the additional cost works for you. If you decide to purchase it understand that each person in your Stateroom also needs to purchase it.
[Linda] I like to stay in touch with family and friends while we travel. The regular ship WIFI is probably fine for most uses, but not streaming, gaming or heavy work-related messaging. Also, there is usually a time limit on usage with the basic plan. You can upgrade to only one device and Bob, and I share access. The ship has a Spa where you can get your hair and nails done – I have never done so. There are a lot of other spa packages you can consider on the Celebrity website. Spa staff will also be around the ship promoting these offerings. On past cruises Bob and I have purchased the Persian Gardens access – we did not do so this time. It is expensive and because the Infinity is an older ship this area is small and does not get very good reviews. We also think we will be busy with Pilgrim activities. Bob and I both use the Fitness Center in the morning. Remember to bring your headphones. We have not had problems getting on the equipment. There are usually free classes for morning stretching. You can purchase specialty classes for spinning and other types of workouts. Again, Fitness Staff will try to sell you other services, weight loss etc.
[Bob] There are shops on board selling high end goods like watches, jewelry etc. Also, a shop for other sundries like you would find in a convenient store.
[Bob] Food is something you hear most about from people that have cruised. The variety and amount of food available throughout the day is really something. Linda and I are not “foodies” but we do like to try foods we generally do not have. Ship food is like the food you would get in a good hotel – good but often lightly seasoned, not spicey and maybe a bit bland. Let’s do a quick review of meal options.
[Linda] Breakfast is a favorite meal. You can use room service, but there may be an extra charge; go to the buffet or main dining for a made to order breakfast. We have not used room service; we go to the buffet on Port days and main dining on Sea Days. We like the juices, smoothies and specialty coffees that are part of the Premium drink package, so we get those in the morning. For lunch on Sea Days, we usually go to the buffet or one of the poolside stations – where they have hamburgers and other sandwiches. On Port Days we try to eat at a local restaurant, especially if we are in a Tender Port.
[Bob] Updated 07 Oct - (From the Magi Booklet - "Our entire group is confirmed with Celebrity Early Dining at 6:00 pm as our dinner selection. This means that you may dine in the ship's main restaurant together as a group each night, if you would like. See the booklet for additional information.) You can also select the later seating or Anytime dining options. There are tables for two, for, eight and ten. If you plan to eat with the same people every day and want a larger table, you can make that request thru Guest Services before departure. You will need the reservation numbers for all the Guests for that table reservation. Otherwise, you can make a reservation every day if you plan to eat with different people or simply go to the Main Dining as a group and wait to be seated. Daily menus are posted on the app and outside of Main Dining.
There are several Specialty Dining venues available. There is an up charge. You can check this out on the Celebrity site and make a reservation before departure or on board. Linda and have enjoyed at least one night at one of these restaurants in the past but we do not plan to do so on this cruise.
[Bob] Any questions about dining?
[Linda] There are lots of entertainment options – we generally like going to the early evening show in the main theater after dinner. Seating is open and Staff will bring you a drink. Shows last about an hour. After the show there are small venues that have music. During the day there are special events around the ship and poolside. Bob and I like the trivia contest – but the prizes a bit hokey. Information about daily entertainment is on App. There are also quiet spots to read or play cards etc.
[Bob] What about Sea Days. We look forward to Sea Days, as a chance to relax and enjoy the ship. Lots of activities scheduled throughout the day. Linda and I like the Trivia sessions. Use the App to find times for activities you might enjoy. Also, a time to continue to explore the ship: Medical Station (Deck 1) – there usually is a doctor on board; Conference Center (Deck 3) – maybe where we will have Mass; Shore Excursions (Deck 3); Casino (deck 4); library (Deck 8) – not well stocked; art gallery – people do buy this on a ship; and bars – many and varied. There does not seem to be a dedicated Card Room, but you can bring your own card games and find a quiet spot in some of the lounges.
[Bob] Finally, just a few comments on what to expect when we board the ship. The day before boarding you need to complete a Health Screening Survey on the App. Magi will get us to the ship as a group and get our luggage on board. Check in process is smooth. Your passport is checked here and then you can usually put them away until the end of the cruise. We put them in the Stateroom safe and use our Sea Pass as identification in the ports. The captain will announce what you should take with into ports. It may take a few hours for your Stateroom to be ready and for your luggage to get to your room, so we carry anything we want to use while we are waiting (books, meds, electronics etc.) in our backpacks. We usually head to the buffet for something to eat and then explore the ship. You will need to visit your muster station and check in with the Safety Staff there – it just takes a few minutes. The sail away at 5:00 pm is fun, head to an upper deck and watch to ship head out from Athens.
[Bob] So a lot of information. Any questions?
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