Champagne on Celebrity to Carribbean

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lesliedear

Guest
Ahoy,
First time cruiser here! Going to the southern Caribbean out of San Juan on Celebrity. I know you can bring 2 bottles of wine and either drink them in your cabin or pay corkage fee to drink in public areas. What about champagne? Is it considered in the wine maximum?
Thanks!!

Any tips for Celebrity? Especially on the excursions?
 
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BSeabob

Guest
Welcome aboard Leslie(dear)

I don't want to come across as being to familiar.. I hardly know you :)

Yes the Champagne would count.

There are of course a lot of us that have different levels of thought on the limit and some will tell you that it really is not a concern if you pack the bottles in your Luggage rather than carry on. Personally I have had no problems with "Sneaking" a little extra aboard.

I hardly ever take excursions with the cruise line except for "Strange Lands" so to speak. Cartagena was the last place many years ago actually. They stopped going there shortly thereafter but I see where they have or will return there.

Excursions are a great way to be safe and eliminate most "bumps" in getting there and the main way to ensure you make it back to the ship. A ship will wait for folks on a Cruise line excursion. So the greatest benefit is the comfort level.

Some will fill up quickly so if you really want to go to a certain place book it s soon as possible after you board. Past pax with CC status can actually book on line ahead of the cruise so some spaces will be gone already on popular excursions.

Check you times in port also more hours opens up more time to do things other than a tour and less time means a tour may be one of the best ways to see something.
 
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Ted_D

Guest
Welcome to the board and to cruising Leslie. You are going to have a great time!

I am not sure which Celebrity ship you're on, so I can't offer specific advice. I would give you some general tips that may help:

1. I, like Bob, am an experienced cruiser and more often than not handle excursions outside of the cruise line or explore a stop independently. Most first time cruisers, though, would probably be better off sticking to the ship's excursions unless you are just going into town to look around / shop, or going directly to a beach.

2. If you haven't purchased trip insurance, re-think your decision and get it.

3. Do you already have a passport? If not, apply Monday without fail.

4. Ask lots of questions here prior to your cruise so that you can get really comfortable with how things work. Or, go get a good book on cruising and read it cover to cover. Knowing in advance how tipping works, what the dress codes are, and what things cost extra (and how much), will all help to reduce stress and maximize the experience.

5. Going to San Juan the day prior to your cruise if vacation time and budget allow, is advisable. That way, the risks of delayed flights, bad weather, delayed luggage, etc can all be mitigated, and you will also get time to actually see Old San Juan prior to boarding your ship.

Have a superb first cruise.

Ted
 
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phinnb

Guest
Just one more thing to add to a first time cruiser.... going on excursions are great, but when they tell you the ship is leaving at 4pm, they don't mean 4:01.... if you miss the boat, you are on your own to get to the next port. Have a blast!
 
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Conniemc

Guest
Another important note I think is not nearly as clear to people as it should be. ALL SHORE EXCURSIons ARE RUN INDEPENDENT of the cruise line. That is to say, if someone dies (no, it is NOT that unusual and I've personally witnessed it on a horseback exursion in St. Thomas) don't think the cruiseline has any responsibiity whatsoever...they do not.

I've read of people dying while snorkeling, parasailing, horseback riding, you name it. Just remember, these excursions are locally owned businesses at the port you are visiting. Some are good, some are bad.

Just don't think because it's on the cruiseline's excursion list, it means you are guaranteed safety.
 
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tgntm

Guest
I have cruised a couple of times before. I am preparing for my first Celebrity Cruise. I was ALWAYS under the impression that you could not carry any of your own wine on board. But you all are telling me that Celebrity will let you take a couple of your own bottles on board for in room consumption? Are these bottles that you sneak on or is it done with Celebrity's blessing?

tgntm
 
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BSeabob

Guest
tgntm

Yes that is correct.

Actually this is a recent rule on X. One used to be able to bring all the wine you wanted to bring and pay the corkage at dinner.

So just to clarify you may bring two bottles per stateroom as per the rules on their website.

Sneaking a few more (as in two each) does not seem to be a problem. It's when the breaking of the rule by a large volume or is flaunted that the Line takes action. The hold it til the end of the cruise.
 
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GloBug

Guest
So, we can take TWO bottles of wine per cabin on board? I thought it was ONE bottle of wine per cabin. And I could get away with sneaking two more bottles per each of us? Ok, well, six bottles of wine on a 14 day cruise is helpful. I do remember bringing a case on our last X Alaska cruise....
 
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