OceanCruise

When you factor in a mandatory 20% tip, this dinner will cost you over $300 for two. It can also be windy at times on the Magic Carpet. I have not eaten on the Magic Carpet but have eaten in a number of specialty restaurants across the Celebrity fleet. In my opinion, no food on Celebrity is special enough to be worth that much extra cost. Even the regular specialties are way overpriced now. If you have extra OBC to use up or don't care about the cost, you might enjoy it. Some people will spend that amount on a facial, massage, or casino whereas, others will not, so it is all relative.

Wow, that is unacceptable. Did you speak with the Hotel Director? What kinds of things did you ask the Head Butler to do that you could not get service for?

Given what Celebrity has been doing lately, maybe they are giving the Sky Suite room attendants new nametags that say Butler to replace the ones labeled Retreat Host🤪

You expressed so well how I feel too.

I am Elite Plus and was a huge Celebrity cheerleader. We had not looked elsewhere for the past 15 years or so. My realistic expectation for my two 2024 cruises was that I understood inflation and was willing to pay Sky Suite prices significantly higher than past cruises because I "knew" what I was going to get (before the recent changes). I will wait and see how my cruises are this year and decide at that time whether I will book again with Celebrity given the current price points. My philosophy has always been that no cruise is a bad cruise. However, I will say I do not have the usual excitement that I normally have in anticipation of sailing. Because of the gaslighting Celebrity did in saying the detrimental changes make for "an elevated experience", I have fully lost trust in Celebrity and am waiting for another shoe to drop that would continue to impact my upcoming sailings negatively and cost me more money. Rather than eagerly awaiting "luxury" and "not having to lift a finger" (Celebrity's words), it is hard to keep an open mind when I have legitimate concerns that an overworked room attendant (aka Retreat Host) might not clean my room adequately, that the food will be just ok, and only low-end wine is included for the exorbitant prices I am paying. What has Celebrity done recently to show they care about their customers? Have they added anything of value? All they had to do to soften the blow about butler removal would have been allowing cancellation without penalty or offering some gesture of goodwill. They could have grandfathered in those with a premium package to give an increased upper limit of $19. Instead, they made many of us feel taken advantage of and created a negative opinion of Celebrity which we never had before. What I may be open to in the future is to book veranda or Aqua class at a much more palatable price point, take full advantage of my loyalty perks, and no longer book Sky Suites.

Are they still providing slippers and tote bag?

I had no idea coffee drinks were available at these 2 places. Thank you!

For those of you who have sailed in Sky Suites recently, did you tip extra for room service now that a room service attendant is delivering the food instead of the butler who always did this in the past? Do you consider room service delivery part of the already included higher gratuities for the "Retreat team"? From reports on Cruise Critic it sounds as if the attendant is just dropping off food and not setting it up at all. Just curious as to what you all are doing regarding Sky Suites only.

Captain's Club lists free cappuccino, latte, and tea as a perk for Elite Plus. If we do not have a drink package, can we get these for free anytime at Cafe al Bacio and at meals in the restaurant? For those of you at this level, have you had any difficulty utilizing this perk or are there any limitations? Because of the cuts in service and perks, we are thinking about downgrading from our usual Sky Suite to balcony/AQ for possible future bookings but would definitely not want to purchase a drink package (the 2 free nightly Elite Plus drinks and an occasional self-pay beverage would be sufficient).

I will add my pet peeve: it is room steward, not stewart

My observation is that our March 2024 Silhouette cruise now has 6 Royal Suites available, several Celebrity Suites, 2 Horizon Suites and a lot of Sky Suites also available before next week's final payment date. In my experience, this is very different than past cruises we have been on where most or all of suites were typically sold out at this point.

On another thread I posted this Celebrity link I received in a Celebrity email regarding my upcoming Sky Suite reservation. It is a Celebrity blog (August 2023) that tells all the amazing services that the Sky Suite butler will do to pamper guests (that they actually used to do before the staffing change) but, according to reports on Cruise Critic, in reality isn't happening anymore https://www.celebritycruises.com/blog/cruise-butler

Also be aware an 18 or 20% gratuity is automatically added onto the bill. You can add extra if you feel the service warrants it. Also, a 75-minute massage is more like 60 minutes in my experience because they will leave you alone a bit longer than necessary while you dress/undress in the room.

So much for that "enhanced experience" Celebrity promised. The linked article posted in the original post (about all the many amazing things the Retreat butler will do for us) is truly false advertising that Celebrity is continuing to send to Sky Suite cruisers.

I thought Move Up offers were only available after final payment date. I got the offer before that so I was wondering if they changed the program. I also wanted to point out the ridiculousness of the move-up offer which would cost me more with the minimum bid than if I just booked that cruise new today on the website. It is a reminder that Move-Up isn't necessarily the bargain people may think it is.

I am Elite Plus sailing on Silhouette 4 nights March 21 in a Sunset Sky Suite. Final payment is January 6 but I paid off the balance last week. I just got an email with an outrageous move-up offer that would cost me more in the end than if I booked on the Celebrity website now. Move up offer minimum bids were $3000 pp for PH Suite, $2000 pp for Royal Suite, $1000 pp Horizon Suite and $500 pp for Celebrity Suite. Again, this is for only 4 nights and there are 6 Royal Suites available plus several of the others except PH. I thought Move-Up offers were only available after the standard final payment date. Have others experienced this?

No one is on it when they move it. It moved up and down only once or twice a day at random times when we had a Magic Carpet Suite.

What was the exact date Celebrity eliminated the dedicated Sky Suite Butlers? The blog article was written August 14, 2023 which I believe is somewhat close to that time so it is very disingenuous.

The email was not sent from a specific person and it just linked to the preferences survey. Although it contained my booking info, it just looked auto-generated and did not mention any contact info if I had further questions.

I got an email from Celebrity today regarding my upcoming March 2024 cruise in a Sky Suite. It had the standard questionnaire asking for my preferences (such as pillow type, any extra hangers, wine, etc.) and included this link as to what amenities I can expect on this cruise for my Sky Suite experience. As the fallout from loss of a dedicated butler is well documented on this forum, I do think you will find this article Celebrity sent me to be ---let's say---quite interesting. It is quite specific. I read it and thought, "Is Celebrity crazy?" They really do think we are stupid. https://www.celebritycruises.com/blog/cruise-butler

Many of us have been stuck with our 2024 Sky Suite bookings because of the stiff penalties to cancel with NRD (of course Celebrity also had increased these deposit amounts just before the butler changes) so that may skew current occupancy statistics. It will be interesting to see how Celebrity does with Sky Suite bookings later in 2024 when many of us "obedient customers" are now looking at other options for future vacations. Also, I don't have to actually be on the cruise to know that going from 3 employees servicing my Sky Suite daily (room steward, assistant room steward, dedicated butler) to only one person (glorified room steward with increased workload) will diminish, not enhance my experience. Will I enjoy the cruise---probably. However, I am annoyed that I am paying a premium for the lesser service that I would get in a much cheaper balcony or Aqua Class room and not getting what was advertised at booking. A butler can provide much more than just bringing snacks and managing laundry. On a prior Celebrity cruise, when my spouse was injured on a ship's excursion, our Sky Suite butler made sure we were well-cared for by bringing food and ice packs to the room, getting medical supplies, arranging wheelchair transport, and checking in frequently.

I am insulted by this response Celebrity sent me today in regard to an email I wrote to them well over a month ago. It would have been better if they had not responded at all because, IMO, this indicates they think their customers are stupid. I had written to the executive office explaining I am Elite Plus with Celebrity and normally sail in Sky Suites. I stated I have always enjoyed the pampering, great service in Sky Suites but am now concerned about my upcoming two cruises in Sky Suites due to the butler staff changes implemented after I had booked and no option to cancel without penalty. I asked several specific questions, such as: Will the Retreat Hosts now have fewer rooms to attend to due to their additional duties for Sky Suite passengers? Is Celebrity increasing the number of Retreat Concierges to accommodate the increased demand on them? I also noted I am concerned about the many poor reviews on Cruise Critic from cruisers who never even met the Head Butler and apparent decline in service reported. I asked specifically how these staff changes will create an elevated experience, which Celebrity had expressed as justification for removing the dedicated butlers. I received this response today (I left off the person's name): Thank you for contacting the Executive Office of Celebrity Cruises. Your recent email to Ms. Hodges was forwarded to my attention, and I am glad to have this opportunity to follow up with you on her behalf. I am grateful that you took the time to share your concerns regarding the recent changes and updates made to Celebrity Cruise. Please be assured that these changes were implemented to enhance the cruising experience for our guests, particularly with regard to the increasing popularity of Celebrity Cruises Suite amenities." Again, thank you for reaching out to us. While I understand the executive assistants have to support company policy, this did not show any appreciation for my loyalty and made no attempt to answer my questions or alleviate my concerns. It actually made me more pi**ed off because it reinforces they really don't care about their customer base.

Best practices on a cruise would be to wash hands and avoid touching your face after handling menus or buffet serving utensils, touching elevator buttons, holding handrails, opening doors, etc. People need to be aware that the Florida Surgeon General (and many other physicians) are actually advising against getting the Covid booster for individuals under 65 due to the documented risk of myocarditis and pericarditis. Use discernment if you are older than that. My observation is also different in that many of my friends and relatives (of all ages) who are fully vaccinated have still gotten Covid multiple times, even having severe symptoms. There are many reports on cruise critic of fully-vaccinated people getting Covid when on a recent cruise. What I do find interesting is that I personally do not know anyone unvaccinated who actually got Covid a second time after having the original strain. Maybe natural immunity is working as it should.

I am a proponent of just living one's life. If you think of all the "what ifs" you will never go anywhere. Just use common sense, turn off the TV (main stream media tends to foster a lot of hype, fear and division), take information with a grain of salt and use discernment--- realize that most fear-mongering events never come to fruition (remember Y2K?) plus 50% of "the science" generally ends up being wrong at a later date (for example, lobotomies, FDA-approved drugs later recalled due to dangerous side effects, smoking previously advertised as being good for one's health, Oxycontin supposedly not addictive, catastrophic sea levels slated to occur 20 years ago, etc., etc.). If you keep ruminating on all the negatives and fear, you will not be able to relax and enjoy your vacation. I do not remember who said, "anxiety is not facts but just thoughts in your head" but I think that is a wise statement.

This is from the Celebrity website today under a mock booking for one of our 2024 cruises on Silhouette. Obviously, Celebrity is not being consistent with their misleading marketing. The verbiage and listed benefits for Sky Suites are very different depending on where you look on the website and IMO this is appalling and shows little regard for the consumer. This Silhouette amenities list indicates bottled water is provided only upon embarkation day and is specific about room service. I do feel bad for passengers not on Cruise Critic that are in for a big surprise with the downgraded services. Sunset Sky Suite The perfectly designed Sky Suite offers a blend of expansive views and intimate luxury. These large suites feature a king-sized* bed with our signature eXhale® bedding and a spacious, private veranda. Be welcomed with a bottle of sparkling wine and enjoy the luxury of your butler throughout your stay. Plus, enjoy access to Luminae and The Retreat Lounge, exclusive for guests of The Retreat. Stateroom amenities Sleeps 2-4. Studio, 1 bathroom. 366-379+ sqft Large studio suite with seating area and large bathroom Aft-facing spacious balcony Mesmerizing views as the horizon drifts away Access to The Retreat (The Retreat Lounge, and Luminae) Spacious Veranda with lounge seating Floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors King sized* mattress & eXhale® bedding Butler Priority check-in when boarding the ship Priority debarkation & tender service in all ports of call Onboard Destination Concierge Reserved theater seating on evening chic nights Luminae room service breakfast menu Complimentary 24-hour in-room dining upon request Welcome bottle of Sparkling Wine Daily delivery of delectable delights Complimentary in-suite specialty coffee Afternoon tea hosted in The Retreat Lounge Frette Premium Terry Bathrobes, Towels, & Slippers Pillow selection upon request Co Bigelow Premium Bathroom Products Bottled water on embarkation day Complimentary use of umbrella and binoculars Complimentary shoeshine service Interactive television system Hair dryer