phoenix_dream

The best place to buy it! Really inexpensive there.

Have you tried asking for a different dessert onboard? I've read reports of chefs making special desserts for these situations. Probably more luck with that if in a suite, the higher level the better.

After reading your post I decided ambiance is subjective also. We found the Apex Luminae to be very loud and without the more intimate feel of the ones on S or M class. On E class I felt like I was in a big chain restaurant. Food and service on all three classes were very good though.

So many suggestions for Martini Bar but I say good luck with that, unless you get there early in the afternoon. On our recent Apex sailing, even when we arrived at 5:00ish we couldn't even find seating for the four of us most of the time. You can try it, but Eden might be a better choice as there is more seating (granted not all of it necessarily ideally located).

On our last cruise we only had a choice of one show/menu - it really does vary by sailing and by ship.

I am not negating your experience, but I can say that we have done probably 50+ laundry bags and have never, ever had a problem with an unpleasant smell. In fact we've only ever had one issue with laundry - a pair of black socks that came back faded. Because of how they do laundry (hot wash and dry with other's laundry) we only send out our less expensive/casual clothes like socks, pj's etc.. Some seem to have luck asking for a cold wash and warm dry, but unless you are in a suite it's not likely to happen (and even then not always unless you are in a high level suite).

no you don't request the bottle ahead of time. As was said, it may be in your cabin when you arrive. If not, just ask when you see your state room attendant and tell them when you want it. You can also switch out from champagne to red or white wine if you wish. I have to be honest and let you know it is not exactly high quality stuff, but it is included.

Another reason you may not see tipping is that some people use their OBC to provide extra tips, through a form at Guest Relations. I don't know if you meant your cruising was only many years ago until Summit, but way back when tips were not included in any fare. You always had to pay in cash to tip. Now many fares have tips included and people may not want to tip extra.

I don't think comparing Wynn prices is really a fair comparison. Celebrity, despite what it's advertisements try to make you believe, is still a mid-level rather than luxury cruise line. Wynn is definitely one of the luxury hotels in Vegas. I agree land prices are quite high now as well. I've done the vacation to vacation comparison as well and when one compares apples to apples a cruise is still more expensive, although granted not all that much. And on a cruise, you are already paying for a nice dinner. Need to remember that when comparing additional prices of specialty restaurants to land restaurants.

Honestly we much prefer the Blu menu. The Luminae menu tends towards some unique dishes that often don't appeal to me.

In a restaurant on land an honest concern. On the ship I would consider this highly unlikely. Not sure if your comment was in gest or a real concern.

I just don't buy the eliminating waste thing. They have years of data to enable them to buy just the amount they need. Some of these cut backs just make no sense to me and this is one of them. I could believe a change in suppliers or similar. But waste? No, not with years of consumption data.

I'm not sure which ship, but they posted a picture of the revised menu. The fact that a printed menu was created leads me to believe that this is likely fleetwide and likely not temporary but those thoughts are speculation. The fact that it's currently changed on their ship is not a rumor.

I don't consider a report from someone onboard and actually experiencing something to be a rumor. This was a reputable person with a long history of knowledgable interaction. The only real question is whether it was only that ship, or whether it is fleetwide, or perhaps temporary.

What I don't get is why cut these?!? They are no more expensive than the other offerings, or at least one would think not. I get the lobster thing (although I think the extra charge for more than one is way higher than it should be), as lobster is expensive, but chocolate cake is not!

Agree. It really all seems to depend on the waiter and maître d on a particular ship.

they were onboard (don't recall which ship) and were told that the menu was changing, I believe the next day but don't quote me on that

This person stated that the change was happening as of tomorrow I believe. Wondering if anyone onboard now is hearing similar?

The thing is, you posted a very lengthy and complaining post, as well as responses of considerable length defending your complaints. So honestly in that sense yes, you did attack Celebrity. The complaint about the window seating made you sound particularly entitled and nit-picky, regardless of whether you really are or meant it to sound that way. So it is really no surprise that you would get rebuttals. And at the same time, if you have the right to complain so passionately, why don’t others have the right to disagree with you with equal passion?

Someone on another online forum has posted that chocolate cake and cheesecake are being eliminated from the Classics menu. Please say it ain’t so! Has anyone else heard of this? With all the (to my taste) weird desserts on dining room menus DH and I often order chocolate cake as our dessert go-to. Our other favorite is crème brûlée. They take that away and it’s time to jump ship. Ok I’m kidding about that. Then again, maybe I’m not!

I went back and re-read the original post before deciding on a response. Food quality is of course subjective. And every cruise will be a bit different due to the quality of the chefs and the quality of the food available at the embarkation location. I have been on more than 70 Celebrity cruises, including probably a dozen or so since Covid shutdown and restart. Only once did we find the food quality not quite up to par, but certainly not to the level that I would post anything titled and expounded upon so dramatically. So call me a "loyalist" if that means I am not intelligent to have a valid opinion, but that is my experience. I have not sailed Eclipse recently but I find it hard to believe the food was so bad that most of the ship was unhappy with it. I am very curious how the OP even determined that so very, very many other passengers were mad or unhappy? I am not familiar with this person so I went back and read some of his (her?) other posts. There was a lot of drama in some of those as well. So I accept that this was one person's opinion and take my grain of salt with it. I am sailing Eclipse later this year and very much looking forward to it! And as a final note, if the user name indicates the job, then I sincerely appreciate the work that fire departments and EMT's do and respect the OP in that regard.

That's our plan going forward.

It is more than frustrating it is infuriating, especially for AQ bookings. I love AQ but can't book it cruise only. Of course the same goes for suites. Relatives just booked to join us on a cruise in AQ and to upgrade they are going to be paying almost half of what it would cost them to buy a package with this sale if in another class of cabin. Don't know why Celebrity is penalizing AQ passengers this way. As Zenith we are already having to pay for perks we earned but that's a gripe for another day.

I did a b2b on Solstice in March. I thought the ship was overall in good shape, with admittedly an outdated decor which frankly I happen to prefer over the cold and less comfortable revolutionized furniture. The food was excellent (we were in Luminae, and had lunch at times in the buffet, which I thought was also good). The entertainment overall could be improved but I think all ships these days are struggling in that regard. There are more and more ships being launched and I think it makes it harder to find the quality of old. And I imagine cruise lines are experiencing the same issues employers across the country are experiencing as far as filling positions. And frankly, I don’t think there is a lot of interest in keeping us boomers sailing, which I find frustrating as many of us have 10-20 or more years of cruising left.

Ok. Thanks