Ballymacjim

On 6/16/2019 at 7:29 PM, davekathy said:

February 2019 Celebrity changed the CC HH drinks loaded on your Seapass card to unlimited drinks at the bars/lounges. You cannot get CC HH drinks in the World Class Bar, Room Service or the dining rooms. Hours are from 5 to 7 PM except the first evening. No CC HH drinks on the first evening. 

This is great news for me if true, could someone confirm this please?

I ask because we do like our "free drinks", and as Elites on Constellation last Oct/Nov we went up to the  Reflections lounge (5-7) as usual, only to be told that the drinks in there were no longer unlimited, and that the 3 per Seapass rule was being imposed in there too - across the fleet! They then took my card and marked off a drink when I ordered one!

I was less than pleased, I had booked my cruise months before and this was news to me! I took it up with the CC Hostess immediately, and after quite a heated debate she finally relented and told me I could have unlimited drinks across all bars between 5 and 7pm - "FOR THIS CRUISE ONLY".

I vowed I would not be back with Celebrity until they reverted back to the original rule, and have cruised 3 times since with other lines.

Don't get me wrong, I'm no alcoholic, but I really do look forward to those couple of hours of free booze, which I consider well and truly earned and paid for over many years of loyalty.

If Celebrity have relented on this as Davekathy says, then I am delighted, and will gladly consider sailing with them again...

3 hours ago, jagoffee said:

Perhaps you are confusing Celebrity with a different cruise line?  The 3 drinks on the sea pass card is in fact very new on most cruises.  The 3 coupons instead of unlimited drinks in the Sky Lounge was only used on a small number of cruises based on my experience.  Repositioning cruises and selective longer cruises. ( last year’s 14 day Eclipse cruise did not use the coupons).  Whenever the coupons were used, you had to use them In the SkyLounge.  Therefore the unlimited drinks in the Sky Lounge did not exist when the coupons were used.

 

Based on my experience, two things are new.

1. The three drinks will be loaded on the Sea Pass cards for all cruises to be used at any bar offering those drinks.

2. The cards can be used for the free drinks in the dining locations.

 

I can understand why you and I have a different understanding of the facts.

 

You believe the coupons/drinks on the sea pass cards has been happening for years, therefore it has been Celebrity’s standard practice for years./ I believe it was only used on a very small number of cruises and the most significant new change is that it will now be the standard practice on all cruise.

 

I assume that you believe when the coupons were used on that small number of cruises, that passengers could still have unlimited drinks in the Sky Lounge from 5-7 PM./ My experience has been that on the small number of cruises that yused the coupons that the unlimited drinks in the Sky Lounge was also eliminated.  I do suspect that although the coupons were not transferable, that some cruisers may have been given extra unused coupons. This might make some people feel it was unlimited?  The sea pass card eliminates this option.

 

The bottom line is:

 

1.  You seem to feel the loading of the drinks on the sea pass card (and the associated benefits including dining use age) is not new.

2.  You seem to feel the elimination of the unlimited free drinks in the Sky Lounge when the coupons (sea pass drinks) is something new, thus you view it has a takeaway.

 

I am suspicious that you will still disagree on the facts.  Hopefully you will understand why some of us do not share you view.  I understand (based on my above assumptions) why you consider it a takeaway.

 

 

 

Haven't even read this, got to the second line and thought...   life's too short.

Anyway, it's almost 7 and I'm thirsty...

5 minutes ago, jagoffee said:

Drink coupons used when the numbers were large was always better and favorited by most people.  This is not new and has been going on for 4 or 5 years out of necessity on some cruises.

I'm afraid you don't seem to get it either, where have i said anywhere that i disagree with the 3 drinks on the seapass card?

As you readily admit above, the 3 drinks on the card is nothing new, its been happening for years, the only thing that IS new is the removal of unlimited drinks in the lounge, if that's not a takeaway i don't know what is!

32 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

 

I get that some people are gullible enough to spend thousands for a few crumbs and are getting upset when there is a small change to the crumbs handed out. Cruise lines are loyal to the bottom line not loyal to you. Don’t choose a cruise out of misguided loyalty to a cruise line. Cruise lines are not a country or a cause. I do enjoy the little perks but I have gotten them in the normal course of cruising not by trying to attain them. 

Whoooooooosh!

6 hours ago, Charles4515 said:

 

Not at all. Get as drunk as you want as long as you don’t hurt someone else.  Be as unhealthy as you want. That is your personal decision. I just don’t think you are entitled to unlimited free drinks. I would call you the liberal. 

You really don't get it do you. It wouldn't matter if it was unlimited drinks for 2 hours or  ice cream cones, it's about principle, trust, and loyalty. When someone is enticed to spend thousands of $$$ and years trying to attain a certain benefit, then when you get there it's simply taken it away from you...   

Do you really think that is right?

Currently on Constellation and can confirm Happy Hours are NOT extended, 5pm - 7pm, limited to 3 drinks loaded onto card all bars, INCLUDING in the HH Reflections lounge. NO free drinks on embarkation day. Reflections Lounge restricted to Elite and upwards for canapés 5-7pm, but 3 drinks only, and not on embarkation or senior officers party night. 

You must present your seapass card, and any drinks after the 3rd will be charged. Any drinks not listed on the Captains Club drinks menu will also be charged.

For me personally, the "use any bar" benefit is welcome, however i see the removal of unlimited drinks in the HH lounge as a major devaluation of my hard earned Elite + membership. I like to relax and have a few drinks those few hours, and have always looked forward to sailing with Celebrity because of it. Sometimes I'll  have more than 3, sometimes less, and sometimes i just don't go at all, but given the price of alcohol on board those few hours always felt like a proper and tangible benefit of my 25 years/21 cruises loyalty. 

Now with the stroke of a pen they have taken the benefit i cherish most, and strived for so long to attain, away. No consultation, no notification even, just a note in your room when you board ship - "welcome aboard, oh by the way, we've taken away your benefit, enjoy your cruise". If it's that simple then how long before it's something else, what comes next...?

I've spoken to the CC hostess and she tells me this change is across the fleet, that being the case my sailing total with Celebrity Cruises ends at 21, if i cant trust them to at least retain the benefits i earned then won't be coming back.