H2O_traveler

Picture of Bar in Equinox Retreat Lounge

Long detailed answer of our experience:

Just got off the Equinox last week, where we moved up from a Verandah to a Sunset Sky Suite on a move up bid.  We did NOT have a drink package, premier access, or WIFI packages purchased. So this information is for those who move up with no extras.  (We are however elite status so there are a couple perks that come with that)

Beverage Packages - Liquor and beverages in the retreat lounge were free and the selection for alcohol was premium level, not classic.  Because the retreat lounge concierge hosts are posted at the front door, ensuring only suite guests have access, once you are in the lounge you are not asked for your room card at the bar located inside.  The bar in the retreat lounge did not serve the specialty martini's you'd see at the martini bar but, the the liquor selections were vast and beyond the classic package. I'll attach a picture.  Additionally there was an automated cappuccino machine that was accessible anytime the lounge was open so we went in and made our own coffee throughout the day.  There was also a fridge with a selection of sodas and upgraded bottled water you could grab anytime. (also snacks during various times of the day).  So, moving up to the premium in your beverage package will depend on what you are looking for to drink above the classic package and where you're looking to drink it at.  

On the sun deck for the Equinox there is no bar on that level.  As such, the attendants had to go down to a different lounge to bring drinks back.  I saw them asking for people's room card keys when they went to go get drinks so I am assuming they charged for them, if they didn't have an added drink package already.  Because we never had a drink package, we never ordered drinks on the sun deck so we never tried it out. I've heard whether or not you get charged for drinks on the sundeck depends on the server and whether or not the ship you are on has a dedicated bar on that deck. I'd guess whether or not you are charged extra for premium drinks would be along the same line.

Dining in Luminae you had to pay for your drinks if you ordered something and didn't have a drink package.  I had ordered a martini one night that we paid for, as well as a bottle of wine. We had treated 2 new friends we met on the cruise into luminae to enjoy a dinner with us so ordered a bottle of wine that night to share. (BTW - Luminae was very accomodating for the two guest we invited, we just had to pay an upcharge for them).  

For ourselves, we never bought the drink packages because we were going to (and did) bring two bottles of wine the day we boarded, had preorder two martini flights on sale, and with Elite status were going to have access to elite happy hour. Having paid for beverage packages previously, we knew we wouldn't drink enough to justify the cost difference and decided we would just pay per item for anything extra we wanted (including premium drinks).  That said, with the move up offer, our final bill for 12 days of sailing only included that one bottle of wine and a single martini from Luminae.  We would just make our way to the retreat lounge before dinner, going up on deck, or on our way to activities to grab a drink or two to go.  We never found it inconvenient as we enjoyed the quick visit with the retreat crew and other suite guests while we ordered the drinks.  Plus, my husband said right from day one that the bartender in the retreat lounge made the best old fashioned anywhere so why would he order at another bar. In the end, we also actually never once had to use our elite status to take advantage of elite happy hour or the elite continental breakfast  to get our morning lattes.  The retreat lounge was more than what was needed.

For Wi-fi, elite status gave us each 90 mins for a total of 180 min combined.  There were no other minutes included as we had done the move up bid but, the 180 min was more than what we needed.  For extra internet time, once we were in port, we either found free Wi-Fi on shore or just purchased cheap e-sim packages to catch up.  The e-sims allowed us, once we were back on the ship, to spend additional time until we'd start sailing again. E-sims also worked great for having access to uber, communicating with tour operators and searching maps on shore.  This was a better option for us than paying for ship Wi-Fi.

Embarkation, Reserved Theater Seating, and Disembarking  - No need to but any kind of additional premium access package.  We arrived at around 11:45 am and were literally the only suite guests walking on at that time so had about 6 different celebrity employees guiding and checking us in.  It was beyond smooth and made us feel quite VIP.  Disembarking was not so private, as the retreat lounge can get crowded with other suite guests and the luggage people are walking off with, BUT... It was still super comfortable with access to breakfast and whenever you wanted to leave, an officer would escort the suite guests off privately through a secret door that bypassed the lines and dropped us straight at the gangway to sign out for a final time with our sail and sign cards.  This particular sailing had issues with winds and the gangway so regular guest were waiting for anywhere from 20 min - an hour to walk off where we just left direct.  It was a really big perk.  For theater reservations, on the two chic nights suite guests had reserved seating. It was on the second level but was the center stage.  Additionally, once we sat down our butler came right over and asked us by name if there was anything he could get for us from the bar (we were never charged for those drinks). There were not any other nights with reserved seating for the entertainment but it wasn't a problem as we never had trouble finding seats (may be different on another ship).

Final notes: In our room the mini fridge was full of drinks which we would have been charged for if we wanted to drink from there.  We asked to have them removed and then just brought up our own from the retreat lounge occasionally to store in there.  There was also both glass and plastic bottles of water on the counter in our room.  Our room attendant told us the plastic bottles were free but we would be charged for the glass bottled water.  He continued to replenish the plastic water bottles throughout the cruise.  For the the bottles of wine we brought on board... We invited friends we had made on the cruise to share in the wine in our room.  As such, we asked our butler if he could chill the wine and bring extra wine glasses.  He went way beyond that and arranged for three different horderve plates to be brought in and offered to bring any other types of drinks our friends may enjoy more so than our bottle of wine.  During our little party he made a point of stopping by personally to see if everyone had everything they needed and again offered to get anything more one would want.  I'm fairly confident we would not have been charged had we asked for additional beverages.

Conclusion - Suite cruising is awesome and more than we could have hoped for.  The minor perks you don't get utilizing a move up bid were very minimal and never made us feel like were anything less than if we had booked originally as suite guests.  For us, the extra costs to have added on with beverage packages and premium access would not have been worth it but... if you are a heavy user of Wi-Fi, or want the convenience of just ordering any type of drink wherever you are on the ship, then pay the extra. We definitely made sure to tip extra (beyond prepaid gratuities) to the retreat bartender, concierge hostess, butler, etc. at the end of the cruise because they really made the cruise more special than we could have imagined.

Enjoy your cruise and I hope the move up bid experience is as great for you as it was for us.  It would be very difficult to go back down to not-suite cruising now that we've had a taste. 

We are booked for an April Transatlantic cruise leaving FLL that ends up in Portugal.  This will be our first transatlantic crossing and the first time we will be in a sunset veranda so are looking for information from others who have sailed similar before to see if you'd do it again.  Completely understand that the weather is unpredictable, which is why we're hoping to get some insight on past experiences.

I have an image in my head of lounging on the balcony, while enjoying the sunshine, with a book and drink in hand while randomly looking up to admire the wake every so often. Then during the evening, taking in the amazing sunsets with a glass of wine and our canapes.🍷🌅

Please tell me we made a good choice and the experience is everything imagined!

Has anyone tried the Blendtique Craft Wine  experience on Celebrity?  It sounds like fun but I’m curious on what the selection is for crafting a white blend and how much the bottle of wine is to purchase after?  
 

As much as I’d love to be able to drink reds, I can’t. I do however love the whites, particularly the reislings and gewürztraminers.  

Below at the end of my comments is the excerpt from the Celebrity website detailing "The New Suite Class" perk additions. So for everyone on this thread that was so adamant that Celebrity was not building a "classification" system, you may want to contact Celebrity and tell them that... because all the propaganda surrounding the changes not only references a different "Classification" but actually calls it that in the title of it too.

It appears that Celebrity has awoken to the "80/20 Rule" (80% of your business comes from the top 20% of your clients)... I am just surprised that Michael Bayley was so flippant with his comment of: "We know that suite guests value privacy, personalized service, exclusive access and flexibility, and providing them with their own unique benefits"

I didn't realize only Suite Guests valued such things...

A couple of points:

1) The survey seems bias if it was only sent to former Suite Guests. I'm guessing that only a very select few people when asked would answer "No" to if they would like more perks and benefits for the higher price they pay. In reviewing this thread it appears that only the people that have previously stayed in a "Suite" were sent this survey. Did any previous guests that had never stayed in a "Suite" receive the survey and if so was it the same sample size?

2) If a new ship was built with a "Suite Class" only lounge and restaurant then great... But that's not what's happening is it. Michaels Lounge is a general venue that will now be for "Suite Guests" only. The general population is losing space to have it given to a different group of individuals which I think will rub general population the wrong way. We love Bistro on 5 but I agree with everyone that it is usually empty. That being said, it is a premium pay restaraunt so if they want to convert a profit losing area to a perk where they can utilize the space better then I have no problem with that. I also do not have a problem with Celebrity offering free internet and premium beverage packages to their Suite Guests because once again it is not taking anything away from another group.. But... I do have a problem with them roping off special areas in the theatre and taking away Michaels Lounge because those were previously open to everyone as part of your cruise cost. Build a new ship with "Box Seating" and a private lounge if you want to segregate your various classification levels but don't take from the general to give to the elite on an existing build.

3) Aqua Class... If Celebrity truly wants to call it a "Healthy" alternative and has no problem with different classifications for what people pay for then why not incorporate true health perks with it. If Aqua Class = Health then grant Aqua access priority access to health not just "priority reservations" for paid services such as massage and spa. Example: Waive the surcharges for the fitness classes if you are Aqua Class or offer private fitness classes only available to that group. Why as aqua Class should we pay an extra $25pp per class. That adds up quickly if both guests enjoy classes such as spin...

Now let me be a little "tongue in cheek" by suggesting the same logic that was used to the "Suite Guests" for "Aqua Guests": Can you imagine the uproar in the general public if spaces in the workout facility were all of a sudden roped off for Aqua Class guests only... But isn't that what they are doing in the theatre??? It's very frustrating at the start of a cruise every time we go into the gym and there are no treadmills or bikes available because people have good intentions of "working off" the buffet damage. Usually by day 3 this group of people fade away and only those of us that are use to working out on daily basis remain. My suggestion may seem outrageous but is it not along the same logic as "Suite Guest" perks? BTW - I was only making a point with this suggestion, not actually suggesting it.

Whether or not we agree with Celebrity's newest system it definitely will create a classification system while sailing with them. So for all of you in Suite Class (a.k.a top 20%)...Congratulations and for all of you NOT in Suite Class (a.k.a lower 80%)...I'm sorry but you'll have to decide if this matters to you.

Here is the excerpt I was referring to from the Celebrity Site:

The new Suite Class will include:

Private dining - A dedicated private restaurant reserved exclusively for all Suite Class guests will be available morning, noon and night. Each meal will feature unique menus that offer sumptuous dishes not available anywhere else onboard. Guests can truly immerse themselves in the local culture with specially crafted menus inspired by the local destination, and enjoy the world's best ingredients. Memorable and inspiring dishes will be served, from locally caught seafood, to the freshest pasta. The Suite Class chef can provide a tailor-made experience to suite guests and prepare a dish to their liking, and the Cellar Master - Celebrity's head sommelier - will select from more than 450 wines to provide the perfect pairing.

Premium 'all in' benefits - Premium beverages, dining across all specialty restaurants, unlimited internet access and a private bar with water, sodas and beers will all be complimentary for guests staying in Royal, Penthouse and Reflection suites.

VIP lounge - A private VIP lounge, Michael's Club, will be available to guests staying in Celebrity, Signature, Royal, Penthouse and Reflection suites. A dedicated Concierge service and unique food and beverage experiences by Celebrity's James Beard-featured chef will be provided to guests.

"Our guests are accustomed to exceptional quality and service, and for those wishing to further indulge in the very best while on vacation we have launched 'Suite Class', specially designed to appeal to the most discerning vacationer,” said Michael Bayley, President and CEO, Celebrity Cruises. "We know that suite guests value privacy, personalized service, exclusive access and flexibility, and providing them with their own unique benefits, such as a dedicated restaurant with a dining experience like no other, is just another way that we are significantly elevating the guest's vacation with us."

We just got back from a med cruise on the Solstice and used RomeInLimo for an Amalfi Coast tour. It was the best tour of our cruise, and our guide/driver, Carmine, was excellent. He was knowledgeable, friendly and entertaining. He took us to a great place for lunch that overlooks Positano. It was La Tagliata, as others have previously mentioned in this thread. They grow their own produce and everything was delicious. The entire tour, as we said before, was delightful we would highly recommend it. Here's a picture of the view from the restaurant:

 

Larry and Jan

We had the pleasure of being a part of Larry and Jan's tour and we too agree that it was the best tour of our cruise. RomeInLimo is beyond entertaining and professional. Carmine was a charming gentleman who made each one of us feel as though we were his VIP guests.

Highly Recommend!

Nancy & Uriele