chemmo

I think it is the little things butlers sometimes do that adds to your cruise pleasure! I remember us once returning to our suite saying we were shattered and going to watch a film. A few minutes later there was a knock on the door and our butler had a big bowl of popcorn for us!

Thrilled for you but it shouldn’t be such hard work…

We have been tempted a few times to go through agencies (price driven) and each time regretted it…If you are lucky then fine but just one small timing change (amongst other possible issues) can make everything go wrong. Following from that the nightmare starts! The airline won’t talk to you because you are booked through an agency…The agency always says they are liaising with the airline…Time passes, you nag both… When we book direct there is only one agency to communicate with. They can’t direct you around the ever decreasing circle of whose responsibility/whose fault it is… Once a second agency is involved it can even be a major issue getting someone to talk to without ending up in a phone loop where none of the suggestions to press match your personal circumstances… This is so different than a few years ago. Then the agent was your representative, it was their role and responsibility to make their promise to you come true. You had a contract with them… As they say progress isn’t all it’s made up to be.

As a very regular poster and reader on this board my biggest concern is the number of frequent cruisers who are expressing concerns about their recent experiences, recent reviews and changes. These are usually happy posters! These are posters who book multiple cruises a year because they hold the cruise line in high regard! These are well travelled posters who are knowledgeable about food and drink! These are posters whose opinions I hold in high regard! Cruise Critic is such a good site because it does allow us to voice both positives and negatives. With my next cruise a bit in the future I will keep reading all reviews. Some I may find ‘petty’…others I may find ‘over the top’. The multitude of responses on CC enable us to ‘read’ what is important to us. Issues that do or do not enhance our experience on board… As you have said in a previous post the site does have a function of offering factual information to new cruisers. Totally agree. Another concern is many of us with lots of Celebrity cruise experience don’t actually feel confident answering some questions at present because things are changing fast and without good communication. If a new cruisers asks about MDR menu choices there presently isn’t a correct ‘answer’! No one yet can advise about the change to Sky Suite butler/team service because past experience is no longer relevant…. After winging about your winging at others winging I will add that I do understand your viewpoint too! Along with the factual side of Cruise Critic there also comes camaraderie, the sharing of great experiences, the sharing of special events. I love following and writing live reviews…Sharing a vicarious cruise when stuck at home on a grey day! I must confess I could do with a bit of lightheartedness on CC at present too! Unfortunately life is as it is…at present there is a focus on changes, C’est la vie!

I guess in the UK we do have an advantage for good AI prices by the end of September. All resorts want to be full until the end of October…The traditional close down time for many Mediterranean resorts although more and more are trying to extend their season. We have opted for Turkey but reasonable deals available in the Algarve, Canary Islands, Spain, Greek Islands… I guess it is like cruises the less faddy you are about location and date and the more flexible you are the better… I think the point I was trying to make though, was I didn’t particularly look at cruise options…With so many hiccups and changes happening I feel more comfortable letting things stabilise….

What a good question! In earlier years we have usually booked two cruises a year…Whilst unique circumstances have made us skip a year I am now almost grateful…Hopefully by the time we cruise things should have settled down. We decide a few days ago we can’t manage the winter without a break. Surprisingly cruising wasn’t even considered as an option. We simply wanted a cheerful crash out with lots of facilities and not too expensive…We have gone for an AI resort…What Celebrity needs to take on board is that many guests may stay loyal to Celebrity when they cruise but they may decide to cruise less often. This choice being made after looking at pricing…

Sincere thanks for taking time out of your cruise to keep us updated!

If I was you right now I would be in a total panic…I honestly would anticipate getting to the airport and not having a seat on any plane! I am afraid my politeness and patience would have changed to a cold steel manner…Not easy when you are gentle by nature but I would be livid by now… Quite simply you should be out of the loop not being the intermediary…

Quite simply most of us cruise expecting the dining to be a highlight of our cruise experience. Most of us cruise wanting a break from the shopping, cooking and washing up too! Chicken and salmon are home ‘staples’. Whilst once or twice a cruise I may enjoy something safe and bland I have gone on holiday to enjoy something different! If I was to serve up a blob of mash and the same two veg daily at home I would have complaints! Surely jacket potatoes, roast potatoes, potatoes au gratin aren’t too hard to cook in large quantities! How about a Mediterranean vegetable medley? Something we all know is a really easy but tasty veg mix….Don’t get me started on the proteins… Looking at the menus provided we enjoy better variety at home! Not impressed…

Thanks for that…Just a couple more questions if you don’t mind. Is there still an afternoon tea in the Retreat Lounge? If so is it still being serviced by butlers or ‘Team members’. Was the Charcuterie board your request or simply what was delivered?

So how is your service going? Is your bar being replenished? Quick response to requests? Have you tried to order anything else from room service?

We were on the first cruise (equinox) RS after the Retreat with Luminae concept had been introduced, some years ago now. Staff were making up the rules as they went along as to what was/wasn’t included…Quite simply even key members of staff like the Retreat Concierge hadn’t been updated on the ‘rules’. Initially they insisted our adult son travelling with us in a RS didn’t have a premium drinks package until we showed them our print outs and their on line information…Then we were charged in Sushi first time for all of us (concierge refunded) then second time bizarrely they charged for desserts! We also had to have gelato refunded… I am expecting similar reports now as to what is included/not included for Sky Suites…I am expecting the usual reliable mix with one ship doing one thing and another doing its own version… Much as I understand the notion that staff can’t remember every little Captains Club perk I wouldn’t have thought it hard to put a post it up in cafe al bachio to say E+ = free coffee and teas…

Well said! The ‘best’ on a night you are exhausted after a busy port day may be the buffet or room service. The ‘best’ when dining as an extended family/friends may be MDR…The best for a romantic meal may be Murano… Much as my favourite food is in Murano my favourite view is Tuscan (S class)…I just always feel I am really at sea there!

In our experience there are excursions that are easy to extend (coach tours). Initially Celebrity will book a set number, then it goes to sold out, then available again. I would assume Celebrity has (owing to demand) added an additional coach. Then there are operation issues (political/safety concerns?) that may result in tours being dropped or taken off sale, modified and then reintroduced. Finally there are the genuine limited places…Sea planes in Alaska and snorkelling trips in Bora Bora are two obvious ones that come to mind…Once they are gone they are genuinely gone unless someone drops out.

If the system is run efficiently then it may be OKish….As long as messages and requests are passed on thoroughly and carefully. I must confess I did expect a change to the random fill/refuse to fill minibars situation which has gone on for some time but I didn’t expect it to go totally DIY…I thought they may top up 2x water, 4x soda, 2x generic beer daily (as they do in many AI resorts) but then say the rest is up to you. That might have been a better compromise… I am expecting from what I have read so far that whilst higher suites are technically untouched by the changes I can see a more ‘strict’ approach to exactly what you get. You never know, if they stick rigidly to the two times a cruise laundry I may actually get to use my E+ perk in the PH next year!

Yes, Southampton is usually an expensive port but a massive increase. So convenient for us in the UK though…Two blows, price increase and I would have preferred to ‘keep’ the Silhouette!

Totally agree don’t let it spoil your cruise, Terry… Also Terry, bear in mind the service you have described on CC far outweighs the listed Sky Suites perks…Indeed you seem to have had better service in a SS than we have had sometimes in a RS or PH!

It would be useful if you could separate between included perks like coffee delivered and room service and ‘treat service’ like your mini bar being restocked and receiving alcoholic beverages being delivered to your suite…

In our experience dining from other than the standard menu in RS and PH has been a ‘treat’ not a ‘right’… We have arranged an odd ‘special’ in suite meal but always giving the butler 24 hours notice. We would never just phone the butler and ask for anything not on the standard menu.

Yes it will, until room attendants have checked minibars….

Hi there, I contacted Celebrity to confirm what the update will be. Michael’s Club will be refreshed as the Retreat Lounge and the 12 Family Veranda rooms will become Sunset Suites. No new rooms and no Retreat Deck. They are aware of the wrong information on the website and will correct asap.

Totally agree! Nothing like sitting watching the port fade into the distance and day turn to night. Our first night every cruise on S class is in Tuscan!

I think where you live can influence this…We have UK friends with a condo in Florida and they never pre book a cruise going from anywhere in Florida. They just look for last minute offers, pack a bag and off they go…No great deals and they simply enjoy all Fort Lauderdale has to offer…A hard life!

We tend to book with the proviso that we have a ‘provisional’ booking until about 9 months out…that tends to be the time we commit to flights, hotels etc. Like many we accept that itineraries may need to change owing to several factors some of which may be out of Celebrity’s control…

The other benefit of booking early is it gives you longer to look forward to your cruise😀