terrydtx

We are booked in a suite on the Volendam next August. Also did the California coastal last month on the Koningsdam and loved it.

Instead of down sizing from Retreat, we are just moving on to other cruise lines, including HAL and Oceania.

The only way to book in the Retreat is with the PDP and Wi-Fi, no choice but to take the AI, unless you make a move up bid from a verandah with no AI.

Jim, this post was just posted on FB by a Retreat passenger on the Summit, have you heard anything about this on the Edge? "Onboard Summit. Was told just now in the Retreat lounge by the bar server, confirmed by the Suite Manager and the F&B that they will upcharge for wines priced above the premium package. This is a big issue since ALL of the wines we used to drink are now above the premium package. Apparently has always been Celebrity policy but previously not an issue because the popular wines used to be within the premium package".

People who cruise in the retreat are the best candidates for a lux line anyway. No one who books inside and lowest level verandahs on Celebrity would ever look at or be interested in a Lux line. My Wife and I fall into the former category, we worked hard and saved until we retired and now we want to cruise and fly first class.

We will be looking at Regent and Seabourne in the future. We have one Oceania cruise booked for 2025 that was 4 days longer and $200pp less than a SS on Celebrity.

Jim, Loved the sound pictures can't wait until we are there in about 4 weeks.

On the Koningsdam last month the upgrade cost $40 total for the 7 day cruise. We had the HIA with basic surf Wi-Fi.

If you plan on doing anything more than reading emails and surfing some websites, the basic Wi-Fi is worthless anyway. To use Wi-Fi streaming, phone calls and video calling you will need the premium package.

This is correct just like unused OBC doesn't carry over from one cruise to the other. If you do not see it on the CC benefits page from Celebrity it is most likely not true.

You should be fine. Some countries require the 6 months or more before expiration. Australia is one, when we acquired the ESTA Visa online it specified the 6 months rule.

I agree, for our two Edge cruises next month, the Sky Suites went up in price after the Oct 4th date, we booked in Feb 2022 so we are grandfathered. For suites at lease no more prepaid grats and no OBC is s huge cutback.

I do not recall and seating on the Apex, just a door to the outside deck.

I agree we like to be served and pampered which is why we like Luminae. We were so disappointed with the SR's on Apex and so happy when we were in Luminae. The only SR we liked was Raw on 5 for lunches and occasional dinner. On our Edge cruises next month Raw on 5 is the only R we booked for a dinner, once on each cruise on nights the Luminae looked not so good.

One other consideration was our first cruise on Jan 13th is almost sold out and there was not much move up availability. We have the same SS for both cruises in a a prime deck 10 location and we did not want to go through changing cabins on the turnaround day.

Bill the point here is we booked suites knowing what we would get, a butler, and then Celebrity takes them away. But we paid for a service we didn't get. Can we live without a butler, yes, but again we paid for one. If we had booked our first Sky Suite 4 years ago and it didn't have a butler, it would have been a whole different story because we wouldn't have known what we missed. We booked an 18-day cruise of South America on Oceania in 2025 for less than the booked and then canceled by Celebrity SS on the Equinox. We do not get a butler but we know that upfront so its no big deal. We booked an A1 level Concierge class cabin on Oceania for 18 nights for $200pp less than the booked and canceled Equinox 14 night cruise.

I have seen the guy and gal cough into their hands, pass the wash sinks and the hand sanitizer and then proceed to the buffet. That is why we avoid them like the plague.

Murano and Tuscan are hit or miss but the best you get on the Equinox. LPC is a gimmicky venue geared for the kids. For Lunch Sushi on 5 is an excellent choice. I think Celebrity has priced their SR way out of line compared to other cruise lines, look for flash sales when they are discounted 40-50%.

Unless you book an Aqua Sky Suite you will not have access on the E Class ships to the Retreat Lounge, Luminae and sun Deck at the front of the ship. Standard Aqua Class gets you access to some of the spa and Blu, the Aqua Class dining venue. It is very confusing between Aqua Class and Aqua Sky Suite class. In any SS you won't have to worry about what to do with a butler as they were taken away earlier this year for SS, now you have a Butler Team who never leave the Retreat lounge area. BTW Aqua Sky Suites cost 15-20% more than standard Sky Suites and unless you need the spa access it is a waste of money, IMO.

On our Jan 25th cruise we looked at a move up to CS but minimum bid was $1600pp and I didn't want to give any more money to Celebrity than we already have.

I prefer Jimmy Buffett entertainment. LOL And he is one Buffett I miss

Let me guess you have never booked or cruised in a suite on Celebrity. The point of this whole thread has been that many like us booked a cruise expecting to get a service (Butler) that we no longer get but paid dearly for. Do you believe the resources used to staff and supply Luminae and the Retreat lounges, which are also used by 10% of the passengers, could be better utilized elsewhere?

I may post about our experiences on the cruises and then I do not know. I believe people who book in the future need to know what to expect and not just what some of the Celebrity Cheerleaders post here. I will add there seems to be fewer and fewer Cheerleaders in this forum. I have found some of the older Cheerleaders now posting on the Oceania forum as they jumped ship. We booked an Oceania cruise of South America in 2025 after Celebrity pulled out of the market to do more shorter Caribbean cruises. Posting there is like a homecoming to Celebrity.

No set timing we have had anytime from 6 to 3 months out before they open up. Keep checking because the best times will be booked fast after they open up with so many having the HIA included specialty restaurants.

We met the head butler the first day and he left a card to call the Team in the Laminae Lounge, but it seemed like every time we called we were told to call someone else like room service. After the first couple of days we gave up calling.