terrydtx

Maybe when they started adding the 18% gratuity to the upfront cost, they discontinued the presentation of a bill. Thinking about it I do not remember getting a bill after our SR meals on the Reflection last year.

Yes it does my bad

This annoys me too considering when you book and pay for a specialty restaurant reservation, they add a 18% gratuity to the cover charge cost.

I have said many times Celebrity is only consistent about being inconsistent.

The fact that it is fleetwide tells me it is more of a cost savings over providing a better service, which is the Celebrity Kool-Aid spin. Also I have read posts that some of the current Butlers are being let go or not having their contracts renewed. This was a question I asked on the phone yesterday and the answer was some personnel assets were being redistributed for better efficiency, that is corporate speak ease for they are being let go.

I am not expecting the team of pseudo butlers will provide the level of service I have gotten in the past. All of our past butlers have provided service that exceeded my expectations, and I compensated them well for that service. Also not once did any butler hang around the last day with his or her hand out for the gratuity. On The Equinox last month, I had to call our butler and ask that she come to our cabin so I could leave her my gratuity. Only time will tell, and I will be on the Apex in September in a SS.

From my phone conversation yesterday with the Celebrity Executive offices the new butler changes will only affect all Sky Suite categories, not Celebrity suites which will keep the current butlers. Sky Suites include Aqua Sky Suites and Magic Carpet Sky Suites.

If they were so good, other cruise lines would have copied them too. RCL is copying them but only doing a very limited amount on their new ships, still have plenty of traditional verandahs, however.

You can also get priority boarding if you purchase Club Orange or are in a Neptune and higher suite.

Today its the Butlers, tomorrow it could be Luminae access, then the Retreat lounge, taking away amenities, one bite at a time hoping no one notices or cares. That is the Celebrity Kool-Aid.

Exactly no way I can or will tip a whole team of pseudo butlers. More for my over worked cabin attendant who no longer has the butler to help out with his or her duties.

Surprise, surprise, I just got a phone call from Celebrity Executive offices after my scathing email I sent to them yesterday. I could not understand the name of the woman who called other than she was with Celebrity Executive offices. Here is what I was told: All Suites under a Celebrity Suite will no longer have a dedicated butler but instead a team of 8 to 10 butlers who will do what the old butlers did but on a rotating basis. The change is fleetwide effective on all cruises leaving after Aug 14th. I asked how will they all know what our individual needs and wants? I was told that the whole team will know our information and wants and needs. (I do not believe this) I was told that Celebrity does not intend making any public announcements about the change and that no compensation would be offered or allow any cancelations of cruises for the change without penalties. They plan on booked passengers finding out when they board, (This is taking the chicken way out). I told her that finding out when you board is not the way to roll these changes out. I also let her know after our two cruises in January we will no longer be a Celebrity customer, she said she would convey all of my sentiments to corporate management. She was trying to sell me the Kool-Aid that having a team of Butlers will be a vast improvement. I told her I disagreed and that they may think they are giving us more but we are really getting less for the same cost. She also said that Corporate had complete confidence from their research that this was a good idea that would be welcomed by all customers. What a load of BS. I also told her corporate should check social media like CC and FB to see how this change is going over so negatively

And then they will answer with " We are not programmed to do what you want"

After 5 Retreat cruises in a SS, I have not once had any butler say NO to a reasonable request, so I can't answer your question. Wait, I do remember one butler saying no thanks, when I asked him if he needed anything from shore at a port stop. He also said no when we wanted to take him home with us, LOL

I have come to believe when Celebrity says you are getting more, you are really getting less for more cost. I also bet these "Teams" will be the newest and mostly undertrained of the new hired, all the best and seasoned butlers will be in the higher suites.

Same for us last month on the Equinox last month in a Sky Suite, our butler filled our fridge with anything we wanted at no charge, we even got flavored vitamin water for our Granddaughter included. We got beer, wine and champagne as well.

Have you asked your butler about the changes in butler service?

I have seen posts hear from CC members who never book suites and have expressed little to no empathy about losing a butler service that was promised when we booked. I wonder how they felt back in January when Celebrity decided to charge for room service in non-suites, something they were promised when they booked? I remember the huge firestorm on CC over this decision.

It sounds like the changes will not go into effect until mid-August so you should be just fine.

And when I ask the robot for a Gin and Tonic, I will get "sorry cabin 9017 that does not compute and is outside of my parameters"

A few years ago, my primary medical doctor's clinic went to a team of doctors' concept and every time I went to see them, I got a different doctor or PA who knew nothing about me or my medical history. I spent most of my visit going back over my medical history and got very little service. They used the same argument about how a 'Team" would provide better service, I soon changed primary doctors after that.

Careful or Celebrity will fire all customer service reps and go with AI chatbots. Wait that could result in better consistent service too. I can also see in the future calling your Butler team will get you an AI Chatbot on the ship.

I said in an earlier post that I most likely will not give an extra tip to a team. I usually tip my butler an extra $10-$15 a day. If anything, I will give a little more to my room attendant who will be working much harder now. For those booking a SS in the future for the first time they will think the butler Team was great as they will not know anything better.

Like the recent rumors of allowing Vaping in the casino on Equinox that turned out true is a test by Celebrity, which I am sure will go fleetwide soon.

Here is the email for Celebrity Executive office, I sent them an email yesterday that I hope they respond to. ExecutiveOffice@celebrity.com When the testing of allowing vaping in the casino leaked out I got a response from the above email the day after I sent it.