bboop51

7 hours ago, FeebeeH said:

Thanks again for your help, I really appreciate it - Captains Club certainly did come to the rescue & I was able to upgrade my husband to the Premium Package for AUD$13.38.  He no longer misses out simply because I can't drink alcohol.  I think I'll take my medical certificate along just in case there's any problems onboard the ship....

I am so glad they could help you, too 💕

1 minute ago, FeebeeH said:

Thank you very much for the advice, I'll give the Captains Club a try.  Last cruise I was on was in 2019 were  I also had the Premium no alcohol pack I purchased for myself & classic for my husband. It does sound similar to what you went through. 

The policy now is that everyone has to upgrade.  Another way for Celebrity to make money. Captains Club to the rescue.

12 hours ago, FeebeeH said:

I had previously downgraded my AI Classic Drink to Zero Proof as I can't drink, I've now tried to upgrade my husband (who can & does like a drink or two) to the Premium package at the cheaper rates.  I couldn't do it online & called customer service - they told me they were unable to do this as I'd already been upgraded & that I had to send an email to Reservations (attaching my medical certificate stating I can't drink).  Am now awaiting their reply & hoping they approve my husband's upgrade - before the price increases.

I've danced this dance before. This time I called Captains Club directly and explained (again) I can't drink (medical.) I told them they could check my folio from our cruse this year. I drank only club soda and lattes. They put me on hold, came back said Ok and upgrade my hubs for $6.99 plus. No problem;.Last year it was the same (with a lot of agg and no discount.)

1 hour ago, CruisersTimesThree said:

Apparently Aqua Class is taking the next hit! Scroll down the article.

https://www.cruisehive.com/popular-cruise-line-cutting-suite-benefits-for-passengers/109412?fbclid=IwAR0A2ZDmxaYDKFKG5PTmDgagrmxvRsUOLGiWflqxoXUaklb3PZ6SmkbuQow_aem_AYlz7MZBC1W0nveOUYeS7k-bVUOTy0fTOHyE21GYcfnXg8bRgx_cofDMbknmXmShZ44#lls6otsrlvpjbctsxef

I just read that. I wish we cared. We cruise AQ. We almost never eat the canapes.  They mean well but our feel allergies don't work well with them.and I am gluten free so no CC cookies for me. Plenty of free crap to eat on the ship (for now. I remember (well) when in the afternoon you could get free sushi at the buffet. Now you have to dearly for it and people still cruise.

Thanks.  It looks like this may be a moot point . I'm learning new things every day. 

The only direct flights to the UK are to Heathrow, so we will most likely fly from PHL or EWR and take the bus to Southampton.  I was under the impression there were direct flights to Southampton from JFK (bad information.) 

Thank you.  In theory, that sounds great. We have investigated it before for EWR. But even with my pared down packing (which will be difficult,) schlepping the suitcases on the trains is not feasible. 

I'd love to be the person who can throw stuff in a backpack and go,  but that is trick this old will never learn 😉

16 minutes ago, kayehall said:

parksleepfly.com, parksleephotels.com, buyreservations.com....I tried to look some up but need dates.  Years ago we used a Sheraton near JFK and left our car there.  Worked out well

Thanks. I put my dates in on parksleepfly.and got nothing for your dates. But it did let me put the dates in. I think it may be too early. We don't have flights yet (too early lol) It's my first trip to Europe I'm really excited.

We expect to be flying out of JFK airport next year. It will be our first time. It is usually PHL or EWR. But we are flying to Southampton (UK) and it appears JFK is the only way we will get a direct flight.

We usually do a stay, sleep, park thing,. It works great, no rushing to the airport the morning of the flight and worrying about traffic, accidents etc.

I can't seem to get  a handle on this for JFK airport. Our trip is almost a year out and I am not ready to book necessarily, but I am an advance planner and like to see the options.

So, I can not tell if it's too early or the options are really limited.

Anyone out there with personal experience, your input would be very valuable.

Thank you in advance.

15 minutes ago, weregoingcruising said:

I agree and also think maybe they just washed and sanitized somewhere else. 

Of interest, apparently hand sanitizer DO NOT kill the norovirus. PROPER hand washing  does it.

I was surprised.

9 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

IMO the Celebrity ships are highly prepared for both Noro and Covid these days.

You are entitled to your opinion, but we lived it. They may be prepared for the cleaning but not the patients, more than once calls for assistance were responded to (after long delays) by the same thing  we don't have enough staff. So we can agree to disagree. Our getting the ship was nightmare. We can leave it at that.

We were on this cruise. We could not  have been more cautious. Hand washing at every appropriate time (which we do anyway,) no elevators etc and yet my very healthy husband still got Norovirus. He was very sick. It left his immune system in the dumps. He is recovering slowly. 

I personally do no think the ship was prepared for the medical issues (Noro and the apparent Covid that also was discovered.)

On 4/3/2023 at 7:57 PM, misha1 said:

Spoke with resolution department about this very matter last week. DH does not drink alcohol due to health conditions.  They noted it in our reservation and I will present a letter from his PCP attesting to this.  They could not upgrade me to premium via our conversation, but assured me that I will be able to do this on board with said documentation.  We shall see.

I called the Captain's Club and after being told no from my initial call I got a yes from them. I don't drink (medical)  Hubby likes the good stuff. Apparently the change was made in March that everyone in the cabin had to have the same package.

On 3/17/2023 at 10:43 PM, jagoffee said:

I suspect you have learned from the more recent posts that there are significantly more upgraded non alcoholic drinks that you get with the Zero Proof package over the non alcoholic portion of the Classic package.  Per your post they offered to downgrade you the Zero Proof and gave you a choice.  Since you cannot and do not drink alcohol it was a great offer.  Others have not been so lucky.  
 

What’s it to me?  I just seemed from you various posts that you did not have a clear understanding.  It is a different story is a person drinks alcohol.

There is nothing on the zero proof package that made any difference to me. The tone of your post  did  not appear  to be a helpful one, as many are. We can agree to part ways here. I won't be engaging with you again.

1 minute ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

From Celebrity website , hopeful this is the latest 

https://www.celebritycruises.com/things-to-do-onboard/onboard-packages/beverage-packages/compare-packages

Acqua Panna water Evian water San Pellegrino Premium coffees Red Bull and Editions Zero Proof Cocktails, Frozen & Non Frozen

Sodas Premium teas Aqua Spa Fresh Juices Bottled Iced Teas Vitamin Water

1 minute ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

From Celebrity website , hopeful this is the latest 

https://www.celebritycruises.com/things-to-do-onboard/onboard-packages/beverage-packages/compare-packages

Acqua Panna water Evian water San Pellegrino Premium coffees Red Bull and Editions Zero Proof Cocktails, Frozen & Non Frozen

Sodas Premium teas Aqua Spa Fresh Juices Bottled Iced Teas Vitamin Water

Got it, thanks.

15 hours ago, DCPIV said:

Sorry about the misunderstanding. 🤪

No misunderstanding, really.  In fact I think you are on to something.  By the way Celebrity operates. If you downgrade to Zero Proof from Classic they SHOULD give you a credit toward the upgrade for the the Premium package you paying for. They seem to now be nickle and diming you for everything else.

I honestly was not particularly (personally) bothered at some of the changes. I only eat on Lobster (hubby is allergic)  so none for him and in all of our cruises we have never ordered room service, it's just not our thing.  It's just like at home we don't have food delivered to our house.  But they seem to be looking for more and more ways take $$ from us.

3 hours ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Isn’t red bull and different kinds of water the only difference, and of course alcohol, between zero and classic 

i don't anything about red bull but the premium waters are not available on either zero or classic from my recollection, only club soda or regular Celebrity bottled water, unless they changed that (which I'm guessing is doubtful.)

7 hours ago, jagoffee said:

From the your thread you started the above.

I am confused.  You said that you do not and cannot drink alcohol.  You said that Celebrity gave you the option to take the Zero proof package and you stayed with the Classic.  Why?  Unless Celebrity has made a change the Zero proof has an expanded choice of non alcoholic drinks, why did you take it?

What's it to you ?  Is that your only take away  from this ?  Here is why. . My package came with it and I felt I should keep it. Unless I was going to get credit for it, 

7 hours ago, DCPIV said:

 

Check this out:  

 

 

Like many others, I thought you'd have no chance at getting what you were asking about, but that very solution was offered to another when she called to upgrade only her husband.  You might actually have a chance.  It's certainly worth a call to find out.

That was me.. Yes, they let us upgrade but not "switch."  We had to pay for the upgrade. I was left with my package. I actually had a choice of the Classic or Zero. I guess they figured it didn't matter.

In fact, that is all we were after.

1 hour ago, landlocked406 said:

I called yesterday to upgrade our drinks and the agent asked if "we both wanted to upgrade". So lots of inconsistent results. We did both want to so I don't know what would have happened if I had only asked for one.

Both reps I spoke to indicated the computer would not allow them upgrade just one of us that it would take some sort of a waiver, which is what I presume was done by the "resolutions team."  No clue. I don't know what this change is about other than them worried one person in the room will buy fancy Martinis etc for the other other who didn't upgrade.

They need to stop this. Enough is Enough.

3 minutes ago, glalonzo0408 said:

I have done this for every cruise.  I just call and tell them for medical reasons I cannot drink (which is true).  They have never required a doctor's note.  Call again and get someone else.  Keep calling til you get someone who will do it for you.

It's all taken care of now.  Apparently as of this month it's changed and everyone traveling together has to upgrade together. It required a waiver from the resolution team. I got one when I called the Captains Club.

1 hour ago, DCPIV said:

 

Cool!  

 

Oddly enough, there's another thread out there where someone wanted to do what they originally offered you (i.e., downgrade one package and upgrade the other).  Everyone (including me) thought she would have a snowball's chance at that.  Perhaps there is hope.

The Captains Club rep was great. It was a better choice that calling the general #.

52 minutes ago, sherylc said:

Just to clarify (since I am trying to do the same thing), was there an additional charge to do his upgrade to premium or was it the "switcheroo" (one up to premium, the other down to zero proof) with no additional charge. 

Thanks!!

There was no downgrade. I kept the  original classic package. Hubby now has premium. We used our OBC to upgrade his, so there was an additional charge (subtracted from that.) I think with our the Elite discount it was something like $18.50 a day. For him well worth it. Everything he drinks is premium.

Update !!!!  I called the Captains Club number and got a lovely young woman who told me the same thing. I explained my plight and she said she would reach out to her resolutions team. 

She expected the they would downgrade my package to zero alcohol to upgrade his. I was fine with that.

After quite a bit of time on hold and two call backs. It was done (with no switch.. I remain on the classic bev package.) No Drs. note either.  Hubby has his upgrade with all our discounts an I am happy (except I should not have had to work so hard for this.)

8 hours ago, RichYak said:

Do we know for sure that Celebrity requires a note from one's doctor for this purpose? I would have thought that a simple affirmation that you are unable to consume alcohol would have been enough. I mean, what if you're an alcoholic? What note could you possibly provide?

 

@bboop51 I would make 2 separate calls to customer service. First, change your package to Zero Proof out of personal necessity, assuming no dr. note is required. Then a second call at a later time to upgrade your husband's package to premium.

I only know what the rep told me. I would have thought my affirmation would have been good enough. In face, that was my thought exactly. what if I was an alcoholic, it's not like AA gives a note (I presume. The classic package comes with out cruise, so there no changing it. Next week I may try again, if I feel like sitting on the phone, if not I'll wait until we board. 

6 hours ago, Laurab23 said:

Then I would definitely get a letter from your dr.

 

Laura

Laura, As per our previous discussions,  I told Richard I'm getting his Lobster just on GP. (He's allergic.)