Donut23

2 hours ago, fstuff1 said:

surprised celebrity allowed non-handicappers to book a handicap room.

ncl doesnt allow that.

Celebrity has a document to complete if you are staying in a handicapped cabin but they seemed casual about follow-up.

We completed the form, attached a doctors note and had cabin requests which made it obvious we required the cabin (scooter, supplemental oxygen, etc)

Yet they STILL gave away our cabin and put us in a non-handicapped cabin.  We realized right away and screamed “up the ladder” until we got someone to switch it back.  Very disappointed in Celebrity.  It was a totally awful experience.

On 6/3/2019 at 3:04 PM, Orator said:

That's how spin works: Take a negative and make it appear positive!

Yes, like ........

I hear it’s a great play,  Mrs. Lincoln.

3 hours ago, Fogfog said:

 

Could have written this for our TA from FtL to Barcelona on an "unrevolutionized" ship

 

The "sommelier"/wine steward in BLU was incompetent and rude. Had to escalate to M'D and Head Sommelier of the ship.

 

Bar service except for Martini bar was poor/slow and that was despite it being "empty" at times. We just had to roll with it. There would be ONE bartender dealing with orders for the MDR AND also the clients inside the bar. Waiters from MDR often standing there waiting for bar orders...

 

OLD OLD and OLD... lots of walkers/scooters.  LOTS of very elderly. We and others joked perhaps A TA was cheaper than elder care? IDK

One wonders if there is an abandon ship call who is climbing over whom

 

 

Dont have to be old to be relegated to a scooter.  I’m stuck after an accident a decade ago.

Lemons to lemonaid.  I have my scooter name sign, decorations, my little bike Bell and I try to travel with my Roses and Chocolates attitude.

i even know how to OPERATE my scooter.

Dont mean to upset guests.

This is the first for Celebrity in years.  hubs is a Radiance of the Seas aft-Cabin Guy.

We will board the Summit in 87 days in the Aft Facing Handicapped Cabin now reclassified as Aqua Class.  (Not at all happy with initial customer service when they told us our cabin was reclassified.). I’m hoping for a 👍 for the cruise.  Hubs must be convinced.

Comments about slow bar service worries me.  Jim has been treated like a king on Royal.

🤞🤞🤞 fingers crossed 😘

12 minutes ago, SuzeCruz1 said:

Hi Donut23 - So glad you're getting back to beautiful Bermuda.  Have you joined the roll call yet?  Come on over.

 

I love tugboats - here's a pic of each of those two beautiful ladies that I've taken on previous trips.  

👍❤️🍾🥂🤸‍♀️🎉🤗💃🍸🍻❤️

How unbelievably thoughtful to find photos of The Girls.  Thank you.

Bermuda is a magical place for yachties.  In the fall we depart from New England in October sailing 180 degrees south....offshore for 4 or 5 days.

Nasty slog through the gulf stream, delivery crew without their sealegs throwing up and things breaking.

Captains sit at the navigation table to escape into charts and logs for a few minutes.

You realize you are about 75 miles north of Bermuda.  The day is sunny and warm - Out come the shorts.

Mosey through that cut at St George’s and The Best is to see the cuties at work.

Powerful and Faithful - I’m a comin back!

23 minutes ago, mmeg29 said:

First time for us to Bermuda.  Can not wait, can not believe it is under 90 days!!!!  See you soon!

 

Be sure to be on deck for arrival (if in the daylight).  The colors of the water from Tidy Bowl Blue to the palest sea green are mesmerizing.

Bermuda is not tall like many Caribbean islands so we won’t see her hours ahead but the pastel buildings, blue water, white sand, flowers in the gardens and green backdrop will keep your camera busy once we see the islands.

My Jim can be identified as the man with his camera to his face all the time.

Dont forget to wave to Powerful and Faithful!  ❤️

On 2/19/2019 at 2:39 PM, Jim_Iain said:

Sure hope someone starts posting some pictures.   So far haven't found a single picture.

 

Cabin 9164

aft facing Accessible 

anyone see anything?

On 2/18/2019 at 9:39 PM, SuzeCruz1 said:

Jim_Iain 

thanks so much for starting this thread; i've been following your Millennium thread to get an idea of what is in store for us on Summit.  I'm looking forward to lots of pics and comments.  

We'll be on the Sept. cruise this year - the last one of the season to Bermuda and, it appears, the last one with the 3 day stop there .  This will be our 5th trip on Summit and we're looking forward to seeing the changes.  I'm not a big fan of the decor, but the only thing I really hope they change is to add some kind of canopy over the Sunset Bar for those really sunny or really rainy days.   By September we should see how well all the light colors are holding up.  

We will be on the same September sailing with you.  I’ll be in a wheelchair/scooter (accident a decade ago).  Say hello!

i am a former Yacht Captain and stopped in Bermuda any chance I got.  My husband, Jim, and best travel buddy Lou have never seen it.

im so excited for them.  

Jim even found a photo of the tugboat, Faithful, in a recent trip report.  I always felt at home if I saw Powerful or Faithful!

87 days till we drive to NJ and 88 days until embarkation!

Days will Pass you quickly now....under 90.

2 hours ago, sun bum said:

Donut

            This will be our 12th cruise with Celebrity. We always opt for an aft cabin when available.Once we were even lucky enough to land a aft corner family veranda for just the two us us.

 

Great upgrade!  That must have been a great trip!

We have cruised in just about every Aft Facing Cabin on Deck 10 of Radiance Class Royal Caribbean Ships.

We often Cruise when we find the perfect cabin.  This Summit Cruise was the perfect cabin to a destination I have wanted Jim to see for ages.

Everything has worked out well for us but oiy!  It was a nightmare to live through.

I’ll tell them.

she would find her way to him but this will keep the volume low.

Thank you! ❤️

On 5/23/2019 at 12:36 PM, TeaBag said:

I sure hope they're not cramming more people into Blu.  We are booked in AQ on Summit and hoping it is better than our recent experience on Eclipse where the service at breakfast was nonexistent, resulting in cold food arriving eventually.  We quit eating breakfast there.  Thankfully dinner was a different experience and one which we greatly enjoyed.

Oh no!  Friends board the Eclipse on Sunday.  One wife a bit snooty about dining anywhere other than Blu and her personal service is important.  No one else really cares.

She will not deal well with slow service in Blu and will be rather vocal.  (Exhausting for others).

❤️❤️❤️❤️ to everyone at breakfast....guests and crew.

1 hour ago, screwsmcernst said:

I am thinking (and hoping) that they only changed the accessible cabin from C1 to Aqua because there wasn't an accessible cabin in the Aqua Class cabins.  Fingers crossed.  Because we are not interested in eating in Blu and we wouldn't use the PG.  So it is a waste for us.  But I am not giving up my aft balcony.  😃

I hear you about your aft balcony.  When we heard we were moved to another cabin, not aft facing, Jim and I were crazy-angry.  

I have a heart which has seen better days.  I tire easily and have spent many an afternoon resting on the balcony.

Never give up your aft balcony without a fight!

We (that means Jim) has to call for a few housekeeping changes.  Perhaps he can get more information.  Now let’s remember how well men get ..... information but I’ll ask him anyway.

Sun Bun

is this your first aft facing cabin?  You will be hooked.

Jim’s first cruise was Alaska after a week ashore.  9258 on the Radiance opened at final payment and I grabbed it before even asking Jim.  He went crazy on the balcony!

If I want to cruise somewhere (this cruise), all I need to do is find a good aft facing balcony cabin and Jim says ..... have we made the deposit yet?

3 hours ago, wrk2cruise said:

Given all the tables in Blu are 2 tops they would have to pull 2 together to accommodate your party of 3.  That compounds the overcrowding more by consuming another table for a dining cycle for 1 person.

 

Now I'm not saying they shouldn't accommodate you since it was Celebrity that made the mess. 

 

On the other hand AQ perks were not what you booked.  I guess the 3rd passenger lost the aft cabin view but I'd think having their own cabin + bath would be a plus and can still hang out on your balcony. 

 

I think they made you "whole" by giving you the extra cabin.  If they allow all 3 to dine in Blu I guess that would be another plus.

 

Would you take it if they could move all 3 of you to one of the other accessible cabins on deck 7 or 8 if they became available?

 

Believe me I'm sympathetic as I've been dealing with Celebrity canceling a 14 day cruise on me this week and having to fight with them to get an acceptable replacement at the same price.

 

We will be happy when Blu decides...either way.

in answer to your “move down a deck or two” .......

One reason we grabbed this particular sailing was for the Deck 9 location.  We enjoy Radiance Class Ships and stay in Aft Facing Cabins one Deck down from the Windjammer.

Jim often runs up to the Jammer for treats for us.  Faster than room service and better assortment.  One deck away is more convenient for Jim.

we can stay in any aft facing balcony on The 4 Radiance Class Ships.

Doors are big enough for the scooter or wheelchair

Floor area in Royal Cabins is jinormous compared to Summit.  I can drive in a rental scooter, turn it around and park next to the sofa leaving lots of room to walk around.

We bring a shower stool to assemble for the shower.

We like the location on deck 9 and booked accordingly.  Moving down would be a downgrade.

we do not really care about Aqua Class.  

We should still have a larger than normal shower to accommodate a wheelchair and shower seat.  

No cylinder shower for the limpy  folk!  (I would gladly take a Royal Caribbean Orgazmitron Cylinder Shower - WITH the shower curtain, to be able to walk well again.)

13 minutes ago, hcat said:

The friend did not do very well going from  an aft facing concierge to an inside...Hoping  OP can  work more magic  and charm to get a balc AQ  cabin for that  third person...but at least they can  be together somewhere..

 

With BLU becoming more crowded as they add AQ  cabins   we are no longer booking AQ Class!

He doesn’t mind.

they charged him the 3rd guest rate.  He will have a bed instead of the sofabed, a second bathroom

- though he may want to shower in our Accessible monster shower.

He’s going to spend most of his time with us anyway.

Lou is a delight to travel with.  ANYTHING is an adventure, he is happy to nap with me on our balcony if I’m having a bad day, and he thinks a second cabin, even inside, it a satisfactory solution.

❤️❤️ hugs to Lou

1 hour ago, jelayne said:

They just converted 10 C3s to AQ when the new deck 10 cabins had be be reclassified from AQ to 2C.  If they are now changing the 12 aft C1s to AQ that will be a total of 22 cabins added to Aqua.  I’m afraid that Blu will strain Blu to the point where service will suffer.

 

i just looked at the deck plans for both the Simmit & Millenium and the accessible aft facing cabin on deck 9 is colored as Aqua but non of the other C1are showing as changed.  Is it possible that they needed more accessible cabins and reclassified the one on Deck 9 to AQ?

That makes sense but I still don’t understand why “the ship” will not allow Lou in Blu?

This mess has been this way the entire time.  Jim, Lou and I scratching our heads trying to understand what’s going on and no straight answers from Celebrity.

i LOVED working with Celebrity when I was an agent.  They were straight shooters and Customer Service unchallenged.

jim is an Aft Facing Cabin - Royal Customer.  We were married on the Radiance in Alaska.

This was my big chance to introduce him to Celebrity.  It has been a difficult introduction.

23 minutes ago, wrk2cruise said:

It does look like it was only that 1 deck 9 accessible cabin was reclassified.  The title of this thread scared me.

Really?

i find that curious.

Our friend Lou has been accommodated in another, Non Aqua Suite Cabin.

we are waiting to hear if the Ship will allow him to join us in Blu.  

Reason: with all the new Aqua Suite Cabins, the Ship feels Blu is a little crowded.  <<That is exactly what I was told.

Funny thing to say if only one cabin was changed.  Why wouldn’t the ship automatically allow Lou to join us in Blu?

1 hour ago, wendyam76 said:

Please say your friend (in the inside room) will be allowed to eat in Blu with you because of this. Normally only Aqua staterooms can eat in Blu and I would hate for your friend not to get this benefit.

Wendy

They are working on this one.  With all the new Aqua Suite Cabins the ship has reported some crowding in Blu.

The ship will make the final decision. 

Customer Service (who apparently now flagged our reservation as VIP) said if the ship folks say NO to Lou dining in Blu, Customer Service will comp alternate dining every night for all 3 of us.  (Very happy with this solution as well).  AND, I can still dine alone if The Boys are off somewhere on Bermuda.

For some you will break out the fireworks, marching band and cheerleaders....champagne flowing.  For us, it was agony for 48 house.

Ok ...

all guests booked in aft facing Concierge cabins, sit down and hold on.  You are now upgraded to Aqua Class.  👍🍾🕺💃🍸🥂💞🤸‍♀️😋

We were booked in the aft facing handicapped cabin with a friend (a triple) since January.

Since Aqua Class are double cabins, the computer re-booked us in a non-aft, Non-Handicapped Aqua Suite Cabin and left our friend flying in the wind.....AND GAVE AWAY OUR HANDICAPPED CABIN.

By the time we got through to an emergency customer service late that night we got the voicemail, the only handicapped cabin available was an inside.

They promised to work on it but seemed happy they had booked us in one on those small/double Aqua Class cabins.  No room at all for my scooter and no accessible Shower.

As a top accounts agent years ago for Royal and Celebrity I KNEW they could and should do better.  I put on my old agent cap and called.  By now we had gotten pretty far up the Customer Service Food Chain.

A trick I followed as an agent solving a problem, I refused to hang up until the problem was solved.  Customer Service couldn’t hang up on US.

i called with Flowers and Chocolates in my voice.  Took a long time but they finally realized the problem.

We have our handicapped cabin back and our friend is in an inside cabin around the corner.

What we learned during this 2 day torture .........

During the refit the Aft Facing Concierge cabins were upgraded to Aqua Class.  The sofabed has been replaced with  mini sofa/big chair and does not convert.

All of these cabins are now doubles.

They have apparently decided to alert affected guests by sailing vs. all at once.  I guess.  We are sailing 1 September and we’re just contacted.

if you are a Triple Reservation in one of these Aft Facing Concierge Cabins, call Customer Service right away to avoid our agonies with Customer Service.

if you are traveling with others in other cabins who will not receive this upgrade, call Customer Service.  You will be upgraded to Blu without your friends.

Finally, did I make your day with news of an upgrade for you? ❤️

Cathy

Summit

Aft-Facing Cabins

Hello All,

We have not cruised yet but have a word of warning from our experience last week.  

Most of you will call in the marching band and cheerleaders ..... unless you are in a triple or quad as we are (triple).

During the renovations aft facing Concierge cabins have been reclassified as Aqua Class.  (I can hear you guys celebrating!). The sofabed has been replaced with a small sofa/big chair which does NOT convert.

Last week we got a message on the answering machine that we had been REASSIGNED a double Aqua Class cabin.

Our Aft Facing Handicapped Cabin was GONE and our friend traveling with us flying in the wind.

Hubs called late (after he got home from work) and was patched through to the emergency department.

I was a top accounts agent with Royal and Celebrity in the past and could always depend on their Customer Service.

Not this time.  Their continued solution was a double Aqua Class cabin and no accommodation for our friend.

(I’m now in a wheelchair after an accident and oxygen in the evenings for my little over worked heart.  Hubs rents a scooter when we cruise and Lou often joins us.  When I’m tired I spend the afternoon in the cabin - hubs and our friend go off to find adventure.)

Morning didn’t offer much improvement.  Hubs just worked his way up the “food chain” until someone finally listened.

i called with “Flowers and Chocolates” and used my old travel agent trick.  I stay on the line until a solution is found - no matter how long I wait.  They cannot hang up on you.

far up the Customer Service food chain we found our problem solver.

We are back in our aft facing handicapped cabin and our friend has his own inside cabin across the hall.

GREAT but too much agony all around to get to this solution.

Long Story ..... short note;

they are apparently contacting people by segments vs. everyone at once.

if you have an Aft Facing Concierge Cabin, checkout the Aqua Class benefits.

if you are 

* In a triple or quad

*. Are cross referenced with  

    Friends in the Main Dining

    Room (you will now dine in

    Blu)

Call customer service.

4 hours ago, PhoenixCruiser said:

 

I'd like to see picture of the cabin, thanks!

Me too!  Me too!

We will be in 9164 which is aft facing.  We have sailed on every Radiance Class ship, married on the Radiance in Alaska.  Radiance Class Aft Facing Cabins are our second home.

i have sailed on Celebrity, Hubs has not.  We are just darn curious.

3 hours ago, PhoenixCruiser said:

I have been looking for pictures of accessible cabins since the renovations and haven't seen any.

We do not have an aft cabin but our cruise is in November. When is yours?

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
 

3 hours ago, PhoenixCruiser said:

I have been looking for pictures of accessible cabins since the renovations and haven't seen any.

We do not have an aft cabin but our cruise is in November. When is yours?

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
 

1 September.

Hubs will do just about anything to make me smile-last 12 months have been tied up with doctors.

I actually found this sailing and casually mentioned it and BING .... he booked it.

i found photographs of the cabin

BEFORE the changes but nothing since the changes.

We are off to Bermuda.  Where will your November sailing take you?

1 hour ago, Mountaineer0313 said:

When I was looking at Celebrity’s website, there were no aft facing balconies except for the accessible ones, which I obviously wasn’t going to take. But then I went to Costco’s travel site and they had one left. Bought a Costco membership and booked it. I think he’ll love it. We so loved Alaska last year, I couldn’t wait to get back. We have Canada/New England this September to get through first, but not on an aft balcony

Just spoke with Hubs.  As soon as he heard Alaska and aft facing he was sure you will have a great time.

we used to play ....spot the whale.  We would look for the water expelled when they came to the surface to take a breath.  I was lucky and often spotted them first.

the balcony is a wonderful place to end the day AND .... you have great protection from the elements.  

On your side balcony you are subject to wind, rain and salt spray.  Aft, you often miss these.

we were on a Canada/New England cruise on Royal’s Serenade Of The Seas enjoying our balcony each night.  They sent a notice that people on balconies were to remain inside because of the high winds.  We didn’t even notice!

8 minutes ago, Mountaineer0313 said:

I’ve decided I’m not telling him I switched it. I’m just going to wait til we get in the room. We had a regular balcony cabin last year to Alaska and we spent so much time out there. Breakfast every morning, leaving port, we sat for hours with the binoculars. I can’t wait. 

Im handicapped and tire easily.  We generally spend the morning together and then Hubs is off ashore for the afternoon.  If I’m too tired, I stay and nap on the balcony.  

I actually slept on the balcony on our Southern Caribbean Cruise!

wait until you see his eyes when he sees his balcony!

im telling you.  You will be ruined for standard balconies.

have a fabulous trip!

Hello everyone!

we are cruising to Bermuda on the Summit later this summer in an Aft Facing Accessible Cabin.  (One on deck 7-9)

Does anyone have photographs of these cabins after Summit’s stay at the cruiseship Elizabeth Arden?  ... her most recent facelift?

if discussed before, I apologize.