Dolebludger

I know my posts on this subject are lux lines vs the Retreat. In categories below the Retreat, it looks like to me that Celebrity still offers a good deal, compared with its mass market competition. Actually, the Retreat (and the Yacht Club and the Haven) were set up to offer those who would ordinarily take a lux line 98% of the lux experience for a much lower fare. And we believe that the Retreat did a very good job of establishing itself I that market, pre-pandemic. Now, Celebrity has raised Retreat fares so much that they are higher than our preferred lux line (Regent), while cutting back on too many lux perks to list in this post. I am not angry with Celebrity due to this, because I can just book a lux line with a lower fare than currently on the Retreat. Instead, I feel sorry for Celebrity. It had built up a loyal following for its Retreat product. Now it is sure to loose that following.

Well, the loss of a butler would perhaps wouldn’t be such a big deal if it hadn’t been accompanied by other cuts (tips no longer included, for example), and significant fare increases.

Is this the same in Luminae and Blu?

Is it just me, or do the furnishings in the Sky Suite look a little “Motel 6ish”? I couldn’t tell much about the Yacht Club inside, because it was small with not much in it.

I think the point here is that if a cruise line uses obscure language in their “passage contract” (which is in such small print that I cannot read it) to deprive customers of an advertised benefit when they paid for it, it is time for another cruise line. Cruise lines (and airlines, hotels, resorts, and all travel providers) get away with murder because if obscure and unreadable contract provisions. Thus should not be!

Well, we are RSSC regulars. We cruised it when it had the Paul Gauguin and the Diamond, and last June on the Explorer. Much in between. In about 2018 and 2019 we had two cruises in the X Retreat, and they were really good, and at less cost than Regent for a larger suite. We checked things out lately, and find that the Retreat is more costly than cruising Regent. And find that the Retreat benefits have been cut. So no way on Celebrity! Back to Regent exclusively for us. They have the best price on what we require.

Well, I just think this is a sign of Celebrity trying to go back to its roots as a mass market cruise line. Trying to nickel and dime the guests is a hallmark of mass market lines. Remember who Celebrity’s parent company is — RCCL — the worst nickel and dimer of all !

Yes sixpackeddie, on Regent, the room steward or the room service crew will bring you whatever you want. We just care that this is what happens. We don’t care if anybody has the title of “butler” or not. And on a real lux line, it does happen. It seems that in a line that is not a real lux line, it doesn’t,— even if the price is higher than on a real luxline.

Yes, my wife calls that onion ring sauce shown above as “comeback sauce”.it is catsup+mayo+spices. She does it better than any 5 star restaurant I’ve ever been to.

Yes, Regent has had included shore excursions for several years.some are good and some are not. But we are booked on a Regent 7 night this March, and we also have a $1K room credit. And on Regent, the best place to spend that is on “premium” shore excursions, which cost extra. And on Regent, there aren’t any “infomercials” about shore shopping. It is a true “lux line”. And now, it can be booked for less than an X SS! I liked Celebrity when it was a lower cost alternative to Regent. It isn’t that anymore.

Sorry, my last Silversea cruise was in 2009, and I don’t think we had a “butler”with that title. But all service was great, as it is on Regent.

I’d just like to give my personal opinion about when butlers are and are not needed for a premium cruise experience. If a ship has an adequate number and quality of room stewards and room service personnel, butlers aren’t really needed. Examples of lines I have experienced that that provide excellent service without butlers in all but the highest suite levels include Silversea and Regent. Those who cruise these lines pretty much agree that butlers are rather redundant, and are not a reason to book a top suite. But on those lines, the stewards perform all the functions of butlers in the Retreat, and are adequate in numbers to do so, and still make up suites, because they have fewer suites to service. They don’t have to become involved with room service functions, because room service is staffed to provide prompt and accurate service. So, on these lines, there is a premium/lux experience without butlers. In contrast, it has been my observation that on Celebrity, room stewards are given only the duties of hotel maids, and have too many rooms assigned to do more. Similarly, room service is not staffed to the numbers required to provide premium service. Thus, when Celebrity sought to offer a lux product in its suite class (Retreat) it added the butlers, and priced the Retreat less than the lux lines I mentioned above. And it provided a very good product for a time. Now, with elimination of butlers in SS and other cuts, along with huge price increases, it is no longer competitive in the lux market. Again, just my opinion.

You know, that furniture doesn’t look very comfortable. Is it?

I am a member of the Elks Lodge. At our local lodge, cell phone use is not allowed in the bar room. If a member gets a cell phone call while visiting this bar, the rule is that he/she goes to another area to talk on the phone. And all obey the rule, or are reminded of it. It works out well for all. And it would work on cruise ships.

Actually, price considered, the Retreat is not a competitor of the YC. The Retreat has become a competitor of Silversea and Regent, price wise, and is losing badly IMHO.

Right. No objection to a up-charge for premium and expensive wines, if properly defined. But an up-charge for “grocery store” wine? Just “no”!

It may seem trivial to some, but this is a “deal breaker” to me. Earlier in our cruising history, we got sick and tired on all the extras on mass market lines that we stopped going on them. The last time we cruised in the Retreat, this “up charging” didn’t happen. Ditto for the YC.

Yeah, that is a negative to me. Sounds like nickel and dimming.

S to S, please explain the “wine up charge”. All of our cruising has been on lux lines and in YC/Retreat type settings. Ordinary wine has always been included, with up charge only for super premium wines, so I’m confused.

All I can say is that we have cruised Regent a lot prior to the pandemic. We didn’t cruise again until last June. We actually found the onboard experience IMPROVED From the past. Now the cost may be too high for Celebrity cruisers who didn’t cruise in the Retreat. But those who did may well find a better experience on Regent, for less cost. We did.

And unless the problem with vibration near the stern on the Voyager has been fixed wouldn’t book a guarantee on that ship either.

Thanks for the reply.

Yeah, that is true. When we first started cruising over 30 years ago, we booked inside rooms a couple of times. Had a good time, but didn’t like the small lightness rooms. Then we started moving up to a window outside cabin. As we got older, we thought it was time to move up to a balcony — on an AI cruise. Now we are wanting suites. If we can’t afford that, we stay home (we do that a lot). But S to S point out that in the YC, there are uncrowded areas to hang out, and that is fine with them. Especially in light of the quality food and service they report.