The New Celebrity Captains Club is Here!

[MicCanberra]

Somehow, I think the howls would be much greater than they are now! :rolleyes:

 

Yes, but not from me and several others I know of that have a cruised a lot with X in the past two years.:D

[deise17311]

Send an email to Captains Club expressing what you feel you need or deserve as far as points not awarded during the conversion...I'm sure they will help you...

Edited November 27, 2013 by deise17311

[phoenix_dream]

This entire topic is so endingly tiring and sad. If one cruises just for building perks sail in a suite and you will get all sorts of these fast track perks and more at the time of your sailing...even if its your very first Celebrity Cruise.

 

There is a simple solution for you - just stop reading it. Many of us have waited for the new Captains Club changes for a long time. It is only natural that people would want to express their opinions, both pros and cons. Most of us appreciate the perks, but more so, we want to feel appreciated. I for one am very grateful for any free perks, and do not necessarily book a cruise because of them.

 

At the same time, some of the perks (like the social hour) save us a considerable amount of money, which makes a difference between cruising once a year or twice a year, or between being able to afford an inside cabin versus a balcony. As a long time (20+ years) Celebrity cruiser, and now Elite+ member, I was pretty disappointed at the "perks" for the new level. Don't see the point of wanting to spend even more time on a computer while supposedly on vacation, and DH doesn't even drink coffee (although I like that perk:D). We don't drink enough to purchase liquor packages, so that perk is useless, and there are usually discounts on Specialty dining anyway so that is no big deal. Extra laundry is nice on a long cruise, but until retirement the longest we can handle is 10 days, so that perk is of no benefit to us either. I was hoping for something better - maybe one free Specialty dinner, or a free bottle of wine or something. The main point is that it takes quite a bit to achieve that level and the perks added do not feel very special to me.

 

I am also very dismayed to see the highest level so insanely unattainable for us mortal folks. Based on my cruising history over 20+ years, I would need to cruise another 40 years to hit that level. Not a particular incentive for sure. I suspect everyone at that level was already getting those kind of perks anyway - they were just under the table.

 

So once again, happy for any freebies and don't make a final cruising decision because of them. But the purpose of this thread is to discuss our thoughts on them, so there are mine.:)

[CruisingChick]

There is a simple solution for you - just stop reading it. Many of us have waited for the new Captains Club changes for a long time. It is only natural that people would want to express their opinions, both pros and cons. Most of us appreciate the perks, but more so, we want to feel appreciated. I for one am very grateful for any free perks, and do not necessarily book a cruise because of them.

 

At the same time, some of the perks (like the social hour) save us a considerable amount of money, which makes a difference between cruising once a year or twice a year, or between being able to afford an inside cabin versus a balcony. As a long time (20+ years) Celebrity cruiser, and now Elite+ member, I was pretty disappointed at the "perks" for the new level. Don't see the point of wanting to spend even more time on a computer while supposedly on vacation, and DH doesn't even drink coffee (although I like that perk:D). We don't drink enough to purchase liquor packages, so that perk is useless, and there are usually discounts on Specialty dining anyway so that is no big deal. Extra laundry is nice on a long cruise, but until retirement the longest we can handle is 10 days, so that perk is of no benefit to us either. I was hoping for something better - maybe one free Specialty dinner, or a free bottle of wine or something. The main point is that it takes quite a bit to achieve that level and the perks added do not feel very special to me.

 

I am also very dismayed to see the highest level so insanely unattainable for us mortal folks. Based on my cruising history over 20+ years, I would need to cruise another 40 years to hit that level. Not a particular incentive for sure. I suspect everyone at that level was already getting those kind of perks anyway - they were just under the table.

 

So once again, happy for any freebies and don't make a final cruising decision because of them. But the purpose of this thread is to discuss our thoughts on them, so there are mine.:)

 

What she said.

 

Except for the 20+ year history (ours is only 12 years) and the coffee part (my DH drinks coffee) everything you have said is spot on with the way DH and I feel. If the the beverage package was 25% off we might have considered it, but again we do not drink enough to justify the cost of any beverage package even with 10% discount.

 

Thank you for posting.

Edited November 27, 2013 by CruisingChick

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

What she said.

 

Except for the 20+ year history (ours is only 12 years) and the coffee part (my DH drinks coffee) everything you have said is spot on with the way DH and I feel. If the the beverage package was 25% off we might have considered it, but again we do not drink enough to justify the cost of any beverage package even with 10% discount.

 

Thank you for posting.

 

I do agree that having something like a 25% beverage package discount at the E+ level would be more attractive than 10%, but who wouldn't? ! :D The 15% off specialty dining will save us $70+ per cruise alone - so that's welcome, to be sure!

 

We can easily burn through 400 (combined) internet minutes on a 7-night cruise. Just off the Carnival Freedom on Sunday and purchased a 480 minute package - for something like $159. So if that is basically thrown in free.... THANKS !! :)

 

Tom

[bob278]

I found that Celebrity does not honor Captains Club levels with priority boarding, however RoyalCaribbean does. Go figure. Also noticed that Royal Caribbean treats their returning cruisers better than Celebrity.

 

Yes, I got a bit surprised/confused with that when I switched between the two at entry level.

 

I'm not sure what you are talking about. Here is the line (starting at Select so it isn't available for Classic but it is for all others) in the benefits list and I don't think this is new.

 

• Priority embarkation while boarding the ship (where available)

 

Hard to argue the point about which program is better as it is not a simple comparison. Both have a few really good benefits and a lot of "fluff". It all depends on what is important to an individual. For those who say they are only interested in feeling valued, any recognition should do that. For those who are only interested in monetary benefits, it depends on which things you use most. I may try to do a point-by-point comparison for my own interest.

[CRUZBUDS]

I do agree that having something like a 25% beverage package discount at the E+ level would be more attractive than 10%, but who wouldn't? ! :D The 15% off specialty dining will save us $70+ per cruise alone - so that's welcome, to be sure!

 

We can easily burn through 400 (combined) internet minutes on a 7-night cruise. Just off the Carnival Freedom on Sunday and purchased a 480 minute package - for something like $159. So if that is basically thrown in free.... THANKS !! :)

 

Tom

 

Most of the Elite+ benefits aren't something we'd likely get much value from. We haven't eaten at a specialty restaurant since the price went to $45 - a $6.75 discount just seems silly. If you enjoy eating there and are fine with the cost, every little bit helps I suppose.

 

We'll enjoy the extra internet time, but it carries no value. The 90 minutes we had as Elite were adequate for us and we never considered purchasing more time.

 

We can't stand any kind of coffee

 

The discount for the drink packages is fine, but it doesn't even cover the cost of the tip.

 

We all see value differently. but I wouldn't exert much effort to get to Elite+

 

We're still thrilled with the Elite benefits, Elite+ just reminds me of the old Elite program where almost every benefit required purchasing something. It least we had the T Pool! :)

 

[phoenix_dream]

I'm not sure what you are talking about. Here is the line (starting at Select so it isn't available for Classic but it is for all others) in the benefits list and I don't think this is new.

 

• Priority embarkation while boarding the ship (where available)

 

Hard to argue the point about which program is better as it is not a simple comparison. Both have a few really good benefits and a lot of "fluff". It all depends on what is important to an individual. For those who say they are only interested in feeling valued, any recognition should do that. For those who are only interested in monetary benefits, it depends on which things you use most. I may try to do a point-by-point comparison for my own interest.

 

I think the point I was trying to make about being valued is not coming across clear enough. I think that when one achieves Elite level, there is a significant bump in the perks offered. When one achieves Elite+ level (which takes considerable time/money to achieve) the bump in perks is pretty minor compared to the difference between Select and Elite. Especially given that for at least a couple of the few additional perks better deals can be found with booking specials (paid beverage package vis a vis 1-2-3 promo - versus discount on liquor package), through TA benefits thrown in, or onboard (Specialty restaurant discounts, when often 20-30% or more discounts are offered onboard), Other than some non-monetary perks which could be offered but aren't (maybe more dinners with Captain or Senior Staff or something similar), how else can one judge value other than monetary value? When you create a higher level that is difficult to achieve, make the next higher level all but impossible to achieve for most cruisers, and then throw in some very minor perks, then it says to me that level is not very valued.

 

And I will repeat again that I am grateful for the perks I do receive. But if I am going to do an analysis of the levels, I think Celebrity missed the boat a bit on the Elite+ level.

[PatC]

Phoenix - I couldn't agree more! We have sailed when we could, strictly with Celebrity, that being our choice, since 1992. The beverage package is useless at 10% off since with the 123 program, the Classic package is free (or what they consider free). We upgrade to the Premium, maybe that would be a nice "perk" for Elite +;)

 

My DH doesn't do the coffees either, so not for us.

The internet minutes are nice but, as you state, I'm on a cruise:rolleyes:

The 15% off the specialty restaurant is nice but 25% would have prompted us to do more than 1 a cruise.

 

The most telling statement you made is something we said immediately. The "Zenith" level is completely unattainable for us as seniors who can only afford that 1 cruise a year. We did sail in concierge and suites but that didn't help much, did it:( Even did Aqua 1 time. And you are correct, those who are now "Zenith" have been getting many of these perks all along, quietly.

 

Now, these are my opinions. If Celebrity was smarter and really, really appreciated frequent cruisers, and actually DID take suggestions into consideration, I do believe things would be different.

 

I don't know who they polled but over the years we have NEVER been asked for any suggestions or opinions. That's just plain crap since we also know many of our cruising friends who have NEVER received a survey either. We wait for them, but none so far.

 

While we love the product, with the economy the way it is, our cruises are getting less. We are even, at our age, considering land-based vacations and would really miss the cruising experience.

 

We are booked on Equinox in April and really look forward to our next trip.:D

 

Happy Thanksgiving all

 

Pat

[20pluscruises]

There is a simple solution for you - just stop reading it. Many of us have waited for the new Captains Club changes for a long time. It is only natural that people would want to express their opinions, both pros and cons. Most of us appreciate the perks, but more so, we want to feel appreciated. I for one am very grateful for any free perks, and do not necessarily book a cruise because of them.

 

At the same time, some of the perks (like the social hour) save us a considerable amount of money, which makes a difference between cruising once a year or twice a year, or between being able to afford an inside cabin versus a balcony. As a long time (20+ years) Celebrity cruiser, and now Elite+ member, I was pretty disappointed at the "perks" for the new level. Don't see the point of wanting to spend even more time on a computer while supposedly on vacation, and DH doesn't even drink coffee (although I like that perk:D). We don't drink enough to purchase liquor packages, so that perk is useless, and there are usually discounts on Specialty dining anyway so that is no big deal. Extra laundry is nice on a long cruise, but until retirement the longest we can handle is 10 days, so that perk is of no benefit to us either. I was hoping for something better - maybe one free Specialty dinner, or a free bottle of wine or something. The main point is that it takes quite a bit to achieve that level and the perks added do not feel very special to me.

 

I am also very dismayed to see the highest level so insanely unattainable for us mortal folks. Based on my cruising history over 20+ years, I would need to cruise another 40 years to hit that level. Not a particular incentive for sure. I suspect everyone at that level was already getting those kind of perks anyway - they were just under the table.

 

So once again, happy for any freebies and don't make a final cruising decision because of them. But the purpose of this thread is to discuss our thoughts on them, so there are mine.:)

 

Well said!

[npb]

I am just thankful that we have had the resources and health to cruise.

 

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

[Ma Bell]

I guess my question would be what kinds of perks would make everyone happy? What exactly is it that someone would use? I really can't think of much.

 

My opinion of "perks" is that whatever they are we are paying for them. Anyone who thinks they are not factored into the cost of a cruise is living in dreamland. The more so-called perks there are the more expensive the cruise.

 

Book a cruise that you enjoy for a price you can afford and then try not to worry about what everyone else is getting.:)

[bob278]

I'm not sure what you are talking about. Here is the line (starting at Select so it isn't available for Classic but it is for all others) in the benefits list and I don't think this is new.

 

• Priority embarkation while boarding the ship (where available)

 

Hard to argue the point about which program is better as it is not a simple comparison. Both have a few really good benefits and a lot of "fluff". It all depends on what is important to an individual. For those who say they are only interested in feeling valued, any recognition should do that. For those who are only interested in monetary benefits, it depends on which things you use most. I may try to do a point-by-point comparison for my own interest.

 

I think the point I was trying to make about being valued is not coming across clear enough. I think that when one achieves Elite level, there is a significant bump in the perks offered. When one achieves Elite+ level (which takes considerable time/money to achieve) the bump in perks is pretty minor compared to the difference between Select and Elite. Especially given that for at least a couple of the few additional perks better deals can be found with booking specials (paid beverage package vis a vis 1-2-3 promo - versus discount on liquor package), through TA benefits thrown in, or onboard (Specialty restaurant discounts, when often 20-30% or more discounts are offered onboard), Other than some non-monetary perks which could be offered but aren't (maybe more dinners with Captain or Senior Staff or something similar), how else can one judge value other than monetary value? When you create a higher level that is difficult to achieve, make the next higher level all but impossible to achieve for most cruisers, and then throw in some very minor perks, then it says to me that level is not very valued.

 

And I will repeat again that I am grateful for the perks I do receive. But if I am going to do an analysis of the levels, I think Celebrity missed the boat a bit on the Elite+ level.

 

I am in complete agreement with you. I don't think the jump in benefits for Elite is worth much, either, but they are still nice and very appreciated. My response was directed only at the comment that celebrity does not have priority boarding for Captain's Club members.

Edited November 27, 2013 by bob278

[20pluscruises]

I guess my question would be what kinds of perks would make everyone happy? What exactly is it that someone would use? I really can't think of much.

 

My opinion of "perks" is that whatever they are we are paying for them. Anyone who thinks they are not factored into the cost of a cruise is living in dreamland. The more so-called perks there are the more expensive the cruise.

 

Book a cruise that you enjoy for a price you can afford and then try not to worry about what everyone else is getting.:)

 

A guarenteed prime seat at the pool would make me very happy!

Edited November 27, 2013 by 20pluscruises

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

I guess my question would be what kinds of perks would make everyone happy? What exactly is it that someone would use? I really can't think of much.

 

My opinion of "perks" is that whatever they are we are paying for them. Anyone who thinks they are not factored into the cost of a cruise is living in dreamland. The more so-called perks there are the more expensive the cruise.

 

Book a cruise that you enjoy for a price you can afford and then try not to worry about what everyone else is getting.:)

 

Meaningful perks:For cruisers approaching or at Zenith level, free cruises once in awhile or heavily discounted cruises once in awhile or room upgrades such as balcony to a suite. What means a lot to me is a bigger room, free laundry and pressing, heavy discounts or BOGO in a premium restaurant or vouchers for gelato amd specialty coffee. Hubby likes Internet minutes. We both appreciate priority boarding and even priority debarkation, if that exists anymore.

[gold1953]

We can't see anything worth working for on Elite plus either. For coffee drinkers it is a nice perk . We can't stand coffee either... so what about all the tea drinkers???? I asked the Captains Club rep this morning and she confirmed that no teas are included. In my calculation the specialty tea bags cost less than the coffees.

If you don't drink alcohol they will give you a soda at the captains club events.... so us tea drinkers deserve a perk as well!!!

 

Extra internet minutes are nice but before Elite we cruised with no contact to the outside world and adjusted nicely

First cruise as Elite is in Jan..

A long way to go to Elite plus so hoping by then we will get TEA!!!!!

[neverbeenhere]

We will be converting our coffees into teas at every opportunity. Almost nothing a pleasant conversation can't get you.

[NLH Arizona]

The way I look at it, is that I would cruise no matter what the perks are, but whatever they choose to give me is one more thing I didn't have before, whether I use it or not.

 

If I designed the program, I would have given a few more perks to Elite+. Maybe a dinner in a specialty restaurant or a free shore excursion up to a certain price. But I didn't design it and for the record, I'm only one cruise away from Elite, so I don't have a horse in the race and may never have one, because I might never get to Elite+.

 

Hey, and you never know, they may add additional perks after they see the feed back from those that were just made Elite+, but please make your suggestions realistic and maybe they will listen.

[Karynanne]

I am just thankful that we have had the resources and health to cruise.

 

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

 

Well said. This is exactly how I feel. All the additional perks are icing on the cake.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Well said. This is exactly how I feel. All the additional perks are icing on the cake.

 

Heck, for 20+ years I regularly ate (ready-made/refrigerated) icing right from the tub... forget the cake! Well, that and cookie dough too... :o :D

 

Tom

[gold1953]

We will be converting our coffees into teas at every opportunity. Almost nothing a pleasant conversation can't get you.

 

I must agree on this point!! We always make sure to smile and be kind to all crew. The perks are the best ..even the ones that are just " Thank you"!!!

 

I don't feel that asking for tea to be included is an unreasonable expectation. It is not asking for an extra perk. The perk should read 'A Hot ( non alcoholic) Beverage'

Can you imagine the uproar if it said tea and not coffee.

[LinZbee]

I'm not sure if anyone else cares about this Elite perk, but my DH and I appreciated most the 5-7 pm social hours where we could meet and greet other fellow passengers each night in the same location. We made new friends in a nice atmosphere (and especially wonderful in Michael's Club on the Millie and Connie - but that seems like a thing of the past now) as well as in the Sky Lounge. Has anyone heard if we are still going to have this time and place each night, or just going to get drink vouchers for most any bar? Not a fan of that. Drink vouchers are fine to limit people taking advantage, but I'd love to know about the 5-7 pm venue remaining as a perk. Please advise if anyone has any info on this. Thanks.

[medic358]

I wuold have been select after this cruise 15 night panama,we booked this 4/10/13 I think all who had bookings befor they put this new point system in effect should be grandfather in ,we got messed around on the feb 4,(drydock) they dident tell us that for well over a month,had to chang meny things,If capt club dose not honnor this Im done with celebrity:mad:jay,we all ready picked out cruise for 2015 jan16 8night and then 5 night back to back

[medic358]

The program has a disclaimer that they can change it at nay time without notice but that does not take away the disappointment of being short-changed. :D

All the supervisor said to me was so sorry,but i agee with you!!!IM just a little mad jay

[20pluscruises]

I must agree on this point!! We always make sure to smile and be kind to all crew. The perks are the best ..even the ones that are just " Thank you"!!!

 

I don't feel that asking for tea to be included is an unreasonable expectation. It is not asking for an extra perk. The perk should read 'A Hot ( non alcoholic) Beverage'

Can you imagine the uproar if it said tea and not coffee.

 

At one time they would come to your table with the tea box and you could choose your favorite brew....and no extra charge