New elites

[Big Kev]

We are not new to Elite...but since the changes we are... does anyone know if you still receive mimosa and espresso at the breakfast location? I so will miss Michaels club and all of the wonderful people we met over the years in the close in quarters of that nice area. We sail on the Millenium in Alaska for the first time in 2 months and imagine there will be a lot of Elite on that cruise.

Thanks for any new info that changed over the last year!

 

 

Just off Milly, and had Expresso and Bloody Mary avail at breakfast venue.. (Olympic)

 

S and P

 

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[BosoxI]

Wow, you should try Princess or HAL's elite cocktail hour, I mean hours! Oh, wait. Princess and HAL don't have elite cocktail hours!

 

Celebrity, thank you for this wonderful loyalty perk.

 

Shaco

 

I guess the one time mini-bar set up replaced it. I have such good memories of their lounge in the handle of the Grand with a buffet table set up with a changing menu. On the plus side their laundry/cleaning service is great, especially on a long cruise. Generous internet minutes, too, plus a free insurance upgrade, I think. Still, the Elite lounge is great and it means we don't need a drink package, as we're not heavy drinkers. Pluses and minuses on all lines. Itinerary and price stillrule for us

Edited April 7, 2014 by BosoxI

[cruiserone]

WE love the cocktail hour for Elites! Have met so many nice and interesting people over the years. Not to mention the Celebrity hostesses who we always find charming and personable. Even though we have the drink package we still go to the party for a meet and greet with everyone. It is a social hour. I agree thank you Celebrity for this recognition. Royal Caribbean does a nice one with a lot of the staff showing up to shake hands and say hello.

 

Happy Sailing Everyone!

[upwarduk]

We will also do our first Elite cruise on the Equinox in April: Fort Lauderdale-Malaga TA.

Taking into account that I have read that there are many Elites on these TA cruises, would your previous answers about the Elite cocktail hour and breakfast be different for that type of cruise?

 

On our Infinity TA in Oct, coupons were given out, which can be used in any bar / or you could attend the cocktail social hour. We only attended one, as it was very crowded, but used the drinks coupons, mainly in the Rendezvous Lounge.

 

Elite breakfast was held in a section of the dining room.

 

The most important perk for me, when we were newly Elite, was Priority Tendering.

We had a dreadful experience in Split, it took us 3 hrs to get off Eclipse!

The following year, we needed to get off Century early, for a private tour. I was SO tense, until one of the Activity staff made arrangements to get a group of us off on an early tender to link up with the tour.

I even arranged a 2 day repositioning cruise, to gain my last point, so I became Elite, in time for my next long cruise- which didn't have a Tender port!!!:D

Edited April 7, 2014 by upwarduk

[maxsales]

Wow, you should try Princess or HAL's elite cocktail hour, I mean hours! Oh, wait. Princess and HAL don't have elite cocktail hours!

 

Celebrity, thank you for this wonderful loyalty perk.

 

Shaco

 

Well put!

 

You know some people would complain if you gave them a check for $10,000 that they had to drive to the bank to cash it. :)

[cruisegirl1]

OP- enjoy all the benefits. As for the cocktail hour(s), I guess the sail date or itinerary makes a difference. We sailed the NYE 14 night southern Carib. and had no problem with elite crowds. We arrived at the lounge about 6:00 pm and stayed till about 6:45. We had any choice of places to sit. We generally sat at the bar and received good service. I don't know if there is a line to get in if one attends when it opens. Also we did not attend every night, maybe 8 of the 12 nights it was open.

 

We make good use of the laundry and internet coupons.

 

Enjoy all the generous perks.

 

M

[ghstudio]

if you have priority tendering and friends don't, there is little chance that you'll be on the same tender...just go with them and get a regular tender ticket.

 

Yes, the elite cocktail event can be crowded at 5PM...but many leave just before 6, so we that's when we try to get there. Seems to work well....and there's a limit to what I can and want to drink and of course if you order a drink before 7, you can sit and enjoy it after 7 so one hour is long enough for me. Crowding just hasn't been an issue for us.

 

Prior to the new elite plus perks, we would have breakfast somewhere (blu or main dining room usually) and then we would go to the elite breakfast for some good coffee. That's one of the nice new perks of elite plus....you can order good coffee anywhere without charge.

 

If your cruise is using coupons, you might make your last drink order a glass of wine and take it to dinner with you (you can't use the coupon in the dining rooms). You can't (or shouldn't) do this if they aren't using coupons.

 

The elite program is significant...internet time, free pressing, free laundry, discount on wine that costs over $40, and more. Those are real perks....I'm not sure why anyone would be negative about them.

Edited April 7, 2014 by ghstudio