Celebrity Experts--I need CD/Maitre 'D help

[Fogfog]

Our group is celebrating

a wedding anniversary

a University graduation and

a Birthday

 

during a 14 night cruise on

the Eclipse.

 

 

Have read many times where brilliant experienced folks are able to reach out to the CD/Maitre D with respect to adv planning.

 

I do not know which nights are the 3 formal nights and also need to make some arrangements. When my TA called X...that person on the phone said they had no idea how to reach the CD/Maitre D--which sounds like...baloney.

 

Would love some advice / likes or email...and if you have such--I will post an email here so you can respond. (this site doesn't have intra-member messaging does it??)

 

Thanks in advance. I know that the members her at CC are the best for correct info.

 

Cheers

[ghstudio]

Just arrange everything when you get on board. Remember, everyone has (or claims to have) special events. They'll get it all sorted out when you board and ask....assuming your request is reasonable.

[Fogfog]

Any idea on which nights are formal nights?

 

All of the events are legit....just trying to spread out the fun....and plan dinner for the anniversary etc

[cruisead]

This is not something for the cruise director to handle. If you're wanting something special at dinner, it's your head waiter or waiter that will assist you. If you want some kind of special party in a private area, that's something that you arrange with Guest Services once you're on board. I would guess that on any given cruise, there could be a hundred passengers or more celebrating some special day or anniversary.

 

And, depending on when your cruise is, no one will know far in advance who those people are, as crew members come and go without notice to passengers. You might have a waiter that leaves in the middle of your cruise, and the same goes for the maitre'd and head waiters.

 

Do you have something specific in mind? Do you want private parties to celebrate these happenings? A lot depends on what you want to happen.

 

BTW, cruise directors (CD) don't take direct requests from passengers for party planning. They have a lot of responsibilities and really don't plan individual celebrations for passengers. Can you imagine if every passenger celebrating something contacts a CD for planning a bunch of events, how much time that would take from his other responsibilities?

Edited June 11, 2015 by cruisead

[cle-guy]

To my knowledge, there really is no pre-cruise contact with any ship side staff, it's not baloney. Imagine all the requests those folks would've to run thru in advance if email addresses got out.....

 

To find your formal, nights, best to ask in your Roll call, likely someone has the details from the same itinerary prior, or find a roll call to a prior cruise join it and post the question there for someone who's recently back.

 

Formal nights can change too - I travel with a large group at Thanksgiving, we have about 900, and even our group coordinator with a group that large was unable to get the confirmation of formal nights until we boarded. I've even had formal nights swapped once sailing, as forecast weather showed bad seas, and they wanted to ensure formal night coincided with the aerial show in the theatre which couldn't happen in the rough seas.

 

The exception is Michael's Club Concierge. If anyone on the group is in a Celebrity Sutie or better, the Concierge can help in advance. Eligible folks should get an email from the concierge about a week prior to sailing.

 

Alternatively, you can use Gifts by Celebrity to pre-order some things.

 

But nothing you seem to be requesting is anything unusual, and can all be sorted quite quickly once you board the ship. I might suggest arranging a dinner in the Cellar room off Murano (or whatever it's called on your ship), and don't be shy about asking for a discount, they are often pretty good about tossing out 20% for a single group. Again, handle this once you've boarded.

 

If you want a cake brought out in the MDR one night (or several...), ask Maitre'd as you enter the restaurant for dinner that day - lots of stories of preplanned things gone missing and forgotten. They have hundreds of those little cakes standing by at a moment's notice.

[Andy]

Just arrange everything when you get on board. Remember, everyone has (or claims to have) special events. They'll get it all sorted out when you board and ask....assuming your request is reasonable.

 

Agreed. I'm sure the Restaurant Manager or Maitre'd, & the Specialty Dining Folks will be happy to assist, once you are onboard Eclipse. If you have pre-cruise concerns, you can always give the Captains Club folks a call, at 1-800-760-0654, and they may be able to assist.

 

With all due respect, to ask for internal/unpublished email addresses, is not a great idea. If all of these wonderful folks entertained guest requests, they'd never be able to get anything done.

 

I hope this helps, and have a wonderful cruise !

Edited June 11, 2015 by Host Andy

[Fogfog]

Thanks for the replies.

I know I have seen people discussing having emailed the CD/Maitre D prior to sailing which was why I asked.

 

another cruise line has someone who arranges these things for passengers on many of the ships. It's part of the job...so that things are in place before sail away.

[cle-guy]

another cruise line has someone who arranges these things for passengers on many of the ships. It's part of the job...so that things are in place before sail away.

 

Remember, Celebrity only last spring (2014) started even allowing its SUITE guests to have pre-departure contact. Before that, not even suites could get any advanced loving.

[Snit13]

On previous cruises I have had prior contact with ships activities director as our roll call had many activities which needed to be planned. The certified vacation planner would contact the appropriate person on the ship and then report back to me. I have in the past had email addresses of employees on ship given to me by them.

 

I believe it is the activities director who you would contact as soon as you board and then

you arrange your plans. Definitely not the waiter as he/she has much do do without private planning. I have also made arrangements with M'D..... in the past. I agree with the private dining area in Murano for a special dinner. We frequently cruise for birthday or anniversary and always get the traditional chocolate cake, which is to die for if you are a chocolate lover.

 

Congratulations and Happy Cruising.

[Fogfog]

Remember, Celebrity only last spring (2014) started even allowing its SUITE guests to have pre-departure contact. Before that, not even suites could get any advanced loving.

 

Isn't that a disappointment

[Fogfog]

On previous cruises I have had prior contact with ships activities director as our roll call had many activities which needed to be planned. The certified vacation planner would contact the appropriate person on the ship and then report back to me. I have in the past had email addresses of employees on ship given to me by them.

 

I believe it is the activities director who you would contact as soon as you board and then

you arrange your plans. Definitely not the waiter as he/she has much do do without private planning. I have also made arrangements with M'D..... in the past. I agree with the private dining area in Murano for a special dinner. We frequently cruise for birthday or anniversary and always get the traditional chocolate cake, which is to die for if you are a chocolate lover.

 

Congratulations and Happy Cruising.

 

Thanks for the help.

 

I know several times I have read how our Super CCers have emailed and gotten assistance.

 

Interesting that other cruise lines have a mechanism for this---

Had already spoken with the Capt'ns club rep weeks ago and they were no help and knew less than I did about something.

 

We all know that it all depends on who gets the call as to the level of knowledge etc

[jelayne]

You didn't say how many people are in you group or what you are looking for in the way of a celebration.

 

If you are all traveling together, doing traditional dining in the MDR and have linked your reservations you should all be seated at the same or adjoining tables (again depends on how many). So if you want a cake(s) for a birthday, or anniversary easily arranged once on the ship.

 

If you want a special meal to celebrate one or all or the occasions that too can be arranged in one of the Speciality restaurants once on board & be sure to ask for a discount.

 

If you would like wine, champagne, chocolates delivered to a cabin on a certain date you can pre-order those.

 

We just celebrated a anniversary on the Constellation- DH spoke to the hostess & waiter the day before & they had champagne waiting when we were seated, a gift for me delivered at dessert along with a cake.

 

As others have said, Celebrity does not provide Email addresses for the staff on the ship.

[uktog]

Isn't that a disappointment

 

No, it is quite the norm onboard and as everyone has given you advice here and on the other thread you are posting on have said, you have to wait until you are on board.

 

Those who have been discussing emailing are those who have booked suites at the level that are looked after by the Michael's Club concierge.

 

If you have special needs, the correct protocol is to go through the Special needs department. If it is a speciality dining reservation, you do that on line or wait until on board, if a particular date and time is very very important do it on line before you go

 

You do not access the Captains Club hostess until you are on board. Before then, it is a call centre agent and they have very little if any scope to email the ship.

 

This is all understandable, ships are staffed to look after current guests, the staff have hardly any free time to answer future guest queries and do not have the booking software loaded until 24 hours before the end of the previous cruise so even back to back cruisers cannot set up anything on board for the next cruise until very late on in the previous cruise.

[Fogfog]

Sooooooo Hotel Directors and CDs on ships have fewer abilities to handle clients request than say a hotel or resort on land? ;)

[cruisead]

Sooooooo Hotel Directors and CDs on ships have fewer abilities to handle clients request than say a hotel or resort on land? ;)

 

Do you want something SO special and different that you need to get the Hotel Director and Cruise Director involved? What, exactly, are you expecting? Special menus? Special entertainment? A private venue for a party? Fireworks at sea? Seriously, why do you feel the need to involve the higher ups on the ship? I'm sorry, but with all due respect, upper echelon crew members do not get involved in planning individual birthday parties, anniversary parties or parties for a graduate.

Edited June 12, 2015 by cruisead

[Orator]

You might have to purchase a celebration package if you really want something special. The normal free thing they do is bring a small cake to your table and sing "Happy Birthday" or "happy Anniversary".

My wife and I knowing that some cruising friends and special staff would be aborad wanted a special way to celebrate our 48 th anniversary. We spoke to the Maître 'd at Murano, who we have known for quite some time and asked if we could have the wine room. They actually moved a Chef's Table to accommodate us. The ship gave us the wine as a gift. They also didn't charge us for our guests who were on the staff. Very much appreciated.

We returned to our cabin to find some special things. Found out that the gifts were provided by our TA and they had alerted the ship in advance of our boarding. Work through your TA and make sure that know what you would like to do.

[derekjp47]

Several years ago I contacted the person in food and beverage in the home office to make a request, it worked, they provided exactly what I asked for. It's worth a shot to call Celebrity and ask for the food and beverage department and see if you can speak with someone to assist. You have nothing to loose by trying, I don't like waiting to board, it's sometimes too late.

 

OTE=Fogfog;46816665]Our group is celebrating

a wedding anniversary

a University graduation and

a Birthday

 

during a 14 night cruise on

the Eclipse.

 

 

Have read many times where brilliant experienced folks are able to reach out to the CD/Maitre D with respect to adv planning.

 

I do not know which nights are the 3 formal nights and also need to make some arrangements. When my TA called X...that person on the phone said they had no idea how to reach the CD/Maitre D--which sounds like...baloney.

 

Would love some advice / likes or email...and if you have such--I will post an email here so you can respond. (this site doesn't have intra-member messaging does it??)

 

Thanks in advance. I know that the members her at CC are the best for correct info.

 

Cheers

[Snit13]

While surfing Celebrity's famous website today, I saw a phone number to call to arrange special celebrations. I thought of OP at the time but unfortunately I did not jot the number down. Look at the website and you will find. I never use a TA no matter what their perks. I deal directly with a Certified Vacation Planner (mine called me today) and have never had an issue finding out what I wanted to know or arranging what I wanted to do. The emailed ship for me and got the answers I was seeking.

[Snit13]

Ok, went back to Celebrity website and gleaned the following information. I hope you are able to use it to arrange your fun times.

 

Go to PLAN A CRUISE

click PLANNING ASSISTANCE

find and click SPECIAL SERVICES 1-888-826-8495

find and click SPECIAL OCCASIONS

 

It reads: We have a staff of dedicated experts ready to help you plan your next vacation......Here are just a few of the services ..............can provide.

Customize your vacation to celebrate a special occasion or help you organize....

 

1-800-647-2251

 

 

Hope this somehow helps.