Can you have a luxury experience by booking a top suite on Celebrity?

[Travelcat2]

 

 

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[Travelcat2]

 

 

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[Travelcat2]

Peek in casino..... note Purcell Hand sanitizing stations

 

 

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[Travelcat2]

 

 

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[Travelcat2]

A sink ..... just because I like the tap

 

 

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[Catlover54]

Thanks for the piccies, very helpful. Some Qs:

 

1. As a bath person, ( muscle problems) I love that outdoor jacuzzi position. Have you tried it yet? Is it loud? Would it disturb neighbors if you ran it early morning or late at night? Are you allowed to use bubble bath in it? I assume you fill and drain it with each use. Does it get hot like a regular tub?

 

2. About the thalassotherapy pool, is that for everyone or just suite people ? What temperature is it, and what are the hours you are allowed access? Does it get crowded? Do they allow young children?

[cathaana]

We did a cruise in a suite on Solstice last year. The room was tiny (basic room size on Europa), service was a mixed bag, and food was just plain not very good in Luminae. Tried one of the pay restaurants (I think it was Murano). Not bad but also not good. Kind of like a bad day in Europa's buffet restaurant.

[BarbarianPaul]

We did a cruise in a suite on Solstice last year. The room was tiny (basic room size on Europa), service was a mixed bag, and food was just plain not very good in Luminae. Tried one of the pay restaurants (I think it was Murano). Not bad but also not good. Kind of like a bad day in Europa's buffet restaurant.

 

 

 

What did you like about the ship?

 

 

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[Travelcat2]

Bathroom photos (so much better upgraded than on the Mariner which is only one year newer than this ship:

 

 

 

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[Travelcat2]

 

 

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[Travelcat2]

 

 

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[Travelcat2]

Some more living room and dining room photos

 

 

 

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[Travelcat2]

 

 

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[Travelcat2]

 

 

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[Travelcat2]

Catlover64 - just went by the Solarium pools and learned that they are open from 7:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. You need to be 16 years of age to enter them. We do not have a thermometer but my DH said that it is warmer than the jacuzzi (and the jacuzzi was quite warm). It is recommended that people only go into the special pool (that I can’t spell) for 15 minutes.

 

My DH is in the spa area - checking things out and may come back with more information.

[cathaana]

What did you like about the ship?

 

 

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The lychee martinis. :D And the soups they served in Luminae. Sadly that was pretty much it. But I think if one is less of a food snob, Celebrity is not a bad option.

[BarbarianPaul]

Paul, I know that you were not asking me but there are so many things that I like about the ship and very few things that I do not like. Unfortunately, what I do not like could be a deal breaker. The experience is what we were looking for ......... a west coast itinerary - not having to pay extra for anything - being able to relax because we have been to the ports numerous times. Having everything with the fare less than 1/2 of Regent is also a plus but I realize that one must be in one of the top two suite levels in order to get all of the benefits we are receiving.

 

 

 

Tonight was interesting because I selected a 20 year port that was $1 over the drink limit for the premium alcohol package. So, with tax, we signed a slip for $1.18 (includes tax). We had $300 OBC but $150 was used by Dennis in order to have a deep tissue massage (well worth it).

 

 

 

Truly, my only complaint is the buffet. Tonight we ate like pigs because the food was so awesome (Tuscan Grill) - the portions were huge. They did a "thing" with the olive oil and balsalmic -- they took a bouquet of basil and cut pieces with a scissors into a small bowl and added the olive oil and balsalmic. Really yummy.

 

 

 

John - you are so right. I am actually surprised that some posters are still on CC. They add no content and seem to be there to bash or be rude to people. As a side note, being a very spiritual person (and a hypnotist and Reiki Master) I believe very strongly in karma. enough said (capital 'e' is hot working).

 

]

 

More tomorrow when all 2,000 passengers will be on board for our only sea day.

 

 

 

We’ve had multiple meals in the Tuscan Grill, and are quite familiar with the whole olive oil / balsamic ritual! Glad you enjoyed it.

 

Sorry you’re not a fan of the buffet. It was never an issue for us, but we never used it for extensive meals. And for breakfasts we always ate at BLU, which is consistently delicious.

 

The $1.18 charge is ridiculous. If someone were doing their job, you should never have been charged. We had an issue once in Qsine, where a server kept coming by and topping off my wine glass during a pre fixe theme dinner. I’m not a huge drinker, and each time it was topped off, the amount of new wine was about an eighth of a glass. Or less. To my surprise, I was charged for a full glass each time!

 

I signed the bill because I didn’t want to cause a scene, and was going to just forget about the whole thing, but it wound up irking me enough that I went to guest services and complained, where they promptly removed the charge.

 

You should tell someone about that $1.18 just so it doesn’t happen again.

 

 

 

 

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[Travelcat2]

Posting this because I’m a bit of a brat sometimes and this letter said to keep it confidential. I decided that there was no reason to. In any case,it was the best bridge tour that we have ever taken and had to be wanded prior to entering

 

 

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[English Voyager]

Posting this because I’m a bit of a brat sometimes and this letter said to keep it confidential. I decided that there was no reason to. In any case,it was the best bridge tour that we have ever taken and had to be wanded prior to entering

 

 

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I have fond memories of being on the Radisson Diamond when the Captain issued an open invitation to passengers to come onto the bridge for the voyage into Venice.

[Travelcat2]

English Voyager - wish that I had sailed on the Diamond. It was just a little bit before we discovered cruising on Radisson (which occurred in 2004).

 

Paul, while I did not complain about the $1.36 charge, we were not charged in Sushi on 5 today. While not trying to go over the $15.00/drink limit with our package, I want to try things that I have not previously been able to try. So, the saki was $1.00 over and I had two of them and expected to have to sign for $2.00 plus an 18% tip (36 cents). IMO, it was good that they ignored the slight overage. The dining venue (it was open for lunch as today is our only sea day) blew us away. Dennis was able to order plenty of food without having anything "raw" while I could have what I wanted which included plenty of sashimi. Probably the best sushi/sashimi that we have had on a cruise ship.

 

A side note: Oceania's premium beverage package is the same price as on Celebrity but does not have the $15/drink limit. It makes things much easier.

 

Today was a really lovely day. We had breakfast at Luminae, lunch at Sushi on 5 and dinner in Luminae (lamb loin which was as tender as butter). We had pre-dinner drinks at Michael's Club. They make the best Cosmopolitans that Dennis has ever had (made with Grey Goose orange vodka).

 

Since we are on the luxury board, I need to say that Celebrity calls itself "premium" and that is what it is. However, if you stay in a suite (still less than half the price of Regent if you don't look at airfare), you can dine in the specialty restaurants at no cost (they are all wonderful) as well as in Luminae (definitely as good if not better than Regent) and have cocktails in Michael's Club. Service in both places are exceptional (equal to Regent and Silversea).

 

Went shopping onboard today to get rid of some OBC's and they had some lovely gift type things for $10/each (and if you buy 3 you get one free). While not top quality, there were many lovely gifts and it was such a treat to find reasonably priced items.

 

Still blown away by the Computer Room because of the computers as well as the fact that it is staffed with Apple experts all day and into the evening. They are wonderful and there are many computers available - both inside the room and outside if you wish to people watch. The Apple guy just fixed something on my iPhone that I couldn't figure out...... so nice! For those of you that are not Apple savvy (I've only had Apple products for about a year but my DH has never used an Apple device), it is easy to learn to post. He isn't that computer savvy but hasn't had one question since we have been onboard.

 

A word or or two about alcoholic drinks. While I love the fact that Regent doesn't measure alcohol and free pours, it sometimes means that the drinks do not come out correctly. On Celebrity, they measure and it comes out perfectly (especially more complicated drinks). Since you can have as much or as little alcohol as you wish, I have come to like the measuring for accuracy.

 

Have not seen a show but should mention that they have them at both 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.

 

Another thing that I haven't done is check out the jacuzzi on the balcony. The weather has been quite cool (which I love) and neither Dennis nor I are into jacuzzi's (we have one in our master bathroom at home and the only activity in the tub are the kitties walking back and forth to the window to look outside. OTOH, the jacuzzi tub in the bathroom is being fully enjoyed by Dennis (I enjoy the shower).

 

The crew is interesting. The crew in the specialty restaurants and especially in Luminae and Michael's Club are superior - simply lovely young men and women. However, the rest of the crew pretty much seem to be doing a job that they may or may not like ....... you can't really tell. Tomorrow quite a few newbie crew members should board ....... it should be interesting.

 

Just learned that the two ports (Monterey and Santa Barbara) are tender ports. We supposedly have priority tendering and will learn what they means in a couple of days. Since we are seeing our daughter in Santa Barbara on Saturday, I need to know when we will be onshore.

 

Trying to think of what else I wanted to share. As I've mentioned, the ship (launched in 2001) is in wonderful shape for the most part. The outside of the ship shows much more wear and tear than the interior. Carpets are in excellent shape and, and, as mentioned, the bathrooms are upgraded from top to bottom and look new. So many positives ........ but, at this point we can not see ourselves sailing on Celebrity again.

 

More to come. Nite nite!

[BarbarianPaul]

English Voyager - wish that I had sailed on the Diamond. It was just a little bit before we discovered cruising on Radisson (which occurred in 2004).

 

 

 

Paul, while I did not complain about the $1.36 charge, we were not charged in Sushi on 5 today. While not trying to go over the $15.00/drink limit with our package, I want to try things that I have not previously been able to try. So, the saki was $1.00 over and I had two of them and expected to have to sign for $2.00 plus an 18% tip (36 cents). IMO, it was good that they ignored the slight overage. The dining venue (it was open for lunch as today is our only sea day) blew us away. Dennis was able to order plenty of food without having anything "raw" while I could have what I wanted which included plenty of sashimi. Probably the best sushi/sashimi that we have had on a cruise ship.

 

 

 

A side note: Oceania's premium beverage package is the same price as on Celebrity but does not have the $15/drink limit. It makes things much easier.

 

 

 

Today was a really lovely day. We had breakfast at Luminae, lunch at Sushi on 5 and dinner in Luminae (lamb loin which was as tender as butter). We had pre-dinner drinks at Michael's Club. They make the best Cosmopolitans that Dennis has ever had (made with Grey Goose orange vodka).

 

 

 

Since we are on the luxury board, I need to say that Celebrity calls itself "premium" and that is what it is. However, if you stay in a suite (still less than half the price of Regent if you don't look at airfare), you can dine in the specialty restaurants at no cost (they are all wonderful) as well as in Luminae (definitely as good if not better than Regent) and have cocktails in Michael's Club. Service in both places are exceptional (equal to Regent and Silversea).

 

 

 

Went shopping onboard today to get rid of some OBC's and they had some lovely gift type things for $10/each (and if you buy 3 you get one free). While not top quality, there were many lovely gifts and it was such a treat to find reasonably priced items.

 

 

 

Still blown away by the Computer Room because of the computers as well as the fact that it is staffed with Apple experts all day and into the evening. They are wonderful and there are many computers available - both inside the room and outside if you wish to people watch. The Apple guy just fixed something on my iPhone that I couldn't figure out...... so nice! For those of you that are not Apple savvy (I've only had Apple products for about a year but my DH has never used an Apple device), it is easy to learn to post. He isn't that computer savvy but hasn't had one question since we have been onboard.

 

 

 

A word or or two about alcoholic drinks. While I love the fact that Regent doesn't measure alcohol and free pours, it sometimes means that the drinks do not come out correctly. On Celebrity, they measure and it comes out perfectly (especially more complicated drinks). Since you can have as much or as little alcohol as you wish, I have come to like the measuring for accuracy.

 

 

 

Have not seen a show but should mention that they have them at both 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.

 

 

 

Another thing that I haven't done is check out the jacuzzi on the balcony. The weather has been quite cool (which I love) and neither Dennis nor I are into jacuzzi's (we have one in our master bathroom at home and the only activity in the tub are the kitties walking back and forth to the window to look outside. OTOH, the jacuzzi tub in the bathroom is being fully enjoyed by Dennis (I enjoy the shower).

 

 

 

The crew is interesting. The crew in the specialty restaurants and especially in Luminae and Michael's Club are superior - simply lovely young men and women. However, the rest of the crew pretty much seem to be doing a job that they may or may not like ....... you can't really tell. Tomorrow quite a few newbie crew members should board ....... it should be interesting.

 

 

 

Just learned that the two ports (Monterey and Santa Barbara) are tender ports. We supposedly have priority tendering and will learn what they means in a couple of days. Since we are seeing our daughter in Santa Barbara on Saturday, I need to know when we will be onshore.

 

 

 

Trying to think of what else I wanted to share. As I've mentioned, the ship (launched in 2001) is in wonderful shape for the most part. The outside of the ship shows much more wear and tear than the interior. Carpets are in excellent shape and, and, as mentioned, the bathrooms are upgraded from top to bottom and look new. So many positives ........ but, at this point we can not see ourselves sailing on Celebrity again.

 

 

 

More to come. Nite nite!

 

 

 

Was Sushi On 5 busy when you were there? Every time we go, usually for dinner, there are usually a few officers and almost no one else. We totally enjoy it as well!

 

Not sure if you’re aware, but all of the Celebrity M Class ships are getting an enormous upgrade over the next few years, to make them all similar in style and amenities to their new Edge Class ships. A much sleeker style and tons of technological innovations.

It’s an enormous investment.

 

 

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[RJ2002]

TC2, enjoying the reports of your suite experience on Celebrity very much. Having sailed on Regent ourselves (just once so far, another cruise planned next year), I know the high bar that is set when comparing other lines. It is nice to hear that Celebrity seems to have a very nice experience for its suite guests.

 

Looking forward to more updates!

[Travelcat2]

Interesting question about Sushi on 5. It was not crowded but it was lunch time. The restaurant is not open for lunch on port days (which for us is every day but one). We enjoyed it so much that we are returning there this evening. We also booked another "Le Petit Chef" for our last night.

 

For anyone that has not seen this concept, here is a short u-tube video

and here is the longer one

It is gimmicky but we had some good laughs and enjoyed hearing laughs from others in this unique restaurant. Must say that it was not full in here either. The cost to dine here (if you are not in the two top suites) is $55/person plus 18% gratuity. For suite guests there is no charge. It needs to be said that the food was excellent so it is not just about the cartoon chef.

 

RJ2002, yes - they treat suite guests extremely well but the areas for suite guests is quite limited. Our suite is not as nice as a similar suite on Regent (except for the bathroom which is much better than refurbished bathrooms on Regent).

 

There are things about this ship that we love and other things that are annoying. The annoying part began when we had our first drink in Michaels Club right after embarkation. Two women from Canyon Ranch were selling massages, etc. There is an area of the ship called "Persian Garden" and we were told that they have only 10 passes left (never telling us that there was a charge). Dennis took one and I didn't. You can imagine our surprise when $149 (approximately) showed up on our bill. We did get it removed.

 

After our drink in Michaels Club we proceeded to Luminae where they were selling crab lunches at a later date for $40/person. It sounded reasonable so we signed up. Later we read what it included (and what it did not include) and we cancelled. My point is that we had been onboard less than a hour and they were already doing sales pitches. Not comfortable at all!

 

Today we are in San Francisco - it is cool and we look forward to walking to Fisherman's Wharf. Since we try not to have lunch onboard this particular ship, we will find something ashore.

 

I do have photos to post and will try to do it later in the day.

[Mudhen]

We've been enjoying your comments and feel pretty much the same way you two do about Celebrity. We also don't like the idea of "hawkers" with spa treatments, special lunches, wine tastings, photographers, etc. Been there, done that years ago!

Will be watching for your photos! Carry on!

[Travelcat2]

Hi Mudhen - so good to see you on this board:D

 

Had an interesting morning. Breakfast at Luminae - Dennis got a coffee in Michaels Club after breakfast as he has been hearing me talk about Nespresso machines (favorably mentioned by several European CC members in the past). He made an espresso - will try the coffee tomorrow and he loved it. He doesn’t like the other coffee onboard. Hmmmm, maybe a good Christmas present.

 

After breakfast we took the 15 minute walk to Fisherman’s Wharf. We are at pier 27 and the wharf is at pier 39. Since school is back in session and Labor Day is over, it wasn’t crazy busy. The weather was cool - overcast with the sun coming out now and then — really lovely.

 

Had sourdough bread bowls with New England clam chowder that was really good. Back on the ship I had a cold coffee drink with Tia Maria and dessert (not such a good dessert but I loved the drink).

 

Several posts ago Catlover (cannot recall her full CC name) was asking about the Jacuzzi on the balcony. I finally decided to fill it so that I could answer the question. After a lot of rust came out of the taps, I cleared the tub and waited until it filled past the jets. It took a while and the water wasn’t as hot as one would want. Finally it was ready and it would not turn on. So much for that. The Jacuzzi in the bathroom is much better (quite large) with more jets — isn’t rusty and is a much better choice.

 

Tonight we will dine at Sushi on 5 again — yesterday’s experience was so positive that we have to repeat it and this is the last night that we could dine there.

 

Before my little nap I’ll try to post some photos.