Elite cocktail hours extended...permanent change

[davekathy]

32 minutes ago, Cruise Raider said:

 

Well, this is just perfection!!  3 drinks ... plenty for me!  Thank you so much for your quick reply.  

You're welcome and enjoy. 🍺🍸🍷

[Big_G]

On 10/29/2018 at 7:34 AM, cruisestitch said:

Where are all the people who used to grouse “we want to go to the Elite party straight from the beach but they won’t let us in wearing shorts”.  Problem solved.  “We like the sunset bar better than the sky lounge”. Problem solved.

 

On 10/29/2018 at 7:34 AM, oceangoer2 said:

You don't use the 3 drinks offered when you have the beverage pkg.  I still prefer the event in the lounge, meeting other cruisers, and enjoying a few 'naps.

 

We got off Equinox on the 23rd and spent only one night at the Elite party. There were probably only a half dozen to a dozen people there at any given time. I've never seen it that bare.

[Lexy08]

12 minutes ago, Big_G said:

 

 

We got off Equinox on the 23rd and spent only one night at the Elite party. There were probably only a half dozen to a dozen people there at any given time. I've never seen it that bare.

 

Going on Equinox this Mon. Used to be able to take companion to Lounge with you for unlimited free drinks  and canapes and also 3 coupons on card. I always enjoyed Lounge and never used coupons. Now it will be nice to use in the dining room, but crappy wine unfortunately. Also they don't have rye whisky available (my drink) !  It seems that companion in cabin will not get to enjoy any of my Elite Plus benefits whereas they used to. 

[killsport]

On 11/1/2018 at 4:42 AM, ghstudio said:

The sky lounge is open open to everyone ... not limited to elites...on the reflection now. We have drinks with our friends who are not elite and they just pay for their drinks.

When ordering at other bars or the MDR, are you limited to those same exact menu choices as are shown on the elite HH menu? Or can you order basically anything included in the Classic package?

[FlorenceItaly]

3 minutes ago, killsport said:

When ordering at other bars or the MDR, are you limited to those same exact menu choices as are shown on the elite HH menu? Or can you order basically anything included in the Classic package?

You are limited to those same exact menu choices as shown on the Elite HH menu.

[bananawindnj]

On 10/29/2018 at 6:17 AM, ghstudio said:

The elite cocktail hours are now 4:30-7:30 and you can get drinks at all bars and restaurants  except the cellar master.  This is permanent on reflection and most likely on other ships that have converted to coupons on your sea card..per our captains club hostess. 

How can I find out if the new hours are now valid on the Summit along with the 3 drinks being put on our cards? Going on Thanksgiving week.

[FlorenceItaly]

6 minutes ago, bananawindnj said:

How can I find out if the new hours are now valid on the Summit along with the 3 drinks being put on our cards? Going on Thanksgiving week.

There will be a Elite Benefit summary sheet in your cabin upon arrival.

[killsport]

12 minutes ago, FlorenceItaly said:

You are limited to those same exact menu choices as shown on the Elite HH menu.

Bummer. But thank you for the answer 🙂

[bananawindnj]

27 minutes ago, FlorenceItaly said:

There will be a Elite Benefit summary sheet in your cabin upon arrival.

Thanks, I did know that from previous sailings. I have my-time dining and was hoping the drink time extended to 8PM as we eat at 7-7:30PM usually. I was trying to figure out ahead of time to reserve a dining time. It is usually too late to reserve time between 6:30 & 7:30PM once you are on the ship.  There is not much info from the Summit roll call to tell if the change had occurred on that ship yet.

[FlorenceItaly]

4 minutes ago, bananawindnj said:

Thanks, I did know that from previous sailings. I have my-time dining and was hoping the drink time extended to 8PM as we eat at 7-7:30PM usually. I was trying to figure out ahead of time to reserve a dining time. It is usually too late to reserve time between 6:30 & 7:30PM once you are on the ship.  There is not much info from the Summit roll call to tell if the change had occurred on that ship yet.

I disembarked the Summit on October 21, and the happy hour was 5-7.

[ghstudio]

There is no consistency......don’t even bother to ask celebrity hq, they have no clue.

[cruisestitch]

I see no sign that it will be extended further.  If you want to eat at 8, stop at a bar just before 7:30 and pick up a glass of wine to take with you into the dining room.

[A Sixth?]

Always have a drink package these days (booking bennie) but often showed up to the Sky at happy hour. Even when there were too many Elites and coupons were used that was where the "old guard" was to be found. 

[workingtocruise-59]

2 hours ago, A Sixth? said:

Always have a drink package these days (booking bennie) but often showed up to the Sky at happy hour. Even when there were too many Elites and coupons were used that was where the "old guard" was to be found. 

Exactly! On our previous ( and only!) X cruise we had a beverage package (and upgraded) but we still went to the Sky Lounge for the Captain's Club "event" each evening as we had met some lovely people and enjoyed meeting up with them again.

We are on the Eclipse next week and plan on doing this again.

Edited November 2, 2018 by workingtocruise-59
typo

[davekathy]

2 minutes ago, workingtocruise-59 said:

Exactly! On our previous ( and only!) X cruise we had a beverage package (and upgraded) but we still went to the Sky Lounge for the Captain's Club "event" each evening as we had met some lovely people and enjoyed meeting up with them again.

We are on the Eclipse next week and plan on doing this again.

We do the same. 

[Snorkelboy50]

Wondered when Celebrity would start cutting Captain's Club benefits, first it is limiting happy hour drinks to 3, soon it will be 2 or 1 or none. Next will be reduced or eliminated laundry/dry cleaning, then reduced/eliminated internet time, then eliminate the Captain's Club breakfast, then the specialty coffee benefit. If no one complains, why not do it.

 

I think this new procedure is a way to increase the lines' liquor revenue and decrease the amount of free drinks given out. Skylight lounge is the best happy hour venue on all the Celebrity ships in my opinion and now anyone can enter when before it was Elites only from 5-7 pm.

 

I suspect that some of the posts here may be bogus in my opinion and may be from cruise line employees, trying to make us feel like this is a good policy, sort of like fake reviews on internet review sites.

 

Long term Celebrity/Chandris cruiser, Elite +.

[workingtocruise-59]

2 hours ago, davekathy said:

We do the same. 

We hope that we meet you on a cruise someday!!

[Luvcrusn]

30 minutes ago, Snorkelboy50 said:

Wondered when Celebrity would start cutting Captain's Club benefits, first it is limiting happy hour drinks to 3, soon it will be 2 or 1 or none. Next will be reduced or eliminated laundry/dry cleaning, then reduced/eliminated internet time, then eliminate the Captain's Club breakfast, then the specialty coffee benefit. If no one complains, why not do it.

 

I think this new procedure is a way to increase the lines' liquor revenue and decrease the amount of free drinks given out. Skylight lounge is the best happy hour venue on all the Celebrity ships in my opinion and now anyone can enter when before it was Elites only from 5-7 pm.

 

I suspect that some of the posts here may be bogus in my opinion and may be from cruise line employees, trying to make us feel like this is a good policy, sort of like fake reviews on internet review sites.

 

Long term Celebrity/Chandris cruiser, Elite +.

Your fortune telling ball seems to be overly clouded by pessimism.

[SFCAcruiser]

49 minutes ago, Snorkelboy50 said:

...I suspect that some of the posts here may be bogus in my opinion and may be from cruise line employees, trying to make us feel like this is a good policy, sort of like fake reviews on internet review sites....

 

And I suspect some of the posts are from Trolls   Be on the lookout for them. 

[CEOofVacation]

I see this change as an increase in benefits.  More people can now utilize the 3 drinks, especially over dinner.  Whatever drinks credit that is not utilized for drinks, guests can exchange for a couple of bottles of water or soda to take back to the room from any bar or restaurant.  

[OscarOscar]

This is horrible news! The happy hour is one of the only reasons we continue to cruise with celebrity as the food and service has gone completely down hill since we started cruising with them 15 years ago...and this is just another thing they’re  taking away. Call me all the names you want- I will certainly miss all the free drinks past number three I used to enjoy at the happy hour 😞

[FlorenceItaly]

For us this is a enhanced benefit as sometimes we cruise with others' who are not Elite.  Therefore, we can all meet at a certain lounge and enjoy cocktails together.  It also gives us the option to book an inside if the other categories are too high priced.

[4774Papa]

The HH is a nice benefit that is not offered on NCL.  Fortunately, since we are Diamond on RCI, we enjoy that fantastic HH that runs from 4:30 to 8 and while in the lounge you can order as many drinks as you want, but limited to 3 outside the lounge.  Love ordering a glass of wine with dinner.

 

With the X HH from 5-7, we normally don't drink more than 3 drinks anyway, but with the entended hours, there was the potential for more.   Still, we don't want the stinking beverage package.

[BosoxI]

So  many have drink packages.  It seems the Elite lounge is much emptier than it used to be.  At least that's our recent experience.  Does a bottle of water count against the three drink limit?

[nancyshaw]

After being disappointed on three celeb cruises in a row ( mainly issues over food in Dining Room, elitism over suites etc.) we will not be sailing with celeb unless an itinerary comes up that we cant refuse. I am glad to see however the change from one lounge  to using your card for three drinks in many locations. Hope it is fleet wide.