Smoothies on Celebrity - Corporate decision

[mikkelhansen]

3 minutes ago, bhughey said:

I've re-read the OP's post a couple of times trying to make sense, and it *seems* that the issue was with the PMNA? The OP continued to reference "premium", but it seems the issue stemmed from the kids who had PMNA and not the adults with the premium ALCOHOL pkg???

I agree about OS' problem being mainly about the PMNA - smoothies have since long not been "officially" included in the PALL. But then on the other hand, CruiseCrew123 writes that she is currently on Infinity (OS was on Summit) having complimentary smoothies with the PALL package.

So there are three current observations in this thread, all pointing in different directions, and no clear, definitive answer about Celebrity's policy on smoothies in beverage packages:

-OS was initally denied smoothies in the PMNA. The PMNA explicitly mentions smoothies in the Cruise Planner, but not at all on the "normal" website.

-OS then had stickers applied to the respective passengers' SeaPass to allow smoothies on the PMNA packages

-PALL doesn't "officially" include smoothies, but a passenger currently sailing can have smoothies without upcharge with her PALL package.

[Pier290]

9 hours ago, misterkevin said:

I was on the Equinox 7/27-8/3 with the premium package, and pressed juices from the Aqua Spa Cafe were included. Either this is a very recent change, or it's inconsistent across ships. 

Presses juice??  Like fresh squeezed oj???

[1980dory]

Here's a simple solution to this question.   Just contact LLP and she will resolve it by August 12, 2919.  She promised!  And she will be just as responsive to the problem as she was with all the hoopla over balcony seats, loungers, and miniscule tables.

What a great program and offer!

[Paulras]

9 hours ago, twodjs said:

So you can drink $15.00 martinis all night, but Heaven forbid you might actually want a healthy drink to start the day. How does one healthy drink break the premium drink bank? Come on, Celebrity, you've got to be kidding!  

Probably because the martinis really only cost them about $1 to make but the smoothies cost double and take 5 times as long to make! 

 

I usually try one on each cruise because it's in the premium package. Then I question why I did because it takes them about 5 minutes to make and is never satisfying. But I still like having the option on the package. 

[barbette165]

41 minutes ago, 1980dory said:

Here's a simple solution to this question.   Just contact LLP and she will resolve it by August 12, 2919.  She promised!  And she will be just as responsive to the problem as she was with all the hoopla over balcony seats, loungers, and miniscule tables.

What a great program and offer!

She would answer by saying that Celebrity offer a wide range of competitively priced beverage packages that suit all requirements. She would also hope that we enjoy the rest of our day.

[Fogfog]

17 hours ago, Tplusthree said:

In the grand scheme of life, this is not a big issue, but I have seen many people asking about smoothies at aqua spa cafe and if they are included in drink packages. I just returned from Summit/Bermuda Sunday and overall my experience as a first-time Celebrity cruiser was very good and I will do a review soon, but as to smoothies.....

 

It took me a few convos with celebrity guest relations and even an officer at the cruise critic meet up to get a straight answer. Basically, my group of 18 (ten adults and 8 kids) all had premium bev package. The sea pass card states PAL and PNAL for the kids. My kids and niece and nephews were denied smoothies at the aqua spa cafe. I'm guessing the pressed juices are in the same category. Long story short, I asked an officer at the cruise critic meet-up and he explained (rather arrogantly and condescendingly) that smoothies are no longer included in the premium package. I told him that others will be surprised by that. I then informally polled the group in front of him and the majority felt it was included and surprised it was not.  The officer, Neno?, gave a very corporate answer abut how Celebrity calculated the true cost to guests who get the premium bev package as a "free" perk at a value of about $20 dollars a day, the lowest in the industry, so we are getting a good deal already and therefore Celebrity decided the package (or any package?) will not be including smoothies.

 

I explained that I just wanted what I paid for. Another cruise critic guest stated they should be included as they are under $15. 

 

At guest relations, they were able to affix a "smoothies" sticker to my kids cards so that they could get them with their premium package. The next day we were doing a family pic near guest relations and the rep told my SIL there was no such thing. Thank goodness, the other rep overheard and put the elusive sticker on my nephews card. I guess we are among a group of people who booked when it was included and now it is no longer included, hence the multiple convos. 

Just trying to inform people so they can save some time and hassle during their vacation. Like I said, I did enjoy the trip, so many good memories for me and my extended family and hate to focus on tiny things, but I do like to get what I paid for and others might as well.

Happy sailing!

Interesting. TY for your post

We have many sailings booked -- some were pretty far out so the Prem Bev package at that time DID include them

This kind of run around from Celebrity is cheapening the experience. 

What to do? 

We once had land based Celebrity tell us multiple times that the UDP still existed and we must buy it on board. On board one person claimed it wasn't in effect for "years" and we corrected them --as having had it 10 months prior.

Poor training. Poor guest/dining/bev relations

 

 

[upwarduk]

3 hours ago, mikkelhansen said:

Would be nice with an executive final answer to this - possibly on the "Ask LLP" special forum?

Unfortunately, too late. That Q&A forum is now closed.

[hcat]

11 minutes ago, upwarduk said:

Unfortunately, too late. That Q&A forum is now closed.

You can contact the cruise line by  link on the website 

[miched]

16 hours ago, ymncruise said:

The same thing happened to me. They printed the word smoothies on my card after I went to guest relations. I only had one and it wasn’t very good so I didn’t go back. 

 

 

I always hear about how great smoothies are and etc.   I tried one and it was awful.  Left it.   Tried a different one.   Still nasty.  Have tied them at breakfast in AQ, on other ships and found them to all be the same.  Not worth the price or calories.  

 

I try to eat a healthy diet,  but smoothies don’t do it for me. I would rather do the chewing myself than have a blender do it for me.  

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[1980dory]

2 hours ago, barbette165 said:

She would answer by saying that Celebrity offer a wide range of competitively priced beverage packages that suit all requirements. She would also hope that we enjoy the rest of our day.

It sounds very much like the responses we get from our politicians.  Do you suppose she was a politician in her earlier years?

[CardRock]

i could never find the Aquaspa Cafe open on Equinox in June.  This was especially vexing on port days.  We were looking for something light to snack on around 3:30-4:00 when we got back on ship before going down to shower and change for dinner...but never open.  Never had a chance to try a smoothie. 

[twodjs]

Just called Captain's Club, and the rep. confirmed that smoothies from the Aqua Spa Cafe ARE included in the Premium (alcohol) beverage package (PAL). No change from my recent experience on Edge. She said anyone who is denied smoothies should contact Captain's Club directly and any smoothie charges will be refunded. 

[twodjs]

Just now, CardRock said:

i could never find the Aquaspa Cafe open on Equinox in June.  This was especially vexing on port days.  We were looking for something light to snack on around 3:30-4:00 when we got back on ship before going down to shower and change for dinner...but never open.  Never had a chance to try a smoothie. 

They are open for breakfast and lunch, but close around 2 or so. Hours are listed on your daily program.

[Tplusthree]

5 hours ago, bhughey said:

I've re-read the OP's post a couple of times trying to make sense, and it *seems* that the issue was with the PMNA? The OP continued to reference "premium", but it seems the issue stemmed from the kids who had PMNA and not the adults with the premium ALCOHOL pkg???

Honestly, it was unclear to me about PMNA only not getting smoothies. Depending who was staffing the cafe you might get a different response. The Celebrity officer, Neno, indicated, no more smoothies for any package.  The staff working at the cafe seemed to exclude PNAL only. Clearly, there is a disconnect between corporate and the staff who are not informed and give the smoothies out without charge and the staff trying to enforce the new rules and have to deal with angry customers. I am one of many people in the same boat (pun intended) who have marched down to guest relations and most (maybe not all) had the "smoothies" stickers added to their card. So, celebrity knows people are confused and had these dumb stickers printed.  

I was the tour leader of our group and all the kids were nuts for smoothies, so I felt responsible that I gave them wrong info, even though I called celebrity ahead to make certain.  

[Tplusthree]

4 hours ago, Pier290 said:

Presses juice??  Like fresh squeezed oj???

no, blends, like beets and pineapple....

[bhughey]

27 minutes ago, twodjs said:

Just called Captain's Club, and the rep. confirmed that smoothies from the Aqua Spa Cafe ARE included in the Premium (alcohol) beverage package (PAL). No change from my recent experience on Edge. She said anyone who is denied smoothies should contact Captain's Club directly and any smoothie charges will be refunded. 

 

Thanks for the reconnaissance 🙂
I love the detox blend and usually get one a day... for all the detoxing I need of course 🙂

[Bo1953]

After the extensive discussion here, methinks that comment cards or calls or on-board interaction with GS may change this to the previous incarnation....

 

cheers and bon voyage

[davekathy]

50 minutes ago, Bo1953 said:

After the extensive discussion here, methinks that comment cards or calls or on-board interaction with GS may change this to the previous incarnation....

 

cheers and bon voyage

Bo...methinks you're correct. 

Edited August 14, 2019 by davekathy

[villauk]

6 hours ago, barbette165 said:

She would answer by saying that Celebrity offer a wide range of competitively priced beverage packages that suit all requirements. She would also hope that we enjoy the rest of our day.

 

 

It’s really you then that’s been replying to all those Q&A, using her photo 😂 🤣

Edited August 14, 2019 by villauk

[1980dory]

3 hours ago, CardRock said:

i could never find the Aquaspa Cafe open on Equinox in June.  This was especially vexing on port days.  We were looking for something light to snack on around 3:30-4:00 when we got back on ship before going down to shower and change for dinner...but never open.  Never had a chance to try a smoothie. 

You don't need to brag about how lucky you were.  Can't you see that they don't want you to try their smoothies and therefor close the venue  to minimize the number of dissatisfied customers.  Makes perfect sense to me.

Has anyone ever seen LLP with a smoothie in hand???  Be observant and you will learn much.

[mason525]

They were included on 7/28-8/4 Summit cruise.

[bikerunner]

I bet I can get someone convinced the premium bev pkg only includes tap water from your stateroom now.  Alcohol sodas etc no longer allowed 

[bigbenboys]

Celebrity at its best. Consistent on being non consistent. Rogue management on the cruise ships. What I see is a lack of upper management not doing their jobs. That bitter pill in my mouth is getting bigger. I do like the smoothie's, but dont get them very often.

[NantahalaCruiser]

23 hours ago, twodjs said:

That makes no sense at all. Without the package, the smoothies were 8 or 9 bucks. We have them every morning on the ship at the Aqua Cafe using our primium drink package. That package covers bar drinks to $15.00. And we have already upgraded to the premium package for our next cruise to be sure the smoothies were covered. If this is true, I'm more than a little upset. 

A few years ago the smoothies were covered on the Classic - but then they were taken away, even though the price for a smoothy was less than the Classic ceiling price; so at least they will now be equally consistently inconsistent!

[Redtravel]

And those cutbacks keep on coming.  Enough is enough.  Think it is time to cut out the cutbacks.  The message is clear that Celebrity is headed in a different direction from me.