First time Celebrity

[dpal2208]

Hello all, I just booked the Eclipse in Alaska for the end of May ‘20. We are Emerald on Royal and Platinum on Carnival and now we are trying Celebrity for the first time. I booked a Concierge Cabin and wondering if I made a good choice. Are the benefits worth it? Are the cabins nicer that standard balconies? We usually book junior suites or suites on RCCL and CCL and I’m hoping we wont be disappointed.

Any Celebrity pointers will be appreciated. Traveling will be myself(56) wife, and 12 yo son. We originally had the NCL Bliss booked but couldn’t turn down this weekends deals.

 

thanks in advance

 

djp

[mdpa]

I've only cruised with Celebrity once but it was with a concierge level cabin. I think the general consensus is it is worth a small premium but not a substantial premium. In our case we received the value we spent.

 

Main advantages:

 

- early arrival

- lunch in restaurant on arrival

- ever so slight upgrade (umbrella?? anyway inconsequential)

- generally good room locations

- priority seating in restaurants

- afternoon snacks (modest, but we generally still enjoyed)

- increased Captains Club points

 

I'm probably missing something...

[4774Papa]

I love Celebrity, but wanted to see Glacier Bay, so I booked NCL for Alaska.

[TFLG]

 

Concierge ins't anything special. Other than a bottle of cheap bubbly, foot stools on your balcony there's really nothing worth the extra cost.  If the cost is similar to a regular veranda cabin we may book concierge otherwise we don't.  Aqua class is a much better way to go, but again only if the cost justifies it. With aqua you get to eat in Blu which is better than the MDR.  You get a better shower in the bathroom and access to the Persian garderns in the spa.  The cabon locations tho often have a deck hanging over them making them more shaded.  We prefer Aqua if we can get a decent deal on it.

[bEwAbG]

The cabin itself is a standard veranda cabin on S-Class ships (M-Class, there is a slight size difference).  It will not be comparable in size to a junior suite or suite on the other lines.  The general agreement on here is that concierge is good if you want the extra loyalty club points or really like the location of the cabin.

 

Aqua Class offers a better experience in that you get a dedicated restaurant.  There is a 2-person limit in those cabins, though.  

 

Suite class gets you more.  The lowest level suite is a bigger room but not a true suite.  Lots of perks, though.

[davekathy]

3 hours ago, dpal2208 said:

Hello all, I just booked the Eclipse in Alaska for the end of May ‘20. We are Emerald on Royal and Platinum on Carnival and now we are trying Celebrity for the first time. I booked a Concierge Cabin and wondering if I made a good choice. Are the benefits worth it? Are the cabins nicer that standard balconies? We usually book junior suites or suites on RCCL and CCL and I’m hoping we wont be disappointed.

Any Celebrity pointers will be appreciated. Traveling will be myself(56) wife, and 12 yo son. We originally had the NCL Bliss booked but couldn’t turn down this weekends deals.

 

thanks in advance

 

djp

As you (everyone) enter the ship on embarkation day you will be greeted with a glass of champagne or a mimosas (your choice). You will be select with Celebrity's Captains club because you are emerald with RC Crown and Anchor. Call the Captains Club (1-800-760-0654) to ensure you have been assigned Captains Club numbers for all three of you. 

Edited December 3, 2019 by davekathy

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

1 minute ago, davekathy said:

As you enter the ship on embarkation day you will be greeted with a glass of champagne or a mimosas (your choice). You will be select with Celebrity's Captains club because you are emerald with RC Crown and Anchor. Call the Captains Club (1-800-760-0654) to ensure you have been assigned Captains Club numbers for all three of you. 

Isn’t the champagne or mimosa for everyone, not just Concierge? (Just wondering as the poster asked about Concierge benefits, and I thought the welcome drink was for everyone.)

[davekathy]

12 minutes ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

Isn’t the champagne or mimosa for everyone, not just Concierge? (Just wondering as the poster asked about Concierge benefits, and I thought the welcome drink was for everyone.)

Yes. I edited my post after hitting send to read "everyone". Since the OP hasn't cruised with Celebrity I thought I'd mention the welcome aboard drink. 

Edited December 3, 2019 by davekathy

[SeaHunt]

I agree with most, concierge class is "eh", and since you can't do Aqua with 3 in a cabin you might want to keep watching prices and check on a Sky Suite if a deal appears. 

 

Now if you really want some tips on the Eclipse in Alaska you need to check out this from the "travelingcanucks". They even traveled with kids like you will be, so hopefully their info will help a lot 

 

https://travelingcanucks.com/2019/09/celebrity-eclipse-alaska-cruise/

[cruiser02]

Concierge does not equal RCL's junior suite.  I would suggest Sky for more amenities and space. 

Depends on what you want

[NCHPcruiser]

You may be disappointed in Concierge Cabin which is basically a regular veranda cabin with a few perks (which for many, if not most, are not worth it).  A sky suite will provide a bit more space (which would be especially nice with a third person) and the perks definitely make it worth it for us.  

[clskinsfan]

Our first Celebrity cruise was in Alaska on Eclipse last May. It was a 10 nighter and was simply fantastic. Try to find a slant balcony on the rear hump. They are larger and if you are on the rear of the hump they block the wind well. We were very lucky with the weather and never saw a drop of rain in 13 straight days. That is very unusual. I wore shorts a few days. Celebrity left a mark on us and we are booked on an 11 nighter on Equinox for our next cruise. Have fun. Alaska is amazing.

[cruznjan]

I'm happy with a veranda, but hubby insists on Concierge. We're happy with the perks.

[K.T.B.]

20 hours ago, dpal2208 said:

Hello all, I just booked the Eclipse in Alaska for the end of May ‘20. We are Emerald on Royal and Platinum on Carnival and now we are trying Celebrity for the first time. I booked a Concierge Cabin and wondering if I made a good choice. Are the benefits worth it? Are the cabins nicer that standard balconies? We usually book junior suites or suites on RCCL and CCL and I’m hoping we wont be disappointed.

Any Celebrity pointers will be appreciated. Traveling will be myself(56) wife, and 12 yo son. We originally had the NCL Bliss booked but couldn’t turn down this weekends deals.

 

thanks in advance

 

djp

 

When I sail on Celebrity, I will only do Concierge.  I've done Aqua Class once and that was one time too many for me.  (Not a fan of Blu and its menu.)

 

IMO,  you made an excellent choice.  Obviously a junior suite is better, if only in terms of more room, etc., but I think you'll like your choice.

[terrydtx]

20 hours ago, mdpa said:

 

 

20 hours ago, dpal2208 said:

Hello all, I just booked the Eclipse in Alaska for the end of May ‘20. We are Emerald on Royal and Platinum on Carnival and now we are trying Celebrity for the first time. I booked a Concierge Cabin and wondering if I made a good choice. Are the benefits worth it? Are the cabins nicer that standard balconies? We usually book junior suites or suites on RCCL and CCL and I’m hoping we wont be disappointed.

Any Celebrity pointers will be appreciated. Traveling will be myself(56) wife, and 12 yo son. We originally had the NCL Bliss booked but couldn’t turn down this weekends deals.

 

thanks in advance

 

djp

If you are looking for a larger cabin at a great price you may want to look at a HAL cruise. We took our 10 year old grandson to Alaska in July on the Noordam. We booked a Signature Suite which has close to 300 sq feet plus a huge balcony and bathroom with both a shower and a tub with double sinks. HAL usually offers a deal where the 3rd person's cost is less than $500. We did a 7 day cruise with a 4 night land tour and our total cost in the SS was $2849pp plus $499 for our GS, this included the land portion too. We never felt crowded in the large cabin with our GS.

[sound_guy0918]

20 hours ago, dpal2208 said:

Hello all, I just booked the Eclipse in Alaska for the end of May ‘20. We are Emerald on Royal and Platinum on Carnival and now we are trying Celebrity for the first time. I booked a Concierge Cabin and wondering if I made a good choice. Are the benefits worth it? Are the cabins nicer that standard balconies? We usually book junior suites or suites on RCCL and CCL and I’m hoping we wont be disappointed.

Any Celebrity pointers will be appreciated. Traveling will be myself(56) wife, and 12 yo son. We originally had the NCL Bliss booked but couldn’t turn down this weekends deals.

 

thanks in advance

 

djp

 

First, after sailing those other lines, your son is more likely to be disappointed than you are if he is looking for water slides and rock climbing walls.  If you and your wife enjoy peace and quiet and a relaxing vacation with excellent food, you will find X to be right up your alley.  This isn't to say that all 12yo boys won't like X.  Everybody is different.  X is just not really a youth-oriented cruise line and their cruise ship amenities reflect that.  With most schools still in session in May, the teen/tween population could be very small indeed.  Again, this only matters to some kids.  

 

Second, if you are used to suite accommodations, IMHO you will be disappointed by the Concierge Class cabin.  It's virtually identical to a "standard" balcony stateroom with a few perks.  Depending on the ship, the location of the cabin can be very good, but you can find a standard balcony one deck above or below for less money.  X balcony staterooms are excellent but certainly not a suite.  With a third passenger in the cabin, you will be cramped at night when your son's bed is turned down.

 

As far as positives - you should find that the food on the ship is excellent, including the burgers and fries at the pool grill.  If your son is a picky eater he will find plenty of options - if he likes to try new things, the food options are limitless.

 

IN GENERAL, X caters to empty-nest 40-50+ year old couples who are looking for a quieter and more mature cruise line.  This doesn't mean there aren't children...during summer or holiday itineraries there are a good number.  But I would expect that a May cruise to Alaska will have very few children.   It sounds like you got a great deal, though, so do some more research (specifically looking at stateroom photos etc) and as long as your son will be happy to see Alaska with his parents (and not necessarily pal around with a bunch of other teens/tweens rock-climbing and water-sliding), you will have a great vacation.

 

 

 

 

 

[GateGuardian]

Here's a comparison between a regular verandah vs Concierge vs Aqua class

 

http://creative.rccl.com/Sales/Celebrity/General_Info/Flyers/17057517_CEL_Concierge_and_Aqua_Class_Amenities.pdf

[Luvcrusn]

18 hours ago, TFLG said:

 

Concierge ins't anything special. Other than a bottle of cheap bubbly, foot stools on your balcony there's really nothing worth the extra cost.  If the cost is similar to a regular veranda cabin we may book concierge otherwise we don't.  Aqua class is a much better way to go, but again only if the cost justifies it. With aqua you get to eat in Blu which is better than the MDR.  You get a better shower in the bathroom and access to the Persian garderns in the spa.  The cabon locations tho often have a deck hanging over them making them more shaded.  We prefer Aqua if we can get a decent deal on it.

Op is sailing with a 12 year old son so Aqua class is out for them since Aqua Class cabins only accommodate two people.

[mdpa]

Yeah, Aqua is not an option for us either since we are a family of 3.

 

GateGuardian, thanks for the reference chart. Very handy.

 

I'll just add that our 14 year old daughter (who was 12 on her first cruise with us) has always enjoyed the quieter environment with the fancy food. She's never been on any other kind of ship so it helps us that she doesn't have a frame of reference.

 

That said, she has enjoyed every cruise (Silver Sea, Celebrity, and Oceania).

[varoo]

On 12/3/2019 at 10:13 AM, dpal2208 said:

Hello all, I just booked the Eclipse in Alaska for the end of May ‘20. We are Emerald on Royal and Platinum on Carnival and now we are trying Celebrity for the first time. I booked a Concierge Cabin and wondering if I made a good choice. Are the benefits worth it? Are the cabins nicer that standard balconies? We usually book junior suites or suites on RCCL and CCL and I’m hoping we wont be disappointed.

Any Celebrity pointers will be appreciated. Traveling will be myself(56) wife, and 12 yo son.

 

Those cabins are tight for 2 people.   There is no way I would want to cram 3 people into one of them.

 

My suggestion would be to book either a concierge or standard balcony cabin for the 2 adults and an inside cabin across the hall for your son, if that is within your budget. 

 

I think you would all be much happier and enjoy the cruise a lot more that way, having the additional space, extra closet, storage cabinets, bathroom, TV, and privacy when you want it.

 

You can all get keys to both cabins, so your son can have access to your balcony whenever he likes.

 

A concierge cabin may be worth slightly more than the price of a regular cabin, but certainly not much more as the concierge cabins themselves on the S-class ships are no larger, and the few additional amenities of concierge class are mainly just needless fluff.

 

 

Edited December 4, 2019 by varoo

[Want2Cruise 701]

If your budget allows, I would look into a Sky Suite solely for the reason that I feel a regular cabin is too tight for 3 people.  We travel with our teenage son as well, and the last several cruises have been in Suites for the space now that he's older.  The Suite experience is better on X than RC.  Never sailed Carnival in a Suite so can't comment on that.  

 

If you end up sticking with the Concierge cabin, I think you will really enjoy Celebrity even if you're not in a Suite.  I prefer Celebrity and think its a step above the other two lines.  

 

I think Concierge is a good choice if the cost difference is minimal.  It is a regular balcony with a few extras thrown in so not worth a substantial upcharge.  If not in a Suite, we book concierge because we like a larger balcony and the difference between a 1A and C2 is not much and we get extra CC points.  

 

You can't do Aqua because of the 3rd person.  Aqua is still a regular balcony cabin too with access to Blu and the Persian Gardens.  We do not like Aqua because of Blu and the menu, but we are in the minority here.  

 

Good luck and I think you will enjoy Celebrity no matter which cabin you choose.

[stah1mr]

I was looking at the comparisons.  Thanks for that.

It mentions plush robes for Concierge and above but below you only get complimentary use of bathrobes.

You don't get to keep the robes do you?

I'm confused, what is the difference?

[davekathy]

3 minutes ago, stah1mr said:

I was looking at the comparisons.  Thanks for that.

It mentions plush robes for Concierge and above but below you only get complimentary use of bathrobes.

You don't get to keep the robes do you?

I'm confused, what is the difference?

No you don't get to keep the robes. You get to use the complimentary robes for the entire cruise. 

Edited December 4, 2019 by davekathy

[TFLG]

Forgot to mention, your son may hate you for changing from the Bliss to Celebrity.  There's not much for a 12 year old to do on any Celebrity ship. 

[Luvcrusn]

39 minutes ago, davekathy said:

No you don't get to keep the robes. You get to use the complimentary robes for the entire cruise. 

The robes are for use on board in all categories. Concierge and above have a plush terry cloth robe and the others have a lighter weight waffle knit robe.