Upper Suite Benefits

[chemmo]

24 minutes ago, jcpc said:

Well.....after reading all these posts I definitely feel like I'm "getting the short end of the stick".  

 

I'm Z and travel in RS all the time.  My last 2 RS experiences and 1 PH experience (all within the last 11 months) encountered the following.  Granted I'm low maintenance.......but.....after reading all your replies I'm thinking I'm not just "low maintenance" but I'm basically "ignored".

 

• I didn't have any snacks delivered at any time
• I did not have Santal toiletries (claimed the ship was "out of them")
• I did not have any contact with any officer whatsoever
• I asked butler to trade the champagne (which, by the way, was the "Celebrity issued" champagne (again claimed there was no better champagne onboard) for a bottle of white wine.  In the past when I've done that the butler left the champagne and came in with the bottle of wine.  Not this past April - champagne was taken by butler and we were given a bottle of white wine
• Unable to change specialty dining reservation from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm
• Asked for Grey Goose in the suite - received Tito's - again claiming no Grey Goose onboard (????)
• No contact with Retreat Manager until we had a maintenance problem in our RS
• No flowers delivered to the suite except for the "Captain's Club single rose"
• No officers lunch
• No Zenith lunch

 

 

 

I think your time line explains many things….We were on Silhouette last year where there was nothing like the ‘extras’ we had previously experienced. Hence, on my previous reply mentioning officers cocktail evening, invitations to dine, behind the scenes tours etc may not happen…We had no issues with the reduced offerings. Understandable for so many reasons. 

 

We should have been cruising shortly and would totally understand if some things were still limited. However, if you are following Jim’s recent reports the Zenith lunch has been resurrected so hopefully other little extras will return soon…

 

In my previous response I did mention something about the Suite Manager…It was something like ‘after an initial meeting you would not expect to  see him him unless there is a problem’…Even taking into account shortages reported on many reviews some things on your cruise were obviously lacking…Absolutely no idea why you never received canopies…All I can suggest to the OP is that if ( hopefully not) he hits the point (you obviously did) to ask for an appointment with the suite manager and simply list the disappointments…
 

Whilst I am aware you did meet with the suite manager re your maintenance issue did you raise your concerns before that with your PRH or the concierge? What was their response?

 

Totally agree with you comment on lack of flowers…we can remember the beautiful bunch of roses becoming buds in a box to now, nothing, when you cruise in higher suites. Definitely a miss in modern luxury from our viewpoint too.

 

All I can add to the many previous bits of advice given is if you feel ‘underwhelmed’ by the suite experience let staff know. 

 

 

 

 

[jcpc]

2 minutes ago, chemmo said:

 

Whilst I am aware you did meet with the suite manager re your maintenance issue did you raise your concerns before that with your PRH or the concierge? What was their response?

 

Yes, I did speak to our PRH twice and the Retreat Concierge on 2 separate phone calls regarding the issue.  It was after it was still not resolved that the Retreat Manager contacted me.

 

And I can remember a time (pre-Covid) where the Suite Manager (as they were then called) was in Michael's Club (as it was then called) every night talking with passengers.  That is how I got to know and become friends with two of them (and am still in contact via email with both of them and they both still work for Celebrity).  But on any recent sailings the Retreat Managers did not make any appearance in the Retreat Lounge (except for the night of the Senior Officer's Party).

 

I certainly have no problem with the "reduced offerings" after Covid (the various luncheons, parties, etc.) and I understand why they did not offer them on any of my 4 sailings. 

[canderson]

33 minutes ago, islabahia said:

We must be outliers….we have no desire to dine with an officer.  
 

More toward the top of my list, I'd love to sit down for dinner with the Chief Electrician (not an officer) and pick his brain, but that's just me 😏

 

Other than that, just commenting that it wasn't offered, which some others seem to enjoy.  Back in the 'old days', we were invited to the Captain's table - long gone with COVID - and did have an interesting conversation after I asked him "If this was your ship to take anywhere you wanted to sail, where would we go?" 

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

Re the mug shots--more than the maitre d's have them.  Once upon a time while in a PH, I just wanted some stationery & envelopes to write notes of appreciation.  Didn't want to bother the butler to bring them.  Went to guest relations to get them.  Not a long line, so no big deal.  Someone behind the desk whisked out, pulled me out of line, and wanted to know what I needed.  It was embarrassing.  It would be nice if they would just stock that stuff in the suites.  Back in the dark ages when I started cruising, there was personalized stationery in ordinary concierge class cabins.

[canderson]

1 minute ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

Re the mug shots--more than the maitre d's have them.  Once upon a time while in a PH, I just wanted some stationery & envelopes to write notes of appreciation.  Didn't want to bother the butler to bring them.  Went to guest relations to get them.  Not a long line, so no big deal.  Someone behind the desk whisked out, pulled me out of line, and wanted to know what I needed.  It was embarrassing.  It would be nice if they would just stock that stuff in the suites.  Back in the dark ages when I started cruising, there was personalized stationery in ordinary concierge class cabins.

That would be a bit over the top!

 

Yes, I recall the stationery as well, along with the envelopes - not just the little pads that are all that comes standard in cabins now.  Used to use the envelopes for tips, along with the paper to write a note to go along with them.  And this was years before we started cruising in suites.

 

At least they still provide official "X" ball point pens. 😄

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

16 minutes ago, canderson said:

That would be a bit over the top!

 

Yes, I recall the stationery as well, along with the envelopes - not just the little pads that are all that comes standard in cabins now.  Used to use the envelopes for tips, along with the paper to write a note to go along with them.  And this was years before we started cruising in suites.

 

At least they still provide official "X" ball point pens. 😄

 

Well, not the good pens, but whatever.  You can still get stationery and envelopes at Guest Relations.

[peanut head]

All of these posts have been wonderful bits of information for my next cruise in a PH.  I was wondering:

 

1.  Is there still a choice of monogrammed pajamas or robes? 

2.  Is the gelato unlimited for the RS/PH? 

[canderson]

5 minutes ago, peanut head said:

All of these posts have been wonderful bits of information for my next cruise in a PH.  I was wondering:

 

1.  Is there still a choice of monogrammed pajamas or robes? 

2.  Is the gelato unlimited for the RS/PH? 

As to the former, according to the perks chart, some ships should be offering robes, and some should be offering PJs, but some have been offering neither.  

 

As to the gelato - yes!!!  But probably a good idea to forget that you know that when you board!

[DCPIV]

8 minutes ago, peanut head said:

1.  Is there still a choice of monogrammed pajamas or robes?

 

I understand that you can get a robe if you have them.  Otherwise, it's the pajamas.  We aren't interested in the pajamas, and we already have robes, so it's no big deal to us one way or another.

[canderson]

Looking at the latest grid, the only offering for monogrammed PJs or robes is the monogrammed PJs, and then only on Apex.

 

Have some fun with this one, attached (if it allows me to do so!)

Celebrity hasn't updated this in a while, though, but is still current on their TA website.

 

 

 

AMENITIES GRID 042920 no rev.xlsx

Edited August 24, 2022 by canderson

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

Got the monogrammed PJs on Summit in the spring in the PH.  Robes were not on offer.  I would have had two by now if all my Covid cruises hadn't been canceled.  

[canderson]

22 minutes ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

Got the monogrammed PJs on Summit in the spring in the PH.  Robes were not on offer.  I would have had two by now if all my Covid cruises hadn't been canceled.  

Not sure how we would have gotten the robes home if they'd offered them.  Two of them would have just about filled a suitcase!  I've got full length wool winter coats that don't way that much! 

 

I haven't heard of anyone getting robes since the restart, but have seen pictures of the PJs here and there since.  On Constellation in November, nada.  If they'd offered them, we'd have gotten a set monogrammed for 'the kids'. 

[Julma]

39 minutes ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

Got the monogrammed PJs on Summit in the spring in the PH.  Robes were not on offer.  I would have had two by now if all my Covid cruises hadn't been canceled.  

Glad to hear it!  I know they're not a big deal, but never having sailed in a PH, I would like a pair.  If I never get another, I'll be fine, but I'd like my one pair of pjs!

[CHEZMARYLOU]

We did get the PJ's on our last 2 sailings. I think I still have a piece or 2 of the monogramed stationary.

 

Edited August 24, 2022 by CHEZMARYLOU

[DCPIV]

38 minutes ago, canderson said:

I haven't heard of anyone getting robes since the restart

 

We got them, but it was right after the restart (sailed July 31, 2021).

[canderson]

2 minutes ago, DCPIV said:

 

We got them, but it was right after the restart (sailed July 31, 2021).

Which ship?  We're talking monogrammed robes, yes?

[DCPIV]

2 minutes ago, canderson said:

Which ship?  We're talking monogrammed robes, yes?

 

Summit. They weren't monogrammed, but they were all packaged up for us with a card. We don't much care about the monogram, so no loss there. We love the robes, though (even if they are enormous).

[canderson]

13 minutes ago, DCPIV said:

 

Summit. They weren't monogrammed, but they were all packaged up for us with a card. We don't much care about the monogram, so no loss there. We love the robes, though (even if they are enormous).

Ah, OK.  Our B/RT host offered them unmonogrammed, too.  Perhaps we'll take an extra suitcase for our October cruise 😄.  We can start a new trend in full length winter coats.

[JFontaine]

4 hours ago, DCPIV said:

Folks need to be very careful about what they wish for when they talk about standardizing. In this context, that typically involves more elimination than addition. 

I think you make a very valid point. But what do you say to the cruiser who spends $2000 a night or more and has by comparison (to their own prior experience,  what they read here, or just what's possible) a disappointing experience?  There's nothing Celebrity can give me. I have limited time to go on vacation (we all do, in a sense) and when it's over the opportunity  is gone. 

[DCPIV]

15 minutes ago, JFontaine said:

I think you make a very valid point. But what do you say to the cruiser who spends $2000 a night or more and has by comparison (to their own prior experience,  what they read here, or just what's possible) a disappointing experience?  There's nothing Celebrity can give me. I have limited time to go on vacation (we all do, in a sense) and when it's over the opportunity  is gone. 

 

It depends on why they are disappointed, I suppose. No one can set their expectations to include the best that has ever happened to themselves and everyone else. There are a lot of self-created, unreasonable expectations out there. 

[Whinenowine]

13 hours ago, peanut head said:

All of these posts have been wonderful bits of information for my next cruise in a PH.  I was wondering:

 

1.  Is there still a choice of monogrammed pajamas or robes? 

2.  Is the gelato unlimited for the RS/PH? 

We got the monogrammed PJs (but not until day 2). I was told by the onshore concierge that X were unhappy with the quality of the monogrammed robes (apparently they frayed). That sounded odd because we all get the “regular” robes in the closet and they always seem perfectly fine. 
 

For the gelato, this was a mini fail for us.  Yes, it’s absolutely included, but someone forgot to tell the system….which told the server to charge us EVERY time.  While not a big deal, the pushback did become tedious enough that we just stopped getting it.  Annoying, yes, but I did actually lose a few pounds on the trip, so….!

[Gordoncruickshank]

I suspect that a lot of the issues that people have had are due to the pandemic. Our last cruise was in a PH on the second Silhouette after it was revolutionised which also happened to be, I think, the second last cruise before the close down.

 

We got the robes, which were monogrammed and have not frayed despite two and a half years of use, we also had dinner with the captain on the second night of our cruise, and the suite manager, concierges and our butler (as they were called then) were all over us everywhere we went. We couldn't have asked for more.

[wineoclock]

We have never gone to lunch/dinner with the officers as we travel with our children & they obviously weren’t invited. Husband worked away a lot so it’s our time to regroup as a family. We’ve done the tours, bridge, sail outs as the children were invited.
 

Our last PH experience was not as good as our previous one. Think it depends on the butler. It wasn’t bad or anything just not as good. Our previous butler seemed to know what we wanted before we did! 

[TeeRick]

On a number of ships (M, S, and E-Class) we have stayed in SS, CS and RS .  Never in a PH.  It seems a number of you on this thread have stayed in both RS and PH.  Can anybody give me a short summary or personal observations on choosing a PH over an RS?  Thank you.

[chemmo]

40 minutes ago, wineoclock said:

Think it depends on the butler. It wasn’t bad or anything just not as good. Our previous butler seemed to know what we wanted before we did! 

The difference between a ‘good’ butler and an ‘exceptional’ butler does make a difference.

 

I remember on the Millie having an exceptional one who saw us returning early to our suite one evening saying we were tired and going to watch a film…After opening our door (how did he always see us coming?) he disappeared for a few minutes and returned with popcorn and checked we didn’t want anything else. Same cruise one evening he asked us where we were planning to have lunch next day (sea day)…He suggested we lunched in suite to enjoy the balcony and after a bit of discussion he said he would arrange an Indian banquet for us…Then on Eclipse a few years ago we had another exceptional one. As I was on crutches at the time his above and beyond was limitless….He knew at about what time we would be going down to Michael’s Club and more or less hijacked an elevator so I wouldn’t be hopping for too long. He had also noticed I was struggling to sit comfortably in the lounge without cushions propping me up. When we got to Tuscan that evening he had phoned them and they had a range of cushions and two different types of chairs ready to ensure I was comfortable…

 

As you say, when we relate anecdotes of the exceptional, it doesn’t mean your other butlers have been poor but there are some that definitely have some mind reading skills…

Edited August 25, 2022 by chemmo