First time on Celebrity, Some Questions!

[Ethanol95]

Hello all, I am an avid Royal cruiser, and I'm planning a family holiday for 3 of us, on Celebrity for the first time. Coming over to this brand, i've some questions about how things work. We're currently looking at a cruise onboard the Celebrity Beyond for 11N out of Rome to the Greek Isles. 

 

1. Which class of balcony staterooms guarantees a traditional balcony, (i can only see concierge, verandah and Aqua class which i believe is also a balcony type).  Which one is infinite Verandah's?

 

2. Is dining at blu only specialty, unless you get an aqua-class stateroom or above category?

 

3. Booking below an aqua class category means that drinks, wifi and tips are additional purchases that need to be made onboard?

 

4. For a family of 3, two parents and myself (25), would a skysuite for 11N be okay, considering the worth of the additional perk of the retreat?

 

Any insight would be very helpful and much appreciated. I'm so excited to be finally sailing Celebrity after more than 6 years of trying to get on one of their ships!

Edited October 27, 2022 by Ethanol95

[hrhdhd]

1. Traditional balconies are available for suites. There are a few sunset verandas on the stern. Most others are IV (there are, I think, a few "porthole" verandas).

2. Blu is for AquaClass only. Suites can dine there, space permitting.

4. I'd never want to spend 11 nights in a cabin with my parents, but YMMV.

[Tudy]

Welcome to Celebrity!

 

Here is a breakdown of what categories of verandas have traditional vs infinite balconies.

P category have porthole verandas which have a porthole style opening from the veranda.

SV have traditional balconies

E, C, and A have infinite verandas.

 

You can get your drinks, gratuities, and wifi included with verandas. There are 2 prices, All-inclusive and cruise-only. Everyone in the cabin must have the same package. To figure out which price works best for you, calculate how much you would spend on the various items and weigh that against the package price.

 

As far as the suites: IMHO, suites are very sweet. The price is high. I do sail in a suite on E class ships whenever I can find a good price. I prefer the suite experience on the E class ships (as opposed to M class or S class),  as long as it is not cost-prohibitive.

 

That being said, I find the non-suite experience is also very nice. I like the 4 main dining rooms concept. The ships are beautiful. Whether you decide on a suite or a veranda, you will have a good time.

[Ethanol95]

2 hours ago, hrhdhd said:

1. Traditional balconies are available for suites. There are a few sunset verandas on the stern. Most others are IV (there are, I think, a few "porthole" verandas).

2. Blu is for AquaClass only. Suites can dine there, space permitting.

4. I'd never want to spend 11 nights in a cabin with my parents, but YMMV.

So guests not in aquaclass cannot pay extra to dine in Blu? We are also considering getting a suite + verandah connecting or 2 connecting IVs/Verandah. That sounds like it would complicate dining for us. 

[Ethanol95]

7 minutes ago, Tudy said:

Welcome to Celebrity!

 

Here is a breakdown of what categories of verandas have traditional vs infinite balconies.

P category have porthole verandas which have a porthole style opening from the veranda.

SV have traditional balconies

E, C, and A have infinite verandas.

 

You can get your drinks, gratuities, and wifi included with verandas. There are 2 prices, All-inclusive and cruise-only. Everyone in the cabin must have the same package. To figure out which price works best for you, calculate how much you would spend on the various items and weigh that against the package price.

 

As far as the suites: IMHO, suites are very sweet. The price is high. I do sail in a suite on E class ships whenever I can find a good price. I prefer the suite experience on the E class ships (as opposed to M class or S class),  as long as it is not cost-prohibitive.

 

That being said, I find the non-suite experience is also very nice. I like the 4 main dining rooms concept. The ships are beautiful. Whether you decide on a suite or a veranda, you will have a good time.

Thanks for the welcome! Do you know whether travelling as a party, all pax in the party need the same package even if we're in different rooms IE. Suite + Verandah ?

 

I feel like recommending the Retreat experience to my parents as they have heard a lot of good reviews of celebrity from friends but with the retreat, it would only apply to them and not me if we are in separate rooms?

[Tudy]

Everyone in the same cabin must have the same package. Different cabins can have different packages. So if one of you does not drink, put that person in the separate cabin. Celebrity doesn't care who actually sleeps in which cabin.

 

As for the suite with connecting veranda, I am not sure having never done that.  Hopefully someone who have done this before will chime in with the answer. 

[hrhdhd]

14 minutes ago, Ethanol95 said:

So guests not in aquaclass cannot pay extra to dine in Blu? We are also considering getting a suite + verandah connecting or 2 connecting IVs/Verandah. That sounds like it would complicate dining for us. 

No. Blu isn't large enough for additional passengers to dine. I imagine the occasional suite passengers are allowed because someone pitched a fit back in the day.

 

If someone in a party isn't in a suite, that person doesn't get suite benefits. That person may be able to dine in Luminae, space permitting and for an upcharge (think approx. $20/b, $30/l, $40/d).

[jelayne]

If your parents are in a suite and you in another non suite cabin you would not have access to the RetreatSun Deck or the Retreat Lounge, for us the main reasons to book a suite.  As mentioned you could join them in Luminae for meals, on a space available basis.  I believe the price is $10 breakfast, $20 lunch, $30 dinner but that may have increased .

We just got off the Beyond on Monday and it is a beautiful ship. 
 

 

[Ethanol95]

9 minutes ago, jelayne said:

If your parents are in a suite and you in another non suite cabin you would not have access to the RetreatSun Deck or the Retreat Lounge, for us the main reasons to book a suite.  As mentioned you could join them in Luminae for meals, on a space available basis.  I believe the price is $10 breakfast, $20 lunch, $30 dinner but that may have increased .

We just got off the Beyond on Monday and it is a beautiful ship. 
 

 

Yeah.. The retreat sounds like a great experience, but I would rather they experience it than forgo it and take a normal IV cabin to accompany me. 

[Ethanol95]

31 minutes ago, hrhdhd said:

No. Blu isn't large enough for additional passengers to dine. I imagine the occasional suite passengers are allowed because someone pitched a fit back in the day.

 

If someone in a party isn't in a suite, that person doesn't get suite benefits. That person may be able to dine in Luminae, space permitting and for an upcharge (think approx. $20/b, $30/l, $40/d).

We're stuck on deciding because we are left with only Sky suites for all suite categories for this sailing, and I would have recommended them something bigger if it was available so that all 3 of us could be together comfortably.

[Jim_Iain]

2 hours ago, Ethanol95 said:

So guests not in aquaclass cannot pay extra to dine in Blu? We are also considering getting a suite + verandah connecting or 2 connecting IVs/Verandah. That sounds like it would complicate dining for us. 

No -  not possible.  If in a suite you can invite a guest in a non-suite and pay about $50 pp.    In Blu they do not permit the payment for a guest.

[NutsAboutGolf]

3 hours ago, Tudy said:

Everyone in the same cabin must have the same package. Different cabins can have different packages. So if one of you does not drink, put that person in the separate cabin. Celebrity doesn't care who actually sleeps in which cabin.

 

As for the suite with connecting veranda, I am not sure having never done that.  Hopefully someone who have done this before will chime in with the answer. 

 

This is not the case if you call X or wait until you on board (could be the case online, though).  We've successfully added the drink package for one pre-sail by calling and another time waited until day 3 on board and purchased it for just one person and on day 5 upgraded that to premium.  

[NutsAboutGolf]

There's a inconvenient and frowned upon (due to congestion) loophole for Blu, if those in the AQ cabin arrive separately at separate times, each is allowed to bring one guest.

[jagoffee]

7 hours ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

There's a inconvenient and frowned upon (due to congestion) loophole for Blu, if those in the AQ cabin arrive separately at separate times, each is allowed to bring one guest.

I would think that Celebrity would know that the person was not cruising solo, thus they would not allow a guest.  That policy is intended for Solo passengers.  
I think you are misunderstanding the Blu policy.  

[NutsAboutGolf]

3 minutes ago, jagoffee said:

I would think that Celebrity would know that the person was not cruising solo, thus they would not allow a guest.  That policy is intended for Solo passengers.  
I think you are misunderstanding the Blu policy.  

 

We saw it first hand with a couple we met.  No idea if the Blu host didn't know or care.

[IslaSarah]

10 hours ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

This is not the case if you call X or wait until you on board (could be the case online, though).  We've successfully added the drink package for one pre-sail by calling and another time waited until day 3 on board and purchased it for just one person and on day 5 upgraded that to premium.  

If you're adding a drink package, for example, in the Cruise Planner after booking a non-suite/aqua cabin without all included, you do not need to have the same option for all passengers in a cabin. However, I do not think you can initially book a cabin with one person with All Included and the second not. 

[Ethanol95]

Thank you all for your tips and advice. Due to lack of availability, I have reserved a IV balcony for my parents and a connecting solo balcony cabin (it was the cheapest option, and they were all already very expensive). This is a first, as I've always read and fake booked solo cabins on royal for the thrill of it, but also don't know what perks/lack of perks solo balcony gets.

 

If anyone has tried it before, how does it differ to a normal room in amenities and service wise?

[Ethanol95]

Also how is Deck 7 for sky suites? I'm considering an upgrade.

[hrhdhd]

Just know that the IV isn't a "balcony"; it's a window with chairs next to it.

[bye-seaya]

1 hour ago, Ethanol95 said:

Also how is Deck 7 for sky suites? I'm considering an upgrade.

 

Welcome!

 We watch a lot of the utube videos for the various Celebrity ships and find them super helpful. The videos provide great insights to ship amenities, cabin locations/sizes and dining options. There may be videos that can help provide info on the types of cabins or even specific cabins you are interested in. Pictures help me visualize whether or not the cabins or ships would be a good fit for our vacations. 

Another thought would be to consider getting a good travel agent to help with your booking. We can’t list TAs on the CC forum, but google could also be helpful in finding one,  or maybe a friend or family can recommend one. 

There are magic carpet sky suites and regular sky suites. If you are considering a magic carpet suite on deck 7, you will want to see if the view is obstructed when the carpet is in it’s lowered position. It may not be ...but something to look into. We had a reg sky suite on the Edge on deck 9 & loved it. But I wouldn’t hesitate to book a magic carpet suite in the future - but that’s just me. 

A European cruise is usually port intensive - so maybe not as much time would be spent in the cabin.  However, 3 adults in one cabin who will have long touring days may want their own space to rest & relax for some “downtime”. I know that I would. 😀

In therms if the drink packages, you don’t all need to have the same drink package. My Sis & I shared a cabin and she didn’t get the drink package and I got the premium package. She preferred to pay for her occasional beer as she went along, having the drinks charged to her room account. I preferred to order wine and top shelf drinks without having to worry about a bill at the end of the cruise. 

For regular evening MD rooms - there are 3 to choose from and I’ve been reading rave reviews. There are also specialty restaurants that can be booked for a fee. So much to do and so little time! Have a wonderful sailing!

🛳

[Ethanol95]

1 hour ago, bye-seaya said:

 

Welcome!

 We watch a lot of the utube videos for the various Celebrity ships and find them super helpful. The videos provide great insights to ship amenities, cabin locations/sizes and dining options. There may be videos that can help provide info on the types of cabins or even specific cabins you are interested in. Pictures help me visualize whether or not the cabins or ships would be a good fit for our vacations. 

Another thought would be to consider getting a good travel agent to help with your booking. We can’t list TAs on the CC forum, but google could also be helpful in finding one,  or maybe a friend or family can recommend one. 

There are magic carpet sky suites and regular sky suites. If you are considering a magic carpet suite on deck 7, you will want to see if the view is obstructed when the carpet is in it’s lowered position. It may not be ...but something to look into. We had a reg sky suite on the Edge on deck 9 & loved it. But I wouldn’t hesitate to book a magic carpet suite in the future - but that’s just me. 

A European cruise is usually port intensive - so maybe not as much time would be spent in the cabin.  However, 3 adults in one cabin who will have long touring days may want their own space to rest & relax for some “downtime”. I know that I would. 😀

In therms if the drink packages, you don’t all need to have the same drink package. My Sis & I shared a cabin and she didn’t get the drink package and I got the premium package. She preferred to pay for her occasional beer as she went along, having the drinks charged to her room account. I preferred to order wine and top shelf drinks without having to worry about a bill at the end of the cruise. 

For regular evening MD rooms - there are 3 to choose from and I’ve been reading rave reviews. There are also specialty restaurants that can be booked for a fee. So much to do and so little time! Have a wonderful sailing!

🛳

That't great information! Would Celebrity have something similar to Royal where Diamond/elite members get drink vouchers on celebrity as well? or is it only the designated happy hour?

Turns out we chose 2 connecting concierge class cabins on deck 12 on the starboard side. 2 bathrooms were the main consideration for this, although we rarely travel on celebrity and I would have liked my parents to experience the retreat for their first impression of X. 

[KKB]

9 hours ago, Ethanol95 said:

Thank you all for your tips and advice. Due to lack of availability, I have reserved a IV balcony for my parents and a connecting solo balcony cabin (it was the cheapest option, and they were all already very expensive). This is a first, as I've always read and fake booked solo cabins on royal for the thrill of it, but also don't know what perks/lack of perks solo balcony gets.

 

If anyone has tried it before, how does it differ to a normal room in amenities and service wise?

This sounds like the perfect solution. 

We did an IV on Apex & don't know what all the fuss is--it has the advantage of extending the room when the window is closed, and is essentially a balcony when open (I have sailed a number of balconies with walls to the ceiling & an overhang...really the same thing...).

The solo rooms are very nicely appointed with all the same perks as regular cabins.

 

We have sailed Apex & Edge & LOVE E class. We loved the 4 dining room concepts--it's speciality dining light. Eden is FABULOUS & I am dying to try the new restaurant on Beyond. 

[NutsAboutGolf]

9 hours ago, Ethanol95 said:

Thank you all for your tips and advice. Due to lack of availability, I have reserved a IV balcony for my parents and a connecting solo balcony cabin (it was the cheapest option, and they were all already very expensive). This is a first, as I've always read and fake booked solo cabins on royal for the thrill of it, but also don't know what perks/lack of perks solo balcony gets.

 

If anyone has tried it before, how does it differ to a normal room in amenities and service wise?

 

We're not allowed to post TA sites, but just google and you'll find several sites that will list the single supplement.  Here are the current X sailings with sub-50% single suppliments.

 

[Ethanol95]

35 minutes ago, KKB said:

This sounds like the perfect solution. 

We did an IV on Apex & don't know what all the fuss is--it has the advantage of extending the room when the window is closed, and is essentially a balcony when open (I have sailed a number of balconies with walls to the ceiling & an overhang...really the same thing...).

The solo rooms are very nicely appointed with all the same perks as regular cabins.

 

We have sailed Apex & Edge & LOVE E class. We loved the 4 dining room concepts--it's speciality dining light. Eden is FABULOUS & I am dying to try the new restaurant on Beyond. 

Is Eden a specialty premium restaurant?

[jagoffee]

2 hours ago, Ethanol95 said:

Is Eden a specialty premium restaurant?

Yes, it is a specialty restaurant with an extra charge.

 

on the Apex there was a cafe in Eden’s that was no extra charge for a light breakfast and lunch.