Celebrity Pass ....new purchase for priority boarding, etc ?

[CNSfromHI]

On 11/3/2023 at 1:39 PM, mahasamatman said:

When everybody's special... nobody's special.

Exactly.

 

cjr

[publicpersona]

For a brief confused second, I misread one of the benefits as "waived room service fee" (as in, a term used for the daily gratuities by another cruise line). That made it effectively $10 a day for the other things. But I quickly realized it was "waived room service fee" which has no value to me at all.

 

Is there anyone that isn't getting priority boarding somehow?

[PH2]

This would seem to make sense only for the internet upgrade if you aren't doing AI but planned on purchasing the Premium WiFi. That's $26/day per person as it is. So if you find another $6/day of value out of the rest, it might be worth it.

Edited November 8, 2023 by PH2

[someguyfl]

This just became available for $18.99/day for an upcoming sailing for me ... it inclues Premium Wifi, and is the same price as Premium Wifi...

All I can say is "*****"?

While I don't think it's a great idea for Celebrity to offer this at all, I'm just shocked at how cheap they are willing to sell this! This basically means that anyone who was planning on paying for Premium Wifi anyway can get this, and can now get many of the benefits of being an higher-tier Captain's Club Elite (or higher) member... Priority boarding, Priority tender ... And also some benefits of Concierge class (Welcome Lunch) ... And also some suite benefits (No room service fees. reserved seating in the theater)

When everyone is special, nobody is special.

Celebrity charges a ton more for Concierge Class vs Veranda, and also even more for Aqua class ... And yet they are willing to give this stuff away for practically free to anyone in the cheapest Inside cabin who is willing to pay for the cost of wifi (ie: almost everyone???)

 

What's even the point of Concierge Class now?

Edited November 10, 2023 by someguyfl

[blueslily]

On 11/3/2023 at 10:44 AM, Saturngrl said:

We always purchase The Key on RC.  The embarkation lunch and disembarkation breakfast, combined with being escorted off the ship after breakfast, are so worth the price! 

 

On Celebrity, we sail Concierge, so we get the embarkation lunch.  No need for show reservations/seating on Celebrity.  If this new Pass featured the MDR disembarkation breakfast and escort off the ship, I might purchase it.  This perk, plus having a dedicated space in the terminal to find your luggage, makes the worst day of the cruise much less painful.  

 

For a long cruise, since the cost is per person per day, the total cost to me would be a lot for a breakfast and place for my luggage to be sitting at the end of a cruise. 

 

I agree that it is great for cruisers to have options so they can buy what they want to experience. Cost is relative to the value each person puts on what they are paying to have. For me, what the Pass costs compared to what it would provide for me is not a good price to value ratio so I will pass. 

 

Happy cruising 🛳 everyone 🙂

[Susanb10567]

5 hours ago, someguyfl said:

This just became available for $18.99/day for an upcoming sailing for me ... it inclues Premium Wifi, and is the same price as Premium Wifi...

All I can say is "*****"?

While I don't think it's a great idea for Celebrity to offer this at all, I'm just shocked at how cheap they are willing to sell this! This basically means that anyone who was planning on paying for Premium Wifi anyway can get this, and can now get many of the benefits of being an higher-tier Captain's Club Elite (or higher) member... Priority boarding, Priority tender ... And also some benefits of Concierge class (Welcome Lunch) ... And also some suite benefits (No room service fees. reserved seating in the theater)

When everyone is special, nobody is special.

Celebrity charges a ton more for Concierge Class vs Veranda, and also even more for Aqua class ... And yet they are willing to give this stuff away for practically free to anyone in the cheapest Inside cabin who is willing to pay for the cost of wifi (ie: almost everyone???)

 

What's even the point of Concierge Class now?

Is it free premium WIFI? In my original email to me it sounded like it was an upgrade to premium from classic that was included…

[Lastdance]

Celebrity needs to spell out the fine print, but maybe waiting to see how much they can get before others in suites, Blu etc. start to complain.  It seems like just a test like vaping was recently.  Right now, the information is not available for the details.  I cannot even get into any of my booked cruises, nor can I sign in either...

[4Nathan]

6 hours ago, Susanb10567 said:

Is it free premium WIFI? In my original email to me it sounded like it was an upgrade to premium from classic that was included…

I called Captains Club for clarification and was informed that this is an upgrade only if you already have basic wifi.  You then get upgraded to Premium with 2 devices.  If you currently have Premium Wifi with one device, you get an upgrade to 2 devices.  

[The_Big_M]

13 hours ago, someguyfl said:

This just became available for $18.99/day for an upcoming sailing for me ... it inclues Premium Wifi, and is the same price as Premium Wifi...

All I can say is "*****"?

While I don't think it's a great idea for Celebrity to offer this at all, I'm just shocked at how cheap they are willing to sell this! This basically means that anyone who was planning on paying for Premium Wifi anyway can get this, and can now get many of the benefits of being an higher-tier Captain's Club Elite (or higher) member... Priority boarding, Priority tender ... And also some benefits of Concierge class (Welcome Lunch) ... And also some suite benefits (No room service fees. reserved seating in the theater)

When everyone is special, nobody is special.

Celebrity charges a ton more for Concierge Class vs Veranda, and also even more for Aqua class ... And yet they are willing to give this stuff away for practically free to anyone in the cheapest Inside cabin who is willing to pay for the cost of wifi (ie: almost everyone???)

 

What's even the point of Concierge Class now?

I understand your initial impression but would add a couple of further things, as it looks modelled on the RCL version.

- RCL increases the price after it was introduced, and if this is popular enough I would expect the same to happen ie it won’t stay too cheap for long

- the RCL version only has limited numbers sold per cruise, and does sell out; again I’d expect the same here rather than it being available to all willing to pay.

[sweep2907]

Smacks of utter desperation from Celebrity. So in other words it is many of the retreat perks wrapped up in a package costing a whopping daily amount? I fail to see any value whatsoever for passengers not in retreat at that price? They'll be charging for theatre seats next or 50p to use the toilet. They'll have electricity meters in cabins next where you need to top up your electric card at reception. How about your tender on a running meter and pay your fare as you get off? 

[jelayne]

Has anyone found out what priority boarding and tendering means?  Is that before Suites and Zenith, with Suites and Zenith, after Suites and Zenith but before Elite Plus, Elite who get priority tendering, or after those who already had priority but before those who didn’t have any priority. 

[hcat]

3 hours ago, jelayne said:

Has anyone found out what priority boarding and tendering means?  Is that before Suites and Zenith, with Suites and Zenith, after Suites and Zenith but before Elite Plus, Elite who get priority tendering, or after those who already had priority but before those who didn’t have any priority. 

and the BLUE CHIPPERS who I believe also also get priority???  also AQ Class &  Concierge whose fare includes boarding  luncheon??

[jelayne]

26 minutes ago, hcat said:

and the BLUE CHIPPERS who I believe also also get priority???  also AQ Class &  Concierge whose fare includes boarding  luncheon??

AQ doesn’t have a boarding lunch, but Concierge and Suites do.

[hcat]

5 hours ago, jelayne said:

AQ doesn’t have a boarding lunch, but Concierge and Suites do.

sorry.  very poor grammar and misleading on my part

..

sorry if I got anyone's hopes up in AQ class  that we are getting a lunch!

 

AQ Class has  priority embark

Concierge. has .priority embark AND lunch!

[phoenix_dream]

3 hours ago, hcat said:

sorry.  very poor grammar and misleading on my part

..

sorry if I got anyone's hopes up in AQ class  that we are getting a lunch!

 

AQ Class has  priority embark

Concierge. has .priority embark AND lunch!

No, AQ and Concierge no longer have priority embarkation. That went away after the Covid shutdown.  

[1Virgo]

10 hours ago, hcat said:

and the BLUE CHIPPERS who I believe also also get priority???  also AQ Class &  Concierge whose fare includes boarding  luncheon??

Aqua does not include embarkation lunch

[hcat]

1 hour ago, phoenix_dream said:

No, AQ and Concierge no longer have priority embarkation. That went away after the Covid shutdown.  

On some ships now it is back..as per recent posted reviews..

 

It would be awful of X to delete  a  long standing perk of a relatively  higher fare cabin   and then sell it off to others at a discount.  But X  never ceases to surprise us like that...

[hcat]

37 minutes ago, 1Virgo said:

Aqua does not include embarkation lunch

yes, I  was already corrected on that..see post 113

[1Virgo]

7 minutes ago, hcat said:

yes, I  was already corrected on that..see post 113

um.   no offence meant but perhaps my post went thru after as #113 hadnt shown up when I posted.    

[the penguins]

On 11/2/2023 at 11:26 PM, Susanb10567 said:

I got an email but it left out the part about having to purchase it…

 

it seems like they are taking a page from Princess with this…

 

just looked at it again …I didn’t have the letter but if I clicked booked now it says it’s available to purchase for 32.99 a day…ugh

 

in looking what it offers I do not see the value…

At first glance this looks very poor value:

Cost:$32.99 per person per day.

Up grade to premium wifi: how much is that per day? Might be a benefit if you have already purchased the basic. No value for us as our Free Elite minutes are more than we need.

Priority tendering: only of value if you are not Elite and above or not in a Suite.

Priority theatre seating: of more value would be keeping non disabled passengers out of  the one row of seats at the back of the theatre that is supposedly kept for use by the disabled. No disabled passengers can use the Priority rows.

Free room service fee: How much is that per meal? Might be of value if you use it every day. We have never used it once.

Fortunately X's new offering is voluntary and choice is always good. If the maths work for you great - book it.

 

[DebInAntigua]

I just logged into the Cruise Planner tonight and the Xpass was very inexpensive for both of our Alaska cruises in May & June 2024. Also, Classic to Premium drink package upgrades were also on sale. I canceled our previous Basic to Premium internet upgrade purchases and our previous Beverage package upgrade purchases and saved $390 total. Now we get 2 devices pp Premium Wifi, a few extra services like free room service, and it cost me hundreds less. I'll take it. 

Edited November 15, 2023 by DebInAntigua
typo

[hcat]

On 11/11/2023 at 5:39 AM, jelayne said:

Has anyone found out what priority boarding and tendering means?  Is that before Suites and Zenith, with Suites and Zenith, after Suites and Zenith but before Elite Plus, Elite who get priority tendering, or after those who already had priority but before those who didn’t have any priority. 

so who will pass holders jump ahead of  on line for a  low cost? 

 

Hope number if passes sold will be limited. 

 

Boarding is already complicated other than for Suites/ Zenith guests.

Devalues AQ and CC....

 

 

[hrhdhd]

1 hour ago, hcat said:

Boarding is already complicated other than for Suites/ Zenith guests.

Devalues AQ and CC....

Boarding isn't complicated at all. Couple of minutes with someone with an iPad, maybe sit for a few minutes if the ship isn't cleared, then get on and start having fun. 

[Cruising89143]

On 11/11/2023 at 2:39 AM, jelayne said:

Has anyone found out what priority boarding and tendering means?  Is that before Suites and Zenith, with Suites and Zenith, after Suites and Zenith but before Elite Plus, Elite who get priority tendering, or after those who already had priority but before those who didn’t have any priority. 

Last year on RCI we were in a GS sailing out of Miami on the Symphony and when we arrived at the terminal we were escorted to the suites only area. Key holders were directed to a standard seating area. We boarded first. I would assume that X will board Retreat guests first as well. 

[hcat]

50 minutes ago, hrhdhd said:

Boarding isn't complicated at all. Couple of minutes with someone with an iPad, maybe sit for a few minutes if the ship isn't cleared, then get on and start having fun. 

You are lucky

Has not been our experience  in the big barn in Port Ev.. yes the I-pad thing is easy but the free for all after that is poor! Even the suite boarding was disorderly!