Anyone in a Sky Suite thinking to go down a level?

[tomcruiser1234]

On 11/25/2023 at 8:27 AM, phoenix_dream said:

I am not downgrading any current reservations but definitely can't afford suites going forward anymore! Will book AQ and maybe consider move up bids if reasonable.  Won't sail E class without a regular balcony so will only book if we can get one of the few nonsuite cabins with balconies or if the suite prices tumble (not holding my breath on that!) Suite prices are already outrageous and with the cuts in service and perks like obc and gratuities I just can't justify it anymore.  But it won't change until bookings drop. Sigh......

 

22 hours ago, wrk2cruise said:

 

Explain?  After final payment yes but before no.

If you try to rebook a new cabin and those perks are not available you will loose those if they are no longer included.  Be careful when you rebook. We would have had to give up tips and $1000 OBC on the 13 day South America cruise 

[DaKahuna]

9 hours ago, mahasamatman said:

 

I was referring to the "Retreat Sun Deck" and an actual Retreat Lounge. Michael's Club is not a Retreat Lounge - it's just a crowded, dingy room.

 

 I beg to disagree.  I prefer Michael's Club over the Retreat Lounge.  The atmosphere was more warm and the furniture much more comfortable than what you find in the Retreat Lounge. 

[phoenix_dream]

10 hours ago, mahasamatman said:

 

I was referring to the "Retreat Sun Deck" and an actual Retreat Lounge. Michael's Club is not a Retreat Lounge - it's just a crowded, dingy room.

On Reflection now. It is very nice. Large, comfortable,  and lots of seating and a nice bar area. 

[marieps]

We went back to AQ for the Eclipse holiday cruise next year after being in sky suites on Summit, Equinox and Sillie.  The first two had butlers.  The Sillie TA last month did not and it was a difference.  We also enjoyed one meal in Blu and the food was outstanding.  We've done ten AQ cruises and trading the Retreat for unlimited PG is a trade off we're happy with, especially on non-Revolutionized vessels.   When Bermuda opens next week we'll try to snag the same room.  For what =X= wants for a suite, we've already sought other lines and booked Oceania, Ponant and Regent on future suite voyages. 

[Chewbecca]

We are in a SS on Infinity right now, we usually sail in a regular verandah (most recently on Silhouette in June). Luminae has been really excellent, as had Michael's lounge. We are unsure we will rebook on Celebrity only because we can't afford suite prices all the time and don't want to go back to MDR. This cruise was a good price, probably because of Infinity's condition which does show but it hasn't stopped the food, service, room, itinerary & weather being fabulous. 

[miched]

13 hours ago, zitsky said:

How much is your decision influenced by your recent experience and how much by comments by other cruisers?  Did you consider changing your booking before final payment?

Why would I want to change my booking?   I booked a SS at a good price  less $350/day pp and was expecting the same level of service that I had when I booked it.  

 

At around the $700/day that we paid the value and experience wasn't  there.   About 30% of the time in Luminae we ordered from the MDR.  The room attendant took the place of the butler and he was overloaded.   If you took anything from the fridge you were charged for it. Before you could at least have a soft drink, water, or beer.   The nightly chocolate was a joke.   On chic nights they use to give a little box with a few pieces of higher quality chocolate,  no more.   Around 4 pm on embarkation day we decided to find and retrieve our luggage out of the hallway.  Others were also looking for theirs.  The luggage was staged in the hallway and no one was placing any of it by the proper cabins. 
 

As I wrote I will not be booking any more suites when the going price is now over $600/day pp, with no OBC, and gratuities aren’t included,  way too much for what is being offered.  
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅
 

 

 

 

 

[mahasamatman]

4 hours ago, acstall said:

Here is the response from my TA. "Since this is special discounted rate, I cannot forward you the invoice from Celebrity."

 

Get a new TA. Don't wait.

 

5 hours ago, Sailaway1706 said:

We enjoyed the Sky Suite. But is it really worth the extra money? Better spend it at a specialty restaurant.

 

I would do that if Celebrity had any worthwhile specialty restaurants. Easier just to book away from Celebrity.

[bnurick]

Down two or three levels. We usually book a SS on Edge Class and a CS on S-Class. All new bookings are Concierge Class with specialty dining each night. Until we are more comfortable on what we will be receiving this is our going forward setup. Also, no drink packages, a la carte so we aren’t disappointed. We also bring our wine allotment onboard. Next cruise is January 2024 on the Beyond in a SS we booked 18 months ago.

[bigbenboys]

53 minutes ago, miched said:

On chic nights they use to give a little box with a few pieces of higher quality chocolate,  no more.  
 

 

 

 

Sept we were on Eclipse in a CS and I asked our butler about the little box of chocolate. The butler said only the high suites get the box of chocolate. In SS we used to get the bag with the zipper in the side. Not in our CS in Sept. Just a X bag with 2 handles.

[Cruise a holic]

On 11/24/2023 at 9:50 PM, zitsky said:

We have a Sky Suite booked but I’m thinking to take us down to Aqua if we can keep our deposit.  Anyone else thinking of this?  Aqua is almost 50% of the SS price.

 

(Butler changes)

Nope!  Perks wonderful for suites.  Imo aq not worth additional 

Edited November 26, 2023 by Cruise a holic

[miched]

2 hours ago, bigbenboys said:

Sept we were on Eclipse in a CS and I asked our butler about the little box of chocolate. The butler said only the high suites get the box of chocolate. In SS we used to get the bag with the zipper in the side. Not in our CS in Sept. Just a X bag with 2 handles.

We got it in a SS back in Mar.  it is more cuts. 
 

We got the same bag.  It also has that little pouch bag inside 

 

The top bag is the most recent.  Flimsy material.  The one other is from a few cruises ago.  More like canvas

 

Also the boxes that had the chocolates.  
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

Edited November 26, 2023 by miched

[Dolebludger]

It I difficult to consider the OP’s question without knowing the per diem rate on the booked SS. The SS is not totally without value, even though it isn’t the lux experience it once was. But at current prices that I see it I isn’t worth it. 

[RichYak]

17 hours ago, mahasamatman said:

I was referring to... an actual Retreat Lounge. Michael's Club is not a Retreat Lounge

This is actual nonsense. A Retreat Lounge is a lounge that only Retreat guests have access to.

[markeb]

On 11/25/2023 at 12:51 PM, zitsky said:

My TA is trying to convince me to keep the SS.  I think because she gets a better commission that way.  She doesn’t seem aware of the complaints about butlers.

 

Was the butler the primary driver in your decision to go with the SS? If not, why should it be the primary driver in a decision to move to a different category?

 

I'm reasonably confident you've done the math. What's the actual delta from a sky suite to Aqua once you calculate in the lost OBC, tips, and the cost of upgrading drinks and Wi-Fi (assuming you want to compare apples to oranges here)? Does the SS provide value to YOU (value, not cost, that's a judgement call) that exceeds that delta? We did this calculation for AQ vs SS for an Alaska cruise next year, before the changes in tips and OBC, and while the difference was certainly not zero, we've enjoyed the Retreat enough that it provided value to us. Maybe not anyone else, but to us.

[markeb]

10 minutes ago, RichYak said:

This is actual nonsense. A Retreat Lounge is a lounge that only Retreat guests have access to.

 

Exactly

 

I probably enjoyed Michael's more than the current Retreat lounge on Equinox. Admittedly, a lot of that has to do with the passenger population and their interest in the lounge, which is beyond Celebrity's control. On our first suite class cruise on Equinox in 2018 Michael's was busy every night and you met people simply by finding a seat. The Retreat lounge on our last two Equinox cruises has largely felt empty and sterile. I don't dislike the decor like some, but the feel of an old school club in Michael's seemed to produce a better experience.

[markeb]

1 hour ago, miched said:

We got it in a SS back in Mar.  it is more cuts. 
 

We got the same bag.  It also has that little pouch bag inside 

 

The top bag is the most recent.  Flimsy material.  The one other is from a few cruises ago.  More like canvas

 

Also the boxes that had the chocolates.  
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

 

I suspect in either case most of them end up in the trash, so does it really matter? One of the last occupants of our cabin on the Equinox actually stuffed their bag in the inch and a half space on top of the closet...

 

We didn't get chocolates last week, though. Those were nice on our last cruise. 

[bigbenboys]

1 hour ago, miched said:

We got it in a SS back in Mar.  it is more cuts. 
 

We got the same bag.  It also has that little pouch bag inside 

 

The top bag is the most recent.  Flimsy material.  The one other is from a few cruises ago.  More like canvas

 

Also the boxes that had the chocolates.  
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

The above is what we got in our CS last Sept. The photo below is what we had been getting in a SS in the past. It is a better quality bag with a zippered pocket within the bag.

 

 

 

[RichYak]

56 minutes ago, markeb said:

Was the butler the primary driver in your decision to go with the SS? If not, why should it be the primary driver in a decision to move to a different category?

I have to say I don’t agree with this premise. Access to a butler may not have been the primary driver, but clearly some value has been removed with no reduction in cost. That’s enough to regret a purchase. 

[miched]

52 minutes ago, markeb said:

 

I suspect in either case most of them end up in the trash, so does it really matter? One of the last occupants of our cabin on the Equinox actually stuffed their bag in the inch and a half space on top of the closet...

 

We didn't get chocolates last week, though. Those were nice on our last cruise. 

We use them for shopping bags and also give them to our children that they use for grocery shopping.  Not a deal breaker but they do come in handy when on board when going to the top decks to lay out or to the beaches , and excursions in the ports. 
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[Texed]

8 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 I beg to disagree.  

 

Ditto!

[markeb]

15 minutes ago, RichYak said:

I have to say I don’t agree with this premise. Access to a butler may not have been the primary driver, but clearly some value has been removed with no reduction in cost. That’s enough to regret a purchase. 

But it’s what they’ve repeatedly stated. So it appears to be the primary driver to them. It’s the difference between the alternatives. It seems very important. 

[SusieAV8R]

9 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 I beg to disagree.  I prefer Michael's Club over the Retreat Lounge.  The atmosphere was more warm and the furniture much more comfortable than what you find in the Retreat Lounge. 

I definitely agree, DaKahuna, that the seating was far more comfortable in Michael's Club than it is in the Retreat Lounge!

[mac_tlc]

On 11/25/2023 at 3:37 PM, goofysmom99 said:

I just finished pricing 2025 Fall TAs on Celebrity and Oceania.  My prices are solo, but since they're all 200% supplement, prices for two would only differ by the additional taxes.

 

Apex, 10-19-25, 13 nights, Southampton - Port Canaveral, SS2 (367 sq ft), $10236, $1012 NRF dep.

 

Ascent, 10-31-25, 13 nights, Rome - Ft Lauderdale, SS2 (398 sq ft), $12397, $1232 NRF dep.

 

Vista (1200 pax), 11-20-25, 14 nights, Barcelona - Miami, PH2 (440 sq ft), $9180, $500 RF dep (less $150 admin fee)

 

We all know what we get and don't get with a SS on X and that specialty restaurants are an add-on cost, tips are extra.

 

On Vista (2023 build), tips are extra, a PH includes a butler, wine with lunch and dinner (you can also bring on 6 bottles/cabin), wifi (2 devices/suite), $1000 shore excursion credit (have no idea if this will be of any value to me yet), in room dining from MDR as well as all specialty restaurants.  And best of all for me, the bathroom has a real shower!  The ship has a dedicated Aquamar Spa Terrace, their version of The Retreat Sun Deck.  And an Executive Lounge (Retreat-like spot for the concierge).  The biggest selling feature for me was, for $9180 all-in, being able to grab one of the PHs on Deck 7 with the extended balcony,  This is what a suite balcony ought to look like! 

 

After my last cruise on Connie (disembarked Wed), I knew I needed to upgrade my dining options to Blu, Luminae or another ship!  I'm encouraged that O is known for its food.  Vista has a hands-on cooking demo kitchen with classes you sign up for.  Also has a casino.  Obviously shows can't be the same caliber they are on X, especially E-class, however, that's not a big deal to me.  I quit going to shows about 10 yrs ago, preferring Ensemble, Rendezvous, etc., before and after dinner.  BTW, the O drink package upgrade is $30/person/day.  I don't know if the additional $420 for 14 nights would be cost effective for me for one or two Aperol spritzes daily (O drink prices are lower than X), but I'm thinking about adding it.  If I do, price will still be significantly less/day for a better overall benefit (to me) than X.   
 

So, I booked O.  If I need to cancel, I'll only be out $150 up until final payment.  That's not much risk in the grand scheme of things.  No way I will give X a 10% NRF deposit; that's unacceptable risk.  

 

Of course your TA makes more money from a suite; so does Celebrity!  If I had a SS booked on X right now, I'd downgrade to Blu; you don't lose your deposit if you merely downgrade but keep the same ship and date.  

 

 

 

Meet you on the Vista !! We also have a PH2 booked on the Fall 2025 TA -- one of the ones on deck 7 with the extended balcony., maybe we are neighbors!!!

 

Our upcoming SS's on Celebrity were booked before prices went nuts. Ascent in January is about $365pppd, Beyond in February is $385pppd. Also include Grats and OBC ($600 on Ascent and $1100 on Beyond). 

 

We did get a good price on Xcel for Jan 2026 at about $385pppd, no OBC but that price includes grats. 

 

At those prices, we won't downgrade -- it would probably be the same or more money given current pricing.

 

Absent deals like that, we wont do Suites on X. We have two O cruises and one HAL booked instead. 

Edited November 27, 2023 by mac_tlc

[Lastdance]

Yes, Vista for a TA in 2024/25 is such an awesome price for a PH1 that I hope the rest is that good.  We also have 600 OBC from Celebrity and another huge chunk from our TA.  We did not get one of those huge extended balconies, but will sneak on one that is not being used....🤣

Edited November 27, 2023 by Lastdance

[zitsky]

2 hours ago, markeb said:

 

Was the butler the primary driver in your decision to go with the SS? If not, why should it be the primary driver in a decision to move to a different category?

 

I'm reasonably confident you've done the math. What's the actual delta from a sky suite to Aqua once you calculate in the lost OBC, tips, and the cost of upgrading drinks and Wi-Fi (assuming you want to compare apples to oranges here)? Does the SS provide value to YOU (value, not cost, that's a judgement call) that exceeds that delta? We did this calculation for AQ vs SS for an Alaska cruise next year, before the changes in tips and OBC, and while the difference was certainly not zero, we've enjoyed the Retreat enough that it provided value to us. Maybe not anyone else, but to us.

I did a move up bid from Aqua to SS on Beyond.  Butler was clearly stated as a benefit.  

 

Then we made a deposit on a SS on Millie before the butler changes were announced.  You bet I expect to get what I was promised and what I paid for.  Why shouldn’t I?

 

Yes I will make my own decision about any change.  Husband likes Luminae and the Retreat deck.  I do too.

 

I am not used to paying for something like butler service only for it to be taken away.  We chose NRD on this SS cruise because X was very good to us during Covid.  And when we needed to shift a cruise we did it without penalty.  But this butler change is not good.

 

We may keep our SS but we’ll go down to Aqua or book other cruise lines in the future.  We are not big cruisers so I’m sure that X won’t miss us.