What has changed?

[mahdnc]

Lois,

 

While some Cruise Critic members are not thrilled with it, I think the new Edge class ships embody most of the excitement among today’s Celebrity passengers.  Those class of ships are designed much differently than Solstice, Millenium, and Century. The new design also takes the experience for the suite passenger to another level in the form of more dedicated Retreat space and new suite categories to choose from. There are four of those ships currently sailing with a fifth under construction but none of them were around when you last cruised with Celebrity in 2016. 
 

If I remember correctly, you were not one to be so easily seduced by sexy new ships so the above might not mean much to you, but it represents where Celebrity is putting their focus. 
 

Celebrity continues to do the Galapagos well. I don’t think that has changed since you last cruised with Celebrity. They have added a beautiful brand new ship, Celebrity Flora, to go along with the venerable Celebrity Xpedition and the small 16 passenger catamaran, Celebrity Xploration, which was acquired through a purchase in 2017. 
 

Xpedition, Espanola Island, Nov 2023. 

Edited March 10 by mahdnc

[mahdnc]

2 hours ago, Lois R said:

Thanks for the replies.....I plan on having a good time but it seems I need to keep my expectations to a minimum (that is how the posts are coming across to me).

 

I do have a question.....have any of you done the "Chef's Table" they are offering? Do you think it is worth 150.00?

 

And do you know if in Luminae, anyone share's tables? I don't mind eating on my own but it is nice to dine with others as well. Just curious if this happens in here.

I think the general consensus is that the Chef’s Table is worth doing except the pricing has risen to the point where it doesn’t represent a very good value especially when you consider that you could eat at a specialty restaurant 3 times for the same price. So it’s an excellent place to burn OBC if you are sitting on a large mountain of it. 
 

There is also a large cook book that is given to each Chef’s Table participant that apparently could double as a boat anchor so if you’re going to attend, be prepared to pack that bad boy back with you. 

The reports from other Cruise Critic members who have attended say that their experience is good but there are scattered reports that it can be marred by being seated with lousy self absorbed table mates but it sounds like the lousy table mates had a good time.

 

Having said all of that, my wife and I are going to try it for the first time during next month’s 14 night Summit sailing through the canal. We’ve avoided doing it so far because of the poor value but I figure it’s worth trying once especially on a sailing with 8 sea days. But then again, there’s two of us and so we’re laying out $300 for this and so every now and then I think about cancelling and using the money elsewhere. We we’ll see. 

Edited March 10 by mahdnc

[mahdnc]

The very positive crew attitude that surrounded you back in 2016 is still here today. So that’s a good thing. 
 

I seem to remember that back then you cruised certain ships on Celebrity often enough (like Mercury?) that you were familiar with many of the crew and that many of the crew were familiar with you as well. That’s obviously going to be different for you this time around but you never know, a crew member might remember you on your Eclipse sailing. That would be pretty cool. 
 

The ship’s WiFi is much much faster now than it was back in 2016 with the recent addition of Starlink across the fleet. So there’s that.  Maybe we’ll hear from you. 

Edited March 10 by mahdnc

[NMTraveller]

2 hours ago, Lois R said:

I do have a question.....have any of you done the "Chef's Table" they are offering? Do you think it is worth 150.00?

 

That is 150 + 65 for wine pairing.  It is a very good dinner.  Is it worth the cost.  No.

[Lastdance]

I had a call from Celebrity stating that all loungers were being removed from balconies, both cabins and suites for safety reasons, so hope that is not important to you.  

[Spif Barwunkel]

Judging by your CC creds, I would think that you would have been keeping track all along. "Minimum expectations" equals minimum good times. If it works, continue to let the posters set the table for you, that way you can return in whatever frame of mind suits you, with none of the responsibility.    

Edited March 10 by Spif Barwunkel

[Ex-Airbalancer]

26 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

There is also a large cook book that is given to each Chef’s Table participant that apparently could double as a boat anchor so if you’re going to attend, be prepared to pack that bad boy back with you. 

A friend did the Chief table on a TA , she was not impressed by the even as the menu was from Head Office and the Chief really didn’t have any say in the preparation and the wine paring was so so 

 

The worst part was she gave the book to my wife , do you know how heavy that sucker is 😱

 

I do use it to crush walnuts 🤣

[Lois R]

15 minutes ago, Spif Barwunkel said:

Judging by your CC creds, I would think that you would have been keeping track all along. "Minimum expectations" equals minimum good times. If it works, continue to let the posters set the table for you, that way you can return in whatever frame of mind suits you, with none of the responsibility.    

Don't worry,  I plan on having a good time. I am very easy to please. And no, I have not kept track of anything on Celebrity so I was asking for thoughts. And I do take responsibility for myself.

[wrk2cruise]

3 hours ago, Lois R said:

And do you know if in Luminae, anyone share's tables? I don't mind eating on my own but it is nice to dine with others as well. Just curious if this happens in here.

 

Often when talking with people over pre dinner drinks in the Retreat lounge people decide to dine together as well.

[NMTraveller]

1 hour ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

The worst part was she gave the book to my wife , do you know how heavy that sucker is 😱

 

I do use it to crush walnuts 🤣

My DW uses it as a decoration... 🤣

[Spif Barwunkel]

1 hour ago, Lois R said:

Don't worry,  I plan on having a good time. I am very easy to please. And no, I have not kept track of anything on Celebrity so I was asking for thoughts. And I do take responsibility for myself.

Excellent! Considering your response, you will certainly experience X's good vibe once again. Never mind the higher prices, you have already paid your money so that did not dissuade you. Changes in seven years, certainly, but I wonder if you will even notice, and if so, are they really that significant. You be the judge. Other than that, it's business as usual. The occasional hiccup, the occasional deviation from the "routine", an unplanned/unexpected occurrence, always a possibility. That being said and going back to those CC creds, it seems like your enthusiasm will be anything but curbed. Your enthusiastic expectations should reflect that. 

 

We are on Eclipse in August, New England and Canada. Expectations are high, as they have always been when cruising with Celebrity.    

Edited March 10 by Spif Barwunkel

[ArgoNereus]

Hi Lois:

Over the winter we cruised on Constellation for 10 weeks.

The staff and service were fantastic as they have always been.

Food started off great but diminished in quality and choice after great holiday menus. 

Life in the retreat was great because it was seldom busy.

Pre covid we cruised on Eclipse a lot and love the ship, so much that we are booked for 10 weeks as our Celebrity Condo in November, January and February.

I would rather spend my food budget on the different specialty restaurants than on one chef's table.

The onboard experience is not as spectacular as in the "old" days but at the right price we love being onboard when the ship becomes the destination.

 

 

[Gracie115]

1 hour ago, ArgoNereus said:

 

I would rather spend my food budget on the different specialty restaurants than on one chef's table.

 

 

Agree completely with this.  We were disappointed in the Chef's Table on Reflection and would not do it again.  Way too expensive and much depends on who is at the table with you.

 

Lois, I hope that you will return here once your cruise is over and let us know what you think of Celebrity now versus your previous cruises on X.  It may be interesting and enlightening for some of us who have been disappointed in things the last couple of years.  Perhaps with the, in many cases, extreme increase in prices, we have come to expect too much. 

[ScubaFun]

Any "all included" package booked after October 2023 no longer includes gratuities.  I just completed a trip February 2024.  Although the food is generally good, there has been a decline. 

There has also been a decline in the classic wine selections.  Fewer onboard staffing.  The muster drill has been greatly improved.

 

[markeb]

Hey Lois!

 

If this is your first time in a suite, a lot of the negatives here won't apply. You're not going to see a decline in something you never had before. 

 

I don't know how things work in Bayonne. You should see a different boarding experience. Unfortunately, it may not be obvious. At Port Everglades, there's a totally separate entrance for the Retreat on the far left. You just skip the line and are pretty much whisked in and onto cruise mode. Hopefully someone can give you some info on Bayonne, but that's a major change from 2016.

 

We love Luminae. It's a very different experience from any MDR we've been in (Full Disclosure: We've only cruised Aqua and Suite/Luminae on Celebrity). The menu can be adventurous. I'd argue not adventurous enough. Others want less adventure. But it's a very nice menu. We don't eat much beef in general, and a lot of the complaints have been on beef dishes. Don't know where you fall on that. Fish will likely be overcooked, but that's a clientele thing (I love raw to lightly seared tuna, and minimally cooked seafood in general). I find the notorious "decline" to be beef, and we just don't eat that much beef. If you do, you may notice it. If not, you may not.

 

Wine is hit or miss. As always, much better by the bottle than by the glass. Depends on your preference. By the glass has not been great on our last couple of cruises.

 

I remember a few years ago discussing Le Bernardin as an option for you while you were in New York. Don't know if you went. Don't expect that. But odds are you'll be fine.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[Lois R]

markeb, thanks for the detailed reply. As to that last sentence about discussing (I am guessing it is a restaurant?)......I have absolutely no memory of anything pertaining to it😮The last time I was in NYC was 2019.......maybe as I have aged my memory has as well..........

[Oceangoer2]

On 3/10/2024 at 9:32 AM, Lois R said:

Thanks for the replies.....I plan on having a good time but it seems I need to keep my expectations to a minimum (that is how the posts are coming across to me).

 

I do have a question.....have any of you done the "Chef's Table" they are offering? Do you think it is worth 150.00?

 

And do you know if in Luminae, anyone share's tables? I don't mind eating on my own but it is nice to dine with others as well. Just curious if this happens in here.

One sailing, in Luminae, we were seated at a bench table configuration at the back of the dining room.  The tables being somewhat close together, we ended up one big happy conversation table on occasion. You would enjoy yourself there if you were in a social mood. The MDR hostess would be happy to seat you if requested.

Edited March 11 by Oceangoer2

[Laurab23]

In Bayonne, suite boarding is nothing very special. I do get a special roped off area but chairs are very close together. There is some food and drink for you but no little tables near the chairs to put anything on. They open up the ropes and walk all of you to the doors to board and then you are on your own until you get to your room. We were in the penthouse on Summit and thought we would get a personal escort but nope. The penthouse was on my bucket list and once we boarded everything was amazing but knowing it would be my only time doing the penthouse I was kinda let down that there was no escort to my room. 

 

Laura

[mahdnc]

2 minutes ago, Laurab23 said:

.....We were in the penthouse on Summit and thought we would get a personal escort but nope. The penthouse was on my bucket list and once we boarded everything was amazing but knowing it would be my only time doing the penthouse I was kinda let down that there was no escort to my room. 

 

Laura

 

"Hello and welcome aboard!  You're on Deck 6 all the way in the back......"

[Oceangoer2]

5 minutes ago, Laurab23 said:

In Bayonne, suite boarding is nothing very special. I do get a special roped off area but chairs are very close together. There is some food and drink for you but no little tables near the chairs to put anything on. They open up the ropes and walk all of you to the doors to board and then you are on your own until you get to your room. We were in the penthouse on Summit and thought we would get a personal escort but nope. The penthouse was on my bucket list and once we boarded everything was amazing but knowing it would be my only time doing the penthouse I was kinda let down that there was no escort to my room. 

 

Laura

Depending on the port, there was a time that 'suite passengers' were escorted to their room or deck, but I think that stopped when the suite area was established; some areas are better than others depending on the ships berth at the port.

Edited March 11 by Oceangoer2

[Orator]

Hi Lois:

Great to see you back. I know that you have been cruising with other lines. Staff is largely different, but still a strength, The ships might be larger than you are used to cruising and that makes a real difference. Captain George , who was on Century is now on Equinox

Edited March 11 by Orator

[youngm02]

Does anyone know if you have to adhere to the embarkation time given when you checked in if you are in a sky suite? We are not scheduled to get on the Apex until 2pm when we sail soon. I completely understand if that is the case, just didn't want to wait if we could get on earlier! Thanks!

[RichYak]

15 minutes ago, youngm02 said:

Does anyone know if you have to adhere to the embarkation time given when you checked in if you are in a sky suite? We are not scheduled to get on the Apex until 2pm when we sail soon. I completely understand if that is the case, just didn't want to wait if we could get on earlier! Thanks!

Retreat class can arrive any time.

[vickykay]

Hi Lois,

 

Where have you been? Always enjoyed your live from reviews.  Please let us know on this thread when you do a live from a other line.

 We were on the Eclipse last May, Hawaii and back to Vancouver.  Had a wonderful time!

[markeb]

On 3/11/2024 at 9:25 AM, Lois R said:

markeb, thanks for the detailed reply. As to that last sentence about discussing (I am guessing it is a restaurant?)......I have absolutely no memory of anything pertaining to it😮The last time I was in NYC was 2019.......maybe as I have aged my memory has as well..........

I have vivid memory of random, useless knowledge. 
 

I think it was 2019 and I believe you were trying to do dinner and a show while in NYC. That was a restaurant I threw out because they’re spectacular and have open seating in their lounge. After that the random useless knowledge fails!