Celebrity Eclipse Sky Lounge closed during 12 day cruise

[quicklabs]

A Park West group has been given the use of the Sky Lounge for their exclusive function, taking the best area of the ship away from access by the bulk of the paying passengers.  This is a 12 day long cruise with 6 sea days from Iceland to Boston (starting on 16 August) on a jam packed ship.  You can imagine how full every single area  as a result.  No place to sit in the public areas.  The Sky  Lounge is closed almost all day and most of the evening every day to accommodate this Park West group.  I don't know who made this decision, but it shows the current  Celebrity corporate mindset.  I feel terrible for the crew who has to "guard the door " and have to deal with increasingly frustrated guests.   Just one more thing in a "death by a thousand cuts".   

 

[39august]

Please advise what "almost all day and most of the evening" actual hours means. Is the bar open for others some time during the day and evening? 

[cruisestitch]

I am currently on silhouette back to back and we have the same situation.  Park West has paid a lot of money for exclusive use of the Sky Lounge for their high purchasing special invited guests  on both cruises. They will be doing this for five straight cruises.  Every day they have the sky lounge closed, some days until three, some days until 9 PM.  Last cruise we had five sea days out of twelve, and this cruise we have four out of twelve.

Edited August 24 by cruisestitch

[Ex-Airbalancer]

That is just crazy ! 
I don’t understand why people would buy this kind of thing on a cruise 

 

[hcat]

so how can folks sign up for entry via park west,? might be worth a cheap bid on third rate art!

 

We have future bookings on both of  these ships.. wondering if they will still have Sr ofcr party and other cap club events up there?  Also a nice quiet spot during the day....yikes!

Edited August 24 by hcat

[cruisestitch]

Just now, hcat said:

so how can folks sign up for entry via park west,?

 

We have future bookings on both of  these ships.. wondering if they will still have Sr ofcr party and other cap club events up there?  Also a nice quiet spot during the day....yikes!

They have been having the senior officers party and the Captains Club welcome there and the Mixology. But as for a nice quiet spot during the day, only on port days. Otherwise, on sea days, they have the access limited to the invited guests.

[cruisestitch]

1 minute ago, hcat said:

so how can folks sign up for entry via park west,?

I am guessing that if you haven’t spent enough money with Parkwest to receive an invitation and the comped cruise, there isn’t anything you can do once you are on board to gain entry.

[mrgabriel]

Is Park West owned by Celebrity? Thought I recalled hearing that somewhere. 
 

Also surprised that a Park West cruise would be appealing to more than a handful of people. 

[cruisestitch]

1 minute ago, mrgabriel said:

Is Park West owned by Celebrity? Thought I recalled hearing that somewhere. 
 

 

I don’t believe so.  

 

 

1 minute ago, mrgabriel said:

Also surprised that a Park West cruise would be appealing to more than a handful of people. 
 

there are more things in this world, Horatio, than in your whole philosophy (to misquote the Bard)

 

 

 

 

[PTC DAWG]

I enjoy looking at the “art”…I also feel pretty sure I could get into the Sky Lounge to see it.  

[cruisestitch]

The regular art options are still continuing, the invitation-only special event has brought on high-dollar art and I don’t know of anyone who’s been able to get into see it who wasn’t specifically invited by Park West..

[cruisestitch]

Just now, cruisestitch said:

The regular art options are still continuing, the invitation-only special event has brought on high-dollar art and I don’t know of anyone who’s been able to get into see it who wasn’t specifically invited by Park West.  I spoke to one participant who described it as the most expensive Tupperware party of all time.

 

 

[hcat]

Great comment!

 

We met a nice couple  pre cruise, in our San Pedro hotel at the  roll call get together.  They " lived" for Park West cruising,  perhaps their  cruise was comped?.. They have a huge

"art" collection...all Park West..

So folks obviously participate.

 

We have local art  (mostly small items) from many ports displayed  at our Fl vacation home..Fun to collect!

 

WE'D NEVER BUY from  PARK WEST.. Folks can use g oogle to see all  the  "sordid" stories.. but I guess they have happy campers too!

Edited August 24 by hcat

[quicklabs]

3 hours ago, cruisestitch said:

I am guessing that if you haven’t spent enough money with Parkwest to receive an invitation and the comped cruise, there isn’t anything you can do once you are on board to gain entry.

Exactly so.  

[jwlane]

57 minutes ago, mrgabriel said:

Is Park West owned by Celebrity?

No, it's privately owned, and conducts "auctions" on several lines.

[bikerunner]

33 minutes ago, hcat said:

Great comment!

 

We met a nice couple  pre cruise, in our San Pedro hotel at the  roll call get together.  They " lived" for Park West cruising,  perhaps their  cruise was comped?.. They have a huge

"art" collection...all Park West..

So folks obviously participate.

 

We have local art  (mostly small items) from many ports displayed  at our Fl vacation home..Fun to collect!

 

WE'D NEVER BUY from  PARK WEST.. Folks can use g oogle to see all  the  "sordid" stories.. but I guess they have happy campers too!

You can google celebrity and find lots of complaints and issues also.  I have bought some things from them, never as investment because mainly they appeal to me.  Get lots of compliments from family and people who come over about my different art work.  I also buy from local artists and artisans where I live. Never been offered a cruise with park west but have gotten invites to there weekend events they hold every so often in Boston.  Hey free 3 nights at Boston ritz Carlton tho now they do it the Encore. all food and drinks included.and usually a special night out at a good steak place. Works for me.  Gotten paid back from what I purchased at by the costs of free weekend getaways. 

[Cruiscs]

1 hour ago, cruisestitch said:

I am currently on silhouette back to back and we have the same situation.  Park West has paid a lot of money for exclusive use of the Sky Lounge for their high purchasing special invited guests  on both cruises. They will be doing this for five straight cruises.  Every day they have the sky lounge closed, some days until three, some days until 9 PM.  Last cruise we had five sea days out of twelve, and this cruise we have four out of twelve.

How do you know Park West have exclusive use of the Sky lounge for five cruises? Do you know when they will end the series?

Edited August 24 by Cruiscs

[Liao]

3 minutes ago, jwlane said:

No, it's privately owned, and conducts "auctions" on several lines.

Well with some of the prime real estate they occupy on the ships and their take over of lounges etc. They must pay one heck of a premium to Celebrity et al.

[cruisestitch]

16 minutes ago, Cruiscs said:

How do you know Park West have exclusive use of the Sky lounge for five cruises? Do you know when they will end the series?

I am on board Silhoutte now and the staff have shared that with me.  I don’t know what is going on with Eclipse

[Ex-Airbalancer]

1 hour ago, hcat said:

Great comment!

 

We met a nice couple  pre cruise, in our San Pedro hotel at the  roll call get together.  They " lived" for Park West cruising,  perhaps their  cruise was comped?.. They have a huge

"art" collection...all Park West..

So folks obviously participate.

 

We have local art  (mostly small items) from many ports displayed  at our Fl vacation home..Fun to collect!

 

WE'D NEVER BUY from  PARK WEST.. Folks can use g oogle to see all  the  "sordid" stories.. but I guess they have happy campers too!

We have grandkids , so we have enough art to decorate our walls already 😉🤣

[billc23]

It looks to me that Celebrity sold the space twice - once to the paying passengers and again to Park West! I understand selling prime public space on the ship for short periods of time (or maybe I'm just accustomed to that happening) but this sounds over the top, especially for a cruise with many sea days and beautiful scenery to observe. Going out on a deck may be uncomfortable due to the weather - wind, temperature, rain... from Iceland to Boston

[billc23]

6 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

We have grandkids , so we have enough art to decorate our walls already 😉🤣

Me too!!! The artwork is timeless and priceless... 

[Cruiscs]

33 minutes ago, cruisestitch said:

I am on board Silhoutte now and the staff have shared that with me.  I don’t know what is going on with Eclipse

Do you know Park West will be done on Silhouette?Thanks

[39august]

Please advise what "almost all day and most of the evening" actual hours means. Is the bar open for others some time during the day and evening? 

[cruisestitch]

3 minutes ago, 39august said:

Please advise what "almost all day and most of the evening" actual hours means. Is the bar open for others some time during the day and evening? 

When it is closed for the auctions, no one else can go in the bar other than the Park West customers.  Some days it reopened at 3, others at 9

Edited August 24 by cruisestitch