Is the Retreat necessary on Beyond?

[Syd58]

8 minutes ago, RichYak said:

I've only sailed Retreat on M and E class and I agree, the lounges are anemic and antisocial. I hear S class lounges are nicer with a proper bar that has seating. None of them have much in the way of entertainment.

 

To each their own I guess. I find Luminae on M class is so much better. Service is more relaxed and refined vs. frenetic on E class. Even the food preparation is better. I wonder if E class Luminae kitchen is more banquet style as opposed to restaurant style in the smaller venue of M class.

No, many of our meals were made to order, ranging from steak to salmon cooking preferences.  Was on the Reflection in May. The Retreat lounge is small and not as nice. There was no separate sundeck on Reflection, which is a huge miss.  I find Luminae on E-class to be prettier and the service better.

[TheHawk1]

On 9/7/2024 at 9:29 PM, teachmetolive said:

I'm a bit baffled by those who don't like Luminae, but of course to each their own. I have NEVER had such delicious food and attentive service in a main dining room. The food was absolutely delicious in Luminae and well worth the upgrade for me, along with the real veranda and Retreat lounge.

I'm baffled by those who actually like Luminae.  What some say is good service, I find to be excruciatingly slow, especially between courses.  And the food is very hit and miss, with some nights offering nothing appealing on the menu. For E Class ships, where you don't have the option of ordering something from the MDR menu, then I end up making alternate plans for the evening and losing out on the perk I paid for. The ability to eat in Luminae is at the bottom of my list for reasons to be in the Retreat.

[Syd58]

10 minutes ago, TheHawk1 said:

I'm baffled by those who actually like Luminae.  What some say is good service, I find to be excruciatingly slow, especially between courses.  And the food is very hit and miss, with some nights offering nothing appealing on the menu. For E Class ships, where you don't have the option of ordering something from the MDR menu, then I end up making alternate plans for the evening and losing out on the perk I paid for. The ability to eat in Luminae is at the bottom of my list for reasons to be in the Retreat.

Just goes to show we’re all different. We just got off Edge and had absolutely outstanding food and service in Luminae.  The food was very good, creatively presented with a lot of choices. Wait times between courses were minimal. Probably some of the best service ever on a cruise ship. They went out of their way to please us.

Edited September 9 by Syd58

[zitsky]

1 hour ago, RichYak said:

I've only sailed Retreat on M and E class and I agree, the lounges are anemic and antisocial. I hear S class lounges are nicer with a proper bar that has seating. None of them have much in the way of entertainment.

 

To each their own I guess. I find Luminae on M class is so much better. Service is more relaxed and refined vs. frenetic on E class. Even the food preparation is better. I wonder if E class Luminae kitchen is more banquet style as opposed to restaurant style in the smaller venue of M class.

Do you want the Retreat lounge to be a noisy place with everyone talking and music going?  I liked the relaxed and quiet atmosphere of the Retreat lounge on the Beyond.

[PTC DAWG]

1 minute ago, zitsky said:

Do you want the Retreat lounge to be a noisy place with everyone talking and music going?  I liked the relaxed and quiet atmosphere of the Retreat lounge on the Beyond.

Dr waiting room atmosphere, not sure what I expected..the Retreat on Celebrity is not for me..

 

I have found the way the Yacht Club on MSC does it is much more to my liking..they offer some fairly mellow entertainment in the evenings in their Top Sail Lounge, a very nice outdoor breakfast and lunch buffet, etc..

 

I have cruises booked on both lines..ABC islands on the Beyond in less two weeks, I’m ready to be on board..it has been since January. 

[zitsky]

12 minutes ago, PTC DAWG said:

Dr waiting room atmosphere, not sure what I expected..the Retreat on Celebrity is not for me..

 

I have found the way the Yacht Club on MSC does it is much more to my liking..they offer some fairly mellow entertainment in the evenings in their Top Sail Lounge, a very nice outdoor breakfast and lunch buffet, etc..

 

I have cruises booked on both lines..ABC islands on the Beyond in less two weeks, I’m ready to be on board..it has been since January. 

You want Kenny G in the lounge.  I want Billy Idol.  Who wins?

 

I say focus on having better liquor but folks say I can ask for what I don’t see.

[PTC DAWG]

Just now, zitsky said:

You want Kenny G in the lounge.  I want Billy Idol.  Who wins?

 

I say focus on having better liquor but folks say I can ask for what I don’t see.

I’m good with either, although KG wouldn’t be my first choice. 🙂 also agree on better booze..

Edited September 9 by PTC DAWG

[zitsky]

1 hour ago, TheHawk1 said:

I'm baffled by those who actually like Luminae.  What some say is good service, I find to be excruciatingly slow, especially between courses.  And the food is very hit and miss, with some nights offering nothing appealing on the menu. For E Class ships, where you don't have the option of ordering something from the MDR menu, then I end up making alternate plans for the evening and losing out on the perk I paid for. The ability to eat in Luminae is at the bottom of my list for reasons to be in the Retreat.

The banana split in Luminae is 10/10.  But sometimes they get the strawberry and chocolate on the wrong side.  🙂

[RichYak]

2 hours ago, zitsky said:

Do you want the Retreat lounge to be a noisy place with everyone talking and music going?  I liked the relaxed and quiet atmosphere of the Retreat lounge on the Beyond.

First, I never said "noisy." People need to stop accusing me of their own hyperbole. Relaxed and quiet is fine during the morning and afternoon hours, but can there be a little fun at night? Good grief, whenever I'm in there, I keep looking around for where the casket is.

 

The only time the Retreat Lounge was any fun for me was on Summit in 2019. Alexandra was the bartender. That was fun. Anyone that knows who she is knows what I'm talking about.

[zitsky]

18 minutes ago, RichYak said:

First, I never said "noisy." People need to stop accusing me of their own hyperbole. Relaxed and quiet is fine during the morning and afternoon hours, but can there be a little fun at night? Good grief, whenever I'm in there, I keep looking around for where the casket is.

 

The only time the Retreat Lounge was any fun for me was on Summit in 2019. Alexandra was the bartender. That was fun. Anyone that knows who she is knows what I'm talking about.

 

I was the one who asked you if you wanted it to be noisy.  It’s a yes or no question.  
 

You don’t like the environment?  Well within reason why don’t you change it?  Is there a reason you can’t talk to other people?

[RichYak]

13 minutes ago, zitsky said:

I was the one who asked you if you wanted it to be noisy.  It’s a yes or no question.  

It was clearly an accusatory question, not a yes or no question.

[zitsky]

2 minutes ago, RichYak said:

It was clearly an accusatory question, not a yes or no question.

I would like to hire you for my clairvoyant act on the next cruise.  You could be my assistant.

 

When someone says “it’s too quiet in here!” it doesn’t take a genius to ask “do you want it to be noisy?”.  Even I could figure it out.

[RichYak]

28 minutes ago, zitsky said:

When someone says “it’s too quiet in here!” it doesn’t take a genius to ask “do you want it to be noisy?”.

Agreed. For sure it requires a different quality. 

[Syd58]

5 hours ago, zitsky said:

The banana split in Luminae is 10/10.  But sometimes they get the strawberry and chocolate on the wrong side.  🙂

Have never tried the banana split. Their other desserts are too tempting.

[zitsky]

5 minutes ago, Syd58 said:

Have never tried the banana split. Their other desserts are too tempting.

I’d only skip it for the Grand Marnier (Grand Mariner) soufflé.

[TeeRick]

22 hours ago, George C said:

We normally cruise M class do to music charters , while I think M class has a superior Luminae, I do prefer entertainment and outside retreat on E class . Extremely happy that MSc will sail out of Galveston starting November 2025 , will book that while on MSc seaside YC in December.

We have not yet tried MSC YC but on the list for sure.  

[billc23]

18 hours ago, RichYak said:

I wonder if E class Luminae kitchen is more banquet style as opposed to restaurant style in the smaller venue of M class.

How could it not be??? Simply a numbers and time game.

[billc23]

14 hours ago, RichYak said:

The only time the Retreat Lounge was any fun for me was on Summit in 2019. Alexandra was the bartender. That was fun. Anyone that knows who she is knows what I'm talking about.

Alexandra rocks! Cranston and Olympia too!!

[DaKahuna]

8 minutes ago, billc23 said:

Alexandra rocks! Cranston and Olympia too!!

 

 I have to agree on Alexandra and Cranston. We've never had Olympia as our bartender.  

 

34 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

We have not yet tried MSC YC but on the list for sure.  

 

We quite enjoyed our one MSC YC experience on MSC Divina so far.  We are about to do a B2B on a newer and larger ship, MSC Seascape, in the YC and are very much looking forward to that. 

The forward location, ever present waitstaff, live evening entertainment, continuous snacks, and a fantastic bar (with stools where you can sit and converse with the bartender or other passengers) make it such as wonderful experience.   I think you will enjoy it. 

 

[RichYak]

1 hour ago, TeeRick said:

We have not yet tried MSC YC but on the list for sure.  

Avoid the "World" class ships. Like Celebrity E-class--though not as bad--they've increased the number of YC cabins, reducing the space per YC passenger a bit too much.

 

Stick with Sea and Meraviglia class ships and it will ruin the Retreat for you. You'll get the intimate feel of S- and M- class Retreat and all the great facilities of E- class Retreat, PLUS everything that Retreat fails to deliver: nightly lounge entertainment, proper lounge bar, dedicated buffet, true ship within a ship, restaurant open for lunch on port days, etc.

[RichYak]

1 hour ago, billc23 said:

Alexandra rocks! Cranston and Olympia too!!

 

57 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

I have to agree on Alexandra and Cranston

Alas, Alexandra left Celebrity during the shutdown and did not return.

[zitsky]

33 minutes ago, RichYak said:

Avoid the "World" class ships. Like Celebrity E-class--though not as bad--they've increased the number of YC cabins, reducing the space per YC passenger a bit too much.

 

Stick with Sea and Meraviglia class ships and it will ruin the Retreat for you. You'll get the intimate feel of S- and M- class Retreat and all the great facilities of E- class Retreat, PLUS everything that Retreat fails to deliver: nightly lounge entertainment, proper lounge bar, dedicated buffet, true ship within a ship, restaurant open for lunch on port days, etc.

The trick in picking other lines is they sometimes have limited sailings.  Some are great in Europe and Caribbean but are limited in Asia, South America etc.

 

I’m looking at MSC, HAL, Princess, NCL but we will not make a decision until we sail on Millie in January and decide if we want her for a Japan cruise.

[DaKahuna]

12 minutes ago, zitsky said:

I’m looking at MSC, HAL, Princess, NCL but we will not make a decision until we sail on Millie in January and decide if we want her for a Japan cruise.

 

 As you are well aware we did Japan on Millennium and loved it.  Very port intensive cruise of 13 days with only two real sea days.  

 

 We did see an MSC and Princess ships so I know they have Japan cruises as well. 

 

[billc23]

47 minutes ago, RichYak said:

Avoid the "World" class ships. Like Celebrity E-class--though not as bad--they've increased the number of YC cabins, reducing the space per YC passenger a bit too much.

 

Stick with Sea and Meraviglia class ships and it will ruin the Retreat for you. You'll get the intimate feel of S- and M- class Retreat and all the great facilities of E- class Retreat, PLUS everything that Retreat fails to deliver: nightly lounge entertainment, proper lounge bar, dedicated buffet, true ship within a ship, restaurant open for lunch on port days, etc.

I totally agree. I was on the Seascape and really thought the overall experience was superior. The rest of the ship - outside of the YC - was fine, but not as easy to navigate as Celebrity. The service and VIP treatment surprised me in a positive way. I booked 6 more weeks on the Seascape and Seashore over the next 10 months. Booking onboard has many benefits too, far beyond what the Royal group of ships offer.

[DaKahuna]

2 minutes ago, billc23 said:

I was on the Seascape and really thought the overall experience was superior.

 

 We board the Seascape on the 21st for a B2B; 7-day East and West Caribbean sailings.