Is the Retreat necessary on Beyond?

[Cruise a holic]

Oh yes!  The retreat is wonderful.  We love the retreat lounge and sun deck!  The e-class suite perks IMO so worth it.  I would not book aq class.  If you cannot swing the retreat, book a well located balcony cabin and get an unlimited specialty restaurant package with the money saved.  
 

We haven’t sailed on MSC, but are considering a newer ship in the yacht club.  Ncl haven very disappointing. Royal suite class also very good

Edited yesterday at 11:28 AM by Cruise a holic

[zitsky]

32 minutes ago, mfs2k said:

We sailed on Equinox in 2019 in Aqua and got a great deal in Oct 2022 for the Retreat on Beyond for a long repositioning cruise with many sea days. I’m glad we booked it because it rained on many of our sea days and the Retreat Lounge was a fabulous perk. We spent a lot of time there and they made us feel special. The Retreat dining room didn’t impress me. We also loved having a “real” balcony. 
When we looked to book for a September 2024 cruise the cost was almost double the 2022 deal and we didn’t do it. I suspect we’re now priced out of The Retreat for the foreseeable future. Sad. 

I just did a financial analysis of our trip costs which was revealing.  This was before OBC was eliminated so the next cruise may be different.  We’ve done Aqua, Aqua plus move up and Sky Suite.  Even Aqua to SS was less than the 50% premium I expected.  I am sure there are cruises which are more expensive.

[Jeremiah1212]

Is it necessary? No. Is it preference? absolutely. 
 

Recently coming off an S class ship in a regular veranda after having sailed almost exclusively Edge class in suites for the past several cruises over 2+ years, I don’t think we will be returning to S class ships. It doesn’t compare IMO. 

[zitsky]

49 minutes ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

Is it necessary? No. Is it preference? absolutely. 
 

Recently coming off an S class ship in a regular veranda after having sailed almost exclusively Edge class in suites for the past several cruises over 2+ years, I don’t think we will be returning to S class ships. It doesn’t compare IMO. 

What do you miss about Edge class?  I’m on M soon just for the itinerary.  Not even on it yet and I regret the lack of restaurants (but plenty of bars).  And instead of the individual heated loungers with a view in the Persian Garden it’s a group bench with no view?  Seems weird.

[Syd58]

10 hours ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

Is it necessary? No. Is it preference? absolutely. 
 

Recently coming off an S class ship in a regular veranda after having sailed almost exclusively Edge class in suites for the past several cruises over 2+ years, I don’t think we will be returning to S class ships. It doesn’t compare IMO. 

Completely agree.  I have sailed on both and will never book Retreat in s-class again. The Retreat lounge is small and not as nice, no separate pool, plus the ships are older and rooms not as nice (decor tends to be dated and rooms showing some wear).

Edited 23 hours ago by Syd58

[Jeremiah1212]

22 hours ago, zitsky said:

What do you miss about Edge class?  I’m on M soon just for the itinerary.  Not even on it yet and I regret the lack of restaurants (but plenty of bars).  And instead of the individual heated loungers with a view in the Persian Garden it’s a group bench with no view?  Seems weird.

Retreat aside as that really needs no explanation, I missed the overall newness of the ship, especially the bathroom in non-suite cabins. Our Equinox cabin was very worn. The Sunset Bar setup and afternoon drinks on the Magic Carpet which is one of my favorite spots. I missed the additional places to get coffee in the morning as Al Bacio is one of my least favorite places, missed Eden Cafe as an additional breakfast and lunch spot, the E class gym is arranged better, the larger pool deck, the abundance of additional outdoor seating compared to S class. I avoid the buffet but the E class setup and space is far superior to S class…I could go on.

 

Celebrity really needs to pay attention to the condition of S class cabins. The public spaces are in much better condition, but the cabins need major attention soon. If someone was new to Celebrity and cruised E class then did a S class cabin in the condition of the one we had, I’m not sure they would find it acceptable.