Specialty dining for Royal suites

[20165]

I read that Specialty dining is free for royal suites and above but when i book in the app, it still tries to charge me.  Am i mistaken or will i get a credit after i book or maybe something messed up with my reservation?  Thx

[Georgia_Peaches]

Don't make reservations in the app.  Wait for your shoreside concierge to reach out to you with all your preferences.  You can specify where/when you wish to dine and they will arrange it for you.

[jelayne]

You will be contacted a few weeks before sailing by a Shoreside Concierge who will handle you dining reservations.  Your Butler, once on the ship or the Retreat Concierges can also add or change any reservations. 
 

No need to book ahead.

[canderson]

24 minutes ago, 20165 said:

I read that Specialty dining is free for royal suites and above but when i book in the app, it still tries to charge me.  Am i mistaken or will i get a credit after i book or maybe something messed up with my reservation?  Thx

Both the app and web based systems will be happy to charge you for all kinds of things you already have for free in RS and above.  Drinks packages, dining packages, WiFi upgrades.  It'll even ask you to select a check-in time.  None of their systems are smart enough that they will use your cabin class to display only the options relevant to you.

 

Ask your shoreside concierge to make your specialty dining reservations if you want to make some in advance of boarding.

 

[20165]

26 minutes ago, jelayne said:

You will be contacted a few weeks before sailing by a Shoreside Concierge who will handle you dining reservations.  Your Butler, once on the ship or the Retreat Concierges can also add or change any reservations. 
 

No need to book ahead.

Interesting because we do have the email from the shoreside concierge and they made no mention of making any dinner reservations for us.  Nor did they say anything about the bar set up until i asked and then they gave me that info.  Between this and the late boarding time they keep giving us, i get the feeling i have someone new or doesnt know what they are doing... 

[canderson]

@20165

What cabin class do you have booked???

 

[20165]

2 minutes ago, canderson said:

@20165

What cabin class do you have booked???

 

Royal Suite

 

[canderson]

13 minutes ago, 20165 said:

Royal Suite

 

Sounds like your shoreside concierge isn't on top of what kind of suite you're in.  They have a more or less stock email that they tweak to taste, but always has many common elements.  Among other things, they should have attached sample menus from the specialty restaurants, and said something like this in the email:

 

"As guests in one of our top suites, you will receive unlimited complimentary Specialty Dining. To give you a better idea of the diverse culinary offerings available to you, I’ve attached sample menus for each of the Celebrity Constellation’s specialty restaurants. When exploring your dining options, be sure to keep in mind that the specific menu items offered during your upcoming cruise may differ from the sample selections listed. When you’ve decided which specialty restaurant(s) you would like to visit and when, just let me know. I’ll then arrange reservations for you before you even set sail, giving you more time to relax and take in the beauty of the ship once you’re on board."

Did they even attach the sample menus as *.pdf files?  Ditto the bar setup.  Did they attach the wine and premium spirits lists as *.pdf files?

 

 

[Georgia_Peaches]

1 hour ago, 20165 said:

Interesting because we do have the email from the shoreside concierge and they made no mention of making any dinner reservations for us.  Nor did they say anything about the bar set up until i asked and then they gave me that info.  Between this and the late boarding time they keep giving us, i get the feeling i have someone new or doesnt know what they are doing... 

You can call the shoreside concierge to put in your requests.

 

Here's the e-mail we received for Reflection at the end of July (also note the 800 number you can call):

 

The Celebrity Cruises family is delighted you have chosen to sail with us. We look forward to welcoming you onboard the Celebrity Reflection soon.

 

As your vacation is just around the corner, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Sandra, and I will serve as your dedicated Shoreside Retreat Concierge. I work hand in hand with the Concierges onboard to make your Celebrity experience as carefree as possible, and I am happy to assist you in any way I can.

 

Please feel free to call or email me with any questions or concerns regarding your upcoming sailing. In preparing for your arrival there are a few items that I would like to notate in your file. Please provide the following information so we can make sure all your needs are planned for:

 

Are you celebrating any special occasions?

Do you have any allergies we need to be made aware of?

Would you like any extra hangers, pillows, blankets, etc..?

 

Expected arrival to board (this will run until 10:00am-2:00pm)*All guests who are part of The Retreat may arrive early, regardless of the time listed on your express pass.

Preferred departure time:

Day of sailing contact number:

Number of bags:

 

We are happy to announce that we are now offering complimentary pajamas to our top suite guests. The pajama top can be monogrammed with up to two letters and you may select from the following sizes: x-small, small/medium or large/extra-large , and 2XL, unisex sizing for the top and bottom set. Please kindly note that they will not be delivered  on embarkation day due to having them monogrammed.

 

As guests of the Retreat, I am delighted to let you know that you will receive unlimited complimentary Specialty Dining. Arranging for your dining plans before sailing will give you more time to relax and enjoy the Celebrity Reflection. Please find the attached sample menus for our Specialty Restaurants aboard the Celebrity Reflection to give you an idea of what each of them offer, and menu items may be slightly different. Please note, for Le Petit Chef we offer two dining times each evening, 6:00 pm and 8:30 pm. We offer a 6:00pm, 6:30pm, 8:00pm and 8:30pm seating time for the specialty dining venues. This amenity does not include Murano 5 Senses Tasting or Chef's Table experience.

 

Additionally, we are pleased to offer a complimentary minibar that is stocked daily, as well two complimentary bottles to enjoy during your time with us. As I would love the opportunity to have these Suite Class Amenities available to you upon your arrival, kindly choose from the attached liquor list. In case the liquor is not your preferred option we can substitute with a bottle of wine, we carry a variety of Merlot, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir, Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc. For your minibar we offer Coca Cola products, Premium bottled water, Evian, San Pellegrino, Red Bull, Juices, Iced Teas, Vitamin Water, and a variety of beer.

 

For your convenience, the port address for your upcoming sailing is as follows:

 

Port Everglades

Terminal 25

2025 Eller Dr, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316

 

Kindly indicate your preferences by e-mail or calling me directly. My normal office hours are Monday through Friday 9:30 am-6:00pm CST. If you have an urgent matter and I am unavailable, feel free to call our Retreat Desk at 1-877-738-7328 option 3 seven days a week between 7:00 am and 9:00 pm CST. One of my colleagues will be happy to assist you.

 

We look forward to welcoming you onboard the Celebrity Reflection!

 

Sincerely,

1-877-RETREAT (738-7328) option 3

[Georgia_Peaches]

1 hour ago, 20165 said:

Interesting because we do have the email from the shoreside concierge and they made no mention of making any dinner reservations for us.

This is unacceptable.  You've paid a lot of money for your RS.  I think I'd be giving someone a call.

[bigbenboys]

We were just on Solstice in a RS this month. I did receive an email from shoreside concierge. I emailed back what vodka bottles I wanted and what times and nights I wanted to dine in the specialty restaurants. I also said what size of pajamas and monogram I wanted. I received confirmation email and that the reservations will not show up on the app until we board the ship. I received a phone call about 1 week before just to confirm my requests.

 

This was our 1st cruise that we were in a upper suite. 

 

There was only one thing that I was confused about. I asked the Retreat Concierge about lunch in a specialty dining restaurant on a seaday. I was told that lunch in the specialty restaurant was not included. Celebrity website said it is. Well we know Celebrity's website is not always right. I checked out the lunch menu in Murano. We liked the Luminae menu better. So I did not push my question about lunch being included. We did have lunch one day at Sushi on 5 and there was no charge. I did tell the Retreat Concierge that I was not asking about the Alaskan Crab Shack Lunch which would be a charge.

Edited yesterday at 05:32 PM by bigbenboys
spelling

[George C]

29 minutes ago, bigbenboys said:

We were just on Solstice in a RS this month. I did receive an email from shoreside concierge. I emailed back what vodka bottles I wanted and what times and nights I wanted to dine in the specialty restaurants. I also said what size of pajamas and monogram I wanted. I received confirmation email and that the reservations will not show up on the app until we board the ship. I received a phone call about 1 week before just to confirm my requests.

 

This was our 1st cruise that we were in a upper suite. 

 

There was only one thing that I was confused about. I asked the Retreat Concierge about lunch in a specialty dining restaurant on a seaday. I was told that lunch in the specialty restaurant was not included. Celebrity website said it is. Well we know Celebrity's website is not always right. I checked out the lunch menu in Murano. We liked the Luminae menu better. So I did not push my question about lunch being included. We did have lunch one day at Sushi on 5 and there was no charge. I did tell the Retreat Concierge that I was not asking about the Alaskan Crab Shack Lunch which would be a charge.

We have done a royal suite last few years and lunch is included at specialty restaurants when open. Sometimes if it’s a special lunch it’s not. We love sushi at 5 and have lunch there several times in a week ,  even on port days sushi opens at 3 , so we will have lunch then.

[Georgia_Peaches]

Sometimes communication with the concierge gets lost in translation...or they just don't understand the question... but lunch in specialties is definitely included.  If it's a 'special lunch' event then it is not included.

[20165]

is the chefs table included on the speciality dining?  

[amshowers]

11 minutes ago, 20165 said:

is the chefs table included on the speciality dining?  

No.  Only normal specialty dining is included.

[peanut head]

Don't worry.  Your needs and wishes will be taken care of.  The shoreside concierge sends out a form email initially and then a little closer to the cruise you will get a more personalized email.  Between the 2 email, we send a personalized letter listing our preferred dining venues and times we would like to dine.  Also, in the letter are our in-room preferences.  We make a copy (or 2) of the letter and bring it on board--giving 1 to the butler and keeping the other for ourselves.  We ask the on-shore concierge to reply to the letter as receipt confirmation.  

 

Your cruise is very special, but bear in mind that you aren't the only guests that the on-shore concierge needs to work with.  All will be sorted in the end.  Have a wonderful time and enjoy!!☺️

[abbydancer2003]

Last month, when we got a move up to an Edge Villa (and it's going to be so hard going back to the sky suites), we were never contacted.  It was our 2nd of two cruises with a few days in between, and the concierges reached out but nothing.  I ended up calling, and apparently we got the move up when somebody else cancelled, and thus someone they didn't know.  The person I talked to was very helpful and took care of everything they should have (we didn't book specialty with her, because I didn't know what nights I wanted.  When we got there, we found the shore excursion tickets for the previous occupants, and the butler mentioned one of their dinner reservations.

 

At least they weren't in the room.

[Georgia_Peaches]

5 hours ago, peanut head said:

The shoreside concierge sends out a form email initially and then a little closer to the cruise you will get a more personalized email

We’ve only ever received a single email. Which, in my mind goes to show that the individual sending the email makes a difference….and perhaps, even the ship. Some people just go the extra mile while others merely meet the requirement. 

[chemmo]

5 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

We’ve only ever received a single email. Which, in my mind goes to show that the individual sending the email makes a difference….and perhaps, even the ship. Some people just go the extra mile while others merely meet the requirement. 

I think that you are partially correct…Like in all roles some people merely ‘do a job’ whereas others take pride in giving good service…

 

I think the other factors involved are staff turnover and staff training. An experienced member of staff will know the role. They know what is included for each suite and what can also be arranged with little effort (tea tray set up) and what is not usually included (a third bottle of spirits)…They answer from experience and will efficiently forward all information.

 

 

[Georgia_Peaches]

6 minutes ago, chemmo said:

I think that you are partially correct…Like in all roles some people merely ‘do a job’ whereas others take pride in giving good service…

 

I think the other factors involved are staff turnover and staff training. An experienced member of staff will know the role. They know what is included for each suite and what can also be arranged with little effort (tea tray set up) and what is not usually included (a third bottle of spirits)…They answer from experience and will efficiently forward all information.

 

 

Oh I completely agree!  Training and experience are key.  But @peanut head suggested that one will receive two emails, one more personalized than the other. While I have no doubt this was his experience, it wasn't mine and hasn't been for me, ever.  This makes me think that even with training and experience, there are those who will simply do more than what is expected.  As a retired middle school principal, I saw this all the time with members of the staff.

[20165]

7 hours ago, peanut head said:

Don't worry.  Your needs and wishes will be taken care of.  The shoreside concierge sends out a form email initially and then a little closer to the cruise you will get a more personalized email.  Between the 2 email, we send a personalized letter listing our preferred dining venues and times we would like to dine.  Also, in the letter are our in-room preferences.  We make a copy (or 2) of the letter and bring it on board--giving 1 to the butler and keeping the other for ourselves.  We ask the on-shore concierge to reply to the letter as receipt confirmation.  

 

Your cruise is very special, but bear in mind that you aren't the only guests that the on-shore concierge needs to work with.  All will be sorted in the end.  Have a wonderful time and enjoy!!☺️

Thats our hope.  We were in a suite on Princess earlier this year and it was awesome service.  They dont have shoreside concierges, but they gave us whatever reservations we wanted.  Example, the ship had cabanas and they were full all of the sea days so we put ourselves on a waiting list.  Got a call a couple hours later saying they arent full for suites and we could have whatever days we wanted.  Same with the restaurants.  The concierge just told us to give her a couple hours notice where and when we wanted to eat that night and she would make it happen and she did.  The goal this year was to try out celebrity and princess suites given we are now empty nesters and need to get away from the RCLs, NCLs, etc.  So far, Princess has set the bar pretty high which surprised us given they are owned by Carnival.  We'll see how Celebrity does next month.