concierge class summit

[honeydog714]

I was looking into a quick cruise in February before our big Europe one next summer. It has to be on school vacation week and the summit has a nice southern caribbean route that is really reasonable. We have cruised several lines and especially enjoyed Disney and Princess but both are getting overpriced for what you get in return. We are a party of three two 40 somethings and a teen. The summit looks nice, can anyone tell me if the concierge class is worth 300 more than the regular balconies, also how do I know which cabins have the sleep sofa? I like to do all my own research and then see what the TA can come up with. Last does celebrity ever have ship board credits or is it just better to book in advance like with Disney. Thanks for any advice :)

[Optifire]

Hi..Your post Grabbed my eye right away...as our dog (border collie) is named Honey and 714 is a special number for us. :)

 

We will be on the Summit next Monday to Alaska and we are booked in the CC cabin 6143 on the Penthouse Deck. We booked this cruise last year while on the Consellation and received an onboard credit of $100.00 per stateroom because it is a 7 day cruise. Even though we have a 4 day land tour and our vacation will be a total of 11 days, the on board cabin credit is only determinded by the number of nights the cruise is, not the entire land tour. This cabin is special as it is a little bigger then the regular CC class cabins and the balcony is of teak wood and bigger also then the regular CC balconys. I think (you will have to check for sure) that cabin 6145 is another CC class cabin that is bigger. You will pay the same price as the the other CC class cabins but get more for your buck. These cabins are taken quickly because they are bigger. I know there is a couch in the cabin but not sure if it opens up. This will be our first balcony cabin and we are truly looking forward to the extra room. As far as on board credits, we booked Europe for next May on the Summit by phone and we were given an onboard credit of $150.00 per cabin. The on board credit amounts are usually determined by the number of nights that the cruise is for. Ours is for 12 nights. You can also get an onboard credit when you book a cruise while you are on a cruise. However the on board credit will go towards your next cruise, not the one you are currently on. Dont know about the CC being worth the extra money yet until we get on board as this is the first time for that also. I do know that it was already worth the money because of the extra size cabin and balcony. If you do book early, always continue to check the prices on the category you choose as if it comes down at all, and you book it through Celebrity, they will honor the price drop. But you have to call them to request it and they will give you credit off the remaining balance that you owe. We have saved hundreds of dollars by watching the prices and calling in. But if you book through a travel agent, some will honor the price drop, but there are some that wont. So that is another plus with dealing directly with Celebrity. I will be sure to write a review on the Sumit when we return as I have been searching but have not found too many current reveiws on her.

[honeydog714]

Honey is our golden retriver and July 14 is her birthday, I always call her honeydog, hense the name. When I plugged 6145 into the celebrity thing it said sky suite not CC???

[Optifire]

That is really cool...that we both have dogs that are named Honey...she was thrown from a car and was rescued, they said she was so sweet, they named her Honey, and we kept the name as she is truly "sweet."

We occasionaly call her HoneyDog also. :) I looked it up and that room is 6144. Sorry about the wrong number. I also found the following information about the CC Staterooms that might help you out.

 

Concierge Class" staterooms, 191 square feet with a 41-square-foot veranda, include welcome-aboard champagne, fresh flowers and fruit, afternoon canapés, a leather key holder, personalized stationery, oversized tote bag, and upgraded mattresses and bedding. Priority services include priority luggage delivery, dining time and seating preferences, shoe shine service, VIP invitations to exclusive shipboard events, priority shore excursion bookings, early embarkation and debarkation, and a one-touch button on the phone to reach a Concierge Class desk representative directly.

Do note that many Concierge Class and the Deluxe Oceanview cabins on the Sky Deck are rather overshadowed by the overhanging deck above.

[goofysmom99]

6143 and 6144 are approx. 10" wider than any other CC cabins, which equates to being able to open the door to the closet and the bathroom at the same time. On the Millie and the Connie, 6135/6 & 6143/44 do not have full sized sofas; they have love seats. We've had all four cabins at one time or another. When I had the Summit booked for Hawaii (subsequently canceled), I looked for and found pix of one of these Summit cabins, and I believe they do not have a sofa, but rather two comfy chairs. Two chairs worked better for us than a loveseat, so we booked one of the cabins (don't remember which now). If it's important to you, you can do some board searches and you'll find the pix eventually. That's what I did way back when.:D All the CC cabins on 6 are nice and I'd book them in a heartbeat. Is it worth $300 more? Depends. We use our balcony a lot, especially in the Caribbean, so the large balcony alone is worth it to us. These cabins have a full-sized table and chairs plus two loungers. Just delightful for breakfast and afternoon naps! Enjoy!

[honeydog714]

Ok I do think I want the CC cabin, unfortuneatly it does not look like any of those special ones are left. I tend to spend a lot of time in my cabin- or on the veranda that is. I am looking at the feb 16,2008 southern for three adults. Would it be best to book soon or wait and see if a sale comes up?

[honeydog714]

Are the CC cabins on the vista deck as good as the ones on deck six? Can we lie in the sun but have some privacy too?

oh and our honeygirl (I call her that too) was a rescue too, sweetest pooch you could ever find, it's hard to imagine she was just thrown away. She is perfect except for thunderstorms (gets a bit freeky then LOL)

[jerseygirl3]

If it's $100 pp ($300 total for three passengers), I would say it's worth it. Remember, on that class of ship, the CC cabins are also larger than the standfard verandah cabins (191 sq. ft. vs. 170 sq. ft.). With three passengers, you'd appreciate the extra cabin space.

[Shirley and Les]

Some of the CC cabins have a "triangular" shaped veranda that provides additional space and includes a chaise recliner, two chairs and a small dining table. Look at #8046 on the starboard side of the ship for an example. Similar cabins on deck nine and seven have the larger veranda. The corresponding cabins on the port side of the ship have the same shape. If you look at the deck plans of the ship on the Celebrity website, there will be a key that shows which cabins include a sleeper sofa. The Celebrity brochures also have these 'keyed' deckplans.

Les

[Optifire]

Choosing when to book is sometimes as hard a decision as where to book.

If you book far out from the date of the cruise, the cruise lines usually have a lower rate and that rate could go up the closer to the sail date you get. IF the ship is not filling up for some reason, the rates could go lower closer to sailing to entice people to book. Sometimes if you wait until the very last minute you can also (but not always) find your cruise on the Happy Hour Specials that RC and Celebrity have. But in order to get that, it has to be a new booking only. You dont get those prices if you already are booked. http://www.creative.rccl.com/Sales/happy_hour/

 

For us what has always worked is we book directly with the cruise line in advance as soon as we make our decision on a ship and ports and we watch the prices almost every day. When we see the price drop we call it in and gather the discount. One time we booked the Grandeur in Sept at $1080.00 each and we watched it. When it was all said and done the price of the cruise finsihed out at $499.00 ea. We are on a cruise in November on the Explorer that we booked last year. So far, we have watched the prices and we have saved $600.00 with price reductions for our cabin. One day we saved $200.00 and three days later, it came down again another $400.00, so it is important to watch it often.

 

Sometimes when you book, the price never goes down, but goes up instead, so therefore you save money because you booked at a price when it was lower. The most important thing to remember is when you see the price go down on their site, print it out and call right away as it could only be up for that day only, so you want to call as soon as you can.

 

By not booking early and waiting for a "sale" you take the chance of not having a good cabin selection available by then. So in summary, I would suggest to book early, ask them if there is any discounts being offered such as resident discounts or military if you or your husband has served in the armed forces,or any onboard credits available. Then watch the prices on their site. Usually by going through a Travel Agent you will see they offer on board credits or sometimes even free travel insurance if you book through them. But before you book with them, ask them if the price goes down from the time you book until the time you board, will you be given the discount? If they dont honor the price drops and the price goes down hundreds of dollars, then that free insurance and that small on board credit is not going to be such a bargain after all. As I said before, we have always booked direct with the lines. It is part of the cruise experience to be in charge of your own reservation and watch for the drops. As I said before, some TA's will honor price reductions and some will not. Good luck on such a hard decision. It is like playing the Stock Market, which one do I choose and when do I do it. :)