What's the deal???

[Drew B]

Drew, did you ever think that perhaps you would have a more enjoyable trip if

you were willing to politely ask for things that you believe to be missing.

 

 

But the whole point is that it is not "missing". A corporate decision was made to NOT provide the CC breakfast menu to guests in suites. If you ask for that menu or write something in, you are asking for something above and beyond what corporate has decided you are entitled to. That is where I have the problem.

 

If I was in a CC cabin and the CC breakfast menu was missing, I would have no problem asking my steward if I could get one. That would be something to which I am expressly entitled to that was inadvertantly left out. It's a whole different situation...

[CatServants]

I amm confused. Isn't "RS" a Royal Suite and the only thing bigger the PH? So, wouldn't the Royal Suite get the better breakfast menu over Consierge Service (is that CC?). It will be my first time on Celebrity.

 

 

 

CC=Concierge Class; RS-Royal Suite. You may think you're confused but you hit the nail on the head! The CC breakfast menu (it's WOW!:eek:), pillow menu, fresh flowers, etc. are not "offered" to the suites. Suite pax can ask their butler and cross their fingers. But don't let me or any of us who think suites should receive CC+ service when we have a suite put you off. You're going to have a wonderful cruise on X!:D

 

 

Denise

[bububr]

Simple answer....

 

Look at the website, or the brochures, or ask.

 

Dave:eek:

[CatServants]

tbelian - Your title made me laugh out loud. That poor horse!:D I'm a VERY HAPPY cruiser and I'm ALWAYS thankful for the info I glean from these boards, but...see FTI below...

 

FTI - You got me! You really got me!;) You typed it so much better though. Shouldn't HAVE to research/ask.

 

Drew B - Yup!!! I'm willing to research/ask, but, ...see FTI above...:p

 

 

Happy cruising.

 

Denise

 

PS - I think we owe that poor horse some sugar!:)

 

D.

[jerseygirl3]

We had 5 Sky Suites on Century this past Easter, and none of us got CC amenities. We were told it was for CC cabins only. No pillow menu, no special breakfast menu, etc. I loved the cabin, but not having any CC amenities sucked.

[peteranddan]

We specificly asked our butler for the CC breakfast menu and were given an firm NO. The butler gave me a line about it being for another secition of the ship, but I knew he was full of shnitt since there was a CC cabin right next to our suite on the Penthouse deck.

 

We scribbled in our wants and circled each one on the Suite Life breakfast menu to ensure that they saw it. Each item was delivered but I should have printed off the darn CC menu as I couldn't remember their additional items and out butler wasn't offering up any info...

 

I'm still kicking myself for not gettting up to the waffle station on the buffet for breakfast one morning. I hear that people dream of these waffles after they leave the ship :p . Oh well, next we will have to wait until next summer to experience the waffles and we are in an aft CC cabin so we'll get to see if the perks are really all that different.

 

Peter

[raudacruise]

We did the written thing but pretty quickly the butler figured out what we wanted for breakfast, even if it was not written.

 

First morning was funny. I wrote two(2) soft poached eggs with their wonderful hash. Marybeth had her normal bagels and lox. Juices and cappucino (for MaryBeth).

 

Ended up with 3 servings, two of poached eggs and hash. I specially asked for the soft because otherwise you get golfball hard poached once (disclaimer - food not cooked fully might be more tasty).

 

After a day or two we got things worked out, even with some change ups (like eggs benedict). Even forgetting to put cappucino on the menu never made it not on the table in the morning.

 

We've been in two RS and would give one butler a 5* and the other a 4*. We've also been in a PH and ... that was another world.

[jlhc99]

OK I can honestly say that I opened up a "can of worms" by starting this thread, or am "beating a dead horse" so to speak.

 

I agree with other posters that if one is willing to fork over the cash for an SS, one should be entitled to not only the same, but in my opinion "enhanced" amenities to those in less expensive categories. After all, in life you get what you pay for, or so one would think :eek:

 

All aside, we have friends sailing with us and they are booked in CC. It will be very interesting to compare notes during our cruise.

 

I happen to work in the travel industry and while my field is corporate, I know a sales contact at Celebrity. I am going to pose my question to her in an email and will gladly share her reply on this thread for all who are interested.

 

Regardless folks, I really don't care about flowers in the cabin, butler service to unpack my suitcase, and Captain's parties. I don't have a butler at home, so I am curious as to how this service will work. In my opinion, an SS passenger should not have to ask for things not otherwise offered. What I do care about is having a great time and for the money I am paying, being able walk away saying I had a great cruise on X and will gladly sail with them again......

[sasset]

We specificly asked our butler for the CC breakfast menu and were given an firm NO. The butler gave me a line about it being for another secition of the ship, but I knew he was full of shnitt since there was a CC cabin right next to our suite on the Penthouse deck.

Peter

 

Did you give your butler the full suggested tip?

 

Regards

[Adlibjac]

I have mentioned this before but I have the UK Celebrity cruise brochure dated Jan 2007 - March 2008.

 

On page 71 it lists all additional amenities available to CC then next to that it states:

 

Your suite......

 

(You will receive)ALL CELEBRITY CONCIERGE CLASS AMENITIES PLUS

 

Butler on hand 24 hours a day

assistance with packing and unpacking

Full Breakfast, Lunch and dinner service in suite

In-suite afternoon tea service

complimentary espresso and cappucino

private portrait sitting

priority tender service

compimentary use of thalassotherapy pool (not on expedition)

opportunity to book in-suite massage

delivery of requested board games

 

I am sure something similar must appear in the US version of the brochure (I would expect that the only difference is the pricing currency). The brochure has a midnight blue cover.

 

We will print out the relevant page and take it with us and also we have the CC breakfast menu printed.

 

we are not normally fussy people and will probably hardly bother the butler at all but we do expect to get what we pay for.

[CatServants]

I have mentioned this before but I have the UK Celebrity cruise brochure dated Jan 2007 - March 2008.

 

On page 71 it lists all additional amenities available to CC then next to that it states:

 

Your suite......

 

(You will receive)ALL CELEBRITY CONCIERGE CLASS AMENITIES PLUS....

 

I am sure something similar must appear in the US version of the brochure (I would expect that the only difference is the pricing currency). The brochure has a midnight blue cover.

 

We will print out the relevant page and take it with us and also we have the CC breakfast menu printed.

....

 

 

 

 

 

X (in the US) sends out "Destination" brochures. Mine is the Caib/Bermuda, '07-'08 brochure. It devotes 3/4 of a small paragraph to CC ("priority embarkation, champagne, fresh fruit, and flowers, and more") and, in the last sentence reads, "You may also reserve one of our luxurious suites, which include European-style butler service, complimentary champagne, and countless other amenities.".

 

We all know what their web site states the amenities are for CC and for suites. I couldn't find anything anywhere that said suites receive all the CC amenities plus.

 

 

 

That being said, I've never meant to give the impression that I hate X or have been/will be dissatisfied with my cruise (no, you did NOT in any way imply any tsk tsk adlibjak). Actually, I'm a very VERY happy cruiser. I've noticed that all the people who have mentioned the suite/CC amenities "issue" (i.e. lack of specificity as regards amenities by X; possibly better amenities for CC), mention how much they loved their cruise and have booked future cruises on X. I don't think we're nitpicking or whining (nor did ANYONE say we were). I guess what I don't get is why EVERYONE doesn't agree with us.:confused:

 

X should SPECIFY ALL suite (and every other cabin type) amenities. Amenities should NOT depend upon research from a third party or the quality/mood of the butler. And, at least imho, ALL amenities should be offered to suites. To me these all seem like very reasonable statements. There are MANY different types of cruisers out there (thank Heaven the world isn't only vanilla!), but in the end, we ALL want value for our $$$ and most importantly, we want our cruises to be "vacations, not suffocations";). I look forward to many happy cruises and each and every one of you will always be welcome in my cabin!:)

 

Happy cruising!!!!:D

 

Denise

[tbelian]

There are MANY different types of cruisers out there

 

 

That is why we all dont agree.

[gillianrose]

If there is something you want that is not on the menu, just write it in. :)

 

Hi Texed!

 

We recently tried this, but to no avail. We simply wanted our food delivered to our aft cabin CC to arrive HOT and we wrote that in, since nothing, absolutely nothing, had arrived at a temperature much above lukewarm, and the sausages were just room temperature. (Ugh.)

 

Well, no matter how we did it, our food was never delivered HOT. We know it can be done, because we have also sailed HAL and with no special "write-ins" from us, our food ALWAYS arrived piping hot. The trick to this is in the way HAL delivers the food. Not only do they use a special cart (where Celebrity usually hand-carried trays, at least to our area of the ship), but beneath each entree plate on HAL there was a special metal heated warmer (which the attendant always reminded us was very hot, and it was). It worked great.

 

We enjoyed our room-service breakfasts on HAL tremendously, but were very disappointed in the temperature of the food on Celebrity (M-class).

 

Dining room breakfasts were very good on Celebrity, but the dining room was not open for breakfast every day, and we don't like getting up and rummaging around a buffet, especially at breakfast-time. Sometimes (often), we like to stay in our cabin and enjoy breakfast while still in our jammies.

 

From recollection, we ordered hot breakfasts on the Mercury several years ago, and I don't remember there being a problem with the temperature of the food. Perhaps the Mercury uses a different system than the M-class ships?

[bobbyleduck]

 

Dining room breakfasts were very good on Celebrity, but the dining room was not open for breakfast every day, and we don't like getting up and rummaging around a buffet, especially at breakfast-time. Sometimes (often), we like to stay in our cabin and enjoy breakfast while still in our jammies.quote]

 

Are you sure the dining room wasn't open for breakfast. I cruised aboard Infinity for 14 days March/April and the dining room was open for breakfast every single day.

 

Happy cruising to all!

 

Bob

[CatServants]

That is why we all dont agree.

 

 

 

tbelian - I don't understand? You DON'T think X should publish/specify amenities?:confused: You DO think amenities should be dependent upon the quality/mood of the butler?:confused: You DON'T think suites should receive all the amenities?:confused: Hmmmm. Really? OK....if you say so. What the heck, let's give that poor horsey a break.:)

 

Happy cruising!:D

 

Denise

[tbelian]

What I think is that I will borrow from 'the bard' :

 

'Me thinks they make much ado about nothing'

 

Or to paraphrase it another way:

 

"I do not care what choices others may make, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me hamburgers!"

 

I never specifically posted anything that you typed in your most recent reply. What I did post was , ask and you shall receive. If you don't want to ask, your loss.

 

Mountain out of a molehile

 

Done.

[Drew B]

What I did post was , ask and you shall receive. If you don't want to ask, your loss.

 

 

Others (PeterandDan) specifically DID ask for the CC menu and did not receive it.

 

I'm sure that there are little things that are important to you that others would consider "molehills". It's a bit rude to minimize or negate other people's legitimate complaints.

[tbelian]

It's a bit rude to minimize or negate other people's legitimate complaints.

 

oops, wait, I said 'done' ... deleted

[excitedofharpenden]

We had 5 Sky Suites on Century this past Easter, and none of us got CC amenities. We were told it was for CC cabins only. No pillow menu, no special breakfast menu, etc. I loved the cabin, but not having any CC amenities sucked.

Based upon the butler we shared that really doesn't surprise me.

 

I'm a bit more savvy now and these boards have helped a lot in that regard, but I have to say I scratch my head a bit at the inconsistency with some of the benefits and particularly the CC breakfast not being offered to suite passengers. Well, I think I know why they do it and it's to promote the CC service on its own and add to its desirability/uniqueness, but it certainly seems to cause a bit of ill feeling here. I love the strawberry fruit smoothy and will ask for that when I'm in an FV in a few weeks time.:)

 

Phil

[CatServants]

A mole chased a poor horsey up a mountain where both were beaten into the ground by Shakespeare until the mole emerged chased by a poor horsey from the hill!:D:D:D Sorry couldn't resist.

 

I hope no one ever feels unwelcome or "done" on any thread, in any discussion/debate. I love the info/differing experiences/differing opinions/wonderful humor and wit which can be found on these boards. I enjoy the contributions from everyone on this and other threads. Threads/discussions die out only to resurface again and again when new posters ask the old questions. It's the ebb and flow of conversation. Thanks for "conversing" with me. And don't worry...I'm married...I'm used to having people disagree with me. No one has upset me and I FERVENTLY hope I have not offended anyone!:o

 

 

Happy cruising!:D

 

Denise

[CatServants]

Based upon the butler we shared that really doesn't surprise me.

 

I'm a bit more savvy now and these boards have helped a lot in that regard, but I have to say I scratch my head a bit at the inconsistency with some of the benefits and particularly the CC breakfast not being offered to suite passengers. Well, I think I know why they do it and it's to promote the CC service on its own and add to its desirability/uniqueness, but it certainly seems to cause a bit of ill feeling here. I love the strawberry fruit smoothy and will ask for that when I'm in an FV in a few weeks time.:)

 

Phil

 

I agree! My DH made sure I printed out the CC breakfast menu - parfaits and smoothies...please X, give us a good butler!!:)

 

Happy cruising!

 

Denise

[Alaskan Traveler]

Others (PeterandDan) specifically DID ask for the CC menu and did not receive it.

 

I'm sure that there are little things that are important to you that others would consider "molehills". It's a bit rude to minimize or negate other people's legitimate complaints.

 

 

Very well put, Drew. It always comes down to at least being offered what you have paid for without having to feel like you are begging for what you should have been given. On out last Celebrity cruise we were supposed to have a pillow menu and we asked for one. Never did get one, but the pillows that were already in the cabin were fine so we just did not bother to ask again. To me this would be no different than checking into a five star hotel and finding that there was no TV in the room and then having to call to have one sent up. True you would wind up with a TV but you should have had the TV in the room in the first place. In my job I have to request people to do what they should have done on their own but when I am on vacation I really don't expect to have to do this.

[DaveFr]

Very well put, Drew. It always comes down to at least being offered what you have paid for without having to feel like you are begging for what you should have been given. On out last Celebrity cruise we were supposed to have a pillow menu and we asked for one. Never did get one, but the pillows that were already in the cabin were fine so we just did not bother to ask again. To me this would be no different than checking into a five star hotel and finding that there was no TV in the room and then having to call to have one sent up. True you would wind up with a TV but you should have had the TV in the room in the first place. In my job I have to request people to do what they should have done on their own but when I am on vacation I really don't expect to have to do this.

I totally agree that Celebrity should provide all the amenities it promises without the necessity of a passenger requesting them. However, when promised amenities are not provided, you have two choices. You can stand on principle and suffer in silence or you can nicely request those amenities to which you are entitled.

 

I always ask for promised amenities if not provided automatically. As the late Lenny Bruce once said, you have to deal with what is, not what should be. There are ways to nicely ask for things that make clear that only an answer of yes is acceptable. :D

[Drew B]

Alaskan Traveller, I like your analogy about the TV in the hotel room. However, I think it would relate more if a guest in one of the premier fooms at said hotel was told that a TV is not, in fact, guaranteed for that room. TV's are only promised to the cheaper rooms. If he asks for a TV, he will most likely be given one, but then only if the concierge he speaks with is in the proper mood...

 

DaveFR, are they, in fact, promised amenitities? They're certainly promised to CC guests, and if they are inadvertantly not given, it is an oversight and the person should have no difficulty asking. There may be an unwritten rule that they be provided to suite guests who ask (subject to the butler's disposition), but that is different from being "promised". A suite guest who asks runs the risk of being told "no" which can be awkward and uncomfortable and can ruin the dynamic between guest and butler for the entire cruise. It would be much simpler and more pleasant for all involved if the suites were expressly granted all of the CC benefits...

[CatServants]

Alaskan Traveller, I like your analogy about the TV in the hotel room. However, I think it would relate more if a guest in one of the premier fooms at said hotel was told that a TV is not, in fact, guaranteed for that room. TV's are only promised to the cheaper rooms. If he asks for a TV, he will most likely be given one, but then only if the concierge he speaks with is in the proper mood...

 

DaveFR, are they, in fact, promised amenitities? They're certainly promised to CC guests, and if they are inadvertantly not given, it is an oversight and the person should have no difficulty asking. There may be an unwritten rule that they be provided to suite guests who ask (subject to the butler's disposition), but that is different from being "promised". A suite guest who asks runs the risk of being told "no" which can be awkward and uncomfortable and can ruin the dynamic between guest and butler for the entire cruise. It would be much simpler and more pleasant for all involved if the suites were expressly granted all of the CC benefits...

 

 

 

Yup!:D

 

Denise