Does Aqua Class Stil Offer All CC Perks

It's been a few years since DW and I last cruised on Celebrity; all of our cruises in the last few years have been on RCCL. When we last cruised on Celebrity, we were in Aqua Class on the Solstice. Back then, Aqua Class included all of the benefits of Concierge class in addition to the special Aqua benefits (mainly Blu). However, the current Celebrity website omits some of those CC benefits (canapes, fresh fruit, sparkling wine, departure lounge) in the Aqua Class description. Does anyone who has cruised in Aqua recently know whether this is just an accidental omission or whether those benefits really now apply only to Concierge Class and not to Aqua Class?

Par for the course, the website fails to include the CC perks in the Aqua descriptions.

On some sailings you can exchange the sparkling wine in the dining room for a credit against the purchase of another vintage if you prefer. Just ask your wine steward. The last time we did this the sparking was valued at $28. It won't get you much but it will get you something.

As for the canapés, they haven't changed. What has changed is you must be in your cabin to receive them. Arrange this with your cabin steward. As usual, if you wish an alternative like a cheese tray or shrimp cocktail just ask.

Upon arrival in your cabin there may be a plate with an apple or two, perhaps a banana.

Can't recall the departure lounge. We have access to an Elite lounge. If your RCI status is higher than your X status then you can request the higher of the two to be applied to your booking.

Enjoy your cruise and return to Celebrity.

We cruised Aqua for the first time in March on Silhouette. There was a special registration line (with suites) at the dock. We got a bottle of bubbly in the room. There was fruit (usually apples), bottled water and strange flavored teas. We got canapés one afternoon but you have to fill out a form and we really never bothered. I don't recall flowers. As I say, this was our first time however I recall seeing posts complaining that the fruit and canapés are not what they used to be and the bathroom supplies are also less than they were used to from years ago.

It's been a few years since DW and I last cruised on Celebrity; all of our cruises in the last few years have been on RCCL. When we last cruised on Celebrity, we were in Aqua Class on the Solstice. Back then, Aqua Class included all of the benefits of Concierge class in addition to the special Aqua benefits (mainly Blu). However, the current Celebrity website omits some of those CC benefits (canapes, fresh fruit, sparkling wine, departure lounge) in the Aqua Class description. Does anyone who has cruised in Aqua recently know whether this is just an accidental omission or whether those benefits really now apply only to Concierge Class and not to Aqua Class?

All cc perks are included in Aqua. Celebrity has known about the web site being wrong for well over a year. I guess they don't care enough to change it.

If you download a brochure from celebritycruises.com you will se that all CC perks are included in AQ.

We always sail AQUA and we are Elite +. That being said, things are NOT what they used to be. In February we no longer were able to enjoy the flowers in our cabin, gone. We only received chocolate on formal night instead of customary every night. Bathroom products were different and there were not as many. Towels appered to be smaller and not as fluffy.

I see on web site the bottle of bubbly in no longer mentioned as a perk and wonder if those on the TA and in Europe received the customary bubbly in cabin. We always ordered the fresh squeezed OJ and then used the bubbly to make Mimosas for breakfast on balcony.

The afternoon treats are pathetic and yes, you do have to fill out the form.

We also noted that at cocktail hour the goodies can't hold a candle to what they serve in DIamond lounge on Royal. We also sail Royal on occasion.

I have been told that the new CEO is aware of all of our concerns and may be working on remedies. Hope so. Still will enjoy all of my cruises.

Concierge benefits

Aqua

Bubbly is listed under concierge.

It is truly sad that they can't find one person in Celebrity HQ who can proofread what they publish. Print out the concierge class list and then compare it to the aqua class list....check off each item. If something isn't checked off at the end, then it's missing. That's not so hard for most of us...but apparently, it's very hard in Celebrity HQ.....unless of course, they have now removed the blanc-de-blanc sparkling wine from aqua class and the pre-departure lounge difference, etc.

As far as the new CEO, Lisa, knowing about our concerns....perhaps her second (the first was the returning the chocolates) "pro-passenger" move might be to hire a new director of IT who can keep their systems operational and bring their systems up to date (eg. recognize that aqua and now suite passengers don't have to pick a dining option) ....and implement some sort of communications and/or review process between departments in HQ so their web, their advertising, their e-mails and what happens on the ships matches....and find some way to coerce the officers/staff on the ships to read and implement memo's/changes from HQ so that things are consistent across ships and cruises (eg the drink package price increase fiasco).

This stuff is so basic...why can't Celebrity get it right?

Agree

Consistency would be great...

Ships can have individual personalities and certain managerial discretion based upon demographics of each cruise, but basic booking info like perks, alc packages, and what each accomodation includes should be standardized. Basic rules like smoking, dress code, restaurant admittance should also be set out clearly and followed.

website should be updated to reflect current practices...

All the perks are still in place. You get a rose on the first formal night from captains club hostess instead of flowers in the bathroom. In April they started putting chocolate on the pillows every night. You have to fill out a form everyday if the want the afternoon canapes.

Par for the course, the website fails to include the CC perks in the Aqua descriptions.

On some sailings you can exchange the sparkling wine in the dining room for a credit against the purchase of another vintage if you prefer. Just ask your wine steward. The last time we did this the sparking was valued at $28. It won't get you much but it will get you something.

As for the canapés, they haven't changed. What has changed is you must be in your cabin to receive them. Arrange this with your cabin steward. As usual, if you wish an alternative like a cheese tray or shrimp cocktail just ask.

Upon arrival in your cabin there may be a plate with an apple or two, perhaps a banana.

Can't recall the departure lounge. We have access to an Elite lounge. If your RCI status is higher than your X status then you can request the higher of the two to be applied to your booking.

Enjoy your cruise and return to Celebrity.

Thank you for the info. However, the last statement does not seem to be entirely true. My wife and I are both Diamond Plus on RCI but they only made us Elite on Celebrity, the same status that they offer to RCI Diamond members. If we could really request the higher of the two, then Celebrity would have made us Elite Plus, not just Elite.

We recently sailed Aqua Class and we had the bottle of champagne, flowers, and an assortment of fruit. Free bottled water every day along with the flavored tea. We did not have to be in the room for the canapés and we also were asked if we wanted to modify the choice. We did not want olives and that was taken care of as we got cheese instead. The departure lounge has been in Tuscan Grill.

Changes have included no sample toiletries or the bath sandals. Downgrade in the bath soaps and shampoos/conditioners.

Thank you for the info. However, the last statement does not seem to be entirely true. My wife and I are both Diamond Plus on RCI but they only made us Elite on Celebrity, the same status that they offer to RCI Diamond members. If we could really request the higher of the two, then Celebrity would have made us Elite Plus, not just Elite.

The highest perk level given to a Zenith level Capt Club member on RCCL is Diamond.

No matter how many points, or your level in Crown n Anchor, the Elite perks are the cap.

Agree

Consistency would be great...

 

Ships can have individual personalities and certain managerial discretion based upon demographics of each cruise, but basic booking info like perks, alc packages, and what each accomodation includes should be standardized. Basic rules like smoking, dress code, restaurant admittance should also be set out clearly and followed.

 

website should be updated to reflect current practices...

Set in concrete.

The lady who is working to resolve my issue also told me the new IT has only been there a week or so and she has hopes we will resolve issues thus making her joy easier. She has to deal with irate cruisers daily.

All the perks are still in place. You get a rose on the first formal night from captains club hostess instead of flowers in the bathroom. In April they started putting chocolate on the pillows every night. You have to fill out a form everyday if the want the afternoon canapes.

I always got a rose from Captain's Club in addition to my flower arrangement. Only the single rose this most recent cruise. Afternoon canapes aren't worth the paper I order them on. Yuck....used to be fairly good.

I wish X would revamp Concierge perks and give it its own identity not just a poor sister of AQ. I like CC because we enjoy the MDR, have no interest in the spa etc. and best of all, the cabin locations. I would even pay the same price as AQ for exclusive CC perks that had more value to me and were for CC alone ie not included in AQ. That way X could price the cabins the same and pax could choose which cabin for perks/benefits offered.

The highest perk level given to a Zenith level Capt Club member on RCCL is Diamond.

No matter how many points, or your level in Crown n Anchor, the Elite perks are the cap.

Yes, that is the way it works and keeping the programs separate certainly reduces the amount of revenue lost due to the cost of the perks. However, I think it is penny wise and pound foolish. Since high status C&A members know that they cannot earn C&A points or even have truly equivalent status on X, they often decide that, when they want something different from RCCL, it might just as well be a competing cruise line as X. That might seem good for RCCL and X taken individually but it is not a way to maximize profits for the corporation as a whole. I believe that corporate profits could be enhanced by having a single program that went across all of the cruise lines owned by RCI.

The lady who is working to resolve my issue also told me the new IT has only been there a week or so and she has hopes we will resolve issues thus making her joy easier. She has to deal with irate cruisers daily.

There is no "joy" in dealing with irate cruisers. And maybe not much joy in spell checkers easier.

If we want to upgrade our bottle of wine, do we just take it along to Blu the first night?

If we want to upgrade our bottle of wine, do we just take it along to Blu the first night?

Maybe...it varies by ship. On the first night, we always ask the somelier if we can bring the bottle the next night and exchange it or get a credit for something else.

Thanks. If not, I guess we try it.

So do you actually get concierge access with Aqua Class? People here are saying Aqua class gets all the benefits (I assume that would mean access to a concierge). I don't see this listed in the list of benefits. Also, do you get access to Michael's club?

So those with experience....what did you get?

So do you actually get concierge access with Aqua Class? People here are saying Aqua class gets all the benefits (I assume that would mean access to a concierge). I don't see this listed in the list of benefits. Also, do you get access to Michael's club?

 

So those with experience....what did you get?

Anyone can go to the concierge. From what I could tell, they don't really *do* anything you can't do.

So do you actually get concierge access with Aqua Class? People here are saying Aqua class gets all the benefits (I assume that would mean access to a concierge). I don't see this listed in the list of benefits. Also, do you get access to Michael's club?

 

So those with experience....what did you get?

Aqua passengers do not get access to michael's club or luminae. I have no idea what a concierge could do for you or me on a ship...but you have full access to them (as does everyone else on the ship).

Aqua passengers do not get access to michael's club or luminae. I have no idea what a concierge could do for you or me on a ship...but you have full access to them (as does everyone else on the ship).

The concierge pointed me to the direction of Guest Relations.