What Was the Most Thoughtful Act of Kindness by A Celebrity Crewmember?

What was your most memorable moment on a Celebrity Cruise when a crew member or department went above and beyond their normal duties?

It could be something they arranged in your cabin? a dining venue? or just a non occasion when they surprised the expectation of just doing their job.

We we're awestruck by the amount of help and support we received from guest services on the Reflection a few years ago when the airline had forgot to deliver our bags to the carousel and we spent the Holidays in the Caribbean sun wearing our flight clothes and what we were able to find on embarkation day in downtown Miami... they apologized even if it wasn't their fault, gave us unlimited wash and fold... and set sparkling wine to our room They really made the cruise a success!

Throughout the years there have been many memorable acts of kindness.

But one stands out. It was 2008, way before the venue of Luminae. The coffee in the MDR wasn't very good. We casually mentioned this to our Butler. Now he always brought us delicious coffee every morning, and we were perplexed as to why the MDR couldn't provide the same quality.

One evening after dinner, to our surprise, our wonderful Butler appeared with a carafe of the delicious coffee. All prepared by him!

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In November 2016, the night before our Transatlantic aboard Equinox, my iPad decided to brick on me. Completely unresponsive and wouldn't even do a hard reset. I took it to the iLounge and the wonderful guy there helped me. It needed to be attached to a Mac or PC to use iTunes to reload the OS. Since none of the units in the iLounge could do that, he asked if I minded waiting until his break and he would go to his cabin and borrow his roommate's. A few hours later it was back in working order and I used the unlimited high speed internet to restore my backup from the cloud. Needless to say, he didn't need to go to all that trouble and I really appreciated it. I filled out the kudos form (can't remember what X calls those) at guest relations and also made sure he got a generous gratuity.

This happened about 20 years ago - our daughter came down with the chicken pox on the 2nd day of a cruise to Mexico! (before a vaccine was available/standard) We told our room steward not to clean our cabin. One parent would always be in the cabin. Just knock on our door and we'll do a towel exchange. He explained he'd come down with the chicken pox as an adult while working on a cruise ship and had to be hospitalized. He was very sympathetic. He then went out of his way to bring special food and ice cream to our daughter. He was so kind and understanding. I bet this might be handled differently now. We were never visited by a doctor - not told to stay in our cabin - but fortunately for us, the upgrade fairy had paid us a visit, not knowing what was about to happen. We had an aft cabin with a great view. Spent some time retrieving kites that would get sucked into our cabin from the top deck. We never got off the ship for the rest of the cruise. Thanks to an amazing cabin steward - we survived this unfortunate event!

On the first day of a Med cruise in 2013 I discovered that I had not packed enough of my injectable diabetic medication (non insulin). I had DIL fed x to Venice care of the port agent and gave info to Guest Services. The individual there took care of the whole matter from there and gave us daily updates on the deliver. She also sent us chocolate covered strawberries and sparkling wine as tho they had done something wrong. Outstanding service. I noted the situation in my survey and received a phone call to verify everything and the caller promised that the guest services employee would receive recognition for going above and beyond the call of duty.

Cruising on Summit, my friend received the shocking news that her sister had had a terrible accident and was not expected to survive. We had huge assistance from many crew members but the help we received from the concierge was exceptional.

We were allowed to call the UK at all times of the day and night at no cost and our flights home were arranged. Unfortunately the ship encountered a huge storm and we were not able to dock at Naples where we were disembarking. The concierge cancelled those flights and rebooked us on a flight from Rome the next day.

Due to all the help we received my friend was able to get home in time to say goodbye to her sister. She would never have forgiven herself if this had not been made possible and we will never forget Celebrity's and that particular gentleman's help and kindness during a very sad and stressful couple of days.

One day as we left our cabin on Millennium, we met the cabin steward who asked us how we were. I told her I was feeling old as I was having a birthday in 2 days. Never thought another thing about it. On my birthday we left the cabin to go to breakfast and when we returned, the whole cabin was decorated with streamers, balloons and handmade posters. There were flowers in the room and the steward and her helper were waiting for us to present me with another bouquet! To date this room steward remains the best we have ever had.

Great thread johhnnyt!

I think there are just too many to mention ... so many stand out. But, this one story could apply to anyone that books with Celebrity and it is what I tell them they can expect when the sail with this line.

I set out to surprise my DH for his 60th birthday a few years back. I was booking things right in front of him and he was clueless as to what I was doing. He thought we were flying out to Florida for my work ... hahaha! I packed all of his luggage on the sly. I think his first clue was I actually broke down and got first class tickets to fly across country ... but he wasn't completely onto me yet. It was the best surprise I have ever pulled off. He knows I am a bargain traveler and I take care of ALL the bookings, so he was surprised when he walked into our concierge cabin on the hump and the inclusion of the beverage package. This was before the beverage packages were being included in those promotions.

So, we went to the martini bar on day one and asked the bartender what was included in our package and he asked, well, what do you like ... and made us a very wonderful mini martini. There was also a pair of sisters we met and I was telling them and the bartender how I pulled off the surprise of a lifetime for my DH's 60th birthday. They asked if it was his actual birthday that day and I told them it was the following Thursday. We didn't really speak of it much more after that.

So, time went on during our amazing cruise and we visited the martini bar regularly but Thursday (my actual DH's birthday rolls around (I think maybe 6 days later) and the bartender that we've seen every day is not paying any attention to us ... he was down at the other end of the bar fiddling around with a martini glass. It wasn't busy at all and we couldn't figure out why he was not taking our order. So, after a few minutes, he walks over to us, puts a large martini glass right in front of my DH ... on the inside of it, there was a 'Happy Birthday Kenny' message written in chocolate. He proceeded to fill the glass with a chocolate martini concoction .... WOW, just WOW!! How do they remember these things and do they really understand what a special gesture that was?

We've had so many experiences like that that it is hard to pick just one ... but that one might stand out as why we have grown to love Celebrity so much!!

Last November on our TransAtlantic cruise I became ill with an upper respiratory infection requiring numerous visits to the ship's doctor. Our cabin stewardess was so patient and kind with me "sleeping in" most days of the TA never insisting she needed to enter but making sure I had plenty of ice water, clean towels, etc.. Our dining room waiter in Blu was also so kind to even send freshly made Chicken soup back to the room with my husband, so I would have something soothing to eat. It wasn't on the menu in any restaurant.

Several cruises ago I twisted / strained my ankle while on an excursion. By that evening it had swelled to twice its normal size. My cabin steward got me to the medical facility on board and looked after my every need for the remainder of the cruise. He brought me extra pillows for elevation, ice throughout the 1st night, and offered to help me pack-up the cabin and get off the ship. I travel solo so all of his unsolicited help was greatly appreciated. The only thing I asked for was assistance to get to the medical facility that 1st evening. I had the use of a wheelchair initially, as I improved I had crutches. For debarking I had a wheelchair and cane to travel home with. To my amazement my steward refused my extra tip. He really gave a hard time but I insisted until he relented. I will never forget his genuine kindness. I had Guest relations arrange getting me off the ship as I did not want to take my steward away from his many duties on turn around day.

On the downside I must also say that the Celebrity doctor was more interested whether my accident was during a Celebrity sponsored excursion and determine if Celebrity had any liability rather than caring for my ankle. (BTW I tripped during a private tour I arranged with people from my roll call.) I offered to sign whatever saying it was not any fault of Celebrity Cruises so the doctor would finally get to the medical aspect of my visit to the medical facility.

Mary

Several of my memorable experiences with Celebrity have involved the computer techs on board. On my first cruise on the Mercury, my camera card suddenly decided it didn't have any pictures on it. Went to see the techs who were able to restore all my whale, Hubbard Glacier, etc. photos and dump them to a CD and who also explained how to prevent this in the future. On another cruise, my laptop decided not to work. One of the techs took it and worked on it for a day and finally got it back to life. Great service!

A few years ago I developed severe bronchitis soon after boarding a cruise to Antarctica. I spent a lot of time in the cabin and had room service for many meals. One morning the woman who brought my breakfast (not my cabin steward) said I needed to be drinking tea and honey. She went back to the kitchen and brought me the tea and honey. And, she would not accept a tip.

Carolyn

We we're awestruck by the amount of help and support we received from guest services on the Reflection a few years ago when the airline had forgot to deliver our bags to the carousel and we spent the Holidays in the Caribbean sun wearing our flight clothes and what we were able to find on embarkation day in downtown Miami... they apologized even if it wasn't their fault, gave us unlimited wash and fold... and set sparkling wine to our room �� They really made the cruise a success!

I found the same thing in a similar situation. 7 days without my luggage. Staff was so helpful in locating my bag and taking care of me the first half of our Med cruise.

Call it a tie.. on our Baltic cruise in 2014 DW tore some cartilage in her knee 2 weeks before the trip. Not enough time to get it fixed and we had canceled a Baltic cruise the year before when I was sick so we pressed on, with her doctor's approval. Everyone on board, except the morons at security was just terrific trying to help us along. Half way through she needed crutches to get around and the medical staff, the gangway crews, our cabin attendant, dining room staff were all a great help. On our Asia cruise last March DW's food allergies had gotten worse and the MDR staff really stayed on top of it to make sure there were things she could eat and enjoy every night. Each night they wold bring the next day's menu so we could be sure of what was being offered. If nothing worked they would always offer to make her a plain broiled chicken dinner. The nights we went to the Tuscan Grille the wait staff already knew about her allergies and someone from the MDR would still come over with the next night's menu for us. It was always done with a smile.

I was traveling on the Reflection TA in October. I had gotten to know the bartenders at the Martini bar as that is where I spend most of my time in the evening. We were coming back on board the ship in February for my 30th birthday and I mentioned this to the bartenders we befriended on the martini bar. Well, when I boarded the ship in February, Putu one of the Martini Bartenders not only wished me a happy birthday but said he had to run and get something. He came back out with a gift from Bali. It was a nice little statue and a bottle opener. It was wrapped and everything! It was definitely something I will never forget. Such a random act of thoughtfulness. As much as we love the look of the Celebrity ships, it is always the crew that keeps us coming back.

We were in an inside cabin on the Summit. I'm on a high dose of steroids and was very swollen ( more than usual ) after the flight. When our cabin steward came to introduce herself, I mentioned it to her as I was struggling to put on my sandals and she told me to wait a minute and came back with 2 pairs of slippers they give passengers in suites. One for the cabin and one to walk around the ship in until I could find sandals that fit in the shops. Thought that was very sweet.

on our Eclipse TA in April I asked for a simple BLT sandwich in the MDR for lunch one day.. The waiter tracked down some breakfast bacon and made one for me.

In 2012 we did a TP & had a great cabin staff Marvin & his assistant Glen Ford. Cruise ended & we disembarked and went to our hotel. About 3.30 DH jumps up, digs through the his carry-on and bolts from our hotel room; seems he left his IPad on the ship😳. He returned to the ship & got to the gangplank where he explained his problem. A few calls and it turns out the cabin attendants turned in his IPad.

When we got home he emailed X to compliment the cabin attendants. Fast forward 3 years, a different ship and DH is on the way to the gym & a cabin attendant stops him-it was Glen Ford who remembered him. Next evening Glen Ford shows up at our cabin with a bottle of wine. We will always remember Glen Ford and hope we see him again.

Throughout the years there have been many memorable acts of kindness.

But one stands out. It was 2008, way before the venue of Luminae. The coffee in the MDR wasn't very good. We casually mentioned this to our Butler. Now he always brought us delicious coffee every morning, and we were perplexed as to why the MDR couldn't provide the same quality.

One evening after dinner, to our surprise, our wonderful Butler appeared with a carafe of the delicious coffee. All prepared by him!

 

 

 

 

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How about the time, years ago, Hakan the wonderful Dining Room Manager discovered that we weren't sitting with our friends and somehow had a table top made to put over the table where they were so we could all sit together. It was the only table like it in the dining room and we were so amazed and grateful. Just one of many kind things we've experienced.

On an Alaskan Cruise on Century a few years ago (2012), we were invited to the Captain's Table for Dinner on Formal Night. Captain wasn't there but his Senior Officers were. Had a great meal with what seemed like 10 waiters, free wine, etc. and great conversation. But that wasn't the good part...

During the conversation, we had mentioned that we were celebrating our Wedding anniversary the next night in Murano. One of the Senior Officers that we had dined with the previous night came to Murano to our table the next night to personally congratulate us and also gave us a free bottle of Champagne, the good stuff, to celebrate. WAY COOL!

Note: I think we only had a Veranda or Concierge Class cabin and were just granted Elite status the prior cruise. It wasn't as if we were in Penthouse suites or anything. Just a very very classy gesture by Celebrity. The entire crew on Century was lovely back them. Also, Murano on Century was the BEST!

Like many have said I have more than one.

One of my favorites was that I was sailing on Solstice one time (Croatia, Montenegro cruise I think) , and the ship was departing from Barcelona. I've always been a Pepsi fan over Coke and sometimes will bring my own stash onboard. After a few days in Barcelona, I had trouble finding my score of Pepsi to bring with me onboard (mostly a coca-cola town)

I arrived on Solstice and found this in my room, gave me the biggest smile I have had since I received a toy robot (from Lost in Space) when I was 9.

Like many have said I have more than one.

 

One of my favorites was that I was sailing on Solstice one time (Croatia, Montenegro cruise I think) , and the ship was departing from Barcelona. I've always been a Pepsi fan over Coke and sometimes will bring my own stash onboard. After a few days in Barcelona, I had trouble finding my score of Pepsi to bring with me onboard (mostly a coca-cola town)

I arrived on Solstice and found this in my room, gave me the biggest smile I have had since I received a toy robot (from Lost in Space) when I was 9.

Awesome. Come to think of it, it was the Hotel Director that gave us our Murano surprise (see previous post) .

So many acts of kindness directed to us while on the ships, but this happened off the ship:

We were at Miami Airport waiting for a flight to Rome when we spotted some crew who were joining the ship. Alberto had been our Assistant Cabin Attendant on a previous cruise. Alberto and his wife are an absolutely wonderful couple. They ran over when they spotted us and greeted us warmly. Alberto insisted that he be allowed to carry our carry on bags to the plane and place them in the overhead bins. I tried to resist telling him that he was "off the clock", but to no avail. We've been cruising Celebrity for many years and many amazing members of the crew have become family.

So many acts of kindness directed to us while on the ships, but this happened off the ship:

We were at Miami Airport waiting for a flight to Rome when we spotted some crew who were joining the ship. Alberto had been our Assistant Cabin Attendant on a previous cruise. Alberto and his wife are an absolutely wonderful couple. They ran over when they spotted us and greeted us warmly. Alberto insisted that he be allowed to carry our carry on bags to the plane and place them in the overhead bins. I tried to resist telling him that he was "off the clock", but to no avail. We've been cruising Celebrity for many years and many amazing members of the crew have become family.

What a truly beautiful gesture. It does seem like an almost familial environment sometimes. It's the little personal gestures like you mention is one of the biggest reasons I keep coming back.