critterchick

On 3/19/2024 at 3:06 PM, abbydancer2003 said:

A week after I got my move up accepted, I emailed SolsticeRetreat and asked if I'd get a call.  No response.  About a week ago, I got a long emial from them asking for information.  I returned it with what they requested, and asked a couple of questions.  No response.  I also emailed a question over the weekend and no response on that either.

This phone number might help. I had a question regarding my upcoming cruise on Edge and the regular customer service transferred me over to the Retreat Concierge shoreside. 1-877-RETREAT, according to this:

https://creative.rccl.com/Sales/Celebrity/General_Info/CEL_The_Retreat_FAQs.pdf

It’s an older publication since it also talks about Zenith not being allowed in the Retreat, and they got their access back some months ago. Good luck and please report back on your success/failure in getting somebody to respond to your questions.

On 3/13/2024 at 7:31 PM, PTC DAWG said:

I’m not old enough, from what I’ve read…enjoy. 

Read again. Our friends’ 20 year old daughter, who has cruise on (at least) HAL, Princess, Royal and Celebrity said that HAL was her favorite. They have some interesting itineraries that the other 3 tend not to.
 

23 hours ago, Avidcruiser321 said:

So here is the update!  I did call to try the upgrade idea.  I asked to upgrade to Prime Aqua class (from our regular balcony) and the price difference was not big enough.  Prime Aqua in a suite was still less than we paid, so they couldn't do it as the price needs to be higher than what I paid.  So no go.  The next option up was to a big sky suite which was waaaay more.

 

So worth a try, but no luck.  Just goes to show the original point of the post is true - I got ripped off. 

 

And to all the Internet bosses who will now chime in to say I'm not allowed to feel that way - please save your breath.  I am allowed to feel however I want about it right now.  And I am sure I'll still have a nice time when the cruise comes along!

Did the customer service rep consult with the Resolutions department?  When the price on our cruise went down by a massive amount we were allowed to upgrade from a Magic Carpet suite to an Aqua Sky Suite, which was priced at less than what we paid. Then a few weeks later the coveted (by us, anyway) Sunset Sky Suites on the stern dropped to below what we’d paid and we were allowed to switch again. Both times I asked for the rep to speak with the Resolutions department - they have a script and zero leeway to deviate from the written policy, but Resolutions can do that if they are in the mood. Maybe I just got lucky twice but it can’t hurt to call again.

9 hours ago, miched said:

We recently did a MSC in Yacht Club, and the Retreat on Celebrity.   We booked 2 cruises on MSC and none on Celebrity.  We have 2 more already booked on Celebrity but when done we may not book anymore.    

 

On Celebrity we did not see any butlers.   The room attendant took their place.    In the past the butler would see you walking down the hall and would open your door.  See you carrying a drink and would carry it for you and insist on doing that.   We would normally ask for coffee in the morning to be delivered to the cabin.  It seemed to be more of a hassle and the one time we asked for it we felt as if we were annoying them.   MSC provided the service that Celebrity use to.  
 

Celebrity needs to up their game instead making more cuts with higher prices.  
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

I assume you were booked one if the Sky Suite classes, which lost their butlers last fall. Apparently the fallout from that decision was bad enough that Celebrity are bringing them back to all classes of suites. They are doing it slowly but the Edge class have them and Solstice/Millenniun class should have them by June (they “should” have them sooner but have to find them).

18 hours ago, markeb said:

The only thing you gain checking prices after final payment is frustration. Just don’t do it. 

I check to see if I can upgrade to a higher category for only a few bucks. 🙂

15 hours ago, abbydancer2003 said:

I'm on this cruise as well, but not in a balcony (mini suite).  For me, if I rebooked today, it would cost several hundred more, and I'd lose tips and a bunch of OBC.  YMMV.

 

I think one time, I got some extra OBC after final, and that was a very specific situation.  We were in a Sky Suite on a South American/Antarctic itinerary, and the prices kept dropping (my guess was airfare had become ridiculous from North America).  The price of a Celebrity Suite went to about 300.00 more than I paid for the Sky.  So I paid 300.00 and moved us.  The next day, it dropped to what we'd paid for the Sky Suite.  I called and they gave us 300.00 refundable OBC.  It was, I believe, because of the timing.  It was also in 2019, so pre-pandemic.  After the pandemic, pricing did become a little more rigid.

 

And in 2022, I was in Maui at the "other side".  We were back on the ship by noon, since there's not much there.  I was looking forward to Maui, but we just rented a car for the first day in Hilo to go see Volcanos National Park since we'll now have time. 

If you ever return to Kahului, rent a car and go explore UpCountry Maui. It’s my favorite place to visit with good restaurants, funky little shops/art galleries/glass blowing studios, etc. 

We are on the transpacific from Sydney to Honolulu. Prior to final payment, the price of our MS dropped about $4000 -, although we lost the OBC that came with the booking (somehow the prepaid gratuities survived, and I confirmed that twice), we were still well ahead.

Well, the day after final payment, he price of the Sky Suites (MS, S1 and AS but not the Sunset Sky Suites) dropped by another $4000 (for 2. Some on our roll call reported success in getting a refund. We had a Magic Carpet Suite and X allowed us to upgrade to the Aqua Sky Suite at no extra charge - the rep initially said that we would only be able to do it if the fare was higher but Resolutions sided with me.  The Sunset Sky Suites were deeply discounted about two weeks later, so I called again and “upgraded” (some would say downgraded but we love that wake view), again for no charge. I think they are blocking my calls now, lol.

My only quarrel re cancelling Lahaina is that Celebrity waited until November to do so even though it was abundantly clear that it would not happen. Other lines found alternate Hawaiian ports but we have a sail by the Na Pali coast of Kauai.  Although it’s stunning, we will likely be too far away to see much beyond a hazy shadow. And now we’ll be clearing immigration at disembarkation in Honolulu, which can be a complete and utter disaster in my experience. I’m glad we didn’t book a noon flight home! We go to Hawaii several times a year and our real target for this cruise was Australia and sailing on Edge, so are not as disappointed as others, for whom Maui was a major attraction.

We spent two weeks in Lahaina January/February (the resorts of Kaanapali are in Lahaina; it was “only” Lahaina Town and nearby neighborhoods that were destroyed). The residents were almost universally warm and welcoming and the only ones we spoke with about the situation were our friends. 

12 hours ago, wineoclock said:

I assume the complaints must have been off the charts for X to bringing back butlers. 

 And sales were down, too….

On 3/12/2024 at 1:12 AM, UK1sttimer said:

I spoke to the head butler just now and the new butlers for Sky Suites join tomorrow in Sydney.

Hurray! Thanks for the follow up!

On 3/9/2024 at 3:38 AM, UK1sttimer said:

I’m on the Edge now, no butler in Sky suite. 

Any chance you could ask the Retreat Host when they are coming back and post here? Thanks!

7 minutes ago, zitsky said:

Yes I sent a quick short email.  I find it odd that they could have cheaper pricing for SS than for Aqua.  And that their pricing for Aqua is twice the Celebrity price.

Are you looking at the no perks fare for your Aquaclass booking? Depending on when the group was formed, the AQ cabins may still include all four perks - classic drink package, standard Wifi, gratuity and OBC. 

If that’s the case and you don’t want the perks, the TA should still be able to change the booking for you to a no-perks fare.

You will stand out in the crowd in a good way. You’re likely to get a few admiring glances and questions about the location of the restrooms - happened to DH every time when he wore his white dinner jacket and red tie/cummerbund (so did the officers), lol.

9 minutes ago, TequilaJane said:

They dont even let you move the deposit any longer.

Yes, they do, for $100 per person.

We did it on Solstice last year. The wines were fair to middling. There were a couple we liked and a couple we didn’t - those went into the spit bucket and they poured us a little more of the ones we preferred. It was a good way to pass a few hours (counting the post-tasting nap, lol).

10 hours ago, drakes2 said:

I don't buy the package either. Celebrity gives me 2 bottles and I bring 1 from home.  I am Elite plus so take advantage of the HH and that works for me. I usually purchase fairly pricey wines at home but wait until they get discounted at 20 to 30 off.  Last week scored a Belle Glos pinot which had 2 markdowns due to overstock from xmas. Usually retails for $70 but would never pay that. Bought 6 bottles at $39 each. CAD.

Belle Glos is one of my favorites. It’s about $50USD here in CA but some friends tipped us off to a sale from a place in Virginia and we laid down a case for about $40USD in 2020. We have one bottle left. ❤️🍷

How do you get 2 bottles of wine from X? We are also Elite + and haven’t heard of that perk….

10 hours ago, lesliew said:

Thank you all.

We got it at the 29% off Sale, so are happy with the price.

No big expectations other than to have a few glasses of wine and meet some people.

Cheers!  🥂🙂

That’s a good way to approach it - enjoy!

On 2/27/2024 at 10:12 AM, mahasamatman said:

 

I would instantly fire any agent who tried to foist insurance on me. This is when it pays to have a good credit card.

Indeed.

On 2/27/2024 at 8:24 AM, Jim_Iain said:

Unfortunate and would be a good indication that you need to find a new Travel Agent. 

 

I see the agent failed you at least 3 time.   You should have been advised of your choice between a Refundable or Non-Refundable Fare, You should have been advised to purchase travel insurance  and Finally when you asked to cancel they should have told you your options of moving fee of $100 pp to move it to a different sailing as oppose to cancel where you loose your complete deposit.

If I’d been the OP’s TA I would have asked them if they wanted travel insurance, not recommended it to them. If they were interested I would send them information and ask them to let me know if they want it. It’s not for everybody - many working people are covered overseas by their employers’ plans. Others have credit cards that will provide some coverage. TAs have a conflict of interest because they receive a commission on the policies they sell so IMO aren’t the most reliable source for determining whether it’s appropriate. 

However, it’s also the customer’s responsibility to read their cruise documentation. The Celebrity invoices clearly state on the first page if a deposit is nonrefundable. Not saying that the TA shouldn’t have been up to date on Celebrity’s cancellations policies (for awhile they were offering FCC on the amount subject to penalty, but that went away in 2022 or early 2023), but we all bear some responsibility for knowing what we’ve purchased.

The only time I will book through the cruise line is when the price is significantly lower than booking direct. That hasn’t been the case since the pandemic - it used to be that one way international air could save a couple of thousand dollars (business class) but I haven’t seen it the few times that I’ve looked.

All airlines that I’ve used in the past few years have changed their flights at least once.  I try to remember to check monthly up until a couple of months out and then I try to remember to check weekly.

On 2/23/2024 at 6:45 PM, zitsky said:

We’d like to do a Japan cruise.  We are on the Millie in Bali.   It seems a bit limited with just a few restaurants.  I’d prefer to cruise Japan with an S or E class ship.  Am I being overly critical?  Has M class always been used for Japan? 
 

Has anyone cruised Japan on a non Celebrity ship?

We did a 16 night (maybe it was 15)  Japan cruise on Azamara in 2019 and it was spectacular. We had one full sea day and two half days. Our only non-Japan stop was Busan, presumably to satisfy their cabotage laws. The biggest advantage of that size of ship was that we could dock in small towns. Tor example, in Hakodate we could walk to the train station in 10 minutes and were able to visit a not-too-distant park, then return and ride the tram up to the top of town. Millennium was docked at the container port and departed at 5:00 while we stayed until 8:00. Most of our ports had late departures and we had overnights in Kobe and Yokohama. We visited some really small towns and it was brilliant in every way. 

There isn’t much to do on the ship but the days were so full (and we walk almost everywhere) that we didn’t have the energy to do much but have a cocktail, dinner and stumble off to bed.  If only their prices weren’t so high I would go back in a heartbeat.

I do love Millennium, though, and I’m sure the cruises are very nice. But being in town and not having to take a shuttle anywhere made the experience even better for us.

On 2/9/2024 at 3:57 AM, JJK2008 said:

This topic comes up a good deal and I'm sure will continue to be brought up. I always chuckle at the Americans who claim they want to follow the culture of the country they visit, yet in a "no tipping" country they will then use every excuse they can think of to NOT follow the NO TIP culture. I'm an American and it absolutely FROSTS me why some Americans can't just get it through their heads that countries like Australia and New Zealand are NO TIPPING POLICY countries!!! Just read the comments from the Americans. Far too many Americans will continue to push the issue even after asking the question and receiving the answer. There are numerous posts on here where the American will ask about tipping and will be advised not to do so but the American will not accept this and openly say they will tip anyway because they "know it's the right thing to do" As an American I am embarrassed by these arrogant fellow countrymen. I'm not going to get into the whole wage thing, but tipping is an American custom that is NOT followed in most of the world. Far too many Americans CLAIM they want to be immersed in the culture of the country they visit, yet they force THEIR beliefs (such as tipping) on the citizens of the country they are visiting. To tip or not tip in a NO TIP culture is NOT a "cheap" vs "generous" gesture. It is a complete disregard for that culture and shows nothing but disrespect for the people. When you are in a NO TIP culture, DON'T TIP!!!!! Not that hard. 

I think that gesutres of appreciation are important but they don't have to be monetary. On our cruise to NZ we took a private tour for wine tasting. I wanted to try a Pinot Noir that wasn't on the tasting menu so bought a bottle. The guide asked if she could have a little taste because nobody had ever done that and she'd always been curious. We'd already had enough to drink so I gave her most of the bottle (she put it in the trunk to take home, not consume on the spot, lol). 

On the same trip we took a cab from our hotel to SYD. When we departed, the cabbie asked, "what about my tip?!?" I said, "I thought you didn't tip here." He said, "but you're Americans!" I just smiled and said, "when in Rome...." I'm afraid that expectations will be higher when we return in April but I will stand firm, lol.

On 2/10/2024 at 4:55 PM, yarramar said:

Take some time to talk to him/her about their work, their family and life off the ship. Many cruise ship workers are doing it to provide for their families back home. If that is the case, US dollars may be preferable for sending to their family

I think that they exchange it into their own currency when they send it home. I normally tip in the ship's billing currency (which is almost always USD but have had a couple that were Euro).

On 2/20/2024 at 11:18 AM, Folsomdoc said:

We love to cruise and love Hawaii. But would not think of combining them. We’ve been to Hawaii over 30 times, Kauai being our go to, but have visited all the islands. Despite its popularity we like Maui the least. It’s the Las Vegas of the Pacific to us. Having lived on the east coast and vacationed in the Caribbean as well as cruising there, we find Hawaii head and shoulder above anything the Caribbean has to offer. It’s in the US. It’s safe clean but expensive. Many visit for a week or less or hop islands. IMHO a mistake. You don’t get the Hawaiian “vibe” unless you spend some time which means not in an airport, ship, or an excursion bus. Have not been to Tahiti but good friends of ours just returned. They liked it but one and done for them. They visit HI twice yearly.

We like to combine a visit to Hawaii with a repositioning cruise back to the mainland. Back in the day the repos were up to 14 nights and included a full week in the islands, often with overnights in Honolulu, Lahaina and Lihue, before 5-6 sea days across the Pacific to Vancouver. Now they're down to 8-10 nights and IMO not worth doing on their own, but for those with sufficient time, adding a week on one or two islands could be a great experience (I'd do one but others might want to see more). And  Pride of America (with all her reported flaws) is a good way to sample the islands and decide which one calls to you for a return visit. 

Kauai is also our favorite, but there's plenty to love about Maui as well. UpCountry Maui is far from the madding crowds (except for sunrise/sunset at Haleakala) and offers a great alternative for people who aren't beachgoers. If we weren't locked into a timeshare in Kaanapali (not a hardship!) I'd find lodging there for a week and visit the beaches instead of the other way around.

Island hopping by air is not for me anymore. Once upon a time it was easy - you could show up for a flight 15 minutes out and not have to worry about TSA or other potential delays. Now you have to add at least an hour (more with checked bags) and lost too much of your day in paradise.

And in a bit of good news, the train has commenced weekend-only service. The full daily schedule will resume on March 2.  We are visiting in April so fingers crossed that everything goes according to plan!

4 hours ago, gordylad said:

We go back and forth on whether to do this trip and we watch you tube videos but then we think about the beaches in the caribbean and wonder.....whats the difference?

 

any thoughts.

The climate is quite different, for starters. Hawaii has lovely tropical breezes and in the spring, winter and fall isn’t too humid. I find it more laid back than the Caribbean - no merchants imploring me to stop into their shops.

The water is cool - loads of lovely fish but our friends from Florida do complain that it’s chilly. I think it’s fine. 

The scenery ranges from white or black sand beaches to rugged mountains and volcanoes. Plants and flowers are similar. I just prefer the vibe of Hawaii, plus it’s relatively close for us living in LA.

Never mind....

4 hours ago, Lastdance said:

I wish I could share any special insight, but we have just had wonderful luck with deck 11, in terms of butler/cabin attendant service.  Everything has always been beyond special, at least for us.  Our first S1 corner aft(now sunset suite) was a move up from concierge for a total of $300 for a 10 night cruise in Greece; it was deck 11.  That number just stuck and remained an important part of our cruise bookings for the last 12 years.  If I book a Sky Suite, I always book deck 10 due to not having a complete overhang, finding a suite without those struts or square poles...just me.

 

Actually, we were originally on the NZ cruise and Wine Cruise with the TP.  We have hiked the Milford Track into Milford Sound, NZ, plus had a car and drove all over the country...just beautiful!  It was just too many days cruising altogether, so we changed to TP, then to just Hawaii.  Funny thing is now we cannot do any of those.  All the changes must have been predestined to happen.  Our friends were also on the first two cruises, but they canceled for Norway and Iceland.  Life is always full of surprises, but I truly believe that most happen for a reason.  Your suite is better where it is on 9; 12 is not always a good choice due to possible noise from above.  S class had the spiders(window-washing equipment)on certain decks, but not on E-class.

 

I am certainly contemplating waiting until the last 60-90 days to book for this year, if my DH is well and able.  Just one more specialist to see tomorrow, starting PT next week.  He is really tough, so will do well for sure.  We have everything booked for 2025, as long as nothing major happens.  Life is full of anything, but guarantees.  I hope you enjoy your TP and Hawaii; too bad we could not meet up onboard with all those sea days...keep posting and safe travels.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I could swear that I changed 19 to 10, which is the deck we’re on.  I actually don’t think we can go wrong with any wake view! We’ll lift a glass (or three) to you as we contemplate our great good fortune.

On 2/13/2024 at 3:43 PM, Lastdance said:

Is it the one on deck 11?  Those are our favorites for TA’s/b2b’s.  I had that one on a TA; it was perfect and I love the long walks to the Retreat, gym and spa.  The only issue for those now and all the suites/SV’s is that Celebrity took away all the loungers.  Hope you enjoy it❣️

We are on Deck 19. What did you like about 11?  I was looking for something with cover but it appears that there isn’t much on any of the decks except maybe 12 (which is taken, maybe that’s why). Thanks for any insight!

I replied too quickly - sorry to see that you had to cancel and happy to see that your DH is on the mend.

We’re on the TP prior to the Hawai’i cruise and it looks like the lower categories sold pretty well. The jump to the retreat was insane, particularly since the Sky Suites lost their butler service (I hear from a reliable source that they’re coming back, maybe to Edge before we sail).  Several on our Roll Call reported that their RoyalUp bids were accepted - I’d love to see the math that says that it’s more profitable to overprice a category and then have a bidding war than to just offer something at a reasonable price in the first place.

We’re going on the Queen Elizabeth to Alaska over the summer. 10 nights in Queen’s Grill for less than the  price of a 7 night cruise on X or Royal in an SS or JS ( on Royal, which don’t don’t get full suite perks). RCG are Wall Street darlings but so was Lucient Tecnhologies back in the day (poof! Went the stock after being overvalued for years).

5 hours ago, Lastdance said:

 

I agree; when you look at the bigger picture things do look so much better.  We went through Covid onboard when it was a five day quarantine and Celebrity was great to us.  We owned their stock, buying low and selling high.  The memories made cruising are etched in our minds and found on our walls throughout our home.  My glass is always half full, as is yours!

 

 

 

LOL, I can be as half-empty as the rest of them.  But some things just aren't worth stressing over for more than a moment.

But good things come to those who wait. Today they dropped the price of the Sunset Sky Suites, which is what we wanted all along to a little bit less (under than what we're paying (originally an MS). And they were willing to let us "downgrade" from the Aqua Suite (which really didn't have any benefit that we value, since access to Blu is still on a space available basis with those and we don't go to the spa). We kept our prepaid gratuities and OBC. And AS were showing sold out so now they have another one to give to a Move Up or upsell.  Win-win!

2 hours ago, patty1955 said:

Daniel Boulud doesn't prepare anything on the cruise. He created the menu.

He created the chicken tagine recipe, too.. I'm sure CT food is better, but I think the price is insane. I might try it if I had OBC to spend, but wouldn't pay out of pocket. 

I had a chat with our butler from a cruise last year and he confirmed that they are coming back to all ships; he’s just waiting for his assignment. He was reassigned to a night shift duty, basically the Night Agent (for those who have watched that series). He’ll be happy to be back at the job for which he trained.

We have never done it - we’ve done many Chef’s Tables on Royal Caribbean and the food there was stupendous (on the last one pre-pandemic we had a Michelin-starred chef cooking for us).  It includes wine, although they have dumbed down (cheapened) the wine list to mediocrity - the food deserves better.

In Luminae, there is a signature Daniel Boulud dish, chicken tangine, that’s meant to whet our appetites for the CT. It’s a horrible dish - dry and with little flavor. The waiter twitched when I ordered it and suggested the pork chop. He had one ready for me after my first bite. So there’s nothing to lure me to try an entire meal prepared by him. And the price is ridiculous, IMO.

4 hours ago, Lastdance said:

So, the price dropped 4,000 on your category and now it is down even more, but you are happy with your price?  Did I read this correctly?

 We were happy with the price we paid at the time of final payment. Of course we’d rather have the extra money in our bank account but it’s not happening so no point in wasting energy fretting about it. Over the years we’ve come out ahead way more often than not.