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Sky Suites don’t have access to Michael’s Club either way. Doing a suite guarantee just means that you don’t get to pick your room in advance-Celebrity will assign you a room at some point before you sail.

Whether it is “worth it” for the extra cost depends entirely on how you value the experience of what is being offered and what you’re looking to get out of the trip. I’ve highlighted the main differences that I can think of below. If you want to consider the tangible differences, consider the additional costs you would incur if you were to book some of this stuff separately. For example, would you pay $35-$45 per person to eat in a specialty restaurant one night? Because you get that for “free” in the Sky Suite rate if your cruise is 6 or 7 nights. It’s really hard to say what appeals to you. At first glance, I would say you should splurge and enjoy the upgrades since it’s going to be your birthday. But if you’re already a fan of Celebrity, then either category is going to be a pleasure to experience for the first time. You also should consider that you’re likely going to be focused on the land portions of your trip if you’ve never been to Greece and Turkey.

The main differences:

--Sky Suite is larger by 56 sq ft. It has access to Luminae as your primary dining room (3 meals a day depending on who you believe). You also get a free meal in a specialty restaurant for a 6 or 7 night cruise or two free specialty restaurant meals for 8 nights or longer. There is also a bottle of sparkling wine in your stateroom. There is also the butler service (which I found pretty negligible since I’m pretty self-sufficient).

--AquaClass has access to Blu as your primary dining room (for breakfast and dinner) and you get free entrance to the Persian Garden area of the spa. Some people think the latter this is a waste since the PG on the Constellation is an interior space with no sea views, unlike the one on the S-class ships.

These are not the only differences but are the ones that I think are the biggest.

Unless they've ripped it out since February, there is grass right outside the Reflections Lounge. A strip down at least one side and a larger area across the front. It is not accessible to cruisers, but the lawn is definitely growing there (purposely). Not the same as the lawn on the Solstice class ships, but it is technically a lawn.

At the risk of getting almost to granular, are not all gratuities discretionary ?

 

I understood that if the passenger wants to, they can go to the Customer Service Desk have the gratuities removed or altered.

 

If this is the case and one thinks they have been the victim of the "Bait & Switch" would this be an option ?

Good point. People who do that are a little too gauche for my tastes but it is certainly a possibility. I admit I was thinking more about the beverage package upgrade because that is one that really irked me more than the gratuities. Thankfully the cruise line straightened that one out. The broader point is that travelers shouldn't have to get their blood pressure raised every few weeks. Some foresight and message testing could prevent 99% of the reactions that greet each change.

Additionally, this is one of the strangest threads we have monitored

So diplomatic.

I don't object to the amount (I'm probably overgenerous in paying extra tips) but the one thing I don't like with this structure is that it allows Celebrity to raise the cost of your cruise after you've booked. This is the same issue people were having with the beverage package upgrade increase. You book based on information given to you on a specific date (your cruise costs $X + $Y per day in gratuities). The company cannot change $X at that point, but they do change $Y. There's no reason in the world why this company couldn't charge different $Y rates to those who book before a certain date. Instead, they raise the prices across the board and expect their customers to pay the full freight of their business decision. Rising wages are a cost of business that almost every other company absorbs for a period of time until the higher prices for new customers start covering the extra costs. Good on them for getting people to not revolt, but it does come across as bait and switch.

The smartest people stay out of the sun anyway. I never see the "tan" that so many seem to be proud of...just skin damage.

And then there are related chair tales. DW and I are confirmed "chair hogs" and will often be in a deck chair from around 9 until 6 on a nice sea day. That being said, we only leave our chairs to use the rest rooms or to grab some lunch (which we usually eat at our chairs).

I wouldn't consider this being a "chair hog." You are actually using the chairs all day. A true chair hog puts their stuff out (often very early in the morning) and then leaves for hours at a time, depriving everyone else of the use of what is really an empty chair. This doesn't just happen on Celebrity, though. I've been to plenty of land-based resorts and regular hotels where it's just as big of a problem. It's a universal issue that is indicative of a "me-first" attitude that tends to run rampant with people who think they're entitled to do whatever they want because they're on vacation (while ignoring the fact that everyone else is on vacation, too).

Blaming the spellchecker or auto-correct is only for those too lazy to re-read what they wrote. A computer never takes away your ability to proofread before you hit the Submit button.

But don't they discourage people from bringing these strips?

I thought for sure it was on the list of prohibited items on the terms and conditions, but the website currently says that you cannot bring extension cords.

Actually, I think you're agreeing...or maybe it's semantics. To me a polo shirt has no collar...it's like a Tee shirt and a golf shirt is similar but has a collar.

Maybe this is a country-specific thing, but in the US, a shirt without a collar is a tee shirt. A shirt with a collar is a polo shirt. A "polo neck" is maybe what you're imagining without the collar. A golf shirt looks exactly like a polo shirt...collar, sleeves, etc. It typically is a little roomier to accommodate golf swings and is usually made of polyester or some other synthetic material. Polo shirts are usually made of cotton or a cotton blend.

Dang!!! You slipped in the backdoor with a dress code thread.

To be fair, he was being given advice on how people think he SHOULD dress rather than how he CAN dress. I'm fine with people being told they can't wear flip flops and swimsuits with no shirt, but too many people start trying to split hairs with what's ok on top and bottom when there are not such strict rules.

Polos are fine and you will not feel out of place. Isn't a "golf shirt" more or less the same thing? Dockers (dark or light) or jeans on the bottom are fine as well for all meals (not just breakfast).

I was in a Sky Suite and the butler said that he couldn't get me in Blu for one night I asked but said another night was available. So, it's space-available in Blu for suite guests (not the other way around).

You can also bring on a case or two - as much as you want - of cokes and water.

Just slap a couple luggage tags on it at the pier. It'll be delivered to your room and you can just keep that ice bucket full. If you want "go" cups you can get those in Cafe al Bacio.

This is a good point. I think this argument is better for people who only want one or two a day and don't want to pay $4 each for the privilege. In my case, there were two people drinking 5 or 6 a day, so on a 7-day cruise, you'd need 7 twelve packs. That seems a bit much to deal with (for me) versus paying Celebrity $9/day. Of the beverage packages, the soda one seems the most economical to me (considering that you're also on vacation).

I believe they were $3 each on board Constellation in February. I also believe they may have just gone up to $4 each in the past couple weeks. It was a no-brainer for me. I was paying $8/day so it paid for itself after my third soda (I am on my third Diet Coke this morning). It's now $9/day, but the math works out the same. They serve Coca Cola products.

The Constellation is a lovely ship. I found it to be on the quiet side, though. I picked it because it was rumored to be a little more sedate, and it lived up to that expectation!

And to be honest, their production shows are pretty bad. The performers were all fine and hardworking (there was some genuinely good talent there) and the production values were great. However, the shows they were putting on were very under-cooked, conceptually. There was a weird mix of a very wide array of pop music to sometimes laughable effect, none of it geared to any specific demographic and sometimes not even matching the theme of the show. To be clear, I am perfectly fine with a music revue, but these were badly conceived. Celebrity has announced that they're doing new shows later this year, but the quality of those of course remains to be seen. So if you're going on the strength of the stage shows, I think you'll be disappointed. I was looking forward to at least some cheesy fun, but these didn't even rise to the level of that.

I tend to run cold, too, so I know exactly what you mean. I was fine everywhere on the Constellation in February. The first day in port was even a little on the warm side in the cabin, but other than that, the temp was perfect for me both during the day and at night. I spent more time inside than outside and didn't have to put on my jacket once. However, this is a very personal thing, so the smart thing would be to bring that sweater, just in case. Won't you already be bringing it for the plane ride? I know I would!:)

Welcome to Cruise Critic. Rather than answer your question directly, I will note that all of the answers to these questions (and more) will be found by reading the Celebrity website and/or using the “search” function of Cruise Critic and/or referring to the Geocities page contained in my signature. I’d recommend that you read the 1000s of search results, first, rather than supplying the answer to your question directly.

If you find conflicting information, I will search this site for you and point you to a thread from 2006 with 156 replies. If I am feeling magnanimous, I may even tell you which post is the one with the answer that I think is the best one, even if others have already replied with the correct (and current) information.

It was $6 last month

Thanks for clarifying. I knew it was higher than I'm used to seeing but didn't have the exact number with me. So, you'd have to withdraw more than $120 for it to be more economical than charging through the casino.

IMO, it's easiest to just bring cash with you when you board. You can always deposit it back in your account after your trip if you don't use cash day-to-day.

I believe the fee to withdraw cash from the ATM onboard was $4 or $4.50. My bank reimburses ATM fees, so for me it wasn't a big deal. If you withdraw more than $90, then it's cheaper than taking cash out via the casino.

Ours was in our room on the night before our final night last month on the Constellation. Came with the customs form and disembarkation info. So, it didn't reflect anything we charged the second-to-last night or on the last day at sea. Kind of useless for reconciliation purposes post-cruise, so I don't know why they bother. Now the $2 question: wouldn't it be nice if you could download a statement from your online account? Don't laugh too hard! :D

The 10 things not to do has some ok advice. The other one could be titled "Reasons to Never Leave Your House, Ever!"

So you're allowed to take those home with you?!? I used it to hold the cards that my butler and the steward left but then left it on the nightstand when we were packing. These days, it's so hard to know when something is a freebie and when they'll charge you usurious rates for taking it!

I would think, especially on the last night they wouldn't throw out an almost empty bottle of shampoo. As long as there is another bottle on the counter, why would they? Same as for the bar of soap.

 

I would try to squeeze out last drop of shampoo before opening a new bottle, again especially on the last night or last morning of the cruise.

Well, there is definitely a judgment call involved, and I would be very surprised to get a complaint that I cleaned out the toiletries if I (as a person who cleans rooms for a living) thought that they were at the end of their useful life. "The steward didn't throw out my empty bottle of shampoo that had one last drop in it" could just as easily be the complaint received. What I don't buy is the argument that this was somehow an unpardonable sin or to be unexpected.

But (if the OP is correct), the room attendant should NOT be removing or disposing of ANY bathroom items the night BEFORE you get off the ship. I always take a shower before I leave the ship on disembarkation day.

What if the shampoo bottle were almost empty? I think the distinction that's not being made is that during the course of their cleaning duties, they throw out these toiletries all the time, regardless of whether it's the last night or not. If this were a 2 week cruise, you don't think they wouldn't throw out the "barely there" bar of soap in the course of their routine duties? I used the same stuff every day, but there was also always a backup set waiting for me to open should I run out. I find it hard to believe that this steward left the OP with no means to clean himself.