TheHawk1

This is really annoying how badly Celebrity is handling this issue, far worse than cookie-gate or butler-gate… frankly I can do without either and not impact my cruise. But to pay the ridiculous suite prices, which I have booked on Beyond next winter, only to be told I need to request a piece of balcony furniture that should already be included (and used to be on previous sailings) is insulting and just poor customer service.

Now there’s an idea. They should keep Allure doing the short itinerary cruises and move their better shows over to Utopia. Why Royal is putting their newest ship on duty for weekend booze cruises with accompanying cheap entertainment is beyond me.

It's amazing that Royal customers have to devise all these formulas to figure out where the bed will be in a particular cabin because, for a lot of us, it matters to their enjoyment of their cruise. However, at Celebrity, now part of RCI, their deck plans use a jagged line with an indent between the cabins, rather than a straight line like Royal does. The indent alternates between cabins and shows you where the bed is located, so you can tell at a glance whether it's by the bathroom or the balcony. Perhaps the brain trust at Royal could take a hint from their sister line and start updating their own deck plan drawings to make it easier for their customers?

Most of the so-called shows are actually audience participation, e.g. Crazy Quest, Friendly Feud, Majority Rules, Battle of the Sexes, etc. It seems Royal is counting on its customers to basically entertain each other now, rather than invest in real entertainment experiences.

I agree you can only watch something so many times before it gets stale, no matter how good it is. But does anyone really think Effectors II will have longevity for repeat viewing?

Was looking at booking a similar cruise on Ascent in Fall 2025. Very interested in hearing how this goes.

Was thinking more like Hairspray, Grease, Chicago and Mama Mia, all of which are (were in the case of Chicago) quite good productions for being on a cruise line.

Royal is done with Broadway style shows, as the licensing is too expensive and they aren't family-friendly enough. Icon has Wizard of Oz, to keep the rug rats entertained, but that's not something I would consider Broadway. They should stick to ice shows, aquatic shows and more cirque du soleil type entertainment.

Hardly. It's like a dreadful musical version of an old TV cartoon... think WonderTwins or PowerPuff Girls. It just shows how Royal panders to all things kid-friendly these days and has abandoned their adult Broadway style shows on all the newer ships.

It sounds more like a case of denying people who are asking for them now rather than the Celebrity chair police coming to take loungers away from the balconies where they already exist. I had loungers and chairs on Apex SV less than three months ago.

I asked that same question about five pages back. Are we not just going in circles now 😁? The only way to move the issue forward is for more people to complain directly to Celebrity rather than on CC.

This is so irritating that Celebrity chooses to stick to their nonsense explanation of "safety concerns". If a lounger is dangerous for me to use on my balcony, then the same chair is just as dangerous up on the pool deck. Let's remove them all if they want to reduce the potential liability. Perhaps they could have soft inflatable chairs or bean bag chairs instead, as that would certainly reduce the risk of injury.

I was on Apex at the beginning of March in an SV and the balcony had two loungers, two chairs and a table. I certainly would have raised the issue had there not been loungers, as that is part of the experience with these particular cabins.

One of the best experiences on Oasis class is being outside at night in the Aqua Theatre, with the fresh air and the breeze while enjoying the show. While I can understand this new indoor design allows Royal to be more creative with the production (and avoid cancellations due to weather), it doesn't look to be nearly as nice.

Oh no, you mean I will have to experience this on next year’s Australia/New Zealand cruise too? I thought it was only European cruises where I need to keep my gaze at eye level at all times 😁

Speedos, thongs, all the same to me, as little is left to the imagination and something that's difficult to unsee.

I realize you're asking about evening wear, but be prepared during the daytime to see lots of thongs at the pool, even on the men. Unlike their North American counterparts, European men don't believe in wearing board shorts.

Senior discounts are an urban myth. If Holland America offered them, the line would go broke.

I agree that Royal could use more variety in their ships. While I love Oasis class, it's size is restricted from so many ports that their itineraries have become overly repetitive. But I don't think going all the way back to Radiance class size is the answer. That's too small with not enough amenities or activities to do onboard. Something closer to Voyager class would be better, which would be similar in tonnage to Celebrity's new Edge class ships. Big enough to still offer some wow factor (remember that old RC slogan) while small enough to visit a wider variety of ports would be the sweet spot.

Decide what is most important to you to see in each port and focus on that. Do not attempt to see everything on one cruise, as it is not possible and you will leave disappointed. I actually did this itinerary two years in a row, first on Wonder in 2022 and then last year on Symphony. This allowed me to split up my check list and capture most of the port highlights between the two cruises... although it was a rather expensive way to accomplish that 😄

There is no such thing as a virtual veranda on Celebrity that I'm aware of. What Celebrity offers is a infinite veranda, which is a cabin with a large picture window where the balcony would normally be, in which the top half of the glass window moves up and down. Royal Caribbean uses the term virtual balcony to describe interior staterooms that have very large lcd screens on one wall, that show real time virtual views from a camera on the exterior of the ship, to simulate what you would be seeing if you had an actual balcony. Two completely different things.

Yes, you're allowed to love the IV, just like some people inexplicably like escargot. But we can all agree they're not for everyone (on both counts). What is confusing is why Celebrity decided to build a class of ships that had so many IV's and left people with so few alternatives. If you want a traditional balcony on E class, you either pay sky-high suite prices or you be the first to reserve one of only 36 Sunset Veranda cabins when sailing dates are released. Hopefully they will re-think this design with their next class of ship.

That’s your criteria for a good ship, a forward view? I never even considered sailing on Celebrity until they introduced Edge class, as their older ships are too small and dowdy for the type of vacation experience I would be looking for. With Beyond being close to Royal’s Freedom class, it’s the perfect sized ship with enough amenities and passenger common areas to not feel bored for a week. To each their own. As for forward view, have you tried leaning over your balcony railing?

You're right, it is totally inconsistent. Apex SV had loungers and I would have certainly complained had they not. Enough with the lame "safety issue" response from the crew. Celebrity needs to fix this fleet wide and put at least one lounger back on all SV's, to eliminate the situation of have's and have nots.

Have been on Sky Suite on Edge and Sunset Veranda on Apex (with SS booked for next year on Beyond). I enjoy some aspects of the suite experience on E class, particularly the larger cabin and bathroom, the Retreat Sun Deck (still chair hogs, but of a higher calibre 😄) and the additional perks (premium drink and wifi package, but cost is embedded in your price). I am not a big fan of Luminae's menus and prefer to move around to various ship bars rather than use the Retreat Lounge. Having priority embarkation and first in line for leaving ship at ports is also a benefit. The cruise in a Sunset Veranda turned out to be just as enjoyable, i.e. the cabin was standard but nicely appointed and the balcony was larger than SS balcony (note, I would never book an IV cabin). We had a very attentive cabin steward who met all our requests and didn't miss the butler. I liked the variety of moving to different MDR's and specialty dining. When you pay for a suite, I feel obligated to get my money's worth from Luminae, rather than pay for additional restaurants. I missed some of the VIP treatment mentioned above, but it also didn't cost anywhere near the same price, so the trade off was worth it, depending on your expectations. I don't believe there would be much difference between Apex and Beyond, in terms of the non-suite experience.