TeeRick

Ipee, you make strong general statements and assumptions about "most guests". And "many would argue". I think you are representing yourself and your views, which is fine. But not sure how you come to the conclusions and assumptions for others. In fact, the cruising data currently says otherwise. Celebrity ships are sailing near capacity even with very high prices. Retreat or no Retreat. Whether we like it or not.

I would agree with you for cruise customers looking for the best price for traditional non-suite cabins as their number 1 overriding criteria. But from what I've seen here on CC, many customers are not just about lowest price. Many just prefer Celebrity over other lines even if they pay more. It is the whole experience which is not at all equivalent across ships and cruise lines. So price is only one factor. It tends to be over-emphasized as the bottom line criteria here by some on CC. It is a factor in a more complex decision.

Whatever their strategy- it is working for them. It is indeed very hard to get a suite on most ships and sailings even at some of these outrageous prices. So if people pay and suites sell out- why would they ever change?

OK I will hopefully see you in the cigar area near the Sunset Bar!

This past summer a lobster roll in Maine was $30-$35 so outrageous like everything else these days!

I had a surf and turf on EDGE in Fine Cut with Maine lobster. Maine Lobster or any North Atlantic lobster is the best IMO. They are true lobsters (distinguished by claws). Spiny Lobsters (among other names like rock lobsters) are warm water species and are related to crawfish. They are not true lobsters. But whatever one likes is fine. Usually ships have these large crawfish and call them lobster on the menu.

We are also on Equinox (Jan 21 sailing). I will definitely bring a cigar or two. What sailing are you on?

Sorry the post you responded to was July 2021. But yes we have had guests we are sailing with (in non-suites) join us in Luminae after we cleared it with the Maître D once on board. For Breakfast- Lunch- Dinner it used to be $10-$20-$30 charged to your account. It is still much less expensive than paying for Specialty Dining. We sail in 3 weeks on Equinox in a suite so I will find out the current details.

Going in a suite (CS) on Equinox in a few weeks. I find the CS on E-Class and S-Class to be very similar and have enjoyed both. The CS on M-Class is our favorite.

I am like you and enjoy a cigar (and whiskey or rum) on rare occasions- like on a ship once or twice. You are in Canada so you can buy Cuban cigars. Not sure about what ship you are sailing or your ports. Assuming the Caribbean and/or Mexico? The ship type (M-, S- or E-class) is important for the areas allowing smoking. For example on S-Class you can smoke aft in the port side near (not at) the Sunset Bar. Most cigar smokers go there. But you cannot do this on M-Class ships. For buying cigars there are lots of places at the ports you will visit. Maybe easier than looking at FLL unless you have the time. The cigars on the ship are hit or miss. Be aware that a lot of the Cuban cigars are counterfeit. Beware people approaching you with great deals on the beach or in the touristy areas. You will need to look at real cigar shops that are sanctioned by the manufacturers. There are definitely some of these higher end cigar shops at most ports but you will pay a bit more.

We do the same. Pretty much we have collected ornaments from every country we have visited - mostly but not always from cruises. We decorated our tree recently and had the great pleasure in hanging so many of these ornaments - reminds us of how lucky we have been to travel so much and so broadly! Happy Holidays everybody!

We are Pearl members and actually do gamble a little on every cruise. Entertainment purposes. We have never once received an offer or email from the BCC. I have received an offer or two over the years from RCCL but never Celebrity.

When sailing the Retreat we still use our balcony for sunbathing (weather permitting). We never use the Retreat for the small pool or sundeck. That's just us. We do like to use the inside part of the Retreat or the Retreat outdoor bar.

We have $1000 OBC on our upcoming cruise in Jan. But we still not want to go on Celebrity ship excursions (for COVID/Flu reasons). Crowding into buses or minivans for prolonged exposure times is a risk we prefer not to take. We are considering using the OBC on a couple of Private Journeys but these are very expensive and not discounted. No 35% off. So we will go off on our own with local guides and use our OBC elsewhere. In a suite we do enjoy Luminae so we will not do much Specialty Dining either.

Yes agree but it depends on your needs. We book a CS since it is the least expensive suite on Celebrity with a separate bedroom. My dw and I have very different sleep patterns. We have a better cruise (especially longer trips) with an enclosed BR configuration. I have seen others posting this here on CC as well. I do wish the CS would offer a bit more than a Sky Suite in terms of what is included with the more expensive price. Maybe even a few Specialty Dining nights or something like that.

We are sailing next month in a CS on Equinox. We are using the last of our FCC's so it was like "lost money" paying for most of this cruise. Yes I understand that it was still our money that was paid out in the past for cruises that got cancelled. But now I agree that The Retreat/Suite prices are pretty ridiculously expensive. I am wondering how many people (like us) are reserving suites with stored up FCC's even at these prices? It seems from most reports here that Celebrity ships are sailing with near 100% suite occupancy. In fact we struggled to find suite options at least in the first half of 2023. When the FCC's are finally a thing of the past will the Retreat/Suite prices come back to Earth? And with E-Class having more overall suites and with 4 E-Class ships (including Ascent) in the fleet, can Celebrity maintain these prices?

Yeah I would buy a yacht.

If I won the Powerball Jackpot I think I would treat myself occasionally.😀

The S-Class ships like Equinox allow smoking usually on the port side in the aft near the Sunset Bar. But not at the Sunset Bar.

Can you imagine that? There are some states that keep extending the deadline.

Dear @4-2-N-8 just be aware that some people here on CC tend to post the negatives and negative reviews. Many people who had a great time or are positive do not take the time to post here. So reviews are slanted toward the negative.

I think you can sell FCC's on the secondary market, But you need to assign it to the new party buying it from you.

It is not a sale when they raise the prices then "discount" them with a "sale" to back where they were (or higher). But you can get some decent OBC with these promotions.

Why would inflation not impact the cruise industry?

I am happy to sail on S-Class. We tried a CS on EDGE but were not overwhelmed by it or the ship.