Pinboy

I've posted many times that in all of our cruises we never had " anything " to complain about. Absolutely true. I joke about the time our Waiter forgot to bring my 3 shrimp cocktails at the same time. A " super awesome Celebrity experience" : The Edge in March 2023 Late on the first night we went up to the Rooftop Garden restaurant to " check it out " as we say. The place was empty, the staff were cleaning up and we were approached by a Waiter. Within a few minutes other staff members came over and joined the conversation ( just general chit chat about them ,their background etc and how cold it gets in winter where we are from ). The next day at lunch , a gentleman introduced himself and told us he is the Manager at the Rooftop Garden and invited us to be his guest the next night. " I was in the background and saw that you spent time chatting with my staff . They said you showed interest in them, their work, their background etc, and they really appreciated it. We would like you to be our guest tomorrow night ". After a few "It's not necessary ", we accepted and enjoyed an exceptional dinner with superb service. All we did was showed some interest in themselves and that qualifies as a " super awesome Celebrity experience" !!

What's wrong with people today ?? Is it just me ?? There's so much negativity on CC and mostly about nitpicking nonsense ( another word would have more effect, but, not in my nature to swear---- unless necessary. ( Here comes " It might be nonsense to you Pinboy , etc etc so, stop reading and posting, blah, blah blah ). What would make someone post about tomatoes, the size of their lobster tail, a cookie , the cut back on the size of a gelato scoop , that their Waiter forgot to bring his 3 shrimp cocktails at the same time or I'm bringing my Stateroom Attendant one of my " famous " Christmas cakes ? Oops, delete that one about the shrimp cocktails. CC is fun to read although it appears that the same threads keep popping up. It's been a long time since someone posted " Who's the Captain on our cruise in 2026 "? Here's a new one--- " Our Room Steward forgot to fill the ice bucket--- what would you do " ?

Totally agree--- LOL--- By reading so many negative posts about the food and an extra few $$ for things that were included in the past , I thought we were the only ones that cruised twice during the winter and never had a problem ( especially with food ) or less than satisfactory service. I feel better now that there are one or two that agree with me. However-- I did post and stick by it--- If anyone ( suite passenger as example ) booked with XYZ included in the price, that is what they should receive, or, if there were cutbacks, the price should be adjusted accordingly. LOL--- I'll tell ya --- It took a lot of "courage" to post a thread about the friggin Round Tomatoes. " Hey xyz, I can't come for dinner right now-- I gotta get that " stuff " about them round tomatoes on CC before I forget about it ---------there already are 4823 posts about the size of the lobster tails--- what night was it that the Waiter forgot to bring my 3 shrimp cocktails at the same time " ?? C'est la vie----- that's life

IMO--- Totally agree !! As mentioned several times, we don't stay in a suite because we are non-drinkers and would not require the services offered by a Butler or team of. Folks that stay in a suite ( and it appears that there are many on CC ) are absolutely correct in that they are, forget the term " entitled " , insert the term " required " to receive the services and benefits attached to their reservation ( booking ). Celebrity's Management must have given some very serious thought ( cost vs satisfaction ) before instituting a Butler team rather than a dedicated Butler to service X number of suites. Based on what I'm reading, Celebrity is taking much too big a risk in upsetting and/or losing many longtime loyal suite customers.

"directly tip for good service "--- Excellent-- we do that also as well as the Gratuities Included. IMO---- I believe they introduced the Gratuities Included because too many people were not tipping. In fact, we all know, and some people reading this probably do , remove the gratuities as soon as they board. They " claim " to do their own tipping or might ( probably) not tip at all. Other " big sports " wait until the last night and then remove the gratuities because of some bs excuse. LOL--- One time I came " that close " to removing the gratuities--- our Waiter, the bum, forgot to bring my 3 shrimp cocktails at the same time !! I doubt they would have given us a voucher for a complimentary cruise because that is not a serious a complaint as some of the crap being posted now on CC ( no friggin round tomatoes, as an example, can turn into 1382 pages of absolute " I'm not cruzin wit Cebrilty no more ") nonsense.

Good luck with that ---Never gonna happen---- When there are threads about round tomatoes and sliced vegetables ( unbelievable) , the size of a lobster tail ( as if the Executive Chef orders " only the small ones, please " ),or my hamburger was tooooo well done at Mast Grill, plus some other " dandies ". It's quite frustrating to read this nonsense ---- ( Yea, I know--- So why do you read it ) ?? Gotta go---Walmart --Today's Special--- " Large lobster tails recently refused by Celebrity Cruise Lines "

With due respect-- " Pre cut vegetables----No round tomatoes " ? So what ?? Your photos look very good--- especially the salad bar. "fellow guests are complaining about main dining". ? There are always people complaining about food. When the Servers come by to check on the dinner, they should ask " Is anything ok " ? instead of " Is everything ok "? Nice to hear about the well behaved children. "The staff, as always, are exceptional and we still love Celebrity! X " I couldn't have said it better !!!

We were on the Eclipse in February and the Edge in March. Stateroom serviced twice a day--- chocolate on pillows every night. Did not call for room service and didn't notice any cutbacks on the MDR menus Food, service, ambiance, was the same ( IMO ) as it was prior to Covid. Specialty restaurants -- Murano and Rooftop Garden excellent as was Tuscan Grill in the am for breakfast #2 . The selections on both ships in the MDR at lunch --- very good variety -- excellent , hard working service staff . The only thing we didn't like on the Edge was the IV ( Infinite Verandah ). The verandah extends the room by about 3 ft and has a window that opens 1/2 way down-- it's not a balcony per say. ( There are several threads on this topic )

Both very recently. One couple sailed 3 weeks ago on the Beyond the other on the Reflection 2 weeks ago. On previous cruises that we were on the daily menus were always available. If there was nothing “ appealing “, we asked if they could prepare xxx, and most often were accommodated . ( A few $$ to say “Thank You “ was well worth it ).

For what it's worth because I notice CCers getting " over-heated " : 1---To those who are complaining about the current state of food: Two couples we know were recently on Celebrity-- One on the Beyond, the other on the Reflection- BOTH said the food and service was excellent throughout the cruise. 2--- To those who give a $#%^ about Gratuities split--- For one, I could care less who gets what--- We have the gratuities added to our account and provide an additional tip to our cabin Steward, Specialty Restaurant Servers and the Servers in the Tuscan Grill where we have our 2nd breakfast since we "graduated" to Elite. ( Non-drinkers-- no Bar Servers ). 3--- To those who are waiting for an answer from the CEO, Chairman of the Board , or the Captain because they didn't like the mashed potatoes , the vegetables or their Server forgot about their 3rd shrimp cocktail ----- What answer do you expect other than : Thank you for your recent email and I do apologize for the inconvenience you experienced. Your comments regarding etc, etc etc are taken very seriously and will be forwarded to the appropriate Department Heads. As you know, we, at Celebrity do everything possible to satisfy our guests and sincerely hope to see you again in the near future. Unfortunately, we are not able to offer you a Complimentary cruise in the Retreat as you requested. Your truly, XYZ Customer Representative

I'm very disappointed to read about the downfall in the menu selections and the quality of the food. Most CCers are experienced , long time Celebrity Customers ,not friggin Guests . ( LOL) Ya ever invite someone to your home and provide them with a bill --- before the meal-- to see if they like it---- or, worse still--- change the menu from Chateaubriand to Chien chaud ( hot dogs )? That's what appears to be happening. So, how do we fix it: Instead of 87, going for 870 posts, the only way is to let the Executive Team hear from us. Posting on CC will not have the same effect. ( Booing an Executive Chef ?? -- Awful !!)

Your above statements are exactly us. Perhaps you might have seen a post where I mentioned that we did have a Butler once and tried Concierge Class -- never required his/her service ( non-drinkers, prefer to dine in the MDR and purchase Specialty restaurants package, make my own reservations ( no patience to wait for call-backs ), etc so, the value ($$$ ) is not worth it for us. LOL--- I hope you cooled down from the " why in the X#$% do you care." question you asked earlier ? ( I'm not laughing at you, I'm laughing with you )

Exactly--- but, my point was/is a lobster tail isn't that important to " sweat " over. Now, let's say they charged extra for another warm chocolate chip cookie desert at the Lawn Grill--that's a different story. Again-- no offence meant ---

" why in the X#$% do you care." No offence meant--- just a comment over a lobster tail seeming to be that important---- to some. Of course you are supposed to receive exactly what is advertised.

Are you the CCer that was upset that their " personal " Butler was 4 minutes late to " draw " their bath one night ? It seems that Pinboy is the only one that does not select a suite --- otherwise , he'd go friggin " nuts " trying to figure out what's what . Question : What's the big deal over a lobster tail ? Pages and pages over a lobster tail ? " I ain't goin on no Celebrity ship no more--- they make ME pay for an extra lobster tail ? Don't they know who I am ? I'll show 'em---- " !! Gotta go---- Big sale today for lobster tails at Walmart--- buy 2 get 4 free !!!

" embarkation day tips "-----Just arrive on time otherwise you will have a chance to take a great picture of the ship leaving the dock ( LOL ). " hidden gems "----- nothing is hidden , but, if it is , you won't find it on your first cruise ( LOL ). Seriously, I'm sure you will enjoy the ambiance, food , service , etc. as we have after many years on Celebrity. Next time, if it works for you, try a longer cruise -- ( No, I don't work for Celebrity )

Labatt Cinquante ?? (Labatt 50)--- just a six pack ?? LOL----No wonder only room service from Lumaine is available. No suite, don't need a Butler , a few $$ for room service, a few $$ for another lobster tail, a child here or there, great service , plus a few $$ for our Room Steward , good food and lots to select from, $$ for Specialty Restaurants, etc.etc--- It's all good !! Now, if they would only cancel the Newlywed game and the Silent Disco and continue the golf putting contest--- what could be better ?? IMO--- tooooo many nit-pickin complaints--- don't like the cost, don't go .

From our experience, we have always been " recognized " as a loyal customer--- Even the Captain never asked us " Pinboy, which cabin ya in " ? Just wait to see what Pinboy posts as soon as he receives the $32M he inherited from a King in Africa !! All I have to do is send "another " $15,852 to speed up the process. Holy cow, at first it seemed to be too good to be true, but, his "Representative" sounded like such a nice man so I gave him my banking information. Gotta go---there seems to be a withdrawal from my bank account that looks suspicious.

Ok-- We all get the message--- Nobody likes rotten, spoiled little " squirts " whose parents are tooooo meek to discipline them for fear of damaging their ego. However, most kids we've seen on cruises have been well behaved--- so what if they bring their ipad to the table at dinner--- no big deal. Can we change the subject to " Loud, Obnoxious Adults on a Cruise Ship "? LOL--- If you are the " Goof " that we encountered in Murano and the Lawn Club Grill with your cowboy hat and big loud mouth--- that's you I'm referring to. And, bye the way, zip up your fly next time.

Ya gotta have rocks in your head to spend that kind of money on a cruise. " they will do anything to make you happy " ? Sure--- they are smart !! If Pinboy had that kind of money, he'd rather enjoy a much less than $56k suite and give more to charity--- especially in these times. Why ? It would make him feel good to help folks that are less fortunate and who will never get a chance to take a cruise. ( Please--- no replies with " Who are you to demean anyone who chooses an Iconic suite ?" ).

I see you have been on CC since 2006-- excellent. I'm not trying to " spend " your money---- only a suggestion. If you can afford it, I suggest a verandah cabin, mid ship, with the balcony on the " hump " as it's referred to ( much larger than a regular balcony), on a higher deck. For us, it's perfect --- LOL---If I booked a partial view cabin ---until the day of the cruise it would drive me " nuts " worrying about what we'd be looking at --- and, let's say " you know who " doesn't like the view , guess who's going to hear about it ---once or twice---- an hour---- nope, not worth it LOL !!! And, bye the way, we have been on the Reflection several times--- great cruise every time.

Excellent -- THE best !! Don't kill me on this---but I'll take Brad Marchand on my team any day even though he's a bit " screwy ".

hubofhockey --- So, you moved from MONTREAL ----the Hub of Hockey ?? Oh--Oh, I feel a new thread coming soon ?? " What cruise line attracts the most LOYAL hockey fans " ? The Bruins will miss Patrice Bergeron " big time " !!

1-- " parenting style ( free range) ---------" BINGO !!! A couple of " Ow, that hurts " on the butt -- worked than " Ok dear , let's sit down and discuss what motivated you to etc,etc---- LOL-- We never heard the word " motivated " in our house. 2-- " Whose fault was that "? --- That's easy---- The dumb kid !!

At least it's more "stimulating" ( gets the blood flowing ) than the usual " What should I do etc, etc , Gratuities , lounge hogs , Butler/Retreat Host/ , room service delivery charge , how do you get to the airport in , etc ", and my favorite --( everyone knows that one ). FYI--- Children and old farts playing their bebop music or watching Captain Kangaroo videos so everyone ( I ) can hear them are not permitted in the Solarium Pool area.