ggo85

X should explain what they mean by “safety” I. The context of loungers.  Something that apparently affects only X and not any other line. The fact they won’t tell anyone speaks volumes.  

5 minutes ago, PTC DAWG said:

Where can one buy soft drinks for $0.02 per glass?  Celebrity doesn't use a "gun" for soft drinks, they use cans...

Fair enough.  I can buy a 12-pack of cans (on sale) for $4 retail.  That's $0.33 per can.  You figure that X, buying in HUGE bulk, is paying at most $2.  So, it's $0.16 per can.  That's approximately 205 cans of soda for $33.

I realize you get bottled water.  $3 for a 24-pack at retail so X is paying maybe $1.00; roughly $0.04 per bottle.  Coffee is mostly water.  OJ might be a bit more $$, but most people have one (small) glass per day.  

I do realize that, at the price X charges per drink.  All I am saying is that you have to like stuff other than sodas to make it worth your while and that X is making out big time, even if you drink (non-alcohol) like mad.  

I agree that, in order to make $33/day plus 20% to make financial sense, you've got to really like (and drink a lot of) specialty coffees, bottled water, fresh OJ, etc.  This is a HUGE money-maker for them (even more than the alcohol package).  Sodas cost maybe $0.02 per glass.  Ditto on coffees.  

RCCL used to have (may still have) a soda package for around $9/day.  Not sure I ever "broke even" on that with $3.50/soda (at the time).  At $33/day, this would be crazy.  As someone who doesn't like coffee and is so/so on fresh-squeezed OJ, I would have to drink a LOT of soda each day.  

If it’s a safety issue, are we to assume that every other cruise line is unsafe because they still have loungers?

Or does X cater to unruly passengers?  

Or does X prioritize the rights of unruly passengers over those who behave?

We now know the answers.  

As for cruise lines that have loungers . . . Every one other than X.  We are on our last X cruise this week.  X won’t care that we’re gone, but we’ll be a lot happier on other lines.  

In a RS, we never had an issue with laundry more than twice on a long cruise (more than 8 days).  But it’s also obvious that it’s just us.  Shame on those who abuse this perk by sending laundry for folks not staying in their suite!
 

On our last cruise, not only was there no photographer at the senior officer party (no issue for us), it really wasn’t a pleasant experience.  The few officers who were there looked like they wanted to be anywhere else. Barely spoke to the guests and left at the first opportunity. Super crowded.  I went alone and it seemed pretty clear that Michael’s staff was unhappy that I was sitting at a table for 2 with only 1 person.  I/we only go b/c we know it’s important to the butler that “his” folks attend.  iMO, they could just skip this event. 

I really don’t understand why they won’t give suites who have free unlimited premium beverage package more than 2 bottles of whatever.  If you drink wine, you get a lot less value than if you drink spirits.  It just means having to go out at night to get a glass of wine, which is annoying. I suppose they save a bit, but not that much given quality of the wine. One of the benefits of luxury lines is restocking wine or spirits in the room. 

We’ve always been told theater access on chic nights only. Generally, you can find plenty of (better) seats without this perk.  Nice to have but usually not needed. 
 

What we do like is having the butler and the concierge manager able to solve problems or do. I or things that take time.  They can often get reservations when none appear available or do things that mean you don’t have to stand in line at Guest Relations.  

I think it depends on what package you get. There’s a basic and an upgraded. I know the upgraded is supposed to be faster. Might also allow more logins.   This is the time to read the fine print.  

9 hours ago, Escruiser1962 said:

We’ve followed these ~ intuitively all makes sense. I will not however book a long cruise. 
It is what it is. Cruising is back in full swing.

One other thought - pick a port intensive itinerary and stay on the ship.  We’ve done that and, most days, during the time in port, we’ve had the ship to ourselves.  Of course, if you’re going for the ports, that’s a bit hard.  One option is to stay on the ship in the morning and go ashore later in the day.  Fewer people on the ship in the morning and fewer ashore in the afternoon. 

If you’re doing mass market, some options . . .

Travel mid-Sep through end of October.  Kids are just back in school and parents usually aren’t eager to take them out of school right after it starts.  Workers often have trouble getting away at that time. That can reduce crowds.  Another good time can be mid-Jan through mid-Feb. 
 

Take a cruise longer than 12 days outside of the summer and Christmas holidays. It’s harder for folks who work or who have kids in school to take long cruises, which can reduce capacity. 
 

Pick an older ship. Not only do lots of folks shun those, but prices are often cheaper. 
 

Book late, when you can better gauge capacity.  
 

Avoid popular destinations, especially when a line has few cruises going there (see below). 
 

It is harder now. We took an X cruise in early Feb and every cabin was filled.  It was an ABC Caribbean cruise.  That’s a very popular destination and relatively few X cruises go there.  I would never do that again, any time of year.

57 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

Agree with your comments.  We have not sailed the Celebrity Retreat since were on Equinox in Jan 2022.  At that time the cutbacks were draconian including the near-elimination of the dinner buffet.  A bit later butlers and other changes.  But prices continued to escalate greatly.  To be fair some things have been brought back (due to many negative comments from loyal Retreat customers).  But it opened our eyes to other suite products on other cruise lines.  After many years of just sailing Celebrity in suites.  Their loss.

The (temporary) demise of Crystal coupled with a terrific experience on an X ship right after COVID brought us back.  A series of corporate decisions (loungers, removal of OBC and gratuities), caused us to look elsewhere.  Like the above poster, we found other lines.  Cost is roughly the same and the experience is much better overall.  We are on X in about 10 days and that’s the end for us.  3 cruises booked for 2024 and 2025 and didn’t even consider X 
 

I’ll keep an open mind, but I don’t see us ever coming back. X suites used to provide a near-luxury experience at near-mainstream prices.  Now it’s luxury prices for a mainstream experience. 

You have 3 days so very unlikely to miss your cruise.  If you don’t make your connection, they will book you on a later flight.  If you were cruising the next day, I’d be worried.  You’re not. You might miss a day of Amsterdam.  
 

I’m a frequent traveler.  I never book less than a 3-hour international connection. Too many things can go wrong.  But you did the right thing in allowing yourself the extra time.  

Never used Blu when sailing in a suite. I believe Aqua should get first priority since they’re paying for it. 

Re Silversea:  We don't drink hard liquor so never asked for it. Thus I mistakenly assumed it wasn't available.  My error.

Royal Suite and above dine free in Specialty Restaurants.  

New menus aren't an enhancement.  Menus should change with some frequency.  New wines may or may not be better -- they could be cheaper and worse.  In some suites, you can order off of any menu (including specialty restaurants) for room service, so not an enhancement there either.  

When you hear "stocked mini bar," consider what that really means.  Currently on X, it's non-alcoholic drinks and beer.  No wine or hard liquor (you do get 2 bottles of wine but they are not replenished for free).  To be fair, even most luxury lines do not include hard liquor in the mini bar, though they do include wine.  Thus, don't assume you'll see anything more than what's available now.

Nothing new here other than maybe the person to help "personalize" your time ashore and the butler to take you to your car for "private journey" excursions.  WRT the latter, most people can find their own way to the car and it would a better use of the butler's time to say on board for the other 10-20 staterooms s/he has to cover.   

I was wondering if they'd mention the "enhancement" of no longer having loungers or footstools in Retreat suites.  😜

Buying art on a ship is like buying expensive jewelry in Caribbean ports.  If you love what you're buying -- go for it.  However, buy it b/c you love it NOT b/c you think you're getting a great deal.  Sometimes you might.  Most of the time you won't.  If it gives you pleasure, that's what counts.  

My only suggestion for any purchase where you don't have easy ability to compare costs, verify legitimacy, etc. is to limit the amount you pay.  That way, if you have buyer's remorse or learn that the item isn't worth what you paid for it, you haven't paid enough for it to matter. 

IOW, if you pay $50 for a piece of art or jewelry, so what if it's fake, worthless or you end up hating it.  If you pay $5,000 -- probably a different story.

I asked X about safety, given that there are lots of loungers on deck. I was told that the passengers in the X cabins with loungers used them irresponsibly. My response:  if X’s demographics in suites (or any cabin for that matter) are too irresponsible to use their loungers safely, is that a line on which I want to cruise?  No. 
 

OTOH, I understand pooling of mandatory gratuities.  There are lots of folks behind the scenes who help the passenger-facing crew look good.  That said, if I want to reward someone for going the extra mile, I should be able to do so.  The current practice of pooling everything has a name.  It's called communism.  Doesn't work.

The better solution would be for the cruise lines to pay crew a living wage and simply include that in the cost of the cruise.  It's what's happening now with "mandatory gratuities" but charging once you get on board makes you think your cruise is cheaper than it is.

The reason the auctions are so lively is to lure you into buying.  If you like an artist, write down the info and follow up when you get home. See if you’re still as excited about it.  Compare prices.  The artwork sold on the ship isn’t so valuable or unique that you won’t find it elsewhere.  
 

The alternative is to buy something cheap such that you won’t have regrets later.  

Told by X yesterday they and loungers are gone with no plans to bring them back.  I realize there may be exceptions, but that is the corporate policy. 

I know many folks on these boards sing the praises of private tours.  We've done them and I agree they can be great not only for value but b/c you have control of where you go, how long you stay, etc.

HOWEVER, there can be a lot of time and effort involved in setting up your own tour.  You have to search for a reputable company, do the legwork to meet up, sometimes bring large amounts of cash to pay, etc.  If you join someone you don't know, you have to hope you like being in a small vehicle with them all day.  It's really, really easy to reserve a ship's tour and show up for it.  In my experience, most (definitely not all) ship's tours have been well above average.

It's unlikely that lots of people will cancel a tour before boarding as there is no incentive to do so.  Definitely check with the ShoreEx desk. Track when people have to cancel without penalty for the tour you want and check back that day for cancellations.  
 

Despite what I said above, if you really, really want a specific tour and it's sold out, you probably are best lining up your own b/c you can never count on cancellations.

We did Hong Kong to Singapore last year on Silversea.  While I (think I) understand your concerns re Hong Kong, a couple of points to consider.

If you go from Tokyo to Singapore, you should plan for a 3-week cruise.  To go from Tokyo to Hong Kong is a LONG WAY by ship.  I say that b/c you will "waste" a lot of your cruise just getting down to Vietnam.  Thus, if your cruise is shorter than 3 weeks, you won't have much time to see Vietnam and there is a LOT to see.  I was surprised how long the country is -- our ship spent 8 days in ports and transiting just Vietnam.  

Our 14-day cruise had full days in Halong Bay and Da Nang and 3 days in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).  Plus we had 2 days in Bangkok.  And one sea day between each port so time to "recover" from really long port days.  I felt that I really got to see a lot of Vietnam and would not have wanted to miss any of those ports.  Wish we'd had even more time!

IMHO, if you go all that way, you want to see something other than the ocean (which you can see a lot closer and a lot cheaper than flying all the way to Asia).

I suggest either a cruise around Japan (lots to see and do), a land tour of Vietnam, the river cruise mentioned above, or bite the bullet and fly to HK.  

Received a call from X today referencing comments I'd made re lack of loungers on our Feb. cruise in a Royal Suite.  They left VM which said the following:

We are gathering information from August to see if something can be done in the future.  The loungers were removed because of safety reasons and there are no plans to put them back.

So there you have it.  They did leave a number that I can call and I will.  But I've crossed X off my list of cruise lines for future cruises.   

Also, while the change affects a small number of passengers, it affects the highest revenue passengers, which is a target demographic.

Just proves it’s not a safety issue. I kinda wish they’d tell us the real reason. Clearly cost related, but what is it?