goofysmom99

I also think X changes in response to how PO'd we get on these boards over an issue. We have 27 pages so far here on loungers. Butlers thread was longer still.

I know that but in what circumstance would any zenith have a prepurchase upgrade?

I just looked at the zenith perks on the app. What is a "Complimentary Premium Drink Package upgrade (pre-cruise purchase only)"? And below that "Complimentary Drink Package?" Doesn't say complimentary premium package.

Very recent. I booked a 2026 cruise 2 weeks ago (10 Jun) and confirmation invoice has final payment at 120 days.

Sure I can.....if you're a Pinnacle.

Status matching for Silversea gets a Celebrity Elite the same benefits as Zenith. Sort of insulting to top tiers of X and all the tiers at Silversea.

Here you go.

I've stayed in the equivalent cabins on starboard side. I usually prefer 2106 which has an extra long, covered balcony....except in the summer in the Caribbean. After cruising restarted, I booked 2106 in August and the walls of the balcony absorbed so much heat during the day, they radiated it back like an oven, even at night. The following cruise, I switched to 2104. Air flow helped immensely. Noise was not an issue on Equinox, Eclipse, or Reflection (2168). On Silhouette, my 2105 balcony had loud "whooshing" noise from the exposed exterior pipe every time someone flushed the toilets in the restroom above. Unless they've rerouted the pipes or added sound insulation, I can't imagine that has gone away.

I think the Royal Caribbean Group bean counters are to blame. On a recent November or February Celebrity cruise, I was repeatedly charged for room service which should have been and previously was comped as a loyalty perk. Not this time. I called about it for three consecutive days for removal but still charged. Arter showing the concierge the listed perks on the website (I earned them vs matched) and informing her I was going to post re the loss of this perk on every forum I could find, she asked me to please wait, that they "had to get approval from Miami." Although the charges were ultimately removed, that was a first for me. Sounds as though the "not authorized to think/act" disease has spread.

My dentist office's chairs are better. 😉

Oceania Vista (2023 build) penthouse suite, priced comparably to or better than X sky suite.

Any GF hamburger buns? Or will I be able to readily find 2 slices of GF toast for the bun? Sometimes you just want to eat with your hands like everyone else!

I'd already booked three cruises on SS for 2025/6 long before the status match. SS repriced the 2026 cruise to include the 10% discount. The fares for the two 2025 cruises have increased so no repricing those. Really couldn't care less about the bubbly (cat sitter will get it) but the laundry will be nice. I left X because of price, food, and service; I chose SS for the price and the hope of better food (shareholder benefit is lagniappe). Solo fare was significantly ($6K) cheaper than a sky suite on X and, blessedly, it will have a walk-in shower. My first SS cruise will be before final payment on the second so I'll see if food and service measure up to my expectations of food and service. If not, Regent will be next.

I was delighted to receive both the 5% and 10% discounts on SS cruise I booked this week. Definitely not messing with any of my bookings that were made under the previous T&Cs because those fares (solo) have increased dramatically.

Pinnacles' humility is legendary.

Jim, I looked up the new (30 May) Terms & Conditions of Venetian Society and canceling and rebooking is specifically prohibited (section 4). However, the 10% discount will be valid for new bookings, including Door to Door and Port to Port, just not Essentials fares.

Same thing happened on my last cruise.

Thanks for that. I made a port-to-port booking earlier this month that is refundable less $250 cancel fee. So, if I cancel that one and rebook (it's still the same price today), I should come out ahead 10% less $250. Yes/no? I also know they give the $250 as a FCC, so I wonder if I could use it to rebook. Probably not.

I'll wait until after the official implementation date before I bug my TA re the 10% discount on my three existing SS bookings.

I'll accumulate points on Silversea, but now I'll get free laundry. Works for me.

A good place to meet folks is Cafe al Bacio. Because it's always crowded, people will invariably ask if they can join me or I'll ask if I can join him/her/them. It's been pretty foolproof for 16 years. I'm still traveling with people I met there over the years. On S or M class ships, you can request a table for 8 for early or late dining. Or, the 2-top tables are so close together, that unless they're particularly antisocial, you can't help but speak with your neighbors. When it's a good mix, it has frequently led to all of us requesting a larger table together each night.

Did they reduce or remove altogether the OBC from booking onboard?

The only "enhancement" I see for a sky suite is the swell butler chat feature. Big woo. Meanwhile X reduced my OBC for booking onboard (repo S1) to $125 from $200, and military discount to $125 from $200. $150 total OBC reduction. Both cuts were blithely explained away = I'm solo and have zenith discount. The onboard booking OBC is supposed to be per cabin, not per person. I'm seriously steamed. I might cool off, but nope, not yet. So since Silversea deposits are refundable right now (less $250 admin fee), I've booked them, too. If I cool off eventually, I'll take both repos; if not, then just Silversea. I so appreciate X's spin managers "giving" me "enhancements" that cost nothing while grabbing my OBCs. Grumble, grumble, grumble.

S-class sky suites beneath the uncarpeted area of Oceanview can be noisy at any time of the day/night. I used to always choose what are now designated AQ sky suites (higher priced). I'm not willing to pay more just to be under the carpeted area of Oceanview, though, so I bring along a little Bose Micro bluetooth speaker on the nightstand and connect it to White Noise app on my phone when I go to bed. It's also my solution for hotel noise (elevators/drunks). Perfect.

I wouldn't base that certainty on something that anyone in future cruises told me. I know first-hand to never rely on their knowledge (frequently wrong so I never ask them anything). I personally doubt X's software could track someone not showing up (it happens to couples, too), but if it scares you, then don't do it. I'm PO'd about the things they're doing to solos that don't show. For example, as a solo, my military discount has been $200 as long as I've been cruising solo (16 yrs since DH died). Three weeks ago, when I changed cabin category on a 2025 sailing (booked onboard last Nov), my existing $200 military discount dropped to $125. They've also dinged me as a solo when I booked a suite with the zenith discount; then they wouldn't honor the military discount at all. My TA, who is also a solo zenith, has questioned Celebrity about these changes/eliminations; evidently, it's the game they've very recently decided to play. I've booked cruises on other lines for 2025 and as it stands now, I guess other lines will be in the cards for 2026. I've tolerated a lot of X's slash-and-burn style of management over the past two years, but I'm finding this military insult difficult to overlook/forgive. 🤬 OK, rant over for now.