goofysmom99

The difference between a regular verandah and Aqua on a 13 night Silhouette cruise that I priced today was $2923, making the price of Blu about $225/night/cabin. I'm not sure what would pay for Blu but it definitely wouldn't be $225/day. BTW, I booked the cruise and purchased a 10-night specialty package.

I priced a range cabins at base fare for two on the 2024 Silhouette 13-night TA out of Barcelona: Veranda $1610 Concierge $1908 Aqua $4533 S1 $11007 That's a whopping ↑$2923 difference between a veranda (V2) and aqua (A2), especially since the cabins are the same size! You gotta really like Blu for close to $3K. From my own experience, the larger S1 cabin, the Retreat, and Luminae aren't worth ↑$9397. Heck for the V2 price, booking two adjoining cabins (2-room suite with 2 bathrooms and double balcony) and dining every night in a specialty (Murano, Tuscan, Lawn Club, The Porch, Sushi on 5, Le Petit Chef) would still leave plenty on the table for airfare. BTW, those fares would be $200 less for vets. So yes, if I were still traveling with DH, we'd downgrade from a suite to two adjoining verandas. Doesn't work on E-class, and not as well on M-class, but it'd definitely be my sweet 'suite' spot on S-class.

That's one beautiful ship!

OP, I'm genuinely looking forward to your take on what has been my favorite ship in the Celebrity fleet (although it almost seems some folks don't want you to enjoy your cruise), Bon voyage!

This has happened to me several times when making a dummy booking on X site to check prices. However, once I've chosen something and contact my TA to book it, the bookings have always been the usual 200%. Maybe try a dummy booking on the big box website that begins with a C for comparison.

As a zenith, I can guarantee I received an entirely different level of service than most experience. Regardless, what I did receive was unacceptable. Everyone did their best but best wasn't all that good. F&B Director was well aware and I received so very many special deliveries it was comical (brought home four bottles of wine). Luckily, my cabin had a doorbell. My two experiences in MDR were dismal and didn't warrant a third visit. Tuscan was excellent as was OVC, especially the gluten-free pizza. Will I sail an M-class again? Unlikely. And unless it's on Silhouette/Reflection, it's unlikely it'll be on Celebrity.

Lucky you. If you'd gotten sick and had had to rely on room service for five days, as it presently exists, you might have had a somewhat less "great time." Agree, OVC was very good.

I was on your same cruise and also went in with low expectations. Unfortunately, my expectations were exceeded and not in a good way. Tied for worst cruise I've ever taken, only matched by a particularly memorable 2013 Brilliance OTS TA. At this point, Celebrity's bizarre management decisions have done the deed - not enough confidence in X to continue planning ahead with them. And their backpedaling just makes it worse. Who makes such remarkably stupid management decisions in the first place? I've kvetched and complained to the home office and in person on board since back in February (even before they decided room service would be free for zeniths). All year I've dreaded checking these boards to find out what else has been done to the cruise line I've loved since my first cruise on the Zenith in 1993. They've certainly done a lot. So yesterday I made a lot of cruise tweaks with my agent. Decided to keep my 2024 dirt-cheap C-2 cabin on Silhouette TA (has the three specialty dining options that work well for gluten free), but have canceled all other X cruises. Also booked two additional new cruises (suites) on other lines. I don't want come back home from a cruise feeling the disappointment I felt last week. Celebrity has drifted too far off course. Have finally, regretfully, accepted the reality that I can't change them and will, instead, change my own course.

I had a far below standards Constellation TA this month, wrote a long review genuinely trying to emphasize the positives, and after rereading it, decided to leave it unpublished. It was too depressing. Edit: Just now decided to send it to the home office instead.

Yes

I have a C2 accessible booked on the 13-night 2024 Silhouette TA for $1818. Added 10 nights of specialties for ~$350 more including tips (OVC for the other 3 nights). Cheap enough and Silhouette provides three good gluten-free specialty options (Tuscan, Murano, and Lawn Club) for dinner. An accessible, which I now need, is SS-sized cabin with a grab rail shower with seat and a curtain. Shower is pretty messy but I make do. I never use a sundeck and as zenith have access to the Retreat so essentially no need for a suite at all. Pretty good deal for under $2200 for 13 nights. I also have 2024 Vista TA booked for same time at a decent price but obviously considerably more than Silhouette. For the difference, I could book two or three additional cruises. Then again, after my most recent TA on the Constellation, I'm not sure I want to book anything else on X for awhile. We'll see. For 2025, it'll be a PH2 on Oceania (I'm on starboard).

Thank you for this! Delighted to hear this! I wrote directly to exec offices while I was still on the cruise. If your F&B Dir is still Abdulnasar Kuttiam, I wonder if he initiated the change or somewhere/someone higher up. Not having them really made for a long 16 days GF in al Bacio.

I'm glad you retracted that.

ALL suites on X below RS, except accessible and 6145/6 on M-class, have bathtub/shower combo. I cannot safely climb out of a tub (CS on Summit is why I permanently limp and need a cane). I don't want to pay for a RS just to get a walk-in shower.

I just finished pricing 2025 Fall TAs on Celebrity and Oceania. My prices are solo, but since they're all 200% supplement, prices for two would only differ by the additional taxes. Apex, 10-19-25, 13 nights, Southampton - Port Canaveral, SS2 (367 sq ft), $10236, $1012 NRF dep. Ascent, 10-31-25, 13 nights, Rome - Ft Lauderdale, SS2 (398 sq ft), $12397, $1232 NRF dep. Vista (1200 pax), 11-20-25, 14 nights, Barcelona - Miami, PH2 (440 sq ft), $9180, $500 RF dep (less $150 admin fee) We all know what we get and don't get with a SS on X and that specialty restaurants are an add-on cost, tips are extra. On Vista (2023 build), tips are extra, a PH includes a butler, wine with lunch and dinner (you can also bring on 6 bottles/cabin), wifi (2 devices/suite), $1000 shore excursion credit (have no idea if this will be of any value to me yet), in room dining from MDR as well as all specialty restaurants. And best of all for me, the bathroom has a real shower! The ship has a dedicated Aquamar Spa Terrace, their version of The Retreat Sun Deck. And an Executive Lounge (Retreat-like spot for the concierge). The biggest selling feature for me was, for $9180 all-in, being able to grab one of the PHs on Deck 7 with the extended balcony, This is what a suite balcony ought to look like! After my last cruise on Connie (disembarked Wed), I knew I needed to upgrade my dining options to Blu, Luminae or another ship! I'm encouraged that O is known for its food. Vista has a hands-on cooking demo kitchen with classes you sign up for. Also has a casino. Obviously shows can't be the same caliber they are on X, especially E-class, however, that's not a big deal to me. I quit going to shows about 10 yrs ago, preferring Ensemble, Rendezvous, etc., before and after dinner. BTW, the O drink package upgrade is $30/person/day. I don't know if the additional $420 for 14 nights would be cost effective for me for one or two Aperol spritzes daily (O drink prices are lower than X), but I'm thinking about adding it. If I do, price will still be significantly less/day for a better overall benefit (to me) than X. So, I booked O. If I need to cancel, I'll only be out $150 up until final payment. That's not much risk in the grand scheme of things. No way I will give X a 10% NRF deposit; that's unacceptable risk. Of course your TA makes more money from a suite; so does Celebrity! If I had a SS booked on X right now, I'd downgrade to Blu; you don't lose your deposit if you merely downgrade but keep the same ship and date.

Do you have the invoice that comes from Celebrity, not the big box invoice? Can you ask for it? It would show what you do/don't have. My experience is that you downgrade to classic bev & wifi but not sure about the tips since you booked onboard when they were included.

Just off the Constellation Wednesday. First time I personally could not get my Roku to work (and I even brought my universal Samsung remote). However, I did not call IT to come to my cabin either (covid).

No macaroons in Cafe al Bacio anymore. They stopped them on Constellation Nov 6th and I was told by F&B Dir that it's fleet wide. "Coconut is expensive." Meaning zero gluten free cookie option at CaB now. Next year, IF I choose X for my TA, I'll bring my own GF Walkers Shortbread cookies. After this most recent cruise, that's a reeeally big "if."

Exactly.

I book through an agency and can book FBC. Does your cruise show up on the website when you log in? If it's there, you should be good to go.

I have had many good and not so good dinners in Tuscan. On a B2B cruises: 1st cruise, best prepared rare tuna I've had in years; 2nd cruise 2 nights later, the worst tuna ever. Chef changed. Currently on Constellation and there's an excellent chef who has made two surprise meals that were fantastic. All depends on the chef.

Quite literally, across the street. Easy for a wheelchair.

I've only gone to MDR twice. Not giving a 3rd chance. Remember the nice soft macaroons in Cafe al Bacio (that happened to also be GF)? Not anymore. And heaven forbid you don't feel well and need to isolate yourself for the good of others. Order soup? How about chicken noodle but without noodles. Think about it. Two slices GF toast and some cheddar cheese, to make a sandwich. They sent this the first time, I sent it back. Second time they cut up more of the same into pretty triangles. Sent that back, too. Third time, they sent real cheese. And it goes on and on. Things I've counted on since 2008 (my 1st cruising as GF) just aren't there. Everything is special request and then doesn't happen. I am seriously angry, PO'd and disappointed. And yes, I met with F&B Dir and Exec Chef today. We'll see how it goes.

On Constellation now, speaking only for myself, ship is fine. Dining (gluten free) has been horrendous. If l were offered a repeat of this partcular experience for free, I'd turn them down. I'll write a detailed review after disembarking Wednesday. They still have a few days to try to get some things right.

Are there two tugs assisting, both forward and aft? Hard to tell on my tablet.