ScottC4746

1 hour ago, krillsister said:

Was wondering do you still tip for each drink if you have a beverage package?

Yes, the standard per drink gratuity is added on the full price of the drink per drink for example on a premium package:

Drink                                 $20

Gratuity 20%                     $4

Subtotal                            $24

Less Premium Package - $17 (Max per drink)

Final Cost                         $7.00

Unless they went way above and beyond in the serving of said beverage, which I have never seen, no need to add additional.

On 1/6/2024 at 4:52 AM, RHudson1825 said:

I often cruise solo and celebrities new policy of not just charging double but more than double for singles cruisers is very frustrating. Thankfully other cruise lines are more friendly to singles (sometimes only 1.5x) and are starting to match loyalty level. I will be spending my money where I am welcome and appreciated. Celebrity monitors this site, are others as frustrated? 

That is typical of most cruise lines I have found.  Some cruise lines have single only cabins including X on some ships, but haven't really seen much savings.  There is a 3rd party website I check occasionally which I cannot mention by name that I can navigate to single pricing and it shows what percentage surcharge they charge.  Most are 100% on there but some are 0% or just above. 

On 1/10/2024 at 4:41 AM, Stampgizmo said:

We are cruising in February on the equinox. Does anyone know if they started doing the luggage valet again? This is such a convenience. Hopefully they are thank you in advance.
 

We were on Solstice in Seattle in 2022 and we did not do the valet on disembarking, however from what we saw we will this time.

What we saw was a very long queue for the coaches to the airport.  Those who used the valet were escorted to the front of the queue with the valet and their luggage to the coach.  Not sure if this is the norm or just lucky people that day.

UPDATE:  Y'all talking about Luggage Valet Service.  I got it mixed up with the porters when we disembarked.  Sorry.

I spoke to my TA the other day about the possibility of an 11 night Australian cruise in 2026.  She suggested I visit the future cruise desk and that she could pick it up from there.  Is there any advantage to booking via the FCD and if they offer me something to entice me to book, do I lose it when my TA picks up the cruise?

My former TA has always told me never to do FCD so now I am confused.

On 12/24/2023 at 2:04 PM, gerelmx said:

Incredible, yes, today Sunday, December 24 at 11:59 am I received an email from Celebrity, they canceled my excursion in Stavanger, they mentioned that I can book any other excursion of my choice and that I should wait 30 days for the refund to my credit card. It's ridiculous to wait a month for the refund when I pay them in cash and I really miss the time and day of the mail, which nope is supposed to be closed for the holidays. agh :😡😡
Another bad point, the excursion is still in my cruise planner and it does not allow me to book another excursion since there is duplication in the schedules.

A lot of times it is not the cruise line that cancels but the supplier for the excursion that cancels.  Sometimes it is both to keep the passenger safe if there is some kind of civil discourse, being Norway I doubt that was the reason.  This could be a staffing issue, or weather related.  Did you have any other details, what the excursion was or what was the date?

22 hours ago, ggo85 said:

I know suite and Zenith passengers can board at their leisure once boarding begins.  How do you determine when that is?  [When I checked in, my only option for boarding time was very late in the process].  We'll be at a hotel O/N and don't want to sit in the terminal when I could be sitting at the hotel. 

 

Didn't see the time in any of the pre-cruise documents.

 

BTW, not saying we want to be the very first ones on board -- just want to understand when we could start and work from there.

Our first cruise was Solstice in September 2022 and we were given noon for a concierge stateroom.  We showed up at 10 AM with no problems.  This was in Seattle.  I think it may depend on the port you are leaving from and how strict they are.

23 hours ago, jennmaybe said:

Hey CC peeps!

 

So, I just booked our very first Celebrity cruise and I have a major feeling this will be our only Celebrity cruise. Not because of the cruise itself, since we haven’t sailed yet, but because of pre-cruise headaches!

 

Here we go!  Grab your coffee! 🤪

 

I found a great deal sailing out of Fort Lauderdale over Memorial Day weekend, a prime veranda balcony for $1171.  So, I booked it last week.  When I got the confirmation, it showed a total price of $2271. So, needless to say, I called customer service. Ugh!!!

I chose option “2”, then “3” to speak to someone if you booked directly through the Celebrity website. The representative that I first spoke with was actually in the travel agent department.  So, phone issues.  Ok…he transferred me….I hold again only to speak with a rep who proceeds to tell me that he does not know what I am looking at, but he is looking at my confirmation, and it shows a total of $2271 and there’s nothing he can do.  What? 😳.  I politely request to speak to his supervisor because he was of no help.  He transferred me to his supervisor who immediately saw what the problem was in their system and she corrected it.  Problem solved. (She did advise me that the representative I spoke to is new and she was going to use that as a training opportunity.)
 

My mother-in-law and a friend of hers decided yesterday they wanted to join us so I go out to see if the price is still the same. It had actually dropped to $962. So, the first thing I do is call customer service to get the price drop for our cruise.

 

I was on hold for 28 minutes and finally got a representative. Oh but wait a minute, he is in the travel agent department. Seriously? Again?  He transfers me and I finally get a representative in the right department. She put me on hold while she is working on getting the price drop for me and then when she comes back to the line, she disconnects the call.  I don’t think she meant to because she was in the middle of talking to me when it happened.  I waited for a few minutes to see if she would call me back but she never did. At this point, it had been 1 hour and 47 minutes.  So, I call back again….finally got it resolved.

 

I went out last night to book the cruise for them.  Sigh….😔 As soon as the confirmation went through, the total price came up and it was $2271. It was completely wrong as the total should have only been $962. She checks her email confirmation and it shows the same amount of $2271.
 

I called Celebrity this morning and the very same problem. The first representative was in the travel agent department, so he had to transfer me again. I had to wait again……I finally got a representative and luckily she was able to see what was wrong in the system and fixed it for me. Not a 2+ hour ordeal this morning, but 45 min is still too long.

 

To sum it up—not a good 1st impression at all.   Between the price issues when booking online and the horrific issues with trying to reach customer service, I honestly don’t know if sailing Celebrity is going to be worth it.  I have never had these problems with another cruise line—-and we have sailed many different cruise lines.  I did go out and read yesterday about customer service issues with Celebrity, so apparently that is the norm with them. 🤬
 

Anyway, it is Monday morning, and I just needed to vent. We will go on the cruise and we will have a great time! However, if these issues never get resolved with Celebrity, this will definitely be a once & done with them.

 

I hope everyone has a great week! 😄

 

 

I would not make this your last X Cruise unless you have very bad on board experiences.  I booked X directly in 2022 and they customer service for cruise servicing was less than desirable.  I left a message in June 2022 for my "dedicated cruise consultant" for my September cruise and to this day I am still waiting for that return call.  This cruise May 2023 I decided to go with a TA and have had no problems other than the website not allowing me to make a payment, so I have to go through my TA for that.

22 hours ago, Djptcp said:

DH and I will be taking our first Celebrity cruise on the 12-day Constellation out of Tampa on March 11, 2014. This will be our 76th cruise, so not new to cruising at all.

1) Does Celebrity do the new muster drill (since Covid) where you just go to your lifeboat station and check in with your cabin cards and leave? 

 

2) I use a rollator (walker on wheels with a seat) when on cruise ships and on Holland America (our favorite cruise line) I just push the rollator through the cabin doors and don't have to fold it up. Could anyone who has used a rollator before on the Constellation let me know what the situation is on the Connie?

 

3) When in the casinos on Holland America and Carnival I can charge $20 to whatever amount to our cabins without a service charge. Is that also true on Celebrity?

 

We look forward to a new cruise line and appreciate your answers. Thanks.

Based on my Solstice cruise September 2022:

1. That was the way we did it.  You must either watch on TV or the app and then report and check in.  You do not need a life vest to check in.

2.  Cannot answer this one.

3. I cannot answer this one either as I feel if I have to charge gambling to the room, it is a slippery slope like buying lottery tickets on a credit card.

On 12/18/2023 at 6:20 PM, TrueCruiseaholic said:

Saw a report about surcharges for drinks in Retreat Lounge above Premium package limit. In the past, I have seen countless guests get more expensive drinks in Retreat Lounge for no surcharge.

 

Certainly different ships will apply policies differently, but the official Celebrity policy is to surcharge in Retreat Lounge now. 

 

Anyone else experiencing this?

Part of the problem is Retreat receives the Premium Drink Package which covers up to $17 per drink.  Recently based on the app for my upcoming cruise and other posters complaining, they have raised many drink prices north of $17 so it is not a surcharge, just a price difference.  Unfortunately, reports have been circulating that this is not 100% enforced by the bartenders and some charge it while others do not.  Just be kind to your bartenders and they might forget to charge, who knows.

6 hours ago, Dinah1230 said:

We love dressing up for formal or gala nights. How many of these are on a 14 night cruise?

Celebrity has gotten away from Formal Nights and refer to it as Evening Chic.  For 7 nights or longer you have 2 Evening Chic.  While their website does not specifically say about 14, I would think it woudl be extended.  Here is what their website says about Evening Chic: "For 6 night cruises or less, there will be 1 Evening Chic night per cruise. For 7 nights or longer, there will be 2 Evening Chic nights while onboard. While Tuxedos and Formal attire is still appropriate, they are not required and guests will feel comfortable in both formal wear and a dressier smart casual style. Jackets are not required."

I was on the Solstice to Alaska 7 nights and did slacks and button up long-sleeved shirt and felt fine.  Other evenings I was in very nice looking Levi's and button up long-sleeved shirt and fit in fine as well. 

6 minutes ago, jelayne said:

Actual veranda.  BTW you can ask more than 1 question in a post. 

I just figured easier for those scanning the subject of the threads to match their question so 10 people don't ask the same thing. LOL

12 minutes ago, jelayne said:

They do not deliver savories to suites on a daily basis.

There is a very nice spread of savor and sweets available in the Retreat Lounge every afternoon.  
 

With no butler service for Sky Suites you can call Room Service and order something to be delivered to your suite. 

I don't have a butler now and won't need one on the cruise.

Is it an actual verandah or is it one those stupid inside verandahs, infinite verandah I think they call it?

We are kicking around the idea of a sky suite on the Edge in 2026 and a question about the savories they bring.

We did the Solstice in a Concierge class in Alaska in 2022 and the savories they brought around were disappointing.  Some days it was a mystery of what they were, some were inedible, all came with the portion for 1 including one utensil to eat it even though there were two of us in the stateroom.  We finally told them to skip us so as not to waste food.

Are the retreat savories the same ones or are they a little better?  If we reminded them there are two of us, would the bring us two servings.

I have heard of some cruises getting bumped into nice suites if they have a guaranteed category, grant you it is usually the next category up, not ocean view to penthouse.  How often do these upgrades happen and is it worth chancing being thrown anywhere on the ship in your category or higher?  My TA and I try to do a deck cushion between pool decks, lounges, theaters, casino, and restaurants.

1 minute ago, cruisestitch said:

Main dining room not open for lunch on port days. The app should tell you your options all those days.

That was why I asked, "What restaurants are complimentary?"

On 12/29/2023 at 2:32 PM, LuvCruzn4Evr said:

 

This was posted on facebook earlier today. If I am reading correctly, premium beverage package no longer includes 'premium' alcohol, only premium non-alcoholic drinks. Yet, it states 'All beverages up to $17 per serving.' So, is the martini bar still covered in the premium package? Or is it an upcharge if you ask for Grey Goose? Anyone else find this a little confusing?

But I looked at my app at the bar menus and just about all the drinks with authority in them are north of $17 some as high as $20 or more.

We don't do buffets on cruises if we can help it.  Our last cruise on Solstice we did breakfast, lunch and dinner in the main dining room every day, however if memory serves me correctly I think it might have been even open on port days, I could be wrong.

Looking at the app for our upcoming Edge cruise, only Cosmopolitan has breakfast every day and lunch only on day 2.  Cyprus, Normandie, and Tuscan are dinner only.  If we don't do buffets, does this leave us with burgers at the Mast Grill?

What restaurants are complimentary?

I had upgraded to a premium Drink Package which as I understand covers up to $17 per drink.

I was looking at bar menus on my app and just about everything is north of $17 as high as $20 or more.  I assume for a $20 drink I will only be billed for $3.

I at the same time feel duped as just about anything with "authority" in it won't be covered.

Any comments or suggestions?

We are booked on the Edge 31 May to Alaska round trip from Seattle and am 149 days away from my cruise.  The app still is not showing entertainment or activities.  When I booked the same route in 2022 in September, all this was showing 6 months ahead of time.  I have deleted and reinstalled the app several times.  Any idea what is going on?  Could it be we have not made a payment yet other than deposits?

Can anyone share safe links to some dailys for the ocean cruises I can review.  The only link I found was in a similar thread to 2020 and it sent my virus software into high alert.  We are thinking of doing an LA to Vancouver someday.

3 minutes ago, Myrtle Ave. Mayhem said:

Go to ***** & search your itinerary. Port times listed on their site. 

Where is ****?

But the one question still sticking out is the itinerary.  I have been to several travel sites including Viking and they do not show when they arrive and depart from ports. 

My DH and I are kicking around the idea of trying Viking, probably LA to Canada for the first try.  How LGBT friendly are they?  As small as the ships are I doubt they have a Friends of Dorothy meet up group, but if we ask for a table for two at dinner or our beds together or seen sitting on a love seat together listening to music in a lounge...

How are the shore excursion prices compared to other lines?