terrydtx

We are in the Retreat next month as we were on the Apex and we much preferred Luminae over the RTG. The only specialty restaurant we have booked on the two cruises is Raw on 5.

We are booked on the Volendam next August from Boston to Montreal. Our first HAL cruise was a Panama Canal in 2007 and we loved the ship and her small size. Next year we booked a Vista Suite so we could have a balcony. We booked this cruise for the itinerary over Celebrity and Oceania ones. You can find negative reviews on almost any cruise ship if you look long enough. We did a cruise on the Koningsdam last month and loved the ship, food and the crew. I had read many negative reviews on the K'Dam but they didn't deter us from booking the cruise.

Our experience was totally different than those above. We did dinner one night at the RTG on the Apex in September. It was the worst meal of the 12-night cruise, the steaks were tough, overcooked and tasteless. My DW had the lamb chops ordered medium rare but came out well done. The Manager replaced them and they were done right but full of fat making them almost inedible. Service was slow and when we complained to the manager he offered us a comped night to try them again, we passed on the comp dinner as we didn't want to waste another night there. We will be on the Edge next month for 22 nights and have no plans to dine there again.

Thanks for this I will let the people on our Roll Call know.

My experience is just the opposite. Our SS on our Edge cruise next month was booked for $5180pp in February 2022. Before and after the October 3rd cutoff for the removal of included gratuities and OBC, the same SS was selling for $7200pp. There was no change in pricing after the $676pp in amenities were removed for bookings after October 3rd. Which of those is a better deal?

Even $62 a bottle is an outrage. One of our favorite local seafood restaurants sells Decoy for $44 a bottle. It is priced at the bottom of their red wine list.

We have not seen any pricing on the 5 retreat cruises as well. The issue started when Celebrity raised most of the better previous PDP wines by the glass above the $17 cap like Cherry Pie, Conundrum and Decoy and charging the difference on the Summit. We have always been able to get any of the old PDP wines by the glass in the lounge, but the new PDP wine list is missing most of the old favorites and Retreat passengers are asking for them. I was able, in the past. to order a glass of Mccallan 18 year old scotch which had been in the PDP and it is no longer available on the ship, at least it wasn't on the Apex in September. I have not seen any new spirits menu lists and do not know if any of the brands are now above the $17 cap as well, but I am sure that will happen. One of Celebrity's selling points for the Retreat has been that you can leave your wallet at home as everything is included in the cruising price. That changed in October when gratuities were taken out of AI for all categories including suites, then they removed the generous OBC for suites. Now having to possibly pay for drinks in the Retreat lounge over the PDP cap is added to the list of "not available anymore". From a Marketing point Celebrity continues to make more and more blunders that are driving us loyal customers to jump ship.

I think this whole thread started as a result of a Celebrity Captains club posting on FB from a Retreat guest on the Summit. He stated that he was told this was the new policy from Celebrity by the Retreat hosts in the Retreat Lounge. He also said the Food and Beverage manager confirmed the new policy. He was charged for overages for wines by the glass that were higher than the $17 cap.

$40 CAD is $29.98 USD which is not as bad, I forgot you were Canadian. So at $19 + 20% tip or $22.80 USD per glass on the ship your cost is about $30 CAD. 🤑

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Here is one of the former PDP wines that got "Elevated" to $19 a glass, more than I can buy a bottle retail at my local Total Wine.

A product of Canadian socialism?

You need a new Liquor store, here is the price from Total Wine:

I was at my HEB grocery store this morning and the Decoy Cab was selling for $18.95 a bottle. The Cherry Pie Pino was $16.95, buy 6 and get 10% off too. The store wine manager, who knows me, asked if I needed any of the above wines and I told her I was just price checking and how much Celebrity was charging by the glass. She was totally blown away and said most high-end restaurants would love to be able to get away with those prices.

I was at my HEB grocery store this morning and the Decoy Cab was selling for $18.95 a bottle. The Cherry Pie Pino was $16.95, buy 6 and get 10% off too. The store wine manager, who knows me, asked if I needed any of the above wines and I told her I was just price checking and how much Celebrity was charging by the glass. She was totally blown away and said most high-end restaurants would love to be able to get away with those prices.

After browsing the Oceania CC forum the last few months, it is amazing how many Elite and higher Celebrity past Loyal members are now cruising with Oceania. We are joining them in 2025. Its like old home week in the Oceania forum.

Since they already list wines by the glass above the PDP as "Elevate Wines" I could see a new DP called Elevate DP.

You are right. On our HAL cruise Buffalo Trace Bourbon was $8 a shot well below their $11 cap. On Celebriity it is in PDP unless it has been moved above $17 cap. I prefer my Bourbon on the rocks and like one before diner each afternoon.

I believe this all started when Celebrity raised many of their former Premium Drinks Package wine by the glass by $2-$4 over the $17 cap this month. It does IMO look like just more nickel and diming by Celebrity. $19 for a glass of Cherry Pie Pino is higher than most retail stores sell by the bottle. Same for Decoy Cab at $20 when it retails by the bottle for less. This type of pricing just makes so many in this forum go crazy. Not good PR by Celebrity. BTW on our HAL cruise last month Cherry Pie Pino sold for $12 a glass.

We sailed in Retreat in June on Equinox and Apex in September. I did not notice much difference between the 2 Luminae's other than the noise on Apex was much higher. I will say we did not feel that the Luminae on both ships' food quality was not quite as good as in 2022 on the Reflection and Equinox. Service this year was just as good as any previous Retreat experience.

I am sorry actually the app I used to monitor flights and seats sold is Expert Flyer, not Flight Aware. Here is the link: Flight Availability | Upgrades | Frequent Flyer Information (expertflyer.com)

We are booked in a suite on the Volendam next August. Also did the California coastal last month on the Koningsdam and loved it.

Instead of down sizing from Retreat, we are just moving on to other cruise lines, including HAL and Oceania.

The only way to book in the Retreat is with the PDP and Wi-Fi, no choice but to take the AI, unless you make a move up bid from a verandah with no AI.

Jim, this post was just posted on FB by a Retreat passenger on the Summit, have you heard anything about this on the Edge? "Onboard Summit. Was told just now in the Retreat lounge by the bar server, confirmed by the Suite Manager and the F&B that they will upcharge for wines priced above the premium package. This is a big issue since ALL of the wines we used to drink are now above the premium package. Apparently has always been Celebrity policy but previously not an issue because the popular wines used to be within the premium package".