terrydtx

Today in the mail we got our 2024-25 Oceania Grand Voyages catalog and found some interesting cruises at remarkable costs per night. One we are going to look at is the 23 day Amsterdam to London June 2024 cruise on the Marina. We can book a Penthouse Suite from $600pp per night or a Veranda from $452pp per night. This why so many Celebrity customers are jumping ship after all the recent changes to the product. We never book the air with Oceania as it is mostly a rip off but the non-air prices include the beer and wine beverage package, free Wi-Fi, all specialty restaurants and a $1600 shore excursion credit. At these prices similar on other cruises, we will no longer be booking with Celebrity with their continued diminishing amenities and higher costs.

Today in the mail we got our 2024-25 Oceania Grand Voyages catalog and found some interesting cruises at remarkable costs per night. One we are going to look at is the 23 day Amsterdam to London June 2024 cruise on the Marina. We can book a Penthouse Suite from $600pp per night or a Veranda from $452pp per night. This why so many Celebrity customers are jumping ship after all the recent changes to the product. We never book the air with Oceania as it is mostly a rip off but the non air prices includes the beer and wine beverage package, free Wi-Fi, all specialty restaurants and a $500pp shore excursion CREDIT.

We all know some CC members who are very adamant and volcal about not tipping and brag about haveing the daily gratuity charges taken off their accounts at the end of their cruise. With the old AI my understanding was you couldn't do this. I can see more doing it now and the hardworking crew getting less compensation. This is just another shameless cash grab by Celebrity.

Who is going to be the last rat to jump ship?

Unfortunately, I have to agree with you.

For many it makes the decision to jump ship and cruise elsewhere much easier.

Being from South Texas I will really miss the Huevos Rancheros as it is as close to Tex Mex as I can get on a cruise ship. The truffle omelets were also a very unique breakfast taste.

Things not on the new menu Sausages of any kind including delicious chicken sausage Salmon and Crab cake eggs benedict Huevos Rancheros (my real favorite) Plain or Belgium waffles Hot Oatmeal Truffle omelets.

Apparently, Aqua Class will now be able to book the cruise only fare, but the Retreat is still only available with the AI less the previously included gratuities and OBC.

No Gratuities and no OBC Celebrity is no longer anything more than RCCL. This discussion is now blowing up all over the other social media site. This is way more than the $2 cookiegate.

It clearly states that the new AI will only be for new bookings made after Oct 4th, so any of us already booked will still have the original AI with included tips.

I am planning on it, I hope it will be a positive experience.

That is about the size of Cornish Game hens we buy locally. Thanks, so a Poussin is the veal of the chicken world.

I just read that thread and here is the link to the new AI for all cabin classes starting on cruises booked after Oct 4th, 2023. For those like us the change will not affect us for our upcoming already booked cruises. If you are in the Retreat a 10 day cruise will now cost an additional $460 for the gratuities. https://creative.rccl.com/Sales/Celebrity/General_Info/Flyers/CEL_08_22_23_All_Included_One_Pager.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1EmoLRFxu24KZfCzGHgbql8pMQBZIMHCaVYWznPTtv5rxUiyhxZWi6PUU

After reading this you are correct the daily gratuities will no longer be included even for the Retreat. This seems to be outrageous and just another cut or addon cost. At $23pp per person for a suite that adds $552 to the cost of a 12 day cruise. This could be the final straw for many here who are already upset with Celebrity. This is much bigger than cookiegate, at least they are not making it applicable to those like us who already have cruises booked.

Thanks for the clarification, what is a Poussin?

Hopefully it will be cold water lobster meat.

I was told that same thing by the Luminae manager on the Reflection after I complained about the chicken being over cooked and dry. I wonder if the new Duck leg will be processed and shipped the same way? We board the Apex in two weeks and after seeing the new Luminae menus I am looking forward to trying some of the new entrees. The poached cold water lobster really sounds like an upgrade the old warm water one. Even Eden now shows their lobster as being a cold water one. Not impressed with the new Breakfast menu as a lot of the things we liked are missing, but hope we can still ask for them.

That adds up to a lot of nickel and dimes to be saved. The Ascent sails in December I believe.

We booked our BC flights for next month back in November, today when I looked our same flights are over $7K per person. We fly to Sydney in January and our PE seats are $4510 pp, BC was over $12kpp and more than our 2 cruises will cost so we had to pass.

Don't forget the yet unnamed 5th E Class ship due out in late 2025 or 26.

It is the little cuts that add up and makes a mountain out of a mole hole. A current person on the Apex, which we board in 2 weeks, posted yesterday that Sky Suites are no longer getting the Retreat tote bags as in the past. Don't know if this is fleetwide or localized supply chain issue but we will take one with us from our previous cruise. We will need that bag to go to the Retreat lounge to get our bottled water, beer and soda that we will no longer get from our butler team.

Just look at airfares this year over last year. Last year we flew business class from San Antonio to Rome and home from Venice for $2386pp. In two weeks, we fly BC to Amsterdam and home from Athens, our cost $4410pp, almost double.

All of those nickel and dimes are meaning big profits. 🤣

Wow, that looks like a great price considering BC from the US to Italy this year is running over $4k pp. We need to look at Regent.