jcpc

2 minutes ago, chemmo said:

 

Whilst I am aware you did meet with the suite manager re your maintenance issue did you raise your concerns before that with your PRH or the concierge? What was their response?

 

Yes, I did speak to our PRH twice and the Retreat Concierge on 2 separate phone calls regarding the issue.  It was after it was still not resolved that the Retreat Manager contacted me.

And I can remember a time (pre-Covid) where the Suite Manager (as they were then called) was in Michael's Club (as it was then called) every night talking with passengers.  That is how I got to know and become friends with two of them (and am still in contact via email with both of them and they both still work for Celebrity).  But on any recent sailings the Retreat Managers did not make any appearance in the Retreat Lounge (except for the night of the Senior Officer's Party).

I certainly have no problem with the "reduced offerings" after Covid (the various luncheons, parties, etc.) and I understand why they did not offer them on any of my 4 sailings. 

@canderson

I may have misled you (and others).  I listed things that occurred on my last 3 cruises (2 in RS and 1 in PH.....and actually there were 4 cruises because I forgot about the one in the CS! )  But anyway....not ALL of the things I listed happened on all 3 of the cruises.  For example, on our RS cruise in April we did get snacks delivered (and yes, the plastic box was one of the snacks) but on our RS cruise in July (same ship)  not one snack was delivered. 

And mention of that plastic box reminds me of a funny story.  We sailed in PH on Edge (and the following week on our B2B in CS -- that's the one I completely forgot about!  And our butler DID bring us snacks without us asking in the CS - a bowl of potato chips!)).  Anyway, our butler (PRH) for the PH was a lovely man and he did deliver some delicious very thin chocolate wafers in that box one day.  We each tasted some of the chocolate and loved it so decided to save it to last us a few days.  The next day our butler came in and took the box away even though it was about 80% filled with the chocolate treats.   He said he would bring another full box but we never saw another box.  That was the one and only treat delivered during our 7 night PH sailing on Edge.

9 minutes ago, phoenix_dream said:

Thanks for the info.  On one of our upcoming sailings (March I think it is) we will be both Zenith and in a Royal Suite.  So looking forward to it!

 

It is frustrating that as you read the posts on the thread there are so many differences from one ship to another.  They really should be standardizing things.  I'm sure all the promised perks will be delivered as published, but it sounds like a lot of the "extras" are on a ship by ship basis, depending on who the Captain is, how the officers interact, etc..  It will be interesting to see how our welcome to Zenith goes.  We hit Zenith after our September cruise and have a December cruise on Solstice where we should be recognized as Zenith.  Can't wait to see how it goes - it's been a loooooong time coming.

Congrats on hitting Zenith.  Although I think Celebrity is now "downplaying" the loyalty program, it still is a great accomplishment to hit Zenith.  Of course.......all it really said to me is that I've spent way too much money cruising.........LOL

It really is frustrating that there are such vast differences.  I think you hit the nail right on the head when you said it seems like the "extras" are really dependent on who the Captain is, etc.  I think a lot is or isn't done based on direction from the upper Management onboard.

Anywho.....I'm not losing any sleep over what extras I did or did not receive!!

Enjoy your September, December and March cruises (I have September, October, and April cruises to look forward to!)  I'm sure you'll have a lovely Zenith celebration in December (well......of course......depending on who the Captain is.....LOL!)

6 minutes ago, canderson said:

@jcpc

 

Depends upon when the booking was made and when the sailing occurs.  Their Cruise With Confidence still applies to some sailings:

 

 

 

Thanks for the clarification.  

Well.....after reading all these posts I definitely feel like I'm "getting the short end of the stick".  

I'm Z and travel in RS all the time.  My last 2 RS experiences and 1 PH experience (all within the last 11 months) encountered the following.  Granted I'm low maintenance.......but.....after reading all your replies I'm thinking I'm not just "low maintenance" but I'm basically "ignored".

• I didn't have any snacks delivered at any time
• I did not have Santal toiletries (claimed the ship was "out of them")
• I did not have any contact with any officer whatsoever
• I asked butler to trade the champagne (which, by the way, was the "Celebrity issued" champagne (again claimed there was no better champagne onboard) for a bottle of white wine.  In the past when I've done that the butler left the champagne and came in with the bottle of wine.  Not this past April - champagne was taken by butler and we were given a bottle of white wine
• Unable to change specialty dining reservation from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm
• Asked for Grey Goose in the suite - received Tito's - again claiming no Grey Goose onboard (????)
• No contact with Retreat Manager until we had a maintenance problem in our RS
• No flowers delivered to the suite except for the "Captain's Club single rose"
• No officers lunch
• No Zenith lunch

I think mitz18 summed it up perfectly!!

I believe the current policy is something like this:

if you book with a non-refundable deposit, you can take advantage of a price drop if the price drops within 48 hours of your booking date.  (for example:  if you booked on August 1 and the price dropped on August 2 or 3 you can call and get the reduced price.   But if the price dropped on August 4 you cannot get the reduced price).

Now, if you have a refundable deposit and it's prior to final payment you can cancel your current reservation and re-book at the current rate but there's no guarantee that the current cabin you have booked will be available for you to re-book.  More often than not if this happens your travel agent might be lucky enough to get someone at Celebrity smart enough to just re-price your current reservation to the reduced price.

4 hours ago, Island Dog said:

Thank you. I have heard it is the first stop of the tram.

 

We have been to Bimini many times. If you have any questions, please ask me. I can answer on just about anything....except cart costs near the pier. Lol.

Thanks, Island Dog.  The only question I have is how far a walk is it from where the ship docks to where you pick up the tram to go to Resorts World. But since this is your first time cruising there I'm sure you don't know!   I've read where some folks said they have golf carts to bring you to the trams......but I've also read other reviews where no mention was made of golf cart transportation to the tram stop.  One of us has trouble walking and I don't even want to think about suggesting we go to Resorts World unless I know the walk is do-able.  The person with the cane would probably not even go to the beach but rather spend some time in the casino and then having lunch at the restaurant at the resort.

On 8/19/2022 at 11:12 AM, Island Dog said:

We've been to Bimini many times and rented golf carts but have never arrived by Cruise Ship. We are sailing Carnival to Bimini soon and are wondering:

 

Does the tram stop at the Resorts World Casino parking lot to let off passengers seeking to rent a cart?

 

Do you need a reservation to rent a cart there?

 

If you do, what rental company(ies) operate from that lot that you can reserve with?

 

What does a cart cost for the day and is that with or without fuel included?

 

Thanks in advance for any info! 😁

 

 

I have not been there but I am also trying to research Bimini.  From what I'm reading on the Celebrity Boards, they rent golf carts right where the ship docks.  No reservations are required.  But like I said, this is only what I'm reading -- I have no first-hand experience.

On 8/15/2022 at 8:22 PM, Ken the cruiser said:

This evening we finished up by going to watch the Liar’s Club, which if you have never been to one before and you love to laugh, this late night show is a must!! It’s a simple game. You just need to determine, by applause, who provided a truthful definition of the word in question.

 

 

 

 
 

 
 

 

Interesting.......I was onboard Summit in mid-July and these are the exact same words they used for Liar's Club that week.  I wonder how often they repeat the same words???  Hopefully they use new words for your next sailing.

I'm loving your review and pictures.  Thanks so much for doing this.

Couldn't you book a refundable deposit and then as the cruise gets closer check pricing to see if there is a non-refundable deposit that would be a better deal.  If there is, wouldn't you be able to cancel your refundable deposit reservation and make a new reservation with a non-refundable deposit?  But, doing this would not guarantee you would get the exact same cabin as you originally had booked as it may not be put right back into inventory so if the cabin you've booked with a refundable deposit is a "must" then this option might not work for you.

@DisneyJen I'm so happy to see that you are continuing on with your review.  Summit is my favorite Celebrity ship and I am a huge, huge fan of the RS.  In spite of the AC problems we experienced in our RS last month, we're already re-booked in RS for next April!

Thanks for posting your thoughts.  I'm sailing Infinity next month and am looking forward to a nice, relaxing cruise.  

1 hour ago, DisneyJen said:

For those of you on the next sailing, Prez is scheduled to leave tomorrow for a two-month break.

 

Yuksel, Andy, Moniek and Joana, all in Luminae, have provided incredibly warm and professional service.

 

As a matter of fact, we have had a rough two days with not being able to use our balcony in the way that we wished. The crew in Luminae saved each evening for us and the quite  possibly the cruise.

Yuksel is by far my favorite Maitre'd.  And I cannot say enough good things about both Moniek and Joana.  Moniek is such a sweet young lady and is #1 in service, in my opinion.  She's the best.  Joana was also top notch - always prompt and pleasant service.  We've had the pleasure of sailing with all three of these stellar individuals quite a few times.  I don't know Andy as he never waited on us but if he is led by Yuksel I'm sure he's stellar.

Prez was our cabin attendant when we sailed in July.  Unfortunately half-way through the cruise he became sick - tested negative for Covid but was put in quarantine nonetheless.  We really missed him as for the remainder of the cruise we were taken care of by the "B team" (as I called them...a young man and a young lady from the Housekeeping Department!)  We wanted to make sure Prez was properly rewarded for taking such good care of us so we gave an envelope to Tanja, the Housekeeping Supervisor on Deck 10 (who was previously our stateroom attendant last year on SM) to give him.  

Enjoy your last day onboard my favorite ship.

I am looking forward to reading your "live from" postings.  Here's wishing you and your wife a happy and healthy trip.  And thank you so much for not posting "food pictures" as any of us who sail on Celebrity frequently pretty much knows what their food presentation looks like.

Thanks, all.  I obviously have not been keeping up with the new “rules”.  

Hi,

I'm not sure if everyone is aware of the change to the Best Price Guarantee program effective April 1st so I thought I would pass it along.  

June 30 2022:  I booked an Aqua Class cabin for September 10 2022 sailing (made final payment at that time)

July 26 2022:  I upgraded the Aqua Class cabin to a Sky Suite and paid the price difference

July 27 2022:  Sky Suite decreased in price

I submitted a "Best Price Guarantee" form to get a non-refundable OBC for the price difference and received the following reply:

Good Afternoon,
Thank you for your interest in the Best Price Guarantee. We are unable to fulfill your request because your reservation is more than 48 hours old. As of 4/1/22 all bookings made after that date have an eligibility window of 48 hours from the creation of the booking to request the Guarantee. If you would like assistance taking advantage of other deals and offers that may be available to you we recommend contacting our customer service team by phone at (800) 556-8209 .
Kind Regards,
Best Price Guarantee Team
Royal Caribbean Group

I disagree that all Zeniths know each other.  I'm Zenith and on my last few sailings there were other Zeniths onboard. I only know this because the shoreside concierge gave me this information.  I have no clue as to their identities.  I could have been sitting next to one of them in the theater for all I know!!

When I am in the Retreat Lounge, not only do I not know if the other folks in there are suite occupants, Zenith members or Blue Chip members, I personally don't care. 

Happy Birthday, Charla.  Enjoy your time on the Summit.

On 7/21/2022 at 4:21 PM, Denny01 said:

I know I sometimes sound like a broken record from other threads, but Id suggest you get a good TA, tell them what you want and see what they can work out of adding another SR that allows your 3rd person to be part of your group in the Retreat. 

 

Doesn’t sound as if you can just book an Inside/standard SR even if you book them ‘simultaneously’ that would allow that.

 

A good TA may find a way of getting a standard type SR but work the Retreat connection.

 

We are Elite+ and our daughter could only join us in the extra things for it If she shared our SR, and that situation is a lot less than being allowed to use the Retreat and not having a Suite.

 

Someone else may help you who has pulled this one off.

 

den

You're preaching to the choir regarding getting a good TA.  I book ALL my travel though my excellent TA!

On 7/21/2022 at 4:43 PM, goofysmom99 said:

OP, if your TA is able to pull this off in advance of boarding, please come back and let us know.

My wonderful travel agent worked with someone in the Miami office and was able to pull this off for me.  My name is currently listed on both the suite and the inside cabin across the hall.  I have retained all the Retreat benefits.  The ship has been "looped in" on this so they are aware that this is not a duplicate booking.  

I don't know the "ins and outs" of how this was accomplished and I don't really care.  I'm so happy that I work with an excellent travel agent who is worth her weight in gold.

I have a good travel agent and I will call her tomorrow with this inquiry.  I was just wondering if anyone here had done this in the past.  Thanks for all your comments and suggestions.

40 minutes ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

There are a few options to connect a suite with a suite and non-suite cabins on Beyond. On decks 7 through 11 there are category 11 inside cabins connect to S3 (Magic Carpet) Sky Suites on Beyond for exactly this purpose. On decks 8 and 9 there is also a S2 connected to the S3. You can also do a Concierge or Aqua connected to a S3. 

 

Call a TA or Celebrity and they can look into it. 

 

 

Thanks.  If only I had thought of this when we made our initial booking.  As I explained to Jim at this point in time suite availability is extremely limited and there are no options available for connecting.

56 minutes ago, emmas gran said:

I don’t think you can expect that to happen on your next cruise, it was probably an exception if not full capacity 

Hi emmas gran

I'm certainly not expecting to get a complimentary cabin.  I realize that when we got the additional cabin it was a "one-off" and we were extremely lucky.

I'm more than willing to pay for an additional cabin.  I'm just inquiring as to whether a person can book and pay for 2 cabins simultaneously.

1 hour ago, Jim_Iain said:

How about one passenger see if they can book a SS with no single supplement.  It would even be better if yo could get one with a connection one.   Would be like a CS at a much lower price

Thanks, Jim.  The problem is that at this point in time Suite availability is extremely limited.  We booked this when the Beyond bookings first opened up and have a triple price for a S1 of $10K.  To book another sky suite right now the price would be $9K for single.  However, there are tons of inside cabins available and some are a few doors down from our current SS.  I'm kicking myself that I didn't think of this when we first booked because at that time I'm sure there were connecting sky suites available.

Has anyone had any success in booking and paying for an "extra" cabin?

Here's the situation:  three women are booked in a Sky Suite on Beyond.  From previous Edge cruises we know that the Sky Suite is not really suitable for 3 adults to share (the couch is not really a very comfortable bed, sharing the bathroom is problematic, closet/drawer space would be tight, etc.).  In a past E-Class sailing, once onboard the Retreat Manager offered us an Infinite Verandah cabin to be used in conjunction with our sky suite and none of us lost Retreat privileges.

We've noticed that there are quite a few available inside cabins just steps away from our Sky Suite.  We would ideally like to book and pay for one of these inside cabins to be used for:  a person to sleep in there at night, an extra shower, additional storage space.  BUT we don't want to lose Retreat access (i.e., Luminae and Retreat Lounge) for any one of us.  So ideally we want the three of us still booked into the Sky Suite and then have the additional cabin a "second" cabin for one of us (similar to the concept of one person booking 2 seats on an airplane for additional room).

Before I even approach our travel agent with this idea, I'm just wondering if anyone was successful in booking an additional cabin to be used as an "extra"?   The option to book a bigger suite is not available to us as the only suites that are available in inventory are sky suites.  Thanks so much for any input.