CruisersTimesThree

4 minutes ago, SFCAcruiser said:

 

Nothing new. Staff will not want to see your medications. Notice is a reminder for us to not risk losing valuable items if our checked luggage goes astray. Airlines will make the same suggestion re: carry on luggage. 
 

Thank you. The way it’s worded on the email (added below) makes it sound like they might want to see it. I always pack our meds in our carry ins for the reasons you mentioned.

Have all your physical travel documentation and medication on
hand (and not in checked luggage).

I just did my check in for my upcoming Feb cruise and in the email I received after completed there are step by step instructions for preparing for boarding day. 
#3 says “have all your medication on hand and not packed in checked luggage”

I have never had anyone at check-in ask to see our prescription medication, is this something new? 

On a move up bid you receive the amenities of your new cabin, but not the booking perks.

So for a retreat move up you will gain access to “the retreat” which includes dining in Luminae, access to the retreat lounge (or Michaels Club on some ships) and admittance on the retreat sundeck. If you bid up and win a Royal Suite or higher you would also get unlimited speciality dining, 2 bottles of liquor in your suite and a daily stocked fridge of beer, water and soda. Those are amenities of upper tier suites. 
The beverage package and wifi are perks of outright booking a suite.

Whatever perks you booked on your original cabin is what you keep. If you didn’t have any type of drink package or a wifi package with your Aqua class cabin, then you would have to purchase them if you want them.
Also note, that you’ll receive Capt Club pts for your original cabin, not the points for a suite.  

Just had a phone call from the executive office. It was a second call back as I wrote in early Dec when the changes started taking place. 
Yesterday I wrote to voice my displeasure with this whole wine debacle again. Especially how Suite guests including upper level suites were being charged the upcharges in both Luminae and the Retreat Lounge/Michaels Club. 
This is exactly what I was told….

”We have been listening to all the feedback and changes will be made by the end of the month”

I questioned her as to what type of changes they might possibly make and she said it hasn’t been decided yet. 
Take it for what’s it’s worth, I think as someone said earlier they will throw a couple of more choices in the PBP and think that will make everyone happy, but still charge $19 and above for what seems to be passengers favorites. 
 

1 hour ago, billc23 said:

I have to agree with beyond tacky. It's not the money - I just don't feel the love after spending over $40K on an upper suite and being nickel and dimed. I plan to speak to the shoreside concierge today about a future sailing and will inquire what the current policy will be on my sailing. 

Would be interested to hear what the SC response is as we are sailing in Silhouettes PH in Feb and I’m so annoyed thinking after spending so much hard saved money for a special anniversary that we will be expected to pay upcharges on glasses of wine. People have been rude in commenting in other places saying “you can afford a PH, you’re whining over a couple of bucks!” That’s not the point, it’s the principle! No one with the premium beverage package should pay upcharges for sub standard wine! I’ve loved the product Celebrity has put out before this new President took over. She is making it impossible to continue sailing with them. Will be looking at other lines for our cruising vacations after our Feb cruise. 

1 hour ago, serene56 said:

  how many people?    we booked Lawn Club for our first night on our first celebrity on Reflection     We are two people.          Is the salad bar  a make it yourself ?   

 

Yes, the salad bar is set up for you to make your own salad. 

Speak with the Maitre d’ in Luminae or your butler about arranging it for you. You may need to be flexible on time as Blu is the dining room for Aqua Class passengers and of course, they have first priority, so popular dining times may be hard to get. 

We love LCG and can’t wait to dine there on our Feb cruise on Silhouette. Like anywhere else, it could be a great meal or an average meal. We’ve dined there several times and have been lucky with really enjoying it. Love the whole ambience of it. 

Never heard of this. Where did you get your info from? 

16 minutes ago, Baynanno1 said:

 

It appears that the quote button has been used to reply individually with thanks, expressing appreciation to each poster who has provided information.

 

She responded to me 7 times for the same comment.

OMG! WE all got it! You don’t know how to use the “quote” button to reply! Please stop posting! 

Retained counsel? You must have a lot of disposable income. You are wasting your money and any lawyer who took this case is laughing all the way to the bank! I’m sure Celebrity has themselves covered for everything they change.

Just curious, what did you expect out of a butler that the Retreat team won’t provide? You’ll still have breakfast/coffee delivered daily, snacks delivered if you want them, reservations made if you want speciality dining. Access to Luminae and the Retreat Lounge and Retreat Deck if your ship has one (which is what most people book the Retreat for, certainly not for a butler) 

Like Jim, I book upper tier suites and rarely utilize the butler. Unless you were expecting the butler to stand on his head and entertain you, I don’t know what exactly you’re looking for. 

1 hour ago, Mar y Sol said:

 

That’s for the spa, as I suspected. Has nothing to do with the Retreat. 

47 minutes ago, Mar y Sol said:

We will be sailing on the Apex on February 24th.  As we scrolled the “on board” activities, we came across a “weekly” pass for, I believe is $279.00 per person!  We were thrilled with the idea only to find out you may use the Retreat for only 15 minutes a day!  Doesn’t make any sense.

Where do you see this? I am cruising in Feb on the Silhouette in the Retreat and there are no activities listed yet, nor is there anywhere this “pass” is listed for purchase. The pass I am talking about can only be arranged through the shoreside concierge by the guest staying in the Retreat. Have never heard of a 15 min Retreat pass. Are you sure it’s the Retreat and not some type of spa amenity? 

28 minutes ago, wrk2cruise said:

 

I've never heard of it being offered to anyone in less than a Royal Suite.  Maybe but never heard of it.  I think on most sailings there are 0 passes sold.

There are quite a few posts around, especially on FB, where people in Sky and Celebrity Suites have purchased them, but I believe only if a RS or above guest hasn’t purchased them.
If the Retreat is sailing at full capacity, they won’t offer them at all. 

There is not a daily guest pass for purchase for retreat access. On some sailings, depending on capacity they offer a Retreat pass which must be purchased for the entire cruise and cost about $100 per person per day. It gives access to dining in Luminae, the retreat deck and lounge, but does not include amenities such as a drink package or wi-fi. It can only be purchased by a suite guest for someone who has a linked reservation with them. There are only about 10 or less passes offered, if available, and usually the upper tier suites have first crack at them. 

Quite a few people are reporting on a FB post that they are being charged the up charges in the Retreat Lounge and also in Luminae! Outrageous to be asked for your card in the Retreat Lounge/Michaels Club! 

The post was on FB and I think the OP interpreted incorrectly. The retreat passenger apparently questioned the retreat concierge about certain wines  that have now been overpriced out of the premium package and was told that retreat guests would be charged the extra + gratuity if they ordered them. The poster apparently went as far as asking the F&B manager to  confirm this.  
Drinks in the retreat lounge are complimentary and no one asks for your seapass card when you order something.  But who knows with this new CEO if one day she takes that privilege away from people paying 10’s of thousands of dollars to cruise! 

What type of suite are you in? For Royal Suites and above you certainly should be contacted approx a couple of weeks before, sometimes sooner. For Celebrity Suites and Sky Suites you don’t always receive contact, it’s hit and miss and usually by email, not a personal call. 

I don’t believe you can directly contact the concierge on a ship, you can try calling the retreat shoreside concierge for help. 1.877.RETREAT 

15 hours ago, georgetheblue said:

Will be on Connie, assigned to Blu.  The Blu dinner menus make me puke.  I don’t eat duck, pheasant, veal, lamb.   I plan to ask for the MDR menu every night in addition.  I understand this should not be a big deal since MDR and Blu are basically in the same room.  I chose an aqua suite for cabin location, Persian garden entry and the fact that I will not be waiting in a long line for a table to open up in MDR.  I refuse to deal with OVC carrying a tray around looking for an open seat.  Perhaps if Celebrity had given me more OBC I would have booked a Tuscan Grill package for the entire cruise now that I can see the Blu menus on the current sailing.

Are you in a regular Aqua Class cabin, or an Aqua Class Sky Suite? If you are in the suite, your dining venue is Luminae, the Suite dining room.
Blu is an option to all Suite passengers, but only if there is availability and it needs to be set up in advance with Blu’s Maitre d’. 
If you are in just a regular Aqua cabin, then it’s Blu. 

Do you realize how many people benefit from your daily gratuities? It’s not just the dining staff or the housekeeping staff. It’s also the bartenders who serve you your drinks, it’s also the attendants in the public bathrooms, it’s also the busboys who clean up your table after you eat, it’s also the people in the laundry room who make sure you have clean sheets and towels, the list goes on and on for the behind the scene employees. You “adjust” the daily gratuity and you take away a portion of these people’s hard earned money! Can’t understand people who do this! You are fortunate enough to enjoy what most consider a luxury vacation while you want to gyp the hard workers that make it possible!  BTW, do you plan on eating breakfast and lunch somewhere? The people that serve you those meals deserve their gratuity! 

48 minutes ago, 2flacruisers said:

we booked a guarantee suite.  We were assigned a Sky Suite, which indicated that we would have a bottle of Sparkling Wine in the cabin.  I went to check our reservation and it now does not say Sparkling Wine will be in the room at embarkation.  Can anyone in a Sky Suite let me know if, in fact, there was Sparkling Wine in the cabin?  I realize that we do have the drink package and can get a glass of wine anywhere, but it is nice to have the bottle in the room.

 

thanks in advance....

I think with the new changes for Sky Suites, you now have to request it from your retreat host. Also be aware that you are allowed to carry on 1 bottle of wine per person over 21 to enjoy in your cabin. Honestly, this is your best bet as you’ll at least enjoy what you like compared to the cheap bottle Celebrity provides. 

Cruise line employees normally have more then one job on a ship. A lot of MDR staff work in the buffet on port days when the MDR is usually closed for lunch. 

https://www.cruisemummy.co.uk/can-you-take-food-off-a-cruise-ship/