laslomas

3 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

What really shocked me most was the thought of paying £80 a day for drinks. This must be the most expensive package in the industry.  Celebrity is not anywhere close to being the most expensive in the industry, NCL daily drinks package is $138/pp/day!

OMG  🤯 

I have noticed that the exchange rate used by Celebrity seems, currently, to disfavour UK cruisers when purchasing a beverage package. Or maybe it is another IT blip??!!

While we suffered with the latest log on problems with the website and trying to find a way into my Booking, I ended up on the US website and items were priced in dollars. When I logged in they changed to GB Pounds. I noticed the cost of the Premium beverage package, currently reduced by 9% is shown as £80.20. When it is shown in dollars (also -9%) it is $75.99, which at current exchange rates would be nearer £70 than £80. The other items in the Planner seemed to be more correct.

What really shocked me most was the thought of paying £80 a day for drinks. This must be the most expensive package in the industry.

14 hours ago, southernbreezes said:

I really start to wonder if those who say they do not like them ever stayed in one?

Celebrity has lots of ships you do not like it sail on one of them.

After I cruised on the Edge (aqua class) in July I came home cancelled my Reflection cruise and booked Apex. But... the Sky Suite does not have it.

 

I have not stayed in an IV, but really think, in fact know, they are not for me. I enjoy time on my 'real' balcony rather than fighting for a lounger on the pool deck and believe the lack of the feeling of being outside would be missing with an IV. 

I would hate to plan a cruise and look forward to it for months, only to be disappointed. Maybe if I had several cruises a year I would book an IV as a tester and decide then. But, as I save for and look forward to my cruise for many months, or years in advance I think it is not something I would chance.

Yes, there are lots of ships to choose from. I have tried other cruise lines but really love Celebrity and as I choose my trips for itinerary my search for a cruise I want in a regular balcony cabin is becoming more difficult. I am all for innovation but I think new ships should include both types of balcony. That would satisfy both sides of the argument.

7 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

When we choose to tip we tip at the end of each cruise.  The choice to tip is a personal decision and we base our decision on whether a crew member is just doing their job as oppose to doing something extra to make our vacation comfortable and memorable.  

 

We recently had a Sommelier in Luminae  that I would describe as just doing his job.  He would have our drinks ready each evening but checking if we needed refills was consistently missing.   It wasn't a point of being over busy as we dine late and usually only 2-3 other tables.    Usually the waiter would keep an eye on our glasses and offer to top them up.   We chose to tip the Waiter more and the Sommelier substantially lower than we would normally tip. 

I am confused by your post. It seems the Sommelier was just doing his job, but not very well, and you still tipped him extra! I assume this was over and above the regular included gratuities? 

I am an easily confused Brit trying to understand the extra tipping subject.

One major difference is that Reflection has one extra passenger accommodation deck, so more passengers overall. I have recently sailed both ships and as far as I remember the Speciality restaurants were the same. The Sky Lounge is smaller on Reflection as they added more staterooms, otherwise I did not really notice much difference between the two ships.

7 hours ago, Retired888 said:

I see that several of the folks here are happy to book Concierge but they have not tried other balcony staterooms.  Concierge staterooms are identical size to balcony staterooms, including the balconies, other than locations and some variations on locations the balcony size can vary a little.  The in-room menus are also the same.  Stateroom attendants also provide the same service.  The main difference is the number of points that you earn towards loyalty status.  The canapes are so horrible that you are better off going up to the buffet to pick up what you really want.

 

The Concierge balcony cabins are larger on the M Class ships.

Another little extra for Concierge Class is the footstools on the balcony - M & S Class ships. 

4 hours ago, Cheshire Blue said:

Also wondering what champagne (by the glass) is currently available on the ship - premium package ?   Have they got any Cattier or Montaudon ?    or are they still pretending that "Chandon"  or Celebrity Vintages Brut are champagnes ?     (Both are sparkling white wines - but not champagnes)  

I am also keen to know what champagnes are available by the glass. Sailing in October and love a nice champagne.

When I upgraded a couple of weeks ago I worked out the price before phoning. The price shown in my Cruise Planner showed a 9% reduction then I took off 15% (Elite) and waited to hear what I was offered by Celebrity. The cost was slightly less than I had worked out, by a few pounds for the 11 nights, so I did not argue and upgraded. I just wanted to be prepared. If the cost had been higher I was prepared to fight it out!!

Thanks, yes I remember now.

2 hours ago, Cruising from Mississauga said:

I have found two separate pages on Celebrity's website, indicating that there is a discount to upgrade to a premium drink package from the classic package included in the fare. What is interesting is that one page says I get a 10% discount to upgrade; the other page says it's 15% (Elite level). I have asked and not yet received an answer as to what the correct number is, but either way it's higher than the 9% shown in a recent email offering discounts for pre-booking...

The 9% is a SALE price, available to everyone at the moment. The Captain's Club discount is on top of this. The price comes out differently depending on which they take off first 🤫😕

33 minutes ago, Casualcruisers said:

My wife and I just got off the Silhouette a couple days ago - we had the classic drink package included in the all included program.  
contrary to everything we can find posted, they let us have any during upto $11 (not the $9 that’s advertised everywhere)

it was enough to include Irish coffee (but not Baileys)

Sailings from Southampton have a Classic Beverage Package limit of $11 and Premium is $18. It is different due to either VAT or tax, no idea why, but it is!!

23 minutes ago, Nicole&Pete said:

I guess it must depend on what ship your on then. 
 

I have heard that due to the arrival groups the concierge lunch is now a day later, do you know if that is right?

 

thanks

It was held on embarkation day on my cruise in May. But last year, with low occupancy and strict COVID testing guidelines, and mask wearing, it was on a sea day and held on a different level in the MDR to the general MDR lunch.

5 hours ago, GORDONCHICK said:

It's been forever and a day since I've been on these boards!  Looking to possibly book a cruise in the Fall of 2023 on Equinox.  Here's the thing - we haven't been on X in a while!  We loved the line (it was my first cruise) but no cruises were sailing out of convenient ports for us here in land-locked OK.  Now that our son is a junior in college, we are looking to jump back into cruising!  But I have a few questions...

 

1)  I remember the food in the MDR as being pretty good.  Neither of our previous X cruises did we go to upcharge restaurants (I don't even remember if there were any if that tells you anything!).  I know food is very subjective and we don't have an expectation of 5 star dining.  But can you get a decent steak in the MDR?  Other favorite dishes in the MDR?  Are specialties worth it?  Which ones are your faves and why?  Don't need to hear a single thing about sushi because neither of us like it.  And I'm a foodie but DH isn't.

 

2)  Looking at either veranda or concierge class.  Is concierge worth the extra money to you?  If so, why?  The cabins look to be identical so my guess is extra services/amenities and probably location?  

 

3) What has changed (good and bad) since I was last on X?  I know the Meet & Mingles were not much back then, especially compared to what other lines do - has that changed?  NCL has had the best Meet & Greets closely followed by MSC, IOE.

 

Catch me up, X peeps!

 

First off, the ships have got bigger. I have not sailed Edge Class yet, and may not, as I like a regular balcony and they are now out of my budget as most on the Edge Class are the new Infinite Veranda. The Equinox has been 'revolutionised' so is looking good and has refurbished areas. I usually book Concierge. They are the same size as balcony cabins on S Class ships, but larger on M Class ships. Some of the little extras are nice, but that is subjective and dependant on the difference in price to the regular balcony cabins. The location suits me, and the extra Captain's Club points. I like the relaxing Embarkation lunch which is a great way to start a cruise.

As you have previously sailed with Celebrity you will have points in the Captain's Club. It may be worth checking this out as the scheme changed some years ago and the points you have will convert to the new scheme and may help with discounts and also you will be eligible for a category upgrade of cabin when booking. This upgrade is within category of cabin.

The food in MDR is good, but I think the standard has slipped a bit over the last couple of years. Saying that I still enjoy the MDR and have only booked Speciality a few times. A New York Sirloin Steak is available in the MDR on the Timeless menu (available daily) and sometimes there is Steak Diane. For a succulent steak of any other kind you really need to look at Speciality Restaurants.

One of the main changes over the last few years is that Formal Nights have been dumbed down a bit and are now Evening Chic. Still a chance to dress up, and many still do. The guidelines are available on the website. Saying that, the Celebrity website is not the best and I expect you may discover that for yourself.

24 minutes ago, CaroleSS said:

I don't see a sale price for the upgrade, but can see a 9% sale on the packages. That makes the difference between classic and premium $14/day for me (plus 20% minus CC discount).

 

Do the math.....if you have a drink above the $9 price you only pay the difference. So, if you buy a $12 martini, you will pay $3.60. That means you will have to drink at least 4 drinks per day above the $9 price point to make the upgrade "worthwhile". Given some of the reports of shortages onboard, I'm not sure we will upgrade this trip.

As you say, may not be worthwhile if they do not have the drinks you want. I considered paying the difference, but decided to upgrade with the sale price, and Elite discount as I enjoy sparkling water so that pushes it a bit more towards the worthwhile for me. 

I love the Sky Lounge. I hope it is open early evening - the attached daily planner shows it opening at 9pm.

4 minutes ago, helen haywood said:

Still sounding stupid, I know where that icon is on Cruise Critic, or any other website, but how do you refresh the app?  I don’t see any such icon…

I seem to remember the refresh icon was not easy to find. I finally located it on the page headed Daily Planner... It took me ages to find it and I too felt stupid. Good luck.

I have sailed from Barcelona twice and was staying in a hotel on La Rambla. I walked down La Rambla which is a very easy walk as it is so wide, and quite deserted at the time I went. Cross over at the bottom of the road, and there is a regular port shuttle bus to the ships that are docked in port. It was very simple. I am not particularly sprightly and found it to be very straightforward. I was staying only about half way up La Rambla, so maybe would not have done this if I was at the far end.

I remember Select dining working well when it was first implemented. I believe reservations were not possible then, or at least, not the norm. Now with so many reservations being made pre cruise it is basically impossible to just walk in, as was the original idea. On my next cruise there are no times (for reservations) available in Select between 6:30 and 8:15 in my planner. Do Celebrity only book out a percentage of tables to allow walk ins? If so, does anyone know what percentage that would be?

Once on board you collect your 'plastic card thing' from the slot outside your cabin. Then you can ditch the paper xpress pass.

I have usually ended up being seated in the same area each night, which is OK if I like the area. I once tried to see if I would get a different area by entering by the opposite door - but still ended up being walked all around to the same place again. If I am given a pager I am wondering if I have to wait until somewhere in that same area is free, even if tables are available elsewhere in other areas?? 

After reading the responses on this thread I think I should discuss it more with the host / ess if I am not happy with the table I get.

Thanks for all the responses. It seems a bit hit or miss at the moment then. 😕

I sailed on Silhouette twice last year, and Reflection earlier this year, and on those sailings there was no drinks service in the theatre. I hope the lack of this service, still reported by some above, is only temporary. I loved being able to order a drink whilst settled in my theatre seat, but then it is the little things that please me. 🍸🍷

On my cruises since the restart after lockdown there was no drink service in the theatre. I quite understand the reasons why this was the new norm and there were long queues at the nearest bars to get a drink to take in. But with cruising returning to normal I wonder if the drink service in the theatre has returned. Can anyone on board now advise on this please. Most specifically on the Silhouette as I will be on board again soon. Thanks.

That all sounds good - but didn't the cruise line refund/ reimburse for the missed cruise days?

I don't know what Regent's Covid policy is/was, but I believe Celebrity would have covered that situation without the need to claim on insurance. Or am I wrong?

I always have travel insurance and hope everyone does, but Celebrity seemed to cover most Covid problems.

My favourite itinerary is not available on Celebrity and I have cruised it on other cruise lines. But I would much rather be able to do it on Celebrity.

It is a Transatlantic crossing that includes a few Caribbean Islands. Coming from UK, I don't really want to visit several European ports before the crossing just to then stop at Bahamas before docking in Miami to fly home. Or vice versa. It is not really warm weather until a good way across the Atlantic. The only exception to the temperature would be the itinerary that visits Canary Islands on the way, but that is a popular holiday destination for Europeans so also possibly well visited. 

I understand many cruisers from North America will have probably visited several Caribbean Islands so that would not be so popular with them. But cruisers from U.K. and Europe have also probably already visited most of the European ports. I would love Celebrity to do a cruise that spends time in the Caribbean and includes the Transatlantic crossing. 

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