vacruisincouple

2 hours ago, desiro said:

Thank you for the information. I just purchased this for my son for our cruise on the Equinox next month. We did have to purchase for the full week and I was told that there were only 10 passes allowed on that particular cruise. The onshore concierge did say that specialty restaurants were not included which I figured was the case. So, we will see how it goes. Just makes it easier for him to be able to join us in Luminae and the lounge etc. He only decided to join us on the trip much later and the re-pricing to have him with us in the RS was much more expensive than getting him his own cabin down the hall, which he is perfectly fine with doing. Sounds like you had a nice time and glad it worked out for your parents too.

Thank you it really worked out best for us.  I'm sure your son will appreciate having his own space as well as a proper bed instead of a pull out couch.  We technically could have had my parents on the pull out couch in living room and the total price would have been cheaper than having them in their own cabin.  Then in addition we had to pay for the RPP.  It wasn't a matter of cost for us.  We wanted proper beds for everyone as well as two bathrooms.  As nice as the bathroom is in the royal suite, it just isn't enough for 4 people IMO.  Having the RPP made it all work out and made it feel like we had a 2 bedroom suite instead of separate cabins.

3 hours ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

Shore side staff are not employed by Celebrity and with this program that is probably very seldom used I can't fault them for questioning you. Embarking in Ft. Lauderdale in a RS we had a new staff member insisting we were in the wrong place and had to go up the escalator to the general check in line.  A supervisor quickly showed up and reminded her to check our boarding pass for the word "suite".

 

Did your parents have to pay the daily gratuities at the Retreat level and did they have butler and in room bar service?

There was no additional charge or change in what they paid for gratuities.  They did not have a bar set up but as their room connected to our living room they could take whatever they wanted from our mini fridge.  To be honest, we hardly touched the bar setup.  I think we drank a total of 3-4 sodas and a couple of juices.  We're not heavy drinkers and we had ample opportunity to access alcohol elsewhere.  They were not assigned a butler per se but our butler AJ made it clear on the first day if there was anything my parents needed they could contact him and he would take care of it.  They never needed to but it was nice to know they could.  

3 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Thanks for explaining your RPP experience.   We have used the program for our May cruise with my BIL an SIL.   They were in a AQ and we are in a Suite.   Will take all your experiences into consideration.   I will also be bidding on moving their room up to a SS and feel comfortable bidding up to the amount of the RPP.     I just called my TA to have the RPP added - it was painless but done about 9 months out.

 

One Question -  Will their key card be an AQ or a Suite Card?

 

With the RPP, it should look just like a suite card.

38 minutes ago, Cruisegirl6 said:

Thank you, my sister/brother in law is in retreat on our March 19th Beyond sailing, we have AC and daughter a regular verandah with a move up offer to AC bid still pending but unable to cancel or modify the bid.

Question, is it possible instead of paying for the weeks pass, that I can purchase a daily pass, as I probably just want to save money, but I am good paying for two days for the three of us.

No I don't think so.  I believe it has to be booked for the entire cruise.  Otherwise you can pay the cover charge for non suite guests to dine in luminae with the suite guests.

3 minutes ago, henry1005 said:

Thanks for the detailed review. Is the RPP available to all suite guests or only the upper suites? How do you arrange this prior to embarkation?

Hi Henry.  Pretty sure it is only offered to the upper suites.  I think it might be capacity controlled.  It has to be arranged with the shoreside concierge before embarkation.

I disembarked from the Summit last Saturday.  My husband and I were in a royal suite and my parents travelled with us in the adjoining C1 balcony cabin.  I purchased the Retreat Privilege Package (RPP) for my parents prior to sailing.  I know this program is somewhat controversial but don’t wish to discuss that here.  Rather, I would like to give my thoughts on how well the program did and did not work for us as well as some of the logistics of the program.

Pre Cruise:  As expected about 3 ½ - 4 weeks prior to the cruise, I received an email from the shoreside concierge with the usual list of questions on our preferences for the stateroom, specialty dining reservations, etc.  I responded with our needs as well as inquiring about having my parents join us in luminae as well as the retreat lounge and sundeck.  It was only after inquiring was I told I could purchase the RPP for them or pay per meal to have them join us in luminae.  Pricing was $99 per person per day for RPP or $30 per person for dinner or $20 per person for lunch.  We opted to purchase the RPP.  I called the shoreside concierge and the purchase was taken care of in about 10 minutes.

Cruise check in:  The morning of the cruise we took an uber to the port of Miami and were dropped off around 10:20 a.m.  The signage for the special delivery area was not very clear so we had the porter walk us over to the check in area that was curbside further ahead from where we were dropped off at.  Once there, they asked for our cabin numbers.  I provided them and they immediately tried to tell me that my parents needed to go through the regular check in.  I explained that they had the RPP which was met with blank stares.  I further explained they were to check in with us as apart of the program.  I’m not sure they believed me but I was rather insistent that they were coming with us.  We were taken to the retreat embarkation lounge which was already almost full where we met Connor and Connie the retreat concierges.  Beverages (coffee, juice, water, etc.) and light snacks were available.  After about 15 minutes the room was introduced to Daniel the retreat manager.  Connor then invited the 4 of us along with one other couple to follow him onto the ship.  Daniel and Connie also had a group with them so I assume that made up all of the upper tier suite passengers. We were the first to step foot on the ship.

Cruise:  We were escorted to the retreat lounge where we were welcomed once again and offered beverages from the bar as well as more snacks.  After finishing our beverages we went to our suite to drop off our carryon luggage and pick up our room keys.  All of our room keys including my parents were the grey suite keys.  We met our room steward Michael (who was absolutely fabulous the entire cruise) and dropped off our things. 

Luminae:  We headed down to luminae for lunch where we met Lobo who asked for our room numbers.  After providing them Lobo discretely tried to tell me there was a charge to have my parents dine with us.  I replied that they had the RPP.  He told me he would check on it.  We had a lovely lunch with Andy as our server.  Upon leaving, Lobo walked us out and I asked him if everything was set for my parents to enjoy luminae without us if they wanted to and he assured me everything was as it should be.

Retreat Sun Deck:  We went to the retreat sun deck for sail away.  If you do so, be aware that you are very close to the ship’s horn.  It is very loud and quite startling the first time it goes off.  We were also invited to the helipad for sail away but opted for the sundeck because 1) I didn’t want to change into closed toe shoes and 2) I wanted a place to sit.  I used my key card to get us into the retreat sun deck but my parents decided to leave before us and their key cards did not work in unlocking the gate.  They flagged down a crew member and were able to exit.  Later that evening we mentioned this to Connor in the retreat lounge and he took their keys and reprogrammed them so that they would work.  The keys worked perfectly the rest of the cruise.

Specialty dining and extras:  We dined at Tuscan grill on my dad’s birthday and I was expecting to have to pay the cover charge for both of my parents.  At the end of the meal however we were told everything was taken care of and did not have a bill to sign.  We left an extra tip in cash.   I don’t know if its supposed to be this way or not, but its as if my parents were given the same royal suite perks that we had.  This was the only specialty dining that we did with them so I don’t know if it was a one off or if it would have been the same at the other specialty dining venues.  Or perhaps it was because my parents literally only had a half portion of pasta each and they would’ve felt bad charging me $60 per person for them.  I kind of doubt that though.  Later in the cruise all 4 of us were delivered the monogrammed pajamas.  I also noticed that my parents beverage package had been upgraded from the classic package that came with their room (they were on an all included cruise fare) to the premium beverage.  Again, not sure if it is supposed to happen this way or not.

Conclusion:  All in all, I am very happy we booked the RPP for my parents.  All the crew members we encountered were incredible and made my parents (and us) feel very pampered.  It was a little annoying to have to assert that they had the package at check in and at luminae the first time along with the little hiccup with the key cards.  This is something that could have been better but rather minor considering the entire cruise experience.

Cheri

Just now, JFontaine said:

I think your analysis is right for you. Happy birthday to your dad and have a great cruise. 

Thank you!

46 minutes ago, Fly and Sail said:

 

Can't you upgrade into a SS for the additional $200/day? Or all gone?

At this point no, all suites are sold out.  I think that the SS is normally a bit more than just an extra $100/pp per day compared to a C1.  The goal anyway was to treat the suite and connecting cabin as a 2 bedroom suite and have a comfortable shared living space to hang out together.

18 hours ago, JFontaine said:

If you are going to eat in specialty restaurants often it might not be worth it. It will be "free" for you but not your folks (you might want to check this, in case it changed).  It might be better for you to "pay as you go" in Luminae, unless you think they will want to use the Retreat or the Retreat sundeck (finicky elevator access). They can still board with you, and I would have their luggage tagged priority and delivered to your cabin. 

Thanks JFontaine!  We're only planning one specialty dining with them at Tuscan Grill for my Dad's birthday dinner.  My husband and I will dine at Sushi on 5 most days for lunch but my parents don't like sushi and it will be nice for them if they can dine in Luminae on the 2 sea days that we have without us.  I think we'll utilize the Retreat sundeck quite a bit on this cruise.  Everyone can handle the stairs easily.  My parents also really enjoyed the Retreat Lounge/Michael's club the last time we cruised with them and they were in a SS.  So for us, I think the RPP makes sense and I am happy that it is available.

I am sailing in a RS on Summit in 2.5 weeks and was offered the Retreat Privilege Package (RPP) for my parents who are sailing with us in the adjoining C1 cabin.  I was only offered the package because I inquired about it.  It was not offered in the initial email from the shoreside concierge.  The price is $99 per person per day and must be booked with the shoreside concierge prior to sailing.  There was no mention of limited availability but then again there are only 10 upper suites on M class so it probably isn't an issue.  I will likely purchase it for my parents and conveniently "forget" to tell them there was a charge for it.  It will be my dad's 85th birthday on the cruise so I want them to really enjoy themselves.

Thank you for posting the menus.  We are on a 6 night next month.  Does anyone know which menu will be omitted?  Hopefully not the lobster 😁.

1 hour ago, hvbaskey said:

Format for CELEBRITY MOVE UP TRACKER  - Last Revision:  June 15, 2019 (up to and including Post #32)

 

• Ship:  Summit (pre renovation)
• Length of Cruise: 7 days
• Cruise Sail Date: December 8, 2018
• Date email offer received:  November 10, 2018
• Captain’s Club Tier: Elite 
• Booked through Celebrity Direct OR via TA: TA
• Current Cabin: S1
• Bid?  Yes/No: Yes

If YES -  Bidding Details:

• Cabin Category: RS
• Bid Offer: $705 per person
• Notification Date: November 12, 2018
• Accepted / Rejected:  Accepted

General Comments (offer details, etc.)  From our cruise last December but thought it might be helpful information for someone.  Offer was for all categories above our current stateroom - - CS for $400 minimum pp, RS $600 and PH $1000.  We bid slightly above the minimum for all 3 on day the email came and then revised the bid for RS the next day.  Day after revised bid, was notified that it was accepted.  Cruise in a RS was fantastic!  Only problem now is hubby is complaining about cruising in "just a Sky Suite" for our next cruise.

Daylight savings ended earlier this morning.  It is just 7:35 EST now so perhaps you will still dock by 8

Really appreciate the feedback, that is what we love about CC!. Now my wife and I have the info we need to make our decision. I prefer to stay on ship and enjoy the view from our balcony, she on the other hand, wants to rent one of these. I guess my last question is this...it is worth the money?

For me, yes it was worth every penny. I travelled with my family of 4 on IOS during spring break so it felt like a very crowded cruise ship and I appreciated the private space the cabana afforded. I also needed a "home base" for my two teenagers to go off on their own and come back to us to check in every so often. I had booked the NB cabana before the price increase but given the experience I would book a OW cabana again even at the new price. I look at the cost on a per person price and consider it fairly reasonable even at the new price.

For you, maybe its worth it, maybe not. Maybe the old saying applies for you though - - "Happy wife, happy life"?

Cheri

If the over the water cabanas on Barefoot Beach are for Suite guest only when can a suite guest reserve them...prior to the cruise? With onboard Concierge? And which cabana is most over the water?

I contacted the concierge via email about 10-12 days before our cruise. We had already reserved a cabana on NB but wanted to switch to BB. He said it wouldn't be a problem at all and to just check with him in the CL on the first day. I think most of the cabanas were rented when we were there but it didn't seem to be any problem at all getting it reserved. Maybe because of the recent price increase I'm thinking. Everything went smoothly - - Raj cancelled our NB reservation and booked our new BB reservation - - and we were assigned OW #2 on BB. I thought all of the OW ones had great views. The people in OW #1 were literally only in their cabana for 20 minutes tops the whole day so it was very private for us. OW #1 is the furthest away from the beach area but I thought all of the ones in this section (OW #1 to OW #6) had good over the water qualities. To enter the water from our cabana though, we had to walk around the back of our cabana and down a few steps that were between OW #2 and OW #3. I think this access was used for 4 cabanas OW # 1 to 4.

Cheri

I requested a certain one to the concierge and voila-done!! :D

Thanks! We're not in a suite but are Diamond level. Is this something the Diamond Lounge Concierge could help us with? I've never tried asking them for anything.

We will be at Labadee next week. We booked an over the water cabana. We are four adults and 3 young children Which cabana(s) are best? We will probably not use steps to enter the water as it might be too difficult for a six year old.

 

Any suggestions? Also we booked online and are not in a suite so who and how do we get an assignment?

Did you get the cabana you wanted? We have booked an over the water cabana for our March cruise on Indy and was wondering if requesting a certain one works and what you did to get the one you wanted.

Thanks!

I've just managed to book an Over the Water cabana at Nellie's beach in Labadee!!! Booked online today for my 12 night cruise on 27th March 2016.

 

Really happy as I thought they could only be booked on embarkation day from the excursion desk. I was just going to leg it to the desk as soon as I boarded to book - won't have to now.

 

Anyone else after a cabana - keep looking in your excursions list online. They weren't listed for my sailing last week but they are now.

Thank you sooo very much! Just booked an over the water cabana on Nellie's for our March 21 cruise on IOS. Like you, I thought they would only be available once we boarded. I am so very happy I subscribed to this thread and that the wonderful CC members such as yourself post great information. I never would have gotten this cabana otherwise.

Cheri

I was thinking we might do that. My son would only care about the free ice cream so as long as those are just vouchers or a punch card he would happy. My DH grew up on a dairy farm so he'd feel quite at home - ha!

Has anyone ever surprised their spouse or children with the Ben & Jerry's Sweet? What have their reactions been like? I have this cabin booked on Independence of the Seas next March. It will be a surprise for my DS who will be 17 at the time. My husband and I will be in the adjoining cabin although technically I am booked in the Ben & Jerry's Sweet with my son. The three of us normally sail in a balcony cabin so I sold this to DS as a chance for him to have his own room since the cost of two PR cabins was only a little more than the cost of a triple occupancy balcony cabin. He's thrilled to be having his own room and real bed instead of the lumpy sleeper sofa so I'm just wondering what his reaction will be to the cow butts. I know he'll love the free ice cream! I'll miss having a balcony but I couldn't resist booking this cabin when I saw it was available.

Cheri