ELITE - Happy hour, Great benefit but can it be improved

[vvnh16a]

The addition of a happy hour for Elite CC members was a welcome addition last year but I know there was always "issues" from the late diners that Happy Hour was in the middle of the afternoon from 4-6....a time that was not the best for late seating. Problems were also obvious from the early diners perspective, who are enjoying a drink dressed appropriately for dinner be it smart casual or formal and then you have other Elite members walk in very casual (before 6pm).

 

I know this has been brought up to the attention of Celebrity Hotel Managers and was to be a point of discussion at a recent meeting of all Hotel managers to discuss things such as what is and is not working the best. Again the discussion was very positive towards Celebrity for having an Elite Happy Hour, but now can the times be 'tweaked" to accomodate both early and late diners. Does anyone know if we can expect changes in the Happy Hour times..say 5-8 pm??

[Lois R]

The addition of a happy hour for Elite CC members was a welcome addition last year but I know there was always "issues" from the late diners that Happy Hour was in the middle of the afternoon from 4-6....a time that was not the best for late seating. Problems were also obvious from the early diners perspective, who are enjoying a drink dressed appropriately for dinner be it smart casual or formal and then you have other Elite members walk in very casual (before 6pm).

 

I know this has been brought up to the attention of Celebrity Hotel Managers and was to be a point of discussion at a recent meeting of all Hotel managers to discuss things such as what is and is not working the best. Again the discussion was very positive towards Celebrity for having an Elite Happy Hour, but now can the times be 'tweaked" to accomodate both early and late diners. Does anyone know if we can expect changes in the Happy Hour times..say 5-8 pm??

 

Sounds like you know more than most of us....they had a meeting

with the Hotel Directors? When? In Miami?

I have sailed 3 times since they implemented the new perks. Never heard

they were going to tweak anything.

Unless someone on here has an inside track to HQ I doubt anyone on

here has "true first hand information".

Normally that kind of stuff comes out in a press release.

[FTLcruisers]

We talked to the Captains Club gal on Solstice a few weeks ago and her response was that they did not have the personnel available to do other than the 4-6 time. My husband's opinion is that they want paying customers in Michael's after 6. Either way, I don't think they will be changing it any time soon for us late diners.

[emcee207]

Have to agree, don't think they want to lose the Martini Bar business before dinner.

 

BTW, nice pic at the Rialto Bridge, we loved Italy. Went on the Azamara Quest 14 day Best of Italy cruise two years ago, trip of a lifetime.

[Wine-O]

Maybe they should just leave it as an "open bar" for Elite members only. That way if I want my bloody mary at 6am, I won't have to wait until they open at 8am. :)

 

We were at late seating and always made it a point to get back from shore excursion at least by 5pm to have a couple of drinks prior to heading to our cabin to get ready for dinner. If we missed it, we missed it. It was not a problem on sea days.

 

It's a nice perk -- be sure to take care of your server. We understand Celebrity pays them $10 for their 2-hour of service since they don't get the 15% tip add on for their service. We gave our server $5 at the beginning of each evening, and he was always around when we needed another drink -- always came by for last call. It's amazing how that works. It's a small price to pay for 3-4 beers and a couple of Cosmos.

[Fblack]

On the Equinox we went just about every night right around 4:00PM. It was not in Michael's but in a section of the buffet area. We stayed about 45 minutes so we could have time to go back to our cabin and get dressed for dinner. We were quite casual each time we went. Not ragged shorts, t-shirts and sandals, but nice shorts, polo shirt etc. We did have a discussion on attire with the Hostess. She felt that nicer shorts and shirts were fine at an early hour of the event. Who's going to dress up at 4:00PM when dinner starts at 6:15PM or 8:30PM.

[bububr]

We always have late seating...Never missed the cocktail hour in Micheals.... Although we always dress, on one occassion I think we did show up in shorts coming back late from an excursion....

 

As for tipping the server....I agree 100%..These guys work hard, and they do remember their good customers!

 

Dave:eek:

[SanDiegoCruisers]

I couldn't agree with you more Rich!! It is crazy that they still haven't fixed this. As you know, with Diamond on RCL you can go from 5 to 8:30, which works perfectly for both seatings! I know the difference is it's just wine on RCL, but I'd take just wine on Celebrity. The 4 to 6 PM timeframe is completely useless for those of us in late seating that want to enjoy the day on shore or by the pool.

 

In fact, I went to the Elite lounge on the Summit in the afternoon in shorts (not swim shorts), and the Captains Club host had the nerve to tell me I need to be wearning pants in the Elite lounge. I was shocked and told her -- I'm in late seating, and I'm not going to get into my tux at 3:30 PM, when I don't eat until 8:30 PM (9 actually, since we were on a Med sailing).

 

Anyway -- ALL OF US need to make sure we voice our opinion about the 4 to 6 PM timeframe in hopes they will get this fixed sooner than later!!!

 

Curt

 

 

The addition of a happy hour for Elite CC members was a welcome addition last year but I know there was always "issues" from the late diners that Happy Hour was in the middle of the afternoon from 4-6....a time that was not the best for late seating. Problems were also obvious from the early diners perspective, who are enjoying a drink dressed appropriately for dinner be it smart casual or formal and then you have other Elite members walk in very casual (before 6pm).

 

I know this has been brought up to the attention of Celebrity Hotel Managers and was to be a point of discussion at a recent meeting of all Hotel managers to discuss things such as what is and is not working the best. Again the discussion was very positive towards Celebrity for having an Elite Happy Hour, but now can the times be 'tweaked" to accomodate both early and late diners. Does anyone know if we can expect changes in the Happy Hour times..say 5-8 pm??

[emcee207]

Cosmos????? We were told all we could get was what was on the "menu". My wife only drinks Pinot Grigio and it wasn't there so she had Chard, which she doesn't like. Guess I should of opened the wallet earlier. LOL, we'll be on the Equinox in two weeks and that's what I'll do!!:D

[mjwcruising]

Cosmos????? We were told all we could get was what was on the "menu". My wife only drinks Pinot Grigio and it wasn't there so she had Chard, which she doesn't like. Guess I should of opened the wallet earlier. LOL, we'll be on the Equinox in two weeks and that's what I'll do!!:D

 

 

We went to the Elite lounge (held in the Sky Lounge) on Equinox in February. We waited 10-15 minutes for a server. When one finally decided to wait on us I orded a White Zinfandel. The waitress said we could only get what was on the menu so I ordered a Chardonay. It took her another 15 minutes to bring me the drink. The drink was terrible. The place had lots of servers and was not really busy. This was definiately the worst service we had on the whole cruise. DH doesn't drink alcohol so we never revisited the Elite lounge the rest of the trip. I can't see drinking something I don't enjoy and with lousy service too!!

 

The rest of the Cruise was wonderful; we did not let this affect our cruise.

 

P.S. Service in Michael's club for the morning Elite continental breakfast was fine.

[gwrod]

I've had both early and late dining in conjunction with the elite lounge ..and I'm just glad to have the benefits. We never had them a year ago.

Bill

[Phxazzcruisers]

I totally agree with the above poster. I am just happy to have the additional benefit. It is obvious that no matter what is offered someone will not be happy. I am just appreciative for what we are offered. Whether we have early or late dining, we were always able to have a drink or two before dinner, or getting ready for dinner

[Dick in Falls Church]

Always interesting to sit back and observe folks complaining about a freebie.

 

Sort of like the workers who sued the company that stopped passing out free turkeys at Thanksgiving when their profits tanked to a loss.

 

On recent Century trip, on the first night a few came early to Michaels Club. One bartender, no servers.

All of a sudden, it got filled. Bartender was almost able to catch up pouring drinks, and most of us just went to the bar to order and pick up. At least one couple (maybe two), sat down, waited,waited, waited--then got up and stormed off, complaining about the lack of service.

A few minutes later, a couple of servers came. Still was full, and there wasn't someone at your elbow to grab your empty glass as you drained it, but was much better. The remaining days had enough servers. And by all means, tips are recommended.

 

Would it be nice to have 2 separate happy hours, one for early and one for late? Sure. Is it practical? Probably not.

Will there be a duty roster of Elites who sign up to be the "Fashion Police"?

Probably not. If your entire cruise will be ruined because someone wears plaid shorts, probably should not got to the happy hour.

 

And, as an aside, there were some folks on a Royal Caribbean cruise, back when they had to 5-8:30 (or whatever it was) who never left tor dinner. and a number returned after dinner. And one fellow who drained 7 Bloody Marys before heading for dinner.

 

I'll take advantage of it, have a couple of drinks and good conversaton, enjoy it, and be glad that it is there. And we usually leave room for the Martini bar before late dinner.

[Denny01]

.......

Anyway -- ALL OF US need to make sure we voice our opinion about the 4 to 6 PM timeframe in hopes they will get this fixed sooner than later!!!

 

Curt

Many of us have voiced our opinion and it doesn't line up with your opinion - many including Late Dining find this time just fine. We understand this is a freebe and telling them to add 1.5hrs that Only Late Diners can use or saying to make it wine only like RCL because the poster only drinks wine is a bit - make it meet my specific wants.

 

We have used the Elite lounge when dining both times and did just fine as did most others. The idea is to propose a change that doesn't cost the Line any more or lose them anymore businss by removing a venue for all. Not come up with just extending a benefit or having it just meet your particlar needs. In that vein, they should set up a free bar in my particlar SR that only I and my guests can use and no one else.

 

By the way this was discussed in many threads bemoaning the 4-6 on numerous threads all with the same recommendation of adding 1-2 hrs and starting it later for late diners and screwing Main diners, costing the Line more and tying up venues others can't use. Try another approach.

 

Den

[C 2 C]

We found the drink selection to be superior to those offered during the Captain's Club party and the Senior Officer's party.

 

The Happy Hour event suggested Smart Casual or better. On Equinox many people showed up in their pool wear, on Constellation, the dress code was controlled at the door and those wearing shorts were asked to change before being served. I prefer the ambiance of smart casual on Constellation prior to dinner much more than the back yard summer casual on S-class. I know that some people eat late, but I don't like the smell of sun tan lotion and the view of male arm pits prior to dinner. :cool:

 

We tipped our waiter daily and were rewarded by having our drinks served as soon as we arrived. We had one couple who joined us daily and were astounded by the great service we received. We never saw them tip however.:(

 

The time schedule is a major complaint on many cruises and I doubt that the time will be extended even though the late crowd do miss out. This is no excuse for giving the staff a hard time. For all those giving the Captain's Club hosts a hard time because they are following Celebrity guidelines; if the program does not fit your schedule nor your preferences, stick to the line that does it your way. I cruise on Celebrity because not every venue is the same as the pool deck and, that in some cases, staff actually ask guests to follow the guidelines that make it a little classier than the rest.

[Lois R]

My original post was really just a comment about finding out when

things happen....this type of change would probably come from a Press

Release.

 

I agree with Denny, Dave, and whoever else thinks things are good now.

I know what time they are offering complimentary beverages and I either

choose to go or not and I have late seating. I have been quite a few

times and its never been a problem.

 

I always end up at the Martini bar before dinner anyway...hey

Denny and Dave, meet me there and I will buy ya'll the first round:D

[gwrod]

We found the drink selection to be superior to those offered during the Captain's Club party and the Senior Officer's party.

 

The Happy Hour event suggested Smart Casual or better. On Equinox many people showed up in their pool wear, on Constellation, the dress code was controlled at the door and those wearing shorts were asked to change before being served. I prefer the ambiance of smart casual on Constellation prior to dinner much more than the back yard summer casual on S-class. I know that some people eat late, but I don't like the smell of sun tan lotion and the view of male arm pits prior to dinner. :cool:

 

We tipped our waiter daily and were rewarded by having our drinks served as soon as we arrived. We had one couple who joined us daily and were astounded by the great service we received. We never saw them tip however.:(

 

The time schedule is a major complaint on many cruises and I doubt that the time will be extended even though the late crowd do miss out. This is no excuse for giving the staff a hard time. For all those giving the Captain's Club hosts a hard time because they are following Celebrity guidelines; if the program does not fit your schedule nor your preferences, stick to the line that does it your way. I cruise on Celebrity because not every venue is the same as the pool deck and, that in some cases, staff actually ask guests to follow the guidelines that make it a little classier than the rest.

Well Said...Arno!!!

[ellbon]

Arno

i was upset how people dress for the captain's lunch and the senior officer party. I sit at the pool and still manage to put on a sundress both weeks.

it really does not kill people. .but to dress at 4 when i just came from snorkeling or a beach.. i would change but you might smell suntan lotion. sorry:(

i do agree about the drink choices and tipping. makes a huge difference in service.

[hancock]

I participated in 'Happy Hour' on the Infinity and Constellation. As the benefit was new on the Infinity when we sailed, we were a little confused on how to compensate the servers in Michael's Club. We tipped them several times during the cruise. On our second cruise on the Constellation there were over 300 Elite on board. Happy Hour was observed in the 'Bar on the Edge of the Earth'( which we quickly dubbed the 'Tacky Bar' because of the leftover decor from the Cirque fiasco). We tipped our server every night. We sat in the same seats each evening and our server quickly made her way to us and kept us well supplied. While we ate at late seating, we always changed into 'Smart Casual' before entering. It didn't take much effort to put on a sundress or a polo shirt and khakis before hand. We enjoyed our time. Watched the sun set. Then we headed to our cabins to change for formal evenings. While it would be nice to have a time later, I understand why X has chosen the hours 4-6.

 

Enjoy this benefit and remember to tip your servers.

[little britain]

Personally 4-6p is too early for me to start drinking but mustn't look a gift horse in the mouth (English saying) and if they are giving out free bubbles I guess I'll partake. Chardonnay = yeuch;) I personally don't like the idea of giving up my sunlounger that early but I'm worried if enough people complain they may take this perk away.

 

If RCI can offer the perk in the Diamond Event which is only wine, bubbles and soda for a longer duration then why can't X? IMHO I'd be happy to take a cut in the selection of spirits available (ie: none) for an extension in timings.

[wg6530]

I'm select now and will be elite after my cruise. I look forward to this extra benefit, whenever, wherever, no matter how others are dressed.

[Denny01]

My original post was really just a comment about finding out when

things happen....this type of change would probably come from a Press

Release.

 

I agree with Denny, Dave, and whoever else thinks things are good now.

I know what time they are offering complimentary beverages and I either

choose to go or not and I have late seating. I have been quite a few

times and its never been a problem.

 

I always end up at the Martini bar before dinner anyway...hey

Denny and Dave, meet me there and I will buy ya'll the first round:D

Lois - you're on! We need to find a common cruise. After reading my post I see it came across stronger and a bit 'I know better' then I meant. Thanks for responding nicely And offering a martini!

 

Den

[bububr]

This is a perk...not a requirement.

 

It was nice that it was offered along with internet and laundry...but they are not required...they are gifts and opportunities.

 

How would everyone feel if X simply decided to resind the new 'Benefits' because of a few complaints??? They have every right to...and guess what...the ships will still be full, they will still have loyal cruisers and they will still have complainers...so they gain or lose NOTHING either way.

 

I say leave it as it is...be APPRECIATIVE that we have it....or sail Royal....

 

Just sayin'

 

HI Lois!! we miss sailing with you! gotta do it again soon!!! Hugs!

 

Dave:eek:

[hajekfam]

At a time when Royal Caribbean was cutting back on the Concierge lounge, Celebrity went and added a similar benefit. I am grateful to see that Celebrity is offering more meaningful benefits.

I agree with the other posters about not complaining about a benefit. After all, it wasn't that long ago that there was no real benefit to being elite.

[hcat]

we enjoyed this perk very much on our Solstice medit cruise.. it was held in Michaels-- same folks showed up each evening.. very nice atmosphere, interesting converstaion. great service. Some days they had wine tasting or tastings from a specialty restaurant...

 

Quite a contrast to the trail mix & stale wine served to Diamonds in a bland card room on Royal C...

 

it's working fine for us on X!! if we have something else going on--we just skipped a day..