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

[jackdiamond]

[quote name='Spender Nui']This may seem naive but exactly does the Elite Happy Hour do for me?

Complimentary, discounted, limited selections?

Can I take my beverage and leave?[/quote]
Are you elite?

[Spender Nui]

[quote name='jackdiamond']Are you elite?[/QUOTE]

Yes, going back to Chandris. My 40th & 41st are booked.

[Lois R]

[quote name='Spender Nui']This may seem naive but exactly does the Elite Happy Hour do for me?

Complimentary, discounted, limited selections?

Can I take my beverage and leave?[/quote]

Hi...can you take your beverage with you? Nope.
What do you get? In the mornings, they serve pastries, bagels,
cereal, fruit, coffee, tea, mimosas, bloody marys, lattes, cappuchinos's
etc....all the beverages are complimentary.

In the afternoons, I don't have the list but you receive all
complimentary adult beverages and hor'dorves.
About a dozen different drink offerings....just guessing from memory.
Maybe someone can post the list.

[Spender Nui]

[quote name='Lois R']Hi...can you take your beverage with you? Nope.
What do you get? In the mornings, they serve pastries, bagels,
cereal, fruit, coffee, tea, mimosas, bloody marys, lattes, cappuchinos's
etc....all the beverages are complimentary.

In the afternoons, I don't have the list but you receive all
complimentary adult beverages and hor'dorves.
About a dozen different drink offerings....just guessing from memory.
Maybe someone can post the list.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for your helpful response.

Rather than have to go at an inconvenient time I'd rather they let me bring my own beverage aboard.

We enjoy a drink while getting ready for dinner. This would make me happy and save them some $$$ too. Win, Win for everyone.

It was so much easier when they would sell duty free in the terminal before boarding and announce when you could pick it up.

I'm happy to buy my own on board for in cabin consumption but hate to be ripped off (although I have done it) with the on board bottle prices when they could do it duty free ... or at least make it reasonable.

Willing to give up the perk if they'll let me BYOB.

[Ma Bell]

I agree that the times they have chosen seem to be the best for a two hour time period. If they started at 5:15 the early diners would only have 45 minutes available to them. From 4 to 6 is available to everyone. It may not be a pre-dinner cocktail, but we still have the same time as everyone else if we care to participate. Now, with the advent of Select Dining, there are even more variables to consider.

I think it's more of a social opportunity than anything else and it's actually quite a nice time of the day to visit with friends.

[RodPat]

I think what everyone is missing is that this gives us all a venue to relax and meet others who have sailed many times on Celebrity. We were on Solstice in March and felt this was a great perk. Yes the drinks are limited. I usually drink Grey Goose and hate Absolute but I drank Beefeater Gin every evening and loved it. I used to drink it all the time before Vodka became the drink of choice. We met so many nice people on our trip and most came from this lounge. We got to have one on one with the Captain's club hostess and she was one of the best we have ever had. Some of us look for the best in everything and some look just to complain. I say enjoy what we are given.

Pat

[jackdiamond]

Pat,
Thanks for posting.
Jack

[Schplinky]

[quote name='Ma Bell']

I think it's more of a social opportunity than anything else and it's actually quite a nice time of the day to visit with friends.[/quote]


I agree. These gatherings are great times to chat with people who love cruising as much as we do. We have learned a lot of great travel tips at them.

[bubbie617]

We always choose late dining, and when we were on Mercury in January, 4-6 worked out fine for us. We stopped in on several days to relax and DH would have a drink. I don't drink alcohol so I wish they would have coffee available, but I quickly learned to bring it with me. It is a very pleasant way to spend an hour or so. Sometimes I would go in earlier when it was quiet to read and relax.

On Solstice at the end of the month, we will have flexible dining in Blu, so the times are not as crucial, but we work it out no matter what. I think it's a lovely perk, and I'm not about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Ma Bell - we will definitely have to arrange to meet for a drink one afternoon. :)

[Ma Bell]

Thanks Susan, I look forward to meeting you.:)

[zebra36]

During my first and only experience with the "Elite Cocktail Hours" on the Mercury last fall many folks, I guess the early dinner ones, were ordering a drink at last call and just carrying it out with them to dinner I suppose. Do not want to debate the right or wrong of this but just my observation, and no I did not need to as I was on the late seating and had to detox before dinner.

[excitedofharpenden]

[quote name='RodPat']I think what everyone is missing is that this gives us all a venue to relax and meet others who have sailed many times on Celebrity. We were on Solstice in March and felt this was a great perk. Yes the drinks are limited. I usually drink Grey Goose and hate Absolute but I drank Beefeater Gin every evening and loved it. I used to drink it all the time before Vodka became the drink of choice. We met so many nice people on our trip and most came from this lounge. We got to have one on one with the Captain's club hostess and she was one of the best we have ever had. Some of us look for the best in everything and some look just to complain. I say enjoy what we are given.

Pat[/QUOTE]
Pat, I agree. It was a nice venue to enjoy the company of others (both those you know on the cruise and those you haven't met before). I didn't go there every day, but appreciated it all the same when I attended.

Phil

[C 2 C]

[quote name='Lois R']Hi...can you take your beverage with you? Nope.

In the afternoons, I don't have the list but you receive all
complimentary adult beverages and hors d'oeuvres.
About a dozen different drink offerings....just guessing from memory.
Maybe someone can post the list.[/quote]

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[cruie4ever]

We always vie for erarly seating & generally enjoy one or two cocktails before dinner .

This perk has been great & I agree that it is important to tip your servers .

For those in late seating we can empathise with you ;however ,none of us Elite memebers have any control over what Celebrity decides.

Enjoy this perk while it lasts .

[CRUZBUDS]

I suspect the perk will last for a while... Royal got spanked badly when they took away the Conceirge Lounge from the Diamond members. I doubt they are anxious to repeat that fiasco.

On our recent Royal trip no one left the lounge without a full glass of wine. I think they have the same policy of not taking drinks, but there were no signs and the servers encouraged last call.

It was also no problem to take your drink from the lounge where the Diamond event was held to the larger lounge next door. The sunset view was better from there. People would just go back to the Diamond area for re-fills. It was very nice.

A large number of our CC group wre Diamond which made it even nicer.

[excitedofharpenden]

[quote name='cruie4ever']

For those in late seating we can empathise with you ;however ,none of us Elite memebers have any control over what Celebrity decides.

[/QUOTE]
I always eat late, but it wasn't an issue. Just a nice place to go and socialise. You can please some of the people all of the time and all of the people..... etc etc.

Phil

[Blazerboy]

(Hey, Phil! Taking a sec to post to my current roll call, and saw your post. :) Saw Joannie recently...tried to get her to cruise with us in a few weeks. Sadly, no go.)

I'll report back on the perk in about three weeks, and give my first hand opinion, but the sense I have is that, after a year of 60 to 80 hour work weeks, they can offer me YooHoo in a plastic cup at 10:00 a.m. in the teen lounge, and I'll still be happy to be there.:D

(In the office now...Sunday morning...writing reports...or about to be.)

Andrew

[WestCoastCruzinator]

[quote name='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[/quote]

I'm with you, for YEARS Elites complained about not having decent bene's and now they have some of the best afloat and the complaints still roll in. :rolleyes:

[Wine-O]

[quote name='WestCoastCruzinator']I'm with you, for YEARS Elites complained about not having decent bene's and now they have some of the best afloat and the complaints still roll in. :rolleyes:[/quote]

They have an old saying in the U.S. Navy -- A bitching sailor is a happy sailor. :D

[jackdiamond]

We believe that the perks are just fine. Sadly, there is an element in our society who want everything for nothing; and, even then they are not happy.

[excitedofharpenden]

[quote name='Blazerboy'](Hey, Phil! Taking a sec to post to my current roll call, and saw your post. :) Saw Joannie recently...tried to get her to cruise with us in a few weeks. Sadly, no go.)

I'll report back on the perk in about three weeks, and give my first hand opinion, but the sense I have is that, after a year of 60 to 80 hour work weeks, they can offer me YooHoo in a plastic cup at 10:00 a.m. in the teen lounge, and I'll still be happy to be there.:D

(In the office now...Sunday morning...writing reports...or about to be.)

Andrew[/QUOTE]
Hey Andrew! Joanie told me you tried to persuade her, but that it might not meet with universal approval at home. Don't understand that. I mean, how much could you and Ed lead her astray?:eek::p

Enjoy Solstice. I know you'll enjoy the perks. I'll let the Captain's Club Hostess know about the YooHoo. What flavour do you like?

Phil

[Lois R]

[quote name='excitedofharpenden']Hey Andrew! Joanie told me you tried to persuade her, but that it might not meet with universal approval at home. Don't understand that. I mean, how much could you and Ed lead her astray?:eek::p

Enjoy Solstice. I know you'll enjoy the perks. I'll let the Captain's Club Hostess know about the YooHoo. What flavour do you like?

Phil[/quote]

Hi Phil and Andrew:)...Phil, chocolate of course....is there any other
flavor of REAL Yoohoo?:D

[excitedofharpenden]

[quote name='Lois R']Hi Phil and Andrew:)...Phil, chocolate of course....is there any other
flavor of REAL Yoohoo?:D[/QUOTE]
Hi Lois! Choc works for me too. Strawberry doesn't quite cut it;)

Phil

[CRUZBUDS]

[COLOR=red]" Sadly, there is an element in our society who want everything for nothing; and, even then they are not happy."[/COLOR]

WOW :confused:

[Lois R]

[quote name='excitedofharpenden']Hi Lois! Choc works for me too. Strawberry doesn't quite cut it;)

Phil[/quote]

Hi Phil,:)....I agree. As much as I like strawberries, Yahoo IS chocolate!:D