Contemplating Concierge Class - not sure if it's worth it?

[leela14]

We are looking into booking a Med Cruise on the Silhouette. For $100 more per person we can book CC but I just don't know if it's worth it.

· What exactly is “Personalized Concierge Service”? What services are you getting?

· Priority Disembarkation “based on your travel needs” – what does this mean? On our last cruises the worst part was sitting on the floor for hours waiting for our turn to leave, it was HORRIBLE and one of the reasons I haven’t been able to talk my husband into a cruise for a while. They also mention “Access to the exclusive Concierge Class Pre-departure lounge” – I assume this means not having to sit around on the floor and stairs for hours?

· It says you get seating time preferences for the MDR and specialty restaurants – does that mean I wouldn’t have to go online and plan out every night myself – that I could wait until on the ship? Or do I still have to do it myself?

The Amenities are not a big deal to us – it would be all about the better services for booking meals and especially a more comforotable and relaxing disembarkation process.

[NLH Arizona]

We are looking into booking a Med Cruise on the Silhouette. For $100 more per person we can book CC but I just don't know if it's worth it.

 

· What exactly is “Personalized Concierge Service”? What services are you getting?

· Priority Disembarkation “based on your travel needs” – what does this mean? On our last cruises the worst part was sitting on the floor for hours waiting for our turn to leave, it was HORRIBLE and one of the reasons I haven’t been able to talk my husband into a cruise for a while. They also mention “Access to the exclusive Concierge Class Pre-departure lounge” – I assume this means not having to sit around on the floor and stairs for hours?

· It says you get seating time preferences for the MDR and specialty restaurants – does that mean I wouldn’t have to go online and plan out every night myself – that I could wait until on the ship? Or do I still have to do it myself?

 

The Amenities are not a big deal to us – it would be all about the better services for booking meals and especially a more comforotable and relaxing disembarkation process.

I was in a CC cabin in November. No sure I can answer many of your questions.

 

I did not use the personalized concierge service.

 

Priority disembarkation - They had me set to debark at the next to the last time and I went down and asked for an earlier time - I did tell her I had cc class, but that didn't seem to matter. She finally gave me an earlier time, but from what I saw - there was no priority disembarkation. The pre-departure lounge, was actually a business meeting room, with chairs, a tv, some juices and pastries. We couldn't hear the announcements, but a staff member came in and told us which group was leaving. It certainly was better than being in a cattle call in one of the public rooms.

 

Didn't use the preferred seating, since I had the late seating for dinner, which was set up by my TA.

 

I enjoy CC class because of the location of the cabin. I also enjoy the fruit bowl; keeps me from eating unhealthy snacks. I tell them upon boarding that I don't want the hors d'oeuvres, since I don't like them - you can ask for something else if you like.

[tserface]

I've done CC 2 times and not regretted it.

 

I don't know what Personalized Concierge Service is... never used it. I wouldn't count on this feature being of much use. I think everyone gets this.

 

There is a special lounge for getting off the ship, but it's also for Elites, Suite guests, etc. and there are so many that it doesn't make a lot of difference. It also doesn't take long to get off the ship anyway.

 

I'm not sure the seating times priority thing is worth much either.

 

So, if you are going on "S" class then CC won't get you much more if you don't care about the footstools, sparkling wine, fruit, pillows, better shower, towels, afternoon snacks, etc. We are on CC for our April cruise because we got a great deal on the upgrade. I think they have trouble selling the CC rooms on "S" class since they are the same size and people don't think the "stuff" is worth it. I think we paid about $20 each more so we thought it was worth it just for the footstools and we like the shrimp in the afternoon.

 

On "M" class ships the rooms are slightly bigger.

 

On both ships you get an extra sailing credit towards becoming Elite so lots of people will pay extra (to a point) just to get to that status. Elite status on Celebrity gives you tons of great perks as a loyal customer so it's really worth working towards.

 

Tom

 

We are looking into booking a Med Cruise on the Silhouette. For $100 more per person we can book CC but I just don't know if it's worth it.

· What exactly is “Personalized Concierge Service”? What services are you getting?

· Priority Disembarkation “based on your travel needs” – what does this mean? On our last cruises the worst part was sitting on the floor for hours waiting for our turn to leave, it was HORRIBLE and one of the reasons I haven’t been able to talk my husband into a cruise for a while. They also mention “Access to the exclusive Concierge Class Pre-departure lounge” – I assume this means not having to sit around on the floor and stairs for hours?

· It says you get seating time preferences for the MDR and specialty restaurants – does that mean I wouldn’t have to go online and plan out every night myself – that I could wait until on the ship? Or do I still have to do it myself?

The Amenities are not a big deal to us – it would be all about the better services for booking meals and especially a more comforotable and relaxing disembarkation process.

[tserface]

We're typically not in a hurry to get off the ship. We get to go to a nice lounge where they have coffee, tea, and sweet rolls so we just sit around playing cards and enjoying being on the ship and reminiscing about the cruise while we wait. Since we have smart phones we also use the time to catch up on facebook, email, and play a few games. The time always goes by quickly and we're usually dragging our feet getting off the ship. It's nicer since the luggage feeding frenzy has slowed down a bit.

 

I'm always surprised at the "can't wait to get on can't wait to get off" syndrome.

 

If people have to catch flights or be somewhere then that makes a lot of sense of course and we should let those people go first.

 

I remember once I was on an airplane coming into SLC and we were delayed so a few of us had connecting flights. The nice cabin attendant announced several times that those who are staying here or continuing should stay seated so those who needed to run to flights could get off the plane quickly. When the seat belt light went off *everyone* on the plane stood up to get off.

 

Could be that *everyone* on the plane had a connecting flight, but I doubt that was the case. So, we, who were in a hurry had to suffer the stress of waiting for all of those in front of us to deplane.

 

I missed my connection by 3 minutes :( and had to wait in the airport for 6 hours for the next flight.

 

I guess it's nice that some in front of me got home or that sandwich they really wanted a little quicker, but... I will always pay attention to the cabin attendants requests.

 

On a cruise we figure it's better to just let everyone who wants to get off quickly go for it.

 

Tom

 

I was in a CC cabin in November. No sure I can answer many of your questions.

 

I did not use the personalized concierge service.

 

Priority disembarkation - They had me set to debark at the next to the last time and I went down and asked for an earlier time - I did tell her I had cc class, but that didn't seem to matter. She finally gave me an earlier time, but from what I saw - there was no priority disembarkation. The pre-departure lounge, was actually a business meeting room, with chairs, a tv, some juices and pastries. We couldn't hear the announcements, but a staff member came in and told us which group was leaving. It certainly was better than being in a cattle call in one of the public rooms.

 

Didn't use the preferred seating, since I had the late seating for dinner, which was set up by my TA.

 

I enjoy CC class because of the location of the cabin. I also enjoy the fruit bowl; keeps me from eating unhealthy snacks. I tell them upon boarding that I don't want the hors d'oeuvres, since I don't like them - you can ask for something else if you like.

[NLH Arizona]

I'm always surprised at the "can't wait to get on can't wait to get off" syndrome.

 

If people have to catch flights or be somewhere then that makes a lot of sense of course and we should let those people go first.

 

I guess it's nice that some in front of me got home or that sandwich they really wanted a little quicker, but... I will always pay attention to the cabin attendants requests.

 

On a cruise we figure it's better to just let everyone who wants to get off quickly go for it.

 

Tom

If someone wants to get off first or stand in line for a sandwich first, I guess it is their business and I don't judge them for what they do or why they do it.

 

FYI, I was staying in San Juan for an extra day and had arranged for early check in, so I wanted to get to the hotel so I could enjoy the "entire day" in San Juan since I was on vacation.

 

Also, our pre-departure lounge was not crowded at all; there were always empty chairs.

[dkjretired]

The Concierge service is available to everyone on the ship, I just see that as a marketing gimmick.

 

No one on this board has ever figured out what the seating time preferences for the dining rooms is, I would not wait to get on board to book any specialties if you are really concerned about a time.

 

The general consensus I believe on this board is that Concierge is not really worth it on the S class ships since all the cabins are pretty much the same, veranda, concierge or Aqua. They are worth it on the M class ships where some of the Concierge cabins give more room and/or bigger verandas.

 

Just a suggestion but check your cruise and see how much more an AQ cabin is. You get all the Concierge benefits plus the ability to eat in Blu which is like eating in a specialty restaurant every night.

[leela14]

I asked my TA the same questions and she called Celebrity - and they told her this "little known fact" - her words - maybe it's known around here.

 

Celebrity told her that when you go online to book meal times that some are "blacked out" for Concierge, Suite and Elite members. You wouldn't know it - you would just see that certain times were not available and would think they are booked.

 

That's interesting.

[baldercash]

The Aqua class is worth the bump in price if close to CC cost.

[tserface]

In my case some of us were late because of weather and had to make connecting flights. As it turns out I missed mine and had to wait for 6 hours to get the next one. It would have been nice if some in front of me could have waited for 15 minutes if they didn't have somewhere else they had to be and were just being impatient, but I confess that is just my opinion. I understand that the definition of inconsiderate is sometimes subjective.

 

If nothing is at stake for anyone and someone just wants to get off because they are impatient, then I say no harm no foul. In my case the attendants had specifically requested those in front to stay seated if they could. I don't know everyone's situation of course, but it's hard to believe that everyone had to be somewhere immediately. Our course, that could have been the case. Anything is possible.

 

Tom

 

If someone wants to get off first or stand in line for a sandwich first, I guess it is their business and I don't judge them for what they do or why they do it.

 

FYI, I was staying in San Juan for an extra day and had arranged for early check in, so I wanted to get to the hotel so I could enjoy the "entire day" in San Juan since I was on vacation.

 

Also, our pre-departure lounge was not crowded at all; there were always empty chairs.

[Happy2cruise]

We booked Concierge Class for the extra point towards making elite.....have a ways to go as our first Celebrity cruise will be in March! Once that status is reach, it will be a regular balcony.

[leela14]

The Aqua class is worth the bump in price if close to CC cost.

 

WAY WAY more expensive on this cruise. Not that interested in BLU anyways.

[upwarduk]

The Concierge service is available to everyone on the ship, I just see that as a marketing gimmick.

 

I have never been in Concierge, but if I had, it would have saved us going on our last cruise, as we would have reached ELITE earlier, as you gain an extra point.

Now that we are Elite, I doubt we will use the facility, although it is interesting that the cabins are bigger on the 'M' class ships. I must remember that if prices go down before our TA in October.

[leela14]

We booked Concierge Class for the extra point towards making elite.....have a ways to go as our first Celebrity cruise will be in March! Once that status is reach, it will be a regular balcony.

 

Us too - we aren't huge time cruisers - we go on one every 3 or 4 years and alternate with land based vacations. This is our first Celebrity - we've done 2 RCCL and one Norweigan.

[NLH Arizona]

In my case some of us were late because of weather and had to make connecting flights. As it turns out I missed mine and had to wait for 6 hours to get the next one. It would have been nice if some in front of me could have waited for 15 minutes if they didn't have somewhere else they had to be and were just being impatient, but I confess that is just my opinion. I understand that the definition of inconsiderate is sometimes subjective.

 

If nothing is at stake for anyone and someone just wants to get off because they are impatient, then I say no harm no foul. In my case the attendants had specifically requested those in front to stay seated if they could. I don't know everyone's situation of course, but it's hard to believe that everyone had to be somewhere immediately. Our course, that could have been the case. Anything is possible.

 

Tom

I agree, it would have been nice if some were to have waited, if they didnt have a connection; I always do (if asked), if I don't have a connection myself. But saying that, you have no idea if those in front of you also had connections, etc., so why judge them without knowing. I learned the hard way to book my connection (when leaving for a trip), to make sure my connections are at least 2 hours, if possible.

 

You said: I'm always surprised at the "can't wait to get on can't wait to get off" syndrome and ...because they are impatient. Well, please tell me why it matters to you if I get off at 8:30 or at 10:45; who did I harm or how was I impatient? If people just concentrate on what they do, not others, it sure would be a great world!

[tserface]

It doesn't matter to me. I just said I was surprised by it. It's not a judgement. The paradigm is not restricted to cruisers. That's why I related the plane story.

 

I have witnessed a lot of impatient people getting off the ship. Some of them are really cranky. I can't figure out why they are in such a hurry to get away from vacation. Could be they all have early flights to catch. I don't care, I just don't get it. I realize it's just a difference of opinion. I don't think, in that case, anyone is harmed except perhaps the people causing themselves a lot of extra stress :)

 

Getting back to the intention of the thread... I don't think being in CC makes any difference as to whether you get off sooner or not.

 

My plane connection was over 2 hours after we were supposed to get there. I missed it by 3 minutes. Lots of other people could have been late as well. That's why the attendants almost pleaded with people to wait if they could. It could have been that every single person in front of me had the same circumstance as me. I don't believe that, but it could be true.

 

Tom

 

 

I agree, it would have been nice if some were to have waited, if they didnt have a connection; I always do (if asked), if I don't have a connection myself. But saying that, you have no idea if those in front of you also had connections, etc., so why judge them without knowing. I learned the hard way to book my connection (when leaving for a trip), to make sure my connections are at least 2 hours, if possible.

 

You said: I'm always surprised at the "can't wait to get on can't wait to get off" syndrome and ...because they are impatient. Well, please tell me why it matters to you if I get off at 8:30 or at 10:45; who did I harm or how was I impatient? If people just concentrate on what they do, not others, it sure would be a great world!

[fishycomics]

CC It has its ups & downs, for some better and others worse. So who is to blame, you for not going about the ins and outs of it?

 

CC gets you a better positioned room, on board there are sections, dedicated for standard, and CC.

 

Bowl of fruit, oir derbs (SP( the fruit is great, the lil pieces of food not.

 

Flowers in roon two flowers, TWO FLOWERS, no more.

 

A tote bag to keep

 

A bottle of wine

 

a better quality towel, pillow blankets.

 

And time to check off, as well what others mention.

 

For you to Schedule Dinner. that is a simple thing everyone does, tell them the time, and its done. we chose to eat a6pm each and every night. and never a headache.

 

For we chose to get off at a certain time, we did so with not an issue at all, or wait at customs. if you chose to get off at rush hour, you get rushed hour services.

 

For CC you pay extra, add it up and it is not much more than Standard rooms, best yet, the CC and standard are identical in size, and does not offer any other differences but a price tag.

 

How we were treated, we always are happy, no matter the outcome, beggers are choosy, as different strokes for different folks

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

We've sailed in CC twice with a third CC cruise coming up. I was never quite sure what we were getting because of Diamond Plus/Elite status or because we were in the CC class.

 

I'm always pleased with any gesture a cruise line makes, but confess those afternoon canapes are--well, lets just say I let Hubby eat them all. And guess what, they are the same on every Celebrity ship! I thought they would vary by ship but they don't. I think the canapes could be better.

 

On Millennium there was a big suite down the hall from us. They had a butler who came around each afternon with a cart filled with yummy-looking treats, cookies, pastries,and more...not our anemic little canapes. Wow! Now that is a question. Is it worth it to pay for a big luxury suite and get that fabulous level of service?

[ladylemondrop]

I just want to say i love your cruise critic name "gangway style" that made my day!!:D

[maggie.1008]

We will be in CC on our next cruise but only $10.pp. If you are already elite I don`t feel there is much benefit in CC. Had a suite on our last cruise and it`s hard to go back the way. We cruise 4 times a year so we can`t go suite everytime.

[greeneg]

Where CC does make a significant difference is on the M class ships where it gets you a 191 sq ft room instead of 170. On the S class it probably isn't worth the extra money.

 

One man's opinion.

[leela14]

Thanks everyone - I think we will book 9294 (1A) and skip the Concierge class on this one. I really appreciated the insight!

[ariawoman]

I just want to say i love your cruise critic name "gangway style" that made my day!!:D

 

I saw the posters name "gangway style" and presumed they'd have to be new to cruise critic since the song isn't that old, but they have over 7k posts..

 

So - did PSY take your name and spin it? ;-) Or did you have them change your name for you lol

[ariawoman]

We are looking into booking a Med Cruise on the Silhouette. For $100 more per person we can book CC but I just don't know if it's worth it.

 

· What exactly is “Personalized Concierge Service”? What services are you getting?

· Priority Disembarkation “based on your travel needs” – what does this mean? On our last cruises the worst part was sitting on the floor for hours waiting for our turn to leave, it was HORRIBLE and one of the reasons I haven’t been able to talk my husband into a cruise for a while. They also mention “Access to the exclusive Concierge Class Pre-departure lounge” – I assume this means not having to sit around on the floor and stairs for hours?

· It says you get seating time preferences for the MDR and specialty restaurants – does that mean I wouldn’t have to go online and plan out every night myself – that I could wait until on the ship? Or do I still have to do it myself?

 

The Amenities are not a big deal to us – it would be all about the better services for booking meals and especially a more comforotable and relaxing disembarkation process.

 

For an S class ship I think I'd only book CC if i weren't already elite (which I'm not - so I'm hoping to until i get up there!). I have a CC reserved for my Summit cruise in October. My first CC to boot. I've done only 1A on Celebrity so far.

[NLH Arizona]

It doesn't matter to me. I just said I was surprised by it. It's not a judgement. The paradigm is not restricted to cruisers. That's why I related the plane story.

 

I have witnessed a lot of impatient people getting off the ship. Some of them are really cranky. I can't figure out why they are in such a hurry to get away from vacation. Could be they all have early flights to catch. I don't care, I just don't get it. I realize it's just a difference of opinion. I don't think, in that case, anyone is harmed except perhaps the people causing themselves a lot of extra stress :)

 

 

Tom

No one harmed here nor was I cranky, since I was on the beautiful beaches of San Juan for the whole day.

 

Judge not lest ye be judged!

[phoenix_dream]

I would not book a CC room on an S class unless the price differential was minor. Even then, I would only do it for two reasons - location and footstools (or in the case of M class, extra space in the room). (I am already Elite so don't need the points). Some of the 'benefits' are dubious in my opinion. Frankly, I prefer the normal sized towels in regular rooms - trying to fit that thick bath towel on my head when my hair is wet makes me feel like one of those dancers in a Las Vegas production show:). I also prefer the thinner bathrobes as they do not take up so much room in the closet. We have always been successful asking our room steward for feather pillows, even though there is no official 'menu' in standard cabins. If you like appetizers, just put in a standing order from room service for fruit, or cheese plates, or similar. Pack your own umbrella and bring along a small pair of binoculars. For way less than the difference in price of the rooms (usually) you can order yourself a whole boquet of flowers. That takes care of the majority of the so-called 'perks', but to each there own - some people love the little extras.