The NEW Celebrity Secrets thread (4/2013)

[Miss SeaBee]

I haven't seen this posted yet, forgive me if I am duplicating! The walls in corridors (and doors, I think) appear to be some other material, but are actually metal. I purchased some cheap white boards, about 8x10" size, with magnets on the back and some white board markers. You can post the board outside your cabin door to leave and receive messages from traveling companions and to leave notes for cabin steward. Other passersby also posted cute notes and smiley faces to us, which was really fun!

[Miss SeaBee]

In the good old days, your dining room waiter would advise you about the brunch the night before. Alas, those days are no more. Training and service are very iffy in the MDR.

 

So, this is how you find out about the brunch. It is listed in the Daily, but not in a place where any normal person would think to look for it. It's listed under the hours section for the MDR. So you need to check that every day if you want to go to the brunch. It will be on a sea day.

 

I am sad to hear this from you and lots of others. We have been so fortunate to have really good servers so far, and we rely on them to tell us of the big events for the coming day, which is always how I am aware of things like the galley tour, brunch, champagne tea, etc. I was so afraid last cruise we would have poorer service, since we had to do select dining, but it turned out fine, because we had an excellent server the first night, and we requested the same server and table for the rest of the cruise.

[MisterBill99]

I complained to the F&B manager about the poor publicity given to the brunch on our recent cruise on Constellation (we knew to look for it in the daily). He told me that the reason was because they didn't want it to be overcrowded! So they basically keep it a secret intentionally! I couldn't believe that answer, but it seems to be what they do across the company. I will say that it was less crowded than I've seen on other cruises, no problems getting in or finding a table!

[Sparkle 123]

Originally Posted by mundocruiser

This is not a Celebrity-specific secret, but it is a great tip.

We take a couple of bags of the mini-chocolate bars (Milky Way, Snickers, etc.) on each trip.

When we have someone bring something to our room, we wrap a dollar around one of those.

The crew loves them. The first time you hand it to them, they look puzzled at the lumpy dollar, but when they open it, they say, "Oh! Chocolate!"

You get amazing service from then on out. We have had extra canapes at night brought to us before dinner, extra strawberries, cookies with the decaff coffee we order at night and so on.

You also get service with a smile after that, too. Our steward said that they don't often have access to such things and that it was really nice to have it.

 

We have been doing this for many years. Being from the UK we always bring a bag of Cadburys treat size chocolate bars and and wrap a couple of dollars round one of the bars to give to the crew who deliver room service and we also put a bowl of chocolates in the cabin and tell our cabin steward and assistant to help themselves whenever they want a sweet treat. Its always very much appreciated, the Crunchie bars seem to be the most popular!!

Edited September 9, 2013 by abbafan

[upwarduk]

I complained to the F&B manager about the poor publicity given to the brunch on our recent cruise on Constellation (we knew to look for it in the daily). He told me that the reason was because they didn't want it to be overcrowded! So they basically keep it a secret intentionally! I couldn't believe that answer, but it seems to be what they do across the company. I will say that it was less crowded than I've seen on other cruises, no problems getting in or finding a table!

 

Great difficulty getting a table on our Souther Caribbean on Easter Sunday on Eclipse.

It seems a bad idea to me, to go to all that effort to make such wonderful food, to have it wasted through lack of support.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

we also put a bowl of chocolates in the cabin and tell our cabin steward and assistant to help themselves whenever they want a sweet treat. Its always very much appreciated, the Crunchie bars seem to be the most popular!!

 

Love this idea! Thanks for sharing.

[dread_pirate]

On Princess, we got chocolates every night at turn down. Do they do that on Celebrity? I'm assuming no, or the chocolates wouldn't be such a big hit!

[cknic]

On Princess, we got chocolates every night at turn down. Do they do that on Celebrity? I'm assuming no, or the chocolates wouldn't be such a big hit!

 

We got chocolates every night on our 8/5 Celebrity Infinity cruise.

[varoo]

We always got chocolates at turndown every night on every Celebrity cruise we have taken.

 

IMHO the chocolates from the Cova Cafe that they used to leave were better quality than the ones they have now.

 

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

On Princess, we got chocolates every night at turn down. Do they do that on Celebrity? I'm assuming no, or the chocolates wouldn't be such a big hit!

 

The turndown chocolates are for the customers, not the crew. I believe people have said the crew doesn't often have access to chocolates, thus they're liking to receive them as treats.

[retafcruiser]

The turndown chocolates are for the customers, not the crew. I believe people have said the crew doesn't often have access to chocolates, thus they're liking to receive them as treats.

 

Are we the only ones who do not eat many of their chocolates? The number we leave behind could satisfy a crewmember for a week!

Edited September 10, 2013 by retafcruiser
spelling

[maggie.1008]

We don`t eat them very often and I leave them in the cabin when we leave.

[Feelin' Nauti']

The small versions are your basic gin or vodka martinis as well as cosmos made with bar level ingredients or name call liquors such as Absolute & Stoli vodka or Beefeater & Tangueray gin. The premium package gets you upgraded liquors such as Ketel One, Belvedere or Grey Goose vodka as well as Bombay Sapphire gin. The premium package also gets you the larger martinis at the martini bar, the majority of which are 10 dollars. There are about 20 different various concoctions and not all of them contain gin or vodka.

 

I would wait until you get on board to peruse your different choices at both the martini bar as well as the molecular bar and see if the choices are appealing. It will only cost you 11.50 per day to upgrade since you got the classic package as part of the 123 or pick your perk promotions. You also get fancier bottled waters and fancier coffees with the premium package as well as the raised limits to 12 for alcoholic drinks instead of 5 for beer and 8 for wine and mixed drinks.

 

It's been a few years since I sailed on Celebrity.

Really enjoyed having the premium package. Gave me an opportunity to sample every martini they served. :o:p (licking lips)

Really looking forward to sailing on the Reflections.

 

Awesome thread. :D

Edited September 10, 2013 by Feelin' Nauti'

[Lois R]

It's been a few years since I sailed on Celebrity.

Really enjoyed having the premium package. Gave me an opportunity to sample every martini they served. :o:p (licking lips)

Really looking forward to sailing on the Reflections.

 

Awesome thread. :D

 

Hi:) this is just an FYI if you want to correct the spelling in your

signature;)...the ship is not plural.......REFLECTION:D

[MisterBill99]

Are we the only ones who do not eat many of their chocolates? The number we leave behind could satisfy a crewmember for a week!

I never eat them. I keep waiting for a variety with dark chocolate and it never shows up, just milk (yuck). Can you give them to the crew? Do they toss them when you leave them in your cabin?

[dinosaurdem]

Yes, sushi. Watch the Daily for exact times on your ship and sailing.

 

Breakfast buffet -- made to order omelettes, waffles, pancakes, french toast, sometimes blintzes, cereals (hot and cold), pastries, meat, grilled tomatoes or mushrooms, cheese, fruit, fish, yogurt, sometimes Asian offerings, sometimes corned beef hash, it's probably easier to ask if there's anything that isn't on the breakfast buffet.

 

Eggs Benedict!

[happybos]

We have been doing this for many years. Being from the UK we always bring a bag of Cadburys treat size chocolate bars and and wrap a couple of dollars round one of the bars to give to the crew who deliver room service and we also put a bowl of chocolates in the cabin and tell our cabin steward and assistant to help themselves whenever they want a sweet treat. Its always very much appreciated, the Crunchie bars seem to be the most popular!!

 

I love this idea BUT my husband would eat them all!!!

[myjillian]

You know , I hate to admit to this but we have always been in a concierge class cabin and it wasn't until we were on about the 9th day of our 12 day wine tasting cruise on the Connie last Fall that I actually looked at the room service breakfast menu that was in our cabin. Had no idea that we could get fresh squeezed OJ for free at room service. And....to make matters worse I had bought "fresh squeezed" several times at breakfast as a treat.:p So this Jan. we will be on the Connie again and in concierge again..but ELITE for the first time...anybody out there that can tell me what I can do with the Elite that I may not know about??? Secrets anyone???? By the way every time we go on a cruise and meet our room steward for the first time I always shake his hand with a folder $20 bill in my hand. We always get all the hangers we like , pillows galore and any furniture that we don't want taken out of our room etc.:cool:

Edited September 12, 2013 by myjillian

[barbels]

Elites get a red rose in the cabin. Also there is fresh squeezed juice at the Elite Breakfast.

[TenerifeSharon]

You know , I hate to admit to this but we have always been in a concierge class cabin and it wasn't until we were on about the 9th day of our 12 day wine tasting cruise on the Connie last Fall that I actually looked at the room service breakfast menu that was in our cabin. Had no idea that we could get fresh squeezed OJ for free at room service. And....to make matters worse I had bought "fresh squeezed" several times at breakfast as a treat.:p So this Jan. we will be on the Connie again and in concierge again..but ELITE for the first time...anybody out there that can tell me what I can do with the Elite that I may not know about??? Secrets anyone???? By the way every time we go on a cruise and meet our room steward for the first time I always shake his hand with a folder $20 bill in my hand. We always get all the hangers we like , pillows galore and any furniture that we don't want taken out of our room etc.:cool:

 

If you weren't aware of the freshly squeezed OJ, hope you at least tried the variety of fruit smoothies that are available on the room service breakfast menu for Concierge level or above!:) (Although recently I haven't thought they were as good as they used to be -- maybe I'm just "jaded".)

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

Elites get a red rose in the cabin. Also there is fresh squeezed juice at the Elite Breakfast.

 

Sometimes. That was one of the many service lapses on the Infinity this spring.

[myjillian]

If you weren't aware of the freshly squeezed OJ, hope you at least tried the variety of fruit smoothies that are available on the room service breakfast menu for Concierge level or above!:) (Although recently I haven't thought they were as good as they used to be -- maybe I'm just "jaded".)

fruit smothies:p and fresh squeezed OJ....I will have to make up for what I have missed in the past LOL... at the ELITE breakfast ??? where is the Elite breakfast held ????

Edited September 12, 2013 by myjillian

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

fruit smothies:p and fresh squeezed OJ....I will have to make up for what I have missed in the past LOL... at the ELITE breakfast ??? where is the Elite breakfast held ????

 

Depends on the ship. There will be a notice in your cabin. That's also the only place on the ship besides Al Bacio that you can get almond croissants.

[Sail Girl]

Sometimes. That was one of the many service lapses on the Infinity this spring.

 

Wow! Even simple things got missed!!

We got our rose from the Captain's Club Hostess while on the Summit in August. Melissa Snow was the Hostess.

Sorry to hear of all that occurred on your cruise. Perhaps were lucky or maybe there were changes in management since you sailed on her.

[sevenseasnomad]

Are we the only ones who do not eat many of their chocolates? The number we leave behind could satisfy a crewmember for a week!

 

Take them home! Place them in an airtight bag, stick in frig. Whenever we get a hankering to be on a ship, (ok, so that's every day we're not sailing, right?) we eat one. Just looking at the ones that HA gives out, gold-foil wrapped with embossed company logo, brings a smile to our faces as we recall happy times aboard their ships.

 

I'm looking forward to "collecting" those that Celebrity places on my pillow during April Reflection cruise for the same reasons.