New Amenities Added to Concierge Class

[MicCanberra]

LOL....and judging by the Chef's menu on my last cruise, I think the meal was made by Michelin!!!! :D

 

But I am thrilled not to have to eat off the buffet on embarkation day...last cruise it was all that was open and I spent 25 minutes walking around with a plate of food looking for a table for 4 of us to sit down and eat. I don't EVER want to have to so that again.

 

I agree about the Buffet, I avoid it. There are always options, like Bistro on 5 or even eating lunch before boarding.

[lakeeffect]

As regards the Concierge: on Reflection the concierge has regular hours on the 12th floor which were posted in the dailies. She was very helpful in pulling up descriptions of shore excursions and she went out of her way to call the Borghese Gallery (which is in no way affiliated with Celebrity) for tickets for us, but unfortunately it was sold out. I was very impressed as we have never had this kind of service from Guest Relations or Captains Club.

[WestLakeGirl]

Not surprised, Captains Club hos's job is to cordon ate Captains Club activities, membership, info. Not to Book things ashore. Guest Relations job is to answer questions and solve problems aboard, also not to book things ashore for you

[SheriffJoe]

As regards the Concierge: on Reflection the concierge has regular hours on the 12th floor which were posted in the dailies. She was very helpful in pulling up descriptions of shore excursions and she went out of her way to call the Borghese Gallery (which is in no way affiliated with Celebrity) for tickets for us, but unfortunately it was sold out. I was very impressed as we have never had this kind of service from Guest Relations or Captains Club.

 

Same on Solstice, hours are posted in the daily and she was always there. Also left us a voice mail introducing herself and what she could do for us. Our Lamb Chops were also excellent for Lunch, some of the best I've ever had actually

[cyclone134]

Can't,Wait:)

[YYC F/A]

It would be helpful if Celebrity could clarify on AQ benefits.

 

It does "appear" from the website that there have been many downgrades to the AQ offering, while Concierge Class conversely is receiving upgrades.

 

Downgrades to AQ experience would appear to include:

1. Removal of Concierge service - no access to a dedicated concierge like CC or Suites
   
2. No welcome Blanc de Blanc sparkling wine
   
3. No daily deliveries of bottled water (just two small bottles on embarkation day only)
   
4. No embarkation day luncheon (whether at MDR or at Blu) - not sure though if this was officially ever part of the original AQ roll out though (seemed to vary by ship historically)
   

 

While they may seem nominal, it is definitely strange that Celebrity would DOWNGRADE the AQ amenities like this while upgrading CC - especially given that AQ is classed as a higher category (the highest other than Suites) and is recognised with higher tier earning credits accordingly.

 

Additionally - when folks choose to book AQ based on a defined list of advertised array of amenities - how do you reconcile that when they get onboard and they've been quietly stripped away? Celebrity should at least be honest and indicate that the benefits are being changed for sailings effective XXX - and I'd go further and say that folks that booked expecting one set of amenities should at least be given some consideration if those amenities will actually no longer be provided when they get onboard. Otherwise, you're effectively advertising and accepting payment based on one set of amenity inclusions, but delivering something different (lesser).

 

FWIW - would it really kill Celebrity to provide a bottle of Blanc de Blanc welcome sparkling wine to AQ guests? And provide them with the same Concierge benefit? Blu on embarkation day would be another very nice little enhancement and go some way to negating the loss of the daily bottled water deliveries.

 

Just some thoughts...

Edited July 21, 2016 by YYC F/A

[Flamencacha]

I am so excited to get on board and settled, I honestly don't remember where I ate lunch, or if I did.

 

Just a thought

 

 

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[chamima]

It would be helpful if Celebrity could clarify on AQ benefits.

 

It does "appear" from the website that there have been many downgrades to the AQ offering, while Concierge Class conversely is receiving upgrades.

 

Downgrades to AQ experience would appear to include:

1. Removal of Concierge service - no access to a dedicated concierge like CC or Suites
   
2. No welcome Blanc de Blanc sparkling wine
   
3. No daily deliveries of bottled water (just two small bottles on embarkation day only)
   
4. No embarkation day luncheon (whether at MDR or at Blu) - not sure though if this was officially ever part of the original AQ roll out though (seemed to vary by ship historically)
   

 

While they may seem nominal, it is definitely strange that Celebrity would DOWNGRADE the AQ amenities like this while upgrading CC - especially given that AQ is classed as a higher category (the highest other than Suites) and is recognised with higher tier earning credits accordingly.

 

Additionally - when folks choose to book AQ based on a defined list of advertised array of amenities - how do you reconcile that when they get onboard and they've been quietly stripped away? Celebrity should at least be honest and indicate that the benefits are being changed for sailings effective XXX - and I'd go further and say that folks that booked expecting one set of amenities should at least be given some consideration if those amenities will actually no longer be provided when they get onboard. Otherwise, you're effectively advertising and accepting payment based on one set of amenity inclusions, but delivering something different (lesser).

 

FWIW - would it really kill Celebrity to provide a bottle of Blanc de Blanc welcome sparkling wine to AQ guests? And provide them with the same Concierge benefit? Blu on embarkation day would be another very nice little enhancement and go some way to negating the loss of the daily bottled water deliveries.

 

Just some thoughts...

 

 

 

 

 

We got the sparkling wine last February in Aqua.

Are you sure it's been taken away?

 

 

I do agree with the rest, though.

[bengaltiger1]

We got the sparkling wine on our July third cruise out of Southampton on the Eclipse

 

 

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[20pluscruises]

We got the sparkling wine last February in Aqua.

Are you sure it's been taken away?

 

 

I do agree with the rest, though.

 

We did receive the sparkling wine a few weeks ago...but many downgrades in Blu

[YYC F/A]

We got the sparkling wine last February in Aqua.

Are you sure it's been taken away?

 

 

I do agree with the rest, though.

 

It is no longer listed as an amenity on the website. It's been removed and now replaced with "Welcome bottle of water". :rolleyes:

[YYC F/A]

We did receive the sparkling wine a few weeks ago...but many downgrades in Blu

 

Would you mind sharing more details? Sorry to hear that there were downgrades in Blu - that is a lynchpin of the whole AQ experience!

[Cruise a holic]

fyi you get the same points for AQ vs CC. The big difference (and IMO worthwhile one) is dining in blu. But the cuisine isn't enjoyed by all. Giving extra perks to cc is trying to get people to pay more for a balcony cabin. That is the gimmick with AQ and CC. However on M class ships the balcony cabins are 170 sq feet and CC and Aqua 194. That is IMO a better cabin. On S class CC , Aq and balcony are the same size

Edited July 21, 2016 by Cruise a holic

[20pluscruises]

Would you mind sharing more details? Sorry to hear that there were downgrades in Blu - that is a lynchpin of the whole AQ experience!

 

The lobster is now in a soupy sauce with rice, the filet was awful, niccoise salad...oh dear, just a plain salad with a soggy slice of jicama, no brie to be found n the fried brie (one said it was essence of brie), 1 teaspoon of crab salad (and I'm not kidding when I say 1 teaspoon) the spring roll was a teeny tiny tortilla with just cabbage, no artichokes and capers with the seabass just red peppers...I will ask the other two couples if they remember the rest. I do remember having the everyday salmon on three of the nights. That was a first for me and wasn;t the only one at the table. Needless to say, all six of us were very disappointed and did state this on our Celebrity email. This bothered some...the wine guy never offered an upgrade on wine by the glass (prem package) and when they asked he said there really wasn't anything. The desserts have never been good but they somehow managed to make them worse. The appetizers are pretty much half the size as they use to be, but you can always order two or even more. The Fred Flintstone lamb on the bone is still on the menu for those who enjoy that. Hopefully, this is only on the Summt, but impossible to get a cocktail with and/or after dinner. They are so short staffed that we left before they delivered dessert or after dinner drinks on three of the nights. The wait was awful. We did enjoy the cafe after that experience. Prompt service (after dinner) and you can get after dinner drinks at the cafe.

 

Sadly, it wasn't just one or two dishes that had changed.

Edited July 21, 2016 by 20pluscruises

[FlorenceItaly]

The lobster is now in a soupy sauce with rice, the filet was awful, niccoise salad...oh dear, just a plain salad with a soggy slice of jicama, no brie to be found n the fried brie (one said it was essence of brie), 1 teaspoon of crab salad (and I'm not kidding when I say 1 teaspoon) the spring roll was a teeny tiny tortilla with just cabbage, no artichokes and capers with the seabass just red peppers...I will ask the other two couples if they remember the rest. I do remember having the everyday salmon on three of the nights. That was a first for me and wasn;t the only one at the table. Needless to say, all six of us were very disappointed and did state this on our Celebrity email. This bothered some...the wine guy never offered an upgrade on wine by the glass (prem package) and when they asked he said there really wasn't anything. The desserts have never been good but they somehow managed to make them worse. The appetizers are pretty much half the size as they use to be, but you can always order two or even more. The Fred Flintstone lamb on the bone is still on the menu for those who enjoy that. Hopefully, this is only on the Summt, but impossible to get a cocktail with and/or after dinner. They are so short staffed that we left before they delivered dessert or after dinner drinks on three of the nights. The wait was awful. We did enjoy the cafe after that experience. Prompt service (after dinner) and you can get after dinner drinks at the cafe.

 

Sadly, it wasn't just one or two dishes that had changed.

 

I am very sorry to hear this as we are cruising on the Summit July 31, and this is our first time in AQ. I was really hoping the sommelier would be of some help with wine pairing! Did anyone try to order a caesar salad?

 

 

Marie

[20pluscruises]

I am very sorry to hear this as we are cruising on the Summit July 31, and this is our first time in AQ. I was really hoping the sommelier would be of some help with wine pairing! Did anyone try to order a caesar salad?

 

 

Marie

 

I believe one did, but can't 100% say for certain. Baby shrimp cocktail, french onion soup and escargot were offered. They did tell us this the first night the 3 were always available. We ate a lot of escargot.

[FlorenceItaly]

I believe one did, but can't 100% say for certain. Baby shrimp cocktail, french onion soup and escargot were offered. They did tell us this the first night the 3 were always available. We ate a lot of escargot.

 

Thank you. I am not a fan of any of the three.

 

 

Marie

[YYC F/A]

The lobster is now in a soupy sauce with rice, the filet was awful, niccoise salad...oh dear, just a plain salad with a soggy slice of jicama, no brie to be found n the fried brie (one said it was essence of brie), 1 teaspoon of crab salad (and I'm not kidding when I say 1 teaspoon) the spring roll was a teeny tiny tortilla with just cabbage, no artichokes and capers with the seabass just red peppers...I will ask the other two couples if they remember the rest. I do remember having the everyday salmon on three of the nights. That was a first for me and wasn;t the only one at the table. Needless to say, all six of us were very disappointed and did state this on our Celebrity email. This bothered some...the wine guy never offered an upgrade on wine by the glass (prem package) and when they asked he said there really wasn't anything. The desserts have never been good but they somehow managed to make them worse. The appetizers are pretty much half the size as they use to be, but you can always order two or even more. The Fred Flintstone lamb on the bone is still on the menu for those who enjoy that. Hopefully, this is only on the Summt, but impossible to get a cocktail with and/or after dinner. They are so short staffed that we left before they delivered dessert or after dinner drinks on three of the nights. The wait was awful. We did enjoy the cafe after that experience. Prompt service (after dinner) and you can get after dinner drinks at the cafe.

 

Sadly, it wasn't just one or two dishes that had changed.

 

Definitely disappointing experience on Summit! Sorry to hear this.

 

I cruised AQ on Summit last Fall (and will do again this Fall) - last year the team in Blu were nothing short of fantastic. We pre-tipped our sommelier and we had a wine pairing every night (Premium Package). Even had some special orders made for us. The quality of the cuisine was definitely elevated - so this is definitely not up to the standard I'd expect.

 

Ultimately, it is Blu that makes me gravitate to the extra cost for AQ (and I do appreciate the Deck 11 A1 cabins - particularly aft facing - on the ML class ships)... but if Blu is significantly downgraded when I revisit Summit this Fall, there will definitely be a conflab or two with the dining management team onboard!

[20pluscruises]

Definitely disappointing experience on Summit! Sorry to hear this.

 

I cruised AQ on Summit last Fall (and will do again this Fall) - last year the team in Blu were nothing short of fantastic. We pre-tipped our sommelier and we had a wine pairing every night (Premium Package). Even had some special orders made for us. The quality of the cuisine was definitely elevated - so this is definitely not up to the standard I'd expect.

 

Ultimately, it is Blu that makes me gravitate to the extra cost for AQ (and I do appreciate the Deck 11 A1 cabins - particularly aft facing - on the ML class ships)... but if Blu is significantly downgraded when I revisit Summit this Fall, there will definitely be a conflab or two with the dining management team onboard!

 

We were on last August and Elvis was the best!!! The food was good and service (while sometimes on the slow side) was excellent. Quite a different experience this year.

 

Just wanted to add...we did tip extra to the waiter because it really wasn't his fault. We did not tip extra to the wine guy or the host due to the host just standing there with a blank stare when we mentioned it had been sometime to get our after dinner drinks. Then he went off to clear a table. (it was past the 9:30 dinner cutoff) They seemed to be more concerned on getting the place cleaned for the following day.

Edited July 21, 2016 by 20pluscruises

[astrocat]

Just returned from Silhouette thru Balkans and Lawrence the concierge was in top form and highly visible. I felt more esteemed in CC this trip than others recently where it was getting hard to see the benefits of CC other than the cabin location. This, coupled with the benefits of Elite and great service from Rossy, made for a most enjoyable cruise.

 

 

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[springfire]

We will do a transatlantic cruise next year and we will do concierge class for the first time. Getting the extra points will help bring us closer to elite. For those who have travelled before are the sheets and towels different from when you are in a regular balcony cabin?

[phoenix_dream]

We will do a transatlantic cruise next year and we will do concierge class for the first time. Getting the extra points will help bring us closer to elite. For those who have travelled before are the sheets and towels different from when you are in a regular balcony cabin?

 

I have never noticed a difference in the sheets. I don't think they use different sheets. Theoretically the towels are bigger and thicker. I say theoretically because my experience is that it depends on the cruise. If the towels are not fairly new, they can sometimes be about as thin as the ones in regular balconies. Personally I prefer thinner towels anyway but generally you will have larger, thicker towels in CC.

[springfire]

I have never noticed a difference in the sheets. I don't think they use different sheets. Theoretically the towels are bigger and thicker. I say theoretically because my experience is that it depends on the cruise. If the towels are not fairly new, they can sometimes be about as thin as the ones in regular balconies. Personally I prefer thinner towels anyway but generally you will have larger, thicker towels in CC.

 

Thanks for the update!