Michael’s Club - what are the benefits?

[capsplace]

We will be in suite class on a future cruise. Can someone share with me the benefits of Michael’s Club please? Hours, services, beverages?

Thanks for your responses in advance.

[Covepointcruiser]

There is a list of beverages in Michaels, but you can get pretty much what you want. The only exceptions are blender drinks as they don’t have one and probably would not want the noise in that small bar. It is open at 9 am or before and stays open to midnight. On the Reflection they have a wall of glass sores refrigerators where you can pick up water, beer or soft drink. They may lock it after hours. The concierge for the club is also there for several hours in the am and pm to help with dinner reservations, excursions etc. The drawback is there are no windows you can look through at least on Solstice class ships. If you are content to drink in this room beverage packages are redundant. They also serve afternoon tea in the room. There are added benefits to the Royal Suite and over in addition to Michaels Club.

[jules815]

I've only sailed with X twice now, both times in Sky Suites with MC access. (Prior to sailing with X, we sailed with RC with our last 5 cruises being in suites, so I tend to compare. We like X better.)

 

I don't know the exact hours for MC, but it was definitely open morning until late evening. Unlike RC cl, it seemed to be always staffed. There is no "cocktail hour" in MC. If you wander in at 11am and want a drink, whatever it is, they will make it for you. There is no list; it's full bar, and if they don't have it, they with get what they need to make it for you. I like Grey Goose lemon drop martinis, and that's never a problem. They have wonderful coffees and teas. Late afternoon, they do a very nice tea with savories and sweets. (this replaced the tea/coffee cart that used to show up at staterooms in the late afternoon.)

 

During evening cocktails (before dinner) they sometimes have entertainment in the lounge. A guitarist, etc. There's no buffet set up of finger foods, but there are servers walking around with them. On my last cruise, which was with my adult daughter, we passed the first couple of nights on what they were bringing around because there were a lot with shrimp, and we don't care for it. The next evening when we arrived, they were so excited to serve us the non-fishy treats that we felt like they'd prepared especially for us. They make you feel special.

 

The concierge and staff were very attentive. When my daughter and I walked in on embarkation day, we were greeted with "welcome to your living room...we've been expecting you!" This feeling continued throughout the cruise.

 

One afternoon they brought NextCruise staff in and had a desk set up for booking future cruises.

 

On Reflection (I don't remember if Connie had this), there's a wall of coolers (like being in a convenience store) stocked with all types of bottled water, sodas, Vitamin Water, AZ Iced Teas, beers, etc., for you to help yourself.

 

I'm sure I've left something out. It's a very nice experience though.

[jules815]

There is a list of beverages in Michaels, but you can get pretty much what you want. The only exceptions are blender drinks as they don’t have one and probably would not want the noise in that small bar. It is open at 9 am or before and stays open to midnight. On the Reflection they have a wall of glass sores refrigerators where you can pick up water, beer or soft drink. They may lock it after hours. The concierge for the club is also there for several hours in the am and pm to help with dinner reservations, excursions etc. The drawback is there are no windows you can look through at least on Solstice class ships. If you are content to drink in this room beverage packages are redundant. They also serve afternoon tea in the room. There are added benefits to the Royal Suite and over in addition to Michaels Club.

 

That's what I forgot to mention. Yes, on S class ships, really no view from the lounge. I don't remember if there were windows on Connie, but I seem to remember a door that went directly outside.

[TeeRick]

Michael's Club on M-Class has a door leading outside to deck 4 and several glass doors leading to the deck 4 area internally near the photo's so it has the feel of a more open space with more light. It is much larger than on S-Class ships where we have found MC to be small and dark. On both ship classes, the service is usually outstanding and they will make you a drink or specialty coffee anytime. There is a glass refrigerator with a selection of beers, soft drinks and water. You can help yourself and take what you want to your cabin or wherever. You can go for afternoon tea and snacks - or have your butler get you a plate. There is often guest entertainment and functions such as meet and greet with officers. The Michael's Club concierge - and now also the Suite Manager- can be found in there at most times. The MC concierge can pretty much do anything that Guest Relations can do- so never a need to stand in line there. Also they can get you shore excursion tickets - no need to stand in line at that desk either. On tender ports the MC concierge will escort you to the front of the line- no need for tender tickets. They will make dinner reservations- but also your butler will do that. Best part of Michael's Club is mingling and making friends with all of the other suite guests. Often this leads to great dinner companions at Luminae as the cruise goes on.

[Sandtrap328]

Michael's Club is a quiet lounge that is a nice place for a pre-dinner drink. It is basically empty most other times. No views (no windows).

 

The concierge will get you reservations for a specialty restaurant but you can do that just as easy by yourself - and you can most likely secure a discount by yourself. The concierge will not get you a discount.

 

MC definitely should NOT a deciding factor in booking a suite.

[PSU]

How long ago were you in Michael's Club? We just were on the Solstice from Vancouver to Hawaii and Michael's Club was amazing. There were many people that came to the club, especially during the afternoon and before dinner. The wait staff were so friendly and would get you your choice of beverage and if they didn't have it, they would search other bars to find it.

We met many wonderful people in Michael's Club.

I am sorry that you did not enjoy yourself.

 

Michael's Club is a quiet lounge that is a nice place for a pre-dinner drink. It is basically empty most other times. No views (no windows).

 

The concierge will get you reservations for a specialty restaurant but you can do that just as easy by yourself - and you can most likely secure a discount by yourself. The concierge will not get you a discount.

 

MC definitely should NOT a deciding factor in booking a suite.

[vtcruising]

Just to add, in case you like frozen drinks, they can also make that happen. On the Eclipse, I saw Kay (bartender extraordinaire) make it happen for people with a smile (she had to step out for a few minutes to another bar).

 

Agree that Michael's is a nice benefit, from a quiet cup of tea in the morning (Tea Forte) - with a Nespresso machine also available - to a lively gathering place in the evening.

 

[chemmo]

Agree with those who have said Michael's is a great place for pre and post dinner drinks, excellent service and good company.

 

In addition the concierge is very good at organising 'little extras'. Let them know what you are interested in on boarding (bridge tour, gallery tour, behind the scenes tour...) and they will try to accommodate you.

 

Another little bonus is if you do have an issue with your on board account (overcharge, OBC not posted....) just let the concierge know and it will be sorted. The concierge will also get you priority wait listing for sold out excursions.

 

Re booking speciality restaurants....this is a job we usually leave to the butler rather than the concierge. Partly because we did this before the concierge even existed and partly because we usually 'touch base' with the butler at breakfast or morning coffee time and if we want to modify our arrangements we can just sort it there and then. The overlap between roles can be confusing at times. Perhaps as the new Suite Manager role comes into play who does what may become more clarified.

[Orator]

For most cruises Michael's Club is a quiet spot where you can read or use your computer in relative privacy. The use of MC really depends on the cruise. On longer cruisers with many sea days MC can be a bit busy. On these longer cruises people tend to get to know each other and that makes for more conversation. The MC Concierge often arranges for evening entertainment or a night with the Officers. It can become very, very busy during these special events. To a great extent the bar servers and MC Concierge set the tone. I've been in MC on all ships except Summit and can tell you that MC is different from ship to ship and cruise to cruise.

[Northern Aurora]

In addition to the prior comments about Michael's Club, in the mornings they will have fruit plates or fruit cups, pastries and little bagels with salmon and cream cheese. We have reached that age where we find that two reasonable sized meals are just fine, but my husband does like a little something in the AM with his tea. One of those mini bagels with salmon and cream cheese is just perfect.

[Schmoe38]

We really enjoy Michael’s Club for all of the above reasons. We book suites not solely because of Michael’s Club but it certainly plays a part in the overall decision. The onboard experience in Michael’s Club can really shine with the MCC.

We’re not really high maintenance people on board, but I must say, when the MCC escorts the Michael’s Club patrons off the ship at disembarkation, that’s really special and reminds us why we continue to book suites.

 

Randy

 

 

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[abbydancer2003]

We enjoyed Michael's club. DH wanted a drink they'd never done. He told them what it was and they made it each time he wanted it completely correctly.

 

I'd usually ask for something sweet and alcoholic and the bartender extrodonaire would make me something yummy.

 

Also, we had an issue with the toilet in the cabin one night, and guest services wasn't answering their phone. I called the concierges at Michael's and it was taken care of.

 

Also, I wanted to switch the time on a shore excursion, and guest services wouldn't even waitlist us. The concierges got it done.

[ClaudiaB]

I had a frozen pina colada and sometimes a virgin strawberry daiquiri in Michael's. The bartender stepped outside the door to Ensemble Lounge for it, or made it behind a closed door in Michael's.

 

One of the very nice benefits of suites is MC. Great small tours, pretty much anything we wanted.

[Orator]

 

Another little bonus is if you do have an issue with your on board account (overcharge, OBC not posted....) just let the concierge know and it will be sorted. The concierge will also get you priority wait listing for sold out excursions.

 

I learned a long time ago that one should contact the MCC if anything needs attention, even a toilet that won't flush! They will get the problem resolved immediately.

[Vacationcheese]

Curious - do you tip the bartender and MCC at the end of the cruise....and how much is the custom? Thanks!

[TeeRick]

Curious - do you tip the bartender and MCC at the end of the cruise....and how much is the custom? Thanks!

 

Tips are a personal decision and it depends on the service and how much you use them. I don't think there is a customary amount. Also people from different parts of the world view tipping differently. We always tip the MC Concierge and the serving staff or bartender at the end of the cruise.

[Orator]

Tips are a personal decision and it depends on the service and how much you use them. I don't think there is a customary amount. Also people from different parts of the world view tipping differently. We always tip the MC Concierge and the serving staff or bartender at the end of the cruise.

 

Agree with your statement.

[Mynki]

We will be in suite class on a future cruise. Can someone share with me the benefits of Michael’s Club please? Hours, services, beverages?

Thanks for your responses in advance.

 

The posts above have covered everything pretty well I think. Try and look at MC as your personal customer service center. Your MC concierge will make themselves known to you very quickly and also check that everything is ok several times during your voyage.

 

If you collate a list of ship excursions, dining reservations you'd like to make, other little touches like asking for a view of the bridge or galley, you'll have it all arranged quickly and without fuss.No need to stand in line at the shore excursions or customer services desk.

 

Also, I like Cafe Al Bachio but on some sea days it can get very busy with lines. Visit MC and tell them what you'd like from there and they'll go and grab it for you nice and quickly.

 

Just remember that the additional services are there for the taking. To get the most out of YOUR cruise you need to tell them what YOU want.

[Vacationcheese]

Tips are a personal decision and it depends on the service and how much you use them. I don't think there is a customary amount. Also people from different parts of the world view tipping differently. We always tip the MC Concierge and the serving staff or bartender at the end of the cruise.

 

Many thanks!

[bigbenboys]

Our first 2 cruises in suites with MC were nice. Our 3rd cruise was on Millie in Asia. Lucy was the concierge. Lucy would put together small tours for suite guests. We met some very nice people in MC on our Asian cruise that we still keep in contact with. While on the cruise dealing with customs, passport, temperature check. Our butler picked up the passports and delivered them to us. He also took us in small groups to go through customs and temperature check before the non suite guests.

[thepoint]

We enjoyed Michael's club. DH wanted a drink they'd never done. He told them what it was and they made it each time he wanted it

 

Also, I wanted to switch the time on a shore excursion, and guest services wouldn't even waitlist us. The concierges got it done.

 

After the last cruise, we learned to call the concierge. Everyone in our group received their shore excursion tickets, but us. The shore excursion manager would not (her words) “reprint the tickets.” I explained to her I never received them. She told me to look around my cabin. Finally, After two days of trying to obtain our tickets I decided to tell Richard, the concierge in Michaels Club. Within the hour I had my tickets. He told me whenever I have a problem, just let him know. Our on aboard account had a charge of $190.00 for laundry! As Elite there should not have been a charge. After telling Richard, the charge disappeared by the time I returned to my cabin. Great service and yes we gave him a tip at the end of the cruise.

[Covepointcruiser]

Do you now get free laundry for elite level? I thought it was limited to one bag per person, just wash and fold. Does this regularly cost $190or 95per bag.

 

Before we were Elite Plus we would wait until they had an “ you can stuff” bag for $50. The per piece laundry is expensive but includes pressing.

[chemmo]

Do you now get free laundry for elite level? I thought it was limited to one bag per person, just wash and fold. Does this regularly cost $190or 95per bag.

 

Before we were Elite Plus we would wait until they had an “ you can stuff” bag for $50. The per piece laundry is expensive but includes pressing.

 

Elite plus includes two free wash and fold bags, pressing of two garments and dry cleaning of one...

 

Higher suites PH/RS includes in practice unlimited washing, pressing, dry cleaning.

[Schmoe38]

Do you now get free laundry for elite level? I thought it was limited to one bag per person, just wash and fold. Does this regularly cost $190or 95per bag.

 

Before we were Elite Plus we would wait until they had an “ you can stuff” bag for $50. The per piece laundry is expensive but includes pressing.

 

 

 

I believe as Elite you are entitled to 1 complimentary laundry bag and 2 bags as Elite Plus. You can also receive up to 2 complimentary pressed items.

 

The Celebrity website indicates Elite members receive 1 complimentary dry clean item but there is no check mark in the Elite Plus column for that same complimentary dry clean item. That’s probably just an oversight.

 

Not sure of the original pricing if you were paying outright.

 

 

Randy

 

 

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