Shoreside Concierge Question

[misterkevin]

What kinds of things can you arrange with the shoreside concierge pre-cruise? We sail in two weeks in a Celebrity Suite, and I just got the email below.

 

The room doesn't come with the extra bottles of liquor or a stocked fridge, and I've already got my specialty reservation made for the first night. I might want another reservation, but I usually make others on the fly based on the menus.

 

Can I ask for special pillows or mattress toppers, or is that a butler/attendant question? Anything else people have requested?

Dear Mr. Novak:

The Celebrity Cruises family is delighted you have chosen to sail with us. We look forward to welcoming you onboard the Celebrity Equinox soon. 

As your vacation is just around the corner, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Zoe and I will serve as your dedicated Shoreside Concierge. I work hand in hand with the Retreat Concierge onboard to make your Celebrity experience as carefree as possible, and I am happy to assist you in any way I can. 

Please feel free to call or email me with any questions or concerns regarding your upcoming sailing. In preparing for your arrival there are a few items that I would like to notate in your file. Please provide the following information so we can make sure all of your needs are planned for:

Expected arrival time
Preferred departure time
Day of sailing phone number
Number of bags you will be traveling with
Are you celebrating any special occasions?

Arranging for your dining plans before sailing will give you more time to relax and enjoy the Celebrity Equinox.  Below I have included a brief description and the pricing for each Specialty Restaurant. Kindly note, you will always be able to dine at Luminae should you wish as this is exclusive restaurant for our Suite guests. 

Murano- $50 per person
Dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows, gorgeous crystal, and exquisite china provide an elegant backdrop for this magnificent specialty restaurant. A delectable blend of Classic and modern continental cuisine is freshly prepared in multi-course meals, as exquisite European-style service attends to your every need.

Tuscan Grille- $45 per person
This lively, contemporary steakhouse serves a succulent selection of pastas, seafood, steaks and salads. The atmosphere is graced with a hint Italy, making it both rustic and sophisticated, and the wine follows suit with a variety of the country's best.

Le Petit Chef - $55 per person
We are bringing your tabletop to life in Le Petit Chef - an animated character who appears beside your plate and shows you how each course is prepared before you are served the actual dish. It's an immersive, mind-blowing fusion of entertainment and dining like you have never experienced before! We offer two select dining times for this venue, 6:00 pm and 8:30 pm.

Please note, boarding begins at 10:00 am and ends promptly at 2:00 pm. Upon arrival to the pier, please make your way to Terminal 25. Once inside the terminal you will be able to enjoy our VIP lounge which is an exclusive embarkation area for our Suite guests. From there, you will be able to board the beautiful Celebrity Equinox! For your convenience, I have included the port information below for Port Everglades.

2025 Eller Drive
Terminal 25
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316

As always, please do not hesitate to let me know if I can be of any assistance. My office hours are Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 5:30 pm CST. If you have an urgent matter and I am unavailable, feel free to call our Concierge Desk at 1-877-XXX-XXXX seven days a week between 7:00 am and 7:00 pm CST. One of my colleagues will be happy to assist you.

We look forward to welcoming you onboard the Celebrity Equinox!

Sincerely,



Zoe Wright
Shoreside Concierge
Celebrity Equinox

 

 

[Cruise a holic]

9 minutes ago, misterkevin said:

What kinds of things can you arrange with the shoreside concierge pre-cruise? We sail in two weeks in a Celebrity Suite, and I just got the email below.

 

The room doesn't come with the extra bottles of liquor or a stocked fridge, and I've already got my specialty reservation made for the first night. I might want another reservation, but I usually make others on the fly based on the menus.

 

Can I ask for special pillows or mattress toppers, or is that a butler/attendant question? Anything else people have requested?

Dear Mr. Novak:

The Celebrity Cruises family is delighted you have chosen to sail with us. We look forward to welcoming you onboard the Celebrity Equinox soon. 

As your vacation is just around the corner, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Zoe and I will serve as your dedicated Shoreside Concierge. I work hand in hand with the Retreat Concierge onboard to make your Celebrity experience as carefree as possible, and I am happy to assist you in any way I can. 

Please feel free to call or email me with any questions or concerns regarding your upcoming sailing. In preparing for your arrival there are a few items that I would like to notate in your file. Please provide the following information so we can make sure all of your needs are planned for:

Expected arrival time
Preferred departure time
Day of sailing phone number
Number of bags you will be traveling with
Are you celebrating any special occasions?

Arranging for your dining plans before sailing will give you more time to relax and enjoy the Celebrity Equinox.  Below I have included a brief description and the pricing for each Specialty Restaurant. Kindly note, you will always be able to dine at Luminae should you wish as this is exclusive restaurant for our Suite guests. 

Murano- $50 per person
Dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows, gorgeous crystal, and exquisite china provide an elegant backdrop for this magnificent specialty restaurant. A delectable blend of Classic and modern continental cuisine is freshly prepared in multi-course meals, as exquisite European-style service attends to your every need.

Tuscan Grille- $45 per person
This lively, contemporary steakhouse serves a succulent selection of pastas, seafood, steaks and salads. The atmosphere is graced with a hint Italy, making it both rustic and sophisticated, and the wine follows suit with a variety of the country's best.

Le Petit Chef - $55 per person
We are bringing your tabletop to life in Le Petit Chef - an animated character who appears beside your plate and shows you how each course is prepared before you are served the actual dish. It's an immersive, mind-blowing fusion of entertainment and dining like you have never experienced before! We offer two select dining times for this venue, 6:00 pm and 8:30 pm.

Please note, boarding begins at 10:00 am and ends promptly at 2:00 pm. Upon arrival to the pier, please make your way to Terminal 25. Once inside the terminal you will be able to enjoy our VIP lounge which is an exclusive embarkation area for our Suite guests. From there, you will be able to board the beautiful Celebrity Equinox! For your convenience, I have included the port information below for Port Everglades.

2025 Eller Drive
Terminal 25
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316

As always, please do not hesitate to let me know if I can be of any assistance. My office hours are Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 5:30 pm CST. If you have an urgent matter and I am unavailable, feel free to call our Concierge Desk at 1-877-XXX-XXXX seven days a week between 7:00 am and 7:00 pm CST. One of my colleagues will be happy to assist you.

We look forward to welcoming you onboard the Celebrity Equinox!

Sincerely,



Zoe Wright
Shoreside Concierge
Celebrity Equinox

 

 

FYI only a Royal Suite and Penthouse have the stocked fridge or alcohol.  You can however bring soda and water in from Michaels club.  Your butler can arrange for a mattress topper and special pillows.

[GastroGnome]

You can ask for anything!  (Well.. more or less....).  We ask for the bed linen to be altered (We have single duvets to avoid night time battles...)  If the bed can be split we usually ask for that too - but sometimes it can't.  Also for both Luminae and MDR menus in the room in advance (so we can plan additional specialty nights)  If you have a birthday or anniversary you can tell them (remember they have your passport if getting creative with birthdays!).  Although we don't ask for different pillows / mattress toppers etc if you ask the shore side concierge it makes it easier for housekeeping as they can make the room up in advance rather than having to come back once you have boarded.

[misterkevin]

2 hours ago, GastroGnome said:

You can ask for anything!  (Well.. more or less....).  We ask for the bed linen to be altered (We have single duvets to avoid night time battles...)  If the bed can be split we usually ask for that too - but sometimes it can't.  Also for both Luminae and MDR menus in the room in advance (so we can plan additional specialty nights)  If you have a birthday or anniversary you can tell them (remember they have your passport if getting creative with birthdays!).  Although we don't ask for different pillows / mattress toppers etc if you ask the shore side concierge it makes it easier for housekeeping as they can make the room up in advance rather than having to come back once you have boarded.

Thanks! I like the idea of getting the menus in advance. I'll definitely request that. 

[jj6961]

I have also been in contact with Zoe for an upcoming sailing.  I pre-requested the mattress toppers(no problem) and had a question about the 2nd menu for Le Petite Chef, she send me the new menu and let me know it was usually the last 4 nights(original menu is the first 3).  You can ask them anything, and usually receive a response in 48 hours.  

[XtaSea]

We always ask for the fridge to be emptied, for extra pillows and mattress topper, and for red wine in exchange for the sparkling wine/champagne they put in the room. Probably a couple of other things that don't come to mind at the moment.. I like the idea of menus in the suite and might consider that on our next cruise. We tend to peruse all the menus (Luminae, MDR, specialty restaurants, etc.) on our first visit to Michael's Club/Retreat Lounge, and usually with a good pour of bourbon in hand.

[Cruise a holic]

Xta Sea- you are correct- we also empty the cooler also- not a real fridge. And sometimes replace the champagne with wine.  The restaurant menus are typically in th Penthouse and Royal suites, and always available by the suite concierge.

 

Have also spoken to Zoe and made some requests for our upcoming Equinox cruise.  She has been very responsive.

Edited July 14, 2019 by Cruise a holic

[Paulras]

How soon before the cruise do you get contacted? I got an email a week or two before the last cruise asking for feedback on Shoreside Concierge but never actually got contacted. When I responded to the survey saying no one ever contacted me, I never received a response. Next cruise is in 6 weeks. Nothing yet. 

[alfredo22]

31 minutes ago, Paulras said:

How soon before the cruise do you get contacted? I got an email a week or two before the last cruise asking for feedback on Shoreside Concierge but never actually got contacted. When I responded to the survey saying no one ever contacted me, I never received a response. Next cruise is in 6 weeks. Nothing yet. 

I got a call almost exactly a month out from my cruise later this week.  She was very nice.  Asked to get “fridge” emptied in my CS.  discussed some allergy limitations.  No corresponding email.  Decided not to do any dining reservations yet, but she inquired.

[Northern Aurora]

2 hours ago, Paulras said:

How soon before the cruise do you get contacted? I got an email a week or two before the last cruise asking for feedback on Shoreside Concierge but never actually got contacted. When I responded to the survey saying no one ever contacted me, I never received a response. Next cruise is in 6 weeks. Nothing yet. 

 

We were called Friday by one of the Shoreside Concierges regarding a cruise which departs August 2nd.  But our experience has varied from about 3.5 weeks out from departure to a week (or so) from departure.

[maggipie]

Sorry to be a downer, but don't get too excited. We were in a Celebrity Suite on the Edge June 5, and Tanji contacted me early May. I only asked for a few things: isotonic pillows, mattress topper, Sprite and cherry syrup so the kids could make their own Shirley Temples (we had the premium alcoholic package, kids had the classic nonalcoholic package and on prior cruises, our butler cleared out the fridge and replaced it with our drinks of choice within our plan), and condensed milk for our coffee/tea. I even offered to bring my own condensed milk if she didn't think it could happen, but she assured me it wouldn't be a problem. Not one request was addressed, and at our raised eyebrows on the first day, our butler said "Some people even bring a printout of their emails with the shoreside concierge" as if to say the audacity of some people! Our attendant did get us the isotonic pillows, but none of our other requests happened. We were disappointed, but we didn't push it; we didn't really need any of the other things to enjoy our family time on holiday. I hope you have better luck!

[chemmo]

Contact has usually been about two weeks pre cruise and usually by phone. We have an email drafted ready which we then forward. We then take a copy on board to give to our butler so he can confirm our dining reservations and use as a check list for room requests/bar set up.

 

On one occasion we had not heard and we were near to our travel time, we just contacted Celebrity and we had a call back almost immediately.

 

Zoe was fantastic last March when our flights were cancelled owing to the weather on the East Coast. She gave us her phone number and kept in touch as we frantically swapped flights and arrived in Fort Lauderdale minus our luggage. She was so reassuring that if our luggage didn’t make it to the ship she would liaise with the airline and ship to get it to us.