Equinox - footstools still in verandas in Concierge class?

[MamaFej]

Given Celebrity's reversal on the included stateroom movies due to customer feedback, I wonder if the company might reconsider its decision to eliminate footstools if a similar informal campaign were launched.

 

I recognize fully that the footstool issue is not nearly as simple to remedy. Celebrity would have to hire or rehire a designer to create stools which coordinate with the new furniture (they would do well to have an actually useful and functional table designed as well). They would have to have the new furniture manufactured, shipped to dry dock sites, and there are undoubtedly more logistical steps I haven't mentioned.

 

Still, I imagine we aren't the only Celebrity cruisers who factor in what we perceive as advantages to Concierge Class and Aqua Class when we decide which cabin to book. We mostly have regular verandahs booked for our future cruises, but we do have a couple in Aqua and one in Concierge, because the price difference per day was minimal on those particular cruises. 

 

I imagine that, in general, Celebrity profits more from customers in higher cabin categories than in lower ones. If customers decide that the lack of comfortable, functional verandah furniture is the final straw and choose to leave or to book the generally less expensive cabin categories, the algorithms will necessarily lower the prices on the upper categories. In the log run, that will hurt the bottom line. 

[takemewithyou]

I think we should start e mailing Celebrity and posting on social media our displeasure with the removal of the footstools!  

Just sent my email to celebrityonetouch@celebritycruises.com

[richsea]

On 9/14/2019 at 9:53 PM, AquariusOne said:

• AT ONE TIME CC HAD THE FOLLOWING (quoted from another website)
• Chilled bottle of champagne on arrival 
• Fresh bouquet of flowers, brought to guests' rooms daily 
• Fresh fruit and hors d'oeuvres delivered daily to guests' rooms 
• Menu of pillows - Conformance, Body, Goose, and Isotonic
• Pillow-top mattress & upgraded bedding
• Leather key holder 
• Personalized stationery 
• Tote bag 
• Umbrella (to use onboard)
• Private Bar w/customized stocking (prices are very reasonable)

I recall getting all of those items when booking Concierge Class in the past. Haven’t book a CC room in a number of years. Out of those perks listed, how many remain? I guess I’m asking what incentive does anyone have to pay a premium for  CC room, other than a few extra square feet of space on M class ships?

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

On 9/15/2019 at 3:29 PM, Silvery Seas Cruiser said:

 

This list is no longer quite correct for Concierge Class.  Fresh flowers do not come daily. They come on the first chic night. In our six day cruise, that was it. We didn't get daily fresh fruit either ever. The stationary is not personalized. It was a small pad of paper that said Equinox on it. It came with a pen. The tote bag is no longer the better quality tote bag of last year, but a flimsy tote bag about the quality of a typical grocery store tote. The chilled bottle of champagne is not waiting upon arrival. 

Back in the day, fresh flowers came with the CC cabin, although they were not refreshed daily.  This has been gone for a long time.  What comes now is something from the Captain's Club if you have status.  Back in the day you did get personalized stationery.  What you're referring to is the notepad which is in all cabins.  I'm just off Equinox and had a conversation with the concierge about all this.  No more fruit, no more decent tote bag.  You have to ask for the "champagne" and ice.

 

Rich, about the only benefit left is a larger cabin on M class and the boarding lunch in the MDR so you don't have to fight the crowds in the buffet.  There was a key card holder, but it is not leather.  And the umbrellas were still there.  And you get 5 points/night vs. 3/night in a regular balcony.  Not much incentive to pay extra.

Edited September 16, 2019 by Happy Cruiser 6143

[bubbachief]

1 hour ago, takemewithyou said:

I think we should start e mailing Celebrity and posting on social media our displeasure with the removal of the footstools!  

Just sent my email to celebrityonetouch@celebritycruises.com

Me too. I just did. See below.

"Thank you everyone, who knew that footstools would be such a hot topic on the forum and yet I completely understand. If you are in need of a footstool, and that was not part of your room design, please ask your stateroom attendant and they will source one for you.  We want to ensure your comfort and will do all that we can to accommodate.  Have a great day! "

 

Maybe Lisa should get out to the fleet and explain why this isn't happening.

 

 

Edited September 16, 2019 by bubbachief

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

2 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

Back in the day, fresh flowers came with the CC cabin, although they were not refreshed daily.  This has been gone for a long time.  What comes now is something from the Captain's Club if you have status.  Back in the day you did get personalized stationery.  What you're referring to is the notepad which is in all cabins.  I'm just off Equinox and had a conversation with the concierge about all this.  No more fruit, no more decent tote bag.  You have to ask for the "champagne" and ice.

 

Rich, about the only benefit left is a larger cabin on M class and the boarding lunch in the MDR so you don't have to fight the crowds in the buffet.  There was a key card holder, but it is not leather.  And the umbrellas were still there.  And you get 5 points/night vs. 3/night in a regular balcony.  Not much incentive to pay extra.

Especially for us in the Elite Plus loyalty tier. Even if we cruise at our regular rate in Concierge, we won't reach Zenith until our mid-eighties. So we are kind of rethinking our habit of booking Concierge...that is unless the footstools and larger tables reappear on Concierge balconies. 

[Nymich]

1 hour ago, bubbachief said:

Me too. I just did. See below.

"Thank you everyone, who knew that footstools would be such a hot topic on the forum and yet I completely understand. If you are in need of a footstool, and that was not part of your room design, please ask your stateroom attendant and they will source one for you.  We want to ensure your comfort and will do all that we can to accommodate.  Have a great day! "

 

Maybe Lisa should get out to the fleet and explain why this isn't happening.

 

 

They were offering these if you asked on the Equinox last week.

[calicakes]

As I stated upthread and on my live blog.  I'm currently on the Equinox and filled out a comment card about the stools.  I took my picture back from the previous post and will insert it into the email I am about to write. 

[richsea]

4 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

Back in the day, fresh flowers came with the CC cabin, although they were not refreshed daily.  This has been gone for a long time.  What comes now is something from the Captain's Club if you have status.  Back in the day you did get personalized stationery.  What you're referring to is the notepad which is in all cabins.  I'm just off Equinox and had a conversation with the concierge about all this.  No more fruit, no more decent tote bag.  You have to ask for the "champagne" and ice.

 

Rich, about the only benefit left is a larger cabin on M class and the boarding lunch in the MDR so you don't have to fight the crowds in the buffet.  There was a key card holder, but it is not leather.  And the umbrellas were still there.  And you get 5 points/night vs. 3/night in a regular balcony.  Not much incentive to pay extra.

Thanks Linda, I agree, it makes no economic sense for anyone, especially someone at Elite+ level to waste their money on a CC stateroom, unless, as I said they want the extra room on an M class ship. Heck at today’s Celebrity fares, even for standard balconies, but there’s lots of other comparable choices out there at lower fares. Never thought I’d be saying that.

[TinyG]

Can I now request a footstool when I request my luggage tags 😂. I hope they are still on the Eclipse in November! I think I am going to rethink CC cabins in the future. 

[MamaFej]

3 minutes ago, TinyG said:

Can I now request a footstool when I request my luggage tags 😂. I hope they are still on the Eclipse in November! I think I am going to rethink CC cabins in the future. 

The Eclipse isn't being "Edgeified" until October of 2020. We are on the last three cruises before she goes into dry dock in Singapore October 27, 2020. We are on her next month, too.

[TinyG]

That's good to hear! Since we are on the Pacific Coastal, I could have brought my ottoman from home LOL, good to know it can stay home. Nice not to have to fly for a change, and we get to see our daughter in San Francisco. She has already bought our Alcatraz tickets!

[MamaFej]

12 hours ago, TinyG said:

That's good to hear! Since we are on the Pacific Coastal, I could have brought my ottoman from home LOL, good to know it can stay home. Nice not to have to fly for a change, and we get to see our daughter in San Francisco. She has already bought our Alcatraz tickets!

I'd love to do that one! As it is, we are missing the beginning of marching band season with Honolulu to Vancouver next month. We definitely can't miss stuff that late in the season. After our youngest graduates, we get to travel (mostly) guilt free (Hubby retires next Wednesday).

 

As for not flying, we are taking at least two of the "kids" to Alaska, RT from LA next spring. Excited!

[TinyG]

6 hours ago, MamaFej said:

I'd love to do that one! As it is, we are missing the beginning of marching band season with Honolulu to Vancouver next month. We definitely can't miss stuff that late in the season. After our youngest graduates, we get to travel (mostly) guilt free (Hubby retires next Wednesday).

 

As for not flying, we are taking at least two of the "kids" to Alaska, RT from LA next spring. Excited!

Oh yes marching band season! 3 kids all 4 year band students....and one year we helped out with no kid in the band! Such fun coming your way! Happy retirement to your hubby! We empty nest the opposite way, we leave the adult children at home and we leave for cruises! 😎 

[calicakes]

I emailed celebrity one touch.  I told them on was on the Equinox and sent them a pic of my shower stool.  Here is the response I received. 

 

Dear Randi:

Thank you for contacting Celebrity Cruises shoreside offices in regards to your current sailing.

I apologize that when you asked for a foot stool they provided to you a shower stool. I greatly apologize and assure you this was likely a misunderstanding. I have provided your email to ship board staff so that they will be able to better assist you.

Randi, again, I greatly apologize that they provided this to you. I assure you we will work diligently to provide  more adequate foot stool.

Sincerely,



Tami Morgan
Celebrity Cruises
 

[drakes2]

On 9/14/2019 at 9:53 PM, AquariusOne said:

• AT ONE TIME CC HAD THE FOLLOWING (quoted from another website)
• Chilled bottle of champagne on arrival 
• Fresh bouquet of flowers, brought to guests' rooms daily 
• Fresh fruit and hors d'oeuvres delivered daily to guests' rooms 
• Menu of pillows - Conformance, Body, Goose, and Isotonic
• Pillow-top mattress & upgraded bedding
• Leather key holder 
• Personalized stationery 
• Tote bag 
• Umbrella (to use onboard)
• Private Bar w/customized stocking (prices are very reasonable)

The sparkling wine is not there unless you specifically ask for it since many have the beverage package. I use it for mimosas at breakfast and my cabin attendant kept bringing me more from other state rooms. I gave away the chintzy tote bag and left the key holder in the stateroom when I disembarked.  The only canapes that were worth eating was the hummus and nacho chips.

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

38 minutes ago, calicakes said:

I emailed celebrity one touch.  I told them on was on the Equinox and sent them a pic of my shower stool.  Here is the response I received. 

 

Dear Randi:

Thank you for contacting Celebrity Cruises shoreside offices in regards to your current sailing.

I apologize that when you asked for a foot stool they provided to you a shower stool. I greatly apologize and assure you this was likely a misunderstanding. I have provided your email to ship board staff so that they will be able to better assist you.

Randi, again, I greatly apologize that they provided this to you. I assure you we will work diligently to provide  more adequate foot stool.

Sincerely,



Tami Morgan
Celebrity Cruises
 

 

It was good of Ms Morgan to reply to your comments, but I have to wonder exactly what footstool they would provide you instead of the shower stool. It was my impression that all footstools were removed from the ship when Celebrity changed to balcony furniture. Is it possible that Celebrity retained some old footstools on board to satisfy those of us who expect them in Concierge class? 

[drakes2]

On 9/15/2019 at 6:01 PM, calicakes said:

AQ also lost some amenities.  We no longer have fresh fruit and we didn't get the bottle of sparkling wine.  The tote bag is very crappy as well. 

You have to ask for the sparkling wine if you want it as so many now have the beverage package. Agree on the tote bag I left mine in the cabin for the next person. 

[takemewithyou]

47 minutes ago, calicakes said:

I emailed celebrity one touch.  I told them on was on the Equinox and sent them a pic of my shower stool.  Here is the response I received. 

 

Dear Randi:

Thank you for contacting Celebrity Cruises shoreside offices in regards to your current sailing.

I apologize that when you asked for a foot stool they provided to you a shower stool. I greatly apologize and assure you this was likely a misunderstanding. I have provided your email to ship board staff so that they will be able to better assist you.

Randi, again, I greatly apologize that they provided this to you. I assure you we will work diligently to provide  more adequate foot stool.

Sincerely,



Tami Morgan
Celebrity Cruises
 

Randi, keep us posted.  We will see if they deliver any kind of proper footstool to you, although I don’t know where they will find one!

I sent an email to Celebrity One Touch about our disappointment with the removal of the footstools a day or so ago and just received a phone call from Celebrity.  

We need to keep bombarding them with comments about the footstools and perhaps over time if they get enough comments things will change!

[MamaFej]

5 hours ago, TinyG said:

Oh yes marching band season! 3 kids all 4 year band students....and one year we helped out with no kid in the band! Such fun coming your way! Happy retirement to your hubby! We empty nest the opposite way, we leave the adult children at home and we leave for cruises! 😎 

We have much in common! This year we are "generic band parents" after I spent four years and Hubby spent three years on the Executive Board for the boosters. This is MUCH more fun!

Our younger two kids are also going to be empty nesters. The oldest is a teacher in MT, but our daughter is a junior in college, living at home because we are within commuting distance and it's a hella expensive school, even with lots of scholarships. Youngest plans to start by attending a community college 25 miles away which has an amazing band program that travels all over the world. With community college tuition rates, he can use his college fund to pay for the travel. We are very luck in that our kids genuinely enjoy each other's company, and they have done just fine when we've traveled without them. We expect this to continue

 

And to get back on topic, I don't think that shower stool was a mistake. I think it was the best they could do, since the real footstools were removed. I'd love to be wrong.

[bubbachief]

15 hours ago, takemewithyou said:

Randi, keep us posted.  We will see if they deliver any kind of proper footstool to you, although I don’t know where they will find one!

I sent an email to Celebrity One Touch about our disappointment with the removal of the footstools a day or so ago and just received a phone call from Celebrity.  

We need to keep bombarding them with comments about the footstools and perhaps over time if they get enough comments things will change!

I also sent them an email with picture of the shower stool included. Asked if this was the best they could do.

Someone needs to step up and take responsibility for the dumb decision on the whole balcony furniture fiasco.

[PTC DAWG]

Nothing quite like a good foot stool thread.  🙂

[calicakes]

Ask and you shall receive. This was waiting for me when we returned from our excursion.

[MamaFej]

That's great @calicakes, though it might not work as well on smaller balconies than you currently have.

 

I'm glad you got a helpful response.

[cruise47]

2 hours ago, calicakes said:

Ask and you shall receive. This was waiting for me when we returned from our excursion.

Is this the new foot stoop of the future to be found on all Celebrity ships.