Two Basic Celebrity questions.

[Tedferg]

We are long time Princess cruisers and have sailed once on Celebrity. We see an attractive Celebrity itinerary and would like help clarifying a couple of points. From our prior cruise I feel that Concierge offers very little above Veranda - do you agree ? Also I believe Celebrity now includes Drinks and Gratuities etc. in base price. However when I did a mock booking I was offered an upgrade to Premium drinks, so does standard fare only include a reduced drink menu ?

[davekathy]

3 minutes ago, Tedferg said:

We are long time Princess cruisers and have sailed once on Celebrity. We see an attractive Celebrity itinerary and would like help clarifying a couple of points. From our prior cruise I feel that Concierge offers very little above Veranda - do you agree ? Also I believe Celebrity now includes Drinks and Gratuities etc. in base price. However when I did a mock booking I was offered an upgrade to Premium drinks, so does standard fare only include a reduced drink menu ?

Classic Beverage Package. The PBP and CBPs are posted on Celebrity's website for comparison. Speaking for only myself and wife, the CBP drink menu has plenty of selections we like. 

Edited January 3, 2021 by davekathy

[sanger727]

Yes, I believe that the concierge cabins offer little in extra value. I certainly wouldn't pay extra for them. Some people prefer the locations. If you are after captain club points you get extra points for them. And think there's a sit down lunch on embarkation day. That's about it.

 

Yes, the always included includes the classic beverage package. It includes most drinks with less cost liquors, wines, and beers. So if you enjoy mixed drinks and wine but aren't fussy about the labels, it works well. If you prefer higher end then you may be better off upgrading. But you can get the classic package and simply pay the extra cost of a higher end drink as you go. We did this. So a majority of our drinks were on the classic package and we were fine with those. A few times we went to the martini bar and ordered the specialty martinis and got charged around $3.50 for those. It came out to less than the cost of the upgrade. 

[NutsAboutGolf]

3 minutes ago, Tedferg said:

We see an attractive Celebrity itinerary

 

When?  Personally I want as few seadays as possible, if a specific itinerary was attractive to me I wouldn't book it in 2021 due to the risk of cancelled ports.

[miched]

Don’t jump at the upgrade.   You need to evaluate the cost.   Upgrade to premium is $10 plus $2 gratuity being $12/day pp. one person can upgrade or both.    The extra SBC may not be worth it as you need to spend it on over priced items or stuff you don’t want 

You can always upgrade on board.   

 

just something to think about

 

C Class is worth it if you are in a M class ship as the cabin is a little larger.

 

On the S class and Edge Class it is not worth much as the cabins are the same size.   
 

Most of the perks are fluff.   I don’t feel the lunch on embarkation is worth a lot.  If there isn’t much difference in cost than take the  C Class.  You get extra Captain Club points  for what they are worth
 

you need to evaluate it.   You sailed before 

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

Edited January 3, 2021 by miched

[sanger727]

8 minutes ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

When?  Personally I want as few seadays as possible, if a specific itinerary was attractive to me I wouldn't book it in 2021 due to the risk of cancelled ports.

 

When did the OP say this was a 2021 cruise?

[Tedferg]

Thanks for the responses, I will check further tomorrow to give specifics - just about to go to bed 🙂 It is a bucket list itinerary for us. Princess is 28 nights Sydney to SFO. Celebrity is 18 nights Sydney to Hawaii. Celebrity looked interesting because it hits the main points and does not have five days Hawaii to SFO, so a little shorter. Did not realize that we could pay individually for extra 'Special' drinks. That would be the best option - we are happy with basic menu. I do think the Premium upgrade was $30 per person per day - so expensive on an 18 day cruise.

 

Will check details tomorrow - thanks again for prompt responses.

[Tedferg]

Also Celebrity options were Sep 2021 Hawaii to Sydney and April 2022 Sydney to Hawaii. Would prefer the latter with Sydney at the beginning.

[emmas gran]

At the moment Australia is not allowing international visitors, several on the board have had cruises cancelled.(mine was Princess) I would leave it as long as possible as there is no surety in cruising this year. Below is from Qantas airline site, at the moment  they are not flying internationally for tourism until at least March 31st

The Australian GovernmentOpens external site in a new window has implemented immigration measures which allow only Australian citizens, residents and immediate family members to travel to Australia. The government has also advised that all new arrivals are required to self-isolate for 14 days.

Before travelling to Australia, you must complete the Australian Travel DeclarationOpens external site in a new window at least 72 hours before departure and present a copy of your confirmation email at check-in.

No doubt some of our Australian members can update further

Liz

Edited January 3, 2021 by emmas gran

[chemmo]

3 hours ago, Tedferg said:

Also Celebrity options were Sep 2021 Hawaii to Sydney and April 2022 Sydney to Hawaii. Would prefer the latter with Sydney at the beginning.

 

We did Hawaii to Sydney a few years ago, it remains our favourite cruise ever!

 

Firstly we spent 6 nights in Hawaii so by the time we boarded the ship we were already relaxed and in holiday mood. The ports of call really are fantastic, seeing the top of Bora Bora emerge from the early morning mist whilst a whale performed in front of our balcony is a sight we will never forget...Taster of New Zealand to follow before finally arriving in Sydney (which became one of our favourite cities). The variety of the itinerary makes this cruise special as does the mix of cruising nationalities...Also a few more sea day events than Celebrity usually offers. You also have more time to get to know fellow passengers and staff than on a cruise of standard length.

 

Sincere best wishes for a fantastic cruise as and when you are able to go...

 

We would love to do this cruise again one day...

[emmas gran]

We have done the cruise 3 times 2 with Princess and the last one was Celebrity Solstice in 2016, all were different in that Princess was Sydney to LA and then Sydney to San Francisco and Celebrity Hawaii to Sydney and like you Chemmo agree they are fabulous cruises.

[garyl62]

5 hours ago, Tedferg said:

......I do think the Premium upgrade was $30 per person per day - so expensive on an 18 day cruise.

That is probably the option that includes some OBC also, but still expensive. After booking, or for sure on board, you can upgrade just the drink package for the $12 per day as explained above. 

[wrk2cruise]

1 hour ago, garyl62 said:

That is probably the option that includes some OBC also, but still expensive. After booking, or for sure on board, you can upgrade just the drink package for the $12 per day as explained above. 

Agree the $30 pp/pd upgrade is the "Elevate" package which includes the premium beverage package upgrade and $200 OBC which is restricted to shore excursions only.  This may be of value for shorter cruises but loses value on longer itineraries. 

 

Many people suggest starting with the included package and see how it goes.  As others have said you can pay the excess over the $9 on individual drinks.  In addition if you find the premium package would be better you can upgrade one or both people after the start of the cruise and you will only be charged for the days remaining.

[phoenix_dream]

The only reason I would ever pay more for a Concierge cabin is if it had a significantly better location (such as one on the "hump" which includes a larger balcony) and the cost was not much higher, unless I was close to another level of Captains Club because it provides more points than a regular balcony.  None of the other supposed 'perks' are worth much if anything in my opinion.

 

If you want to go up a level, I recommend Aqua Class.  Some of their locations are not as good as Concierge, but I love their private restaurant, Blu, for both breakfast and dinner.  You also get free entry into the spa area.  Cost of these cabins varies according to bookings, but generally costs more than a regular balcony and usually on a par with Concierge.

[4774Papa]

15 hours ago, miched said:

Don’t jump at the upgrade.   You need to evaluate the cost.   Upgrade to premium is $10 plus $2 gratuity being $12/day pp. one person can upgrade or both.    The extra SBC may not be worth it as you need to spend it on over priced items or stuff you don’t want 

You can always upgrade on board.   

 

just something to think about

 

C Class is worth it if you are in a M class ship as the cabin is a little larger.

 

On the S class and Edge Class it is not worth much as the cabins are the same size.   
 

Most of the perks are fluff.   I don’t feel the lunch on embarkation is worth a lot.  If there isn’t much difference in cost than take the  C Class.  You get extra Captain Club points  for what they are worth
 

you need to evaluate it.   You sailed before 

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

Just don't book the deck nine on C class that are right under the pool deck, unless you want to be awakened in the morning at 5AM by the staff moving furniture around on the pool deck.

[Tedferg]

Is there a menu for drinks available ? I now remember that we upgraded part way through our Celebrity cruise, but as has been pointed out that was a 7 day Caribbean, so only charged for 3 or 4 days.

 

chemmo, thanks for comments, I guessed you were from UK as soon as I saw 'whilst' 🙂

 

Both of my questions have been answered, thanks.

[Cruise Raider]

13 hours ago, Tedferg said:

Thanks for the responses, I will check further tomorrow to give specifics - just about to go to bed 🙂 It is a bucket list itinerary for us. Princess is 28 nights Sydney to SFO. Celebrity is 18 nights Sydney to Hawaii. Celebrity looked interesting because it hits the main points and does not have five days Hawaii to SFO, so a little shorter. Did not realize that we could pay individually for extra 'Special' drinks. That would be the best option - we are happy with basic menu. I do think the Premium upgrade was $30 per person per day - so expensive on an 18 day cruise.

 

Will check details tomorrow - thanks again for prompt responses.

 

So, just something to think about here ... 

just because prior to 'the pause' does not mean that things will be the same when cruising resumes.  It looks as though the cruiselines have all taken this unfortunate opportunity to change things up so, I really wouldn't count on paying the difference on drinks that you order ... there is probably a 50/50 shot that will be how it is handled.  Also, I am referring to US dollars but, is the premium upgrade now $30 a day pp?  That would really be a big jump as prior to 'the pause', it was $10+$1.80 (so $11.50 a day pp USD) to upgrade from classic to premium.  I don't have a booking that includes the all inclusive so, I am unable to check but I see the premium package is listed at $10USD more than the classic.  

 

The concierge does give you some perks that haven't been mentioned, again, this was before the pause and some may not even apply at this point:

- foot stools on your balcony (on some classes of ships) 

- bottle of welcome bubbly in your room (some people have expressed their dislike of this but, I believe you can turn it in for a red or white if you don't like the bubbly and if you have the classic beverage package, it may not be worth anything to you. 

- pillow menu ... now, people state they have never seen this but we've requested specific pillows and have gotten them in the CC and AQ cabins 

- priority boarding and tendering (this really depends on how quickly or slowly the boarding and tendering processes are handled ... it was helpful a couple of times for us) 

- dinner reservations (we noticed a difference by having a concierge cabin)

- extra captain's club points (this may or may not matter to you)

- location of the C1 cabins ... YES!!!  

 

It's the little things, which if you don't take advantage of or if they just aren't your priority, a standard balcony just might save you $$$ and it won't lessen your experience!  

- 

[Tedferg]

Our prior cruise was on Reflection, the Transpacific are on Eclipse - are these ships similar ? I saw a post some time ago that described the various classes of X ships, it was handy for a Celebrity novice like me. I thought it was a sticky.

[NantahalaCruiser]

4 hours ago, Tedferg said:

Our prior cruise was on Reflection, the Transpacific are on Eclipse - are these ships similar ? I saw a post some time ago that described the various classes of X ships, it was handy for a Celebrity novice like me. I thought it was a sticky.

They are both S-class - so quite similar.  Reflection has about 7% more cabins than Eclipse with no increase in public spaces.  However, Reflection has the additional Lawn Club Grill and Porch specialty restaurants, while the Eclipse does not.

[PBTravelBug]

We have always found the Classic Beverage package to be perfectly suitable for our needs. We happened to have the Premium package one time. We certainly enjoyed it but would not pay to upgrade to it.

As for veranda staterooms - we always compare veranda, concierge, and aqua class. If there is not a huge mark up for aqua class that is they way we like to go because we enjoy Blu and the access to the Persian Garden. 

Veranda vs Concierge really comes down to location of the cabin. Other than that we have never seen the value in Concierge.

[leck57]

8 minutes ago, PBTravelBug said:

We have always found the Classic Beverage package to be perfectly suitable for our needs. We happened to have the Premium package one time. We certainly enjoyed it but would not pay to upgrade to it.

As for veranda staterooms - we always compare veranda, concierge, and aqua class. If there is not a huge mark up for aqua class that is they way we like to go because we enjoy Blu and the access to the Persian Garden. 

Veranda vs Concierge really comes down to location of the cabin. Other than that we have never seen the value in Concierge.

 

Your comments are a reflection of my opinion in regards to both the beverage package and the different room classes. Having travelled Concierge, I would never pay for it again.

[Cruise a holic]

If you cannot upgrade to a Sky suite, on S class, it really is like previously stated fluff.  I also wouldn't recommend AQ as the perks are also fluff and the cost not worth it IMO.  If you aren't concerned with points, book a well located Balcony cabin, reserve unlimited specialty dining-  So much better then blu.

 

 

[Tedferg]

4 hours ago, Cruise a holic said:

If you cannot upgrade to a Sky suite, on S class, it really is like previously stated fluff.  I also wouldn't recommend AQ as the perks are also fluff and the cost not worth it IMO.  If you aren't concerned with points, book a well located Balcony cabin, reserve unlimited specialty dining-  So much better then blu.

 

 

Please elaborate on costs of Specialty Dining package. I went to X site and saw comments about package but no details.

[Tedferg]

In my test booking Veranda was $3,988 Concierge $4,463 Aqua $5,128 per person so $2,280 for two  For Aqua over Veranda - that would buy a lot of Specialty dinners !

[RICCruisers]

58 minutes ago, Tedferg said:

In my test booking Veranda was $3,988 Concierge $4,463 Aqua $5,128 per person so $2,280 for two  For Aqua over Veranda - that would buy a lot of Specialty dinners !

There are Specialty Dining Packages available in your Cruise Planner that are discounted based on the number of nights you purchase.  Here is the only downside to the discounted packages - You cannot book them before your cruise.  You may not get the restaurant of choice or the time you prefer to eat on the package.  If you are willing to purchase without the discount, you are able to select the day, time and restaurant choice.  Many people will say to wait until you board because discounts are available.  That is true in many cases, but again the choice of date, time and restaurant may not suit you.  The only real exception is for the first night of your cruise.  You usually get a discount of between 30% -35% that night and can choose your time and restaurant.