Currently on the Edge in the Retreat and being told we do not have a drinks package?

[graphicguy]

6 minutes ago, soniam said:

I hate to be pedantic about this. I wasn't worried about what our TA booked this month for Beyond in a Celebrity Suite in July 2023, but now I think I am confused. I have the following. I believe this means we are getting the premium drinks, premium wi-fi, tips, on-board credit, and shore excursion credit. Is this correct? Thanks

 

Booking Charges – Currency: USD

RETREAT NRD.             -$***

 

Onboard Credit

Onboard Credit.              $***

 

Promotions Applied

RETREAT

Probably fine.  But, just for clarity’s sake, I’d have your TA send the specifics of your perks to you.  Not saying it would be a problem, but if things became a little confusing, you could point to the invoice with the specific perks defined in writing.

[Dar & Bob]

I am happy to be following the Celebrity boards and this post in particular   We are on our first Celebrity cruise on the Edge in April. We booked a Sunset Veranda but did go for some of the upgrades.  I booked directly with Celebrity and our rep was pretty good at explaining most of what the Elevate and Indulge packages were about. 
We have cruised Mostly Princess lately and I have found that the pricing and invoicing is confusing.  I can find nowhere on the site or the app that gives me a breakdown of what I have paid for. On Princess it is all laid out line by line.  
When I got to final payment the amount was different than what we had on our invoice, but nowhere within the site could I get the details.  Our CPP took care of it so that was not too bad.  Guess we will get used to it as we book more. But I’m happy to know it’s not just me!!!

[Jeremiah1212]

13 minutes ago, soniam said:

I hate to be pedantic about this. I wasn't worried about what our TA booked this month for Beyond in a Celebrity Suite in July 2023, but now I think I am confused. I have the following. I believe this means we are getting the premium drinks, premium wi-fi, tips, on-board credit, and shore excursion credit. Is this correct? Thanks

 

Booking Charges – Currency: USD

RETREAT NRD.             -$***

 

Onboard Credit

Onboard Credit.              $***

 

Promotions Applied

RETREAT

 

Yes. You have the four inclusions with a nonrefundable deposit. 

[morpheusofthesea]

9 minutes ago, soniam said:

Promotions Applied

RETREAT

9 minutes ago, soniam said:

 

That is exactly all that was reflected on my confirmation. But who is to say that by the time one sails "promotion applied RETREAT" actually stands for 'all perks' ? As this thread appears to indicate it is better to get ones confirmation from Celebrity Itemized so your 'significant other' doesn't think you are a "cheapskate".

[zitsky]

I realize the Celebrity documents can be confusing.  But it seems the answer is to ask somebody.  Your TA, your Celebrity rep, somebody.  Don't just sit there and spin your wheels.  There's nothing to be ashamed about, and it could save you a lot of trouble down the line.

[wrk2cruise]

I think many people are getting spun up over nothing.   A VERY small percentage of suite bookings are without perks and would have come with a noticeable discount from the general AI fare.

[Sp429]

I booked directly with Celebrity and specifically asked if we had perks. I was told "you are in a suite, so everything is included". Well, not true. Thanks to this thread, I called today to find out before boarding. BUT the interesting thing I wanted to point out here is that I was told today that even though I am in a Sky Suite on the Edge that I won't have access to Retreat. Seems odd. I am waiting on a call back from a Supervisor to confirm. 

[OUBaylor1]

I always book through a travel agent.  At the time of the booking, my travel agent sends me my booking confirmation/cruise receipt.  About 60 days later I ask my travel agent to request the Booking Confirmation-Guest Copy from Celebrity.  The first document is my transaction with the travel agency.  The second document is Celebrity's confirmation of my transaction.  The second document from Celebrity details one's booking reservation and shows specifically what your benefits/perks are with that reservation.  I always request this from Celebrity through my travel agent and print it out to take with me on the cruise just in case there are any problems.

[mfs2k]

1 hour ago, Vagabond Knight said:

Chuckling at the people saying that the OP has gone into hiding, or may not be posting back because he's found out bad news about his perks.  Folks, the OP is ON A CRUISE!  He posted a question on here and got some leads, but my guess is that he's now off enjoying his cruise... perks or no perks.  One of the last things I'd be doing if I was on a cruise is reading and posting on CC.  It's CRUISE TIME!  Eat, drink (even if you have to pay for it)... HAVE FUN!!!  

 

Clearly, we, the readers, are the ones who are bored and want to know what happened. haha

Its like we've been read a story, without an ending. 

[LGW59]

10 minutes ago, OUBaylor1 said:

I always book through a travel agent.  At the time of the booking, my travel agent sends me my booking confirmation/cruise receipt.  About 60 days later I ask my travel agent to request the Booking Confirmation-Guest Copy from Celebrity.  The first document is my transaction with the travel agency.  The second document is Celebrity's confirmation of my transaction.  The second document from Celebrity details one's booking reservation and shows specifically what your benefits/perks are with that reservation.  I always request this from Celebrity through my travel agent and print it out to take with me on the cruise just in case there are any problems.

Anyone who does not do exactly you state here, is their own worst enemy.  Whether I book directly with Celebrity or my TA, I NEVER get off the phone until I have received my email confirmation, which I then review with them line by line.  Too many people it seems, do not make the time to do this, and then they end up here looking for cheese to go with their whine.

[mfs2k]

I just want to say one more thing on this topic.

 

It should NOT be this confusing for guests.  Clearly there are MANY people commenting on this thread who are confused.  

 

Guests should NOT have to interpret booking codes. The codes should be translated into

GuestSpeak on Booking confirmations and it should be very clear what you're getting.

 

You should know if your booking includes the slow, medium or fast internet.

You should know if you are getting the soda, cheap liquor, or good liquor packages.

You should know if tips are included and who you should be tipping in addition to the included tips.

You should know if your key will open the Retreat Deck door.

You should know what is NOT included.

And Celebrity should stop marketing "Always Included" if this stuff is not always included. 

 

Thanks for listening.

 

 

Edited February 22, 2022 by mfs2k

[morpheusofthesea]

1 hour ago, graphicguy said:

She’s wonderful!

STEADY BOY, STEADY !

[grouchomarx]

We have a Sky Suite booked on Edge for this Saturday. No documents or online/app info showed any of the perks we were supposed to get except the OBC.  Just called, confirmed we are getting everything and was sent a detailed invoice showing all of it.  Feeling relieved now.

[downsmead]

A big thank you to this thread. When I moved a booking recently, I realised when I got the invoice it did not specify ‘Always Included’. I pinged an email to Celebrity a week later but got no response 😞. I phoned tonight and got put through to the US office and eventually when the agent checked the prices active on the date I made the transfer, saw that the price I booked at was an Always Included one and then duly issued a new invoice for me, with the AI showing on the invoice 😊, one happy X cruiser. Now let’s hope they don’t sell off Infinity as the itinerary is one that really appeals to us (April 2023).

[wrk2cruise]

1 hour ago, Sp429 said:

I booked directly with Celebrity and specifically asked if we had perks. I was told "you are in a suite, so everything is included". Well, not true. Thanks to this thread, I called today to find out before boarding. BUT the interesting thing I wanted to point out here is that I was told today that even though I am in a Sky Suite on the Edge that I won't have access to Retreat. Seems odd. I am waiting on a call back from a Supervisor to confirm. 

 

There are NO/ZERO cases where if your stateroom is a suite class room where you don't have access to the Retreat/MC, Luminae, or Retreat Sundeck (if one exists).   You will always also have complimentary drinks in Retreat/MC lounge but not the other areas unless you have a beverage package.

 

Another Celebrity employee that doesn't know what they are talking about.

[Maggie North]

1 hour ago, grouchomarx said:

We have a Sky Suite booked on Edge for this Saturday. No documents or online/app info showed any of the perks we were supposed to get except the OBC.  Just called, confirmed we are getting everything and was sent a detailed invoice showing all of it.  Feeling relieved now.

You can always look at your most recent Xpress Pass...should say "PALL" (Premium) or "CALL" (Classic). As well, I just looked at order history under "Plan my Cruise" and saw the AI perks plus my upgrade to Premium (used our OBC). Good way to be sure!

Hopefully, OP and Mrs. OP are enjoying themselves...gotta love the Edge!!

PS: this has been an interesting thread!

Edited February 22, 2022 by Maggie North
additional comment

[kmtoner]

We booked a specific Sky Suite on the Beyond today. Thanks to this thread, I’m now super paranoid about whether I’ll get each promo item that we’re expecting. The code SAVE9NpluNRD does appear to link to the “up to $3,000” fare discount currently advertised. But like others on this thread, I find “RETREAT NRD” too vague and confusing. The $600 OBC shows up, even though this code says nothing about that. So, perhaps the drinks and wifi will, too. But how can I be certain from looking at the booking confirmation document that Celebrity sent to my TA?

 

I confess I’m very much missing the Crystal Cruises approach to premium cruises. The promos, extra charges, and add-ons for Celebrity seem so similar to what we experienced on Princess, Carnival, and RCCL, that I’m already bracing myself for a significant chunk of cabin charges at the end of my trip. <sigh> If only I could get my full Crystal deposit back, perhaps I’d be more chipper about all of this.

[JamieLogical]

2 minutes ago, kmtoner said:

We booked a specific Sky Suite on the Beyond today. Thanks to this thread, I’m now super paranoid about whether I’ll get each promo item that we’re expecting. The code SAVE9NpluNRD does appear to link to the “up to $3,000” fare discount currently advertised. But like others on this thread, I find “RETREAT NRD” too vague and confusing. The $600 OBC shows up, even though this code says nothing about that. So, perhaps the drinks and wifi will, too. But how can I be certain from looking at the booking confirmation document that Celebrity sent to my TA?

 

I confess I’m very much missing the Crystal Cruises approach to premium cruises. The promos, extra charges, and add-ons for Celebrity seem so similar to what we experienced on Princess, Carnival, and RCCL, that I’m already bracing myself for a significant chunk of cabin charges at the end of my trip. <sigh> If only I could get my full Crystal deposit back, perhaps I’d be more chipper about all of this.

 

Everything sounds correct for your booking. The one promo code is definitely the current sail. I have a similar code on my current bookings. The fact that you are seeing the $600 OBC right away is a good clue you got the AI perks. You would not have received that if you didn't get all of the Retreat includes.

[Missymo]

On 2/21/2022 at 2:33 PM, Salt Lifer said:

I have been worried about this myself. The Always Included is included in my invoice but it is not showing up anywhere online or in the app.  I discovered this a couple days ago when I decided to upgrade my drinks package to the Premium, however was only given the option of Classic ($59) or Premium ($69) as if I did not already have the AI.  Has anyone else experienced this and, if so, how did you handle the upgrade in advance without paying the full amount?

 

I will for sure be bringing a paper copy of my invoice with me when I board just to be on the safe side, but I would rather make sure it is all resolved prior to boarding.

 

The best and easiest way to upgrade from Classic to Premium is onboard.Go to any bar, and bartenders will be very happy to upgrade you.  I believe its around 35 dollars a day to upgrade. , not exactly  sure of price( I don't drink so don't pay big attention to the package)  but a big difference from posted pricing. 

 

 

[Missymo]

19 hours ago, hiccups said:

If you book online, you'll see what's shown in Post 111, which IMO is pretty clear.  If you use a TA, then you may not even see all the codes.  My TA's statement has the perks listed, no codes.

While reading this post, I checked my TA invoice which just showed  CREDITS,  I called and had her resend a complete invoice, showing all the perks individually. Did not include any codes. as they are exclusive codes for Celebrity .

[kmtoner]

54 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

 

Everything sounds correct for your booking. The one promo code is definitely the current sail. I have a similar code on my current bookings. The fact that you are seeing the $600 OBC right away is a good clue you got the AI perks. You would not have received that if you didn't get all of the Retreat includes.

 

Thanks. It does appear you are correct about the current RETREAT NRD promo code covering premium drinks, premium wifi, gratuities, and access to The Retreat. My TA called and was directed to this FAQ page:

 

https://www.celebritycruises.com/faqs/the-retreat

 

I expect my sisters and brothers in the Juris Doctor club will enjoy the combination of “plain English” and boilerplate in that FAQ. So, I’m going to print this FAQ in hard copy and then find a junior lawyer who will take my call from the high seas if I’m denied bourbon above the Jim Beam level. <grin> Cheers!

Edited February 22, 2022 by kmtoner
Typo

[morpheusofthesea]

"Terms & Conditions

*Guests who book The Retreat® on or after November 17, 2020 will receive the Indulge Package at no additional charge. Excludes guests who book The Retreat with Simply Sail, special fares, or a MoveUp upgrade from a non-suite stateroom. The Indulge Package provides a Premium Beverage Package, an Unlimited Stream Wi-Fi Package, gratuities (“tips”) included, and an onboard credit (“OBC”) for all guests in the stateroom."

 Then there is in the same paragraph. 

"Always Included^SM:

• Premium drinks
• Streaming Wi-Fi (first two guests in a suite)
• Tips
• Onboard credit
• Shore excursion credit" 

It appears we have 2 names for the same perks, yet no perks with "special fares, Simply Sail, or MoveUp from non-suite cabin" or pay for the package separately?

Caveat Emptor.

Edited February 22, 2022 by morpheusofthesea

[graphicguy]

It looks like Celebrity is dynamically changing the WEB site, almost as if they're reading our posts.   I've checked it probably 6 times in the last couple of days.  Changes were made on various things each and every time, including pricing....from day-to-day.

[grouchomarx]

2 hours ago, Maggie North said:

You can always look at your most recent Xpress Pass...should say "PALL" (Premium) or "CALL" (Classic). As well, I just looked at order history under "Plan my Cruise" and saw the AI perks plus my upgrade to Premium (used our OBC). Good way to be sure!

Hopefully, OP and Mrs. OP are enjoying themselves...gotta love the Edge!!

PS: this has been an interesting thread!

Thanks, just checked Xpress passes and it indeed says PALL.  Never would have known what that means!

[Dolebludger]

Here is what I mean by lack of transparency in on line booking  on Celebrity. I just did a “ghost” booking on a cruise to the E Caribbean in a Sky Suite. Nowhere was I able to determine if the booking would have AI benefits or was SS. I was able to determine that it had Retreat access, but WiFi, tips, and drinks in lounges outside of Retreat — these things were a mystery, as were credits for excursions and such. So I clicked “options” and found only travel insurance (with no full explanation of coverage available) and refundable deposit (cost $702 — deposit shown as $500?). 
 

if the OP here booked online, it is apparent how he didn’t get what he thought he would get. He probably has no WiFi unless he pays some obscene charge onboard.I would never book a cruise with as little info as the Celebrity site provides for on line booking.