Moveup to Retreat- lounge question

[creativeroutes]

It is my understanding when winning a moveup bid you do not get the drink package, Wi-Fi or OBC but you get all other perks such as access to the retreat  lounge. The retreat lounge has snacks and complimentary drinks? I’m wondering if that mean you can get a complimentary cocktail  there 🍹 without a drink package ? 
 

Thank you 😊 

[bikerunner]

26 minutes ago, creativeroutes said:

It is my understanding when winning a moveup bid you do not get the drink package, Wi-Fi or OBC but you get all other perks such as access to the retreat  lounge. The retreat lounge has snacks and complimentary drinks? I’m wondering if that mean you can get a complimentary cocktail  there 🍹 without a drink package ? 
 

Thank you 😊 

You are correct. You would get drinks in the retreat lounge.   If you had a drink pkg it would carry over to the move up and able to get those drinks in other lounges Ie classic pkg.  but retreat lounge you have access to whatever is in there 

[jelayne]

Drinks in the Retreat Lounge you would get. But not in Luminae or the Retreat Sundeck bar. 

[creativeroutes]

Thank you both for clarifying!

[39august]

And you can get bottles of premium water and soda from the Retreat lounge and take back to your room. 

[terrydtx]

7 hours ago, jelayne said:

Drinks in the Retreat Lounge you would get. But not in Luminae or the Retreat Sundeck bar. 

I thought drinks in the Retreat Sundeck bar were treated like the Retreat lounge and complimentary for all Retreat guests.

[kwokpot]

6 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

I thought drinks in the Retreat Sundeck bar were treated like the Retreat lounge and complimentary for all Retreat guests.

No, only premium coffees and water(I assume soft drinks) but nothing with alcohol. 

[Jim_Iain]

1 hour ago, terrydtx said:

I thought drinks in the Retreat Sundeck bar were treated like the Retreat lounge and complimentary for all Retreat guests.

Nope.. I've actually seen them ask for cards at the beginning of the cruise.  They of course get to know you fast.   They also enforce the Classic/Premium status.  

 

It always surprised me as a guest can walk downstairs and get a drink and bring it up.   Also Zenith's get access to Retreat again but not Retreat Sun Deck.

 

I've had waiters in Luminae on first lunch when I order San Pelligrino ask "Premium Package?"  They don't ask for the card but sure they can in the backroom.

Edited November 17, 2023 by Jim_Iain

[DaKahuna]

2 hours ago, terrydtx said:

I thought drinks in the Retreat Sundeck bar were treated like the Retreat lounge and complimentary for all Retreat guests.

 

 That was not our experience the one time we did not have the Premium Beverage package. 

 

[George C]

We do a music charter and if you book a sky suite they do not give you any drink package , not a big deal love retreat lounge they will give you doubles if you want .

[DaKahuna]

34 minutes ago, George C said:

We do a music charter and if you book a sky suite they do not give you any drink package , not a big deal love retreat lounge they will give you doubles if you want .

 

Sometimes they give you doubles without your even asking for a double !  They aim to please in the Retreat Lounge. 

 

[George C]

4 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

 

Sometimes they give you doubles without your even asking for a double !  They aim to please in the Retreat Lounge. 

 

Yes after asking for doubles a couple of times they just would pour me them, they sometimes poured me the drink before I asked for one, staff in the retreat and Michaels is excellent, also if you wanted a wine or liquor tha they didn’t have they would try to get it.

[Cap_D]

The Retreat Sundeck Bar experience would be improved if the beverages were included so that the card didn't need to be produced over and over again.  At least one doesn't need to wear a Retreat wrist band.  Sometimes they recognize you, but sometimes they don't.  The need for a card and swipe also can create a bottleneck of people lined up on the side of the bar. 

 

At times, we also found the drink staff to not want to help carry drinks to loungers unless it was a drink ordered from them, and they were also not interested in helping carry food orders.  It occurs to me this may have been a gratuity thing.  If my memory is right, it was also something the hotel director didn't think should be the case and had corrected. We also had a better experience in 2023 on the sundeck, so it may vary.  The retreat lounge, sundeck crew, and Luminae crew also answer to a few different departments.  By far the Luminae staff were always the best on the ship, and most thoughtful/anticipatory/impactful.  

Edited November 17, 2023 by Cap_D

[creativeroutes]

6 hours ago, 39august said:

And you can get bottles of premium water and soda from the Retreat lounge and take back to your room. 

Awesome - thank you for the tip !

[Illsticktocrusing]

On 11/17/2023 at 9:33 AM, terrydtx said:

I thought drinks in the Retreat Sundeck bar were treated like the Retreat lounge and complimentary for all Retreat guests.

My last cruise I did not have the drink package when in a Suite.  The first two days I was not asked for my card on the Sundeck but day three they did.  I just went downstairs for my drink (got those extra steps in).  Like others, we would stock up on water and soda from the lounge for our room, grab a drink before or after dinner.  

[terrydtx]

20 hours ago, Cap_D said:

The Retreat Sundeck Bar experience would be improved if the beverages were included so that the card didn't need to be produced over and over again.  At least one doesn't need to wear a Retreat wrist band.  Sometimes they recognize you, but sometimes they don't.  The need for a card and swipe also can create a bottleneck of people lined up on the side of the bar. 

 

At times, we also found the drink staff to not want to help carry drinks to loungers unless it was a drink ordered from them, and they were also not interested in helping carry food orders.  It occurs to me this may have been a gratuity thing.  If my memory is right, it was also something the hotel director didn't think should be the case and had corrected. We also had a better experience in 2023 on the sundeck, so it may vary.  The retreat lounge, sundeck crew, and Luminae crew also answer to a few different departments.  By far the Luminae staff were always the best on the ship, and most thoughtful/anticipatory/impactful.  

On the Apex in September we never had to produce our sail card in the Retreat deck, I guess they knew we had the PDP somehow.

[terrydtx]

3 minutes ago, Illsticktocrusing said:

My last cruise I did not have the drink package when in a Suite.  The first two days I was not asked for my card on the Sundeck but day three they did.  I just went downstairs for my drink (got those extra steps in).  Like others, we would stock up on water and soda from the lounge for our room, grab a drink before or after dinner.  

When the Retreat lounge was nearly full I found making that trip upstairs was better for using the bathrooms in the Retreat deck.

[hcat]

20 hours ago, Cap_D said:

The Retreat Sundeck Bar experience would be improved if the beverages were included so that the card didn't need to be produced over and over again.  At least one doesn't need to wear a Retreat wrist band.  Sometimes they recognize you, but sometimes they don't.  The need for a card and swipe also can create a bottleneck of people lined up on the side of the bar. 

 

At times, we also found the drink staff to not want to help carry drinks to loungers unless it was a drink ordered from them, and they were also not interested in helping carry food orders.  It occurs to me this may have been a gratuity thing.  If my memory is right, it was also something the hotel director didn't think should be the case and had corrected. We also had a better experience in 2023 on the sundeck, so it may vary.  The retreat lounge, sundeck crew, and Luminae crew also answer to a few different departments.  By far the Luminae staff were always the best on the ship, and most thoughtful/anticipatory/impactful.  

drink staff are busy and often overwhelmed. very slow service

.not their fault...!

 

.On BEYOND  when we cruised,  there were non bartenders taking and  carrying food orders but not drinks..maybe the bar is self serve and carry it yourself? 

 

other than a port day..it was too crowded up there..including the tiny  pool... on the port day it was amazing!

.