Just off the first two Ascent cruises in the Retreat

[RMac713]

My husband and I just did the 4 and 3 night first two cruises on Ascent B2B.  We were in the same sky suite (10141) for both.  Our "stateroom host" Kate was great and did everything we asked and quickly.   Service on the retreat deck was quick and correct.   Luminae was well done and great service from our server Eduardo.   Ate at Eden and Final Cut, and enjoyed the Martini Bar.  

We already had an 8 night in July on the Beyond and booked a 7 night on Apex in 2/25.   

And I was the first ever winner of the new trivia show "Duel" on the 4 night.  🙂

[Texed]

Thanks for posting.  😊

[Georgia_Peaches]

5 minutes ago, RMac713 said:

And I was the first ever winner of the new trivia show "Duel" on the 4 night.  🙂

HaHa...we saw you win!!  That's awesome!  So glad you had a great Retreat experience!

[RichYak]

5 hours ago, RMac713 said:

Our "stateroom host" Kate was great and did everything we asked and quickly.

Thanks for the review. It would be helpful to know what you asked for.

[dock]

Glad you had a good cruise. 
Im also curious what you asked your host to do. Morning coffee , canapés at 4pm ,laundry,  extra ice ?? 
 

I’m not sure what to ask for or expect nowadays. 

Thanks. 

[RMac713]

We asked for ice to be filled twice a day, and coffee/iced tea in the mornings.  Not much but she did a great job, checked on us at least twice a day, and was super friendly.  

 

[txtechmk]

Glad the cruise was great.  We sail on her in May!

[JDPCruisers]

2 minutes ago, RMac713 said:

We asked for ice to be filled twice a day, and coffee/iced tea in the mornings.  Not much but she did a great job, checked on us at least twice a day, and was super friendly.  

 

Thanks for this information. Was the "stateroom host" the head butler or your room steward? If the latter, did you ever meet the head butler?

[jelayne]

3 hours ago, RMac713 said:

We asked for ice to be filled twice a day, and coffee/iced tea in the mornings.  Not much but she did a great job, checked on us at least twice a day, and was super friendly.  

 

Our stateroom attendant has always provided ice for us when not in a suite, for other than suite's providing ice as requested is a stateroom attendants responsibility. 

[RMac713]

I'm pretty sure she introduced herself to us as "stateroom host".  But she was very excited as we were the first guests she talked to because she saw us drop off our carry on bags.  She did give me a separate card.  There was a card for the head butler in our portfolio but we never needed it.  She asked when I wanted the champagne ready for both cruises and made sure I had ice, which I used to fill up my stanley with the water provided.

 

[SandyKnits]

Glad you had a good experience.  We might have your room “host” for our back to back cruises in February since our suite is two doors down from yours.  Can’t wait! 

[RichYak]

2 hours ago, RMac713 said:

I'm pretty sure she introduced herself to us as "stateroom host".  But she was very excited as we were the first guests she talked to because she saw us drop off our carry on bags.  She did give me a separate card.  There was a card for the head butler in our portfolio but we never needed it.  She asked when I wanted the champagne ready for both cruises and made sure I had ice, which I used to fill up my stanley with the water provided.

 

So no interaction with any "butler". Thanks for the feedback.

[Georgia_Peaches]

6 minutes ago, RichYak said:

So no interaction with any "butler". Thanks for the feedback.

This was my experience as well.

[Dolebludger]

I suspect the “stateroom host” was what Celebrity describes as a “retreat host”, that for SS (and CS, and above?) replaces the “butler”. I’m sure many here are just trying to figure out who staff like Kate are. Was she also the person who made up the room twice a day, or was that done by a different person? 

[jelayne]

4 hours ago, Dolebludger said:

I suspect the “stateroom host” was what Celebrity describes as a “retreat host”, that for SS (and CS, and above?) replaces the “butler”. I’m sure many here are just trying to figure out who staff like Kate are. Was she also the person who made up the room twice a day, or was that done by a different person? 

The Retreat Host (Kate) is also the cabin attendant.  Before the elimination of Butlers for Sky Suites you had a cabin attendant who maintained the cabin and a Butler who took care of things like laundry, ice, keeping the mini bar stocked, delivering & set up of in room meals, making/changing, dining, spa, excursion reservations, bringing snacks, solving emergency issues ( broken shoe, missing button) tracking down missing pre cruise purchases, handling in suite gatherings and other services. 

If you were not in a suite then the cabin attendant took care of maintaining the cabin, laundry, ice and emptying the mini bar.  
 

Now, in our experience, in a Sky Suite the Retreat Host maintains the cabin, takes the laundry, delivers ice, empties the mini bar and delivers only water and tries to resolve other issues but they do not have access to the system or the authority  (not to mention the time)  to handle most requests.  Our Retreat Host had 16 cabins to take care of and was working from. 8-3-3:30 and then returning again at 5:30 to work until about  8:30 or 9.  All food requests go through Room Service with the normal wait times  

Anything else must be handled by the Retreat Concierges who most times have a line of guests waiting to have reservations made/changed/canceled, erroneous charges to their account rectified, emergency situations resolved and questions answered. 

[CardowMD]

We were in a concierge cabin on deck 11 aft. Our stateroom attendant didn’t introduce himself, nor was there a card with name in room. His tag said Retreat Host and he explained he had one suite in a Sunset cabin to service, along with the other 15-20 cabins that were CG. He was a “lead “ cabin attendant, I assume training new people.  Just an FYI, there was a button on room for Stateroom Attendant, figure that went directly to his PDA.

[Georgia_Peaches]

6 hours ago, jelayne said:

The Retreat Host (Kate) is also the cabin attendant.  

Thanks for the clarification on this. I was under the impression that we only met our cabin attendant but not the retreat host or butler. With the renaming of the positions I now know that we met our host (cabin steward) but never a butler. Initially I thought I didn’t meet either of them. How confusing!

[jelayne]

2 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Thanks for the clarification on this. I was under the impression that we only met our cabin attendant but not the retreat host or butler. With the renaming of the positions I now know that we met our host (cabin steward) but never a butler. Initially I thought I didn’t meet either of them. How confusing!

There is a Head Butler on each ship.  On the Edge the Head Butler stopped by on day 1 to introduce himself and advise that our 1st point of contact was our Retreat Host then if we needed additional assistance we should talk to one of the Concierges in the lounge.  He advised we probably would not see him often, if at all as there were so many suites he had to rely on the team.  We did ask him for one thing which he did take care of. 
 

 

[RichYak]

9 minutes ago, jelayne said:

There is a Head Butler on each ship.  On the Edge the Head Butler stopped by on day 1 to introduce himself and advise that our 1st point of contact was our Retreat Host then if we needed additional assistance we should talk to one of the Concierges in the lounge.  He advised we probably would not see him often, if at all as there were so many suites he had to rely on the team.  We did ask him for one thing which he did take care of. 
 

 

It would seem, from this and other reports, that the Head Butler's primary role is to tell Sky Suite guests who else to contact besides him.

[Shiba_Lover]

Can someone clarify for me... It sounds like...

 

Retreat Concierge are in the retreat lounge.

Retreat hosts are in the suites and are the name of the cabin attendants for (lower) suites.

Retreat butlers still exist for upper suites.

Head Butler oversees the retreat hosts and upper suite head butlers.

 

 

 

 

[Shellyd22]

26 minutes ago, RichYak said:

It would seem, from this and other reports, that the Head Butler's primary role is to tell Sky Suite guests who else to contact besides him.

Honeslty, such a strange and confusing model. Sounds like the Head Butler is acting as “manager” to Retreat Hosts but they’re trying to spin it. I was always taught when it comes to business models and policies, simple is usually better. 

[Dolebludger]

Thanks for the posts above, because they answer a question I have had about the status with the Retreat Host (or whatever it is called).I had wondered if they are butlers who now were working in a team with room attendants still in place, or if they are renamed room attendants with added duties. Now I know it Is the latter. No comments on this from me. Facts speak for themselves.

 

I have additional questions about the Retreat.  At what suite level is an actual butler provided, in addition to the room attendant?  At what suite level is use of mini fridge contents included in the fare?

 

 

[RichYak]

13 minutes ago, Shiba_Lover said:

Head Butler oversees the retreat hosts and upper suite head butlers.

This one I don't agree with. I think the Head Butler is just one of the other butlers that are serving the upper suites. Like stateroom attendants (aka "Retreat Hosts"), he just has a different title for Sky Suite guests.

[RichYak]

3 minutes ago, Dolebludger said:

At what suite level is an actual butler provided, in addition to the room attendant?

Celebrity Suite and higher (basically all of Retreat except Sky Suite and Aqua Sky Suite).

 

3 minutes ago, Dolebludger said:

At what suite level is use of mini fridge contents included in the fare?

Royal Suite and higher.

Edited December 1, 2023 by RichYak

[RichYak]

4 minutes ago, Dolebludger said:

Retreat Host... are renamed room attendants with added duties

IMO, they don't have any duties that they don't already perform in non-Retreat cabins.