Welcome aboard Champagne/Proseco Gone??

[Sandy1975]

Just boarded Equinox and they no longer have the proseco or mimosa as a welcome aboard drink. When I sailed on Edge in April, they were available in Oceanview Cafe and Al Bacio (I know they stopped doing it as you board the ship). Is this a change across the fleet?

 

[PTC DAWG]

I go get the good stuff with my drink package. 
 

My last cruise this past spring, I found the cheap stuff at Al Bacio, it was on the coffee bar..I’ll know more when I board Ascent next month. 

Edited December 10, 2023 by PTC DAWG

[cruisestitch]

Welcome glass was available at Cafe Al Bacio last week on Silhouette 

[Sandy1975]

11 minutes ago, cruisestitch said:

Welcome glass was available at Cafe Al Bacio last week on Silhouette 

Interesting. I asked at Bacio, OV, even Passport Bar. Everyone is looking at like as if I'm making stuff up. No one knows or pretends to know about it. I wonder if this is another "test". At this point is amusing but I won't waste my time asking about it at GS.

I know it is cheap stuff but it was a nice touch and one thing X was known for. 

Edited December 10, 2023 by Sandy1975

[critic2023]

There was no welcome aboard champagne when I was on the Beyond this May either. Disappointing, as I'd seen it in all the videos I watched prior to the cruise! Now it's not that big of a deal as I immediately went up to the buffet for lunch and grabbed a glass of prosecco, but having a glass handed to you as you walked onboard is a nice touch that I would have appreciated.

[Ferry_Watcher]

23 minutes ago, Sandy1975 said:

I know it is cheap stuff but it was a nice touch and one thing X was known for.

 

Agree.  

 

It was available at Cafe Al Bacio on the Solstice last May when I was on board.

[NMTraveller]

Sigh...

 

We will be going to the Sunset bar for a glass of Domaine Carneros...

 

It was a nice touch...

Edited December 10, 2023 by NMTraveller

[kathynorth]

I know it's not the best quality bubbly, but we have a tradition of making a quick toast before dropping off our carry ons. Maybe those of you who report this as missing could mention it on the comment cards. If enough people comment the practice may return for future cruises.

[Georgia_Peaches]

33 minutes ago, Sandy1975 said:

Everyone is looking at like as if I'm making stuff up. No one knows or pretends to know about it. I

Don’t you just love that bewildered look?  Reminds me of the look I’d get from my teens when I asked what hit the car or how’d that hole get in the wall…

 

On Ascent a few weeks ago I asked the guy in the photo studio how I got my free digital pics for being an Amethyst Blue Chip member. DH and I still laugh at the look on the poor guy’s face when I suggested it was a thing. I believe he really didn’t know what I was talking about. We didn’t pursue it. 

[hcat]

Cheap bubbly used to create a log jam as one boarded.so it was spread around..Guess it is one of those disappearing  nice touches...

 

In AQ,  now you have to ask for the btl..if still a perk.  Goes ok with OJ in  the a.m,

[tfred]

It was a nice tradition but difficult for arriving pax with hand luggage of some sort to carry  One sip and then they are looking to ditch it somewhere   Now you have a ship littered with 2/3 full glasses of cheap champagne that pax are compiling about how the dirty the ship looks 

[doghog]

For us, it has nothing to do with being real champagne or cheap bubbly. We liked the tradition of welcome aboard and handed a flute of sparkling wine. We had it on our March Apex cruise but not on our October Eclipse cruise. 

[Sandy1975]

3 minutes ago, hcat said:

Cheap bubbly used to create a log jam as one boarded.so it was spread around..Guess it is one of those disappearing  nice touches...

 

In AQ,  now you have to ask for the btl..if still a perk.  Goes ok with OJ in  the a.m,

In the last 3 or 4 they didn't do it at the entrance. It was available at OV and Bacio

[NutsAboutGolf]

20 minutes ago, hcat said:

Cheap bubbly used to create a log jam as one boarded.so it was spread around..Guess it is one of those disappearing  nice touches...

 

In AQ,  now you have to ask for the btl..if still a perk.  Goes ok with OJ in  the a.m,

 

We only sailed on X once pre-pandemic in the summer of 2019, we boarded at peak time as there was a long line, and we didn't notice any log jam but I'm sure it does happen.  My WAG (Wild A$$ Guess), it takes additional labor to post someone at the gangway door, someone has to transport the bubbly to them,  transport the clean glasses, and transport the dirty glasses.  Having it at Cafe Al Bacio greatly reduces labor and the overall amount consumed as many don't know about it or will just skip it due to having the drink package which

[PTC DAWG]

40 minutes ago, tfred said:

It was a nice tradition but difficult for arriving pax with hand luggage of some sort to carry  One sip and then they are looking to ditch it somewhere   Now you have a ship littered with 2/3 full glasses of cheap champagne that pax are compiling about how the dirty the ship looks 

That may be the real answer, folks bring more and more stuff in carry ons these days..makes sense to me..

[NMTraveller]

31 minutes ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

We only sailed on X once pre-pandemic in the summer of 2019, we boarded at peak time as there was a long line, and we didn't notice any log jam but I'm sure it does happen.  My WAG (Wild A$$ Guess), it takes additional labor to post someone at the gangway door, someone has to transport the bubbly to them,  transport the clean glasses, and transport the dirty glasses.  Having it at Cafe Al Bacio greatly reduces labor and the overall amount consumed as many don't know about it or will just skip it due to having the drink package which

Imagine the cost savings by them pouring a cheap Prosecco vs a glass of Domaine Carneros...

[champagnecruiser]

2 hours ago, Sandy1975 said:

Interesting. I asked at Bacio, OV, even Passport Bar. Everyone is looking at like as if I'm making stuff up. No one knows or pretends to know about it. I wonder if this is another "test". At this point is amusing but I won't waste my time asking about it at GS.

I know it is cheap stuff but it was a nice touch and one thing X was known for. 

I agree, it was a nice touch and sad it’s gone. I know I can have better at a Bar but it was something for everyone to acknowledge the start of their cruise!

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

Just left Reflection a week ago. We didn't get a welcome Prosecco.  Additionally, we didn't get the usually Celebrity tote bag as a gift in our room. We used to get two separate plates of tiny canapes each day in our room. That has been reduced to one plate. They might as well send nothing, because the canapes are so tiny now. We did still get a small vase of flowers on the first formal night. 

 

Some of these perks seem like such a small matter, but they do create a feeling of hospitality and appreciation from Celebrity for our patronage. There are so many ships to choose from now. We wouldn't have to sail Celebrity but choose to because for many years we have liked their ships and service. I don't appreciate the sneaky little cutbacks and feel that Celebrity believes new guests won't notice what they have never been offered and the long term regulars are probably tired of the gestures anyway. 

[PTC DAWG]

1 hour ago, champagnecruiser said:

I agree, it was a nice touch and sad it’s gone. I know I can have better at a Bar but it was something for everyone to acknowledge the start of their cruise!

I agree with you I enjoyed it, but am willing to adapt..

[jelayne]

2 hours ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

We only sailed on X once pre-pandemic in the summer of 2019, we boarded at peak time as there was a long line, and we didn't notice any log jam but I'm sure it does happen.  My WAG (Wild A$$ Guess), it takes additional labor to post someone at the gangway door, someone has to transport the bubbly to them,  transport the clean glasses, and transport the dirty glasses.  Having it at Cafe Al Bacio greatly reduces labor and the overall amount consumed as many don't know about it or will just skip it due to having the drink package which

When cruising restarted having  the sparkling wine at a couple of venue sound the ship vs at the entry was another step in minimizing crowds. 

[NutsAboutGolf]

16 minutes ago, jelayne said:

When cruising restarted having  the sparkling wine at a couple of venue sound the ship vs at the entry was another step in minimizing crowds. 

 

Usually, there's a primary reason and a bunch of minor reasons.  I'm not sure if minimizing crowds or even practicing social distancing was ever a thing on Celebrity.  Was on the 5th Edge sailing and someone asked Capt Kate why is half the MDR closed because we were sitting on top of each other she answered Celebrity didn't go the social distant route

 

X did nothing to prevent crowding anywhere else on that sailing as it was alive and well during the Capt jewelry collection reveal, free jewelry gift, liquor tasting, art auctions, casino, the late night sky lounge DJ encouraged dancing with strangers, lines to get off and on the ship/guest service/restaurants, etc

[jelayne]

1 hour ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

Usually, there's a primary reason and a bunch of minor reasons.  I'm not sure if minimizing crowds or even practicing social distancing was ever a thing on Celebrity.  Was on the 5th Edge sailing and someone asked Capt Kate why is half the MDR closed because we were sitting on top of each other she answered Celebrity didn't go the social distant route

 

X did nothing to prevent crowding anywhere else on that sailing as it was alive and well during the Capt jewelry collection reveal, free jewelry gift, liquor tasting, art auctions, casino, the late night sky lounge DJ encouraged dancing with strangers, lines to get off and on the ship/guest service/restaurants, etc

When we were on the Apex after the restart there were 875 passengers.  Nothing was crowded, passengers were sitting spaced out around the theater and the Oceanview.  The only place that I saw that was shoulder to shoulder was sitting at the Martini Bar.  All 4 MDRs were open but that few passengers they were spread out well.

[NutsAboutGolf]

4 minutes ago, jelayne said:

When we were on the Apex after the restart there were 875 passengers.  Nothing was crowded, passengers were sitting spaced out around the theater and the Oceanview.  The only place that I saw that was shoulder to shoulder was sitting at the Martini Bar.  All 4 MDRs were open but that few passengers they were spread out well.

 

I'll put it another way, if X was concerned about crowding, besides relocating the welcome bubbly, where else did they attempt to reduce crowding?

[gold1953]

We found the trays of these offerings at the martini bar last cruise

[cruisegirlppp]

17 hours ago, Sandy1975 said:

In the last 3 or 4 they didn't do it at the entrance. It was available at OV and Bacio

I asked at Bacio on our last cruise and they told me I could purchase a glass...