What's Different Now?

[JamieLogical]

My last Celebrity sailing was in September 2022. I know many of the cruise lines have made a lot of changes/cuts to service since then. My husband and I are considering a Celebrity sailing for this coming October and I was wondering if anyone can give me a rundown of the changes that have taken place on Celebrity. We will likely sail in a Veranda with the Always Included package. I am specifically interested in the following:

 

• Included room service breakfast?
• Evening turndown service?
• Buffet hours?
• Food quality/variety?
• Any changes/reductions in what is available with the Always Included drinks package?

 

I did see that tips are no longer part of the Always Included package. Is anything else different there? Interested to hear from anyone who has sailed in the past year or so.

[jelayne]

Continental Breakfast from Room Service is included, any other Room Service has a change of $11.94 including the gratuity.

 

Evening turndown service - yes.

 

Buffet hours - pretty much the same as in the past, breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night pizza, pasta, salad. Basically 6:30 - 1:00am with short intervals of closing for changing from breakfast to lunch & lunch to dinner.

 

Food quality took a down turn late last summer/fall but we were on cruises in November and last month and food quality very good, although menus are not as extensive as previously.

 

Drink package has had changes, as has occurred previously, with some brands being moved from the Classic package to Premium and some wines and beers are now above the package limits. 

[Hawkstar33]

26 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

My last Celebrity sailing was in September 2022. I know many of the cruise lines have made a lot of changes/cuts to service since then. My husband and I are considering a Celebrity sailing for this coming October and I was wondering if anyone can give me a rundown of the changes that have taken place on Celebrity. We will likely sail in a Veranda with the Always Included package. I am specifically interested in the following:

 

• Included room service breakfast?
• Evening turndown service?
• Buffet hours?
• Food quality/variety?
• Any changes/reductions in what is available with the Always Included drinks package?

 

I did see that tips are no longer part of the Always Included package. Is anything else different there? Interested to hear from anyone who has sailed in the past year or so.

Many things have changed at different levels.  Suites and such, appear to be taking the worst of it. Butler availability in certain suites, a hot topic. Family and friends will be allowed to use the Retreat just like those that pay the megabucks for that amenity. Not gonna go over well.  If you scroll thru the posts, you will easily come across the griping. We've not had any real issues in the Verandas, but some have had theirs... Full ships without a full staff, seems to be causing issues. Some have experienced the only once cleanup visit by the room attendant, while others have gotten both with the fold down service, chocolates on pillow, and towel animals.  In a short time, prices to cruise have dramatically risen per person, as well as on the dining and drink packages. Some have left seeking other deals on other cruise lines.  Also, the MDR is gettin crowded again, and many folks are figuring ways to get water without having to bring any, or pay for a bottle onboard for $4...Room service was a $12 charge last cruise...Buffet hrs are pretty much the same, maybe varying a bit per ship...Always good variety although some might not agree.  We caught the all included before they changed it..Like you said, gratuities no longer on it.  All of this and I'm sure much more, has not stopped folks from booking....We have 5 booked btwn now and next feb, as we book far in advance. We will see as we go, if we are going to continue to cruise as much..

[2chiefs]

27 minutes ago, jelayne said:

Continental Breakfast from Room Service is included, any other Room Service has a change of $11.94 including the gratuity.

 

Evening turndown service - yes.

 

Buffet hours - pretty much the same as in the past, breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night pizza, pasta, salad. Basically 6:30 - 1:00am with short intervals of closing for changing from breakfast to lunch & lunch to dinner.

 

Food quality took a down turn late last summer/fall but we were on cruises in November and last month and food quality very good, although menus are not as extensive as previously.

 

Drink package has had changes, as has occurred previously, with some brands being moved from the Classic package to Premium and some wines and beers are now above the package limits. 

We just got off Beyond on Jan 2 and agree with Jelayne. We thought the food was very good. We did not eat in any specialty dining except one night at Fine Cut which, while good, we didn't think was worth the upcharge.

 

Drinks: I'm a cheap date but I was disappointed that there were only 2, non-light, beers available in the Classic Package: Heineken and Corona.  You needed a premium package to get an IPA or a Stella for instance. C'mon Celebrity, most beers aren't that expensive, please include some more in the classic package!!!

[JamieLogical]

What is the current charge per day to upgrade from the Always Included to the Premium Beverage Package?

[PTC DAWG]

8 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

What is the current charge per day to upgrade from the Always Included to the Premium Beverage Package?

It has varied from sailing to sailing…I have upgraded for 5.99 per day on an 8 day ABC cruise this fall, Black Friday sale I think..it was in the cruise planner...I think the full price is around 20 per day..add 20% gratuity. 

[RichYak]

51 minutes ago, 2chiefs said:

You needed a premium package to get an IPA or a Stella for instance.

Not exactly true. You can get ANY beer that's offered on the ship with a $10 discount if you have the classic package.

[jelayne]

2 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

What is the current charge per day to upgrade from the Always Included to the Premium Beverage Package?

Frequently on sale in the Cruise Planner, most recent I saw was $8.99 +20% but it changes from sailing to sailing. 
On board the price was $15+20%.

[DaKahuna]

3 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

I did see that tips are no longer part of the Always Included package. Is anything else different there? Interested to hear from anyone who has sailed in the past year or so.

 

 We can talk more next week if you have more questions but I see that your question have been addressed.  

 

[doghog]

2 hours ago, 2chiefs said:

Drinks: I'm a cheap date but I was disappointed that there were only 2, non-light, beers available in the Classic Package: Heineken and Corona.

Disagree. You didn't look close enough. 

[Hawkstar33]

3 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

What is the current charge per day to upgrade from the Always Included to the Premium Beverage Package?

Our upcoming trip is a btb. Both are only showing a 5% off.  So $13.99 per day to go to premium..

[Swagner36]

5 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

My last Celebrity sailing was in September 2022. I know many of the cruise lines have made a lot of changes/cuts to service since then. My husband and I are considering a Celebrity sailing for this coming October and I was wondering if anyone can give me a rundown of the changes that have taken place on Celebrity. We will likely sail in a Veranda with the Always Included package. I am specifically interested in the following:

 

• Included room service breakfast?
• Evening turndown service?
• Buffet hours?
• Food quality/variety?
• Any changes/reductions in what is available with the Always Included drinks package?

 

I did see that tips are no longer part of the Always Included package. Is anything else different there? Interested to hear from anyone who has sailed in the past year or so.

I was able to get tips in my included price by going through TA

[NMTraveller]

I think that the service has gone down a notch.  Some of the venues are clearly understaffed...

[Shadow9612]

I just got off the Silhouette - first  cruise since pre-covid.

 

I found that food quality, food selection and customer service were all excellent.  I did not notice the decline referenced a lot on these boards.

 

Big change, imo, is that cruise prices have increased significantly.

 

 

[NMTraveller]

I also found that the Branzino fillets were very thin and as a result they were always over cooked ...

[miched]

According to the upper management changes have been made to improve your cruising experience and many were because the passengers requested them.

 

There are many  threads addressing the improvements.  🤷‍♂️

 

Yes I request to be charged for room service, eliminate the butler, be charged for an extra entree, eliminate a lot of drinks and brands that use to be included in the classic and premium package, eliminate the  gratuities and OBC as perks that was included in the price of the suite, reduce the amount of staff,  and etc.   If those things weren’t done I wouldn’t be able to afford the price of a cruise.  

 

if you haven’t sailed for a year or so  am sure that you will find that your experience will be a lot better than you remember.  🙄🤗

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[JeffT237]

14 hours ago, jelayne said:

Frequently on sale in the Cruise Planner, most recent I saw was $8.99 +20% but it changes from sailing to sailing. 
On board the price was $15+20%.

This will be our first Celebrity cruise, we are on the Summit northbound to Alaska in August.  Coming from the Royal Caribbean side I am familiar with the dynamic pricing and the need to check frequently for pre-cruise purchase price drops and how that process works. With Royal I have a pretty good idea of what the lowest price drop will be for most items I purchase.  Is the $8.99 +20% about the lowest I could expect or have you seen it lower?  Currently ours is offered at 5% off for $13.99 +20%. Thanks!

 

Edited February 6 by JeffT237

[2chiefs]

16 hours ago, RichYak said:

Not exactly true. You can get ANY beer that's offered on the ship with a $10 discount if you have the classic package.

I was actually talking about what's included without an upcharge. Sorry for the confusion. My point was that beer is not that expensive to begin with and more beers could be included in the classic package in my opinion. 

[2chiefs]

15 hours ago, doghog said:

Disagree. You didn't look close enough. 

I was on the Beyond for 12 days and there were only two non-light beers available on that ship included in the classic package. Period. I don't understand what you are saying. There's nothing else to look at. By the way, I was given a premium draught IPA under my classic package at no extra charge during the football game at the sports bar when they ran out of Heineken. Woo hoo!!

[doghog]

8 minutes ago, 2chiefs said:

I was on the Beyond for 12 days and there were only two non-light beers available on that ship included in the classic package. Period. I don't understand what you are saying. There's nothing else to look at. By the way, I was given a premium draught IPA under my classic package at no extra charge during the football game at the sports bar when they ran out of Heineken. Woo hoo!!

Bummer. Maybe a Beyond thing and not fleetwide. The beverage menus in the different bars/lounges. Our last four Celebrity cruises (Summit 2xs, Apex and Eclipse) the bar menu selections of non-lite beers was more than two. What was the IPA? 

Edited February 6 by doghog

[Dar & Bob]

18 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

What is the current charge per day to upgrade from the Always Included to the Premium Beverage Package?

I recently upgraded on two of our cruises for $6.99 plus 20% gratuity - at the moment it is $13.99

[Jim_Iain]

18 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

What is the current charge per day to upgrade from the Always Included to the Premium Beverage Package?

It varies by cruise.    Best to do a mock booking and click the button for the Always Included (be aware it no longer includes tips) also the OBC have been dramatically reduced).   It will quickly show the cost

 

For our Hawaii to Vancouver -   11 night -  below is the Veranda price average per person with and without

 

[hucifer]

19 hours ago, 2chiefs said:

Drinks: I'm a cheap date but I was disappointed that there were only 2, non-light, beers available in the Classic Package: Heineken and Corona.  You needed a premium package to get an IPA or a Stella for instance. C'mon Celebrity, most beers aren't that expensive, please include some more in the classic package!!!

100%.

[vwlmember]

21 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

What is the current charge per day to upgrade from the Always Included to the Premium Beverage Package?

If your cruise is after this Thanksgiving, wait for the Black Friday deal. I upgraded the two of us for $185 total. Well worth it at that price.

[SusieV]

Is the room service charge even for ordering from the MDR menu at dinnertime? Or getting something sent back to your room if you can't finish it?

$12 seems awfully steep for room service that used to be touted as an always free perk!