Suite Enhancements

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Here's a link to an article about enhancements coming to Retreat bookings.

THE SUITE LIFE: CELEBRITY CRUISES ELEVATES 'THE RETREAT' EXPERIENCE (prnewswire.com)

 

 

[ggo85]

Nothing new here other than maybe the person to help "personalize" your time ashore and the butler to take you to your car for "private journey" excursions.  WRT the latter, most people can find their own way to the car and it would a better use of the butler's time to say on board for the other 10-20 staterooms s/he has to cover.   

 

I was wondering if they'd mention the "enhancement" of no longer having loungers or footstools in Retreat suites.  😜

[jelayne]

Some good news in the article.  New menus, new wines, stocked mini bar and it sounds like a wider choice of  room service items.  Just need a dining height table to enjoy them😉

[C-Dragons]

33 minutes ago, jelayne said:

Some good news in the article.  New menus, new wines, stocked mini bar and it sounds like a wider choice of  room service items.  Just need a dining height table to enjoy them😉

Amen to that! 😁

[CNSfromHI]

This is the one that grabs me:

 

"In-suite, guests can enjoy... a complimentary stocked minibar."

 

🥳

 

cjr

[wrk2cruise]

And the red/white/bubbly wines in the Retreat Lounge and in-suite.

[Jeremiah1212]

There are a few changes buried here:

 

https://creative.rccl.com/Sales/Celebrity/General_Info/Flyers/05_23_24_CAM_Update_Retreat_Creative-Consumer.pdf

 

It will be interesting to see how the Butler Chat works. That has been something mentioned for years and years. 

[ggo85]

New menus aren't an enhancement.  Menus should change with some frequency.  New wines may or may not be better -- they could be cheaper and worse.  In some suites, you can order off of any menu (including specialty restaurants) for room service, so not an enhancement there either.  

 

When you hear "stocked mini bar," consider what that really means.  Currently on X, it's non-alcoholic drinks and beer.  No wine or hard liquor (you do get 2 bottles of wine but they are not replenished for free).  To be fair, even most luxury lines do not include hard liquor in the mini bar, though they do include wine.  Thus, don't assume you'll see anything more than what's available now.

[Cap_D]

Until they solve for the issue I describe in the below post from earlier today, I call BS on the enhancements.  

 

Celebrity should also apologize to every person who purchased Retreat and sailed during the period where Butlers were fired, the paid minibar explicitly enforced, etc.  And, one sous vide vacuum packed pre prepared chicken dish from a Boulud commissary doesn't make for an enhancement to the Luminae menu.  Also, still waiting for the promised Luminae room service breakfast menu that has consistently been promoted before booking for years and yet is entirely ignored by shipboard staff at all levels.

 

Edited May 23 by Cap_D

[Cruisegirl6]

We can dine at the specialty restaurants for free?  Did I understand correctly?

[Lastdance]

I will be “onboard” with this when I truly experience all of it, plus my lounger.  This is a wait and see for me due to pricing: however, I am glad Celebrity is listening, yet nothing really that new, but bringing back what we had, IMHO.  

I hope the crew are alerted to this; honestly, I do not know how they keep up with the continual changes!

Edited May 23 by Lastdance

[ggo85]

Royal Suite and above dine free in Specialty Restaurants.  

[Lastdance]

3 minutes ago, Cruisegirl6 said:

We can dine at the specialty restaurants for free?  Did I understand correctly?

Just RS and above, so same as before.

[horseymike]

Wallet or Purse not so heavy to carry after paying for your suite experience.🤣

[quicklabs]

52 minutes ago, Cruisegirl6 said:

We can dine at the specialty restaurants for free?  Did I understand correctly?

As I read it, that is just for Royal Suite and above.  No change from the way it is now. 

 

[quicklabs]

55 minutes ago, Cruisegirl6 said:

We can dine at the specialty restaurants for free?  Did I understand correctly?

 

Sorry, double posted reply. 

 

 

Edited May 23 by quicklabs

[markeb]

1 hour ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

There are a few changes buried here:

 

https://creative.rccl.com/Sales/Celebrity/General_Info/Flyers/05_23_24_CAM_Update_Retreat_Creative-Consumer.pdf

 

It will be interesting to see how the Butler Chat works. That has been something mentioned for years and years. 

 

Pretty nice use of very small asterisks...

 

I'm usually not one to pick these things apart, and I know this is a marketing flyer, but someone's already asked about the specialty restaurants, and the disclaimers are there again on the mini-bar, just even smaller. How much time does it take to explain what's actually included when someone books a Sky Suite? 

 

The Butler Chat could be interesting. I think the shoe shine has always been there, but it's not something they mention onboard. And it seems like the vast majority of people are wearing some form of sneaker that doesn't need shining most of the time!

 

[mahasamatman]

1 hour ago, ggo85 said:

To be fair, even most luxury lines do not include hard liquor in the mini bar, though they do include wine.

 

Silversea defintely does, and even Princess (ostensibly the same level as Celebrity) does.

[ggo85]

Re Silversea:  We don't drink hard liquor so never asked for it. Thus I mistakenly assumed it wasn't available.  My error.

[MNSails]

14 minutes ago, markeb said:

The Butler Chat could be interesting.

 

This is probably the biggest perk for me.  I'd never pick up the phone to call my butler, but would absolutely text them for things. It will be nice to request things on the fly - snacks if we're returning from an excursion and have a firm ETA, or early morning coffee if one of us wakes up earlier than usual. Currently we just leave a note by the room number when we leave for the day, so this change will help us use the service more.

 

Plus free daily laundry in the RS and above is nice. That will save us $100 or so on our next trip.

[marieps]

29 minutes ago, mahasamatman said:

 

Silversea defintely does, and even Princess (ostensibly the same level as Celebrity) does.

Ponant does as well.

[jelayne]

20 minutes ago, MNSails said:

 

 

Plus free daily laundry in the RS and above is nice. That will save us $100 or so on our next trip.

The laundry has been a benefit of a RS or above for years.

[hcat]

2 hours ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

There are a few changes buried here:

 

https://creative.rccl.com/Sales/Celebrity/General_Info/Flyers/05_23_24_CAM_Update_Retreat_Creative-Consumer.pdf

 

It will be interesting to see how the Butler Chat works. That has been something mentioned for years and years. 

so no personal tel no to call?   if one has  no cell phone or access to the app.. no chat?

 

some of the " enhancements"  are walk backs of cuts!

 

need for an excursion specialist would be nil if that dept functioned

better and had more info..

[MNSails]

53 minutes ago, jelayne said:

The laundry has been a benefit of a RS or above for years.

 

I thought it was previously limited to twice per cruise in a RS, but maybe that was outdated info.

[Cap_D]

There's no actual details in the document, except the Chat is new and would help with Butler utilization and convenience.  I would add they need to fix the app for updated Android users so that new message alerts are visible, messages that are left on VM also are sent to chat, and have charging/outlets be more widley available.  A tablet in the room like some hotels could help, too.  But, if Butlers and retreat staff are not empowered, and product design is not oriented for guests (like no self serve coffee with breakfast in the lounge, sundeck menu with precooked burger, premade wrap, and limp salad), Retreat amenities become less useful and smoke and mirrors. 

 

Could one chat and ask for dishes from room service to be delivered wherever the guest is (or at least in the Retreat enclave)?  If not, that's a good example of the staff still not being able to meet a customer request.

Edited May 23 by Cap_D