Celebrity Eclipse Sky Lounge closed during 12 day cruise

[Moxiefurball]

So is this on every Eclipse cruise that Sky Lounge is never available except to Park West ?

[cruisestitch]

30 minutes ago, billc23 said:

It looks to me that Celebrity sold the space twice - once to the paying passengers and again to Park West! I understand selling prime public space on the ship for short periods of time (or maybe I'm just accustomed to that happening) but this sounds over the top, especially for a cruise with many sea days and beautiful scenery to observe. Going out on a deck may be uncomfortable due to the weather - wind, temperature, rain... from Iceland to Boston

 

this is really more common than you think. The difference here is it’s the same company every day. But I have been on cruises where one day it was sold to a group of Insurance salesmen, and another sea day it was sold to some affinity group, another day the theater is sold to some  organization or another.  I was on one cruise last spring where a group of 700 passengers took over all the early dining spots for the whole cruise.

Edited August 24 by cruisestitch

[phoenix_dream]

I have been on cruises with large groups where public areas were occasionally closed off but this is ridiculous!  I would be furious with them, especially on a colder weather cruise with a lot of sea days.  That's just not right.  I have a b2b cruise on Eclipse in January for 19 days, with a lot of sea days and I am not in my usual sky suite this time so will be out and about more.  I will definitely not be a happy camper if this is going on then!

[Celebrity Snowbird]

Had the same experience on Eclipse a few months ago in South America/Antartica; multiple days of no access to Sky except for Park West guests (all with premium bev package).  Was told the art sales reached many millions of dollars!  Revenue wins every time.

[NMTraveller]

The lengths that Celebrity will go to,  to make an extra buck ...

 

I wonder what the cost is to rent out the Sky Lounge for most of the cruise?

Note that they are not doing this to E class ships and Eden.

Edited August 24 by NMTraveller

[NMTraveller]

3 hours ago, bikerunner said:

You can google celebrity and find lots of complaints and issues also.  I have bought some things from them, never as investment because mainly they appeal to me.  Get lots of compliments from family and people who come over about my different art work.  I also buy from local artists and artisans where I live. Never been offered a cruise with park west but have gotten invites to there weekend events they hold every so often in Boston.  Hey free 3 nights at Boston ritz Carlton tho now they do it the Encore. all food and drinks included.and usually a special night out at a good steak place. Works for me.  Gotten paid back from what I purchased at by the costs of free weekend getaways. 

We get free weekend invites to Park West events.  I have never gone.  I view them like timeshare presentations.    Not worth it to go IMHO.

[cruisestitch]

3 hours ago, Cruiscs said:

How do you know Park West have exclusive use of the Sky lounge for five cruises? Do you know when they will end the series?

I have just confirmed that here on silhouette Park West has five consecutive specials buyer cruises. This is number two and there are three more to come.

[OysterD]

15 minutes ago, cruisestitch said:

I have just confirmed that here on silhouette Park West has five consecutive specials buyer cruises. This is number two and there are three more to come.

Meh, so that includes mine then, I'm on the 20th sept 😕 I've never understood why they have Park West art auctions on the ships anyway, why people would want to go on a cruise and sit on the ship and buy 'art' is beyond me. What is more beyond me is the fact that there can be enough people buying that tat to warrant closing off such a large space for days on end for 6+ weeks of cruises. On two ships!

 

Why can't they just be shoved in one of the pointless meeting room spaces they have. Or in celebrity central which isn't used much during the day. 

[kasowell2]

It was open on the day we sailed through the glaciers at Prins Sund earlier as I spotted a whale from there. I can’t attest to other hours thought

[doghog]

10 minutes ago, OysterD said:

I've never understood why they have Park West art auctions on the ships anyway, why people would want to go on a cruise and sit on the ship and buy 'art' is beyond me. What is more beyond me is the fact that there can be enough people buying that tat to warrant closing off such a large space for days on end for 6+ weeks of cruises. On two ships!

Agree. Possibly some go to get a glass or two of the cheap sparkling wine PW pushes as champagne. 🥂

[NMTraveller]

2 minutes ago, doghog said:

Agree. Possibly some go to get a glass or two of the cheap sparkling wine PW pushes as champagne. 🥂

It is for the uninformed art purchaser.  If you are new to art,  then you have to start some place.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

37 minutes ago, cruisestitch said:

I have just confirmed that here on silhouette Park West has five consecutive specials buyer cruises. This is number two and there are three more to come.

How were you able to confirm this ?

We on a Silhouette repositioning end of April , I wonder if that is one of the dates ? 

[doghog]

4 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

It is for the uninformed art purchaser.  If you are new to art,  then you have to start some place.

What, PW tries to get all that attends drunk so they'll possibly buy a print rolled up in a tube. 🤣

Edited August 24 by doghog

[NMTraveller]

1 minute ago, doghog said:

What, PW tries to get all that attends drunk so they'll possibly buy a print rolled up in a tube. 🤣

As does the casino 🤣

[phoenix_dream]

57 minutes ago, Celebrity Snowbird said:

Had the same experience on Eclipse a few months ago in South America/Antartica; multiple days of no access to Sky except for Park West guests (all with premium bev package).  Was told the art sales reached many millions of dollars!  Revenue wins every time.

It is all about the $$$.  I was shocked on a recent cruise to hear how much some people were actually spending on that art.  It blows my mind.  For heavens sake, why do you need to take a cruise to buy art?  Go to an art gallery.  But people do, and apparently they spend tons of money.  I know Celebrity is a business and all businesses are in it to make $$ but some of the things they are doing towards that end these days are really changing the experience and not in a good way. 

[doghog]

Just now, NMTraveller said:

As does the casino 🤣

We don't go to either. 😆

[phoenix_dream]

Just now, doghog said:

We don't go to either. 😆

I dabble a little in the casino just to have a bit of fun - I don't expect to win a lot if at all - it's just a little adrenaline rush to pass the time.  It blows my mind how people will gamble a lot on ships when the odds are so very awful compared to land casinos.  For example, my go to game is video keno.  In Vegas, if you hit a certain amount of numbers you may win $1175.   On the ship for that same scenario you win $250 - big difference!  But some do. And some win "free" cruises for their efforts, but those free cruises likely cost them double what they've donated onboard.  

[NMTraveller]

Del

Edited August 24 by NMTraveller

[cruisestitch]

14 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

How were you able to confirm this ?

We on a Silhouette repositioning end of April , I wonder if that is one of the dates ? 

It is happening now.  I have no information about April.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

3 minutes ago, phoenix_dream said:

I dabble a little in the casino just to have a bit of fun - I don't expect to win a lot if at all - it's just a little adrenaline rush to pass the time.  It blows my mind how people will gamble a lot on ships when the odds are so very awful compared to land casinos.  For example, my go to game is video keno.  In Vegas, if you hit a certain amount of numbers you may win $1175.   On the ship for that same scenario you win $250 - big difference!  But some do. And some win "free" cruises for their efforts, but those free cruises likely cost them double what they've donated onboard.  

People only talk about  their winnings , never their loses 😉🤣

[doghog]

3 minutes ago, phoenix_dream said:

I dabble a little in the casino just to have a bit of fun - I don't expect to win a lot if at all - it's just a little adrenaline rush to pass the time.  It blows my mind how people will gamble a lot on ships when the odds are so very awful compared to land casinos.  For example, my go to game is video keno.  In Vegas, if you hit a certain amount of numbers you may win $1175.   On the ship for that same scenario you win $250 - big difference!  But some do. And some win "free" cruises for their efforts, but those free cruises likely cost them double what they've donated onboard.  

I'll have to take your word for all that. We aren't gamblers. Sea or land. 

[cruisestitch]

34 minutes ago, OysterD said:

Meh, so that includes mine then, I'm on the 20th sept 😕 I've never understood why they have Park West art auctions on the ships anyway, why people would want to go on a cruise and sit on the ship and buy 'art' is beyond me. What is more beyond me is the fact that there can be enough people buying that tat to warrant closing off such a large space for days on end for 6+ weeks of cruises. On two ships!

 

Why can't they just be shoved in one of the pointless meeting room spaces they have. Or in celebrity central which isn't used much during the day. 

Actually, here on silhouette, the meeting rooms are used for storing the artwork on the days where there isn’t an auction. And they are also using Celebrity Central sometimes did so tonight because the lounge was being used for the senior officers party.
 

 

[NMTraveller]

22 minutes ago, doghog said:

We don't go to either. 😆

We don't either.  Never mind.  We just go for the shows.  Last night we went ...  Skip to 01:07:00 😬

 

 

Edited August 24 by NMTraveller

[horseymike]

Wasted space , art auctions onboard.

No interest from myself at any time.

Another kick in the pants to general cruisers.

[NMTraveller]

24 minutes ago, horseymike said:

Wasted space , art auctions onboard.

No interest from myself at any time.

Another kick in the pants to general cruisers.

And yet they take the best space on the ship...  Is any compensation being offered?

 

There is a solid reason some of us will not sail E class again ...

S class has the gems,  but why sell them to the highest bidder?

Edited August 24 by NMTraveller