What's the deal???

[spongerob]

What am I reading here? If I'm paying more to be in a suite on Celebrity, I'm actually getting less than others who have paid less? I'm really wondering if I made the right choice for my first venture to a different cruise line. :( Sounds to me like Princess has Celebrity beat for suite ammenities - except for the butler, which is something I'm not sure I'm all that excited about anyway.

[Drew B]

I think most of the CC amenitities that are not guaranteed to suite guests are of negligible value, anyway. If you don't know that other folks are getting them and you're not, chances are you'll never miss them and it will have no impact on your cruise.

 

It's just the principle of the matter that is annoying...

[BikerAl]

We have enjoyed the suite life on three cruise lines to date: Carnival, HAL and NCL. Amenities varied from nothing more than early em/debarkation to an in suite Sego coffee machine, with butler service serving anything available, anywhere on the ship. In fact, NCL provides a portable phone so you can get ahold of the Butler from anyplace on the ship. One night, I was in the casino, and my butler stopped by my table and asked if I needed anything.

 

We booked suites on two future Celebrity cruises with the, at least implied, impression, we were getting something special and extra, besides the real estate we will be occupying. If we feel that we receive less than we anticipate, I am sure it will be a little bit of a let down, and depending on how much of a let down, a decision on continuing with our second booking will be made. With that said, we are anticipating a wonderful cruise, and a long and happy relationship with Celebrity. It is up to them to prove themselves. I certainly hope they provide us at least equally to those who are in a lower catagory, and also wih amenities that reflect what we spend.

 

Maybe I will start a thread that asks what we want provided for booking a suite.

 

Al

[Texed]

Hi Texed!

We recently tried this, but to no avail. We simply wanted our food delivered to our aft cabin CC to arrive HOT and we wrote that in,

 

We have sailed on Celebrity for 46 cruises, and we have always had hot food. I am sorry yours was not.

[DaveFr]

DaveFR, are they, in fact, promised amenitities? They're certainly promised to CC guests, and if they are inadvertantly not given, it is an oversight and the person should have no difficulty asking. There may be an unwritten rule that they be provided to suite guests who ask (subject to the butler's disposition), but that is different from being "promised". A suite guest who asks runs the risk of being told "no" which can be awkward and uncomfortable and can ruin the dynamic between guest and butler for the entire cruise. It would be much simpler and more pleasant for all involved if the suites were expressly granted all of the CC benefits...

Drew,

 

Perhaps I should have chosen my words more carefully but I was responding primarily to prior posts which said that a listed amenity was not given to the poster and that the poster had not tried to remedy the situation because the poster did not want to ask for something he or she should have been given automatically. I thought Alaskan Traveller fit this pattern.

 

I don't understand your comment that: "A suite guest who asks runs the risk of being told "no" which can be awkward and uncomfortable and can ruin the dynamic between guest and butler for the entire cruise." I can't imagine how an answer of no to a simple request could possibly harm the relationship between a passenger and the butler. Why are people so afraid of a butler on a ship? If you can explain your comment to me, I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

[DaveFr]

We have enjoyed the suite life on three cruise lines to date: Carnival, HAL and NCL. Amenities varied from nothing more than early em/debarkation to an in suite Sego coffee machine, with butler service serving anything available, anywhere on the ship. In fact, NCL provides a portable phone so you can get ahold of the Butler from anyplace on the ship. One night, I was in the casino, and my butler stopped by my table and asked if I needed anything.

 

We booked suites on two future Celebrity cruises with the, at least implied, impression, we were getting something special and extra, besides the real estate we will be occupying. If we feel that we receive less than we anticipate, I am sure it will be a little bit of a let down, and depending on how much of a let down, a decision on continuing with our second booking will be made. With that said, we are anticipating a wonderful cruise, and a long and happy relationship with Celebrity. It is up to them to prove themselves. I certainly hope they provide us at least equally to those who are in a lower catagory, and also wih amenities that reflect what we spend.

 

Maybe I will start a thread that asks what we want provided for booking a suite.

 

Al

Al,

 

Please don't get the idea that you are only getting more space when you book a suite. We've had two suites on Celebrity so far and we got CC class amenities that were not on the suite amenities list such as fresh flowers, fruit, the hansgrohe shower head and the leather key holder. On our first cruise, our room attendant asked us if we wanted any of their special pillows. When I asked which pillows were available, she left and promptly returned with the CC class pillow menu. In addition, there are suite amenities such as afternoon tea, daily news delivery and shoeshine service that I don't think CC Class passengers get. Also, if you want lunch or dinner in your suite from the dining room menu, your butler will serve the meal course-by-course as opposed to CC class where the entire meal is served at one time.

 

If there's some amenity you'd like, whether listed or not, just ask for it. The worst thing that could happen is that the room attendant or butler says no. Remember, they can't say yes if you don't give them the chance to say no. :D

 

Enjoy your suites.

[BikerAl]

Al,

 

Please don't get the idea that you are only getting more space when you book a suite.

 

Enjoy your suites.

 

 

 

 

 

please know, we are not going on our first Celebrity cruise with negative feelings. Far from it, we are anticipating good to excellent food, great service, and plan to leave the ship anticipating rejoining her in 339 days,

 

My thought on a thread on what we want in suite amenities, would be really easy. NCL has the package. If they offered traditional dining, and far better prepared food, and at least a resort casual dress code, who could ask for more. The coffee machine is on my Christmas wish list... just need to convince my DW I am worth two grand.

[SPKR]

Can someone please post a link to the cc breakfast menu so I can download it and take it on my 9/7/07 Alaska trip on the Summit. I am in a sky suite, 6102 and worried now that I will be missing out on some wonderful food. Tried to find the menu and have not been successful. Thanks so much.

Suzie

[DaveFr]

Suzie,

 

The CC breakfast menu is in message #5 of http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=599855. Just write in whatever you want on your suite breakfast menu. Hint: if you want freshly squeezed OJ, you have to write it on the suite menu door hanger. If you just check the OJ box on the door hanger, if won't be freshly squeezed. Enjoy your cruise.

[Drew B]

I don't understand your comment that: "A suite guest who asks runs the risk of being told "no" which can be awkward and uncomfortable and can ruin the dynamic between guest and butler for the entire cruise." I can't imagine how an answer of no to a simple request could possibly harm the relationship between a passenger and the butler. Why are people so afraid of a butler on a ship? If you can explain your comment to me, I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

 

Well, here's my take on it. Once again, it comes down to whether or not suite guests are actually entitled to these perks or if it is a "special request" and thereby discretionary. If I didn't think I was entitled to it and that it was a "special request", I probably would not ask. As I've said before, that is just not my style to ask for something to which I am not rightfully entitled...

 

If I did ask, then that means I believed wholeheartedly that it is something I SHOULD be given based on what I had paid for. If my butler said "no" to something to which I felt rightfully entitled (after I picked my jaw up off the floor), I would be overcome with a wave of hatred and rage and I would literally never want to see his/her face for the rest of my cruise. I certainly couldn't look at him/her and say "Thank you" or "Have a nice day" after being treated in a way that I would consider rude and unfair...

[gillianrose]

Are you sure the dining room wasn't open for breakfast. I cruised aboard Infinity for 14 days March/April and the dining room was open for breakfast every single day.

 

No, I am not 100% certain that the main dining room was not open for breakfast every day; however, I am absolutely certain it was closed by 8:30am one or more days and by 9:00am two or more other days. I don't like to go to the main dining room without looking "presentable", and that seldom applies to me before 9:00am. I can look "scruffy" for the casual dining at that hour, but why bother? I don't like self-service buffets, and I especially don't like to start my day that way.

 

We really wanted HOT food in our cabin (to enjoy our verandah dressed as we wished), just as we had had on the Mercury 2003 and on HAL in the very recent past. If HAL can manage that (and they can, excellently), I think it should be something that Celebrity can do, too.

[raudacruise]

Well, here's my take on it. Once again, it comes down to whether or not suite guests are actually entitled to these perks or if it is a "special request" and thereby discretionary. If I didn't think I was entitled to it and that it was a "special request", I probably would not ask. As I've said before, that is just not my style to ask for something to which I am not rightfully entitled...

 

If I did ask, then that means I believed wholeheartedly that it is something I SHOULD be given based on what I had paid for. If my butler said "no" to something to which I felt rightfully entitled (after I picked my jaw up off the floor), I would be overcome with a wave of hatred and rage and I would literally never want to see his/her face for the rest of my cruise. I certainly couldn't look at him/her and say "Thank you" or "Have a nice day" after being treated in a way that I would consider rude and unfair...

 

Before going postal you might want to consider other options.

 

First one is the Head Housekeeper. They ding you a couple of dollars a day for what? Mostly to keep the suite in order. Don't think they actually control the butlers but a little talk would probably clear things up.

 

Talk to guest services. They can probably patch things up. If not, ask to talk to the head honch Hotel Director.

 

If you have gotten to this point without satisfaction - just don't go on X again. What else can I say?

 

But please enjoy the rest of your cruise time instead of having a beef with slights by the crew members. Its a vacation and its supposed to be relaxing.

[Drew B]

Before going postal you might want to consider other options.

 

First one is the Head Housekeeper. They ding you a couple of dollars a day for what? Mostly to keep the suite in order. Don't think they actually control the butlers but a little talk would probably clear things up.

 

Talk to guest services. They can probably patch things up. If not, ask to talk to the head honch Hotel Director.

 

If you have gotten to this point without satisfaction - just don't go on X again. What else can I say?

 

But please enjoy the rest of your cruise time instead of having a beef with slights by the crew members. Its a vacation and its supposed to be relaxing.

 

 

All of this is hypothetical, anyway, as I've never sailed in a suite nor a CC cabin. I'm talking more about the principle...

 

I don't get that upset because I avoid putting myself in a situation where I am likely to get that upset. If that means going without something, I'd rather do that than get upset with my butler (or go to the chief housekeeper or guest services). That effort would completely obviate any enjoyment I would get from any of these "perks"...

 

I still say, though, that none of this would be a problem if they simply made the various perks for each category of cabin explicit. Then, each guest should automatically receive whichever perks apply to that cabin. Simple, right?

 

If there is an oversight and a guest has to ask for something that was inadvertantly left off, no big deal. The answer, though, should always be a gracious "Yes". If a staff member says "no" to a requestor who is explicitly entitled to that which he/she requests, that staff member should not be working for Celebrity!

[Captain Cosmo]

I'm late to the discussion but this is exactly what made us cancel our Journey cruise. We've cruised on Celebrity twice and one of our favorite aspects of CC was the hot breakfast on the balcony. We booked on Journey when she was still under the Celebrity banner and X said that all cabins would be CC. Then the Azamara line spun off, and reports from many cruisers noted that you could only order a real breakfast (i.e., hot and from the CC menu) if you were in a penthouse or suite. Others posted that if you wrote in what you wanted you'd get it. And most noted that room service was consistently slow, the food was cold and not as good as what was being served in the dining room. So, I went through the usual futile attempts to get honest, accurate information from X - calls and emails to X, calls to the Captain's Club, etc. I got vague answers in some cases and no response in most. Considering that our balcony cabin was going to cost over $650 a day somehow I felt I shouldn't have to make a special request for the CC breakfast menu, or give a secret password, or whatever it is that X wants us to do to get what they've offered and we've paid for. And since I booked when Journey was still a Celebrity ship and they said it would be CC in all cabins, I think I was well within my rights to expect that it would be.

 

The other reason for cancelling was that our cruise was going to Carnaval in Rio. Some Celebrity cruisers have speculated what the arrangements would be for passengers to get access to the Sambadrome to watch the samba parades based on past experience. Since Carnaval was the reason we booked at all we inquired as to what the arrangements would be. I was told by X that "You'll have seats for all 4 nights" (the samba parades at the Sambadrome only take place on two nights), "You'll have seats for two nights", "you'll have seats for one night", and finally "We don't know". Somehow, that wasn't reassuring. Unlike some posters who don't care when a port is missed or an itinerary gets changed we weren't in a position to take our chances on a once in a lifetime cruise to Rio at Carnaval on a line that has no integrity.

 

People can make all the excuses they want and offer advice on how to "get-what-you-paid-for-but-won't-be-offered", but the bottomline is this is not hospitality. Celebrity lied in its marketing of the R-Class ships, overstating the size of the cabins, listing amenities that weren't or aren't consistently available (afternoon canapes, CC breakfast menu in all cabins, refrigerators, mini-bars, and even televisions - hell, even the butlers were imaginary!) Whether or not a person wants any of this is beside the point - Celebrity misrepresented almost everything they could. SO, rather than spend almost $10K on a vacation that might include a full hot breakfast on our balcony, might include seats at the Sambadrome, in a room that might have a refrigerator or a tv, we've opted to book a air/land trip on our own. We will miss the beauty of watching the ocean from our balcony and the general experience of a cruise, but given the uncertainty of doing business with a line that has no scruples we decided it would be better to stay in nice hotel rooms with balconies, order breakfast from room service, and buy our tickets to the Sambadrome so that we actually get to see Carnaval. Whether its withholding CC hospitality from the suites or using bait and switch tactics to market Azamara, Celebrity is going to have to become more consistent and more reliable before we'll sail them again.

[CatServants]

I'm talking more about the principle...

 

I still say, though, that none of this would be a problem if they simply made the various perks for each category of cabin explicit. Then, each guest should automatically receive whichever perks apply to that cabin. Simple, right?

 

If there is an oversight and a guest has to ask for something that was inadvertantly left off, no big deal. The answer, though, should always be a gracious "Yes". If a staff member says "no" to a requestor who is explicitly entitled to that which he/she requests, that staff member should not be working for Celebrity!

 

 

 

YUP! As usual the question is... What EXACTLY is a suite or CC entitled to (not what we can get IF we ask the butler because we've had the advantage of checking on cc)? Print it in the brochure &/or on the web site and take the guessing game out of it! If nothing else, that's the way business should be done.

 

Denise:)

[CatServants]

Wow!:eek: I'm sorry you had to go through all that! I hope you have a wonderful air/land vacation.

 

Denise

[raudacruise]

All of this is hypothetical, anyway, as I've never sailed in a suite nor a CC cabin. I'm talking more about the principle...

 

I don't get that upset because I avoid putting myself in a situation where I am likely to get that upset. If that means going without something, I'd rather do that than get upset with my butler (or go to the chief housekeeper or guest services). That effort would completely obviate any enjoyment I would get from any of these "perks"...

 

I still say, though, that none of this would be a problem if they simply made the various perks for each category of cabin explicit. Then, each guest should automatically receive whichever perks apply to that cabin. Simple, right?

 

If there is an oversight and a guest has to ask for something that was inadvertantly left off, no big deal. The answer, though, should always be a gracious "Yes". If a staff member says "no" to a requestor who is explicitly entitled to that which he/she requests, that staff member should not be working for Celebrity!

 

It is explict on their web site of what you are entitled to. And if you had been in a suite you have found "no" is not in butlers vocabulary.

 

Obviously, other things are available and just ask and don't expect to hear no.

 

I will admit that there is a blur between CC and Suites, especially Sky Suites. But I still find this all about nothing.

[Drew B]

It is explict on their web site of what you are entitled to.

 

CC Breakfast menu for suites: Yes or No?

 

And if you had been in a suite you have found "no" is not in butlers vocabulary.

 

That's not what PeterandDan said. I'm sure it's the exception, but...

[raudacruise]

I will agree with you that the Journey includement in the Celebrity line probably isn't going well. I think it was a big fiasco on their side and they just tried to get into a market that they really didn't understand with the smaller ships. Folks you talked to probably didn't have a clue.

 

Glad you worked out other arrangements.

 

But I will stick to my guns that the main cruiseships are not totally screwed up and getting your entitlements on board don't normally include a conversation with someone, they just happen.

 

And if you would like a little extra or a little different, the staff will do the best to accomadate.

[raudacruise]

CC Breakfast menu for suites: Yes or No?

 

 

 

That's not what PeterandDan said. I'm sure it's the exception, but...

 

 

 

You can go to the Celebrity site and find this description for a typical Sky Suite:

 

----

Features: Features floor-to-ceiling sliding-glass doors*, two lower beds convertible to queen-size, sitting area, some with sofa bed and lounge chair, entertainment center with TV and VCR.

 

*Sky Suites 6145 & 6146 feature standard balcony doors. Some Sky Suites are wheelchair accessible.

 

----

 

So no, there is no mention of a special menu.

 

Also, I will admit that sometimes you have to prod the help especially when the guys are new. But really hasn't been that much of a problem (I can remember only one occasion and it was quickly resolved).

 

Finally, this board is a great forum for finding out the good things that aren't in brochures, Celebrity web site and possibly not even on the ship. Why post gripes instead of good information?

 

Its not that much different from going on vacation to other areas to find out the best things. A slim, OK very slim, comparison would be between a cruise ship cabin and a Las Vegas hotel room. Shows, food, all that stuff.

[gillianrose]

We have sailed on Celebrity for 46 cruises, and we have always had hot food. I am sorry yours was not.

 

I don't doubt your experience, but can only state our own, that we did not once receive hot (as in "watch out, that's hot") food in our aft Concierge Class stateroom on the Infinity. We wondered if it was because our stateroom was so far aft and because there were other storage carts usually stored in our hallway that might have prevented a "hot cart" from entering the area. DH says that HAL uses (what he described as) "hot carts", but HAL also does not store stateroom attendant carts (very unattractive carts) in the hallways that would block food delivery carts. Our aft corridor usually had two of those carts stored there. (They did get in the way, and they were unattractive.) Instead, the stateroom attendant on HAL works out of a little room without a service cart, at least as far as we could see.

 

Perhaps you are getting the impression that we preferred our overall experience on HAL to the one we had on Celebrity, and that wouldn't be accurate. There was much to like about each line and each cruise. We did, however, much prefer the hot stateroom food that we had on HAL and that we had in the past on the Mercury when we were in a midship stateroom.

 

HAL also served (automatically, as a garnish on plates) a wonderful, crusty HOT hash-brown patty, whereas Celebrity's hash browns were bland and boring.

 

Each line has its own advantages, and I stand by my statement that on comparably sized and aged ships this month, HAL's stateroom food was served at an acceptably hot temperature and Celebrity's was not.

 

Someone mentioned smoothies. They were tasty, but we would have preferred that they had been served ice cold rather than (again) room temperature.

 

Our favorite Concierge Class food item was the orange juice, which we enjoyed very much.

 

You certainly have more cruises with Celebrity in the past than we do, and I am only stating our extremely recent experience. Perhaps recency of experience is a good measure of how things ARE (in our area of the ship, at least), as opposed to how they WERE?

[Drew B]

So no, there is no mention of a special menu.

 

GREAT! We finally have the answer!

 

So therefore, if you are in a suite, you are not entitled to the CC breakfast menu. In most cases, if you know about it and if your butler is cooperative, you can write in a request and get it. However, this is special treatment and not one of the actual perks of being in a suite.

 

Finally, this board is a great forum for finding out the good things that aren't in brochures, Celebrity web site and possibly not even on the ship. Why post gripes instead of good information?

 

I'm trying to avoid bad information. About half of the people who have posted on this thread and the other are saying that the guests in suites ARE entitled to all of the CC perks. If that is not true, the misinformation can be damaging and lead to unfulfilled expectations and disappointed passengers. Who wants that?

[raudacruise]

GREAT! We finally have the answer!

 

So therefore, if you are in a suite, you are not entitled to the CC breakfast menu. In most cases, if you know about it and if your butler is cooperative, you can write in a request and get it. However, this is special treatment and not one of the actual perks of being in a suite.

 

 

 

I'm trying to avoid bad information. About half of the people who have posted on this thread and the other are saying that the guests in suites ARE entitled to all of the CC perks. If that is not true, the misinformation can be damaging and lead to unfulfilled expectations and disappointed passengers. Who wants that?

 

Thanks for taking things out of context again. Hopefully folks will read all of the posts and look outside this thread for what is and is not available on Celebrity.

 

This thread is all yours.

[Drew B]

Thanks for taking things out of context again.

 

What did I take out of context? I asked a simple question: Are suite guests entitled to the CC Breakfast Menu. You answered "no" (based on what you read on the X web site). I reiterated what you said and put it INTO the context of what has been said on this thread. I fail to see where I have done anything wrong or even biased...

 

 

Hopefully folks will read all of the posts and look outside this thread for what is and is not available on Celebrity.

 

Hopefully they will clarify things and put all the factual information in one easy-to-find place so that folks won't have to be detectives in order to get simple answers!

[raudacruise]

What did I take out of context? I asked a simple question: Are suite guests entitled to the CC Breakfast Menu. You answered "no" (based on what you read on the X web site). I reiterated what you said and put it INTO the context of what has been said on this thread. I fail to see where I have done anything wrong or even biased...

 

 

 

 

Hopefully they will clarify things and put all the factual information in one easy-to-find place so that folks won't have to be detectives in order to get simple answers!

 

No, you took it out of context. Post the whole quote and nothing but the quote. You took stuff out that was background for my posts.

 

Also:

 

You TELL the butler what you want and in the very rare experience he says no you go through alternate channels. Since you have no experience with CC/Suites/Butlers, your input is sort of clouding the line.

 

The breakfast CC menu is sort of a joke. Anyone can write anything in on a breakfast menu for the same menu that is served in the dining room. You can also get room service from the dining room menu for lunch and dinner. Doesn't matter if you have a CC/Suite or 2nd deck in. If writing it in is too hard, maybe Celebrity is not for you.

 

As far as the "warmth"/"freshness" of a previous posters note, I can't comment on that. Ours was always good.

 

There is a member supported FAQ on

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=60920

 

It is lengthy but I think some folks have summarized it into something more useful - look at the thread.

 

As far as having X spell out everything for you in advance...I don't know. We have this great forum and anyone will answer questions. I can either pay for you not to look into this wealth of information and Celebrity provide it instead or you can go to another cruise line. Guess what my choice is. I know that sounds crude but what else can I say. As far as the folks that don't do the internet and come to these boards - not my problem.

 

Didn't mean "you" specifically, just the attitude that's been in this thread.