Bistro on Five explanation from Celebrity

[FinelyCruising]

And that's fine. Just about every companies brochures say that. However, once you PAY and are past the period in which you can cancel, and the terms then change after that-- I have NEVER had any other company try that. Going by that clause in the brochure, it would also be totally acceptable for them to call you a day before your cruise and tell you "Sorry, the price of the cruise went up $35/pp (the cost of 7 Bistro's), pay it or cancel without refund." Heck, it would also be alright for you to book and pay for an unobstructed cabin and be assigned an obstucted view cabin with no compensation.... oh wait...navermind, on Celebrity, that IS OK!

 

I don't think anyone would argue that they shouldn't be allowed to change a policy for future cruises that can still be cancelled, but people who are locked in should be given some consideration.

 

I am reasonable. I have no intention of hasseling the crew as others undoubtedly will - they don't control the policy. But I may just bring the brochure and see if I can't nicely voice my frustration with a food and beverage manager.

 

Much like the confusion and hard-feelings the dress code changes earlier in the year created, these problems are also made worse by the inability of Celebrity to give straight answers and provide information to their customers, customers they should be thankful to have in this economy.

 

Fortunately the cruiseline can't really say guess what the cost of the cruise just got higher since like many transactions the costs quoted for the fares are a not to exceed. (Now I remember back in the day there were last minute changes in port fees and that was quite an event.) But overall, like many transactions we aer used to here in the US, the amounts are a not to exceed, and that they don't touch. It's the other costs that they do, and this Bistro Fee is no exception.

 

What I find to more true than anything in their presentation skills to the public is their inability present changes like this with a thoroughly thoughtful tone. The bungling of the dress code changes on their front and center website was just poor business from a corporation of this size, and it goes toward incompetence.

 

No matter what, the comment card might be the best approach to address while on board the dissatifaction of the fee if there is a desire to let the cruiseline know your experience while on board. ;)

[RJL58]

Hi all, if at 2.00am+ in the mornin after a night in Quasar I am feelin hungary, I will gladly pay $5 for a steak and eggs freshly cooked......

 

In Vegas it would cost me 3x that............................thats a midnght special.........

 

I am hoping that Bistro on 5 is "another" different experience to warrant a charge for BUT there lots of other "inclusive" venues to eat in from should you not want to pay $5.................

 

Lets wait till we are on board to see..... you never know it might be worth $15...................

 

RICH.......................

[Tranquil Waters]

OK ~ I have to step in here and please ask that you try to be reasonable here. Don't walk on this brand new ship with a brochure and start harassing the crew regarding a decision they had absolutely nothing to do with. I read my cruise contract for my upcoming Solstice cruise and it doesn't make any reference whatsoever to specialty dining (or other charges such as drinks, spa services, etc). How is this any different than when Celebrity changed the prices of their alcoholic beverages about 18 months ago? Did they tell us that before final payment?

 

I urge you to have some consideration for the hard working crew on board and take up issues you have with cruise line policies directly with management in Miami. And if you are truly that unhappy about a decision like this, as many have suggested, don't cruise with them any more. That is always an option.

 

But please....don't give the onboard crew a hard time over this.

 

I am confused.:confused: Who exactly has been UNREASONABLE here? Who suggested harassing crew members? As to presenting complaints or documentation to ship management when on board, that is solely at the discretion of the individual cruiser. It is not up to CC or its members ......

[erms]

OK ~ I have to step in here and please ask that you try to be reasonable here. Don't walk on this brand new ship with a brochure and start harassing the crew regarding a decision they had absolutely nothing to do with. I read my cruise contract for my upcoming Solstice cruise and it doesn't make any reference whatsoever to specialty dining (or other charges such as drinks, spa services, etc). How is this any different than when Celebrity changed the prices of their alcoholic beverages about 18 months ago? Did they tell us that before final payment?

 

I urge you to have some consideration for the hard working crew on board and take up issues you have with cruise line policies directly with management in Miami. And if you are truly that unhappy about a decision like this, as many have suggested, don't cruise with them any more. That is always an option.

 

But please....don't give the onboard crew a hard time over this.

 

Anne,

 

Correct me if I am wrong but I would say Celebrity "increased" the prices of their alcholic beverages which is totally different from going to "no charge" for a dining venue to a "$5 charge".

[Tricia28]

It's seems that anytime on these boards that someone vents or expresses their opinion then it is assumed they will "harass crew members" or must just be whining. Everyone has brought up great points about this and I feel that until it is something YOU personally care about then you don't want anyone else to complain or state it is unfair. This charge is unfair, expecially since it was changed after final payment. As I stated in another post, I love Cafe Promenade, I never had a problem with crowds there and it was nice to take the kids for a late night dessert. I actually had told all three of my kids about the crepes (they have loved them ever since they were made for them in school during a French unit). Now I have to pay $15 a night if they want one? $105.00 for the week is a definate increase in my cruise bill. I don't believe for a second that those staff members will get much of anything of that $5.00. On the last cruise I was on (RCCL) I asked the waiter if I should tip in cash or have or have his amount added to the onboard account. He said that the onboard account tipping has lowered the service level with some waiters because they know they will get a generic cut regardless of how hard they work and they won't get it till the end of the month so they have to wait a long time. I always tip in cash for the whole cruise and always add much more for great service (I have been a waitress), but to say this is for the servers is BS!

[Andy]

OK ~ I have to step in here and please ask that you try to be reasonable here. Don't walk on this brand new ship with a brochure and start harassing the crew regarding a decision they had absolutely nothing to do with. I read my cruise contract for my upcoming Solstice cruise and it doesn't make any reference whatsoever to specialty dining (or other charges such as drinks, spa services, etc). How is this any different than when Celebrity changed the prices of their alcoholic beverages about 18 months ago? Did they tell us that before final payment?

 

I urge you to have some consideration for the hard working crew on board and take up issues you have with cruise line policies directly with management in Miami. And if you are truly that unhappy about a decision like this, as many have suggested, don't cruise with them any more. That is always an option.

 

But please....don't give the onboard crew a hard time over this.

 

 

Hi Anne !

 

I couldnt agree more. I understand that some posters are unhappy with the Bistro on Five decision, but to give the crew a hard time over this, would be a terrible thing to do. These wonderful folks work extremely hard, and they have absolutely nothing to do with any decisions made at Celebrity's headquarters in Miami. To take it out on them, would be extremely unreasonable.

 

I'd also like to second Anne's excellent suggestion. If you arent happy, let Captain's Club or Celebrity Management know your thoughts. Please, dont take this matter onboard your Cruise. Just go, and enjoy your vacation. I know that's what I'm going to do !

 

For what it's worth, I am very confident Celebrity is well aware of this concern. While I have no idea how or if it will be resolved, perhaps there is still a chance they will re-consider, or come up with other solutions. Many fine ideas were suggested here, and I remain hopeful that some better news may come along.

 

Thank you for your consideration, and letting me share my thoughts.

[Tranquil Waters]

Hi Anne !

 

I couldnt agree more. I understand that some posters are unhappy with the Bistro on Five decision, but to give the crew a hard time over this, would be a terrible thing to do. These wonderful folks work extremely hard, and they have absolutely nothing to do with any decisions made at Celebrity's headquarters in Miami. To take it out on them, would be extremely unreasonable.

 

I'd also like to second Anne's excellent suggestion. If you arent happy, let Captain's Club or Celebrity Management know your thoughts. Please, dont take this matter onboard your Cruise. Just go, and enjoy your vacation. I know that's what I'm going to do !

 

For what it's worth, I am very confident Celebrity is well aware of this concern. While I have no idea how or if it will be resolved, perhaps there is still a chance they will re-consider, or come up with other solutions. Many fine ideas were suggested here, and I remain hopeful that some better news may come along.

 

Thank you for your consideration, and letting me share my thoughts.

 

Why would you tell anyone not to take their complaint on board if the problem is on board????? :confused::confused::confused:

 

Again, it is totally up to individual cruisers how and when they let Celebrity know of their concerns.

 

If an e-mail (expressing one's dissatisfaction) pre-cruise gets one an e-mail as posted by the OP, then I would think that letting management on the ship know your thoughts would be the next logical course of action.

 

I am very sure that Celebrity would hope that all cruisers would take your and Host Anne's advice and just keep quiet. That would make them very happy indeed - their customers, not so much....... :(

[Morris4me]

Very well said. Now Flame me if you want but ........

 

I personally am not losing sleep over this. There are many other things in life right now that I can expend energy on.

 

I do know that at the July Presentation we were told that Bistro would be a 24/7 eatery with no mention of a cost BUT with everything that was presented that afternoon it was always followed with " all of this is subject to change and I'm sure that meant everything, times of availability and charges.

 

I personally plan to have a crepe and if its $5.00 so be it.

 

Right answer! In the big scheme of things, what's another $5 after what you spent for your cruise? I love a good glass of wine which can be pricey anywhere. I could spend the whole week during the cruise drinking water but would I be happy? It's worth it to me to pay for some good wine occasionally. I guess what it boils down to is if you don't want to pay the $5, eat elsewhere on the ship. There are lots of other choices.

[jackdiamond]

Folks-I have read all of your concerns; and, quite frankly they appear to be nothing more than a tempest in a teapot.

[jtopicz1]

I'm guessing the Editors and such behind CruiseCritic don't like to get involved with issues such as this (taking sides, etc.) and that's understandable. And I'm sure Celebrity reads these boards...

 

At the same time, it would be nice if perhaps CruiseCritic, Celebrity, and some of the board members could find a way to present the concerns to the cruiseline formally (even including those who see no problem with this).

 

I'm sure there are reasons this isn't a good idea, but just brainstorming aloud.

 

I know, for one, if Celebrity offered me a $35 credit to be used in Bistro on 5, I would be satisfied and walk away feeling as though, while it still isn't right, at least they listened and tried to make right with their customers.

 

Jim

[Morris4me]

This whole concept of the charges for the alternate dining rooms being for tips brings a question to mind.... does this mean we pay the surcharge in lieu of tip in these venues?

[Tranquil Waters]

This whole concept of the charges for the alternate dining rooms being for tips brings a question to mind.... does this mean we pay the surcharge in lieu of tip in these venues?

 

That is what the literature states - that it is a "service charge". But many cruisers (myself included) will always add an additional tip when signing the bill. Again, it is a personal decision. :)

[chuckdaddy]

But please....don't give the onboard crew a hard time over this.

 

Absolutely 100% correct.

[Host Anne]

Folks ~ these boards exist to discuss all things cruising - good and bad. No one here is trying to prevent any discussions (within our Guidelines) from taking place. As you can see, this thread is now several pages long.

 

My point is that the crew on board the ship (99.% of them anyway) didn't have a thing to do with a decision on instituting a charge for a restaurant on-board. So why would you take your cruise vacation and turn it into a

discussion with a crew member that has little or no power to do a thing about it? If you are upset about something, direct your concerns to the proper people. Does anyone really think that walking into Bistro on Five or into the Hotel Directors' office with a brochure is going to solve the problem? It's only going to aggravate you when they can't do anything about it and make your cruise a lot less enjoyable....and we're talking all because of a $5 charge.....that you can choose not to pay.

 

Take your argument to the folks that can enable change - the home office. And if you aren't satisfied, then you'll have other decisions to make.

 

As a volunteer host, I'm welcome to express any opinion I want here on Cruise Critic (read some of my reviews and you'll see that I call our cruise experiences like I see them -- good and bad on Celebrity and other lines). I always have and always will. I may not always agree with everyone else posting, but that's really OK.

 

Here's hoping everyone can manage to enjoy Solstice. I know I plan to!

[Sailawaytoday]

So, Anne, just so I understand your view of this:

 

Obviously, if they charge the $5, we can pay or choose not to. Of course, its only $5 if you go alone, and only go once. And ideally, you would expect that if a reasonable complaint was received by the home office they would recognize its reasonableness, and act fairly and promptly, to avoid the ill will of their customers.

 

Where I don't agree with you is the part about our "choosing not to pay", because if we want to enjoy the venue as promised, we MUST pay. Otherwise we are depriving ourselves of what we expected to experience onboard.

 

So here is my question to you: Cast aside all the muddle that obsures the issue, and tell me- Do you think it is right that Celebrity is instituting a $5 pp. charge for Bistro on Five to customers whose final payment has been received? Yes or No.

 

Thanks.

[Tranquil Waters]

Folks ~ these boards exist to discuss all things cruising - good and bad. No one here is trying to prevent any discussions (within our Guidelines) from taking place. As you can see, this thread is now several pages long.

 

My point is that the crew on board the ship (99.% of them anyway) didn't have a thing to do with a decision on instituting a charge for a restaurant on-board. So why would you take your cruise vacation and turn it into a

discussion with a crew member that has little or no power to do a thing about it? If you are upset about something, direct your concerns to the proper people. Does anyone really think that walking into Bistro on Five or into the Hotel Directors' office with a brochure is going to solve the problem? It's only going to aggravate you when they can't do anything about it and make your cruise a lot less enjoyable....and we're talking all because of a $5 charge.....that you can choose not to pay.

 

Take your argument to the folks that can enable change - the home office. And if you aren't satisfied, then you'll have other decisions to make.

 

As a volunteer host, I'm welcome to express any opinion I want here on Cruise Critic (read some of my reviews and you'll see that I call our cruise experiences like I see them -- good and bad on Celebrity and other lines). I always have and always will. I may not always agree with everyone else posting, but that's really OK.

 

Here's hoping everyone can manage to enjoy Solstice. I know I plan to!

 

I fail to see where any poster to this thread has suggested that they plan to harrass the ship's crew over this issue. Please show me where this was suggested if I have missed something. :confused:

 

As to whether going to the Hotel Director's office would help, I think there is a history that this does work. When RCI printed incorrect information (in their brochure) about Junior Suites having access to the Consierge Lounge - and people brought the documentation to those in charge when onboard - the brochure information was honored.

[jtopicz1]

I doubt showing the brochure to the Food and Beverage or Hotel Director onboard will make a difference. However, I KNOW that taking things up with Celebrity will not help, especially for those within the cancellation period. They've got our money - they could care less. In fact, they seem to be selectively responding to emails anymore.

 

I also will not let it ruin my cruise or make a huge issue of it.

 

 

 

Folks ~ these boards exist to discuss all things cruising - good and bad. No one here is trying to prevent any discussions (within our Guidelines) from taking place. As you can see, this thread is now several pages long.

 

My point is that the crew on board the ship (99.% of them anyway) didn't have a thing to do with a decision on instituting a charge for a restaurant on-board. So why would you take your cruise vacation and turn it into a

discussion with a crew member that has little or no power to do a thing about it? If you are upset about something, direct your concerns to the proper people. Does anyone really think that walking into Bistro on Five or into the Hotel Directors' office with a brochure is going to solve the problem? It's only going to aggravate you when they can't do anything about it and make your cruise a lot less enjoyable....and we're talking all because of a $5 charge.....that you can choose not to pay.

 

Take your argument to the folks that can enable change - the home office. And if you aren't satisfied, then you'll have other decisions to make.

 

As a volunteer host, I'm welcome to express any opinion I want here on Cruise Critic (read some of my reviews and you'll see that I call our cruise experiences like I see them -- good and bad on Celebrity and other lines). I always have and always will. I may not always agree with everyone else posting, but that's really OK.

 

Here's hoping everyone can manage to enjoy Solstice. I know I plan to!

[dmk]

Who would be the best person to address our complaints?

Perhaps, those of us who are dissatisfied with this new charge can all send emails expressing our dissatisfaction.

It has worked in the past!

[Morris4me]

Who would be the best person to address our complaints?

 

Perhaps, those of us who are dissatisfied with this new charge can all send emails expressing our dissatisfaction.

 

It has worked in the past!

 

You might want to try "Contact Us" on the Celebrity website. There is a link to email them.

http://www.celebritycruises.com/contactus/home.do;jsessionid=0000JSsKZaZpu7kH6bT5VZyZRCg:12h3rnd1c?pagename=contact_us&cS=FOOTER

[pete_coach]

I am new here, going on not only our first Celebrity cruise, but our first cruise period. I am reading all the forums and posts with great interest. Of all of them, I am a bit dismayed reading about increases in on board charges.

What I also see on this forum is a lot of quarreling, like a family, with Host Anne and Andy being the Mom and Dad. Like all families, the kids can't successfully be made to keep quiet and neither can they be told what to do and when to do it as they get older and move away.

We paid quite a bit for our cruise, (perhaps because we booked so early?) and I likened the cost to an all inclusive resort on land somewhere. All inclusive on land is seeming to cost quite a bit less and even includes alcoholic drinks. When one considers the cost of the cruise being about $400 to $500 per day per couple, it gets a bit pricey and being required to pay "extras", it gets a bit much to me. I find that this is a "hidden" cost of cruising. I also am one of those who find that the imposed surcharges and tips render the importance of service secondary or non essential. It may be old hat to veteran cruisers but it is a bit of a surprise to us newbies. $5 here, $5 there for just my Wife and I is one thing, but I can certainly see this as a burden to folks with families.

Anyway folks, hit on the big Corporation and take it easy Mom and Dad :)

[jwattle]

I am new here, going on not only our first Celebrity cruise, but our first cruise period. I am reading all the forums and posts with great interest. Of all of them, I am a bit dismayed reading about increases in on board charges.

What I also see on this forum is a lot of quarreling, like a family, with Host Anne and Andy being the Mom and Dad. Like all families, the kids can't successfully be made to keep quiet and neither can they be told what to do and when to do it as they get older and move away.

We paid quite a bit for our cruise, (perhaps because we booked so early?) and I likened the cost to an all inclusive resort on land somewhere. All inclusive on land is seeming to cost quite a bit less and even includes alcoholic drinks. When one considers the cost of the cruise being about $400 to $500 per day per couple, it gets a bit pricey and being required to pay "extras", it gets a bit much to me. I find that this is a "hidden" cost of cruising. I also am one of those who find that the imposed surcharges and tips render the importance of service secondary or non essential. It may be old hat to veteran cruisers but it is a bit of a surprise to us newbies. $5 here, $5 there for just my Wife and I is one thing, but I can certainly see this as a burden to folks with families.

Anyway folks, hit on the big Corporation and take it easy Mom and Dad :)

Good Analogy Pete! Thanks Mom and Dad!!!:)

[Tranquil Waters]

Good Analogy Pete! Thanks Mom and Dad!!!:)

 

I agree that I liked the analogy - especially that part about "and neither can they (children) be told what to do and when to do it as they get older and move away". ;):D

[Orator]

I'm old enought to remember when "all inclusive" truly meant all inclusive. Times have changed.Just look at the drop in cruiseline stocks and you can see the rough waters ahead. Choices need to be made by both the lines and the passengers. They can decide add a charge, we can decide to pay or not use the service.If enough people pay, the charge will continue, if passengers don't support the charge, it will end-it's just business. Personally I prefer those who use additional service to pay rather than dividing additional costs among all passengers via higher ticket prices.We are quickly approaching ala carte cruising where the only thing you get is a cabin. Everything else will be a surcharge. Good or bad? I don't know.The only thing I know for certain is that the "good old days" of all inclusive cruising are over. Bet in a few years these will be viewed as "the good old days." Just my opinion.

[CaroleLee]

You might want to try "Contact Us" on the Celebrity website. There is a link to email them.

http://www.celebritycruises.com/contactus/home.do;jsessionid=0000JSsKZaZpu7kH6bT5VZyZRCg:12h3rnd1c?pagename=contact_us&cS=FOOTER

 

It would be interesting to see 1. if anyone actually e-mails Celebrity & 2. What if any Celebrity's response would be.

Carole

[Tranquil Waters]

It would be interesting to see 1. if anyone actually e-mails Celebrity & 2. What if any Celebrity's response would be.

Carole

 

:D:D:D I think an e-mail to Celebrity - and Celebrity's response - was what started this whole thread. ;):):D