NCHPcruiser

Returned a week ago from France and the AmaKristina. The vast, vast majority were dressed casually (including blue jeans) for dinner. Everyone looked neat. Depending on when an afternoon tour ended many wore the same thing to dinner with some perhaps changing a top.

Though I don’t travel solo, from what I read on CC it does sound like a good deal. And even better if it includes some perks.

I would NOT leave an extravagant tip for nominal service! (I understand guilt requiring you to leave a tip, I probably would too.). I would also request a different butler and personally, I don’t think you have to give a reason. It should be obvious. It could be this particular butler is being monopolized by one suite, but it is his responsibility to divide his time equitably among his suites. He can decide which suites to shortchange. You paid for the services of a butler (I know they are called something else, but even our ‘Retreat Host’ on our last cruise called himself a butler) just as any other suite guest and it doesn’t sound like you have unrealistic expectations. We were lucky on our March Apex cruise (CS) when we had a wonderful butler. He ask what we would like brought every afternoon (cheese and crackers rotated with shrimp cocktail) which he brought promptly at 4:30 each day. When he realized we would return to the room about 4:45/5:00 each day with a glass of wine, he started bringing the wine as well, eventually bringing a bottle of my favorite ship Chardonnay. If he saw us anywhere on the ship he made an extra effort to make sure he spoke to us (sometimes at length-he was a talker!). He could not have been more helpful.

On our recent Apex cruise a few people played some type tile game (not mah jong) most days in the Aqua Spa cafe but that is the only place I can think of to play any type of game. To be honest, the constant noice from the tiles drove me and others crazy while trying to relax in the solarium! But since eliminating the card rooms other than the Oceanview cafe there is really no place to play a card game, etc.

We didn’t think the Crystal cruisers (on our one Symphony cruise) were really much different than Celebrity cruisers, not like we expected at all. There are “snobs” on all cruise lines, including Celebrity! We’ve run into quite a few over the years.

Our last cruise was in a Celebrity suite on the Apex, although most of what we did was NOT in suite only spaces. While there are more suites on the E class ships, the ONLY area that caters to suite guest is The Retreat areas & Luminae except on chic nights where an upper level area in the theater is reserved for suite guest. At least this was our experience.

Have been on two cruises so far and don’t plan on cancelling future cruises. I believe the unfortunate truth is we will continue to deal with Covid in some form for as long as I am living.