NanaChar

I did a mock booking on the Xcel for 2026 for an deluxe porthole view veranda.  It was over $1500 for the single.  When hubby and I cruise, we rarely spend more than our OBC.  We definitely don't spend thousands of dollars.  What in the world is Celebrity thinking.  

We booked an Alaskan cruise on 11/29.  We looked today, the price is up about $2000 for each of us.   

The best cruise we ever had was when we had our grandkids with us, 5 & 7.  The Kid's Club was amazing and kept them busy during the day.  And since there are so kids onboard Celebrity, they were treated like royalty.  The crew went out of their way to serve the kids.  
For everyday dining, you don't need reservations in the Retreat.  Come when you want.  Other specialty restaurants cane be done on their website or thru their app.  The Magic Carpet, you can purchase, but I don't think they give you a date until you are on the ship.

Is that "Need to Know" site only available when you are on-board?

There was rumors she was changing ships after this contract.  Was that just speculation?

 Because we wanted to have a certain dining time, we booked the the restaurants already.  But we also booked the 3 night dining package to swap it out when we are on the ship.  Has anyone done something like this?  Is it allowed?

38 minutes ago, sixpackeddie said:

Are we certain Celebrity will no longer have butlers in sky suites. I just checked there website and shows otherwise.

https://www.celebritycruises.com/ca/cruise-ships/celebrity-solstice/the-retreat

We still will have butlers, but it will be pool of butlers, not a dedicated butler.  

I have so many bad feelings about this.  First, letting go the butlers mid-contract.  That does not help morale at all.  Celebrity seemed to have better employee satisfaction rating than most mass-market lines.  Every butler we has was great.  Some were almost miraculous in anticipating our needs.  I hope they have good compensation and find new positions quickly.  
Second, when we purchased the cruise, it was advertised and a personal butler.  I know they can change, but shouldn't we be compensated for the change. 
Third, still paying the tip for a full-butler service.  (We really shouldn't have been paying for the same in the past when our butlers were assigned many more cabins than the higher suites.)  Now, we don't have that intuitive butler who knows our needs before we even know what we want.  
Please take the time to send e-mails and post on Celebrity's Facebook page.  Make sure they hear our voices.

My gripe is that we paid dearly for The Retreat experience.  If they take away the butlers, we were not getting what we paid for.  I real doubt they would take away the Retreat and Luminae because they were built to accommodate the  suite passengers.  Those venues would be practically empty.  But, I also didn’t think they would take away the butlers.  The Retreat was a good value.  Now, I’m not sure.

The price of our ‘24 cruise has more than doubled what we paid.  The prices have soared.  So we compared our ‘25 cruise to Silver Seas.  It came out less and it came with free excursions and a door to door rate.  We have jumped ship.  

I just booked an excursion after you posted this.  Since the ship is completely full, could the excursions you picked be full?

On 6/20/2023 at 11:50 AM, Whinenowine said:

Yes, this was a great review at the time, thanks (and good to re-read it).  My opinions haven't changed since then--and guessing your haven't either.

Since I think you might enjoy a glass or two of wine, what is your opinion of the included wine selection on SilverSeas.  Is it a cut above Celebrity.  Although Celebrity has nice wines, I'm getting a little bored with them.

On 6/19/2023 at 4:27 PM, econprofessor said:

Hi,

I wrote this review awhile back.  I hope you find this helpful.  As a note, I now have 3 more Silversea cruises booked, so clearly, I liked them!

 

Thank you.  This is very helpful.  I wonder how the Edge Class would stack up.  Since, I think that you might have a say on the included wine selection, is Silver Seas a step up from Celebrity. 

1 hour ago, Gourmet Gal said:

I meant to ask if there is a separate dedicated entrance to the ship for Retreat PAX.

Celebrity does not have a separate spa or gym.  It is the same for everyone.  For Embarkment, at least in Ft Lauderdale has a separate entrance and a lounge you can wait at before going on-board.  I'm not sure how I would feel about waiting in line with thousands of people trying to get on-board.  

We have been Celebrity fans for years.  We book The Retreat, which gives us the small ship feel since we have a dedicated lounge, restaurant and retreat area.  The staff knows us by name when we walk in and within a few days, knows the drinks we want.  But, with the Edge Class ships, the Retreat prices are comparable (maybe even more costly) than Silver Seas. 

Since we have never been on a smaller ship, are there drawbacks?  The things I'm thinking that might be negatives is the entertainment and more sea movement.   

I did the last Alaskan cruise a couple of years back.  i saw no difference in the service.  I only saw positives.  The ports were less crowded.   Items were more likely on sale or the salespeople were more eager to bargain.  And there was much better chance of seeing the northern lights since daylight was only about 12 hours. 

Ok.  Very silly question.  How many masks do you bring per person per day?  Does Celebrity supply masks if you run out?  
I was happy when there was no mask mandate, but with this Omicron wave, it seems a wise choice to put in the rule.  

12 hours ago, TeeRick said:

@NanaChar sorry to give you more concern- but the airlines like SW and AA have been a problem lately with cancelling flights as I'm sure you are aware.  So going in the day before is always a good idea!  Even in non-Covid times.  Yes she is a Wheaten Terrier.  Many people always confuse Wheaties with Golden Doodles.  She is a great pup!

How can you mix up a Wheatie with a Doodle. I love the puppy beard.  They are great dogs, loads of energy,  and just a little bit stubborn.  

36 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

At this point I would be more worried about last minute cancelled and changed flights.  

Thank you TeeRick for adding another concern to my much needed vacation.  But since we are from a major hub and have booked the first flight for the day before, we should be good.  

The bigger question i have for you is what sort of dog is your little friend?  I was thinking he/she is a Wheatie.  

What I found interesting is the article in Cruise Critic.  They mentioned Richard Fain being the head of the Royal Caribbean Group.  Then fawned how he put more attractions on the RC ship, how he was in charge to bring the largest ship on the sea to cruising and the innovation he brought to the newer RC ships.  The only mention of Celebrity and its sister companies was that he brought them into the RCG fold.  But, what picture did they post?????

1 hour ago, TeeRick said:

Where is your cruise in February?  From a US port into the Caribbean?  If so it will probably not be cancelled but Caribbean ports might get changed or skipped so I agree with you there.  

I am leaving from Fort Lauderdale.  I know as of right now, it doesn't look like we are going to have an issue, but there are so many variables  (and Covid variants),  I wouldn't bet the house that it will be smooth sailing.  

My cruise is in February.  I'm still concerned that Covid could still cancel the cruise.  But it seems cruising is probably more safe than other types of travel.  The industry stepped up to do the right thing to keep their passengers safe.  (Yes, it also helps their bottom line and to keep their company afloat (pun intended)).  

For the foreseeable future, I think we are going to see a lot more port-of-calls cancelled and the industry is gong to have to be flexible in rerouting itineraries.  The buffet, as it was before, will not be around for a while. 

Just something I found funny.  This is the picture Cruise Critic has as the announcement that Richard Fain is stepping down from the head of Royal Caribbean Group.  Then it talks about all the fun activities he has put on RC ships and all the RC ships he has brought to sea and the innovation of the RC ships. Only mention of Celebrity was the other lines that are under the RC Group. 

Ri

Besides the space, I think the CS gives you a little more perks than the Sky Suites, like the onshore concierge and the Celebrity Valet services.    You do get a private bedroom which is nice if you are cruising with a couple plus children.

34 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

Curious- Why do you feel Luminae should be a loyalty benefit for Zenith members?  Maybe if they sail in suites and pay for suites.  However, Zenith members could get enhanced specialty dining discounts or benefits.  So could E and E+ for that matter.  

Loyalty programs give benefits to their best clients.  I am a lowly E+ so it wouldn't impact me.