chemmo

We always email our requests to the shoreside concierge believing written information is less likely to get lost than verbal. We then take a copy of our requests (including dining) so that if the information has not gone through at least the butler has a list ready. Our requests on recent cruises have always been forwarded. We were quite surprised that last time when the shoreside concierge contacted us they did seem to have some prior information (usual spirit choice) so perhaps they keep some general records too…

Been there, done that…DH would wear suit and tie as would DS and I would have my cocktail ensemble with high heeled shoes…Post dinner it was a rush to the room for DS to get rid of his tie, DH to get rid of his jacket and me to get rid of the heels! We still dress smartly for dinner, but nice to be comfortable too!

In our experience on Celebrity dress is more casual in the Caribbean and Alaska, more formal in the Med and from Southampton….It would not surprise me if dress improves tomorrow night. Many guests will have had long flights, possible delays with luggage delivery etc. Staff are also instructed to be tolerant first night because of the above, guests may be quietly reminded tonight. To be honest, how others dress doesn’t particularly bother me as long as my family meets my standards! Sincere best wishes for a fantastic cruise!

Correct, I believe they have so many per ship and if you ask your room attendant on boarding you hopefully will get one. The fact we know there are limited supplies is one of the reasons when we cruise, other than from Southampton, we request pre cruise through the shoreside concierge. Just a note for anyone who takes early morning medicine, if it goes down better with a brew and rest in bed before moving request a kettle through special needs and they will forward your request to the ship although they will not guarantee you will get one. We found this out from a fellow cruiser a few years ago…

I think this depends on the suite level…I could be wrong so read the reviews from others too. If you are in a SS or CS then the ‘perks’ you mention above are related to the package so only relate to guest 1 and 2. If you are in a RS or PH (or other high level) then the premium beverage package, upgraded WiFi, laundry and speciality dining are attached to the room class so for all guests in the room. This has definitely been our experience when our adult son has on multiple occasions cruised with us as guest three. Last year his GF also joined us as guest 4 and received the WiFi, premium drinks and unlimited dining too. Gratuities and OBC has varied between for 2 only to all depending on the package at the time as they are not room perks. Hope that makes sense!

A key element for Suite guests is the concierge in Michael’s Club. They will arrange some special events like helipad sail away parties and (covid restrictions allowing) behind the scenes tours. They will also arrange priority tendering and you will have priority boarding at the start of the cruise and can be escorted off at the end. They will also deal with any issues you may have which you usually would take to guest services. You also have your personal retreat host (butler) who will organise your in suite dining, bring snacks to your suite (ask to organise), serve you in suite speciality teas and coffee and deal with any other difficulties you may have. You will have his phone number on boarding, just call with any requests or queries. If outside space is important to you and you are disappointed by no Retreat deck and you are not too bothered about a butler, Michael’s and Luminae you could look at alternative ways to spend your money rather than on a suite. For example, book a veranda room then rent a cabana on the sea days and book a speciality dining package. A mistake many cruisers can make is to assume that booking a suite will ‘automatically’ make your cruise better. It will only enhance your experience if you will genuinely enjoy what you will get from it on that cruise… We did enjoy our cruise on Reflection mainly because of the speciality dining options (more than other S class ships other than Silhouette). We did find the pool areas busier on sea days than on other S class ships.

I think there is a difference between their kettles (specific standard and regularly tested) and guests bringing their own electrical items on board that could be faulty and present a fire risk.

My apologies a smile has come up against your post it was supposed to be an agree…

We have requested and received them worldwide including on Equinox. We do usually cruise RS or PH. I think they keep a few on board for special requests. In contrast I don’t think they do the same with coffee makers.

Like you we like to have a phone number and an email. Generally we much prefer communicating by email to phoning/receiving phone calls. Firstly errors are less likely if you make room or dining requests…something solid in black and white is forwarded to the ship. You can also take a copy on board for your personal retreat host so in the worst case scenario of information not going through you have a request list for him. Secondly, if your shoreside concierge changes there is a written communication that should be forwarded. Thirdly, if we draft an email shortly before we expect to be contacted we remember to add those little but important things (like a kettle and tea tray and a fruit bowl) which during a telephone call we would definitely forget…

A few separate issues here… The OP not fully following up on board as she clearly felt intimidated by the smoking guests and was concerned that following up further could make the situation worse. No one in any cabin should feel like this. If any problem is ongoing you should feel confident that Celebrity will do everything necessary to resolve. The snag with not taking it further at the time, however, is that management can assume there is no longer an issue… The fact she has now posted on CC expresses it is still on her mind. Incidents like this do ‘shake confidence’. How her complaint was handled. If a smoker is reported in a cabin then staff should be alerted to be extra observant, not just at the time but throughout the cruise. If a second complaint comes in they should have someone there asap. As others have said, because of the significant fire risk as well as the discomfort of fellow cruisers. Re the cabin steward in the suspected cabin… what a difficult position for him…Firstly the smokers may be good at hiding evidence but secondly he risks his tip and a poor report if he voices ‘suspicions’. I wonder if security asked other cabins in the vicinity if they had experienced any smoke issues (obviously without indicating the suspected cabin)? I would think that would be a reasonable level of response with the suggestion of frequent smoking and smoking other than cigarettes…In the OPs position, perhaps a call to the Suite Manager may have resulted in a better response… Whilst taking things further on board would/could possibly have resulted in the offensive guests getting their comeuppance I totally understand why the OP didn’t take it further. I can only agree with others that now you are home, OP, you should report the facts to the executive for the benefit of improving protocols for future cruisers. OP my main concern is for you…what should have been a wonderful relaxing break has clearly left you shaken. From the number of posts you have made you are obviously a seasoned cruiser. Try to focus on all those previous cruises where the only guests you have met are nice ones…Report your experiences and try to put this experience behind you…

Great use…

I don’t think Coffee makers are freely available on all ships. Whilst we had one in the PH on Silhouette I don’t think we had one in a RS on Equinox… I am fairly sure in a CS a coffee maker is not a listed amenity. I am sure if they have a spare one on board they will offer it to you they simply may not have any. Whilst the shoreside concierge may be able to forward your message they may not be able to guarantee it is in your suite when you board.

No, use it or loose it if it is from Celebrity. If it is OBC from your TA sometimes it can be refundable to your credit card, you would need to check. If you don’t want to use it for excursions, speciality meals etc you can always resort to bottles or handbags! Cruisestitch did a fantastic post of the myriad of ways you could spend OBC, if you are struggling for uses give it a search.

I wonder if at other times when you weren’t there people were waiting a long time for a drink and had been complaining? That was our experience on Reflection in Michael’s a few years ago. The waitress would come over quickly and immediately serve my husband and son’s beers but then I was waiting forever for my cosmopolitan (being made by the barman). By the time my drink came my husband and son were ready for another one…. It definitely was one of those cruises where Michael’s had a surge in customers at about 6pm and then another at about 8pm with quiet gaps in between… However, I agree with you bulk making of cocktails is not a way forward…

The fact friends 2 and 3 don’t know each other needs to be considered too…They may hit it off, they may not. Could you all meet up for drinks or a meal before the cruise to see how interactions go? If they don’t particularly hit it off you may decide (rather than planning meals for three couples) to plan to dine/meet up with each couple on separate occasions. If you can’t introduce them beforehand why not all meet for drinks first night at an agreed time and go from there? As another poster said there is also the issue of dining time…You may find that friends 3 want to eat earlier or later than you and friends 2 and are happy with dining separately but may enjoy joining you for drinks before or after. I would definitely have an honest chat with friends 3 and make sure they understand that you will not be with them all the time. If they have booked expecting to spend significant time with you then you need to be upfront about how much time you want to spend with them…They need to understand that you not only will not be dining with them every night you won’t necessarily be with them poolside every day either…Perhaps tactfully suggest a ‘drinks time’ every day/some days or a shared excursion or onboard activity but express the need not to commit to too many plans so they are free to ‘do their own thing’… Bottom line, you booked a cruise for yourselves with the sweet suite benefits! You need to enjoy the perks of Luminae and to see meeting up with friends (together or separately) as welcome interactions but with a balance that doesn’t compromise your full cruise experience. Totally sympathise with anxiety, I would feel exactly the same.

PS I am more of a Hobbit shape than an elf shape so even if they reduce the length of robes and slippers the width may then be a challenge….

I am the other poster who could fit both feet into one slipper…After multiple world wide tours we have come to the conclusion that robes and slippers are designed for 5’10” stick insects world wide… Just don’t worry about it any more, even if they offer 2 x sizes I can guarantee that us elfin characters will still have slippers and robes that drown us….

If they did a sun deck in that two week slot I would guess it would be the Solstice Deck area only with no water feature as in Equinox rather than the full refurbishment as in Silhouette. This would make sense in the limited time available….Not hard to put a couple of gates on saying ‘suite guests only’ and then add some nice sun beds. On Equinox we did find the Retreat Deck ‘better than nothing’. Service was excellent, seating was comfortable just too blustery and too sunny. We did find the Silhouette refurbishment substantially better with a hot tub, bigger seating area and a bar…

“The sea is calm - hardly any wind, our balcony is lovely - I am so grateful for every second I can spend on this incredible ship”…. So important on a cruise to find the time to just ‘savour’ the moment…. Continue to enjoy…

We find we get a better meat quality in Tuscan when cruising in the Caribbean than when cruising from Southampton or when cruising in the Med (regardless of ship). When cruising from Southampton or in the Med the meat isn’t tough or anything, is always OK, never felt the need to send a steak back but just not as tasty. It was really good your server did advise you re the veal. Much as they try to maintain quality control they must occasionally get bad batches… I guess there is the chef element too…the one who adds a bit more seasoning, a bit more/less sauce… Agree with you that Murano quality does seem more consistent… That Tuscan bean soup is fantastic! Each time I order it I intend to leave some so I don’t get too full for the next course but then I have just one more spoonful and then another….

If we ever cruise with friends/family we always book the same category or it just becomes hard work. Invariably you don’t all dine together every night but it is nice to have the option…

Re slippers, we have had the same as Luvcrusn and nice as they look they are dangerous unless they fit snuggly. Perhaps someone can suggest what size they are. I could have fitted both feet in one slipper! Re packing. Honestly we have done trips like yours and managed fine with luggage. Layers to cope with the weather, avoid fabrics like denim which hold water and take ages to dry. Then take five light weight tops and 2 x skirts or trousers that gives you 10 casual outfits. Choose them carefully and with a bit of bling or a pretty scarf or two and the same outfits will look lovely in the evenings. No formal nights anymore, you will be fine for every event. Just avoid fabrics that crease. Easy to rinse through a few pairs of undies if you need to or look out for the ‘stuff everything in a bag’ washing offer mid cruise… Sincere best wishes for a fantastic cruise!

I don’t know how others feel but the more pictures to me the merrier!

Most of us would be happy to pay a fee for this service too…