chemmo

After becoming a ‘singleton’ after 42 years of marriage and beginning to look at future cruises and other holidays I have been amazed at the prices and on some occasions even the inability to book a holiday. Quite simply I think I will either book with family members/friends or not book.

Sublime to the ridiculous springs to mind!

I think I would suggest you still discuss it with the M’D…They are always keen to please. If you discuss your preferences the first evening, see what they can offer…

Continuing to thoroughly enjoy your cruise. -12 here in the UK last night, I would love to be too hot! Seriously, Jim, take it easy…so understand your wish to see everything but be careful!

Just tried a few dates and the prices for higher suites are significantly more than I have booked. I think bargains may be room sensitive!

I contacted Celebrity directly as I have a cruise booked on in Infinity next September. There were rumours that it was going to be a full upgrade like Summit and Millie. They told me it was routine maintenance and the family rooms (big ones at the back) are being changed into suites. Nothing else. I have some reservations about my booking. Not cheap and whilst I don’t mind dated I don’t want shabby either in my suite or in the lounge areas…Reviews have been following have been varied. Few complaints about staff, most saying service has been very good. However, many saying their rooms/bathrooms need updating. I think I may have a look at itinerary’s between now and then and see if I can find a bargain and do a swap!

We were lucky enough to spend a week in Bali after a China tour. We booked it as a beach crash out after what had been an intensive sight seeing experience. We were AI and had not expected to do much. However, even on the journey from the airport to the hotel we fell in love with the people and the culture. We had asked the concierge at the hotel about a private day tour for the three of us to touch the ‘best of Bali’ not particularly liking any of the options our tour operator was offering (too much shopping). Whilst it was some years ago the cost was very reasonable. Our own small van with its own driver and guide cost less than for two of us on the itinerary offered by our tour company. We had asked to see a temple, a garden, a volcano, rice fields and a nice lunch with not too much walking anywhere. Highlight was lunch in a cafe precariously perched next to a very tall and upright volcano….Our guide told us if we were lucky we would see our drinks ‘look like Jurassic Park’…We were a bit bewildered by this remark but a few minutes later we heard a slight rumble and indeed our glasses wobbled! This happened twice…on the second occasion it was accompanied by a small fumarole giving a gentle puff half way up the mountain…It was then we decided there is being near a volcano and there is being sat on one…Such happy memories!

I agree with you…rare that RS and PH are available. I guess many people (like us) are finding the price to high and are beginning to worry about the reliability of the product…

I totally agree… It concerns me at present that so many guests I ‘know’ from CC as reliable and truthful are posting less than good and no where near excellent experiences.

Jim, I hope you are soon feeling better. You have had a hectic time even without taking on board the climate change. I must confess to feeling really annoyed for Iain about the wine…Excuses that things are not available when they are on board is not acceptable and as for trying to charge you….well!!! I remember sommelier service in Luminae being really slow one cruise and after our wine not arriving two nights running until our starters were nearly finished my late husband saying politely to the waiter “If our starter arrives and our wine hasn’t we will be sending it back…”. He said it pleasantly but firmly and when our starters arrived and we still had empty glasses he asked the waiter not to serve it. Our waiter was flustered and talked to the M’D who chased the sommelier….After that wine service did improve… Perhaps next visit to Luminae you order the wine you want and refuse to accept your meals until it is provided!

If you have a medical condition that means you can’t have products containing milk then discuss options with your waiter/M’D.

RS had a new sofa and chair and bedding. Curtains and carpets unchanged. Uncomfortable new outside furniture and a ridiculous number of cushions inside, none of which fitted comfortably on the outside chairs which had no cushions or padding….

Why not email Celebrity and ask for confirmation in a return mail that you are good to go and take a copy of it with you. Much better than getting to the port and ending up with staff discussing the situation. Whilst we have never been in a situation like yours if ever there is anything we feel could be a reason for dispute in terms of cost or provision of service we never rely on a phone call, we always ask for an email.

Yes, it isn’t the cost that annoys it is the knowing what you should/should not be charged for. I hate having to get into those sort of discussions with wait staff. I can clearly remember some years ago getting a bill for our adult son dining with us in Sushi. The waiter was insistent that the included speciality dining was for guests one and two only in RS and that guest three had to pay…I guess staff training comes into play too.

All Sushi on five is included. In our experience the surcharge items in Tuscan are not. Other things not included are special events like ‘dine with an officer’ and the Indian meal sometimes offered in Sushi. However we were not charged extra for the ‘sea food tower’ in the Porch… You may get different answers from different people. For example someone on our last Silhouette cruise said they were not charged for the better steaks in Tuscan but were for the seafood tower… My advice is to ask as you board (concierge or Luminae M’D) and go from there…Different ships seem to have different policies…

You can understand and forgive the odd shortage but it seems to be becoming the norm…

Thank you for such a thoughtful and well balanced account. A good thing you highlight is the benefit of getting a taste of a place on a cruise (India) and then deciding to return for a land tour. As you said in an earlier post, India isn’t for everybody…. I am so sorry your Retreat experience wasn’t better…We have over the years enjoyed many cruises where that extra service level was there and it has added an extra touch of luxury and magic to the cruise. Sadly a reflection of the changes that Celebrity has made. Sad to see the food was a bit hit and miss too…Really no excuse for hit and miss quality. Whilst we all find some venues suit us better than others for style and content quality should be consistent. Well welcome home! Enjoy the cuddles of your cats in the cold weather….I sit writing this with my little doggie sat on my knee, a furry hot water bottle…

Who do you plan to ‘pester’? If you are suggesting asking for a meeting with the Hotel Director to explain your concerns and disappointment then I think this is a great idea. The more guests who politely but firmly express they feel ‘short changed’ to those in a position to make changes or report back to corporate the better. However, I think the hosts/room attendants and concierge staff are having a rubbish time as it is at the moment the last thing in the world they need is a guest demanding services they have been instructed not to provide…

Silhouette received a full upgrade pre covid so is not as dated as her sisters. Equinox had a limited upgrade. Silhouette also, like Reflection, has the two additional restaurants of the Porch and Lawn Grill. If you are considering suites there is a suite deck with a jacuzzi, bar and a wide range of seating areas. I have not cruised E class so can not compare them to Silhouette but Silhouette has a lot to offer over her sisters…

Happy Birthday! What a mess boarding! A friend of mine with similar mobility issues to me (can walk but not too far, can stand but not for too long) said that she now is going to automatically book wheelchair boarding and disembarking because she is becoming increasingly concerned when travelling about growing queuing. She has just returned from a tour including cruises and land stays. As she stated, if you are not expecting a big queue you think you can manage, but then if you find yourself in one there seems to be no help available. Like most people with limited mobility I don’t want to take up wheelchair slots from those with conditions worse than mine but the nature of the system (or lack of it) is making travelling so much harder than it needs to be. If I had been in the scenario you have described the first few days of my cruise would have been spent trying to recover! At least you are on board now! Enjoy!

That really is a massive difference….To look at it another way it is three cruises for the price of one!

I think your question is well asked and totally see your point on butler changes. I think many higher suite guests on S and M class are doing some calculations too. Many of these ships haven’t been refreshed for years. If you book a higher suite you shouldn’t be worrying if your room will look shabby or need maintenance and I must confess I have some concerns about my Infinity cruise. Booking a suite experience on Celebrity has always offered… A superior room experience More personalised service A better dining experience Cutting corners on not maintaining ships diminishes the room experience, reducing/cancelling butler service for SS guests reduces significantly the personalised service which leaves Luminae…I guess it depends on what value you add to Luminae vs a speciality dining package….

Sadly it seems to be all too frequent. We have had similar situations twice. The first time four weeks before our cruise we received quite a challenging email saying if we didn’t pay the outstanding balance of £0.12 our cruise would be cancelled and on the second occasion an email saying if our outstanding balance of $0 wasn’t paid our cruise would be cancelled…even more bizarre as we had paid in £…On both occasions the staff had no idea where the emails had come from (generated). Staff were helpful and sorted things out but, as you say, didn’t seem the least surprised…On the positive side we did receive some extra OBC for our trouble the first time!

So sorry for your disappointment with Santosa…It is really gutting when you look forward to revisiting a place you have loved and find it spoiled. In the last few years we have revisited a few place we first saw forty years ago and have been upset by changes that have taken place… Much as we know not everywhere can be turned into world heritage sites and protected I think some thought needs to be taken in some areas. Particularly important to my mind are the ‘back street’ areas of many towns…the little shops, bars, restaurants that suddenly go and are replaced by an anonymous glass tower block. I think many cities are in danger of becoming historical facades but loosing their soul in the process. Thoroughly enjoying your adventures!

My morning coffee will not taste the same without being treated to your daily instalments! Sincere thanks for sharing your adventures with us. Safe journey home to you both!