Saturngrl

1 hour ago, CruisinShips said:

I guess perhaps they think my pointing and laughing at the color of their seapass card while I have my suite colored card taped to my forehead is bragging?

We always get asked about our gold-colored SeaPasses for being Concierge.   You are not alone, lol! 

DH and I were happy to read the email last night!   We will sail Reflection for 8 nights in February 2024, which will bring us 3 of those special gatherings on that cruise.  

Before I was Elite, I had no idea of all the Elite events going on during my cruises.  What I didn't know then, never bothered me in the least.  Just being on a Celebrity ship spells a great time for me! 

28 minutes ago, thebutlerdidit said:

The website won’t let me log in after cancelling the upgrade. If booked through the app can I use my OBC? 

So sorry, I don't know.  The website is back up and I was able to cancel my previous purchase.  Hope it works for you!

The RC and Celebrity websites are not working for me today.  I was able to score the $13.99 drink package upgrade via the app this morning.  Even with my Elite 15% discount on my July 4th purchase, I'm still saving approximately $60....thank you! 

I book in February versus March for a single reason:  college spring breaks in March.  We will be on the February 3rd, 2024 ABC cruise on Reflection.   Can't wait!  

I've done an Alcove on Silly and Reflection on port days.  Both, in my humble opinion, were a total waste of money.  My DH and friends who travel with me have zero appreciation for the cost and privilege to sit in an alcove.   It's basically a place to sit with a view of the alcoves across the lawn from you.  It's boring........we get better views from our balcony.   

I'm glad the leaders went to the Gemba (where the work is done).  However, in a true Lean enterprise (eliminating waste), I believe the leaders should have gone separately on several Celebrity ships and merely shadowed the workers, not try to do their jobs to show off.  In shadowing, they could better obtain the "voice of the customer".  Additionally, it would be beneficial if each leader sailed a ship incognito.  They would become the customer, obtain the voice of their customers and observe where the waste is.  Eliminating waste would reverse the elimination of quality.  

I have pointed out numerous sources of waste from my experiences on the Reflection.  Example:  Celebrity has never figured out how to optimize "Select Dining".   Their antiquated seating system in the MDR requires three crew members to seat passengers.  One is the greeter, one walks the room and radios yet another crew member to identify open seats.   Another example:  breakfast service in the MDR.  The coffee server does three times the work of the pastry tray server.  You can eat three pastries before the coffee server ever comes to your table.  I say re-assign two pastry servers to coffee duty.  No loss of jobs, just leveling the workload.  

We are going to be in Aruba in early February 2024.  I welcome any information provided about spas for a massage near the cruise port.   We plan to do the streetcar and dine locally while there.  Suggestions? 

I have been to CoCo Cay twice.  The first time was with a group of friends.  I rented an Oasis Lagoon cabana for us and had the hardest time getting them out of the pool to use the cabana.  We loved our attendant, who brought us all sorts of great food from the Snack Shack.  However, my friends did not bring any cash for tipping the attendant (leaving it all up to me).   Lesson:  cabanas are good for those who appreciate them, not for ladies who want to party at the swim up bar. 

Second visit:  CoCo Beach Club.  We were with a different group of friends who genuinely appreciated the amenities of the Club.  The lunch was AMAZING!  However, it's a one and done type of experience for me.  The tram going around the island is always packed.   The current pricing for cabanas and the Beach Club are out of our budget.  Being Floridians, beaches and pools are no big draw for us.  

Plus, we will enjoy having an Oasis Class ship to ourselves for the day! 

18 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

The op was asking about the Connie 

Ooops, so sorry.   I love the Connie too! 

Reflection is a great ship!  We have sailed her twice:  November 2021 and February 2023.  Yes, her decor is a little tired, but we love so many things about her!  Bocce on the Lawn Club, the Lawn Club grill, real towels in the public restrooms, the World Class and Martini bars, the overhead ringing bells as you walk under them toward the Ensemble Lounge, the awesome gym,  balconies on the hump, the Solarium....so much to do!  We look forward to sailing her again this February! 

No bubbly while boarding.  We usually get our free glass in the MDR with the Concierge Embarkation luncheon.   I will definitely check at Cafe al Baccio or the Passport Bar for a free glass when we board Reflection in February! 

Arrival times may vary based upon the scheduled sailing time with the port.  Also, docking time earlier that day may vary.  Last February, a storm delayed the docking of the Reflection in port, so we all waited to board regardless of our designated arrival time. 

I will be on my 3rd Reflection cruise this February.  I always sail Concierge on S-Class and M-Class ships.  From this experience, I can report 3 adults is probably the max and it will be a tight fit.  You will need to keep the stateroom VERY neat to fit all of your belongings and to move around each other.  Happy sailing! 

Reflection is my favorite Celebrity ship!  Enjoy your cruise!

Deus, 

Congratulations on choosing Celebrity!  I'm a bit jealous about three BTB on the Solstice...she's a great ship! 

I viewed the webinar last night and must say it was the best of all I have seen since the onset of PUP.  I'm glad they covered many of the issues reported here on CC.  I am also glad to see the new CEO as being more friendly and approachable than her predecessor. 

If Celebrity is, indeed, perusing our CC posts, then I encourage the new CEO to cruise on more than just the President's cruise.  "Undercover boss" experiences will give her and her leadership team the opportunity to learn what opportunities exist for improvement.   

We were invited to sailaway on the helipad last February.  Ship was Reflection and sailaway from Nassau.  We were Concierge and I've done these numerous times at numerous ports.   The bubbly is nice and the view is okay, but I would never pay extra for the privilege, since I have already paid extra for Concierge status.  

My DH and I explored this option yesterday for our impending May Allure cruise.  We enjoyed the Beach Club last May but agree it's a one-and-done experience.  We live in Central Florida, so a beach or pool day holds no interest to us.   We plan to stay on the ship that day and enjoy having the ship to ourselves.  

4 minutes ago, cruise47 said:

Is the Lawn Grill on the E Class ships?

Only on Silhouette and Reflection.  We LOVE the LCG!

I agree with the non-smoking casino!  

Cloth towels in the public restrooms. 

Bocce on the Lawn Club.

Martini Bar open early on Embarkation Day.

English bacon every morning.

Sailaway on the helipad for Concierge and Suites passengers.  

Only one overhead announcement each day. 

The Lawn Club Grill on Reflection and Silhouette.  

World Class Bar. 

E-Muster. 

Better Silent Disco than on RC.  

Our fellow passengers! 

Fabulous crew! 

I agree with the above posters.  Love the wedding photos and I love the Silhouette!   The little changes implemented post-COVID are minor in comparison with my joy in cruising after the 22-month shut down.   It's always a joy to cruise!  

We are Elite with Celebrity and loved the perks that came with that level, plus Concierge, on our February 2023 Reflection cruise.  I miss the welcome glass of bubbly when boarding the ship and was frustrated with the cumbersome, slow process for seating guests in the MDR.  Many shared my frustration with that process, often waiting over an hour to be seated for dinner (9:30 p.m.).  

Celebrity still has cloth towels in the public restrooms.  They still have a more mature, better-behaved passenger contingent.  Little cuts to some offerings in the MDR and buffet, but not so much to keep us from sailing again.  We booked our upcoming Reflection cruise on board, so the pricing was much better than currently listed. 

I wonder if the new President and her senior leadership have actually sailed on Celebrity since taking the helm.  Gemba (where the work is done) walks are crucial to Lean leadership.  Lean is focused on eliminating waste, not eliminating staff.   The savings will result accordingly. 

I just asked if they could bring back the glass of bubbly when we board the ship.  Pre-COVID, it was a nice tough but now it's only available at the Concierge Embarkation luncheon.