Dolebludger

jmdlv1. I’m with you on Silversea. We’ve cruised with it twice some time ago and the dress-up stuff was the only put off. Although their dress code is more relaxed now, it is still dressier than Regent’s. Regent’s is really no dressier than Celebrity’s, except jeans are not allowed after 6:00 PM. But slacks, a shirt, and shoes will always do. There are “formal optional” nights, but they are really optional. I may take a sport coat, depending on itinerary, but no darned tie.

The term I would use to describe entertainment on smaller lux ships would be small scale but good. In other words, you won’t see big production shows. But you won’t be subject to lines and crowds entering the theater or seat scarcity therein. You won’t be subject to those corny shows where the crew or/and the passengers put it on. You will have a decent opportunity to order a drink or two in the theater. We’ve given up on attending shows in the theater on ships over 2000 pax, because of these and other problems, unless we have some sort of VIP status. Lux ships have around 750 guests or less, and all have VIP. Status. So the shows are smaller scale, but hassle free.

To be perfectly clear on the issue of up-charges for wine, lux lines like Silversea and Regent do not include absolutely every wine in their fare. Some wines retail on land for $hundreds and $thousands per bottle. And, (no surprise), these are not included (never have been) by any lux line. But the brands mentioned in this thread are included, and I believe always will be. Then there is the matter of comparing any cruise line with those horribly over-priced, super-lux land resorts. There is an entirely different demographic for them than for lux and near lux cruises. Those land resorts are patronized by billionaires, while those cruises are patronized by millionaires, near millionaires, and those who enjoy a strong income position. A billion is 1000X a million. So if X marketing is using the cost of these resorts as a model for its fares, it is badly missing its market demographic. In the automotive world, Mercedes and BMW do not set their prices based on what Bugatti asks for its cars (which last I looked was up to $3,000,000). As you might guess, we have never been to one of those land resorts, but we have lost count on our lux and near-lux cruises. And we have no Bugattis.

jmdlv1, to answer your question about laundry on Regent, all guests (even first timers in the lowest suites) receive included, unlimited valet laundry service. The only restriction is guests can’t send laundry out on the last night before debarkation because there isn’t time to get it done and returned before debarkation. Further, guests have included room service, tips, use of the mini fridge, wine and spirits in the suite, all open bar, limited specialty dining, transportation airport/ship both ways, some shore excursions, and more things than I can recall right now. And when I say “tips included” I mean it! Most Regent cruisers do not tip, unless a service crew member is asked to do some service beyond their duties. And then, often the tip will be rejected. One pays one horrendous fare up front (though often less than the Retreat currently) and that is pretty much it!

jmdlv1, the original concept of areas like the Retreat, Yacht Club, and Haven was to offer much the same inclusions and services as the lux lines you mention, but at a lower fare. As to the Retreat, Celebrity is clearly moving away from this concept by cutting inclusions and services in the Retreat and raising fares to a level sometimes above those on lux lines. Thus, some of us who usually cruised lux lines discovered the Retreat as it formerly was, and really liked it. With all the recent cuts, Celebrity has eliminated us from its potential market. Why should we pay more for less than avaible in lux lines?

All of this thread seems to be about wine prices onboard being above the $17 premium package limit. Any problems of this kind with cocktails, beer, etc?

Yes, true. And the only thing we can do is “vote with our wallets”, book a lux line instead, and save money in the process. That’s what we are doing. I’m complaining about the present state of affairs only because our immediate pre pandemic cruises in CS and RS were so good and such a good deal, we are sad that future cruises like those would be unacceptable and unaffordable. And I was speaking or water, beer, and soda, as that is what I drink. But it must be noted that on Regent, we get liquor and wine in the suite too — at a lower fare.

Just another thing. The reduction in inclusions does not seem confined to Sky Suites. A few years ago, we cruised in a Celebrity Suite. We had full use of mini fridge contents included in the fare, constantly restocked by the butler. I am told that CC mini fridge contents are now at additional charge. Now to get included beverages in a CC, I’m told that the guest has to go to the Retreat Lounge and haul them back to the suite. In that CC fares are now higher than those on traditional lux lines, hauling beverages to the suite yourself is just not appropriate. Given present CC fares, beverages should be complimentary and delivered to the suite.

Rich, I know stewards on X are only housekeeping. They do much more on Regent and some other lines. That’s why, to many of us, there is a gap in desired services when there is no butler on X.

In response, not having a butler is no big deal IF room stewards are charged with the duties butlers perform on X AND are assigned few enough suites to be able to perform the increased suite duties. That’s how it works on Regent. Anything you’d ask a butler for on X you can ask the steward for on Regent — and get it. There are a few super upper level suites on Regent that are additionally assigned butlers. But the consensus is that they are really not needed. Our experience on X in the Retreat in the past was that the stewards were only there to make up and clean the rooms. So there, butlers are needed. Not so on Regent and other lines in this category.

Here’s my point. Yes, X will continue to raise fares and reduce inclusions as long as people will pay what they demand for what they offer. And for a basic, ala carte mass market type cruise, X’s prices are still competitive and attractive. But for a lux cruise (formerly available in the Retreat) X is not competitive with lux lines. Compared with Silversea, Regent, Seaborne, and possibly others, X Retreat is now higher in cost for less. Perhaps X wants to abandon the lux market, IDK. But what I do know is that is what X is doing. And many of us Retreat cruisers do not want to take a chance on some “move up” program. We might get a good deal on suite class, but we don’t want the risk of being stuck in accommodations and services we don’t want if the “move up” program doesn’t work out for us.

Oh, I’m sure that X cruises will be pretty much full for most (if not all) of 2024. Many booked those cruises well before the fare increases, and X’s T&Cs won’t allow them a full refund (if any) to cancel because of service and perk cuts. So they go on the cruise. Many book a year or so in advance, so we can’t expect bookings to fall off as early as 2024. And even if fall-off in bookings don’t force X to correct things (or if they don’t happen) I have no problem. There are other lines I can book with better services and inclusions than X is providing now, and for less money.

Has anybody tried Viking Ocean? I’ve heard some good things about it, including a $14pdpp drink package that seems rather inclusive. It’s odd, because Viking River Cruises is reported to be “bargain basement”.

I suspect that Celebrity is currently keeping its Retreat suites (at all levels) fairly full on current cruises, because those suites were booked before the fare increases and cuts in service. In future months, this may not be the case. When and if that happens, Celebrity will have to make some changes to fill what will be vacant space. But for now, those who feel that the present costs and inclusions on Retreat cruises are not competitive (and there seem to be many) will do best by checking out the competition.

Well here’s the thing. If you don’t like the deals Celebrity is offering now, just don’t book them again. This is the only language it understands. Back before 2000, we used to cruise RC. Then in 2001, RC started banning carry on beverages, and stopped selling liquor in their onboard store for on board consumption. Other mass market lines quickly followed this example —to rip us off for drinks. So we had to move to lux lines and cruise less — and enjoy it more. Back six or seven years ago, we discovered Celebrity Retreat, which (then) offered much of what we got on lux lines. Now, prices for the Retreat are higher than lux lines, and inclusions are fewer. So we cruise on other lines. That is all we can do.

Radisson was experimenting with its drink policy back in 2003 - 2004. As I posted before, our Diamond cruise in 2003 was the first Radisson cruise with full open bar, and it was an experiment that was later adopted fleet wide. Before that, the only constant was a stocked and restocked fridge in the rooms and suites with alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, plus all drinks at dinner. On some cruises, drinks would be included at lunch — apparently not all. Also, Radisson never prevented guests from BYOL, which most lines started doing in 2001. I was told that the Diamond was originally designed and built as a floating accommodation for conventions. Don’t know if that is true, but the design of the ship seemed more suited for that than a regular cruise ship. It was an interesting ship. But nowhere the lux level of Regent’s t three newest ships.

Thanks all, for the information.

Thanks for the information. I asked because cruise ship suites never seen to have enough outlets in the right places. I have read here on CC that some other lines have banned extension cords of any type. I’m glad that Regent seems to allow simple extension cords.

Does the Pearl, and other ships in its class, have full Haven facilities and perks, such as separate lounge, dining facilities, included drinks, and such? I ask because we were in the Haven on the Pearl a few years back for a music cruise and all we had was included in-suite bar and a great room. No separate dining or lounge. Staff told me that this ship didn’t have those things, but I wonder if the people who chartered the ship just didn’t pay to have them. Please let me know. Thanks.

S to S, you cruised the YC on a HUGE ship, and that (IMHO) degrades the YC experience in all ways, including the YC restaurant. We cruised the YC on a smaller MSC ship (Divinia) and found the restaurant experience very similar to the Luminae on the Eclipse and Equinox. Like you, we will not be cruising in the retreat unless and until Celebrity brings fares down, and perks up to competitive levels. But I do think you would enjoy the YC more in a smaller ship (and perhaps in a better cabin or suite).

Well, during the “great cruise line merger” a few years back, NCL became the parent company of Regent. Neither line lost any of its identity. Post merger, Regent even added some important things like unlimited laundry service. NCL remained a budget line with ship of ever increasing size. We have to remember that Jaguar motor company is now owned by Tata (which builds those three wheel taxis used in India). There is no similarity of these products.

Are Regent guests allowed to bring aboard and use ordinary extension cords — not surge protector power strips? We’ve been on Regent numerous times with extension cords with no problem or question , but notice that some lines don’t allow them now.

Celebrity does offer good deals for those wanting a “basic” cruise with few inclusions and perks. Especially on its older, smaller, and less crowded ships. For those wanting a lux experience, the Retreat used to give great value for the money. But with all the fare increases and all the cuts (there seem to be more cuts every week) it is our opinion that value is no longer there in the Retreat.

As I see it, here’s the problem, The Retreat Hosts are not given a written list of their duty requirements. And there is nobody on board to enforce these requirements. Retreat Hosts should be given written duty requirements, and on-board enforcement should be provided Repeat violation of the requirements should result in deportation. And Celebrity should be fined for advertising that the Retreat Hosts provide services they are not required (in writing) to provide. Because if they are not required to provide a service in writing, chances are they won’t provide it.

Comparing posts 556 and 557, it appears that there is no consistency on ships and cruises for SS service (butler replacement) on Celebrity. I may be a bit off, but when a poster reports a good experience and another reports a bad experience,I believe them both. Celebrity is a rather large line with a good number of ships. I see no evidence of proper management among the ships and itineraries. As to “Retreat Hosts” and their duties, it appears that they have no job descriptions and nobody to enforce performance thereof. I think this may be the cause of “service problems” in the Retreat. Of course, with fares running above lux lines, it matters little to me now, as I am booking elsewhere due to price alone.