Celebrity Newbee

I have been on lots of cruises (Carnival, Norwegian, Holland, and an old RCI ship) mostly Carnival. I am very excited to try Celebrity as it is a step up from my other cruise experiences. I am going in March on the Silhouette. One thing I noticed from the reviews is there are a lot of add-on or extra costs activities on Celebrity. Fees from everything from sitting on the lawn area to somewhat expensive restaurants. I will pay for what is worth it - but honestly it sounds like Celebrity has gone off the rails as far as extras. Found out too the Silhouette does not have a piano bar as it was turned into a private bar for suite guests. Anyway I am very excited to go - just wondering if anyone that has been on this ship if you have any advice on what "extras" are really worth it?

Don't worry about the extras. You can take a Celebrity cruise and not spend an extra penny if you don't want to.

The lawn club (the grassy area on top deck) is free. You just go up and listen to music or play croquet or bocce or just dig your toes in. What costs extra is if you rent a cabana (alcove) for the day. People love to know they have a spot all day long to come and go, with waiter service all day. But you don't have to rent those.

The specialty restaurants are wonderful and we always eat in those because we feel it's part of the whole cruise experience. But you don't have to. As far as I know the majority of cruise lines have for-pay restaurants. You can eat in the main dining room, in the buffet (which is going to really wow you on an S ship), the pool grill, the Aqua Spa cafe, and the goodies at Cafe al Bacio (the coffee shop). Those are all free with your cruise fare.

Bingo isn't free but isn't free on any ship. You can go to any show and it's free. The gym is free. A few classes have a fee but you don't have to pay anything to use the machines or anything else in there.

You're going to hear a lot of whining around here about add-ons. Don't sweat it. Just have a wonderful first Celebrity cruise. We took our first in 2001. We have not sailed anything else since. It was the perfect fit for us.

I agree. I never eat in specialty restaurants but that is my choice. There are plenty of t.hings that do not cost anything. I love the hideaway to sit and read. Enjoy it

The MDR is wonderful. They have cut back on portions, but if you want a dozen shrimp in your shrimp cocktail they will bring you a dozen. Also the Oceanview buffet is much more - you can get scones at 4pm, sushi at 5:30, cooked to order pasta, sandwiches, stirfry all evening. We often have an on board cost of zero except for a few drinks.

Also remember you can bring 2 bottles of wine in your carryon luggage. Ask the steward for glasses and a corkscrew.

Our favorites are probably the best burgers we have ever had at the pool grill and the Aqua Spa Cafe. No extra cost for any of the things I mentioned.

PS - don't like your pillows - ask right away and they will bring you a different type.

We started on Celebrity long ago while still working. 27 days on Celebrity in 2015. Enjoy!

With a drink package in hand, I can easily make it thru a cruise without spending anything on board, I do it often, unless I have OBC to burn or just want to treat myself.

The Piano, Bar, "Michael's Club" was very poorly utilized in all its incarnations (lounge, beer club, cigar lounge...) though admittedly on Eclipse with Perry Grant, it was full a lot in that circumstance.

Now as a suite lounge, it's actually getting use and driving revenue for x, by allowing them to charge higher suite prices. It was changed over fleet wide early 2014 - not just on Sillie. X was one of the major lines that had no such private ares for its suite guests so now is back in line with its competitors. But the beers served there are now in Cellar Masters, and there are pianos in at least 3 other venues to enjoy, so nothing was really lost.

I'd say it'd be tough to say honestly Celebrity is charging any more or less than any other competitor. They all have similar schemes in place for similar goods and services.

I have been on lots of cruises (Carnival, Norwegian, Holland, and an old RCI ship) mostly Carnival. I am very excited to try Celebrity as it is a step up from my other cruise experiences. I am going in March on the Silhouette. One thing I noticed from the reviews is there are a lot of add-on or extra costs activities on Celebrity. Fees from everything from sitting on the lawn area to somewhat expensive restaurants. I will pay for what is worth it - but honestly it sounds like Celebrity has gone off the rails as far as extras. Found out too the Silhouette does not have a piano bar as it was turned into a private bar for suite guests. Anyway I am very excited to go - just wondering if anyone that has been on this ship if you have any advice on what "extras" are really worth it?

Don't all the lines you mention -- NCL especially -- have plenty of optional add-ons? I enjoyed my NCL cruise but they got me for everything from a $200 spa pass (read: paid extra for the privilege of access to hottubs and a small pool that were not people soup) to multiple upcharge dining and dinner shows to an extra charge for a lobster tail at a restaurant for which I'd already paid an upcharge. (Missed the fine print.)

I have been on lots of cruises (Carnival, Norwegian, Holland, and an old RCI ship) mostly Carnival. I am very excited to try Celebrity as it is a step up from my other cruise experiences. I am going in March on the Silhouette. One thing I noticed from the reviews is there are a lot of add-on or extra costs activities on Celebrity. Fees from everything from sitting on the lawn area to somewhat expensive restaurants. I will pay for what is worth it - but honestly it sounds like Celebrity has gone off the rails as far as extras. Found out too the Silhouette does not have a piano bar as it was turned into a private bar for suite guests. Anyway I am very excited to go - just wondering if anyone that has been on this ship if you have any advice on what "extras" are really worth it?

You need to do a tad bit more 'research', as your information is not a good view of what is happening on a Celebrity ship. It is a real 'step up' from what you have been doing on Carnival, and your other cruise experiences. Your 'excitement' will come full circle once you set foot on a quality sailing.

Claudia has said it well. OP you have chosen my favorite ship in the fleet. On our last cruise on the Eclipse, we came home with $450 of unused OBC. We didn't go to anything that had a fee this time. However, if I were on Silhouette I would have to go to the Lawn Club Grill because it is so good. It is $50pp but they often offer discounts if they are not heavily booked. I'm sure you will totally enjoy your cruise and like many of us, you will be back for more.

I was on the Silhouette last February. Loved it so much that we are doing the same cruise again this February. I agree with the previous poster- the Lawn Club Grill is amazing and worth the $. I too have been on many other cruise lines. Once I tried Celebrity I was hooked. The ships are so beautiful. The food, ambiance and décor are all a step above the other lines in my opinion. By far my favorite cruise line. You will have a great time! Happy cruising! :)

...and the goodies at Cafe al Bacio (the coffee shop). Those are all free with your cruise fare.

I agree with everything you said except this. The pastries at Cafe Al Bacio are no longer free. They are "complimentary" when you buy a coffee at the Cafe. If you have a drink package that makes them essentially free, but you can no longer go up to Cafe Al Bacio and ask for a pastry.

I agree with everything you said except this. The pastries at Cafe Al Bacio are no longer free. They are "complimentary" when you buy a coffee at the Cafe. If you have a drink package that makes them essentially free, but you can no longer go up to Cafe Al Bacio and ask for a pastry.

This has always been a nice perk. I'm bummed by this.

I agree with everything you said except this. The pastries at Cafe Al Bacio are no longer free. They are "complimentary" when you buy a coffee at the Cafe. If you have a drink package that makes them essentially free, but you can no longer go up to Cafe Al Bacio and ask for a pastry.

There was a thread about this a while back, but only 1 single person was able to confirm this, and that was only by second hand information from a friend who was a new cruiser that the poster said was reliable.

Have you personally been told no at Café Al Bacio? It was still free in April/May on Connie for my cruise and since that one thread earlier in the summer, I haven't seen any more mention of it.

There was a thread about this a while back, but only 1 single person was able to confirm this, and that was only by second hand information from a friend who was a new cruiser that the poster said was reliable.

 

 

 

Have you personally been told no at Café Al Bacio? It was still free in April/May on Connie for my cruise and since that one thread earlier in the summer, I haven't seen any more mention of it.

Yes, I just came off the Infinity Panama Canal cruise. One of my first stops was to Cafe Al Bacio for a cookie. "Sorry, the cookies/pastries are complimentary only with a coffee purchase." And that's how it was the whole cruise. Since we had the drink package and my DW likes coffee (I don't), it meant the only time I could get anything from them was when I was buying coffee for my DW.

The other change was that iPad/iPhone tip classes now cost $10 pp to attend where in the past they were also free.

I also am essentially a Newbie to Celebrity (we once sailed Celebrity 19 years ago). We bring on the allowable wine bottles, which we buy in the embarkation port along with a small corkscrew. We travel only with carry-on bags and as such a corkscrew is not allowed. I am thrilled to hear that your cabin steward will give you a corkscrew!! :) Is this pretty much the norm? Why spend the extra $'s, but I do not want to be on board and not able to drink our wine!!:eek: Thanks so much to all of you!!