Eclipse. To balcony or concierge balcony

Hi everyone

I'm sure this has been asked before but I couldn't find it.

We are looking at a 2020 cruise on the Eclipse. We are looking at either a balcony cabin or a concierge balcony. There is around about £400 difference so is it worth it?? ;);)

Thanks

Hi everyone

 

I'm sure this has been asked before but I couldn't find it.

 

We are looking at a 2020 cruise on the Eclipse. We are looking at either a balcony cabin or a concierge balcony. There is around about £400 difference so is it worth it?? ;);)

 

Thanks

Consider it on a per day basis. and the location of the stateroom first.

then Priority Boarding

After that--the welcome aboard lunch is nice-- seated dining in MDR

Welcome aboard bottle of sparkling wine (like a brut/prosecco)

and fresh fruit daily.

The savories in the afternoon are hit or miss.

We do use the concierge who seems to be able to get things done faster than guest services...We had a dining package issue and the concierge took care of it

We had a sail away cocktail hour with officers on the helo pad which was fun

If you are trying to get to a next level in Captains Club there is a points bump for Concierge

So go by cabin location first...Happy sailing

PS we did the Baltics on the Eclipse--in a AFT facing sunset veranda cabin which was divine. Particularly great

We had a concierge veranda room on deck 10 (Equinox) in February as it was only $20 more per person. For our cruise next month, also on the Equinox, concierge was $100 more for each person, and since we booked late the room locations were not the greatest. So we booked a regular veranda room on the hump of deck 8. We will definitely miss the footstools on the balcony the most.

The lunch on embarkation day was nice and relaxing, but nothing special. There are plenty of places to eat that day.

My mom ate one apple the entire cruise from the fruit they brought us. And the savories were not appetizing at all.

We never used the concierge, although he left a message on the phone every night explaining his services and location. And we did not get an invite to sail away on the helipad.

Since it was our first cruise we don't know if the robe and bathroom towels/supplies were any better than a regular room, but they are supposed to be. I only put the robe on a few times to receive room service, and we bring our own toiletries.

We didn't even touch the bottle of champagne, as we had the drink package.

I don't think anything listed above was worth an extra $200 for us. We can live without those things and put the money to much better use.

Like Fogfog, we consider the location of the cabins first. We prefer as close to midshipman as possible, with cabins (not public areas) above and below. Concierge usually gives us that (we usually book over a year out). Plus we like the extra Captains Club points - they accumulate fast if you take longer cruises like the 15+14 day B2Bs we'll be doing this winter. We do tend to use the Concierge's services a few times each cruise, and the boarding day MDR lunch is a very relaxing start. The other amenities are a nice touch, but not something we would be inclined to pay extra for.

Is the £400 difference pp or for both persons in the room? How long is the cruise? The cost difference per day would be a deciding factor for us.

There are plenty of nicely located verandas. If it were us we would book the veranda and purchase a 3 or 4 night speciality dining package. It would still cost less than the Concierge cabin.

No.

No.

Not for that much difference, most of the Cc benefits are not a big deal, just advertising fluff. The priority boarding is nothing but a separate line, the regular lines are often shorter.

Not for that price. I wouldn't pay more than $25 per person extra, if that.

The only thing that was a bonus was the footstool on the balcony and the extra loyalty points. We either didn't use or didn't like the rest--canapes were awful.

Hi everyone

 

I'm sure this has been asked before but I couldn't find it.

 

We are looking at a 2020 cruise on the Eclipse. We are looking at either a balcony cabin or a concierge balcony. There is around about £400 difference so is it worth it?? ;);)

 

Thanks

I’ve recently sailed in my first Concierge cabin. I booked it only because it cost slightly LESS than a similarly located Veranda cabin. That said, we very much enjoyed the Concierge luncheon (though we’ve always managed quite well in the OVC lol) the foot stools, and the added value of the Concierge (who was able to arrange a sail in for us). Though many contend that Concierge passengers have no priority in the MDR, I believe we did enjoy some priority (though I can well believe this varies from ship to ship). That said, I book primarily by cabin location, and I myself would not pay more than 10 USD extra per day (per person) for a Concierge cabin on S-class ships. A Concierge cabin on M-class ships would be worth more to me, because the cabins are actually larger than Veranda cabins. BTW should you book Concierge, you can ask your room attendant to give you a cheese/cracker plate in place of the often nasty canapes delivered each afternoon;-)

Unless you're collecting points, I would not recommend Concierge. There are many excellent 1A/2A verandas midships. Use the 400 on things that you enjoy or keep it in your bank account

Thanks everyone. It's around £400 pp extra compared to a 2D balcony (obstructed on Eclipse?). We can upgrade grades of cabin for a third of that price to an unrestricted cabin so we will just stick with that.

We aren't that fussed about the points as although we have done 4 cruises so far we haven't been with the same company.

Any tips on what to look out for on deck plans on the Eclipse? We are hopefully doing the South America and Antarctica cruise in Jan 2020.

Thank you

We've specifically asked a celebrity TA what the real difference was between a Concierge cabin and a regular verandah Class and she was unable to give specifics. Often they are on the same deck, sometimes right next to each other. We have always found the service on Celebrity impeccable so we still don't know.

That said, we have. in the past, always sailed in AquaClass where we can actually see the difference just by having the option of going to Blu. However, our next cruise is the transAtlantic from Southampton to Boston/NYC/Bermuda/Bahamas/Fort Lauderdale in November and we booked a regular balcony on deck 6. I'm about the experience the difference between Verandah Class and Aqua. It's an amazing value... the two of us for less than $4000CAD for 15 nights, but it is the North Atlantic in storm season and weather is a huge factor.

If you are not concierge and request a foot stool, will they really tell you "no"?

If you are not concierge and request a foot stool, will they really tell you "no"?

I have no idea. I would be very surprised if they would say no. I have complete faith in the service onboard the celebrity ships. we have found that crew will trip over each other to help out if you ask.

I have no idea. I would be very surprised if they would say no. I have complete faith in the service onboard the celebrity ships. we have found that crew will trip over each other to help out if you ask.

I have my first celebrity cruise booked, and from what I've read, it would be hard to imagine them saying no. Good to hear another positive note about it.

we asked for a foot stool in a regular balcony cabin for health reasons, I needed to elevate my foot, we didn't get one. Instead the steward brought a small shower seat, So if you want a footstool, bring your own or book concierge.

If you are not concierge and request a foot stool, will they really tell you "no"?

It's not like they have a bunch sitting around. They don't have a lot of room on the ship. I would politely ask and if they hesitate then I'd drop it. I don't want to put my attendant in an awkward position. I just bought inflatable footstools for about $16 and they package easy and work great .

Back to is it worth it. Not for that price! We like concierge class and have sailed it and Aqua many times. I wouldn't pay much more for it but I also wouldn't sail in an obstructed balcony cabin either. I spend a lot of time on the balcony and wouldn't care to be looking at life boat .

It is worth maybe $100 for the entire cruise, to us that is. And that is for the expanded breakfast room service, footstools and cabin location.

Have fun .

It's not like they have a bunch sitting around. They don't have a lot of room on the ship. I would politely ask and if they hesitate then I'd drop it. I don't want to put my attendant in an awkward position. I just bought inflatable footstools for about $16 and they package easy and work great .

 

Back to is it worth it. Not for that price! We like concierge class and have sailed it and Aqua many times. I wouldn't pay much more for it but I also wouldn't sail in an obstructed balcony cabin either. I spend a lot of time on the balcony and wouldn't care to be looking at life boat .

 

It is worth maybe $100 for the entire cruise, to us that is. And that is for the expanded breakfast room service, footstools and cabin location.

 

Have fun .

We like Aqua for Blu. We don't spent too much time on our balcony during the day because we find it cramped so for us it's mostly in the afternoon/evening as we prepare for dinner.

but yes... obstructed view is something you have to watch out for in Aqua Class if you are on a Solstice Class ship (we haven't been on any other type with Celebrity). The deck 12 overhang has supports beams in the cabins in the middle of the ship. We booked a room there once and were disappointed. We always aim for a cabin at the front of the ship, away from the overhang.

If you are not concierge and request a foot stool, will they really tell you "no"?

There are many, many threads, some very recent if you do a search, that ask this very same question. Some replies did state that there is a tug boat that sails along side the ship loaded with footstools, just ready to hand out to all those pax that ask for them - not sure how true this is though :confused::evilsmile::D.

OP,

I’d take a read through this to ensure you are not booking a cabin where they are having vibration issues:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2660280

Thanks everyone. It's around £400 pp extra compared to a 2D balcony (obstructed on Eclipse?). We can upgrade grades of cabin for a third of that price to an unrestricted cabin so we will just stick with that.

 

We aren't that fussed about the points as although we have done 4 cruises so far we haven't been with the same company.

 

Any tips on what to look out for on deck plans on the Eclipse? We are hopefully doing the South America and Antarctica cruise in Jan 2020.

 

Thank you

Personally, for a long cruise in a non-suite, I’d choose a 1A Veranda on the angle of the mid-ship hump. The exception to this would be if a C1 Concierge cabin on the hump angle cost the same, less, or only $10/night more. I’ve had a 1A Veranda on Reflection, cabin 9209, and it was lovely. It had a very large Veranda, which was nice to have on a 16-night transatlantic cruise. I’ve tried Aqua only once, and it was a disappointment. Aqua prices have increased so much that I think if I was willing to pay those fares, I might as well splash out on a Sky Suite. At least then, I’d have the extra space.

Villauk has already posted the link to a thread about recent vibration issues on Eclipse.

There are many, many threads, some very recent if you do a search, that ask this very same question. Some replies did state that there is a tug boat that sails along side the ship loaded with footstools, just ready to hand out to all those pax that ask for them - not sure how true this is though :confused::evilsmile::D.

I know. It’s ludicrous, isn’t it? If I required a footstool, I’d book a cabin class that included one (or bring my own inflatable footstool). The crew must go mad fielding requests from numerous passengers to make exceptions for them. And, as you say, expecting them to produce footstools from the ether.

IMHO the only reason I would ever choose Concierge over regular Balcony on an S class ship is location - period. No other supposed perk means anything to me.

I disagree about AQ pricing (although overall I think Celebrity pricing is getting crazy high!). It really depends on the ship and the sailing. Just (last week) booked a B2B in December. The AQ price was less than the CC price (which isn't that unusual by the way). We LOVE Blu, and book AQ specifically for that perk. It apparently doesn't suit everyone, but for us that is a key reason we book AQ (actually, the only reason except for the bigger M class balconies, but that isn't a factor on S class)

IMHO the only reason I would ever choose Concierge over regular Balcony on an S class ship is location - period. No other supposed perk means anything to me.

 

I disagree about AQ pricing (although overall I think Celebrity pricing is getting crazy high!). It really depends on the ship and the sailing. Just (last week) booked a B2B in December. The AQ price was less than the CC price (which isn't that unusual by the way). We LOVE Blu, and book AQ specifically for that perk. It apparently doesn't suit everyone, but for us that is a key reason we book AQ (actually, the only reason except for the bigger M class balconies, but that isn't a factor on S class)

You amaze me. I have not seen Aqua prices below Concierge in over three years, though I’m not checking prices every week. I might agree with your opinion of Aqua if I could have fully enjoyed Blu, but I did not. We had only one night in Blu that gave us an inkling of what everyone raves about. One night of ten is simply not good enough. So, implying that it just didn’t “suit” me is rather offensive to me. For one night of ten, it “suited” me perfectly well. Though willing to give it another try, on an S class ship only, I’m not paying another hefty premium for the experiment, nor can I recommend that someone else do so.

If you are not concierge and request a foot stool, will they really tell you "no"?

Yes, you will likely be told no. We were staying in an A1 cabin so we had a very nice oversized balcony but no footstools. I asked for one largely because my husband was icing his knees on a regular basis. I was told no footstool was available. However, our cabin attendant was able to bring us a plastic shower seat/stool. While not very pretty, it did serve the purpose.