Elites and above: do the perks keep you enticed?

[Mr. Click]

We did our first Elite cruise last fall and loved the breakfast, enjoyed the cocktail hour and the laundry and internet minutes saved us money so we could spend our OBC on other stuff... We were not going to bother with the breakfast but on day 2 we went to the MDR at 8:30am and the line was out the door...so we checked out the Elite breakfast and really enjoyed the quiet and the service. Neither of us are drinkers but spending some time with friends up in nice ambience of Cosmos/Sky Lounge. We actually used that event to get our bottled water and my daily diet coke so we did not need a beverage package. We never drink enough to make them worthwhile.

 

In answer to the original question, yes the benefits of being Elite and above do influence our booking decisions but the quality we find on Celebrity are a bigger influence. Our first consideration is the itinerary, then the cost, then the company.

[jagoffee]

Although I would not say our Elite Plus benefits keep us from sailing on other ships, I would say I sometimes miss the benefits when I cruise on other lines.

The laundry and the internet minutes (or discount) are our favorite benefits. Although the laundry is not unlimited, two bags a person is more than enough for us.

 

The BBB bundling and prices does negate a lot of the benefits especially when in a suite.

 

I believe the current Elite Plus benefits are some of the best in the industry. As far as I know no one can compete with the Zenith benefits, but as noted that level is for a very small number of people. I have no expectation of reaching that level as I am only 1/2 of the way there. If all my past and future cruises were on Celebrity it may have been a possibility, but I am certainly not going to exclude other cruise lines from consideration for the Captain Club benefits. Although it may be a factor if the comparison on other choices are close.

 

I feel very fortunate to be able to enjoy cruising and I like the overall Celebrity product.

[MJB1437]

I used to be thrilled about the laundry and internet perks, especially on 14 day cruises, but since they are doing away with the 14 day southern caribbean we don't have to worry about laundry so much and we can usually get free internet at the ports, so my next search will be for 2 week caribbean cruises on different cruise lines.

[Cruizen Susan]

I will try to respond with a well balanced answer. We have cruised Celebrity more than any other line. Yes, we enjoy the perks. That being said, we are also equivalent to Elite at NCL and almost there on RCI.

 

While Celebrity "appears" to give you more in perks, it comes down to six of one and half dozen of the other, in terms of real math. RCI does not give as many "freebies" but their prices are substantially lower. For example, we are booked in a mini-suite for a 12 night sailing for only $3,300 for 2, tax, charges included. With $400 OBC. By the time we sail, we will be Diamond, so we'll get those perks such as cocktail hour, etc.

 

On NCL, which we love when we sail out of the northeast (New York), we are Platinum. (=Elite on X). with equivalent perks. On our next 14-day sailing with them, we will be in one of their haven suites. Free internet and phone service, 4-night specialty dining package, $50 off each port excursion, free beverages. NCL is giving us $700 OBC and our TA is giving us $975 OBC, totalling $1675. Whoa, if Celebrity wants to remain competitive, we passengers who are doing the math may cause them to re-think pricing or so-called freebies. IMHO, NCL's food surpasses X, and their entertainment far exceeds X.

 

That being said, we love Celebrity's product, service and class.

Edited April 25, 2018 by Cruisen'Susan

[SFCAcruiser]

Good discussion topic. I am enjoying reading the various responses because Elite benefits have been effective in keeping us from looking at alternate cruise lines. Whenever I start researching cruises, I naturally focus on the range of RCCL ships, primarily Celebrity. But I always wonder if maybe we should try Princess, HAL etc. just for the variety. Yet the lure of Elite (with E+ on the horizon) keeps pulling me back.

Hmmm. I have been encouraged by the comments here from cruisers who have ventured out to other lines. It may be time to mix things up a bit.

[MsB1254]

I am Elite status on Celebrity but not because of the perks. In general, I have found that the product just suites me the best. I have never used either the breakfast or the cocktail hour so it is of no value to me. I appreciate the bag of laundry especially on longer cruises and usually use the 30% discount on internet to sign up for the unlimited package. That being said I usually pick the cruise line for where I want to go and who I'm going with. For cruises that I take my whole family on I pick Royal Caribbean. I have also cruised on Carnival, Princess and Holland America. I love the true southern 14 day Caribbean cruises that are not a b2b and

Celebrity is not offering them after 2019. I was told by my travel agent that they do you generate as much venue for the cruise lines. In the future I will be search out other cruise lines that offer the longer cruises that I prefer.

[lais]

I like the Elite perks and use all of them.

Is the breakfast you are all talking about the same thing as when you go and have specialty coffees with pastries?

We didn’t find out about that until after my husband spent $$$ on espressos one cruise.

We love the happy hour. We have met some great people there but usually just go for 1 hour because I get pretty tipsy after a couple of drinks and I drink them too fast and have to stumble to dinner so I have to watch out. We don’t drink during the day so we wouldn’t need a drink package. Being Elite is a money saver in the drink area for us. We have enjoyed every Celebrity cruise.

[TFLG]

Celebrity has changed a lot over the years, but ever since they’ve rolled out the present perks almost a decade we have a hard thinking the grass is greener on other lines, especially with for what you get.

 

Specifically we really enjoy the Elite breakfast and 5-7 happy hour. We find them good ways to relax comfortably, meet new people, and enjoy our cruise.

 

I know many go on other comparable lines (not RCI), have you found yourself missing the perks or do they seem to lose their lust?

 

 

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We use the laundry and the internet primarily. We've been to the cocktail hour a couple of times but for us it's just too early most days. The elite check in can be nice sometimes (and sometimes its worse). Priority tendering is also handy sometimes. Never done the breakfast. It's certainly nice to get a few freebies but those are not a factor in my cruise decisions.

[StartrainDD]

We sail more on HAL than X, but are taking X to Bermuda next month. We are "4-star" on HAL which is about equal to Elite on X. We are also Elite on X.

 

We love the "Unlimited free laundry" we get on HAL. The other really great benefit is 1/2 price specialty dining. We don't drink much but for some 50% off the wine packages is a terrific offer.

 

On X, we appreciate the one free bag of laundry per person. On a cruise over 12 days though that wouldn't cut it with the airline luggage restrictions. We do visit the Elite happy hour and have found that to be pleasant. HAL doesn't offer 4-stars any real internet benefit so we will appreciate the Elite internet minutes. We also enjoyed the Elite breakfast as it is a quiet, no wait alternative to the dining room or buffet.

 

For those mentioning looking for different places to travel, we really enjoy the HAL Prinsendam. It's about the size of the Azamara ships and visits ports not large enough for M or S class ships.

 

Looking forward to the Summit in 4 1/2 weeks! Arie

[davekathy]

If they gave balcony discounts, they will have to raise their prices to compensate for the lost revenue. :rolleyes:

Jeez, me and my big mouth! ;p

[Algebralovr]

We went to the Elite Happy Hour a couple of times, and everyone already knew each other, and were a decade or more older than DH and I. So, we've not really bothered since. We do get a lot from the laundry and internet minutes or discounted internet. We have cruises booked for mid-May, Feb 2019, Dec 2019 and Feb 2020, and still won't be E+ at the end of the 2020 cruise. We live in the middle of the US, so a flight is required no matter where we cruise!

 

I look at Celebrity exclusively because of my extreme sensitivity to smoke, and their rules on NO interior smoking.

[Oceangoer2]

Although I would not say our Elite Plus benefits keep us from sailing on other ships, I would say I sometimes miss the benefits when I cruise on other lines.

The laundry and the internet minutes (or discount) are our favorite benefits. Although the laundry is not unlimited, two bags a person is more than enough for us.

 

The BBB bundling and prices does negate a lot of the benefits especially when in a suite.

 

I believe the current Elite Plus benefits are some of the best in the industry. As far as I know no one can compete with the Zenith benefits, but as noted that level is for a very small number of people. I have no expectation of reaching that level as I am only 1/2 of the way there. If all my past and future cruises were on Celebrity it may have been a possibility, but I am certainly not going to exclude other cruise lines from consideration for the Captain Club benefits. Although it may be a factor if the comparison on other choices are close.

 

I feel very fortunate to be able to enjoy cruising and I like the overall Celebrity product.

We also are E+ and share your opinion re sailing with X. Friends of ours sail primarily with Oceania and love to mention their perks gave them a free cruise, I think at the same level as Zenith. Not sure that's provided on Celebrity?

Edited April 25, 2018 by oceangoer2

[Oceangoer2]

We went to the Elite Happy Hour a couple of times, and everyone already knew each other, and were a decade or more older than DH and I. So, we've not really bothered since.

 

We've very seldom attended the cocktail happy hour during our many X cruises, but did so last cruise. Very surprised at how it had improved over ones we attended in the past. We chatted with quite a few nice people, and a lovely young couple sat with us at our table during the few minutes we were seated alone (maybe needed a chair...lol?). Age didn't seem to impede the lively conversation. I think if you give people time and a friendly smile they're quite accepting of sharing their company with you. JMHO.

Edited April 25, 2018 by oceangoer2

[Cruise Raider]

Wow ... kind of surprised to hear that many don't really use or appreciate the elite (or better) perks. Even though I still have a few cruises to go to reach Elite +, I LOVE THE ELITE PERKS on Celebrity. Even with the beverage package, we so enjoy the elite happy hour event and morning breakfast. We also love the tea time, the wine tasting event and the internet minutes ... but mostly we enjoy meeting other people with similar interests.

We rarely use any of the free laundry services but will use the garment pressing every so often. I also value to priority embarkation and tender service.

Alas, Celebrity doesn't do a lot of west coast cruises although I do see some coming up in the next couple of years. We do go back to Celebrity from time to time and yes, the perks are a big part of it. But, we also sail on Princess a lot as they have a few ships home based here on the west coast, although, we don't find as much value in the perks they offer when compared to Celebrity. We also will catch a Royal Caribbean every so often as they offer some reciprocal status and thus, free perks.

[If only]

We are Elite Plus & have been for some time. Not sure we will make Zenith but we have always enjoyed the Elite breakfast & the nightly drinks in the lounge at night because we meet people that enjoy cruising not because of the drinks. We always get the Beverage pckge because of the martini bar & Evian water ( no salt). We have met the most amazing people, some we still are in touch with. That’s why we like cruising. Yes, we have tried Princess, Norwegian, RCL & Carnival but Celebrity is still the draw for us.

 

 

 

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[Denny01]

It seems the consensus is, yes we like the perks overall, but return to Celebrity due to the Line’s quality in various areas important to each of us. But the perks are a draw.

 

Myself, the perks do help make that decision and gives X the edge (I guess that word means something else now!) on picking similar itineraries of two Lines. As we moved up the CC food-chain, we would book a Concierge in order to get more points, heck our travel mates did that 3 times in a row to reach Elite plus. Now that we are Elite plus, we don’t do that much upgrading. If X was smart, they’d add a level in between Z and E as mentioned numerous times.

 

Which perks do we love?

The laundry perk allows us to bring less clothes; the internet perk is great; we use the drink perks lounges even though we usually dine at 6pm, but we enjoy meeting other crise lovers. The breakfast is OK, but with the special coffees perk at El Baco, we breakfast at the Aqua Cafe for light breakfasts.

 

As to the recommendations for a level between Zenith and Elite plus:

- increased/unlimited internet

- one specialty dinner

- add one or two drinks to card for anytime sipping

- a free excursion

- free cruise for anyone named ‘Denny’ (thought I’d slip that in!)

 

All those ideas are just what I’d find handy - we have the luxury of picking other than drink packages so an extra wine or a little Irish would be great!

 

Yes, Perks hooked us to repeat but only because this LIne met what we were looking for. Once we made a number of X cruises, we kept coming back and of course finding minor issues with other Lines that we’d blow out of proportion to convince ourselves to cruise X. Sound familiar?

 

Going to try Crystal because we got a good deal on a 7 day cruise out of a nearby port. Don’t think I’d try a longer cruise on what they refer to as Luxury Lines, because no matter how they try to run the numbers of that line being equal to a mianline cruise such as Celebrity, it turns out to be equal to at least 2 normal cruises for us, and not worth it.....for us. Of course, the Crystal cruise could change our view.

 

Den

[grandgeezer]

But if you always book with the Beverage Package the Cafe Al Bacio coffees are included with that so no need for the Elite+ perk.

 

For those of us who don't book a drink package there is a vital need for the perk. Even without the perk, there is no need for a beverage package.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

We continue to sail celebrity because we like the product. I have to say though since we have been sailing in royal suites the elite+ benefits have been eroded.

[phoenix_dream]

The two perks we use as Elite Plus are the internet and the laundry - the latter of particular importance on longer cruises. None of the other perks mean much to us. That is not the main reason we cruise Celebrity, but we would miss them. We think that the 'feel' of the cruise is more attuned to what we like than other lines (have been on Carnival, RCI, Princess, and NCL, albeit not often on any of them and not in quite awhile). We like the ship décor, the outstanding service, the good to great food, and the entertainment (although probably our main complaint about Celebrity is their lessening of options for live entertainment, particularly in the pre-dinner hours which is when we want it most).

 

Allowing that one should be happy for what they do get, we are also frustrated that there is not an in-between level from Elite Plus to Zenith. There are so many relatively inexpensive perks they could throw in. Very, very few have the time and/or money to ever reach Zenith. It would be nice to have something to look forward to in the way of a new level.

[Rob the Cruiser]

We are Elite Plus and have enjoyed the perks but after sailing on Oceania earlier this year the E+ perks mean zero to us.

[Loracpin2]

We are also Elite Plus and will never get to Zenith. For us the best benefit as others have said, is the 240 internet minutes and the laundry/dry cleaning perks. For the first time since AQ has been introduced, (and since the extra points will still never get us to Zenith) we are booked in regular balcony cabin for next January's 9 night Silhouette sailing. While we will miss breakfast in BLU, we will use the savings to eat in specialty restaurants all 9 evenings.

 

Having said all this, January's may very well be our last Celebrity sailing. We're taking our first Oceania cruise this July and, based on the previous post, there may be no looking back for us too.

[Texed]

We’re cruising on another line this year.

 

Hope you enjoy Princess more than we did. :)

[Cruizen Susan]

We're taking our first Oceania cruise this July and, based on the previous post, there may be no looking back for us too.

 

That may very well be the case, according to my daughter and son-in-law, regarding Oceania. I have heard the same thing about cruising in the NCL Haven suites, the small ship within a ship concept. They say there is no turning back :cool: I will report back with a comparison of Celebrity suite versus NCL Haven.

 

I am happy to have expanded my horizons, trying different lines. The pros and cons of each line still contribute to a wonderful vacation. There is no such thing as a bad day as sea. My next trials on the to-do list will be Azamara, Oceania, and Viking!!

[Straughn]

I have read this thread and am very impressed with all the balanced comments. My status is E+ on ~X~ and D+ on RCCL. I am often (not always) a solo cruiser in either a Sky Suite or Aqua. There are E+ perks that I enjoy such as the Internet minutes when I am not in a suite. Laundry- the handful of times I have sent out clothing, what has returned has been nicely folded, but often the whites were yellow and some items shrunk (probably because of my over indulging in good food). As a sometime solo passenger, the one perk that would keep me a Celebrity loyalist would be reduction in the 200% price. I get why they do it, but loyalty should count for something. RCCL offers 150% when you reach mid level between D+ and their top level in C&A. A similar perk on Celebrity, would go a long way to keep me on Celebrity.

 

 

 

As a long-time Celebrity cruiser, I thought I would never look elsewhere. I'm Elite+ with no possibility of reaching Zenith, and Celebrity shows no sign of changing that situation, so points don't make much difference to me. Suite prices are really getting out of hand. Recently accepted an offer from MSC that was a no brainer--they match my status on Celebrity, so I end up in their highest tier, and I was able to book a balcony suite in the Yacht Club with NO single supplement. $2,000 vs. the $8,000 for the next sky suite I have booked on Celebrity. Think the sky suite is going to go bye bye. Why should I pay $6,000 more on a ship that doesn't even have the ship within a ship concept with a private pool, etc.? The Yacht Club suite comes with free drinks, a specialty restaurant dinner, and internet I believe. Haven't checked on the internet yet, but my sister is currently sailing on the same ship in the Yacht Club and she will report back Saturday.

So, no, the current loyalty tier system is not keeping me loyal to Celebrity.

 

Wow, that’s a deal. I could be enticed with no suppliment. We should chat. Don’t know much about MSC. I agree, suite prices, even for a Sky Suite, have become ridiculous. Even if you book the day an itinerary opens, it is very expensive.

[go fish 44]

As a long-time Celebrity cruiser, I thought I would never look elsewhere. I'm Elite+ with no possibility of reaching Zenith, and Celebrity shows no sign of changing that situation, so points don't make much difference to me. Suite prices are really getting out of hand. Recently accepted an offer from MSC that was a no brainer--they match my status on Celebrity, so I end up in their highest tier, and I was able to book a balcony suite in the Yacht Club with NO single supplement. $2,000 vs. the $8,000 for the next sky suite I have booked on Celebrity. Think the sky suite is going to go bye bye. Why should I pay $6,000 more on a ship that doesn't even have the ship within a ship concept with a private pool, etc.? The Yacht Club suite comes with free drinks, a specialty restaurant dinner, and internet I believe. Haven't checked on the internet yet, but my sister is currently sailing on the same ship in the Yacht Club and she will report back Saturday.

So, no, the current loyalty tier system is not keeping me loyal to Celebrity.

 

Happy Cruiser, we are with you, we too matched our loyal rewards to MSC sailed in the Yacht Club (march) and Loved every minute of that cruise. the ship within a ship is amazing, love the pool deck the restaurant and lounge and meeting all the new and interesting people in all these areas. MSC Seaside has a lot going for it and the shows in the theatre were excellent. We are fast becoming loyal to MSC and the Yacht Club and price is the reason. Also it was a very friendly ship with officers always around for a chat including the Captain. We feel MSC is the best bang for our buck. Sue