New to Celebrity- A few questions

[tonit964]

New to Celebrity but not to cruising. I'll be booking the Solstice to Mexico for an October 2022 sailing. I'm solo and choosing a Veranda, probably towards aft port side on deck 7. I'll be going with the AI option but I think there is a more premium drink package but didn't see that as an option on the website. Do I upgrade to that once on the ship?

I was researching cabins and read about the 'X' on the balcony? Is it a reflection or something? Not sure what this means.

I also read to do all research on the website but don't go through with payment, call to actually book. Is there a reason for this?

 

Anything else you can think of that is pretty much a "must" for me to know about Celebrity will be greatly appreciated.

TIA

[Luvcrusn]

There is a Premium beverage package. You can upgrade to it if you'd like but you have to book first in order to do the upgrade, or you can do it on board. I would suggest using cruisedeckplans.com to check out your chosen cabin. There is a public site and it has all of the major cruise lines and ships. There's lots of very helpful info there. You can drag and drop one deck onto another to see what is above and below your chosen cabin and there are stars that indicate additional info on certain cabins that have bigger balconies or obstructions.

[RTShaker]

1 hour ago, tonit964 said:

...

I was researching cabins and read about the 'X' on the balcony? Is it a reflection or something? Not sure what this means.

...

If you look at the pic, you will see the "X" spanning the balconies. As I understand it, this can affect the view through the glass on various balconies.

[PTC DAWG]

Yes you can upgrade on board..very easy.  I think it is now a total of $18 per day, gratuities included in that figure.  Once booked you can also call Celebrity and they will upgrade over the phone. 
 

The Wife and I always upgrade on board at the Sunset Bar,..the bartenders-servers get a cut of the upgrade, and they will not forget it. 

Edited August 16, 2022 by PTC DAWG

[LB_NJ]

1 hour ago, tonit964 said:

t I think there is a more premium drink package but didn't see that as an option on the website. Do I upgrade to that once on the ship?

 

 

You can usually upgrade through cruise planner.  You should do the math to see if it makes sense.  If you don't upgrade you can still order the drinks, just pay the difference plus gratuity.

[39august]

I suggest you wait till on board to see if it makes sense for you to pay for the premium upgrade. All usual cocktails except the specials at the World Class Bar and the large martinis' at the martini bar are covered on the classic package.  Better wines are in the premium package, but due to supply issues, sometimes the wines listed are not available.

[jwlane]

3 hours ago, tonit964 said:

premium drink package but didn't see that as an option on the website. Do I upgrade to that once on the ship?

You'll be able to upgrade precruise in the Cruise Planner---I did it a couple of days ago, $17.10/day, includes CC discount & gratuity.

[omeinv]

3 hours ago, tonit964 said:

New to Celebrity but not to cruising. I'll be booking the Solstice to Mexico for an October 2022 sailing. I'm solo and choosing a Veranda, probably towards aft port side on deck 7. I'll be going with the AI option but I think there is a more premium drink package but didn't see that as an option on the website. Do I upgrade to that once on the ship?

I was researching cabins and read about the 'X' on the balcony? Is it a reflection or something? Not sure what this means.

I also read to do all research on the website but don't go through with payment, call to actually book. Is there a reason for this?

 

Anything else you can think of that is pretty much a "must" for me to know about Celebrity will be greatly appreciated.

TIA

If you're sailing solo, you may want to re-think going with the All Included package. The price for the AI does not change for a solo passenger, so you're paying for two drink packages, two WiFi packages, and double gratuities, while only getting one of each.  You would almost certainly be better off booking the No Perk rate, then adding the Drink Package (Premium or Regular), Wifi (Surf or Stream) and Gratuities.

 

Harris

Denver, CO

[GRBlizz]

About the advice to call to book - here's why: if you call, you get a dedicated agent (Celebrity Vacation Planner or CVP) who can help you with any issues that come up and answer questions. Best of all, they will give you an email address so you can get most issues handled without a call. And if you need a call, you can schedule a time for them to call you - and they do! No more waiting on hold.

 

It may be annoying to have to wait on hold to make the original booking, but I promise it's worth it. And then you can use the same person for any future bookings, so that's the last "on hold" time you will likely experience.

[tonit964]

3 hours ago, Luvcrusn said:

There is a Premium beverage package. You can upgrade to it if you'd like but you have to book first in order to do the upgrade, or you can do it on board. I would suggest using cruisedeckplans.com to check out your chosen cabin. There is a public site and it has all of the major cruise lines and ships. There's lots of very helpful info there. You can drag and drop one deck onto another to see what is above and below your chosen cabin and there are stars that indicate additional info on certain cabins that have bigger balconies or obstructions.

Thank you!

[PTC DAWG]

1 hour ago, jwlane said:

You'll be able to upgrade precruise in the Cruise Planner---I did it a couple of days ago, $17.10/day, includes CC discount & gratuity.

That’s always been hit or miss with me online…no issues with excursions or dining etc ever.  
 

 

[tonit964]

3 hours ago, Luvcrusn said:

There is a Premium beverage package. You can upgrade to it if you'd like but you have to book first in order to do the upgrade, or you can do it on board. I would suggest using cruisedeckplans.com to check out your chosen cabin. There is a public site and it has all of the major cruise lines and ships. There's lots of very helpful info there. You can drag and drop one deck onto another to see what is above and below your chosen cabin and there are stars that indicate additional info on certain cabins that have bigger balconies or obstructions.

Thank you. I’m familiar with that site and it’s very helpful.

[tonit964]

3 hours ago, RTShaker said:

If you look at the pic, you will see the "X" spanning the balconies. As I understand it, this can affect the view through the glass on various balconies.

Very helpful picture, thank you.

[tonit964]

3 hours ago, PTC DAWG said:

Yes you can upgrade on board..very easy.  I think it is now a total of $18 per day, gratuities included in that figure.  Once booked you can also call Celebrity and they will upgrade over the phone. 
 

The Wife and I always upgrade on board at the Sunset Bar,..the bartenders-servers get a cut of the upgrade, and they will not forget it. 

Thank you!

[tonit964]

1 hour ago, omeinv said:

If you're sailing solo, you may want to re-think going with the All Included package. The price for the AI does not change for a solo passenger, so you're paying for two drink packages, two WiFi packages, and double gratuities, while only getting one of each.  You would almost certainly be better off booking the No Perk rate, then adding the Drink Package (Premium or Regular), Wifi (Surf or Stream) and Gratuities.

 

Harris

Denver, CO

I didn’t know that, I was looking at the AI price online. Thank you!!

[tonit964]

15 minutes ago, GRBlizz said:

About the advice to call to book - here's why: if you call, you get a dedicated agent (Celebrity Vacation Planner or CVP) who can help you with any issues that come up and answer questions. Best of all, they will give you an email address so you can get most issues handled without a call. And if you need a call, you can schedule a time for them to call you - and they do! No more waiting on hold.

 

It may be annoying to have to wait on hold to make the original booking, but I promise it's worth it. And then you can use the same person for any future bookings, so that's the last "on hold" time you will likely experience.

Thank you, I’m used to booking my own but I’ll be sure to call when I’m ready.

[miched]

We usually get the premium package because the spirits and drinks we like are in the premium.     A BT thst we have become “friends” with because he was on several cruises that we were on told us that the Classic was the best value as 90% of the drinks that people order are in the classic.   Any frozen drink is,  any drink at the pool, in the theater, and most lounges unless you ask for a specific liquor you will get it made from the well.  They don’t look at your card and see that you have a premium pack and use premium spirits.  They use from the well.

 

World Class Bar and, all Martinis on the Menu at the Martini Bar are premium.   You can get a martini at the martini bar with the classic but it will be smaller, using classic spirits.    I don’t think they will make you one from the menu using spirits in the classic package.   Never asked for it that way. 
 

if you want to have a premium drink you pay the difference plus the gratuity that May amount to $3.  Depends on how many premium drinks you drink to determine if it is worth the upgrade.    
 

If you do upgrade do it on board and with a BT you like as they get the gratuity part and become your friends for the rest of the cruise.    Don’t do it with the hawks on the first day as all they want is the gratuity and you will never see them again. 
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[omeinv]

@tonit964, If you want  Celebrity Certified Vacation Planner - which is a great benefit in my opinion - you should call that department directly at 888-307-8413, then option 3.  Once you have an assigned CVP, you'll use option 2, and enter their extension; so make sure you note your agent's extension number. Also ask for your agent's email address. I have equally good results calling my agent and emailing her.  If you call the main number you won't necessarily have your reservation assigned to a CVP.

 

What I do is create my booking on the website, and then place a "courtesy hold" on it.  That creates a booking number.  Then I call my CVP and she uses that number to bring up what I've done, makes any changes, applies the Captain's Club 1 category upgrade, and then I pay the deposit.

 

There are often little things that come up with solo bookings; for example sometimes solo pricing is not clear on the website, and usually GTY rooms which can be a substantial savings won't show as available for solo guests.  However, your CVP can get the revenue department to override that.

 

Email if I can provide any insight into the process.  My email is in my signature link (if you don't have signatures blocked here on Cruise Critic).

 

Harris

Denver, CO

 

 

 

Edited August 16, 2022 by omeinv

[hcat]

33 minutes ago, miched said:

We usually get the premium package because the spirits and drinks we like are in the premium.     A BT thst we have become “friends” with because he was on several cruises that we were on told us that the Classic was the best value as 90% of the drinks that people order are in the classic.   Any frozen drink is,  any drink at the pool, in the theater, and most lounges unless you ask for a specific liquor you will get it made from the well.  They don’t look at your card and see that you have a premium pack and use premium spirits.  They use from the well.

 

World Class Bar and, all Martinis on the Menu at the Martini Bar are premium.   You can get a martini at the martini bar with the classic but it will be smaller, using classic spirits.    I don’t think they will make you one from the menu using spirits in the classic package.   Never asked for it that way. 
 

if you want to have a premium drink you pay the difference plus the gratuity that May amount to $3.  Depends on how many premium drinks you drink to determine if it is worth the upgrade.    
 

If you do upgrade do it on board and with a BT you like as they get the gratuity part and become your friends for the rest of the cruise.    Don’t do it with the hawks on the first day as all they want is the gratuity and you will never see them again. 
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

 

Good point about Classic inclusions and extra charge for an upgraded single drink.    I like a Baileys now and then,,..most waiters dont even bother with the upcharges, esp if they know u tip extra..

Look at  the lists and see what is the best fit,

Btw..the classic comes with water in a gray btl..we find it undrinkable,  and buy  upgraded water, along the way

[PTC DAWG]

50 minutes ago, miched said:

We usually get the premium package because the spirits and drinks we like are in the premium.     A BT thst we have become “friends” with because he was on several cruises that we were on told us that the Classic was the best value as 90% of the drinks that people order are in the classic.   Any frozen drink is,  any drink at the pool, in the theater, and most lounges unless you ask for a specific liquor you will get it made from the well.  They don’t look at your card and see that you have a premium pack and use premium spirits.  They use from the well.

 

World Class Bar and, all Martinis on the Menu at the Martini Bar are premium.   You can get a martini at the martini bar with the classic but it will be smaller, using classic spirits.    I don’t think they will make you one from the menu using spirits in the classic package.   Never asked for it that way. 
 

if you want to have a premium drink you pay the difference plus the gratuity that May amount to $3.  Depends on how many premium drinks you drink to determine if it is worth the upgrade.    
 

If you do upgrade do it on board and with a BT you like as they get the gratuity part and become your friends for the rest of the cruise.    Don’t do it with the hawks on the first day as all they want is the gratuity and you will never see them again. 
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

I always call my liquor…especially if I see it on the bar. 

[TJShap]

Currently Celebrity is having a 0% single supplement sale.  It is a good time to splurge, I booked a Celebrity Suite for almost the price of a balcony.  Oct is part of the sale!  I booked a Nov. sailing.

[MarinerAlex]

1 hour ago, omeinv said:

There are often little things that come up with solo bookings; for example sometimes solo pricing is not clear on the website, and usually GTY rooms which can be a substantial savings won't show as available for solo guests.  However, your CVP can get the revenue department to override that.

 

 

 

Did know this, thanks for the tip. Do you know if other Travel agents can do this as well, or only a Celebrity CVP?

[tonit964]

1 hour ago, TJShap said:

Currently Celebrity is having a 0% single supplement sale.  It is a good time to splurge, I booked a Celebrity Suite for almost the price of a balcony.  Oct is part of the sale!  I booked a Nov. sailing.

That's an awesome score! In the mock booking I did, it's coming up about 1,350 for a verandah on deck 7 but with the AI price. I learned on this thread to just do the cruise only fare and then upgrade once on board.

I'll play around with it a little more. A suite would be so nice.

 

[tonit964]

2 hours ago, omeinv said:

@tonit964, If you want  Celebrity Certified Vacation Planner - which is a great benefit in my opinion - you should call that department directly at 888-307-8413, then option 3.  Once you have an assigned CVP, you'll use option 2, and enter their extension; so make sure you note your agent's extension number. Also ask for your agent's email address. I have equally good results calling my agent and emailing her.  If you call the main number you won't necessarily have your reservation assigned to a CVP.

 

What I do is create my booking on the website, and then place a "courtesy hold" on it.  That creates a booking number.  Then I call my CVP and she uses that number to bring up what I've done, makes any changes, applies the Captain's Club 1 category upgrade, and then I pay the deposit.

 

There are often little things that come up with solo bookings; for example sometimes solo pricing is not clear on the website, and usually GTY rooms which can be a substantial savings won't show as available for solo guests.  However, your CVP can get the revenue department to override that.

 

Email if I can provide any insight into the process.  My email is in my signature link (if you don't have signatures blocked here on Cruise Critic).

 

Harris

Denver, CO

 

 

 

Thank you so much for all of that info. I'll call that number once I'm ready.

It's a long story but I'm currently booked on another cruise but I'm almost 100% it's going to get canceled by the cruise line so this will be my alternative. I just want to have all my ducks in a row when it comes time to book.

 

Now, I just have to choose a cabin that doesn't have the 'X' on the glass. I'm so excited to try Celebrity but I'll see what happens.

[tonit964]

2 hours ago, miched said:

We usually get the premium package because the spirits and drinks we like are in the premium.     A BT thst we have become “friends” with because he was on several cruises that we were on told us that the Classic was the best value as 90% of the drinks that people order are in the classic.   Any frozen drink is,  any drink at the pool, in the theater, and most lounges unless you ask for a specific liquor you will get it made from the well.  They don’t look at your card and see that you have a premium pack and use premium spirits.  They use from the well.

 

World Class Bar and, all Martinis on the Menu at the Martini Bar are premium.   You can get a martini at the martini bar with the classic but it will be smaller, using classic spirits.    I don’t think they will make you one from the menu using spirits in the classic package.   Never asked for it that way. 
 

if you want to have a premium drink you pay the difference plus the gratuity that May amount to $3.  Depends on how many premium drinks you drink to determine if it is worth the upgrade.    
 

If you do upgrade do it on board and with a BT you like as they get the gratuity part and become your friends for the rest of the cruise.    Don’t do it with the hawks on the first day as all they want is the gratuity and you will never see them again. 
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

Great info! I love my cocktails and that Martini bar looks like fun.  I'm sure I'll  upgrade to the premium package.