Suites prices have gone wild

[hcat]

16 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

While Celebrity is my go-to line, I have to say that we have done 2 MSC YC experiences and have 2 more on the books.  The ships are beautiful IMO (in all spaces) but I agree that service can change venue to venue outside the YC.  Also have to agree with you about theater entertainment on MSC as they have to try and appeal to a more international audience, which can be a challenge.  Having said that, on our Solstice cruise at the beginning of March I found the theater entertainment to be extremely lacking and certainly not what I had grown to expect on Celebrity.

 

We have booked a 4-night pre-maiden voyage on the Ascent for November.  The suite prices were just silly for a 4 night cruise.  We opted for a porthole balcony cabin and will capitalize on our Elite perks.  Even with that we are looking at $400 pp/per day with drinks and wifi.  We paid it though...so I guess Celebrity will continue to price for what the market will allow...good for them!

We did a 5 day on BEYOND in Nov 2022..sky suite. out of Port Ev. had  2 ports and  got off at Cozumel.. 

 

We booked it ( short cruise)  to use up all  our fcc  from cancelled cruises..lift and shifts efc..  AND

to avoid long quarantine in case we got Covid.  

 

great cruise  no issues.  I think you made a good choice.

 

we have ASCENT booked for  7 days in 2024..AQ Class IV ..not  bad price..everything included.

[Ken the cruiser]

Here's an "eye opening" March 2025 itinerary that isn't cheap and it's on the Constellation. If you really want to see something, doing a fake booking and see what the prices are with a refundable deposit! 

 

12 Nights New Orleans & The Caribbean from Tampa, Florida | Celebrity Cruises

 

Edited April 15, 2023 by Ken the cruiser

[hcat]

4 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Here's an "eye opening" March 2025 itinerary that isn't cheap and it's on the Constellation. If you really want to see something, doing a fake booking and see what the prices are with a refundable deposit! 

 

12 Nights New Orleans & The Caribbean from Tampa, Florida | Celebrity Cruises

 

great itin...

[George C]

We have mostly done celebrity suites last 6 or 7 years, totally love the suite experience, edge class outdoor retreat is fantastic, one thing about the price is they seem to bundle so much into price , our lady cruise had 800 OBC , liquor and tips included. However I believe quality of Luminae has definitely decreased. We also book rccl oasis class and just one MSc yacht club so far. Yacht club I found superior to celebrity suites, we enjoyed shows on MSc . Now that Texas has a oasis class and MSc is leaving from New York City, we will be doing more of those cruises in the future. 

[Ken the cruiser]

30 minutes ago, hcat said:

great itin...

Fun fact. We booked an AQ cabin when it first came out. The price for that category has gone up $1,500 pp since we booked it less that 4 months ago in late December. This just reinforces our strategy to book when a cruise first comes out, especially if it's unique like this one that's docked for 3 days in New Orleans during Mardi Gras.

 

Edited April 15, 2023 by Ken the cruiser

[Donut23]

10 hours ago, arealcheapskate said:

Just to understand why prices might be so high, demand is off the charts.

 
For the June 6 sailing of Apex. 12 nights. No suites available except 1 aqua class sky suite. Everything else sold out. 

The rest of the ship has tons of availability. 

 

It’s supply and demand and you are absolutely right.  
 

example:  we are 501 days until the Eclipse departs.  There are only 4 accessible Sky Suites on the ship.  2 are already gone.

 

There is one Canada/New England sailing where all 4 are gone.

 

if you want a specific cabin (aft corner suite) you must book well ahead.

 

we were married onboard the Radiance of the Seas in Juneau.  We were on the phone immediately when cruise bookings were available.  We wanted a specific aft facing cabin.  As we were trying to book the cabin, it disappeared-deposited ahead of us.

 

This is why suites are expensive.

[Donut23]

1 hour ago, 1Virgo said:

Just curious as to what you are expecting.   .” I would have a butler to take care of me”.       The butler is not assigned  just for your cabin.    

obviously.

 

is bringing my lunch too much?

 

BUT …… if I have a problem, someone will be there to help.  Jim worries so much when he leaves me alone.  Now he can enjoy his shore excursion because I’ll have people around.

[Lastdance]

8 minutes ago, Donut23 said:

obviously.

 

is bringing my lunch too much?

 

BUT …… if I have a problem, someone will be there to help.  Jim worries so much when he leaves me alone.  Now he can enjoy his shore excursion because I’ll have people around.

I think your plan is excellent and a win/win for you and you DH.  We all have different situations that guide our choices.  There was someone on Cruise Critic where his wife stayed onboard and he took excursions and photos, so they both could enjoy their vacations.  Once your butler knows this, your service will be more tailored to your situation, so you can enjoy as much as possible!

[SbbquilterUT]

We have never booked in the Retreat as it was not a value to us instead we book a more luxurious cruise line for less than a suite and enjoy it very much.  

[jbcallender]

We are on Millenium in early August and I did go a little overboard (no pun intended), I must admit.   Fortunately, DW doesn't typically ask how much on these trips.  And we are doing a Rocky Mountaineer train trip into Vancouver on the front end.  We have done an out and back Alaska cruise on Holland America some ten years ago, so wanted to do it a bit different with the train and then northbound to Seward.   Demand is high, suites have been sold out for months.  I saw that summer air demand is exceeding 2019 levels already.  With the suites, you get onboard credit, gratuities and beverages, in my case, that is close to $2,000, so factor that in. 

Edited April 15, 2023 by jbcallender

[Boo's Mom]

3 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

 docked for 3 days in New Orleans during Mardi Gras.

 

...super interesting itinerary. 

 

🛳enJOY

[jules815]

On 4/14/2023 at 11:04 AM, prmssk said:

We just booked an MSC Yacht Club suite for a third of the price of a comparable Celebrity Retreat cabin on a comparable itinerary!  I believe we are now generally priced out of the Retreat. So yes, prices are crazy. Somebody must be willing to pay them though as they are booking up so I really can’t blame Celebrity. 

We started sailing in the YC back in 2019. Prior to that our cruises with X had only been in suites (pre "Retreat".) Had been reading a lot about Yacht Club here on CC and wanted to see what all the buzz was about. Loved it! We have a B2B in the YC coming up in September and we can't wait. 

 

Our next cruise with Celebrity is a transatlantic next year on Ascent. The price to go from our Sunset Veranda (we're really excited about this cabin!) to a Sky Suite is over 7k. 😮  We got a fantastic deal and even with having to add premium drinks and wifi on our own, it still doesn't come close to what The Retreat would cost.

[jules815]

On 4/14/2023 at 12:17 PM, horseymike said:

How is the food in the MSC Yacht Club ?

I would probably give the edge to Luminae, but it's been quite a while since we've sailed with X, so not sure if that's accurate anymore. I will say that on the 2 cruises we've done so far in the Yacht Club, we really enjoyed the food. It's not just the dining room either. That entire YC pool area where you can also have breakfast and lunch is just lovely. 

[1Virgo]

4 hours ago, Donut23 said:

obviously.

 

is bringing my lunch too much?

 

BUT …… if I have a problem, someone will be there to help.  Jim worries so much when he leaves me alone.  Now he can enjoy his shore excursion because I’ll have people around.

perfect.   Retreat has no charge for room service and they will set it up for you if asked

[Donut23]

4 hours ago, Lastdance said:

I think your plan is excellent and a win/win for you and you DH.  We all have different situations that guide our choices.  There was someone on Cruise Critic where his wife stayed onboard and he took excursions and photos, so they both could enjoy their vacations.  Once your butler knows this, your service will be more tailored to your situation, so you can enjoy as much as possible!

 

I don’t have many cruises left.  In fact, I have many doctor’s appointments and at least one surgery before we go.  It’s nice to know I’ll have people around if I need them.  Royal and Celebrity make it easy for us.  We have rented scooters for years.  Heck, you can even rent a 24 hour oxygen concentrator.

 

I wish, however, they had more accessible cabins and aft-facing.  If I want to go on a certain cruise all I have to do is find an aft-facing balcony and Jim’s in.

 

 

 

 

[Donut23]

3 minutes ago, 1Virgo said:

perfect.   Retreat has no charge for room service and they will set it up for you if asked

 

I know.  How perfect for lunch on the days Jim is away!

[George C]

2 hours ago, jules815 said:

I would probably give the edge to Luminae, but it's been quite a while since we've sailed with X, so not sure if that's accurate anymore. I will say that on the 2 cruises we've done so far in the Yacht Club, we really enjoyed the food. It's not just the dining room either. That entire YC pool area where you can also have breakfast and lunch is just lovely. 

Luminae quality has definitely gone down , love outdoor yacht club area better options for lunch than retreat . 

[goofysmom99]

I never bother with the Retreat much at all these days, don't use the pools, and sadly, have become kind of tired of Luminae menus.  But I really, really make use of a balcony.  So now my future X plans are balcony cabins (up to C1, carefully selected) with specialty dinners every night with an occasional OVC pasta night thrown in.  Savings over a suite certainly added up (~$9K for one I just booked) which means business class flight, all hotels, transfers, and most likely a new sofa with enough left over to do it all a second time (without a 2nd sofa, though).  Win-win. 🤗  

Edited April 15, 2023 by goofysmom99

[Ex-Airbalancer]

39 minutes ago, goofysmom99 said:

I never bother with the Retreat much at all these days, don't use the pools, and sadly, have become kind of tired of Luminae menus.  But I really, really make use of a balcony.  So now my future X plans are balcony cabins (up to C1, carefully selected) with specialty dinners every night with an occasional OVC pasta night thrown in.  Savings over a suite certainly added up (~$9K for one I just booked) which means business class flight, all hotels, transfers, and most likely a new sofa with enough left over to do it all a second time (without a 2nd sofa, though).  Win-win. 🤗  

Is a C-1 even worth it 🤔

does anybody actually eat the hors d’oeuvres?

if you get a V-1 maybe you get the matching power recliner 😁

Edited April 15, 2023 by Ex-Airbalancer

[goofysmom99]

1 minute ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Is a C-1 even worth it 🤔

does anybody actually eat your hors d’oeuvres?

Concierge is worth it if the price is right; they're frequently priced lower than or same as regular balconies and are in the locations I most often prefer.  I request a cheese and/or fruit plate delivered daily rather than those iffy canapes.  Very nice with a glass of wine at sunset on the balcony (aft-facing if I can get one).

[Doubt It]

On 4/14/2023 at 1:49 PM, kjwinston2019 said:

Remember the Titanic...and the Class System ....IT's BACK! 

 

 

I have been saying this for years. It was the CEO Avison of Carnival way back in the early 1980's who called Cunard, the French line etc evil because of their class system. I have scrap books with articles on this and pictures of when the SS France was converted to a "cruise" ship. The cruise lines were disgusting in their hatred for Cunard etc.  The early cruise lines tooted that everyone was equal which was the case until the mid 2010's when class Apartheid commenced, mostly with Celebrity. 

And now the cruise lines are just as class Apartheid as the French line was.

Hence why I have Cancelled the mass cruise lines and only cruise premium and above so that I can access the entire ship with only a few small exceptions. Further, the premium and up lines ensure all passengers can have forward views etc, unlike Celebrities new ships. 

I cancelled Celebrity in 2016 and will not return. The dear Connie remains my favorite ship of all time.

You made a great post and thank you for the photograph - I have a water color of the Titanic signed by 3 survivors which I got at a Titanic Historical Society event near Boston just after Titanic was found. 

 

[kjwinston2019]

16 hours ago, Doubt It said:

I have been saying this for years. It was the CEO Avison of Carnival way back in the early 1980's who called Cunard, the French line etc evil because of their class system. I have scrap books with articles on this and pictures of when the SS France was converted to a "cruise" ship. The cruise lines were disgusting in their hatred for Cunard etc.  The early cruise lines tooted that everyone was equal which was the case until the mid 2010's when class Apartheid commenced, mostly with Celebrity. 

And now the cruise lines are just as class Apartheid as the French line was.

Hence why I have Cancelled the mass cruise lines and only cruise premium and above so that I can access the entire ship with only a few small exceptions. Further, the premium and up lines ensure all passengers can have forward views etc, unlike Celebrities new ships. 

I cancelled Celebrity in 2016 and will not return. The dear Connie remains my favorite ship of all time.

You made a great post and thank you for the photograph - I have a water color of the Titanic signed by 3 survivors which I got at a Titanic Historical Society event near Boston just after Titanic was found. 

 

On the Celebrity M and S classes you can have a "Sky Lounge" Forward sitting area. The inside view is great, and I spend a lot of time there. Great view but aas no outside view. Must be for the 2nd class folks, but the Bar serves my Priemum drink....LOL. Unsure of the E class for I have not sailed on them. We finally get the Edge on the West Coast, finally. Happy Cruising, and yes I still dress for any dinner. 

[Doubt It]

7 minutes ago, kjwinston2019 said:

On the Celebrity M and S classes you can have a "Sky Lounge" Forward sitting area. The inside view is great, and I spend a lot of time there. Great view but aas no outside view. Must be for the 2nd class folks, but the Bar serves my Priemum drink....LOL. Unsure of the E class for I have not sailed on them. We finally get the Edge on the West Coast, finally. Happy Cruising, and yes I still dress for any dinner. 

You both look 100% class which is rare these days in society. Compliments.

Connie is our favorite and then the Solstice, the M and S class they both have the Forward lounge and the Promenade. The vistas we have seen from the Forward lounge going around the world....gone from the newer ships. 

We have cruised since 1987, have seen much.

 

The mass lines are essentially all inclusive resorts with minimal reference to the sea. They are in competition with the land based resorts.

 

We have moved on to the Premium lines where there is a more classy atmosphere, better food and all about the Itineraries. We cruise for Itineraries. 

 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

17 hours ago, Doubt It said:

 

I cancelled Celebrity in 2016 and will not return. 

 

You haven’t cruise Celebrity in 7 years and don’t plan to return ,

so why are you in the Celebrity section ?

All your information about Celebrity is useless to someone cruising today 

 

[basenji56]

1 hour ago, Doubt It said:

We cruise for Itineraries. 

 

What are some special itineraries in Caribbean? They often seem to be the same islands.