Is Celebrity going to Eliminate Butlers on Sky and Celebrity Suites?

[Dollysmom123]

This thread got me all worked up as I think about our upcoming Sky Suite cruise departing in 2 1/2 weeks. We are celebrating a family birthday while on board and I assumed I could work with the butler upon arrival to plan a cake etc. So in light of this butler nonsense, I decided to call shoreside Retreat desk this morning to arrange it and was given an estimated 40 minute hold time to speak with someone! Wow. so much for that. 

[wrk2cruise]

9 hours ago, Suite Susie said:

Be interesting to see if The Retreat Team will do our unpacking!

 

I think all Sky Suites should now request it!

 

If you want a chuckle.   I was playing with the Bing (Microsoft) AI Bot and I gave it the following

 

"Write a letter to Celebrity expressing my displeasure with removing dedicated butler service from Sky Suites"

 

I was impressed with the generated letter and yes it gleaned one of the hyped services of the dedicated butler was packing/unpacking which I know most do not use.

 

Dear Celebrity Cruises,

I am writing to express my displeasure with your decision to remove the dedicated butler service from the Sky Suites. I have been a loyal customer of your cruise line for over 10 years and have always enjoyed the personalized and attentive service that the butlers provided. They made my stay on board more comfortable, convenient and enjoyable.

The butler service was one of the main reasons why I chose to book a Sky Suite for my upcoming cruise in November. I was looking forward to having a butler who would take care of my needs, such as unpacking and packing my luggage, making reservations for dining and entertainment, delivering snacks and drinks to my suite, and arranging special requests. I was willing to pay a premium price for this level of service and luxury.

However, I was very disappointed to learn that you have decided to eliminate the dedicated butler service and replace it with a “suite concierge” who will be shared among several suites. This is a significant downgrade in the quality and value of the Sky Suite experience. I feel that this change will negatively affect my satisfaction and enjoyment of the cruise.

I urge you to reconsider your decision and restore the dedicated butler service for the Sky Suites. This is what sets you apart from other cruise lines and what makes your customers loyal and happy. Please do not compromise on the excellence and elegance that you are known for.

Sincerely,

Your name

Edited August 1, 2023 by wrk2cruise

[terrydtx]

8 minutes ago, Dollysmom123 said:

This thread got me all worked up as I think about our upcoming Sky Suite cruise departing in 2 1/2 weeks. We are celebrating a family birthday while on board and I assumed I could work with the butler upon arrival to plan a cake etc. So in light of this butler nonsense, I decided to call shoreside Retreat desk this morning to arrange it and was given an estimated 40 minute hold time to speak with someone! Wow. so much for that. 

You could try sending an email to shore side Retreat services with your request.

[terrydtx]

8 minutes ago, wrk2cruise said:

 

I think all Sky Suites should now request it!

Having our butler unpack our luggage is one thing I have never asked, I have had a butler offer to do this for us, but that just seemed a little too much to expect. Now if we were disabled in any way that could be a different story.

[wrk2cruise]

2 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

Having our butler unpack our luggage is one thing I have never asked, I have had a butler offer to do this for us, but that just seemed a little too much to expect. Now if we were disabled in any way that could be a different story.

 

It was suggested pretty much tongue in cheek.  It would only punish the new team, not the idiots making the decisions.

[TeeRick]

48 minutes ago, paulh84 said:

 

It is strange. I'm pretty sure many of the most vocal few that have posted extensively here already sworn off Celebrity in other posts or made it well known they have moved on to other options. After the great  buffet calamity of 2023 occurred I figured it would be crickets around here. Guess not! They always come back.

Actually they never leave!

[TeeRick]

28 minutes ago, Dollysmom123 said:

This thread got me all worked up as I think about our upcoming Sky Suite cruise departing in 2 1/2 weeks. We are celebrating a family birthday while on board and I assumed I could work with the butler upon arrival to plan a cake etc. So in light of this butler nonsense, I decided to call shoreside Retreat desk this morning to arrange it and was given an estimated 40 minute hold time to speak with someone! Wow. so much for that. 

Hopefully you can work with The Retreat Team once onboard to arrange whatever you need for your family birthday.  Don't worry too much about it and enjoy your cruise!

[TeeRick]

10 hours ago, RichYak said:

So I embark this coming Sunday in a Sky Suite on Summit. I'm either going to be covered by a Retreat Team or a lame duck butler. I'm honestly not sure which to root for.

Rich- I am actually hoping you get the new Retreat Team.  I could then count on an honest review and opinion on it.  Enjoy your cruise!

[paulh84]

40 minutes ago, Mark_T said:

Even if not booking new cruises with Celebrity many will still have existing future reservations not yet cancelled or not practical to cancel...

 

 

 

Unless people actually cancel and stop spending money, does it matter? Demand and pricing suggests no. There is no metric on the financials that says 'customer spent the money **but angry on Cruise Critic'. 

[Veinless]

12 hours ago, terrydtx said:

Same here our 4 Sky Suite cruises post Covid, we had butlers that stocked our fridge with whatever we asked for, that included beer, premium bottled water, vitamin flavored water and lots of red and white wine. We were never charged for any and while this is not a posted suite amenity a good butler makes it happen; this I am sure will go away with the new teams.

This is my biggest disappointment with the change. 

[RichYak]

1 minute ago, TeeRick said:

Rich- I am actually hoping you get the new Retreat Team.  I could then count on an honest review and opinion on it.  Enjoy your cruise!

Thanks. I'll find out soon enough. I'm not a heavy butler user so I would hope the team approach will be fine for me. I'll just need to adjust by asking for what I want, knowing that it's unlikely that my needs will be anticipated.

[TeeRick]

1 minute ago, RichYak said:

Thanks. I'll find out soon enough. I'm not a heavy butler user so I would hope the team approach will be fine for me. I'll just need to adjust by asking for what I want, knowing that it's unlikely that my needs will be anticipated.

Yes agree.  I am in the camp of cruisers that rarely use the butler.  They put soda and beer in the minifridge and keep us supplied with bottled water.  And a few times a cruise they bring breakfast to us.  That's it.  Nothing that a room steward or a Retreat Team could not easily handle. 

[terrydtx]

12 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

Yes agree.  I am in the camp of cruisers that rarely use the butler.  They put soda and beer in the minifridge and keep us supplied with bottled water.  And a few times a cruise they bring breakfast to us.  That's it.  Nothing that a room steward or a Retreat Team could not easily handle. 

We use our butlers a little more, we prefer breakfast on our balcony and our butlers know how we want our coffee (strong) and that my wife wants only fresh orange juice, I like Picante sauce on my eggs and they always have it on the tray without asking, Here is a great example of a butler knowing and looking out for us. Last month we had our 12 year old granddaughter with us on the Equinox and she is extremely lactose intolerant and has to have only lactose free milk. The first morning for breakfast our butler brought our order and told us he couldn't find any lactose free milk anywhere on the ship in any dining venue, he later found out it failed to get loaded on the ship in FLL. He later told me that the kitchen was passing off skim milk as lactose free to passengers, if he had not gone out of his way to find this, and if she drank skim milk she would have gotten really sick. Can I expect that kind of service from a 'Team"?  I do not believe so, 

Edited August 1, 2023 by terrydtx

[bac513]

8 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

 They put soda and beer in the minifridge and keep us supplied with bottled water. 

However, this does not appear to be official practice.  Hopefully, this unadvertised perk can continue.

[TeeRick]

4 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

We use our butlers a little more, we prefer breakfast on our balcony and our butlers know how we want our coffee (strong) and that my wife wants only fresh orange juice, I like Picante sauce on my eggs and they always have it on the tray without asking, Here is a great example of a butler knowing and looking out for us. Last month we had our 12 year old granddaughter with us on the Equinox and she is extremely lactose intolerant and has to have only lactose free milk. The first morning for breakfast our butler brought our order and told us he couldn't find any lactose free milk anywhere on the ship in any dining venue, he later found out it failed to get loaded on the ship in FLL. He later told me that the kitchen was passing off skim milk as lactose free to passengers, if he had not gone out of his way to find this, and if she drank skim milk she would have gotten really sick. Can I expect that kind of service form a 'Team"?  I do not believe so, 

Understand your concerns.  But for me when I cruise in a sky suite again I guess I will find out how the Team approach works so I am willing to give it a chance.  What choice do I have really?  But as stated before, I decided not to pay for the Retreat on Celebrity for the foreseeable future and have no suites booked.  Due to the high price and lower service.  I am not just complaining, I am doing.  If other loyal Retreat cruisers stop booking like me,  then perhaps some impact?  Probably not but wishful thinking.

[TeeRick]

6 minutes ago, bac513 said:

However, this does not appear to be official practice.  Hopefully, this unadvertised perk can continue.

This has happened on every cruise in a suite I have ever taken on Celebrity without exception.  And there have been quite a few.

[bnurick]

We use ours a great deal.  I usually write out all our special requests on day one when they come and meet us.  There have been many we follow on Instagram and see again on future cruises.  The team concept would be less personable in my opinion.

[zitsky]

6 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

Understand your concerns.  But for me when I cruise in a sky suite again I guess I will find out how the Team approach works so I am willing to give it a chance.  What choice do I have really?  But as stated before, I decided not to pay for the Retreat on Celebrity for the foreseeable future and have no suites booked.  Due to the high price and lower service.  I am not just complaining, I am doing.  If other loyal Retreat cruisers stop booking like me,  then perhaps some impact?  Probably not but wishful thinking.

Doing?

 

First they made NRD deposits non refundable.  No FCC.  I was ok with that.  I want to cruise!

 

Then came the team decision with no email to customers.

 

I am ok with a NRD but not if they are constantly changing the conditions of my booking.

[shirazcruiser]

28 minutes ago, bac513 said:

However, this does not appear to be official practice.  Hopefully, this unadvertised perk can continue.

 

39 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

They put soda and beer in the minifridge and keep us supplied with bottled water.  And a few times a cruise they bring breakfast to us.   

Every butler we've had has offered to stock our mini-fridge with soda and beer, lots of bottled water and some even offered to make sure there were always 2 bottles of wine so we could have a glass while in the cabin since we had the beverage package.  

Edited August 1, 2023 by shirazcruiser

[zitsky]

3 minutes ago, shirazcruiser said:

 

Every butler we've had has offered to stock our mini-fridge with soda and beer, lots of bottled water and some even offered to make sure there were always 2 bottles of wine so we could have a glass while in the cabin since we had the beverage package.  

What suite were you in?  Thanks.

[terrydtx]

1 minute ago, shirazcruiser said:

 

Every butler we've had has offered to stock our min-fridge with soda and beer, lots of bottled water and some even offered to make sure there were always 2 bottles of wine so we could have a glass while in the cabin since we had the beverage package.  

Exactly my experience in every SS cruise we have done. I was told more than once by our past butlers, having the premium drink package included the mini fridge. I know this will no longer be the case and its one of the biggest non advertised Retreat benefits we enjoy.

[shirazcruiser]

1 minute ago, zitsky said:

What suite were you in?  Thanks.

Sky Suite

[terrydtx]

Just now, zitsky said:

What suite were you in?  Thanks.

We got this in every Sky Suite we have sailed in.

[tomcruiser1234]

So. Question??

 

Its probably answered in the long list of complaints😏. 

 

Do the Sky suites now share butlers or get no butler service at all?

 

If no Butler services… is there a cutoff of suites CS, RS and above ?  

 

Thanks 

[zitsky]

21 minutes ago, tomcruiser1234 said:

So. Question??

 

Its probably answered in the long list of complaints😏. 

 

Do the Sky suites now share butlers or get no butler service at all?

 

If no Butler services… is there a cutoff of suites CS, RS and above ?  

 

Thanks 

In my call the agent kept referring to the concierge not the retreat team.  And I thought they were separate groups.