Is anyone on a cruise in a Sky Suite that can comment about the changes instead of speculating.

[Rmoosh]

1 hour ago, DaKahuna said:

 Thank you.  The fact that water is being provided is welcome news. 
 

 If as @Rmoosh indicated there is no tote, I will ask them for one.  Got to have something to carry my soda’s and Vitamin Zero water back from the Retreat Lounge to the room. 
 

There was a tote but no slippers. 

[DeltaJoe15]

Have been in a hand full of SS an CS over the years  Cant remember ever asking the Butler for anything other than a couple of snacks  I have no problem stopping off at a bar an getting water or diet cokes for the cabin  I take my large cup in the early am with me for my walk an get my own coffee  On our last cruise we saw the butler on day one than the last day looking for an extra tip  The butler service for me is not the end of the world  Enjoy your cruise an dont worry abot it   

[hcat]

2 hours ago, zitsky said:

I would cancel our SS cruise if I hadn’t chosen a NR deposit back when I was told I had a butler.

 

Is this the worst thing in the world?  No.  Going to the dentist is the worst thing in the world.

 

You can make fun of us in SS but let’s wait until something you care about is taken away.  Without a refund.

hope you don't mean me.. not makibg fun of anyone.

 

We had a SS on Beyond using up our  cancelled cruise fcc.  It was a nice stateroom but our Butler was annoyingly helpful. Luminae was disappointing compared to BLU....Best perk was early boarding and disembark. One and done at any price!

 

 We have had  several of our cruise expectations dashed without notice:  After years of accruing  loyalty points from our  cruises, we  lost access to the lovely Diamond Lounge on Royal C to suite guests. We  also lost E plus access Michael,'s Club, am and pm as it  became a Suite Retreat.  We  lost the evening Captains  Club get together...replaced by drinks at bars. We lost Priority Boarding for E plus/AQ.  Lost daily water and canapes in AQ Class.

 

 Often made us feel we wasted our money by being  loyal to  X  over many yrs. We have adjusted to the reality that the focus changed to cater to suites over loyalty guests. 

 

Hopefully, future pricing will reflect the loss of a Butler!

[zitsky]

49 minutes ago, hcat said:

hope you don't mean me.. not makibg fun of anyone.

 

We had a SS on Beyond using up our  cancelled cruise fcc.  It was a nice stateroom but our Butler was annoyingly helpful. Luminae was disappointing compared to BLU....Best perk was early boarding and disembark. One and done at any price!

 

 We have had  several of our cruise expectations dashed without notice:  After years of accruing  loyalty points from our  cruises, we  lost access to the lovely Diamond Lounge on Royal C to suite guests. We  also lost E plus access Michael,'s Club, am and pm as it  became a Suite Retreat.  We  lost the evening Captains  Club get together...replaced by drinks at bars. We lost Priority Boarding for E plus/AQ.  Lost daily water and canapes in AQ Class.

 

 Often made us feel we wasted our money by being  loyal to  X  over many yrs. We have adjusted to the reality that the focus changed to cater to suites over loyalty guests. 

 

Hopefully, future pricing will reflect the loss of a Butler!

It’s hard to tell WHO is making fun of me when I’m curled up on the floor crying.  My therapist says to visit my happy place.  😂

[RichYak]

1 hour ago, hcat said:

Hopefully, future pricing will reflect the loss of a Butler!

Current Retreat pricing doesn't seem to reflect the loss of OBC, so my confidence is quite low.

[abbydancer2003]

Here's what I decided is bothering me (not enough to cancel anything, though).  When they first announced this, they said that instead of a dedicated butler, there would be a butler team.  Seems to me that a room steward with extra duties and a head butler to maybe introduce themselves, is not a "team of butlers".  A team would take care of room service, and the little extras most are used to.  

 

Now it appears we're getting the same in room service as people paying 1/10th of what we are.  Am I missing something?

 

[terrydtx]

21 minutes ago, abbydancer said:

Here's what I decided is bothering me (not enough to cancel anything, though).  When they first announced this, they said that instead of a dedicated butler, there would be a butler team.  Seems to me that a room steward with extra duties and a head butler to maybe introduce themselves, is not a "team of butlers".  A team would take care of room service, and the little extras most are used to.  

 

Now it appears we're getting the same in room service as people paying 1/10th of what we are.  Am I missing something?

 

No you are right on with your interpretation. There is NO team of butlers providing anything close to what we bought and paid for before the changes went into effect. I was on the Apex last month and the Retreat experience was nothing like before, but we made do and had a great cruise.

 

We have a B2B Australia/NZ cruise in a SS on the Edge in January that when we booked in Feb 2022 we got a great deal on. Our price was 40% less than today's cost and almost what an Aqua Class cabin is currently selling for. The price and the fact we already paid for our airfare are the only reasons we didn't cancel. We could have booked a similar itinerary with HAL in one of their 500+Sqft Neptune Suites for less than a current SS on the Edge. I believe after January we are done with Celebrity and our future cruise $$'s will be going elsewhere. We are protesting with our wallets. After January we will also be Elite + so we are giving that useless loyalty level the heave ho too.

Edited October 24, 2023 by terrydtx

[terrydtx]

2 hours ago, mac_tlc said:

Our reality is that after our already booked X voyages, we will move to other cruise lines to get the value for our $$ that X used to provide. Current Sky Suite prices are insane, CS and above are even more so. No thanks. 

 

I agree that those unhappy with the changes need to voice their opinion, regardless of how many deaf ears they may fall on.

 

 

mac_tlc

Mac, it is the insane pricing now for SS's more than the loss of a true butler that are driving loyal customers like us to look elsewhere. I have looked at Crystal, Regent and Seabourne and we could get a suite with almost everything included for a cost per day close to a SS and way less than a CS and half of a RS on Celebrity. I can't believe people continue to book the high end suites on Celebrity, when they could be on a similar itinerary on a true luxury cruise line with food, accommodations and service that would blow Celebrity away.

Edited October 24, 2023 by terrydtx

[RichYak]

1 hour ago, abbydancer said:

Seems to me that a room steward with extra duties…

No extra duties, just a new fake title. 

[jelayne]

35 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

Mac, it is the insane pricing now for SS's more than the loss of a true butler that are driving loyal customers like us to look elsewhere. I have looked at Crystal, Regent and Seabourne and we could get a suite with almost everything included for a cost per day close to a SS and way less than a CS and half of a RS on Celebrity. I can't believe people continue to book the high end suites on Celebrity, when they could be on a similar itinerary on a true luxury cruise line with food, accommodations and service that would blow Celebrity away.

We don’t book high end suites any longer.  And have just downgraded a SS cruise to a SV as the price was out of line with the new experience.  We have looked at Regent and Seabourn ( Regent board discontent is starting) we tried a smaller line, 700 passengers and  hated most of it.  DH is a foodie I’m not, have restrictions that limit what I eat. So food is not primary.   We were bored most of the time, found entertainment lacking, most venues dead by 9:30, Sunset bar equivalent had 4-6 people at 4-7 every day, no casino and sea days had little to offer other than hanging at the pool or sitting at the coffee shop and chatting.  
Still looking for options🤔

[terrydtx]

25 minutes ago, jelayne said:

We don’t book high end suites any longer.  And have just downgraded a SS cruise to a SV as the price was out of line with the new experience.  We have looked at Regent and Seabourn ( Regent board discontent is starting) we tried a smaller line, 700 passengers and  hated most of it.  DH is a foodie I’m not, have restrictions that limit what I eat. So food is not primary.   We were bored most of the time, found entertainment lacking, most venues dead by 9:30, Sunset bar equivalent had 4-6 people at 4-7 every day, no casino and sea days had little to offer other than hanging at the pool or sitting at the coffee shop and chatting.  
Still looking for options🤔

I looked at downgrading our SS to an Aqua Class on the Edge in January and an AQ cabin would have been within $300pp of what our SS cost. With losing $400pp OBC and prepaid Gratuities we would have paid more. Then the bigger issue is we absolutely dislike the fake balcony IV cabins.

 

We are foodies and have not felt the food on our last couple of cruises have been all that great.  We do not gamble and the only entertainment we attend is if there is a magician or comedian.  Sea days we enjoy just chilling out and seldom attend all the silly games done by the cruise directors. So, a small ship with less crowds and a more laid-back atmosphere may suit us better.

Edited October 24, 2023 by terrydtx

[abbydancer2003]

1 hour ago, RichYak said:

No extra duties, just a new fake title. 

Don't they take care of laundry, and emptying the mini bar?  That's new for suites.  Of course that's exactly what our room steward did when we weren't in a suite.

[RichYak]

8 hours ago, abbydancer said:

Don't they take care of laundry, and emptying the mini bar?  That's new for suites.  Of course that's exactly what our room steward did when we weren't in a suite.

You answered your own question. It’s not at all new for room stewards, regardless what Celebrity calls them. 

[TeeRick]

13 hours ago, hcat said:

hope you don't mean me.. not makibg fun of anyone.

 

We had a SS on Beyond using up our  cancelled cruise fcc.  It was a nice stateroom but our Butler was annoyingly helpful. Luminae was disappointing compared to BLU....Best perk was early boarding and disembark. One and done at any price!

 

 We have had  several of our cruise expectations dashed without notice:  After years of accruing  loyalty points from our  cruises, we  lost access to the lovely Diamond Lounge on Royal C to suite guests. We  also lost E plus access Michael,'s Club, am and pm as it  became a Suite Retreat.  We  lost the evening Captains  Club get together...replaced by drinks at bars. We lost Priority Boarding for E plus/AQ.  Lost daily water and canapes in AQ Class.

 

 Often made us feel we wasted our money by being  loyal to  X  over many yrs. We have adjusted to the reality that the focus changed to cater to suites over loyalty guests. 

 

Hopefully, future pricing will reflect the loss of a Butler!

Royal C has both a Suite Lounge and a Diamond Lounge.  If you are D or D+ you still get the Diamond Lounge so you would not lose access.  Years ago the Suite Lounge was called the Concierge Lounge on some ships and you had access if D+.  Even then we preferred the Diamond Lounge as it had plenty of frequent cruisers like us to make friends with.  

[39august]

Butlers also used to take care of ice and laundry. Now the cabin steward does that. Of course, so do the cabin stewards in lower classes of cabins just as in the past. 

[CruisinShips]

10 hours ago, terrydtx said:

We do not gamble and the only entertainment we attend is if there is a magician or comedian.  Sea days we enjoy just chilling out and seldom attend all the silly games done by the cruise directors. 

That sounds exactly like us, lol.  We could hang together. 😉

 

The only issue I'd have with a small ship is we do like to wander around the ship and people watch and check out the different bars and cafes...and I would think the smaller ships would be a little more boring from that perspective.

[tfred]

12 hours ago, terrydtx said:

Mac, it is the insane pricing now for SS's more than the loss of a true butler that are driving loyal customers like us to look elsewhere. I have looked at Crystal, Regent and Seabourne and we could get a suite with almost everything included for a cost per day close to a SS and way less than a CS and half of a RS on Celebrity. I can't believe people continue to book the high end suites on Celebrity, when they could be on a similar itinerary on a true luxury cruise line with food, accommodations and service that would blow Celebrity away.

We booked a 12 night Med on SSea (includes excursions) for a lower price than X in 2024. Small ship with small ports made it a no-brainer. We like Luminae but we liked the choice on SSea as it is much broader 

 

why do people book on X?  Easy to get to Florida gateways (not St Martin or Barbados).  One week segment that fit into their vacation schedule.  Luxury lines have the word "formal" in their brochure. X is somewhat known as a name. 

 

Almost 40% of pax dont get off the ship in the Caribbean so the big boat concept of activities is a plus for many 

[DaKahuna]

15 hours ago, hcat said:

 We have had  several of our cruise expectations dashed without notice:  After years of accruing  loyalty points from our  cruises, we  lost access to the lovely Diamond Lounge on Royal C to suite guests.

 

Do you mean Concierge / Suite Lounge?  Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle all still have access to the  Diamond Lounge. 

 

[terrydtx]

12 minutes ago, tfred said:

We booked a 12 night Med on SSea (includes excursions) for a lower price than X in 2024. Small ship with small ports made it a no-brainer. We like Luminae but we liked the choice on SSea as it is much broader 

 

why do people book on X?  Easy to get to Florida gateways (not St Martin or Barbados).  One week segment that fit into their vacation schedule.  Luxury lines have the word "formal" in their brochure. X is somewhat known as a name. 

 

Almost 40% of pax dont get off the ship in the Caribbean so the big boat concept of activities is a plus for many 

My sister and BIL originally booked a RS on the Edge going to Hawaii next year, they canceled it and booked a PH Suite with Viking Ocean going to Hawaii for half the price per day, for them it was a no brainer, and they are both Elite Plus with Celebrity and done with them for the ridiculous pricing of suites.

 

For us we are so done with Caribbean cruises and now we book 100% on Itinerary to other parts of the world.

[tfred]

7 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

My sister and BIL originally booked a RS on the Edge going to Hawaii next year, they canceled it and booked a PH Suite with Viking Ocean going to Hawaii for half the price per day, for them it was a no brainer, and they are both Elite Plus with Celebrity and done with them for the ridiculous pricing of suites.

 

For us we are so done with Caribbean cruises and now we book 100% on Itinerary to other parts of the world.

The meat of the US market is the 7 day Carribbean route.  There is no shortage of people who go to the same Florida resort every year because there are no surprises, they like what they like and it is easy to get to.    People who are used to land resorts (e.g. JW Marriotts) are the likely targets of X et al looking to replicate that experience on a ship. 

 

Other than the Caribbean (especially at a X suite level) I can't imagine taking an X ship. Those trips are mostly port intensive which puts big boats at a disadvantage. Long bus rides to see anything means less time at the site.  

 

In general, all you get above Sky Suites is a bigger room.  Butler service may be marginally better but you are still eating in Luminae - nice but it is the only restaurant except at the top levels where you can choose specialty.  To me the dollars just dont work at the value offering above Sky no matter the route 

[SerraG]

1 hour ago, tfred said:

…

why do people book on X?  Easy to get to Florida gateways (not St Martin or Barbados).  One week segment that fit into their vacation schedule.  Luxury lines have the word "formal" in their brochure. X is somewhat known as a name. 

 

This is exactly why our next cruise is going to be in an overpriced Sky Suite on X.  We have a tight window for taking our vacation and don’t want to spend a lot of those precious days traveling to and from the port.  In addition, we are foodies who far prefer Luminae over the MDR and most of the specialty restaurants.  
 

I tried to find a suitable cruise on a luxury line, but none of them had an itinerary that fit the specific dates that we have available for vacation, unless I want to spend 2 extra days trying to get back home from Seward, Alaska.  

 

I foresee our schedules becoming a lot more flexible in a couple of years and I expect we will be better able to branch out to other lines then.  

[hcat]

3 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

 

Do you mean Concierge / Suite Lounge?  Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle all still have access to the  Diamond Lounge. 

 

It was yrs ago.. before the mega ships.. We had recently hit Diamond and were pleased  to have access  to a tiny cozy lounge with coffee, bagels, lite snacks ..there was a concierge there..nice magazines and maps...great for reading and quiet time.

On our next Royal cruise our

access  to that venue was denied.  They did have a nice D breakfast and great  pm cocktail party..

 

We stopped cruising on Royal C ages ago..went back once to try Oasis which was not  a good fit.

 

The post was a response that asked if we ever had  anything (perks) taken away...   All moot now for us!

[zitsky]

2 hours ago, tfred said:

The meat of the US market is the 7 day Carribbean route.  There is no shortage of people who go to the same Florida resort every year because there are no surprises, they like what they like and it is easy to get to.    People who are used to land resorts (e.g. JW Marriotts) are the likely targets of X et al looking to replicate that experience on a ship. 

 

Other than the Caribbean (especially at a X suite level) I can't imagine taking an X ship. Those trips are mostly port intensive which puts big boats at a disadvantage. Long bus rides to see anything means less time at the site.  

 

In general, all you get above Sky Suites is a bigger room.  Butler service may be marginally better but you are still eating in Luminae - nice but it is the only restaurant except at the top levels where you can choose specialty.  To me the dollars just dont work at the value offering above Sky no matter the route 

I’ve been lucky to stay in a few JW Marriotts but I would not compare them to a Celebrity cruise.  I have not been in an upper suite but I know the service at a JW or Ritz Carlton etc.  

 

SS with a semi dedicated butler was a nice experience.  I’ve done Aqua a few times.  SS with butler could be and was a great way to introduce people to the suite experience.  Now Celebrity has ruined it for SS.  And I was not demanding.  Rudy on the Beyond did more than we asked him to do.

 

Anyway I’ve figured out how to deal with the changes in Sky Suites.  I’ll just bring my butler and valet and cook from home.  

[cruisingaussies]

On 10/24/2023 at 10:07 AM, hcat said:

 

 

Hopefully, future pricing will reflect the loss of a Butler!

Ho ho ho.  And it isn't even December

[Cruise a holic]

On 10/23/2023 at 10:21 AM, zitsky said:

I love it.  I’m in a LOWER suite now.  😂

 

I like Aqua because there is none of this lower/upper suite nonsense.  😎

Not a fan of blu.  If we used the persian garden once, a cruise it was a lot.  The other “gimmicks “ considered perks in the stateroom imo worthless.  Save your money.  Book a balcony cabin and dine in specialty restaurants