What would make Concierge Class better?

[Jade13]

Thanks Mike! I'm lactose intolerant but can request goat cheese (no lactose in goat's milk) so that's a good thought.

 

You may like the Soy Milk Smoothie in CC class. It's called an "Omega-3 Smoothie (with Soy Milk)". It was my favorite drink and I realized a few weeks ago when I tried my sisters "Soy Milk" and I also bought some Vanilla Soy Ice cream, that's excactly what it tastes like and very sweet. If you have a chance to find the recipe I would be very appreciative. I think it's mostly just vanilla soy milk but I have no idea about the "Omega-3" unless they drop in some flaxseed oil?

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

We haven't sailed X yet, but will sail Infinity in CC cabin in a few weeks. I was under the impression that the in-cabin breakfast menu is a big plus in CC cabins. Right?? If so, just not having to leave our cabin for a decent breakfast is worth it.

 

The CC breakfast menu is wonderful! To me it's a big plus.

[Jade13]

After we reviewed the above list we could not find any added value to pay the additional $500 for CC cabins on the Century cruise. In fact I personally think the so called extra value CC cabins on the Century are a joke and the only thing of maybe some value is being one deck higher than the 2A cabins which isn’t worth that much. The $500 we saved will buy a lot of wine and Martini’s on our cruise.

 

We thought it was worth it because we only paid $10.00pp ($20.00 total) to move from a 2A on the Century to the CC. The CC class menu and Champaigne made it worth it. My only issue was that many of the items were missing and I had to call for them (missing were the pillow menu, I never saw one but just asked for a feather pillow, no CC class menus, and no leather Key Card holders - we got them a day later after calling)

[terrydtx]

We thought it was worth it because we only paid $10.00pp ($20.00 total) to move from a 2A on the Century to the CC. The CC class menu and Champaigne made it worth it. My only issue was that many of the items were missing and I had to call for them (missing were the pillow menu, I never saw one but just asked for a feather pillow, no CC class menus, and no leather Key Card holders - we got them a day later after calling)

 

For $20 I would be foolish to not upgrade from 2A to CC cabin, but for $500 i would be a fool to upgrade:eek:

[Sea Island Lady]

Larger staterooms. ;)

[Cote d'or]

We thought it was worth it because we only paid $10.00pp ($20.00 total) to move from a 2A on the Century to the CC. The CC class menu and Champaigne made it worth it.

 

Like I already said, the bottle you receive has nothing to do with champagne. Did you like it ?

[shofer]

We sailed in a CC class cabin in 5/02 when it was still considered a 1-A. All the CC stuff started later that year and I could not see any appreciable difference in my 2-C cabin 3 yrs later. Maybe a few sq ft larger, but not so you would notice. Both Balconies, both midships but different decks. We rec'd the same great Celebrity food, service and treatment both times. If I was going to upgrade for another $500, it had better be a suite. I don't need better towels, better robe or a bunch of pillows.

 

For all of Celebrity's so-called "perks" for Captain's Club, there is not one in there that has any value. We have had 2 cruises w/Princess and for our second one we were offered a nice upgrade. Same balcony but better location, BE to BB. In 6 Celebrity cruises, nada. If they wanted to add to the CC "value", how about free laundry one day or some free internet minutes or a free drink in one of the bars. Something you could really use.

[Jade13]

For $20 I would be foolish to not upgrade from 2A to CC cabin, but for $500 i would be a fool to upgrade:eek:

 

I agree!

[CathyCruises]

Jim, on the cruise we were on with you guys, I was really looking forward to the "fresh flowers" promised in the CC "menu". I am big on having them even here at home in the winter. I was surprised not to have them in the cabin when I boarded, and when I asked the butler, he said, oh, that's for Royal Suites and above. I knew that was garbage and when I pressed him a bit, he said, let me see what I can do. So we got something, but hard pressed to see what I got as a benefit. I was expecting a nice arrangement.

 

Also, no CC-type bath amenities; again, I should have asked, but I was disappointed in what I was given, which was a tiny bottle of shampoo, no conditioner, and a tinmy bottle of hand lotion. It would have been great to have bath gel since I had a bathtub! Duh!

 

So, yes, if they would deliver, without being asked, what is being advertised, that would be a huge help. Also, they may as well keep the personalized stationery--I could have made that myself on my laptop in 5 minutes! Free internet would be fantastic!

 

My $.02 worth.

 

Cathy

[Jade13]

Like I already said' date=' the bottle you receive has nothing to do with champagne. Did you like it ?[/quote']

 

I really enjoyed it and it was real Champagne from France (That's what I recall. My steward removed the bottle before I was finished, but I will check my photos).

[Jade13]

 

Also, no CC-type bath amenities; again, I should have asked, but I was disappointed in what I was given, which was a tiny bottle of shampoo, no conditioner, and a tinmy bottle of hand lotion. It would have been great to have bath gel since I had a bathtub! Duh!

 

 

Cathy

 

Get this. That tiny bottle of shampoo and bottle of conditioner was the same stuff in the shower. And, I brought the bottle over to my daughter inside, and I could be wrong, but it sure smelled the same and same consistency as what was in her shower! I want to know if Celebrity is stuffing bottles to make it look like they are giving CC class something extra?

 

Personally, I think Celebrity makes it hard for themselves and I much prefer the fact that HAL gives mostly everyone the same, Inside to Balcony - Elemis bath products, bath robes, free shoe shine, fruit basket changed daily, same menu incuding hot breakfasts...Oh and everyone on the ship gets invited to formal tea (Royal Dutch), Indonesian Tea when its offered, and the Galley tour is for all. Most staterooms have a tub. On HAL's ships the price is for larger Real Estate and location. The full Suites do get the Champagne, flowers, laundry included and use of a concierage lounge, priority embarkation and tender - but they pay at least double for this.

[terrydtx]

Get this. That tiny bottle of shampoo and bottle of conditioner was the same stuff in the shower. And, I brought the bottle over to my daughter inside, and I could be wrong, but it sure smelled the same and same consistency as what was in her shower! I want to know if Celebrity is stuffing bottles to make it look like they are giving CC class something extra?

 

Personally, I think Celebrity makes it hard for themselves and I much prefer the fact that HAL gives mostly everyone the same, Inside to Balcony - Elemis bath products, bath robes, free shoe shine, fruit basket changed daily, same menu incuding hot breakfasts...Oh and everyone on the ship gets invited to formal tea (Royal Dutch), Indonesian Tea when its offered, and the Galley tour is for all. Most staterooms have a tub. On HAL's ships the price is for larger Real Estate and location. The full Suites do get the Champagne, flowers, laundry included and use of a concierage lounge, priority embarkation and tender - but they pay at least double for this.

 

Not only do you get most of Celebrity's CC amenities standard on all cabin classes on HAL, you get much bigger cabins. Volendam C Cat outside cabin 197 sq feet, Century 175 sq ft; Volendam smallest Verandah cabin BC cat 284 sq ft, Century 2A balcony 170 sq ft. We chhose to sail with HAL on same itinerraries and do like Celebrity as second choice for Intinerraries that HAL does not have like our Century cruise in September out of Barcelona.

[CathyCruises]

I have heard great things about Prinsendam--any experience with that one?

 

I have now booked Sydney to Bangkok on Oceania to see if they live up to their rep--it gets great reviews. I also would like to try Azamara if they come up with any itineraries I like. I know some long-time cruise passengers don't mind repeating itineraries, but I am always looking for new and different. And since I have been cruising since 1981, there aren't a ton of places that cruise ships go to that really pique my interest.

 

Did anyone else notice this week on the CC newsletter, they advertised Cruise West offering a 25% discount. Nothing about it on these boards, but they have amazing exotic South Seas itineraries and only 120 passengers. I would love to hear from anyone who knows anything about this line other than what I can find on their website.

 

Cathy

[CGTNORMANDIE]

We love Celebrity but have grown fond of RCI. The big difference is...that RCI treats their loyal clientele with real benefits. The Concierge Lounge makes all the difference for me. We really see no benefits from the Captains Club. If Celebrity had a Concierge Lounge I think we would be much more likely to book with Celebrity. The Concierge Lounge offers gourmet coffees 24 hours a day...special breakfast snacks and juices in the morning. Gourmet teas and coffees as well as special hors d'oeuvres in the afternoon and, of course, hot and cold hors d'oeuvres with OPEN BAR in the evening...all of it is complimentary to Diamond Members and Grand Suites and above. The services of the Concierge are just as good as those on Celebrity too. Way back when Celebrity charged for membership in the Captains Club...many of us hoped that there would be palpable benefits forthcoming...that was not to be...as Celebrity opened up the membership and watered down the benefits to the point where there really are none. I think that a Concierge Lounge would make things a lot more convivial on Celebrity ships and would finally add some value to Concierge Class on Celebrity.

[Ma Bell]

Jim, on the cruise we were on with you guys, I was really looking forward to the "fresh flowers" promised in the CC "menu". I am big on having them even here at home in the winter. I was surprised not to have them in the cabin when I boarded, and when I asked the butler, he said, oh, that's for Royal Suites and above. I knew that was garbage and when I pressed him a bit, he said, let me see what I can do. So we got something, but hard pressed to see what I got as a benefit. I was expecting a nice arrangement.

 

Also, no CC-type bath amenities; again, I should have asked, but I was disappointed in what I was given, which was a tiny bottle of shampoo, no conditioner, and a tinmy bottle of hand lotion. It would have been great to have bath gel since I had a bathtub! Duh!

 

So, yes, if they would deliver, without being asked, what is being advertised, that would be a huge help. Also, they may as well keep the personalized stationery--I could have made that myself on my laptop in 5 minutes! Free internet would be fantastic!

 

My $.02 worth.

 

Cathy

 

Are you sure you were in a CC cabin? There are no butlers or bathtubs in CC.

[CathyCruises]

No, I was in a Sky Suite, but the quoted amenities were exactly the same with the addition of the butler services. So I should have gotten CC amenities and then some. . .reinforces my point!

[Ma Bell]

Sky Suites don't come with flowers and they have just recently started providing bath gel in the bathrooms. Last month was the first time I saw it. The shampoo is a combination shampoo conditioner but I think most people have their favorite shampoo. Husbands don't usually mind but I don't think too many of the ladies use what's provided. All the amenities provided for each class of stateroom are listed on the Celebrity website.

[jasm8449]

A menu in the room of all CC perks - and make sure I get them!

Real priority luggage delivery

High tea - tea sandwiches, scones, pastries delivered to cabin on request

Discount on laundry

100 minutes free internet

Big fluffy white bath towels

Cabin furnishings in excellent condition

gourmet bites delivered to the cabin on request

[Cote d'or]

I really enjoyed it and it was real Champagne from France (That's what I recall. My steward removed the bottle before I was finished, but I will check my photos).

 

That would be good news. In a few months we're doing a B2B on the Summit in cc. That means two bottles.:D

[CathyCruises]

Sky Suites don't come with flowers and they have just recently started providing bath gel in the bathrooms. Last month was the first time I saw it. The shampoo is a combination shampoo conditioner but I think most people have their favorite shampoo. Husbands don't usually mind but I don't think too many of the ladies use what's provided. All the amenities provided for each class of stateroom are listed on the Celebrity website.

 

I'm sorry, but this is taken directly from Celebrity's website on the Sky Suite page:

 

 

Celebrity's Butler Service on Celebrity Century

Celebrity's suites include European butler service, a Celebrity exclusive.

This service includes:

 

•Welcome champagne•Daily fruit selection•Fresh-cut flowers•Daily hors d'oeuvres•Menu of pillows - Conformance, Body, Goose, and Isotonic®•Duvets and pillow-top mattresses•Leather key holder, personalized stationery and tote bag•Double-thick Frette bathrobes•Complimentary espresso & cappuccino

 

Check it out for yourself! I was very surprised that our butler didn't know what he was supposed to be providing. . .

[Ma Bell]

I'm surprised that Century is the only ship that is now sailing in the fleet that has that particular list for Sky Suites. All the others don't. It looks as if they are going to offer them on the two new ships too. That's great. Did you enjoy your cruise on Century? We thought the refurbishment was well done.

[tinka14]

I will be sailing on the Galaxy in a CC cabin in Oct this year - there wasn't a big price difference from the 2a class cabin so we treated ourselves..we booked it for all the little extra amenities and now that we know about them, will be expecting them and will be asking for them if they are not there!

I agree with the previous comments in that free drinks, free internet access and other perks would make CC much more attractive to today's cruise market and would make Celebrity more cash!

Tinka14

[DrKoob]

Spending the extra to have the CC class cabin has to be a decision about what is important to you on your cruise. Many of the so called amenities like priority disembarkation and shore excursion preference you also get with most levels as a Captains Club member. If you really need a choice of 4 kinds of pillows, fresh flowers and fresh fruit in your room and more room service breakfast choices then maybe CC is worth the cost to you. For our 10 day Century cruise this September we compared the “extra” value of a CC balcony cabin vs. a 2A Balcony cabin and could not justify the $500 more in cabin cost. Here is what we looked at (We are a Captain’s Club member):

1. Priority disembarkation-get that with CC membership but don’t need it as our flight leaves Barcelona at 1pm On some cruises for us, this has been big, others not so much

2. Fresh Flowers-really not important at allWe like them but they get in the way and take up valuable laptop space on the desk. So we usually have them removed by the second or third day.

3. Fresh fruit in room-again not important fresh fruit in the past has been either too green or too ripe to eat anywayOurs has usually been fresh and my bride loves a banana every day to keep her potassium up. So we just ask them to leave a banana and an apple a day.

4. Personalized stationary- again not important who will we write to on the ship?Actually this one I use. Every sheet of it. When someone does something nice for us on the ship (like the Captain's Club hostess inviting us to the Captain's table) I use it to write them a thank you note. I also always include a personal note with tips at the end of the cruise.

5. 4 kinds of pillows to choose-again the non CC pillows and linens have been more than adequate

6. Welcome champagne-my TA always has a bottle waiting for us in the cabin. So does our TA. But we always have it sent up to our table in the dining room. They don't charge a corkage fee when you do this. If we send up two bottles to our table of eight, we can give everyone enough for a full glass.

7. Room and balcony size-on the Century the 2A and CC cabins are identical.I agree with this but five of our seven cruises with X have been on Infinity in an aft cabin. Those trips were more about the aft cabin than CC.

8. Room service breakfast-DW and I are not big breakfast eaters and regular room service menu is fine, when we want hot breakfast for eggs etc we prefer to go to the DR where we know it will be hot and cooked correctly.I totally agree on this one. Our real problem with room service is that unless you are in a warm weather situation and can eat on your aft cabin verandah, having room service delivered is so cramped. Where do you put breakfast for two in a Century CC cabin.

9. Appetizers in you cabin-with our port intensive cruise and long shore tours we would not have time to enjoy this before our early DR seating and with all the food we eat on a cruise we don’t really need to fill up on cheap canapés Agreed. But we love it since we started ordering cheese.

 

After we reviewed the above list we could not find any added value to pay the additional $500 for CC cabins on the Century cruise. In fact I personally think the so called extra value CC cabins on the Century are a joke and the only thing of maybe some value is being one deck higher than the 2A cabins which isn’t worth that much. The $500 we saved will buy a lot of wine and Martini’s on our cruise.

 

Great post. Shows why some of us want it and others don't. Two other things for us are huge. The priority tendering which has saved our butts twice when we had private tour guides waiting on shore and the bathrobes. Ahhh, the bathrobes. Best ever.

[DrKoob]

A menu in the room of all CC perks - and make sure I get them!

Real priority luggage delivery

High tea - tea sandwiches, scones, pastries delivered to cabin on request

Discount on laundry

100 minutes free internet

Big fluffy white bath towels

Cabin furnishings in excellent condition

gourmet bites delivered to the cabin on request

 

This is the best list yet. Why didn't I think of discount on laundry? That is a GREAT idea. 100 free minutes of WiFi would be even better. And I love your idea of having the cabin furnishing being taken care of immediately.

 

Your suggestions are so great I may go back and redo my survey. Outstanding!

[DrKoob]

Jim, on the cruise we were on with you guys, I was really looking forward to the "fresh flowers" promised in the CC "menu". I am big on having them even here at home in the winter. I was surprised not to have them in the cabin when I boarded, and when I asked the butler, he said, oh, that's for Royal Suites and above. I knew that was garbage and when I pressed him a bit, he said, let me see what I can do. So we got something, but hard pressed to see what I got as a benefit. I was expecting a nice arrangement.

 

Also, no CC-type bath amenities; again, I should have asked, but I was disappointed in what I was given, which was a tiny bottle of shampoo, no conditioner, and a tinmy bottle of hand lotion. It would have been great to have bath gel since I had a bathtub! Duh!

 

So, yes, if they would deliver, without being asked, what is being advertised, that would be a huge help. Also, they may as well keep the personalized stationery--I could have made that myself on my laptop in 5 minutes! Free internet would be fantastic!

 

My $.02 worth.

 

Cathy

 

Hi Cathy,

Were you guys in a suite? I didn't know that. We had fresh flowers. I remember because I had to ask our guy to remove them because I was afraid I would knock them over on my MacBook Pro. You should have told us, I would have brought them to you. And we were just in CC. And to be honest, I don't know if you get extra stuff in the bath because I don't use it. (I just asked Kathleen and she said you get little bottles instead of just dispensers on the wall and I didn't know that. You know us guys, we'll wash our hair with borax if that's all there is and never notice. :p )

 

I think you should have knocked some sense into that butler or have had Eric do it. He was obviously shorting you. Shame on him.