AspiringCruisePlanner

 

Hi All,

I have a question.  I know most casino for slot point, is every $5 for one points.  For table is a miystery.

But this is what I saw in Celebrity Casino site.  Blue Chip club, It said for slot, $1 per point.  And Table $1 for 8 points?  Is that correct?

 

 

It's actually 8 points per $1 of theoretical LOSS. For example, for double zero roulette the house edge is about 5%, meaning you should expect to loose $5 for every $100 wagered. Extrapolating that, you should expect to earn 40 points for each $100 wagered (8pts × $5 theoretical loss). There's no gaurantee that the dealer/pit boss is going to track your play accurately enough to determine how many points you should receive, but in theory this is how it should work.

4 hours ago, Paid4c4 said:

We will be on the Grandeur of the Seas August 19-26.  We are looking for a nice beach to spend the day.  The ship offers 

Chankanaab Day Pass with Lunch and Drinks.  I was wondering if anyone had comments about the offering or suggestions.

Bill

 

 

Little known place adjacent to Chankanaab Park. Not offered through the cruise lines. They'll even arrange a taxi for you to get back to the ship.

https://thecabanabeach.com/

On 4/17/2023 at 9:14 AM, Matt said:

I appreciate the kind words, and big thanks to @Curt From Canada for all the tips! I wasn't sure if it was worth upgrading the drink package or not.

Super excited for you to try out Celebrity, Matt!  We were on her back in December and loved it.  I have some tips as well.

• If you don't have Celebrity Select dining, I would try to get it switched to that now.  The reason being is that Edge class ships don't follow the early/late seating preferences like any other ship.  People who chose early or late dining are given a reservation at one of the 4 main dining rooms on the first night and then are on their own to make reservations for the following nights.  To get set times locked in, you need to choose Celebrity Select dining and pre-reserve times for each night via the app or cruise planner.  Reservation spots open about a year in advance, so you should be able to book them now.
• It's worth trying to eat in the 4 different main dining rooms on various nights.  There's a different theme/ambiance in each which is fun to explore.  My favorite was Cyprus.
• Each of the 4 dining rooms has a short list of "exclusive" dishes which are not truly exclusive as you're able to order these from any of the 4 main dining rooms.  You can find all the exclusive dishes listed in the menus for the various dining rooms on the app.
• Based on your comment it sounds like you have the classic beverage package.  I wouldn't bother upgrading to the premium package since there are a huge number of drinks included with the classic package and you can always pay the difference plus gratuity if you want a drink priced higher than the included amount.  Kraken rum is included in the classic package, so lava flows with kraken are fair game 
• You may already be aware, but contrary to Royal Caribbean, you don't need to check in or out pool towels!
• Also contrary to Royal Caribbean, you don't need to reserve seats for shows in the theater.  Just show up 5-10 minutes before hand and there should be plenty of decent seats.
• Since you get status match to Elite from being Diamond Plus (and soon to be Pinnacle, congrats by the way), you'll get 1 bag of laundry complimentary.  Why not take advantage of it?
• If you want to attend any of the Captain's Club onboard events like the Sneak Peek of Wonder at Eden or Create and Pour, you want to sign up for those on the day you board as they get filled up quickly.  You should get a flyer in your room on day 1 with details on how to reserve.
• For late night bites, head to the back of the buffet for pizza.  They do a good job.
• I'll echo @Curt From Canada's tip that Cafe al Bacio is top notch and all drinks without liquor are included with the classic package.  Also, the baked goods at Cafe al Bacio are complementary for everyone.
• Pro tip: Eden Cafe is a complementary fast-casual style restaurant with outdoor seating on deck 5 in the Eden area.  It's open for breakfast and lunch, but only on sea days. The food is great and it is much less busy and noisy than the buffet.  Would recommend
• If you want to upgrade your internet package, you'll want to call in order to get the Captain's Club discount applied.  The price shown on the planner doesn't include the additional discount.
• Don't forget to pick up your 3 casino match plays from the cashier for being an Elite member!

That's all I got.  Enjoy your cruise!

On 1/29/2023 at 5:49 PM, D Alt said:

I finally booked a Celebrity cruise on Silhouette for end of 2024! The deals were pretty good with 75% off second guest and I got $100 OBC. Albeit it's a short 3N cruise. Figured it's good for now. By that time I will be Diamond (almost D+) and Elite on Celebrity.  So I'm guessing I should wait until I hit that level to start purchasing any extras in order to get discounts.  

For some reason RCCL and Celebrity's Loyalty programs are not showing the correct levels.  Anyone else having this issue in the cruise planner? 

You could wait until you hit diamond to purchase extras in the cruise planner, but the discount you'll receive are going to be pretty insignificant.  The only discount you'll gain is an additional 5% off alcoholic beverage packages and wifi.  The prices could easily increase by that time, so if you're planning on purchasing, I'd do that now.  You could always repurchase once you reach that level by calling in.

What cabin category did you go with?  My wife, son, and I will be on Silhouette for the NYE 2024 cruise in a Concierge Sunset Veranda.

On 1/31/2023 at 9:26 AM, Va4fam said:

We are Diamond+ on RCI and looking to book a Celebrity Beyond cruise in 2024 or 2025.   Had a question about drink packages.

The 5 drinks we get each day on Royal are plenty, do we need the premium package on Celebrity, an everything included package, or something else for similar quantity?

I also read that Celebrity participates in the the Royal Shareholder OBC program, which would be a nice perk.

 

Based on the fact that 5 drinks per day is enough for you, I'd forgo getting a beverage package as you'd need to drink 6 or more alcoholic drinks each day to make the classic or premium beverage package worthwhile. I'd recommend booking a sail only rate and just paying as you go.

Since you're D+ with RCI, you're automatically Elite with Celebrity.  Elite and above Captain's Club members get free drinks at most bars on the ship between 5-7 every night except the first night.  As many as you can drink in that timespan.

We've flown in and out of MIA and FLL.  If there's a significant savings for flying into/out of either one, go for it.  I always compare 2 one-way flights when flying to the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area versus a round trip.

On 1/11/2023 at 5:51 PM, esmoov said:

Just disembarked from Beyond and had a great time. Celebrity is my line. This ship along with Edge and Apex are designed specifically to target the 27+ straight and gay couples with no kids, fresh walets-  who need locations to take Instagram pictures. Champaign glass shaped hot tubs, comedic modern art, clear plunge pools including many cruisers with thong style bikinis. The ship also includes needles tech.  I'am very happy with a light switch with and a toilet flusher.  These cabins have 3-4 mood light settings, electronically controlled window shades - this is clearly for the 27+ crowd.  Having said that they do have a kids club. There is traditional cruise food as well as art on the plate style and other trendy type vegan etc.  The entertainment on our 5 night voyage included a comedian, a Broadway review  (featuring modern musicals / numbers).  However they also had a "soultown" show- which is clearly directed at the 60 plus cruisers. I would note that all of the slots are also high tech including wireless cell-phone chargers on most. Also, I hope you are sitting down - NO BINGO - they prefer Deal or No Deal- which was interrupted on my cruise since Captain Kate turned the ship around to perform a rescue. Certainly a picture with Captain Kate says it all for your Instagram or Tik Tok...  The gym has the most high tech equipment, including Pelatons and all manner classes and person training.  The same can be said of the spa treatments. The ship has 3 separate DJS which sometimes battle during silent discoes or take turns on the pool deck parties playing different styles of music. 

As far as the drink package goes, with the pricing changes - either buy the premium or drink sea water.  The only thing included on the basic package is coors light and diet coke (as an example).  Not a single martini, non-fat -double shot, no whip whatever latte is included, or any of those post modern cocktails that take longer to make than to drink are included. The best is on embarkation day, the first bar you have to pass is the Martini Bar and you realize that nothing on the menu is included in the basic package - conveniently located next to guest services for the on-board premium upgrade fee.

Having said that everyone cruises different.  Having been on both Edge and Beyond, Celebrity would love nothing more than to entice the 27+ crowd away from Virgin Voyages- and I would note that Virgin is struggling since they have not marketed to anyone over 40, yet many 27-40s still have mortgages and recent alimony payments for their first marriages and therefore cannot afford the rockstar suite.  That being said, Celebrity has not forgotten about their 60's crowd and I think they have done a pretty good job of keeping most happy.  

Thanks for your honest review and I'm glad you had the same feelings as my wife and I on our Apex sailing in December.  We're a younger couple (27) and we certainly felt like the E class ships are catered more towards the millennial crowd with a spattering of venues and entertainment for the Gen Xers.  However, outside of the E class ships, Celebrity is not focused on the same target audience which puts them in a weird place among their existing customers who enjoy the more "classic" cruising atmosphere.

When you mention that this is partially targeted towards gay couples, where are you gathering that assessment from?  I noticed some self-led LGBTQ+ meet-ups listed on the daily planners, but besides that what about the ship/experience would say that Celebrity or the E class is catered towards gay couples?  Just curious.

Bingo, yes, bring it back!  But we did enjoy Deal or No Deal as there were opportunities for everyone to participate and make a little bit of money back in freeplay or even a cash prize.  We turned our $30 freeplay into $120 at one of the slots (paid $50 to purchase the cards).

Funny that you mention the classic drink package and the martini bar, because on our cruise on Apex they were able to make 3 of the martinis on the menu at no extra charge when we had the classic package.  I think a lower tier gin may have been used.  Did you ask them and they said no or did you just look at the menu and assume the drink price would not be covered?  Also, there are many drinks on the menu that you can ask to be made with classic level liquor for no extra charge.  Next time you go on a cruise with X, try this route.  One more thing about the drinks, if the price of a drink is higher than the max price for a classic or even premium package, you can just pay the difference plus gratuity on that drink.  Often times you'll save money paying on a per drink basis rather than upgrading for the entirety of the cruise to premium.

I'd agree that Celebrity is competing for the Virgin Voyages customers with their E class ships.  As you alluded to, I do feel X has a slightly better angle as Virgin is adults only while X has the kids club which allows families with children to cruise.  You mentioned just what I've thought before that who in Virgin Voyage's target market's has the disposable income to justify dropping that amount of money on a Rockstar suite?  I will say that Virgin's percentage of suite cabins (5%) is much lower than the percentage on the E class ships (~12%) which probably makes them easier to fill.  My wife and I would love to try Virgin at some point to see what they have to offer and leave the kids with grandma and grandpa, but I'm waiting for my Chase points to accumulate so I can transfer them to Virgin points to get a balcony at a great point value.  The last offer was something like 120k points for a cruise worth $2500, so 2c per point.

Thanks for your thoughts and I'd love to hear what you have to say in response to some of my questions here!

23 hours ago, mac66 said:

Just an update from our late Nov/early Dec RCI 8 night ABC island cruise on the Explorer. Very nice cruise. Food and service were very much better than the 3 X cruises we did last year.  I think we are done with X for awhile. We have another RCI cruise set up in Feb.

I'm curious to hear what class of rooms and ships you were in during these cruises.  Were you in the MDR for your meals and did you do any specialty dining?

6 hours ago, Colon said:

Does anyone know why Celebrity Soltice August 4, 2023 sailing is missing or sold out?

Reports from the other cruise board are that passengers with bookings were contacted to L&S to another date as the ship was chartered. This was around the beginning of last month.

Oh, and now a charge for additional lobster tails and only offered on 7+ night sailings. 

Disrespecting crew members. On our last cruise, some woman was at the coffee shop while a crew member was mopping floors. She then said "can you get out of my way so I can order my coffee?" I remember it distinctly since it was so uncalled for.

Hi everyone.  I'd like to report some changes Celebrity instituted in the last couple of weeks that many people are not happy about.

1. $9.95 + 18% gratuity room service fee (except for continental breakfast, suite guests, and Zenith members).  Previously, there was only a $5 late night fee after 11PM.  All other room service orders were complementary.

2. Reduced dinner service in the Oceanview Cafe (Celebrity's buffet). Less stations are now open during dinner hours.

3. Increased beverage package prices. Base price for classic is now $89pppd and the premium is $109pppd. (Was $69 and $84)

4. If one guest in a stateroom wishes to purchase an alcoholic beverage package, then all other guests (over the age of 12) must have a beverage package.

5. Evening turn down service being eliminated?  This has yet to be seen, but it would eliminate the opportunity for folks to sign up for their "Go Green" program for reduced cabin housekeeping in exchange for bonus Captain's Club points.

6. This one was a couple months ago: Removal of early/late set dining times on their Edge class ships.  Everyone on these ships is now Celebrity Select (my time dining).  Folks were not notified of this change and found out onboard.

7. This one is ongoing and has turned some folks away from Celebrity based on their handling of the situation: On release day for new Caribbean itineraries (Dec 13) all 3 & 4 night sailings between Nov 2024 and April 2025 on the Celebrity Silhouette appeared to be offered at a substantial discount.  Many people booked these sailings at the steep discount before they adjusted the prices later in the day.  Last week Celebrity agents began calling customers with these bookings informing them there was a pricing error and they will not honor the rate as booked.  They gave these folks three options (1) Agree to an increase in price to the prevailing rate of the room booked (in several cases, double or triple the booked rate) and receive $100 OBC (2) Downgrade to a stateroom with a prevailing rate that matches the rate booked at originally (no extra OBC) or (3) Cancel the booking and receive a refund of the deposit paid.  Many people, including folks not even affected by this rate adjustment, have been turned off by their handling of the situation and not honoring the price folks received a confirmation for.  There was no deadline set for folks to decide on the three options, so there might be another round of offers coming to those sticking to their reservation.

These changes are stacking up and leaving a bad taste in loyal passenger's mouths.  It's understandable due to recent impacts to the economy, but it certainly has impacts to guest satisfaction.

Celebrity updated their drink package pricing and policy to align more with Royal Caribbean.

Base price for classic is now $89pppd and the premium is $109pppd. (Was $69 and $84)

Also, they added the rule where all guests of drinking age in the same stateroom must purchase the package. Previously, they allowed one person to purchase.

Lame

On 12/16/2021 at 4:29 PM, AlmondFarmer said:

I will be sailing in the Villa on Symphony January 22, 2022. 8 adults, $16K. 
I booked it on November 20, 2019 the day itinerary was released.

Unless future Caribbean sailings are delayed like Europe, I will not get to experience the Villa before having the opportunity to book again. Based on other Star class experiences, I will book Villa on Harmony or Symphony again if total price for 8 is under $20K. Can always downgrade before final payment.

 

I bet you've already taken a look at the latest release, but I'm seeing Villa suites on Harmony in the neighborhood of $15k for 8 people in the off season. Even during the summer, $10k less than what the 2023 prices were set at.

CardCash sells RCCL gift cards at a 9% discount, but like others have said, it can only be used towards the cruise fare and not OBC.

Gift cards are also not wise because travel insurance doesn't cover cancellation charges when travel arrangements are purchased with gift cards.

On 11/22/2022 at 8:57 PM, Andrew72681 said:

Are you on the 12/17 sailing? We’ll be on that one as well and loved our time on Apex last year. 

Yes, that's our sailing.  Less than 3 weeks away!

56 minutes ago, TeRriii said:

You can modify the cruise planner url to valid sail date to see that date price of drink package and others. No need to login to your account.

Url :

royalcaribbean.com/account/cruise-planner/category/beverage?bookingId=1234567&shipCode=SC&sailDate=20230209

Bookingid just enter 7 digit random number

Shipcode "SC" is for Spectrum of the Seas.

Saildate "20230209" is valid sail date for Spectrum of the seas

Thanks for passing along the knowledge.

I was curious about this ship I found in my son's book with a Crown and Anchor logo. I looked closely and saw the name "Viking Sovereign". Apparently it sailed under Royal Caribbean from 1990-2002 to Alaska and short Mexico cruises from LA.

Also saw that this is the only ship Royal Caribbean acquired and did not build for themselves.

Not the best looking vessel if you ask me.

Anyone here sail on her?

4 hours ago, AMarieKC said:

A close family member has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, and I need to go see her, and provide some care.

I have the travel insurance, but I’m not sure this scenario is covered.

Sorry to hear about this. Depending on your relationship to this family member, you should be able to get refunded the cancellation fees. Most travel insurance covers these situations. Check your policy docs.

40 minutes ago, bobroo said:

This is the only power strip/outlet adapter approved 100% of the time by every cruise line:

 

 

I like the creativity, but the sight of that phone screen baking in the direct sunlight has me concerned.  I know it's for demonstration only.

4 hours ago, SpicyCherry said:

So do I dare to believe that this applies to Celebrity as well? I have a 10N Southern Caribbean aboard Celebrity Edge coming up in December of 2022. In fact, just got my Cruise Docs today. I see the change clearly on Royal’s website….on Celebrity’s? Not so much. Maybe I should refresh??

Celebrity updated their main health and safety page earlier.  It looks like they are following the same protocols as RCI, effective today.

https://www.celebritycruises.com/health-and-safety

What's different is that Celebrity is allowing unvaccinated who choose not to test, to sail on itineraries to Roatan, Columbia, and Grand Turk.  The stipulation is that those unvaccinated passengers who did not test will not be allowed to disembark at that port.  That's what I'm reading from this page at least.

https://www.celebritycruises.com/ca/healthy-at-sea/protocol-exceptions

Maybe Celebrity has a better way of verifying whether you're tested or vaccinated prior to disembarkation at these ports?  

11 hours ago, Pattycruise said:

Is there a website to check your celerity points/past sailings?

You just sign in on the Celebrity website and go to your profile.  If you don't have a Celebrity sign in, you'll need to create one and this can be done online.  If you have past cruises that aren't showing, you should call in to get those added to your point total.

3 hours ago, mistertomatohead said:

I'm going to buy onboard credit to make it $1000 on my American Express card to get 25000 pts. The Amex offer expires 12/31/22. I'm going to get a cash refund of the OBC when onboard.

Big brain move here.

39 minutes ago, berkeleykel said:

If you do a normal search it should come up as an option if you filter by ship.  May need to sign in first.

Normal search is open.  No sign in required.  Don't know why they state early booking available a day early for C&A when they open it up to everyone on the same day.

1 hour ago, Jill said:

Hmmmm no matter what date I choose, ocean balcony shows me the exact same cabins on deck 12 and the same infinite balconies on deck 9. That’s all that’s available period for all 3 sailings. Weird. 

Same issue here.  It appears that only opened some of the balconies for this launch day.  Not sure why...