My husband and I have cruised on Celebrity Cruise line for years. We have experienced all levels of rooms, from inside cabins, to Port holes, to balcony, Agua class and the last 4 cruises the Celebrity Suite. We would never go back to anything less then the Celebrity Suite. It is one up from your Sky Suite, but the service is 10 times better. Yes, it is more expensive, but at our age (76, 75) we feel it is worth it. We will be sailing on the Ascent in 2024. I will let you know if there is a marked difference in service and perks because we have had the whole experienced in The Retreat. Now it seems I have been reading that all the cruise line guest have been experienceing the lack of service because there isn't enough help and since everything is more expensive, food, fuel, etc the service is not up to snuff. We shall see.

Sailed on the Silhouette September 2023 in a Sunset Sky Suite. I agree exactly with all the detailed points you made about the revised 'Butler' service. The stateroom attendants have little idea of the role of butler they have added to their responsibilities. We have travelled in suite class including both royal suites and aqua class sky suites with full butler service and there is no comparison with the current offering for Sky suites. Lets hope Celebrity listen to what is being said and review this new arrangement.

Nailed it 100%. Cruised in a Sunset Sky Suite on the Eclipse last month and had a very similar experience (except that we loved Luminae). Came home and booked our next cruise on Regent Seven Seas. Celebrity has lost our business.

@jpayton

8 ай бұрын

I am interested in your take on Regents Seven Seas! We are looking too for a celebrity replacement and aren’t sure where to go? Norwegian and Princess seem to be trying to step up, but I don’t see the same level of service or offerings as celebrity.

@allynhumphreys2819

8 ай бұрын

We’ll be on Regent’s newest ship (the Grandeur) in February. I love that EVERYTHING is included in the cruise fare - WiFi, premium drinks, gratuities, first class air and ground transportation to/from the ship. Also included are excursions, a selection of about 6-8 at each port are included in the fare. As a comparison, my husband’s Celebrity fishing excursion in Ketchikan cost us about $250. His Regent fishing excursion in Belize next year is included at no extra cost. We’re also big fans of Viking, both their river and ocean cruises. We like the smaller ships with fewer passengers (less than 1,000). Both Regent and Viking ARE pricey, but I believe that we get what we pay for (as opposed to Celebrity’s bait and switch tactics).

@ZachtheTravelingMan

8 ай бұрын

I hope you have a fantastic time on Regent! I would like to try something like that in the future.

@tracygriffiths6292

8 ай бұрын

Regent can be pricey but we booked a 7 night Caribbean cruise on the Regent Splendor for $1400 LESS than Zach paid to be in the Retreat. I like Celebrity and find no need to be in an overpriced suite when I can get a very similar experience in a balcony room on the same ship for a fraction of the cost. Our money goes to the luxury lines for a luxury vacation experience.

@tracygriffiths6292

8 ай бұрын

We have experienced MSC Yacht Club with true butler service for way less money. However the food is not the level of Celebrity.

I hope Celebrity is paying attention to this video. I knew the change in Butler responsibilities to a team approach was nothing but a shell game to obscure the fact that there are no butlers for sky suites guests anymore. There are a substantial number of Celebrity Retreat customers who watch this video and follow Zach’s recommendations…. I chose Celebrity and the Apex in particular based on his recommendations. I am scheduled for the Retreat on Apex in 2024 and this will be my first cruise. If the issues Zach mentioned happen on my cruise then this will be my last cruise on the Celebrity line.

@kathyvoakes8990

8 ай бұрын

We are scheduled for the Retreat in March 2024. Maybe things will change by then.

@christiandiablo9499

8 ай бұрын

Oh yeah, they watch the influencer videos. I just removed my name from the Move Up list on our upcoming cruise due to this video and we’ve withdrawn any interest in booking a suite unless Celebrity changes this model. Celebrity has been making so many cuts to service and food quality in the last year. We’re now pursuing other options - going with Azamara and Oceania now. We’re between Elite and Elite Plus status with Celebrity but i think we’re parting ways for the near future at least.

@homer5328

8 ай бұрын

@@christiandiablo9499us too

@Angiehere-1

8 ай бұрын

⁠@@christiandiablo9499Oceania has been sending us ads. We may try them in the future.

@leslielaneashevillencrealt5072

8 ай бұрын

Sounds like a big fail for celebrity

Thanks for you perspective Zach. We have sailed Retreat 4 or 5 times before the cutbacks that you experienced. It was worth every penny. BUT we won’t get to see the cutbacks until December when we sail in Retreat on Apex. If I experience what you did on Reflection then it will be our last on Celebrity. I hope they get their stuff together.

@Bobby_Di

8 ай бұрын

With technology these days I’d hope having multiple butlers there’s good communication as they learn a guests habits/frequent needs

We just got off Celebrity Beyond in an aft Sky Suite. The team butler sales pitch on Celebrity is a total downgrade. So we basically had no butler service. They are cutting back now…..this was 9/18 sailing.

@ZachtheTravelingMan

8 ай бұрын

Sorry to hear that - thank you for letting me know.

@patricialesiacsek2219

8 ай бұрын

We were in a sky suite on the Beyond that sailed 9/18. The experience was very different from our previous times sailing in a sky suite. We don’t ask a lot of the butler or state room host either. We asked for the mini bar to be emptied as well and they emptied it but put the items on the dresser. Had to ask them to remove them so we could use the space. We noticed the room service menu for breakfast didn’t offer as much variety. Use to be able to get lox for breakfast. Luminae was not as good as what we have previously experienced. We are looking at Regeant or Silver Seas for our next cruise. We were very disappointed.

@patricialesiacsek2219

8 ай бұрын

One of my complaints was I couldn’t get more water left in my stateroom until I complained. It’s the one thing I asked for from the room attendant on embarkation day. I would always bring water bottles back from the retreat lounge but I should have to go in search of water at 10pm at night.

Celebrity sounds like they’re scamming The Retreat people

@leocatcruises

8 ай бұрын

Wow! You saved me money. I would be complaining from day one if I paid $8000 and got no special service.

@clintondelp3465

8 ай бұрын

So you seem to be a regular guy. 8 thousand dollars! How long? That is a ton of money! You have resources!

@Stephanie-vx4zi

8 ай бұрын

They're selling something that doesn't exist.

@dresadin

23 күн бұрын

I would agree for all ships below Edge class. If it is an Edge class ship, it can be worth it. They really should lower the price for Retreat significantly for non-Edge class ships.

Zach - thank YOU for providing fair / honest / balanced reviews. You’re a good guy and we all appreciate you just being YOU and being real.

@ZachtheTravelingMan

8 ай бұрын

Thank you, Angie. I really appreciate that. :)

Oceania Cruises butlers are some of the most amazing men and women I've ever worked with. We had a suite on Oceania Sirena - and that was exactly the kind of butler service you were expecting. He arranged everything - food reservations, laundry, coffee service each morning - - and even a sail away party in one of our ports with cakes and Bellinis. It was absolutely the most luxurious cruise vacation we've ever booked.

@mindygross3379

5 ай бұрын

Thank you for the input and great information. I’m absolutely going to check out Oceania for a Mediterranean trip. Why would anyone choose Celebrity with their new bait and switch offerings? It’s not as though we’re asking for something that we weren’t paying for and expecting to receive 🤬

This is how you destroy loyalty, trust and eventually your business: lying to your customers (who pays a huge amount of money) and give substandard service. We all can vote with our money: go to take other cruise lines like Oceania, etc I sailed on Oceania across the Atlantic last Dec. It has its issues (horrific WiFi due to incompetent Wifi design; I do that for a living, I know) but the service and food was never one.

Just posted link to your video on cruise critic - This needs more exposure Great video highlighting the poor service with all the cutbacks Hopefully X execs will get to see this and take action

@ZachtheTravelingMan

8 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing!

@GSSuiteLife

8 ай бұрын

It’s being shared by many on CC hopefully the Execs at X and RCG get to see your honest and factual review Our family of cruisers all Enjoy your honest content 👍🏻

It’s disgraceful what they’ve done to the Sky Suites. I hope the line is taking note.

I sailed in a Sunset Veranda next to a sky suite on Beyond 12/2022 and I remember the butler would be knocking on their door all the time that it became almost annoying to me when I was reading a book or just relaxing in my cabin. I am sorry to hear about your experience and I hope you did get some compensation especially for the guy telling you that you would never see him again, he works in an office. WTF. If I paid $8K and someone told me that on embarkation day, I probably would have downgraded to a Sunset Veranda or just have gotten off the ship. I don't feel that dining at luminae is worth 8K. I would have been happy dining at Raw on 5 the entire trip. lol. Sounds like you got a Veranda experience at a Retreat price. Super disappointed in Celebrity.

@forza-kr4bx

2 ай бұрын

Was the butler coming to clean? My came 2x a day on aqua

That room is not 3-4 times nicer than a normal veranda room. That’s crazy pricing for that product. I get that booking a suite is a splurge and it’s not supposed to be a value. But man, that price is insane for that room.

I’m sorry you didn’t have a great experience, we are scheduled for March of next year on the Apex, we chose a sunset Sky suite because we love being on the back of the ship. We paid in full in July and one month later they announce that all the things we paid $10,000 for were no longer included! I called to cancel but they assured us that since we were already paid we would still get all those perks but I’m very skeptical, especially now. It feels like Celebrity looks down on sky suites because we didn’t pay 20 or 30 grand for suite and they’d rather just pretend those cabins just don’t exists. Our friends went on Celebrity Edge a few weeks ago and said basically the same thing you did. I don’t need a lot of attention but I did pay twice as much for this cruise as any other suite class room so I expect good service. On MSC we were treated like royalty in a comparable room in Yacht Club and for half the price. I’ll be expecting at least a similar experience.

100% accurate. We have stayed in the retreat 3 times, once since the change in service and probably won't spend the money again. i don't see how the service now is any different than a regular room on royal caribbean.

Thanks because we won't be bidding on a suite upgrade. I'm already disgusted with our cost now. The increase of costs, decreasing service is why this is our last cruise.

I greatly appreciate this review. I love your vids. Just goes to show how companies are cutting back, overworking the "lower man on the totem pole" just to save a buck. Management that barely lifts a finger to help their over worked staff until passengers complain. I would not have paid $8k for this. It just didn't seem worth it. I would highly, highly recommend MSC Yacht Club for less and with way more amenities. We paid about $5800 for 2 of us...a 7 night in June 2023 out of Port Canaveral on Seaside in a balcony suite. Our butler was outstanding, we had our own dining area, lounging deck, open bar nearly 24 hours, almost everything included in the mini fridge including snacks, daily snack service, free room service, free bottle of wine or hard liquor, turn down twice a day with amazing chocolates, afternoon tea, a whole separate area on the private island, free wifi, free drinks, separate pool with separate breakfast and lunch buffet and so much more! I would check it out.

@ZachtheTravelingMan

7 ай бұрын

Thank you!

I wish I had known this before we went the last 10 days of September out of Barcelona. We also were in a Sky Suite in the Retreat. Very disappointing. Found out from other “cruisers” where Michael’s was where we could talk to our concierge “team.” The Butler, Peter came to our room and chastised us for not knowing Celebrity had changed their services. We also received an email from our “butler” a few weeks prior to sailing. We also were disappointed with the food in Luminae. Our host was over worked. Our cruise was fool and we got no extra amenities such as nibbles we were told we would get. A lot of money for ok service.

Just back from a cruise on silhouette in a similar corner sky suite and whilst we did not have any of the cleanliness problems that you had everything else matches up completely. There is definitely a feeling that the only way to get anything sorted is to deal with the concierges in the retreat lounge. Silhouette also has the retreat terrace at the top of the ship which is a great facility particularly if it is a busy cruise. The lounge, Luminae, the retreat terrace, the drinks package and the wifi package and free room service are the worthwhile benefits. Otherwise the service to your cabin in a sky suite seems to be more or less the same as every other cabin now

Thanks for your honesty Zac, I have been thinking of doing this for our last cruise, but will rethink my choice.

This is so disappointing. We paid $7,500 a week for 2 weeks in an aft Sky Suite on the Beyond this year and loved it. The Retreat sun deck was amazing and while the food in Luminae is just okay for me (I prefer the NCL Haven menu), the service in Luminae was great. The price difference over a non-suite was worth it to us for the uncrowded sun deck, indoor Retreat lounge with great views on both sides and the excellent service. I don’t “need” a butler but ours was fantastic, always popping up and offering to do things for us. With the increase in prices, we won’t be sailing Celebrity anymore. For the current nightly sky suite rate we can stay in a penthouse verandah on Viking with better food, more space and crew per passenger and just an overall classier experience. Our next two cruises are with Viking and we’re looking at Oceania as well.

All my sailings on Celebrity have been in Celebrity Suites until two weeks ago when we sailed in a Skysuite on the Apex. It was different. Never met a "Head Butler" or any butler. Stateroom attendant did a nice job cleaning but no additional interaction. Any other requests had to be directed to the concierge in the Retreat lounge. Sometimes they were available and sometimes not. Dramatically different level of service from the butler days . I have two more cruises booked on Celebrity but will be shopping around after that .

Great honest review Zach! I have stayed in the sunset sky suite on Reflection for the Greek Isles, Italy and Turkey, but we had a butler that was excellent. He was the best we had on any ship. We also stayed in the corner sunset sky suite on the Eclipse in January 2023 in New Zealand and Australia. That cruise we had a butler but only saw her at the beginning of the cruise. Turns out she got hurt so we saw our stateroom attendant who did an outstanding job for us. I hope you just had an underperforming stateroom attendant as we are staying on the Beyond in December 2024 and Eclipse in June 2025. If we get bad service on the Beyond, we will cancel our Eclipse cruise and sail with SilverSea. We have been on many Celebrity Cruises, so if this change affects our trip, they will lose our business as well.

Thanks for your honest review Zach. My wife and I did the Mediterranean cruise aboard Celebrity Edge last month. We had a similar experience with our Butler but since this was our 1st time sailing in a Suite we just thought that we got unlucky and got a novice butler. (couldn't answer any questions regarding setting up excursions, dining reservations, etc) So thank you for letting us know that we were not alone in our experience. I will say though that the 2 Concierge hosts in the Retreat Lounge were excellent. Always available, very professional, answered the phone quickly, so that by the 2nd day I just bypassed the Butler completely and went directly to them for any help I needed. One day I was having issues with the Celebrity app on my phone and the Concierge had the ship tech support guy meet me in the Lounge within 10 minutes to fix the problem. The only time we really saw our "Butler" was when we ran into him in the hallway waiting to clean the room.

This is so helpful! I hope they change back to dedicated butler before my cruise in December

This is definitely a downgrade with ridiculously higher prices. Our upcoming cruise to Spain/Italy and France was just canceled on the Ascent in the Retreat due to the ship being chartered out. When I first found out, I was devastated but hearing what you have said, I do believe it was a blessing in disguise. When we were in a sky suite on the Apex, we were unbelievably pampered so it would have been a huge disappointment to not have that same service. We are still planning on going to Europe since I have already bought our airline tickets but we will be just traveling on our own. Unless things go back to the way they were, we will not be sailing in the Retreat again because we certainly can not afford the higher end suites. I'm in the process of seeing what other lines offer a butler because it was such a joy to be pampered while on the Apex.

@karensorbello142

8 ай бұрын

Very disappointing

The service you're describing in the first 8 minutes is the same basic service you'll get with any stateroom. Sky suite is like any other stateroom now.

Thanks for this review. Last November I booked our first cruise on Reflection Retreat Sunset Sky Suite for cruise Nov 23 so in a few weeks to Caribbean. Bought into then Retreat marketing, Butler etc. Glad to find your candid review but disappointed that have to reset my expectations. May be our first and last cruise with Celebrity.

As a lifelong celebrity customer, sounds like my days sailing them are over. Bean counters rule them now. How sad for what was a great cruise line.

@RunTravelSleepRepeat

7 ай бұрын

What is a better option? I'm loyal Celebrity as well, and am curious what other lines you like. I'm always open to ideas.

Good honest review......they have been slipping since travel re-started after the virus. Last cruise we walked into our room on embarkation day with poop splatters everywhere and it went down hill from there. Blue rocks IMO so it's only AQUA Class going forward.

I had a reservation on a Sky Suite on the Reflection but after this review I am cancelling it. Not worth the aggravation. Plenty of other cruise lines to choose from!!

Sorry about that experience. I'm glad you have a platform to make your concerns public. Hopefully they are embarrassed and it leads to a positive change.

You are correct on decor, that is the exact room on our one (and only) suite experience back in 2014, and they looked exactly like your room does in the video. Back then, it was an excellent deal we stumbled into and they did have the full butler service. Back then you had a butler button you could use anytime, even in the dead of the night as there was a backup butler to monitor any possible needs for the suites, which was nice although only used once. I'm sorry you experienced the clothing issues, again back in the day they picked up our clothes personally and had it dealt with. I'm assuming it's another cost cutting move to make up for the lost years, but still sad to hear especially with the price hikes too. Thank you for the video. That all being said it is a unique and great room to book, you do roast on the back patio as there is rarely any shade during the main part of the day, but hey - we all have to deal with some "suffering!" ;)

I'm so, so sorry to hear this. I did my first Celebrity cruise earlier this year on the Summit, and stayed in an Aqua Sky suite. The biggest and best perk was having access to both Luminae and Blu. I can't say that I saw a lot of my butler, but he did check in with me several times. (I told him from Day 1, "I'm a really low-maintenance person, so I doubt I'll need much.") I did interact quite a bit with the two concierges, who were amazing. I loved that they were based in the Retreat Lounge, which made them easy to find and which meant you interacted with them daily, whenever you swung by the lounge. I understand the concept of a "butler team," and don't mind it at all. But it doesn't sound like that's what you experienced AT ALL.

We are looking at Mediterranean cruise next year on Celebrity. I have yet to cruise in the Retreat (Elite level) and was hoping that would be the trip to do it! Your honest review has changed my mind having confirmed my concerns with the new retreat model. I believe they are going in a bad direction in an attempt to save $$. Thank you for your honest and in-depth review.

Thanks for your frank insights Zach 🇦🇺👍🙏 I really appreciate you not fence sitting and calling out the experience, warts and all. Suites are pricey enough let alone getting those bespoke services cut back … I know when I’ve saved for my holidays so I can sail in a suite, those perks are some of the things I really looked forward to as a real treat! I’ve now started pricing some other cruise lines instead 🇦🇺

When a process is “owned” by multiple people in reality it is owned by no one. Sounds like you experienced this operational defect with this new team approach rather than having someone singularly accountable for giving you excellent service.

@ZachtheTravelingMan

8 ай бұрын

You said it!

Oh my....thank you so much for your honesty and not selling out and getting something for free just to give thrm a good review..i appreciate and respect you so much for being a good human!!❤❤

@ZachtheTravelingMan

8 ай бұрын

Thank you!

Welcome to Celebrity! We did a B2B Norwegian Fjords/Scandianvia cruise in May/22 and paid $20,000 CDN for 19 days Concierge Class PLUS purchased the Chef's Table, including the wine pairing for $350.00 CDN, among other additional costs for the Premium Beverage package. The food in the MDR was so disappointing. We were huge Celebrity cruisers with many cruises but since COVID, Celebrity has really gone downhill. So, bye bye Celebrity and our next cruise is booked with Holland America. I hope they watched your review because it was so informative. Thank you!

I don’t believe it. The new Celebrity CEO said she hasn’t made any cuts only rolled out things customers wanted like paying more for less. 😂 We do our next and probably last Retreat sailing in 2 weeks. This was a great review!

@eddiealbert4074

8 ай бұрын

Same here. Transatlantic on 10.19. Probably our last retreat on Celebrity

@Angiehere-1

8 ай бұрын

@@eddiealbert4074Same here! We do a transatlantic on Oct. 30th. We don’t wait until the last day to complain.

@ZachtheTravelingMan

8 ай бұрын

A CEO not telling the truth? Say it isn't so! Lollllll. I hope you guys have a great time on your cruise!

@Angiehere-1

8 ай бұрын

@@ZachtheTravelingMan Thanks for the heads up. We are ready for them.

I would continue to call the head butler with requests that we would normally ask the butler for. They'll eventually get the picture that this isn't a good idea. A team of butlers kinda makes sense but this sounds like a team of cabin attendants that are just cabin attendants who have no time or ability to do what your butlers always did.

Thanks for sharing your experience, even though it was a bit painful to watch. We've stayed in the Retreat Sky Suites twice before (Apex and Beyond) and have loved our experience, so much so that we have two more booked. One this November (Beyond) and another one in August 2024, on the Silhouette. All were booked before any of the changes. Hopeful we still have an amazing trip in November, but your review does cause concern. If our experience is similar to what you experienced, we'll "reevaluate" our plans for August 2024.

Between this and the Haven I think a lot of people are being taken for a ride. For those prices even as a solo guest you could get a very good room on Regent or Silversea, where the overall experience is elevated for all guests no matter what stateroom they have.

@christiandiablo9499

8 ай бұрын

Right. Exactly. I was surprised to see that the Haven restaurant has the EXACT same lunch and dinner menus. Every day! EEK! And the level of service recent influencers have shared about Haven is worse than the Retreat is now. We booked Azamara (where suite guests and inside cabin guests are treated the same) for our upcoming cruise in June. We will also now try Oceania and Silverseas.

I’d say, if you want a luxurious experience you should book with Silverseas , Seabourn or Regent. Luxury and Exclusivity is in their DNA. Unfortunately COVID caused the cruise lines to lose many employees and finding outstanding talent is not a given. Thanks for pointing this out. I’ve heard similar complaints about other cruise line ship within a ship products. Not worth the money is the general consensus!

I just booked a suite in the retreat and I actually don't love the idea of a personal butler. I like my privacy and it sounds like they used to kinda hover. 😳 I might like this new version more... although as a former hotel housekeeper myself, I'm very picky and cannot tolerate shortcuts with cleanliness of the room. I agree with you about not feeling comfortable asking for things when you know the room attendant is busy. I think it was a bit inappropriate of them to tell you about their workload. It takes away from the guest experience.

@donmartin986

5 ай бұрын

Appreciate your comment 100%. Butlers can be annoying! And, I do hate to bother busy attendants. I know what you mean.

We were on Millennium in Alaska in an Aqua Sky Suite and had a very similar experience - the butler service was non existent and the room steward handled most requests, along with a bunch of other cabins. We saw the head butler on embarkation day and only again on the last day when he was looking for a tip - sorry, not happening. We have two future Celebrity cruises booked in suites, we are seriously pondering other options at this point. We took a cruise in 22 on Equinox and the suite experience was excellent - the new model doesn't work, but I'm not sure that upper mgmt is getting that feedback. Do better Celebrity, or risk your loyal customers looking elsewhere.

I was on Summit this summer in a sky suite and we had a butler and a room attendant. So yes they changed their service.

We have friends in a sky suite sailing on Reflection as I type. Having spoken to them yesterday I suspect they won't be sailing with Celebrity again anytime soon. Their experience is much as your own.

@ZachtheTravelingMan

8 ай бұрын

Sorry to hear that for them. Thanks for sharing!

Oh, wow - this video was SO interesting to see. Being totally honest, I reckon this class of cruising will be very more out of my price range, but it’s fascinating to hear your experience. This just isn’t what I’d have expected goes on with this type of cabin with Celebrity - you’ve surprised me! Excellent video as always, Zach!

@ZachtheTravelingMan

8 ай бұрын

Thank you, my friend.

Zach, I just discovered you and have happily subscribed! Your videos and opinions you share are so fair and informative! I am a long time Princess cruiser (my first cruise was on the Diamond, way before it was remodeled for it’s home port in Japan, and I fell in love with her and sister ship, the Sapphire. It was your Diamond video that introduced you to me!). Things certainly have changed over the years, and not necessarily for the better. I have to say that the canapés you received in your Sky Suite looked much more appealing than what Princess is currently considering a canapé perk these days! I look forward to seeing and hearing about all your future adventures! Lois

@ZachtheTravelingMan

7 ай бұрын

Thank you, Lois. I really appreciate your kind comment. Welcome!! :)

Very interesting video, thanks for posting this. I have an upcoming B2B on Summit in Dec and staying in a Celebrity Suite. I got an email this weekend from Celebrity asking for my preferences re boarding time, pillows etc. In my response back to them I did ask about the change in butler service. I had heard you mention about this several weeks ago. I specifically asked if there was a dedicated butler and why I was asking, telling them on sea days (we have 3) I like breakfast and lunch in my suite. I've not gotten a response yet...

@ZachtheTravelingMan

8 ай бұрын

I hope all goes well and you have a great time!

@lw3158

8 ай бұрын

@@ZachtheTravelingMan Thank you! Still no response to the email (that's not a complaint, just pointing it out as nothing to report yet). I will let you know the response as well as send you a follow-up AFTER the cruise to let you know the actual experience.

It’s not going to change as long as all suites are booked. By the time this happens we will already be regulars on real luxury cruise lines. Booking now.

WOW Zach. Thank you for your honest review. So glad you’re covering this. Booked a Sky Suite next summer on Beyond before they made the changes and was apprehensive about this apparent bait and switch but wanted to hope for the best. Thank you for letting us know the truth. Celebrity needs to step up and fix this before they alienate their best customers.

@ZachtheTravelingMan

8 ай бұрын

Hope you enjoy it!

Cleanliness of staterooms has been an issue on our last two cruises (Equinox). Granted we were in a Veranda Stateroom, not Retreat, the room was poorly cleaned. There was sticky on the counters/surfaces in both staterooms. I was glad I brought wipes to clean. I realize the crew is stretched thin, so I didn't contact them. We have traveled Retreat and Aqua as well and agree that if the opportunity arises we will most likely choose Aqua for Blue, especially for the cost difference after listening to your experience.

We sailed Aqua Class to Alaska in 2022. Amazing experience, I agree Blu was incredible and we had the service experience you had in Luminae. I felt like we had great value for money. I think we will be trying another line for our next cruise though since I keep hearing stuff like this about Celebrity.

Thanks for this honest review. Now is not the time for Celebrity to diminish the quality of service as you have laid out. I have seen many similar reviews of other Celebrity ships. It seems to be a trend and not one that any of us who are loyal to Celebrity are keen to experience. I hope someone is monitoring and reporting back and that they respond appropriately. I'll be in the Retreat on the Apex in a few weeks and will that experience inform our future cruise planning. Thanks again!

No thanks. $1000 a night for a larger cabin which doesn't really make a difference when service and extras should be the selling point, not a 20c bottle of water. 2023, cruise lines have lost the plot. Reduce the executive pay and million dollar bonuses and put that back into the passenger and food.

All of the Celebrity ships are understaffed. You have decent staffing on the Edge class ships, but the other class of ships are woefully understaffed. We just returned from an 8 day Caribbean cruise on the Equinox. There was one server per outdoor deck for the two sea days. The poor crew members are moving as fast as they can, but customer service/satisfaction suffers.

Hey Zach! Another great video, and thought provoking... As you know, we're biased toward Aquaclass expecially Blu and we're Canadian so we prefer longer or B2B cruises because of the travel overhead... Thanks for answering our forming question about value for money of Aqualcass vs Entry-level Retreat...It's unfortunate that your attendant wasn't "set up for success". They work so hard and we need to consider their situation rather than absolute service standards... That's on "corporate",...

@ZachtheTravelingMan

8 ай бұрын

It's 100% on corporate. The same corporate that never even disclosed these changes to their guests. Thanks for watching!

We had decided, before this video, not to book in the Retreat as we had planned. I was afraid that the service was going to be lacking and you just confirmed it. Thank you for your review! I love your channel btw, awesome work

@ZachtheTravelingMan

8 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching! I really appreciate your comment. :)

Thank you for this review, for the money people pay for The Retreat videos like this are vital to help make informed decisions. I really hope Celebrity learns and improves from this.

We cruised with family and friends in March 2023 on the Apex from Ft. Lauderdale for a 7 day cruise. We all had Sky Suites and dedicated butlers. Honestly, the butler was the most disappointing part of our cruise and didn’t come close to a true butler service compared to a hotel experience. Our butlers were not very visible and were slow in addressing minor requests. They should remove Butler from their marketing and sales materials. Looking at group cruise for early next year and will try Silverseas.

Not really fair to compare it to the Edge Class Suite experience with the Retreat. We did it on the Apex and and it was awesome. I did hear that the Butlers were going away for sky suites. We didn’t really use our Butler that much. He was around and decorated our suite for my birthday. I’m sure he would have helped more if we needed it. The food in Luminae and service were above and beyond. Every breakfast they brought me a Carmel croissant and Carmel Macchiato waiting for me. We loved the pool deck with the food brought to you and drinks. Suite Lounge was always wonderful.

We want our frig emptied out! We will stock it ourselves with cans and bottles from the retreat lounge. I’m bringing a large tote bag!

Interesting take on the Retreat. My husband and I splurged in The Retreat on the Edge last spring and loved it. However, that was before the butler change. We felt really spoiled. We don’t have another celebrity cruise until the spring of 2025 so it will be interesting to see how these changes go. That may be our last if service remains as it was for you. Not worth the extra cost.

Thanks for the in-depth review Zach. This is very disappointing to hear, especially since hubby and I will be in a sunset sky suite on Reflection in December. I hope Celebrity sees this and makes some major changes before our cruise.

@ZachtheTravelingMan

8 ай бұрын

I hope you have a great time!

My wife and I have sailed on Celebrity multiple times. We have never been disappointed and find Celebrity the perfect fit for us.

Thanks for taking time to give us your review Zach

Zach, be sure to let us know if someone from Celebrity contacts you after viewing this video.

@ZachtheTravelingMan

8 ай бұрын

Not yet! Thanks for watching.

Great video Zach. I just returned from the Eclipse and will only sail on Edge class ships. Noticeable cutbacks for suit guests.

Although we have never sailed in the retreat, and probably never will, I am enjoying this series very very much… And your honesty is commendable… Thank you

@ZachtheTravelingMan

8 ай бұрын

Thank you!

I was very disappointed when they changed the butler service for sky suites…we are booked on the Beyond in January in one for a big birthday cruise for my husband…we booked it when it came out probably close to two years ago so at least the price is better than what they are charging today…we have sailed exclusively in sky suites and really have enjoyed them but on either Edge class or revolutionized ships and have really loved it…now between the decrease in services and the huge price increases we have switched to Aquaclass going forward…I still can’t believe they are taking away the tips from the all included in addition to the OBC that they had given..We are sailing on the Equinox in a couple of weeks in Aquaclass for the first time …we got a good rate and hoping we have a great time

Thank you for this! We just removed our names from the Move Up list, 100% due to your advice!

I happened upon your channel because I was researching Celebrity Silhouette as we are booked on her in December. I SO appreciate your honesty about the Retreat. We have a verandah booked and I was thinking about upgrading. If I do, I think I’ll just get Concierge or Aquaclass. We’ve done Aquaclass before and enjoyed Blu. I liked and subscribed. I look forward to catching up on your videos and seeing the new ones!

@ZachtheTravelingMan

8 ай бұрын

Thank you so much. Welcome!

Not sure if it is just differences in ship and/or crew but we just got off of the Eclipse in essentially the identical cabin. We had no issues with the Retreat Team, although like you, we tend not to ask very much. On our pre-cruise survey, we asked for and got champagne which was great for sail-away on our balcony. However, we never got (nor were offered or asked for) any kind of food in the cabin (afternoon canapés). Honestly, we were on the Equinox in 2022 in a Celebrity Suite (thank you, move up) and other than daily snacks (which we also had in a Sky Suite on the Summit in 2020) didn't really see much difference between having a "dedicated butler" and not. In fact, the one thing we did ask for from our butler never materialized and I went down to the Retreat Lounge and got it myself. It will be interesting on our next cruise. We're on the Ascent in an Aqua Sky Suite, kind of the best of both worlds, or maybe the worst...we'll see.

@ZachtheTravelingMan

8 ай бұрын

Thank you for sharing. Enjoy Ascent!

Nice summary. I was wondering how this would compare to the NCL Haven and you've answered all my questions. I'll admit that we're NCL fans but in Celebrity's defense, I've heard similar stories of service deficiencies on older ships, and this applies to NCL ships, too. Hopefully the newer Celebrity ships are better as it is so much of an experience to be at this service level.

@benjaminsmith2287

5 ай бұрын

I'm sorry, the age of the ship should not matter one bit. And the Solstice class is just one generation "older" than the Edge class. It's not an old class of ships. Overall, I don't like the Edge ships much as ships and prefer the Solstice class and I would expect them to deliver the same soft service, cleanliness and attention to detail as any Celebrity ship and that should be true of any cruise line.

Thanks so much for the review Zach! Question- Did you have a driving factor when selecting the cruise to try the retreat on? Was it the itemerary, ship, available rooms, dates, etc? I only ask because I wonder if your expectations would have changed if you had gone on a 3k retreat trip? Also was the cost of flights included in your overall cost of the trip?

@ZachtheTravelingMan

8 ай бұрын

This was actually the cheapest Retreat booking I could make. It's usually much more expensive and that's why I chose this particular sailing. The best value when considering cost and number of days.

I have been a celebrity fan for years, but things are declining there, as you noted. My poor room attendant told me if I didn’t give him a 10 on my review he would be fired. There are too few people doing too much and prices are UP, way over inflation rates. So is this the result of the latest CEO change? Was she brought in to squeeze profits for the cruise line. Well, the stock isn’t going up so on a corporate level that’s a flop. I’m on Princess in Feb so we’ll see if it’s industry wide

My wife and I are three cruises away from reaching Zenith with Celebrity. We always book suites. when they made the announcement of the lack of Butler service for the Shy suites and the Celebrity Suites, we decided our 2024 cruises will be our last with Celebrity. Your review was spot on. someone has to realize that their premium suites sell out first for a good reason. So sad. Oh, and the Reflection is a cruise ship we will never cruise on again.

@christiandiablo9499

8 ай бұрын

Why not cruise on the Reflection? I like the Reflection. Maybe AQ class on reflection instead of a suite?

The problem with The Retreat on ships other than the Edge class is they are all retro fitted.They spread everything out and set a part of the main dining room into the Retreat dining. Micheals Club use to be a piano bar years ago, so nothing upscale about it. Not good value for the money. Other ultra premium lines cost about the same...Off to Oceania!

For people reading: Sky Suites make up about 80% of all Retreat rooms on Edge Class ships.

I would be interested in your review of the Retreat on an edge-class ship, since they were designed with the retreat on mind. I agree with you about the ridiculous price, though overpriced unless you can get a cheap upgrade.

@rickinnes

8 ай бұрын

Edge class Retreat I would book . The other class ships 🚢 I book Blu.

@randijaffe-7665

8 ай бұрын

Our butler, last year on Apex, did not elect to unpack for me- he simply said, “ I’ll come back after you unpack, to see if you need anything” The Sundeck lounge was so full on sea days- umbrella loungers all taken unless you get there very early.

Very disappointing for you we really look forward to such a special treat, glad you raised the issues while on the ship I’m sure the feedback forms go nowhere. I would be really disappointed if I had paid that amount for that suite and level of service, my heart goes out to your state room attendant, sounds like a terrible workload and he is the customer facing staff member tying to do everything! We sailed to Alaska last year on the NCL Bliss, in the Haven, absolutely amazing experience I felt we were treated like royalty! The restaurant, lounge and viewing lounge were stunning and the food, service and ambiance from embarkation to leaving the ship was amazing, the staff were ample and the best of the best, a special time and memories made. Unfortunately it has spoiled us a little for future trips, we’re just back from a med and Greek island cruise on the new NCL Viva, beautiful ship, lovely balcony suite, great dining options and lovely staff but I missed the Haven just a little and that special peace and exclusivity that comes with it - but at a price! 🥰🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇬🇧

@ZachtheTravelingMan

8 ай бұрын

I wanna try the Viva! Glad you had a great time.

What a shame, we have sailed in the Retreat twice in 2022 on Millennium and Beyond and thoroughly enjoyed both. The butlers were great, stocking the fridge with what ever you requested, bringing room service if ordered. We didn't request a lot but what we did was always done quickly. I also watched the Q&A with the new president who said the changes would enhance service in the Sky Suites. We are booked into the Retreat (Sky Suite) on the Summit next fall. It also my be our last Retreat booking or even Celebrity cruise. Zach is our go to authority on Celebrity which has been our preferred cruise line. But if the service has changed that much maybe it is time to look at land based vacations. We have 2 Celebrity cruises booked for next year, time will tell.

I had these exact problems only on the Reflection. I take 6+ cruises a year on Celebrity and NEVER had anything like this on any other Celebrity ship before or since.

I have only been on two cruises so far. On NCL. The second cruise was to Alaska, and after meeting a few of the staff, I found the service incredible. I was only in a balcony cabin, but my cabin attendant was always around and asking if there was anything I needed (I did bring lots of candy, snack gifts, and some extra cash for them). The cruise Director was so nice, and recommended some of the best shows/entertainment ever. I bumped into her all over the ship, and she always came over to say hello!! I wrote really hearfelt thank you notes to corporate to thank them for their great staff. Being a regular wage earner, I am not sure I would be willing to pay $7,000 or $8,000.

When I stayed on the NCL Breakaway on a B2B in the same Studio cabin I heard that NCL changed to once a day room visits and one day my room attendant said he is in charge of 16 cabins. That's one thing that limits how much effort they can put into each room. Your $8k room should not be getting an attendant who cares for 17 cabins. They are spread way too thin! Now I'm wondering about the butler situation on NCL!

I appreciate your insights. Next year we are planning on sailing aboard the Constellation in the Retreat class; however, after watching your video, we may reconsider or opt for a lower class and use the savings from the fare to upgrade our ground travel.

We loved the Retreat on the Apex but would never pay full price. We had dedicated Butlers and honestly they weren’t around much. I paid about same as a veranda or less both times. The concierge was amazing and I had to use them to get things resolved. Agree with your assessment of Luminae vs Blu. We’re teetering on which is best.

Thanks Zack. We love Royal and have been leaning in the direction of the Retreat. I doubt we’ll go in that direction. Thanks for the honest review.

Wow I’ve taken 8 retreat cruises and another one coming this fall. I love the private pools/ refurbished ships excluded. Our butlers were always great I will have to really watch for this change. Did you ever have any other issues both Butlers?you mentions your friends did???

Great informative review. Is Aqua class typically half the price?

@ZachtheTravelingMan

8 ай бұрын

Not usually half-price of the Retreat, but it can be a grand or two cheaper for sure!

We tried the retreat for the first time. We NEVER saw or heard of a butler. We did receive great help from the hosts in the retreat lounge and enjoyed the free drinks there. We did the move up bid to the lounge so we didn't pay full price but we wouldn't do it again. The suite room was the best feature but we didn't feel the rest of it was worth the extra cost.

Interesting, we had the very same experience, 2 weeks ago when we cruised in The Retreat for the first time on the Edge. We usually cruise AquaClass because we love Blu. Our room attendant was our host and I saw no difference in service, we also met the head Butler the first day and never saw him again. The requested type of drink we requested on the survey was not what we received. Although the service was excellent in Luminae, we actually enjoyed the menu in Blu better. The plus side was the Sky Suite, it was beautiful, the Retreat lounge was great and spent a lot of time there as well as the Retreat Pool deck. Bottom line, we will stick with AquaClass, as it’s not worth the double price tag.

One thing you didn't mention - when in retreat class, you also can eat in Blue if you want (depending on how busy it is). We sailed in the retreat just after the restart of sailings on the Summit in 2021 and it was great. The butler had our Cafe Aspen every morning when we got up and it was a great experience. We sailed again in the retreat on the Beyond from Barcelona to NYC last fall and it was a major downgrade. We had to wait to be seated in Luminae (40 minute wait one night). The service was very slow (excellent staff, just severely overworked). The retreat is really going down hill unfortunately and I miss it - the retreat was great, but not so much anymore.

@tech6309

8 ай бұрын

25:25

@Stephanie-vx4zi

8 ай бұрын

He did mention Blue.

Zach, thank you for your honest opinion of a Celebrity Sky Suite. My husband and I are sailing on our first Celebrity Cruise, next month. We booked a Sky Suite on the Celebrity Constellation. I pray that we will have great vacation.

@ZachtheTravelingMan

8 ай бұрын

Have a great time!

You reaffirmed my booking for the summit this fall we’re staying in aqua class and I think we got a really great deal. Thank you.

@ZachtheTravelingMan

8 ай бұрын

Have a great time!

We are sailing on Celebrity Edge in a Magic Carpet Sky Suite for our Alaska cruise May 2024. We were really looking forward to the Retreat areas to get away from the crowds and relax. However, we are now wondering how crowded the Retreat lounge, sundeck and Luminae will become since it was announced that Zenith loyalty members will have access to these areas again?

@dresadin

8 ай бұрын

Generally speaking, when I was on Beyond in April, I found the Retreat lounge, sundeck and Luminae were not overly crowded (though getting the best spots on the Retreat deck could be tough - but you could always find a place). I will definitely book Retreat again on Edge class ships, but not on any other ship class.

@user-xn2qm7hc6f

8 ай бұрын

We are sailing on Celebrity Edge May 24th, 2024, in a Magic Carpet Sky suite as well and have been wondering the same thing.

Ps.. a day or 2 to get shirts pressed in the Retreat?? Sad. I wouldn’t expect immediate turnaround but it’s not unreasonable to to get back by evening. I understand about the laundry bag but would I be wrong to expect them to take the ball and run with it??

@meganmcdonald5229

8 ай бұрын

For $8000 you would be correct