Celebrity Cruises Archives - Sophisticated Travel

Celebrity announces new “Always Included” pricing program – Well, not always

UPDATED October 4, 2023 - Celebrity has changed its promotion once again. Now its "All-Included" package includes ONLY the Classic Beverage and Basic WiFi. No longer are gratuities, nor onboard credits (OBC) included. All guests, including suites, will now have to pay gratuities. Celebrity claims it will lower prices to reflect dropping these benefits, and that it will be cheaper for guests in the long run. However, the consensus of reviewers has been that this is not always the case. From our perspective, Celebrity is cheapening its brand and irritating its loyal clientele. For years Celebrity tried to promote ......

By Brian Raymond|2024-02-02T13:42:09-05:00November 19th, 2023|

The Hidden Affordability of Ultra-Luxury Cruises: Take A Closer Look at Costs

"The Unvarnished Traveler" by Brian Raymond How Ultra-Luxury Regent Seven Seas May be Cheaper than a Celebrity Cruise Suite The cruise industry can be compared to a three-tiered cake, with mass-market cruise lines forming the broad base, premium cruise lines in the middle, and luxury lines making up the smaller top tier. But here's a secret not many know: ultra-luxury cruises can actually be more affordable than the suites on mass market or premium cruise lines. Let me share a recent comparison I made, which may just change the way you perceive the value and affordability ......

By Brian Raymond|2024-02-02T13:42:14-05:00June 6th, 2023|

Setting Sail in Style: Celebrity Cruises vs. Seabourn Cruises

“The Unvarnished Traveler” by Brian Raymond Cruising has become an increasingly popular vacation choice for adults seeking a luxurious and unforgettable experience. With so many cruise lines to choose from, it’s essential to understand what sets each one apart. So let’s delve into the differences between Celebrity Cruises (a premium cruise line) and Seabourn Cruises (an ultra-luxury cruise line), two renowned names in the industry, focusing on dining, entertainment, educational enrichment, onboard activities, and staterooms. The Dining Experience Celebrity’s Suites Restaurant – Luminae Celebrity Cruises is known for its diverse range of ......

By Brian Raymond|2024-02-02T13:42:19-05:00May 20th, 2023|

Beyond the Suite: Exploring Celebrity Cruises’ Premium Experience

“The Unvarnished Traveler” by Brian Raymond While Celebrity Cruises advertises a “relaxed luxury resort at sea” and offers suites that provide a near-luxury cruise experience, it falls short of being classified as a true luxury cruise line once you venture beyond the suite accommodations. Several factors differentiate Celebrity Cruises from luxury cruise lines, including the guest-to-staff ratio, food quality, personalized service, and the focus of its education programs. ……

By Brian Raymond|2024-02-02T13:42:20-05:00May 14th, 2023|

Celebrity Cruises confuses passengers by promoting no perks pricing

UPDATE: Celebrity "Always Included" offering includes beverages, WiFi, and gratuities but ADVERTIZED rates don't include those perks Celebrity has changed its pricing once again and it is confusing buyers. After introducing its "Always Included" program several years ago, which included its Classic Beverage package, Wifi, and gratuities. Celebrity is now promoting bare-bones fares which do not include anything - no Classic Beverage package, no WiFi, and no pre-paid gratuities. (Suite guests receive the Premium Beverage package and premium WiFi, and pre-paid gratuities unless they select a bare-bones rate.) Celebrity's guests have come to expect the "Always Included" perks in ......

By Brian Raymond|2024-02-02T13:35:17-05:00November 21st, 2022|

Hey Celebrity Cruises, what the hell are you doing? You are screwing up!

Let me start off by saying Celebrity Cruises has been one of our favorite cruise lines for many years and for many reasons. However, now Celebrity is making BIG MISTAKES which can damage their brand. So what’s wrong? This would be illegal in the US or Europe as False Advertising For what I’d suspect is some misguided headquarters-based bean-counting accountant’s bad decisions, Celebrity is advertising drinks with premium spirits, while they don’t have those premium spirits on the ship and are substituting other spirits, sometimes with cheap substitutes. But they are still selling and charging for the drinks as ......

By Brian Raymond|2024-02-02T13:35:18-05:00October 31st, 2022|

Where has Brian been?

Many of you have emailed or called during the last few months and asked what happened to Brian? Where is he? Well, I’m here, I’m fine and right now I’m sailing on the Celebrity Equinox. Let me explain where I’ve been these last several months. It’s been quite a while since my last article. But I’m glad to be back writing again. In case you wondered what happened, well it has been a lot of things. First, in September I had surgery where my my L1 – S1 vertebrae were fused with 8 long screws and 4 rods. I’m ......

By Brian Raymond|2024-02-02T13:40:44-05:00April 5th, 2022|

2021 Cruise Wave Season Specials

As 2020 sails into the sunset, we all look forward to 2021 when we can begin to start cruising again. As many of you know, "Wave Season" start the end of December and runs into March. During "Wave Season" the cruise lines offer some of their best deals. With cruise lines shut down for a year, demand is high. Its even higher than the same time in 2019. The reason? People are have cooped up at home and they all want to get out and get back on the seas. We will post the various offers on this page ......

By Brian Raymond|2024-02-02T13:41:30-05:00December 16th, 2020|

Royal Caribbean & Norwegian form joint group to develop coronavirus plan

Celebrity Edge New task-force created Two cruise industry powerhouses announced the formation of a new joint effort to develop a response to coronavirus. Royal Caribbean Group (Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Azamara & Silversea) and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (Norwegian, Oceania & Regent Seven Seas Cruises) announced the blue-ribbon task force will be headed by Mike Leavitt, former Utah governor, and Scott Gottlieb, former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. Other panel members are globally recognized experts from public health, biosecurity, infectious disease, hospitality and maritime operations. The group is charged with developing procedures to prevent the ......

By Brian Raymond|2024-02-02T13:37:11-05:00July 9th, 2020|

Galapagos Island cruising goes upscale

https://youtu.be/Jj9CXshqPyo Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises have upped the ante for luxury cruises through the Galapagos Islands. Silversea will launch its luxury 100-passenger Silver Origin in summer of 2020. Silversea cruises start with two days in Quito, the capital of Ecuador, and include airfare to and from the Galapagos Islands. ?Celebrity Cruises is launching the Celebrity Flora, a 100-passenger luxury exploration ship in June 2019. All cruises are seven night itineraries with 10, 11 or 15 night all-inclusive packages including pre/post cruise nights in Quito or Peru/Machu Picchu. (Both Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises are ......

By Brian Raymond|2024-02-02T13:38:48-05:00May 16th, 2019|