Room service new fees started

[Lucille King]

I booked a cruise on the celebrity Apex with my best friend a few weeks ago. It’s stated on some of the articles I read from people that just got off the ship that other than a continental only breakfast that is free. Anything else ordered from room service from morning till night time is 1195+ gratuity And I think it’s a bunch of BS to charge that much after what we pay to get on the cruise and the price of drinks and the price of everything else you have to pay for now.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@Lucille King Other avid Celebrity Cruises guests will chime in here, but I'm not surprised about this. MSC Cruises does the same thing. If you really love getting room service without a fee, I recommend booking certain stateroom types or tiers that include that in the booking price or venturing to a line that offers special services like Princess Cruises' Medallion option. I personally only use the breakfast room service option so I booked a tier level that includes that only. If you only use the room service once or twice while onboard, it's better to pay the minimal fee than upgrade your entire stateroom type. If you order room service often, you may want to consider booking with another package.

[Woody14]

On 9/29/2023 at 1:48 PM, Lucille King said:

I booked a cruise on the celebrity Apex with my best friend a few weeks ago. It’s stated on some of the articles I read from people that just got off the ship that other than a continental only breakfast that is free. Anything else ordered from room service from morning till night time is 1195+ gratuity And I think it’s a bunch of BS to charge that much after what we pay to get on the cruise and the price of drinks and the price of everything else you have to pay for now.

I would disagree with you on this one.  You get a full breakfast for free (well included) and all you need to do is walk to the dinning room or the buffet.   To expect them to deliver to you specifically in your cabin should be an upcharge.   Quite frankly all room service should cost extra.

[FJB]

I’ve never seen the infatuation with room service. In my 200+ days on cruise ships, we’ve probably had room service less than 10 times.  We prefer to go to the dining room or the buffet where the food is hotter and a larger selection to choose from.  YMMV

[Seaawgs]

@FJB I totally agree on this one. Most cabins barely accommodate that giant tray. Once you move to the balcony,  forget it!

[Woody14]

16 hours ago, FJB said:

I’ve never seen the infatuation with room service. In my 200+ days on cruise ships, we’ve probably had room service less than 10 times.  We prefer to go to the dining room or the buffet where the food is hotter and a larger selection to choose from.  YMMV

It is only once for me and that was on Disney as through room service used to be the only way to get a Mickey ice cream bar and I really wanted one.    At that time all we needed to do was tip and it was so worth it.    Never used it on any other cruise.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@FJB I agree with you! The food selection is better and immediate if you just want 5 mins to the MDR or buffet. I prefer the larger selection. Having a coffee and some fruit delivered to your room while you are getting dressed or just waking up can be convenient, but if you need a late-night snack, it's not a big deal to walk over to the buffet. It's all pretty conveniently located and it's always faster than waiting for room service. 

@Woody14 Everyone has a different vision for their perfect cruise experience, but room service isn't it for me. If I was booking luxurious suites, I would possibly utilize room service more often! 

@Seaawgs The staterooms are not large! I don't see the need for constant room service unless you have a table in chairs in your stateroom. To each their own, but I personally don't use that service much if at all. 

[PaulB]

I'd flat out refuse to pay. I'm sorry, I'm not paying for something that there is no need to pay. Gratuity is exactly that, you give money to show your gratuities to a great service. Not to just give it our regardless.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

I agree with @Seaawgs. The tray sizes are so large and they hardly fit anywhere in the stateroom! 

PaulB, spending more on an already costly experience can be unnecessary. If you have plenty of disposable income, maybe spending extra would be feasible. I try not to spend extra on unnecessary expenditures such as room service. The MDR and buffet are always good enough for me!

[PaulB]

The buffet is always good enough for us. It's standard food, and it's pleasant enough for me and my family to eat. I know people that will turn their noses up to this type of foods, and yet eat things worse in their own homes.

[Cruising Caribbean]

@Lucille King How often do you plan to order room service? I second what @FJB stated, the food is always better in the MDR or buffets. It ends up being hotter, fresher, and faster. It could be a bit of a walk, but I will often bring a snack or appetizer to my stateroom pre-nap or while getting ready in my stateroom. It's not that difficult to grab your favorite food items from the buffet and carry them to your stateroom. That service is free and you burn off some calories doing it yourself. It ends up being quicker too!

[PaulB]

I don't plan to order any room service. If I'm honest, I don't think I have ever used that service. It never occurs to me to use that, and happy enough to go down and get things myself. If we go to our rooms, then we take the goods up with us.

[Cruising Caribbean]

If I was sleeping in the best suite on the ship maybe I would reconsider, but there is no way those prices are feasible for me right now. I like to get extra ketchup when I feel like it. I don't want to have to call anyone to go and fetch my ketchup, just to get it 30 minutes later. Also, I think room service steak sounds horrid. The whole idea of eating the steak in a stateroom, and it's likely not piping hot like it's supposed to be, just sounds odd.

Edited November 29, 2023 by Cruising Caribbean

[PaulB]

Yes I agree with @Cruising Caribbean. Didn't think of the times and the quality of the food when room service is ordered. The first thing I thought about was not ordering when I can get it myself. But after you brought it up, I had another think, and decided that something like steak would not be at its best if we had to await. 

[Cruising Caribbean]

If you are sick or in a sticky situation, room service can be valuable, but for me, it's just a waste all around. It's a waste of time and energy for a lower-quality product. If there is a mobility issue, I also see the benefit of room service. Since I don't personally have an excuse for it, I don't see room service having enough value to me. I would much rather invest my money in another way to make my cruise experience more memorable, such as purchasing a wine tasting or a fine dining experience onboard. 

[PaulB]

Amen to that. It really is not enough value to have room service. If you're sick as mentioned, then totally understandable, however I really don't see why anyone would want that.

[LukeJ]

I have had room service on a couple of occasions, but it was more of a gimmick gesture to say that I have had the service to my room rather than being lazy. We did feel like special guests, but the fee isn't worth all that.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@LukeJ I wouldn't tag everyone who utilizes room service as lazy, but I just can't see how room service is all that necessary. It's nice to have the option, don't get me wrong, but it's in a very rare circumstance that I utilize it. I had free breakfast service for my last 7-night cruise, and I didn't use it once. If you are one of the rare guests who plan to use room service more than once or twice on a sailing, it makes sense to book a stateroom type that includes that perk. The cost of delivery surely adds up. Now that I'm thinking of it, I don't even order delivery of food more than once a year in a pinch. Maybe I'm off-trend, but I try to cook at home as much as possible to save enough for an annual cruise each year. If I went out to coffee and lunch once a week, I would likely not be able to squeeze an annual cruise into my budget. 

[PaulB]

I personally enjoy walking around the ship and getting my own food and enjoying the atmosphere rather than staying in the staterooms alone. There are always downtime during vacations, but I look forward to go out and socialise.

[3Sisters]

@Lucille King Do you really think you will utilize the room service option that much? I totally understand the price increases have been significant, but this particular expense doesn't bother me. Do you intend to order room service on the daily? I'm never in the stateroom long enough to utilize that service. Breakfast in bed can be fun, especially when it's delivered right to you as soon as you wake up. As you stated in your initial post, continental breakfast is free, so you can utilize that perk as much as you want during your upcoming itinerary! What is your Apex embarkation date? Is it coming up soon?

[Sue C at sea]

Even on the continental breakfast the coffee is awful.  Stop at the coffee shop on your way to the MDR or buffet.  Meet people, get the breakfast you really want while it's nice and hot, and take the opportunity to step outside and get a breath of fresh sea air; now you're set for the day.

[PaulB]

Nothing ever tastes the same as the coffee and tea in your own place. I guess you're used to the flavour of your own countries water, and can definitely taste the difference. So when I'm away, I never drink the hot drinks if I can help it, even though I get withdrawal symptoms.

[LukeJ]

I do know where you are coming from, the tang of the water varies from country to country, so you do get used to certain tastes.

[Cruising Caribbean]

I also appreciate coffee right when I wake up. It's pretty glorious actually. You never know if the water was boiled long enough either. When you are traveling to a new place sometimes your body doesn't tolerate the water very well. My husband is notorious for getting an upset stomach after traveling to other countries. Do you prefer hot tea or coffee in the morning?

@Sue C at sea That can be true. It's not the best coffee, but if you have the drink package the cappuccinos are amazing. 

@LukeJ I prefer Evian bottled water over all other choices, but I very much dislike it when I can taste the bleach in my water. That is a taste that will never be enjoyable for me. The tap water on cruise ships seems just fine to me, but the taste of the bottled water onboard is definitely better. It's inevitable though. Once again, you get what you pay for. 

[PaulB]

I personally love the taste of Welsh water, it's such a soft sweet taste, I can't drink enough from the taps. The health benefits of drinking water is essential, that's why I think it's a disgrace to charge so much for water. Everyone has a right to drink clean fresh water without being charged the earth for it.