Why won't Celebrity fix their ships

Based upon comments from numerous posters it is readily apparent that Celebrity is not putting as much effort into refurbishing their ships as other cruise lines are. The only bright spot is the very recent remodeling of Century - but there are no concrete plans for the worst in the fleet which are Mercury, Galaxy and Zenith.

The millenium class ships have their pod problems with again no apparent permenant solution to fix it. As these millenium class ships all continue to age no definite plans currently exist for sprucing them up whatsoever.

In your posts many of you do not seem to care which could be one reason why Celebrity has taken their attitude of ".....no need to fix what our customers don't think is broke......". However since Cruise Critic is only a small percentage of the people who actually travel with Celebrity it is my opinion that something else is going on which is forcing them to provide an inferior product to what they previously were producing.

I was a big Celebrity cheerleader until I took an Alaska repositioning cruise on Summit in May of last year. The ship had just come out of drydock but my Sky Suite was in poor condition-stains on the sofa, worn carpet, etc. If I had been at a hotel and been given a room in that condition ( a premium suite, after all) I probably would have left but you can't do that on a ship. I didn't complain or post anything on CC and had a nice cruise (the weather was perfect, which helps). But I simply took my business elsewhere (there are plenty of choices) and have no plans to return. But I do wonder what, if anything, is going on with the company.

I certainly do not know what is going on and I do think Celebrity has slipped from being a little step up from other mass marketed lines into the same catagory as all the others. That being said, we were on the Zenith last December, we had a refurbished cabin on deck 10 and everything was clean. the colors were still not all that great and the bathroom showed signs of age, just like mine at home does. All the public areas were shiney clean and wonderfully maintained. I don't think Celebrtiy is any different than other lines today and my guess is, some of their ships will be sold to other companies in the next 3 to 5 years. NMNita

I have been on two Celebrity ships in the last year, the pre-drydocked Century and the Millennium and both have been beautiful ships that were excellently maintained. It seems there are people who would complain about anything and everything.....and it seems there are people who will hear 100 things GOOD about a ship and 1 BAD thing, and believe the worst.

I have been on a variety of cruise lines and none of them keep their ships in better shape than Celebrity and Royal Caribbean.

After a few years a ship is bound to have some wear to it, but that hardly qualifies it for the junk yard. Can you imagine the added cost to the price of cruising if every ship was maintained in "new" shape? I will gladly give up brand new furniture in the public areas in exchange for fares that let me cruise 2 times a year!! :)

If Celelbrity displeases you, then cruise another line.....then the fares will drop even more and maybe I can cruise 3 times a year! :D :D

there are no concrete plans for the worst in the fleet which are Mercury, Galaxy and Zenith.

Until Celebrity is blasted with your lack of booking they will continue to provide an inferior product. Service on board is great. Service department prior to cruising is very helpful. Service department post cruise is non existent.

Lack of post cruise service and the physical condition of their ships is definitely a problem Celebrity should seek to overturn. They will be shredded in the press with regard to sailing with a known mechanical problem on their millenium ships when the Summit class action suit hits - and it will.

If Celelbrity displeases you, then cruise another line.....then the fares will drop even more and maybe I can cruise 3 times a year

Already plan on it. If the fares drop revenue decreases - duh - and you head into the downward spiral of cut, cut, cut until you have Carnival or worse. Is that what you want - because thats where they are heading.

I have been on a variety of cruise lines and none of them keep their ships in better shape than Celebrity and Royal Caribbean.

You have got to be kidding right? Celebrity is absolutely the worst these days at upkeep.

You have got to be kidding right? Celebrity is absolutely the worst these days at upkeep.

Sorry, disagree with your statement, if you look at the threads you will find just as many people complementing them on their maintenance but we only have people stressing the negative.

In My Opinion, there are two main issues at play here.

First of all, RCCL have never had any idea what to do with X since they bought X back in '98. RCCL demands a certain level of profitability, but X has never made as much money as RCL, therefore RCCL is doing everything in its power to make X just as profitable as RCL - with drastic cost-cutting, heavy selling aboard their ships for additional onboard revenue and witholding investment/upgrades of X's product and customer service.

Another thing that strikes me is that instead of investment into the product and relying on word-of-mouth/TA referrals and repeat customers for business, RCL and X invest heavily in lots of very expensive TV advertising - you'll notice that most of their competitors are rarely seen on TV. This leads me to believe that the RCCL strategy is to bring in the new/first time cruisers with lots of hype and appealing ads and milk all the money they can from them - but it doens't really matter if they like their experience or not, because the ships are always sailing full of new/inexperienced cruisers anyway - so why invest in new bedding, fix dents in the walls, improve food or replace beat-up old furnishings and carpets?

I honestly believe that there are only two real reasons Century went in for drydock - adding balconies (and more staterooms) during its necessary mechanical overhaul will equal higher ticket prices which equal profits - and that grillroom will certainly bring in more profits too! The other is to provide grist for the PR mill - since there really aren't any exciting newbuilds coming out for X in the next couple of years, X needed some "happy news" which they hope will add glitter throughout the fleet.

Comfy beds and pillows simply aren't profitable - they're expensive to install and you can't charge extra for them. But a rock climbing wall? Not only is it cheap to install, but you can advertise the heck out of it on TV drawing in more people who may have never considered a cruise, and you can charge extra for it over and over and over again! X doesn't have rock climbing walls - so X gets ads w/ delusionals nattering on as if they were Sally Field or Sean Connery - who are so caught up in their own dreamworld that they'll likely never notice that the beds are crap, the furniture is worn and torn, the folks at the front desk are incompetent, etc...

Why do you keep starting more anti Celebrity threads? They are getting booooorrring. If you don't have anything to contribute to the board, then please stop trying to rally support for your lawsuit.

Agree, bottom line is that Celebrity year after year is the top rated mass market cruise line on a number of surveys so obviously Brian is outside the mainstream of cruisers. They make mistakes just as any company does especially on shore side customer service.

bottom line is that Celebrity year after year is the top rated mass market cruise line on a number of surveys

We all know that surveys are just more marketing propoganda generated by advertising firms. I could go out and generate a survey today that would say Celebrity is the lowest rated cruise line. Would it be true? No, but then neither are the other ones you read. They are simply advertising gimmicks.

Having sailed on many cruises and many cruiselines, It is amazing to me why someone would presume to judge a cruiseline by one poor experience. I've had things happen on all of them that are not wonderful, but I don't go out of my way to badmouth them. In order to make an informed judgment it certainly takes a lot more than one experience. Unfortunately things can happen at the best of places. Sometimes it's just a question of timing.

I can tell you one thing. Even when things are not perfect, I've never had a BAD cruise. Some are better than others though and I can say from lots of experience that Celebrity has one of the best products around for the price.

Agree, bottom line is that Celebrity year after year is the top rated mass market cruise line on a number of surveys...

Surveys of this type are taken by folks who choose to respond, not by a random sampling of individuals who are chosen from a certain demographic. If there were the possibility of a random sampling of folks who had taken a number of cruises on more than one cruiseline in a given year, there might be some validity to those surveys.

Surveys of this type are taken by folks who choose to respond, not by a random sampling of individuals who are chosen from a certain demographic. If there were the possibility of a random sampling of folks who had taken a number of cruises on more than one cruiseline in a given year, there might be some validity to those surveys.

True. I prefer to gain my opinions from those I know & trust. For example, someone who, for example, has cruised many times on HAL & likes it - I might trust for an opinion on HAL. If that same person cruised once on Celebrity & hated it - I'd take it with a grain of salt.

Most people who are frequent travelers have a lot of respect for Conde Nast and the results of their polls as well as their correspondents.

True. I prefer to gain my opinions from those I know & trust. For example, someone who, for example, has cruised many times on HAL & likes it - I might trust for an opinion on HAL. If that same person cruised once on Celebrity & hated it - I'd take it with a grain of salt.

Subtle, yet so very effective! :cool:

I believe you've just publicly slandered Conde Nast Traveler

Most people who are frequent travelers have a lot of respect for Conde Nast and the results of their polls as well as their correspondents.

So it probably comes as no surprise to you that Conde Nast still lists Celebrity's Horizon as one of their top 20 rated ships. Now that magazine is right on top of things and must be an authority on cruising. These travel type magazines are funded by advertisers and are all one big advertisement in my opinion.

I have sailed Celebrity 3 times on the Horizon, Galaxy and Zenith, all pre-RCI. I loved all 3 mainly because I love cruises. There were alot of rough spots mainly with the ship mechanics. It is widely known. I don't blame Celebrity for this. They just pocked the wrong shipbuilder. And each time, the ships were less than a year old. What I am referring to was plumbing which invariably stopped working, vibrations and noises which were non-stop in the aft cabins, and a snooty staff at the purser's desk and CD staff. That didn't stop me from having a great time. Food service was fantastic but that was back in the Apollo days. I have heard from my father and brother that this area has slipped since RCI took over but was still good. I would definitely rank them as a better mass market ship but not upscale. Certainly ahead of RCI and Carnival but not in the Crystal league which is where they would like to be.

My 2 worst experiences were with NCL but that was on the Norway which was beyond its' prime (had sailed her as the France) and, surprisingly, the Adventure of the Seas. Too big. Mediocre food. Blah entertainment. I have not written them off and will most likely sail them again. Still had a great time.

Carnival was actually a pleasant surprise. Have gotten great prices with very comfortable cabins. Food was surprisingly good. What they lack is rushed service at dinner and prefer a more formal dinner with no t-shirts and jeans at dinner. Have only sailed the Spirit calss and will be doing the Liberty Med cruise shortly. No party ship as I had feared.

Ma Bell-I'm not sure that I agree with your statement "Celebrity has one of the best products around for the price." Sometimes yes, but it all depends on several factors, including itinerary and cabin type. For example, Seabourn, which is all-inclusive (tips, wine, cocktails, etc.) offers to Club members (anyone who has sailed a vessel owned by the Carnival Group at least once) a 14 night transatlantic cruise from London to Gloucester, MA (mostly sea days) (9/29/06) for $4,998 per person (or $357 per diem) in a 277 sq. ft. suite (no balcony). Celebrity offers a 15 night transatlantic on Millennium from Ft. Lauderdale to Southampton, mostly sea days (3/18/07) for $4,798 per person (or $320 per diem) in a Sky Suite (251 sq. ft. stateroom area). At this price point, I don't think Celebrity is the best product if it means my premium suite is worn and ill-kept yet I still have to tip, sign for cocktails and wine, etc. However, on the lower-level (and lower-priced) staterooms, you are largely correct.

I also prefer to get my recommendations from people I know, but in the event I don't know anyone who has been to a certain place I would trust Conde Nast's recommendations over someone with little or no experience.

I would also trust someone who has had many experiences with a company rather than someone with only one because I'm very much aware that any ship or hotel can have problems at one time or another. We sailed on Horizon many years ago and it was a wonderful experience. It would not be my choice now, because I know which kind of ship I prefer. There are still many people who love this ship. Not everyone is into bigger and more modern.

Some people are only interested in the facility itself while others are more interested in service, food, etc.

If someone tells me everything is perfect all the time I wouldn't be inclined to believe him. When someone has one poor experience and then goes out of his way to badmouth a whole company I am inclined to discount his opinion as well.

Just visiting the Celebrity board for first time in a while. Not sure what ships many of you folks have been on but our 2005 Summit and recent RCCL Explorer of the Seas cruises were wonderful. Both ships were immaculate and in better shape than any ships I have been on in the past 6 years. We were on HAL's Zuiderdam in October 2005 and the ship looked like it had just returned from a 3 week "Girls Gone Wild" trip. Broken glass, ripped and dirty carpet being held together literally by duct tape, toilets that only worked half of the time. And the sad thing is that the Zuiderdam is newer ship than Summit or Explorer. That being said, the service and food were tremendous on the Zuiderdam.

When I go on vacation I look forward to getting out and leaving all of my troubles behind, if possible. A little wear on the couch or stain on the floor is not going to send me in a tizzy. My summit experience on May 7th had some rough spots but I guess I am easy because I just enjoyed the ride. I have written previously that the staff was so wonderful under the circumstances and we seemed to keep ourselves busy event though we had a few extra days at sea. I would not judge Celebrity in a negative light because of the unfortunate turn of events . The fun and enjoyment we had outweighted all of that. We made it work. I can not wait to go again. We will try other cruise lines but I think I will be inclined to go with Celebrity because when we have disembarked off of our last three cruises with them I felt like I had had a great vacation.

Surveys of this type are taken by folks who choose to respond, not by a random sampling of individuals who are chosen from a certain demographic. If there were the possibility of a random sampling of folks who had taken a number of cruises on more than one cruiseline in a given year, there might be some validity to those surveys.

That is your opinion, I don't agree with it. Point is that no matter what you are in a small minority especially after two days on a ship which is really not a valid reference. You have your opinion, lets just leave it at that.

So it probably comes as no surprise to you that Conde Nast still lists Celebrity's Horizon as one of their top 20 rated ships. .

The Horizon was still in service during the period covered by Conde Nast's most recent ratings.

Having cruised Celebrity many times starting 10 years ago, I have noticed a decline from "The Crystal" type service of years ago.

I have also observed this decline on other lines, so it could be a beancounter problem. I don't know.

I do know that I can overlook many things except I would like to have sheets and towels without holes. clean, less worn blankets and bedspreads. Very thin, conclave mattresses are not much fun to sleep on. These items do impact my immediate enjoyment.

I replace items in this condition at home. I still do not believe that is asking too much to have good condition soft goods on a cruise. Most of our 3 star and above motels/hotels seem to be able to furnish this experience.

Some stains can be overlooked but if some of you are seeing really bad stains on carpets, etc. Then they should be replaced. Some stains could be masking a mold or fungus problem.

From the food of ten years ago to the food today, the line has conditioned me to expect less. I wish I could share a dinner of 1996 with you so you could see the difference.

That being said, I am now conditioned to just want decent food.

I do not know what it would take for Celebrity to correct some of these problems.

Having sailed on the C class when they were new ( they are really not that old in the life of a ship ) and remember how dazzling they were, it is sad to keep hearing people have these experiences.

Our Zenith cruise of late autumn 2005 did not show that our room re-done. I thought by now we would not hear anymore about the rooms. Have they still not replaced all the soft goods ?

You could still have a good cruise but wouldn't it be a better one if the soft goods were nice ?