Clemmnj

If the app and the order confirmations show different times and the app is unreliable it is very difficult to do any advance planning. If I can’t rely on the app then I fail to see the point. All my planning is done by the time I’m onboard. If I book an excursion for the early morning so that I can book a private tour in the afternoon I have to be able to rely on something. I’m not complaining about times being changed, I get that it happens, I’m upset about the fact that sometimes I get an email about a change and sometimes I don’t. Sometimes the app matches the order confirmation and sometimes it doesn’t. And sometimes an email, the app, and the order confirmation all have different times, which is what I noticed today. This is very nerve wracking and makes it impossible to plan ahead. My flight is now in less than 24 hours and I actually have no idea where I am going to be at any time on any day. It’s the 21st century. 

I ordered my excursions months before my cruise. Since then I have received two emails updating the times of two of my excursions. In looking at the my calendar section of the app, I noticed, just by chance, that one of the excursions that had been updated, still had the original time, which was 3 hours earlier. I called Celebrity and they were very cavalier about it. They claimed it must be an IT glitch and verified the correct time. Concerned about the apps reliability I checked all of my excursions and noticed that most of the times were different on the app then they were in my order confirmation. This really upsets me because I plan around the excursion times and rely on the app. I know the times can be changed but if the changes aren’t reflected in the app and some of the times have changed by and hour or so without any notification at all how can I possibly have any confidence on what’s right and what’s wrong. I am leaving in 24 hours and am not at all certain what to do.  I have called Celebrity and all they could do was tell me they would notify the IT department. Has this happened to anyone else? 

Does anyone know if there has been a change to Celebrity’s on board credit policy? I am booked on a cruise in May and received a $600 on board credit. When I booked my excursions Celebrity applied the on board credit to the charges. Now however I am receiving notifications that I owe $600 even though I have paid in full for the cruise and my invoice has a zero balance. I am very confused. The on board credit is showing up as a credit on the invoice so I’m wondering if there has been a change in policy that I’m not aware of. Maybe on board credits can’t be used for excursions? But then why did they apply them to my excursions? I received no communication other than that I owe $600 and that just started a few weeks ago. I booked my excursions months ago. I would appreciate any insight. 

That is exactly how I feel. Instead of anticipating my cruise with excitement I am now just worrying that I will feel let down and somewhat exploited. If Celebrity felt the need to change so much they should have done beginning with cruises not yet available for booking. I feel a little like the victim of a bait and switch. I am trying to maintain a positive attitude but I find myself feeling a bit bitter. And who wants to feel that way before a very expensive trip?! I’m holding out hope that Celebrity will consider this a failed experiment that undermines the bottom line and go back to what was once a premium cruise line instead of Motel 6. 

2 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

I understand your concern and my comment is in no way meant to be snarky, but I want to advise you to move a little deeper into the page count at the bottom or top of the Celebrity board.  I don't think you will have to travel far to come across a number of threads and reviews detailing the things of which you are concerned.

 

I will say that we had a very enjoyable cruise on Equinox back in July.  Cuts were evident in certain areas, like nobody handing out embarkation bubbly when we boarded...it is available at Al Bacio, though.  MDR choices were more limited but food was mostly enjoyable.  Service was outstanding, as per usual for our experiences.  

 

I guess I will miss what is now gone no matter what it is because I’m sure to notice it. Things like embarkation champagne and canapés are little things in the grand scheme of things and no one wants to be thinking that the vacation that they planned and saved for is not up to what they were anticipating. And that anticipation comes from past experience. I wouldn’t miss what I never had but these little things add up. And if the food has declined it could certainly ruin the cruise since it is a long one. No one wants to be bored by the food or have it be of mediocre quality. That’s a deal breaker for me. 

2 hours ago, Torfamm said:

The embarkation champagne is gone but I can’t say I really miss it. The food is not quite what is was but it seems to be improving again in my experience 

I guess I will miss more of what the embarkation champagne represented. I will miss that feeling of excitement that it gave you. That feeling of luxury. You save and plan as the excitement builds and then you step on board to a glass of champagne with your whole trip ahead of you. So I will miss that special feeling I guess. Most mid level hotels in resort areas welcome their guests with champagne so I think rather than the champagne itself it’s the lack of it, when it once was there, that will be a sort of let down for me. It may seem silly to some but I bet I am not alone in thinking this is a misstep on Celebrity’s part. 

I’ve read that the quality of food in the MDR has really decreased and that Celebrity has made other cuts such as no more afternoon canapés or embarkation champagne. Can any recent Celebrity cruisers comment on other cuts or the reality of the MDR food. I have a cruise booked for May and I’m really concerned. We have cruised exclusively on Celebrity and keep coming back because of the high quality, but this is our first cruise since 2019 and I’m very worried that I will get a reduced experience for what is a lot of money. I still have time to switch to another line but would love to know your thoughts. 

I read yesterday that Amsterdam is going to be closing its cruise port. No date was specified. I have a cruise scheduled for May of next year that is leaving from Amsterdam but now don’t know what to do about hotels etc pre cruise. I don’t want to book hotels and transportation if that is not going to be the departure port. Does anyone know anything about when this might happen or how to handle this new dilemma? 

The port was Berlin and it was a 12 hour excursion getting back at 8:30 so I booked a 9:15. But it said it conflicted and there was no way to book anyway. So I eliminated select dining for that night and was then able to book the excursion. I wanted to then try for the 9:30 but the website said select dining was sold out, even though when I booked all my dining yesterday everything was wide open. The cruise is more than a year away. The celebrity website tends to be a bit glitchy. But I at least was able to book my excursions to coincide with my select dining. All except the Berlin day. 

I tried to book a shore excursion but it said my select dining time conflicted with the excursion. My dining time was 45 minutes after excursion is due back. Is that too soon? Is there some sort of timing issue I’m not aware of? 

7 minutes ago, Gracie115 said:

I recognize that some may want/need this, but I'm very happy to be disconnected at sea....the ships aren't that big, wandering around them is fun and after 25 + cruises have never lost my husband!!!

Different strokes. I wasn’t concerned about losing my husband. I was concerned about maximizing our time together in order to share in the spectacular experience of being in Antarctica. I knew we would meet up eventually. But if he’s looking for me and I’m looking for him then neither of us are enjoying our time in the unbelievable beauty of the scenery or the majesty of the whales or the playfulness of the penguins. Anything that could facilitate our finding each other quickly is a welcome addition as far as I’m concerned. 

14 minutes ago, Rob the Cruiser said:

 

After 20 cruises I'm certain that cruising is for me. What I don't understand is why it is so difficult to simply say "If I'm not here when you return, meet me at (pick a place)".

 

It’s very easy to say it but in some situations not as easy to implement. As indicated in my original post I went inside to get warm. My husband was taking pics and moving from port to starboard and back again based on what might be visible on either side based on the naturalists pointing out particular ice formations or wildlife. I had no idea how long it would take to get warm and I certainly didn’t want my husband to miss anything while waiting for me. Plus, most of the boat was out on the top two decks so it was crowded. In that particular situation it would have been nice and certainly easier to have a messaging app. I can think of MANY situations where a messaging app would be useful.

I stand by my opinion that the person to whom my comment was directed was rude and added nothing to the discussion. He/she wasn’t advocating for no phones onboard ship, he/she was commenting on my inability to locate my husband.There was nothing in the response that indicated the poster’s position at all.  My original post asked about a messaging app, nothing more. I think the idea of a messaging app is great and look forward to utilizing it on my next cruise. If your position is that there should be no phones onboard at all then I can’t imagine that will ever happen and in my opinion it shouldn’t happen. While I agree that people can be inconsiderate of others while using a cell phone, there are legitimate reasons for wanting them onboard. I for one would rather politely tell the rude person that his/her non emergency phone call was disturbing my dinner than prevent someone with a sick relative from having contact. I actually believe that most cruisers respect the sensitivities of others while onboard and use the silent function on their phones and don’t make calls that are disruptive to others. If you find other people to be annoying then I don’t think cruising is for you. 

54 minutes ago, Kwaj girl said:

SERIOUSLY?   How about just meeting up in your room at a prearranged time?

Because the scenery was spectacular and I only went inside for a bit to get warm. And I don’t think rudeness needs to be a part of this forum. I asked a legitimate question and don’t see where your reply added anything to the discussion. 

Yes, but if I have the plans and don’t here from anyone then I know my house is still standing and the dog is alive. 

Different strokes indeed. If I had made similar plans and given similar instructions I would be constantly worried that my house had burned down and the dog had died.

Some people either don’t need or don’t want to either reach or be reached while on vacation. To each their own. I have children and elderly parents and I like to know that I can reach out or have them reach out while I’m away. During my last cruise there was a serious cold snap that necessitated me calling home to direct my son in what to do with the water/heat of a seasonal home we own. Everyone has different circumstances and my saying that you would definitely need something beyond the internet for calling home obviously only applies to those who want or need that option. 

Unless you pay for it, internet not available on a cruise ship. I am just back from an Antarctica cruise and oddly enough there is no internet in Antarctica, nor was there internet in the Falkland Islands. We definitely needed either an international plan and cellular at sea, or both. 

We had the international plan which worked fine in port, but not onboard.  For that we needed a cruise ship plan called cellular at sea. We had AT&T. 

I recently returned from a Celebrity cruise to Antarctica. While taking pictures and videos of the spectacular scenery I would sometimes get cold and want to go inside for a bit. My husband would often want to continue taking pictures, moving from port to starboard based on the naturalist’s observations about what could be seen on either side. Here’s the problem. I had no way of getting in touch with my husband in order to find him again when I warmed up. I was discussing this with our table mates at dinner and they were lamenting the same issue. They did say, however, that Princess has an app that allows you to text other people onboard. Does anyone know if that is the case? I’m wondering if you would accumulate roaming charges for using the app or if you would have to shut down all your other apps to avoid extra data charges. If, however, Princess has managed to find a way to facilitate communication while onboard  I hope Celebrity quickly follows suit. 

That sounds awful, and yes, the last day on a cruise is not nearly as awful as it could be. But it is not as good as it could be either.

13 minutes ago, GoodScout said:

My wife and I own a bed and breakfast. We know how long it takes for us from checkout to checkin to turn a room and inspect it to make sure it meets our high standards. If it took less time, we'd adjust the arrival or departure times accordingly. I have no doubt Celebrity does the same. As someone in the industry, I'm always impressed at how quickly and efficiently they turn over 3,000 rooms. 

 

I agree with you that how we say goodbye to our guests is just as important as how we greet them. We tell our team members that we want them to greet our arrivals as if they're a long-last aunt they haven't seen in years; and to say goodbye as if you're going to miss them. Because most of the time, that's exactly how we feel.

 

If you feel like Celebrity gave you the bum's rush, then that's an improvement opportunity* for them.

 

 

 

* - We never say "mistakes" at my business. They're "improvement opportunities."

Exactly. Perfectly said.

I still feel that if celebrity needs more time then they shouldn’t assign me a time that doesn’t allow them the opportunity to turn over the room. It seems incredible to me that Celebrity informs the disembarking guests when to leave and informs the arriving guest when to arrive but then I’m supposed to feel bad that that isn’t enough time. The problem seems to be the need to turn over the boat so quickly, which is the mass market hysteria that Celebrity has now fallen prey to and the point of my original post. 

Celebrity is setting the times for embarkation and disembarkation. I follow what they set up. If it’s not enough time then they should alter it to allow for a less rushed transition. As for the hotel comparison, anyone who thinks the entire hotel property isn’t being turned over has never been to Disney during peak times. Disney allows enough time to clean and  outfit each room and I am permitted to stay in my room until check out time without the housekeeper keeping watch with a dirty linen bag. I understand that many, if not most of you are not bothered by Celebrity rushing us off and that’s fine. But Celebrity tells me what time they want me in the MDR for disembarkation and I should be permitted to follow their instructions without being made to feel as if I am in the way and no longer welcome. I found it to be particularly offensive on this past cruise and it was one of many areas in which I feel Celebrity has slipped. 

But the “here’s your hat, what’s your hurry” mentality was not nearly as prominent on my prior cruises. I never before had the crew waiting in the hallway, armed with the dirty laundry bag, waiting for guests to leave. I actually felt like I was being rushed out the door and it’s not a nice feeling. Combine this with all the other items mentioned, no flowers, no welcoming champagne, cheap tote bag, thin towels, and it certainly looks and feels like a decline from the Celebrity I was familiar with.