CRZR58

Don't get it

Why book when it is anytime/select dining.

Really never had a problem, if we have to wait 10 mins

so be it, the team give you a pager and just wait at the bar.

10 Minutes? You must tell them that you'll take anything that comes up.

We like to sit at our own table, which makes it take a lot longer than 10 minutes, especially during prime time.:cool:

Celebrity lost a lot of it's luster. For us, it's all about the food and the service levels that are currently being offered. "Modern Luxury" has been watered down to such an extent that it's no longer indicative of the experience (not sure it ever really was). We don't pay extra for Aqua or a suite, so we are in the MDR, which has gone way downhill in our estimation. We enjoy the on board specialty restaurants, but the cost on them keep rising, even with the on board discounts. A lot of little things that don't mean much on their own add up to a greatly reduced experience.

We can get 2 weeks all inclusive (Which means everything including upgraded restaurants and internet) for less than 1 week for an Ocean View once you include flights, gratuities, booze package (Go Big) and port fees. That's exactly what we chose for our last vacation and we don't regret our decision at all. We will cruise again. We have our eyes on a Windstar trip, which will cost a bit more than we pay on X, less than a suite or Aqua, but provides a far superior food and service level.

Do yourself a big favor and prebook your dining times. It will reduce your wait time significantly, especially on the first 2 nights before the masses realize that they need to book times. It also gives you the first choice of dining times.

What makes people think this is a cut back? They may lose money on this, but are trying to upgrade the cruise experience.

Cuz they're not in the business of losing money.:rolleyes:

How much money are they saving by charging for burgers and hotdogs, which are cheap, when it takes 9 staff instead of 2 to run the venue?

Our experience...

We couldn't transfer the in laws cabin to us even tho they'd paid in full for it and had been told by a doctor (Officially with the correct paperwork filled out) that they couldn't travel. Celebrity told us over the phone that it shouldn't be a problem the day we left for the cruise.. They told us at the dock that they couldn't make the change there, but the service desk could. Service told us they couldn't/wouldn't do it and literally rolled their eyes at us for even asking.

Hope your experience is different than ours was.

Keep the stories coming. A few pics would be nice too, if that's not asking for too much.

What's been upgraded over the years that they haven't charged extra for?

Comparing the price to 20 years ago is silly. Compare the price to 3-5 years ago and then tell me again how much it's gone down.

Certainly more movement on WindSurf than on a big ship like Celebrity Equinox, but nothing we couldn't handle. Our first night out of Barbados was kinda rockin and rollin. The crew told us it was the worst they'd seen and it was clear sailing after that.

New slogans for X is a fun game:

"Death by a thousand cuts"

"Racing to mediocre"

"Our nickles and dimes are fifties and hundreds"

We loved our Tuscan Grill experience, but it was with the old menu, so not sure if it's still accurate.

From our experience, the specialty restaurants aren't full, even with the discounts.

I get a kick out of the 'Everything's OK crowd', who don't care how far down the bar continues to slip. Take away cheap chocolates on my bed, nightly turn down service, cheap bags and/or card holders and I couldn't care less. Change the quality of the food and service and charge extra for things that used to be included, and I'll choose to go elsewhere. Personally, I've given up on X because it's not the same as it used to be.

Mass market companies all think that maximizing profit over maximizing customer experience will net them more money, but it's a short term outlook. The best customers, who cruise the most and/or pay the most, will go elsewhere, while the rest will choose simply by cost.

As for the other forums... Everyone else is doing it isn't much of an argument and doesn't make it right or even a good thing. The tone is quite different on Viking or Windstar than it is on RCI or X. NCL and Princess have some of the same complaints.

For sure anyone thinking of a much smaller ship should do plenty of homework to make sure they know what they are booking. I plan to do that. We have friends that are booking a European river cruise and understand the differences, but want to try the river experience.

 

We think we might enjoy that too, but not in the next few years.

We absolutely loved our Windstar experience, more of a yachting experience than a Vegas hotel on it's side, but it's not for everyone. No big 'Vegas style' show. Only a couple of bars. Very small pool. Few, if any, sea days.

It's more than made up for IMO by being able to get to smaller islands that the big boats can't. Only 300 cruisers descending on some ports instead of thousands from multiple ships. No waiting for tenders. Spending a couple of days at single islands gives you a chance to see and do more. Embarking/Disembarking at smaller ports pretty much eliminates the hassles.

If they can take your money in advance, then they can surely allow you to book online in advance.

My next cruise will likely be on Windstar. Small ships. Amazing food. Excellent staff. Nice cabins. No kids. Interesting port talks that aren't just 'who paid us to get you to shop there'. Longer time in some ports. Water toys off the back of the ship. No yard sales. Starts around $1200 USD per week for ocean view.

I don't particularly like AI resorts; I've been to a couple and I found them not to be my cup of tea, as I was bored being at the same location day in and day out and I'm not a big sun person. I wouldn't stay at an AI land resort to save money, I'd rather go on a cruise, go on a road trip, go to Las Vegas, then being stuck at a resort, where it is the same thing every day. I have friends who love AI resorts (and obviously you do as well) and I have friends who hate cruising; it ends up being what one likes and how they want to spend their vacation dollars.

AI's are like cruises in a lot of ways. You have to choose the one's that match your personal travel style. Staying on site for the whole vacation is like staying on the ship for the whole cruise. Some folks will like it and some will be bored. If you are bored, then take some excursions.

Personally, I love most types of travel. AI's, cruises, road trips, pretty much anything but camping these days. Going to a new city or country or lake or mountains or desert is better than staying at home any day. I'll certainly cruise again, but it won't be on X unless they stop their 'death by a thousand cuts' policies.

I don't believe anyone would be forcing you to pay extra for a hamburger or hot dog, as they will be available in the buffet area at no charge.

 

Maybe it was just on my cruises, but there is usually a line getting burgers at the Mast Grill. As far as not being able to go in your swimwear, I don't find it that hard to slip one's shoes on and put on a cover-up, but that is me, sorry if that would bother you.

 

Hope you enjoy your AI beach resort, for me that would be a nightmare, but that is what so great about traveling, there is always something for everyone.

Have you seen the burgers in the buffet area? They're nasty. They are cooked en mass on a flat top, then dumped into a metal container, where they sit in a warming tray in grease, drying out, until someone picks them up. The one's at the mast grill are far superior, especially if you ask them to cook you one 'fresh' (I know they are frozen), so you get a hot one that's not been sitting around.

As for going to the buffet in the first place. My swimsuit is usually wet, so I'm not about to sit on the chairs in the buffet. I'd have to put on a shirt and shoes and leave my premium placed lounger unguarded. It's way easier to simply walk upstairs, get a couple of plates of food and bring them back to my lounger. That's why there is almost always a lineup for the Mast Grill on sea days, which I don't mind BTW as it's included. IMO, Celebrity saw the lines and figured a way to monetize them. Good business? Only if folks are willing to start paying for burgers and hotdogs. If not, they just reduced the lines and the customer experience.

I'm interested why an AI beach resort would be a nightmare for you. Excellent staff (We'd never been better taken care of even on X) Easier check in/out. Less people. Way more space. Big pools. No chair hogs. Don't have to go through a yard sale to get to the entertainment. Don't have to wait in long lineups to go on excursions. It doesn't matter if your excursions go long and you don't have to pay the cruise lines upcharges. Don't have to pay extra for a beach day. Buffet, sit down restaurants, lots of bars and drinks all included. (I'll happily admit that there are more items on the cruise buffet and that the specialty restaurants on board are better than the AI's.) All this for less than half the price of an OV. The only downsides for us were not getting to go to a new place most days and being on the water.

Isn't that the beauty of cruising. If you don't want to pay extra for your food, it is included, but for those that have no issues dining in the specialty restaurants, they have that option.

Pay extra for specialty restaurants? Sure, I can see some value in that. I've done it myself.

Pay extra for a hotdog or burger? Nope, that's just gouging, especially if you still can get it in your swimwear and/or you have to line up cafeteria style.

One of the beauties of cruising used to be that you could always get great food that was included in the price you paid. Not so much anymore with specialty restaurants that are an upcharge plus specialty orders within the specialty restaurants that are an additional upcharge. Now specialty hotdogs and hamburgers! :o

It's these kinds of upcharges coupled with the service reductions that caused us not to cruise this year and take an all inclusive vacation instead. 2 weeks at that all inclusive on the beach were less than a one week OV cruise. We didn't have to pay upcharges for the restaurants on the property, let alone for a burger or hotdog and we had a bunch of choices off property when we wanted to go to a really fancy restaurant.

It's so nice of you to worry about how I spend my money. The least of my worries is finances because I spend on things I see value in and not just the cost. Life would be a lot easier if everybody worried about their spending habits than those of complete stranger.

As I'm sure you already know, it's not about how you spend your money or if you worry about it. It's about comparing apples to apples when comparing on land pricing to at sea, food included, pricing. Life would be a lot easier for you if you don't worry about or read things into nameless, faceless internet posts.:cool:

From a guys point of view... Flats or Flipflops with a pretty dress for a women is like wearing Birkenstock's or Flipflops with a suit and tie for a man.

We took our kids out for lunch yesterday at a nice restaurant. We paid $11 for a burger and it came with fries and a micro brew. Better than the one in the Lawn Club. We don't mind paying a little extra for quality.

Was that on top of another lunch that you'd already bought for everyone? ;)

We are Canadian so we don't have US style medical insurance and our 'included in our taxes' medical isn't valid outside our province. Our Visa was the only insurance we had when my wife got sick on board a Carnival cruise before we left Miami a couple of years back. Ambulance plus 5 days in the hospital. Our out of pocket expenses were the flights and cabs, because we used them. Everything else was covered. In fact, as soon as I called the insurance folks they paid directly and we didn't even have to pay first and collect later. Got a cheque for the cost of the cruise within 6 weeks.

It is great seeing babies in diapers in the pool😎

 

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I think you mean fecal teabag. 😉

OP... Thanks for posting your real world results. I'm sure they will help those who have kids who want to wear shorts to the MDR.