mnocket

Preferring to eat sirloin vs filet is a personal & subjective choice. The relative cost of sirloin vs filet is an objective truth and illustrates Celebrity's ongoing cost cutting. You're lucky to not be negatively affected by this particular change, but many are...... and I'd wager that nearly 100% of them would be able to discern sirloin from filet in a blind taste test.

I bought some cruise line stocks near the Covid lows. I really expected a sharp rebound as Covid waned. Initially I thought the rebound was underway and strong - maybe it was or maybe I was just seeing what I wanted to see. However I'm now seeing many (most?) trip reports mentioning that they are sailing far below full capacity. I'm also seeing growing outrage about cutbacks and price increases. Typically there are some complainers and many who simply accept the changes as necessary. This feels different to me. This time I'm feeling like the threats to forego cruising until/unless the price/service ration rebalances are serious. I believe more people are switching to land vacations. I'm no longer bullish on a cruising rebound and I've recently sold half of my stock. I'll be selling the rest in the next few months. I'm also doubting my belief that, much to my surprise, all of the major cruise lines got through Covid without declaring bankruptcy. I now once again believe that we will see one or more major bankruptcies in the next year or two. So yes, I think cruising is in trouble.

Thanks for the input. I'll have to reconsider the ocean view cabin.

I agree. My comment was defending you ❔

I don't see how this matters or why you distinguish between this case and a Muslim woman being uncomfortable in the same circumstance. That said, I see no value in arguing the point.

One could also say it's the same FDA that recommends the Moderna Covid vaccine for demographics that other countries banned (i.e. many European countries). I'm by no means anti-vaccine (fully vaccinated and boosted) - just illustrating that these things are very nuanced. Each person needs to make their own decisions on these matters. I like to use MSG. I also like to eat peanuts. In both cases others have very good reasons for avoiding.

The lunch buffet photos were actually encouraging to me. If more frequent cruisers say there were cutbacks, I believe them, but to be honest if I was eating there I don't think I would have recognized the cutbacks. I'm very much looking forward to the dinner buffet report. Keeping fingers crossed!

I think MSG got a bad rap years ago. The FDA considers it as Generally Regarded As Safe. I understand that many people still avoid it and that's certainly fine with me. Personally, I use it in savory dishes and find it enhances the flavor. ymmv

I think you're being a bit unfair here. I'm sure you wouldn't say that to a Muslim who is uncomfortable with certain attire. Why do you mock @Keys Kathyfor feeling uncomfortable?

Did she say her culture was superior? No. She said it made her uncomfortable. Do you actually believe it's wrong for her to feel that way? Animal sacrifices, bull fighting, woman subjugation, child brides, etc. etc. are parts of different cultures. These things make me uncomfortable. I make no apologies for feeling uncomfortable about things like these. This has nothing to do with placing one culture above another. I accept that cultural norms differ widely. I have no idea why you responded by throwing up a strawman argument about her saying their culture was inferior. She never said that. I'm probably overreacting here, but it bothers me when someone responds as you did.

I think what you are missing is that for some (most?) people, one's surroundings play a major part in setting the ambiance of an experience. Being surrounded by well-dressed people in an elegant surrounding feels different than being surrounded by people wearing jeans and shorts in an elegant surrounding..... at least to some people. To others... ambiance may not be very important or perhaps ambiance is more dependent of comfort than appearance? There's no right or wrong here - it's subjective. Take for example attending live theater. Years ago people dressed up when attending the theater, today not so much (if at all). The quality of the production may remain unchanged, but for some of us the experience just doesn't feel as special. On the other hand, there are many who would hate having to dress up to attend and for them it would actually worsen the experience. In short, perhaps what you are missing is an appreciation that different people value different things?

Wow! I never knew that. Thanks.

Thank you all for the replies. It never occurred to me to make two bookings and cancel the veranda if the ocean view came through. Duh

I'm looking at an Artic cruise 18 months from now. Since it's a cold weather cruise I really don't think I'll need a veranda, so I'm looking at ocean view cabins. Unfortunately, the ocean view cabins are show as Wait List. So two questions..... 1) How does Wait List work? 2) With 18 months to go Is there a realistic chance that a wait listed booking will come through? Thanks

I don't think is a definitive classification scale. Yours is as good as anything and like all others will evoke arguments over specific placements. That said, I think the gap between X and RCI is continuing to narrow - and at an accelerating pace. Soon the Mainstream and Premium classifications may become a distinction without a difference.

Wow, I don't even know how to respond to someone like you. Here's $100 kid, now go away and be happy.

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say NO he didn't know. He got a phone call telling him that he won a prize. I think it's unfairly presumptuous to assume he made the connection to the drawing or, if he did, that he recognized the phone call was a mistake because he withdrew - maybe he thought he wasn't withdrawn after all. He's a child! If your child was told he/she won a prize and to be somewhere at a specific time to claim it, do you really believe that they will employ critical thinking to mentally validate it? Perhaps your child is special, but in my experience when a child is told something special is going to happen to them, they believe it. Period.

A heartbroken child isn't going to feel better because someone gave them a token monetary "reward". The issue here is the child's crushing disappointment. Princess offering $100 is the easiest and most tone-deaf response they could offer. It shows that they really don't understand the problem they caused and/or how to deal with a child's emotions. I gave a suggestion of perhaps a trip to the bridge to meet the captain? Instead of money, perhaps a gift that makes the child feel special? Maybe the presentation of a "Good Sport" award? If your child came home emotionally devastated from an incident at school, would you respond by giving him/her $100 and sayin "now go away and be happy"?

It's amazing how many posters here completely misunderstand what the OPs complaint is. My sympathy to @17tangerine for first being misunderstood by Princess and now by so many CC members. it had NOTHING to do with not being eligible. It has everything to do with how Princess' mishandling of the situation - their mistake - devastated their son and how Princess failed to acknowledge this. I don't think OPs expectation was/is that their son should have been awarded the money. I think all OP was looking for from Princess was empathy, a sincere apology, and a gesture to try to cheer up their son - perhaps a trip to the bridge to meet the captain?

Good input. I've pretty much decided my next booking is going to be with O. Input like yours helps to counter the mistake of setting expectations too high. At the end of the day the only real way to determine if something is for you is to try it yourself. I have been encouraged by the tone of the O board posters regarding recent cutbacks and pricing - with the exception of their new go-slow green initiative which really seems to anger people - for good reason. Thanks for the giving your thoughts.👍

Perhaps. That would be troubling though. Call me old fashioned, but I expect the experience I pay for to be the same regardless of how many passengers are onboard. However it would explain the variation.

Thanks for the report 👍 This is why it's so difficult to get a handle on what is what is true and what is rumor. Report from one ship says one thing and report from another ship say near opposite. I have no doubt that these reports are all in good faith. Perhaps the differences are a matter of personal perceptions (glass half full/empty)? Perhaps Celebrity is inconsistent across its fleet. It's going to take time to sort this whole thing out. Reports like yours will help us get there. Thanks.

You're right. It was listed under "Bread Station" and I missed it.

Much appreciate this. I'd like to see more such reports - hopefully with pictures. There must be a bunch of empty buffet stations.

Thanks for the report. No pizza, hamburgers, curry, sandwiches, or grilled meat or fish other than the Tilapia? If possible could you make observations for a few more nights and also confirm whether there are many unused buffet stations (sounds like about half of them must be)? Finally, could you give an estimate of the lunch offerings vs the dinner? If Lunch is 100% would you say Dinner offerings are 50%, 40%, 30%? Thanks!