GAcruiser2

15 minutes ago, TheKBrowns said:

We were on the same cruise in Aqua, we had a canvas bag in our room 

I guess our cabin attendant is to blame, but I did meet two other couples in Aqua who didn’t receive bags. They might have run out of bags....

Looks like they removed the VIP Beach Day excursion which is good.

18 hours ago, hiccups said:

 

That excursion sounds terribly disappointing.  It helps that you were refunded, but it should have been what was offered in the first place.

I think we would’ve viewed our cruise experience through an entirely different lens had that excursion not happened. It really soured everything for us.

I’m sure we’ll come back to Celebrity at some point. Just probably not in the next year or two.

We sailed on Equinox last summer in Aqua class. We enjoyed our experience so much that we booked the Eastern Caribbean itinerary for this summer while we were onboard.0

The Good

Service was good as always. All the employees were polite and eager to help. I know many on our cruise felt that Captain Kate’s announcements were canned and not that funny. Perhaps. That didn’t matter much to me, though. I did like that she made herself very visible on the ship. She was everywhere - from the shows to taking photos with the passengers to having coffee with passengers in the Cafe to talk about their experience. She was also there when we left the ship on the last day to say goodbye and thanks to each of us.

Other than a few misses, the food in Blu was very good. We also enjoyed the Indian selections in Oceanview which were always delicious. We tried Le Petite Chef. I was worried that I wouldn’t enjoy it because it was too gimmicky. Yes, it was gimmicky, but it was still a really fun experience that I’m glad I tried once. 

We we did not have issues with sun beds, but we did notice all the chairs in the sun near the pool were gone by 8am. We never had a problem finding a spot in the shade or the upper deck, though. I will say that the flooring Celebrity uses gets extremely hot which is dangerous if you walk from the upper deck to downstairs without shoes.

The Bad

As mentioned in my other posts, there were a lot of cuts made to Aqua Class benefits. No canvas bags, no priority check in, no foot stools. These weren’t a big deal, but the culmination of all these cuts lead to the feeling of degradation to Aqua. Other than Blu which is only slightly better than Silhouette, we really didn’t see the benefit of Aqua and would probably save our money in the future.

Our pillows had a mildew smell to them. I didn’t sleep well on the first night because the smell would wake me up. Our cabin attendant said they were new. We asked for a new set, but those smelled, too. We finally asked for memory foam pillows; they did not have a smell.

Celebrity needs to either improve room service or not offer it at all. Everyone we spoke to had a nice laugh at how bad room service was. Our breakfast was not very good at all. Also, they brought us 2 of items we only wanted one of and one of items that we requested two. We also ended up with items we didn’t order and then items they were missing. My husband and I had a good laugh about it. We made it our mission for the next few days to make it to Blu for breakfast before they closed!

WiFi has never been good on the ships, but it was particularly terrible during our cruise. It was out completely for a day or two and then barely usable for the other days. I couldn’t even get email to load. Yes, I’m on vacation so we should be off the grid, but we have two young children who were with my parents. I wanted to be sure that we were reachable in case of any emergencies, and it was discomforting to know that might not be possible. Also, if I pay for something, I would expect for it to work. 

The Ugly

My kids and I wanted to do something special for my husband for Father’s Day. My kids surprised him right before we left to let him know he’d be taking an excursion in the Bahamas to swim with dolphins. Hubby was ecstatic! I had booked the VIP Blue Lagoon Beach Break which included an open bar, food, a private beach and the opportunity to swim with dolphins. The cost was $258 for both of us which was much more than any of our other excursions (did snorkeling in St. Thomas and Tortola), but figured it was worth the money. We learned upon arrival to Blue Lagoon that the description was completely misleading. There was a bar, but it was not open. The dolphin swim was an option for an additional fee. Also, our “private” beach was simply a roped off area right next to where the boats docked so we’d be swimming in boat fuel deluged water. This was the last straw for us. We would never have paid that much money for some salty food and public beach. The full weight of all the cutbacks and the nickel-and-diming had come to a head with this excursion. We were furious and took the first ferry boat back to the ship. At the shore excursion desk, the line was about 20 people deep with others who were angry about their “private” beach excursion. Celebrity blamed the excursion company, but I still feel that this is Celebrity’s fault since they should’ve verified everything the excursion company said they’d offer. Celebrity gave us a full refund, but that couldn’t make up for the ruined experience.

The End

We didn’t book a cruise onboard this time. I don’t think we’ve written off Celebrity forever, but we are uninterested in coming back in the near future. Keep in mind that my hubby and me are in our 30s so we’re solidly in Celebrity’s target demographic so this a miss for them. 

Just now, dkjretired said:

 

Priority embarkation is only a separate line when checking in....

Unless we missed it, it was not available at Port Everglades or it was not clearly marked.

7 minutes ago, mari10 said:

Same here, our mattress was new along with the pillows.

If anyone has a pillow problem, the solution is rather simple, ask for new pillows. 

I am sure the cabin attendant will accommodate.

We did ask, but the new ones smelled, too. We finally asked for memory foam pillows. Those did not smell.

1. Were your foot stools on the balcony gone? 

Yes

2. Did your balcony chairs recline?

Yes

3. Was your table in the balcony large enough to eat breakfast for two?

No

4. Was there a table in the cabin large enough for two for room service for two?

Yes

5. Was the sofa in your cabin large enough for two people?

Yes

6. Did you get priority embarkation?

No

7. Were there slippers in your room?

No

8. Did your attendant leave the upgraded canvas Celebrity tote in your cabin?

No

9. Did you have upgraded toiletries in your cabin?

Not sure since I don’t know what those in the non-Aqua cabins received 

10. Did your pillows smell?

Yes

11. If you've cruised Celebrity in Aqua before, did you notice any other perks missing since the Revolution?

I might be incorrect, but I thought I recalled having items such as cotton balls, q-tips, etc. last year in the bathroom in Aqua. They were not there this year, but that could be a cabin steward issue.

15 hours ago, toddmanka said:

Just got off Equinox . Forget about eating on balcony . New tables you can fit one plate and one glass. Phones internet and TV , down half of the cruise.

Footstools gone, smell every night when you went to bed . Don’t know if it was the pillow cases sheets or headboards. I have been on Silhouette 3 times and going on Reflection in March. Celebrity should have spent there 500 million elsewhere.

 

I agree re the smell. My husband and I discovered it was the pillows. The cabin attendant said they were new, but they smelled like mildew to us. We got them switched out for the memory foam pillows because the smell was so bad.

While we did have fun on the cruise, there were some very visible cost-cutting measures taken which I felt cheapened the experience. I’ll write a review once I’ve had a chance to digest everything that happened and possibly cool off a bit. 

I just returned from my cruise in Aqua Class on the Equinox. I can confirm that footstools are gone (at the Connections party, the hotel director claimed he “forgot” to order them). Also gone are the slippers and the nicer canvas bags - instead we got the same flimsy bags that everyone on the ship receives. There was also no priority boarding for Aqua. While I do like Blu, I don’t find the food that much better than the main dining room. In the future, I’ll save the money and get a regular cabin. 

I’m on the 6/8 sailing. Although I’d be disappointed if it wasn’t revolutionized, it’s a lot better than a cancellation. My hubby and I have already submitted vacation days at work and don’t get those back should there be a cancellation. Also, my in-laws are flying into town to watch our kids while we’re gone which means we’d have to cancel their flight, too. I really wish Celebrity would be more transparent about everything since it affects more people than just those on the sailing.

Zofran. It’s prescription only so you’d have to talk to the ship’s doctor about it. I took it when I had severe nausea and vomiting that caused weight loss during my second pregnancy. It was a miracle drug for me. Obviously, your situation is a bit different than mine, but the doctor might be willing to prescribe it for night time use for the remainder of your cruise.

Is Greg P your TA?

No. I’m crossing my fingers that my TA is simply out of town for the long weekend.

Unfortunately, this is a small, family-owned travel agency. I’m regretting going through them for myriad reasons, but they had offered a good amount of OBC. Lesson learned, I guess.

My June cruise is showing for around $200 less than what I paid. I sent my travel agent an email at the beginning of the weekend but no response. I called and left a voicemail yesterday and no response. Normally, I wouldn’t bother to call on a holiday weekend except this sale is over in 10 hours. I called Celebrity to see if I could change it, but they said there’s nothing they can do about it. My travel agent is the only one who can touch the reservation. I’m a bit miffed to say the least. Any suggestions from anyone about what can be done?

SHIP: Equinox

CABIN #: 1648

DECK #: 11

CLASS: Aqua

AREA: Aft

BED NEAR: Balcony

QUIET?: There were lots of creaking, grinding and popping noises. They didn’t bother me, but a light sleeper might have issues.

BALCONY VIEW: some poles to hold the overhang but nothing particularly bothersome to me

BALCONY SIZE: normal

WIND A PROBLEM?: no

SOOT A PROBLEM?: no

PROBLEMS/COMMENTS:

It’s not just the kids. In fact, on my last cruise, I hardly noticed them since they seemed pretty well behaved. Then again, I have young children so I imagine my toleration level might be higher than someone who has grown children. We had some “bad adults” on our cruise instead. In particular, the couple in the room next to ours would take their fights to the balcony for some reason. They’d scream at each other and call each other a-holes throughout the day - Every.Darn.Day. I do admit that it made my husband and me feel significantly more secure in our relationship!

Agree, but perhaps state the block of cabins that all apparently have the same problem, according to the replies on this thread :confused:?

And posters have mentioned that Celebrity’s other ships have the same issue in this block of cabins. It makes me nervous to book any future cruises in Aqua. I was just in 1648 on Equinox and could hear a lot of grinding, popping and creaking noises. I always bring earplugs when I travel, but I could see a lighter sleeper being bothered by it.

Did you book this through a travel agent? I find that many travel agents have enough clout that they can resolve these issues by speaking to higher ups at a company. I know it’s not the same situation, but years ago my husband and I were in a foreign country with a significant language barrier and ended up with a room at our hotel that was woefully under-maintained. The staff and manager put up roadblocks every time we asked to be moved to a new room. We reached out to our travel agent who, within an hour, had us at a different, upgraded resort all at no cost.

GAcruiser we are also sailing Aqua- next week. Anything we should look for in the dining room or elsewhere? We have never sailed in an aqua cabin before but we got an amazing price! I am a bit worried about the food as I have a bunch of dietary restrictions and I don't eat lamb, pork, smoked food or many cheeses. Did you try any beef, chicken or fish dishes? My mom booked our cabin and I didn't even think to look at the menu since after 15 cruises I figured it would be the standard fare.

I tried several beef pasta dishes and all were wonderful. I also had some ceviche and scallop appetizers that were also very good. Honestly, we didn’t have a single bad meal in Blu. There was only one dish we’d describe as just “ok” which was the lamb shank. I think it spent a little too much time in the oven. It wasn’t bad, just a bit dry. They’re also happy to modify dishes for you. For instance, I’m weird and abhor bacon; there were a few dishes that I thought sounded good if they were sans bacon and the staff at Blu was easily able to make those dishes for me.

My husband and I were just on this cruise. We arrived around 11:30am and were on the ship within 10-15 minutes. I guess the line situation changes within a few short minutes!

This was our first time cruising with Celebrity. The crew was very friendly and service couldn’t have been better. We’re thinking about returning next year if Aqua class isn’t too expensive..... We loved Blu. We actually found the food better there than the meal we had in Murano!

The only disappointment was how a situation was handled in the pool yesterday. There was a ground of young guys who were spiking a volleyball around for a good hour. It wouldn’t be an issue except they were continually hitting innocent bystanders in the face, head, etc. They were asked by fellow cruisers several times to stop, but they were belligerent in their response. “Shut up!” “Nope, don’t care!” “We’re not stopping - deal with it.” If I wanted that type of atmosphere or those type people on my cruise, I would’ve taken Carnival. The worst is that I am in the same age demographic as those guys and STILL found them to be the epitome of why millennials get a bad rap. Celebrity’s security officer stood idly by until she finally gave in and took the ball away. The guys managed to steal it back and had it taken away yet again because of their behavior. The whole situation just rubbed me the wrong way. Otherwise, the cruise was wonderful.