AnnaNicole

I guess my December 18 cruise just squeaked in. I am not happy with the new change. Especially given the really high cost of the alcohol packages now. I guess I will be bringing wine onboard.

That's weird. I wonder why the taxes and fees are so high. I recently used them and did not notice any elevated fees.

I was thinking the same thing. LOL

Take a look at super travel. They have much better rates for some hotels than other sites. Embassy suites is $329 for your dates. You may be interested in the Pelican Grand, if you like Ocean front room with living room and a balcony, the seaside suites are only $311 + tax.

I believe mocktails are only included on Premium non-alcohol and the new Zero package. The bartender on Reflection (Dec.) was emphatic that mocktails are not included in the Classic non alcohol package. My husband ordered a mint lemonade drink and was admonished. The bartender said he would give it him, but would charge for it in the future. He had no problem ordering them on the Solstice in Sept.

Just shut up and enjoy your cruise or don't go. j/k 😄 I feel your pain. There have been a lot of not so good changes.

Constructive criticism benefits the business and the consumer. I don't see the majority of complaints being about perfection. It appears to me as if most of the complaints center around product changes since booking (addt'l fees), value for $, and frustration with Celebrity's product decline (esp dining). Celebrity loyalists want to see Celebrity remain the semi-premium line that they have known and loved. It seems newcomers are ok with the new mass market business model. Celebrity is at a crossroads. I guess we will all see what happens.

I guess there could be damages if one purchase non-refundable airline tickets and/or a non-refundable hotel pre/post cruise.

We recently stayed at the Pelican Grand Resort. It is right on the beach. Huge rooms with separate living room and balcony. We got a great deal through super travel.

Premium for suites.

Both people in the cabin do NOT have to purchase the alcohol package. On our last two cruises (Sept Solstice and Dec Reflection) my husband had the classic non-alcohol package and I had the premium alcohol package. He doesn't drink alcohol and doesn't mind drinking water out of an aluminum container.

I am always careful to slide the tray down a few doors so my neighbors look like the troglodyte and not me. 😁

Balconies are great. We always get a balcony. But I do miss the promenade deck. I never had a fixed breakfast time so I cannot comment on that. I would order room service if I was assigned a 7:30am breakfast time.

It isn't a more or less thing, it is a value for my money thing. The value for my money has been depreciating with my Celebrity cruise experiences. Others are expressing the same feeling. I tend to be a quality over quantity person. The little details added up to a more quality experience, for me. A lot has changed in cruising in the past two decades. Exceptional to great to good to just ok. IMO, the scale has tipped too much to the downside. I do not like to be nickle and dimed on vacation. The (almost) all inclusive was the one thing that I really liked about cruising. The new X model does not agree with me...room service charges, MDR dining charges, etc.

Agree. Perspective. Some see these posters as savvy consumers and others see them as petty complainers. I chose to be a savvy consumer and appreciate the posts for what they are....a sharing of information, experience, and expectations. 🙂

I am not a big eater so I skipped the midnight buffet, but they were a treat to look at. Cruising was just so different back then. I miss it.

Take a look at the Seashore Motel on Main St in Santa Monica. It is a family owned motel. You can sometimes get better rates when booking direct on their site. It's nothing fancy, but it is a great location and very inexpensive for the area. It is walkable to restaurants, beach, etc. There is a coffee shop right there and they have free parking. My niece and sister live a couple of blocks away and we always stay there when we visit.

Add specialty dining too. Virgin includes specialty dining.

Take a look at Azamara. They have some good pricing. Mostly all-inclusive.

casino. cash out.

I've been looking at Azamara too. There is a good promotion out right now with $800 OBC.

Agree. The food is great and the service is outstanding.

It will show up on your sail pass when you download it. Look for PALL.

The slot machines are all penny or $1 machines. No quarter machines like they have on Solstice.

FYI, the bars had serving trays set out at the corner of the bar with free champagne on our December Reflection cruise.