ScubesDad

17 hours ago, jkgourmet said:

Immature?????   WTH?

 

I lived and participated in the days of sex, drugs and rock 'n roll.  "White Rabbit" was like the national anthem for those people.

That is very true.  recently our 36 yr old son heard the commercial and made a comment as to now he knows why we sail with Celebrity........

17 hours ago, dkjretired said:

As I’m reading this and watching HGTV, the commercial came on. Maybe they should make Grace Slick the godmother of Beyond.

That even sounds appropriate..... Beyond, the rabbit hole

1 hour ago, farawayatsea said:

Hopefully the cruise might be cancelled.  Looking that way.

Your "looking that way" comment seems a bit over the top.  what information are you basing that on.

I agree with the OP in that it is impossible for Celebrity to effectively enforce their guidlines.  There are too many variables which cannot be controlled....many of which rely on the integrity and honour of the traveller to self disclose.

Many of us have seen the effects of noro and how ineffective the current system is.  Five years ago we had a noro breakout on a cruise...they were deep cleaning the second morning .....obviously someone came on the ship in a very sick condition.

With Covid 19 many people do not exhibit symptons and may not know they have been infected.

Using people of Chinese ancestry as an example, many Chinese people hold dual citizenship and use other countries' passports for travel, however, they have to use a Chinese passport when travelling to and from China...their entry to China will not appear in their other passport.....

Unfortunately, more form that function.

Having said that, we have a Carribean cruise booked in April and at this point in time have no plans to cancel. We will not be flying, and to major extent will be relying on the integrity of other passengers to self disclose.

We consider the risk of exposure to be very low.  time will tell.

We will be cruising in April and have no intentions of cancelling, unless the situation changes significantly.  we certainly have no intention of travelling to south east Asia in the near future.

5 hours ago, wetwo2 said:

I also received a call.  They asked me to send our flight info (for reimbursement) to celebrityengagementcenter.com but it came back undeliverable.  Is this a scam or did I spell the name wrong?

 

I think you spelt it wrong...i believe it is celebrityengagementcenter@celebrity.com

10 hours ago, Bo1953 said:

You are quite correct, yet by the terms of the COC, the contract has not been breached.

 

If you believe it has, please provide the citing(s) for this assertion.

 

Others have posted the sections of the COC which apply here in the U.S... in the U.S. and passengers who purchase tickets here in the U.S. which in turn are the prevailing terms accept the same as a condition of purchase for passage on X and other cruise lines.

 

As such, no refund is owed, unless X chooses to do so, to some degree or not!

 

bon voyage

I have to agree with Bo1953 in that the contract has not been breached.  With reference to the OP the contract execution date is March 15, at which time Celebrity has to provide the service contracted for.

I believe the OP has started his conversation with Celebrity too early.  At the time of his posting, the entire situation had been evolving for approximately 10 days; Celebrity was trying to manage the situation for the passengers who were imminently going to board their vessels.  They certainly were not looking at the situation 6 weeks out; no one knew on Jan 30 how this situation was going to evolve, and which way it was going to turn.  Nine days later we have a much better idea of what is happening, particularly with the closure of ports in South East Asia. My opinion, based on my own observations is that shortly there will be announcements that all cruises will be cancelled in the region.  Once that decision is made the entire situation changes and becomes an entirely different issue.

I believe the contract(s) between the passenger(s) and the cruise line(s) will become frustrated contracts - essentially a contract that without fault of either party, subsequent to its formation, has become incapable of being completed/performed due to unforeseen event(s) or circumstances.  Another option may be  a force majeure clause in the CoC that may cover such an event which has occurred.  I have no intention of reading the entire CoC, I know it favours the cruise line - they have spent significant dollars on developing a contract which is essentially bulletproof, and I am confident is saying that many lawyers are burning the midnight oil  trying to find a way out of this situation for the cruise lines.

Based on my personal experience with Celebrity, and in reading some of the information which has been recently posted, Celebrity will formulate a policy which will be fair and equitable to all parties.  If the contract is deemed to be frustrated, I believe all prepaid funds have to be refunded - I don't know if a FCC will be a suitable form of payment or not.

I am not a Celebrity Cheerleader, and I am not a lawyer, I am however, a Celebrity loyalist.  Over the past few years I have had three instances where cruises have been cancelled due to charters, and  drydocks.  In ever instance I have resolved the issue through calm conversation, explaining my expectations, listening to their replies and agreeing on something in the middle we both can live with.  We did the Lantern Festival cruise Feb 2019, and if this had occurred then I would have been extremely annoyed and looking for answers.  As it was we had an aircraft issue with our flight to Hong Kong which delayed us for 16 hours prior to takeoff - yes we were all annoyed with the airline, many passengers requested/demanded being switched to other carriers so they would be with their families for the Lunar New Year...about two thirds of the passengers were shifted to other carriers.  When we returned to the airport for our new flight time we were pleasantly surprised to be bumped from premium economy to business class because the business class was bumped to first class.  Celebrity does not want to alienate thousands of clients; sometimes circumstances cannot be resolved as expeditiously as we want.   With regards to travel insurance, we all have different tolerances for risk.  Some of us are risk adverse and will insure everything, some are extremely risk tolerant, there is no right or wrong, just what is required for you to sleep at night.  Personally, if you travel long enough and often enough the stuff is going to hit the fan; I have recovered several thousand $$ in out of pocket expenses due to unforeseen circumstances. I do not insure every trip....sometimes the risk doesn't justify the cost.

As an additional suggestion you will want to add sufficient quantities to accomodate any delays in obtaining replacement transportation home as any reservations previously held would have lapsed.

Thanks to OP for making this suggestion

I only have one exception for pre-tipping and that is with valet parking.  the intake employee may not be the same as the delivering employee....also if it was to be a short meeting i would ask them not to park it deep as i would be out shortly.  i was told by several supervisors/managers never to pre-tip as it is may be construed as an insult (as previously noted)  and could have the opposite result to the one intended. I would never "grease the palm" of a maitre'd particularly if i had no reservation..i would politely request the best available tablet and acknowledge accordingly.

We have been on enough cruises with X to know the level of service to be expected.  if not a discussion with the employee will occur.

I also realize nothing said here will change anyone's opinion or practice.

Our preferred locations are the aft corner S1's and while we have not stayed in the cabins you are inquiring on, we have stayed in tbe ones on the above 2 decks.  The poles are a non-issue.  they are located about 60% of the distance out from the inside wall on the bow-stern access...about at the same location as the foot of the bed. If memory serves me correctly, one is just to the aft side of the bed, and the other is about midway from the closest  (forward wall) and the bed. The pole placement is not in exactly the same location on each deck, as they are structural components.

I think deck 11 only had 1 pole and it was deck 12 that has 2....

I like this topic.  It gives us a reason to evaluate why we make certain choices without emphasizing the negative.

It is my belief that people cruise for one of two reasons; 1) travel and new experiences, and 2) vacation get away. In some cases both come into play; however, in our family it is clearly one or the other.  I have to declare that we are Celebrity loyalists, first cruise was in 2001 and we are firmly ensconced as Elite +, with no aspirations of achieving Zenith and any expectations of getting there either.  Never sailed with another cruise line, as we had no need to look elsewhere. Our first few years of cruising was one vacation getaway each winter to a warm climate. A Caribbean cruise filled the need and that was it.  We generally take three trips per year, one of which was a cruise, and one  generally to visit family and explore our own backyard/country, and the other to broaden our horizons and explore new places.  When we retired we found we were doing two cruises per year to travel and broaden our horizons and one other small trip...but who needs a vacation once you retire.

Celebrity has always exceeded our expectations and we have not been disappointed with their product.....until recently. The disappointment comes from corporate in some of the changes and crazy stuff they do particularly around chartering of ships once we have booked a cruise, and some of the tinkering with the product.   However, all the shortcomings of corporate are more than compensated by the excellent customer service received once we are onboard. I am not naive enough to believe that some of this stuff only happens on Celebrity; we have friends and family who have sailed X and also other lines and the majority of the issues are industry wide.

I guess the primary reason we continue to return is the consistency of the onboard product.  Yes sometimes things go wrong when we are on the ship, and the measure of excellence is how fast and how well the situation is resolved.  Of course we have had issues, and we have always reached a satisfactory resolution.

For the past several years we have sailed twice per year and incorporated a land trip of our own at each end of the cruise resulting in a four week trip.  Starting in 2020 we will be doing one cruise for the next few years which are more recreational focused, because we feel we can do a much better job planning our own land based trip to provide the intensive experience we are looking for, and at a significantly lower cost. Several factors have influenced us, significant increase in cruise pricing, lack of appealing itineraries going to places we want to see, some of the recent changes made onboard to dining and amenity options, and to a certain extent our focus on what we want to achieve has changed.

When we become dissatisfied with the value proposition, service and product then we will slip quietly away and pursue other options.  In the meantime Celebrity will continue to be our first choice.

20 hours ago, Mr. Click said:

I asked this on the ports of call board and got little response so I am putting it here now.  We are in the Reflection in May in and out of Dublin.  On our return we arrive the day before we disembark and want to be able to catch an earlier flight home. Since we are docking the day before and should already be cleared for customs and immigration how early can we walk off the ship?  I know Dublin is a commercial port so there is a shuttle bus to get out of the port.  How early does the shuttle start running>  Hoping someone here has some first hand experience on this.

In June 2019 we sailed round trip out of Dublin. We arrived at the reception terminal by the Irish version of Uber - they renamed themselves sometime this past fall, I believe the name is "Free now".  We spent several days in Dublin both pre and post cruise and found this service fantastic - however, we were warned by our hotel and we experienced the fact that if it was a "short" trip no driver would pick it up.

The shuttle bus I believe you are referring to, is the one that takes you from the reception centre to the ship.  There may also be one on the first day of your overnight stay which will take you from the ship in to the city centre. I am not aware of a shuttle which will take you from the ship to get you out of the port - but I wasn't looking for one.

As we were remaining in Dublin we were in no hurry to disembark, and we were very late in doing so...9:30 or so. We did not pre-book a car, or try for an "Uber" we just joined the taxi queue. Unlike other ports, there was not an abundance of taxi's and often the line halted due to no taxis as we waited for more to arrive.  The driver who took us to our hotel indicated we were the sixth pick up he had made that morning at the ship.

As others have recommended, if you need a car at a specific time it is probably best to pre-arrange the service.  All taxis/vehicle coming in to pick up departing passengers will come directly to the ship. The reception centre is set up to receive the incoming passengers.

As previously mentioned if you are flying directly to the US, you will clear US Customs and Immigration at Dublin airport. In our experience, Dublin was not the most efficiently operating airport, so allow yourself sufficient time to complete the process.

You are correct, the immigration process was completed upon arrival in Dublin the first day of the overnight.  You will be free to come and go once the ship is cleared.  We met some people on one of our tours who were leaving "early" the last morning.  They advised guest relation early in the cruise of their intentions, and they were provided with instructions to follow.  Of course they did walk off carrying their luggage.

As you are sailing in a suite you will have access to Michaels Club. MC is a private lounge area for all suite guests, and is open from about 7 am until "late".  we have sailed on Reflection 3 times in the past 3 years and our only comment is MC can be a bit crowded sometimes due to the higher number of suites, however, it is also empty quite often.  it may serve as your "sanctuary" at times if you are just looking for a quiet spot...and a few refreshments.  they do serve an afternoon tea somewhere around 3 -4 pm.

2 hours ago, MadisonMom said:

 

 

3. DS will be sleeping on the couch. Have you slept on one since the Revolution? Was it comfortable? Is it twin sized on top of the couch or a pullout sleeper sofa? Any pictures of a sofa sleeper post revolution made up to sleep in? 

 

Molly

We were in 6146 on Millie this past February just after she was revolutionized.  I have attached a photo of the couch.  It did not appear to be a pull out, but rather a sleep on top of it.  The length was probably 6 feet... it was very firm, probably because it was new, and it probably still is firm because it was uncomfortable to sit on as it was too deep to sit and lean back comfortably.

We have had out butler organize small gatherings in our suite, and they have without exception done an outstanding job.  the strangest request was about 4 years ago; i was recovering from a knee injury and was using a trekking pole to aid in my balance.  Upon returning from an excursion one afternoon I noticed the tip was damaged....I asked our butler if he thought it could be repaired on board...it was returned before we returned from dinner.....and the repair has lasted...better than when it was new.

I think they take pride in accomplishing the impossible.

7 hours ago, wpgcycler said:

 And no Scotch or Irish?

We were on Reflection in June and it was a challenge to find what i would consider a top shelf whisk(e)y. The only Irish i could find was Jameson..thats it.

For the past 5 years we have been sailing in suites and i have become increasingly dissatisfied with the selection of premium brands.  At one time, before Michaels Club was assigned to the suites, i was able to get Midleton and a few other Irish.

I had success finding a better selection of Scotch at the World Class Bar.  the bartender seemed to have a grasp of what was available on the ship and where to find it.

Over the past few years we have cruised twice per year and have found the selection of top shelf brands has been diminishing.  Michaels/The Retreat still has a very good selection, however, I have always found Michaels on the Reflection to be overly busy and search out quieter locations.....i think you may have success at the WCB.

We have sailed on all five and consider them each to be outstanding.  We never consider the ship as the primary reason for ailing, we always select an itinerary and then look at the ship. 

I will give you our informal ranking...I guess the thoughts that are in the back of our minds which we never vocalize.  Let me first say we would be happy to sail on any of these ships without hesitation.  We have sailed the Reflection three times in the last 3 years, solely because she had appealing itineraries.  Had a great time.  The major downfall as we see it, is the higher number of passengers.  We have been sailing in suites for the past number of years and find Luminae, and Michael's Club/Retreat Lounge, to be pushed to capacity at many times.  However, on the plus side it has a great selection of dining options available. We particularly enjoy Lawn Club Grill and The Porch.  Silhouette is probably our most desired as she has the Lawn Club Grill and the Porch, without the increase number of passengers.  Also, the pressure on Michael's Club/Retreat Lounge is less due to the fewer number of suites. Equinox and Solstice would be next.  Equinox because of Gastrobar; very good beer selection and a reasonably attractive menu...great for lunch. Our next two cruises are on Equinox, again due to itinerary....so access to Gastrobar is an added bonus;hopefully, it is as good as I remember it.  Solstice was a favourite of ours primarily due to Silk Harvest.  Not everyone liked it; however, we always enjoyed it for the unique approach to Asia food.  Alas, with the introduction of Le Petite Chef, I believe Silk Harvest is no more. While we enjoyed Le Petite Chef, we feel it is a one time only thing, unless they add additional menu options. 

While the physical attributes are the most visible things people consider when selecting a cruise, we have found the employees onboard are the ones who make a ship come to life, and unfortunately that is not something you can control.  We have sailed on the same ship, in the same cabin in fact about 4 months apart, and the vibe was different, not any better or worse, just different.

Enjoy your cruise, no matter which ship you select I am sure you will enjoy it.

I wouldn't be overly concerned as it appears everything required by the attendant is being completed at the usual high standard with the exception of actually meeting them.  There could be several reasons why you have not been able to connect; the most obvious one being your schedules have not coincided.

A few years ago we did a B2B and during the first segment the attendant was always visible and around.  On the second leg we did not meet the new attendant until the third day. We knew it was a changeover situation and we were aware the first attendant was going home. The situation was very much as you described your situation, all the required functions were completed in an exemplary manner, we just had not seen or met the new attendant. On the third day the attendant reached out and introduced herself, apologized for not connecting earlier, and chatted with us.  She indicated there were some "issues" with other guests which needed attending too.  It became apparent within a few days the reason we saw very little of her was the l;evel of care she actually put forth in her job.  She was doing a deep clean on every cabin she took over, to ensure they were up to her standards.  In fact, she found a pair of eye glasses in the room which she assumed were ours...who knows how long they had been there.

If there is something I require urgently I will pick up the phone and call the attendant. Their telephone number is attached to a speed dial button.  Otherwise we just leave  a note on the desk with our request, and it is fulfilled when they next visit the room.  I think this is just a "one off" situation, and not the new normal.

I, as well as others, are a little disheartened at the implication you would not reward the attendant for looking after you solely because you had never met them.  I understand the personal connection is missing, and would suggest you call them and ask them to drop by and meet.

Enjoy the Reflection, we sailed on her this past June and enjoyed every minute.

3 hours ago, Airbalancer said:

Port side is the sunny side on a TA 

the cigar smell from a person sitting by the pool by middle elevators on deck 10 will at times stink up the port side of deck 10 all the way to the pool bar 

I wouldn't say it would stink it up, however, it may produce a scent not appreciated by all.

Unless they have changed the designated cigar area since February......the cigar smoker should have been on deck 11 at the mast bar in an open area to dissipate the exquisite  aroma of a fine cigar.

Tipping is very much a cultural issue and I realize there are many diverse opinions. Coming from Canada it is a normal thing to do.

We always carry small bills with us while on the ship, and tip a few $$ per round.  Historically we would explore the ship for the first day or so and find a bar where we enjoyed the vibes and are comfortable and make it our regular hangout.  We will tip per round as occasionally the servers change locations in the evening as they cover off other bars. We have switched to sailing in suites so the situation is different; however, I continue to carry small bills as I sometimes have to stop off on my way from point A to point B for a drink...O k maybe I have stopped to have a chat with someone......

We never attend the Captain's Club Happy Hour, unless we are meeting some new "friends", again a few $$ per round.

I behave the same way when at home due to the cultural norms and how the service industry is paid here.

Will you be treated any differently if you do not tip..I have never seen any evidence to support this .

Cheers.

1 hour ago, Airbalancer said:

Just off the Infinity TA 

Great cruise , but why do they need to play the canned music outside on deck 4 port side for the smokes 24/7! 
we were in the cabin on deck 6 and were not able to keep balcony door open over night as you can hear the music playing in the back ground 

I do not like Celebrity canned piped in music 

I did make a comment on the comment cards and at guest relation but all it did was to increase the volume 🙄

the music was not on the starboard side on deck 4 outside 

 

Also why are the nice lounge seats in smoking section but not in non smoking areas ?
On deck 4 outside on starboard side there no seating , I was told it was a safe issues to have seats there 🤔
why do they allow cigar smoking on board ? 
Mark

To a certain extent I sympathize with your concerns regarding the music.  I agree the music should not be playing 24/7 for several reasons; however, leaving your balcony door open at night is also an issue.  Our preferred cabin location is across the stern as high as possible ....this causes us some issues, on occasion,  with the Sunset Bar when music is being played loudly late in the evening as we enjoy sitting out on the balcony before retiring for the night.  A quick call to guest relations usually addresses the concern, and the music usually ends by midnight. There is no valid reason to have music playing after midnight, unless the next day is a sea day.....

I can't address the issue of seating on deck 4 as I am a cigar smoker, and when on a "M" class I smoke at the Mast Bar on deck 11 (only place it is permitted). I guess X has a bit of compassion and allows us "persona non grata"s to enjoy the simple pleasures of life somewhere.  (Usually with a good(read as expensive) single malt).  At home I respect my dear wife's request and smoke outside, and she has corrupted my dog who also displays her displeasure by sitting on the far side of the patio giving me the evil eye until I put the cigar out...and then, only then will she come and lay down beside me and enjoy the evening sky and my music selection.

However, I have heard rumours that X is creating a new smoking area....ever hour on the hour they will lower a lifeboat and tow it behind the ship for 45 minutes .............

2 hours ago, Fouremco said:

@bubbadogmom, from worst to best:

 

1. Let the cruise line make the conversion using their less favourable exchange rate plus charging a conversion fee;
2. Let your financial institute make the conversion, getting a more favourable exchange rate but still paying a 2.5-3% conversion fee in most cases; or
3. Use one of a small number of Canadian credit cards issued by financial institutes that charge no conversion fee (https://www.ratehub.ca/blog/credit-cards-with-no-foreign-exchange-fees/), or provide higher cash back credits to offset the conversion fee (https://www.greedyrates.ca/blog/rogers-world-elite-mastercard/).

I have a Home Trust Preferred Visa card that charges no conversion fee. It's free, offers free roadside assistance (cancelled my CAA), and meets my requirement to have a card from each of the three major credit card networks. I also have a Rogers World Elite MasterCard that charges a conversion fee but gives more cash back points.

A 4th option and arguably the best in this situation would be to obtain a US$ credit card for the onboard charges.  You would avoid any conversion and exchange fees..  To make the most of the card you would need to purchase US$ to pay the account off....however, by regularly purchasing the funds you can do so when the rate is favourable to you and keep it on hand until you need it.  we have had a US$ credit card for over 20 years and it makes it extremely convenient.  about 12 years ago we actually opened the account with a US bank that also included a cash account which makes everyday banking much easier.  If you spend a great deal of time in the US it makes life so much easier.

NEVER let a merchant or cruise line do the conversion, the rate used will be to their advantage...just another source of revenue for them.

9 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

They are filling their ships with or without us.  Is that "troubled waters"?

I don't disagree that their ships are sailing at or near capacity: however, i feel they are having a more difficult time doing it....by this I mean they are having to discount the price as they get closer to sail date.

19 hours ago, Orator said:

Much of the answer to this question will come with the next earnings report and the follow up conference call. There was a sharp reaction to the downside following the last report when RCL reported lower than expected bookings and increased fuel cost . Blamed lower bookings on hurricanes hitting during the prime booking season. 

Personally I believe that Celebrity is healthy and will remain so unless and until market saturation is reached. No problems so long as there are new cruisers to replaced pass passengers who move on. In fact, Celebrity benefits when Elites and above are replaced by new cruisers since the new cruisers don't require additional benefits. 

My personal opinion, and I will stick with the nautical theme, is that Celebrity is encountering headwinds rather than sailing in troubled waters.  I agree totally with Orator's comments regarding financial performance, and I feel that results will fail to meet expectations.  My thoughts are based on what I see personally.  Back in August I dumped my deleted emails and when i did I noticed a huge number of Celebrity emails, when I counted them and figured out how many days were involved it worked out to 1.15 emails per day or 8 emails every week.  I just checked and I have received 4 emails this week 2 on Sunday and 2 on Monday all 4 were marketing focused trying to get me to book another cruise.  Having worked in the corporate world  emails at that level seems to be a wee bit excessive - I would even suggest this is an indication that bookings are below historical trends.  We have completed 3 cruises in the last 12 months, on two of those cruises there were significant price drops, and on one of them as we approached final payment the price dropped 30%. This supports the comments that prices are high relative to other available options, and price reductions are needed to fill the ships.  I believe the troubles are within head office and management is feeling some pressure to increase bookings as they have a significant amount of additional capacity coming on line and they need to get it filled.

I do believe the on board experience is outstanding, certainly not what it was on my first cruise in 2001, but little today has retained the standards of 18 years ago.   Change has to happen to ensure survivability.  The often referenced quote "If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got", is very true; however, some changes made are not going to be successful.  The evidence of good leadership is how quickly a poor decision is reversed or rectified.

10 hours ago, Luvcrusn said:

We love to cruise and for many, many years when we've decided we want to book a cruise vacation, we've looked only at which X cruise we wanted to book next. Over the last two years that has changed. We now look at other cruising options. X's new policies have caused that. Prices have increased over than time much more than in any other similar timespan. Services have been cut. A line that advertises itself as "modern luxury" has cut many of the little things, which when considered alone don't matter a lot, but when considered as an aggregate make a big difference. Things like a table on a verandah and in a cabin are disappearing. Verandahs on the new builds are like sitting in front of an opened window and aren't like a verandah at all, let alone an infinite one. Charging a $14pppd for a "free" perk is foolish and makes customers feel like they are being "ripped off". Cutting things from a beverage package after passengers have paid for them isn't right. Taking away small little things like sorbet served poolside on hot days and iced towels being offered there as well.  The daily dinner menu changing from the five courses it used to offer to three. Obviously one can order multiples, but the ambiance has changed. White glove service of the past is gone. Being hounded on embarkation day to upgrade, book specialties, book spa appointments, and all through the cruise to buy art, jewelry etc. is downright annoying. Having the shop merchandise spilling out into public walkways isn't luxurious, it feels more like a flea market. Taking away daily bottled water from a class of cabin marketed as Aqua makes little sense. Spa services which are top dollar prices can't be enjoyed because the technicians are under so much pressure by the spa operators to sell merchandise hound the client with non-stop sales pitches. Cabin stewards no longer have assistants and are overworked. Waiters and stewards spend the last three to four days of each cruise "reminding" passengers how important 10 ratings are to their careers. There are easy fixes. The current CEO seems out of touch with the loyal passengers and needs to pay attention to what got X the recognition is has had. 

 

All of the above was written by someone who over the years has many times been accused of being a X cheerleader. We still have cruises booked on X, but we now look at other cruising options as well when booking our cruises. X's choices, changes and cuts over the last few years have caused that change, so for us, X is entering troubled waters.

I agree with many of the issues Luvcrusn raised, some of these may be deal breakers for some.  Our pet peeve was the "Turkish Bazaar" - as noted by Luvcrusn above, the flea market of $10 junk that would block the walkways outside the shops. I always complained and highlighted this on the end of cruise survey. I am glad to report that on our Reflection sailing in June the "sales" were still held, but confined to the interior space of the shops.

We have been loyal Celebrity cruisers since 2001, we currently have 2 cruises booked, when we should have about 4.  We are re-evaluating our vacation options because we know we can achieve the same level of experience by doing it ourselves and making it a more personal, customized experience.  The benchmark we use is cost per night, and the recent cost per night levels on Celebrity has reached the point where we need to re-evaluate. Yes you can still find hotels where there is evening turn down service with chocolates on the pillow, and where upon your return to the hotel the desk staff call you by name.

Will we stop sailing Celebrity ----  probably not in the near term, we just won't sail as often, and we will sail based on the destination.

I use a Pacsafe cross body "sling pack".  It is an anti-theft small knapsack that has several features which are designed to deter or thwart thieves.  I have used it predominately for walking in urban environments  ie Rome, where there is a high incidence of pickpockets etc.

However it does have a few features which make it useful as a temporary safe locker and have used it when we are on tours to leave valuables on the bus.