Straughn

On 9/13/2023 at 2:52 PM, wrk2cruise said:

Some have reported calling and being able to book solo

My TA has been able to do it for me.

3 hours ago, hcat said:

Frankly, did they really  need to take a group cruise & play undercover boss; &  then solicit comments for a webinar;  to learn that folks are not happy??? 

 

 Wonder how much this dog and pony show cost to engineer?

 

They could read cruise critic, other travel  sites,   f  book and  read online reviews, speak to travel agents  and watch video u tube reviews etc..?  That tells the  story!

 

The giggly video was fairly vapid and did not promise food QUALITY would get better...or that other cuts would be reversed .

 

They  should look at the  posted pics of the ham at the buffet that looked worse than dog food!..Hope we do not see anything like that on ASCENT!

My thoughts exactly. These two women are, at least by title, top management at Celebrity. I would have expected something a little more professional. They could have delivered all this without the giggling and “oh I am still recovering from this cruise.” Do I really care that they worked from 8 AM to 2 AM? Nope. I care that the food selection, the food quality, and the wine by the glass choices improve. 

Any advice, pro or con, on cabins 1108, 1112, and 1124 on the Constellation? Thanks.

I have hope after reading this post.  My first O cruise is on Vista in December. (Oh, how many times have I typed this!)  Oatmeal raisin cookies are my absolute favorite of all cookies.

The ones on Celebrity are wonderful-my personal opinion . (Your mileage may vary.) Having read all the negative comments about the tasteless cookies on O was not encouraging. So, if longtime O cruisers are happy with the change, all I can say is YAY!

F

1 hour ago, LHT28 said:

I have not followed  the reviews on the solo cabins  can you clarify about the  bathroom that is not encouraging?

 I have a friend that wanted to me to check out the solo cabins  when  we board

 

What is being reported is that the bathrooms are small and the shower is extremely small with no place to put toiletries except the floor. There is no room to turn around or bend  down. Apparently there is a handle on one wall which limits the shower space even more.   One woman stated that she had to turn the shower off to wash her hair and then turn it back on to rinse. The shower was so small that she couldn’t get away from under the water. There were several reports of folks giving up on the bathroom shower and using the Spa showers instead.

For the cabin itself, there are some complaints about the overall size. The bed is twin size and tucked into an alcove that does not allow you to see the balcony or watch TV from the bed.  One person described the bed as reminding him of a coffin.

I got most of this info from that social media site that we can’t name.  There are cabin pictures and one or two of the bathroom, but no good picture of the shower. I hope to get a look at one on my December cruise.

Another soon to be first time Oceania cruiser here. My first cruise is on Vista, in the Caribbean, this December. I am one of the growing number of Celebrity (former) loyalists who are jumping to other cruise lines.  The issues and policy changes coming from the new management at Celebrity are reinforcing my decision.

I chose Oceania because friends, who were also Celebrity loyalists, started cruising on O well before Covid hit. They convinced me to try it and I had two cruises cancelled because of the pandemic. Hoping that the third scheduled one goes as planned.
 

As a solo cruiser, I am hoping that the “cruise only” option reappears. While Vista has solo cabins, the reviews, especially about the bathrooms, have not been encouraging.  If I end up not liking the solo cabin, but liking the Oceania product, pricing will certainly be an issue as I am paying for two Simply  More perks in a regular cabin.

I have found this board to be far more balanced than some other boards on Cruise Critic. The Celebrity board is one of the worst. There are a few cheerleaders on that board that will defend Celebrity, no matter what the issue. Someone can post a review of their cruise listing all the wonderful experiences they had, and comment on two or three minor things that went wrong. The cheerleaders will excoriate that person for bashing Celebrity. Even with all the changes  going on now, there are people for which Celebrity can do no wrong and if you had an issue, it has to be because of you, not anything Celebrity did.

On 6/12/2023 at 10:48 PM, LHT28 said:

Interesting

I will mention that to my friend who looking at booking the solo cabin

Thanks

I have a solo cabin on Vista for a Caribbean cruise in Dec. 2024. My specialty restaurant booking date is 60 days out, same as the other Concierge cabins.

9 hours ago, jelayne said:

Without the 152 SS & CS on the E class ships the Retreat spaces will be a ghost town.  Those 14 high end suites will certainly enjoy  quiet spaces and their choice of seats.

 

Why invest $1B each in ships with so much space dedicated to the Retreat for 28 or so guests. Even if you include CS you have 30 suites out of  176.

 

 

 

 

On my last few cruises in a SS (on S & E class ship), the lounge was never busy except on nights when there was an Officers’ Meet & Greet.”   When the Officers left, so did the passengers.   When they had music, it was only busy during that time. As soon as the musician left, a lot of people left.

Passengers came in for a few minutes to check on a reservation or get a drink/bite to eat from the buffet. No one seemed to stick around very long. I have often heard people say “this place is dead/quiet. Let’s got to the Martini Bar.” As a solo cruiser, in the past, The Retreat was a way to get to know other passengers, because it was the same folks every night.   I no longer find that to be the case.

4 hours ago, jelayne said:

If they eliminate the butlers the Retreat Concierge’s will having to handle dinner reservations, cancelling/ booking tours, birthday/anniversary cakes, cabin decorating, pillow requests, and other problems.  The cabin attendants are stretched thin now will they now refill the mini bar, shine shoes, fix a button.  
 

Im becoming more and more convinced that Lisa’s departure was due to an unwillingness to jump on the downgrading of Celebrity.  

I could not agree more. The new President, Beth “ somebody” was a former RCCL person. She comes with the mindset, focus,  and the expectation that there are many things that can be  eliminated to save money, and increase the share price. So far, everything I have read that has been instituted since she came “on board” are almost identical to what Royal does. LLP wanted Celebrity to be at the top of the mass market lines. (I think there is another category for this, but I can’t recall.) The new “mindset’s” priority  is to reduce costs. The game plan is to do what Royal has done. 
 

I am waiting for Sky Suites to be kicked out of The Retreat, no access to the suite Sundeck area, and dinner in Luminae based on availability, just the same as Royal’s Junior Suites. If the rumor that Butlers will only be in the high end suites turns out to be true, that is just another example. All the focus will be on increasing  the perks/exclusivity (and therefore, the price) for the high end suites. 

I have not read all the multiple pages on this post. Someone may have already  made this point. My thinking on this is that the ability to vape in the casino means that those who do vape, will gamble more, as they won’t need to leave to fuel their habit, meaning more revenue for the cruise line. Royal allows smoking/vaping because of the revenue. Yes, I know that all gamblers don’t smoke/vape. On my last RCCL  cruise, inFebruary, on the two or three occasions I walked thru the casino, there were a lot of folks smoking.

Back in the pre-pandemic days and, still in the era of Michael’s Club, I gave an envelope (tip) to the concierge. She had resolved a couple of issues for me which were not minor. She thanked me appropriately, and then said, “if you don’t mind, I will put this in the crew fund” I replied that it is for you and how you chose to use it is up to you.” I kept encountering her on subsequent cruises. One night, there were only a few passengers in MC and she and I had a good, long conversation. I asked if I could discuss a sensitive topic with her. She asked what the topic was and I said tipping as a suite class passenger. We gradually got to the topic of tipping the Micheal’s Club and Captain’s Club concierge. The gist of her reply was that it is in no way expected and but is greatly appreciated. We are a salaried position and never expect to be tipped. She went on to say that if a concierge in MC or CC expects to be tipped, they are probably not a good fit for that position. I reminded her of what she told me several cruises prior. Her response was that some concierges choose to keep the tips, but many donate to the crew fund or their favorite charity. I concluded that the MC (now Retreat) concierges do not expect to be tipped for what they do for suite guests.

@CHEZMARYLOU I have been reading your posts on the Celebrity board for years. I have 22 Celebrity cruises in the rear view mirror and one booked.  Like you, I preferred to cruise in a suite for Michael’s Club/The Retreat and Luminae. As a solo cruiser, the prices for suites have skyrocketed so much that they are no longer affordable for me. Even Aqua is a stretch.
 

I am friends with a couple who were also Celebrity loyalists until they did their first O cruise. They never looked back. They have convinced me to try Oceania and I am.
 

I have two cruises booked in  a Concierge level cabin-one is a solo cabin and I am wait listed for a solo on the other.  I like the O style where once you leave your cabin, everyone is basically equal. All the specialty restaurants are  included and other than the Executive  Lounge for suite guests and the Concierge Lounge for those sailing in those cabins, there is no place on the ship that is restricted. While I gather that those lounges are good, they are not the same as Michael’s Club. Plus, I love that there are laundry and ironing facilities available. My friends, as many do, rave about the food and the service. They also like that there is no formal/Evening Chic dress code; smart/country club casual is the standard.

My first cruise is this December and I am eagerly looking forward to it.

21 hours ago, pinotlover said:

Some of the more elderly guests, accustomed to eating at 4;00-5:00, at home, likewise line up early so to retire early. We find that simply waiting until 7:00-7:30 yields a seating with out lines or inconveniences.

What time do the specialty restaurants and the MDR open for dinner? I thought I read somewhere it wasn’t until 7 PM? I tend to eat around 8 PM. Is there likely to be a wait then? Thanks.

On 6/4/2023 at 9:42 PM, YourWorldWithBill said:

Someone here needs to defend raisins, so I guess I'll be brave. Not with chocolate chips, of course, I can't even think of that. But in oatmeal cookies? Definitely.

 

I feel like the charge of the light brigade... "Into the Valley of Death Rode the 600."

I am with you. A really good slightly chewy, oatmeal cookie with cinnamon, nutmeg, and of course, raisins. No chocolate, no Crasins, no nuts.  My mother had the perfect recipe. After she died, I went thru every recipe card and cook book she had. Never did find the recipe. I can still see the index card with the typed recipe. 

1 hour ago, mitz18 said:

Using hypothetical numbers for discussion:  Lets say the package cost is $90 pd and your average drink cost is $12.  That means 7.5 drinks pd is the over/under.  The convenience factor is a personal calculation.  We've tried both with and w/out a package and the final outcome is usually close; but will admit the paper receipts and signing does get a bit old...... 

in 2010, my partner and I sailed on Solstice. It was his first Celebrity cruise and my 7th or 8th. We are both accountants. It was the early days of drink packages. Since he was “funding” the cruise,” I deferred to him on purchasing the drink package. His initial approach was that having to sign slips and track accuracy of the onboard account was going to be a PIA, so we bought it. As we were number crunchers, he tracked how much we spent on drinks each day. This went on for 3-4 days at most. His analysis was that, at a minimum, we broke even, but most days we came out ahead. 
 

I am not sure that is applicable these days. The cost of the package has increased exponentially more  than the cost of drinks. So I analyze every cruise when deciding to go with the all included or just the cruise option. Most times, (note I said MOST)  with tips and Wi-Fi included, the all inclusive is a better deal, regardless of whether one consumes alcohol or not.

On 4/9/2023 at 12:57 AM, cruisemom42 said:

There are other shared shuttle services that you can book with directly for a lower rate than the private transfers. I’ve recommended the one I used last fall several times here. It’s sharedshuttle.it  The cost is lower if someone books the same time as you, but even if not it is significantly cheaper.

 

I can’t answer re: early departure times for the port though, as I prefer to linger in Rome.

I am looking into using this company from Rome to the port and the reverse at the end of my cruise..  Since they might have to go to other hotels to pick up passengers, do they notify you of when you will be picked up?  Right now the 10:30 time slot is available, so would that be when I am picked up?  Also, it says to pay the driver. Do they take credit cards, or should I have sufficient Euros to pay? I culdnt find that info on the website.  Thank you.

5 hours ago, miched said:

And my dad would always say if we don’t stoping screaming or crying he would give us something to scream and cry about. 😢 and more when we got home. 

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸

If I misbehaved in public, my mother had  the ability to hold my arm as if she was just keeping me close. What she was actually doing was pressing her fingers on the inside of my upper arm squeezing a nerve. She never, ever missed it. It hurt so badly I couldn’t even cry out in pain. She would say “if you behave I will let go.” All I could do was nod yes.Today, that would probably be considered child abuse -60+ years ago it wasn’t. 

On 4/19/2023 at 1:48 PM, 39august said:

Gotta love that health questionnaire. I'm over 80 so I pretty much have muscle and body aches every  day. And fatigue, depending on how energetic I get in a zumba class!

And I have severe allergies, so stuffy nose, congestion, and coughing are part of my daily life. I just answer no to those questions as they are not new symptoms.

I wear Sheecs with my Tieks ballet flats.  They have the silicon liner and do not slip.  If you are at the high end of a size range- go up a size.

I have done this several times and enjoy it.  I have never known them to provide a list, in advance of what will be served. If you asked, they might tell you the regions.  I can assure you that they aren't going to be pouring $100 bottles of wine, but they aren't pouring Bogle and Yellowtail either. It is always wines I have never heard of and will probably never have again.

Each station has several wines representative of the region and a couple of somms to talk about them.  For me, the whole point of any wine tasting is to try something new that I might not experience otherwise. Some I like, some I don't, but I always have fun while learning something new.

This is an interesting thread. My first reaction when I heard the LLP had accepted a new position was that she didn’t have a choice. The new CEO wants his team and she is a Fain person. I saw this happen on Royal shortly after they bought Celebrity. They brought in an airline guy to run the new company. In the process, they terminated a very senior RCL executive who had been with the company since its inception simply because he was a hold over. I saw it happen to my DH in the aerospace industry. New CEO unloaded several executives whom he considered “the enemy” simply because they had been hired/promoted by his predecessor. New CEO’s want their team, people they know, trust, have similar management styles, and think the same way.

Add to that, the E class debacle with the IV and the Magic Carpet. I happen to be one of the few people who likes Eden, but I can see why many don’t. If I sail on an E class, it is in a SV or I pick another ship. I used to sail in suites, but the pricing has gone thru the roof. LLP bears full responsibility for that class of ships as the M &S classes were already there when she took over.

Overall, I think Jason Liberty wanted new, younger, blood. LLP had outlasted her usefulness as, I suspect, there will be a gradual shift in a different direction for X. Not sure what that will be, but it will happen.

I am sailing on Beyond in May. How do I sign up for “Go Green” housekeeping each day. As a solo, and a very neat person, I would love the one night’s extra points. I have looked all over my reservation and the associated info and cannot see where to sign up.

On 3/9/2023 at 4:58 PM, prmssk said:

You can find or twist a statistic to support just about any claim you want to make.

It’s called “creative accounting.”

I only ate in the MDR twice  on Jewel last week. My impression of what I ate was somewhere between Denny’s and Olive Garden. Conversations with other passengers produced complaints similar to mine. Some examples: Creme Brûlée was the consistency of soup, the lobster tail , after removed from the shell, was about 2 inches long, food was either bland or overly salted, portion size was not consistent- two people could order the same item and one got a significantly larger portion than the other one. 
 

I had two excellent meals in Izumi, one excellent and one good dinner  in Giovanni’s, one not so good dinner in Chops, one excellent dinner in Chops, and two decent lunches in Chops. 
 

Mornings in the buffet had the usual fare-eggs, bacon, sausage, English breakfast, omelet bar. I found the pastries at breakfast to be dry and the cakes at lunch to be tasteless. The salad bar was good for the first four days. They must have run out of the mixed lettuce as the last few days only chopped iceberg available.
 

Some of this is picky, but these are the things I judge by and I wasn’t impressed. 

I just got off Jewel today. I had full service in the morning-bed, towels, vacuuming, bathroom cleaning, etc. I was solo and am very neat, so hard to tell if my evening service was standard. No true bed turndown, towels were replaced, used wine glass was replaced, and the Cruise Compass, as well as any other pertinent info sheet was placed on the bed. I  had towel animals two times (not a big deal to me, but I know others love them.)

After this cruise, I would happily go to one time cabin service per day in exchange for seriously improved food. Let’s not turn this into a food discussion. This is just my impression of things and what matters to me.