Photo_Traveler
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LOL, no harm in looking, did you get the shakes as you were looking! Hadn't thought of posting it on review section (doh!) but will do tonight.
Actually Carnival did not look as bad as many would like to think. The reviews for the ship I was looking at were better than for the Infinity.
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My wife and I are booked to cruise June 14th on the Equinox and are looking forward to it.
HOWEVER and it is a big HOWEVER this will be the last time I will cruise with CELEBRITY. Their customer service nowhere to be found unless it requires a payment. Today I have been on hold for 60 minutes, hung up, then later 40 minutes had to hang. I have previously sent 2 email requests asking about excursions no response to date.
To me this is an indication on how they value their paying customers and I will not be 1 after this cruise. I prefer to spend my money where I am dealing with a company not only mentions customer service but practices it.
I'd advise moderation and patience. As other members advised, you will probably love the cruise? The volume of negative input over the recent changes is picking up. Once the ships start leaving without guests in all the cabins, Celebrity will pay attention and may roll back all of the changes made under the new regime.
I've always reached customer service with less than a five minute wait...
Mike
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We've just returned from our first Celebrity Cruise onboard the Eclipse. It was a 8 day Norwegian Fjords cruise. We are a couple in our mid 40s and this will be our 5th cruise, the rest have been on Princess. Our holidays are all about the ports, relaxing and recharging our batteries, we like great service but hate hard sell. I've done comparisons to Princess where we noticed differences and have tried to be constructive. I'm sure others on the same cruise would have different perceptions but these are ours.
Embarkation was a breeze, we stayed at the holiday inn in Southampton and were able to walk to the ship, the process was smooth and there were only 3 people in front of us at check in and security. Our check in time was 12, we arrived bang on 12 so don't know whether we would have had to wait if we were early. The check in queues for each category of suite/captains club were all the same length so no difference whether you had priority boarding or not. When we walked on, we were approached straight away for hand sanitiser, had hands full with hand luggage, holding a coat we'd taken off for security and we're rubbing our hands dry with sanitiser and were immediately given the welcome on board drink. It felt like you were being rushed and not given chance to finish one task before being given the next task all whilst juggling stuff we were carrying. Rooms weren't ready so went to find some food but found everywhere busy with no seats free so walked around aimlessly. I didn't like this, at Princess the rooms are already ready even when we've boarded at 11, it spoilt our first experience of Celebrity. I'm sure if there is a next time we know what to expect so it won't feel as bad.
We were able to go to our cabin at 1.15ish, we had a concierge class on the hump on deck 10. The room was fantastic, seemed loads of hanging space with plenty of coat hangers, the bathroom was nice and the balcony was great. The chairs on the balcony were really comfy and the bed was very nice, we slept well every night and found it hard to get up it was that comfy. Compared to Princess is was nice having a kettle in the room. We wouldn't complain about anything in the room. Our steward was Carlos, he was very friendly, obviously worked hard and soon had our routine down so serviced the room whilst we were out. Again, there wasn't anything I would complain about with Carlos. He made us 2 lovely towel animals, the second one was cute, we'd brought a cuddly moose and put him out one night, when we got back, Carlos has sat him on the bed and had made a towel moose to sit with him. Put a big smile on my face.
We don't like to do main dining and tend to eat in speciality restaurants and the buffet. We tried Qusine and really enjoyed the experience, the service was great and the food very tasty. I preferred the buffet on Celebrity to Princess, the layout seemed better and the choice was greater. All the food was tasty and cooked well. During lunchtime it was hard trying to get a table, the weather was cold so I think everyone was in the buffet for lunchtime whereas if it's sunny people are spread out more. We had room service for breakfast, service was always 5 to 10 minutes earlier than expected but they telephoned before they came which was nice so I don't think they'd catch you out and it was much better than being late. The ladies bringing the tray were very cheerful and friendly.
The worst part was the service in the buffet, other bars and cafe. I've read on boards that the number of wait staff have reduced so I was expecting some slow service but it was worse than expected. In the buffet, dirty plates weren't cleared quickly enough, you had to hunt down people to get a drink or go to the bar yourself. It wasn't any better in the cafe or other bars. They had 2 staff on in the molecular bar which was full so it took forever to get a drink, it didn't feel special and we didn't return. The only bar we received good service was the martini bar when they realised we had the classic package but were paying for pricey martinis and we left a tip, the waiters soon gave us attention then. We didn't have any experience like this on Princess and it felt the only let down on the cruise. It wasn't the crews fault, there just wasn't enough of them to cope with the numbers. Apart from the martini bar, there weren't many menus around and I wrongly assumed that there would be a list on board of what was or wasn't included in the package so didn't print off the internet, whereas on Princess I would drink a variety of different things and try new drinks, I didn't know what cocktails were included and found myself sticking with the same drinks. Another confusion was that I drank Smirnoff Ice during the first half of the cruise then suddenly got told it wasn't included in classic only premium package. When I explained we'd been drinking it for last 4 days they said it was a mistake and couldn't have one unless I paid extra, the attitude of the bar man was rude and the bar manager wasn't much better. In end I gave up and drank something else, but again without seeing a list I couldn't even check. I just got the impression that the bar staff were over worked, short staffed and didn't want to talk about options as they knew they weren't getting tips. Someone said that on the previous cruise they had 6000 tickets a day on drinks, on this cruise they had 10,000 tickets a day so the workload was increased and maybe this impacted it.
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Great review! We were on the Eclipse in 2013 and loved it. Based on our trip on the Infinity, I feel that Celebrity needs to probably disembark :) any recently hired "college trained idiots" otherwise known as "(Bean Counters) or they will negate Brand Loyalty. Gasp! I even looked at a Carnival itinerary the other day. :)
Please post the review in the formal review link if you haven't already. We created a fairly even handed review of the Infinity under Code Red. But, it was difficult to "make lemonade" from the many lemons on that cruise. Only the itinerary kept the overall experience as a 7.
Take Care!
Mike
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Mine is a bit like a holiday letter on steroids. I tried not to throw anyone under the bus unless it was deserved.
There were many anomalies on that cruise. So, I felt it best to be as even in the review as possible. As to keel-hauling the undeclared folks with Noro who caused the code red to continue?? That might be acceptable. :) :)
Take Care
Mike
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Has the ice returned to the Martini bar yet . On my South america trip in march they only had ice for 11 out of 28 days. the days it was not on were the first 3 days of the cruise from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso and the entire Valparaiso to Miami cruise. 12 of the 17 days that it was not on were when the ship was in code red. 3 on the first leg and 9 on the second leg. The other 5 days were the only days of the second leg the ship was not in code red. The ice was half the fun of being at the Martini Bar as i enjoyed drawing pictures in it using a stir stick.. The ice and bottles that is place in the middle of the crush table were also missing leaving a big hole in the middle of the table in which i saw a few drinks fall in to.
On the SAN to MIA sailing, I don't remember seeing ice or the bottles as I walked by. The display case in the corner was empty for a bit. However, as we walked to the theatre before debarking. The bottles had been added again. The bar could could have had ice leaving San Diego. But, once Code Red was declared, anything we could touch and share was pulled out of reach.
I'm still mostly certain that the bug came on in San Diego. We were Code Red the afternoon of the PV stop. We had just stopped in Cabo the prior day. Reading indicates Noro incubation is about two days....
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What is the over all conditions of the ship (rooms, service by crew members, food and entertainment, shops etc) ? We have a 14 days cruise coming up.
My review is being reviewed by the CC staff. But, we found the ship in excellent shape. Certainly there is rust (as well as rust stains). That is the bane of seagoing vessels.
If you have a good set of Cabin attendants, Great Chemistry in Trellis (or Blu) and the ship does not go under Code Red; you'll have a great time.
If you like wine. The South American tasting is a gem! Not to be missed.
Mike
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I appreciate your comments.
They only had the Visa Credit card on the Express Pass and for verification in San Diego.
I only use the (Visa) Debit card for what would seem to be normal ATM withdrawals in the Casino. Cash Machines are located in all Celebrity Casinos. The Debit card is a "Visa" Debit card.
All prior statements were reviewed. The debit card was not used to book tours or dining in advance for this cruise.
This totally blew me away as both accounts are handled by two different banking systems. I've been in IT forty years and realize this should not have happened. I talked with the Bank that handles both cards. They could not understand how this happened.
There was absolutely no change in procedure from The Constellation in 2012 and Eclipse in 2013. The final bill should have hit the VISA credit card. The correct Credit Card number is on the Express Pass and that is the card used at check-in at San Diego.
Finally, Part of the closing boilerplate on the final bill is:
"This amount will be charged to VISA" It does not specify the last four digits of the card.
This is a bit eye-opening. It might be worth the pain of changing checking account numbers....
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Like most folks, we give only our Credit card number for the express Pass and show it while boarding. My card is a Visa. I do not use the debit card at all.
I was amazed to see a large charge from Celebrity dated 5/1 on our checking account. Per Customer Relations, it was our closing bill. Our closing bill should have been on the Visa Credit Card as usual.
This was mind blowing. I only used my Debit card in the Casino. It was never used to book any services in advance. In looking at the ATM Receipt from the Infinity, it showed the last four digits of the Debit card number as well as the last four digits of the Checking account number.
The only logical theory that I could come up with is that the information from the debit card overlaid the other registration information.
Has anyone had something similar happen on Celebrity?
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I put together a thorough look at the cruise. We went into code red at the Puerto Vallarta stop or just after it.... That meant over 80% of the cruise was spent under Code Red conditions.... It was not the 40th Anniversary cruise we had in mind... :eek:
Mike
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precautionary Code Red. There was a major cleaning in Guatemala.
So far, so good. It's unusual having to receive Purell going into shops. But, if it keeps us bug free..that's all the better.
Mike
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Good News mostly.
We worked around/through the issues. Everything else is typical Celebrity. We ran into a favorite sommelier from the Eclipse...
The Captain announced that Noro was on board and to follow mitigation procedures. :D. Code Red is not in force.
No Priest on board yet. The recommendation is to attend Mass in Antigua. They might bring a local clergyman on board.
We are back to giving Celebrity a Capital "A" :)
The van driver who provided us a tour of Puerto Vallarta was among the best. Look up "Juan Antonio" on our cruise thread...I'll provide more details later...
Sounds like there was a 7.2 rated quake off of Acapulco today.
Rumor has it that stops in Mazatlan and Acapulco are opening up again....
Mike
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Two exotic Caribbean cruises in service, etc...So far, they have a ways to go.
Not sure what the issue is. Could be the crew is just tired from the eventful South American trip and has lost their edge....
We've noticed the following so far:
Rich is the CD. YEA!!!! :)
No signs of "Code Red". YEA!!! :)
Total snub for service waiting for some one to take a wine order at Cafe al Baccio. We waited 30 minutes. The server served tables around us; but, not ours. I did complain. No response. This is quite unusual. In real life, I'm a Service Delivery Manager. I absolutely do everything possible to help the customer. :o
No in room ice service. :(
On deck eight forward, The mini-bar is not being serviced with water or sodas. We would normally have used about 100.00 worth of product by now. :(
No Celebrity bags were left in our deck eight forward stateroom. My wife brought her bag from the Eclipse.
Service in the Oceanview is still indifferent for coffee refills and drink orders...just more so....:rolleyes:
Yes, there is rust and yes the night time chocolates have shrunk. But, that's no big deal. I do wish they'd get to the windows in the Oceanview before we go through the canal...
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I purchased a Citizen Titanium Eco tech watch that was consistently above US$700 on Amazon and Ebay for $550 on the Eclipse.....
My wife will be shopping on the Infinity for a similar find....
Mike
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Internet is billed by user ID or seapass card that you log onto the system with. It is not device dependent. You can use your package minutes, or per minute billing, on any device including the computers in the ship's internet café.
I had a hunch that it might work like that....
Generally, I had four camera batteries to charge after a day on shore. The iPad was good for about three days...The IPhone was used as a supplementary camera and might have been charged twice...
I expect the Panama Canal trip to be a battery and memory card hog...:).
Hello Larry! It's good to see you out there. The Eclipse is back in our future next year. Eileen wanted to try the Oasis before we board the Eclipse next March.
Being on an M-class ship again for the canal trip will be Fine. I expect to hear the flexing as we did on the Constellation in 2012.
Take Care
Mike
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Can both an IPhone and IPad be registered under the same wifi minutes allocation?
Thank You!!
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Hi Wine-o, Great ID by the way :p.
Look for input from those on the Summit, Infinity or Millennium to. Those ships should have similar casinos...
Happy cruising!
Mike
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Still Code Red on the Infinity. Overall both service and amenities are lacking. It is clear they are trying to get ahead of it, but in the most disorganized way possible. Venues are not opening on time, particularly the Constellation Lounge, always at least an hour late. The machines in Cellar Masters are malfunctioning and no one cares. Modern Luxury=indifference. Definitely our last Celebrity cruise, regardless of our status. There has to be a better option.
Sent from my iPad using Forums
Thanks for the info! Hope to see more posts on this thread or the March 30th thread......I'm sure the service will improve. The crew is probably exhausted due to all the clean up...
Mike
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Really like to hang poolside on embarkation day if weather permits.
will have hamburgers and hot dogs for guests.....
We enjoyed that option on the Connie and the Eclipse. We are bee lining to the grill on the Infinity a week from Saturday in San Diego...:)
Mike
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a large number of Infinity postings
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There are some great videos that folks shot of their cabins on the Infinity and Constellation.... Search on. Infinity verandah cabin tour and you'll get some hits...
Hope this helps
Mike
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In early March we finished our fourth full week on Celebrity and had earned elite status on our upcoming cruise.
Well, as we all know, the program changed over the Summer and we need thirty more points because we stayed in standard verandah's.
There is a part of me that thinks Celebrity should have let the folks that had just earned the new status (before the next cruise) keep it rather than raising the bar. We will have earned it after two more weeks on the Infinity. That will give us Elite status on the Eclipse in 2015.
Just missing some of the nice perks especially laundry and internet...;) :) discounts.
Take Care
Mike
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There were folks diagnosed with pneumonia, lots of coughing, and carrying of nebulizers down to medical as well as some kind of pulmonary fungus. :eek: These illnesses may come with the route. But, I didn't remember the issues on the Connie in 2012.
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I follow a pretty strict hmr 70 routine perfected over many years. Basically, three to five servings of lactose free supplement and fruit and vegetables for electrolyte control. When away from the blender, a Pure Protein bar as a substitute.
Of course, I take a multi-vitamin and extra vitamin d.
Snacking is on dry Kashi Cinnamon Harvest cereal
Tracking is done on a product called lose it. http://Www.loseit.com on a IPad and pc.
The method works very well. It's easy to see when my system is initially clear of sodium.
I shoot for a relatively safe calorie intake of 1200-1300. That allows a ten pound a month drop....
Good luck with what ever method you are trying
Mike
Are you also worried about cost cutting that we don't see
in Celebrity Cruises
Posted
What we experienced on the Infinity was an eye opener. The "Honeymoon" with Celebrity that we had on the Constellation and the Eclipse is over. Chances are 50/50 that we will cancel the cruises listed in my signature and rebook on a Princess or HAL cruise.
Some people think that expectations of having full ice buckets and bottled water is trivial. Believe me, it isn't on the hot itineraries when hydration is important. And, As you pointed out, there may be more going on behind the scenes.
The funniest thing that happened at the MDR was the beef goulash without beef. I suspect the cook might have dipped a steak in it. :)
We loved Cartagena and would like another dose of it. So, the East side trips that hit Several islands, Costa Rica and do half the canal sound enticing.
The April 29th thread was interesting with the description of folks in haz-mat suits spraying in public areas during the Infinity TA.
Thanks for the thought provoking post!
Mike