How has Celebrity responded? - seems to be alot of negative comments lately...

[Lois R]

Yes, indeed I did. I wanted to say something about how nice it was to be appreciated by someone of your standing (about 40 times as many posts as me, at least 25 cruises to my 2), but didn't want to take away from the topic being discussed there. So I'll just take a quick bow here.

 

Ahhhh...ok but compliments and pleasantries can ALL be part of the

threads:):D, no worries about taking away from the topic when people

are being courteous about it. As you have well noticed, compliments are

far and few between sometimes on here:eek: so I am glad you saw it:)

To be honest, it is the manners that are missing most often on message

boards..not yours, but in general. But THAT is another topic for another

forum:)

[krewzin]

 

Later that morning, I saw her sitting in the Aqua Spa area looking out at the Statue of Liberty, drinking a glass of iced tea, and complaining about the size of the ice cubes.

 

 

 

 

In her defense....I've heard numerous complaints about the size of the ice cubes on several of Celebrity's ships. My understanding is that *both* Princess and Holland America have much better ice cubes.

[jfer8580]

The worst thing about the ice on Celebrity is that they make the drinks too darn cold :eek:.....my tongue nearly froze...do you think I should sue?:D

[Lois R]

The worst thing about the ice on Celebrity is that they make the drinks too darn cold :eek:.....my tongue nearly froze...do you think I should sue?:D

 

Hi Joe:Dnope, just order an ALE and tell them to make it room temp;)

[warmwinds]

We were in the exact same cabin on the Summit to the Carib in Feb 2009, and now to Bermuda July 2010.

 

It was great because I had forgotten the small thermos I usually bring to carry coffee back to our cabin so the bigger cups made things much easier. From the aft it really is so quick to run up and get stuff, much faster than waiting for room service.

[jfer8580]

Hi Joe:Dnope, just order an ALE and tell them to make it room temp;)

 

 

You're right just stick to Ale.....see there's a simple solution to everything!!

[Retty2Go]

I'm with you Don. To many people bitch about small things and like they are the only people in the world who deserves attention.

 

That is what Celebrity's advertising promises: "Come discover a vacation where everything has been designed to engage and pamper you." "Where every detail comes together to create perfection at sea." "...where the journey is measured not in miles but by sighs of contentment..." But then if one doesn't have high expectations, or has never experienced exceptional customer service, then they might consider it bitching.

 

I don't think everyone understands what the OP is asking. Some of us have made our plans with Celebrity based upon the kudos they received in CN Traveler and other media, not to mention what they propose in their own marketing. Are they really committed to providing that? I find it interesting to read comments about adjusting and enduring a cruise, as if the poster is indebted to the cruise line for doing them the favor of letting them on board. I cannot imagine taking a travel cup for coffee with me aboard a cruise liner, anymore than I can imagine lugging six packs of soda in my luggage. That's just me, but then I'm willing to pay for the service if it exists. It is obvious Celebrity are striving for mass appeal with the new larger ships, but will service suffer as a result? Especially if the masses to whom they are striving to appeal have no idea about what really constitutes service?

[lorriv20]

First in answer to the OP's question, I know for a fact that they read these boards and I will tell you why : On the last day of our cruise last month, I was saying good bye to our butler and complimenting him on his great service. I mentioned to him that I was a TA and that I would be telling potential cruisers how great the suite service is. He asked me what thought of the service onboard overall & if I was a member of CC. I told him that I was not overly impressed with the over all service and that yes, I was a member of CC. He commented that his ship had been getting some negative service reviews lately.

 

As far as Celebrity's response, We were very honest on our ship survey. We expressed concerns where necessary and also mentioned two staff members that we thought went way above & beyond. We recently received ( what I think might have been a stock reply) in the form of an e-mail telling us "thank you for your comments".

 

Lastly, I agree with Retty, this was my first time on Celebrity. I had been trained to present Celebrity as a premium line and pont out kudos as Conde reviews, etc. With that in mind, I think it is not unrealistic to perhaps board a Celevrity ship with higher customer service expectations. Not unrealistic, "ice cube" dumb requests, just a higher and more refined level of service.

[cruiserbryce]

unfortunatly it seems to be the negative comments that get more attention...far too often those who have a positive experience dont share it...but just about all the time those that have issues are happy to...

[lvcruiser]

I have been sailing since 1988 and have tried many lines, some of which no longer exist. Over the past decade and a half, I have tired of all but Celebrity due to an inconsistency in service, food and entertainment, including their sister line, RCCL. I am white collar middle class, meaning I can't afford Cunard, Silverseas or Crystal, and sail only the mainstream and premium lines, so I am sure that I don't know just how good service really can be.

 

I try to cruise every year or so, and every time I book a cruise, I begin watching these boards with regularity. Every time I book a cruise, I find the same story on these boards: there is always a large share of negativity regarding the line, the ship on which I am sailing, the CD, the Captain, or whatever. If I believed everything I read on these boards, I would give up on cruising and spend my vacation money in another venue. Having learned a long time ago not to fully trust the opinions of others, and that is all this board usually contains - opinions - I go on each cruise with an open mind, determined to make the most out of my vacation and ensure my money was well spent.

 

And every cruise that I take on Celebrity, I come back home saying to myself that this cruise was better than the last for a myriad of reasons. But to answer the OP's original query, I also find myself thinking the service was better than the cruise before it. The negative comments read on this board usually should be taken with a large grain of salt. I expect more from Celebrity than other lines because it is supposed to be a premium line. Aside from minor issues that would not ruin a cruise, I have seldom had the occasion to complain to Celebrity regarding something that happened on one of my cruises, but when constructive criticism has been made to them, they have responded quickly and in the best interest of all parties concerned. I think the trick is to write to them rather than call because I have tried to call them a couple of times over the years prior to sailing to check on Captain's Club status or something else equally mundane and found their CSR's to be less than knowledgeable. But a written letter to their corporate headquarters has always been met with a quick response.

 

And I, too, can testify that Celebrity does, in fact, read these boards and take what they read on Cruise Critic quite seriously. Information received from previous employees of the line has assured me of that.

 

The one thing that I believe every cruiser should remember is that every cruise on every ship on every line will provide a different experience. Like anything else in life, your cruise vacation is what you make of it.

[dkjretired]

The worst thing about the ice on Celebrity is that they make the drinks too darn cold :eek:.....my tongue nearly froze...do you think I should sue?:D

 

Sounds like a free cruise to me...

[Canuckdoc]

With regards to the "Higher premium lines"..

 

Last year, we sailed the Seabourne Legend..

 

Honestly, we liked the Millenium better. (Based on memories of a 2006 cruise)

 

The food was on par. The service was the same to us - granted we are not very demanding, but for all the attention to the service on the six-star lines, we didn't see much difference.

 

I think that the only difference was the clientele on the small ships.

Wealthy, but not snobby.

 

They treated the staff with respect, and it was reciprocated. Perhaps in acheiving their success, these people learned about how to treat others, and about being grateful in life instead of feeling entitled.

 

The ability to see the positives may also have played a role in the acquisition of success, because all that any of the passengers did on the ship was rave about how great it was!!

[jfer8580]

Sounds like a free cruise to me...

 

 

Now that's what I'm talking about....HA!!

[caribbeansun]

What and give up the 4 page threads with misread information?

 

Seriously though, it's a great idea to have informed input from a company source - I monitor the Starwood boards on Flyertalk and they have 2 reps that post there daily and it's a great goodwill gesture but also limits the misinformation that takes on a life of it's own. What a concept!

 

What would be great would be if there was a poster equivalent to fjdelrio, CEO of Oceania, who regularly posts on their board. Maybe not Dan Hanrahan, but someone high up in the chain who could address questions directly. Celebrity, if you're monitoring this thread (and I know you are:D), how about it?

[Retty2Go]

What and give up the 4 page threads with misread information?

 

Seriously though, it's a great idea to have informed input from a company source - I monitor the Starwood boards on Flyertalk and they have 2 reps that post there daily and it's a great goodwill gesture but also limits the misinformation that takes on a life of it's own. What a concept!

 

Many hotels have reps monitoring the comments on trip advisor and they calm situations before they get out of control. Often it is the director of customer service who responds, and that definitely looks impressive. Although 4 pages of misreadings is difficult to give up.

[Hunwolf]

Every time I book a cruise, I find the same story on these boards: there is always a large share of negativity regarding the line, the ship on which I am sailing, the CD, the Captain, or whatever. If I believed everything I read on these boards, I would give up on cruising and spend my vacation money in another venue.

 

That is not shocking in the least. People are more likely to write...talk...or rant about negative things than positive things. Imagine sitting in a cubicle sometime and listening to what anonymous co-workers have to say about their boss. What do you think the % of negative to positive comments are...even about a very strong leader/forward thinking supervisor? It's called "human nature".

 

Now...to be fair...I think some people make comments in "hyperbole" either for impact or just to be funny and (unfortunately) others take it as ground truth. If you see someone say..."by 1000 AM there wasn't a single open lounger left by the pool deck" you have to take that with a grain of salt. The same with "I once had to eat dinner in the MDR with a guy wearing bermuda shorts...flip flops...and a wife beater. I was appalled."

[TRadle]

I don't think that Celebrity's customer service is bad. I have had issues that were quickly resolved. Should the issues have been issues.....probably not. Could the same things have happened on a more upscale line....sure. I have never felt that my being on the ship was in any way an inconvenience for the staff. I have been in other business establishments that have made me feel that way. My response is to not go back.

 

We had a problem in May on a Celebrity sponsored shore excursion. The brochure's description was wrong....big time wrong. There was one woman that was just having a fit and finally found a way back to the ship. We just made a mental adjustment and had a great day.

 

What was so bad about this error was that those with mobility issues that booked this excursions could not participate in the main event. So I am not talking about lunch not being as adversities. This was a major goof. I wrote it up in very specific details on my survey and two days after I got home I got a call from the cruise line. They wanted details and lots of them. I haven't checked back to see if the description of the excursion has been changed, but I would be very surprised if it has not.

 

The other comment I made was that they needed to throw the chairs in the Solstice MDR overboard. The photographers were complaining that it was too hard for people to move the chairs for picture posing! :D

[safetman]

As long as the Martini bar doesn't put those small ice cubes in my martini and they don't run out of good gin on the Solstice I will have a great cruise!

 

P.S. If they run out of the good gin after the third one,:D any brand will put a smile on my face.

[TX-Cruiser]

As a small business owner who feels we do a really good job in customer service (although we are certainly not perfect) I have found that cusomters in the last two years are more high demand than ever. (I believe this is due to reduction in disposable spending) The product we sell is about what most people pay for their cruises and I think when families are spending that kind of money on a luxury item (for our product, some would say it is a luxury item, although most homes in our part of the country consider it mandatory) they might be stretching their budget and therefore get a feeling of entitlement. I find the homeowners that place us under contract who from outside appearances (this is a huge generalization) can more than afford it are my most easy going. When a family lets me know that they have been saving or it is a huge stretch for them, they tend to be the most high demand. I am a budget girl and I would never go on a trip that stressed my emergency funds,etc, and maybe that is why I am a pretty laid back cruiser. I don't tend to get pissy over little things, although I do appreciate attention to detail, I find making it an expectation sets you up for failure. As long as my needs are being met, it's all good. Ice cubes? Would not give them a second thought. Dirty sheets? Different story. I guess it boils down to perspective.

 

VVV 12 Days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[travlr21]

We were on the Mercury May 17 Alaskan cruise. When we boarded, we signed the paperwork to have our charges posted to our credit card in US$. We are Canadians and we have a US$ credit card issued by a Canadian bank. (And as a pensioned employee of said bank, we get a preferred rate of exchange so we buy US$ when the exchange rates are good. And we avoid a 2.5% foreign currency markup which is applied to US$ charges on a CDN$ credit card.)

 

Well, Celebrity converted our balance owing to CDN$ and submitted it, then the credit card company converted it back to US$ for posting to our credit card. All in all, it added $12.62 to an original bill of $192. A quick call to Celebrity had them quickly issue a credit to our credit card.

[Orator]

I been told that a VP is assigned to review the posts on several boards. I've found that whenever I have expressed a concern it has been address rapidly and fairly. Sorry I can't say the same about some of the competitors.

The problem folks is not the size of the ice, it's the size of the bubbles in the soda, especially the Ginger Ale.I'll complain about this directly to the Master if it happens on the Connie TA :)

[dkjretired]

I been told that a VP is assigned to review the posts on several boards. I've found that whenever I have expressed a concern it has been address rapidly and fairly. Sorry I can't say the same about some of the competitors.

The problem folks is not the size of the ice, it's the size of the bubbles in the soda, especially the Ginger Ale.I'll complain about this directly to the Master if it happens on the Connie TA :)

 

Yes, and the bubbles give me gas....

[Mr. Luckytoo]

Size of the ice cubes reminds me that there are ways to complain and use it as constructive criticism. I like to get up in the morning and get a cup of coffee and Celebrity's coffees cups have historically been really, really small. Instead of harping about it, I found the best way to address it was to advise cruisers to bring a travel cup for use...

 

Well I tried your suggestion but my coffee mug wouldn't fit in the coffee machine :eek:

 

 

I guess I'm never gonna cruise again because of that! :rolleyes:

[Mr. Luckytoo]

P.S. If they run out of the good gin after the third one,:D any brand will put a smile on my face.

 

There's such a thing as "good gin"? ;)

[tip]

...The other comment that I made was that they needed to throw the chairs in the Solstice MDR overboard. The photographers were complaining that it was too hard for people to move the chairs for picture posing! :D

 

 

You have it all wrong! Keep the chairs and throw the photographers overboard!:D