Has Celebrity Changed or Was My Cruise a Fluke?

[mandysmom2]

Just came back from the Summit last Saturday and was shocked with the experience I had compared with my past two cruises with Celebrity. I am not a complainer and have cruised 14 times on lines including Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Princess and Carnival. Admittedly, I did cruise with Celebrity in 1999 and 2001 so it has been awhile. Those two cruise were always at the top of my list of favorites and I have been eager to sail again with Celebrity for some time. Unfortunately my expectations were far from met. We also had 5 additional newcomers to Celebrity who were also surprised with their cruise especially after all of my build-up from my past experiences. The itinerary was great, the ship was clean and the staff was friendly. I can get that on most ships. I expect Celebrity to be held to a higher standard compared with most other cruise lines. The food was good- not the "fabulous" that was once, and the staffing in the main dining room has been so scaled down that the elegant feel that once was is now also gone. We saw our waiter only once as he was servicing other tables across from us and our assistant waiter worked extremely hard to keep up with our table as well as many others as he was his own food runner, server and cleaner. I have never had a complaint with any of my cabin stewards as I have always had fantastic service with every cruise and do realize how hard they work. Our cabin steward really was a disappointment. We only had beach towels delivered to our room one night. Our itinerary only had one day at sea therefore we expected beach towels for the next day. Every morning we had to hunt down another steward in order to get towels before we left for the day. Our ice bucket had ice only on two nights and used dinnerware and drinking glasses and were never removed from our cabin. The two robes in our room were thread bear and really should be no longer in use. Again, it has been awhile since my last cruise with Celebrity and maybe times have changed. I hope that my experience was a fluke, regardless, Celebrity will not be my first choice for my next cruise.

[Wine-O]

Must have been a fluke. We sailed Summit many times and never had your experiences. Did you discuss your issues with those concerned? Your stateroom attendant should have a phone and accessible all the times to take care of your issues, especially for the beach towels and ice issues.

 

Sometimes when things aren't to your satisfaction, you've got to speak up. Did you speak up?

[neverbeenhere]

Yes Celebrity has changed since 2001. Profits have driven the MDR as not the "place" to be, it's now specialty dining. Cabin stewards are like Russian Roulette with two bullets. If you ever look to go back to Celebrity, try on of the new ships. IMO

 

Have a great day and keep cruising.:)

[PinotBlanc]

When I need extra towels, I get them from pool deck.

I'd put the silverware, glassware, etc. in the bathroom sink for the cabin steward. If not picked up, I take them to the buffet and leave them.

 

Ice is available in the buffet, take a plastic bag and a towel with you when you visit the buffet.

 

Don't let the small stuff ruin a cruise.

 

You can expect what you wish from the MDR but it is a large feeding hall.

Try specialty dining, or lower your expectations in the MDR.

 

Make your cruise positive on your own.

 

Thank you for sharing your experiences. Other cruisers will be planning for problems you've mentioned. And, what you shared are genuine problems.

 

Cruising isn't what it used to be. Better to know before you go.

 

 

Penny

[mandysmom2]

Glad to hear that your experience was different. Yes we did call our steward twice for items. The point is that we have never had to call our stewards before our needs have always been met. In the past, Celebrity had always been a step above- more elegant and sophisticated. That was missing on this cruise.

[dln929]

We haven't been cruising for as many years as you, so I can't compare what used to be to what is now. However, I've found it very helpful to leave notes for our cabin steward--ie, thanks for the ice, please leave an ice bucket every day...new beach towels for tomorrow, please...will you get us fresh glasses, please...etc. etc. I figure that's what they give us the stationery for. ;) When I make my expectations clear, I'm rarely disappointed.

[bbeltmom]

I find the MDR service deplorable with the select dining (including in Blu). Regular seating, imho, makes for a much more pleasant MDR experience.

[mandysmom2]

I really am not a complainer!!!! We did not have stationary to leave a note and I have never had to request ice or towels to be left in my room on any of my cruises. We were in select dining but did manage to have the same waiter every night due to our party of seven. It's not like we had a bad cruise- had a wonderful, wonderful vacation. Just was disappointed with the lack of elegance and sophistication that we had once experienced. My last Carnival cruises had better food and service- I just expected a step above as I had in the past.

[kwokpot]

Just came back from the Summit last Saturday and was shocked with the experience I had compared with my past two cruises with Celebrity. I am not a complainer and have cruised 14 times on lines including Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Princess and Carnival. Admittedly, I did cruise with Celebrity in 1999 and 2001 so it has been awhile. Those two cruise were always at the top of my list of favorites and I have been eager to sail again with Celebrity for some time. Unfortunately my expectations were far from met. We also had 5 additional newcomers to Celebrity who were also surprised with their cruise especially after all of my build-up from my past experiences. The itinerary was great, the ship was clean and the staff was friendly. I can get that on most ships. I expect Celebrity to be held to a higher standard compared with most other cruise lines. The food was good- not the "fabulous" that was once, and the staffing in the main dining room has been so scaled down that the elegant feel that once was is now also gone. We saw our waiter only once as he was servicing other tables across from us and our assistant waiter worked extremely hard to keep up with our table as well as many others as he was his own food runner, server and cleaner. I have never had a complaint with any of my cabin stewards as I have always had fantastic service with every cruise and do realize how hard they work. Our cabin steward really was a disappointment. We only had beach towels delivered to our room one night. Our itinerary only had one day at sea therefore we expected beach towels for the next day. Every morning we had to hunt down another steward in order to get towels before we left for the day. Our ice bucket had ice only on two nights and used dinnerware and drinking glasses and were never removed from our cabin. The two robes in our room were thread bear and really should be no longer in use. Again, it has been awhile since my last cruise with Celebrity and maybe times have changed. I hope that my experience was a fluke, regardless, Celebrity will not be my first choice for my next cruise.

 

The celebrity of today IS NOT the Celebrity from 1999. But then again, the NCL (Remember when they served complementary cappuccinos at dinner) of today is NOT the same as 1999, And the RCL of today is.....well you get the point. The last time you sailed Celebrity was 12!!!!!! years ago, and the WHOLE cruise industry is totally a different animal.

 

Celebrity though has changed dramatically, from a more formal line to a more casual one. Back then on a 7 day Caribbean cruise, men HAD to wear a jacket 5 of the 7 nights. Back then there were two!!!! Assistant Waiters and a Main Waiter for every table, not so any more.

 

I REALLY think if you are an experienced cruiser, and you know websites like this, you should have been prepared for all of the changes that happened to Celebrity since the last time you cruised.

[happygran]

I really hope it was a fluke. We sailed on the Equinox last February (first time with Celebrity) and were so impressed that we immediately booked the Summit for next month.

 

We've sailed with RCI and NCL and the Equinox was certainly in a different league.

[riandei]

Cruising is not the same as it was years ago...but realistically ....prices have not increased all that much in 12 years either....

 

Im hoping summit will be a great vacation when we sail her in may

[mandysmom2]

I did have a good cruise. I choose my cruises based on itinerary and price. In my experience Celebrity generally is a more expensive cruise line and therefore I would expect more. I choose the Celebrity Summit based on my previous experiences and because I wanted something extra special to celebrate mine and some fellow cruisers milestone birthdays. I had better quality of service and food on the last cruise I took on the Carnival Pride in October 2011. I do realize times have changed- I was surprised at how much it had changed for a higher end cruise line. I have done specialty dining on several of my cruises and have found the food and experience well worth the money. I do not except that I should have to pay extra every night for dinner to have a good meal and service especially if I am paying for an upperclass cruise. I was greeted with employees wearing white gloves that escorted me to my cabin room with my first Celebrity cruise. Wait staff would be swarming about the lido area assisting people with their trays and helping them to find a table. Several wait staff would wait on you in the MDR for what made an exceptional dining experience. Live musicians would play in the MDR. Food in the MDR was true gourmet. This was what I remembered and was disappointed at just how much has changed. Yes, I had a great time- but have had better service and food on many other lines including Carnival. Wouldn't consider my next cruise based on it being a Celebrity like it did with this cruise.

[lovestx]

I really am not a complainer!!!! We did not have stationary to leave a note and I have never had to request ice or towels to be left in my room on any of my cruises. We were in select dining but did manage to have the same waiter every night due to our party of seven. It's not like we had a bad cruise- had a wonderful, wonderful vacation. Just was disappointed with the lack of elegance and sophistication that we had once experienced. My last Carnival cruises had better food and service- I just expected a step above as I had in the past.

 

Mandysmom, thank you for sharing your experience. I hear what you are saying. You were looking forward to an upscale cruising experience with an expectation that your cabin and dining would include a level of service expected from a more upscale cruiseline. I would have been disappointed as well but, like you, I would not have let it ruin my trip. Perhaps you (and I!) will have to recalibrate your expectations going forward but I will tell you that our experience on Equinox last June we received fabulous service both in our cabin and in Blu. On our Connie cruise last month, we had good cabin service but not great in MDR or in some other areas of the ship. And I'm not a complainer either. But I do expect different levels of service in different levels of hotels (Hampton Inn vs. Intercontinental, for example) and pay accordingly. I would think that cruise ship should be similar.

[COMBOY]

I went on the Summit last March and I thought it was pretty nice. I really didn't have any major complaints. I had one bad dinner in the MDR, but that I believe was a fluke due to waiter that had too many tables. Overall I felt the Summit met my expections...but I'm easy to please. Clearly the food in the MDR is going to be a whole lot nicer then what I get at home so I can't complain. The ship was clean and beautiful. Actually the ship's today are larger and just as nice if more better then 10 or 20 years ago, but the service and food just isn't as top notice as it use to. But cruise line still have to offer a nice vacation or people will stop coming back...and the cruise lines execs know this...but how much they can get away without compromised overall quality is a good question. Time will tell.

 

Cruising has changed over the years for better or worst. Prices in reality are pretty reasonable and haven't gone up that much over the years yet people still are looking for the cheapest rates and/or price drops. Well, cruise lines have reacted to this by cut backs in the MDR and especially in food waste. If you really want great food expect to go the specialty dining room and pay for it. However, the food in the MDR is perfectly acceptable IMO. Ship service and food can vary by cruise line and ship. The new Celebrity might not be like the old Celebrity...so either you have to adjust your expectations or sail on the more luxury lines like Oceania, Crystal or Silverseas, but expect to pay a lot more $$$$. Just my two cents.

[fizzy1]

When I need extra towels, I get them from pool deck.

I'd put the silverware, glassware, etc. in the bathroom sink for the cabin steward. If not picked up, I take them to the buffet and leave them.

 

Ice is available in the buffet, take a plastic bag and a towel with you when you visit the buffet.

 

Don't let the small stuff ruin a cruise.

 

You can expect what you wish from the MDR but it is a large feeding hall.

Try specialty dining, or lower your expectations in the MDR.

 

Make your cruise positive on your own.

 

Thank you for sharing your experiences. Other cruisers will be planning for problems you've mentioned. And, what you shared are genuine problems.

 

Cruising isn't what it used to be. Better to know before you go.

 

 

Penny

yes, my thoughts exactley,

[thatbloominplace]

i just got off summit 2 weeks ago and have a different take on my experience. first, my cabin steward was terrific...room always cleaned well twice a day, beach towels every night, ice bucket filled twice a day and i rarely ever even saw him in the hall.

 

as for expectations, there lies the rub!! i have been cruising since 1990 and have seen a major deterioration in the standards over the years in mass market cruise lines, and yes celebrity is a mass market cruise line. however, the price i paid on this cruise (549 p/p outside cabin) is considerably less than i paid in 1990. you have to understand that you are not going to get extra waiters in the main dining room when the cruise line is charging these rates. to get that "old cruise feeling" you will have to upgrade. that is what we did. we took this low base price for our room and upgraded to 2 nights in the specialty restaurants and utilized the martini bar, the wine cellar, and bistro on 5 to give us a 'special' feeling. this worked for us. as far as the room steward, i think you got a dud.

 

to get the old cruise feeling, you might want to try oceania or azmara or windstar. these offer a more elegant feel to all of the passengers and include alternative dining in the price. i think you will feel more special on these lines, but of course the price is significantly higher. we are now in our early 60's and appreciate things a little more sophisticated than we did 20 years ago, but got used to that more genteel feeling. we now cruise predominantly on these other lines, but did still enjoy celebrity and considered it a bargain even with the extras i paid for.

 

in today's cruising world it is important to keep up with the trends and to match your expectations accordingly. we expected a decent, but not elegant, cruise based on experience and from reviews and comments on this site. with our expectations met, we thoroughly enjoyed our cruise and would recommend it along with these caveats.

 

steve

[judatt]

Everyone is different and has different expectations and experiences. Not to say any experience is not valid. However, we just got off the Summit Dec 15 and had a great experience. Our second cruise on the Summit - first was to Bermuda. We have also been on Carnival and enjoyed the experience very much - mainly because our children and grandchildren were with us. MDR in both was similar. Specialty restaurants - Carnival is nothing special, particularly related to service. I have really enjoyed specialty dining on Celebrity ships. Biggest issue with Carnival is all the announcements.

 

All experiences are valid. Trust you will have a better one next time on Celebrity.

[riandei]

Thatbloomin and mandysmom.....where were your cabins??

 

Inside. Outside, aq , balcony???

 

Just curious if this was a factor

[omarchs]

I have cruised with Celebrity extensively, but I now just choose the best route/price since none of the mainstream lines really distinguish themselves anymore due to cutbacks and prices that have remained pretty static.

 

We just booked the Summit due to the beverage package promotion, but we were also looking at NCL and Carnival since I have enjoyed their product just as well as Celebrity these days. I just don't see that any of the products are that great these days to not take the best deal. I still enjoy whatever cruise I choose since you can get some pretty good deals if you shop around.

 

I particularly get mad at Celebrity at having multiple formal nights when the food no longer meets the requirements of a formal night in my book, but as usual this is a subjective opinion.

[thatbloominplace]

riandei we were in an outside cabin way to the fore on the second deck. really a low entry to an outside cabin. the cabin was as good as any other outside cabin but it cost less, which left us more money to spend on upgrades on the ship.

 

omarchs, i agree. we went to the 2 specialty restaurants on formal nights to avoid the formal nights and signed up for select dining on the other nights.

 

steve

[miched]

I think that the cruise industry is becomming like the air lines. It use to be glamorous and rather exclusive to travel on either. It is now serving the masses and making it more affordable. To do so costs and corners are being cut to be competitive. There is less service and the "freebies" are gone. If you want something extra you now pay extra.

 

I haven't had the opportunity to take a cruise 30 years ago because I couldn't afford it. It was almost unrealistic for anyone to do that and if they did it was a one time vacation. I doubt that cabins with balconies were even available. Now I can get a balcony and have the opportunity to take a nice 7 day cruise for almost the same as the cost of a night in a Manhattan hotel (not including the parking :D).

 

I am sure that the same can be said about all of the other cruise lines compared to the way that it was on them years ago. Many things have changed, some for the better. Vegas has even changed drastically thru the years. Gone are the cheap buffets, shows, and glamour. It is a different era.

 

There are still luxury cruise lines that offer everything including the outrageous initial cost that would prohibit me from taking one. And I am sure that passengers will comment about how things have changed on them.

 

.

[mathgeek1978]

I did have a good cruise. I choose my cruises based on itinerary and price. In my experience Celebrity generally is a more expensive cruise line and therefore I would expect more. I choose the Celebrity Summit based on my previous experiences and because I wanted something extra special to celebrate mine and some fellow cruisers milestone birthdays. I had better quality of service and food on the last cruise I took on the Carnival Pride in October 2011. I do realize times have changed- I was surprised at how much it had changed for a higher end cruise line. I have done specialty dining on several of my cruises and have found the food and experience well worth the money. I do not except that I should have to pay extra every night for dinner to have a good meal and service especially if I am paying for an upperclass cruise. I was greeted with employees wearing white gloves that escorted me to my cabin room with my first Celebrity cruise. Wait staff would be swarming about the lido area assisting people with their trays and helping them to find a table. Several wait staff would wait on you in the MDR for what made an exceptional dining experience. Live musicians would play in the MDR. Food in the MDR was true gourmet. This was what I remembered and was disappointed at just how much has changed. Yes, I had a great time- but have had better service and food on many other lines including Carnival. Wouldn't consider my next cruise based on it being a Celebrity like it did with this cruise.

 

Based on your expectations, you are correct, your next cruise should not be with Celebrity. You should cruise with Crystal.

[dd4iu]

Had a fabulous time, as did our entire group of 10. Thought the food was excellent, especially the beef and lobster. Usually lobsters on cruises are small and stringy. These were good size and very flavorful. We loved our waiter and had a great time with him. We didn't want new towels every day, as we like to reuse ours to do our part to conserve. I will say our room steward never introduced herself to us and we did wait a long time for our wine a few nights. However this minor issues were more than balanced out by the excellent service we received in all other areas. Thought the entertainment was very good also, in theater and smaller areas, such as Nestor, the acapella group and the piano player.

[kwokpot]

As someone who has cruised all the mass market lines except HA, I would agree that THESE DAYS, there is really very little that sets them apart, dispite what fans of each line say. Sure I have my favorite line, which would be Celebrity, but last year I took 5 cruises spread over 3 lines; 2RC,1CEL, & 2NCL. Celebrity overall was my favorite, but REALLY there wasn't that much difference. You really have to look at what cruise fare you are paying and adjust your expectations accordingly.

[Kevnzworld]

Most people I cruise with have noticed a deterioration in the quality of the food and service in the MDR. It's understandable as costs such as fuel are much higher than ten years ago..

Celebrity focuses on up selling specialty restaurants and Blu for the more discerning.

Overall I think Celebrity offers a great product for the price. I just booked a 15 day transatlantic cruise for $2200 , or about $150 a day ( a single ) for a veranda including food. You can't beat that. I expect the food to be good, not great.

Lastly I've always had a responsive friendly cabin attendant....