Want your opinion...do you like the changes Celebrity is making?

[Cruising89143]

When Celebrity first launched, their target demographic was 35-55 year olds making $75,000 per year or more ( straight from their business plan ).

The economic crisis that started around 2006 forced them to change their marketing to fill ships and target other demos ( retirees with savings to spend). As the economic situation improves, you will continue to see Celebrity make changes and market to it's original target. Personally, I hope they continue their changes returning Celebrity to a more luxury line and less a mass market line.

Anyone else remeber when David Bowie music was used for comercials and they advertised packages like " a massage a day"? Those commercials weren't geared toward retirees.

 

I agree. If I want to hear the Glenn Miller tribute band then I will cruise on HAL. Tried it once and we will not be back for at least 25 years. I think that X is trying to find their way at the moment. Will it work? Time will tell. Bayley has his work cut out for him.

 

I was expecting the HAL experience on Celebrity and found the opposite. We loved the entire atmosphere on board the Reflection. If that is how they're running the remainder of the fleet then it's all good with me.

[hcat]

I agree with both of you.

 

If you can get an Exec to open up he/she will tell you that they prefer the new cruiser much more than the “ultra” repeat passenger. The newcomer will spend lots of money on board. Yes the ‘ultra” repeat passenger fills the cabin but often doesn’t contribute to the expected revenue stream. (and on top of that - expects all kinds of free benefits)

 

M

 

We are proabably what is termed above as "ultra repeats". We always cruised Concierge Class & now AQ; always book excursions in most ports with the cruise line, use theuir transfers, enjoy spa visits/products during the cruise, purchases in stores--esp. now that they offer Michael Kors on bd & other better merchandise. We go to the specalty restaurants even though BLU is great, & drink more than beer... runs up a nice account... Not such slackers as one predicts for old time loyal cruisers on this brand... they may perceive oldies versus newbies as non-revenue makers.....but not always true and they are proabably wrong about this as they are on many other things...!

 

We will be heading back to Royal again (Oasis) as they actually have better music on board (most of it live) & good food as well.. We have one more booked with X aftre that, If it continues on its new course then we will move on to our new fav. all inclusive resort...not interested in rap music, techo, banging drums and pre-taped music on board, loud pool games or all the other gimmicks...

[cpj]

I can understand why Celebrity is marketing to a younger crowd. Im 66 my wife 64 and we hardly spend a lot onboard anymore. We don't drink so the elite perks don't mean much to us. After 20 cruises we do not do the ship tours I book independent tours only most of the ports we have been to many times. We go now to relax but we do the specially restaurants a lot. That's it except for the casino and been quite lucky there playing the tables games where the odds are a little better if you know what your doing. I think there just trying to survive as young people spend mores. Like we use to. The music does not bother us at all.

[texkan]

Guess some of us have reached the age where many companies do not advertise to our generation nor cater to us. Turn the tv on and you know what I am talking about, look at the ads in a magazine or newspaper. It is all about the younger generation who spend the money.

 

Will not sail the mega large cruise ships.

[Texed]

Guess some of us have reached the age where many companies do not advertise to our generation nor cater to us. Turn the tv on and you know what I am talking about, It is all about the younger generation who spend the money.

 

How about ..., never mind! :D

[boogs]

Guess some of us have reached the age where many companies do not advertise to our generation nor cater to us. Turn the tv on and you know what I am talking about, look at the ads in a magazine or newspaper. It is all about the younger generation who spend the money.

 

Will not sail the mega large cruise ships.

 

Do you consider the S-class to be in the "mega large cruise ship" category? I'm in my 60s and I like the S-class better than the M-class, mostly for the decor and variety of venues and activity areas. As far as I'm concerned, designing the S-class with a more modern styling was a home run for Celebrity. I especially enjoyed The Porch and Lawn Club Grill on Reflection, two new dining venues that don't exist on M-class, nor on the first three S-class ships. To me, that was a change certainly for the better!

[texkan]

Do you consider the S-class to be in the "mega large cruise ship" category? I'm in my 60s and I like the S-class better than the M-class, mostly for the decor and variety of venues and activity areas. As far as I'm concerned, designing the S-class with a more modern styling was a home run for Celebrity. I especially enjoyed The Porch and Lawn Club Grill on Reflection, two new dining venues that don't exist on M-class, nor on the first three S-class ships. To me, that was a change certainly for the better!

 

Do not consider S-Class Mega Class.

 

I like the "M" Class and "S" Class (Solstice, Equinox, Eclipse) - The ships that are much larger would not be my choice .

[6andy6]

We also agree. If we wanted the Carnival atmosphere we would sail them...it seems that the new management at X wishes to be the "New" Carnival......not interested!

Charles

 

Exaggerate much? It's the sort of neo 'it's mine, it's mine, I want only me to play with my toy' commentary that is and has been X's problem...it withering due to the rusted on 'its 5pm so it must be time for' and 'escargot Tuesday night, frogs legs Wednesday , fillet mignon Thursday...whaaaaa how dare you change my routine' crowds...... Like a pensioner in a retirement home who is used to dinner at 5.30pm every night gets upset cos its 10 minutes late and will ruin the entire evening.

 

Maybe X should be moving away from a more reactionary crowd that thinks they 'own' something that can't be changed....a company not run for shareholder profit but for their own personal fiefdom.

 

Name me one company you deal with that has not changed one iota in the last 20 years.

[Blazerboy]

...and here are my comments.

 

I don't like really loud music, but the techno music in the Martini Bars wasn't what I had an issue with, but the live bands in the atrium...who played a wide variety of music. The acoustics of the space aren't suited to that. In fairness, I rarely like the pool bands either, but don't want to stop them, as others enjoy them.

 

When I started sailing with Celebrity, I was at the low end of their targeted demographic. Now, apparently, I'm at the upper end...boy, time flies! :D And it's true...my on-board accounts used to be in the 4 digits, with spa treatments, bar bills and shore excursions. Now, we do our own excursions (not necessarily cheaper, just that the $ doesn't go to Celebrity). We also don't have to spend as much on drinks with Elite Lounge, etc. I think the spa prices are too high, but also believe that's a change in my attitude, not simply higher prices. I am more focused on saving for retirement than I was in my 30's, and we have a weekend house that uses up some of our 'cruise budget.' The line is changing, and so am I. The difference is that the line is changing with the times/potential clientele, and I am just getting older!:eek:

 

But I look forward to HAL being the ship of choice...in 20 years, when I can fall asleep in a deck chair with consommé and a wool blanket, and get to shows early for a seat, insist on early seating for my digestion, etc. But I'm not there yet, and don't want my cruise line to be there yet, either.

 

I think Celebrity have done a good job in keeping the line evolving to meet the cruising public's needs. I fully expect that I will 'graduate' from Celebrity, not necessarily to a more expensive line, but to one that matches what I want at that point in my life.

 

Andrew

[bobnjeff]

Exaggerate much? It's the sort of neo 'it's mine, it's mine, I want only me to play with my toy' commentary that is and has been X's problem...it withering due to the rusted on 'its 5pm so it must be time for' and 'escargot Tuesday night, frogs legs Wednesday , fillet mignon Thursday...whaaaaa how dare you change my routine' crowds...... Like a pensioner in a retirement home who is used to dinner at 5.30pm every night gets upset cos its 10 minutes late and will ruin the entire evening.

 

Maybe X should be moving away from a more reactionary crowd that thinks they 'own' something that can't be changed....a company not run for shareholder profit but for their own personal fiefdom.

 

Name me one company you deal with that has not changed one iota in the last 20 years.

 

But if they drive away the very loyal clients that made them they will be the losers. Having owned and operated a hotel for 23 years you have to learn to make changes that your most loyal guests will appreciate. If you do this they will come back and tell friends and they will tell more friends and so on. Your business will grow and prosper. But if you drive the very people who helped to create your company you will struggle to compete with all of the other cruise lines. I wish Celebrity good luck in getting a whole new client base as they are on a path to drive their past clients away.

[pris993]

My DH and I are retirees, 80 and 66 yrs. We are elite on several lines including Celebrity... the older we get the more we shop around... we typically book with Princess, HAL, Cunard, Celebrity and NCL... we have cruised on 10+ different lines over the past 30 years. We just got off a NCL Middle Eastern Cruise, we are booked on Princess for September for California cruise, plan to book a TA on HAL and most likely a Celebrity cruise for another Middle Eastern cruise in 2014. My point it no longer makes any sense to be loyal to a particular line. Most lines are trying to expand to a younger population... so we look for what suites us.

[NLH Arizona]

But if they drive away the very loyal clients that made them they will be the losers. Having owned and operated a hotel for 23 years you have to learn to make changes that your most loyal guests will appreciate. If you do this they will come back and tell friends and they will tell more friends and so on. Your business will grow and prosper. But if you drive the very people who helped to create your company you will struggle to compete with all of the other cruise lines. I wish Celebrity good luck in getting a whole new client base as they are on a path to drive their past clients away.

If Celebrity doesn't start going after the next generation now, in 20 years they will have no business, because many of us loyal customers will be gone to a better place (and I'm not talking about another cruise line).

 

As many of us have said, there is room for everyone, but the complainers have to compromise (a little give and take), because let's face it, we can't always have it our way. Time changes, things change and those stuck in the past, will never be happy.

[Chicago Boy]

Was on the Celebrity Silhouette from April 7th until April 14th (impressive live review Chris). My DH and I love the Celebrity line. We have sailed on the Zenith and Constellation (both ships now retired from the line), the Summit (multiple times), the Solstice and now the Silhouette. Before marrying, I tried Norwegian and Carnival and once experiencing Celebrity there was simply no going back.

 

We have loved Celebrity... the food, the decor (both those ships that have been Solsticized and those that have not), and most importantly the CREW. Celebrity is doing something very right in hiring and maintaining a very competent, seemingly content and very solicitous staff. We tend to go with Concierge class predominately because we like the midship positions. We enjoy relaxing on our Veranda, don't necessarily feel like we must get off of the ship while in port and use the Solarium or Thalasotherapy pool often. We did the premium drink package this last cruise and loved the convenience. We took advantage of all the specialty dining options and loved them all. We enjoy all kinds of music and thoroughly enjoyed the entertainment in the theater this last cruise.

 

So what is the issue you may ask. Well, it seems from both experience on this ship and discussion with Celebrity's Miami office upon return home, Celebrity intends to change the "vibe" of the ship to something edgier and trendier than it has been in the past. We are in our 40's and fully appreciate 80's rock but I don't know if it belongs in the Grand Foyer. At least four of the 7 nights on board there was very LOUD music being played in the Grand Foyer in the evening. This rendered the Library, Card Room, the I-Lounge, the Hideaway, Cafe al Bacio, etc. all uninhabitable during that time. DH and I are all for appealing to a wider audience to keep the brand healthy but why not use the outdoor pool area, the sky lounge and Quasar for this (note...these areas were also used but clearly not exclusively). That way you can choose to party or not.

 

When we spoke with the main office they indicated that they were responding to the requests of past guests. Perhaps we are alone in our opinion here. Would love to hear your thoughts. We have made some wonderful friends on Celebrity and see it as our cruise line. However, if it is really trying to reach a different audience perhaps we need to look around. Would welcome suggestions about that as well.

 

DH and I did book a Pacific Coast cruise on the Century in 2014 so we will give it another go but...we'll see.

 

We have sailed on Celebrity for many years (usually twice a year) and are doing a Trans Altantic with them in November from Barcelona to Fort Lauderdale. We have always enjoyed what Celebrity has to offer. If the time comes we don't like what they are offering then we will take our business else where. :)

[Rick-cruiser]

Like any other product you purchase or business you patronize... if you don't like what they are offering, they change their product, or your tastes change... simply take your hard-earned money elsewhere.. There are LOTS of cruise lines out there... each with a multitude of ships.. Over the last several years, especially, mainstream cruiselines have become much more alike, rather than maintaining their special, individualized characteristics.

[DavidYYC]

...tired, tired, tired.

 

We just finished a trans-atlantic on the Equinox. It was wonderful - the music was NEVER intrusive or annoying. We spent what we wanted to, did what we wanted to and loved the food, the ambience and the staff.

 

I really hope that Celebrity never feels that it has to kowtow to a vocal group of CruiseCritic/Elite regulars.

[navyrotorhead]

Exaggerate much? It's the sort of neo 'it's mine, it's mine, I want only me to play with my toy' commentary that is and has been X's problem...it withering due to the rusted on 'its 5pm so it must be time for' and 'escargot Tuesday night, frogs legs Wednesday , fillet mignon Thursday...whaaaaa how dare you change my routine' crowds...... Like a pensioner in a retirement home who is used to dinner at 5.30pm every night gets upset cos its 10 minutes late and will ruin the entire evening.

 

Maybe X should be moving away from a more reactionary crowd that thinks they 'own' something that can't be changed....a company not run for shareholder profit but for their own personal fiefdom.

 

Name me one company you deal with that has not changed one iota in the last 20 years.

 

Could you PLEASE give us a break? You seem to do a REALLY exceptional job, at taking ALL the FUN out of complaining! :D :p ;)

 

I enjoy hearing different kinds of music, and I'm OK with occasional loud music. But it would be nice to find a quiet bar with a piano playing light jazz, with the sounds of people talking and laughing. Same thing on the pool deck. Fun to hear a loud band, but how about some time with steel drums playing caribbean music (NOT covering some pop song).

 

What I can't stand is the wrong volume at the wrong time. On one cruise, there was blaring music on the pool deck at 7 am. I asked an officer,"Do you think there is one person here who wants to hear this?" He turned it down.

 

But at some times, it's nice to get loud and crazy.

 

What a fantastic idea! A variety of VENUES, playing a variety of different music, EACH appealing to a different group, with different tastes, ALL AT THE SAME TIME.

 

As opposed to trying to appeal to EVERYONE, all at the same place, all at the same time, and accomplishing NOTHING but pleasing NO ONE! :eek: :rolleyes:

 

The party band (The Runaways) was an extremely young group of mostly Brits, who did a really nice job with a wide variety of music from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s as well as some much more contemporary stuff, too.

 

The problem was they didn't or couldn't adjust their play list for timing. The 70 and 80 year old crowd was alienated by the more contemporary music played in the foyer before dinner. But those same folks were up dancing to EVERY Classic Rock/Motown hit that was played.

 

They had some poor guy playing mellow guitar (James Taylor type stuff) in Celebrity Central, just outside of Quasar and getting totally drowned out by the RIDICULOUSLY loud music being played in there. (To a "crowd" of exactly ZERO)

 

The music situation on Silhouette this time was still a MESS, but DID improve SLIGHTLY over Connie in December.

[Qmadam]

Celebrity was not marketing much 20 years ago. They did not need to. I found them purely by chance. Things change, nothing stays the same. That is sometimes a good thing, but not always. In the case of cruising, things have had to change as the economy could not support the experience as it was once enjoyed. For those of us who enjoyed cruising 20 or more years ago, the industry has changed tremendously. I wish you all could have enjoyed the experience that we did. It was overwhelmingly superior to what you know now. So… you must understand that we will never quite be satisfied with things as they are. We still enjoy, but we will always remember a time of unsurpassed elegance, class, service …. Celebrity was all of this…

I have been one of the great number of unemployed for the past many years, not able to vacation, and am now finally booked on my 10th cruise with Celebrity. I look forward to it knowing that it will not compare with my 1st so long ago, but hope that it will still “exceed my expectations” because my expectations have been “adjusted”. The things I enjoy most will still be there!

Life is what you make of it! Make the most!

[NLH Arizona]

Celebrity was not marketing much 20 years ago. They did not need to. I found them purely by chance. Things change, nothing stays the same. That is sometimes a good thing, but not always. In the case of cruising, things have had to change as the economy could not support the experience as it was once enjoyed. For those of us who enjoyed cruising 20 or more years ago, the industry has changed tremendously. I wish you all could have enjoyed the experience that we did. It was overwhelmingly superior to what you know now. So… you must understand that we will never quite be satisfied with things as they are. We still enjoy, but we will always remember a time of unsurpassed elegance, class, service …. Celebrity was all of this…

I have been one of the great number of unemployed for the past many years, not able to vacation, and am now finally booked on my 10th cruise with Celebrity. I look forward to it knowing that it will not compare with my 1st so long ago, but hope that it will still “exceed my expectations” because my expectations have been “adjusted”. The things I enjoy most will still be there!

Life is what you make of it! Make the most!

I was going to wish you a great cruise, but with your attitude I know you will have a fantastic cruise. Enjoy!