X, getting better or worse?

[newyorkray]

I first cruised Celebrity on the Meridian in 1995, then the Zenith, Century and onto the M class ships. My wife became ill in 2004 and passed away in 2006 so I missed about 4-5 years of cruising. I resumed with my now significant other in 2008 and cruised the M class ships and the Reflection in January and going again this January. I have noticed changes, some good some not so good. The ships are beautiful but somehow my honeymoon cruise on the Meridian leaving NYC harbor with a great band was special. The themed midnight buffet and of course "OPUS", the best cruise band I've seen. Teaching dance steps during the midnight buffet, the waiters parade with the baked Alaska the last night.... There doesn't seem to be a night life anymore. The disco was empty on my last cruise. My question, is it getting better or worse overall. anybody missed some of the corny stuff like me? Like air travel, we still need it but its like taking a bus, nothing special anymore.

[TN Vol Fan]

Not better or worse, just different!
We started with X in 2003 and in the last 10 years, of course there have been changes. The markets are very different now on the mass market liners. The ships have to be run for profit and that requires doing things differently. Things are dropped for a variety of reasons- safety, economy, changes of taste over time.
If these changes had not been made, think of how much more expensive a cruise would be in today's market.
One comment about nightlife on board- with the port intensive itineraries, people do not stay up as late as on trips with more sea days. Don't know what kind of itinerary you had last. If you are missing nightlife, maybe another line would be more to your liking.
X still is a great product for what you pay for it. IMHO

[Redtravel]

My first Celebrity cruise on the Zenith was special. White glove service in all dining venues. Fabulous food day and night. Miss the midnight buffets. Even if I did not eat much, we had so much fun. Nightlife was a blast. Service was spectacular. After many cruises and many years, a lot of things have changed on Celebrity. Celebrity still does a nice cruise. It used to be better.

[happy 2 b cruising]

[quote name='newyorkray']I first cruised Celebrity on the Meridian in 1995, then the Zenith, Century and onto the M class ships. My wife became ill in 2004 and passed away in 2006 so I missed about 4-5 years of cruising. I resumed with my now significant other in 2008 and cruised the M class ships and the Reflection in January and going again this January. I have noticed changes, some good some not so good. The ships are beautiful but somehow my honeymoon cruise on the Meridian leaving NYC harbor with a great band was special. The themed midnight buffet and of course "OPUS", the best cruise band I've seen. Teaching dance steps during the midnight buffet, the waiters parade with the baked Alaska the last night.... There doesn't seem to be a night life anymore. The disco was empty on my last cruise. My question, is it getting better or worse overall. anybody missed some of the corny stuff like me? Like air travel, we still need it but its like taking a bus, nothing special anymore.[/quote]

We noticed the quality of food has changed in the past three 1/2 years. We also book Aqua to eat in Blu which used to be excellent. Now if you want excellent you need to go to one of the specialty restaurants. We still enjoy the Celebrity experience and look forward to our next cruise in the spring :)

[jsf]

There's no question that all cruse lines have changed somewhat since the 1990's. Not a lot of people cruised back then and as it got more popular the cruise lines changed their marketing to attract new passengers. Cruising is now mass marketed with many more ships and many more people. Recent cruisers have no way of comparing how it used to be so they just accept what they get now a day's. Cruising on the old Zenith and Horizon can't be compared to today's cruising but then again there are a lot of things that are not the same as they used to be. I think all we can do is enjoy what we are doing today and hold the memories of yester year.
J.

[teecee60]

[quote name='newyorkray']I first cruised Celebrity on the Meridian in 1995, then the Zenith, Century and onto the M class ships. I have noticed changes, some good some not so good. The ships are beautiful but somehow my honeymoon cruise on the Meridian leaving NYC harbor with a great band was special. The themed midnight buffet and of course "OPUS", the best cruise band I've seen. Teaching dance steps during the midnight buffet, the waiters parade with the baked Alaska the last night.... There doesn't seem to be a night life anymore. The disco was empty on my last cruise. My question, is it getting better or worse overall. anybody missed some of the corny stuff like me? Like air travel, we still need it but its like taking a bus, nothing special anymore.[/quote]

[quote name='Redtravel']My first Celebrity cruise on the Zenith was special. White glove service in all dining venues. Fabulous food day and night. Miss the midnight buffets. Even if I did not eat much, we had so much fun. Nightlife was a blast. Service was spectacular. Celebrity still does a nice cruise. It used to be better.[/quote]

First off I would venture a guess that a large percentage, if not a majority of people would say their FIRST cruise was "special." This idea is easy to understand, but tends to give a skewed perception of "decreasing quality."

I would also agree with other posters who said that cruising today is "different" (as opposed to better or worse) from doing so a decade or two (or more) in the past.

The food, service and ambiance were all undoubtedly spectacular in first class on Titanic. But how many people could afford it? TWENTY *M*I*L*L*I*O*N* people cruise every year now, because it is MUCH more affordable. (albeit at lower levels of "quality")

The same holds true for air travel. HUNDREDS of MILLIONS can afford to fly these days, not so in the past.

If the quality of your cruise experience has declined to an unacceptably low level, anyone and everyone is free to spend more money to enjoy the levels that were available to only a very few in years gone by. (The same for air travel.) Edited December 9, 2013 by teecee60

[NJ Fred]

Denying that all things change with time would be a denial of reality.

Another critical thing that has changed is the breed of cruise passenger. Many demand mega-sized vessels. Broadway/Vegas caliber entertainment and the like.

I agree that many of the changes on board "X" ships are undesirable. To my pallet, the food quality has deteriorated noticeably. And I am one of those who balk like a punctured penguin at the thought of plunking down as much as $45/pp for a so-hawked specialty restaurant without so much as a token refund for the money I already paid for eating in the MDR or a buffet had I dined in one of those venues on that occasions.

I cruise to relax. If I want first run, wide-screen movies I will go to a theater. If I want The Rockettes, I will go to Radio City Music Hall.

I want a safe, clean ship crewed by professionals. Sure, lay on a bit of the pampering by sliding my chair in and out or holding a door open.

Meal time used to be a high point. The melodic chimes summoned us to the MDR - - once open and widely used for all three meals plus a midnight buffet.

It is over. Gone. Finis.

Cruise Lines are conglomerates. Home Lines, Sitmar and so many others were born via the labors of families. And those families took pride in what they offered. There were few, if any, howling stockholders and the cost of merely fueling the vessel and sailing her was far less than today.

I cruise because I choose to cruise. To me, it is still the most relaxing and marvelous escape from everyday life that I fancy.

And if you think things are tight now - - you ain't seen nothing yet. Want proof? Look at the airlines. Additional charges for everything except using the restroom.

It is what it is.

Happy Cruising to All and to All a Goodnight!

[CaroleSS]

[COLOR="Blue"]Additional charges for everything except using the restroom.[/COLOR]

[COLOR="Black"]HA....look at RyanAir....they charge to use the restroom!!!![/COLOR] Edited December 9, 2013 by CaroleSS

[aikensbest]

[quote name='NJ Fred']Denying that all things change with time would be a denial of reality.

Another critical thing that has changed is the breed of cruise passenger. Many demand mega-sized vessels. Broadway/Vegas caliber entertainment and the like.

I agree that many of the changes on board "X" ships are undesirable. To my pallet, the food quality has deteriorated noticeably. And I am one of those who balk like a punctured penguin at the thought of plunking down as much as $45/pp for a so-hawked specialty restaurant without so much as a token refund for the money I already paid for eating in the MDR or a buffet had I dined in one of those venues on that occasions.

I cruise to relax. If I want first run, wide-screen movies I will go to a theater. If I want The Rockettes, I will go to Radio City Music Hall.

I want a safe, clean ship crewed by professionals. Sure, lay on a bit of the pampering by sliding my chair in and out or holding a door open.

Meal time used to be a high point. The melodic chimes summoned us to the MDR - - once open and widely used for all three meals plus a midnight buffet.

It is over. Gone. Finis.

Cruise Lines are conglomerates. Home Lines, Sitmar and so many others were born via the labors of families. And those families took pride in what they offered. There were few, if any, howling stockholders and the cost of merely fueling the vessel and sailing her was far less than today.

I cruise because I choose to cruise. To me, it is still the most relaxing and marvelous escape from everyday life that I fancy.

And if you think things are tight now - - you ain't seen nothing yet. Want proof? Look at the airlines. Additional charges for everything except using the restroom.

It is what it is.

Happy Cruising to All and to All a Goodnight![/quote]

Well Put! and yes it does remain as a wonderful and relaxing escape from the hum drum of everyday life

[Host Jazzbeau]

You can still have the type of cruise experience from decades ago. But you have to pay the same (inflation-adjusted) fare. That means the ultra-luxury lines, or the top class suites on Cunard. What we want -- and can't have -- is the luxury of the past for today's bargain prices.

[Redtravel]

My cruise on the Zenith in 1996 was hardly my first cruise. My very first cruise was on the Home Lines Atlantic in 1986.

[grandpaiscruising]

I've sailed Celebrity since the 90's when you had to pay to join the Captains club. I remember the food was better then and they would bring the deserts out on a tray to show you what they had. The senior officers party's were better then, small and you got to talk to most of the officers. Back then it was the only way I went to Bermuda because the ships visited all three ports.:(


Royal Princess, 10/18/14 Canada/NE, HAL 56 days, RCCL 104 points, NCL 28 days, Princess 214 days, Royal 14 days, Cunard 49 days, Celebrity 570 points

[SHill64]

[quote name='newyorkray']I first cruised Celebrity on the Meridian in 1995, then the Zenith, Century and onto the M class ships. My wife became ill in 2004 and passed away in 2006 so I missed about 4-5 years of cruising. I resumed with my now significant other in 2008 and cruised the M class ships and the Reflection in January and going again this January. I have noticed changes, some good some not so good. The ships are beautiful but somehow my honeymoon cruise on the Meridian leaving NYC harbor with a great band was special. The themed midnight buffet and of course "OPUS", the best cruise band I've seen. Teaching dance steps during the midnight buffet, the waiters parade with the baked Alaska the last night.... There doesn't seem to be a night life anymore. The disco was empty on my last cruise. My question, is it getting better or worse overall. anybody missed some of the corny stuff like me? Like air travel, we still need it but its like taking a bus, nothing special anymore.[/quote]

With all due respect Ray, I suspect no cruise can or will ever beat your first honeymoon cruise with your wife. I know it wouldn't for me. :)