What has happened to Celebrity?

[cruisetrail]

 

I have never paid more than $60/day for my 73 days on Celebrity, and most of those days were under $50/day. :)

 

 

 

That's interesting.

How do you calculate it and what do you include in $60?

 

Just looked up prices.

March 2014

Caribbean

S-Class ships

Base price (without service fee, etc.) per day $78-120 for inside cabin.

 

June 2014

Mediterranean

S-Class ships

Base price (without service fee, etc.) per day $154-352 for inside cabin.

Edited January 21, 2014 by cruisetrail

[20pluscruises]

Operators are standing by at Regent, Silversea, Oceania and Seabourn to accept your payment of $300 to $1300 per day... :cool:

 

I have never paid more than $60/day for my 73 days on Celebrity, and most of those days were under $50/day. :)

 

 

 

Thank you for the voice of sanity and reason! ;)

 

Forget the 4 or 5 star Hotels, I can't get a Motel 6 and eat at Taco Bell...

 

...for the same price I can cruise on Celebrity! :eek: :D :rolleyes:

 

I'd rather pay more and get what I've enjoyed in the past.

 

Thanks! I have taken your advice and started looking into the luxury / upscale cruise lines. Any thoughts on Regent?

Edited January 21, 2014 by 20pluscruises

[BosoxI]

That's interesting.

How do you calculate it and what do you include in $60?

.

 

That's an interesting question. For me I wait around until the cruise line drops its price to an acceptable level. If it never happens, I stay at home. The price includes taxes and port charges to which I add gratuities. I subtract the value of any OBC or other considerations and divide by the number on nights on the ship. This is what I consider to be the cost per person per day. It tends to range between $90 and $150 which I consider tolerable for, in the case of Celebrity, at least, an unobstucted balcony up through an Aqua. At these prices I don't expect perfection and I'm perfectly happy with mid level cruise lines.

 

I don't count any expense I can control myself for drinks, tours, gambling etc even if it could be covered by the OBC. This might skew the results a bit but not enough for me to worry about. We don't do suites any more and have concluded that a good balcony cabin is all we really need unless there is exceptional opportunity for an upgrade. Honestly, we have traveled the world for so many years and seen so many places that I am really content to stay at home or in our second home and let the rest of the world go by.

 

More power to anyone who is paying only $60. At that rate I would never complain about anything, unless a bilge rat ran across my feet at night. :)

Edited January 21, 2014 by BosoxI

[JRarey]

I think the crew takes its lead from the cruisers.

If the crowd is subdued and lackluster that is the energy you will feel throughout the cruise ship.

 

I believe the energy you put out is the energy you will receive.

[lovemylab]

Equinox November, December 2013, food was great but the music was absolutely horrible (except Sean Golden.) Also noticed that the wait staff were stretched to the max, especially in Select Dining. We still had chocolates on pillows, ice bucket etc. Also noticed that things have gone downhill in Aqua Spa & after the first day didn't bother again.

 

 

We were on the December 9th sailing for the Equinox and felt the same way about the music. This was the first Caribbean cruise we've done where they didn't have a calypso or steel drum band onboard. There was no acapella group or piano player either.

 

During sailaway from Fort Lauderdale there was no live music by the pool. Even when we left ports there was very little live music (instead they had Zumba scheduled). The music that was offered around the ship was not great (with Sean Golden being the exception).

 

We had no complaints about the food but did notice the wait staff in select dining were being worked off their feet. The most obvious cutback I noticed was at the Aquaspa cafe. They didn't offer near the selection. I ordered a yogurt parfait for breakfast and was advised it was a $5 fee. The Celebrity Today newsletter made no mention of this venue now having a charge for certain items.

[20pluscruises]

We were on the December 9th sailing for the Equinox and felt the same way about the music. This was the first Caribbean cruise we've done where they didn't have a calypso or steel drum band onboard. There was no acapella group or piano player either.

 

During sailaway from Fort Lauderdale there was no live music by the pool. Even when we left ports there was very little live music (instead they had Zumba scheduled). The music that was offered around the ship was not great (with Sean Golden being the exception).

 

We had no complaints about the food but did notice the wait staff in select dining were being worked off their feet. The most obvious cutback I noticed was at the Aquaspa cafe. They didn't offer near the selection. I ordered a yogurt parfait for breakfast and was advised it was a $5 fee. The Celebrity Today newsletter made no mention of this venue now having a charge for certain items.

 

We did a December 2013 cruise on the Reflection and it was the pretty much the same....no caribbean music at sail-away....a simon and grafunkel type duo. No energy...people actually left. It was really sad :o

[Hlitner]

Although we have certainly been critical of Celebrity (and other lines) in the past, we have a different take on the Eclipse based on our 14 day Nov 30 cruise. We happened to do this cruise in Aqua Class (not our first time in Aqua) and our norm would be to have at least half our dinners in Blu and then mix up other dinners in the alternative and MDR restaurants. But Blu was so outstanding that we only had a single dinner outside Blu (in Murano). So we cannot comment on the MDR although others we knew on the cruise did not have any complaints (and one person told us he thought it was better then in the past).

 

As to the entertainment, we thought the main shows were close to awful...with the exception of the ship's band who were pretty decent. The singers in the main shows were on the level of mid-level high school singers and the sound in the show room was not very good (this does not help singers). We thought the shows had a "tired" feel with the exception of the one Cirque-type show which was pretty good...but all too standard on S-Class ships. There was an excellent smooth jazz quartet onboard, but most cruisers never even noticed these musicians who held court in the bar right outside Murano/Qsine. And then there is Perry Grand.....what more can be said about him. Perry has his fans, which on our cruise seemed to number about 100-150 who would routinely fill Michael's for his performances. But it did seem like the other 2000 or so folks could care less about Perry. As we have previously posted, we find Perry to be entertaining for the first 1 or 2 times we go to his shows...but after that everything is so repetitious that we do not return. He certainly inflames passions as we know one couple (on this cruise) where the lady was in Perry's show every night why her husband sat outside Michaels where "he did not have to listen to that garbage." A great example of why you cannot please everyone.

 

As to the OPs comment that the cruise was "boring" I can say that having spent more then 3 1/2 years on many different cruise ships...we have never encountered a boring cruise...but have met our share of boring passengers. Any cruise is what you make of it....and if somebody is bored then they have only themselves to blame. A Caribbean cruise is what it is....and we always find those cruises very relaxing because of the easy port days (we have our favorite beaches on every island) and mostly good weather.

 

And yes, we were so disgusted and bored on that cruise that we stopped in the Future Cruise Office and booked the same cruise for next December. And our other friends onboard all did the same :)

 

Hank

[Jeal]

As to the OPs comment that the cruise was "boring" I can say that having spent more then 3 1/2 years on many different cruise ships...we have never encountered a boring cruise...but have met our share of boring passengers. Any cruise is what you make of it....and if somebody is bored then they have only themselves to blame. A Caribbean cruise is what it is....and we always find those cruises very relaxing because of the easy port days (we have our favorite beaches on every island) and mostly good

 

Hank

 

Ouch! I guess it was our fault! I guess we are boring!

Okay - I am changing what we thought - it was the best cruise we have been on yet (our 26th). The food and entertainment was spectacular. Keep up the good work Celebrity.

Edited January 21, 2014 by Jeal

[20pluscruises]

In all fairness to the ones who felt their cruise was boring...we also found times where it became boring on the Reflection due to...

 

The Simon & Garfunkel type duo at sail away...could put you to sleep

 

Babies with diapers in the pools...couldn't use the pools or hot tubs due to security not stopping the four couples who several times a day went in both...boring if you can't enjoy a dip to cool off

 

Breast Cancer tee shirt sale...they longer do the line dance to promote the sale...not only boring but very disappointing.

 

Not everything was boring as we enjoyed most other areas....

[cruisetrail]

That's an interesting question. For me I wait around until the cruise line drops its price to an acceptable level. If it never happens, I stay at home. The price includes taxes and port charges to which I add gratuities. I subtract the value of any OBC or other considerations and divide by the number on nights on the ship. This is what I consider to be the cost per person per day. It tends to range between $90 and $150..

 

Thank you.

I am just qurious where these prices come from?

 

 

I have never paid more than $60/day for my 73 days on Celebrity, and most of those days were under $50/day. :)

[BosoxI]

In all fairness to the ones who felt their cruise was boring...we also found times where it became boring on the Reflection due to...

 

The Simon & Garfunkel type duo at sail away...could put you to sleep

 

Babies with diapers in the pools...couldn't use the pools or hot tubs due to security not stopping the four couples who several times a day went in both...boring if you can't enjoy a dip to cool off

 

Breast Cancer tee shirt sale...they longer do the line dance to promote the sale...not only boring but very disappointing.

 

Not everything was boring as we enjoyed most other areas....

 

I find that when something doesn't suit me, finding something that does is a reasonable solution. Where is it written or promised that every activity on board a ship will suit every passenger?

[20pluscruises]

I find that when something doesn't suit me, finding something that does is a reasonable solution. Where is it written or promised that every activity on board a ship will suit every passenger?

 

Well, taking a dip in the pool would have suited me...but the diaper bridage put a stop to that...and no help from security. UNTIL the last day when I mentioned I took videos and photos. :mad:

[sginva]

Maybe they know that the regulars are going to walk...seems to be A LOT of cutbacks in such a short period of time.

 

Maybe smart on their part for the newbies they are trying to attract...don't let them get a taste of what was.

 

I would rather see the prices go up.........and Azamera is impossible to book...verandas are sold out for 2014...I don't like to book that far out.

 

What a difference a year makes?

Last year it was captain club need for change and what we plan to do it it doesn't meet our needs and what we deserve!!! Perhaps we should all go back and review our posts. Sometimes where you stand comes from where you now sit?

I understand the angst that folks are feeling and agree with this post.

We were on the Eclipse for the New Years cruise and loved it but would we do it again? No, we would not.

The crew was stressed, the food was ok and the entertainment was uneventful.

The newbies were not happy campers and perhaps with good measure. We found little to complain about, loved the ports, great Celebrity excursions and met some wonderful people.

If the future is one and done cruisers it will work just fine for Celebrity and we will most likely still be on board. Let us not however think we are important enough in the scheme of things that Celebrity needs either our defense or criticism. These are opinions all and this forum is a means to express the same.

Thank you

[hulamoon]

I am not seeing cheap prices. For spring bookings AQ and suites are twice what princess is selling for for similar sailings.

 

I think the entertainment has been noticeably worse on my last two celebrity cruises in April and December 2013. So much so, I am going to save my best books for cruising again.

 

I get uncomfortable when staff is working too hard. It is one of the best things that the staff seem more relaxed and rested, but I was beginning to see they were working harder in 2013.

[SevenSeas70]

Operators are standing by at Regent, Silversea, Oceania and Seabourn to accept your payment of $300 to $1300 per day... :cool:

 

I have never paid more than $60/day for my 73 days on Celebrity, and most of those days were under $50/day. :)

 

Thank you for the voice of sanity and reason! ;)

 

Forget the 4 or 5 star Hotels, I can't get a Motel 6 and eat at Taco Bell...

 

...for the same price I can cruise on Celebrity! :eek: :D :rolleyes:

 

A very good point. Our last couple of cruises were on Crystal, an excellent and truly "luxury" line. They have taken the opposite tack from Celebrity and made their prices all inclusive including gratuities, all beverages, specialty dining (although the MDR is excellent with individually prepared dishes and any dish for which they have ingredients) and superb entertainment covering all tastes. This luxury comes at a price, which my back-of-envelope calculation shows as near 100% more.

 

The old adage that you get what you pay for (if you're lucky) applies on the seas as on land.

 

P.S. I'm looking forward to our Equinox cruise next week.

[geospyder]

...And yes, we were so disgusted and bored on that cruise that we stopped in the Future Cruise Office and booked the same cruise for next December. And our other friends onboard all did the same :)

 

I have to agree with Hank. I'm so upset with Celebrity that I only have eight Celebrity cruises booked at the moment. :D

[ISABELLA]

We felt that our TA on Equinox was one of the best Celebrity cruise we took - great entertainment, food at the buffet was very good. We did eat dinners at BLU, so I cannot comment about MDR food, but I have not heard people complained. The only thing that everybody noticed and complained is changes in Aqua Café, but that is another subject that have been discussed.

[dodger1964]

I am not seeing cheap prices. For spring bookings AQ and suites are twice what princess is selling for for similar sailings.

 

I think the entertainment has been noticeably worse on my last two celebrity cruises in April and December 2013. So much so, I am going to save my best books for cruising again.

 

I get uncomfortable when staff is working too hard. It is one of the best things that the staff seem more relaxed and rested, but I was beginning to see they were working harder in 2013.

 

Not as cheap as mentioned before, just checked one 7 day reflection in november, $228 per day (inside room) for two people "all in", without any bennies from TA.

 

That is, IMHO, pretty cheap for room, board, and entertainment.

 

(BTW, I'm glad the A cappella groups are gone...but like anything on ship some really like whatever it is, and some don't)

[Viva_la_Vida]

As they gradually keep cutting back the standard amenities provided previously, (like water pitchers and ice buckets in the staterooms, chocolates at turndown, replacing the full fruit bowl with a few apples, eliminating flowers on the tables and "show time" for dessert in the dining room, or cutting the string quartet back to a string trio), they figure that new passengers who never experienced them in the first place will not miss them.

 

All of us have our personal preferences as to which features we like and which ones we do not mind eliminating.

 

If examining each of the cuts individually, there will always be passengers who will say they do not mind cutting this or that because they did not use or enjoy that particular feature anyway.

 

But it is the overall effect on the Celebrity experience in total that is being diminished, changing the feeling from a cruise that is special to a cruise that is ordinary.

 

Maybe they figure that by providing more and more free drinks, the passengers will be less likely to notice the cutbacks.

 

 

Thank you for posting the actual things that are being cut. I did cruises with Celebrity as a child, but now as an adult and having only been on one recently, it's hard to notice much difference. Of course, the big thing I noticed was no more midnight feast, but from what I've heard it was done away with a long time ago. On our cruise in April we got buckets and ice daily as well as chocolate and we never had to ask. We weren't in a CC or AQ room either.

[lovespositano]

We had never cruised any line but Princess when I fell in love with Celebrity in Oct 2009 on the Equinox. It is still my favorite ship and I love all the rest of the S class. We have sailed at least twice a year on Celebrity S class ships since then and have loved it! We mostly cruise the MED where the itineraries are extremely important (and Celebrity does not disappoint in this regard), but we also do lots of TA's where the ship and the experience onboard is all important. One thing that makes or breaks any cruise for us is the party band - we like to dance. In the old days on Princess we loved the wonderful Filipino party bands - each band was better than the one we had had on the previous cruise. But we are now sorely disappointed with the new direction that Celebrity is taking regarding the music, especially during the last year. It is obvious that Celebrity is attempting to attract a younger, more "hip" crowd based on the volume and choice of music all day, all over the ship, and with the type of party bands they are choosing (and the music these bands know and perform). In April on the Silhouette the band was simply awful not to mention obnoxioius and had a repertoire of about 20 songs, mostly "modern day" which they would loudly and proudly announce. And we were on the ship for 30 days. We spent a lot of money for the B2B and although we did enjoy the ports and the ship, we really were disappointed not to have any decent music. Let me say that I like all kinds of music, even "modern day" but I also like a variety of eras and rhythms. I am not too picky as long as the rhythm is danceable. We love rock and roll. We also like the jazz ensembles, the string quartet, the acapella group, the guitarist (of which there USED to be two, one pop and one classical) - really a big part of the cruise experience for us. I have two Celebrity cruises booked this year, both long ones, and I am more than a little worried about the entertainment onboard. I am hoping for the best but I wish Celebrity would listen to what we are saying on the boards. I know they are trying to attract the next generation of cruisers, and rightfullly so, but there needs to be a venue of some sort for the majority of the cruisers onboard. I still love Celebrity and it is my line of choice, but I am hoping for a talented band, no matter which generation of musiclovers they cater to. Having said all this, can't WAIT for my April cruise on the Equinox!!

[Spartan Tartan]

 

Would you be willing to do the same for the job you hold?

 

Not sure I understand your comment.

 

I know nothing of what the wait staff or cabin attendants are paid. There is much speculation on these posts it is hard to determine what is correct. You stated that your daughter worked for RCCL for 6 months and that you deposited her cheque. I was hoping that you could tell us more about her position and wages on board RCCL. If she was wait or cabin staff she would also have received tips. What was the average amount per month for tips. As a parent you would be in the know of what the true pay on board is/was at the time your daughter worked for the cruise line.

[BosoxI]

Thank you.

I am just qurious where these prices come from?

 

I don't want to get into specifics, as it might be construed as bragging which I certainly want to avoid. We choose our cruises very carefully. I'm retired and can go at any time; my wife still works but with enough notice she can usually arrange her schedule . As I said earlier, if the price isn't right, we stay at home. We have three cruises on Celebrity scheduled for the next three months, two in the Carib and one TA. Our C3 balcony along with two A2s are within the cost range I have previously mentioned. We will benefit even more by being Elite and getting a one category upgrade.

I understand that not everyone has the luxury of picking and choosing dates which have the lowest cost. This makes a tremendous difference and we take full advantage of it.

[2Fltravelers]

^^^ same, had a wonderful cruise on Reflection in march 2013 and silhouette in December 2013 didn't compare. However it didn't make me cancel my cruise aboard equinox in march but I'm hoping for a much better experience. The food in the MDR was often cold and I think it's because the table next to us was always served first. The last night they didn't come to dinner and our food was hot...very annoying.

 

We are just off the Equinox and wanted to let you know that the food in the MDR was very good, always hot and the wait staff was wonderful. This is compared to our 2012 TA on the Equinox when we ate in Blu and had many mediocre meals there. This cruise was much better so alot has to do with time of year, itinerary, staff, etc. I plan to write a review later this week.

[hulamoon]

Not as cheap as mentioned before, just checked one 7 day reflection in november, $228 per day (inside room) for two people "all in", without any bennies from TA.

 

That is, IMHO, pretty cheap for room, board, and entertainment.

 

(BTW, I'm glad the A cappella groups are gone...but like anything on ship some really like whatever it is, and some don't)

 

I see your point on inside prices. For what cabins we like and comparing to prices paid years ago they are much higher. It wasn't that long ago you could get Aqua for 100 to 135. Per day. pp. upcoming cruise AQ is 240pp. While I am cruising celebrity these days, mini suites on princess were much cheaper. And HAL was cheaper still if I added in purchasing spa package to even it out.

[bplazo]

We were on the equinox in April and it was a fantastic cruise and my only complaint was that they put pickles on the burgers a the pool side grill.