New York Times discusses what's new on Celebrity ships

[TxnAquarian]

We are a couple in our mid-30s, no kids, high income, urban professionals - the kind of demographic Celebrity seems to want to market to. And I have to say that most of the ideas in this article sound silly. If they want to appeal to our group, I don't think making bizarre changes to the entertainment program is the key. I would prefer they use their energy and budget towards areas more relevant to us, such as food, service and stateroom amenities. However, like others have said, I'll reserve my judgement until I see all of this myself. Celebrity has done a good job of luring us in thus far. While we are not X loyalists and choose cruises based strictly on itinerary, we do look to X first when booking a cruise.

 

 

 

 

Michael & Omar

[lilghallinsf]

I'll join you in the minority. I'm 56 - old to many of you and younger than some of you and I think that the industry has to keep evolving to keep up. Some won't like it and will move to a different line or stop cruising but many new cruisers will fill the void.

 

On my last cruise (Eclipse) you could see a trend, the more experienced (older?) cruisers spending little money and money is the name of the game. I'd be willing to pay extra for a special entertainment experience.

I always enjoy your views on cc. Things have to progress. I understand that we don't always enjoy the changes, personally, I like them. I love celebrity and have cruised several lines and I still think Celebrity offers the best option. I work in the design industry and worked for Ethan Allen for many many years. I remember when we changed from early american to a more up to date vision. People complained constantly but the truth of the matter was the "old" client was dying off. It's ugly to say but it is the truth. This is a business and as a business it must move forward and with the times.

 

I find many of these post about the changes at celebrity and how offended people are as funny. It reminds me of middle america, scared to death of change. But part of life of is change. I don't like all the changes that celebrity seems to be doing, but appreciate that they change and don't stay so dedicated to the past that they die.

[lilghallinsf]

funny article. I love these type of events but I have to admit I don't think I would be the first one dancing though I know I would be one of the many to head there and see what it was all about.

[Andy]

Thanks Andy for your, as always, measured and reasonable response. As one of the new zeniths, I am not about to jump ship without seeing how this plays out. But entertainment is very important to me, maybe because I travel solo, and I have already seen disturbing changes in this area. So, I will sit back and wait. Hopefully, there will be something for the new people they are trying to attract, as well as their long standing loyalists. Time will tell. And it was very nice to have met you and your Mom on Century. Hope our paths cross again sometime.

 

Hi Anne,

 

I totally agree with your comments, and hopes that Celebrity will find a way to attract new clientele, while keeping their loyal guests happy. Seems like a very fine line to walk, but I sure hope they will succeed in their goals !

 

Congrats on becoming Zenith ! It was a pleasure meeting you Century, and I truly hope we'll meet again in the near future.

[kitty9]

The entertainment sounds, hmm... interesting, but it also kind of reminds me of the Constellation and the Cirque du Soleil interactive stuff. That didn't last too long ;)

 

When I was reading that article, I was thinking the exact same thing. Remember when they had the beds and all the silly fabric hanging from the ceiling? It was SO bad many people started calling it Cirque du Suck. And Celebrity thinks this kind of entertainment where they have performers in the pool area will bring in the coveted 30-something's? Who's running things at corporate?

[Andy]

When I was reading that article, I was thinking the exact same thing. Remember when they had the beds and all the silly fabric hanging from the ceiling? It was SO bad many people started calling it Cirque du Suck. And Celebrity thinks this kind of entertainment where they have performers in the pool area will bring in the coveted 30-something's?

 

Hi Darcie,

 

Funnny that you mentioned Cirque. I recall the first time I saw the Cirque lounge show and commented "what the (expletive) is this ?" LOL. Nobody, and I mean nobody in the audience knew what was going on. It was like the deer in the headlights look, and downright bizarre. I recall that a number of corporate heads rolled for that mess, and I suspect that if we get anything that resembles the Cirque fiasco, that heads will roll again. With that said, I remain optimistic, and hope Celebrity finds the right balance for their entertainment & demographic goals.

Edited March 17, 2014 by Host Andy

[phoenix_dream]

It would be nice to see some new ideas and some life added to the sometimes stale entertainment that has been the case for a number of years on some cruises. At the same time, the idea of trying to emulate Vegas (a destination mentioned in the article as a comparison) does cause me concern. I love Vegas. I go every year and have a great time. But some of what makes Vegas so much fun is experiencing a bit of decadence so to speak:). No matter how much it tries to pretend otherwise with posh resorts like Bellagio and Cosmopolitan, the quote of putting lipstick on a pig comes to mind. It is fun because at its heart it is naughty and not just a little cheesy. Is this what I want Celebrity to aspire to as a cruise line????? I think not.

 

I too will withhold judgment until I see exactly what is really going to change. At the same time, it is disturbing to even read about the idea of Celebrity using Vegas as an inspiration.

[Antonintassie]

Hi

We are in our late forties and able to travel anywhere we wish and have a suite booked on the Eclipse Jan 4th 2015 .

We tried cruising for the first time on the Royal Princess 10 day Med cruise and did not find ideal it lacked refinement in dining and entertainment (MUTS DROVE US NUTS) .

We decided to give cruising another chance after much debate and choose Celebrity as it offered the amenities of a big ship ,with what we hope will be a refined relaxing break .If we are the target demographic for some of the changes discussed in the article I think Celebrity will need to be careful to maintain a refined atmosphere on board whilst still expanding entertainment options to attract new clients and retain existing ones.

 

Kind Regards

 

Anthony

 

 

quote=Jane2357;42073634]I'll join you in the minority. I'm 56 - old to many of you and younger than some of you and I think that the industry has to keep evolving to keep up. Some won't like it and will move to a different line or stop cruising but many new cruisers will fill the void.

 

On my last cruise (Eclipse) you could see a trend, the more experienced (older?) cruisers spending little money and money is the name of the game. I'd be willing to pay extra for a special entertainment experience.

[Seapoint]

The Vegas positioning is already taken…by Carnival and NCL. Is that who Celebrity is trying to emulate? Is that the new gold standard? Heaven help us :eek:

 

Hate to have to walk from my Elite Plus status.

[pris993]

I'll join you in the minority. I'm 56 - old to many of you and younger than some of you and I think that the industry has to keep evolving to keep up. Some won't like it and will move to a different line or stop cruising but many new cruisers will fill the void.

 

On my last cruise (Eclipse) you could see a trend, the more experienced (older?) cruisers spending little money and money is the name of the game. I'd be willing to pay extra for a special entertainment experience.

 

The quality of the entertainment would have improve a whole lot to motivate me to pay extra. We are elite on Celebrity... while I might give X marks for trying, I have found the entertainment disappointing -- hit and miss.

 

The only cruise line that I have been impressed with the entertainment was Cunard. I actually was surprised but then again, given London had a great theatre district I guess on second thought maybe that has lead to a higher quality of entertainers on board Cunard.

 

We cruise Princess, HAL, Cunard, Celebrity and NCL.

[blueboro]

We went to "Liquid" on the Reflection in February. Visually, what they did with the Solarium space that evening was stunning. Really cool. But no one seemed to know what to do. Dance? Drink? Gawp at the spectacle of contortionist dancers? Once they get the hang of what they want Liquid to be, it will be fine, but right now the event is still in its awkward growing stage.

 

We were on the 2/22 Reflection sailing and went to Liquid and left wondering what the hell it was supposed to be?? I just hated I stayed up that late to see. Think they really missed the mark with this concept.

 

I, for one, would welcome a change from the typical broadway type shows with singers and dancers. I have simply grown tired of these over the years. If they want to spice up entertainment bring on some entertainers we might have heard of...from comedians to singers. So I kind of like the idea of looking at changes to the typical cruise ship entertainment.

[kk99]

We were on Reflection for the preview of Liquid (2-15 sailing). I thought it could be an interesting event with some major tweaking.

 

It was only done once that cruise at 10:30 p.m, and if you dislike loud music, then you wouldn't want to go. I like the Miami DJ's but it was still needed a volume adjustment to be more of a usable nightcub atmosphere.

 

The mood lighting, the acrobatic performers, the specialty drinks and the vibe was interesting. Having passengers get into the solarium pool fully clothed, and then less, not so much. You couldn't really dance once the deck got wet around the pool.

 

 

Replacing the Captain's toast with a champage waterfall in the atrium would be a change, but it isn't new, Princess has been doing them for years. It's very pretty to watch, but isn't really new entertainment. it does make for good photo ops.

 

If Celebrity wants to freshen up the brand, then bring in some different name guest artists, different comedians. I liked the Sin City comedy show, but there was very limited seating for it.

 

I would rather have live music of many different varieties, than the same broadway style shows that I have seen repeated on the ships.

I would be open to paying more for a cruise that had some outstanding entertainment on it. Live entertainment is so much better than a taped soundtrack.

 

I applaud Celebrity for trying to come up with different ideas, and to appeal to different age categories. I just think they need to think through each idea and perhaps do some testing in Miami before implementing on the ships.

 

I am not their new target demographic, but I am always open to changes, if it makes for a better vacation experience. We also like all of the specialty restaurants,and spas but not the more recent constant hawking of products and complete waste of paper. Celebrity, please put all of the sale and discount announcements on the TV screen channel or message field for those who are interested.

 

 

To attract more cruisers, it would be nice if they changed up their itineraries and length of cruises especially for the Caribbean itineraries. At least they have made some changes for next season's European cruises.

 

We have three more booked in the next year with Celebrity, but we are also sailing other lines in the next year as well for better itineraries(in our perception).

 

I will wait to see what "modern luxury" translates to in the entertainment field on our upcoming cruises.

[hcat]

Hi Darcie,

 

Funnny that you mentioned Cirque. I recall the first time I saw the Cirque lounge show and commented "what the (expletive) is this ?" LOL. Nobody, and I mean nobody in the audience knew what was going on. It was like the deer in the headlights look, and downright bizarre. I recall that a number of corporate heads rolled for that mess, and I suspect that if we get anything that resembles the Cirque fiasco, that heads will roll again. With that said, I remain optimistic, and hope Celebrity finds the right balance for their entertainment & demographic goals.

 

Cirque was a disaster, very sexist, bad humor, annoyed guests un audience...also had a shop to match that sold sex type lotions....they also installed rags and beds in upperdeck club that they had to remove...no one went there,,, X has tried new cuisine, music etc...some works some not...esp. the drum banger and rap dj on our last silho cruise....hope new pax take high level cabins, buy better drinks, jewelry in thr hi end store, book their excursions with X and use the spa services...bottom line will rule....we, ll stick with them unless it gets really awful.....sorry for typos...using a new device for this post

[Miss JAD]

I was also on the Reflection 02/15 when they previewed Liquid. The hyped it up pretty good for the week with Liquid splashed in lights on the side of the ship when we came back on the ship in San Juan. At the time I had regrets as we didn't go to it. Heard later that it was awkward. Hopefully they make something like this work where it can be entertaining and fun.

 

We are in our late 30's and early 40's, DINKs and are probably the new 'Celebrity demographic'. Everything about Reflection reminded us of Vegas and that is why we enjoyed our week so much. There is lots of different entertainment and venues.

 

We really enjoyed the Sin City comedy - this should be moved to a larger venue. As a female, I will say that there was nothing offensive about the Burlesque dancer. I think she offers the ambience of Vegas.

 

I think Celebrity should offer more late night entertainment for those of us that like to stay up later and maxamize our evening hours. I get my sleep during the day on the beach or at the pool :).

 

What I don't enjoy are some the singing productions. They need to get some fresh entertainment in there, perhaps from America's Got Talent. We were also on MSC Divina and while they have musical productions they were very well done. The Costumes and stories were amazing.

 

Just my thoughts. I don't think that they are trying to alienate a particular group of people. I hope that they are trying to add to their entertainment to keep everyone happy.

 

I have to say though that the music volume - not the type - is annoyingly loud in some areas. As some one with no children I am not use to noise :)

Edited March 18, 2014 by Miss JAD

[C 2 C]

People like standing along the rail or on their balcony with a drink watching the port disappear instead of looking at a pool.

 

It's how we get away from Miami's view of a pleasant port departure, glass in hand of course, waving at the well wishers lining the shore but without the excessive noise around the pool.

[koolforkatz]

Just a little trip down memory lane complete with beds, bunting and fabric hanging off ceiling.

[Oceanview77]

I too attended Liquid on the 2/22 sailing of Reflection and while not perfect (I believe they had only done it once before) I thought it held a lot of promise. The Solarium was visually stunning and they overall production values were quite good.

Never got to see the cirque fiasco but do you think they were ahead of their time? One of NCL's top attractions is a cirque style dinner show. Zumanity a sexy cirque show has been running in Vegas for years now.

I would like to see them join forces with America's Got Talent. They could really rotate lots of specialty acts and keep things fresh.

[wpgcycler]

Just a little trip down memory lane complete with beds, bunting and fabric hanging off ceiling.

 

 

Haha - how bizarre!!!

[Viva_la_Vida]

I wish Liquid had been going when my husband and I were honeymooning on the reflection! None of the shows seemed interesting to us.

 

I've said it before, but I'll say it again. The key is variety. I applaud X for trying new ideas, but the variety still has to be present for them to be successful.

[4cats4me]

Just a little trip down memory lane complete with beds, bunting and fabric hanging off ceiling.

 

Yuck!

 

:eek::eek::eek:

[Orator]

Have not found me person in entertainment or any Senior Officer. who likes her ideas. They all favor the Captain's Toast.

[jackdiamond]

Reflection was the main topic, but you can get an idea of what the line is aiming for from the interview with someone from the entertainment group. Personally, I was happy to see that no one mentioned "modern luxury."

 

Here's the link: http://nyti.ms/1fvfxAN

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

To maintain a semblance of verity in my reading endeavors, I refuse to read this rag.

[boogs]

We fully agree with you. Apparently loyalty is a one way street.

 

Happy Sails to You

 

OOOEEE :D:D Bob and Phyl

 

I agree 100%. Customers want to be treated special, with "loyalty" rewards just for coming back to a product they supposedly enjoy. Then, when something changes slightly, will leave in a huff and go elsewhere. Loyalty apparently only runs in favor of the passenger, never towards the company.

[NLH Arizona]

I too attended Liquid on the 2/22 sailing of Reflection and while not perfect (I believe they had only done it once before) I thought it held a lot of promise. The Solarium was visually stunning and they overall production values were quite good.

Never got to see the cirque fiasco but do you think they were ahead of their time? One of NCL's top attractions is a cirque style dinner show. Zumanity a sexy cirque show has been running in Vegas for years now.

I would like to see them join forces with America's Got Talent. They could really rotate lots of specialty acts and keep things fresh.

I've been to quite a few Cirque du Soleil shows in Las Vegas (O, The Beatles, KA and Zumanity) and they were all fantastic. I would love to see some of these really good shows on Celebrity. Of course, they have to do them right.

 

I think the problem is that some folks just don't get Cirque du Soleil.

[NLH Arizona]

I agree 100%. Customers want to be treated special, with "loyalty" rewards just for coming back to a product they supposedly enjoy. Then, when something changes slightly, will leave in a huff and go elsewhere. Loyalty apparently only runs in favor of the passenger, never towards the company.

What I find amazing is that when a company like Celebrity changes something even though there is so much more to do and enjoy on the ships, people get their dander up and threaten to leave. So much for loyalty.