Do celebrity cruisers complain more?

[Oville]

I was just saying last night to my husband (we are Elite members) that a first time cruiser would have no way of knowing they should feel slighted by the fact that Michael's is now a club for Elite Plus and above members or being offended by a portion of the MDR being carved into Suite Dining.

Unless they read about Celebrity on these boards!!

 

Michael's club is for higher priced suites guests and Zenith members.

[maxsales]

Just to clarify - I think 2 very different trains of thought have developed on this thread.

 

1) There is a problem with a lot of people complaining about things on the Celebrity boards

 

2) The problem is the (and I'm quoting from previous posts) nastiness, pettiness, viciousness, snarkiness and meanness of the people toward each other on the Celebrity boards.

 

I, for one, have absolutely no problem with the people complaining about things. It just doesn't affect me. I can read it and take it or leave it.

My problem is when people attack each other.

Just speaking for myself but I think the two issues are separate.

 

(And in fairness to the OP - he was referring to #1 above when he started this thread.)

 

Thank you Karen. My initial post was mainly concerned with my perception of an increased volume of complaints relative to the other two lines I mentioned.

 

However, to me what I have also noticed is individuals attacks on any rebuttal. In addition many complaints seem to be way over blown. We used to refer to that as majoring in minors.

 

I get it that travelers expectations are high when they book a cruise. However posting that your entire cruise was a disaster because someone double charged you for a glass of wine once on a seven day cruise is, IMHO, over the top.

[maxsales]

You are a wise person. A million passengers in bed on Celebrity each year!

Is that number for 7 ships? Or 8 counting Century?

 

I was about to post asking this question and saw your post, I hope it isn't a hijack but:

I read you attended a Celebrity meeting in Texas.

How was it that you attended the meeting?

I'd like to attend a Celebrity meeting if one is held in Virginia.

 

Thanks,

Penny

 

Celebrity has eleven ships counting the Century :)

[maxsales]

I find it telling that you also started a thread criticizing Celebrity's choice for identifying frequent cruisers. Did you do the same for Princess Loyalty program that also uses the term Elite?

 

 

 

You complain about Celebrity followers for complaining, post a complaint about Celebrity loyalty terminology but don't post a complaint on the Princess board for using the term Elite in their program. Seems a bit inconsistent. I think, that for consistency, you should up the Princess complaint level by posting a similar Elitist terminology post.

 

I didn't complain about the loyalty program name per say , I stated that I personally didn't like it and simply wondered how others felt most felt the names were fine and I can live with that. To me being identified as Elite is off putting. That's my right.

 

I do not believe I am obligated to post anything on the Princess thread. I willingly state that Celebrity is my personal favorite. I sail them much more then the other two lines that I mentioned

 

However I do monitor their thread and observed ,what I perceive to be, a noticeably higher number of complaints on the celebrity thread.

 

Your post makes it sound like some conspiracy theory. Not the case at all just one cruisers observation. You can disagree with my premise all you want, but please do not insinuate ulterior motives.

 

You seem to be following all my posts. Should I be flattered that you find them interesting or concerned that you are stalking me.

Edited April 22, 2014 by maxsales

[wallie5446]

Celebrity has eleven ships counting the Century :)

 

Nice catch :);)

[Germancruiser]

It is not the X cruisers in general that complain- it ís just that we all are more and more used to new , glitzing , sparkling, spanking new ships every year- one can easy loose count on the new ships they bring out every year! So if we sail a ship that is nearing it´s 10, 12, or 15 year and we see that it is not sparkling anymoe, not smelling of fresh paint anymore- we consider it ( some of us at least) run down, beaten, negleted and so on!

The ships we looked at in awe 10 years ago, now count to the smaller ships! ( 70 000 tons are " little " ships nowadays- when they debuted they were considered " Megaliners " )

And of course, the more people cruise the more complainer´s! The most complained about issue´s are the " Cuts " the cruise lines has to make because, in order to fill up their ships they sometimes sell cruises for the price of an apple and egg. Of course they have to push their customers a bit more to spend on board, of course they try to cut costs....! We all would in their shoes!

Cruising has become more and more " common " ( which is generel is a good thing) and no longer is an exotic, special way of travel. Not so for me , beeing on board a big ship, watching the sea go by, hear the sound of the ocean is and will be always something " special " ! ! IMO the cruise lines

( esp. Royal Carribbean) have gone a bit " overboard " to bring in all this stuff, such as ice ring, flow rider and thoe awfull slides ( well thats more Costa and Carnival) on board!

Michael

Edited April 23, 2014 by Germancruiser

[fleckle]

So one may claim that Celebrity passengers complain more,

or one may claim that Celebrity passengers are more discriminating cruisers. ;)

[TheMediaman]

Oh the problems of the first world. I do agree there should be value for our vacation dollar.

 

More experience has the advantage of knowing more precisely what you want but the disadvantage of desensitization; what was "wow" is now "been there done that".

[maxsales]

It is not the X cruisers in general that complain- it ís just that we all are more and more used to new , glitzing , sparkling, spanking new ships every year- one can easy loose count on the new ships they bring out every year! So if we sail a ship that is nearing it´s 10, 12, or 15 year and we see that it is not sparkling anymoe, not smelling of fresh paint anymore- we consider it ( some of us at least) run down, beaten, negleted and so on!

The ships we looked at in awe 10 years ago, now count to the smaller ships! ( 70 000 tons are " little " ships nowadays- when they debuted they were considered " Megaliners " )

And of course, the more people cruise the more complainer´s! The most complained about issue´s are the " Cuts " the cruise lines has to make because, in order to fill up their ships they sometimes sell cruises for the price of an apple and egg. Of course they have to push their customers a bit more to spend on board, of course they try to cut costs....! We all would in their shoes!

Cruising has become more and more " common " ( which is generel is a good thing) and no longer is an exotic, special way of travel. Not so for me , beeing on board a big ship, watching the sea go by, hear the sound of the ocean is and will be always something " special " ! ! IMO the cruise lines

( esp. Royal Carribbean) have gone a bit " overboard " to bring in all this stuff, such as ice ring, flow rider and thoe awfull slides ( well thats more Costa and Carnival) on board!

Michael

 

 

I think this can be summed up as the WOW factor. Royal is try for that all the time with the bells and shuttles they keep adding to their ships. This is what some cruisers are after I am sure.

 

Celebrity doesn't need to do that to keep me coming back. I sail them for the relaxed sophistication, good food and service and the itineraries. :)

[SeagoingMom]

in over 10 years of posting on a roll call, then meeting others on ship, we have never experienced what goes on here, EVER.

 

Interesting! I remember on the roll call for one of our cruises (not Celebrity, BTW) because no Meet and Greet had been formally planned, one poster suggested we could at least make an informal plan to get together on board and gripe about what a lousy deal the cruise line was giving us in making us sail out of this particular port! (OK, so the guy might have been trying to make a joke, but I don't think so...)

 

I thought when I read that, "Yeah, those are really the kind of people I want to get together to have a drink with!" NOT!!

 

But surely you have heard griping and complaining on board, and negative comparisons with other ships or lines, have you not? We have! On the first night of one cruise (again, not Celebrity) we sat a dinner with someone who had nothing good to say about our ship, because it did not match up to his experience on another cruiseline (also not Celebrity). He was already negative toward the cruise, on the first evening!!!

 

Granted, this was not in a Meet and Greet or Roll Call setting...

[maxsales]

Interesting! I remember on the roll call for one of our cruises (not Celebrity, BTW) because no Meet and Greet had been formally planned, one poster suggested we could at least make an informal plan to get together on board and gripe about what a lousy deal the cruise line was giving us in making us sail out of this particular port! (OK, so the guy might have been trying to make a joke, but I don't think so...)

 

I thought when I read that, "Yeah, those are really the kind of people I want to get together to have a drink with!" NOT!!

 

But surely you have heard griping and complaining on board, and negative comparisons with other ships or lines, have you not? We have! On the first night of one cruise (again, not Celebrity) we sat a dinner with someone who had nothing good to say about our ship, because it did not match up to his experience on another cruiseline (also not Celebrity). He was already negative toward the cruise, on the first evening!!!

 

Granted, this was not in a Meet and Greet or Roll Call setting...

 

 

We did have a very interesting time on one of our Solstice sailings. Our table mates, a very nice couple also from Florida, kept us laughing the entire week with their tales of woe from a Christmas sailing on MSC!

 

They convinced us that we would not be putting MSC on our bucket list.

[wallie5446]

 

Celebrity doesn't need to do that to keep me coming back. I sail them for the relaxed sophistication, good food and service and the itineraries. :)

 

Which is basically what I was asking last year with this poll;

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1845752

[Cruising89143]

I basically monitor three threads, celebrity, Princess and royal Caribbean. In my entirely unscientific opinion people posting on the celebrity thread complain far more then on the other two. My imagination or do others notice this as well?

 

I admit that celebrity is our cruise line of choice, we have completed 17 cruises with them. Our most recent cruise on Equinox In February was as good or better then any before it. I don't see the cut backs and dismissed service that others are constantly posting about

 

I have read many, many " on day seventeen of our thirty day circumnavigation cruise the cabin steward failed to fill our ice bucket! This ruined the entire cruise for us and we won't sail celebrity again!" Type complaints which to me are making major mountains out of tiny molehills.

 

Does anyone else notice this trend? Or am I still wearing rose colored glasses when it comes to Celebrity?

 

Wouldn't say that this board has a large numbers of negative Nellies. It's basically the same group that moan and groan over and over. Of course most of that same group does this while searching out their next X cruise so I guess it all can't be bad.;) I think for some it would not be a normal day without some moaning and groaning about how bad life is aboard Celebrity.:) What a horrible life some have!!!!!

Edited April 24, 2014 by cruisingator2

[NLH Arizona]

Wouldn't say that this board has a large numbers of negative Nellies. It's basically the same group that moan and groan over and over. Of course most of that same group does this while searching out their next X cruise so I guess it all can't be bad.;) I think for some it would not be a normal day without some moaning and groaning about how bad life is aboard Celebrity.:) What a horrible life some have!!!!!

You would think, since they don't seem to like much of what Celebrity does, that they would go somewhere else for their cruising experience, but they stay and just complain and complain and complain. And yes, what a horrible life some must have. Instead of enjoying life and enjoying being able to cruise, they look for everything to complain about. I'm just glad that my glass is always 1/2 full!!!

[ISABELLA]

Here is my 2 cents. I just came back from 2 weeks on Eclipse - had wonderful cruise as most of our Celebrity cruises - over 20 of them..

I did noticed some changes - no good cheese selection in the Ocean View, like before, but good variety of dry fruit. Food was good and tasty everywhere, except Aqua Spa café - hit or miss. Everybody were friendly. I didn't even got an ice bucket in the cabin till I asked for it. After that I had it every day filled with ice.

Would I complain about it? No. Most of these changes are not important. Still had a good time.

I have not sailed with Princess in 3 years and RCl in 4 years - wonder how they have changed??? Some how Celebrity is keeping me sailing with them.

Unless something drastic have happened, I have no plans to sail with anybody else. Next is Equinox for Thanksgiving and Silhouette for TA in 2015.

[LetsGetWet!]

I didn't complain about the loyalty program name per say , I stated that I personally didn't like it and simply wondered how others felt most felt the names were fine and I can live with that. To me being identified as Elite is off putting. That's my right.

 

I do not believe I am obligated to post anything on the Princess thread. I willingly state that Celebrity is my personal favorite. I sail them much more then the other two lines that I mentioned

 

However I do monitor their thread and observed ,what I perceive to be, a noticeably higher number of complaints on the celebrity thread.

 

Your post makes it sound like some conspiracy theory. Not the case at all just one cruisers observation. You can disagree with my premise all you want, but please do not insinuate ulterior motives.

 

You seem to be following all my posts. Should I be flattered that you find them interesting or concerned that you are stalking me.

*shrug* of course you're not obligated to post anything on the Princess thread. But you stated that you visit all three forums, and find the negativity greater here. Given that, I'd say its a valid observation that you seem to contribute to the negativity here, but not on the other two.

[petersonwith3]

As a long time cruiser I was looking for a spring 2014 cruise for a group of 19 people (most without cruise experience. I picked the Summit out of San Juan only due to itinerary (oh, yeah, the drink promo helped too!) Once I picked Celebrity I started to read this board feverishly.

 

I didn't seem to worry about the complainers because it was easy to just look past what bothers some and only consider that which may be important to me. For example, if someone flips out about ice that is OK with me as I don't need ice in my cabin. That said, what I noticed on these boards are the bullies. Typically about topics that are rediculous to debate like formal wear in the MDR.

 

I asked a few questions about details specific to Celebrity or suite service on the Summit and you would have thought that I was requesting a change to the consitiution. People were downright rude and obnoxious.

 

Finally, we took the trip, had the time of our lives and I posted a review which I thought was pretty balanced, but skewed to being highly complimentary becuase we all agreed that it was a trip of a lifetime. Not soon after I pressed enter on the review someone commented on the thread that I was "demanding" and that I shouldn't complain about service. I had complained about the speed in the MDR and ONE bartender. The others I complimented by name, profusely.

 

I just wonder why people feel compelled, especially in a review thread, to make comments about the author. It is beyond me and makes me wonder why I even took the time to give MY opinion.

[SeagoingMom]

On the first night of one cruise we sat a dinner with someone who had nothing good to say about our ship, because it did not match up to his experience on another cruise line. He was already negative toward the cruise, on the first evening!!!

 

 

We did have a very interesting time on one of our Solstice sailings. Our table mates, a very nice couple also from Florida, kept us laughing the entire week with their tales of woe from a Christmas sailing on MSC!

 

They convinced us that we would not be putting MSC on our bucket list.

It is one thing to listen to someone tell humorous stories about their experiences on another ship (unless that ship is one of your favorites!) but to hear griping and complaining about the ship you will be sailing on for the next ten days isn't so amusing, especially when the gripers had been on board for less than 4 hours! I felt the superior attitude of our table mates was in poor taste. But then, I feel griping and complaining are in poor taste in most circumstances.

[chamima]

Just to clarify - I think 2 very different trains of thought have developed on this thread.

 

1) There is a problem with a lot of people complaining about things on the Celebrity boards

 

2) The problem is the (and I'm quoting from previous posts) nastiness, pettiness, viciousness, snarkiness and meanness of the people toward each other on the Celebrity boards.

 

I, for one, have absolutely no problem with the people complaining about things. It just doesn't affect me. I can read it and take it or leave it.

My problem is when people attack each other.

Just speaking for myself but I think the two issues are separate.

 

(And in fairness to the OP - he was referring to #1 above when he started this thread.)

 

As a long time cruiser I was looking for a spring 2014 cruise for a group of 19 people (most without cruise experience. I picked the Summit out of San Juan only due to itinerary (oh, yeah, the drink promo helped too!) Once I picked Celebrity I started to read this board feverishly.

 

I didn't seem to worry about the complainers because it was easy to just look past what bothers some and only consider that which may be important to me. For example, if someone flips out about ice that is OK with me as I don't need ice in my cabin. That said, what I noticed on these boards are the bullies. Typically about topics that are rediculous to debate like formal wear in the MDR.

 

I asked a few questions about details specific to Celebrity or suite service on the Summit and you would have thought that I was requesting a change to the consitiution. People were downright rude and obnoxious.

 

Finally, we took the trip, had the time of our lives and I posted a review which I thought was pretty balanced, but skewed to being highly complimentary becuase we all agreed that it was a trip of a lifetime. Not soon after I pressed enter on the review someone commented on the thread that I was "demanding" and that I shouldn't complain about service. I had complained about the speed in the MDR and ONE bartender. The others I complimented by name, profusely.

 

I just wonder why people feel compelled, especially in a review thread, to make comments about the author. It is beyond me and makes me wonder why I even took the time to give MY opinion.

 

I agree with you.

And I only see it on the Celebrity board.

[Andy]

Hi Everyone,

 

As this is not directly Celebrity related, and primarily a discussion about our valued members, this thread is now closed. Thanks for your understanding.

Edited April 24, 2014 by Host Andy