Celebrity's mistake with the new overnights

[chamima]

Here's what I think they did wrong -- regarding the new overnights in the Caribbean.

 

It's probably a great idea, innovative, sure to be popular.

 

BUT they should have waited until the next set of itineraries were released. By changing the existing printed itineraries they will please some customers but greatly displease others.

 

For instance, I've been trying to help plan a cruise for friends who really want to visit Bonaire. Based on all published itineraries, we had narrowed down the choices. Now Bonaire is gone. A lot of time, trouble, and planning all wasted.

 

If they had just waited until the next set of deployments, most of the drama and trauma would be reduced.

 

It's "damned if they do, damned if they don't". If they change them now, some people will be annoyed that they altered the upcoming itineraries to do overnights. If they waited to change them the following season, then there will be some who will be annoyed that they didn't make the new overnight stops available when they cruised that itinerary the season before. And then there will be a few who will be annoyed, no matter what, because they just like to complain.

 

No matter what the cruise line does - or doesn't do - there will always be some who will not like it. :rolleyes:

 

I totally agree with Cruisestitch.

We have the Eclipse booked for 2016 and 2017.

I was disappointed to hear about the changes for 2017 but figured I have a long time to find something else.

Plans (and reservations) have been made for 2016 and we (and everyone else on our Roll Call) are pretty upset. :mad:

 

 

And SantaFeFan - sorry but I think you're really wrong on this .

The people who might be "annoyed that they didn't make the new overnight stops available when they cruised that itinerary the season before" might be enticed to book that cruise for the next year when they COULD experience those changes.

 

 

And, as I said on the other thread about these changes, if someone is upset about these changes please call the Captain's Club or email Celebrity (or BOTH) and let them know of your disappointment rather than just complaining on CC.

[Ma Bell]

Personally, I can't imagine that most people would be that interested in spending an overnight in the Caribbean. It seems to me that most people will be back on board and there may be a lot less for them to do because many of the on board services, shops and the casino would be closed. Other areas of the world...great.

Edited May 24, 2015 by Ma Bell

[wendychloecruiser]

I wonder how all these changes affect port charges? Are adjustments required to bookings?

[TLCOhio]

It's "damned if they do, damned if they don't". If they change them now, some people will be annoyed that they altered the upcoming itineraries to do overnights. If they waited to change them the following season, then there will be some who will be annoyed that they didn't make the new overnight stops available when they cruised that itinerary the season before. And then there will be a few who will be annoyed, no matter what, because they just like to complain. No matter what the cruise line does - or doesn't do - there will always be some who will not like it. :rolleyes:

 

The people that booked the current Caribbean cruises did so with full knowledge of the itineraries. Now that Dominica and Bonaire have been dropped from these itineraries they are pissed. There is no 'damned if they don't' as we knew what we were paying for and now it's something different. Anyone who wants the overnights were welcome to book when the new itineraries were published. :rolleyes:

 

Lots of good and varied questions, comments, etc., including these two above. Earlier this year, we visited BOTH Dominica and Bonaire. Enjoyed both of these, each for different reasons. Really loved Dominica!! There are legitimate question for when does a cruise line make "adjustments". Some like change. Some do not.

 

Fortunately, there are a number of cruise lines and varied ship/schedules. If, however, you feel that you are "locked in" with just Celebrity, then your flexibility might not be as allowing to shift around to another cruise line.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 199,372 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[true45]

I agree with cruisestitch that what the 'upset/angry' group are upset and angry about is not about overnights or missing this or that island. It is about publishing an itinerary and then swapping for a reason that is not based on safety/unsuitability.

 

 

 

For example, I have booked a Singapore to Abu Dhabi cruise 2017. All ports of call are important to me. I chose Celebrity because I love the brand. If nearer the time Sri Lanka was removed and an overnight in Goa was to replace it because Sri Lanka posed a genuine concern then I would not mind. If it was replaced simply to introduce the concept of overnight I would be very upset.

 

 

 

For many Europeans 'to visit as many islands as possible' during a Caribbean cruise may have driven their choice of itinerary and cruise company.

 

 

 

I am all for new itineraries, I have no issue with overnights unless moored in a container port. I just don't think changes should be made after release unless there is a very good reason.

 

 

You got it

Why mess with an itinerary that so many have already booked some particularly for the choice of islands?

Why not change for the future?

 

Have a jan 2016 eclipse booked

Not going off the deep end but not happy about it either

 

And I got no info from Celebrity

Found out last night in the roll call

Not a nice way to do business even if it is in the contract that changes can be made

[true45]

And yes

Overnight in amalfi venice etc wonderful

But sitting still 2 days one night in Carib no thrill

I love sailing not sitting at the dock

Edited May 24, 2015 by true45

[dkjretired]

Personally, I can't imagine that most people would be that interested in spending an overnight in the Caribbean. It seems to me that most people will be back on board and there may be a lot less for them to do because many of the on board services, shops and the casino would be closed. Other areas of the world...great.

 

Hi Ma:

 

Interesting you mention that, I don't know if any of the overnights are on St. Thomas but about ten years ago I remember reading an article that they somehow had authorized cruise ships to have casino's open while in port in St. Thomas . I'll see if I can find a reference. Apparently they never instituted this though.

[jagoffee]

Here's what I think they did wrong -- regarding the new overnights in the Caribbean.

 

It's probably a great idea, innovative, sure to be popular.

 

BUT they should have waited until the next set of itineraries were released. By changing the existing printed itineraries they will please some customers but greatly displease others.

 

For instance, I've been trying to help plan a cruise for friends who really want to visit Bonaire. Based on all published itineraries, we had narrowed down the choices. Now Bonaire is gone. A lot of time, trouble, and planning all wasted.

 

If they had just waited until the next set of deployments, most of the drama and trauma would be reduced.

 

The Jan 22, 2017 Eclipse cruise as an overnight and still includes Bonaire. (First stop) I also wonder if Celebrity is going to include some excursions to Bonaire from Curaçao?

[sloopsailor]

And yes

Overnight in amalfi venice etc wonderful

But sitting still 2 days one night in Carib no thrill

I love sailing not sitting at the dock

 

If you are "sitting still for 2 days and one night", that is entirely your fault. There are always multiple tours to take in any Caribbean port, so just take a couple, one on each day. As for that "dreaded" night in port, force yourself out of your routine and go ashore, enjoy the local cuisine with dinner in a local restaurant (gasp! do you mean buying dinner ashore when I have already paid for a meal on the ship? How utterly outrageous!!!), try a few bars or local night life. It is all up to you to enjoy yourself. Try doing something differently once in a while.

 

My wife and I have stayed overnight in several ports, and we have even stayed in a local hotel for that night if the drive to and from the ship was long. There are few better ways to get to know an area than to stay overnight and experience the night life and experience what it is like first thing in the morning as the area wakes up.

Edited May 24, 2015 by sloopsailor

[Baron Barracuda]

Eclipse sails two 14 day itineraries in the Caribbean. The only difference was that one stopped at Grenada and the other substituted Bonaire. We sailed the Grenada version last year and loved it, so booked the one with Bonaire for 2016. Now both stops are gone thanks to the overnights. While I'm not devastated I would have liked to see Bonaire. I don't really want the overnight, but will keep my reservation and try to make the best of it as there are still six other islands to enjoy and I don't want to give up all my 123 perks.

 

Having said that, what bothers me is the heavy-handedness of this. X could have tested the overnight concept on a couple of 2016 sailings, added a few more in 2017 and then rolled it out in full for 2018. That would have affected fewer existing bookings and allowed X to measure customer response. If sailings with overnights booked faster, great. If not, kill the idea and move on to the next great thing. Instead they elect to manage by decree and take away one port of call from every 10+ day Caribbean sailing. Doesn't show much customer sensitivity.

[janewe]

It's all about the money. Celebrity will save on Pilot fees, Port charges and oil /gas. In addition, they will get more revenue from excursions in Curacao than in Bonaire. I still have not received an email on the changes, read about it on a roll call. Changing the goal posts this late in the game, while they can legally do it, is not appreciated. It would appear, other than the usual Celebrity boosters, that I am not alone in my opinion.

[true45]

If you are "sitting still for 2 days and one night", that is entirely your fault. There are always multiple tours to take in any Caribbean port, so just take a couple, one on each day. As for that "dreaded" night in port, force yourself out of your routine and go ashore, enjoy the local cuisine with dinner in a local restaurant (gasp! do you mean buying dinner ashore when I have already paid for a meal on the ship? How utterly outrageous!!!), try a few bars or local night life. It is all up to you to enjoy yourself. Try doing something differently once in a while.

 

My wife and I have stayed overnight in several ports, and we have even stayed in a local hotel for that night if the drive to and from the ship was long. There are few better ways to get to know an area than to stay overnight and experience the night life and experience what it is like first thing in the morning as the area wakes up.

 

 

Whatever floats your boat

 

I've been to the port before and we enjoy the sailing part more and discovering a new port

[Hlitner]

Those who cruise in Europe and Asia (and even South America) are used to overnights which are a very popular item on these cruises. In fact, we have had a double overnight (in Istanbul) on one cruise. Overnights have been thought of (by many cruisers) as a win-win. The cruiser gets the benefit of a possible evening ashore without any concern of getting back to the ship. The cruise staff also loves overnights because many of the crew can get significant time off (which does not happen on most cruises). The cruise line often saves on fuel since an overnight often means eliminating another port (and additional cruising miles). Having spent vacation time on several Caribbean islands we can see rationale for overnights in only a few places such as Aruba and St Maarten. In Europe and Asia there are numerous ports well suited for overnights such as Lisbon, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Bordeaux (only small ships can get to this port), etc.

 

Hank

[C 2 C]

While I'm not devastated I would have liked to see Bonaire. I don't really want the overnight, but will keep my reservation and try to make the best of it as there are still six other islands to enjoy and I don't want to give up all my 123 perks.

 

Having said that, what bothers me is the heavy-handedness of this. X could have tested the overnight concept on a couple of 2016 sailings, added a few more in 2017 and then rolled it out in full for 2018. That would have affected fewer existing bookings and allowed X to measure customer response. If sailings with overnights booked faster, great. If not, kill the idea and move on to the next great thing. Instead they elect to manage by decree and take away one port of call from every 10+ day Caribbean sailing. Doesn't show much customer sensitivity.

 

I agree totally with your post.

 

It is amazing to me how outspoken and critical posters are who have not been affected by this change. For all those who think that this is such a wonderful concept, how many are committing to these cruises now that there is an overnight? And telling us to book a flight directly if we wanted to visit a specific island....you have it all wrong. We cruise because one gets to visit different islands... let those people who want the overnight book the extended island visit.

 

From Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonaire

Bonaire has been widely recognized for many years in the diving community as one of the world's best shore diving destinations.[30] Bonaire's Marine Park offers a total of 86 named dive sites, and is home to over 57 species of soft and stony coral and more than 350 recorded fish species.[31] Most resorts and hotels have an on-site dive shop, and other accommodations are affiliated with a dive operation.The license plates carry the logo Divers Paradise (in English).

 

Instead of visiting an unique port we are told to go enjoy a meal and visit the bars at night... that might be your style and you are not booked.

I want to visit all the places my uncle wrote about.. (look up Frater Arnoldo, Bonaire. or Aruba or Curacao)

We have been booked on Eclipse to visit the ABC islands for nearly a year and both sailings: Jan 10 and Feb 7th have had the port cancelled. There is no other visit to Bonaire by Celebrity. At least they could have allowed passengers to opt for one or the other by changing only one of the sailings.

 

Celebrity has been selling the 2016 Caribbean winter season since fall 2014, and ships have been booking well, Ritzenthaler said. Now booked guests will get the bonus of an overnight stay. “This will be a really wonderful gift for these folks,” she said. “We think it will be a differentiator.”

So if they are selling so well, why did you change the itinerary?? :(

[RDC1]

While cruise lines make changes to existing itineraries they tend to be for weather, maintenance, ship charter and safety reasons. Most of which represent issues outside of the control of the cruise line (not charters of course but the others). I do not recall seeing a cruiseline make this many changes at one time on already announced and sold cruises. Usually changes of this kind (new itineraries) are made prior to initial postings of the cruise itineraries, not as changes to cruises with existing booking.

 

Does anyone recall seeing any other line making a number of changes like this for cruises that already have bookings.

[crazee4cruzin]

Our 14 day changed for 2017. Like the new itinerary but would rather keep Antigua and lose St. Kitts. Overnight in Aruba :) longer stay in Barbados! Looks great to me!

[SantaFeFan]

I've been to the port before and we enjoy the sailing part more and discovering a new port

 

I can understand that. We have never duplicated an itinerary because there are so many places on earth to visit, and only so much time to do it in. But I have to wonder - if you aren't interested in the ports, then why do the same itinerary again?

[cruisestitch]

At some point, the ship becomes the primary destination, but the novelty of a new port is also important.

[hcat]

We'll keep what we have booked b/c of reasons mentioned by others...hope no more surprises or cruises kept in limbo like the early and mid Oct 2016, on Infinity. Due to ongoing uncertainty, we switched to a later date to make sure we get to Bonaire.

 

Have started looking at Azamara...not sure if we can swing the fares for a stateroom comparable to AQ on X, but we see some nice itins to smaller ports....ie not stuck in a drinking port for a day and a half.....

 

I assume Elite Plus no longer carries over.....?????

[Cruizen Susan]

Here's what I think they did wrong -- regarding the new overnights in the Caribbean.

 

It's probably a great idea, innovative, sure to be popular.

 

BUT they should have waited until the next set of itineraries were released. By changing the existing printed itineraries they will please some customers but greatly displease others.

 

For instance, I've been trying to help plan a cruise for friends who really want to visit Bonaire. Based on all published itineraries, we had narrowed down the choices. Now Bonaire is gone. A lot of time, trouble, and planning all wasted.

 

If they had just waited until the next set of deployments, most of the drama and trauma would be reduced.

 

I agree. We have the Equinox booked for March 2016 which included Dominica. I was only there once and took a rain forest tour. It was MAGICAL, with the botanical gardens and waterfalls and amazing energy..... On the other hand, I love St Martin, but I've been there so many times. I would have rather gone to Dominica than an overnight in St. Martin. Oh well, can't please all the people all the time. At least I'll be in the Caribbean in the winter :)

[true45]

I can understand that. We have never duplicated an itinerary because there are so many places on earth to visit, and only so much time to do it in. But I have to wonder - if you aren't interested in the ports, then why do the same itinerary again?

 

 

I am interested in ports

But as cruise stitch said the ship and sailing is the primary destination

 

I never did this itinerary before and have never done 14 nights

 

Some ports are reruns, some not

I was looking forward to seeing new places also

[riredsox]

I love that we are overnighting in St Maarten! I honestly don't know what Island we are missing. It is March 20017 on the Equinox...

[tnfcruise]

Our 14 day changed for 2017. Like the new itinerary but would rather keep Antigua and lose St. Kitts. Overnight in Aruba :) longer stay in Barbados! Looks great to me!

 

 

That's how our 2017 Eclipse is changing, too. What I'm pleased about is the fact that, because we're overnighting in Aruba, the sea day that originally came between Aruba and Barbados (Saturday) has been pushed ahead one day (Sunday). So, our Barbados day is now Monday, not Sunday when so much is closed.

In our case it's working out fine, but I certainly understand how many are upset with their changes...I would have been really disappointed if Bonaire had been the eliminated island stop.

Edited May 25, 2015 by tnfcruise

[shipshape sam]

We are actually happy with the itinerary change on the Equinox cruise we have booked. Overnight stops are good for us.

Dont really understand how others can get so worked up , but each to their own I guess.

And if you havnt booked yet I really think having a go at Celebrity for telling you of changes BEFORE you book should not be a criticism!

 

Perhaps they should do a 'Mystery Cruise' where all you know is your start port and date along with the final port and date. All other stops can be a surprise...yeah that would be fun

 

Mystery cruise might be interesting. I think they would have to do some onboard fun/entertainment that would tie into the ports/theme of cruise. Also, do some things in port, but I would consider it.

[swigso]

We'l...

 

I assume Elite Plus no longer carries over.....?????[/

 

Yes your status transfers over here is a link

https://www.azamaraclubcruises.com/en-gb/le-club-voyage/terms-conditions