Done with Celebrity - Back to Royal

[polymedia]

Just got off Celebrity Millennium Alaska cruise from Seward to Vancouver. This is my second Celeb experience and probably my last, as I gladly look forward to my next 5 sailings on RCL.

 

Why? No one big thing actually - just a lot of small things, like:

 

* impossible to sign on to meet and greet A call to the Captain's Club registered me after about 10 tries online, although the whole process was frustrating for something that goes so easily with Royal.

 

* failing to register my credit card during embarkation, so I had to wonder what was going on after my first couple of drink purchases were declined.

 

* a poor MDR experience. Food was OK (not as good as the first time on Millie) but below my expectations. That wasn't the bad part though. Apparently I was in sort of MDR limbo, not assigned to a sitting time (I had asked for 8:30), yet not on My Time Dining either. As a result, I was either seated by myself (sailing solo), or at a different table every night. I like seeing the same people over dinner every night and comparing notes, but that was out the window.

* no credit for next cruise purchase. While on board I booked an expensive 10 day RCL cruise and got squat for it. No OBC, no discount that my TA couldn't get - zero. No incentive here, and maybe they have a point that it's not the same cruise line (same company though), but it still left me with a bad taste.

 

* way poor Internet. This was the second week out of drydock and they had just installed the Celeb equivalent of VOOM, but you could have fooled me. Sloooow, like in the old 56k modem days.

 

* entertainment not as good as Royal. Just not on the same level, IMO. Celeb seems to be cheaping out here.

* I just realized it now, but I didn't get a final statement. My fault for not following up, but this has never happened before.

 

* Cocktail hour not as fun as Royal. It's only for a couple of hours to begin with (5 to 7P). The officers attend most nights, which is nice, but it just doesn't have the flair of the Diamond Lounge. Plus, the attendants seemed to change every time. About half-way through the last evening, I wanted to leave a tip but they all disappeared. It was a nice way of saying "the party's over" even though there was an hour left, but it cost someone a nice tip.

 

On the plus side, the officers are much more visible than Royal, for the most part everyone has a great attitude, and the ship looked great despite being older.

 

Still, after a few days I was wishing that I had taken one of the RCL Alaska cruises instead. I'll not make that mistake again.

[Langley Cruisers]

OK, well no one line suits everyone, so welcome back. I, for one, cannot wait to sail X again. :D

[Wilson]

#LoyalToRoyal ;)

[Meriflower]

Saw your ship in port in Skagway last week. I was on the Explorer of the Seas which was docked right next to the Millie. Feel glad that you were not on my ship. Had a week of long lines, mediocre food, a bed that was hard as a rock. We're done with Royal...at least for now.

[atnolan94]

Its amazing how different the experience can be on Royal. Seems that each ship is managed very differently and it shows. I also am not picky, I just love being on the ship. Don't care as much about service/entertainment/food quality. I just love Royals ships and thats why I come back.

 

That being said, I've always had an excellent experience all around on Royal.

[champagne123]

Sorry you had a bad experience. We have only been on one X cruise, but we absolutely loved every second of it. I honestly don't think there is any one "perfect" cruise line. If there was....everyone would be on it. :eek:

[GUT2407]

That's why companies have a variety of lines.

[Aussieflyer]

Sorry to hear you had problems with your X cruise. A culmination of a lot of small things can tip the balance IMO.

Funny, I prefer X over RCI most times. Like you there are a lot of little things that add up. I wouldn't say that I have had a bad time on any cruise, just find that X is more suited to what I am after. Of RCI I like Radiance and have no great desire to try any of the big ones. Mariner seemed darker and more closed in than what I like so probably wouldn't do a Voyager class again either.

Enjoy your cruising back at RCI.

[sammee]

I really think that's it's more of a bad cruise, not company specific. I was on Carnival Liberty, and seemed to have the training team in the MDR. I had one guy that kept saying "I do my job" after he'd screw up.

 

Now on RCL Grandeur just a couple weeks ago May 7th sailing. Formal Night, all set for some great food, they passed around the menus. It was a normal menu, no lobster, no prime rib, just the shrimp ravioli and I don't remember what the other choices were. 2 nights later after leaving Bermuda, we sit down for dinner, and the lobster menu is passed around. No explanations, that's just what happened. I didn't question the matter, but something was defininitely unorganized.But I still enjoyed the cruise, just found that strange.

 

I will use either line again or maybe another if the price is right.

[champagne123]

I really think that's it's more of a bad cruise, not company specific. I was on Carnival Liberty, and seemed to have the training team in the MDR. I had one guy that kept saying "I do my job" after he'd screw up.

 

Now on RCL Grandeur just a couple weeks ago May 7th sailing. Formal Night, all set for some great food, they passed around the menus. It was a normal menu, no lobster, no prime rib, just the shrimp ravioli and I don't remember what the other choices were. 2 nights later after leaving Bermuda, we sit down for dinner, and the lobster menu is passed around. No explanations, that's just what happened. I didn't question the matter, but something was defininitely unorganized.But I still enjoyed the cruise, just found that strange.

 

I will use either line again or maybe another if the price is right.

 

They forgot to defrost the Lobster Tails...:eek::eek::eek:

[denatravels]

I've been on four Royal cruises. When I recently went on my first celebrity cruise, people said "you'll never want to sail anything else"- honestly, I didn't feel that way AT ALL! Did I have a good time? YES (despite getting sunburn first three days and seasick the last!). Surprisingly, one area that Celebrity was worse than Royal was SERVICE-- that shocked me! But I'd definitely do them again (although for Alaska, really looking forward to Princess!)

 

 

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[Tudy]

 

 

* no credit for next cruise purchase. While on board I booked an expensive 10 day RCL cruise and got squat for it. No OBC, no discount that my TA couldn't get - zero. No incentive here, and maybe they have a point that it's not the same cruise line (same company though), but it still left me with a bad taste.

 

 

 

I have booked Royal on Celebrity and Celebrity on Royal and gotten future booking credit on both. But, I went in knowing that I could get Onboard booking bonuses and had the printout of what they were. Sorry they did not do this for you. Maybe you can call crown and anchor and they can help you.

[Paulette3028]

Just got off Celebrity Millennium Alaska cruise from Seward to Vancouver. This is my second Celeb experience and probably my last, as I gladly look forward to my next 5 sailings on RCL.

 

Why? No one big thing actually - just a lot of small things, like:

 

Still, after a few days I was wishing that I had taken one of the RCL Alaska cruises instead. I'll not make that mistake again.

 

Saw your ship in port in Skagway last week. I was on the Explorer of the Seas which was docked right next to the Millie. Feel glad that you were not on my ship. Had a week of long lines, mediocre food, a bed that was hard as a rock. We're done with Royal...at least for now.

 

No experience is perfect from any particular persons perspective, regardless of which line you choose, as we can see from the above.

[Aquahound]

Just got off Celebrity Millennium Alaska cruise from Seward to Vancouver. This is my second Celeb experience and probably my last, as I gladly look forward to my next 5 sailings on RCL.

 

Your signature says you sailed Millennium twice. Were you disappointed with the first one also? :confused:

[jules815]

OK, well no one line suits everyone, so welcome back. I, for one, cannot wait to sail X again. :D

 

I'm with Langley. I've only been on one cruise with X so far, but cannot wait to sail with them again in April.

 

We'll continue to sail with RC as well, but very happy we gave Celebrity a try.

 

It's nice to have so many options. :)

[Paulette3028]

Just got off Celebrity Millennium Alaska cruise from Seward to Vancouver. This is my second Celeb experience and probably my last, as I gladly look forward to my next 5 sailings on RCL.

 

Why? No one big thing actually - just a lot of small things, like:

 

* impossible to sign on to meet and greet A call to the Captain's Club registered me after about 10 tries online, although the whole process was frustrating for something that goes so easily with Royal.

 

* failing to register my credit card during embarkation, so I had to wonder what was going on after my first couple of drink purchases were declined.

 

* a poor MDR experience. Food was OK (not as good as the first time on Millie) but below my expectations. That wasn't the bad part though. Apparently I was in sort of MDR limbo, not assigned to a sitting time (I had asked for 8:30), yet not on My Time Dining either. As a result, I was either seated by myself (sailing solo), or at a different table every night. I like seeing the same people over dinner every night and comparing notes, but that was out the window.

* no credit for next cruise purchase. While on board I booked an expensive 10 day RCL cruise and got squat for it. No OBC, no discount that my TA couldn't get - zero. No incentive here, and maybe they have a point that it's not the same cruise line (same company though), but it still left me with a bad taste.

 

* way poor Internet. This was the second week out of drydock and they had just installed the Celeb equivalent of VOOM, but you could have fooled me. Sloooow, like in the old 56k modem days.

 

* entertainment not as good as Royal. Just not on the same level, IMO. Celeb seems to be cheaping out here.

* I just realized it now, but I didn't get a final statement. My fault for not following up, but this has never happened before.

 

* Cocktail hour not as fun as Royal. It's only for a couple of hours to begin with (5 to 7P). The officers attend most nights, which is nice, but it just doesn't have the flair of the Diamond Lounge. Plus, the attendants seemed to change every time. About half-way through the last evening, I wanted to leave a tip but they all disappeared. It was a nice way of saying "the party's over" even though there was an hour left, but it cost someone a nice tip.

 

On the plus side, the officers are much more visible than Royal, for the most part everyone has a great attitude, and the ship looked great despite being older.

 

Still, after a few days I was wishing that I had taken one of the RCL Alaska cruises instead. I'll not make that mistake again.

 

My personal view of what upset you:

 

* Having difficulty signing up for Meet N Greet, if it is through Cruise Critic should be more of a CC problem than cruiseline problem, but you did get it resolved with the help of the Captain's Club.

 

* MDR seating problem is strange, but when you realized you did not have a specific table assignment on your sea pass card, you could have gone as soon as you boarded to the Maitre D' and it would have been arranged for the entire cruise, so you could have had an assigned table

 

* No OBC given for next cruise purchased -- it is helpful to know what to expect and even bring something printed from the website to show that you expect an OBC even for booking on the sister company. Crown and Anchor society probably can help with this.

 

* Poor Internet -- I believe everyone's expectation for this is different. I expect no connectivity and like the 'disconnected' feeling. It isn't ever going to be as great as you would like, especially with more and more people using it and sending videos etc from the ship.

 

* Entertainment -- friends of ours have said the entertainment is different. and we when we do get a chance to sail on Celebrity, will lower our expectations, based on what friends have said.

 

* Not receiving a final statement -- odd, but you could have made sure to get one before leaving the ship.

 

* Cocktail Hour -- well if it is shorter, it is shorter. Not sure what flair the DL has on Royal, but having the officers stop in sounds nice although I do like to connect with fellow passengers that I have met on previous nights. The way they move attendants in and out of the lounge is odd, but not a big issue, except for tipping at the end....but that is there way. I can say on Royal, the last night in the DL, isn't as magnificent as the others either -- getting closer to 'the party's over', but not nearly as distinct perhaps as your experience.

 

I would almost say that nothing (from my perspective) that I am reading is such a downer to eliminate Celebrity as a choice.....but I am the reader, not the writer, on this.

[matj2000]

His issues don't really look that bad when it is written down.

 

But it is hard to translate true frustration into words.

 

While many people are going to tell you all these issues are not that bad and "go with the flow" or " A vacation is what you make of it"...

 

I agree with the poster that many small things add up and have a real negative effect on the overall trip.

 

Once you get to a certain point of irritation, its hard to come back...

 

[blackshirt]

My personal view of what upset you:

 

* Having difficulty signing up for Meet N Greet, if it is through Cruise Critic should be more of a CC problem than cruiseline problem, but you did get it resolved with the help of the Captain's

 

Just an FYI, It was not a CC issue, it was an issue with Celebrity's web site that got fixed a couple weeks ago.

[Aquahound]

While many people are going to tell you .... " A vacation is what you make of it"...

 

I hate that saying. A cruise vacation is what they (meaning cruise line) make of it, not me.

[Paulette3028]

His issues don't really look that bad when it is written down.

 

But it is hard to translate true frustration into words.

 

While many people are going to tell you all these issues are not that bad and "go with the flow" or " A vacation is what you make of it"...

 

I agree with the poster that many small things add up and have a real negative effect on the overall trip.

 

Once you get to a certain point of irritation, its hard to come back...

 

 

I can't say what I have highlighted is true of all people....for myself, and only speaking for myself (and DH), I have learned in my life to put problems/situations in their own little box and unless they truly have an impact on something else that goes awry, let the little things get taken care of and move on.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

Note to self: If entertainment on Celebrity is worse than on Royal, avoid like the plague.

 

Though I find it hard to believe anything could be worse than "City of Dreams" on the Radiance last year. I still have traumatic nightmares from sitting through that.

[denatravels]

Note to self: If entertainment on Celebrity is worse than on Royal, avoid like the plague.

 

Though I find it hard to believe anything could be worse than "City of Dreams" on the Radiance last year. I still have traumatic nightmares from sitting through that.

 

 

I found the entertainment on Royal to vary widely by ship, so I expect it's hard to make a line-to-line comparison.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[Aquahound]

Note to self: If entertainment on Celebrity is worse than on Royal, avoid like the plague.

 

Though I find it hard to believe anything could be worse than "City of Dreams" on the Radiance last year. I still have traumatic nightmares from sitting through that.

 

I found the entertainment on Royal to vary widely by ship, so I expect it's hard to make a line-to-line comparison.

 

True (denatravels). Entertainment on Freedom Class and up is a lot much better than RCI's older ships. Same goes for Celebrity. The entertainment on Solstice Class is a lot better than Millennium Class.

 

If it's bad entertainment you want to avoid, it's HAL that needs to be treated like a plague. ;)

Edited May 29, 2016 by Aquahound

[Clarea]

... Once you get to a certain point of irritation, its hard to come back...

 

I think this is the significant part.

[Ocean Dancer]

I really think that's it's more of a bad cruise, not company specific. I was on Carnival Liberty, and seemed to have the training team in the MDR. I had one guy that kept saying "I do my job" after he'd screw up.

 

Now on RCL Grandeur just a couple weeks ago May 7th sailing. Formal Night, all set for some great food, they passed around the menus. It was a normal menu, no lobster, no prime rib, just the shrimp ravioli and I don't remember what the other choices were. 2 nights later after leaving Bermuda, we sit down for dinner, and the lobster menu is passed around. No explanations, that's just what happened. I didn't question the matter, but something was defininitely unorganized.But I still enjoyed the cruise, just found that strange.

 

I will use either line again or maybe another if the price is right.

 

When we were on Voyager a few years ago, we asked why there was no lobster on the menu for formal night. Our waiter told us that many passengers complained about dripping butter on their fine clothes so they changed lobster night to a casual night.:eek: