Celebrity Management needs to properly use public space

[ralphd]

I agree with all your points except one: I think Michael's club is quite successful in its new role as a Suite benefit. The Suite Concierge is stationed there, they have low-key music some evenings, the bartender is always there to provide a quick drink on the way into the shows, and in general it is a quiet place to escape the noise everywhere else on the ship. It's part of what makes us willing to shoulder the high fares for a suite.

 

Agree with the Michael's Club observation.

[DavietheScot]

Agree with all of the original post with one exception and that is Sushi on 5.

We like it and have used it on our last couple of cruises BUT that's because as I said we like the meals offered, and that is the problem/issue with any resturant !! it is going to have people who love it and other's who hate it simply because of there own tastes.

So on that point I think Celebrity are in a no win situation .... again a personal view point but I would hate to see them turn it into a Mexican or Burger joint.

 

But as for all the other points from original post I agree with 100% and do think the Celebrity managment should try and improve these areas as suggested.

 

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[Lady Chew]

I hate when I get sucked into reading an old thread ... but I have to say that in this case I tend to agree with the OP.

We just got off the Eclipse ... and those were still all very underused spaces.

But we have no problem with the suites having Michaels' Club to themselves ... they certainly pay enough!

[hcat]

IMHO both Bistro on 5 & Sushi on 5 have been failures. We tried Bistro on 5 on 4 different ships service was slow, food mediocre. I can't eat any seafood so Sushi on 5 isn't an option.

 

Royal has Johnny Rockets, Carnival has both Guys Burgers and a Mexican place (all for a fee) and they seem to work. I would like to see Sushi on 5 enclosed more, add some liveliness and make it a Mexican restaurant or a NY style deli.

 

We grew to love the Molecular bar and on our B2B on the Solstice in Feb/Mar it was busy every night after the 9 o'clock show. Tried the World Class bar on the TA in October-not much that appealed to us on the menu, snooty bartender and no one else there.

 

Quasar is/was another wasted space. Converting it to meeting rooms I thought was a strange idea but it has turned out to provide a space for more activities (art classes, jewelry making, etc) that can accommodate 30+ people and our TA roll call was able to use one meeting room for 3 afternoons of games and also a RC wine tasting for 30+ people.

 

Quasar was a great Club space. Well suited to the dj or live music..better than having clashing music at venues around the atrium.....

[chemmo]

I agree with all your points except one: I think Michael's club is quite successful in its new role as a Suite benefit. The Suite Concierge is stationed there, they have low-key music some evenings, the bartender is always there to provide a quick drink on the way into the shows, and in general it is a quiet place to escape the noise everywhere else on the ship. It's part of what makes us willing to shoulder the high fares for a suite.

 

Agree...

[Luvcrusn]

We didn't care for the dark stuffy atmosphere of Michaels Club before it became suite/Zenith only, and so don't miss it. We don't use World Class bar and always see it empty. Cellar Masters is another space we find dark and depressing and underused. Sushi on 5 is another place that's almost always empty, and in my opinion it would be better utilized if it were a second area for serving beverages and pastries for Café Al Bacio which is almost always crowded and without enough seating. And please don't get me started on the amount of space and programming based around the loosely termed "art gallery!" I don't ever see anyone there except the unfortunate staff members blocking the walkways while trying to drum up business with fake "raffles." I'd like to see some alternative dining venues that were not "for fee" that would be comfy, and relaxing.

[CaribbeanBound]

Good discussion. I've been on a Carnival cruise that had Guy's Burgers. It's is indeed no additional cost. Those are, hands down, the best burgers we've ever had at any venue on a ship. Couple these great, fresh burgers with their toppings bar, and wow! A winner.

[cruise kitty]

First of all, I find Henk an indispensable source of knowledge when it comes to Europe travel, & I think he's correct that many of these locations are underutilized, but that's also what make these our some of our favorite locations to spend time. Our last cruise (Solstice) we ended most evenings in Cellar Masters, usually with just 3 or 4 other couples, sometimes just us & the bartender. Great relaxing way to end the evening before going up to bed. On the Equinox the previous year it was packed every night as it was set up as the Gastro Pub. I do miss Michaels Club, as it was another small, quieter lounge to relax in the evenings, but with what people pay for suites, they totally deserve the space. On all our recent cruises, the sky lounge has been empty in the evenings, the one venue that consistently is paced across the board is the Martini Bar.

 

Love the Sushi restaurant, another place to get great service in a peaceful atmosphere.

 

As far as the shops go, I'm not a big shopper, but the clothing/bag selection tends to range from super cheap & tacky to expensive, but still tacky.

 

In my opinion, the biggest wasted space is the huge showroom :D mainly because we don't use it. Of course many people do... hence the endless threads here complaining about the lack of entertainment... when you're seeing some of the world's greatest cities & sights every day I don't get the need to be entertained at night.. isn't that when you should be discussing the amazing things you saw & did that day, & what your plans are for the next port?

 

I get that although my husband & I are probably Celebrity's target demo, that we'd be better off on Azamara, as it's designed more for people who are destination orientated rather than cruise ship orientated, but so far their high prices & my cheap skate tendencies keep me away. ;)

[buddrs]

We use to sit at the Molecular bar and listen to the bartender tell the folks who wanted a beer or wine to go away to another bar. Remember how they stacked the fruit for the drinks around the inner rim of the bar? One evening a woman walked by and snatched a strawberry out of the bowl and walked off. The bartender went ballistic. He had to replace all of the hulled and washed strawberries for health reasons. The drinks they served back then were always interesting and usually delicious.

[cruise kitty]

bleh, just realized I posted to a very old thread, sorry guys ;)

[kathynorth]

We will not call this a "rant" but more of a suggestion. The S-Class ships are gorgeous and have many decent interior venues....most of which are underutilized because of very poor Corporate Planning!

 

Hank

 

1.Sushi place on Deck 5- We used to visit Bistro on 5 at least twice each cruise for lunch. This was when it cost $5 and when it was included in the Ultimate Dining package. Once the rate when up top $10/visit we noticed a significant drop in patronage. It then changed over to Sushi on 5 with the ala carte menu, plus the UDP was dropped so the cost of this restaurant significantly increased. IMO, patronage of Sushi on 5 would increase if they dropped the ala carte requirement and established a reasonable charge, especially a low cost option (5-10) pp. They could have a menu where you choose say 4 items from the menu to make your own plate, then charge for additional items over the max.

 

2. Cellar Masters- We still like to stop in here to sample wines to bring with us to dinner. I agree that it's an under utilized space. It would be a great location for low key activities such as trivia, wine tastings, guest speakers, etc. People would be more likely to stop in at CM if they see it being more active.

 

3. World Bar!- YUP, I totally agree with you here! Last time we visited this bar the bartender needed to look up recipes and had to give it 2 tries before getting the drink right. Then I tasted the drink and guess what, it didn't taste anything like I expected. I like the idea of having a bar with high end specialty drinks, but they should be able to service my DH his screwdriver or beer if that's what he wants. Forcing people to go to a different bar to get a spouse's drink is ridiculous. We instead spend our time at the martini bar where the service is friendlier.

 

4, Michael's Club - I've only been in MC for 1 cruise (July 2017) since they stopped using this venue for Elite events. It was empty except for the officers meet and greet, and deparkation day. What a waste! I really enjoy MC and think they should figure out a way to provide a personalized experience for suite passengers, while allowing greater usage by other groups. It was so boring there we never stayed more than a handful of minutes, except for the 2 events I mentioned. Maybe they could add an event or two per cruise that includes Elites who frequent the CC events. Sort of like the CC hostess inviting passengers to the captain's table.

 

5, The Pool area- We do miss the Caribbean band for Caribbean cruises.

 

6. I'll add one- On my last Summit cruise I noticed that Celebrity had added a couple of comfy chairs with a small table in nooks and crannys, such as under the stairs, outside the kids club, etc. These were well used areas for people looking for a quiet spot outside their cabins to read or to relax. Celebrity should continue to look for strategic locations for this purpose.

 

I agree with you, Celebrity should hire a specialist to review past cruiser input and consider redesign of under utilized areas to encourage increased use of these areas.

[TeeRick]

bleh, just realized I posted to a very old thread, sorry guys ;)

 

Yes an old thread but some good points made. Perhaps some of this wasted or underutilized space on S-Class will be changed once the ships go into future Dry Docks and become Edge-cized.