Goodbye to Free Burgers and Mast Grill ???

[PoppyandNana]

I hear you Steve. Thing is, I DO still like Celebrity, but am not happy with their downward (IMO) spiral, coupled with higher fares. For much of the past 20 years, Celebrity was our go to line of choice. Now, we think of them as one of the crowd. We enjoyed our last Princess sailing every bit as much as our last few Celebrity sailings. I guess I was always a Celebrity cheerleader; not so any longer.

 

Unfortunately I feel the same way. I have 27 cruises on X and a little shy of elite plus. We sailed several times on HAL years ago. Not sure why we switched to X but have always enjoyed the service, food, the ships and everything that makes a cruise line. We are going back to HAL in July for a 14 day to Alaska. Really hate to see X fall into the same marketing nonsense the other lines are.

[rvmike]

We are also going. Have done 10+ Oceania and several GCT and other lines. The crowds are going nuts and everybody feels entitled. Have a GCT cruise in June for Croatia on a 58 Pass. boat, Oceania in Dec for a 10 day cruise. Our last Celebrity will be in Feb for the New Orleans Mardi Gras which will give us Elite, but don't plan on coming back. TOOOO many other choices. Our last was the Galapagos in April

[WpgCruise]

In my opinion blaming LLP and trying to make the changes Celebrity has implemented personal is really not in anyone's best interest. These changes are business based, not personal. The brand needs to make a specific return on the capital invested into the assets and however that goal can be achieved will determine the changes to be made. LLP and her Leadership team are not making any changes based on anything other than bottom line. There is nothing personal about their changes. Nobody sits down at the Management Table and says "So what can we do today to dump some customers" I suspect it's "What can we do today to increase the bottom line".

 

Celebrity to my mind has simply decided their best profit is in the mass market demographic, and that's where they are positioning themselves. It's purely business driven.

 

If you follow the Carnival Board you'll see that some loyal Carnival cruisers are moving to Celebrity, and the reason why is they perceive there to be a value. That tells me that Celebrity has been successful at moving the brand into the mass market, and the only real options for anyone looking for a "better" than mass market experience (Celebrity, Princess, H.A.L. Carnival) is to move to a premium or luxury line.

 

The old saying of "You Get What You Pay For" is just as true in the cruise vacation business as in any other.

[Hlitner]

In my opinion blaming LLP and trying to make the changes Celebrity has implemented personal is really not in anyone's best interest. These changes are business based, not personal. The brand needs to make a specific return on the capital invested into the assets and however that goal can be achieved will determine the changes to be made. LLP and her Leadership team are not making any changes based on anything other than bottom line. There is nothing personal about their changes. Nobody sits down at the Management Table and says "So what can we do today to dump some customers" I suspect it's "What can we do today to increase the bottom line".

 

Celebrity to my mind has simply decided their best profit is in the mass market demographic, and that's where they are positioning themselves. It's purely business driven.

 

If you follow the Carnival Board you'll see that some loyal Carnival cruisers are moving to Celebrity, and the reason why is they perceive there to be a value. That tells me that Celebrity has been successful at moving the brand into the mass market, and the only real options for anyone looking for a "better" than mass market experience (Celebrity, Princess, H.A.L. Carnival) is to move to a premium or luxury line.

 

The old saying of "You Get What You Pay For" is just as true in the cruise vacation business as in any other.

 

What you say may well be true. But as the customer in a very competitive industry, the underlying business decisions are not relevant. As the customer we are primarily interested in the actual product. If LLP chooses to downgrade Celebrity to a line closer to the RCI model, then we will abandon Celebrity just like we abandoned RCI (many years ago). It is nothing personal....but simply a customer going to where they can get the most satisfaction and bang for the buck. As stockholders we certainly wish the company well.....but they will have to do well without our business. When we stopped cruising on RCI we were 1 cruise away from Diamond Plus (our DD was Diamond at age 14) but did not like what that line had become. At the time we said that RCI might be in our future depending on their future. We have never returned...and likely will not because there is little about that line (now) that we find attractive. As to RCI products, we would certainly consider going on another Azamara cruise.....unless LLP gets her mitts into that company.

 

Hank

[Cruise Junky]

 

 

The old saying of "You Get What You Pay For" is just as true in the cruise vacation business as in any other.

 

But I think that's the issue. The value isn't there anymore. We're not getting what we pay for. I just spent a week in a five star hotel in Greece - absolute night and day, no comparison to a cruise and the price of the hotel was far less expensive.

[grandgeezer]

Cruising has turned from the greatest experience possible to about the same as flying. We started cruising with Holland and Princess because they had cruises that left from the west coast. As those experiences started heading south we found the Mercury. It was like going from a Ford to a Mercedes. We enjoyed Celebrity so much we branched out to leaving from Florida and we've even done six tranatlantics, five on X and one on RCL. Now, we feel Celebrity has morphed into what we didn't like about Holland and Princess. I don't think there is any price I would pay to cruise on Celebrity now. We did the east bound transatlantic on the Silhouette last April and got a unobstructed view balcony for $600 p.p. plus taxes and fees and thought the experience wasn't worth it. The longer we go without pricing or booking the easier it is to walk away and never look back. If it's over we'll end up with 39 cruises covering 440 days (21 and 244 days with X)

We are thinking about trying MSC, but not the "luxury" lines. Before we found cruising we used to rent a beach condo, on Maui for about ten days each winter, maybe we'll go back to that. We don't mind paying for an enjoyable time when we have to.

The same thing happened with Las Vegas. When we were still working, we used to fly from the midwest 2-3 times a year (for eight years) because it was reasonably priced and so enjoyable. Then they started cutting back and raising prices. We now live four hours drive from Las Vegas and have only been there three times in the last sixteen years but none in the last eight. Don't miss it a bit.

[ChucktownSteve]

In my opinion blaming LLP and trying to make the changes Celebrity has implemented personal is really not in anyone's best interest. These changes are business based, not personal. The brand needs to make a specific return on the capital invested into the assets and however that goal can be achieved will determine the changes to be made. LLP and her Leadership team are not making any changes based on anything other than bottom line. There is nothing personal about their changes. Nobody sits down at the Management Table and says "So what can we do today to dump some customers" I suspect it's "What can we do today to increase the bottom line".

 

Celebrity to my mind has simply decided their best profit is in the mass market demographic, and that's where they are positioning themselves. It's purely business driven.

 

If you follow the Carnival Board you'll see that some loyal Carnival cruisers are moving to Celebrity, and the reason why is they perceive there to be a value. That tells me that Celebrity has been successful at moving the brand into the mass market, and the only real options for anyone looking for a "better" than mass market experience (Celebrity, Princess, H.A.L. Carnival) is to move to a premium or luxury line.

 

The old saying of "You Get What You Pay For" is just as true in the cruise vacation business as in any other.

 

You are correct that Celebrity has repositioned themselves as a mass market line while still touting luxury. That part isn't personal. I also like that from a shareholder's position since their stock finally did start going the same direction as CCL's stock. I purchased both about the same time but CCL has outperformed RCL by 16.25% without dividends calculated in my tax lots holdings..

 

LLP did make it personal when she overtly began touting her political positions as those of the cruise line.

 

I do not align myself with her values or no longer enjoy Celebrity's mass market direction downward. I used to get what I paid for at Celebrity. Regretfully, now I'll just have to do that on other lines.

 

I hope you enjoy the $10 pre-frozen gourmet burgers & hot dogs.

Edited May 27, 2017 by ChucktownSteve

[emmas gran]

We are Elite Plus and have 2x B2B booked for later this year and October 2018. As these trips are with friends and we would lose deposits we will stick with them, but for the first time in 20 years we have booked a totally land based holiday in the Canary Islands in 5* hotel for 2 weeks. This is with our cruise pals and for next Spring as we could not get the MSC Yacht Club trip we wanted (no rooms available)

We all intend jumping ship for the future and try other new to us cruise lines.

Hopefully LLP who we have cruised with will get the message sooner rather than later.

[RedneckBob]

Hi y'all, Redneck Bob hear.

 

I find this thread quite amusing.Though I have only read a few pages; but 27 pages about a hamburger; oh I forgot a Kobe burger. If you want a free Kobe burger sail on Oceania. It served daily at their Waves Grill by the pool area. But sailing on Oceania is a bit more money. I never understood why when sailing out of Miami it was called a Kobe Burger; this was very offensive. It was more appropriate in Miami to be called a Dwayne Wade Burger :)

 

Since I have been on a lot of different cruise line, the discussions about cut backs, mass market, etc appears on all cruise threads. It not just limited to Celebrity.

 

News Flash ! Celebrity has just announced that they will providing each stateroom with a much improved, softer, gentler toilet tissue for a small additional charge.

 

Well that sounds like a bunch of crap :)

[hcat]

In my opinion blaming LLP and trying to make the changes Celebrity has implemented personal is really not in anyone's best interest. These changes are business based, not personal. The brand needs to make a specific return on the capital invested into the assets and however that goal can be achieved will determine the changes to be made. LLP and her Leadership team are not making any changes based on anything other than bottom line. There is nothing personal about their changes. Nobody sits down at the Management Table and says "So what can we do today to dump some customers" I suspect it's "What can we do today to increase the bottom line".

 

Celebrity to my mind has simply decided their best profit is in the mass market demographic, and that's where they are positioning themselves. It's purely business driven.

 

If you follow the Carnival Board you'll see that some loyal Carnival cruisers are moving to Celebrity, and the reason why is they perceive there to be a value. That tells me that Celebrity has been successful at moving the brand into the mass market, and the only real options for anyone looking for a "better" than mass market experience (Celebrity, Princess, H.A.L. Carnival) is to move to a premium or luxury line.

 

The old saying of "You Get What You Pay For" is just as true in the cruise vacation business as in any other.

 

 

Leadership Team / management has made a decision to be political on several issues which distracts from mission to provide a top notch cruise product.

 

They have downgraded the Celebrity product significantly ....and other than suite life, they have eliminated much of what made Celebrity stand out as a great cruiseline...

 

 

They have cultivated and attracted a different customer demographic who may not care about or appreciate Modern Luxury.

 

 

the issue of the hamburgers is just another nickel, dime and dollar decision...

 

 

3 more for us and done! Already looking into Azamara, Oceana or Viking,,

[deliver42]

For those of you considering MSC, they have not downgraded anything. In fact, they have increased the value. The Yacht Club on MSC is better than anything any of the other mainstream lines have to offer, at a much lower rate.I haven't sailed X, but if you look at my signature, you can see that I know longer have any loyalty I look for the best value and the itinerary, then the ship. I sailed on the Divina, and am booked on the Seaside.

[The_Big_M]

They have downgraded the Celebrity product significantly ....and other than suite life, they have eliminated much of what made Celebrity stand out as a great cruiseline...

 

I'm surprised how much this is repeated.

 

Even with suite life, much of the Celebrity experience has the same limitations. Those in suites will still pay the $10 for a hot dog, have virtually the same bar and reduced activities experiences as others.

 

Just having a special dining room with a small menu, and a bar with the same range as elsewhere doesn't dramatically change the overall experience.

[The_Big_M]

For those of you considering MSC, they have not downgraded anything. In fact, they have increased the value.

 

They haven't had the downgrades, but they have reduced the value. Prices on them have also increased - though the main benefit is they haven't had the repeated upcharges and inclusion removals of Celebrity.

[MVPinBoynton]

I wish we could justify cruising more on Oceania. They are an outstanding line. We thought they reminded us of how X used to be when we first cruised on the Mercury in 1998. After 21 cruises with X, we only have two more booked, one next month and the Edge in 2019.

 

We have gotten bored with X and tired of the downgraded experience. We now have two cruises on HAL booked and will be looking to do more cruises with other lines. I do think going on the same line too many times in a row diminishes the experience. It also highlights the cuts more for us, since we are well aware of what we used to receive from X. We are ready for a change and the recent cuts are another reason that is justifying it. Hopefully by the time we go on the Edge, things have changed for the better; but I doubt it.

[Spf12]

my wife and I are Elite plus and sad to say we will never reach Zenith level.We're booked on the Summit this August with 2 other couples and most likely will be our last Celebrity cruise,Next year we booked Regent and Oceana.By,By Celebrity.

[PoppyandNana]

Leadership Team / management has made a decision to be political on several issues which distracts from mission to provide a top notch cruise product.

 

They have downgraded the Celebrity product significantly ....and other than suite life, they have eliminated much of what made Celebrity stand out as a great cruiseline...

 

 

They have cultivated and attracted a different customer demographic who may not care about or appreciate Modern Luxury.

 

the issue of the hamburgers is just another nickel, dime and dollar decision...

 

3 more for us and done! Already looking into Azamara, Oceana or Viking,,

 

 

Lets not forget about Michael's Club. What great fun we used to have when it was a piano bar ala Perry Grant. Now when you pass by there, there are rarely more than half a dozen Zenith's and/or suite guests.

[TeeRick]

I am not sure that Celebrity is downgrading their offering. Change is a constant fact of life and some people do not like it while others look forward to it. Every product or company or service changes over time to keep competitive and fresh. The CC boards are quite often commented on by folks that have cruised over many years and remember the good old days and the way Celebrity (or other cruise lines used to treat them). I think if they really went back they would find a lot of things they did not really like. Perhaps some better.

[helen haywood]

They haven't had the downgrades, but they have reduced the value. Prices on them have also increased - though the main benefit is they haven't had the repeated upcharges and inclusion removals of Celebrity.

 

What has MSC done to "reduce the value?" I've sailed MSC Divina four times, once in a regular balcony and three times in the Yacht Club and the experience in YC was fantastic and the price made it even better.

[jabrown40]

Mvpinboynton, I thought the same thing about Oceania. And yes it was about the same price for my eight night cruise compared to a 10 night cruise on the constellation for my Europe trip next year. However, I just looked at a sale that they are running over the Memorial Day weekend with free upgrades, and actually the prices are not that far off from celebrity. With the perks that I received from my TA, and the premium economy airfare that I received from Oceania, I feel like I am getting much more for my dollar spent. Not to mention that all of the specialty dining is free.

 

 

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[MVPinBoynton]

Mvpinboynton, I thought the same thing about Oceania. And yes it was about the same price for my eight night cruise compared to a 10 night cruise on the constellation for my Europe trip next year. However, I just looked at a sale that they are running over the Memorial Day weekend with free upgrades, and actually the prices are not that far off from celebrity. With the perks that I received from my TA, and the premium economy airfare that I received from Oceania, I feel like I am getting much more for my dollar spent. Not to mention that all of the specialty dining is free.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

You are most correct, sometimes O's prices are very reasonable. I will have to check on the latest sales.

[NLH Arizona]

I am not sure that Celebrity is downgrading their offering. Change is a constant fact of life and some people do not like it while others look forward to it. Every product or company or service changes over time to keep competitive and fresh. The CC boards are quite often commented on by folks that have cruised over many years and remember the good old days and the way Celebrity (or other cruise lines used to treat them). I think if they really went back they would find a lot of things they did not really like. Perhaps some better.

I've cruise with Celebrity for many, many years. I was there for the white gloved servers, the fine china in the MDR and someone carrying my carry-on and escorting me to my cabin upon embarkation. Were those things nice, sure, but the price I paid wasn't. We all want reasonable priced cruises and complain when the prices go up, but we fail to remember what we paid years ago and that our cruises today are priced similarly as they were back then, even though overall prices have gone up on goods and services used by the cruise lines. In any business, you can't have lower prices 20 or 30 years later and expect for things to stay the same. I think the cruise lines have done an excellent job keeping the prices down and I really don't mind not having a candy on my pillow, a cheaper bag, a free burger on my cruise, etc., because they don't have an impact on my enjoyment of cruising.

 

There are so many cruise lines to choose from and there is a cruise line to fit everyone's wants and needs, so there is always a choice where to spend your cruising dollars.

[MVPinBoynton]

I've cruise with Celebrity for many, many years. I was there for the white gloved servers, the fine china in the MDR and someone carrying my carry-on and escorting me to my cabin upon embarkation. Were those things nice, sure, but the price I paid wasn't. We all want reasonable priced cruises and complain when the prices go up, but we fail to remember what we paid years ago and that our cruises today are priced similarly as they were back then, even though overall prices have gone up on goods and services used by the cruise lines. In any business, you can't have lower prices 20 or 30 years later and expect for things to stay the same. I think the cruise lines have done an excellent job keeping the prices down and I really don't mind not having a candy on my pillow, a cheaper bag, a free burger on my cruise, etc., because they don't have an impact on my enjoyment of cruising.

 

There are so many cruise lines to choose from and there is a cruise line to fit everyone's wants and needs, so there is always a choice where to spend your cruising dollars.

 

Some prices have come down and there are different perks included. I just looked back to see how much we paid for our cruise on the Solstice, when it was brand new in 2009, cost vs the Edge cruise we have booked. The Edge is $500 pp more and we booked it when the prices were first announced. Some of the prices we are seeing on X are not that reasonable, unless we want to wait until final payment to book, which we don't.

[Cruise Junky]

I've cruise with Celebrity for many, many years. I was there for the white gloved servers, the fine china in the MDR and someone carrying my carry-on and escorting me to my cabin upon embarkation. Were those things nice, sure, but the price I paid wasn't. We all want reasonable priced cruises and complain when the prices go up, but we fail to remember what we paid years ago and that our cruises today are priced similarly as they were back then, even though overall prices have gone up on goods and services used by the cruise lines. In any business, you can't have lower prices 20 or 30 years later and expect for things to stay the same. I think the cruise lines have done an excellent job keeping the prices down and I really don't mind not having a candy on my pillow, a cheaper bag, a free burger on my cruise, etc., because they don't have an impact on my enjoyment of cruising.

 

There are so many cruise lines to choose from and there is a cruise line to fit everyone's wants and needs, so there is always a choice where to spend your cruising dollars.

 

Two years ago we took the 10 day Hawaii cruise on a Solstice. We paid $1699 for a 1a pp. Friends booked quite late and paid $2399 and I think that was as high as it got. Same cruise, same ship same number of days is $3,799 pp right now. That I find a completely unreasonable price increase in 24 months. So I'm not comparing 20-30 years ago, I'm talking 2

[NLH Arizona]

Some prices have come down and there are different perks included. I just looked back to see how much we paid for our cruise on the Solstice, when it was brand new in 2009, cost vs the Edge cruise we have booked. The Edge is $500 pp more and we booked it when the prices were first announced. Some of the prices we are seeing on X are not that reasonable, unless we want to wait until final payment to book, which we don't.

I would expect to pay more for the Edge than what I am paying for my cruise this coming January. It is a new ship with some very interesting new things that are not on the other ships. For it to be only $500 more per person versus a cruise 8 years ago doesn't seem that too large of an increase based on there being 8 years between cruises and it being a brand new ship.

[PatC]

I agree 100% about LLP. She is taking fancy cruises, partying on our buck and giving political comments. No more. We have 3 booked and then are definitely done. We have sailed Celebrity since it's inception, starting in 1992. No one says things don't change, they do, especially monetarily. The minute they start screwing you they are done in my book. This has been going on since she took over. She is allowed to do it because they think their bottom line is money. No, the bottom line is greed. So, for us we will be looking elsewhere. So many of those we have met over the years on Celebrity have switched to Oceania and a few others. Maybe it's time to do land vacations for a while. Of course this is only my opinion and I think many here have seen what is going on and will move on. Good luck Celebrity.