Goodbye to Free Burgers and Mast Grill ???

[ChucktownSteve]

Actually I can't believe Celebrity charges me anything to board their ships. They should be happy just to have the privilege of my company.

 

I'm surprised you don't expect them to pay you to sail Celebrity. :rolleyes:

[starri]

Why are you comparing Celebrity to Carnival or RCI?

Isn't it supposed to be a step up from those lines?

If you compare it to Princess or Holland America or MCI I think that's a fairer comparison and those lines aren't instituting new fees or making any major cutbacks that I'm aware of.

But that's my point. Someone was making the point that X may eventually approach Carnival levels of service, and I was just saying that was a long way off.

 

And at least HAL isn't immune to some of the stuff either. Some of their specialties are about as much as Tuscan Grill, and they've also introduced a la carte restaurants on some of their ships. Perhaps they're not adding up as quickly, but they are adding up.

 

I think it's smart for each cruiseline to have a "budget" line (RCI) where you pay less for basic service and then pay for amenities and then also have a more upscale line where you pay more in the beginning and the amenities are included.

Until recently that's what I thought Celebrity and RCI were doing.

Just not so sure any more. :(

A Silhouette Eastern Caribbean cruise the week of my birthday next year starts at $1200/pp, and that's with two perks. Harmony, exact same week, exact same itinerary, is $1300/pp, without perks, and not even getting a view of the ocean. I know that's looking at a brand-new ship versus one that's almost a decade old, but I bet once you add up all the incidentals, it's probably closer to $400 more pp.

[kahalagirl]

Just got off the reflection today. The hamburgers at the mast grill were not edible. Hardly saw anybody up there. No loss if that goes away.

[richstowe]

I am paying much less for Celebrity, especially when you consider perks, than I would be for a comparable Princess cruise. Quite honestly, if you want to talk about cutting corners, talk about the lack of a central staircase on Princess newest class of ships or the tiny balconies. They had also planned on dueling glass pianos. All were were cut from final plans of the Royal Princess when the ship came in over budget. Waiting for elevators and then getting on very crowded elevators is no way to spend a vacation. You can complain about bad pool burgers all you want. If these are bad problems, I'm good with them. We'll be on our first Celebrity cruise in six weeks. I'm looking forward to the change. For future cruises, we have another booked with Celebrity and will try Oceania or Azamara down the line as well.

Your "proof" of cutbacks on Princess is supposedly not having a central staircase and that is somehow connected to the cheapening of the Celebrity experience ? . Wow !

What do the 2 have do with each other ? There is and always was a central staircase ,they just didn't realize how fat and lazy many cruisers are . So they have now "uncovered" them on the Royal and Regal . Any other examples ?

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=7777

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2416520

[BosoxI]

Just got off the reflection today. The hamburgers at the mast grill were not edible. Hardly saw anybody up there. No loss if that goes away.

 

Inedible because they were tough, or dry, or underdone, or rancid? Or all of the above?

[cruise47]

Just got off the reflection today. The hamburgers at the mast grill were not edible. Hardly saw anybody up there. No loss if that goes away.

 

Maybe, if enough customers complaint Celebrity top brass will change their decision.

[RedneckBob]

Why are you comparing Celebrity to Carnival or RCI?

Isn't it supposed to be a step up from those lines?

If you compare it to Princess or Holland America or MCI I think that's a fairer comparison and those lines aren't instituting new fees or making any major cutbacks that I'm aware of.

:(

 

I don't think your information is accurate. I been sailing Holland America past 35 years and let me tell you, they have been many changes and cutbacks. But why? In 1982 I paid $699 for an Oceanview cabin on the Old Noordam; 7 day Caribbean cruise in March. In 2017 the price for an Oceanview cabin is about the same price. No further explanation required.

[RedneckBob]

Inedible because they were tough, or dry, or underdone, or rancid? Or all of the above?

 

Is this the start of an old fashion food fight :eek:

[hubofhockey]

Your "proof" of cutbacks on Princess is supposedly not having a central staircase and that is somehow connected to the cheapening of the Celebrity experience ? . Wow !

What do the 2 have do with each other ? There is and always was a central staircase ,they just didn't realize how fat and lazy many cruisers are . So they have now "uncovered" them on the Royal and Regal . Any other examples ?

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=7777

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2416520

 

Wonderful - it took Princess four years of complaints about the lack of a central staircase to finally put them in. That cruise ship class was like a maze. Cruisers weren't lazy. They WANTED to take the stairs. It was Princess that cut them out of the original plan. Cutting the number of pools, eliminating a chunk of the central staircase, and putting in tiny balconies were real problems to me. To you, maybe not being able to enjoy no-charge added poor quality burger is important and will send you to MSC.

 

In any case, my point is that was a major problem. Removing a place that sold bad burgers seems to drive some off of Celebrity. Do you think it's a big deal? I'm not going to pay $10 for a hot dog and I think that amount is a little high for a good burger, but it's not going to stop me from booking a cruise on Celebrity.

[richstowe]

Wonderful - it took Princess four years of complaints about the lack of a central staircase to finally put them in. That cruise ship class was like a maze. Cruisers weren't lazy. They WANTED to take the stairs. It was Princess that cut them out of the original plan. Cutting the number of pools, eliminating a chunk of the central staircase, and putting in tiny balconies were real problems to me. To you, maybe not being able to enjoy no-charge added poor quality burger is important and will send you to MSC.

 

 

In any case, my point is that was a major problem. Removing a place that sold bad burgers seems to drive some off of Celebrity. Do you think it's a big deal? I'm not going to pay $10 for a hot dog and I think that amount is a little high for a good burger, but it's not going to stop me from booking a cruise on Celebrity.

Still wondering about your comment " if you want to talk about cutting corners, talk about the lack of a central staircase on Princess newest class of ships " when the stairs were there all along .

 

Regardless , the ultimate in sleaziness is deliberately serving bad hamburgers then replacing them and charging for better burgers . They did the exact same thing with sushi . Free sushi was provided at the buffet . They cynically improved it by taking it out and replacing it with additional $ sushi . They did the same with exercise classes . They had no charge Zumba . They now sell improved Zumba . These are just 3 examples of cheapening the brand and playing some people for idiots .

 

I don't care if suckers believe you can only improve something by charging for it . It appears you can fool some people all of the time .

[shipshape sam]

Just got off the reflection today. The hamburgers at the mast grill were not edible. Hardly saw anybody up there. No loss if that goes away.

 

Maybe that is the plan/goal.

[shipshape sam]

Our first cruise was in 2001 on the Voyager of the Seas. Our balcony cabin was cramped and virtually everything was priced a la carte. But we enjoyed it immensely and were hooked on cruising.

Flash forward to our next cruise on the Celebrity Equinox; after factoring in a generous OBC, premium beverage package and other perks – we will be paying about the same price for this cruise for a significantly larger suite, as we did on the 2001 Voyager cruise in that tiny little balcony. And also included will be private dining venues, outstanding specialized service, Michael’s Club and privileges that will make our vacation experience very special and unique.

 

Factoring in the impact of 16 years of inflation, I think that the cruise industry has had an amazing evolution. In particular parent company RCL has delivered an incredible value while still providing a terrific ROI for stockholders. We have cruised Celebrity for about 10 years and believe that the entire experience has been upgraded in many ways. I believe that under new management, the cruise line has noticeably improved.

 

If anyone is unhappy, the solution seems simple – move on. Or, as you witness here, stay and whine about your displeasure.

 

I like to whine, so the solution is simple - you can whine with us or whine about us. Seriously, I believe that the cruise lines have reduced features and benefits and have dumbed down food quality to create value is many of the fee based offerings. You can believe different and in our own eyes both of us can be correct.

Edited May 29, 2017 by shipshape sam

[starri]

One last X versus RCI comment before I move on.

 

I know we tend to focus too much on the suite experience here (and many would argue X does as well), but if you look at the inclusions for an SS against what you get in the lowest-level suite on RCI, it's not even close.

[hubofhockey]

Still wondering about your comment " if you want to talk about cutting corners, talk about the lack of a central staircase on Princess newest class of ships " when the stairs were there all along .

 

Regardless , the ultimate in sleaziness is deliberately serving bad hamburgers then replacing them and charging for better burgers . They did the exact same thing with sushi . Free sushi was provided at the buffet . They cynically improved it by taking it out and replacing it with additional $ sushi . They did the same with exercise classes . They had no charge Zumba . They now sell improved Zumba . These are just 3 examples of cheapening the brand and playing some people for idiots .

 

I don't care if suckers believe you can only improve something by charging for it . It appears you can fool some people all of the time .

 

I don't question for a minute that what you are saying is correct. Mass market cruise lines are moving more and more to a la carte products and only offering a very base product for a low price. If I know going in that I'll have to spend $500 or more to get the experience I want, I'll price it out accordingly when choosing a vacation. I'm not married to any of these cruise lines and will always go for the best value. These days, that just requires a lot of homework to figure out what your true cost and what you get. My problem is that with Princess, I know that if I cruise on their newer ships, I'm pretty much stuck with a tiny balcony no matter what I spend.

[ChucktownSteve]

There's a difference between pumping out food and taking pride in putting out good food. I don't believe the people now who cook on Celebrity are as knowledgeable about cooking as they used to be. That may have to do with paying less for cooks than hiring chefs.

 

Watching them working in the kitchen will definitely show you the difference.

[grandgeezer]

I don't question for a minute that what you are saying is correct. Mass market cruise lines are moving more and more to a la carte products and only offering a very base product for a low price. If I know going in that I'll have to spend $500 or more to get the experience I want, I'll price it out accordingly when choosing a vacation. I'm not married to any of these cruise lines and will always go for the best value. These days, that just requires a lot of homework to figure out what your true cost and what you get. My problem is that with Princess, I know that if I cruise on their newer ships, I'm pretty much stuck with a tiny balcony no matter what I spend.

 

Please tell me where I can find these base product cruises. Not in my wildest dreams could I call $170 per day for an obstructed view balcony a cheap cruise. I figure taxes, fees, and gratuities into the cost because they have to be paid somehow.

[jagoffee]

We have come a long way from "Celebrity is replacing the mast Grill with a premium Burger Joint on one ship." It has not even been implemented.

 

If I felt the way some people say they feel I would never even consider cruising on Celebrity again. The trust is obviously broken and change is tough.

 

I like a lot of the changes Celebrity is making. IMO most of them make Celebrity better for me and not worse.

 

I will have to see whether I like this change. I trust Celebrity to meet my needs in a different way. (Free burger or hot dog).

[sollyman]

My first cruise cabin had an outside toilet....oh no im confused again...that was my first house!

[hurwitz5]

Sailed on the Eclipse (2 weeks) and Reflection (1 week) this past January. The Mast Grill was always busy. People enjoyed the burgers and hot dogs. I don!t eat fast food at home, but my DH and I thought the quality of the burgers and hot dogs was very good - better than expected.

[asctony]

I like a lot of the changes Celebrity is making. IMO most of them make Celebrity better for me and not worse.

Not being funny or nasty. What changes has X made that you find better for you and not worse? Over the past couple of years X has tried different changes that never lasted long such as Bistro on 5 to Sushi on 5, Pub food on deck 3 where the small bar is, Wine Master changed to Beer parlor. Reduced size of MDR and allowed only 1 entry on deck 3. A big Shop on deck 5 next to the World Bar selling watches only and never seem to be busy. I could add more that I don't think X really planned these out well.

[ChucktownSteve]

I like a lot of the changes Celebrity is making. IMO most of them make Celebrity better for me and not worse..

 

I'm glad you find Celebrity changes to your liking. If you don't mind my asking, what cabin category do you usually book?

[shipshape sam]

Changes that I have not like. Reduction of public space on M class ships to include cabins on deck 3 (I think) and AQ cabins on deck 11 ( I think) I really liked the long jogging track.

 

Elimination of 'fire' in preparation of desert table side in MDR. I think as part of your $$$ fee in speciality restaurants you can still see that on occasion unless that too have stopped.

 

Elimination of Formal nights.

 

Well on its way, is the eiimination of fixed dining. Not sure that was a planned outcome, but it is happening. Last cruise that we did fixed dining, there was never an evening where more than 5 of us were at the table for 8. We too were not there at least 3 evening eating at a speciality restaurant.

 

---------

I actually like the speciality restaurants if we can get acceptable deals as we think MDR food and service have declined.

 

I do think Celebrity should poll customers, try new things, so I am not suggesting change is bad. We as a company do the same thing. It makes no sense or $$$ to offer features that very few people view as a benefit of their trip. For example, the elimination of the ice bucket in cabins with the steward having to fill it twice a day and most passengers not using as a matter practice each day. We used it and actually requested second bucket for our liquor package. Trying the drink package and not ordering the in cabin liquor on our next trip to see how that works out for us.

 

DW likes the chocolate. I could care less. But hey, cut out great craft beers and I am not happy, DW doesn't care for beer...., so it sometimes is a no win situation for Celebrity.

 

For sure, they could do a much better job of communication. As the title to this thread mentions, I am not sure Celebrity has improved anything for the sake of improving it. My view is they improve and charge for improved product or service while lessening base product or service to create the needed value difference to justify the fee based product/service. I would like to hear of some "real' improvements that have not cost us in the end.

[richard1s]

I like to whine, so the solution is simple - you can whine with us or whine about us. Seriously, I believe that the cruise lines have reduced features and benefits and have dumbed down food quality to create value is many of the fee based offerings. You can believe different and in our own eyes both of us can be correct.

“Whine” was the wrong word choice; “complain” works better and is less offensive. But the point I was trying to make is if someone isn’t happy with the product, move on to something else.

We definitely felt that way about RCCL after a 2014 cruise and decided the line wasn’t our cup of tea any longer.But I didn’t spend time on the CC RCCL pages bashing them about it.

My other point is that I am very satisfied as a Celebrity customer and see the value of what I am buying now compared to what I purchased way back in 2001 – way more bang for the buck, particularly when factoring in inflation. For some reason, being happy about what this line offers passengers is annoying to a handful of people.

[NLH Arizona]

 

I do think Celebrity should poll customers.....

Oh my goodness, I can see it now!! If Celebrity polled their customers asking what changes they should make. They would ask for everything to be upgraded, more free things and all of this while significantly reducing fares.

[hcat]

“Whine” was the wrong word choice; “complain” works better and is less offensive. But the point I was trying to make is if someone isn’t happy with the product, move on to something else.

We definitely felt that way about RCCL after a 2014 cruise and decided the line wasn’t our cup of tea any longer.But I didn’t spend time on the CC RCCL pages bashing them about it.

My other point is that I am very satisfied as a Celebrity customer and see the value of what I am buying now compared to what I purchased way back in 2001 – way more bang for the buck, particularly when factoring in inflation. For some reason, being happy about what this line offers passengers is annoying to a handful of people.

 

True that many Royal folks who have moved up/ over to X are quite happy. ( we moved yrs ago)

 

Does not change the fact that X is losing its special identity becoming more like Royal or even Carnival, NCL and less like X.

 

And it's noticeable to much more than a handful...we will stay as long as possible for the ships we love...but once we get the hairy leg contests and Quest and wife beater shirts in the buffet...we,ll know that Royalization has been complete.