Posting "Celebrity Secrets" Backlash

[jchipgcs]

Well not only am I going to ask for shrimp cocktails but I'm going to ask that the staff member of my choice come to my cabin and feed them to me wearing only a loin cloth. Why? Because that is what I want and as mentioned on this thread.....X needs to respond to the wants of it's passengers or we'll go elsewhere.

[tuggers]

Replying to Post #7, you do not 'win' anything when you are the high cruiser on a ship. It is simply a way of recognizing those who have been cruising quite a bit with Celebrity. I get 'recognized' on almost every X cruise I go on and I have never 'won' a bottle of champagne. The usual thing is to present you with a small rolled scroll listing the number of cruises you have completed and a nice bouqet of flowers. These are handed to you by the Captain, the photographer takes a picture which is sent to you at no charge. I personally like the flowers because they are a larger arrangement than the one you get for being Elite and they make the cabin smell nice.

[Leela]

Schplinky, caprese salad is easy to make at home, especially when locally-grown tomatoes are at their peak. So ask for something else on board ;)

 

The cruise lines wanted to be known for their incredible hospitality and service, but like anything else there are probably some people who push it too far in the wrong way. What, exactly, that wrong way is I'm not sure, but another thought I had has to do with base prices versus a-la-carte cruising.

 

Like, right now sodas and alcoholic drinks are extra charges. *IF* something like extra shrimp cocktail were to become an extra charge, then some people will be upset ("it used to be included!!") and others will be happy ("well, I never eat it anyway so why should I pay for it if I'm not going to order it"). Ditto for "brand name" ice cream -- there was a recent thread about comfort food and Ben & Jerry's that comes to mind. I think the niche Celebrity has chosen to occupy is a tough one -- they're trying to be the top of the mainstream lines, giving excellent value for the money while maintaing a more traditional cruise experience. It's a balancing act, and I'm sure they have business analysts working for them who have a good model as to how their loads will change with increases or decreases in price, and how that will affect their bottom line. If they push the prices too high, then some people will peel off and try one of the luxury lines instead. If they push the prices too low, then they'll fill their capacity but at some point the lower prices won't be offset by the increase in capacity, as costs such as employee wages and benefits, ship maintenance, fuel, food, insurance, etc. don't go down.

[flashdog_1]

Other than the bon Voyage package that includes shrinp (just as you can get one with caviar and champagne and pay for it), has it been ascertained that you CAN get a shrimp cocktail from room service, but have to pay for it?

 

We're rambled and rambled, but I haven't heard anyone say they had to pay for it, just that they were politely offered something else.

 

I have a vegetarian friend who is allergic to many things, so she almost always has to order off the menu at land restaurants, even if all she can get is nachos and salad. She doesn't ask them to cook her something special, just a little of this and a little of that with no meat, fish, eggs, wheat etc. Celebrity would do that for her if she told them ahead of time that she would be on a cruise. One time they opened a can of beans and served her salsa, cheese and corn chips and she was happy.

[wrp96]

And then there is the limited space on ships. The freezers/refrigerators can only handle so much. By bringing on more shrimp to please greedy people it will cause something else to be left out. Maybe it is the food you want. Who knows.

 

I was thinking the same thing.

 

Could the lack of shrimp have anything to do with the fact that most of the shrimp boats in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama were destroyed and so shrimp is actually higher priced now than it was before Katrina? Same thing with oysters. Before Katrina we had several restaurants in our area that had really cheap deals on oysters on the half shell and peel and eat shrimp. Within a couple of weeks, those specials were gone due to lack of supply.

[flashdog_1]

Other than the bon Voyage package that includes shrinp (just as you can get one with caviar and champagne and pay for it), has it been ascertained that you CAN get a shrimp cocktail from room service, or off the menu at dinner, but have to pay for it?

 

We're rambled and rambled, but I haven't heard anyone say they had to pay for it, just that they were politely offered something else.

 

I have a vegetarian friend who is allergic to many things, so she almost always has to order off the menu at land restaurants, even if all she can get is nachos and salad. She doesn't ask them to cook her something special, just a little of this and a little of that with no meat, fish, eggs, wheat etc. Celebrity would do that for her if she told them ahead of time that she would be on a cruise. One time they opened a can of beans and served her salsa, cheese and corn chips and she was happy.

[WeBeCruisin']

Yes definitely -- the softer mozzarella in the little balls, not the harder stuff that you grate to melt on top of pizza. Delightful!!

 

Is it similar to Buffalo mozarella?

[Leela]

This is going to turn into a cooking thread if we are not careful.

 

"Buffalo" mozzarella may be hard (like the pizza cheese) or soft (like the kind packed in water sold in little balls). The "buffalo" means it comes from the milk of buffalos, not from cows. Cow-milk mozzarella may also be made in hard or soft forms. Most of the hard mozzarella sold in the US is from cows. All of the imported soft mozzarella I've seen is from buffalo. A small amount of buffalo mozzarella is made in the US.

 

So, you can make caprese salad from soft mozzarella, be it buffalo or not.

[WeBeCruisin']

This is going to turn into a cooking thread if we are not careful.

 

"Buffalo" mozzarella may be hard (like the pizza cheese) or soft (like the kind packed in water sold in little balls). The "buffalo" means it comes from the milk of buffalos, not from cows. Cow-milk mozzarella may also be made in hard or soft forms. Most of the hard mozzarella sold in the US is from cows. All of the imported soft mozzarella I've seen is from buffalo. A small amount of buffalo mozzarella is made in the US.

 

So, you can make caprese salad from soft mozzarella, be it buffalo or not.

 

Thanks, Leela!

[Leela]

To atone for my food-related hijack, I'll post another thought. This one has to do with how society in the US tends to be structured. We, rightfully so, like to see situations of equal opportunity and access. Therefore, strictly class-defined ships where there are special lounges for the First Class and no one else can enter them are just not popular. Like, I'm talking about how things are set up on the old QE2 transatlantic crossings, for instance. I did one of these in the 80's, and was in Third Class (well, they called it "Transatlantic Class"). We weren't allowed in the first class show lounge, or pool, or any of that. That sort of thing doesn't go over in the US Market -- can you imagine if all the cruise ships did that? (Yes, I know that the QE2 doesn't even do that when it's in "cruise" mode, as opposed to "crossing" mode.)

 

On the other hand, we're also very much into getting the most out of our money. Hence we have different sized cabins in different locations for different prices. Yet still some of that "I paid for the best, I should get the best" attitude lingers on, so the people who do pay the most get some extra perks for it.

 

It's like we're trying to have it all ways, and it's a little schizophrenic to me.

 

Not that I minded having a butler or a priority tender ticket on my last trip, though.

 

Still, I wonder how much of this kind of thing comes subconsiously into play. Like "I paid a lot for this cruise and if I can get six extra shrimp cocktails out of it then I darn well will." We hear stuff like this when people argue about other things, like chair hogs -- it's the "it's my vacation and I paid a lot for it and I'm darn well going to enjoy it my way" kind of thing.

 

I am not passing any judgement here, I am just observing human behavior in these situations. There is definitely a bit of a greed vibe that goes on at times, though.

[bananavan]

"and the couple who won the champagne for the most cruises on the ship were ordering appetizers for dinner, she had double he had triples & they got them. They were in 2016 since they didn't care for CC prices to book it, which made sense to us as they get all the goodies ELITE get, even tho not free cappuccino, latte or espresso, no free nightly cocktails, etc. "

 

We all know who wrote this so I will not mention it. I think that it needs to be pointed out that CC, whether she is referring to Concierge Class or Cruise Critic, DO NOT get the cappuccino latte or espressos free. That only goes to the suite passengers on Celebrity.

[safein]

wrp96, I think you hit the nail on the head! We all seem to have lost sight of the fact that the Gulf region got hammered not once but twice and that a number of industries were affected, like the shrimp industry. It makes a lot of sense if the price of shrimp has to rise. So far, I have not noticed it significantly here in my local markets, but if any cruiseline has been dealing with a specific supplier, who themselves might be out of business or limited, the price and supply could be affected.

 

It's Economics 101 - limited supply, high demand = higher price.

 

Anita

[cyscopup]

We were on Mercury for the Thanksgiving cruise and the family(4) behind us ordered 2 shrimp cocktails each for each dinner. It seems they liked seafood because they also got three lobster tails each on Lobster night. They told the waiter another passenger had told them to order as much as they wanted because it was included in the price of the cruise. Yet when I tried to get a shrimp cocktail on a night that I did not like the choices for appetizers the server told me it could not be done.Imagine that!!

[bob278]

bananavan,

 

As scary as it is for me to admit this, I THINK I understood a little bit of that post. Again, this is just what I THINK, but the reference to the "free cappuccino, latte or espresso, no free nightly cocktails, etc." refers to the Concierge Lounge on Royal Caribbean.

 

The poster is going on the Freedom next year and is all aquiver about being a Diamond level C&A member based on Celebrity cruise credits. That lounge is a perk for suite passengers and Diamond C&A members.

 

Now as to the REST of that post........... I have no clue.

[Oxo]

We were on Mercury for the Thanksgiving cruise and the family(4) behind us ordered 2 shrimp cocktails each for each dinner. It seems they liked seafood because they also got three lobster tails each on Lobster night. They told the waiter another passenger had told them to order as much as they wanted because it was included in the price of the cruise. Yet when I tried to get a shrimp cocktail on a night that I did not like the choices for appetizers the server told me it could not be done.Imagine that!!

We were on the same cruise, Mercury 11/21 - 12/2/05, and the table next to us had shrimp cocktails every night. I have written a couple of posting on this site about our experiences on the Mercury and addressed some of these items.

One of the things I wrote about was the all-time available menu not being published. The only way some people knew about it was if they were previous Celebrity Cruisers, a waiter told them it was available, or they figured it out by seeing others getting different things not on the menu. I looked for A1, Tabasco, etc., on the buffet line. It was not there, I asked for it and got what I wanted after I asked 4 individuals. It was brought out of the store and it was a brand new bottle., When I asked why these items were not on the buffet line, I was told that no one asked for it. Why not provided it? I cannot believe that no one requested any of these. I never saw the item I asked for the next day or days on the buffet line. Maybe because I didn't ask for it again? LOL

 

I know for a fact that if shrimp cocktail was on the menu you received 4. If it was not on the menu and you asked for it and got it there were 3. Even the Waiter smiled and said that is true. Some waiters will go out of their way to satisfy you if they can. Each waiter must account for each main dish. The Asst. MD must sign off on them, too. So if you ask for two main dishes, the Asst. MD will sign off on them.

 

If people write about things that are negative such as this posting, some others consider this as whining. If you were to go into a restaurant and order a meal, would you not let the waiter know if your steak, lobster, lamb or any part of your meal was bad? Of course you would, you paid for the meal. You paid for the cruise. However, I would not expect them to make me something not on the menu or ask for 2 lobster tails, steaks, etc.

[Lil Dutch Girl]

[bobby wants plain toast, which isn't on the menu]

Bobby: I'd like an omelet, plain, and a chicken salad sandwich on wheat toast, no mayonnaise, no butter, no lettuce. And a cup of coffee.

Waitress: A #2, chicken salad sand. Hold the butter, the lettuce, the mayonnaise, and a cup of coffee. Anything else?

Bobby: Yeah, now all you have to do is hold the chicken, bring me the toast, give me a check for the chicken salad sandwich, and you haven't broken any rules.

Waitress: You want me to hold the chicken, huh?

Bobby: I want you to hold it between your knees.

 

Recognize these lines? This thread reminds me of Jack Nicholson's character in 5 Easy Pieces. If every passenger on a cruise applys common sense and decency to their actions on a cruise, there would be no problem with Celebrity keeping par levels of certain types of foods and providing a wonderful experience for every person on the ship. Just my "two cents"...

[Schplinky]

Schplinky, caprese salad is easy to make at home, especially when locally-grown tomatoes are at their peak. So ask for something else on board ;)

 

.

 

We have this in the summertime but I never knew it had a name! It's a favourite thing of mine!

[wrp96]

I looked for A1, Tabasco, etc., on the buffet line. It was not there, I asked for it and got what I wanted after I asked 4 individuals. It was brought out of the store and it was a brand new bottle., When I asked why these items were not on the buffet line, I was told that no one asked for it. Why not provided it? I cannot believe that no one requested any of these. I never saw the item I asked for the next day or days on the buffet line. Maybe because I didn't ask for it again? LOL

 

There's a steakhouse here in Arkansas where the waiters aren't allowed to ask you if you want steaksauce. You are supposed to ask for it. The reason - the steaks are so good that they shouldn't need steak sauce (I'm friends with several of the waiters and this is what they've all told me - when I still ate beef I agreed). I've been to other places as well where condiments are only provided if someone specifically asks for them, so it doesn't shock me that they wouldn't automatically have certain condiments available unless people asked for them.

[scott in maine]

wrp96, I think you hit the nail on the head! We all seem to have lost sight of the fact that the Gulf region got hammered not once but twice and that a number of industries were affected, like the shrimp industry. It makes a lot of sense if the price of shrimp has to rise. So far, I have not noticed it significantly here in my local markets, but if any cruiseline has been dealing with a specific supplier, who themselves might be out of business or limited, the price and supply could be affected.

 

It's Economics 101 - limited supply, high demand = higher price.

 

Anita

 

Folks, we really are letting this thread morph into a food economics lecture, but I can't let comments pass about rising cost of Shrimp due to gulf storms this summer/fall. The reality (and you can take this to the bank) is that the significant bulk of frozen shrimp wholesaled in the USA comes not from domestic sources, but virtually all off shore suppliers -- many of the largest of which are in Thailand. That's a fact. Prices on wholesale shrimp in the large domestic commodity markets have simply not changed this year.

 

Yes, I can imagine that in the gulf region states the prices of FRESH SEAFOOD has soared in these past months --- but that is not the same inventory X is buying.

[dmarch@islc.net]

I was told by a senior staff member on a recent Celebrity cruise, that requests for certain perks, like shrimp cocktail instead of canapes, and also as an appetizer in the dining room every night (some people sit down and order 3 of them to start....), have risen exponentially as a result of posts on Cruisecritic. While there are other dining room 'secrets' like steak every night, etc., the shrimp thing has particurly become a problem. He actually mentioned the specific thread "Secrets Celebrity Doesn't Tell You About". Multiplied by hundreds of requests every cruise (and of course even non-cruisecritic tablemates catch on), it is adversely affecting their supply counts, food planning, and budgets.

 

This is causing Celebrity to close up the 'loopholes' regarding this and other things that are being pointed out to them by the thread. Now, they obviously know about many of these secrets, as some of them are 'secret' only to some passengers. However, the power of the internet and this forum can pubicize a perk to the point where it is causing a problem for them.

 

So while it is great to exchange that information, sometimes it works against us.

Oh God, their going to love me! Hope they don't put two and two together when I order shrimp cocktail and Cesar salad every night. Can you tell me what ship you were on and to whom you were speaking?

[jimbug]

Here's my thought (I admit I only the read the 1st half of this discussion...):

 

If you go to a land-based buffet, such as Golden Corral or Ryan's or Hometown Buffet....there will be some who "eat their money's worth" by eating all the steak and shrimp they can find...and by asking for more if the buffet tray runs out. There will be others who cause the company to make a profit by only eating small helpings of salad and calling it a meal.

 

Why would it be any different on a cruise? Whether we want to admit it or not, cruising, and especially the food, is billed as an all-inclusive, all-you-eat ordeal. Experienced cruisers know the limitations are generally you pay for specialty drinks, soda, and surcharge restaurants. Everything else is a free-for-all. If you go to the lido buffet and you really like one of the items being offered, you might go back for 2nds or 3rds. I guess that carries over to the main dining room. If you really like the shrimp cocktail, why not see if it is available every night?

 

Yes, I agree that we are a nation of over-eaters and "gimme gimme more". The reason why someone wouldn't demand 3 servings of something in a regular order-from-a-menu land restaurant is because you pay a la carte. In a buffet or on a cruise, you pay up front for essentially all you can eat. While it may not be healthy (or even polite), it is "allowed" and those in charge are not stopping it. So, complain as you will, but it is likely all for naught.

[flashdog_1]

We keep rambling on, but no one else has confirmed that there is a price for shrimp cocktail if it's not on the menu. Anyone paid for it? price?

[ocngypz]

We keep rambling on, but no one else has confirmed that there is a price for shrimp cocktail if it's not on the menu. Anyone paid for it? price?

 

 

I was on the Oct 15 Zenith sailing and had shrimp cocktail every night. so did most of my tables. We were not charged.

 

She is probably referring to those people who want shrimp cocktails in lieu of the canapes which are delivered to C Class and suites. They have always been a charged item, BUT were not being charged. They are charged under "catering".

[sassystyxfan]

As a point of fact, I knew (as did the rest of my family) about shrimp cocktail as an appetizer at dinner well before I knew about CC. I only started talking to you all within the last 6 months and have been taking cruises for longer than that. Guess what? I also knew about the ceasar salad, steak, and salmon at any dinner before CC as well. How did I know, you ask? Because our waiter ALWAYS told us! So as helpful as many of you are - and you have helped with planning many aspects of our cruise and are you just fun to talk to, dont think that CC caused this change. I will be happy to report back in a few weeks when I get back if the "shrimp cocktail fiasco" is actually occurring. In one other point of fact, even with knowing about the shrimp cocktail - I very rarely order it. Happy cruising!

 

I totally agree with this post. I cruised 3 times before I found this board and learned about "having most anything I desire" from the cruise staff. Another point...a cruiseline's revenue is NOT based on what people eat. Now if everyone decided to pass on alcohol and slot machines...there a distaster waits.

[AFT_LOVER]

I am not a KMart person with a blue light................

 

We ordered shrimp cocktail instead of the canapes & were told $168 for 2 weeks. Whether it is Summit or all M Class for CC folk, I don't know. Summit was far from Celebrity standard of the 2 we've been on Connie & Infinity. There we got shrimp cocktails nightly instead of stale canapes. 11/20 that all stopped! So did many pothers that post here but you don't attack them!

 

Now look at sailaway specials on "X" & there is shrimp cocktail for $12 a couple a night. Yes that is $168 for 2 weeks as we were quoted.

 

 

Jimbug, I can agree with your points. However, this all started when the "blue light lady" huffed about being entitled to shrimp cocktails and was upset that according to her, Celebrity was charging for it and even was selling "shrimp cocktail packages" based on the length of your cruise.

 

So anyway. Doesn't everyone just love cruising? I leave in one week!