Good news and maybe some not so good news - reflection

[ECCruise]

Suite class certainly. Millennials, I have to disagree. I've seen people saying they're aiming at the millennial market but how many do you see onboard? We're both aged 42 and only ever see a handful of people younger than us.

 

Celebrity marketing and promotional material always shows people considerably younger than those found onboard. So are they being disingenuous? Or is their marketing dept just doing a lousy job of attracting millennials who seem to flock to Royal Caribbean and Carnival~?

That is who they are marketing too, as you said. It's not working, but they keep trying.

 

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[kitty9]

Wow, Kloos. Judgmental much? You have no idea why someone is overweight, but you seem to be judging people based on your preconceived notions on that group. And, you are saying someone is a heavy drinker with absolutely no basis in fact. If I were as judgmental as you, I could assume that you're one of those snowflake Millennials who feel the world, and cruise lines, should revolve around you. But as with all things, it's not fair to paint with that broad a brush.

 

Good for you that you're into health and fitness. Obviously, not everyone is, and maybe age or health issues preclude that. But I will admit that I become quite upset whenever someone comes here lecturing us that overweight people should take the stairs, or whatever. I know my weight is totally based on having to take copious amounts of prednisone, which causes weight gain, so until you walk in my shoes, stop judging.

 

Oh, and BTW, all this from someone who loves cruising, who knows that the staff work their behinds off, and has been on 97 cruises and has been to 104 countries -----not that that means jack shirt.

Edited December 10, 2017 by kitty9

[Mynki]

That is who they are marketing too, as you said. It's not working, but they keep trying.

 

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Currently on Summit. Today and yesterday we were moored next to Anthem of the Seas. The millennials are on there. The age difference when disembarking is quite striking.

 

I'm not convinced their marketing is aimed at those in their thirties. Take a look at the models used in their promotional material. They're older than people in their thirties etc but certainly younger than the people you find on board! It makes no sense to do that because their larger sister line has that market covered.

[cruisead]

Kloos, just remember the old saying: “There but for the grace of God go I”. You never know if either you or your husband will turn into one of those elevator riders that you seem to decry. Even at your young age, one false step or accident could put you in a wheelchair for the rest of your life. You’re very lucky to be healthy and active, but that might not be the case forever.

 

You must consider yourself lucky to have lived in 4 countries and visited many more at such a young age. The only way my husband lived in so many places was because he was military, and not an easy life.

 

But one of your comments puzzles me. How can one not understand a comedian? Jokes are jokes, are they not? We’ve laughed at comedy shows done by older comics as well as comics in their 20’s, with age making no difference. Funny is funny, regardless of age.

[Mynki]

Agree! Other lines must really be really awful if newbies think Celebrity is tops in its class. Probably true, but no longer what it was..Poorly trained staff, cut backs, hawking extras, etc.

 

For us the experience on the ship itself is no longer the highlight of the cruise...Hoping EDGE changes that!

 

Serious question...

 

I've read this forum a lot now and over the last few years I've seen a number of loyal, long term cruisers declare that they've had enough of a particular cruise line they've been using for considerable time for different reasons.

 

Is it possible that the boredom is playing a part? Is it possible that these people (Celebrity cruisers and others) have simply become bored and need a completely different experience before they can happily return to a line?

 

I ask because I see people spending many days at sea and wonder if they're missing out on other types of vacation etc?

 

I have no doubt that standards have slipped on Celebrity, during my comparatively short time on the line I've seen it with my own eyes etc. I dislike what you once called the 'Royalisation' of Celebrity and become annoyed because for just a few dollars more the line could be the cruise line it pretends to be. But I do wonder if some people spend too much of their vacation time on ships. It's a genuine question by the way and absolutely not a criticism of anyone, we're all free to do what we want after all. :)

[nednrom]

I have never been on a Carnival cruise...or used any other line other than Celebrity.I do not need to. This is my 4th Celebrity cruise. I am not a cruiser and this is not my preferred method of travel but when we do cruise; Celebrity suits me and my husband perfectly. Just an FYI. Have a great day!!!!

 

Kloos5 you have cruised 4 times -- some of us who are 50+ have cruised Celebrity and other cruise lines many more times than that...my first cruise was at the age of 2. We notice the inconsistencies and decline in service, food and cost. The OP is pointing those differences which is a different perspective. It doesn't mean we don't like to cruise or have fun on our cruises. If you feel that this conversation is something you don't like, you don't have to comment at all. I guess you have failed to understand this just like you have failed to understand the comedian's jokes and the greatness of some of the 70's and 80's music.

[bEwAbG]

But one of your comments puzzles me. How can one not understand a comedian? Jokes are jokes, are they not? We’ve laughed at comedy shows done by older comics as well as comics in their 20’s, with age making no difference. Funny is funny, regardless of age.

 

Someone that highly strung and outright rude obviously doesn't have a sense of humor. Or only laughs at physical comedy, especially if it involves someone getting hurt. The music comment is odd as well. What is there to not "relate" to? Good music is good music, whether it was written yesterday or hundreds of years ago. I suspect poor taste overall.

 

Is it possible that the boredom is playing a part? Is it possible that these people (Celebrity cruisers and others) have simply become bored and need a completely different experience before they can happily return to a line?

 

Familiarity breeds contempt, as they say. I've seen changes for better and worse. Some people just don't cope well with change. I will say that poor service bothers me more than anything, but it's still a rarity. I just wish they were more consistent across-the-board.

[ghstudio]

Serious question...

 

But I do wonder if some people spend too much of their vacation time on ships. :)

 

Of course the answer is different strokes for different folks. I do think that those who believe that Celebrity is the only ship in the sea are missing out....because each ship/cruise line offers some pluses and minuses. Some, if not many, cruise because you unpack once and don't have to think about what restaurant/hotel/etc you'll visit for your week or so. Some cruise to see parts of the world they would never see otherwise (Antarctic, Galapagos,...). Some just like the peacefulness of doing nothing on a cruise ship on sea days. And so on.

 

We intersperse our cruises with land trips....renting a house/Condo in portugal, spain, france, italy....and we also try different cruise lines when the itinerary works...Princess, Oceania recently....and we've fit in some river cruises. Admittedly, we travel quite a bit...but we don't just cruise and we're not Celebrity Fan Boys....we call em as we see em...as I did in this thread.

 

Some folks aren't comfortable with change....celebrity becomes a very easy vacation....and yes, personally I agree that some folks really should spend some time travelling off a cruise ship....if for no other reason than you can't really see any of the major ports during an 8 hour port stop. If you want to see Paris..go to Paris...London, Florence, Hanoi, Beijing, Boston, Quebec and so on. Believe me, if you've visited those on a cruise ship, you haven't scratched the surface....

[acesneights99]

Lucky You!

 

On Infinity, the Classic Beverage Package now includes soda by the glass, which is perhaps 3 oz of Diet Coke in an 8 oz glass filled with ice. I was told to get soda by the can, you needed to upgrade to Premium.

 

And you can't order more than one glass at a time. So it takes 3 or 4 glasses and trips to the bar to get the equivalent to a can of soda.

 

Plus, without the package you would be charged for 3 or 4 soft drinks. Donald Trump would have to pay about $200 a day for his twelve cans of Diet Coke.

[FlorenceItaly]

Lucky You!

 

On Infinity, the Classic Beverage Package now includes soda by the glass, which is perhaps 3 oz of Diet Coke in an 8 oz glass filled with ice. I was told to get soda by the can, you needed to upgrade to Premium.

 

/quote]

 

WOW, to get a can of diet coke you must have Premium, ridiculous! We were on the Infinity Oct. 24-Nov 8, and friend had a problem getting a can of coke. There was one bar that gave him the can, but, no go, with the other bars. He had the classic package, btw.

[ghstudio]

Most drink related things depend on the ship, the bar, perhaps the phase of the moon...and maybe just on how nice you are to the waiter/bartender. Is kettel one included in the classic package....yes at some bars, no at others. Is a bloody mary included at the elite drink hours...sometimes yes, sometimes no depending on the waiter. Can you bring a bottle of wine/liquor to your room at a port stop....sometimes yes, sometimes no. And so it goes....

 

I didn't ask for a can of diet coke....they just gave it to me. Maybe it was because it was diet coke, maybe it was convenient...or maybe the bartender had tasted the soda coming from the dispenser and realized that it had very little fizz so, having pride in his work, he gave me a can....I don't know....and I only asked for diet coke at one bar.

 

(Note: the part about sodas from the dispenser having very little fizz is accurate....we tried about four different bars on the reflection and none of the soda was drinkable....and that's a problem Celebrity has to fix).

[barbette165]

Lucky You!

 

On Infinity, the Classic Beverage Package now includes soda by the glass, which is perhaps 3 oz of Diet Coke in an 8 oz glass filled with ice. I was told to get soda by the can, you needed to upgrade to Premium.

 

And you can't order more than one glass at a time. So it takes 3 or 4 glasses and trips to the bar to get the equivalent to a can of soda.

Plus, without the package you would be charged for 3 or 4 soft drinks. Donald Trump would have to pay about $200 a day for his twelve cans of Diet Coke.

 

But if you didn't have the drinks package, why would you pay for a small poured drink, when you could pay for the can?

[ChucktownSteve]

But if you didn't have the drinks package, why would you pay for a small poured drink, when you could pay for the can?

 

Why would you allow yourself to be nickel and dimed to death on a modern luxury, upscale cruise line? Then let me take your picture with the pirate and life buoy on the pier. :D It's only $35.

[bEwAbG]

The entire (real) luxury market is an aspirational one built on constant upsells. Stay in a luxury hotel sometime and then report back about nickel and diming.

 

True quote from one place: "You want eggs with breakfast? That's a $10 extra charge." And this at a property in which the room was almost $500/night. You had to pay for WiFi, too, and their "happy hour" prices were $20 per cocktail instead of $25.

[jagoffee]

Lucky You!

 

On Infinity, the Classic Beverage Package now includes soda by the glass, which is perhaps 3 oz of Diet Coke in an 8 oz glass filled with ice. I was told to get soda by the can, you needed to upgrade to Premium.

 

/quote]

 

WOW, to get a can of diet coke you must have Premium, ridiculous! We were on the Infinity Oct. 24-Nov 8, and friend had a problem getting a can of coke. There was one bar that gave him the can, but, no go, with the other bars. He had the classic package, btw.

 

Do not get a Premium package on a Princess ship. Even the Premium Drink Package does not include cans of soda or large bottles of water. After cruising with a Premium package on Princess I feel good about getting cans of soda with a Premium package on Celebrity. Celebrity also has many more choices.

[FlorenceItaly]

 

Do not get a Premium package on a Princess ship. Even the Premium Drink Package does not include cans of soda or large bottles of water. After cruising with a Premium package on Princess I feel good about getting cans of soda with a Premium package on Celebrity. Celebrity also has many more choices.

 

Thank you! I have no intention of purchasing a drink package on my upcoming Princess cruise. We are really going to miss our Celebrity drink package while cruising on Princess next month. We will carry on two bottles of wine, and purchase the cocktails as we go.

[Pstreet12]

With age you gain wisdom and experience. I wish I knew then at her age what I know now.

 

Even better: To actually know as much as one thinks he knows.

[ChucktownSteve]

Even better: To actually know as much as one thinks he knows.

What's that supposed to mean?

[Mynki]

I read the title of this thread and thought there would be something substantive to read especially with the amount written in the post, but it just seems like small issues and gripes that can happen on any cruise. Cereal bowl for a shrimp cocktail? Celebrity has truly gone to the dogs. Oh no. Then it would have been in a dog bowl.

 

Phil

 

Have to say that my current experience onboard Summit is well below those on Millennium, Eclipse and Silhouette.

 

For the first time ever I've witnessed loutish and drunken behaviour. I had a Scottish lady collapse in front of where we were sitting last night, landing on her chin. She'll be feeling that this morning. It quickly became apparent that she was drunk. I've also seen one idiot try and start a fight, something I wouldn't have expected to see on a Celebrity ship. Bar staff be rude and condescending to a customer because they misunderstood his pronunciation of a brand too. But perhaps worst of all, I've been served a bottle of Duval in a Chimay glass.

 

I did of course protest to the bar tender about this travesty but he just shrugged his shoulders and immediately tried to sell me a beer tasting package. Slightly ironic when you think about it..... :D

 

As punishment for this outrageous behaviour I insisted that he revoke the 18 cent gratuity on the $1 upcharge I paid. ;p