Is Celebrity shooting itself in the foot?

[Stateroom_Sailor]

We've decided to vote with our dollars and cancel our 2020 cruise on Eclipse, 2021 cruise on Solstice, totaling 34 days.   When Lisa Lutoff-Perlo is gone, we'll be back.  Her girl power politics of hiring only female shop owners and decor designers, would never fly if the genders were reversed.  Imagine:

 

"Why This Billion-Dollar Cruise Ship Is The Ultimate Ship For Men"

"Men are the future, they are very modern luxury, they are brands that are up-and-coming"

 

Now if there weren't these increasing sewage smells, Magic Carpet out of order, shops out of touch, IV and lounge access design flaws, it might seem more flattering.  Lisa's ego is at the helm, and you're all along for the ride.

 

Edited February 9, 2019 by Stateroom_Sailor

[boscobeans]

On ‎2‎/‎9‎/‎2019 at 10:45 AM, Stateroom_Sailor said:

We've decided to vote with our dollars and cancel our 2020 cruise on Eclipse, 2021 cruise on Solstice, totaling 34 days.   When Lisa Lutoff-Perlo is gone, we'll be back.  Her girl power politics of hiring only female shop owners and decor designers, would never fly if the genders were reversed.  Imagine:

 

"Why This Billion-Dollar Cruise Ship Is The Ultimate Ship For Men"

"Men are the future, they are very modern luxury, they are brands that are up-and-coming"

 

Now if there weren't these increasing sewage smells, Magic Carpet out of order, shops out of touch, IV and lounge access design flaws, it might seem more flattering.  Lisa's ego is at the helm, and you're all along for the ride.

 

 

The pretentious become the contemptuous when they refuse to see that their decisions and ideas may have to change but refuse to accept that fact.

 

Will the next ship and those that follow show any understanding or attention to the vast number of observations and experiences of those who have sailed on the Edge, be they positive or negative?

 

As an enthusiastic and loyal Celebrity cruiser since 2001 I hope so, however only time will tell.

 

As many have stated there are alternatives, and my wife and I are but two drops in the bucket of those who decide on what cruise ship and cruise line that is chosen.

[deliver42]

We're booked on the Equinox for Dec, 2019, and are very happy with our Concierge cabin. Have constantly looked at the edge for an SV, and the prices continue to be ridiculous. If we like the Equinox enough, and the Edge or Apex come down to reality, then we'll probably stick with . Otherwise , there are many other choices. Celebrity will eliminate themselves from competition due to the fact that there will be no more 7 day cruises out of Fl. when the Apex comes out, other than the Edge or the Apex. Can't, or won't afford either at these prices. Back to Royal, or HAL on the Nieuw Statendam for half price.

[Donut23]

On 2/2/2019 at 1:48 PM, Diver2014 said:

How can you say Celebrity is 'shooting itself in the foot' without ever setting foot on the Edge?   Looking at photos and reading other people's opinions should not sway your opinion.  I think Celebrity knows exactly what they are doing and 'suite' folks like yourself are complaining about something you have not experienced.

 

 

They totally blew it with the Quantum/Anthem of the Seas 

 

i remember Cruise Critic reviews on fire for months.  No Main dining room for a beginning.  They sent the Oasis into the shipyard and she was changed to follow the Quantum/Anthem with Allure to follow. It was only high outrage that kept construction to 2 ships and saved the Allure from the changes in her scheduled trip to the yard.

 

we had considered Anthem but luckily we found the cute little Summit to Bermuda to save the day.

[BOLOCRUISE]

My wife and I only cruise on Celebrity and although we love both S Class and M Class ships, we prefer the layout and flow of the M Class best.  In addition, the old school styling of M Class we favor.  However, the photos of the changes on Millennium I have seen look pretty amazing.  The MDR color pallet looks beautiful, with touches of brown, grey and champagne. The MDR looks elegant , classic and contemporary combined.  The lounges still have the classic feel, but are more light in color and are very classy.  The  cabins  have wonderful new color schemes and added storage.  The pools are updated with vibrant colors.

 

Personally I can't wait for our cruises on the "Edgified" M Class ships.  

Edited February 25, 2019 by BOLOCRUISE

[BOLOCRUISE]

On 2/9/2019 at 8:45 AM, Stateroom_Sailor said:

We've decided to vote with our dollars and cancel our 2020 cruise on Eclipse, 2021 cruise on Solstice, totaling 34 days.   When Lisa Lutoff-Perlo is gone, we'll be back.  Her girl power politics of hiring only female shop owners and decor designers, would never fly if the genders were reversed.  Imagine:

 

"Why This Billion-Dollar Cruise Ship Is The Ultimate Ship For Men"

"Men are the future, they are very modern luxury, they are brands that are up-and-coming"

 

Now if there weren't these increasing sewage smells, Magic Carpet out of order, shops out of touch, IV and lounge access design flaws, it might seem more flattering.  Lisa's ego is at the helm, and you're all along for the ride.

 

Why did you cancel Eclipse and Solstice? You may not like Lisa, but the ships are gorgeous and the cruises are fantastic.  What changed in quality that made you cancel, aside from despising Lisa?

[BOLOCRUISE]

On 2/6/2019 at 5:53 AM, waterbug123 said:

 

A year or two ago we looked at doing a 7 night Caribbean on Celebrity during the summer and there was little to nothing available.  Most of their ships were in Europe or Alaska for the summer; they focused their Caribbean itineraries on the winter months.  They don't have as many ships as Royal or Carnival, and even with more ships, no cruise line can offer every itinerary on every date that someone might want, let alone offer it on every ship class.  They make decisions based on where their market research says they can be most profitable overall.    If it is true that once Apex is out, X will NEVER offer 7 night Caribbean cruises (that's a big IF) one of two things will happen:  Either they'll find that the itineraries they are offering are quite profitable and nothing will change, or they'll determine that adjusting itineraries to offer a 7 day Carib will be better than some other itinerary they're doing and they'll make the change.  Whatever they do, they will never please everyone, just as they don't currently.   But pleasing  everyone isn't their goal.  😉

Personally, IMHO, 7 day cruises are a waste of money.  10 is our minimum and we prefer 13 days and up.  More bang for your buck per day on the cruise price, as well as spreading the flight costs over more days.  I agree with your reply regarding summer.  Celebrity avoids the Caribbean in summer, as it should for a number of reason, some of which you described.

[MightyMike]

On 2/2/2019 at 12:58 PM, Airspeed said:

This reminds me of the CueCat, that innovative bar code scanner that ended up being on or IT's worst marketing disasters. The difference: It was free. The Edge is not. In fact,she carries a premium.

 

For me it feels like New Coke. Coca Cola tried something new and went a little too far. They learned. They adjusted. They ended up with more market share than before.

 

It all depends on how Celebrity handles it from here. They still might blow it. Who knows. But I applaud them for trying some new stuff. 

[deliver42]

How I found out about what ships will be doing 7 day Caribbeans. It's on Celebrity's website when you do a mock booking. They are the only ships available. I didn't just make this up.

[hcat]

Not sure I see such a chasm as that being debated here...

 

EDGE was a bit different in style, structure and some of its programming,  but really is not a  radical departure from the X brand or the gen cruise formula of similar brands. 

 

I think Flora and the new Galapagos ships are the real cutting edge ships!  Would love to try it if prices come down..and would  love to see them do some small Carib Islands..

 

We enjoy every cruise  we take to the best of our ability!

 

 

[Stateroom_Sailor]

9 hours ago, BOLOCRUISE said:

Why did you cancel Eclipse and Solstice? You may not like Lisa, but the ships are gorgeous and the cruises are fantastic.  What changed in quality that made you cancel, aside from despising Lisa?

 

I do not support companies that bolster any race, sex, or orientation over another, irregardless of what is trendy.  This kind of pride and overzealousness will lead to foolhardy mistakes.  That, I prefer to watch from a distance.

[ipeeinthepool]

Celebrity has not only shot itself in the foot with the Edge and Apex, but they keep reloading and shooting again with these ridiculous high prices and shorter itineraries.

[ipeeinthepool]

On 2/9/2019 at 10:45 AM, Stateroom_Sailor said:

Her girl power politics of hiring only female shop owners and décor designers, would never fly if the genders were reversed.  Imagine:

 

"Why This Billion-Dollar Cruise Ship Is The Ultimate Ship For Men"

"Men are the future, they are very modern luxury, they are brands that are up-and-coming"...

 

 

 

I agree 100%   Somehow the PC police miss these kind of issues.  Unfortunately for Celebrity, the choice of designers without any ship experience and the lack of any adult supervision on the new ship designs will cost Celebrity dearly.  As people discover that the IV balconies are really not balconies and other new features are non functional, the cruise fares on these ships will drop dramatically. 

[Stateroom_Sailor]

4 minutes ago, ipeeinthepool said:

 

 

I agree 100%   Somehow the PC police miss these kind of issues.  Unfortunately for Celebrity, the choice of designers without any ship experience and the lack of any adult supervision on the new ship designs will cost Celebrity dearly.  As people discover that the IV balconies are really not balconies and other new features are non functional, the cruise fares on these ships will drop dramatically. 

 

In November, I was unaware of LLP's sexist statements, and had no anticipation of any functional problems with Edge.  Had she chosen people, designs, and concepts based solely on a passion for travel, rather than some form of supremacy, decisions would have been more carefully executed.

[hcat]

Maybe these ships will work better in colder areas..although the large outdoor spaces may not  work well there

 

. Edge has it issues but  also has some  high points like the thermal suites and  spa areas, Solarium, EDEN without the show, food quality, some of the shows, music on board including the Celeb band, excellent photography program,  tech 

 

Can't wait to see how things change by the time we return in November. Diff stores, new shows, prograns...adjustments for wind, need for shade,  Diff furniture??????

 

After EDGE we plan to  re visit M and S Class ...should keep us busy for awhile!

 

 

 

[iSailor]

1 hour ago, ipeeinthepool said:

 

 

I agree 100%   Somehow the PC police miss these kind of issues.  Unfortunately for Celebrity, the choice of designers without any ship experience and the lack of any adult supervision on the new ship designs will cost Celebrity dearly.  As people discover that the IV balconies are really not balconies and other new features are non functional, the cruise fares on these ships will drop dramatically. 

I agree with you 100% on the IV balconies.To me they just lookalike CV cabins.

Why should I pay so much more for IV if I can get OV much much cheaper.

No brainer.

[TeeRick]

16 hours ago, Donut23 said:

 

 

They totally blew it with the Quantum/Anthem of the Seas 

 

i remember Cruise Critic reviews on fire for months.  No Main dining room for a beginning.  They sent the Oasis into the shipyard and she was changed to follow the Quantum/Anthem with Allure to follow. It was only high outrage that kept construction to 2 ships and saved the Allure from the changes in her scheduled trip to the yard.

 

we had considered Anthem but luckily we found the cute little Summit to Bermuda to save the day.

Totally blew it? Actually Anthem is quite popular and is a beautiful ship.  Maybe you might give it a try - you just might like it.  The changes you are referring to centered around the concept of Dynamic Dining.  It was abandoned after a few months based on customer feedback.  They listened.  There were no physical changes made to Oasis and DD was never initiated on that ship.  Summit is a very nice ship and I look forward to Summit post renovations.

[boscobeans]

59 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

Totally blew it? Actually Anthem is quite popular and is a beautiful ship.  Maybe you might give it a try - you just might like it.  The changes you are referring to centered around the concept of Dynamic Dining.  It was abandoned after a few months based on customer feedback.  They listened.  There were no physical changes made to Oasis and DD was never initiated on that ship.  Summit is a very nice ship and I look forward to Summit post renovations.

 

The key sentence in your post is, "They listened."

 

Will the same people that went ahead and built the Anthem with the DD features and all the same negatives of the Quantum listen?  Another billion dollar plus ship without actual verandas makes me think they might be making the same mistake as they did with DD on the Anthem, only correcting this will not be as simple as just changing menus.

 

Yes the Anthem is a very nice ship even with one of the smallest bathrooms we have ever had (LOL).  After 12 nights on her recently I can say the Grande restaurant was everything I imagined it to be when I went ahead and booked one of the First sailings of the Quantum.  I decided to cancel it once the DD was first explained and set into motion and they were enentually forced to listen the negatives of the passengers and the staff.. 

 

And yes. The Summit is, as are the others in her class very nice ships.

Edited February 25, 2019 by boscobeans

[Oville]

On 2/9/2019 at 10:45 AM, Stateroom_Sailor said:

When Lisa Lutoff-Perlo is gone, we'll be back.  Her girl power politics of hiring only female shop owners and decor designers, would never fly if the genders were reversed. 

 

https://www.celebritycruises.com/edge/design/

[Stateroom_Sailor]

1 hour ago, Oville said:

https://www.celebritycruises.com/edge/design/

 

Would you be ok with open sexism, if a male CEO forgot to mention a female hire, in his press briefings?  I could show you a link proving there was more to the story, and he would be resolved?

 

Let's not set the bar lower for Lisa Lutoff-Perlo.

 

[Big_G]

On 2/4/2019 at 10:31 AM, bajathree said:

 

Stateroom sailor is correct. Quantum was a disaster in its introduction and there are still signs on some Oasis class ships where they started to Quantum'ize the ships but stopped due to all the horrible reviews from Quantum. They also spent a fortune ripping apart lounges on the brand new Quantum and converting them to casino space before moving the ship over to the Asia market. I doubt that was part of the original plan for a spanking brand new ship just built. The Quantum'izing program on the Royal side was a disaster.

 

I'm not sure where you're getting your information from but Anthem is still sailing at a premium which indicates it's not such a flop. Those ships were built for cold weather cruising and the Asian markets.

[Airspeed]

19 hours ago, BOLOCRUISE said:

My wife and I only cruise on Celebrity and although we love both S Class and M Class ships, we prefer the layout and flow of the M Class best.  In addition, the old school styling of M Class we favor.  However, the photos of the changes on Millennium I have seen look pretty amazing.  The MDR color pallet looks beautiful, with touches of brown, grey and champagne. The MDR looks elegant , classic and contemporary combined.  The lounges still have the classic feel, but are more light in color and are very classy.  The  cabins  have wonderful new color schemes and added storage.  The pools are updated with vibrant colors.

 

Personally I can't wait for our cruises on the "Edgified" M Class ships.  

I think the Summit is a really great ship, though a bit aging. The M class ships could use some refurbishment. But don't throw the baby out with the bathwater!

 

Here are some of the things that I really like about the Penthouse suite (I don't want any class warfare replies to my mentioning this): True parquet wood flooring, old European style, not bling. Fantastic bathrooms. A decent good piano. The suite feels like a home away from home. The Edge may be classy in its own right, but it will lose that warm touch. This is what really attracts me to the Millennium class, a makes these suites such an outstanding product. One of the best on the seas.
 

Some people on this discussion thread accuse people of my opinion to be old-fashioned and afraid of change. That is not the case, though. I am not afraid of improvement and change, as long as the change really is an improvement. I am not sure change always is...

[Ma Bell]

37 minutes ago, Airspeed said:

I think the Summit is a really great ship, though a bit aging. The M class ships could use some refurbishment. But don't throw the baby out with the bathwater!

 

Here are some of the things that I really like about the Penthouse suite (I don't want any class warfare replies to my mentioning this): True parquet wood flooring, old European style, not bling. Fantastic bathrooms. A decent good piano. The suite feels like a home away from home. The Edge may be classy in its own right, but it will lose that warm touch. This is what really attracts me to the Millennium class, a makes these suites such an outstanding product. One of the best on the seas.
 

Some people on this discussion thread accuse people of my opinion to be old-fashioned and afraid of change. That is not the case, though. I am not afraid of improvement and change, as long as the change really is an improvement. I am not sure change always is...

 

It always makes me laugh when people say older people are "afraid of change" since they are the ones who have experienced a lot of change and survived. Maybe when some of the "whippersnappers" are old they will have enough experience to figure that out.

Edited February 25, 2019 by Ma Bell

[Airspeed]

1 hour ago, Ma Bell said:

It always makes me laugh when people say older people are "afraid of change" since they are the ones who have experienced a lot of change and survived. Maybe when some of the "whippersnappers" are old they will have enough experience to figure that out.

Good point!

[alwaysonaship]

Look at Crystal. You probably won’t spend much more money