TIMES ARE A CHANGIN' WHAT KEEPS YOU COMING BACK?.

[miched]

The only thing that keeps me coming back is the cruises that I have booked.

 

The last cruise we took in Oct was the first time ever that we didn’t purchase a future cruise certificate and in the past we would often purchase 2 or 3.

 

When these cruises are over that will probably be the end.

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[OBX-Cruisers]

In our case we are NOT coming back to Celebrity because of the hefty PPPD increase in cruise prices and the additional daily charge pp.  This year we did a land vacation to Venice, FL and rented a 1800 sq. ft. house with 3 BR and pool for a daily pp cost of $87;50 with cleaning/taxes/fees all included.  We ate great meals at the highest rated restaurants in Venice/Punta Gorda/Sarasota for a heck of a lot less than the difference in a modest $175-$200 pppd cost of a cruise on Celebrity would have been even without including specialty restaurant add ons that we usually did in the past.

Continue doing what you like but a 1800 sq. ft. house with really fast and free internet, >150 TV channels, private pool, pond out back and infinite choice of restaurants and shopping nearby was a better choice for us that going to the same islands againn and leaving the theater with ear blasting "entertainment" againnn

[Spif Barwunkel]

13 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

The prices of their suite product are beginning to scare me away, but it is a good experience.  I love the people who work on Celebrity ships.  Caribbean itineraries are getting same old, same old.

 

Edited December 30, 2019 by Spif Barwunkel

[OBX-Cruisers]

1 hour ago, Spif Barwunkel said:

Lot's of other threads on which to vent the negative, Hank. With so many of them out there -  as they should be in order for everyone to have full disclosure - I am interested in knowing how X keeps it's loyalists and attracts new cruisers despite it's occasional shortcomings. We kind of already know why some X boat folks are considering going elsewhere. Here is an example, hypothetical of course. I find out through my extensive research and numerous sources that Hlitner is going to be a passenger on the same cruise ship as me. Definitely a negative that would not have come to light had my head been in a sand dune. Despite this misfortune, I am not at all deterred from maximizing the good times that are forthcoming. And, where Hlitner may be the crochety old sailing man swabbing the decks with a jaundiced perspective, I will be the good time guy offering him a cool refreshment to ease his troubled brow. Who knows, that might just be what keeps him coming back. 

You DID ask the question "What keeps you coming back"..........If the answer is nothing then that is a reply to the question asked when the reply is not a gripe just a simple and plain fact:  Costs have gotten too high for the product received vs. other choices..............that you apparently don't want to consider since you are apparently already living in FL, a good choice for an alternative to cruising for all us other Northerners.

[miched]

5 minutes ago, OBX-Cruisers said:

In our case we are NOT coming back to Celebrity because of the hefty PPPD increase in cruise prices and the additional daily charge pp.  This year we did a land vacation to Venice, FL and rented a 1800 sq. ft. house with 3 BR and pool for a daily pp cost of $87;50 with cleaning/taxes/fees all included.  We ate great meals at the highest rated restaurants in Venice/Punta Gorda/Sarasota for a heck of a lot less than the difference in a modest $175-$200 pppd cost of a cruise on Celebrity would have been even without including specialty restaurant add ons that we usually did in the past.

Continue doing what you like but a 1800 sq. ft. house with really fast and free internet, >150 TV channels, private pool, pond out back and infinite choice of restaurants and shopping nearby was a better choice for us that going to the same islands againn and leaving the theater with ear blasting "entertainment" againnn

 

We were able to experience about the same due to X shortening  a cruise of the first part of side by side cruises.   We needed to kill some time in between so rented a place.   We found it to be a much better value with all the options, choices, and variety.  
 

We are looking towards doing more of those land type vacations.

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[RummyB]

We've sailed X more than any other line.  When we first started cruising, Celebrity seemed to have the best value for the $$... and the best food.  Now, because we are Elite, and we usually book a cruise through the future cruise desk, its the free perks that keep us coming back.  I've noticed that the amenities for Concierge class have certainly gone down.  I'm really tired of the same food menus from one cruise to the next, and I think the quality of the food has gone done significantly. Even the menus in the specialty restaurants have not changed in YEARS!

 

One of the other reasons we book Celebrity is for the itineraries.  I love at sea days, and, also because we are seniors,  I do not like the port-a-day itineraries that other lines boast.  We have three more X cruises already booked: Feb 2020, May 2020 and April 2021.  Maybe we'll pick our head up out of the X sand after that!

[Spif Barwunkel]

19 minutes ago, OBX-Cruisers said:

You DID ask the question "What keeps you coming back"..........If the answer is nothing then that is a reply to the question asked when the reply is not a gripe just a simple and plain fact:  Costs have gotten too high for the product received vs. other choices..............that you apparently don't want to consider since you are apparently already living in FL, a good choice for an alternative to cruising for all us other Northerners.

Totally agree, but I do not understand your reference.

[hvbaskey]

Loyalty tier keeps us coming back - we’re one cruise away from being Elite Plus  and YES!  we appreciate those tier benefits.  We enjoy our Captains Club breakfast, social happy hour (even if we have a drinks package), discounted internet or the internet minutes (depending on length of trip and itinerary), free laundry, etc.

 

Rising prices?  everywhere.  

Increase in Gratuities? well deserved to staff, everyone needs a cost of living raise.  

Cutbacks?  if it gets enough peoples' knickers in a knot, then miraculously they come back (eg., free movies, removal of surcharge on beverage perk).  If not enough feedback to Celebrity, then it wasn’t worth being kept to the majority of cruisers.

We’re happy and sticking around.   There are itineraries and categories out of our $ reach, but we are very happy with what is within our reach.

Edited December 30, 2019 by hvbaskey

[Ken the cruiser]

57 minutes ago, Spif Barwunkel said:

Lot's of other threads on which to vent the negative, Hank. With so many of them out there -  as they should be in order for everyone to have full disclosure - I am interested in knowing how X keeps it's loyalists and attracts new cruisers despite it's occasional shortcomings. We kind of already know why some X boat folks are considering going elsewhere. Here is an example, hypothetical of course. I find out through my extensive research and numerous sources that Hlitner is going to be a passenger on the same cruise ship as me. Definitely a negative that would not have come to light had my head been in a sand dune. Despite this misfortune, I am not at all deterred from maximizing the good times that are forthcoming. And, where Hlitner may be the crochety old sailing man swabbing the decks with a jaundiced perspective, I will be the good time guy offering him a cool refreshment to ease his troubled brow. Who knows, that might just be what keeps him coming back. 

With that in mind, one nice thing about sailing on a ship with 2-3,000 guests is that we can get lost in the crowd and not have to worry about continually running into someone whose personality as proven in the past to be somewhat annoying. On smaller ships under 1,000 guests or so, that may not be so easy to do, especially if they are the A type personality that enjoys saying hi and chatting with everyone they've met because social interaction is one of the main reasons THEY like to cruise.

 

Another perk is that X usually has a variety of assistant CDs onboard which translates into multiple things to do on sea days. On smaller ships where there is only one assistant CD, their sea day activities can be somewhat limited. For us, even though we are in our mid 60s and pretty much retired, we relax enough at home. If we're going to pay $300+ pp/day for a cruise, we want to be wowed and X does that for us, especially on their transoceanic cruises where there are a lot of sea days.

 

We also like to laugh and love the 20 minute interactive game shows between the evening production shows as well as those comedy-related presentations provided in Celebrity Central. And speaking of shows, we like it that X still has production shows, quality guest entertainers and play music from the 60s and 70s on. But we also like our quiet time with access from our cabin to their quality internet service whereas some of the other lines we used to sail with have fallen well short of the mark. Simply put, as long as X continues to exceed our expectations, we will continue to sail with them.

[dani negreanu]

We like X -- the food, which is important to us, and the service. The entertainment is not so important to us, but I admit that on RC is way better. We take a cruise a year, in a good year -- may be two.

For us cruising involves long and expensive flights, so we choose carefully.

We don't drink, but enjoy the other "perks", including the free category upgrade.

 

[Cruise Junky]

I like Celebrity, they're a good fit and we like their ships, but I also remember feeling that way about Princess.  I have no loyalty to any cruise line and would absolutely shop around and try something new.  A couple of people have mentioned Celebrity's fabulous itineraries... I don't see them that way. After numerous trips to Europe, by land and sea, I want to see different places, smaller ports that Celebrity just can't get into.  Right now we're going through a land trip phase renting villas or 5 star hotels.  I'm sure every now and again we'll feel like a cruise, but it might not be on Celebrity.

[ScubesDad]

I like this topic.  It gives us a reason to evaluate why we make certain choices without emphasizing the negative.

 

It is my belief that people cruise for one of two reasons; 1) travel and new experiences, and 2) vacation get away. In some cases both come into play; however, in our family it is clearly one or the other.  I have to declare that we are Celebrity loyalists, first cruise was in 2001 and we are firmly ensconced as Elite +, with no aspirations of achieving Zenith and any expectations of getting there either.  Never sailed with another cruise line, as we had no need to look elsewhere. Our first few years of cruising was one vacation getaway each winter to a warm climate. A Caribbean cruise filled the need and that was it.  We generally take three trips per year, one of which was a cruise, and one  generally to visit family and explore our own backyard/country, and the other to broaden our horizons and explore new places.  When we retired we found we were doing two cruises per year to travel and broaden our horizons and one other small trip...but who needs a vacation once you retire.

 

Celebrity has always exceeded our expectations and we have not been disappointed with their product.....until recently. The disappointment comes from corporate in some of the changes and crazy stuff they do particularly around chartering of ships once we have booked a cruise, and some of the tinkering with the product.   However, all the shortcomings of corporate are more than compensated by the excellent customer service received once we are onboard. I am not naive enough to believe that some of this stuff only happens on Celebrity; we have friends and family who have sailed X and also other lines and the majority of the issues are industry wide.

 

I guess the primary reason we continue to return is the consistency of the onboard product.  Yes sometimes things go wrong when we are on the ship, and the measure of excellence is how fast and how well the situation is resolved.  Of course we have had issues, and we have always reached a satisfactory resolution.

 

For the past several years we have sailed twice per year and incorporated a land trip of our own at each end of the cruise resulting in a four week trip.  Starting in 2020 we will be doing one cruise for the next few years which are more recreational focused, because we feel we can do a much better job planning our own land based trip to provide the intensive experience we are looking for, and at a significantly lower cost. Several factors have influenced us, significant increase in cruise pricing, lack of appealing itineraries going to places we want to see, some of the recent changes made onboard to dining and amenity options, and to a certain extent our focus on what we want to achieve has changed.

 

When we become dissatisfied with the value proposition, service and product then we will slip quietly away and pursue other options.  In the meantime Celebrity will continue to be our first choice.

[rimmit]

6 hours ago, OBX-Cruisers said:

In our case we are NOT coming back to Celebrity because of the hefty PPPD increase in cruise prices and the additional daily charge pp.  This year we did a land vacation to Venice, FL and rented a 1800 sq. ft. house with 3 BR and pool for a daily pp cost of $87;50 with cleaning/taxes/fees all included.  We ate great meals at the highest rated restaurants in Venice/Punta Gorda/Sarasota for a heck of a lot less than the difference in a modest $175-$200 pppd cost of a cruise on Celebrity would have been even without including specialty restaurant add ons that we usually did in the past.

Continue doing what you like but a 1800 sq. ft. house with really fast and free internet, >150 TV channels, private pool, pond out back and infinite choice of restaurants and shopping nearby was a better choice for us that going to the same islands againn and leaving the theater with ear blasting "entertainment" againnn

we also definitely have found much better value on land vacations and at all inclusive resorts.   Ultimately though, I don’t like being in the same place for a week or two straight no matter how nice the accommodations and local attractions.   For that reason we still cruise.

 

In response to the OP, we come back for the value.  While not as great of a value as some luxury all inclusive resorts we have been to or getting an Airbnb in some beautiful home, it ultimately is a moving hotel that has food and accommodations and entertainment provided.   

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

17 hours ago, chemmo said:

When we first cruised Celebrity the Suite benefits were very limited (bigger room and a butler). The introduction of the very sweet suite life caught us! The suite life is now getting sweeter with the addition  of the suite deck....

 

You're lucky you were able to access it.  I couldn't on Equinox.  No elevator.  I don't do stairs.

 

I too took my first cruise in a suite on Celebrity when you got a butler and a larger room.  Period.  And 3 points.  We also got a free sewer smell on that cruise on our balcony.  In a royal suite.  Took us three days of complaining to the HD to get them to stop doing whatever they were doing that was causing the smell.  He didn't seem to think it was important to spend time on our balcony on a TA.  Really?  It was an interesting cruise.  First cruise of a B2B2B.  Luckily the next 2 were fabulous, or I probably would not have returned to Celebrity. 

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

7 hours ago, OBX-Cruisers said:

In our case we are NOT coming back to Celebrity because of the hefty PPPD increase in cruise prices and the additional daily charge pp.  This year we did a land vacation to Venice, FL and rented a 1800 sq. ft. house with 3 BR and pool for a daily pp cost of $87;50 with cleaning/taxes/fees all included.  We ate great meals at the highest rated restaurants in Venice/Punta Gorda/Sarasota for a heck of a lot less than the difference in a modest $175-$200 pppd cost of a cruise on Celebrity would have been even without including specialty restaurant add ons that we usually did in the past.

Continue doing what you like but a 1800 sq. ft. house with really fast and free internet, >150 TV channels, private pool, pond out back and infinite choice of restaurants and shopping nearby was a better choice for us that going to the same islands againn and leaving the theater with ear blasting "entertainment" againnn

 

I agree, good choice for you, but I already live in Florida, just down the coast from Venice, so not a good choice for me.  😀

[hcat]

7 hours ago, OBX-Cruisers said:

In our case we are NOT coming back to Celebrity because of the hefty PPPD increase in cruise prices and the additional daily charge pp.  This year we did a land vacation to Venice, FL and rented a 1800 sq. ft. house with 3 BR and pool for a daily pp cost of $87;50 with cleaning/taxes/fees all included.  We ate great meals at the highest rated restaurants in Venice/Punta Gorda/Sarasota for a heck of a lot less than the difference in a modest $175-$200 pppd cost of a cruise on Celebrity would have been even without including specialty restaurant add ons that we usually did in the past.

Continue doing what you like but a 1800 sq. ft. house with really fast and free internet, >150 TV channels, private pool, pond out back and infinite choice of restaurants and shopping nearby was a better choice for us that going to the same islands againn and leaving the theater with ear blasting "entertainment" againnn

Guess we  are lucky to have the best of all  worlds,.. a lovely vacation home in Venice  Fl, in a beautiful  resort community.    Keeps us out of the cold!    But we  also enjoy two or three cruises each year  if we can.  X has its downsides but overall it   is a good fit for us, esp EDGE...new and exciting! 

Edited December 30, 2019 by hcat

[DaKahuna]

What keeps us coming back is the quality of service from the Celebrity staff and crew as well as the food. 

 

However, it is becoming harder and harder for us to the justify the cost of Celebrity over Royal Caribbean main line cruises.  We like a room that is comfortable and offers us elbow room. So on RCCL we only sail in Junior or Grand Suites.  Although Celeberity’s amenities in Aqua or Concierage class are sufficient for our needs, the small size of the rooms (all veranda’s are the same size but prices really vary), does not appeal to us at all so a Sky Suite is the room we always book now.   

 

We like to cruise and given the option of one cruise on Celebrity or two on another line for a near identical itinerary and cost, Celebrity is becoming less attractive despite how much we enjoy cruising on Celebrity. 

[JSR]

We keep coming back because we like Celebrity's wheelchair accessibility (I am a paraplegic), ship design, and cabins. We also feel comfortable and do not have a learning curve of getting around which is handy in a short cruise. The can due attitude exhibited by RCI has impressed me since my first RCCL cruise in 1999. RCI has always gone out of its way to make my cruise experience easy even back in the day when I was carried down a flight of stairs to a tender. Now it is seamless with lifts, ramps, other cruise lines response to tendering when you can not walk or stand is: stay on board. Now that I am older, our DD grown, we are experimenting with other lines for itinerary reasons but our go to is Celebrity when we can. 

[Straughn]

My late DH and I started our cruising life on Royal. With their  acquisition of Celebrity, and based on advice from a family member in the cruise industry, we gave them a try. For a few years, until DH’s death, we alternated between the two lines. We were always in a Grand Suite or Royal suite, at a minimum. After DH’s death, I continued to sail with Celebrity, generally in a Sky Suite. Celebrity’s prices have increased to the point where I now, as a solo, book Aqua class. I am paying for Aqua, what I was paying for an SS two years ago. 
 

With that background, why do I continue to sail Celebrity? Here is why. The service is outstanding. I am D+, thanks to all those suite sailings. I am treated beautifully by the various staff that I interact with routinely. Never had a bad cabin steward and/or butler, waiter, or sommelier (he/ she has the potential to make or break my dining experience).  The host/hostess/ Dining Room Manger in Blu or Luminae makes sure I have a good table. When in a suite, the MC/Retreat concierge takes very good care of me. I feel safe and appreciated.

 

Now, having said all this, if Celebrity’s prices continue to increase to the point where I can not afford Aqua, I will start to look elsewhere. 

[Quo Vadis?]

19 hours ago, Hlitner said:

I do love the OP's attitude.  We only want to hear good and positive things.  Nothing negative, no comparisons and most of all no truth!   Sounds a little like putting one's head in the sand dune.

 

Hank

" You Want the Truth, You Can’t Handle the Truth " 😁

[Quo Vadis?]

1 hour ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

I agree, good choice for you, but I already live in Florida, just down the coast from Venice, so not a good choice for me.  😀

Can we rent your residence while you cruise?

[cruznjan]

We love cruising. We have sailed with other lines, but Celebrity is our favorite.

[Hlitner]

We see lots of the same kinds of answers, defensiveness, excuses, defending the cruise line, etc etc.  I want to express my feelings in a different way, not to be totally negative.  DW and I have really enjoyed Celebrity for many years and it was our favorite  cruise line from the moment we cruised on our first Solstice-class ship.  All things being the same we would still be cruising on Celebrity at least 100 days a year!  But all things are not the same and we are not happy about it!  We want Celebrity to be a product similar to what we loved about the line.  But since LLP took over she has changed the line (we assume that was her intent) in a way that does not suit us.  Ironically we saw the same kind of thing at RCI (used to be RCCL) which was our favorite line for many years.  When RCI changed we started avoiding the line.  We have cruised on that line for over 8 years and will likely never book a cruise on RCI in the future.  Understand that we were Diamond decades ago, our DD was Diamond by age 15, and all that good stuff.  Now, we have little interest in that company.  

 

LLP seems hell bent on doing the same thing to Celebrity as they did to RCI (where she used to work).  Perhaps she will improve profits, but the changes in X are not to our taste.  Prices have increased (in a big way) and quality has generally declined.  Many of the small touches that used to make Celebrity very special are gone.  What was once amazing cuisine in the MDR has been replaced by typical mass market cruise cuisine.  Service at the bars has eroded as drink packages have increased.  Itineraries have become stale (a problem on some other lines).  We do miss cruising on Celebrity on a regular basis.  Next year we have already booked over 80 days of cruises and there is not a single day on X!   I would love to be back on a Solstice Class ship doing a 30 day cruise from Tokyo to Vancouver (or Seattle)!  But Celebrity does not offer that option or anything even close.  And even if they did have such a cruise I suspect it would cost more (for a decent cabin) then Seabourn!

 

Being a realist I realize the Celebrity we used to know (and love) is gone!   It is now RCI Lite!  Sure, it is supposed to be more upscale then RCI, but at least RCI has some terrific entertainment.  LLP has managed to degrade Celebrity cuisine and entertainment while at the same time increasing prices (in a big way).   As a stockholder we do appreciate her attempts to give us a good return on investment.  As a very active cruiser we will have to leave it to others to play her game as we generally book other lines.  It truly shocked me that both DW and myself found ourselves enjoying MSC's Yacht Club more then Celebrity!  I never thought that day would happen.

 

Hank

[NMTraveller]

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

Being a realist I realize the Celebrity we used to know (and love) is gone!   It is now RCI Lite!  

This is exactly how we felt on the Edge...  I view the new builds as RCL transition ships built to generate more shareholder profits and less cruiser experience.

 

I would have preferred a Crystal Lite experience and not RCL lite.

Edited December 31, 2019 by NMTraveller

[Hlitner]

3 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

This is exactly how we felt on the Edge...  I view the new builds as RCL transition ships.

My issue with the Edge is the regression of Infinity cabins.  Lets face it, we are talking about a basic outside cabin, being sold at veranda prices, without a real veranda.  How much extra should folks pay for a window that opens?  If and when we cruise on an Edge Class ship it would only be in a true veranda cabin or perhaps a suite (with a real veranda).  We are not fans of Outside cabins...even if that window does open.  And then there is the chance that Celebrity will decide we should not be able to open our window, they will push a button, and our window will be sealed?  Wow!

 

Hank