Crew to passenger ratios, waiting times in MDR, the struggles from a month or two ago.. how's it going?

[Lunesse]

My parents, my son and my husband and I set to cruise in July on the Equinox. 

 

My parents backed out due to major surgery for one of them, and recovery time, plus the stories here about waiting super long times for meals, scarce staff due to quarantine, quality of service due to some staff perhaps being moved to the newer ships, people arriving on Visas and then not showing up, etc. 

 

As we get closer to cruise time, my parents will have to decide if they want to jump back in. They are in their 80s. 

This was to be their last cruise ever, perhaps,  so it is important to them that it go as smoothly as possible for the best memories with family afterwards, with the complete understanding that times are ... well. .. *gesticulates wildly in the air* 

 

Have things improved, do you think? Have those of you who have sailed recently encountered the service issues, and bumpy rides that were a topic in May or April? No one expects perfection, but I appreciate that at the end of a lifetime of travel, for them, navigating is one thing, waiting 90 minutes in the MDR to get dinner is another. 

 

We know things are not normal. Totally get that. We know Covid is a possibility, and that will factor, too. But they want their last one to be really special, and might defer to next year if not, but it would be harder to get everything aligned again. Thanks for any insights to help them decide when it comes to feeling like understaffing, or people learning the ropes, or anything service related that felt a little wild or not managed, per previous posts. Thank you! If you have Retreat experience, insight there on the general state of things would be great to hear as well. 

[the penguins]

57 minutes ago, Lunesse said:

My parents, my son and my husband and I set to cruise in July on the Equinox. 

 

My parents backed out due to major surgery for one of them, and recovery time, plus the stories here about waiting super long times for meals, scarce staff due to quarantine, quality of service due to some staff perhaps being moved to the newer ships, people arriving on Visas and then not showing up, etc. 

 

As we get closer to cruise time, my parents will have to decide if they want to jump back in. They are in their 80s. 

This was to be their last cruise ever, perhaps,  so it is important to them that it go as smoothly as possible for the best memories with family afterwards, with the complete understanding that times are ... well. .. *gesticulates wildly in the air* 

 

Have things improved, do you think? Have those of you who have sailed recently encountered the service issues, and bumpy rides that were a topic in May or April? No one expects perfection, but I appreciate that at the end of a lifetime of travel, for them, navigating is one thing, waiting 90 minutes in the MDR to get dinner is another. 

 

We know things are not normal. Totally get that. We know Covid is a possibility, and that will factor, too. But they want their last one to be really special, and might defer to next year if not, but it would be harder to get everything aligned again. Thanks for any insights to help them decide when it comes to feeling like understaffing, or people learning the ropes, or anything service related that felt a little wild or not managed, per previous posts. Thank you! If you have Retreat experience, insight there on the general state of things would be great to hear as well. 

We have cruised 4 times during Covid all on Silhouette the last 2 in May. We have experienced none of the issues you describe. For MDR I would recommend choosing Select and prebooking every night for your preferred time. Passenger to Crew ratios are often way above the usual on our last cruise 1100 passengers and 1200 crew. 

[39august]

We cruised on Equinox in May and saw none of what you describe. Granted, we did not dine in the MDR so can't speak to that. 

[Silkroad]

We were on Equinox in April. We were in an Aqua Cabin so we dined in Blu (very good to excellent) much of the time. We also had one meal in Murano (excellent). We had lunch in the OVC and Sushi on 5 (good to very good). There were some supply issues but they certainly didn’t ruin our cruise. We did notice staffing issues especially midway through the cruise (12 nights) because of Covid cases. We never waited a long time for meals or beverages, though we deliberately avoided the busiest times in the OVC. We did not dine in the MDR or Luminae, but we met several people who were very happy with Luminae. Though we encountered a few little bumps, we are capable of a little flexibility so had a very enjoyable cruise. I must say that despite some shortages, the crew was wonderful as always. 

I have a dad and MIL who are in their 80s and I would say don’t wait until next year if you can manage it this year. I’m confident that should you discuss any requests or issues with the Maître d’, they will do their utmost to help you make your parents’ cruise special.

 

Edited June 9, 2022 by Silkroad

[Arizona Wildcat]

In sorting through a bunch of roll calls ships recently are sailing anywhere from 50 to 90% full.  Crew staffing  if obviously slightly short, but what I think the OP is referring to are a couple situations where a large number of staff from various areas came down with covid.  In one case it was many theatre performers.  In other several wait staff.  

Really simple if you lose 10 waiters then service in the MDR will be very slow.  The issue is impossible to predict ahead of time just like the cancellation of thousands of airline flights.

With processing of crew visas taking weeks instead of months and the number of covid cases on the rose again; one needs to be flexible as none of us knows exactly what will happen on board.  Same way you could test positive and be denied boarding or be quarantined on board.

If my parents were in their 80s, unless they could drive to and from the ship; I would not have them on a cruise now.

[Silkroad]

@Arizona WildcatI’ve seen all the posts about staffing issues and Covid. Celebrity will continue to increase passenger load in order to remain solvent. Covid cases will continue to rise and fall. This is our current travel reality. I would give my loved ones who are in their 80s the courtesy of deciding for themselves, as they are quite capable of doing, the potential cost vs benefit of cruising now. 
 

The OP included a broad spectrum of questions in her post. She asked about both the MDR and The Retreat. Neither of us can be certain what she’s considering, so we’ve both given her information (and our opinions). Surely others will weigh in, after which it’s up to the OP and her parents to decide how to proceed.

[Lunesse]

Sounds so far like it might be better, but then, the squeaky wheel gets the grease, so the issues may have been larger in my head than they really were, but it is hard to tell sometimes, the threads had multiple passenger parties with issues. And of course, yes, who knows what things will look like in July. The uncertainty might be enough for them to attempt to wait a little longer, they are in good health otherwise, Dad still plays golf a few times a week!  It's always going to be a gamble these days, for sure. I just know my parents and if they spent a lot to make their last trip a really good one, I can see how problems in things we used to take for granted in terms of service, etc., .would be a pause for them, based on their goals.  I appreciate the answers so far, they are encouraging! I am going to share this thread with them in a few days, the more information they can weigh, the better they can make their decisions. I'm willing to roll with almost whatever, but appreciate they are not quite in the same position for several reasons. 

Edited June 9, 2022 by Lunesse

[helen haywood]

We just sailed on Equinox last month.  There were some shortages…that were not an issue to us…ie Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc listed in the MDR menu was not available anywhere…but good alternatives were.  My husband likes Woodford Reserve…it could only be found at the Passport Bar.  We were unable to make MDR Reservations as the website and app listed only 6 and 8:30ish options.  We learned to go with the flow.  I’d go to the hostess stand 15 or so minutes before we really planned to eat…got a pager and had a drink at Craft Social and were paged generally in 10 minutes.  I cannot tell you how many irate people I saw berating the calm professional hostess because the Anytime Dining wasn’t as Celebrity described it.  Our cabin was as professionally kept as always.  Due to some covid cases by the last few days masks were required in the casino and theater.  Do not count on your fellow man following these rules; we just moved if necessary.

 

I saw no diminishment in the service I expect from Celebrity.  My hat’s off to the staff that are over taxed and masked and only recently allowed off the ship.  (Just as an aside…we are Elite Plus and cruise six or so times a year.  Only mentioned to say I’ve experienced Equinox and Celebrity quite often. 😊)

Edited June 9, 2022 by helen haywood

[Lunesse]

18 minutes ago, helen haywood said:

We just sailed on Equinox last month.  There were some shortages…that were not an issue to us…ie Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc listed in the MDR menu was not available anywhere…but good alternatives were.  My husband likes Woodford Reserve…it could only be found at the Passport Bar.  We were unable to make MDR Reservations as the website and app listed only 6 and 8:30ish options.  We learned to go with the flow.  I’d go to the hostess stand 15 or so minutes before we really planned to eat…got a pager and had a drink at Craft Social and were paged generally in 10 minutes.  I cannot tell you how many irate people I saw berating the calm professional hostess because the Anytime Dining wasn’t as Celebrity described it.  Our cabin was as professionally kept as always.  Due to some covid cases by the last few days masks were required in the casino and theater.  Do not count on your fellow man following these rules; we just moved if necessary.

 

I saw no diminishment in the service I expect from Celebrity.  My hat’s off to the staff that are over taxed and masked and only recently allowed off the ship.  (Just as an aside…we are Elite Plus and cruise six or so times a year.  Only mentioned to say I’ve experienced Equinox and Celebrity quite often. 😊)

 I appreciate knowing you have been a bit (understatement!) so that you can make a good comparison. 😃  Thank you, Helen! This is good info to have, encouraging!

[jelayne]

We have done 5 cruises since the restart, all in the Retreat.  At dinner we never had a wait of more than 3-5 minutes to be seated, to be fair we dine around 8:15.  There was a wait at breakfast, but when trying to serve everyone in a90 minute open time it will be slow, no different than pre pandemic.  Some cruises our favorite wines weren’t available but equally good ones were substituted,.

Some excursions got cancelled at the last minute, oh well staying on the ship on a port day has its pluses.
 

On our most recent  cruise, by the last day the staff in Luminae  & the Retreat was hit hard by Covid and things were slow. They brought in staff from other areas and they did the best the could.  Did that ruin our cruise, not at all, it made us appreciate the crew even more as no matter where you were they worked their butts off to take care of the guests.

If your parents are ones that look on the bright side, overlook the occasional bump in the road and love cruising then go for it.  Who knows what tomorrow brings.  On the other hand if they expect everything to be flawless and identical to pre pandemic then maybe waiting until next year would be best.

 

[Arizona Wildcat]

3 hours ago, helen haywood said:

We just sailed on Equinox last month.  There were some shortages…that were not an issue to us…ie Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc listed in the MDR menu was not available anywhere…but good alternatives were.  My husband likes Woodford Reserve…it could only be found at the Passport Bar.  We were unable to make MDR Reservations as the website and app listed only 6 and 8:30ish options.  We learned to go with the flow.  I’d go to the hostess stand 15 or so minutes before we really planned to eat…got a pager and had a drink at Craft Social and were paged generally in 10 minutes.  I cannot tell you how many irate people I saw berating the calm professional hostess because the Anytime Dining wasn’t as Celebrity described it.  Our cabin was as professionally kept as always.  Due to some covid cases by the last few days masks were required in the casino and theater.  Do not count on your fellow man following these rules; we just moved if necessary.

 

I saw no diminishment in the service I expect from Celebrity.  My hat’s off to the staff that are over taxed and masked and only recently allowed off the ship.  (Just as an aside…we are Elite Plus and cruise six or so times a year.  Only mentioned to say I’ve experienced Equinox and Celebrity quite often. 😊)

Sadly there are always some who think themselves better.  It has always been the same. Covid has brought out the best in many and shown weaknesses in others.

Hoping for a return to cruising in August and meeting old and new friends on board.

[cacbeausang]

OP- we are currently on the Equinox, we are on Day 6 of an 8 night  sailing.  We are having a wonderful time; however, service in the main dining room is definitely slower than when we cruised pre-covid.  We are traveling as an adult family and have the 6 pm seating.  Dinner typically takes 2 full hours start to finish (we arrive at 6 pm).  It’s fine- we are on vacation, but it’s definitely not as “service forward” as when we cruised in 2018.  The servers seem to be responsible for more tables than our last cruise, so the service is not as personable or as immediate, but it’s fine.  During the day, getting a drink at the bars near the pool takes 20-30 minutes, again fine, because we are on vacation, but slower than our last cruise.  I have more patience than other family members, so I go get the drinks.  Our room attendant is wonderful, and we are having a great time, but there is definitely a difference in service at the restaurants and bars.   I have heard that the ship is about 2/3 full, but heard that from another passenger, so I don’t know if the information is accurate.

[chemmo]

7 hours ago, Lunesse said:

My parents, my son and my husband and I set to cruise in July on the Equinox. 

 

My parents backed out due to major surgery for one of them, and recovery time, plus the stories here about waiting super long times for meals, scarce staff due to quarantine, quality of service due to some staff perhaps being moved to the newer ships, people arriving on Visas and then not showing up, etc. 

 

As we get closer to cruise time, my parents will have to decide if they want to jump back in. They are in their 80s. 

This was to be their last cruise ever, perhaps,  so it is important to them that it go as smoothly as possible for the best memories with family afterwards, with the complete understanding that times are ... well. .. *gesticulates wildly in the air* 

 

Have things improved, do you think? Have those of you who have sailed recently encountered the service issues, and bumpy rides that were a topic in May or April? No one expects perfection, but I appreciate that at the end of a lifetime of travel, for them, navigating is one thing, waiting 90 minutes in the MDR to get dinner is another. 

 

We know things are not normal. Totally get that. We know Covid is a possibility, and that will factor, too. But they want their last one to be really special, and might defer to next year if not, but it would be harder to get everything aligned again. Thanks for any insights to help them decide when it comes to feeling like understaffing, or people learning the ropes, or anything service related that felt a little wild or not managed, per previous posts. Thank you! If you have Retreat experience, insight there on the general state of things would be great to hear as well. 

We tend to live with the motto “Don’t leave until tomorrow what you could enjoy today, you never know what tomorrow will bring…”. 
 

There are so many small practical things you can do to iron out possible ‘niggles’ on board possibly due to staffing issues. For example, treat yourselves to lunch in Sushi on a sea day to avoid the busy buffet. Dine early or late to avoid the busiest times (applies to all restaurants). Look at some speciality dining too. There is also the option of the buffet or room service some evenings this may be appreciated by your parents if they have had a busy day.

 

I would suggest you consider the cost of upgrading to the Retreat. It does mean you can board at your leisure, enjoy Luminae and the suite lounge and even avoid queuing to get off too. Remember Luminae is open every breakfast and sea day lunchtimes too so it could offer a nice relaxing start to the day. However, I would add that this is something I would recommend all the party do or none of the party do as otherwise it gets complicated for dining etc. 

 

Re covid…Next year things may be the same, things may be better, who knows? We board Silhouette later this year. We plan on wearing masks when moving between venues and in the lifts. We will avoid busy areas and keep as much distance from others as we reasonably can. We did this last September and didn’t find it a big deal, at least we felt we were doing all we could to maintain our well-being and that of others. We do feel that there is a fine balance between caution and getting on with living life to the full…Only your parents can decide on their comfort level. I do know a few couples (no where near your parents age) who have decided this year not to cruise because of difficulties re flights, testing, possible sub par service….No right and wrong answers.

 

If your parents continue to feel uncomfortable given the present circumstances cruising, perhaps you could arrange a local family weekend break away with them shortly before or after your cruise? It would give them something to look forward to still and, perhaps, make you more relaxed about enjoying your cruise without them…Just a thought.

 

Sincere best wishes…

[Tony UK]

13 hours ago, Lunesse said:

My parents, my son and my husband and I set to cruise in July on the Equinox. 

 

My parents backed out due to major surgery for one of them, and recovery time, plus the stories here about waiting super long times for meals, scarce staff due to quarantine, quality of service due to some staff perhaps being moved to the newer ships, people arriving on Visas and then not showing up, etc. 

 

As we get closer to cruise time, my parents will have to decide if they want to jump back in. They are in their 80s. 

This was to be their last cruise ever, perhaps,  so it is important to them that it go as smoothly as possible for the best memories with family afterwards, with the complete understanding that times are ... well. .. *gesticulates wildly in the air* 

 

Have things improved, do you think? Have those of you who have sailed recently encountered the service issues, and bumpy rides that were a topic in May or April? No one expects perfection, but I appreciate that at the end of a lifetime of travel, for them, navigating is one thing, waiting 90 minutes in the MDR to get dinner is another. 

 

We know things are not normal. Totally get that. We know Covid is a possibility, and that will factor, too. But they want their last one to be really special, and might defer to next year if not, but it would be harder to get everything aligned again. Thanks for any insights to help them decide when it comes to feeling like understaffing, or people learning the ropes, or anything service related that felt a little wild or not managed, per previous posts. Thank you! If you have Retreat experience, insight there on the general state of things would be great to hear as well. 

No-one else has come in yet so.....I think a lot depends on the ship and itinerary. We sailed Edge class in the retreat in April / May. Didnt notice too many issues except it was fully booked and there was a table wait at certain times but we were given a pager. They didnt seem to good at encouraging people to move on at the end of their meal and some stayed for a long time with 2 rounds of coffee and drinks after their meal!. They could have suggested coffee in the retreat lounge to free up tables!

Some staff did seem a little inexperienced but Beyond had just sailed and some crew had been moved there,  and onto Apex to fill Covid gaps.

Overall it didnt spoil our experience at all.

Maybe choosing Aqua, or a lower category room with a speciality dining package would help. The food and service in those was excellent.

[nauticalnuts]

We also sailed in May and enjoyed our time on the Equinox on a nine night sailing.  There was eight of us in our party, all in suites. We had no issues in Luminae but I did find that there was some chaos in the OVC the one morning that we decided to have breakfast there. As this was our 14th cruise with Celebrity we found the service to be much the same as always.  The staff went over and above since we were traveling with a toddler. We were told there was 2400 on board so you can imagine the pressure the staff were under.  I would go back in a heartbeat.  

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

If this is going to be their last cruise, I would definitely book in the retreat.  I was on a B2B on the Summit in April and May.  First cruise I was in a suite.  Flawless service in Luminae.  Second cruise couldn't get a suite at the time of the reservation.  MDR was a complete cluster.  But the wonderful maitre d' from Luminae managed to magic up some suites from the ether and we were back in Luminae.

[Lunesse]

So interesting, there is a new topic posted today under "reduced capacity" that mentions the feeling of short staffing, etc.  It really is all over the place with experiences. I am grateful to hear all of them. It does sound like Retreat makes a difference... which, given the price, I guess makes sense... but also is frustrating for many with their expectations from the past for MDR stuff, etc. *giant shoulder shrug* I will let them know that Retreat makes a difference. That is indeed what this thread and others are telling me, directly, or not. ❤️ 

[phoenix_dream]

We have been on 8 cruises post restart, in Aqua Class and in Sky Suites, on 6 different Celebrity ships. We have had wonderful experiences each time. Our biggest issue was some supply issues on our preferred wines or liquors. On one cruise a show was cancelled and a substitute put in place, and on another cruise the casino was closed for one day.  In other words,  our biggest issues were no big deal at all.  Unless your parents expect perfection I doubt they will be disappointed. Whether they want to risk catching Covid while at sea is a personal decision only they can make. At 70 I am no youngster myself. But I have no serious health issues,  am vaxxed and boosted, and decided with proper caution I need to live my life before its too late. 

[Lunesse]

Thank you everyone for the input. It is greatly appreciated as they balance their age, health, desires, future plans all into going this summer, or not. ❤️ 

 

[kearney]

We sailed in late April on Equinox. I did notice fewer bar servers...but it really didn't impact us. We like the Passport bar and at 4 there was just the bar tender and additional bartenders and servers arrive around 5pm. So on occasion when it was a sea day it might be a little bit of a wait between 4 and 5..

 

We did the select dining... never a problem for us.. we sat at a table for two. I did notice that the larger table took longer to have dinner... not unexpected but while we were done with dinner in about an hour..it probably took them more like an hour and a half.. so the smaller the table the faster the service.

 

Beyond that.. I really did not notice short staffing issues... now on our sailing there were perhaps 50 who tested positive over the course of the week. If I recall correctly.. most had no symptoms... and I think most were crew.

 

We sailed Feb '20... arrived back Mar 13..the day cruise ships announced cancelling cruises beginning Mar 15.. We cancelled a few in '21 due to masking and frankly changing protocols.... but we did sail early Dec '21... when we got back Omicron came on the scene...so we moved the planned Feb '22 cruise to August....  we then sailed late April.. on Equinox... great cruise... Omicron seemed to be on the wain...  Interestingly when we arrived at the port they moved us from deck 6 to deck 8... to keep that section of deck 6 available for quarantine. Some were masked..we were not.  Why did we cruise...well DH mobility is crap and it wasn't getting better... so just how long do you put off living? We decided that we had moved things around enough and our cruising days are numbered ... we may have lucked out.. but we went and we plan on going again... If your parents are healthy... I would go... service level was excellent...many have not worked for a very long time...so bring extra $ for tipping... they appreciate anything you give them... and have fun.... 

[the penguins]

On 6/10/2022 at 12:49 AM, helen haywood said:

We just sailed on Equinox last month.  There were some shortages…that were not an issue to us…ie Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc listed in the MDR menu was not available anywhere…but good alternatives were.  My husband likes Woodford Reserve…it could only be found at the Passport Bar.  We were unable to make MDR Reservations as the website and app listed only 6 and 8:30ish options.  We learned to go with the flow.  I’d go to the hostess stand 15 or so minutes before we really planned to eat…got a pager and had a drink at Craft Social and were paged generally in 10 minutes.  I cannot tell you how many irate people I saw berating the calm professional hostess because the Anytime Dining wasn’t as Celebrity described it.  Our cabin was as professionally kept as always.  Due to some covid cases by the last few days masks were required in the casino and theater.  Do not count on your fellow man following these rules; we just moved if necessary.

 

I saw no diminishment in the service I expect from Celebrity.  My hat’s off to the staff that are over taxed and masked and only recently allowed off the ship.  (Just as an aside…we are Elite Plus and cruise six or so times a year.  Only mentioned to say I’ve experienced Equinox and Celebrity quite often. 😊)

Crew to passenger ratio varies depending on the number of passengers.

We sailed b2b on Silhouette in May. Cruise 1 - 2400 pax, cruise 2 - 1100 pax crew numbers remained the same. On our second cruise there were more crew than passengers  The cruise after ours was 2400 and then back to 1100. Larger tables usually take longer our table of 6 always took between 90 and 120 minutes don't blame the staff they serve as quickly as we eat but the socialising is part of the experience. Choose the table size you like and enjoy. We are both in our mid 70's and both had Covid in March.