Two styles of cruising emerging WITHIN Celebrity... traditional vs. high energy YOUNGER crowds.

[taras333]

Very interesting video highlighting the differences in Celebrity cruising...  'Edge' vs. 'Solstice' Class ships... traditional classic style vs. high energy YOUNGER crowds and venues.  Worth a watch!

 

Click here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NUzRrtGf5g

 

[KatieDub]

The crowd on a ship never bothers me: I do my own thing on the ship.

I'm in my early 30s and it never bothered me being one of the youngest on the ship... I don't think I'd be bothered if I was one of the oldest on another ship...

I just feel the Edge class ships are too posh and swanky for me!! 🙂

I also love a real balcony, don't think I'd like an IV.

[Georgia_Peaches]

Interesting video!  Celebrity has "revolutionized" several of their S class ships to be more like the E class.  I think if they really are trying to cover their bases as it relates to appealing to a variety of age demographics, they need to leave the S class ships alone.  It's one thing to refurbish the decor and another thing entirely to take a ship and morph it into something else (ship within a ship concept).  If they continue to revolutionize the remaining S class ships to be more like the E class, then in my view they really aren't playing to multiple age demographics at all.  I guess I'm a traditionalist.

[NMTraveller]

You mean high energy like Carnival?  At least they have real balconies.

[basenji56]

21 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

You mean high energy like Carnival?  At least they have real balconies.

Infinite verandas. Designed to reduce drag and save fuel but sold as an enhancement.

 

Tribute to modern marketing. 

[goofysmom99]

5 minutes ago, basenji56 said:

Tribute to modern marketing. 

Aqua class (formerly undesirable cabins below the pool deck) is a true marketing triumph.

[basenji56]

6 minutes ago, goofysmom99 said:

Aqua class (formerly undesirable cabins below the pool deck) is a true marketing triumph.

And they charge $1000 more a week for those cabins!  Who knew that the Aqua actually referred to being under the pool!

Edited November 29, 2022 by basenji56

[PTC DAWG]

46 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

You mean high energy like Carnival?  At least they have real balconies.

So you have sailed in one? I would like to try one out myself..

[PTC DAWG]

18 minutes ago, goofysmom99 said:

Aqua class (formerly undesirable cabins below the pool deck) is a true marketing triumph.

Was on Aqua on Equinox this past September, right under the Solarium, did not hear a peep. Was nice to be one flight of steps away. Nice forward hump cabin. 

[Jeremiah1212]

22 minutes ago, basenji56 said:

And they charge $1000 more a week for those cabins!  Who knew that the Aqua actually referred to being under the pool!

 

E class Aqua is on decks 9 and 10. Far from the pool deck - although we have also stayed directly under the main pool deck and never heard any noises. I dislike the S class big overhang in that area far more than the location being under the pool. 

 

[20165]

1 hour ago, goofysmom99 said:

Aqua class (formerly undesirable cabins below the pool deck) is a true marketing triumph.

OMG, you are spot on.  We were in Aqua right under the pool deck earlier this month on Silhouette.  The chair shuffle in the morning was horrible.  Our morning 6am wakeup call...

[mrsgoggins]

Interesting video, but having done a week on Apex just to see for myself, I had come to a similar conclusions.  I have taken 4 cruises on Silhouette and 1 on Apex since the start of 2021 and won't be taking any more on the Edge class ships.  The IVs are just not for me nor their ultra modern approach, shows, piped music etc; although I appreciate the desire of Celebrity to appeal to a (affluent) younger demographic. 

 

I'm doing 2 cruises on Equinox and 1 on Silhouette in 2023 and have other lines booked also.  Once Apex is positioned in Southampton for the summer season 2024, that will be the end of my using them for cruising out of the UK. 

[dcyonce]

Same for us ... the "New Celebrity experience" on Edge class ships is not for us. 

 

We sailed on the Edge in the Iconic Suite. The ship was beautiful, but the experience that Celebrity was pushing was disappointing. They have backed off on some of the more extreme and nutty experiences (such as people dressed as goofy animals in Eden), but the experience is still not to our liking. It is doubtful that we will ever book another cruise on an Edge class ship. 

 

Currently we have about a dozen cruises booked in Penthouse suites on Millenium and Solstice class ships. If Celebrity brings the Edge experiences to those ships ... then we will most definitely look for a new cruise line. My wife and I are double-Zenith and loyal to Celebrity and still enjoy the traditional Retreat experience. 

 

Hoping Celebrity does not abandon the traditional cruiser that they built their cruise line on !!

 

-- Don

[cmaleblanc]

We went on the Apex in Feb 22 and loved it, both in our mid 30's and enjoyed everything except for Blu, and the spa. We are booked on Reflection coming up in Feb 23 and will be back on the Apex Feb 24. I'm interested to see the difference between the old vs new. I'm told the Reflection will be closer to a "classic" cruise experience. Apex was my first and this will be my 2nd cruise by my GF has cruised on a number of different lines, but prefers the Celebrity experience. 

[dlh015]

Hopefully, Celebrity will remember that the younger, more energetic demographic eventually changes to an older, less energetic demographic...(in general that is...)

 

As long as they have choices for everybody, they will be fine...abandoning either demographic would be a mistake. 

[mhoffrob]

Have not sailed on an Eclass yet - but the size is what deters me.  I prefer ships under 2500 people, heading out on Summit next week, and on Oceania Marina in March.

[Georgia_Peaches]

1 minute ago, dlh015 said:

Hopefully, Celebrity will remember that the younger, more energetic demographic eventually changes to an older, less energetic demographic...(in general that is...)

 

As long as they have choices for everybody, they will be fine...abandoning either demographic would be a mistake. 

Couldn't agree more!  I absolutely love an energetic crowd and the vibe that goes with it and I have been on plenty of S class ships to know it can be accomplished.  I guess I'm now a part of the older demographic 🙃 by definition but still enjoy a lively atmosphere and I don't think I have to jump to an E class ship to get it... I think some might get the impression that S class ships are dull...hope not.

[NutsAboutGolf]

This says it all...

 

[njguy_south]

These conversations are always so interesting -- Celebrity S-class vs E-class.  One should be aware that some of the S class ships host total nude cruises.  Talk about a demographic!  These "high energy" crowds may have been a special cruise, focused on that demographic, as do the nudist cruises?  

 

And as for numbers of passengers, does one really see the difference between 2,900 passengers on a 130 ton E-class as opposed to 2,200 on a 90 ton ship, like the Summit?

[Jeremiah1212]

Celebrity isn't 'abandoning the traditionalist cruiser' that has has been with them for years. It's the other way around. The traditionalist cruiser is abandoning Celebrity. Their cruising years don't last forever. The bulk of the Celebrity experience hasn't changed since the vision they had in 04/05/06 when Solstice was launched. They have to continue to evolve and change. You can't keep everything exactly the same for 20 years. 

[NutsAboutGolf]

8 minutes ago, njguy_south said:

These conversations are always so interesting -- Celebrity S-class vs E-class.  One should be aware that some of the S class ships host total nude cruises.  Talk about a demographic!  These "high energy" crowds may have been a special cruise, focused on that demographic, as do the nudist cruises?  

 

And as for numbers of passengers, does one really see the difference between 2,900 passengers on a 130 ton E-class as opposed to 2,200 on a 90 ton ship, like the Summit?

 

Totally agree, there isn't two distinct vibes where "teenagers take over the pool deck"

[20165]

Good video and a similar one got our two teenage boys, 19/16yo, on board with Celebrity Apex. They too were concerned about the demographic, but after watching some of the youtube videos from past travelers, they are now excited.   Hopefully it will be a good mix.  My wife and I are early 50s and prefer the more traditional cruise, but understand that the one we just off, Silhouette, may be a little boring for them.

[Georgia_Peaches]

11 minutes ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

Celebrity isn't 'abandoning the traditionalist cruiser' that has has been with them for years. It's the other way around. The traditionalist cruiser is abandoning Celebrity. Their cruising years don't last forever. The bulk of the Celebrity experience hasn't changed since the vision they had in 04/05/06 when Solstice was launched. They have to continue to evolve and change. You can't keep everything exactly the same for 20 years. 

Very good points!

[NantahalaCruiser]

3 hours ago, goofysmom99 said:

Aqua class (formerly undesirable cabins below the pool deck) is a true marketing triumph.

Although Reflection has some A2 cabins with cabins both above and below.

[PTC DAWG]

1 hour ago, njguy_south said:

These conversations are always so interesting -- Celebrity S-class vs E-class.  One should be aware that some of the S class ships host total nude cruises.  Talk about a demographic!  These "high energy" crowds may have been a special cruise, focused on that demographic, as do the nudist cruises?  

 

And as for numbers of passengers, does one really see the difference between 2,900 passengers on a 130 ton E-class as opposed to 2,200 on a 90 ton ship, like the Summit?

Those are called Charters…