FOR YOUR 2023 CRUISING DOLLAR, DOES X MARK THE SPOT?

[grandgeezer]

13 hours ago, D C said:

 

Our only 'experience' with MSC was talking to another couple back in 2019 while on the Summit.  They had sailed on MSC and had concluded that MSC stood for  "My S**tty Cruise".   We haven't considered it based on their review. 

We’ve taken two cruises on MSC Seaside, both in the Yacht Club Suite and both before the pandemic. They are our two favorite cruise out of the 47 we’ve taken on all the major lines except Carnival. I don’t think we would book anything else besides the Yacht Club based on what we saw around the regular dining areas and the pool areas.

Current pricing makes it unattractive as a choice as we paid a little over $2800 p.p. All in, for fourteen days, both times.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

15 hours ago, prmssk said:

Just in reading reviews (which I do take with a grain of salt), I wonder if the MSC of a couple years ago is not quite the same MSC as today.  They seem to be aggressively trying to take over a larger share of the market, especially in the US, and in the process may be improving their product.  I would not have even considered MSC before the pandemic based on the overwhelming bad reviews I read but based on reviews in the past year or so, we are now booked to try out MSC Yacht Club next year.  I'm really looking forward to seeing how they compare to the Retreat.

 

My YC cruises were both before cruising shut down.  I have no idea what it's like now.  I was so put off by the quality of the food and service and the increase in prices, I haven't even looked at one lately.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

15 hours ago, prmssk said:

Just in reading reviews (which I do take with a grain of salt), I wonder if the MSC of a couple years ago is not quite the same MSC as today.  They seem to be aggressively trying to take over a larger share of the market, especially in the US, and in the process may be improving their product.  I would not have even considered MSC before the pandemic based on the overwhelming bad reviews I read but based on reviews in the past year or so, we are now booked to try out MSC Yacht Club next year.  I'm really looking forward to seeing how they compare to the Retreat.

 

duplicate post

Edited January 7, 2023 by Happy Cruiser 6143

[mnocket]

14 hours ago, Hlitner said:

There are also some souls who like to feel they are "above" the other souls while on a luxury ship the attitude is that "we are all on the same ship."  Perhaps it is like explaining that some folks want the mansion in a middle-class neighborhood, while others prefer to have the mansion in a neighborhood surrounded by other mansions.

I've thought the same.   It's not a judgement one way or the other.  Some people want to feel "special" - others just want to feel well cared for.  On a luxury line you will be well cared for, but you typically won't be treated differently than other passengers.

[AnnaNicole]

20 hours ago, grandgeezer said:

We’ve done two fourteen day cruises on MSC Seaside and our experience in the dining room was just the opposite. We found the food to be equal to, or in some cases better than Celebrity. The waiters were very attentive and made the time very enjoyable. We changed tables about every night, which meant we had several different waiters and they were all excellent. 

We also had great experiences on MSC.   We may take another look as it has been a while since our last cruise with them.   

[Hlitner]

21 hours ago, prmssk said:

Just in reading reviews (which I do take with a grain of salt), I wonder if the MSC of a couple years ago is not quite the same MSC as today.  They seem to be aggressively trying to take over a larger share of the market, especially in the US, and in the process may be improving their product.  I would not have even considered MSC before the pandemic based on the overwhelming bad reviews I read but based on reviews in the past year or so, we are now booked to try out MSC Yacht Club next year.  I'm really looking forward to seeing how they compare to the Retreat.

We have cruised MSC both before and after COVID (this past October).  We thought the service in the YC was up to the pre-Covid standards and the food (in the Yacht Club venues) was slightly improved.  IMHO, the biggest negative about the Yacht Club is that the cuisine is not generally up to the quality one expects on a luxury line or a luxury ship within a ship.  We cannot offer a comparison to X, since we have not cruised on X in a few years.   But for the money we do not think there is anything else in the entire cruise industry that comes even close to the Yacht Club.

 

Hank

[Ex-Airbalancer]

Already book for 2023 , and depending how the food and service is on our 2 cruise will tell us what we do in 2024 

[neverlaysup]

I tend to book via an Aviation related travel agent that has killer prices on All Included fares. So if I want to cruise with drinks, tips and WIFI....X absolutely marks the spot (no other big box cruise line even comes close). I like other lines for other reasons and lately with the crowded ships, we have gravitated to small ships (Windstar is our favorite). I would not hesitate to book an X cruise if the price was right though.

[neverlaysup]

On 1/1/2023 at 9:52 AM, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

Suite pricing has gone crazy, so don't know if my suite days are done or not.

Agreed, it's hard for us to justify that price to sail on Celebrity. You can sail RSSC, Seabourn and other ultra deluxe lines for about the same money or less.

[Spif Barwunkel]

Price-gouging, ambushed, cheapened, new charges, no food, etc.  Wow! This is quite the cluster of negative threads currently running concurrently on the X board, and your name doesn’t even have to be Nelly. Indeed, all this egregious impropriety speaks volumes as to where Celebrity may be sailing.  Could it be into the sunset, via some angry seas?

 

I have to consider myself fortunate because I have never had the unfortunate, unpleasant experiences that have apparently overtaken the boat floats of other cruisers, at least not to the point of total exasperation and indignation. I still consider my dollars well-spent on X. I say that without lessening the importance of those who think their dollars are not. It’s a matter of sorting through what is written and what you experience. And mind you, if you look at it simply as black and white, it’s going to be tough to continue cruising, with Celebrity or anyone else.  

 

Depending on how prolific your patience and understanding are could well determine when your sea legs are no longer needed.   

[NMTraveller]

11 minutes ago, Spif Barwunkel said:

Price-gouging, ambushed, cheapened, new charges, no food, etc.  Wow! This is quite the cluster of negative threads currently running concurrently on the X board, and your name doesn’t even have to be Nelly. Indeed, all this egregious impropriety speaks volumes as to where Celebrity may be sailing.  Could it be into the sunset, via some angry seas?

 

I have to consider myself fortunate because I have never had the unfortunate, unpleasant experiences that have apparently overtaken the boat floats of other cruisers, at least not to the point of total exasperation and indignation. I still consider my dollars well-spent on X. I say that without lessening the importance of those who think their dollars are not. It’s a matter of sorting through what is written and what you experience. And mind you, if you look at it simply as black and white, it’s going to be tough to continue cruising, with Celebrity or anyone else.  

 

Depending on how prolific your patience and understanding are could well determine when your sea legs are no longer needed.   

I think that people are starting to figure out that for the price that X is charging they can move up to a premium/luxury line and have the experience that X used to have plus more.

[AnnaNicole]

3 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

I think that people are starting to figure out that for the price that X is charging they can move up to a premium/luxury line and have the experience that X used to have plus more.

Agree. 

 

Perspective.   Some see these posters as savvy consumers and others see them as petty complainers.   

 

I chose to be a savvy consumer and appreciate the posts for what they are....a sharing of information, experience, and expectations.  🙂

Edited January 14, 2023 by AnnaNicole

[Ex-Airbalancer]

Everyone says they going to  Oceania

but they are Almost 2x  the price of Celebrity, per night 

here some TAs price for the fall , in balcony 

Add on $36 a day for non alcohol package Celebrity is less 

Edited January 14, 2023 by Ex-Airbalancer

[Spif Barwunkel]

21 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

I think that people are starting to figure out that for the price that X is charging they can move up to a premium/luxury line and have the experience that X used to have plus more.

I totally agree, NMT. I also agree with AnnaNicole in post #112. I referenced several threads together rather than try to address each one individually in order to make my point. Because my cruising dollars are still comfortably spent on X only signifies that I am still comfortable with the product, nothing more nothing less. So, your savvy and my savvy are different. Perhaps. You need more, and me, not so much. As to information, experiences and expectations, we've all got 'em and it's all good. From that, we decide when it's time to make a change...or not.   

[D C]

15 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Everyone says they going to  Oceania

but they are Almost 2x  the price of Celebrity, per night 

here some TAs price for the fall , in balcony 

Add on $36 a day for non alcohol package Celebrity is less 

Those celebrity prices are pretty much guaranteed to be an obstructed view balcony.  Perhaps a better basis for comparison would be an aqua room if someone is cross-shopping Oceania.

 

Looking at the 13N Apex sailing... the big box store isn't showing any AQ available, but a C1 with all-included is $9700.  You're in a similar price range as that Oceania 13N. 

 

 

 

[AnnaNicole]

11 minutes ago, Spif Barwunkel said:

I totally agree, NMT. I also agree with AnnaNicole in post #112. I referenced several threads together rather than try to address each one individually in order to make my point. Because my cruising dollars are still comfortably spent on X only signifies that I am still comfortable with the product, nothing more nothing less. So, your savvy and my savvy are different. Perhaps. You need more, and me, not so much. As to information, experiences and expectations, we've all got 'em and it's all good. From that, we decide when it's time to make a change...or not.   

It isn't a more or less thing, it is a value for my money thing.    The value for my money has been depreciating with my Celebrity cruise experiences.   Others are expressing the same feeling.   

 

I tend to be a quality over quantity person.  The little details added up to a more quality experience, for me.   A lot has changed in cruising in the past two decades.   Exceptional to great to good to just ok.   IMO, the scale has tipped too much to the downside.   I do not like to be nickle and dimed on vacation.   The (almost) all inclusive was the one thing that I really liked about cruising.   The new X model does not agree with me...room service charges, MDR dining charges, etc.

 

 

 

 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

59 minutes ago, D C said:

Those celebrity prices are pretty much guaranteed to be an obstructed view balcony.  Perhaps a better basis for comparison would be an aqua room if someone is cross-shopping Oceania.

 

Looking at the 13N Apex sailing... the big box store isn't showing any AQ available, but a C1 with all-included is $9700.  You're in a similar price range as that Oceania 13N. 

 

 

 

AQU has no value to me , been there , done that and got the bag , 

obstructed balcony is fine for me 😉

 

[mnocket]

1 hour ago, AnnaNicole said:

It isn't a more or less thing, it is a value for my money thing. 

 By the authority vested in me by absolutely no one, I hereby present you with my Post of the Day Award🏆

[Brownezes72]

I might be in the minority in feeling that x is still a great value. I have sailed on other lines always in an oceanview.  My past equinox was one of my best yet!!  So much so tnat i will be sailing her again in may.  Maybe the fact that i dont sail in a suite lowers my expectations?

[Spif Barwunkel]

17 minutes ago, Brownezes72 said:

I might be in the minority in feeling that x is still a great value. I have sailed on other lines always in an oceanview.  My past equinox was one of my best yet!!  So much so tnat i will be sailing her again in may.  Maybe the fact that i dont sail in a suite lowers my expectations?

Cabin category does not lower or raise your expectations. Rather, it puts you in a space where you feel comfortable in fulfilling those expectations. It is one part of the overall cruising experience and at the end of the day, if you continue to feel that you got valued enjoyment for your hard-earned dollar, that is all that matters.

[SusieAV8R]

On 1/1/2023 at 11:15 AM, CruisinNole said:

X does mark the spot for us. We cruised in August on the Equinox and experienced none of the issues you listed. Haven't booked a Celebrity cruise for this year but we're not planning to jump ship.

We just sailed on X Summit from Dec. 27 to Jan 9th.  This was a B2B2B and full capacity all 3 legs.   It was our 21st X cruise; 5th post covid.  Even staff who had just been hired were impressive.  Every staff member we spoke to, from very experienced to newbie,  told us the same story:  salaries with Celebrity are better than other cruise lines. IMHO, that is going to result in overall increase in cruise prices for us cruisers.  DH and I definitely felt we got value for what we paid.  But X is a good fit for us.

[Spif Barwunkel]

12 hours ago, SusieAV8R said:

We just sailed on X Summit from Dec. 27 to Jan 9th.  This was a B2B2B and full capacity all 3 legs.   It was our 21st X cruise; 5th post covid.  Even staff who had just been hired were impressive.  Every staff member we spoke to, from very experienced to newbie,  told us the same story:  salaries with Celebrity are better than other cruise lines. IMHO, that is going to result in overall increase in cruise prices for us cruisers.  DH and I definitely felt we got value for what we paid.  But X is a good fit for us.

From your very positive post, and Brownezes72 post #119, I am going to assume that you did not feel gouged, ambushed or cheapened in any way during your cruise(s). It is very interesting how experiences and comments can vary greatly from one extreme to the other, within the same cruising timeframe. Why might that be?    

[Oceangoer2]

57 minutes ago, Spif Barwunkel said:

From your very positive post, and Brownezes72 post #119, I am going to assume that you did not feel gouged, ambushed or cheapened in any way during your cruise(s). It is very interesting how experiences and comments can vary greatly from one extreme to the other, within the same cruising timeframe. Why might that be?    

Perspective and expectation.

[C4HCG]

On 1/14/2023 at 8:42 PM, Brownezes72 said:

I might be in the minority in feeling that x is still a great value. I have sailed on other lines always in an oceanview.  My past equinox was one of my best yet!!  So much so tnat i will be sailing her again in may.  Maybe the fact that i dont sail in a suite lowers my expectations?

With you 100%. Our last cruise on the Equinox was brilliant, and we thought value for money. Our next in September, again on the Equinox is more pricey but can’t wait. Then we fully expect to do book again for 2024. We are novice cruisers having done only  four each of which has been Caribbean on the Equinox but we love it and have been more than happy with each one of them.

[D C]

Perceived value is certainly a subjective matter. For us, we had a choice between a 7n Western on the Reflection or a 7n Eastern on Princess, with the Princess option saving us around $600-800 for a veranda room (all included vs princess plus).  That alone was a no-brainer value proposition, even before the cuts. 

 

As we enjoy dining al fresco at the aft of the ship at least a couple of nights each cruise, with DW hitting the pasta bar and me getting some sort of steak, the value proposition gauge has swung even farther away from Celebrity with their cuts. 

 

Incidentally, while Celebrity was serving a worse buffet selection last night than my kid's college dorm served, Princess was slicing prime rib at their buffet. 

 

We're taking a hard look at Princess this week. Are the differences better or worse than X, and for those things where X is preferred, how important are they? (and vice versa)