Relaxed Luxury? ~ Celebrity Email announces first and only Relaxed Luxury resort at sea Star Rated by Forbes Travel Guide

[Stem to Stern]

I just received this email from Celebrity Cruises announcing their star rating from Forbes Travel Guide which I am not familiar with.  I never noticed Modern Luxury had evolved into Relaxed Luxury.  Relaxed Luxury has a little SM symbol after it.  The email says, "We are the first and only Relaxed Luxury resorts at sea to be Star Rated by Forbes Travel Guide.  Forbes Travel Guide has 65 years of expertise in evaluating and verifying luxury at the finest hotels, resorts-and now resorts at, sea--in the world."  The poor punctuation in the previous sentence is not my doing.  A link takes you to a page on Celebrity's website listing the awards they have received. 

So, I guess congratulations are in order?

Edited February 15, 2023 by Stem to Stern

[garyl62]

When I've seen this tag line in the past few weeks I've always thought they have relaxed the standards for luxury

[Jeremiah1212]

That tagline has been used in place of the prior Modern Luxury line since late October. 

[Stem to Stern]

13 minutes ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

That tagline has been used in place of the prior Modern Luxury line since late October. 

Thanks.  I guess that shows you how much attention I pay to their emails and website.🤪

[slidergirl]

Having worked at various Forbes-rated resorts and gone through years of Forbes hospitality training, there are indeed various levels of "luxury."   There is the classic, pompous luxury like you find at the big city Ritz Carltons, St. Regis, Waldorf, etc.   You are taught to use the same phrases when speaking to guests, the "my pleasure", the "allow me", the "lift" instead of "elevator."  The relaxed luxury is where you don't have the stuffy feeling, yet you have all the anticipatory service without the pomposity.  You are allowed to show some of your personality when interacting with guests.  Think those beach resorts in Tahiti, some ski resort properties.   I can see Forbes getting into rating cruise companies.   Similar stuff.

[horseymike]

The culinary standards have been relaxed as well.

Any comments from Forbes about that ?

[jelayne]

I got a text about the Forbes rating but in the text it referred to the Celebrity Flora which sails the Galápagos. 

[NutsAboutGolf]

3 hours ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

That tagline has been used in place of the prior Modern Luxury line since late October. 

 

And now their motto is far more genuine... 😅

[WonderMan3]

This is what Celebrity meant by "Modern Luxury" a few years back. I wonder what "Relaxed Luxury" looks like...😒😒

[Ex-Airbalancer]

2 minutes ago, WonderMan3 said:

This is what Celebrity meant by "Modern Luxury" a few years back. I wonder what "Relaxed Luxury" looks like...😒😒

Relax luxury could be me with my Covid 30 around my waist 🤣

[hcat]

New marketing  campaign...not in sync with recent cutbacks!

[Stem to Stern]

2 hours ago, WonderMan3 said:

This is what Celebrity meant by "Modern Luxury" a few years back

Look at all that FOOD.  Photo shot before all the cutbacks obviously.  So was she eating her breakfast at the desk because the revolutionized Hoppen balcony table was too small???🤣

[WonderMan3]

1 hour ago, Stem to Stern said:

Look at all that FOOD.  Photo shot before all the cutbacks obviously.  So was she eating her breakfast at the desk because the revolutionized Hoppen balcony table was too small???🤣

Get with it man. Don’t you know that eating at a desk is the only way to dine at sea? 😏😏

 

I guess “Relaxed Luxury” would be dining in bed? 

[slidergirl]

21 hours ago, horseymike said:

The culinary standards have been relaxed as well.

Any comments from Forbes about that ?

Well, the entire things go into a final rating.  But, you can have mediocre food served well and as long as you have 24 hour room service you can get a decent rating.  If a full Forbes "secret shop" is performed at a hotel, there are like 400+ individual items you are judged on.  At one of my resorts, we could never be a 5 star rated facility because the company deliberately did not have room service so the other facility it owned didn't have to compete with us for 5 stars, even though we rated higher in the service area.  

Me?  I'd rather be at a 4-star place.  The things to be 5 star border on and over the line on "fake" to me.  I stayed at the St. Regis in Puerto Rico and felt smothered by the Butlers and I had to keep from laughing at the pomposity.  Once the staff I interacted with knew I was also a St. Regis employee, they let their facade go and we were much better in how we interacted.  

[DingoMom]

The lady with all the food is smiling because she got room service for free!

[horseymike]

1 hour ago, slidergirl said:

Well, the entire things go into a final rating.  But, you can have mediocre food served well and as long as you have 24 hour room service you can get a decent rating.  If a full Forbes "secret shop" is performed at a hotel, there are like 400+ individual items you are judged on.  At one of my resorts, we could never be a 5 star rated facility because the company deliberately did not have room service so the other facility it owned didn't have to compete with us for 5 stars, even though we rated higher in the service area.  

Me?  I'd rather be at a 4-star place.  The things to be 5 star border on and over the line on "fake" to me.  I stayed at the St. Regis in Puerto Rico and felt smothered by the Butlers and I had to keep from laughing at the pomposity.  Once the staff I interacted with knew I was also a St. Regis employee, they let their facade go and we were much better in how we interacted.  

Would you please pass The Grey Poupon ? 🤣

[slidergirl]

3 hours ago, horseymike said:

Would you please pass The Grey Poupon ? 🤣

My pleasure.  Allow me too pass the Grey Poupon to you.  May I offer anything else?  (using my best Forbes verbiage)

[horseymike]

Maybe a ham sandwich to go with the Grey Poupon 🤣

Edited February 16, 2023 by horseymike

[George C]

If we go back to a resort it will be sandals always had a nice vacation there.

[NMTraveller]

From Relaxed Luxury to Where Is the Luxury? 🙂

Edited February 17, 2023 by NMTraveller

[Whinenowine]

IF Forbes is indeed going to be rating cruise lines, then X had better milk this for all it's worth as quickly as they can. Because once Forbes rates Silversea, Seabourn, Regent and even Viking/Oceania, it'll be all over for X's first mover marketing advantage. 

 

[slidergirl]

15 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

From Relaxed Luxury to Where Is the Luxury? 🙂

Everyone has their own opinion of what is luxury.  Some think luxury is all formality and pressed linens and lots of staff fawning over you.  Some think luxury is quiet and unassuming but with a staff that anticipates but keeps your space so you can relax.

[bigbenboys]

On 2/15/2023 at 7:12 PM, Stem to Stern said:

Look at all that FOOD.  Photo shot before all the cutbacks obviously.  So was she eating her breakfast at the desk because the revolutionized Hoppen balcony table was too small???🤣

Here is what we got on Edge for a table in a sky suite. Celebrity, Relaxed Luxury back in 2019.

[WonderMan3]

13 minutes ago, bigbenboys said:

Here is what we got on Edge for a table in a sky suite. Celebrity, Relaxed Luxury back in 2019.

All it's missing is this...

[Stem to Stern]

1 hour ago, bigbenboys said:

Here is what we got on Edge for a table in a sky suite. Celebrity, Relaxed Luxury back in 2019.

Well at least that is something versus nothing, even though it doesn't coordinate with Kelly's tone-on-tone color palate.  I would thought they would have brought two table of that size, one for each of you.  Did you have to eat in shifts?