Celebrity I have loved you … but

[angela miller]

We have been traveling Celebrity since my 50th birthday on the Infinity in Hawaii in 2002 in a Sky Suite. We are Elite and close to elite Plus. Lots of great trips and we booked a Caribbean cruise in Feb of 2023 in an aft corner sky suite on Reflection.It took more than 24 hours for the Butler to come to our room. Honestly, that was not a big deal for us but when she did come, informed us that our butler did not arrive to the ship and so they would be working us in. Again that  wasn’t a problem .  I asked if I could have a latte delivered every morning at 9 o’clock ,there was a frown and a response that “I’ll try to do that.”Never happened. We get up early, so we just got our own.Never contacted Butler again.I did not report it or say anything else because I thought maybe there was an issue with the Butler’s. After all the reports of the Butler service changing now I understand. Luminia   was  very good as always as the rest of the ship.We decided to book an additional cruise in 2024 in the Caribbean for an easy getaway and as we truly do love those corner aft sky suites and we knew Butler service wasn’t that good.I got home and started going over the shortcomings, but also all the services of Celebrity, and decided to look around at other Lines for Caribbean cruise ..long story short, I found what I thought was a much better price on Regent than Celebrity  with all amenities and a 430 sq ft room with balcony, tours, tips, transfers, drinks of any kind..No butler on Regent pricing on the catagory I booked, but service was great without one on previous sailings.I have traveled Regent three other cruises so relatively new  to them. I canceled my Celebrity cruise and lost deposit as I knew I would.First time to cancel with them other than Covid.This little experience is just to let everyone know before you cruise any lines, keep checking and checking. I still appreciate Celebrity and all those wonderful cruises, but maybe Regent… I may love you more!
 

[lv2cruisgrl]

I agree between the price increases on sky suites and other changes they have lost our business also.

[CaroleSS]

You should email this to corporate rather than posting it here. No one from X reads these boards anymore.

[lv2cruisgrl]

5 minutes ago, CaroleSS said:

You should email this to corporate rather than posting it here. No one from X reads these boards anymore.

How do you know that?

[angela miller]

4 minutes ago, CaroleSS said:

You should email this to corporate rather than posting it here. No one from X reads these boards anymore.

Of course, celebrity doesn’t read this anymore… But fellow cruisers do.Get the word out that there are other options. 

[CaroleSS]

12 minutes ago, lv2cruisgrl said:

How do you know that?

Try 

Executiveoffice@celebrity.com

[deliver42]

X doesn't read them anymore because they look through rose colored glasses, and don't care what the people thing. I believe in the long run this will come to bite them where the sun don't shine.

[Covepointcruiser]

Enjoy Regent, however, many of your fellow CCers can’t afford them.

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

I have to wonder if Celebrity doesn't read these boards anymore, do they even read our customer satisfaction surveys either. 

[hubofhockey]

22 minutes ago, Covepointcruiser said:

Enjoy Regent, however, many of your fellow CCers can’t afford them.

I can afford Regent and expensive suites, but just don’t see value there.  

[lv2cruisgrl]

14 hours ago, Silvery Seas Cruiser said:

I have to wonder if Celebrity doesn't read these boards anymore, do they even read our customer satisfaction surveys either. 

We were told years ago that yes someone monitored these boards. We were also told the surveys are always looked at.  What they do today, who knows. 

[terrydtx]

16 hours ago, lv2cruisgrl said:

I agree between the price increases on sky suites and other changes they have lost our business also.

Ours too for the same reasons. 

[terrydtx]

14 hours ago, Covepointcruiser said:

Enjoy Regent, however, many of your fellow CCers can’t afford them.

We looked at Regent and they were out of our price range too. But I am finding we can book on Oceania for about the same or less for a similar Celebrity itinerary in a SS.

[TowandaUK]

7 minutes ago, lv2cruisgrl said:

We were told years ago that yes someone monitored these boards. We were also told the surveys are always looked at.  What they do today, who knows. 

When we contacted the exec office in February we got a phone call back. I suggested they read these boards to see what people were concerned about, and was assured that there was a team who regularly monitored the boards. Things have worsened since then so I’m not sure that will still be the case. 

[grandgeezer]

41 minutes ago, lv2cruisgrl said:

We were told years ago that yes someone monitored these boards. We were also told the surveys are always looked at.  What they do today, who knows. 

If they are reading this board, and the surveys, it’s for entertainment purposes only. Pricing and bookings are close too, or higher than pre pandemic, even after all the cuts and changes. If people were serious about how they feel about the current product and quit buying it, that might get some positive results. It’s all about the $$$$, 

 

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

I believe part of what top management is thinking is that new cruisers don't know what cruising used to be. They don't miss amenities they never knew about. While Celebrity is dazzling us with amazing new ships, they believe that bedazzlement is enough to attract new cruisers and sufficient to keep high tier loyalty cruisers loyal. That appears to be the current marketing philosophy. Time will tell if that approach will be successful.

[hankandteri]

All of the mass market lines are charging more money for an increasingly watered down product, and we’ve all seen that trend accelerating in recent months. I can only conclude it’s because they are facing the same basket of issues, namely high debt loads, struggles to hire enough quality crew post pandemic, inflationary pressures, and a deep pool of willing passengers to pull from. 
 

We sailed with Oceania in June, will be on Celebrity next month and then Princess in February. After that we might try HAL or Virgin or Viking or even MSC. Or maybe a different kind of vacation altogether.We don’t have the pocketbook to sail the true luxury lines on a regular basis, so that option is out. 
 

I’m hoping one of the cruise lines will offer the Goldilocks value proposition and product mix for us, and we’ll be able to become frequent repeaters. I was hoping that would be X, but what if what I’m reading about the new school lunch room food in the MDR is true on our cruise next month, then Celebrity will be a one and done thing. Bad or bland food in the main dining venue is a total non-starter for us. 

 

Or maybe what I want cruising to be (and perhaps once was) is an artifact of an era that has passed, never to return. Oh well, I can find alternatives for my very discretionary cruise vacation dollars and still have all of the great memories of cruises past. 
 

 

[burrma]

18 hours ago, angela miller said:

We have been traveling Celebrity since my 50th birthday on the Infinity in Hawaii in 2002 in a Sky Suite. We are Elite and close to elite Plus. Lots of great trips and we booked a Caribbean cruise in Feb of 2023 in an aft corner sky suite on Reflection.It took more than 24 hours for the Butler to come to our room. Honestly, that was not a big deal for us but when she did come, informed us that our butler did not arrive to the ship and so they would be working us in. Again that  wasn’t a problem .  I asked if I could have a latte delivered every morning at 9 o’clock ,there was a frown and a response that “I’ll try to do that.”Never happened. We get up early, so we just got our own.Never contacted Butler again.I did not report it or say anything else because I thought maybe there was an issue with the Butler’s. After all the reports of the Butler service changing now I understand. Luminia   was  very good as always as the rest of the ship.We decided to book an additional cruise in 2024 in the Caribbean for an easy getaway and as we truly do love those corner aft sky suites and we knew Butler service wasn’t that good.I got home and started going over the shortcomings, but also all the services of Celebrity, and decided to look around at other Lines for Caribbean cruise ..long story short, I found what I thought was a much better price on Regent than Celebrity  with all amenities and a 430 sq ft room with balcony, tours, tips, transfers, drinks of any kind..No butler on Regent pricing on the catagory I booked, but service was great without one on previous sailings.I have traveled Regent three other cruises so relatively new  to them. I canceled my Celebrity cruise and lost deposit as I knew I would.First time to cancel with them other than Covid.This little experience is just to let everyone know before you cruise any lines, keep checking and checking. I still appreciate Celebrity and all those wonderful cruises, but maybe Regent… I may love you more!
 

Thanks for sharing; have cruised every Feb. for last 53 years and many with Celebrity but very disappointed now with their new additional fee    whenever you book for refundable deposit... months ahead.  Just booked for Feb. 2025 and had to pay a lot extra for refundable deposit where it use to be 90 days before Good advice; will check Regent price. Plus big changes in menu for main dining room and evening buffet with Celebrity!  Maybe time for a change.

 

[Georgia_Peaches]

19 hours ago, CaroleSS said:

You should email this to corporate rather than posting it here. No one from X reads these boards anymore.

Agree that Celebrity corporate should get a copy of this but I also think CC followers of the Celebrity board would also be interested.  As it happens, like the OP, I too have just booked us on Regent for an 11 night Med cruise for 2025.  I have 2 more cruises on the books with Celebrity.  Final payment for one is next week.  I may cancel it...don't know yet.  The other is for May 2024 to Alaska.  Will probably keep it even though it's a SS with diminished perks.  The point is, people who come here to read about Celebrity may also be interested in knowing where future former Celebrity cruisers are turning.

[Georgia_Peaches]

17 hours ago, hubofhockey said:

I can afford Regent and expensive suites, but just don’t see value there.  

For us, the value was in the included airfare.  On the Med cruise I just booked, the cruise only fare for a suite was $8900pp for 11 nights.  The business class airfare add on was an additional $2800pp.  When I did a mock booking for business class on Delta for similar dates the price from Atlanta to Venice was $4400 pp and the return flight from Rome to Atlanta, also in business class was $6700pp.  There's no way we could every get business class airfare for $2800 on our own.  

[Laurab23]

We are trying MSC in March in a regular balcony then next August in Yacht Club in an inside. We have an Aqua cabin  in May that right now is priced for over $8000. We booked early and got it a lot cheaper than that. Depending on how we like MSC and especially Yacht Club, we may not sail Celebrity again.

 

Laura

[Cruise Junky]

3 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

For us, the value was in the included airfare.  On the Med cruise I just booked, the cruise only fare for a suite was $8900pp for 11 nights.  The business class airfare add on was an additional $2800pp.  When I did a mock booking for business class on Delta for similar dates the price from Atlanta to Venice was $4400 pp and the return flight from Rome to Atlanta, also in business class was $6700pp.  There's no way we could every get business class airfare for $2800 on our own.  

You know to look at a multi city booking right? And not two one ways?   

[Georgia_Peaches]

17 minutes ago, Cruise Junky said:

You know to look at a multi city booking right? And not two one ways?   

Yes, great point and I totally forgot to check that option.  Just redid the mock booking and the milti-city comes out a little less than the 2-one way tickets at $10,066.  I can't fathom a cruise where the airfare is more than the cruise itself 😳.

Edited August 22, 2023 by Georgia_Peaches

[sixpackeddie]

We are currently on the Reflection having a great time. Not a single complaint other than being not able to order from a speciality restaurant to our suite. We really don’t use our butler, I like to move so love to take a walk to cafe bachio or the closest bar to get a drink. 
Service for us has been over the moon. Very happy. Staff, service, food has been amazing.

It brings tears to my eyes for the staff, amazing hardworking, kind, honest, trustworthy. We love the love and care they have given us. Feel right at home.
We did have a major problem in our stateroom but anticipate the team will make it right.

 

[wrk2cruise]

13 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

I can't fathom a cruise where the airfare is more than the cruise itself 

 

Unfortunately that's the case I'm seeing a lot when pricing Business, even PE is close at times.