Seriously now-how many of you are REALLY looking at other cruise lines because of the CEO's changes going on?

[spiff2]

29 minutes ago, JDPCruisers said:

Have been looking around at other lines, Oceania, Silversea, Regent, etc., but just booked Beyond SS for next April. So, no other line, yet.

I have been researching these as well. So far Silversea seems to be out as a choice. It seems to be the most restrictive on dress codes. My cruise suit and tie days are over.

[terrydtx]

1 hour ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

Terry - Have a great vacation.  

You too Jim and Iain see I spelled it correctly,  lol

Edited September 11, 2023 by terrydtx

[Cruise till you drop]

3 hours ago, RichYak said:

I went back and skimmed those posts. They were both long but not interminable. There is a difference. Also, I don't think either was a lecture. Neither admonished it's readers.

 

Anyway, thanks for stalking, then stalking again to find a second long post I liked. Creepy.

I guess I wasn’t impressed that one posts that they fell asleep during another persons post.  That was very disrespectful 

 

My intent was to show you liked long posts if they agreed with your point of view and fell asleep when they didn’t mesh with your opinion. 
 

That is all.

[Harrisonkid]

As a long time E+ I still enjoy Celebrity and so sorry that so many of you don't. I have always found Cruise Food (regardless of cruise lines ..of which we have tried many) to be Average at best...but always love meeting many new people from various parts of the world....sounds like some of my great conversations will have less people involved but that started with suite only dinning as well as Specialty Restaurants years ago ...cheers

[bjahil47]

2 hours ago, goofysmom99 said:

Every cruise line handles GF well in their dining rooms, giving you a menu the night before.  Enjoying a hot breakfast in my cabin is something I look forward to when I cruise.  One of the things X does very well (and I don't) is poached eggs.  I can write-in two slices of GF toast, poached eggs (write-in to not put them onto the toast), a breakfast meat, and ask for hollandaise on the side.  Then I assemble my jury-rigged version of GF eggs benedict for breakfast on my balcony.  While I don't do that every day, I do order something hot every morning.  It's my cruise indulgence.  Being able to have GF hot breakfast from room service will make/break my cruise line choice.  Although I'm not charged for this on X, even if I were, I'd still order it.  And that, among other things, is what I'm busy researching on other cruise lines.  (Not available on Princess.)   

Thank you for the wonderful breakfast idea!  I had no idea (and never asked) if the Hollandaise was gf!  If I don’t get smoked salmon I get omelet.  Lately I am eating a lot of overnight oats so I’m thinking of trying their oatmeal.  It does not bother me if it’s not labeled gf.  Thanks again, will try goofymoms eggs Benedict in a few weeks!

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

3 hours ago, terrydtx said:

Thank you, we are at the airport to begin our journey. 

 

Have a wonderful trip!  Looking forward to hearing about your experience.

[sparkopotamus]

On 9/10/2023 at 10:20 AM, Keys Kathy said:

OK, let's do a quick survey. Just your CC status, please, and if you are staying with X or looking elsewhere. 

 

Elite-plus, booking elsewhere.

Elite +, moving to Viking.  And after having taken two DIY land vacations (London with side trips and the Scottish Highlands (NC500)) we will split our travel between cruises and DIY land trips.

[RichYak]

30 minutes ago, Cruise till you drop said:

I guess I wasn’t impressed that one posts that they fell asleep during another persons post.  That was very disrespectful 

I treat all posts with the respect that they warrant. But lets be clear. I posted a funny gif and made a joke complete with laugh emoji. You dug through my activity history like a vigilante with a personal vendetta. Then, when one bad example wasn't enough, you did it again and edited your comment to add another bad example. And I'm the disrespectful one?

 

31 minutes ago, Cruise till you drop said:

My intent was to show you liked long posts if they agreed with your point of view and fell asleep when they didn’t mesh with your opinion. 

My earlier response upthread explained how you missed the mark.

[goofysmom99]

1 hour ago, bjahil47 said:

...I’m thinking of trying their oatmeal.  It does not bother me if it’s not labeled gf.  Thanks again, will try goofymoms eggs Benedict in a few weeks!

Since I have celiac, oatmeal isn't an option (but I make it a lot at home).  Good luck with the deconstructed eggs benedict.

[tserface]

1 hour ago, Harrisonkid said:

As a long time E+ I still enjoy Celebrity and so sorry that so many of you don't. I have always found Cruise Food (regardless of cruise lines ..of which we have tried many) to be Average at best...but always love meeting many new people from various parts of the world....sounds like some of my great conversations will have less people involved but that started with suite only dinning as well as Specialty Restaurants years ago ...cheers

We are long time Celebrity cruisers as well and lament some of the things we've lost through the cut backs, but we still enjoy Celebrity cruises.  We are just also enjoying other cruise lines now as well since we don't have the same incentive to stay as loyal.  So, we look at price, itinerary, specials offered, etc.  We find Celebrity and Princess to be pretty comparable.  It used to be that Celebrity offered more than Princess, but not so much any more.  That doesn't mean we're saying no to Celebrity. It just means we look around a lot more these days.

 

Obviously, Celebrity is still filling ships and making $$$ or they wouldn't be cutting back on quality and features and raising prices so quickly.

 

[peanut head]

Never thought we would sail with any cruise line but Celebrity.  Never say "never".  We still have an upcoming October Celebrity cruise and then 2 in 2025.  I have started to check out Viking, Seabourn, Regent and VV.  Not sure what we'll do after 2025.

[hubofhockey]

I never blame the cruise line for decreasing quality (cutting their cost of doing business) or increasing pricing.  They should do both as long as they can fill up their ships. If they lose two long time customers, but pick up three new ones, they're ahead.  I am always one of those customers any cruise line will lose if they do that.  I have zero loyalty to them.  

[Cruise till you drop]

18 hours ago, Spif Barwunkel said:

The good old days become older with each passing day, do they not? So, if you have cruised with Celebrity for any length of time you have certainly experienced some changes, and not all for the better. Even so, changes are never the result of one particular entity. They come about over time because of varying circumstances, including the behavior and attitude of the passengers. Think about it, you could be responsible for Celebrity's shortcomings. We are not innocent in this blame game and no matter your cruising status some folks somewhere have a hand or two in the current events.

 

This is the easy way. Band together - as it has always been - and ridicule Celebrity. There are many on these forums who are manipulated by a few. It's much easier to be in good stead, although wrong, than to be in disagreement and unpopular. Seriously, I'm not looking at other cruise lines because of any CEO's changes.

 

Let's hope we get the proper pronunciation and spelling of people's names on these threads. Celebrity is probably cringing with the thought that someone somewhere will blame them. Seriously, that would really ruin lobster night.

 

 

 

 

You are spot on with this and my apologies on behalf of those that can’t take the opposite view of things and be civil in their reaction.

 

Respectfully I am now unfollowing this thread.

[Crazy planning mom]

On 9/10/2023 at 11:17 AM, paulh84 said:

Where did the loyal cruiser come from? They were the new and younger at one point. You have to start somewhere. The older ‘loyal’ crowd is at tipping point age-wise. I’m not sure the loyalist crowd are as important to the bottom line as some would like to think they are. 

True, but younger people enjoy food.  It doesn't have to be lobster per se but the millennials and gen xers aren't going to stay with Celebrity if the food isn't up to par.

[mauimary]

We have been long time Celebrity Cruisers.  We also currently have eight on the books. We do not cruise in suites but instead mostly SV when we can get them.  Most all our cruises are booked at least 1.5-2yrs out although we do book some only a few months out. 
 

We do not have much to complain about as we do not have the major changes some folks have as we’re not in suites. We have been cruising Celebrity for over twenty years after we moved over from Royal.  Sure the midnight buffets are gone and the towel animals in the room and sometimes the chocolates on the bed are gone!   As a result so far we are happy and go along with the flow.  On our two coming up in Nov we do not even have any perks at all and will buy drinks as we go and use our elite benefits.  We can almost always find something to eat and have never left a cruise starving.  Sometimes for us the dining room is a little heavy on fish dishes and we do not eat fish( we’re in the minority there).  
We’re just happy to be cruising and will stay right where we are. 

Edited September 11, 2023 by mauimary

[Whinenowine]

9 minutes ago, Crazy planning mom said:

True, but younger people enjoy food.  It doesn't have to be lobster per se but the millennials and gen xers aren't going to stay with Celebrity if the food isn't up to par.

I'm firmly ensconced in the middle of Gen X and I'd never cruise on a line w/ average food.  Perhaps I've always channeled my inner-GenZ, but when paying so much for a cruise (and comparing to comparable land vacations) I'd have to compare the food with good land restaurants too.  But that's just me...

[govanguy]

23 hours ago, Cruise till you drop said:

Care to share more info on what made it a disaster ?

It's all been discussed by others on this forum already.

 

Suffice to say, I emailed X on Saturday that I returned and received an apology and FCC on the following Tuesday. 

 

In summary: Sullen Staff, food, slow service, no sunbeds, ship was full capacity, ship not designed for Retreat areas, poor quality of inclusive alcohol, poor internet speeds. I was travelling Aqua. 

[phoenix_dream]

I wonder how many of the people who are saying they love Celebrity and don't see what all the fuss is about and they've had a wonderful time etc., etc., have actually cruised with them lately?   I have also always had a wonderful time on my 75+ cruises on Celebrity, but am concerned about many of the very recent changes (as well as the failed tests).  My last cruise was in March and since it was my one (likely only based on prices) cruise in a Royal Suite I'm not sure I can evaluate my decisions based on that one alone as higher level suites sure do get treated better, at least based on my experience.

 

I have 7 more cruises booked with Celebrity, all with non-refundable deposits so it is likely I will sail them all.  I have 3 cruises in the next couple of months (starting in October) - two in Aqua Class and one in a Sky Suite.  How those go (along with any other as yet unknown upcoming changes) will help me make my decisions for future bookings.  I cruise 7-8 times a year and if I am not happy with what I experience on those sailings, especially considering current pricing, I will definitely be considering other lines. I can tell you one thing for sure, if they combine the loyalty programs with Royal Caribbean (which has been rumored) and take away some of the key perks I've waited many, many years for after finally reaching Zenith any loyalty I have to Celebrity (which is obviously considerable) goes out the window.   It truly makes me sad to even consider this as I have always really enjoyed Celebrity and looked forward to each cruise.

[DCPIV]

I've never subscribed to brand loyalty in the first place.  While I very often do return to the same brand, it because I like the product--not because of some sense of loyalty.  We've enjoyed Celebrity a great deal in the past.  It was a nearly perfect balance of relaxation, recreation, and maturity.  We have 1 more Celebrity cruise booked next year, but I don't really know how many more will book with X until we see how everything shakes out with the management and policy changes.

 

We already were concerned with the direction Celebrity was heading before all these recent changes.  Things like the ridiculously uncomfortable Kelly Hoppen interiors and the Infinite (not) Verandas are not quite our cup of tea.  Add in a noticeable drop in the quality of the product offered along with a staggering increase in price, and there's every reason to look around.  

 

We sailed Azamara late last year and had a great time.  We've also sailed with Silversea many times (before and after they became part of RCI), and we're about to sail on Silver Nova.  We typically stay in The Retreat, so the cost of those is pretty close.  The quality, though, is at least a shade higher on Azamara (with some tradeoffs).  The quality on Silversea is an order of magnitude higher (except, perhaps, with regard to entertainment).

 

Honestly, this upcoming 11-night Silver Nova cruise (veranda) is signficantly cheaper (per night) than a 7-night Reflection (Signature Suite) we were pricing about the same time we booked the Nova, and the Nova cruise fare includes all but one of our excursions.  Granted, it's not exactly apples to apples, but it's quite something to be in the same ballpark at all.

 

5 hours ago, spiff2 said:

I have been researching these as well. So far Silversea seems to be out as a choice. It seems to be the most restrictive on dress codes. My cruise suit and tie days are over.

 

You might want to keep an eye on that.  They are using a different, more relaxed dress code on Silver Nova, and it appears to be very well received.  No ties required . . . ever, and jackets required only on "formal optional" nights (only 2 of those on our 11-nighter).  I wouldn't be surprised to see it spread throughout the fleet. 

 

Even on the other ships, you never need to wear a tie.  It's required only on the formal nights and then only in the MDR.  On those nights, we would just eat in another restaurant.  It appears they are working on a bit of a culture change.  My cruise suit and tie days are over, too.

[spiff2]

12 minutes ago, DCPIV said:

 

You might want to keep an eye on that.  They are using a different, more relaxed dress code on Silver Nova, and it appears to be very well received.  No ties required . . . ever, and jackets required only on "formal optional" nights (only 2 of those on our 11-nighter).  I wouldn't be surprised to see it spread throughout the fleet. 

 

Even on the other ships, you never need to wear a tie.  It's required only on the formal nights and then only in the MDR.  On those nights, we would just eat in another restaurant.  It appears they are working on a bit of a culture change.  My cruise suit and tie days are over, too.

That is excellent news about Silversea. Thank you for the update. I will put them back in the lineup. 

[cruisemom42]

8 hours ago, goofysmom99 said:

Every cruise line handles GF well in their dining rooms, giving you a menu the night before.  Enjoying a hot breakfast in my cabin is something I look forward to when I cruise.  One of the things X does very well (and I don't) is poached eggs.  I can write-in two slices of GF toast, poached eggs (write-in to not put them onto the toast), a breakfast meat, and ask for hollandaise on the side.  Then I assemble my jury-rigged version of GF eggs benedict for breakfast on my balcony.  While I don't do that every day, I do order something hot every morning.  It's my cruise indulgence.  Being able to have GF hot breakfast from room service will make/break my cruise line choice.  Although I'm not charged for this on X, even if I were, I'd still order it.  And that, among other things, is what I'm busy researching on other cruise lines.  (Not available on Princess.)   

 

What a genius idea!  My love for Eggs Benedict is one of the few things that induces me to leave my cabin in the morning without coffee or breakfast. I'm not GF but this idea could easily be adapted. 

 

Have you ever had a problem or pushback for requesting the Hollandaise sauce?

 

[goofysmom99]

1 minute ago, cruisemom42 said:

Have you ever had a problem or pushback for requesting the Hollandaise sauce?

 

Not so far but I was already a zenith the first time I tried.  I'm sure that helped.  They may say no next time, too....then I'll ask for a fried egg, a slice of cheese, a meat, and make a breakfast sandwich. 😉

[NMTraveller]

11 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

The best way to see how much we enjoyed it is to look at the pictures in my below Live From thread in my signature. But the bottom line is we had a great time!

The weather in July?  I saw the pictures and they looked mostly cloudy which is not a big deal.  How much rain?

[NMTraveller]

23 hours ago, mahdnc said:

 

There is no spoon.

 

[Ken the cruiser]

18 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

The weather in July?  I saw the pictures and they looked mostly cloudy which is not a big deal.  How much rain?

It was hot (with temps in the low 90s) and humid (with the dew point in the low 80s) in most of the ports in Japan and Korea, except for Akita, Japan in the northern part where it was in the 70s and raining until the afternoon about the time we got back to the ship.