Just off Infinity - Post Cruise Review

[benkon]

Before you read - here is a disclaimer:  We are avid cruisers with five cruise lines and 25 sailings under our belt.  Comparisons and impressions here are not mean spirited or ultra fussy.  I'm writing this review because I wish someone had done this before I booked this horrible mistake.

 

We were super excited for our very first Celebrity cruise.  We'd listened to all the hype about this "premier" cruise line and wanted to experience it for ourselves.  Greece has been on our bucket list for awhile and the Infinity was the ship that fit our itinerary and scheduling needs.  We knew it was an older ship and in much need of a refurbishing.  We don't travel with children and have never really taken advantage of the bells and whistles on some of the newer mega ships (rock climbing, Flo-Rider, etc.).  So, we set sail with those lowered expectations in mind.

 

Embarkation - The port of Athens is clean and organized.  We were on the ship in short order and our luggage delivery was speedy.  No complaints there at all.

 

Stateroom - We had an Aqua Class balcony cabin on the 11th deck.  The location was great - a few steps to the buffet and the pool.  The first thing we noticed was the scum on the balcony glass and sliding doors.  You could not see out.  The decor is outdated and the fixtures were rusty.  Our bathrobes were like cardboard, as were the towels.  Toilet tissue couldn't have been cheaper quality.  The television was no larger than a laptop computer.  It was on one side of the bed and placed on a low cabinet, so if you slept on the opposite side, you couldn't see the screen over your cabin mate's legs.  No matter what we did, we could not keep the water from the shower flooding the bathroom.  The doors simply don't close and seal.

 

Food - I'm not a picky eater.  But, this was the WORST cruise food we've ever had!  Nothing was ever hot - in fact, it was barely warm.  The buffet layout is ridiculously inconvenient.  The buffet food selection was nonexistent for breakfast and lunch.  None of the usual cruise fare was there anymore.  The serving utensils were always filthy.  The "Oceanview" Buffet had no view, as the windows there were also very dirty for the entire cruise.  If you were lucky enough to have someone come over for a drink order, you would be unlucky enough to receive it WAY after you were done eating.  We ate dinner in Blu for all but one evening.  I had three beef and lamb entrees which were so tough you could not cut through them.  Again, food was barely warm.  Menus are unimaginative and bland.  Our one specialty dining experience was Le Petit Chef.  It's basically a video projected onto your table.  Nothing special.  And to top it off, they charged us twice for the meal on our account (we had purchased it online during a flash sale and then they charged us at dinner for the full price).  We've done Wonderland on Odyssey OTS - there is no comparison whatsoever.  

 

Entertainment -  Wow.  Just horrible.  The singer/dancers in the main shows were out of tune and out of shape.  Costumes were low budget.  Special effects were few and far between.  The "magician" was inaudible because the sound guy had the background music up too high.  The "juggler" dropped stuff every trick.  We saw a medicre string duo in the bars, but not much else.  The pool had zero live music during our time there and the recorded Muzak was just awful.  

 

Pool - There was dirt and debris in both outdoor pools and the quality/cleanliness of the water was sketchy.  I know this is a problem on all cruises, but we saw passengers put down towels at 8 a.m. and never return for hours and hours.  Most of the pool loungers were just towel resting places.  Of course, the staff did nothing about it.  We spent two port days sitting at the pool and never once did we have anyone offer us a drink.

 

Drink Package - $10/per drink on the Classic Package basically gets you nothing on the menu.  Such a ripoff.  Stop calling it a "perk" and call it a "discount".

 

Casino - We cruised on a Casino Royale promo, so I tried to have some fun playing slots.  The machines were SO old and outdated.  I never saw anyone win a jackpot.  I played $500 out of sheer boredom, but gave up because every spin was a losing one.  

 

Spa - We made the mistake of upgrading to (and paying a lot more for) Aqua Class for the "perks".  The thermal spa is a joke.  It's small and claustrophobic.  Didn't look very clean.  Our last experience was on NCL where the thermal spa was world class awesome.  

 

Tendering - So, here's the system.  When the ship tenders at a port, you have to go to the Martini Bar and wait in a line to get a numbered ticket.  Then they start calling banks of numbers all at once and people converge on the gangway entrance from all manner of hallways, lobbies, and stairwells.  At this point, it doesn't matter which number you had - it's every man for himself in hand to hand combat to get to the entrance.  Yeah, good job.  I love me a relaxing vacay.

 

Fellow Passengers - See above.  Also, I love the guy who wanted to know if he liked the flavor of yogurt.  He stuck his finger in and licked it.  Decided NAH.  Put the yogurt back in its place.  

 

Ports - We loved Greece and had a great time.  Captain couldn't port in Mykonos due to high winds, so we missed that one.  

 

Service - Kudos to our stateroom attendant and service staff in Blu.  They all went above and beyond to be efficient and friendly.  

 

Disembarkation - Went fine, albeit too early in the morning for a relaxed pace.

 

If this cruise was a sampling of the Celebrity experience, I need see no more.  If this truly is the future of mainstream cruising, then it's a sad state of affairs.

 

The icing on the cake:  We both started to feel unwell halfway through the plane ride home.  Both of us had pretty bad cases of Covid for 10 days post cruise (vaxxed and triple boosted).  Maybe even if we don't revisit all the Covid mandates (masks, vaccination reqs, etc.), we could at least go back to keeping the ship clean and insisting people wash their hands???  Yes, we could have become infected in port.  I'm betting on the enclosed, crowded, unclean ship vs. the great outdoors.  Hey, maybe it was the yogurt guy.

[mahdnc]

Pretty depressing read.  I am sorry that it was so unenjoyable.

Edited October 3, 2023 by mahdnc
grammatical correction

[lv2cruisgrl]

Sorry it was a bummer but that is why we will not sail on older ships that haven't been refurbished.   We sailed Infinity in 2019 and it wasn’t in good shape then. It is way over due to have a make over or be sold!!! I hope you recover quickly. I have read Covid is running amongst many ships. 

[benkon]

Just now, mahdnc said:

Pretty depressing read.  I am sorry that it went so unenjoyable.

Thanks for the kind words!  We still had a good time together and made the most of it!  Met some great people, too!

 

[kywildcatfanone]

We were on Infinity last year and had a great time for it being a smaller ship, but it only had like 800 passengers too.  Sorry you had a poor time.

[peanut head]

Thank you for your detailed review and so sorry to hear of the disappointment and your unwanted "Covid" souvenir.  Hope you feel better soon.

[Purplsmurf]

We sailed Infinity in 2019 and it was in desperate need of a refurbishment then, so we won’t go on that ship again. Don’t really care for the M class ships. I would have to disagree with one thing though, there are LOTS of drinks that you can get on the classic package 

[Georgia_Peaches]

Yikes!  Sounds dreadful.  I do a lot of research before I book a cruise on any ship...especially the older ones.  Our first Celebrity experience was on Connie in 2015.  She was in need of a refurbish back then but never got it due to Covid.  When we found out she wouldn't get one anytime soon, we cancelled our Panama Canal cruise for many of the reasons you expressed.  It's a shame you went all that way only to be disappointed.  If you give Celebrity a try again in the future, I suggest pouring through as many youtube videos as you can stand just to have an idea of what to expect...good, bad, or otherwise.

 

 

[hcat]

OP

Sorry you had such a bad cruise..and then Covid on top of that.

 

The Infinity was once a beautiful up to date ship in its prime years....But it has been in constant decline for quite a while ..Should not be offered for cruising..maybe  use for spare parts.

[kiwichick62]

"Relaxed Luxury" indeed....Hope your next cruise experience is way better.

[jimzgoldfinch]

Your heading states that you’re just off the Infinity but when was your cruise? 
 

It does not appear to be the same cruise that we completed yesterday.

 

We had a good experience. We were in Blu. Food and service was good. There was a good and varied choice of food in Oceanview cafe. Drinks service was variable. Standards have dropped and cost cuttings were apparent.

 

There was only one tendered port - this appear to run smoothly but we got off later in the day.

[CruiseCrew123]

I was In Infinity from 16th Sept and nothing in this post is what I was experienced. We had a wonderful time 

[Castlerigg]

I was on Infinity Sept 23-Oct 2, 2024. She is, indeed showing her age, but the staff were always pleasant, and our stateroom attendant was delightful. Our one dinner in the Tuscan Grille was excellent; however, the main dining room food and menus were extremely disappointing. No imagination or attempt to "dress up" meals. Caesar salad, shrimp cocktail, French onion soup, and escargot used to be on the "always available" side menu, while the main menu offered two additional salads, two other soups, and two different appetizers that changed every night. On this cruise, the previously "always available" items were now part of the main menu, with only one different salad and one different soup selection per night. Slim pickings if you wanted to try something different. The list of main entrees was disastrous. Salmon (NOT Alaskan or Norwegian) appeared on the menu every night, and three or four of the six entrees were always served with mashed potatoes and carrots, with maybe a chunk of broccoli or handful of green beans thrown in. Every. Single. Night. No prime rib or Beef Wellington. No side garnishes. No innovative sauces or seasonings. Just plain, bland cooking. Had I wanted to eat at a diner, I would not have booked a cruise. Such a HUGE shift from Celebrity's earlier days and certainly downgraded even from what the Silhouette main dining room offered in June 2022 or the Reflection this past April! What is happening?? Since April, 2023, martinis prices have increased $14 to $17 each ($20 with included tip). The nickel-and-diming was ever more present on the Infinity this past week...upcharge for this, upcharge for that. Maybe Celebrity is trying to steer us toward booking only upcharge restaurants. I certainly hope other cruise lines are not following Celebrity's dining example. 

Castlerigg

49 cruises and counting

[lv2cruisgrl]

5 minutes ago, Castlerigg said:

I was on Infinity Sept 23-Oct 2, 2024. She is, indeed showing her age, but the staff were always pleasant, and our stateroom attendant was delightful. Our one dinner in the Tuscan Grille was excellent; however, the main dining room food and menus were extremely disappointing. No imagination or attempt to "dress up" meals. Caesar salad, shrimp cocktail, French onion soup, and escargot used to be on the "always available" side menu, while the main menu offered two additional salads, two other soups, and two different appetizers that changed every night. On this cruise, the previously "always available" items were now part of the main menu, with only one different salad and one different soup selection per night. Slim pickings if you wanted to try something different. The list of main entrees was disastrous. Salmon (NOT Alaskan or Norwegian) appeared on the menu every night, and three or four of the six entrees were always served with mashed potatoes and carrots, with maybe a chunk of broccoli or handful of green beans thrown in. Every. Single. Night. No prime rib or Beef Wellington. No side garnishes. No innovative sauces or seasonings. Just plain, bland cooking. Had I wanted to eat at a diner, I would not have booked a cruise. Such a HUGE shift from Celebrity's earlier days and certainly downgraded even from what the Silhouette main dining room offered in June 2022 or the Reflection this past April! What is happening?? Since April, 2023, martinis prices have increased $14 to $17 each ($20 with included tip). The nickel-and-diming was ever more present on the Infinity this past week...upcharge for this, upcharge for that. Maybe Celebrity is trying to steer us toward booking only upcharge restaurants. I certainly hope other cruise lines are not following Celebrity's dining example. 

Castlerigg

49 cruises and counting

Sad....it's really sad.

[RichYak]

5 hours ago, benkon said:

I'm writing this review because I wish someone had done this before I booked this horrible mistake.

Ouch. Thanks for the detailed review. Sorry that the experience was so poor.

[Honolulu Blue]

8 hours ago, benkon said:

Thanks for the kind words!  We still had a good time together and made the most of it!  Met some great people, too!

Thank you for sharing your experience. I've had five great experiences on Celebrity so far on sister ships Summit and Millennium, and I'm looking forward to another one on the Summit in a few months. I guess the rumblings are true - the Infinity is the redheaded stepchild of the fleet. I hope it gets an extensive refub at its next drydock.

 

That said, a better ship wouldn't have addressed all the issues you had. Get well soon. 🙏

 

P.S. I apologize to the redheaded stepchildren out there.

[budmeister]

We were on the Infinity on Sept 9th. While I agree with what everyone said about the main dining room, the rest of our cruise was very good. We are not the average cruisers, and that worked to our advantage in some areas the OP found lacking.

 

We did not use the casino, pools, spa, and or any drink package. We stayed in an indoor room. And we did not expect a Premium experience. We expected a quieter and nicer experience than our RC usual, less kids, and better live music throughout the ship and better food. All but the better food delivered.

 

We liked the buffet food, but agree the layout was inconvenient.  The best food was sometimes around a corner past where it looked like the bufftet ended. The variety was less, but the food was better. Our plates did not end up with a of variety that we took one bite of and left on the plate. We were lucky enough not to have trouble hearing the mentalist  show and thought he was exceptional.

 

We never noticed the towels. tv or toilet paper. Disembarkment was a normal time- between 8 and 9, we were off and had out luggage in 20 min. We received notices to change if we wanted to.

 

So, if you like the Greece port schedule, and are more like us in habits, you will be fine. We also missed Mykonos for the same reason, so don't count on that. 

 

 

[Cruise a holic]

Sorry you didn't enjoy your cruise.  We avoid older ships.  Especially if they haven't been refurbished.  Try an Edge class ship.  A very different experience.  We especially liked the Apex.  Food, service and entertainment were great.  In addition, we love sky suites and above.  If you can, try suite class- the lounge, pool deck and restaurant, make the trip so much better.  The pricing is crazy now, but search for a good deal.

[Bluebury]

Oh dear, sounds depressing. Especially as we are on the Infinity from 2nd January - she then goes in to dry dock. Will expect the worst and then cannot be disappointed. 

 

[Castlerigg]

14 hours ago, lv2cruisgrl said:

Sad....it's really sad.

Yes, indeed. If I want to continue with Celebrity, it seems that I'll need to purchase a dining package for the upcharge restaurants or try to snag a deal on an Aqua class or higher cabin that will get me into a different dining venue. Sigh.

[budmeister]

I agree.  I wish we had bought a dining package. We always do on RC, but thought that on Celebrity we would not need one. Wrong!

[budmeister]

15 hours ago, Castlerigg said:

I was on Infinity Sept 23-Oct 2, 2024. She is, indeed showing her age, but the staff were always pleasant, and our stateroom attendant was delightful. Our one dinner in the Tuscan Grille was excellent; however, the main dining room food and menus were extremely disappointing. No imagination or attempt to "dress up" meals. Caesar salad, shrimp cocktail, French onion soup, and escargot used to be on the "always available" side menu, while the main menu offered two additional salads, two other soups, and two different appetizers that changed every night. On this cruise, the previously "always available" items were now part of the main menu, with only one different salad and one different soup selection per night. Slim pickings if you wanted to try something different. The list of main entrees was disastrous. Salmon (NOT Alaskan or Norwegian) appeared on the menu every night, and three or four of the six entrees were always served with mashed potatoes and carrots, with maybe a chunk of broccoli or handful of green beans thrown in. Every. Single. Night. No prime rib or Beef Wellington. No side garnishes. No innovative sauces or seasonings. Just plain, bland cooking. Had I wanted to eat at a diner, I would not have booked a cruise. Such a HUGE shift from Celebrity's earlier days and certainly downgraded even from what the Silhouette main dining room offered in June 2022 or the Reflection this past April! What is happening?? Since April, 2023, martinis prices have increased $14 to $17 each ($20 with included tip). The nickel-and-diming was ever more present on the Infinity this past week...upcharge for this, upcharge for that. Maybe Celebrity is trying to steer us toward booking only upcharge restaurants. I certainly hope other cruise lines are not following Celebrity's dining example. 

Castlerigg

49 cruises and counting

I agree completely with your assessment of the dining room on our cruise last month. And it would work to steer me toward upcharge restaurants. I wish I had done that. However, price wise, I would only do it  do it for something  like my the past Greek destination cruise.  I would not add that to the price for my regular Caribbean, I would rather do it on a less expensive RC.

[budmeister]

4 hours ago, Bluebury said:

Oh dear, sounds depressing. Especially as we are on the Infinity from 2nd January - she then goes in to dry dock. Will expect the worst and then cannot be disappointed. 

 

I would say book a dining package b4 boarding and you will be fine. Expect a regular, rather than Premium cruise, and to get your own drinks. I guess we are used to that on RC, so did not notice the lack that the OP did. As for the tender experience, we got there early, no lines, were on the first tender, only a couple of numbers were called at a time, no issues. It may have been completely different later.  

 

We did not find dirty OV windows, I looked out of them every morning that I went to breakfast- maybe 4 times.

 

And I did not notice any stains on furniture in my room, Constellation lounge, theatre main floor first third near the front, dining room or OV. I loved my room. We knew we had booked an older ship that missed its refurbish planned during covid. 

 

Of course, we were not in the casino, spa, or the pool areas, and did not have a drink package. And we only turned on the tv to see if the ships had arrived and to confirm ship time.

 

I do not know how just b4 drydock will affect anything, but we had a wonderful time. I hope you do too!

[budmeister]

17 hours ago, CruiseCrew123 said:

I was In Infinity from 16th Sept and nothing in this post is what I was experienced. We had a wonderful time 

We were on week b4 you and also had a great time.

[Miaminice]

We cruised on Infinity in June and wonder if the OP was on a different ship.
Yes, she´s an older M class ship and we didn´t expect her to be like an E class - but DW and I were both surprised that we found her in very good shape for her age.

All was good - except for the internet being almost non functional.