Celebrity is Listening

[MMMCruiser]

36 minutes ago, bnurick said:

I hear you. I am just passing along information. Some I just can’t reply to anymore, too aggressive. I have given feedback and it will be what it will be. Happy to sail DCL if X flounders. Cheers!

I totally understand.  None of this is on you.  I just hope that someone is taking in some of the comments, because they are real and I was really hoping I'd found a new cruise line to sail.  Thanks for sharing the information that you have. 

[bnurick]

6 minutes ago, MMMCruiser said:

I totally understand.  None of this is on you.  I just hope that someone is taking in some of the comments, because they are real and I was really hoping I'd found a new cruise line to sail.  Thanks for sharing the information that you have. 

Much appreciated.

[Smmessineo]

4 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

From what I have heard is that She met with Zeniths and they unloaded on her as well as thanked her for bring back access to Retreat.   She and others were also dining in the MDR and many of her senior staff were shadowing staff in all areas of the ship and actually working along side staff in places like Al Bacio.  Whether she was shadowing I don't know but I'm sure she has collected some data points.

 

That's a H3LL of a lot more the Lisa ever did.    Will it make a difference? Only time will tell and I think it is a step in the right direction to understand the complaints they have been getting.

 

Problem is that once the cat is out of the bag it is hard to get them back.   They lost me as a dedicated Celebrity cruiser after 23 years and I know we will never restrict our cursing to Celebrity or any other line.   

 

 

I fully agree with you about letting the cat out of the bag. I have 8 Celebrity cruises booked, and have sailed exclusively with X for 8 years. But all this talk the past few months made me nervous enough to seek out another cruise line. I've got Equinox next week, Ascent b2b in January then I'm trying out HAL on the Rotterdam in March and depending on how things go in comparison , I may be cancelling 4 or 5 of the Celebrity sailings, including a bucket list b2b2b Iceland New England cruise, inspired by your trip last summer, Jim. Being concerned enough to check other cruise lines led me to find great Iceland itineraries on HAL so now I know  I have options. . 

I am very glad they may be correcting these blunders, it would be sad to stop sailing Celebrity altogether.

 

Edited October 15, 2023 by Smmessineo

[the penguins]

8 hours ago, mac_tlc said:

See the thread linked below. Posts #60, #63 and #65 show the random cruises I was price-checking through September and through the 10/4 changes. Rarely did the price change as much as the cost of the removed items. 

 

 

Have you submitted the prices to the Chief Ex's office and asked for a response?

Posting is great but if X is/has just used the new system to just raise prices only passengers keeping up the pressure and if necessary cancelling/ not booking will it change.

We moved to Princess and didn't book another we had planned when compolsary AI was introduced. On this thread in the last few posts Jim_Iain and Ruth have done the same. 

Len Goodman, head judge on Celebrity Come Dancing, once said in response to complaints about bad dancers being continually being voted through "if you don't phone (i. e. vote) don't moan". The same applies here - tell X, use facts, and if you don't like the response change cruise lines.

[mac_tlc]

4 hours ago, the penguins said:

Have you submitted the prices to the Chief Ex's office and asked for a response?

Posting is great but if X is/has just used the new system to just raise prices only passengers keeping up the pressure and if necessary cancelling/ not booking will it change.

We moved to Princess and didn't book another we had planned when compolsary AI was introduced. On this thread in the last few posts Jim_Iain and Ruth have done the same. 

Len Goodman, head judge on Celebrity Come Dancing, once said in response to complaints about bad dancers being continually being voted through "if you don't phone (i. e. vote) don't moan". The same applies here - tell X, use facts, and if you don't like the response change cruise lines.

Thanks, I will send along my findings. I wanted to get some more data after the change occurred so I have continued checking. I also began checking in September so I could see if they raised the prices just to then lower them. That did not occur —- they just didn’t lower them.

 

We have started to investigate other lines and have booked our first HAL for 2025 and our first Oceania cruises in 2024 and 2025. For twenty years we were exclusively X and Royal.

 

 

mac_tlc

Edited October 15, 2023 by mac_tlc

[the penguins]

9 hours ago, Smmessineo said:

I fully agree with you about letting the cat out of the bag. I have 8 Celebrity cruises booked, and have sailed exclusively with X for 8 years. But all this talk the past few months made me nervous enough to seek out another cruise line. I've got Equinox next week, Ascent b2b in January then I'm trying out HAL on the Rotterdam in March and depending on how things go in comparison , I may be cancelling 4 or 5 of the Celebrity sailings, including a bucket list b2b2b Iceland New England cruise, inspired by your trip last summer, Jim. Being concerned enough to check other cruise lines led me to find great Iceland itineraries on HAL so now I know  I have options. . 

I am very glad they may be correcting these blunders, it would be sad to stop sailing Celebrity altogether.

 

Hopefully you will also be passing your comments direct to the Chief Exc. 

[the penguins]

45 minutes ago, mac_tlc said:

Thanks, I will send along my findings. I wanted to get some more data after the change occurred so I have continued checking. I also began checking in September so I could see if they raised the prices just to then lower them. That did not occur —- they just didn’t lower them.

 

We have started to investigate other lines and have booked our first HAL for 2025 and our first Oceania cruises in 2024 and 2025. For twenty years we were exclusively X and Royal.

 

 

mac_tlc

Slightly confused.

If X is playing fair the total should still be the same. Previously Base + AI, now Base + tips + AI.

[zitsky]

5 minutes ago, the penguins said:

Hopefully you will also be passing your comments direct to the Chief Exc. 

 

How does one do that, exactly?  Considering the discussion that the CEO’s office is just part of Marketing?

[the penguins]

4 minutes ago, zitsky said:

 

How does one do that, exactly?  Considering the discussion that the CEO’s office is just part of Marketing?

I have always emailed: executiveoffice@celebrity.com.

The team are based in Wichita and I have had a couple calls back from Zoe Wright.

If I can find the phone number I will Post it later.

[Texed]

10 hours ago, Smmessineo said:

  Ascent b2b in January

 

So do we.  😊

[Smmessineo]

30 minutes ago, the penguins said:

Hopefully you will also be passing your comments direct to the Chief Exc. 

I will be. I plan on writing something , good or bad or mixed,  after we get back from our Equinox cruise on October 28. 

[the penguins]

50 minutes ago, Smmessineo said:

I will be. I plan on writing something , good or bad or mixed,  after we get back from our Equinox cruise on October 28. 

Have a great cruise, we will be on Reflection crossing the Atlantic.

[NMTraveller]

1 hour ago, the penguins said:

Slightly confused.

If X is playing fair the total should still be the same. Previously Base + AI, now Base + tips + AI.

It was another revenue enhancement...

[the penguins]

1 hour ago, the penguins said:

I have always emailed: executiveoffice@celebrity.com.

The team are based in Wichita and I have had a couple calls back from Zoe Wright.

If I can find the phone number I will Post it later.

As promised the telephone number is: 316 554 5608.

Office hours Mon- Fri 9am to 6 pm EST.

Another who person who responded in great detail was Marie Kirk in the Engagement Center email:

celebrityengagementcenter@celebrity.com

[the penguins]

13 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

It was another revenue enhancement...

Your original post said X hadn’t raised price.

[Rick&Jeannie]

On 10/14/2023 at 9:55 AM, marieps said:

At least they're emails.  Oceania, Regent and Viking combine for 15-20 flyers per week via snail mail.

Yeah...sending emails is basically *free* once the infrastructure is in place.  Mailing flyers is WAY more expensive!

[NutsAboutGolf]

2 hours ago, the penguins said:

Hopefully you will also be passing your comments direct to the Chief Exc. 

 

2 hours ago, zitsky said:

 

How does one do that, exactly?  Considering the discussion that the CEO’s office is just part of Marketing?

 

The parent company, RCG, eliminated the CEO title of X, while LLP was CEO and President, Laura is only the President

 

[NMTraveller]

54 minutes ago, the penguins said:

Your original post said X hadn’t raised price.

???

I don't think that was me...

[the penguins]

45 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

???

I don't think that was me...

Sorry mixed up 2 responses. Mac_tic said he has been monitoring the prices and these have not  increased. Clearly you think differently.

[RichYak]

3 hours ago, the penguins said:

Slightly confused.

If X is playing fair the total should still be the same. Previously Base + AI, now Base + tips + AI.

 

12 minutes ago, the penguins said:

Sorry mixed up 2 responses. Mac_tic said he has been monitoring the prices and these have not  increased. Clearly you think differently.

That's not what they said. They said that fares did not go down by the amount of the missing tips from AI. at least that's how I read it. Overall, it's a price increase in disguise.

 

4 hours ago, mac_tlc said:

I also began checking in September so I could see if they raised the prices just to then lower them. That did not occur —- they just didn’t lower them.

 

Edited October 15, 2023 by RichYak

[mac_tlc]

12 minutes ago, RichYak said:

 

That's not what they said. They said that fares did not go down by the amount of the missing tips from AI. at least that's how I read it. Overall, it's a price increase in disguise.

 

 

Correct. They removed tips worth say, $259 a couple (which still need to be paid), and the fare went down LESS than $259. 
 

Out of pocket cost went up. 
 

mac_tlc

[NutsAboutGolf]

Cruise fare increases/decreases are a moot point because, like most of the travel industry, there isn't fixed pricing, it's demand-based dynamic pricing.  The sailings they have difficulty filling are sent over as "Exciting Deals"/"SELECTS"; they could claim "See?  We DID lower the pricing!"

[the penguins]

48 minutes ago, mac_tlc said:

Correct. They removed tips worth say, $259 a couple (which still need to be paid), and the fare went down LESS than $259. 
 

Out of pocket cost went up. 
 

mac_tlc

That's the point I have been trying to make.

If you or anyone else has specific examples submit the details to X's Corporate Office and/or President's Office and ask for their specific response.

This is the tactic we and many others used when X introduced compolsary AI and eventually that policy was reversed.

At present, just comparing AI deals, then HAL, Princess, NCL and MSC all seem to have better offers.

In the end we must all make our own decision as to whether or not X still provides value for money.

We will be making ours after our Transatlantic on Reflection.

 

[C 2 C]

21 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

I know we will never restrict our cursing to Celebrity or any other line.   

 

Does this mean you will use more @#$% language in your reviews of more cruise lines? 

[kirtihk]

On 10/14/2023 at 11:09 AM, zitsky said:

Is Laura herself working on a ship?

 

I am trying to remain caustically optimistic.

 

Infinite verandas are the biggest scam I mean greatest marketing coup in cruising history.

What does the company gain from it if it is actually not good at all?  I don't think they get extra money just for that item alone, and if they do, that means there are enough cruisers who like it, because, obviously, the Edge operates for 5 years by now, and a lot of people who book the Infinite veranda are repeat customers, and we are amongst of them.