Jim_Iain Live - 2nd Half World Cruise - B2B Singapore to Down Under 11/25 – 12/21

[lorimay]

7 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

Will do.    I know many of the products are like comparing apples and oranges but now that Celebrity has lost us as a dedicated cruiser we are shifting more to Itinerary and price.   The one thing I use to like about Celebrity was the 2 real room concept of upper suites.   On the E-Class this has been shifted to glass panels.   This leaves us in a position that If I'm up early I can't really open the drapery without bathing both the living room and bedroom in light.  

 

We all enjoy a cruise in a different way and we really aren't participants in the Theater Shows, Casino and having to be entertained.    The concept of Regent, Seabourn, SilverSease etc may just be perfect for us.    We relish fine dining at a casual pace and destination is coming to the top of our list.

We were in an "F1" stateroom (they're all considered suites) on the new Regent Grandeur, but the other two, the Explorer and the Splendor, are set up the same way. There is a curtain you can pull at the end of the bed that separates the bed area from the living area, so one person could sleep in darkness while the other has the light. Although our PH stateroom on Oceania was slightly bigger, this stateroom was so comfortable I could not really have asked for more. I've never seen so much storage in a stateroom, and that's not including the walk-in closet. One of the great features is both the "coffee" table and the balcony table are large rounds that are high enough you can use them as dining tables and not feel as if you are bending over to eat. You can, of course, choose a larger suite that does have separate rooms, but I think a "regular" stateroom like we had would work well for you.The only other issue you might have is that the ship is a lot smaller, so you would have to take many more laps around the deck to get your miles in! 

[maggie.1008]

Hi Jim,

We have sailed on all the lines that have been mentioned above. We are looking for something new with great food. We have booked Explora Journey for April leaving from Honolulu.

They are a new cruise line owned by MSC. Check out their website. 
I think you would enjoy. Cheers, Heather 

[calicakes]

1 hour ago, lorimay said:

but now that Celebrity has lost us as a dedicated cruiser we are shifting more to Itinerary and price.

@Jim_Iain Can you give me the reader's digest version of what happened?  Was it one thing?  Numerous things?  I haven't read the entire thread. 

[CHEZMARYLOU]

18 minutes ago, calicakes said:

@Jim_Iain Can you give me the reader's digest version of what happened?  Was it one thing?  Numerous things?  I haven't read the entire thread. 

I too would like to see the short version or a link to the post #. 

[Covepointcruiser]

We are trying Regent the end of March sailing from Miami to Barcelona.    We are getting a Penthouse Suite and this allows you to make restaurant reservations 90 in advance of the crossing.    I don’t like having to decide where we want to eat that much in advance it’s one way of ensuring you eat in the specialty restaurants you like.    We were allowed to reserve tours 5 or 6 months in advance and a few were already sold out.    This is one thing I prefer on Seabourn already is you don’t need to reserve in advance.    Since this is a repositioning trip it is priced reasonably.

[Jim_Iain]

3 hours ago, calicakes said:

@Jim_Iain Can you give me the reader's digest version of what happened?  Was it one thing?  Numerous things?  I haven't read the entire thread. 

 

Main issue -  As a Zenith and Suite Passenger getting zero benefits.  Previously the only benefit we got as a Suite we didn't have as Zenith was Gratuities,  now that has been removed.

 

2.   They cancelled a B2B that we booked with Future Cruise Booking with $900 OBC, all 3 perks and a good price.   They just cancelled and didn't allow us to shift to a different cruise... loosing the perks as well as the certificate.

 

3.   On recent Edge cruise in Retreat the food was just poorly cooked, missing ingredients and many time cold in the middle.

 

4.   The CC Concierge on the recent cruise forgot to invite us to the CC gathering and then forgot to send us an invite to the Zenith Gathering.   In addition on the invite we did finally receive two days late my name was spelled incorrectly and Iain was addressed as Mrs.

 

5.   The Retreat on E-Class ships are like a very impersonal airport lounge.   I had a small request to have my Zenith Discount applied to a Specialty Dining I asked 2 of the 3 Concierges and wasn't fixed and asked the Retreat Manager 2X before finally sending letter to Hotel Director.   Problem was fixed but never received any type of acknowledgement that my complaint had been sent.  

 

That was on top of our last cruise when we were top cruiser and the CC Manager forgot to tell us or to invite us to the event.  

 

Just a few of the items -  The new pricing on Suites, removing many wines from the Premium Package and general lack of wines on the menu are other items.

 

We did our first non-celebrity cruise on Ponant earlier this year.    Prices a little higher,  They matched our status to Celebrity Zenith, Had GREAT french wines and food far superior to even the specialties on Celebrity.    

 

While we will still will be traveling on Celebrity depending on cruise and pricing -  once Celebrity looses a dedicate traveler we are now exploring and booking other lines with REAL LUXURY at about the same prices as Celebrity.

[Gracie115]

@Jim_Iain Agree with all your reasons & more.  

 

[hcat]

if they treat frequent cruisers who are Zenith that way...imagine how others will make out..  Very shabby!

 

Def shafted you on the cancelled cruise and very poor service from Cap Club and Retreat staff. Sad to hear that about EDGE!

 

Hope you enjoy Cunard!

[LouChamp]

Aloha.  You echo my thoughts exactly. Have been blessed to sail on many lines around the world and are top tier with many. I am not tied to any line or hotel or airline except Hawaiian and now their purchase by Alaska makes me wonder that loyalty also.  That said, we love Cunard having sailed since 1970s and most often Grill Class.  Wishing you all the best!

[Nado44]

On 12/26/2023 at 10:36 PM, Jim_Iain said:

It may be just us be we feel like we are in a Airport Lounge instead of an intimate club.

 

Great analogy. I think an actual bar and more comfortable seating will go a long way in making the Retreat Lounge a more intimate space. X got it right though with the Retreat Deck (E class).

 

Was good meeting you and Iain (again) on Edge!

[terrydtx]

9 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

Main issue -  As a Zenith and Suite Passenger getting zero benefits.  Previously the only benefit we got as a Suite we didn't have as Zenith was Gratuities,  now that has been removed.

 

2.   They cancelled a B2B that we booked with Future Cruise Booking with $900 OBC, all 3 perks and a good price.   They just cancelled and didn't allow us to shift to a different cruise... loosing the perks as well as the certificate.

 

3.   On recent Edge cruise in Retreat the food was just poorly cooked, missing ingredients and many time cold in the middle.

 

4.   The CC Concierge on the recent cruise forgot to invite us to the CC gathering and then forgot to send us an invite to the Zenith Gathering.   In addition on the invite we did finally receive two days late my name was spelled incorrectly and Iain was addressed as Mrs.

 

5.   The Retreat on E-Class ships are like a very impersonal airport lounge.   I had a small request to have my Zenith Discount applied to a Specialty Dining I asked 2 of the 3 Concierges and wasn't fixed and asked the Retreat Manager 2X before finally sending letter to Hotel Director.   Problem was fixed but never received any type of acknowledgement that my complaint had been sent.  

 

That was on top of our last cruise when we were top cruiser and the CC Manager forgot to tell us or to invite us to the event.  

 

Just a few of the items -  The new pricing on Suites, removing many wines from the Premium Package and general lack of wines on the menu are other items.

 

We did our first non-celebrity cruise on Ponant earlier this year.    Prices a little higher,  They matched our status to Celebrity Zenith, Had GREAT french wines and food far superior to even the specialties on Celebrity.    

 

While we will still will be traveling on Celebrity depending on cruise and pricing -  once Celebrity looses a dedicate traveler we are now exploring and booking other lines with REAL LUXURY at about the same prices as Celebrity.

Jim, I can agree with and understand your issues. I sincerely hope some of the Edge issues you recently experienced are fixed before we board her in 2 weeks. The sad thing is that you and Iain have been among the most loyal of Captains club member and got treated so shabby. My recent phone calls with Celebrity Corporate and your experiences just prove my point that Celebrity no longer cares about their loyal customers as they find ways to milk out more profits from the newbies who are booking now. With what few benefits the upper tier of CC have left, they are costing Celebrity more than they want to pay out. We will be Elite+ after our two Edge cruises next month but it means nothing anymore, so we are also going to try out other more premium or luxury lines. I suspect these 2 cruises will be our last with Celebrity.

Edited December 29, 2023 by terrydtx

[calicakes]

3 hours ago, terrydtx said:

Jim, I can agree with and understand your issues. I sincerely hope some of the Edge issues you recently experienced are fixed before we board her in 2 weeks. The sad thing is that you and Iain have been among the most loyal of Captains club member and got treated so shabby. My recent phone calls with Celebrity Corporate and your experiences just prove my point that Celebrity no longer cares about their loyal customers as they find ways to milk out more profits from the newbies who are booking now. With what few benefits the upper tier of CC have left, they are costing Celebrity more than they want to pay out. We will be Elite+ after our two Edge cruises next month but it means nothing anymore, so we are also going to try out other more premium or luxury lines. I suspect these 2 cruises will be our last with Celebrity.

We board on February 25th. IRonically, we'll be Elite after this cruise. We only have a Galapagos cruise booked for 2025. We are taking a break from celebrity. We will be aqua class on the next cruise for great barrier reef. I do have some move up offers in place. if we get one, that is fine. If not i'm one hundred percent okay with that.

[Jim_Iain]

4 hours ago, Nado44 said:

 

Great analogy. I think an actual bar and more comfortable seating will go a long way in making the Retreat Lounge a more intimate space. X got it right though with the Retreat Deck (E class).

 

Was good meeting you and Iain (again) on Edge!

 

It was really nice seeing you again also.   The world can be such a small place.

 

You really brought up a real problem on all of the Revolutionized Ships.   They Kelly Ann furniture is a disaster and can't believe they continue to use it.  I'm sure she is laughing all the way to the bank.

 

Almost all of the furniture is scaled incorrectly, terribly uncomfortable and many designed in a way you almost flop on your back when sitting down.   Those that have sat on the Banquette's with the lamps over head that everyone hits their head on,   The sofa's with 4 inch lower legs in the back,  know what i'm talking about. 

[Jim_Iain]

12 minutes ago, calicakes said:

We board on February 25th. IRonically, we'll be Elite after this cruise. We only have a Galapagos cruise booked for 2025. We are taking a break from celebrity. We will be aqua class on the next cruise for great barrier reef. I do have some move up offers in place. if we get one, that is fine. If not i'm one hundred percent okay with that.

 

Hope you get an upgrade.   We have been talking again about possibly sailing Aqua, now that we again have access to Retreat as a Zenith.    We sailed it once before and was happy with Blu.   Actually I think we had better food in Blu.

[terrydtx]

17 minutes ago, calicakes said:

We board on February 25th. IRonically, we'll be Elite after this cruise. We only have a Galapagos cruise booked for 2025. We are taking a break from celebrity. We will be aqua class on the next cruise for great barrier reef. I do have some move up offers in place. if we get one, that is fine. If not i'm one hundred percent okay with that.

We are on the Jan 25th GBR cruise and several people in our roll calls successfully got move up upgrades to SS and CS. A month ago, there were still about 25 Sky Suites unsold so a lot of move up possibilities. Good luck.

[Gracie115]

12 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

 You really brought up a real problem on all of the Revolutionized Ships.   They Kelly Ann furniture is a disaster and can't believe they continue to use it.  I'm sure she is laughing all the way to the bank.

 

Almost all of the furniture is scaled incorrectly, terribly uncomfortable and many designed in a way you almost flop on your back when sitting down.   Those that have sat on the Banquette's with the lamps over head that everyone hits their head on,   The sofa's with 4 inch lower legs in the back,  know what i'm talking about. 

YES YES & YES.

 

Nearly impossible to find comfortable seating anywhere outside of the theatre/

[cruising diva]

Jim- we were booked on the April 11 Equinox cruise and wanted to change it to April 1 Equinox cruise. By moving the cruise we lost our gratuities and on board credit. We are double Zenith and travel in top suites. We have 12 cruises booked with Celebrity all in  a PH except for 2 where we are waitlisted. We  thought incorrectly that when we called the Executive Office that somebody would actually understand that losing gratuities and on board credit for a Zenith makes a big difference. We feel that Celebrity doesn’t care about their loyal customers and we aren’t going to book any new cruises with them.

[Ipeeinthepools]

1 hour ago, cruising diva said:

Jim- we were booked on the April 11 Equinox cruise and wanted to change it to April 1 Equinox cruise. By moving the cruise we lost our gratuities and on board credit. We are double Zenith and travel in top suites. We have 12 cruises booked with Celebrity all in  a PH except for 2 where we are waitlisted. We  thought incorrectly that when we called the Executive Office that somebody would actually understand that losing gratuities and on board credit for a Zenith makes a big difference. We feel that Celebrity doesn’t care about their loyal customers and we aren’t going to book any new cruises with them.

 

Join the Club.

[81Zoomie]

4 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

It was really nice seeing you again also.   The world can be such a small place.

 

You really brought up a real problem on all of the Revolutionized Ships.   They Kelly Ann furniture is a disaster and can't believe they continue to use it.  I'm sure she is laughing all the way to the bank.

 

Almost all of the furniture is scaled incorrectly, terribly uncomfortable and many designed in a way you almost flop on your back when sitting down.   Those that have sat on the Banquette's with the lamps over head that everyone hits their head on,   The sofa's with 4 inch lower legs in the back,  know what i'm talking about. 

Imagine this if you may.  A man was doing his best to push his lady’s dining room chair in last week on the Summit.  It was one of those tall chairs.  The gentleman was pushing on it from behind like a football lineman doing a drill on one of their “sleds”.  No one should have to work that hard to be comfortably seated.

[terrydtx]

1 hour ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

 

Join the Club.

And the club's membership grows everyday. 

[hawkesbaynz]

2 hours ago, 81Zoomie said:

Imagine this if you may.  A man was doing his best to push his lady’s dining room chair in last week on the Summit.  It was one of those tall chairs.  The gentleman was pushing on it from behind like a football lineman doing a drill on one of their “sleds”.  No one should have to work that hard to be comfortably seated.

Looks like a coffin!

 

Jim I often wondered why you were so loyal to X when you enjoyed the finer things of cruising without the casino, shows & pools. Luxury lines would suit you.

 

We really enjoyed our couple cruises with Oceania and are trying Azamara in 2025. We have three excellent itinerary cruises booked with X ((Japan, Med on the Ascent, New England/Canada) and then will be looking for new adventures & Cruise Lines.
 

We do have an Artic Circle cruise with Princess from Southampton in June. We find Princess just as enjoyable as X but cheaper.

 

Unfortunately the pennies do not allow us to try Regent/Silver 

sea etc. Cunard seems good value although they seem to have less port time on similar itineraries to competitors.

 

 

[Jim_Iain]

2 hours ago, hawkesbaynz said:

Looks like a coffin!

 

Jim I often wondered why you were so loyal to X when you enjoyed the finer things of cruising without the casino, shows & pools. Luxury lines would suit you.

 

We really enjoyed our couple cruises with Oceania and are trying Azamara in 2025. We have three excellent itinerary cruises booked with X ((Japan, Med on the Ascent, New England/Canada) and then will be looking for new adventures & Cruise Lines.
 

We do have an Artic Circle cruise with Princess from Southampton in June. We find Princess just as enjoyable as X but cheaper.

 

Unfortunately the pennies do not allow us to try Regent/Silver 

sea etc. Cunard seems good value although they seem to have less port time on similar itineraries to competitors.

 

 

 

I would say the reason is we have stayed exclusively with Celebrity was we like their suites, their product, their food and their service.  

 

Things we Celebrity have been changing and maybe we are also. 

[calicakes]

15 hours ago, hcat said:

Def shafted you on the cancelled cruise

That is really sad.  We just had a 4 day cruise cancelled by Virgin( it was booked for a charter).  They said we could move our booking to another date without losing any perks we had previously received.  We could also opt for a refund.  That is the way it should be done. 

[expattraveler]

14 hours ago, terrydtx said:

Jim, I can agree with and understand your issues. I sincerely hope some of the Edge issues you recently experienced are fixed before we board her in 2 weeks. The sad thing is that you and Iain have been among the most loyal of Captains club member and got treated so shabby. My recent phone calls with Celebrity Corporate and your experiences just prove my point that Celebrity no longer cares about their loyal customers as they find ways to milk out more profits from the newbies who are booking now. With what few benefits the upper tier of CC have left, they are costing Celebrity more than they want to pay out. We will be Elite+ after our two Edge cruises next month but it means nothing anymore, so we are also going to try out other more premium or luxury lines. I suspect these 2 cruises will be our last with Celebrity.

Terry, et al,

 
Have been fairly loyal to Celebrity, but not exclusive. Very close Elite +.  Unfortunately, loyalty in cruise lines, hotels and airlines is no more. Just look at the devaluation of hotel and airline points since COVID. Pitiful. 
 

Due to the previous distinction we had between Celebrity and the mass market cruise lines we really felt the “Modern Luxury” vibe of the Celebrity product. We were comfortable there.

 

It appears to us the new corporate strategy of 3 day, 5 day and 7 day cruises to corporate constructed “islands” thrust Celebrity in as just another Royal Caribbean/Carnaval cruise line. Unfortunate, but it is what it is. 

 

We just returned from a 13 night Infinity Canary Island/North Africa cruise in Aqua Class.
Fantastic itinerary!  Great old school Millennium ship in very good condition with a great crew. Loved the ship and the crew.
 

A couple of niggles: 1) Drinks: after purchasing Premium drink package having to wrestle with bar staff to get anything other than bottom shelf offerings in beer, waters, wines and spirits , 2) Food: we’re not foodies, but food in Blu very substandard (even with option to choose from MDR) to recent Princess, HAL and Viking. Shrimp cocktail appetizer from MDR could have been taken from a supermarket “baby shrimp” can. Lobster night….pitiful . No bigger than a large shrimp, but overcooked and a very bad salty cream sauce poured over it. Opted for Oceanview Cafe four nights of the cruise.

 

This is the first time in over 10 years where we’ve haven’t booked a future cruise on board, but we do have future cruises booked in 2024 and 2025 on Viking, Seabourn, HAL and  Princess. 
 

Unfortunate because Celebrity was our default cruise line. In the past even if we didn’t have an itinerary which jumped out at us we’d just go on “Celebrity holiday”. Not so much any longer, but  we’re in the twilight years of cruising. I believe corporate are looking down the road and unfortunately loyalty is a thing of the past……for all brands

 

[Ipeeinthepools]

18 minutes ago, expattraveler said:

Terry, et al,

 
Have been fairly loyal to Celebrity, but not exclusive. Very close Elite +.  Unfortunately, loyalty in cruise lines, hotels and airlines is no more. Just look at the devaluation of hotel and airline points since COVID. Pitiful. 
 

Due to the previous distinction we had between Celebrity and the mass market cruise lines we really felt the “Modern Luxury” vibe of the Celebrity product. We were comfortable there.

 

It appears to us the new corporate strategy of 3 day, 5 day and 7 day cruises to corporate constructed “islands” thrust Celebrity in as just another Royal Caribbean/Carnaval cruise line. Unfortunate, but it is what it is. 

 

We just returned from a 13 night Infinity Canary Island/North Africa cruise in Aqua Class.
Fantastic itinerary!  Great old school Millennium ship in very good condition with a great crew. Loved the ship and the crew.
 

A couple of niggles: 1) Drinks: after purchasing Premium drink package having to wrestle with bar staff to get anything other than bottom shelf offerings in beer, waters, wines and spirits , 2) Food: we’re not foodies, but food in Blu very substandard (even with option to choose from MDR) to recent Princess, HAL and Viking. Shrimp cocktail appetizer from MDR could have been taken from a supermarket “baby shrimp” can. Lobster night….pitiful . No bigger than a large shrimp, but overcooked and a very bad salty cream sauce poured over it. Opted for Oceanview Cafe four nights of the cruise.

 

This is the first time in over 10 years where we’ve haven’t booked a future cruise on board, but we do have future cruises booked in 2024 and 2025 on Viking, Seabourn, HAL and  Princess. 
 

Unfortunate because Celebrity was our default cruise line. In the past even if we didn’t have an itinerary which jumped out at us we’d just go on “Celebrity holiday”. Not so much any longer, but  we’re in the twilight years of cruising. I believe corporate are looking down the road and unfortunately loyalty is a thing of the past……for all brands

 

Me too.