Jumping ship to a new cruise line

[Myrtle Ave. Mayhem]

Absolutely! If I could, I would personally open the gangway to a Viking Ocean ship. It's been sad to experience the death by 1000 cuts that has occurred with Celebrity, Princess, & HAL. Ghostly shadows of their former selves. Once the ships kept getting bigger the focus became more on revenue production instead of passenger enjoyment & experience. These lines no longer offer the type of cruise product I'm willing to spend money on. Food quality, ship design, lack of attention to detail, hit or miss service, ect. A Discovery Princess cruise in 2021 was the proverbial nail in the mass market lines for me. DISCLAIMER: This is MY opinion based on my preferences & perceptions. 

 

Enter Viking Ocean! This line has restored my faith in the cruise travel industry. Admittedly the per diem price point is higher so there is no obnoxious pesky onboard marketing. The entire ship is designed for your enjoyment & relaxation. Compared to the mainstream lines, everything on Viking feels several notches above. Onboard the vibe is the most chill blissed out atmosphere I've ever experienced on a ship. What a relief it is to sail aboard a rellaxed(ing) ship. These aren't party ships, yet it's never boring, as there's always a buzz of activity just around the corner. For those who care to dance the night away there's a nightclub with live band making all the noise needed! I'm eight Viking Ocean cruises in & cannot recommend them enough. When speaking of Viking I say Viking Ocean as that's the only experience I have. Haven't sailed a river or expedition. 

[CruisinNewb]

The fact is that cruise lines are a for profit industry. Despite their marketing that says otherwise, the only thing that really counts to the company is generating revenue and profit. If their loyalty programs add to that bottom line then they will provide whatever "perks" they need for that to continue. When they stop producing that profit then they cut them.

After the pandemic, the cruise lines were basically closed for an extended period. Those dollar losses have to be recouped and those loans need to be paid back. 

As in any consumer product, the two primary ways to do that is reduce expenses and increase product cost. The mainstream cruise product of the past is gone, just like the 32 oz. jar of spaghetti sauce that is now 24 oz. They will continue to cut and trim until it adversely affects their profits. When and if they reach that point they will reintroduce those items that they cut, usually to loud trumpets and bells ringing and how they "listened" to their loyal guests.

To compare Celebrity to Oceania or Viking is an unreasonable comparison. While the costs may be comparable in the higher end cabin or suites they are not for a balcony cabin. My experience has been that they are at least 25% costlier if not more. Of course when you pay more, you can expect more.

We cruised on the Silhouette last summer and had a very enjoyable time. There were definitely shortages of personnel in Cafe' al Bacio as we saw officers helping out there. The martini bar was more crowded than usual and it was harder to get a cocktail and the bartenders weren't as good. But the servers in the MDR were the best we have ever had. The food and service in the specialty resturants were great. The buffet selections were always varied, plentiful and tasty. The musicians were great as were the aerialists during the shows.

One of our friends from CC recently left Celebrity and is now a Viking fan. He will be missed on the Celebrity board but I am glad he found a new home that he enjoys. 

Sorry to see the OP leave but I hope he finds another line that gives him enjoyment at whatever price/value combination he decides on.

Edited December 15, 2023 by CruisinNewb

[Baron Barracuda]

13 hours ago, Myrtle Ave. Mayhem said:

Absolutely! If I could, I would personally open the gangway to a Viking Ocean ship. It's been sad to experience the death by 1000 cuts that has occurred with Celebrity, Princess, & HAL. Ghostly shadows of their former selves. Once the ships kept getting bigger the focus became more on revenue production instead of passenger enjoyment & experience. These lines no longer offer the type of cruise product I'm willing to spend money on. Food quality, ship design, lack of attention to detail, hit or miss service, ect. A Discovery Princess cruise in 2021 was the proverbial nail in the mass market lines for me. DISCLAIMER: This is MY opinion based on my preferences & perceptions. 

 

Enter Viking Ocean! This line has restored my faith in the cruise travel industry. Admittedly the per diem price point is higher so there is no obnoxious pesky onboard marketing. The entire ship is designed for your enjoyment & relaxation. Compared to the mainstream lines, everything on Viking feels several notches above. Onboard the vibe is the most chill blissed out atmosphere I've ever experienced on a ship. What a relief it is to sail aboard a rellaxed(ing) ship. These aren't party ships, yet it's never boring, as there's always a buzz of activity just around the corner. For those who care to dance the night away there's a nightclub with live band making all the noise needed! I'm eight Viking Ocean cruises in & cannot recommend them enough. When speaking of Viking I say Viking Ocean as that's the only experience I have. Haven't sailed a river or expedition. 

 

AMEN!!!

 

Just spent 33 wonderful days in Hawaii and Polynesia with Viking.   It's not just all the inclusions they provide, it's their overall commitment to excellent service.  Plenty of available loungers poolside, waiters eager to fetch you a drink, three seafood buffets featuring all the lobster tails you want.  After 30 years with X Viking is now our favorite cruise line.

[Cruise till you drop]

We used to sail Carnival and Princess but in 2020, we tried Celebrity and loved it.  Sailed twice and have 3 more booked.

 

Have always had a great experience and never disappointed.  

[PTC DAWG]

I agree with others, comparing Celebrity to smaller luxury line ships with less amenities/activities is a fruitless endeavor.  
 

A small $ of Celebrity cruisers are in suites…Viking, Oceania etc are definitely MUCH more expensive compared to how most Celebrity cruisers cruise..

 

It is almost like these smaller luxury lines don’t have a place to post about how great they are. 

[seasoon]

19 hours ago, deliver42 said:

It makes no difference if iI'm on the celebrity forum, the Princess forum, or the HAL forum. Only the names change. The complaints are exactly the same, including I'll never cruise this line again.

It's interesting how many posters say "never again will I cruise with Celebrity" then a few months later they're posting often on this board about the cruises they took and will take.

[At Sea At Peace]

18 hours ago, hcat said:

Great idea... who is leaving  X,  who  is   new, and who has  left and is now  returning!    Grass is greener elsewhere..or not....

 

Good point.

 

We recently returned to Celebrity after 10-years!  Here's the low down on how it went.  Last minute on Silhouette 12/4-12/14/23.

 

Awesome.

 

Just booked Ascent Prime Aqua Class on 2/4/24.  😉

 

 

 

 

[georgiaguy]

Bon Voyage!

[grandgeezer]

18 minutes ago, seasoon said:

It's interesting how many posters say "never again will I cruise with Celebrity" then a few months later they're posting often on this board about the cruises they took and will take.

I recall many complainers that still sail but don’t recall any that said they would never sail again, but did.

Our last cruise on Celebrity was August of 2019 and here we are in December 2023 and the streak is still in tact. That was in a suite on the Equinox and though nice, grossly overpriced. We did it to see what all the hype was about, and after a couple of days we had our answer.

Our last regular cruise on Celebrity was in December 2016, on the Silhouette, and that was the final nail in the coffin.

Before that we cruised alt mostly on Celebrity and RCL. We have almost 1300 points on Celebrity and 85 on RCL. Total 47 cruises and 494 days at sea, which includes Princess, Holland America, Norwegian, and MSC.

[upwarduk]

On 12/14/2023 at 7:52 PM, TeaBag said:

I think you would enjoy Azamara.

We did a transatlantic on Azamara in 2016.

The only down side was the clingy shower curtain.

[Baynanno1]

26 minutes ago, upwarduk said:

We did a transatlantic on Azamara in 2016.

The only down side was the clingy shower curtain.

 

The clingy shower curtain has been improved by the use of a heavier fabric.

 

The music volume however, has become unenjoyable at unsafe decibel levels.

[Cruise till you drop]

1 hour ago, grandgeezer said:

I recall many complainers that still sail but don’t recall any that said they would never sail again, but did.

Our last cruise on Celebrity was August of 2019 and here we are in December 2023 and the streak is still in tact. That was in a suite on the Equinox and though nice, grossly overpriced. We did it to see what all the hype was about, and after a couple of days we had our answer.

Our last regular cruise on Celebrity was in December 2016, on the Silhouette, and that was the final nail in the coffin.

Before that we cruised alt mostly on Celebrity and RCL. We have almost 1300 points on Celebrity and 85 on RCL. Total 47 cruises and 494 days at sea, which includes Princess, Holland America, Norwegian, and MSC.

If you click on the complaining posters profile, you can see from past posts that they’re on roll calls for several future Celebrity cruises.  I find that hilarious that they say never again and they have 3 future cruises booked

[Lastdance]

Maybe a bit off topic, but I thought Celebrity was targeting younger cruisers...

 

Well, we just returned from our third cruise on Beyond; the other two were in Europe and wonderful.  This one was in the Southern Caribbean, not to mention that, in several instances, we were treated like we could not be trusted with a lounger because someone fell and was hurt, needed to “wait" for others because we were going in a “line" to exit the ship and told we had to take the elevator because we had two bags.  You should have seen that line!!! Those three things did not sit well with either one of us at all.  Since when does Celebrity dictate all these rules?  We have never been treated like very elderly people who cannot do anything for themselves.  Both of us were appalled with these so called rules!  My DH carried our bags down the stairs, along with me carrying another suitcase and tote.  We wanted to disembark ourselves because we had an early flight and a driver waiting for us.  Yes, we are in our ___’s, but this conception that we are old and decrepit doesn’t play well with either one of us. 

 

 Are all Caribbean cruises this way?  Do I need to cancel my Ascent cruise in November, as the rest are TA’s/Europe?  $200 would be a small price to pay for not being treated this way.  Will we be treated like this with Oceania?; maybe not because we booked a TA and not the Caribbean.

Edited December 15, 2023 by Lastdance

[jelayne]

57 minutes ago, upwarduk said:

We did a transatlantic on Azamara in 2016.

The only down side was the clingy shower curtain.

We spent 10 days on Azamara in 2018 and said we doubt we will return.  So far nothing I have read or heard has us thinking about Azamara.  It just isn’t a good fit for us.  

[Myrtle Ave. Mayhem]

6 hours ago, Baron Barracuda said:

 

AMEN!!!

 

Just spent 33 wonderful days in Hawaii and Polynesia with Viking.   It's not just all the inclusions they provide, it's their overall commitment to excellent service.  Plenty of available loungers poolside, waiters eager to fetch you a drink, three seafood buffets featuring all the lobster tails you want.  After 30 years with X Viking is now our favorite cruise line.

Wonderful! Glad you've discovered Viking! In a league all their own.

[montythecat]

Part of this debate has been Celebrity v Holland America.

After many years on X we have moved to HAL (four

cruises in the last two years) and feel that standards are

significantly better than X. The Pinnacle Class ships aren’t 

that large and never, to us, seem crowded. They also have

a forward facing lounge which we use a lot and does not 

exist on Edge Class ships.

 

 

[Brad1185]

I think if you try Viking or Oceania you will not look back. We made the move from Celebrity a few years ago as we could not take all the cutbacks and extra charges.  To us Viking and Oceania offer the missing quality and things that we like and are important to us that Celebrity no longer offers. 

[chemmo]

A couple of weeks ago I met up with a group of friends I don’t see that often. As is often the case talk turned to holiday experiences. Instead of the usual adjectives of ‘fantastic time’, ‘wonderful experience’, ‘the food was to die for…’, ‘the service was top notch…’ the general consensus was this years vacations both on land and at sea had been lacking in one way or another…

 

Airports…frequent complaints about flight changes, higher charges, charges for things that previously had been included. Business lounges over full, offerings reduced. 
 

Hotels…cleaning suspect, needing updating, room servicing reduced, breakfast previously included now at a higher cost or hot breakfast replaced by continental…Difficulties arranging early check in or late check out or only available at a high cost.

 

Cruises…Cunard, Celebrity and Princess all reported on with very similar comments about cuts to food and service.

 

A positive from the group….one couple had booked a Tui Mediterranean cruise (usually Cunard or Princess cruisers). They had booked it as a ‘cheap and cheerful’ way to see many Mediterranean ports having ruled out their usual cruise lines as too expensive…They report the food as perfectly fine. Not fancy or luxury but they could always find something on the menu to enjoy. They reported the ship as a bit old and dated but perfectly clean and in good working order. Service not as good as they had experienced on the other lines they are familiar with but they were happy to go to a bar to get their own drinks.

 

From me….dithering with cruising this year for a variety of reasons, I opted for a 10 night stay at an AI in Turkey for my Autumn break. It was ideal for a crash out relaxing break and made me wonder why for all these years I have paid so much more for a crash out cruise holiday in September/October each year. Definitely see cruising still as  a great way to see the world but I am unsure if I will still use cruises at the price they are for crash out breaks…

 

I think we all have to simply accept that the whole tourism industry has changed….we are as a rule paying more for less if we stick to the cruise lines and hotel brands we are used to. Shopping around will become for all of us more demanding if we want to keep to a set budget but maintain standards…Personally, I will probably pay more for my next Celebrity cruise but I will cruise less often…Perhaps even give a budget line a go! 

 

[PelicanLvr]

My conclusion (after experiencing the price increases & "deterioration" of X) is:

 

If cruise lines are no longer loyal to their repeat passengers, why should I be loyal to any particular cruise line?

 

After 12 X cruises, we just returned from a lovely Oceania cruise to the Canary Islands.  As many know, O had a great sale several months ago and I grabbed this itinerary.  That's my plan going forward.

 

Whoever offers what I want at a good price....they will get my business.  

 

Like the cruise lines....I am done being loyal.  It's everyone (passengers and cruise lines alike) for themselves these days!   I can play that game too!

[NMTraveller]

22 hours ago, CruisinNewb said:

The fact is that cruise lines are a for profit industry. Despite their marketing that says otherwise, the only thing that really counts to the company is generating revenue and profit. If their loyalty programs add to that bottom line then they will provide whatever "perks" they need for that to continue. When they stop producing that profit then they cut them.

 

Celebrity used to be the Apple of the cruise lines.  People would just book another Celebrity cruise while on board and not question what cruise line they were going to sail with.  Much like Apple customers just purchasing the next iPhone.  Both Apple and Celebrity used to be able to charge a premium for this loyalty.  Apple is still Apple.  Celebrity is now just another cruise line comparable to Princess and HAL.  They are still charging a premium price but that will adjust once consumers figure out that it is no longer a step ahead.

 

Celebrity's shortsightedness on customer loyalty will eventually catch up with them in profits.

 

 

Edited December 16, 2023 by NMTraveller

[prmssk]

5 minutes ago, PelicanLvr said:

If cruise lines are no longer loyal to their repeat passengers, why should I be loyal to any particular cruise line?

They never were loyal to their passengers.  They have always been a business making money.  Decisions have always been driven by what will make them money.

 

Knowing this, I have never felt like I needed to be loyal to one cruise line or company.  I might gravitate towards one company at times because I like their product better but it's not about loyalty.  I'm happy to switch to another product anytime I find one I enjoy better.  

[jmfdr]

19 hours ago, Baron Barracuda said:

 

AMEN!!!

 

Just spent 33 wonderful days in Hawaii and Polynesia with Viking.   It's not just all the inclusions they provide, it's their overall commitment to excellent service.  Plenty of available loungers poolside, waiters eager to fetch you a drink, three seafood buffets featuring all the lobster tails you want.  After 30 years with X Viking is now our favorite cruise line.

Absolutely agree about Viking Ocean. In addition to the excellent service mentioned above we really enjoy the quality and quantity of the on board lectures.   We had sailed Celebrity for 25 years but recently switched to Viking because of all the mentioned changes.  Just completed our second Viking Ocean cruise with three more booked.  

[paulh84]

14 hours ago, Lastdance said:

Maybe a bit off topic, but I thought Celebrity was targeting younger cruisers...

 

Well, we just returned from our third cruise on Beyond; the other two were in Europe and wonderful.  This one was in the Southern Caribbean, not to mention that, in several instances, we were treated like we could not be trusted with a lounger because someone fell and was hurt, needed to “wait" for others because we were going in a “line" to exit the ship and told we had to take the elevator because we had two bags.  You should have seen that line!!! Those three things did not sit well with either one of us at all.  Since when does Celebrity dictate all these rules?  We have never been treated like very elderly people who cannot do anything for themselves.  Both of us were appalled with these so called rules!  My DH carried our bags down the stairs, along with me carrying another suitcase and tote.  We wanted to disembark ourselves because we had an early flight and a driver waiting for us.  Yes, we are in our ___’s, but this conception that we are old and decrepit doesn’t play well with either one of us. 

 

 Are all Caribbean cruises this way?  Do I need to cancel my Ascent cruise in November, as the rest are TA’s/Europe?  $200 would be a small price to pay for not being treated this way.  Will we be treated like this with Oceania?; maybe not because we booked a TA and not the Caribbean.

 

The asked you to "wait" and actually follow a so called "line"??? Blasphemy! Come on. I'm in my 30's, workout 5-6 times a week. More than physically capable of carrying multiple suitcases. In Fort Lauderdale they always still insist I don't take the escalator without a free hand. One "capable" and offended important person sends their overstuffed 70lb suitcase barreling down the stairs or escalator and they would drop people like bowling pins on the way down. 

[upwarduk]

14 hours ago, jelayne said:

We spent 10 days on Azamara in 2018 and said we doubt we will return.  So far nothing I have read or heard has us thinking about Azamara.  It just isn’t a good fit for us.  

Edited December 16, 2023 by upwarduk

[upwarduk]

I liked the fact that so much was included. This was before Celebrity took over that concept.