Why won't Celebrity fix their ships

[Pecoraro]

You could still have a good cruise but wouldn't it be a better one if the soft goods were nice?

 

That would have made all the difference for us - thats what we asked them to fix when we were on the cruise and they told us they had done the best they could. We thanked them - but it did not live up to our expectations of what the best of the mass market lines should be able to provide. In addition we didn't care for the food but that didn't make or break the cruise - it was simply the bed.

[hermang]

For years we cruised with Royal Caribbean with a dalliance aboard the Dawn Princess and a horror show of a cruise on the Horizon. As a result we avoided Celebrity like the plague. While we have 10 very enjoyable cruises aboard RCCl we have seen food quality drop a notch post 9/11 and maybe it is the bean counters. For the most part all of their ships have been very well maintained. Last summer we were planning an Alaska vacation with two other couples on the Vision - By the time we could agree on a date - VOS was booked solid. Our TA offered us a deal on the Summit for some $600pp less along with a couple of other goodies. Well we figured - what the heck - time to give Celebrity another chance. We had a FANTASTIC cruise. Of course juste before we left the Summit had pod problems so we were a bit apprenensive - but then again Northwest was on strike during our return ( didn't affect anything either). Were there a few things that needed fixing - yes - in fact the carpeting on the diningroom staircase was being changed as we were finishing lunch. We decided as a result to book the Connie this March. Again - were there a few rust spots - sure - stains on the carpet -yes - but overall the shiw was well maintained.

 

I am sure the beancounters defer maintenance - but again they are there to make sure the line is profitable. 600 thread count sheets and better mattresses = RCCL got the message from Sheraton Marriott and Hyatt - and WILL change all the bedding and linnen by next summer - BUT washing those sheets constantly are not going to make them soft and comfy for long.

 

I think we need to step back and take a reality check - A cruise is still one of the cheapest vacations on a per day basis you can take - you cant have it all.

[bepsf]

...BUT washing those sheets constantly are not going to make them soft and comfy for long.

 

I think we need to step back and take a reality check - A cruise is still one of the cheapest vacations on a per day basis you can take - you cant have it all.

 

Glad you had a great time on your cruises...

...but just like your old shirts and jeans become super-soft so that you want to wear them till they're practically falling apart, all-cotton high-threadcount sheets do indeed get softer w/ each washing. That's their appeal.

 

And why shouldn't we expect better - or at least as good as what the competition provides for the same amount of money?

[Ine]

<<And why shouldn't we expect better - or at least as good as what the competition provides for the same amount of money?>>

 

Which is too general Brian and NOT always true...

We had a very nice cruise on Summit in March to Hawaii. If we had made the same cruise on HAL's Amsterdam, which left about 6 days later, we would have paid far more.....

Besides that same Amsterdam cruise was the virus-cruise...

So please admit...things can go wrong at ANY cruise-line......

We sailed HAL and X and still like them both!!!!

[florida_cruiser]

something else is going on which is forcing them to provide an inferior product to what they previously were producing.

 

Hate to quote myself but this thread is going way off of the original topic. The main question was why is Celebrity not putting the effort into updating their ships on a more timely basis. This is not an opinion of mine but rather a fact based upon current drydock schedule for all of the Celebrity ships.

[dkjretired]

Hate to quote myself but this thread is going way off of the original topic. The main question was why is Celebrity not putting the effort into updating their ships on a more timely basis. This is not an opinion of mine but rather a fact based upon current drydock schedule for all of the Celebrity ships.

 

 

 

It is not a fact because you are missing one important point. Dry docks are not scheduled to make major changes on ships, they are scheduled to take care of mechanical maintenance which must be done periodically and can't be done while at sea. Again, there are just as many if not more threads from people saying the ships are maintained well as there are the complainers about sheets and mattresses.

[bepsf]

So please admit...things can go wrong at ANY cruise-line......

 

Sure they do - I never said that they didn't!

I was on a norovirus cruise aboard Amsterdam too - but I was fortunate not to catch it, and the service was outstanding throughout - you'd never know that there was anything going on except that everything that used to be self-service was served for you. (Which I prefer...)

I also had a moment on Noordam where due to the differing times for service on the two levels of the main dining room on last formal night, my entree didn't make it to my table before they started the baked alaksa parade - so I had to go have a discussion w/ the Restaurant Manager in the am. (I still dislike the split upper/lower dining times and often say so - and I believe Baked Alaska parades are an anachronism that can be done away with)

[bepsf]

It is not a fact because you are missing one important point. Dry docks are not scheduled to make major changes on ships, they are scheduled to take care of mechanical maintenance which must be done periodically and can't be done while at sea. Again, there are just as many if not more threads from people saying the ships are maintained well as there are the complainers about sheets and mattresses.

 

Mechanical work and outer hull maintenance are only two aspects of a drydock for a passenger ship.

 

Carpets do require replacing periodically, as do soft goods and furnishings (whether by whole new pieces or re-upholstery) even on very well maintained vessels. Did you miss seeing that Discovery Channel show about RCCL's drydock for Sovereign o/t Seas where it appeared that every carpet was replaced on the ship?

 

Whether the X ships are 'well maintained' or not is a moot point - we'll never agree on that. But the drydock schedule is something else entirely - and begs the question why would a ship like Zenith come out of drydock and have sheets and towels w/ holes in them as another person has posted on these boards?

[BaltiGator]

Getting back to the original topic, It sounds to me like Celebrity's "problems" as reported by some cruisers fall into three general categories.

 

(1) Mechanical/engineering - This is probably the most complicated set of problems for any cruise line to deal with, and I doubt it's possible to "fix" any ship forever. Just like a car, they all need maintenance, and things break down as they age. Even a well-maintained car can have a sudden unexpected problem. I'm not referring to the pod issue, which is a separate and highly complicated mess with lots of heated opinions flying around. But if you put the pod issue aside (and I agree it's a BIG issue to put aside :D ) I doubt that in general Celebrity is any better or worse at routine mechanical maintenance of their fleet than anybody else.

 

(2) Service/food/other people-intensive operations - These things generally have little or nothing to do with the ship itself. Oh, I suppose a ship with inferior or worn-out kitchen equipment might have a small excuse for less than wonderful food. But generally, these are the areas of a cruise line's operation that most directly reflect the management's philosophy, because even if the captain is steering a rusted pile of junk, if the company insists upon top-notch kitchen personnel putting out high-quality meals, attentive and accommodating waitstaff, snap service in the staterooms, etc., then that's what the pax will experience. I've not yet been on a Celebrity cruise, but from what I've read around here it seems clear that far more often than not Celebrity does quite well in this area. Perfect - no. Nobody is. True luxury level - no, but neither is their pricing.

 

(3) Bedding/carpets/towels/upholstery/etc. - all that stuff that some people around here call the "soft goods." This area seems to be the one true sore spot (pod issue aside, again :D ) for some of our forum members. They say Celebrity is lagging in this area. Others disagree, or don't seem to notice, or don't seem to mind. I'm the sort of person who could probably ignore most of this stuff too. Worn carpets - eh, whatever. Public areas that need some repair - eh, not that big a deal. A few imperfections in the room itself - shrug. (Unless, of course, I'm paying top top dollar, like Crystal or Regent/Radisson - but again, Celebrity is NOT in that pricing market.) Even the towels with holes - while a touch unpleasant, as long as they're clean they still get the job done, and you can always ask for more.

 

However, bedding is one area I would have a real problem overlooking. Just before I cruised Jewel OTS last month, I read a lot of complaints about RCI bedding. What we discovered on board was inexpensive, hard bedding - but not WORN OUT bedding. We happen to like hard bedding so we did fine. Others needed the egg-crate thingies - so be it. And RCI is addressing this issue anyway.

 

But WORN OUT bedding, as has been described on some Celebrity ships even by a few self-admitted Celebrity cheerleaders, now that's really unacceptable. Concave mattresses - yikes.

 

Why am I pickier about worn-out bedding than about all the other "soft good" stuff? Because a truly uncomfortable bed can ruin your cruise. Put all that glass-half-full stuff aside for a moment. If you're not 20 anymore, maybe you've got some neck or back issues or just some general aches and pains, and your bed is so uncomfortable you can't get a decent night's sleep and you wake up hurting - sorry, that can ruin your cruise, no matter what else you may be able to "look on the bright side" about. Heck, breaking down in Alaska sounds awful, but if I slept and ate well, I imagine I would deal with it all right.

 

Some friends are trying to put together a small group to cruise on Galaxy in October. Despite our suddenly already busy cruise schedule, DP and I would like to go. But we hesitate. Not because the carpets may be worn. We'll walk over them just the same. Not because there may be a few stains here and there. Heck, if I'm my usual clumsy self I may very well contribute a stain of my own. And I'm not worried about the food or service because that seems to be a Celebrity strong point (in general - though of course there can always be an exception cruise - Brian :D ).

 

But if the bedding is truly lousy, if we're really talking about worn-out, concave, ready for the dumpster mattresses, well, that's one thing that would break the deal for me. If Celebrity does nothing else to improve the C class ships that haven't been refurbed yet, they better at least think about improving the bedding. Because I doubt I'm the only one who feels this way.

 

Or am I?

[dkjretired]

Mechanical work and outer hull maintenance are only two aspects of a drydock for a passenger ship.

 

Carpets do require replacing periodically, as do soft goods and furnishings (whether by whole new pieces or re-upholstery) even on very well maintained vessels. Did you miss seeing that Discovery Channel show about RCCL's drydock for Sovereign o/t Seas where it appeared that every carpet was replaced on the ship?

 

Whether the X ships are 'well maintained' or not is a moot point - we'll never agree on that. But the drydock schedule is something else entirely - and begs the question why would a ship like Zenith come out of drydock and have sheets and towels w/ holes in them as another person has posted on these boards?

 

You missed the point and apparently didn't read my post. The PRIMARY purpose of a regular drydock is not to repair carpets and change sheets it is for maintenance that can't be done at sea. PRIMARY PURPOSE

 

The Discovery channel special involved a much more extensive remodeling that a regular drydock which is what I was referring to. The Zenith going into drydock a few months ago for a week certainly can't be compared to what they are doing to Century.

[m steve]

It appears that all the cruise lines advertise with similar sized ads in all the travel mags except you don't see the luxury lines in Budget Travel. I often get requests for opinions on travel experiences and try to rate ny past trips as honestly as possible. I think others do and that's why Celebrity gets high marks for the ships.

I have sailed on 5 different lines and each has + and -'s. Each line and even each ship has some things that are great and others not so. Carnival had a lot that I loved but the other travelers took lots of points away and won't travel with them as they cater to a younger and louder crowd. Paying a little more for Princess or Celebrity or HAL is worth it.

So far every ship had minor repair problems but nothing that spoiled the cruise. Even an early Cunard cruise had us missing hours in each port do to engine problems but other than short stays in port, it was my first cruise and I loved it.

Rough seas can't be controlled and engine vibrations can be noticed on airplanes, trains and your own car.

[Pecoraro]

However, bedding is one area I would have a real problem overlooking................But if the bedding is truly lousy, if we're really talking about worn-out, concave, ready for the dumpster mattresses, well, that's one thing that would break the deal for me.

 

We were on Galaxy November 2005 and the bedding is the one reason we will not return to Celebrity (we also had a similar, but not as bad experience in the RS of Constellation in April 2004).

 

I agree it does not take a dry dock to fix the bedding but then how are you going to know if Celebrity has replaced the bedding in your particular room. I doubt very much they will indicate on their web site which rooms have been updated. Everything else can be fantastic but if the bedding sucks then the whole cruise sucks as far as I am concerned.

[cechase]

BaltiGator, we enjoyed reading your detailed post above, and mostly agree with your analysis. As you might recall, we have had five cruises on Celebrity in the past two years, and all have been marvelous. Prior to our last cruise on Century and our last cruise on Mercury this past Jan., the condition of both vessels were greatly called into question by several posters on these threads. As a result, we boarded these vessels armed with a list of deficiencies, and attempted to verify the same, but were unable to do so. Mercury was a different story, as we noticed that there had been considerable replacement of carpet and refurbishment of public areas as well as our cabin from our previous cruise on her. My DW asked several crew members about this, and they indicated that it was standard procedure to replace carpeting without going into drydock to do so [even though we have viewed all of the pictures of Century in drydock, and they literally not only replaced all of the carpets, but many of the walls and partitions.] In October on Galaxy they actually replaced carpet in several heavily travelled areas during our cruise.

 

Galaxy did have some maintenance issues when we cruised on her, one of which can probably only be resolved in drydock. In the Hemisphere Lounge on deck 12, several of the huge windows have apparently been soaked with sea water in between the two glass halves and are opaque. The port entrance to the lounge apparently suffered a leak, and the times should be replaced. There was an obvious cracked glass top over case in Michaels Lounge, and why it had not been replaced is a mystery to us. Otherwise, the vessel like Century and Mercury were in excellent condition in our opinion, and there is constant cleaning going on all three. Out side windows were washed when the vessels are in port either at a pier or at anchor, and we have been fascinated to watch the two man device used to do the cleaning on many occasions.

 

The comments about poor beds, linens, towels, etc. is sort of a mystery to us, because we have not experienced this, and the only place that we have heard about them are posts in the Celebrity forum. Many months ago on this forum, I made an inquiry as to whether the beds and bedding in the Royal Suites is different from the beds and bedding in the other cabins, and really did not get an answer. I did note that one poster who booked a penthouse suite was very negative about his or her bed and awful linens, and think it was on either Mercury or Galaxy, but am not sure.

 

A good bed is very important to us, as we spent $3,000 for our mattress and box spring at home. My DW is extremely fussy about towels and bed linens, and she has never had a complaint about either our bed or the linens and towels on Celebrity. Our beds and bedding on Celebrity vessels has been comparable to those in our hotel chain of choice - Sheraton. We have been very active in Celebrity Roll Calls, and have always met the 25 pax minimum for a Cruise Critic party [on Galaxy there were over 90 of us], and have gotten to know so many CC'ers, including dining with them, having cocktails, having them as guests in our Royal Suite. While there have been complaints discussed about the decline of the quality of the food [particularly on Galaxy and Mercury] we have not heard any complaints about bedding and linens as we have read here. Obviously, that does not mean that pax have not had valid complaints about the bed in their cabins and the conditions of their linen, we just did not hear them while on the vessels.

 

If Celebrity has allowed such conditions to exist on their vessels, it is a terrible business decision - and just the opposite of the business judgement that Sheraton used, when they upgraded their beds and linens, and right down to that little square pillow which we love. They get our business as a result.

 

The above are our observations from real life experience, and if that is deemed to be cheerleading for Celebrity, so be it! As Jack Webb used to say "Just the facts Ma'am!"

[agabbymama]

From reading all these posts, everyone is saying the PODS issue isn't easily remedied. I'm not buying it. I have worked in aerospace for 20 years, and we retrofit airplanes all the time, if something fails or doesn't do what it's supposed to do. It is brought in and retrofitted with new equipment or even major pieces of the aircraft. If the current PODS cannot be fixed, then change them out with a POD from another maker and be done with it. I'm not saying they have to go back to the old propulsion system as some posters have said that would entail redoing the whole ship, but there are other ships out there with POD systems. Give up on these particular PODS and fork out the bucks to get the ships fixed. Celebrity has received compensation from their lawsuit and they are certainly making money, sailing with full ships, they can afford to take the steps necessary to correct the PODS issue. Why do they continue to try gum and duct tape repair?

 

I haven't cruised alot, I've been on Carnival (1983), HAL (1999), NCL (2004) and RCI 2004) and found none of these deplorable conditions. Our beds, linens, towels and cabins were in excellent condition. Not one of them had holes or stains so bad I wouldn't walk barefoot. HAL was the old Noordam and yes, she was old, you felt some vibration and saw some rust, but overall she was in very good shape for as old as she was. As for the soft goods issue, Celebrity won't change that until travelers quit traveling on these ships. If the ships go out half full, it would soon be remedied. As long as people are willing to book on ships that aren't well taken care of, why bother replacing the soft goods. Or complain loud enough once you are on the ship and insist on new goods or a different cabin, Celebrity would get the picture that this isn't acceptable.

 

Some posters believe that Celebrity reads this forum, I'm not sure if they do or not, but if they do, they can certainly see a lot of posters are not happy with the conditions of the ships. Other posters say Celebrity wouldn't take the time to read this forum. Either way, if the money stopped flowing, they would certainly get the point. They would fix the problems or go out of business real quick. As long as everyone is still willing to book on Celebrity ships then come here to complain, that isn't getting the point across to RCCL. It's possible that RCCL will phase out Celebrity and only keep the RCI line running. That could be the reason that repairs and upgrades are not being done. Then where will all the Celebrity cheerleaders go? Freedom of the Seas is a monstrous new ship and I understand there are two more new ones coming out. Equinox and Solstice will be even bigger. They may be just waiting for them, then do away with all the older ships that needs so much upkeep.

 

But bottomline, the repairs and replacements can be done, if Celebrity chose to do them. The fact that Celebrity or RCCL isn't doing anything but normal maintenance, then repair when one of the PODS fails shows me they don't really care about the customer at all, only the money that those customers can provide. All this BS about the "Celebrity Experience" is just that.

 

I am booked on the Constellation in Sept/Oct and I pray that her PODS continue to work. She is the one ship that hasn't exhibited POD problems and I certainly hope she stays seaworthy. At double the price of some of the other lines, I am expecting to see superior conditions onboard. And some of that "Celebrity Treatment". If not, I will certainly post here and be writing to Celebrity and RCCL. :eek:

[Leela]

I've had four cruises on Celebrity in the past three years. I've had a great time on all of them, have gotten each of them for a very good price, and have one more cruise for next year already booked.

 

That said, there are problems with the "hotel" infrastructure side of things, particularly related to the soft goods.

 

Now, I am not the kind of person who will let a torn drape or a stained piece of fabric ruin my day, but I've to to say that the condition of the soft goods on their older ships is not very good in places. Some places are lovely and are just fine, and others are about what you'd expect to see in a Holiday Inn away from a big urban area, near an Interstate highway exit. Some places are not any better than the $39/night motels I've stayed in while on road trips.

 

In 2004 I sailed on Century in a Concierge Class cabin. Now, that was something. Our cabin was fresh and spotless, our towels were soft and fluffy and changed every day (you could tell because the colors changed), our sheets were white and impeccable, our mattresses were "just right" and with no lumps or bumps or anything. It was like staying in the kind of hotels I am used to when travelling on business: urban Marriotts, Radissons, Sheratons, that sort of thing. A definite four-star experience.

 

In 2005 I sailed on Horizon in a Horizon Suite. I knew that Horizon was being transferred to another cruise line, and so expected that not a lot of money was put into continued maintenance of the "hotel" space. We also paid significantly less for the Suite than we did the previous year for a Concierge Class cabin, so we felt that so long as things were clean and we had a good time, it didn't matter if Horizon looked run down. Based on reviews here on Cruise Critic, I was prepared for her being a near garbage scow. Well, she wasn't bad at all. Our sofa and chair were very faded and worn, and our mattresses were thin and the beds kind of saggy and uncomfortable, but everything was clean, nothing smelled, and we figured that for the price we paid then we still got great value. We chalked up the carpet stains, fading, etc. to the fact that the ship was about to leave the fleet. The staff were fabulous, and it was a great cruise.

 

In 2005 I sailed on Mercury in a Sky Suite. The room was great, although I noticed that the bedding in the Sky Suite wasn't as nice as what I had had the year before in a Concierge Class cabin on Century. Why Celebrity can't bother to upgrade the suites to at least the same level as the Concierge Class cabins is beyond me. It just seems kind of lame to be in a more expensive cabin but have inferior bedding. Still, the bedding was better than on Horizon, and we got a great price for our trip, and everything else was great so I was happy with the experience and had a very good cruise.

 

In 2006 I sailed on Zenith in a Zenith Suite. We had booked a Concierge Class cabin but the upgrade fairy paid us a suprise visit at the pier. Now, I thought I had read here on Cruise Critic (and I'm here nearly every day) that Zenith had gotten an upgrade of her soft goods last November. If this is true, it did not extend to our cabin. The carpet was clean, and the bedspread was new, but the carpet, drapes, and bedspread did not coordinate with each other. In fact, they all sort of clashed. It created a very low-rent effect, like the inexpensive "skiiers" hotels up in Lake Tahoe. Now, bad decoration does not make or break my day, but really now...I was in the 2nd highest category room on a "premium line" cruise ship...why didn't it look nice? Why was there a tear in my drapes? Why was my sofa and chair incredibly faded and worn to the point where they no longer coordinated with anything in my room? Why was my mattress lumpy? Why, when I stripped the bed due to a seasickness incident, did I see a very stained mattress (about 60% stains on the surface) that I immediately flipped over so my mom wouldn't see it before I could put new sheets on it (it was much cleaner on the other side, about 30% stained). Why did the sheets on my bed have some small holes in them like they were chewed up by the washing machine -- and why did the same sheets remain on my bed for seven nights? Don't they change the sheets at least once during the cruise? Why should I have to ASK to have my sheets changed anyway? I can see them not doing it every day to save water, but why never during the trip? Why were there bleach stains on the towels in my bathroom? Why was there a little bit of mildew in the corners of my bathtub?

 

Don't get me wrong, NONE of this ruined my cruise. Nothing was actually broken, nothing smelled, my room was kept very clean by the steward, and anything we asked for by calling cabin services appeared at our door in under 10 minutes...but why was our room so run down? Does Celebrity not have a budget that authorizes the head of housekeeping to throw away or turn into rags sheets that have holes and towels with bleach stains? What about that rumored replacement of soft goods that supposedly happened? Zenith will be around for the 2006-2007 season (my mom even booked a trip on her next year for Bermuda, in Concierge Class). It really seems that Celebrity does not care about Zenith, or about consistent offering of "product" across the ships of the line. It just kind of boggles the mind that they've let this lovely ship get run down to the point where this large a list of LITTLE things starts to add up. Really, I've stayed in a Motel 6 nicer than my Suite on Zenith (the Motel 6 in San Simeon, near Hearst Castle, is exceptionally nice for a Motel 6, so I am exaggerating a bit, but still).

 

Now, please keep in mind that I have no axes to grind. I've never had a service or billing or itinerary or even weather problem with Celebrity. I've always had a good time, and the few things that went wrong service-wise (didn't like an entree, for instance) were correctable in seconds or minutes. However, I am not going to be a Pollyanna about my experiences. I saw what I saw and I think that the condition that Celebrity has let Zenith sink to is rather sad for a cruise line who claims to be at the top of the mass-market lines. I would expect them to be on par with hotels like Radisson, Marriott, Sheraton, and so on. I'm not expecting a five-star experience -- that would be like staying at the Oriental in Bangkok, the Peninsula in Hong Kong, the Fairmont in San Francisco, and so on. However, my room on Zenith was 2 1/2 stars...even a three-star place like a Holiday Inn, Courtyard by Marriott, Sommerfield Suites, those sorts of places aren't as run down as our Suite on Zenith was.

 

Celebrity is a very good line, with excellent value for the money. The food is very good to me, and the onboard staff are excellent. I always have a very good time. I just don't see how Celebrity can continue to compete in the niche they've carved out for themselves without some serious attention to these little things that are adding up.

[BaltiGator]

I see a trend of some fairly long posts has been started (By me? Oops! :D ) so I'll be brief this time.

 

cechase - Thanks for your thoughtful reply. It's good to know your recent experience on Galaxy, including the bedding, was satisfactory, and that others you interacted with felt the same way. As you can see from my signature, I've no fear of sailing Celebrity and in fact I'm very much looking forward to doing so. Connie is the newest of their fleet and should be in fine shape, while Century is just out of dry-dock and should be looking good also. But I remain a little wary of Galaxy, especially given Pecoraro's comment, and haven't decided yet about the cruise in October.

 

Leela (LOVE your name, by the way) - Thanks for your comments also. Sounds like Zenith is one ship that should be avoided for now, unless a particular itinerary and pricing is too compelling to refuse. I agree that Celebrity is doing itself no favor by letting a ship get so rundown. Even if they're planning to sell it, in the meantime they are hurting their product and brand image every time someone steps off that ship disappointed with their cruise experience.

[florida_cruiser]

Now, please keep in mind that I have no axes to grind............I just don't see how Celebrity can continue to compete in the niche they've carved out for themselves without some serious attention to these little things that are adding up.

 

Wow - very detailed reply.

 

Seems to me that the bedding is a fairly big issue based upon the bulk of these replies. It is such a simple issue to correct so I'm not sure why they aren't doing something about it. Must come down to dollars and if they are not willing to spend a few their great service on board will undoubtedly fail to gain new customers or retain those that they have.

 

What do some of you guys who consistently sail with Celebrity have to say about the mattresses? Is this as big an issue as it is made out to be? I know other cruiselines advertise what great beds they have but Celebrity clearly does not say anything about them in their ads. At least they are being honest.

[dkjretired]

Wow - very detailed reply.

 

Seems to me that the bedding is a fairly big issue based upon the bulk of these replies. It is such a simple issue to correct so I'm not sure why they aren't doing something about it. Must come down to dollars and if they are not willing to spend a few their great service on board will undoubtedly fail to gain new customers or retain those that they have.

 

What do some of you guys who consistently sail with Celebrity have to say about the mattresses? Is this as big an issue as it is made out to be? I know other cruiselines advertise what great beds they have but Celebrity clearly does not say anything about them in their ads. At least they are being honest.

 

I haven't seen it as an issue until the last six months or so. Perhaps, posters are finding it more important as many of the Hotel chains are starting to change their bedding and advertising heavily. For me personally, it is not a big deal unless it is extremely uncomfortable which I have never had on a cruise or extremely comfortable such as that in one of the hotels I recently visited in Atlantic City. It is not going to make or break a cruise for me.

[bepsf]

You missed the point and apparently didn't read my post. The PRIMARY purpose of a regular drydock is not to repair carpets and change sheets it is for maintenance that can't be done at sea. PRIMARY PURPOSE

 

The Discovery channel special involved a much more extensive remodeling that a regular drydock which is what I was referring to. The Zenith going into drydock a few months ago for a week certainly can't be compared to what they are doing to Century.

 

Excuse me, but I read your post, and I also quoted it in my reply - I'll do so again...

 

It is not a fact because you are missing one important point. Dry docks are not scheduled to make major changes on ships, they are scheduled to take care of mechanical maintenance which must be done periodically and can't be done while at sea. Again, there are just as many if not more threads from people saying the ships are maintained well as there are the complainers about sheets and mattresses.

 

...and the words 'Primary Purpose' are nowhere in that post.

(Apparently, you don't read your own posts...)

 

Of course, they didn't intend do to Zenith what they did to Century or Sovereign - I didn't say that they did - but it clearly doesn't take a week to load new linens and replace a few worn carpets while the engines are being worked on...

[dkjretired]

Excuse me, but I read your post, and I also quoted it in my reply - I'll do so again...

 

 

 

...and the words 'Primary Purpose' are nowhere in that post.

(Apparently, you don't read your own posts...)

 

Of course, they didn't intend do to Zenith what they did to Century or Sovereign - I didn't say that they did - but it clearly doesn't take a week to load new linens and replace a few worn carpets while the engines are being worked on...

 

Apparently you didn't read either of my posts. Nowhere did I say that primary purpose was in my first post as you alledged. My point was very clear, I'll quote from the first post, "Dry docks are not scheduled to make major changes on ships, they are scheduled to take care of mechanical maintenance which must be done periodically and can't be done while at sea."

I stand by my statement and I won't be commenting anymore on this subject.

[newmexicoNita]

I have been on two Celebrity ships in the last year, the pre-drydocked Century and the Millennium and both have been beautiful ships that were excellently maintained. It seems there are people who would complain about anything and everything.....and it seems there are people who will hear 100 things GOOD about a ship and 1 BAD thing, and believe the worst.

 

I have been on a variety of cruise lines and none of them keep their ships in better shape than Celebrity and Royal Caribbean.

 

After a few years a ship is bound to have some wear to it, but that hardly qualifies it for the junk yard. Can you imagine the added cost to the price of cruising if every ship was maintained in "new" shape? I will gladly give up brand new furniture in the public areas in exchange for fares that let me cruise 2 times a year!! :)

 

If Celelbrity displeases you, then cruise another line.....then the fares will drop even more and maybe I can cruise 3 times a year! :D :D

We all have our own ideas on good condition: I would agree with you on Celeabrity but have to disagree about RCI> Both times we cruised them the ships were a little older: one was is, what I would call ok shape, the other not good shape at all. We enjoyed our cruise, didn't find anything to get really worked up over, but the ship was pretty sad.........NMNita

[cechase]

First, the fact that we have had five excellent cruises on Celebrity in no way suggests that we are not sophicated cruisers. We certainly are entitled to our opinion based upon our observations and experiences, and resent being in a very subtle manner being belittled.

 

Okay, for the funny stuff. We embarked on Galaxy in Rome last October and went to our Royal Suite and noticed that the sofa in our living room seemed out of place - pattern and color. We left our cabin and went to deck 6 to see the maitre'd about our table assignment and spent about a half hour from our cabin.

 

We then went back to open the lovely bottle of champage which was being chilled in our cabin, and were astonished to see two men removing the offending sofa from our cabin, and replace it with one which matched all of the other living room furniture. We were so flabergasted, that we failed to ask the crew members why this was happening or who requested it.

 

The change pleased the DW :D

[cechase]

I have to be honest as long as you know that this is merely my opinion. I think that of the three Century Class vessels, Galaxy is in the most need of some tender loving care. We felt that of the three vessels, the crew and staff on Mercury and Century were superior to Galaxy.

 

Now, I see that you are planning a cruise on Century. Be reminded that she was the first and is the oldest of the Century class vessels. However, she has a real "makeover", and from the pictures that I have seen the "makeover" was very extensive, including adding 400 balconys and 13 or 14 new sky suites, as well and being refurbished from bow to stern.

 

However, we would have gone on her again without all of that, because she has in our opinion the finest crew and staff in the Celebrity fleet. In our two cruises on her, there was just such an outstanding attitude on that vessel which would have made your cruise wonderful, even if your bed was granite, the toilet overflowed and shower did not work [none of which happened]. It is really hard to explain - but if you read a lot of Celebrity posts, you will find that this elderly lady has many fans because of people who they name.

 

Really hope that they kept that crew and staff intact following her drydock.

[Karynanne]

I know there is going to some staff changes on Century...While we were on Constellation last month, one of the Maitre 'D's (who gave our table incredible attenntion and service), will be the Maitre 'D in the new Specialty Restaurant.

 

Karyn

[Ma Bell]

To answer the question from one who has sailed on many Celebrity cruises, I've never seen any bad looking linens in our cabin. A couple of times the mattresses have been bad so I just ask politely for an egg crate pad and the problem has been solved.