These boards are scaring me. Has Celebrity dropped THAT much in quality???

[Drew B]

Have I seen changes? Yes, especially with the food. The new menu items that I experienced on Summit on my last X cruise weren't nearly as good as they were on my previous cruises. I've seen things like "roasted potatoes" and when the plate is presented, there's one tiny lonely potato. Fresh vegetables that accompany the entree were maybe three small pieces carrot or broccoli. And the salads, always the one thing I love at dinner, have been cut in half, portion-wise...

 

LOL!!! I actually thought the portions were TOO big, given the fact that it's a 5-course dinner. I would rather have smaller portions (knowing that you can always order more than one of any given course if you find that the portions aren't enough...).

 

Perhaps that's part of the problem. If different passengers want completely different things, how is the cruise line supposed to please everybody?!

[cechase]

On the other hand, reviews of the older ships are all over the place. Some people love Galaxy, others don't. Lots of even-handed and well-mannered posters struggle for good things to say about Zenith or Mercury, and as we know some people have downright hated their cruises on those ships, but others are perfectly happy with these ships also. Century is a wild-card - we're all hoping she's fabulous now, but no one knows yet for sure.

 

Thoughts?

 

I have several comments based on our experience on all three C class vessels. First, our two cruises on Century were our two best cruises thus far. This was because of the staff's attention to detail - constant cleaning and polishing, washing outside windows during port stops [that rig is something to see!], and the attitude of the entire crew and staff. We were of the opinion that the food on Galaxy and Mercury cruises, following our last cruise on Century, was a step down from that on Century. Keep in mind that Century is the oldest C class vessel, and has a slightly different configuration that Galaxy and Mercury, but still is a joy to see and be on.

 

In January, we did notice a similiar attention to detail on Mercury, again constant cleaning, polishing, window washing, etc. Our only problem was with a very poor waiter and an asst. waiter who was replaced by the asst. maitre'd which was a problem for us our entire 11 night cruise. Our RS was fantastic, and we had the best butler that we have ever had. So a little confused concerning the negative comments concerning Mercury, and wonder if there was a senior staff change on the vessel following our January cruise.

 

While we loved our cruise on Galaxy last Oct., it seemed that same attention to detail was not there. [other than the replacement of our living room sofa shortly after we boarded!] We really did not dwell on any negatives, because we had a great CCer group of over 90, and made a large number of friends - perhaps because we were having such a good time, we just didn't think about other things until after we got home.

[greatam]

. The Normandie restaurant on the other hand was just fabulous. The service again was great and the food was beyond compare. It was a nice elegant evening. The piano and violin playing softy in the back ground was so enjoyable. All for $30.00 per person.

 

 

Now you see the problem. If I have to spend $60.00 per night (x 14 nights) to have what I have had previously on X, why should I not go to Cunard?

[Drew B]

Now you see the problem. If I have to spend $60.00 per night (x 14 nights) to have what I have had previously on X, why should I not go to Cunard?

 

Ditto. And even if I wanted to spend that much, I honestly don't think I could eat in the Normandie that many days. As great as the quality is, the selection just isn't there for more than a few meals per trip... Of course, I have dietary restrictions (I eat seafood, but no other meat or poultry) that limits my choices...

[C 2 C]

I've often felt that the decline in food quality on both HAL and Celebrity dining rooms was the push factor for getting passengers to pay for the better food in their Specialty Dining rooms.

 

The most noticable area of decline for me is in the quality of deserts.. but then I no longer have the same weight gain problems from which I "suffered" previously..

[cathi]

Just have to add my 2 cents worth - I think the negativity comes from higher than "normal" expectations. No matter who we sail with we board with an expectation of what it will be like and depending on your attitude it will be a great cruise or a so-so cruise. Food is very important to some and not so important to others. What with crew changes every so often (they can't be expected to be there all the time) things do change. We did 2 cruises on the same ship 6 weeks apart and had totally different experiences on each. After much discussion with the better half we came to the conclusion that the "bad" cruise was the result of a captain change. It all starts from the top down!

Celebrity is no different and certainly better than most in almost every aspect. On our last Celeb cruise it was 3 days in before we even met our room steward. He did a fantastic job!

After all is said and done it comes down to the 1% factor. At least 1% will have an absolutely rotten cruise. I don't think Celeb is cutting corners to cheapen the cruise experience. They still rank amongst the best in the large ship categories of most surveys so they must be doing something right.

[woodofpine]

One cruise isn't the end of the world... and pursuant to bumper sticker philosophy, a bad day cruising is better than a good day working!

 

One poster pointed out the overall positive commentary on M-ships and present posts on Alaska generally bear that out.

 

X hit a few bumps in the road dealing with noro and critical cruise critics have opined that ship refurbishment needs should be upped in priority. Has X gone downhill? Well that's a common chorus about all lines on all boards, so probably not - relatively speaking (given prices that remain on par with those of a decade ago). If it's gone downhill, it's merely chasing its competitors.

 

Compared to QE2, it should be noted that institutional commentators (including CC) have pointed to overdue upgrading on this particular ship. And Princess hotel management wasn't put in charge of Cunard a year or so ago by Big C because that historic marque was batting homeruns...

 

X still carries the favor of travel publications and its crew are exemplary overall. The only thing that would put me on QEII over Infinity would be historic ship and new line curiousity (never been on Cunard); I'd go in with lower expectations than X otherwise.

[agabbymama]

I haven't sailed with Celebrity yet, I have a New England/Canada cruise schedule 9/24/06. I have sailed Carnival (1983), HAL (1999), NCL (2004), and RCI (2004). Recent events being posted on this board, caused me to re-read the cruise contract. I cannot believe the thousands of people that still pay their hard earned dollars to board a cruise ship, with no guarantee that you will get what you paid for. I guess I was very lucky that the four cruises I went on, did go to the ports as advertised and that there were no other problems with the ships. I am praying right now that the PODS on Constellation stay healthy, that there are no major storms in the North Atlantic and that we sail the itinerary we are supposed to. I am not at all happy that when you purchase a trip on a cruise ship, they can make any changes, for any reason whatsoever, without any liability to the traveler. I select the cruise for the itinerary, with no guarantee that we will go there, I'm not willing to continue to cruise at all. Just being on a ship sailing somewhere isn't why I cruise. I can get good food, service, & amenities at any hotel, a whole lot cheaper than I'm paying Celebrity to provide.:eek:

[caviargal]

I've often felt that the decline in food quality on both HAL and Celebrity dining rooms was the push factor for getting passengers to pay for the better food in their Specialty Dining rooms.

 

The most noticable area of decline for me is in the quality of deserts.. but then I no longer have the same weight gain problems from which I "suffered" previously..

 

I do not eat dessert so cannot comment.

 

We did have dinner in the specialty dining room on HAL 6 of 7 nights and on RCI three of seven on recent cruises.

 

We just prefer the adult environment, intimate atmosphere and personal service and feel it is worth the extra to really enjoy our dinners.:)

 

I think you are correct that the overall quality on every line has been compromised and that the ala carte restaurants are a great source of revenue for all lines.

 

Welcome to the world of ala carte cruising:)!

[greatam]

Thanks, all.

 

X seems to have slipped by the wayside, almost to the netherland of RCI (don't even go there). Even all the experienced X cruisers weren't overly positive. Too bad, as X fit my mind set and budget.

 

Oh, well, a few more dollars for QE2. Anyone need a FV cabin for Panama Canal/repo- Nov 19-Dec. 3-FLL to Santiago? I will be releasing the cabin just as soon as I firm up my plans.

 

It truly is the little things that matter to me.

[Ma Bell]

Personally, I think you're making a mistake.:)

[GaryfmCol]

Just have to add my 2 cents worth - I think the negativity comes from higher than "normal" expectations. No matter who we sail with we board with an expectation of what it will be like and depending on your attitude it will be a great cruise or a so-so cruise. Food is very important to some and not so important to others. What with crew changes every so often (they can't be expected to be there all the time) things do change. We did 2 cruises on the same ship 6 weeks apart and had totally different experiences on each. After much discussion with the better half we came to the conclusion that the "bad" cruise was the result of a captain change. It all starts from the top down!

Celebrity is no different and certainly better than most in almost every aspect. On our last Celeb cruise it was 3 days in before we even met our room steward. He did a fantastic job!

After all is said and done it comes down to the 1% factor. At least 1% will have an absolutely rotten cruise. I don't think Celeb is cutting corners to cheapen the cruise experience. They still rank amongst the best in the large ship categories of most surveys so they must be doing something right.

 

Excellent posting Cathi. We agree! :)

 

Every cruise has complainers and, whiners.

I bet it is more than 1% though...

 

Every cruise we have had has been wonderful.

We have zero complaints, except about the smoking

which we have to endure on Celebrity ships. :(

[Drew B]

select the cruise for the itinerary, with no guarantee that we will go there, I'm not willing to continue to cruise at all. Just being on a ship sailing somewhere isn't why I cruise. I can get good food, service, & amenities at any hotel, a whole lot cheaper than I'm paying Celebrity to provide.:eek:

 

 

Really? Where? I don't think I could find ANY halfway decent hotel where I could get my room plus all of the food available on a cruise (to say NOTHING of the other amenities and entertainment) at anywhere CLOSE to the daily rate of a cruise!

[greeneg]

Thanks, all.

 

X seems to have slipped by the wayside, almost to the netherland of RCI (don't even go there). Even all the experienced X cruisers weren't overly positive. Too bad, as X fit my mind set and budget.

 

Oh, well, a few more dollars for QE2. Anyone need a FV cabin for Panama Canal/repo- Nov 19-Dec. 3-FLL to Santiago? I will be releasing the cabin just as soon as I firm up my plans.

 

It truly is the little things that matter to me.

 

I wish you a safe and happy voyage also.

 

I also have to wonder why you started the thread: the vast majority of the responses that you got could hardly be considered anything other than positive and encouraging, and looking at your posting history one wonders if you were just attempting to provoke some more controversy.

 

In any case enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.

[jukeboxy]

I have been on the Infinity (last week) and the Mercury in Dec. Both were in great shape and the crews of the highest quality.

The only decrease in quality is in that of the posters on this board. Too many people who have noticed they get more attention from negitive comments than positive.

I just posted that I won't be around to listen to them after July 1st.

Ignore the naysayers and go on X and have a wonderful time with people like Joan and others that enjoy people.

[catmand]

gee, seems like the folks that have something negative to say will pick apart things and post over and over and over, again.

I am sort of thinking along the same lines as greeneg.................why did the op even bother? Seems the majority of the posts here are positive, the remark the "even the experienced x cruisers weren't overly positive"..............................WHY BOTHER trying to tell folks how HAPPY we have been when these boards have been so full of negativity lately? Just go back and reread these, as I said there is someone who will pick something out of every positive post and remark about it.

THE VEGGIES? THE VEGGIES? There was "only ONE potato on the plate" Now THAT is something to gripe about, it's not like you can't get 100 potatoes if you ask for them.

Sorry....................................hope you enjoy whatever ship because it seems to me this cruise through the canal would have been doomed.

[greatam]

 

I wish you a safe and happy voyage also.

 

I also have to wonder why you started the thread: the vast majority of the responses that you got could hardly be considered anything other than positive and encouraging, and looking at your posting history one wonders if you were just attempting to provoke some more controversy.

 

In any case enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.

 

I started the thread not for any controversy, but because the constant complaints-some big things, some small, represent a totally different X than I have been on three times. I wanted to hear it from experienced X cruisers if it was just "sour grapes" from certain posters or whether the line was really going down hill. Happens to the best of businesses-Pan Am/TWA/GM and others come to mind.

 

As you can see from my "posting history", I am the curmudgeon when it comes to the "little things". The big things are not so important-missed ports, drunk captain, etc. Go with the flow-to quote the Forrest Gump movie-"s*** happens" But the little things-dress, the "extras", are VERY important to me. They make the cruise special. Otherwise, it is just another trip of many (most business) I go on in a year. And I would say the posts were 60/40 with the 60 negative for the small things. I appreciate the honesty. I know what my experience will be on QE2. I did not know what kind of experience I would currently have on X. Thanks for the wishes

[Lois R]

Hi Ed and Cat...I wasn't even going to reply to this thread but

after I saw both of yours.....

I have had 9 X cruises...all really good:) Were a couple better

than another of them? Probably, but all were wonderful.

 

The service, crew and staff of Zenith in April was probably

the best of any of my sailings. But all my others come in right

behind that one. Or maybe that would be an A+ and the others

would be an A.

 

Of course I just started sailing X in 2003 so I can't compare

my cruises to anything prior to that year.

 

Greatam, my cruises have not gone down hill.

Since that was your original question.

 

I also hope you enjoy whatever ship you choose to cruise.

[greeneg]

Hi Lois, now you see why Gail and I enjoy Zenith so much. She is a special ship, both her passengers and her crew seem to value her very much.

 

Saw your postings on your Alaska trip, also a very unique experience. Where are you going next?

 

Ed

[Lois R]

Hi Ed,:) the next one booked (if things stay as they are)

is Millie in December.

[xtopher_66]

While this forum is a great source of information and a way to meet some wonderful people while on board, I could never see myself making a decision not to cruise on a particular ship or cruise line based solely upon what I read here.

 

It's pretty much the nature of boards like these to attract a good deal of negative comments. People are more likely to complain rather than praise and its the negative comments that are more likely to get a lot of responses that cause such threads to go on a lot longer than the normal conversation.

 

If I based all my purchase decisions solely upon what I read in Internet forums I wouldn't have my current car or house and I wouldn't have taken any of the wonderful vacations (cruises and otherwise). Come to think of it, I'd have a lot more money. :)

 

Chris

[agabbymama]

Drew B - A lot of places. At $263 pp per day that's $526 per couple. I can find a lot of hotels and restaurants for that amount. The cruise is just more convenient to visit (Boston, Bar Harbor, Portland, Halifax, St. Johns, and Quebec). I don't think I could drive to all those places in only 11 days. If we get to them. One poster stated she paid for a Caribbean cruise and ended up doing New England. I'm paying for New England, I sure as heck don't want to end up in the Caribbean.

 

Even in New York, the hotel was $219. That leaves me $44 for food, per day. And I only spent $3000 for four weeks in Australia. Hotels, food, shopping, tours, everything we wanted to do. I generally plan $1000 per week. This cruise will be the most expensive trip I have ever taken, and I've traveled the World.:rolleyes:

[Drew B]

Drew B - A lot of places. At $263 pp per day that's $526 per couple. I can find a lot of hotels and restaurants for that amount. The cruise is just more convenient to visit (Boston, Bar Harbor, Portland, Halifax, St. Johns, and Quebec). I don't think I could drive to all those places in only 11 days. If we get to them. One poster stated she paid for a Caribbean cruise and ended up doing New England. I'm paying for New England, I sure as heck don't want to end up in the Caribbean.

 

Even in New York, the hotel was $219. That leaves me $44 for food, per day. And I only spent $3000 for four weeks in Australia. Hotels, food, shopping, tours, everything we wanted to do. I generally plan $1000 per week. This cruise will be the most expensive trip I have ever taken, and I've traveled the World.:rolleyes:

 

Well, you stay in much nicer staterooms than I do! On my last cruise, I SPLURGED, and spent under $170 per day...

[cechase]

I also have to wonder why you started the thread: the vast majority of the responses that you got could hardly be considered anything other than positive and encouraging, and looking at your posting history one wonders if you were just attempting to provoke some more controversy.

 

I looked also, and it appears that she is looking at HAL - Veendam! Ed, if your suspicions are correct, this is a new low for Cruise Critic.

[magmagee]

I notice that they have changed some of the desserts offered during the week a little bit. I can't recall what was old and what was new, though, but the list was a little different. I think that even though the menu is standardized, there is still variance based on who is actually doing the cooking. The desserts and pastries on Horizon last year were the best of any cruise, Celebrity or otherwise, I've taken. They were great on Century, and very good on Zenith. But when I cruised Mercury last fall, they were just okay. Not bad, but they lacked something in the flavor department.

 

 

I agree with that, too. The side veggies brought up would contain two or three spears of asparagus. Fortunately, we could get more. I guess since so many people don't actually eat their veggies that they don't plate that many?

 

One night Mom asked for a whole plate of snow peas because she found them to be so tasty. The waiters will do anything to please...but at the same time, there's so much food out there that sometimes by the time we got to dinner we just didn't feel like eating. If something wasn't so great, instead of getting something else we'd just put it aside and figure we were done for the day. That kind of weirded out our waiters, because they'd keep asking if they could bring something and we'd keep saying no, we were fine. We kept joking privately about all the food opportunities, and considered putting a sign on our stateroom door saying "Please do not feed the occupants." :)

 

 

I have always enjoyed the beef dishes. I'm not as happy with the seafood, as most of it, including the lobster tail, is frozen (our Assistant Maitre d'Hotel confirmed that, telling us that they carry three week's worth of food with them in case something happens). Now, a lot of seafood sold in grocery stores is also frozen -- for instance, shrimp is frozen on the boat as soon as it is caught. So freezing isn't a bad thing in and of itself, but if you're a seafood fan who is used to getting things as fresh as possible from the fish market, you might end up not liking those dishes as much. On the other hand, there's something to be said for not having to cook and clean up after a homemade lobster dinner! Another issue with the fish dishes is that there are different standards as to how people expect them to be served. "Done perfectly" means nearly raw to me, and something different to other people.

 

Lamb shanks were new on the menu, and ours were absolutely delicious. I make them at home from time to time, and the ones on the ship were great.

 

The lamb was one thing I did not eat. Just do not care for it. As far as the lobster I have to agree. Freezing is not bad but you can tell the difference. We live near fisherman's wharf so we know what fresh seafood is all about. On the other hand we did not seem to turn it down the THREE times the waiter came by and kept trying to make us happy. My pants were getting tighter day by day. Not having to cook is a treat all in itself so I guess that is why I am not too picky and I am easy to please.