Nervous about sailing with Celebrity

[SabrinaNP]

:) I am planning to book an Alaskan cruisetour on Celebrity's Millenium in August 2008. I have read that Celebrity has had several problems with their cruise ships in last several years and it is making me a little nervous about booking with Celebrity. Does anyone have any advice for me?

[Roz]

My words of advice - all cruise lines currently have problems, have had problems in the past, and will continue to have problems in the future. :D

 

Roz

[Leela]

Which ship? Which itinerary? There are ways to mitigate the possibility of something going wrong, depending on what your biggest concerns are. Some of your concerns might be the sort of thing that could happen to anyone at any time. Others might be related to a particular ship or itinerary. It's possible that some of your concerns might have already been dealt with by the company.

 

Personally, I wouldn't be nervous, but of course there is no reason for you to take my word on anything since I'm just another random poster. :)

[bobbyleduck]

Dear Sabrina:

 

If you're interested in cruising, don't worry about the problems. It is in the cruise industry's best interest to make your cruise as enjoyable as possible, because more than 70 percent of its passengers tend to be repeat cruisers. THEY WANT YOU BACK!

 

Now, understand that problems occur. My family (all nine of us) booked a cruise on Celebrity Infinity for March 2007 through the Panama Canal. We then spent four months reading about the various problems. In the end our cruise went off without a hitch. Yes, we were late getting to our first stop (2 hours), but other than that our 14 day cruise was wonderful.

 

So good, in fact, that my wife and I just booked a cruise aboard Millenium for this December. We did that last week in the middle of the Millenium problems, you know the ones that caused it to end a cruise early and cancel the next cruise. We're not going to worry about that and neither should you.

 

Make plans and be prepared, just as you should with any travel plans. Stuff happens, so have a backup plan, but remember that stuff happens no matter what.

 

Happy cruising to all!

 

Bob

[Cachecara]

Only you can decide what is most important to you regarding your personal cruise experience. Those things may change with the itinerary, too.

Some people enjoy the cruise just for the cruise itself, some for the itinerary. Will it bother you if you miss a port or the time at a port is abbreviated? To some "yes" others "no".

I have sailed X various times and always had a fantastic cruise. Once the entire itinerary was changed last minute due to weather and they even gave us the option--a day ahead of time to cancel if we chose with full rebate. We chose to go anyway and again had a great time. We knew weather could be a problem--and it was, thus the last minute change. But the key here was I was willing to forgo my itinerary for the cruise itself.

For another separate cruise where itinerary is important, I am not going X. Yes, something untoward could also come up in this cruise to make some last minute changes(I hope not). But I am less willing to gamble with a possible known mechanical problem.

It doesn't really matter what anyone else's advice might be if that advice isn't a priority to you and only you can answer that one.

Have a great cruise whatever you decide! :)

[Alaskan Traveler]

:) I am planning to book an Alaskan cruisetour on Celebrity's Millenium in August 2008. I have read that Celebrity has had several problems with their cruise ships in last several years and it is making me a little nervous about booking with Celebrity. Does anyone have any advice for me?

 

Hello SabrinaNP,

 

I would not worry about this latest problem with the Millie since it does sound like just one of those things that does happen to all cruise lines once in awhile.

However, Celebrity does have a unique chronic problem that other cruise lines do not have. The Millennium, Infinity and Summit are now approaching their twentieth propulsion failure. There is a thread discussing these problems in depth at the top of this board. If nothing goes wrong Celebrity does offer a good Alaskan experience, but for my self I would not sail any one of these ships to Alaska but might try a cruise on one of them to somewhere where getting to the ports was not that important to me, such as the Caribbean. I would not take the advice of those who like to pass this problem off as just a normal part of the cruising experience and do a lot of research on your own before you decide.

[LuLaLuvlee]

Millie's recent prop woes were caused by an electrical issue which caused the ship to drift into rocks and damage the props. The repairs have been made and she is now back in service.

 

I am booked on her in May 2008 for Alaska. Our CC is group is very active and none of us have expressed any worry or concern about propulsion. Right now our big thing is designing our T shirts and magnets ;)

 

Every line has its yays and nays. Look to see which line suits you; where you think you will fit best; check the postings. Then book it and have a wonderful time.

 

I don't have some of the depth of cruising experience that some folks have on this board but for my DH and I, Celebrity is more than we ever expected in the nicest possible way.

[Susan-M]

I don't have some of the depth of cruising experience that some folks have on this board but for my DH and I, Celebrity is more than we ever expected in the nicest possible way.

 

Nicely said! :) When we booked our Millennium Med cruise in '05, I too had heard about pod problems. I am so thankful that I didn't let it deter me ... it's been our favorite cruise so far.

 

But for those who are anxious about potential problems, it's not a lot of fun stressing for a year in advance ... I would take a look at all of the options and choose what you are most comfortable with.

[grandsix]

If you want to sail on a very highly regarded cruise line, then try Celebrity. Every cruiise line has had mechanical problems at one time or another. Modern day cruise ships are quite sophisticated and sooner or later all mechanical items and computors are prone to problems.

[Drew B]

If you are interested in sailing Celebrity but nervous about the pod problems (I wouldn't be and I've experienced them, but that's me, not you), you should thinking about sailing on a C-Class ship. Mercury (which currently goes to Alaska), Galaxy, and Century DO NOT HAVE PODS, so this issue is not a concern with them. You would be at ZERO risk of pod failure on a C-Class ship. And for some reason, Constellation, which does have pods, doesn't seem to have the same problems that Infinity, Millenium & Summit have experienced. People try to lump all Celebrity ships together, but they are different vessels...

[mafig]

If you are interested in sailing Celebrity but nervous about the pod problems (I wouldn't be and I've experienced them, but that's me, not you), you should thinking about sailing on a C-Class ship. Mercury (which currently goes to Alaska), Galaxy, and Century DO NOT HAVE PODS, so this issue is not a concern with them. You would be at ZERO risk of pod failure on a C-Class ship. And for some reason, Constellation, which does have pods, doesn't seem to have the same problems that Infinity, Millenium & Summit have experienced. People try to lump all Celebrity ships together, but they are different vessels...

 

 

Excellent suggestion!!!!

:)

[melika091900]

celebrity is by far the best cruiseline we have been on..

as far as ship problems, thats everywhere, you never know,,

you will love the service and the food..you will be glad you went with celebrity.

have you ever been on any other cruise?

Have fun

 

Melissa

[Andy]

Hi Sabrina !

 

Frankly, I wouldnt worry about it too much. Sure, there have been some problems, but EVERY Cruise line has problems from time to time. If you take into consideration all of the excellent sailings versus the problem sailings, most all Cruise lines pass that test with flying colors. Also, when there have been problems (with the Millennium Class ships) In most all circumstances, Celebrity has been extremely fair to their customers, to try and make it right.

 

Bottom line ? I would not give the past problems too much worry. Also, a word of advice.... make SURE you purchase Cruise insurance. Search the boards, and you will find a wealth of information on this subject.

 

I hope you will be happy with your decision. Good luck !

[jclarkhall]

We went to Alaska on Galaxy in 97 , and have been Transatlantic on Constellation [ with pods] in 2005, and 2006 without a problem.

My previous cruises also include P&O, Princess and RCI, but I prefer Celebrity for service and quality of food. Already booked Constellation for back to back Ultimate Caribbean/ Transatlantic in spring 08, and looking frorward big time! :D

[Alaskan Traveler]

If you are interested in sailing Celebrity but nervous about the pod problems (I wouldn't be and I've experienced them, but that's me, not you), you should thinking about sailing on a C-Class ship. Mercury (which currently goes to Alaska), Galaxy, and Century DO NOT HAVE PODS, so this issue is not a concern with them. You would be at ZERO risk of pod failure on a C-Class ship. And for some reason, Constellation, which does have pods, doesn't seem to have the same problems that Infinity, Millenium & Summit have experienced. People try to lump all Celebrity ships together, but they are different vessels...

 

Very well said DrewB. Not all Celebrity ships have these recurring problems. The M-class (Millennium, Infinity & Summit) are the three of the four M-class ships that suffer from these problems. All of the other Celebrity ships, with the exception of the Constellation do not have pods. The original poster asked a fair question "if they should be concerned about the on-going pod problems". IMHO it is doing those who want to know answers to a legitimate question a dis-service to pass this problem off by saying "all ships have problems at one time or another". This is very true, but at the end of the day no other cruise line has had the same major failure eighteen times and still has not resolved the problem.

 

SusanM, also made a good point that it should be up to the individual to get as much information and make their own decision based on what their individual tolerance is for the addition risk they would be taking. I don't think anyone should be saying not to worry, nor should they tell them not to take the cruise. Get all of the facts and then decide for yourself.

[AZjohn]

Great thread on an issue that I have before deciding on a cruise on Celebrity (something I hope is sooner rather than later).

Yes, I would feel a lot better about a future cruise on Celebrity having insurance for a major pod issue.

But I remember reading here on CC a year ago so that one of the azi pod ships did not cancel several cruises in Alaska after a pod failure, but rather shorten the port times to compensate for the slow speed of the ship. I don’t think the insurance helped with that scenario and I think passengers got a little shipboard credit to make up for the itinerary changes. This exact thing happened to us on a HAL cruise last year, so it does happen on other cruise lines. Of course HAL never told anything to passengers until the ship left port…lol:rolleyes: .

John

[KRB_AMB]

Things happen with any means of transportation.. Airlines have broken planes on occasion, trains break down and de-rail, Cars have flat tires, busses have problems and horses go lame...

[fti]

Very well said DrewB. Not all Celebrity ships have these recurring problems. The M-class (Millennium, Infinity & Summit) are the three of the four M-class ships that suffer from these problems. All of the other Celebrity ships, with the exception of the Constellation do not have pods. The original poster asked a fair question "if they should be concerned about the on-going pod problems". IMHO it is doing those who want to know answers to a legitimate question a dis-service to pass this problem off by saying "all ships have problems at one time or another". This is very true, but at the end of the day no other cruise line has had the same major failure eighteen times and still has not resolved the problem.

 

SusanM, also made a good point that it should be up to the individual to get as much information and make their own decision based on what their individual tolerance is for the addition risk they would be taking. I don't think anyone should be saying not to worry, nor should they tell them not to take the cruise. Get all of the facts and then decide for yourself.

 

Welcome to CC to the OP.

 

I totally agree. Even though I am booked on the Summit for next month (too good of a price to pass up), it is obvious that there are quite a few Celebrity apologists on the board who say "all ships have problems" but as you said, the same major problem 18 times somehow puts these problems in a different class.

 

As has been stated, look at the facts and decide for yourself. For my AK cruise last year I was down to Celebrity Summit and Diamond Princess and chose Princess, mostly because I was booking a year in advance for a small group and didn't want to have to deal with the potential pod issue. This time around, I am traveling alone, and the price is right so it is different.

[fti]

:) I am planning to book an Alaskan cruisetour on Celebrity's Millenium in August 2008.

 

Slightly off-topic, but have you considered an independent landtour rather than a cruisetour? More flexibility, less crowds and probably cheaper. Something to at least consider.

[bobbyleduck]

Welcome to CC to the OP.

 

I totally agree. Even though I am booked on the Summit for next month (too good of a price to pass up), it is obvious that there are quite a few Celebrity apologists on the board who say "all ships have problems" but as you said, the same major problem 18 times somehow puts these problems in a different class.

 

As has been stated, look at the facts and decide for yourself. For my AK cruise last year I was down to Celebrity Summit and Diamond Princess and chose Princess, mostly because I was booking a year in advance for a small group and didn't want to have to deal with the potential pod issue. This time around, I am traveling alone, and the price is right so it is different.

 

I am not a "Celebrity apologist," but 18 pod problems involving 4 ships in nearly 7 years doesn't seem as if its something to get your knickers in a knot about.

 

But, that's just me. I enjoyed my first Celebrity cruise in March and it was so much fun that I'm doing it again in December.

 

Happy cruising to all!

 

Bob

[Alaskan Traveler]

I apologize if I was not clear in my previous posts about the number of pod problems. When I said eighteen pod failures, I meant eighteen times that required dry dock and cancelled cruises. In fairness the last dry dock for the Infinity, while the pods were repaired, was a scheduled dry dock.

There were at least eighteen more cruises when the problems first surfaced before all of the dry docks that were also impacted.

 

First of all let me say that most cruises on M-class ships are not affected by these problems. Not all pod problems just affect one or two cruises. An example would be for the last year, if you look at the Infinity for the period of July 9, 2006 through July 9, 2007, you will find that the Infinity was sailing with a ship that was not in proper working order because of defective pods for about 37 weeks out of the 52 week period. There were missed ports, cancelled cruises and last minute changes to Itineraries because of the requirement to run the ship at a reduced speed. I also enjoy the food and service on Celebrity M-class ships, but the OP seemed to be asking for information on reliability and I am just leaving it up to the readers to decide if this on-going problem is a major worry or not.

[fti]

I am not a "Celebrity apologist," but 18 pod problems involving 4 ships in nearly 7 years doesn't seem as if its something to get your knickers in a knot about.

 

I am booked on the Summit next month so obviously I am not overly concerned. But 18 very similar pod problems involving 4 ships in less than 7 years certainly sounds like more than a passing problem to me. That is more than two incidents per year. Something to get your knickers in a knot about? Well, just maybe.

 

If one airline had 18 similar problems in less than 7 years with one certain type of airplane, people would take notice.

[Drew B]

I absolutely agree that we should discuss and make people aware of the pod problems. What I don't approve of is the seeming agenda to make such a huge deal of the pod problems and to minimize the potential for any other kinds of problems (on Celebrity or any other line). I also don't like it that some people seem to insist that it's FINE to have a trip ruined for any other reason, but unacceptable to have it altered at all due to pod problems.

 

All cruisers should know that there is a reasonable chance on any cruise they take (on any ship on any line) that they will not get the exact itinerary that they signed on for. That is in the cruise contract. If you are not comfortable with that, then DON'T CRUISE! I've not seen a detailed mathematical investigation, but I'm guessing that M-Class ships have a somewhat greater risk. I'm guessing that increased risk is less than 5%, but that is just a guess. I'm a gambling man in general, and I'm very happy to accept that risk. I would understand if others are not willing to. However, if I came here not knowing anything and just read some of the hysterical posts, I would assume that M-Class ships were breaking down and causing disasters for cruisers every other week and that every other ship on every other line made all of their scheduled stops like clockwork every time. I would definitely be scared to ever sail an M-Class ship. That is simply not true!

[tbelian]

Call me an apologist, cheerleader, or whatever but I see this thread quickly becoming another 'P' discussion. So, I'm going to jump in here with a friendly reminder and post a link to this:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=452177

 

And quote from the above referenced thread

 

" Do they really think that people will stop sailing Celebrity or that Celebrity will magically fix the pod problem with a snap of their fingers? In reality, what they are doing is disrupting our community."

[Host Walt]

Getting directly to the point, the "sticky" was set up to combine all general discussions of the pod issue into one thread. Otherwise we would have dozens of threads all discussing and repeating the same stuff which would be very frustrating to everyone.

 

Discussing the impact of the pod issues on cruise travel planning is not a general discussion but is specific to the OP.

 

In this case, for example, the discussion is not about pod suppliers or maintenance but the real and normal concerns about whether booking a cruise on a Celebrity ship that is experiencing pod issues is a good idea.

 

If you have a question about Cruise Critic policies or about a specific post, please address them to me or HostAnne@cruisecritic.com, or by using the alert button. Please do not post questions about policies or whether a post meets the Community Guidelines on the message boards.

 

Thanks.