CENTURY Being Redeployed...........

[Andy]

[quote name='Lp56']Andy,
We are on the April 1st cruise on the Summit. We need to start a thread. I tried to find one today and could not find one. So, I will start one on the roll call section. Are we able to sign up for a cruise party yet? I read that they have been having trouble with that.
Lp56[/QUOTE]

Hi Lp !

Glad to hear you are on the same sailing. I dont know if there is a CC Thread, but by all means start one. I will try and add to it over the next few days.

As for the sign up for the Celebrity CC Party on the Celebrity website.... what I can tell you, is that I signed up before Celebrity switched to the so called "improved" website. Personally, I have found the new website to be very difficult to navigate, and cannot find 1/2 of the items that were on the old website.

I am guessing there is probably a way to sign up for the CC Party, but at this point, your guess is as good as mine !

To make matters worse, every time I go to update my personal information, all I get is error messages. It is pretty apparant, the new website still has many bugs in it. Hopefully, they will get it in better shape soon !

I look forward to meeting you in April !

Happy Holidays !
Andy

[Lois R]

hi Andy:) ...that cruise looks awesome....wish I could join ya'll...but the timing is bad for me......
But things might be looking up....if you scroll back onto this thread...Ocngypz suggested an 8 nighter on Horizon.......leaves in the middle of April (good timing on that one)....and a very good price:D ...waiting to reach Terri (teedee)..we are sailing on this one together...need to see if it is good for her as well....anyway.....still sad I won't be on Century:( ...but hopefully things will work out....and I have been wanting to sail Horizon for a while.......

[Linda-E]

[font=Arial][color=Blue]Mary El,

Century Transatlantic:
[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=Blue][color=black][color=Blue]14oct barcelona, spain 500p docked
15oct villefranche (nice), france 1000a 700p tendered
16oct civitavecchia (rome), italy 700a 700p docked
17oct ajaccio, corsica 700a 400p docked
18oct at sea
19oct malaga, spain 200p 800p docked
20oct at sea[/color]
[color=Blue] 21oct at sea
22oct ponta delgada, azores 700a 500p docked
23oct at sea
24oct at sea
25oct at sea
26oct at sea
27oct at sea[/color][/color]
28oct nassau, bahamas 800a 500p docked[/color][/font][color=Blue][color=black][font="][font=Arial]
[/font][font=Arial][color=Blue][size=2]29oct fort lauderdale, florida 700a docked

Booking will be available early January.

Linda
[/size][/color][/font] [/font][/color][/color]

[color=black][font="]
[/font][/color]

[corkpopr]

we were going to take the 9 day on may 14th but the balcony cabins were 2300.00 and the cabins are 200 sq ft. either princess or hal are 1200.00 for seven days and 250 sq. ft.
we like the m class and the galaxy. if you are looking for a bargain and have the time, galveston to rome 17 days, return air from rome, 2 days in rome at the end of the cruise, balcony cabin 1750.00 per person.

[Mary El]

Thank you Linda-E. I knew the itinerary but was curious about the price. I looked at the Century cabin layout and had completely forgot that Concierge Class cabins on the Century don't have verandahs. Therefore, it's not worth going Concierge Class. Will probably stick to our Millennium transatlantic cruise.

[Lp56]

I tr4ied to pull up the Celebrity site this morning. It would not even open. I wanted to check to see if my change from Century to Summit was posted there. I had put in my immigration information when I was planning on going on Century. I wanted to check if it is still there. It seems like we used to sign up for the cruise critic parties at the cruise critic site. Is that wrong?
Lp56

[Lois R]

Hi LP...you are correct...all that stuff used to be on the same page...they must be working on the website.
Maybe all the itinerary changes are affecting everything else......who knows....

[Lp56]

I was able to pull up the Celebrity site to check on my reservation and I signed up for the critic party too at the Cruise Critic site. There are 34 people signed up for the April1,2005 sailing on the Summit. I wonder why there is not a roll call thread started. I started one yesterday.
Lp56

[shmabbies]

I'm a sporadic lurker on this board because a good friend is booked on Century in August. I saw her two days before Christmas & we discussed her cruise & how she was about to book her air (seven people total) - so obviously she has no clue that Century won't be in the Caribbean in August! Before I break the news to her - since obviously her TA has not done so!! - I'd like to know how & when you learned about all of this? Please be as specific as possible as to date & whether you were booked thru a TA or directly thru Celebrity. Thank you & Happy New Year!

[Lois R]

Hi, I received an email from my Travel Agent....stating that May 7th (which was supposed to be my sailing in the Caribbean:( )she is going to be on her way to Europe......(that will be a 14 night repositioning cruise).

I don't know what exact day she will be returning to the Caribbean...but she will be in Europe in May, June, July, August, Sept, Oct......she should be back in Ft. Lauderdale in Oct/Nov but I cannot recall which week.

As I said, I learned from my TA..but a press release was also put out...about a week ago.

[shmabbies]

Thanks Lois! Do you have any idea where I could find the text of this press release? And if anyone else has details of how & when they learned of this change, I'd still appreciate hearing them. Thanks!

[Lois R]

Hi:) ..you might call Celebrity....or scroll back a few pages on here......I know a couple of other folks had posted about this same topic as well over the last week.

[jdvmd]

I received this from RCCL last Tuesday because we are stockholders. Wouldn't you know, we were on the canceled Millenium cruise last March and had just worked up everything with Celebrity to take the June 2 Century sailing. Celebrity had given us a free seven-night cruise to use before Nov. 30, 2005 but we weren't able to take the seven-night cruise when it was offered. They were allowing us to apply the free seven-nighter to the nine-night one and pay the difference.

Celebrity Cruises Deploys Fourth Ship to Europe

Century to Join Constellation, Galaxy and Millennium in Response to Guest

Demand

MIAMI, Dec. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Steadily increasing demand for Celebrity Cruises' vacation experiences in Europe has led the top-rated premium line to deploy a fourth ship to the region in 2005.

The 1,750-guest Century, previously scheduled to sail 9- and 10-night Caribbean cruises next spring and summer, will join Celebrity's Constellation, Galaxy and Millennium in Europe, offering vacationers the greatest capacity and broadest array of options Celebrity has offered to-date in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean.

Following a 14-night transatlantic cruise departing from Fort Lauderdale on May 7, Century will sail a series of 12-night Baltic cruises roundtrip from Amsterdam, a unique Norwegian Fjords cruise, and 10- and 11-night Mediterranean cruises, before returning to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., departing roundtrip on alternating 9- and 10-night Caribbean cruises. The new European sailings open for booking January 4, 2005.

"We've enjoyed offering a year-round option in the Caribbean with Century, but our guests' demand for more Celebrity vacation options in Europe can't be ignored," said Celebrity Cruises President & COO Jack Williams.

The sheer value of a Celebrity vacation also can't be ignored. As the U.S. dollar continues to decline against the euro, a growing number of savvy travelers are honing in on cruising as the definitive way to experience Europe.

"Celebrity Cruises has always represented incredible value, and next year, particularly compared with traditional land-based vacations in Europe, it's absolutely incomparable," said Williams. "There's the convenience factor as well. You unpack once, and your premium hotel moves with you, from one magnificent port to the next."

Williams tagged Century "the obvious choice" for the fourth ship to sail in Europe next year. The ship was the first in the Celebrity fleet to sail in the region when the line launched regular service there in 1999.

The sophistication of Europe is echoed in Century's onboard experience, featuring the fresh, gourmet cuisine of renowned Master Chef Michel Roux; the stylish Cova Cafe Milano, Celebrity's seagoing version of the chic coffeehouse in the fashion district of Milan; the exotic AquaSpa(R) by Elemis, and a host of sumptuous services and amenities, including Les Clefs d'Or-certified Concierges, expertly trained Sommeliers, and 24-hour butler service in every suite.

Century's 2005 Europe Itineraries

Century sets sail for Europe on a 14-night transatlantic cruise departing Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on May 7, with an overnight visit to King's Wharf, Bermuda, and calls on Lisbon, Portugal; Vigo, Spain; and LeHavre (for Paris), France, concluding in Amsterdam.

From Amsterdam, Century presents roundtrip 12-night Baltic cruises on May 21; June 2, 14 and 26; July 8 and 20, with calls on Copenhagen, Denmark (overnight); Oslo, Norway; Stockholm, Sweden; Helsinki, Finland; St. Petersburg, Russia (overnight), and Tallinn, Estonia.

On August 13, guests have the unique opportunity to experience the stunning Norwegian Fjords in Celebrity style, when Century departs roundtrip from Amsterdam on a 7-night cruise calling on Bergen, Olden, Alesund, and Flam, Norway.

Century sets sail August 20 on a repositioning cruise, featuring visits to an extraordinary series of classic ports, including Zeebrugge (for Brussels), Belgium; LeHavre (for Paris), France; Vigo, Cadiz and Malaga, Spain; Lisbon, Portugal; Civitavecchia (for Rome) and Livorno (for Florence/Pisa), Italy; and Villefranche (for Nice/Monte Carlo), France, concluding in Barcelona, Spain.

The beauty of the Balearic Islands -- and Celebrity's first calls on both Ibiza and Valencia, Spain -- await guests on Century's September 2 and 23 sailings, also calling on Marseilles/Provence and Villefranche (for Nice/Monte Carlo), France; Livorno (for Florence/Pisa) and Civitavecchia (for Rome), Italy; and Palma de Mallorca, Spain.

Century caps her European season in 2005 with two cruises in the Tyrrhenian Sea, departing Barcelona September 12 and October 3, and marking Celebrity's first calls on Palermo, Sicily and Cartagena, Spain. The cruises also feature calls on Ajaccio, Corsica, France; Civitavecchia (for Rome), Naples, Italy; Valletta, Malta, and Messina, Sicily.

Century heads westward on October 14, departing Barcelona on a 15-night transatlantic voyage, with calls on Marseille/Provence and Villefranche (for Nice/Monte Carlo), France; Civitavecchia (for Rome), Italy; Malaga, Spain; Ponta Delgada, Azores; and Nassau, Bahamas, ending in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. There, Century resumes her Caribbean season, offering roundtrip exotic 9- and 10-night vacations.

Fares for oceanview accommodations on Century's 12-night Northern Europe cruises begin at $2,140 per person, based on double occupancy. Fares for oceanview accommodations on Century's Mediterranean sailings start at $1,690 per person, based on double occupancy.

Celebrity has established special toll-free numbers to reaccommodate guests booked on Century's Caribbean cruises affected by the new European sailings. Guests with individual bookings are asked to call 1-888-837-5676. Groups are asked to call 1-888-305-4549.

Celebrity Cruises is the industry's highest-rated premium cruise brand with a taste of luxury. The cruise line has 10 ships in its fleet, which sails in Alaska, Bermuda, California, the Caribbean, Europe, Hawaii, the Mexican Riviera, the Panama Canal and South America. In addition, Celebrity Xpeditions offer exotic travel experiences in the Galapagos Islands, the Arctic, and Antarctica. For more information, call your travel agent, dial 1-800-437-3111, or visit the Celebrity web site at [url]http://www.celebrity.com[/url].

SOURCE
Celebrity Cruises 12/21/2004

CONTACT:
Elizabeth Jakeway,
Celebrity Cruises,
+1-305-539-6127, or
[email]ejakeway@celebrity.com[/email]
Web site: [url]http://www.celebrity.com[/url]

[lysolqn]

With Century now scheduled to sail European itineraries this spring/summer, maybe the time has come for Celebrity to consider adding to its fleet in order to maintain a Caribbean presence year-round. As a loyal X passenger, I now see two problems with X's current itineraries - 1) no year-round Caribbean sailings and 2) few, if any, longer Caribbean itineraries (10,11,12 nights) on ships other than Horizon/Zenith.
Clearly, new builds take time and cost money, but perhaps RCI will consider "stealing" a ship from the ever-growing Royal Caribbean fleet and re-flagging it as a Celebrity vessel in order to fill the void.

[minke]

Prior to 9/11 Celebrity planned to have 4 ships in Europe for the following year & none in Caribbean, so this is just getting back to what was planned then. Why ? the simple reason is prices per day & therefor yield are so much higher in Europe than Caribbean during summer. They literally have to "give away" cabins in Caribbean to fill ship. Now ask yourself if you can get $150 per pass per day in Europe & only $60 per day in Caribbean, where would you put the ship?

[shmabbies]

I broke the news to my friend a few hours ago - she was not a happy camper. The three in her family were traveling with four in another and are breaking the news to THEM tonight. I'm appalled she had to find out from ME and not her TA. Thanks for the responses but I'm sorry for all of you who got hurt by this redeployment. We've taken many cruises but never on Celebrity. Earlier this year we booked Constellation transatlantic & ended up cancelling it when the itinerary was modified & shortened because after that it no longer included the elements we were looking for. And now this happens to my friend...I know there are a lot of positives about Celebrity and I'm sure I'll experience them someday but right now they aren't looking too good to me.

[C 2 C]

[quote name='shmabbies']Earlier this year we booked Constellation transatlantic & ended up cancelling it when the itinerary was modified & shortened because after that it no longer included the elements we were looking for.[/QUOTE]

We're changing our booking on the Constellation for the same reason

Century to Europe and Baltic might be a good bet though...

The main problem is that Celebrity does not have enough ships and wants to maximize its revenues... they offer a good product but head office is very short sighted on this issue... They probably knew this revenue stream was available and should not have booked the Caribbean... this is bad PR.... RCL probably plans to keep the masses on their ships while Celebrity has "upscale" (read as premium) rates for more cultural routes...

[Murphy]

We were scheduled for the Sept 22 Century Caribbean cruise, which is one of the cancelled itineraries. At first we were very disappointed as we loved the itinerary (9 night, FLL, Ocho Rios, Grand Caymans, Aruba, Curacao), but I try to make lemonade out of lemons and thought the $400 onboard credit we were offered was generous. Because of work obligations, we couldn't take them up on the rebook Oct 31-Dec 31, 2005 (DH manages our northern Illinois Highway Maintenance crews and can't take any vacation between Nov 1 and April 15 because of snow calls), so the offer as I understood it was "ANY" Celebrity OR RCCL cruise. We found a repositioning cruise from Quebec City to Fort Lauderdale that was something TOTALLY different for us, but the more we talked about it, the more we both liked it. Called TA this morning and she has hit a brick wall with Celebrity. They are NOW saying it has to be a "Caribbean" itinerary if we sail outside fo the Oct 31-Dec31 time line. I'm beside myself with this twist of fate. My lemonade is a little sour right now and am hoping my TA can add some sugar to the mix and get them to come around. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears!

[ElaineB2]

[quote name='shmabbies']I broke the news to my friend a few hours ago - she was not a happy camper. The three in her family were traveling with four in another and are breaking the news to THEM tonight. I'm appalled she had to find out from ME and not her TA. Thanks for the responses but I'm sorry for all of you who got hurt by this redeployment. We've taken many cruises but never on Celebrity. Earlier this year we booked Constellation transatlantic & ended up cancelling it when the itinerary was modified & shortened because after that it no longer included the elements we were looking for. And now this happens to my friend...I know there are a lot of positives about Celebrity and I'm sure I'll experience them someday but right now they aren't looking too good to me.[/QUOTE]
I also was the one to inform my friend about this change rather than her TA. She thought I was playing a joke on her. She called her TA as soon as I told her, and her TA said she was going to inform her as soon as the holiday rush settled down :eek: I would not be happy if my TA told me that. She has already purchased their air. I'm curious as to what they will be able to work out.

I feel badly for all of those who had a cruise planned that was cancelled. Especially for those who are trying to coordinate schedules with other family members. It can be quite difficult to come up with options. Good luck to everyone.

[tlmlb]

If you owned a store wouldn't you sell the products that were the most profitable? I have cruised both the Caribbean and Europe and there is nothing that beats the European experience. If you just want Caribbean fun in the sun you can do better on land than a cruise for top value. Price it out with activities, meals, drinks and compare the facilities for value.

The Century Baltic itineraries sound great, similar to the Galaxy Baltic cruise I took in 2001. Amsterdam is a great and convenient embarkation point where a couple of days pre or post cruise are well spent.

Get over it, Celebrity is reacting to the demand!

[Lois R]

Get over it?:( ........

There are some people who can only cruise in the summer.......and so they choose the Caribbean.........and have found something they can afford and to their liking. Not everyone enjoys the "land vacation".

These boards are for information, fun, venting too.

Nobody is disputing WHY Celebrity is doing this.......but that doesn't mean everyone has to like the decision.

[Lp56]

Murphy,
My friend and I also were booked on the Century for May. We had an inside cabin. But, we were only offered $200 a cabin credit when we re-booked on the Summit for the April 1st cruise. Did you have a balcony cabin? I wondered why you were offered twice as much as we were.
Lp56

[Andy]

[quote name='Lois R']Get over it?:( ........

There are some people who can only cruise in the summer.......and so they choose the Caribbean.........and have found something they can afford and to their liking. Not everyone enjoys the "land vacation".

These boards are for information, fun, venting too.

Nobody is disputing WHY Celebrity is doing this.......but that doesn't mean everyone has to like the decision.[/QUOTE]


Totally agreed, Lois. I do understand, but I sure dont like it :)

[C 2 C]

[quote name='tlmlb']If you owned a store wouldn't you sell the products that were the most profitable? I have cruised both the Caribbean and Europe and there is nothing that beats the European experience. If you just want Caribbean fun in the sun you can do better on land than a cruise for top value. Price it out with activities, meals, drinks and compare the facilities for value.

The Century Baltic itineraries sound great, similar to the Galaxy Baltic cruise I took in 2001. Amsterdam is a great and convenient embarkation point where a couple of days pre or post cruise are well spent.

Get over it, Celebrity is reacting to the demand![/QUOTE]

If you owned a store and advertised a product for sale... then reneged on the deal you offered you would be guilty of false advertising...

If you then told the customers that they could replace the product they thought they had purchased with one costing much more .. and tell them to get over it... you would not be in business long.

Every item offered for sale and every item purchased has an implied contract in the transaction...

About the demand be greater elsewhere and the profit being greater..... Where are the planners who did not foresee this coming before they upset a lot of faithful customers...

Sure Europe is beautiful but the cruises are also a lot more expensive and require more expensive flights to get to.

And that Caribbean thing... There are a lot of dumb passengers out there who don't realize that cruising is not as good as a land vacation.... :eek:

[C 2 C]

[quote name='Lois R']Get over it?:( ........
These boards are for ..... venting too.
[/QUOTE]

That ill wind has to start somewhere...
:)