Kellyblue

17 minutes ago, tfred said:

you should look at RCCL if you want to keep it in the "family "  Ala carte pricing with new ships and basically same service levels.  HAL is another option as those ships are very sedate and more "traditional"

 

X wants younger people on board, especially if they are new to cruising.  They have money to afford the cruise fare and they spend more when they get on board

LOL. Thanks tfred.  RCCL totally gear themselves to children.  We switched to Celebrity after accidently booking on a ship with 1,000 children on board.  Having said that, our two weeks in the middle east on Jewel of the Sea just over a year ago was not too overrun with children and very enjoyable.  Being solidly of the 'grey brigade', we might try the likes of Holland America.  I understand their average age is over 70!

I have some level of sympathy with LGW59.  We travelled enough with Celebrity to reach Elite Plus. This gave us a few free drinks before dinner and our morning coffee.  There is no way we would be able to drink enough to make the AI worth the money that is now charged.  And with 240 minutes each of free wifi, of which we used very little, we find that is also a perk not worth while. So the only benefit we would get use from is the gratuties which are almost always included anyway when you booked your next cruise on board.  Sadly, this means Celebrity cruises are now too expensive for us to afford.

We've also noticed that there are many more younger passengers appearing on the ships and that more passengers are the worse for wear than previously.  I guess it is their holiday too and they are entitled to enjoy it as they wish, but the resultant noise and behaviour takes the shine off our relaxing break.  It is frustrating to now have to face experimenting with other cruise lines to find one that suits our age group and pocketbook.

55 minutes ago, upwarduk said:

I am in UK and was told that Elite C.C members can move a booking once, free of charge, thereafter the charge is £75.p.p.

This was before Covid and didn’t include FCC, which might change the T&C.

 

If I were you, I would give them a call.  This was the case, we actually did it, but so much has changed with Covid.  Having said that, Celebrity UK have been offering some very good flexible terms.  We were able to transfer our November 2020 cruises to similar ones in November this year without charge and retaining all our benefits (eg drinks, OBC, tips, etc).  And a recent booking for Aus/NZ is also offering multiple changes where necessary without charge.  You'll also find it is the only way to get your free one cabin grade upgrade.  The only frustration I've found with Celebrity in the UK is their failure to offer cruises that are not "all inclusive".  We are Elite Plus, which gave free speciality coffees, 2 hours free drinks in the evening and 240 minutes free wifi.  But now that, and more, is available to everyone.  There is no longer as much reason to be loyal to one cruise line.

Why would Celebrity give you old points for cruises you haven't taken yet. It is just like any rewards/loyalty program, you have to complete the cruise, flight, purchase, etc., before you are granted the points.

I think you miss the point some people are making. We booked two cruises some months ago and they would have seen us moved to Elite. Now, under the new system, we'll need at least 12 more cruising days in a balcony cabin to get there. I don't object to Celebrity changing the system. I object that the new system applies to existing bookings and not just new bookings. Its like changing the terms of a contract for which agreement was made and (in the UK) a non-refundable deposit of £300 per cruise paid. We will lose out and cannot do anything about it without forfeiting our deposit.

I've seen many people claim that loyalty programs do not matter and they book according to price and destination. So do we. Moving to Elite provides a pre-dinner glass of wine in the lounge. On a twelve day cruise that amounts to over $200. Not to be sneezed at.