mac_tlc
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Everything posted by mac_tlc
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Just upgraded 4 of us from Classic to Premium for $6.99/day + grats for our August 2024 Edge Alaska cruise. mac_tlc
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As it was used in the post I quoted , “normal” referred to the a cruise, not a price. Since the initial discussion was about the maiden voyage of Ascent , my impression was “normal” was being used to refer a non-maiden voyage on a not-brand-new ship. I compared the Ascent pricing to a “normal” cruise on another line that, as almost all reviews indicate, provides better food and better service, and in a room that is over three times the size of an Edge Villa and is 2/3 the per person per day price. X can charge what they want. But to characterize is as the same as the pricing of a “normal” cruise is as absurd as the price itself. mac_tlc
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Our reality is that after our already booked X voyages, we will move to other cruise lines to get the value for our $$ that X used to provide. Current Sky Suite prices are insane, CS and above are even more so. No thanks. I agree that those unhappy with the changes need to voice their opinion, regardless of how many deaf ears they may fall on. mac_tlc
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Thanks for your comparison. We have our first two O cruises booked on Vista and are looking at VO too. For the ones I look at, VO is a bit pricier. Having never sailed them, and only reacting to others comments, they don’t seem very wheelchair friendly. That’s a big deal for us. I like that instead of just picking a winner on each category, you explained why. In that way, each person can evaluate if your criteria apply to them as choose accordingly. It doesn’t seem like there is a wrong answer here . Thanks again, mac_tlc
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Mainly it is Retreat pricing that has us exploring alternatives, although SS changes and a couple of “customer unfriendly” decisions pushed us also. We have two Oceania TA’s booked on Vista and also an 18 day HAL to Hawaii, since it’s R/T out of San Diego. First time on either line for us after 20 years of X and Royal. Both Oceania trips, in a Penthouse Suite, are cheaper than an X SS. It will be good to try a new line and a smaller ship. We haven’t abandoned X, but if their pricing and policies don’t change, we will look other places first. mac_tlc
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NOW I have a problem with the new Suite policies
mac_tlc replied to sixpackeddie's topic in Celebrity Cruises
All Star Class suites on Oasis, Quantum and Icon class ships have a Genie. On Oasis it includes the 2 Bedroom Aquatheatre Suites ( 6 of them), Star Loft Suite ( 2 of them) , Royal Loft Suite (one of them), Ultimate Panoramic Suite (1), Owners Panoramic Suite (1) and Grand Panoramic Suite (1). Slightly different ones on other Oasis class ships. Less on Quantum class ships. mac_tlc -
I don't think they went through the process of renaming and changing signage on a bunch of ships to keep everything the same. This company is not in the position to spend money for no gain. It may be months or years but change is a comin'. mac_tlc
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NOW I have a problem with the new Suite policies
mac_tlc replied to sixpackeddie's topic in Celebrity Cruises
That what it seems by what has been reported so far. What's interesting is: 1) We always had a room attendant. Giving them more to do doesn't elevate the experience. 2) The Retreat Concierge's have always been there. Giving them more to do doesn't elevate the experience. 3) Always had room service -- as does every other cabin that pays a lot less than Retreat guests. 4) Where is the elevated experience provided by a Head Butler. I would assume that the former butlers had some manager above them overseeing their work. I struggle to find out how anyone can spin this new setup to be an "elevated" experience. I'll find out in January on Ascent and February on Beyond. But my late 2024 and 2025 cruises which have been booked in the last month or two are not on X. mac_tlc -
Correct. They removed tips worth say, $259 a couple (which still need to be paid), and the fare went down LESS than $259. Out of pocket cost went up. mac_tlc
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Thanks, I will send along my findings. I wanted to get some more data after the change occurred so I have continued checking. I also began checking in September so I could see if they raised the prices just to then lower them. That did not occur —- they just didn’t lower them. We have started to investigate other lines and have booked our first HAL for 2025 and our first Oceania cruises in 2024 and 2025. For twenty years we were exclusively X and Royal. mac_tlc
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See the thread linked below. Posts #60, #63 and #65 show the random cruises I was price-checking through September and through the 10/4 changes. Rarely did the price change as much as the cost of the removed items.
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Maybe my phrasing was confusing. They removed gratuities from all AI and removed the OBC from suites. I get it. Still made only 1 out of 3. And from the price checking I was doing for a number of cruises, the price did not go down by the amount of the removed gratuities. We have been successful cashing out the OBC a number of times, so that cash could pay for anything. Thats probably another reason they got rid of it for suites. Bottom line is they changed a bunch of stuff on 10/4 and in many cases the total price went up. mac_tlc
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Huge downturn in CC reviewer scores (this one's for the nerds)
mac_tlc replied to hankandteri's topic in Celebrity Cruises
We have also booked our first (three actually) non-Celebrity/non-Royal cruises in about 20 years. At the end of the day the overriding factor was pricing of suites. Of course its exacerbated by the cuts in quality and service. We have finally reached a point in our lives (somewhere on the back 9) where we appreciate the larger room and amenities. I have been perusing the HAL, Oceania, MSC, Viking, Silversea, and Seabourne boards and while there are certainly complaints, they didn't seem to compare in number and volume to the X complaints. We always enjoy your LIVE's and look forward to future ones where we get to compare products. mac_tlc -
Too bad they coupled it with removal of gratuities and elimination of suite OBC. Maybe they got 1 out of 3 right. Host Andy's post is encouraging. Just give me some French Onion Soup and cheescake ......... mac_tlc
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Deployment 2025-26 booking season begins
mac_tlc replied to SummmerInKefalonia's topic in Royal Caribbean International
What I noticed is that it looks like the Celebrity Beyond will stay in the Caribbean year round in 2025 also. I thought it might but this could be confirmation. mac_tlc