Straughn

When is the webinar?

Things may be changing for the better, albeit slowly. My TA belongs to a large travel consortium. We had been looking for a cruise in late August or early September 2024 to the Caribbean. We were looking at Aqua class, which is ridiculously expensive at double $$, plus whatever they add on to that. She emailed me and said that she had a group on Beyond for a date that was perfect. They had just released a limited number of sky suites to the group booking and she quoted me the price for sailing solo in a S1. The price was way less than booking on the website and just above what I had hoped to spend. I grabbed it immediately. Maybe, just maybe, they are starting to rethink the solo pricing strategy.

Marriott Renaissance on 17th St. Several restaurants within walking distance, especially the Boatyard just across the parking lot. The hotel is just across from one of the port entrances and has a (paid) shuttle.

I have two Celebrity cruises booked. The first one is this March on the Constellation, out of Tampa. The second is next January, on Equinox, out of Port Canaveral (an easy drive for me). Both were booked before the massive increases in solo pricing. If the March cruise turns out to be a disappointment, which I hope it doesn’t, I may well cancel the January 2025. It isn’t just the pricing issue, it the ever increasing nickeling and diming. Heaven only knows what else will be removed or have an up charge added between now and next January. I sailed on Oceania Vista in December. Not only was it a great cruise, but the pricing was much better. I paid approximately $500 base fare, at double price, less to sail in the lowest level of Concierge on Vista. The comparable cruise, with one less night, on Celebrity, in an A2, was, as I said $500 more, without AI. On O, wi-fi and beer, wine, and champagne at lunch and dinner are included. I also got some OBC, which could only be used for shore excursions. When I considered what the cost of the wi-fi and beverage package would be on Celebrity, the savings was significantly more than $500.

I am an avid knitter. I always bring two projects: an easy one that I can work on in public, and not lose count with all the “what are you making?”:questions. Second one is more complicated and best worked on in my cabin or on my balcony.

It isn't the marketing team figuring this out. It is the bean counters, number crunchers, cost benefit analysts, aka the accountants, who are computing the numbers. The marketing team's job is to spin it in the best possible way.

$19 for a glass of J Lohr Riverstone chardonnay. You have to be kidding. This belongs on the classic package at $9/glass (maybe).

Sometimes I think Celebrity can’t see the forest for the tree. Which of the following would generate more revenue: A couple in a balcony cabin who don’t drink, don’t gamble, doesn’t buy anything in the shops, and just maybe go to one specialty dinner. OR- A solo in an interior cabin, who is already paying a double rate, who also buys the premium drink package, the wi-fi, takes a tour or two, goes to specialty dining, and maybe gambles. Celebrity knows full well who spends more $$, by age range, cabin choice, and various other demographics. They can’t discriminate against a couple who don’t spend anything on board, so they are using the current way of charging for a solo passenger cabin to make up what they perceive as lost revenue, by not having two in a cabin. Don’ t be surprised if the next thing they implement is a minimum per passenger on board spend requirement (😄). I am a sure, if there was a way to legally do that, they would.

I think there is another factor involved in the solo cabin pricing. That is what the number crunchers perceive as lost shipboard/ancillary revenue. If there is only one person in the cabin, that person will only book for one in a specialty restaurant, only book a tour for one, only book one person at a wine tasting, only gamble for one etc. IMO, this over the top solo pricing is to recoup some of what Celebrity thinks is lost revenue from solo passengers. And, as many of us have cruised before, we may not book anything extra. I often don’t, especially in the Caribbean, where I have been many times. If I want to get off the ship, I just walk around as I don’t need a tour. LHB has said that she wants to focus on making Celebrity a cruise line for families. Her target market is in the 30-50 age range who, whether traveling as a couple or with kiddos, are likely to spend $$ on the ship. Long time Celebrity cruisers and solos don’t spend as much money as new cruisers do.

Try sailing solo and asking for a table for one in a specialty restaurant. There is an assumption that a solo wants to be seated with others. This is an issue on all cruise lines, not just O. Table for one in the MDR was never a problem. When I made my reservations, at 60 days out, I was able to secure two solo and two shared tables. When I received my dining confirmation card, all were shared tables. I was politely told that “most solos want to dine with others.” I politely told that person that “I am not most solos.” I was able to get the one reservation that truly mattered switch to a solo table by a very nice woman at the reservations desk. She was unable to change the other three. Interestingly, of the remaining three, I was offered a choice of a solo table or a shared table twice and ended up sharing a table in Ember.

I am on Vista now. Current captain is Luca Manzi

I haven’t cruised on Oceania yet. That will not be true in a few days as my first cruise is Friday. My comment is about how to get from London to Southampton. I sailed from there last year. It is important to know that I was a “mature” lady traveling solo.I asked similar questions about the best way to get from London to Southampton. Since I was solo and simply could not manage luggage on the train, I ended up taking the National Express Coach from the Victoria Coach Station to Southampton. I enjoyed the ride thru the outskirts of London and thru the countryside. The bus was very clean (including the bathroom), very comfortable, and about a 90 minute ride. I went down a couple of days ahead of sailing as I wanted to go to Stonehenge and explore the town of Southampton. The bus drops off in town, and it is a very short cab ride to the port.

I booked cruise only for my Connie cruise in March. When I compared the prices of AI to cruise only with one classic beverage package and one Wi-Fi added, the AI was almost $800 more. I am glad I went with cruise only as the Black Friday specials are excellent. I got both the Premium Beverage Package and Premium Wi- Fi for $835, including gratuities. There have been times when adding AI was a better deal, but it is usually by on a few $$. It pays to do a cost comparison. @ILgirl, Where did you learn that solos would no longer be charged for a second beverage package if we select AI?

And it is definitely what I will do. Makers, Woodford, or Knob Creek would be my choices.

Newbie question here- during Happy Hour, can I order a Manhattan or an Old Fashion hand specify the bourbon used? Or do I get whatever the “bar house bourbon” is? Thanks.

If you use a fake person, with the idea of having him/her being a no show on embarkation, keep in mind you will have to check them in. This means an address, a passport # and all the other info required for check in.

My TA has been able to do it for me.

My thoughts exactly. These two women are, at least by title, top management at Celebrity. I would have expected something a little more professional. They could have delivered all this without the giggling and “oh I am still recovering from this cruise.” Do I really care that they worked from 8 AM to 2 AM? Nope. I care that the food selection, the food quality, and the wine by the glass choices improve.

Any advice, pro or con, on cabins 1108, 1112, and 1124 on the Constellation? Thanks.

I have hope after reading this post. My first O cruise is on Vista in December. (Oh, how many times have I typed this!) Oatmeal raisin cookies are my absolute favorite of all cookies. The ones on Celebrity are wonderful-my personal opinion . (Your mileage may vary.) Having read all the negative comments about the tasteless cookies on O was not encouraging. So, if longtime O cruisers are happy with the change, all I can say is YAY! F

What is being reported is that the bathrooms are small and the shower is extremely small with no place to put toiletries except the floor. There is no room to turn around or bend down. Apparently there is a handle on one wall which limits the shower space even more. One woman stated that she had to turn the shower off to wash her hair and then turn it back on to rinse. The shower was so small that she couldn’t get away from under the water. There were several reports of folks giving up on the bathroom shower and using the Spa showers instead. For the cabin itself, there are some complaints about the overall size. The bed is twin size and tucked into an alcove that does not allow you to see the balcony or watch TV from the bed. One person described the bed as reminding him of a coffin. I got most of this info from that social media site that we can’t name. There are cabin pictures and one or two of the bathroom, but no good picture of the shower. I hope to get a look at one on my December cruise.

Another soon to be first time Oceania cruiser here. My first cruise is on Vista, in the Caribbean, this December. I am one of the growing number of Celebrity (former) loyalists who are jumping to other cruise lines. The issues and policy changes coming from the new management at Celebrity are reinforcing my decision. I chose Oceania because friends, who were also Celebrity loyalists, started cruising on O well before Covid hit. They convinced me to try it and I had two cruises cancelled because of the pandemic. Hoping that the third scheduled one goes as planned. As a solo cruiser, I am hoping that the “cruise only” option reappears. While Vista has solo cabins, the reviews, especially about the bathrooms, have not been encouraging. If I end up not liking the solo cabin, but liking the Oceania product, pricing will certainly be an issue as I am paying for two Simply More perks in a regular cabin. I have found this board to be far more balanced than some other boards on Cruise Critic. The Celebrity board is one of the worst. There are a few cheerleaders on that board that will defend Celebrity, no matter what the issue. Someone can post a review of their cruise listing all the wonderful experiences they had, and comment on two or three minor things that went wrong. The cheerleaders will excoriate that person for bashing Celebrity. Even with all the changes going on now, there are people for which Celebrity can do no wrong and if you had an issue, it has to be because of you, not anything Celebrity did.

I have a solo cabin on Vista for a Caribbean cruise in Dec. 2024. My specialty restaurant booking date is 60 days out, same as the other Concierge cabins.

On my last few cruises in a SS (on S & E class ship), the lounge was never busy except on nights when there was an Officers’ Meet & Greet.” When the Officers left, so did the passengers. When they had music, it was only busy during that time. As soon as the musician left, a lot of people left. Passengers came in for a few minutes to check on a reservation or get a drink/bite to eat from the buffet. No one seemed to stick around very long. I have often heard people say “this place is dead/quiet. Let’s got to the Martini Bar.” As a solo cruiser, in the past, The Retreat was a way to get to know other passengers, because it was the same folks every night. I no longer find that to be the case.

I could not agree more. The new President, Beth “ somebody” was a former RCCL person. She comes with the mindset, focus, and the expectation that there are many things that can be eliminated to save money, and increase the share price. So far, everything I have read that has been instituted since she came “on board” are almost identical to what Royal does. LLP wanted Celebrity to be at the top of the mass market lines. (I think there is another category for this, but I can’t recall.) The new “mindset’s” priority is to reduce costs. The game plan is to do what Royal has done. I am waiting for Sky Suites to be kicked out of The Retreat, no access to the suite Sundeck area, and dinner in Luminae based on availability, just the same as Royal’s Junior Suites. If the rumor that Butlers will only be in the high end suites turns out to be true, that is just another example. All the focus will be on increasing the perks/exclusivity (and therefore, the price) for the high end suites.