20pluscruises

OMG, I must have forgotten to sign my contract for the free items that Celebrity is rewarding their customers with.

 

Programs, your cruise, etc., can all be changed at the drop of the hat, but I agree with you, if someone feels they have breached their contract with them, they should sue. I'm sure they will be just as successful as those that have sued because a port was missed, a cruise was chartered out from under them or their cruise was shortened or cancelled because of a problem. Good luck to all of youm you will need it along with a lot of $$$$'S.

I remember receiving several Celebrity vouchers (worth hundreds of dollars) due to a lawsuit someone else had filed against Celebrity. It does happen.

I noticed that there was no mention of the priority tenders for Elites too. Was hoping someone can enlighten us on a future sailing. That benefit is of interest as we have 2 tenders on our Adriatic cruise in May.

 

It is one of those benefits that enhances your cruise experience but doesnt cost Celebrity anything.

Well, if there are 1000 Elites on your cruise as was on our last cruise you'll only be stuck in line with 1000 other people....could be more as they really don't monitor the tender process.

I have to say I am curious...if you could wave a magic wand, what would you have done to E+ to make it mean something to YOU?:confused:

 

BILL

Honestly, if they would call it anything but a Loyalty Program.

No, I don't have any stock in RCCL. I have very little tolerance for people that complain about things that are offered as gratitude. It's kinda like complaining I gave you a $100 bill and not five $20's.

 

 

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You may be right... they should have named it a Gratitude Program and NOT a Loyalty Program.

Anyone else get the feeling some have a horse in this race?

We agree, and we are now starting to look for a new cruise line.

Ditto!

I also have a sneaky suspicion that they are going to shove more cabins on Celebrity ships to overlook the foyer. Otherwise, why have shows there now with no seating. Dear lawd, can you imagine trying to get seat in the sun if thiis happens?

:( Elite + is a joke!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We will be booking our cruises by price from now on, there are just two or three cruise lines we would not book. From now on we do not have a number one cruise line. Celebrity's joke they made us wait for and called them new tiers brought us to the point, we are now looking at other cruise lines. But maybe they really don't care if they keep us older cruisers. From the photo's we see in there adds it seems they want a younger demo. anyway. :(

Who are you calling old? :)

ITA!!!

It does come across as they no longer want us, eh? I'm still stinging from the slap in the face. How could they possibly think we would be all be jumping with joy with Elite+.

We just returned from the Reflection transatlantic last weekend. We had $600 OBC to start with. Our bill at the end of the cruise was $38. My point is with all the Elite perks, free drinks in the casino and a Rumrunner or two...or three:D, we did just fine. I bought a soda package for my wife, I had two bags of laundry done for free, two items pressed for free and we used our free coffee drink coupons at the Lawn Club. We even bought 180 additional internet minutes on top of our free 180 minutes. The program is good, period. Have you ever received a bonus at work? It's just that, a bonus. Not a requirement.

 

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If my place of employment gave me the Elite Plus bonus I would start looking for a new job. They're pretty much telling me I'm not a valued employee.

I do not think Celebrity got it right, since loyalty programs are to encourage repeat business and reward those that do. Some of the best cruisers by day-count are probably inside/OV cruisers, but going forward they are getting less credit for their loyalty for not spending enough. Why not name the new CC levels "Steerage" "Cabin" and "First"?

 

But to me I think the worst part of the rollout is how they changed the program without any grace period. Carnival, who so many like to mock, gave folks more than a year of accumulation under the old system. We got rumors, and an unexpected rollout with (as of now) no mercy for those close to a tier transition.

 

Since a loyalty program rewards loyalty, it doesn't seem a stretch that all cruises booked as of the rollout date could be given points under the old system. Or heck, at least give the people inside the final payment window the points, or a chance to back out without penalty.

 

To expand on my latter point, those inside final payment booked under one set of rules, and now those rules have changed. Cabin category is an integral part of the new system, but people inside final payment did not know that when booking, so those people who are dissatisfied with the change can't cancel to show their outrage, and those who want to take advantage of the new system by changing their cabin category can't necessarily do that. For example, if my father-in-law decided that he'd rather get the extra points by upgrading to a balcony over an OV room, they are sold out on my sailing.

 

I will be calling the Captains Club and writing to Michael Bailey's office, and encourage everyone else who is dissatisfied to do the same. Be heard! So many Princess cruisers were upset at the new Royal Princess, that its sister ship is being modified to include a promenade!

I don't need to call or email....I have a better way to let them know just how dissatisfied I am

I believe my point has been proven

You paid $800 just to get to elite so you can take advantage of maybe $100 in perks??? Wow!!!! Also, if you paid to join the Captain's club! you paid $35, & when celebrity dropped the requirement to pay to join, they gave $50 OBC the next time one booked a cruise.

I never received $50 OBC......and I paid $50 to join

and avoid Christmas like the plague. world of difference between last years Xmas cruise and this years mid September.

What ship were you on at Christmas?

Yeah I'm betting it will be one of the "coupons" on the captain's club sheet left in the room.

Between the hours of 8 am and 9 am...yes, they will be lined up :D

If a smoking area is full and a table is occupied by one non smoker should a person looking to have a smoke;

A) sit and light up

B) ask, then sit and light up

C) ask the person to move to a non smoking section as smoking areas are limited

D) go smoke somewhere else

 

Just a question of curiosity and etiquet.

 

I agree some smoking areas are a bit too close to major doorway, but I have never come accross one where there isn't an alternate route.

Cheers, h.

What really amazes me...the smoking section is right outside of the healthy spa cafe......

Anyone else get suite guarantee assignments for Jan 11 sailing? I think we pretty much got the worst room. Never ever doing STE GTY again.

 

We are below Oceanview Cafe. Anyone ever stay in this room or vicinity? How noisy? How bad is the overhang and support poles?

 

Thanks

There will be no sun, the beams are on the each side of the balcon...looking straight out the view is great.

Why are the same posters saying over and over how everyone should be satisfied with the new changes to the Celebrity tiers? I I feel the loyal customers have a right to feel they are NOT valued by Celebrity. AND I'm not just talking about bonus points...the new elite plus benefits...really? How many at 300 points can't wait to get to 750 points? I'll bet few to none.

Hey Celebrity, just a heads up...

Satisfaction allows you to be in the game. LOYALITY allows you to continually win game.

Nobody will lose any of the benefits they already have.

They are not taking away anything from anyone, in any category.

 

What the new system is changing is the way that people will advance to higher tier levels in the future.

 

Some are expressing disappointment because it will now take them longer to reach the next level than they had previously anticipated.

 

No, the disappointment is giving bonus points to some and ignoring their more loyal customers. We ALL want to feel valued.

I was going to offer to buy you a drink, CruisingChick, if we ever met, since you are a cheapo, but now that you salt of the earth, I'll buy you two! LOL!

But that will only leave you with one voucher

I would like to see the return of musicians, rather than just a guitar player with a computer that plays background. Or a duo that has one keyboardist and a computerized percussion section. Unfortunately, the use of computerized music is a trend the world over, putting real musicians out of work.

 

I don't enjoy production shows, so can't comment on what's currently offered. If most people like it, they should continue. Not sure why it's so difficult to get quality talent, though. We all know waitresses and waiters in our home towns who are looking for singing/dancing gigs.

 

It would be wonderful if they could have more comedy acts on board and if they would require those comedians to completely refrain from cruise jokes. I've never been to a comedy show on a ship that didn't address the toilet flushing and the buffet and stupid passengers. Just deliver a routine like you would deliver in a land-based venue, please. Comedians work cheap. There are many good ones out there...

 

No more ventriloquists.

 

Remember the Ladder Guy? Bring him back.

We were on one cruise (can't remeber which one...maybe HAL?) that had a seperate small theater for comedians. They were great as well as the venue. This spring on Equinox the late show was just sad.

I think everybody should have gotten the same number of bonus points.

ITA!!! At the very least they should have change the wording "Loyality".

If i may ask...how bad was the pool area...avaiable chairs?

Thanks!

I'm very surprised, I assumed there would be perks worth striving for with Elite +. 10 and 15% discounts remind of the original Elite perks that were very close to worthless. We'll be Elite + after our next cruise, but other than the 200 minutes of internet, I don't see anything to get excited about

I don't see anything to get excited about, either...not even the internet points.

My fiance & I just returned from our first cruise ever aboard the Carnival Victory & absolutely loved cruising! We are ready to book another for next Oct/Nov for our honeymoon! Although we had agreat time, we feel that Carnival may not be the line for us though. We are a young"ish" couple (35/37) and enjoy having fun, but found Carnival to be a bit "much". We aren't into blasting dance music by the pool, belly flop contests or flashing shot glasses. Also, we do not have children and don't find yours' splashing us in the hot tub the least bit relaxing. We aren't stuffy or snobbish in the least, but we do tend to enjoy educational/ cultural enrichment experiences more when we travel than we do bar top dancing & jello shots. I work as an executive chef & my fiance is a professional engineer in the music industry & blues musician. We know how to have fun, but perhaps are a bit more subtle about it than some of our fellow pax on Carnival. I have received several recommendations on this board & from friends to try Celebrity. We were looking specifically at the Silhouette & Reflection. One small concern I have is that we are night owls and hope there will be some things for us to enjoy late night. Another is that I am a very heavily tattooed female & am wondering if I will be accepted by my fellow pax on Celebrity or will I spend me week hearing rude comments about my artwork & dodging disapproving glances? Everything I have heard & read about Celebrity make it sound like the PERFECT line for us, with the exception of the opinion that the fellow pax can sometimes be unfriendly & snobbish. Please fellow CC folks, clear up this misconception for me!

if late night is a biggie...I would do RC. Come 1:00 am it's pretty dead on the ship. As far as tatoos...lots of baby boomers on Celebrity with the attitude...been there, done that. Our last cruise on Celebrity there was a very large group of motorcycle bikers with tats and all. Nobody looked down on them and they were great fun! Actually, really neat to see all the bikes lined up outside the ship when we docked each morning.

We cruised on Celebrity 30-60 nights per year and always in a Sky suite or higher. We have for years and with this new accounting will have 1500 points I think? We always bought our alcohol....NEVER went to Elite happy hours and when the drink packages came we always signed up premium. The Small Ship in a big ship program....was AMAZING for us. We have over 300 nights aboard Silversea over 100 on Seabourn....but we get bored.....lots of VERY OLD people. Some great! Some really hateful and angry. Some great itinerary's though.

 

I LOATHE the destruction of the Celebrity Elite happy hour.....keeping all the cheapos in the Sky lounge is great for us. We can enjoy the bars at our leisure and not have to deal with crowds.....Which is what we pay for with the premium alcohol package. This has changed.....Smaller glasses are introduced for the happy hour folk.....Bartenders take forever to take a drink orders, pouring crap house vodka when Russian Standard has been ordered, people are using other peoples tickets.....a guy using "barbaras ticket.....shes not here right now....busted" WE HAVE PAID extra to get? Drunk people who try to shove in as much alcohol as possible in a two hour window puking in various bars..... It is starting to make us re think our Celebrity cruises at $800+ per day per couple with packages on Celebrity? It is becoming a bit of a free for all. Nice people are all good, but this "free" mentality is creating monsters.

 

IF Celebrity cruises is looking to attract a younger affluent crowd, they cannot sacrifice the exclusivity that being in a suite and purchasing a higher end drink package bring. Or they can and their suites will ride empty. That said, they are experimenting with Suite concierge lounges etc..and doing away with Butlers.....so perhaps there is hope in site. If they want us to pay....they need to deliver. IMHO

 

Safe sailing to all.

ITA!!!

I wonder what Celebrity thinks of the many here bashing long time loyal Celebrity cruisers. It can't be good for business. I bet they're regretting that shout out...

I hadn't intended any further replies, but I agree I need to be clear: my last post was not aimed at you at all, but rather at those who are 36-pages worth of whines about a system which is going to happen.

 

If that was unclear then hopefully this clarifies the position. Apologies.

Am I missing something? The site is called Cruise Critic, right?