I got kicked off the panel!

[ABSCruiseLuvers]

I just got this email from Celebrity today. Did anyone else?

 

Dear James,

 

The time has come for us to say good-bye!

 

We would like to take this opportunity to let you know just how much we have valued your contributions to the Celebrity Cruises Guest Panel. As scheduled, it is now time to refresh the panel with new participants. However, we want to let you know that your invaluable input regarding the quality of your experiences with us has been truly appreciated, and serves as a part of our ongoing effort to enhance the Celebrity Cruise experience.

 

As a token of our appreciation, we would like to offer you a discount towards your next Celebrity Cruise! Please click on the following link for more information and to claim your savings coupon.

 

 

As you transition off the Panel, we wish you Bon Voyage and look forward to serving you again soon on Celebrity Cruises.

 

Again, thank you.

 

Steve Hancock

SVP Marketing

Celebrity Cruises

 

I loved being part of the panel! Oh well the good news is this should let one of you be part of it now!

[CruisingChick]

Me too. I was so sad!!!!

 

Anne Maria

[tuggers]

How much was the coupon?

[Andy]

I loved being part of the panel! Oh well the good news is this should let one of you be part of it now!

 

Hi James !

 

Sorry to hear about your email. I never heard of them doing that before.

 

May I ask if you were an Elite Member ? I thought I read something about Elite Members being on the Panel ?

 

Also, I am curious what kind of coupon they gave you in the letter.

 

Hopefully, they will ask you to be on the panel again.

[Tatka]

What is a "panel" ? :confused:

[waltd]

Me toooo.

 

I had problems opening the attachment but when I did get it open they had up to $150.00 per stateroom on selected cruises. It only went to the person on the panel. You have to book between March 1 st and June 15th. Approx. 13 cruises to choose from. Again any where from $50 to $100 to $150 per stateroom. Type of cruises are Mexico, Repo coastal, Pacific Northwest, Norweigian Fjords, Meditereanean, Scadinavia/Russia.

 

Travel time frame from May to Dec. 2005.

 

Joe

[Longboysfan]

What is a "panel" ? :confused:

 

The line may have a panel of cruisers to ask questions to.

 

So they can ask what you think of marking ideas and the like before they put them on the ships.

[Tatka]

The line may have a panel of cruisers to ask questions to.

 

So they can ask what you think of marking ideas and the like before they put them on the ships.

 

Thank you! :)

[Host Walt]

Just so everyone knows, most travel and leisure companies form consumer panels for a wide variety of marketing and product development and testing.

 

It's a real long shot being selected to participate because they go through a very careful process to identify the characteristics they need for a specific panel. Then there is a need to constantly refresh the panel to get new ideas and to ensure that responses are fresh.

 

Most panelists survive for about 3 to 6 months and are then just dropped with no communication at all. In James' case he apparently was considered a valuable contributor and was entitled to a decent "gratuity" by Celebrity Cruises.

 

I suspect he will be contacted in the future for additional input.

 

(I am involved in survey work among other things in my "real life" and find that there is seldom enough appreciation shown to the participants who work hard to ensure the success of the project(s). It's good to see that X understands this basic principle.)

[ABSCruiseLuvers]

Well I feel better now...I have been a panel member for about two years now...

 

I will miss it though...

[Qmadam]

I was asked to participate last year. Got an email welcoming me and thanking me. I have never heard from them since.

[Chick's pal]

Perhaps I am on "the panel?"

 

I receive an occasional e-mail notifying me that a survey is ready for me to take. I did one this past week regarding "customizing" your Celebrity cruise in advance of sailing. It's interesting to see what they have been thinking about. I am not sure that I'm the typical cruiser, so I value being able to give my opinion.

 

A few years ago I was part of a market research group that spent an hour talking about the Celebrity web site with the firm that was hired to re-do the site. We talked and made collages from magazines. The office was located one block from my own office, so it was kind of fun to walk down there at lunch time, cut up magazines for an hour and get paid for it!

 

I am also a Captain's Club member, so I guess one of these two experiences put me in the queue for the panel.

[OCruisers]

ABC .... Don't feel sad!

 

We were on the "Guest Panel" for another cruise line for only six months. :rolleyes: Funny thing, it's one we seldom cruise.

 

Now, about every 12 - 18 months we get a "Previous Panel Member Poll". The questions are mainly about what we like better about other cruise lines. :o

 

Maybe Celebrity will also do a follow-up with past panel members!

 

Happy Sailing! OCruisers :)

[CaroleSP]

I got my email a few days ago; I was really unhappy to be removed. It was great having input on things like Cirque Du Soleil (I was against) Extreme cruising and early on Concierge class cruising. I realized that just about all things presented actually happened some months later. About 2 years ago I received a thank you book about cruising; about 12-18 months I received a T-shirt. This time it was the kiss-off and the coupons. I already have my next 2 cruises booked and found nothing of interest there.

 

The last experience type survey was about poker and poker tournaments. My DH was really excited about that one. It would be a buy-in type; I believe they asked about a $35 buy-in. I was pro on that one.

 

I sure will miss these opportunities to express my thoughts and hope they do come back to the "old-timers" for their thoughts.

[katiel53]

I am in the same boat as Qmadam. Got the invitation, but never heard another word. Hmmmmmmmmm, I would like to give my opinion. I do it a lot on CC, lol. Kidding aside,, I do wish they would put me on a panel. It seems like it would be fun.

[fridayeyes]

I got booted too. I was so bummed! Those surveys were actually FUN. I was on it for something like two years. *sigh*

 

Some of the offered cruises with the coupons look good, though, so there's a sliver lining. :)

 

Cheers,

 

Friday

[teegeezfun]

seems like celebrity is cleaning house for some reason.

 

looking for new blood.

[cruising with marti]

I am sorry for those of you that got booted, I just recieved an extension of my cotract for the next 3 years.;)

 

 

phil

[CKBob]

I have also been retired from the panel. It was nice of Celebrity to offer the coupon, however if I read it correctly it can only be used for an outside cabin, not for a balconey cabin which I much prefer.

[brigittetom]

Count yourselves lucky. We got the invitation to be on the panel but could never access it. We sent two emails back but never had a reply. Obviously we weren't worthy to begin with. :D

[BarbSul]

I also got booted. I have responded 4 or 5 times in the last year or so and I'm only a classic Captain's Club member. Too bad the discount isn't for an Alaskan cruise we're booked on in May. Oh well!

Barb

[missm]

I, too, got booted off the panel ~ the letter was written in a breezy "too bad, so sad" style which I found annoying. I really didn't care about the coupons since we always book way ahead to get the cabin we want. I would have been happy to have continued contributing, with no expectation of any sort of reward, but early in the process, we were told that our survey would be entered in a pool for a free cruise. Funny, but I'm still waiting on that one!

 

MissM

[barbon2]

Me too :(

 

Was on the panel for about 2 yrs. and I did enjoy participating. In fact after I was on the panel around a year Celebrity even sent my a thank you gift, a guide to cruising.

Oh Well........ at least now I won't take it personally.

Barbara

[barbon2]

Just received an e-mail from Celebrity correcting the link for the discount. They stated that some people could not open it.

I thought I was being re-invited on the panel...Oh well :)

Barbara

[canderson]

It's a real long shot being selected to participate because they go through a very careful process to identify the characteristics they need for a specific panel. [snip...]

 

(I am involved in survey work among other things in my "real life" and find that there is seldom enough appreciation shown to the participants who work hard to ensure the success of the project(s). It's good to see that X understands this basic principle.)

Speaking of basic principles -- that first paragraph of yours, without elaboration, concerns me a great deal. Looking at a specific demographic often means that results are being weighted in order to effect change of specific interest or benefit to that demographic. One wonders what they're actually looking for on these panels?