Do you remember? Celebrity Nostalgia

[MizDemeanor]

Well now we don't even have balcony furniture or a place to set down a coffee tray in the cabin. But people are bringing ideas to share on how to maintain even the simplest of basic furnishings to compensate. I've been reading for two years A Gentleman from Moscow. Its a very slow read for me, but it is a similar understanding with some sort of acceptance (so far) about where we were when things worked for our comforts and where we are when we know that they don't and how to patch it together to just get by.

 

Like this read, I have no idea how its all going to end. 

[Bo1953]

10 hours ago, cruiseflyer38 said:

Well I would hope in ten to fifteen years you will be able to say how much better Celebrity is since LLP was sent packing.

 

Personally, I do not view LLP as THE real  issue.

 

bon voyage

[Germancruiser]

Who or what is LLP

[Bo1953]

6 hours ago, richsea said:

Bo, I really think that you would appreciate the details ofservice that people here recall. I fully realize that times and tastes evolve and  things change, but even having never met you, I think you would have enjoyed the attention to detail that Celebrity regularly tried to achieve in years gone by. I also admit that if they continued on that path and tried to maintain that level of service at mainstream prices, they would no longer exsist. That, in a nutshell, is why they were acquired by Royal Caribbean back in the 90s. They could not sustain their business model.

r - I Am sure you are quite correct.

 

I do remember the TV commercials and can remember my parents shaking their heads when we (four (4) children) asked if we could go on that ship.... well, the bottom line it was not affordable for us at the time, but gave me dreams!

 

Then again, I vividly remember having to wear a suit to plays (Broadway and Off and Off-Off), museums etc...

 

I have not lost it all, yet, but think back to one of my first sailings on Cunard QE2 was happy that I brought a Tux because we were assigned to The Princess Grille... nowadays, not sure if I really, really, really want to return to that style of cruising since the relaxed ways of X has taken us over... could we do it? Of course. Would we want to on a regular basis? No way.

 

In the short term there will be painful reminders of the not too distant past in terms of service and food and ships etc.. in the long term, I think X will get things ironed out to maximize passenger (loyal, past and new) satisfaction individually and collectively.

 

As such, I do wonder how I will live through it and reflect on these days, are they better or worse as some would have me believe... alas, time flies and I shall know for sure...  😎

 

Thank you again and everyone needs to know that I do appreciate the good old days, regardless of how they were as well have to appreciate what we have here and now and help X understand how to make it better for all of us for memorable sailings to come... wherever the ports may be..

 

bon voyage

[cruiseerf]

I still have my pictures from the Meridien........That was elegant.....our waiter was from Macedonia.....Best ever. 

[cruiseflyer38]

Well the fact is if Celebrity Cruises need to direct their efforts to the wealthier millenniums I am quite sure they are going to be in direct competition with their sister companies. That being a reality is there any real reason for Celebrity Crises to exist ?  R.C.l., Azamara, or now Silver Seas can provide everything that Celebrity now offer. The financially independent empty-nester now have no where to go to find the cruise experience that Celebrity offered for nearly 30 years.

[Germancruiser]

Bo- I agree and I agree more! I am triffle younger than you- and have the same kind of experiences of past. Going for shows on broadway- nicely dressed, concerts- the same. Nowadays- OMG what people are wearing ... appaling sometimes- but these are the new times- it´s just the way it is - and I suppose always was!

Not i my wildest dream did I think I could ever go on a cruise- THAT was someting for rich! That was back in the late 70s or early 80s.

I suppose nobody wants to dress up to the nines EVERY evening- but one or two times during a voyage... - perfect!

Good that so many options are open for all tastes, all purses...!

X made me turn towards Cunard after the " Modern Luxury" nonsense! I stayed there for last 4,5 years and 10 Cunard voyages on board all of the Queens! ( nobody dares to call a voyage a " Cruise" on board the Queens- LOL)

I am back to X - because it was my favorite CL- and I lvoe their ships- Millienum Class much more then Solstice Class- but still Solstice Class ships are great. I can´t wait to board in two weeks time for my first X voyage since 2014!

 

@cruisererf- please please post some of those pictures- I am to young to have any experience when Celebrity Cruises was still owned by Chandris!

[Luvcrusn]

1 hour ago, Germancruiser said:

Who or what is LLP

She is the X CEO, Lisa Lutof-Perlo. Many long time X cruisers resent her leadership which has covered many of the noted unpopular changes and service cuts and many of the unpopular features of the new Edge Class, ie. The I've, no tables in the rooms, etc.

[Germancruiser]

Thanks for the information- I didn´t even know her name. I see- that´s the one with the witch broom!

[BigAl94]

Miss the opulence of Millenium as built!

Edited March 23, 2019 by BigAl94

[Bo1953]

8 hours ago, cruiseflyer38 said:

Well the fact is if Celebrity Cruises need to direct their efforts to the wealthier millenniums I am quite sure they are going to be in direct competition with their sister companies. That being a reality is there any real reason for Celebrity Crises to exist ?  R.C.l., Azamara, or now Silver Seas can provide everything that Celebrity now offer. The financially independent empty-nester now have no where to go to find the cruise experience that Celebrity offered for nearly 30 years.

c - Personally, and this is My Opinion only, X is directing their efforts to those who desire the service, sailings, and crews to those who can appreciate them for whatever level any of us think they are at.

 

Yes, they like many other cruise lines have a demographic which they want to reach. If they did not, guess what, it would be willy-nilly passengers aboard and quite dis-appointing, to me at least.

 

'Modern Luxury' vision vs 'The Fleet Built For Freestyle Cruising', I think 'Modern Luxury' appeals to me moreso as I have what I consider to 'Freestyle' aboard X's fleet.

 

Is it perfect? No, not at all, are the demographic passengers who enjoy X there, for us, yes warts, pimples, kids and all... LOL

 

We happen to believe, currently, that X offers the better overall 'cruise' experience for us, if not for others, then it is a great thing that there are other lines to sail or resorts to get your sea legs back and happiness.

 

bon voyage

[cruiseflyer38]

Well Bo1953 I understand that you are happy with the changes Celebrity has made. All of the Zenith members I have spoken to are very disappointed.  We used to be treated as special people and now we are treated like we are a nuisance. I must say though I am also disappointed that during our 62 Celebrity cruises I never got the privilege of meeting you. I think we both would enjoy that experience. Well maybe that will still happen, hard for me to switch all my cruising when Celebrity is still willing to give us free premium drinks, free laundry and free internet.  Keep on enjoying.  

[Bo1953]

7 minutes ago, cruiseflyer38 said:

Well Bo1953 I understand that you are happy with the changes Celebrity has made. All of the Zenith members I have spoken to are very disappointed.  We used to be treated as special people and now we are treated like we are a nuisance. I must say though I am also disappointed that during our 62 Celebrity cruises I never got the privilege of meeting you. I think we both would enjoy that experience. Well maybe that will still happen, hard for me to switch all my cruising when Celebrity is still willing to give us free premium drinks, free laundry and free internet.  Keep on enjoying.  

c - Never said I was 'happy with the changes' as an all encompassing move.

 

There are some changes of which I Am not fully happy with, yet most of them are not drastic enough that I would consider leaving or complain loudly here on CC about.

 

Like many other long time X passengers, I go direct to Corporate or if on a sailing to the Directors aboard to have My issues addressed immediately and no later. This, the latter, usually results in satisfaction.

 

I do not begrudge ANY Zenith member for feeling neglected or overlooked based on previous experiences in this category. I support the thesis that Zenith's need to be treated with grace and honour that is deserving of individuals who have spent so much time and money with the company. What these accolades should look like in this time and age, I really do not know, yet can say there needs to be something special which 'newly initiated' passengers like myself can look forward to attaining one day, if we choose.

 

Just like airline miles and airline clubs the rules, access and privileges are ever evolving and changing, some not so good, so very not so good and some better...

 

I understand the dilemma about changing cruise lines, you know what you have now and it works to a great degree, yet trying another line from time to time might not hurt as well.

 

Thank you and all other Z's for the education and input on this.

 

bon voyage 

[cruiseflyer38]

Now Bo1953 I think our debate has reached the end point.  I have communicated directly with head office a number of times more then a year ago. It was a senior staff member at head office who informed me that the cheap upgrades to suites were not offered by "the Marketing Department" (and in fact the Marketing Department did not even know who were on the list) but were handled directly by "the Revenue Department".  I had hoped that the parent company, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., may hear my concerns through other media and take steps to stop the "self destruction" of a once great cruise line. 

One last ps. 

I suspect it was the Revenue Department that made the (Classy ?) decision to provide free drinks in the Casino.

[cruise47]

Why are post delete from CC threads?

[keithm]

On ‎4‎/‎12‎/‎2014 at 2:40 PM, Dr. Cocktail said:

Hi Arno:

 

Great thread!

 

For those who were wondering, Amanda Reid was with Cunard for many years and when I last heard, was permanent (they do thinks differently there) Cruise Director on Queen Victoria.

 

This short thread brought many smiles (Nikki basically wrestled our shoes out of our hands as we were too embarrassed to ask for a shoe shine!)

but also backed our decision last year to no longer cruise on Celebrity.

 

After about 33 cruises and 250 days onboard and three less than ideal cruises in a row, it was time to say "goodbye". As we are both within one year of age 50, we thought life was too short to waste on a product that was no longer in line with our expectations.

  Cunard adheres to a much more formal style than most lines today. If they did more Caribbean trips we'd cruise with them more often. We did find on the 14 day Eclipse trips the style was far nicer than on most Celebrity trips now a days.

Unfortunately, in 2017 the food quality was pretty poor overall, hence our departure to Oceania. We did love Oceania & would still be with them if they hadn't chartered the Riviera off to McDonalds Corp. next Jan. At least the Country club style is nice. NO jeans at night, but no Tuxes either. Generally dress pants & nice shirts often with sport coat, which suited us fine. Our late Jan. 2020 14 days on Silhouette will be the make or break for us on Celebrity. The disastrous decline in food quality made us make the 2 year jump to Oceania. The price on the Silhouette  for a standard balcony is quite a bit more than what we paid on Riviera. I'm sure the food quality won't match Oceania, but we'll see how it goes.

[keithm]

16 hours ago, Germancruiser said:

Bo- I agree and I agree more! I am triffle younger than you- and have the same kind of experiences of past. Going for shows on broadway- nicely dressed, concerts- the same. Nowadays- OMG what people are wearing ... appaling sometimes- but these are the new times- it´s just the way it is - and I suppose always was!

Not i my wildest dream did I think I could ever go on a cruise- THAT was someting for rich! That was back in the late 70s or early 80s.

I suppose nobody wants to dress up to the nines EVERY evening- but one or two times during a voyage... - perfect!

Good that so many options are open for all tastes, all purses...!

X made me turn towards Cunard after the " Modern Luxury" nonsense! I stayed there for last 4,5 years and 10 Cunard voyages on board all of the Queens! ( nobody dares to call a voyage a " Cruise" on board the Queens- LOL)

I am back to X - because it was my favorite CL- and I lvoe their ships- Millienum Class much more then Solstice Class- but still Solstice Class ships are great. I can´t wait to board in two weeks time for my first X voyage since 2014!

 

@cruisererf- please please post some of those pictures- I am to young to have any experience when Celebrity Cruises was still owned by Chandris!

You might be disappointed in the food & the dumbing down of dress style.

[MizDemeanor]

I don't think the dress style on Celebrity is really a dumbing down of the ambiance. Dressing to the Nines on Celebrity is not going to bring back the service levels that we once knew when we dressed to the nines, or will it bring back the staffing levels or even enhance the food. 

 

Dress did not contribute to any of the reductions in the product offerings by the cruise line. 

 

 

[Luvcrusn]

5 hours ago, keithm said:

You might be disappointed in the food & the dumbing down of dress style.

Welcome back Keithm. I think it was about 6 months or so ago that you signed off the Celebrity board with a sort of goodbye forever kind of farewell. 

[MizDemeanor]

3 minutes ago, Luvcrusn said:

Welcome back Keithm. I think it was about 6 months or so ago that you signed off the Celebrity board with a sort of goodbye forever kind of farewell. 

 

Grudge???

[richsea]

On 3/23/2019 at 1:29 AM, Germancruiser said:

Bo- I agree and I agree more! I am triffle younger than you- and have the same kind of experiences of past. Going for shows on broadway- nicely dressed, concerts- the same. Nowadays- OMG what people are wearing ... appaling sometimes- but these are the new times- it´s just the way it is - and I suppose always was!

Not i my wildest dream did I think I could ever go on a cruise- THAT was someting for rich! That was back in the late 70s or early 80s.

I suppose nobody wants to dress up to the nines EVERY evening- but one or two times during a voyage... - perfect!

Good that so many options are open for all tastes, all purses...!

X made me turn towards Cunard after the " Modern Luxury" nonsense! I stayed there for last 4,5 years and 10 Cunard voyages on board all of the Queens! ( nobody dares to call a voyage a " Cruise" on board the Queens- LOL)

I am back to X - because it was my favorite CL- and I lvoe their ships- Millienum Class much more then Solstice Class- but still Solstice Class ships are great. I can´t wait to board in two weeks time for my first X voyage since 2014!

 

@cruisererf- please please post some of those pictures- I am to young to have any experience when Celebrity Cruises was still owned by Chandris!

I found a couple of photos of Meridian from our first cruise in 1996. These were taken at the Dockyard in Bermuda. She couldn’t dock in Hamilton because while she was only 30,000 GRT, her draft was too deep for Hamilton.

 

[Dr. Cocktail]

3 hours ago, richsea said:

I found a couple of photos of Meridian from our first cruise in 1996. These were taken at the Dockyard in Bermuda. She couldn’t dock in Hamilton because while she was only 30,000 GRT, her draft was too deep for Hamilton.

 

 

Thanks for the great photos!

 

I sailed on Meridian in 1993 in a Starlight Suite ... their claim to fame was that while there was no balcony (there were none on Meridian), there was a skylight with a mechanized blind that would electronically open and close with a touch of a button.

 

It was sooooooooooooo ridiculous and so cool (hey - I was 30 years old at the time!) that we opened and closed it INCESSANTLY until it broke. We then, of course, phoned Guest Relations and said: "um, our blind appears to be broken!"

 

After the Meridian (no longer with Celebrity) broke up and sank during a storm in Asia (no injuries and no-one lost) , a VERY funny friend of mine phoned me and said: "Hey - your Starlight Suite is now an Ocean Suite!!!!"

Edited March 24, 2019 by Dr. Cocktail

[keithm]

20 hours ago, Luvcrusn said:

Welcome back Keithm. I think it was about 6 months or so ago that you signed off the Celebrity board with a sort of goodbye forever kind of farewell. 

Yeah, unfortunately there's really not a lot of other sites. The Cruisemates site is totally boring. I just got tired of all the "Bias" I saw by certain mods. I did notice on our Oceania cruise how few really know much about CC & those who do, dislike it for the reasons I said.

[keithm]

On ‎3‎/‎23‎/‎2019 at 6:42 PM, MizDemeanor said:

I don't think the dress style on Celebrity is really a dumbing down of the ambiance. Dressing to the Nines on Celebrity is not going to bring back the service levels that we once knew when we dressed to the nines, or will it bring back the staffing levels or even enhance the food. 

 

Dress did not contribute to any of the reductions in the product offerings by the cruise line. 

 

 

Somewhat true. I still feel when pax can get away with whatever they feel they can, it just starts the helping the decline. I notice less staff, more "green" staff & the food quality really went down hill for a line that calls itself a Premium" line. When was the last time you saw the Rhumba class on deck? Though I didn't do it, there was a lot of fun watching people having fun. Being in the food industry, the quality really means a lot to us. The specialty rest. are very good. I just don't feel the need to pay so much for them. Raise the cruise fare & keep the quality the same. I really can't stand when prices both go up & quality declines at the same time. If not for the itinerary on the up coming Jan. 31 cruise on Silhouette, we'd have skipped the cruise. This up coming cruise is our make & break for Celebrity. If the quality has dropped much below our 2017 Eclipse trip, then I'm afraid it will be Oceania from now on. 

[keithm]

20 hours ago, MizDemeanor said:

 

Grudge???

Well if a grudge is against bias, then I guess it is. That & the fact there really aren't any other decent sites. Not really into the Facebook stuff. It really can get nasty. I also notice that the CC group really makes up a tiny portion of the total amount of cruisers out there. Take the percentage of roll call attendees, add another 25% to the group for those who don't show or just "read" the posts. It's really quite small in reality.