New "class" system on Celebrity

[DrLookGood]

Spending more money is quite different to being a better class.

 

The spending of celebrities and sport stars proves there is no link and probably the two are almost opposing factors.

 

So true! This spring break I was on a (gasp ;)) Carnival cruise. Our sailing was right after the one chartered by couple of celebrities and their entourage. The staff absolutely hated that sailing: entitlement attitude, no class and poor tips. They absolutely loved our sailing of pure mortals. I never thought that Carnival's service was outstanding, but on that cruise I can honestly say that we received the best service out of all cruises I have ever taken (on X, RCL and Carnival). I guess, we simple people have better manners than those celebrities that sailed before us.

 

As far as original topic of conversation goes, I am fine with suites receiving perks as long as they do not affect my experience. I do not appreciate premium sections (in theaters, in pools, etc.) being roped off. The suite pax should either have their own private facilities or have to use the same facilities as everyone else with no special privileges.

Edited May 12, 2014 by DrLookGood

[olemissreb]

Our last 3 cruises were in suites and our next one will be also. We also fly first class but only when my DH has enough frequent flier miles to pay for it! We like the space of a suite and some of the perks - separate lines for embarkation (only because they are usually shorter and we hate lines), the butler is nice (the concierge lounge is nice on RCI) and the free meal at a specialty restaurant. Other than that, we really are low maintenance.

 

RCI has the roped off section for suite passengers at the pools, but I can tell you it doesn't make a big difference on sea days as there are not nearly enough seats for everyone in a suite, so we weren't able to take advantage of that perk. Would have been nice mainly for our 2 boys at the time because they spent so much time in the pool. DH prefers the shade more than sitting in the sun by the pool so it wasn't a big deal for him.

 

Funny story that relates to all of this: DH and I were flying home from Hawaii. We had first class tickets and were instructed to go to the line marked "first class" - there was no one in the line. So we get to the front and the security guard stops us until there was an opening to go through security. Meanwhile the other line was wrapped through the stanchions 3 or 4 times. So there was an opening and we were instructed to go ahead. Someone in the other line made a comment along the lines of "I guess they are too good to have to wait" to which the security guard simply said something about "first class has its privileges". Didn't matter that both our tickets were free. Being from Atlanta where no one is singled out going through security, we were prepared to stand in the long line, but in Honolulu, they do it differently and we just were following instructions.

 

I'm sure there are some people who book the higher end suites and do feel like they are entitled to more than anyone could ever give them. I'm also sure that there are many more people who scrimp and save to be able to afford a suite that could care less about the extras and just enjoy the extra room and the little things that don't cost a whole lot. DH and I fall into the latter part - we book early so we can pay a little over time to be able to afford our vacations - if we get benefits great, if not that's fine too. For us it's about the time we spend together or with our boys when they are with us.

[Presto2]

Sometimes when we look over our shoulder at what everyone else has, we forget to appreciate the pearl we hold in our own hands.

 

Am guilty of that - great reminder to appreciate what we have - thank you;)

[Presto2]

 

DH and I fall into the latter part - we book early so we can pay a little over time to be able to afford our vacations - if we get benefits great, if not that's fine too. For us it's about the time we spend together or with our boys when they are with us.

 

Have a great cruise and 30th anniversary ! :D

[ISABELLA]

I have never cruised with NCL, HAL or MSC. I am not at an advanced loyalty level on Celebrity or RCI. I do not mind others getting extra things or my being restricted from occasional parties. I DO mind being restricted from certain areas, especially for an entire cruise.

 

 

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The two areas that you concerned about are restaurants that designed to enhanced the experience of sailing in Aqua or a Suite. Maybe if you book one, you can experience the same. Rest of the ship is all yours.

[olemissreb]

Have a great cruise and 30th anniversary ! :D

 

Thank you! We plan on having a blast! Sailing without the boys will make it even better!:o:D

[pmcue]

Can I ask, as a suite customer are the private lounges a real benefit for you, or is it the extra space in a nice cabin you like? I'd love the extra room, but when I'm out and about at night I'm looking for the lively venues, so I imagine private lounges with a limited number of customers would be less fun - but I don't know. Just thought I'd ask :)

 

The lounges on RCCL and Princess were of no benefit. NCL is a completely different experience as the entire Haven area is secluded and includes a pool, hot tub, loungers, Sun Deck and area with coffee, snacks etc, that were part of that area. In that case we did use it.

 

I will say that the Michaels Club is nicer than the others in that it is right in the middle of restaurants, bars, etc... So it is convenient to stop by for drink before dinner or after while waiting for a show, etc... We had the drink package so the free drinks were not a big deal, but we will probably not have the package on our September Reflection trip so a couple to 3 free drinks, plus coffee's etc... could make a difference.e

[pmcue]

This is the bottom line, the things that were offered in Michaels were moved to a different venue, but not 'taken away' from anyone. Someone wants craft beer and good whiskey, they can still get it. The 3 people working would have been more than glad to go fetch something.

 

While Alex (bar tender in Michaels) was awesome and would have gotten anything we wanted, it is not true that the same offerings were available. Michaels had 25 - 30 unique beers and they simply were not available on the ship any more. We were able to find an odd one here or there, but there was not an outlet that had the same menu.

 

In addition, this was a club that was available and now is not. Since I have never sailed Celebrity before, I am not here to comment on how good it was or if it was used, but the fact remains it was a public space and now it is not, supporting the OP comment that some things have been taken away.

[wallie5446]

Michaels had 25 - 30 unique beers and they simply were not available on the ship any more. We were able to find an odd one here or there, but there was not an outlet that had the same menu.

 

Hopefully they will have the new venue, the GastroBar, up and running when you sail the Reflection. There are some interesting offerings on the list: http://media.celebritycruises.com/celebrity/content/en_US/pdf/gastrobar-menu.pdf

 

Last Nov on Reflection, we would stop at Michaels, grab me a brew, then leave, as most evenings we were 2 of 4-6 that were there. Except Sunday night for the NFL games.

[john_galt]

We thoroughly enjoyed Michael's as a concierge lounge.

 

Our butler was wonderful. We never set foot in the MDR.

 

The fact that Celebrity has butlers for the suites has lured us away from Princess.

 

We immediately booked again.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

but the fact remains it was a public space and now it is not, supporting the OP comment that some things have been taken away.

 

Many public areas on the M class ships have gone away and been turned into revenue producing cabins. That doesn't seem to provoke the outcry that making a lounge available only to suite guests does.

[TwoHearts22]

Many public areas on the M class ships have gone away and been turned into revenue producing cabins. That doesn't seem to provoke the outcry that making a lounge available only to suite guests does.

 

 

The situation was disappointing for us on the Dec. Constellation cruise, our only Celebrity cruise.

 

Michaels closed every day

Reflection lounge closed all days except the first

Solarium pool closed one day, pool very crowded other days

Bistro on Five full when we boarded

Theater closed one afternoon

Tuscan Grill booked for full cruise

Few servers in big lounge by MDR

No seats at Martini Bar

 

Oh well.

We look forward to our next cruise on Royal Carib.

Edited May 13, 2014 by TwoHearts22

[gskimmel]

The situation was disappointing for us on the Dec. Constellation cruise, our only Celebrity cruise.

 

Michaels closed every day

Reflection lounge closed all days except the first

Solarium pool closed one day, pool very crowded other days

Bistro on Five full when we boarded

Theater closed one afternoon

Tuscan Grill booked for full cruise

Few servers in big lounge by MDR

No seats at Martini Bar

 

Oh well.

We look forward to our next cruise on Royal Carib.

 

None of this is because of suite guests. They didn't announce the changes until February of this year. Did Celebrity say why they closed so many venues?

[Orator]

The situation was disappointing for us on the Dec. Constellation cruise, our only Celebrity cruise.

 

Michaels closed every day

Reflection lounge closed all days except the first

Solarium pool closed one day, pool very crowded other days

Bistro on Five full when we boarded

Theater closed one afternoon

Tuscan Grill booked for full cruise

Few servers in big lounge by MDR

No seats at Martini Bar

 

Oh well.

We look forward to our next cruise on Royal Carib.

 

What was the date of your cruise? I was on Connie twice in December and Michael's Club was open every day. Michael's Club would not be available today as it is a private lounge. The change took place after my Feb. 15th cruise. There were lots of Canadians on board and they used it quite heavily in the evening. Bistro on 5 is getting more popular on embarkation day since it has been highly recommended on these boards as a way of avoiding the Oceanview. I had no problems making reservations in Tuscan Grille on either cruise. There may have been a large group on board that used the Theater one afternoon. I only saw it closed when there was practice. Every cruise is different, even on a B2B on the same ship.

[Aquahound]

What was the date of your cruise? I was on Connie twice in December and Michael's Club was open every day.

 

I cruised the Connie in January. Perhaps he meant it was closed every day during the daytime. I know on my cruise, it was only open at night. I remember this because on our sea day, there was a craft beer I wanted to try and could not get it in the afternoon.

 

I also agree with the Maritni Bar comment. It was hard to get a seat near the bar. At least they extended the lounge portion over to the starboard side, but to sit at the bar was near impossible.

 

I do think the Reflections Lounge was underutilized. That lounge is so pretty, it's a shame it's not used more.

 

But speaking of Michaels, as long as they move the craft beers to another venue, I won't even notice its a suites lounge. I've never really been a private lounge person anyways. Too many egos inside, in my experience.

Edited May 13, 2014 by Aquahound

[Leviathan2772]

The class system is in all sorts travel. From air, hotels, rental cars, cruises, etc. For me, it is essential that a certain company has these exclusive amenities. I spend a considerate amount of time & money traveling and these exclusive places & perks they offer are the reason why I choose to them. I am loyal to them and they reward me in return. Delta's Sky Club, Hilton's executive lounge, Hertz's gold plus, and Celebrity's Michael Club.

[Orator]

What is to one a "class system" is to another a "business strategy".

[RDC1]

The class system is in all sorts travel. From air, hotels, rental cars, cruises, etc. For me, it is essential that a certain company has these exclusive amenities. I spend a considerate amount of time & money traveling and these exclusive places & perks they offer are the reason why I choose to them. I am loyal to them and they reward me in return. Delta's Sky Club, Hilton's executive lounge, Hertz's gold plus, and Celebrity's Michael Club.

 

However, with the list that you put here, those additions do not detract from the other guests experiences. Lets take a couple of those and make them more like what it happening. Lets say Delta decided to reserve 25% of the seats at the gates for Sky Club members, reducing those available for the rest of the passengers on the plane. Hilton's executive lounge occupies space that is not subtracted from the public space in the hotel. The only feature in hotels that impinges on the rest of the guests is usually checkin lines that are reserved for those with frequent guest status and that is usually a minimal impact.

[Cruising89143]

The class system is in all sorts travel. From air, hotels, rental cars, cruises, etc. For me, it is essential that a certain company has these exclusive amenities. I spend a considerate amount of time & money traveling and these exclusive places & perks they offer are the reason why I choose to them. I am loyal to them and they reward me in return. Delta's Sky Club, Hilton's executive lounge, Hertz's gold plus, and Celebrity's Michael Club.

 

I really don't think this has anything to do with a class system. If X had invited Elite Plus and Elite we would not be having this discussion. Of course then we would have complaints about crowding. Some expect to book an inside stateroom and receive the same benefits as someone paying five times as much. LOL...

Edited May 13, 2014 by cruisingator2

[vulcan1971]

I really don't think this has anything to do with a class system. If X had invited Elite Plus and Elite we would not be having this discussion. Of course then we would have complaints about crowding. Some expect to book an inside stateroom and receive the same benefits as someone paying five times as much. LOL...

 

Agreed.

 

None of this is because of suite guests. They didn't announce the changes until February of this year.

 

+1

[baldercash]

We thoroughly enjoyed Michael's as a concierge lounge.

 

Our butler was wonderful. We never set foot in the MDR.

 

The fact that Celebrity has butlers for the suites has lured us away from Princess.

 

We immediately booked again.

 

John Galt amused by your tag, surprised you did not suggest those who don't like the changes go build their own cruise ship line!

 

Cheers

[teecee60]

Some expect to book an inside stateroom and receive the same benefits as someone paying five times as much. LOL...

 

But that is EXACTLY what I do, AND it's been working EXCEPTIONALLY well... :confused:

 

Last November, I paid $449pp (with $250 OBC) for a 15 night T/A on Reflection. (booked only 10 days before departure :eek:)

 

I traveled on the exact same STUNNINGLY GORGEOUS, almost new, nearly BILLION DOLLAR cruise ship, as all those wonderful folks who paid $2,000pp-$6,000pp. :)

 

I went to ALL of the exact same ports, and saw ALL of the exact same scenery.

 

I Enjoyed ALL of the exact same sunny days, all of the exact same cool breezes.

 

I got to see ALL of the exact same entertainment, and listened to ALL of the exact same music.

 

I got to sample ALL of the EXACT same drinks, and ate at ALL of the EXACT same specialty restaurants.

 

I paid between ONE FOURTH and ONE TENTH as much as all those folks in balconies and suites... :D

 

And as a BONUS... I didn't have to worry about trying to keep some Butler from wanting to unpack or pack my stuff... :o

 

AND, I didn't have to put up with unwanted wind and ocean noise from the balcony, or unwanted sunlight coming through some window and disturbing my sleep. :p

 

OK, so I didn't get to go to Michaels or Blu, but I think I'll survive...

 

(ESPECIALLY since I didn't even have to row or shovel coal)

Edited May 14, 2014 by teecee60

[richstowe]

Don't mean to quibble with your well written post but if you booked just 10 days before sailing,

weren't there cheapo deals for other cabin classes ? I must say you got quite the deal.

[Germancruiser]

For first I saw Michaels Club converted to a Suite only venue! I so liked Milli- Class´s Michaels Club! Total changed now- and rather dark- I have no idea why they seem so dark as they did not change " the hardware" - anyway on my just ended Infinity Cruise I saw rarely anyone in Michaels Club! Not X´s very best idea I think!

Other then that, well some love it to show off how special they are - if it makes them happy why not! So beeing seen a spcial lounge for suite guests is for some just THE THING! Ah the days when Perry Grant filled Michaels Club every evening to the brim!

[jagoffee]

 

OK, so I didn't get to go to Michaels or Blu, but I think I'll survive...

 

(ESPECIALLY since I didn't even have to row or shovel coal)

 

Michael's was alive and active because they accepted drink vouchers from 5-7 PM. Great cruise and excellent value, Mr. Planet.