New "class" system on Celebrity

[Big_G]

I also find it hard to believe that there were NO loungers anywhere on the ship after 6 am. Maybe none by the pool but there are many, many decks with loungers all over the ship and some are in the shade.

 

6:00 AM? Is that what time the chair hogs get up on Princess? Wow! You Princess cruisers are early birds. :D

[billyelliot]

It doesn't bother me that I don't travel 1st class on a plane, or train so why should it bother me on a cruise? If you pay more you get more! Good luck to those who either can afford it or save dam hard to do it! Life is on different levels.... Some can't afford to cruise... Or go on holiday..

 

 

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[chamima]

6:00 AM? Is that what time the chair hogs get up on Princess? Wow! You Princess cruisers are early birds. :D

 

No, I was just responding to the person who said the only way to get a deck chair was to get up at 6 am.

We usually get going around 9ish and, on the cruises that we don't book the Sanctuary, are ALWAYS able to get two chairs together . But we don't like to sit right at the pool so I can't comment on that area.

[wallie5446]

We like Princess and Royal Caribbean. Right now they are closer than Celebrity because Celebrity doesn't have a ship in Florida for a summer cruise.

 

RCL's Freedom is over there at Port Canaveral, Princess is cruising from S. Florida, Celebrity leaves us little choice for a quick summer escape. Have I missed a 4 to 7 summer cruise on Celebrity. Should I look again? Help.

 

-Marisa (I'm a class act with a preference for inside, "seasoned", and we're Elite on Celebrity)

 

No ships in the Carrib in the summer is the reason we have had to 'sail around':D on other lines. Now that the kids are grown and out of college we are back to fall sailing and Celebrity. But you are correct, X leaves the south in the summer.;)

We too like, and have sailed, on the RCCL Vision, Voyager and Freedom class ships and had a very good time. We had always had a wonderful time on Princess till our 2012 cruise.

[Chazteach1]

You should never feel begrudged for the perks you received, it seems as though some passengers are just jealous because they can't get in to some of the places reserved to suites. If those Elite and Elite+ plus passengers were allowed entrance, I seriously doubt that anyone would be making much of a fuss about it. Pretty much all cruise lines (if not now, will be in the future) are realizing the importance of suite passengers and are awarding them some great perks. I know I will probably never cruise in a suite on Celebrity, but would never begrudge anyone for getting these perks, just as I don't begrudge those that get the Elite+ or Zenith perks.

 

 

Thank you for saying that.

 

I just feel things are on the negative with the complaints. I'm so grateful to have the opportunity to travel so I choose to live it up once a year.

 

 

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[Big_G]

I just find it interesting, that, besides all the complaining on here about "class systems", the higher end suites are selling really well. We tried to book a suite last month on Reflection for next Aprils TA and all the higher end suites are already gone. Evidently, some folks, like us, are really enjoying the new program. Well done Celebrity.

 

Should those getting the higher end suites complain about the reduction of common

spaces which are now reserved for them ?

Did you believe that added benefits would result in lower suite sales ?

I find it less interesting then you do .

 

I'm thinking ohiorob isn't complaining and doesn't believe that at all but I think you knew that. :D I have to admit I was upset at the loss of Michael's but I'm long over it. There's just to many other places to go on the ship.

[Project_gal]

I just find it interesting, that, besides all the complaining on here about "class systems", the higher end suites are selling really well. We tried to book a suite last month on Reflection for next Aprils TA and all the higher end suites are already gone. Evidently, some folks, like us, are really enjoying the new program. Well done Celebrity.

 

This is precisely why Celebrity have introduced the new suite perks. They realised that they were dropping far behind the other cruise lines and those who booked suites but like the overall Celebrity product were beginning to look elsewhere.

 

NCL got their suite perks right a long time ago but the overall product was the downside. When they introduced the Haven on the newer ships, it changed the equation completely.

 

The new Celebrity Suite Class was announce AFTER our latest cruise and we have noticed a totally new level of shore-side customer service since then which only kicks-in once they know who we are. In the UK, before we have identified ourselves, the service has definitely deteriorated since the changes and staff reductions here this year.

Edited May 16, 2014 by Project_gal

[richstowe]

Project Gal , I understand your points and see that Celebrity has increased the services available to their suite guests.

 

I would equate it to the luxury boxes in a sports arena. The problem is that the suits and the luxury boxes comprise at most 5% of the available capacity .

A lot of time and money is spend to pamper these folks and yes they paid more and yes the ROI seems higher (which I believe is an illusion).

Regardless , what about the 95 % ?

 

Perhaps OhioRob and you are correct . Maybe this will be a good strategy as far as suite sales.

What I do know is that NCL may have a successful suite program , but they have to offer huge cuts to sell the other 95 % .

There are many who won't cruise NCL because there are the (self-)chosen few and all the rest.

All the rest are treated like steerage class.

 

Is this what X wants ? Can you pamper the high spenders and not alienate everyone else !

Many chose Celebrity because of the perception that it was a 1/2 step up from the other mass market cruise lines.

They are risking this for a small % of their clientele.

[DrLookGood]

Very well said Richstowe.

 

Depending on how X implements its suits program, the non-suite pax will react accordingly.

 

If you treat me like steerage class, I will behave (and dress ;)) like one. That is, if I even bother booking with X. There is plenty competition in the steerage class market.

 

If this is what X wants, this is what it gets.

[Project_gal]

Project Gal , I understand your points and see that Celebrity has increased the services available to their suite guests.

 

I would equate it to the luxury boxes in a sports arena. The problem is that the suits and the luxury boxes comprise at most 5% of the available capacity .

A lot of time and money is spend to pamper these folks and yes they paid more and yes the ROI seems higher (which I believe is an illusion).

Regardless , what about the 95 % ?

 

Perhaps OhioRob and you are correct . Maybe this will be a good strategy as far as suite sales.

What I do know is that NCL may have a successful suite program , but they have to offer huge cuts to sell the other 95 % .

There are many who won't cruise NCL because there are the (self-)chosen few and all the rest.

All the rest are treated like steerage class.

 

Is this what X wants ? Can you pamper the high spenders and not alienate everyone else !

Many chose Celebrity because of the perception that it was a 1/2 step up from the other mass market cruise lines.

They are risking this for a small % of their clientele.

 

Why does everyone seem to think that Celebrity wants to alienate the rest of its customer based just because it has finally realised that it was alienating an important part of it customer base - those who book suites? Should they not be given the benefit of the doubt and just assume that they do not want to alienate anyone at this stage. After all, it is almost a year until the new perks come into effect. Celebrity have already shown that they have come up with a creative solution to the conversion of Michael's Club to a suite lounge.

[vulcan1971]

Project Gal , I understand your points and see that Celebrity has increased the services available to their suite guests.

 

I would equate it to the luxury boxes in a sports arena. The problem is that the suits and the luxury boxes comprise at most 5% of the available capacity .

A lot of time and money is spend to pamper these folks and yes they paid more and yes the ROI seems higher (which I believe is an illusion).

Regardless , what about the 95 % ?

 

Perhaps OhioRob and you are correct . Maybe this will be a good strategy as far as suite sales.

What I do know is that NCL may have a successful suite program , but they have to offer huge cuts to sell the other 95 % .

There are many who won't cruise NCL because there are the (self-)chosen few and all the rest.

All the rest are treated like steerage class.

 

Is this what X wants ? Can you pamper the high spenders and not alienate everyone else !

Many chose Celebrity because of the perception that it was a 1/2 step up from the other mass market cruise lines.

They are risking this for a small % of their clientele.

 

I have gone back and read a number of your posts trying to understand your position or your concerns.

 

I do think that Celebrity is improving its suite perks to be competitive with other cruise lines. If the typical suite passenger is willing to go to another cruise line because the value and service of their suite product is at a price point that is lower than what Celebrity is charging, then of course Celebrity is going to lose money as Celebrity would need to discount the pricing on suites to fill rooms that are not selling at the price point that Celebrity has set. Whether or not the suite enhancements also help the ROI for Celebrity is not any great concern to me or most people, JMO.

 

To get back to your comments on "steerage" class.... are you saying that you feel like "steerage" when you sail NCL, but not when you sail Celebrity? Are you concerned that non-suite accommodations on Celebrity will feel more like NCL in the future because of suite enhancements Celebrity is adding? Is your beef just about the reallocation of a small amount of public space, which happened to have low utilization most of the time? Please elaborate, if you don't mind.

 

If you think that Celebrity is (to use your words) "alienating" non-suite passengers, do you mind commenting on what you have directly observed yourself?

 

By the way, I spent a lot of time on my recent NCL Epic cruise with passengers that were staying outside of the Haven. We even did our own mini "cabin crawl" one night after dinner. I enjoyed seeing these rooms and the people that booked them neither came off as feeling like they were in steerage class, nor felt like NCL treated them in that way. I even had the pleasure of meeting the CEO of NCL during that cruise as he made a surprise visit to our Cruise Critic gathering while he was on the ship. People cruise different cruise lines for myriad reasons. If NCL is not the right product for you, I am glad you realized that, but that doesn't make it wrong for the many cruisers that enjoy cruising on NCL... JMO. ;)

Edited May 16, 2014 by vulcan1971

[vulcan1971]

Why does everyone seem to think that Celebrity wants to alienate the rest of its customer based just because it has finally realised that it was alienating an important part of it customer base - those who book suites? Should they not be given the benefit of the doubt and just assume that they do not want to alienate anyone at this stage. After all, it is almost a year until the new perks come into effect. Celebrity have already shown that they have come up with a creative solution to the conversion of Michael's Club to a suite lounge.

 

Apparently we were both having similar thoughts at the same time. ;)

[Project_gal]

Apparently we were both having similar thoughts at the same time. ;)

 

Quite!

[Aquahound]

I do think that Celebrity is improving its suite perks to be competitive with other cruise lines.

 

I agree with your opinions on this topic. So they're adding a lounge for the suites. So what? Other cruise lines already do that, so it's possible Celebrity is just trying to compete in that area.

 

But why was it Michael's Club? Is it possible they chose that lounge because doing away with Michael's is part of their "modern luxury" rebranding? Let's not forget, they're adding another lounge...the Gastrolounge.

[galavant3]

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

 

 

I love this post! I've never felt like there weren't enough areas on a ship for me to enjoy.

 

I have never booked a suite and I never plan to (never say never...). It doesn't bother me in the least because I know that I am not "excluded", I've just made the decision not to be "included".

 

They have to do something to attract passengers that are willing to pay top dollar. Which in turn keeps the cost down for the rest of us.

[vulcan1971]

I agree with your opinions on this topic. So they're adding a lounge for the suites. So what? Other cruise lines already do that, so it's possible Celebrity is just trying to compete in that area.

 

Celebrity has done a lot more than just add a lounge to enhance the suite amenities. I have said for a long time, long before the suite enhancements came about, that Celebrity did not do much to compete for suite customers. I would sail itineraries with NCL because their suite program is light years ahead of Celebrity. But I digress...

 

To answer your question.... Yes, I think Celebrity realized they were not competitive with other cruise line suite amenities and have made some small steps in that direction to improve things. I say "small steps" because I am priced out (budget wise) from having a higher end suite on Celebrity. I can afford S1/S2 staterooms (Sky Suites), but those don't have the nice perks that come with higher end suites. However, I can have all those suite perks when I book on NCL (for less than I would pay on Celebrity) and so I will continue to sail on NCL for their suites.

 

But why was it Michael's Club? Is it possible they chose that lounge because doing away with Michael's is part of their "modern luxury" rebranding? Let's not forget, they're adding another lounge...the Gastrolounge.

 

Let me correct one of your comments... the Gastropub on Equinox is a "test case" to see how it does. This venue is not a new lounge, but it is taking the space of the old Cellar Masters and redesigning it to create an environment that (hopefully) will attract more people and be used more often. Many of the wonderful beer selections from Michael's Club will move to this venue and some of the wonderful wines from Cellar Masters will stay. If this "test case" works well, we may see it roll out on other ships, but for now... only on Equinox. Given that the hours of operation are 11:30 AM to midnight already indicates that it's likelihood for success is highly probable.

 

If you have sailed much on Celebrity, you know how underutilized Michael's Club was. It only made sense that Celebrity would re-purpose this lounge for another use. It just happens to be that they chose to use it for the higher end suite lounge that is found on many other cruise lines.

 

I hear people complain all the time about how this was their "favorite location" on the ship and that their cruise vacations are now ruined because of this change. First, the lounge had a short window of time it was open (starting at 5pm). Occasionally, a private function was scheduled at times that blocked it's availability. Ultimately, the lack of customers drove the need to re-purpose the space.

[Aquahound]

Let me correct one of your comments... the Gastropub on Equinox is a "test case" to see how it does.

 

"Gastropub." That's it. Sorry...I was under the impression there were already plans in place to add it to other ships.

[vulcan1971]

"Gastropub." That's it. Sorry...I was under the impression there were already plans in place to add it to other ships.

 

If the trial is successful, I would expect that it will be pushed out to other ships in the fleet... unless Celebrity has some other bright ideas that they are working on to "test" out on their customers. :D

[BMT]

We recently had the opportunity to sail on MSC Divina in the Yacht Club.

 

Celebrity can never compete with that without a total redesign of new ships.

It was just wonderful. That is what 'suite' cruising is all about.

 

Hated everything about the rest of the ship - but the Yacht Club is self-contained and except for entertainment and Casino, no need to use the rest of the ship's amenities.

 

But...... its mostly on the 16th deck and boy, does it sway up there in rough weather!! A nurse on board told me that she always feels sorry for those up there in rough weather.:eek::D

[H2OH!]

I have to admit i am fatigued with the "sky is falling" and that the class system is taking over. From my perspective, it never left.

 

Even at Disney World, the happiest place on earth, the more you pay the better the perks. If you pay more you can skip lines and enter the parks 1 hour earlier. I am not talking the fast pass...I am talking about head of the line, you go first, all because we paid more.

 

When we do land-based vacations and book a suite we get more.

 

first class when flying...you get more.

 

Not any different with cruising. DH and I did our first CS in January 2014 and LOVED it. Hearing what celebrity is doing to enhance the suite experience will definitely entice us to upgrade more often...our choice because of the additional perks. we also base our cabin choice on itin...for Europe that is port intensive we book a regular veranda. For the Caribbean, we will always upgrade since we are cruising to enjoy the ship ...not necessarily for the ports.

 

Happy sailing! :)

Edited May 17, 2014 by H2OH!

[Cruising89143]

If the trial is successful, I would expect that it will be pushed out to other ships in the fleet... unless Celebrity has some other bright ideas that they are working on to "test" out on their customers. :D

 

Looking at the menu of the new Gastropub and liking what is being offered we will be helping to make this a popular new venue on our upcoming cruise. Cellar Masters was dead on our last cruise.

Edited May 17, 2014 by cruisingator2

[TwoHearts22]

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?

 

Celebrity didn't say.

We learned the Ceo was aboard with a large group.

Our first cruise with Celebrity was not a good one.

[vulcan1971]

Looking at the menu of the new Gastropub and liking what is being offered we will be helping to make this a popular new venue on our upcoming cruise. Cellar Masters was dead on our last cruise.

 

Agreed!

 

I have no cruise plans for 2015 and am debating about booking an Equinox cruise or a river cruise. Such a tough decision. :D

[Leviathan2772]

All these discussions concerning Suites and their perks and amenities is very informative and interesting. Since I've starting cruising 8 yrs ago, I've been fortunate enough to cruise S1, CS, & RS. I have really enjoyed the experience, but it was missing that little bit extra. I recently booked a cruise with NCL since X no longer cruises the Mexican Riviera. This Haven space on the ship seems to be pretty amazing and the clientele seems to really enjoy it. I think Celebrity is embracing this model and slowly introducing it. For what it's worth, I think X is taking a step in the right direction.

[gskimmel]

All these discussions concerning Suites and their perks and amenities is very informative and interesting. Since I've starting cruising 8 yrs ago, I've been fortunate enough to cruise S1, CS, & RS. I have really enjoyed the experience, but it was missing that little bit extra. I recently booked a cruise with NCL since X no longer cruises the Mexican Riviera. This Haven space on the ship seems to be pretty amazing and the clientele seems to really enjoy it. I think Celebrity is embracing this model and slowly introducing it. For what it's worth, I think X is taking a step in the right direction.

 

 

I agree. We left Celebrity for a couple of years to enjoy NCL's Haven. While we were in the Haven, everything was great. But when we left the Haven, we really missed some of the elements from Celebrity. As soon as I read that Celebrity was playing catchup with the other lines in enhancing the suite experience, we went ahead and booked three cruises with them for 2015/2026.