Is there NOTHING positive about Celebrity any more? (Threads Merged)

[20pluscruises]

The fights at brunch makes sense, think about it, it could have been 2 hours since their last meal ! The health inspector is interesting, Im guessing because the food is not behind sneeze guards or they can't man every dish with a server?

 

:eek::eek::eek: I hope they don't do away with the pool lounge chairs...I've seen many fights with the chairhogs.

[K.T.B.]

:eek::eek::eek: I hope they don't do away with the pool lounge chairs...I've seen many fights with the chairhogs.

 

Chair hog fights are fun to watch though. Not "throwing punches" fights, just loud arguments. :) The hoggers usually go away with their hoggy tail between their hoggy legs.

[K.T.B.]

And getting back to this comment...

 

The fights at brunch makes sense, think about it, it could have been 2 hours since their last meal ! The health inspector is interesting, Im guessing because the food is not behind sneeze guards or they can't man every dish with a server?

 

It makes also sense about there being no sneeze guard as the problem.

 

 

But as for the fights, considering what happened with me, I believe it! :eek:

 

 

 

Also, to Curt, they still had the brunches in early February on Silhouette. So this must be a very recent thing.

[cle-guy]

Also, to Curt, they still had the brunches in early February on Silhouette. So this must be a very recent thing.

 

I noticed that was your last X sailing - that's why I noted specifically it was Early March they ended, as I knew you had just been on one with them ;-)

[LeftcoastBC]

Answer: Yes of course.

 

See: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2047792

[20pluscruises]

Chair hog fights are fun to watch though. Not "throwing punches" fights, just loud arguments. :) The hoggers usually go away with their hoggy tail between their hoggy legs.

 

I do like to see the looks on their face when their flip flops have been removed from the saved lounge chair. Priceless. It's my entertainment during the day. :D

[K.T.B.]

Answer: Yes of course.

 

See: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2047792

 

Yes, I read it. It's a very good, thoughtful, well written review.

 

 

I do like to see the looks on their face when their flip flops have been removed from the saved lounge chair. Priceless. It's my entertainment during the day. :D

 

Raise your hand if you've been the one to remove items from chairs and turn them into lost and found!

 

 

 

:D

Edited June 13, 2014 by Kevin T Brown

[antsnanny]

I do like to see the looks on their face when their flip flops have been removed from the saved lounge chair. Priceless. It's my entertainment during the day. :D

 

The best yet was a group of 6 who saved seats front and center at the pool and 6 in the shade. Eventually we told people who were looking for a place at the pool that no one has used the loungers for 4 hours. They placed the books under the lounge and sat there.. When the group showed up they were screaming that the books they place were from the cruise lines library and that now they would have to pay a very large fine for loosing them..They were right under the chair if they bothered to look! It was then that we found out that they hogged 6 lounges in the shade as well as walked away and went directly to them, we later found out they had library books on them as well..

 

Is it Celebrity who removes articles that people save chairs with? If so, Way to go Celebrity some lines refuse to do that, they don't want to make anyone mad.

[cle-guy]

 

Is it Celebrity who removes articles that people save chairs with? If so, Way to go Celebrity some lines refuse to do that, they don't want to make anyone mad.

 

It's definitely hit and miss as to if they do it. The Pool Butler's are supposed to monitor, but reality is, it's tough to keep an eye out. It's not as easy as a parking meter maid chalking tires and coming back in a half hour to see if it moved....though it would be a cool idea for the butlers to have signs to hang on the chair that say something to the effect of this chair has been unoccupied for some time, and may have its belongings relocated to the pool butler bar as per Celebriry's policy of removing object after 30 minutes of non-use. (which I just realize is leaving soon when/if they roll out Slush to all ships in that kiosk that they are testing on Equinox...)

[20pluscruises]

The best yet was a group of 6 who saved seats front and center at the pool and 6 in the shade. Eventually we told people who were looking for a place at the pool that no one has used the loungers for 4 hours. They placed the books under the lounge and sat there.. When the group showed up they were screaming that the books they place were from the cruise lines library and that now they would have to pay a very large fine for loosing them..They were right under the chair if they bothered to look! It was then that we found out that they hogged 6 lounges in the shade as well as walked away and went directly to them, we later found out they had library books on them as well..

 

Is it Celebrity who removes articles that people save chairs with? If so, Way to go Celebrity some lines refuse to do that, they don't want to make anyone mad.

 

On our last cruise "Dad" (not my Dad) came out early morning and saved the whole first row of chairs (maybe 12 chairs) for several hours before the rest of the family joined him. The rest would stagger out around noon. It was unbelievable!!! The jerk saved them every day. He put towels down and sat right in the middle of the row. No one said a word. I wish I had taken pics of the numbnut to share here on CC. :D

[20pluscruises]

Yes, I read it. It's a very good, thoughtful, well written review.

 

 

 

 

Raise your hand if you've been the one to remove items from chairs and turn them into lost and found!

 

 

 

:D

 

No..but I have told others searching for chairs that the chairhogs haven't been back for over an hour. Most will help themselves to the saved seat or ask a pool boy to remove the items. I feel for the pool boys/girls...I have seen some angry cruisers when there stuff has been removed to lost and found.

LOL! I saw one guy move two saved lounge chairs into the shade and when the two cruisers came back and told him and his wife they were in his chairs he said "Nope, I moved your two chairs over there into the shade. These are our chairs."

Edited June 13, 2014 by 20pluscruises

[antsnanny]

GOOD IDEA… I never thought of turning the chair hogs belongings into the lost and found. I guess if they have to go searching for their stuff more than one, perhaps they'll think twice before hogging! I usually just place their stuff around the lounge they tried to hog..

[K.T.B.]

GOOD IDEA… I never thought of turning the chair hogs belongings into the lost and found. I guess if they have to go searching for their stuff more than one, perhaps they'll think twice before hogging! I usually just place their stuff around the lounge they tried to hog..

 

My last cruise was the first non-Alaskan cruise that I did not do it. It was one of those rare cruises where it seemed everyone was aware of chair hogs and were keeping them at bay! :)

[dicky2010]

I agree - totally tacky!!! :(

Your whole report is pretty concerning. :(

Oh no, that's it... We are definitely cancelling, I cannot stand weird noises in the casino while I'm concentrating on the slots, and my favorite machine was Cleopatra. Did you manage to get any pictures ? I cannot believe Celebrity are getting this bad, where do you suggest we go ? (must be somewhere hot)

[phoenix_dream]

I'm late to the party as regards this thread, and admittedly have not gone back and read every post. I will just give my opinion as respects the original question, and some of the comments I have read so far.

 

I agree that there are many, many things that are good about Celebrity. I believe that for the money, it remains the best experience for someone wanting a classy design, good (or better) service, and good (or better) food. It has been my cruise line of choice since I first cruised it in the early 1990's (over 25 cruises on X).

 

There have been a lot of significant changes on Celebrity in the last year or so, and there have been very mixed opinions about them. Frankly it bothers me when discussing them and having a negative opinion about some of them is labeled as 'complaining'. One can still like a product overall but find fault with components of it. When changes take place, I for one would expect them to be discussed at length on these boards, particularly when there have been so many of them of late. I do understand that to newcomers to the brand, all these back and forth discussions can really make one wary. At the same time, this is an open, public forum for discussion which regular posters know is read by Celebrity representatives. It really is a good vehicle for expressing ones concerns, as well as the positives. Yes, the actual number of posters is small in comparison to the number of people sailing. But 99.9% (a guess, but probably close) of these posters do not travel alone. They also are (IMHO) more likely to be vocal about their likes/dislikes to extended family, friends, and business friends who ask them what lines they cruise and how they like them. Word gets around. Human nature being what it is, negative word goes faster and further.

 

To newbies to Celebrity- it remains a wonderful cruise line and definitely a solid contender (and IMHO at the top spot) in the main stream cruise lines. Most of the changes some of us are not happy with will not even be noticed by anyone who is not a long-time Celebrity customer. Yes, it does not always quite equal the 'modern luxury' as the ads portray (except perhaps to high end suite customers) but it is widely regarded as a step above it's closest rivals. I have yet to experience a bad Celebrity cruise.

[K.T.B.]

Oh no, that's it... We are definitely cancelling, I cannot stand weird noises in the casino while I'm concentrating on the slots, and my favorite machine was Cleopatra. Did you manage to get any pictures ? I cannot believe Celebrity are getting this bad, where do you suggest we go ? (must be somewhere hot)

 

Hmmm....

 

[antsnanny]

Hmmm....

 

 

Me ether!

[antsnanny]

I'm late to the party as regards this thread, and admittedly have not gone back and read every post. I will just give my opinion as respects the original question, and some of the comments I have read so far.

 

I agree that there are many, many things that are good about Celebrity. I believe that for the money, it remains the best experience for someone wanting a classy design, good (or better) service, and good (or better) food. It has been my cruise line of choice since I first cruised it in the early 1990's (over 25 cruises on X).

 

There have been a lot of significant changes on Celebrity in the last year or so, and there have been very mixed opinions about them. Frankly it bothers me when discussing them and having a negative opinion about some of them is labeled as 'complaining'. One can still like a product overall but find fault with components of it. When changes take place, I for one would expect them to be discussed at length on these boards, particularly when there have been so many of them of late. I do understand that to newcomers to the brand, all these back and forth discussions can really make one wary. At the same time, this is an open, public forum for discussion which regular posters know is read by Celebrity representatives. It really is a good vehicle for expressing ones concerns, as well as the positives. Yes, the actual number of posters is small in comparison to the number of people sailing. But 99.9% (a guess, but probably close) of these posters do not travel alone. They also are (IMHO) more likely to be vocal about their likes/dislikes to extended family, friends, and business friends who ask them what lines they cruise and how they like them. Word gets around. Human nature being what it is, negative word goes faster and further.

 

To newbies to Celebrity- it remains a wonderful cruise line and definitely a solid contender (and IMHO at the top spot) in the main stream cruise lines. Most of the changes some of us are not happy with will not even be noticed by anyone who is not a long-time Celebrity customer. Yes, it does not always quite equal the 'modern luxury' as the ads portray (except perhaps to high end suite customers) but it is widely regarded as a step above it's closest rivals. I have yet to experience a bad Celebrity cruise.

 

I totally agree, seems like the few cheerleaders jump all over you for posting your opinion, "nothing makes us happy", "chronic complainers", "debbie downers" and on and on. At times they will go as far as to tell us we are wrong, that the experience we talked about didn't happen or better yet to blame the poster for the problem, not the cruise line...

[NLH Arizona]

I totally agree, seems like the few cheerleaders jump all over you for posting your opinion, "nothing makes us happy", "chronic complainers", "debbie downers" and on and on. At times they will go as far as to tell us we are wrong, that the experience we talked about didn't happen or better yet to blame the poster for the problem, not the cruise line...

I totally agree with you. I made a statement that I didn't think the music was too loud and was jumped all over by some posters telling me that I didn't know what I was talking about. People have to realize that we all have differences in our opinions and experiences. I don't have a problem disagreeing with someone, but I always try to tell them that neither side is right or wrong, just a difference of opinion.

[cle-guy]

I totally agree, seems like the few cheerleaders jump all over you for posting your opinion, "nothing makes us happy", "chronic complainers", "debbie downers" and on and on. At times they will go as far as to tell us we are wrong, that the experience we talked about didn't happen or better yet to blame the poster for the problem, not the cruise line...

 

Also likewise are the posts towards those who really don't see much wrong that we are "cheerleaders" "have blinders on" "opinions don't count since you haven't been sailing with X long enough to know how much it's changed" or "clearly they work for Celebrity".

 

Sometimes when I post clarifications people jump all over me, but it doesn't bother me in the least. Often times a poster may in fact actually be wrong, or misinformed or it may be a variance due to timing of service or ship to ship or itinerary to itinerary variances.

 

I had one poster in another thread post that there was nothing at all but DJ music at the pool on a Summit sailing, and they had done away with all the live music, so I posted the complete pool music schedule, that was half and half DJ and live music, they just happened to be onshore during live music, or at a show when the live music was playing the one night late. So although their perception based on their experiences was correct that they saw no live music at the pool, the reality was there was in fact live music at the pool, just apparently not when they were there.

 

I've read threads that "the harpists have all been removed" yet on my TA there was a harpist a some nights I saw passing thru Ensemble lounge. I read that they have cut activities in half, yet when I compare my Celebrity Today from April 2013 to April 2014 on the Eclipse TA, I find them to be fairly much exactly the same, certainly not cut in half by a long shot - though I did notice the guest talent show was missing, they still did the guest choir.

 

Another poster said there was no salad dressing for the salad bar at the new buffet..does that really make any sense? I know I saw 4 salad dressing dispensers immediately adjacent to the salad bar fix ins, and just can not fathom for one moment that a buffet would but out a whole salad bar spread, and then not put out any dressings....I could fathom that they had set the salad bar up and were still setting it up and it was simply due to the moment in time when the dressing cart had not yet come out and the salad bar was still being opened or was just being broken own at the end of a service, but that there would be no salad dressing at the salad bar, come on....

 

So I find it best to present BOTH sides to discussions, so those new to celebrity researching can get more details in order to make their educated assessment of what the reality is. If that labels me a "cheerleader" then

• Give me a C
  
• give me an E
  
• give me an L
  
• give me another E
  
• give me a B
  
• give me an R
  
• give me an I
  
• give me a T
  
• give me a Y!
  

:D

[Christine Frances]

Great post Curt:)

[K.T.B.]

Curt, you need to make this....

 

• Give me a C
  
• give me an E
  
• give me an L
  
• give me another E
  
• give me a B
  
• give me an R
  
• give me an I
  
• give me a T
  
• give me a Y!
  

:D

 

....part of your signature now! :D

[Orator]

Cle-guy:

I don't recall ever meeting you on a cruise, but look forward to seeing you in the future. I believe that being a "cheerleader" or "critic" just for the sake of being one is counter productive to the function of Cruise Critic as I see it. I believe that this forum first and foremost is to assist cruisers in increasing their enjoyment of the cruising experience. In my view Cruise critic also provides a place to learn about problems past cruisers have experienced and how they may be avoided or remedied.

I don't know how many cruises you have taken, but the information you have provided appears to be pretty much on target based on my own experiences. Naturally, there will be some differences based on what we've experienced on a particular cruise since every cruise appears to be a unique experience. Years ago I used the phrase "consistent inconsistency" to describe some elements of the Celebrity experience. The mere existence of consistency, by definition would indicate that each experience is different. "Namecalling" or "attacking motives does not add useful information to any discussion. Giving an honest report of one's experiences and impressions does.

[phoenix_dream]

Cle-guy I agree with you as well. Ironically in some of my posts I have been categorized as a cheerleader, and in others as someone who is never satisfied and doesn't appreciate what I have:eek:. I can be pretty passionate about my opinions, but I try (and hopefully succeed) to stick to my opinion of the topic at hand, without denigrating the opinion of another. When someone posts an opinion we strongly disagree with, why can't we just respect our differences and simply state that our experience has been different, and here is what we have experienced, or here is how we feel. That doesn't disrespect another; it simply puts out another perspective or another experience. Some of it is simply the problem of trying to deal with the written word, without context, inflection, facial expression, etc. Oh well, can't solve that problem - can only try to keep myself in line. :)

[WpgCruise]

Curt, while I don't agree with every opinion you post, I do appreciate your sincere attempts to bring facts and objectivity into the discussions.

 

I look forward to your future posts.

 

 

Also likewise are the posts towards those who really don't see much wrong that we are "cheerleaders" "have blinders on" "opinions don't count since you haven't been sailing with X long enough to know how much it's changed" or "clearly they work for Celebrity".

 

Sometimes when I post clarifications people jump all over me, but it doesn't bother me in the least. Often times a poster may in fact actually be wrong, or misinformed or it may be a variance due to timing of service or ship to ship or itinerary to itinerary variances.

 

I had one poster in another thread post that there was nothing at all but DJ music at the pool on a Summit sailing, and they had done away with all the live music, so I posted the complete pool music schedule, that was half and half DJ and live music, they just happened to be onshore during live music, or at a show when the live music was playing the one night late. So although their perception based on their experiences was correct that they saw no live music at the pool, the reality was there was in fact live music at the pool, just apparently not when they were there.

 

I've read threads that "the harpists have all been removed" yet on my TA there was a harpist a some nights I saw passing thru Ensemble lounge. I read that they have cut activities in half, yet when I compare my Celebrity Today from April 2013 to April 2014 on the Eclipse TA, I find them to be fairly much exactly the same, certainly not cut in half by a long shot - though I did notice the guest talent show was missing, they still did the guest choir.

 

Another poster said there was no salad dressing for the salad bar at the new buffet..does that really make any sense? I know I saw 4 salad dressing dispensers immediately adjacent to the salad bar fix ins, and just can not fathom for one moment that a buffet would but out a whole salad bar spread, and then not put out any dressings....I could fathom that they had set the salad bar up and were still setting it up and it was simply due to the moment in time when the dressing cart had not yet come out and the salad bar was still being opened or was just being broken own at the end of a service, but that there would be no salad dressing at the salad bar, come on....

 

So I find it best to present BOTH sides to discussions, so those new to celebrity researching can get more details in order to make their educated assessment of what the reality is. If that labels me a "cheerleader" then

• Give me a C
  
• give me an E
  
• give me an L
  
• give me another E
  
• give me a B
  
• give me an R
  
• give me an I
  
• give me a T
  
• give me a Y!
  

:D