Celebrity Doesn't Want Us Anymore??

[Cruising89143]

wow. really happy I did not book Celebrity during the loud music phase! That would definitely have put the kibosh on the beauty of ambiance at sea:) I have just booked Celebrity for the first time. I think I was under the mistaken impression that Celebrity was a more sophisticated line and my fears were more that it might be stuffy. But from what I hear there is loud music -although somewhat toned down, as part of a misguided effort to appeal to 20 somethings. Another thread was about Celebrity passengers expressing some very extreme angst about the need to wear a dinner jacket on formal nights. This is sounding more like Carnival to me. Maybe I just had the wrong impression of what Celebrity is.

So now I am torn. I really liked the itinerary and the cabin I have booked, but am wondering if I should be hitting the kill switch on this and going back to Royal or Norwegian.

 

 

Celebrity is a step over RCI and NCL. Nothing like Carnival in any way. I suggest sticking with your plans and trying Celebrity. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. We are big RCI fans but now prefer Celebrity over RCI.

Edited July 14, 2014 by cruisingator2

[Skip111]

Can I take a previous booking I did on our last cruise and and book a new one and change the old one to a B2B with the new booking even though our TA now has the 1st booking that was given to the after we booked it on our last cruise ?

 

 

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[Skip111]

I need to add that I would like to do this on our next cruise

 

 

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[Evangaline]

Can I take a previous booking I did on our last cruise and and book a new one and change the old one to a B2B with the new booking even though our TA now has the 1st booking that was given to the after we booked it on our last cruise ?

 

:confused: Say what?

[Orator]

Can I take a previous booking I did on our last cruise and and book a new one and change the old one to a B2B with the new booking even though our TA now has the 1st booking that was given to the after we booked it on our last cruise ?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

 

Any change for a reservation assigned to a TA must be made by the TA. Celebrity can only modify reservations that they hold. You can book the second part of the B2B on board and give the name of your TA. That way both will be in the TAs name.

[boogs]

wow. really happy I did not book Celebrity during the loud music phase! That would definitely have put the kibosh on the beauty of ambiance at sea:) I have just booked Celebrity for the first time. I think I was under the mistaken impression that Celebrity was a more sophisticated line and my fears were more that it might be stuffy. But from what I hear there is loud music -although somewhat toned down, as part of a misguided effort to appeal to 20 somethings. Another thread was about Celebrity passengers expressing some very extreme angst about the need to wear a dinner jacket on formal nights. This is sounding more like Carnival to me. Maybe I just had the wrong impression of what Celebrity is.

So now I am torn. I really liked the itinerary and the cabin I have booked, but am wondering if I should be hitting the kill switch on this and going back to Royal or Norwegian.

 

You have nothing to worry about. There are always a few people on these forums who exaggerate things to satisfy their own agenda, which unfortunately causes needless worry for new cruisers to Celebrity. It is ironic that while the poster you were quoting was criticizing Celebrity for alienating customers, his comment almost succeeded in alienating you. :eek:

Edited July 14, 2014 by boogs

[rebeccalouiseagain]

Celebrity isn't JUST trying to recruit 31 year olds. They haven't really changed much IMO. They have added specialty restaurants for those who don't want to dine at a table of ten each night at a set time. I'm 49 and that style doesn't appeal to me either. Most 31 year olds would prefer polo shirts to tuxedos. Younger people want more nightlife- martini bar, etc. They want more fitness classes too. These are things they have added but still want to maintain their older customers.

 

Personally- the one thing I hate about Celebrity is the pushing of the specialty restaurants and the Turkish bazaar by the pool on sea days. Tacky- with all age groups. Makes it not seem "upscale".

[TLCOhio]

Marketing typically is not one or the other. They want everyone, they just think they need to target certain groups for different reasons. If you like the product ignore the marketing.

 

cynbar: I'm the OP' date=' and I just want to thank everyone for writing in with their comments. I must admit, some of them were viewpoints I hadn't thought of, such as [b']the need to replenish their supply of new cruisers as some of the longtime loyalists age out of traveling[/b]. I will of course make my travel plans based on what meets the needs and expectations of my family, no matter what the company's marketing strategy. We enjoy Celebrity and will sail with them again, although not exclusively. And since NO ONE wrote in to say that they are offended, I may as well get over it. Drama is not usually my forte. Thanks again for your help.

 

Great summaries above and in the many other comments. Any smart person running a successful business must serve their current customers and grow/reach other markets/audiences for the future. It's Business 101. Celebrity and other cruise lines need customers. Lots of them!! Lots of big ships to fill each week. Major costs to pay off the mortgages on these $700 million ships, plus all of the staff, food, fuel, etc., costs.

 

We focus first on the areas where the ships travel and what fits our personal interests. Glad, as an example, that Celebrity shifted the Solstice to Australia-NZ and is looking to add other good, interesting locations/ports in this world. Personally, we want more than just "floating on a boat" in the Carib. That's nice and good, but there are lots of ship there already. All of these cruise lines must continue to grow their businesses and involve new, younger audiences in order to continue to grow in business and pay the bills.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Back from doing a 14-day Celebrity Solstice, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure on this ship and getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for much more information and lots of wonderful pictures on these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 66,393 views for this fun posting.

[TLCOhio]

Celebrity isn't JUST trying to recruit 31 year olds. They haven't really changed much IMO. They have added specialty restaurants for those who don't want to dine at a table of ten each night at a set time. I'm 49 and that style doesn't appeal to me either. Most 31 year olds would prefer polo shirts to tuxedos. Personally- the one thing I hate about Celebrity is the pushing of the specialty restaurants and the Turkish bazaar by the pool on sea days. Tacky- with all age groups. Makes it not seem "upscale".

 

I'm in my mid 60's and like polo shirts better than tuxedos. Also like the speciality dining places. Yes, it's about added revenue for Celebrity, but that choice and diversity for dining location, timing and style are important for me. Agree that too much of a Turkish bazaar by the pool on sea days can be tacky! Didn't see that on our recent Solstice cruise. I complained, however, to the Hotel Director about too much "marketing crap" being pushed in daily calendar inserts, etc. He gets "it" as they seek a "balance". Need revenue to pay for 1-2-3-Go special, but don't want to turn off customers too much.

 

On big ships with 2,850 passengers, you need to satisfy a variety of market/demographic interests and styles.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 177,309 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[rigs32]

Do you actually think the beverage packages are free?:eek:

 

 

When I pay $549 plus taxes and fees for an OV cabin with free drinks from celebrity and free gratuities from my TA, yes I consider it free. The equivalent itinerary and cabin on Carnival is the same price for the same week and I'd have to pay for my drinks.

 

So, yes, I consider that "free". Each member of our group will be saving hundreds. And we wouldn't have sailed Celebrity without the perk your perk promo.

[phoenix_dream]

Not very common to find fares in the $500's for OV, at least on the cruises I have sailed (Caribbean, Alaska, west coast of US). When you can catch fares that low, then yes, I would agree in those cases the drink package might be rightly considered free.

 

That said, my experience has been in the past few years, prices have risen substantially, at least on the cruises I have sailed. The cruise lines would never be offering drink packages if there was not a net savings to them. Why in the world would they, as they are in business to make a profit. They either expect to get back that savings through increased cabin prices in general, and/or increased spending onboard for the continually added pay-to-play options. For those who can catch great cabin deals, and do not avail themselves of the extra 'for a fee' options, then there is certainly a net savings for that customer. IMHO those customers certainly exist, but are in the minority.

[phoenix_dream]

Back to the point of the original topic. I believe Celebrity is marketing heavier towards a younger crowd because eventually those of us who have been loyal since the beginning will one day, in the hopefully somewhat distant future, need to stop cruising, or cruise less. I have not found this marketing strategy to adversely affect my cruise experience overall. Whether all the pay-to-play options are an intent to market to younger people, or just a keep up with the Joneses strategy I don't know. I personally do not care for the continued number of them but that is a back and forth topic discussed to death on these boards so let's not get into that. I do not feel at all that I am being disrespected as an older (60+) cruiser, either before or after boarding.

 

The bigger issue to me is the blatant marketing towards higher end suite customers, and affluent customers in general. I don't give a rats patoot about extras they are given that do not affect me - they pay a lot, they should get a lot in return. I do care when nice venues like Michael's club are closed off to the majority to cater to the minority. I do object to some of the statements made by the CEO in discussing these things, as well as to some of the wording in the announcements of the suite perks. IMHO, very little of value was added to the new Elite+ level which says to me that long-term loyalty is of much less importance than less loyal but very high paying customers. So as a very loyal (more than 25 cruises) X customer, I do feel less valued overall by the company, but in general I do not feel that way onboard as excellent service is provided to everyone - if that makes any sense at all. The Elite+ perks, while not what I was hoping for, are still very nice and I very much appreciate receiving them. The Celebrity cruise experience is still a wonderful one for all ages who appreciate the particular ambiance the cruise line provides - a personal preference regardless of age I think.

[DancerOT]

As someone in this age group that you feel is being targeted, I actually appreciate the marketing. I have enjoyed going on X since I was 20 as it has often been my parent's preferred line. I have always managed to "find the party" when I wanted it. However, many of my friends who cruise have not been able to and feel that Celebrity is not for them and more geared to those that just go to bed. I am hoping that they are able to attract new and younger customers so my friends will be more willing to give X a try.

 

One other note, I only saw it once on this thread but I see it a lot - disparaging people who enjoy Carnival is rude and unnecessary. There is really no need to do it. Carnival offers a different product that is also enjoyable. I enjoy both cruise lines but I also expect different things from each. No need to be rude as it makes you look bad, not the other way around.

[MicCanberra]

When I pay $549 plus taxes and fees for an OV cabin with free drinks from celebrity and free gratuities from my TA, yes I consider it free. The equivalent itinerary and cabin on Carnival is the same price for the same week and I'd have to pay for my drinks.

 

So, yes, I consider that "free". Each member of our group will be saving hundreds. And we wouldn't have sailed Celebrity without the perk your perk promo.

 

Fair enough, I suppose it depends on a persons outlook and also their style. When the drink packages are not included, many do not buy them as they do not feel they get value. I did so now that they are included, I consider it free as you do, as I do not have to pay for it anymore and the overall fares have not increased.

Some people do not get value out of it, so they may feel their fare may have been lower again without it.:D

Edited July 14, 2014 by MicCanberra

[richsea]

You forgot the rest of my quote:

 

 

 

That was exactly my point... A new logo such as 'Modern Luxury' is there to attract a new demographic.. Some of us were used to being "Treated Like Royalty"... That line impressed us more than the new tag line.

 

I agree with you 100%. GM tried to make Oldsmobile appeal to a different market, & became a footnote in automobile history.

[rigs32]

As with anything, a change can have pros for one person and cons for another.

 

Let's say I could have gotten my OV for $449 before pick your perk. $549 including the drink package is a fantastic deal for me because I drink more than I should on vacation. Others may not drink at all and would prefer to just pay the $449. I get that. I'm sure the marketing and promotions people do, too.

 

 

With all the stories about changes to the classic package, I'm guessing that perk wasn't as profitable (or possibly a money loser) as X had hoped.

 

 

This part of the discussion made me think about the removal of the water slide on the NCL Pearl. Parents of kids are disappointed, but I'm a music charter cruiser and was happy it was removed to create more deck space and better sight lines.

[MicCanberra]

As with anything, a change can have pros for one person and cons for another.

 

Let's say I could have gotten my OV for $449 before pick your perk. $549 including the drink package is a fantastic deal for me because I drink more than I should on vacation. Others may not drink at all and would prefer to just pay the $449. I get that. I'm sure the marketing and promotions people do, too.

 

 

With all the stories about changes to the classic package, I'm guessing that perk wasn't as profitable (or possibly a money loser) as X had hoped.

You may well be right as the price for some cruises have increased substantially for the 2015 season. The good news is that there are still some bargains to be had though.

[happy cruzer]

If you want to see year to year without the influence of the 123 package compare insides.

 

Life is too short to be bothered by marketing. Just mute all commercials...

[cherylroslyn]

I've really been enjoying prim8keeper's review and pictures of his recent trip to Bermuda on the Summit, brings back some great memories. But one part caught my eye. He reports that the Captain's Club hostess confirmed that Celebrity is now marketing towards cruisers of his age, he is 31 and his DH is 28. I know it's been discussed before on these boards, but this seemed to be confirmation from an employee of Celebrity. Does this bother anyone else who is, shall we say, a little older than 31? We are longtime Celebrity cruisers, recently back from a Med cruise on Reflection, and we are spenders who book suites or AQ, take shore excursions, and so on. I guess I'm just not sure what to make of this attitude that our business is not what they are looking for.

If you read his post carefully it doesn't mention that she said we are targeting cruisers your age. Remember he is a part of a same sex couple and they absolutely are heavily marketing to the "dual income no kids" (DINKS), regardless of their gender or orientation.....

 

 

I think they are going younger but they are also heavily marketing to same sex couples.....

 

That may have been something said in an effort to show an openness to alternative lifestyles...I think it could be read both ways.

[TheMediaman]

Marketing is a blend of many influences; profit and loss, demographics, trends, economics and so on but it really comes down to growing your brand to secure more of the marketplace and thus profit.

 

No cruise line has a single "marketing" plan. There are long and short term initiatives overlapping at any given time and these can, at times, cause negative feedback amongst patrons.

 

Some cruise lines are creating private or preferred spaces for higher paying patrons. While this delivers more profit per person it does result in some feeling as though the class system is coming back.

 

It only makes sense to put more of the marketing machine behind attracting younger cruisers. I only started cruising when I was 43 but imagine how much more I would have spent with a cruise line if I became a patron at 30 or even 27? It takes more marketing effort to catch a new customer than to retain one. What you are seeing is the visible efforts to attract the cruiser to a brand at a younger age. It does not mean that ships will become EDM clubs with a bouncer at the gangway. (EDM = electronic dance music)

 

The recent economic times have put a dint in luxury spending for the next foreseeable years so the brand must broaden the base of customers to 1) maintain profitability 2) condition the upcoming market (the "youngins") that cruising has better value for their dollar.

 

This year some brands are bringing the visible focus onto the 25-35 market. It makes sense to cast a line out and see what bites. As a marketing exec myself I'm not going to lie. Yes there was many a graph, chart, study and focus group behind the initiatives but it won't surprise me if some "oops. We didn't think that would happen" moments materialize. Funny thing about trying to predict the market is that you can't...not fully anyway.

 

So pick the brand, the ship, the price and ports that best appeal to you and enjoy.

[shipshape sam]

Marketing is a blend of many influences; profit and loss, demographics, trends, economics and so on but it really comes down to growing your brand to secure more of the marketplace and thus profit.

 

No cruise line has a single "marketing" plan. There are long and short term initiatives overlapping at any given time and these can, at times, cause negative feedback amongst patrons.

 

Some cruise lines are creating private or preferred spaces for higher paying patrons. While this delivers more profit per person it does result in some feeling as though the class system is coming back.

 

It only makes sense to put more of the marketing machine behind attracting younger cruisers. I only started cruising when I was 43 but imagine how much more I would have spent with a cruise line if I became a patron at 30 or even 27? It takes more marketing effort to catch a new customer than to retain one. What you are seeing is the visible efforts to attract the cruiser to a brand at a younger age. It does not mean that ships will become EDM clubs with a bouncer at the gangway. (EDM = electronic dance music)

 

The recent economic times have put a dint in luxury spending for the next foreseeable years so the brand must broaden the base of customers to 1) maintain profitability 2) condition the upcoming market (the "youngins") that cruising has better value for their dollar.

 

This year some brands are bringing the visible focus onto the 25-35 market. It makes sense to cast a line out and see what bites. As a marketing exec myself I'm not going to lie. Yes there was many a graph, chart, study and focus group behind the initiatives but it won't surprise me if some "oops. We didn't think that would happen" moments materialize. Funny thing about trying to predict the market is that you can't...not fully anyway.

 

So pick the brand, the ship, the price and ports that best appeal to you and enjoy.

 

Many good points. I like the image of casting a line out. Hope they try it in smaller groups, but then it could work there and then when launched company wide, struggles so you never fully know.

[cynbar]

Get a grip and get over yourself.

 

Thank you for your helpful comment. I was trying to start a discussion.

[CathyCruises]

So what Celebrity is striving to do sounds like the old song, "Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other's gold."

 

Obviously if they never tried to attract new, younger sailors, they'd eventually go out of business as we all fade into the sunset!!

 

I don't mind either the (misleading) marketing nor the attempt to find a fresh market--it gives such a great vacation value for my dollar that I will likely stick with it as long as possible.

[S.O.C.I.O.C.A.T.s]

Celebrity must not make the same mistake that "Oldsmobile" Did. Both companies wanted more young customers. Oldsmobile ad was "This is not your father's oldsmobile" and had William Shatner and his daughter. The young were not impressed and did not buy. The old were insulted that their loyalty was not valued and also did not buy. Oldsmobile faded away. Celebrity had better hope that by pushing the younger customers they do not alienate their present older customer base. Their current " Modern Luxury" theme tends to overstate their quality. By setting very high expectations, they may not (and the example of our last cruise with them) deliver the quality promised by their slogan.

[TheMediaman]

Celebrity must not make the same mistake that "Oldsmobile" Did. Both companies wanted more young customers. Oldsmobile ad was "This is not your father's oldsmobile" and had William Shatner and his daughter. The young were not impressed and did not buy. .

 

Yes that supports my previous point about trying to predict the market. Sometimes human beings don't want to be predicted. Marketing today is more agile in some respects. Promotions can appear and disappear in a click of a button.

 

In my personal opinion ally he marketing gloss will not help In the long term if you do not know your customer and do not deliver the brand they can accept. Remember the customer is you and me plus a few million others in multiple countries with multiple and varied conditions on each.

 

 

Their current " Modern Luxury" theme tends to overstate their quality. By setting very high expectations, they may not deliver the quality promised by their slogan.

 

 

I apologize for appearing sarcastic with this comment but that's what we do in marketing. We deliver the audience and pass it on to another department. We are the barkers ushering you into the tent. However we don't control final results.

 

On our last cruise my DW put it best. "We are all on the same ship but each of us had a different cruise".