Another Long Time Celebrity Cruiser Jumping Ship

[Cruise a holic]

A nice different type of vacation is an all inclusive resort. If you want a change it might be an interesting experience.

[Charles4515]

So the OP is planning to take a river cruise? Well, so am I. I hope to combine it with a Celebrity TA. I don't consider that "Jumping Ship." :eek:

 

I don't get the jumping ship meme. I noticed a long time ago that cruise lines don't deserve loyalty. It is a business to them. I have booked on all the mainstream cruise lines , also Cunard and Azamara, and not found any one of them that deserves my exclusive business. I also do land vacations and all inclusives. I plan on doing a River Cruise. I have yet to find the "Apple" of cruise lines.

[ShawninFL]

After a dozen years of sailing with Celebrity I am moving on.......

Taking my first River Cruise in April:D.....I know it is about 360 degrees

different than an Ocean Cruise but it is something I have wanted to

do for a long time and I have the opportunity so I am taking it:).....

 

I was on Summit last month and yes, I had a good time but now with

the new pricing program (I booked that one before the GO Program

came into being).....but anyway, when I went to the FCC while on SUMMIT

and looked at a window cabin for next year on Summit.....lets just say

this is the first time in many years I have nothing booked on X.....not

even a deposit.

 

Seems I am not the only one changing.....I have read several threads

and know several people who are also switched.....I guess everyone

has their own reasons but I just know I am so looking forward to this

River Cruise.....sailing out of Amsterdam in the Spring....it is called

TULIP TIME:)

 

Not sure what I am going to do next fall......Maybe Celebrity, maybe

not.

 

Life is all about new experiences and adventures. Good for you. I hope you have an amazing River Cruise experience.

[wwcruisers]

Host Andy just commented on another thread:

"The bottom line is, sometimes, it's not the worst thing to take a break from your favorite brand, if only to see what else is out there. I'm glad we sailed Princess - but we can't wait to be back onboard a Celebrity ship."

 

Yes, I read all of Andy's threads. But, I couldn't help but notice that his last cruise was on Princess, and his next one is on Azamara.

[wwcruisers]

Thanks to all of you who have given out kind words and for those who

have been on River cruises too:)....yes, I know it is going to be waayyyy

different......and as for ocean cruising? I don't know what the future holds,

but I will always love it;).....just not sure Celebrity holds the key for me

anymore........

 

Lois, I'm particularly looking forward to your AMA river cruise review. Since Europe is STILL on my bucket-list, and ships/boats are, hands down, my favorite way to travel -- I am intrigued by the river cruise concept. And, I'd really like to see it from your viewpoint, as an experienced ocean cruiser. :cool:

[Andy]

Yes, I read all of Andy's threads. But, I couldn't help but notice that his last cruise was on Princess, and his next one is on Azamara.

 

Hi Wwcruisers,

 

That's true, but it's not to be taken as a sign that we are unhappy with Celebrity. The Princess cruises were due to us (Mom especially) wanting to sail with Perry Grant, and I always try my best to keep her happy. We've known Perry for many years, and he's brought great joy to our family. I felt it was important to be there for his first Princess sailings, and wish him well. If I had to make a prediction ? We're probably done with Princess for the forseeable future, unless Perry stays with them long term. That's an unknown right now, as he's going to Crystal next Summer. Even if Perry returns to Princess, we probably wont consider them until late 2016 or 2017.

 

As for the Azamara sailing - I've been very passionate about Azamara since their inception. FWIW, I sailed on Quest's maiden voyage. We've been considering sailing with Azamara again, for about 3 years. For a myriad of reasons including timing, existing Celebrity bookings, and Azamara not sailing much from Florida for a while, things never quite lined up. In January 2016, Journey will be fresh out of Drydock with a major revitalization. In addition, my favorite Captain (Johannes Tysse) will be onboard, along many other dear friends. In all honesty, I can't wait to sail on Azamara again - but it shouldn't be viewed as any negative towards Celebrity.

 

We plan to sail with Celebrity later this season. As of now, the plan is to sail on Eclipse in late March - but we may move to a shorter sailing (Equinox ?), as it's tax season, and work tends to be extremely busy.

 

Hope this helps clarify things !

Edited December 12, 2015 by Host Andy

[BosoxI]

This was my experience also. Have you ever tasted their waffles? :cool:

 

No, but I've tasted their pizza:D

[wwcruisers]

Andy -- thanks for your reply. Now that you mention it, I seem to remember that you were originally a moderator/host on the Azamara boards, even before you joined us on Celebrity. :)

 

I'm so glad that we got to see Perry's show on Eclipse, last year -- as it turns out, one of his last. I'm sure that he appreciated his loyal following on both X and Princess. I do wish that we could follow him, when he goes to Crystal, LOL! ;)

[kitty9]

Hi Lois!!! As you know very well, I am a long time Celebrity cruiser with over 30 cruises. We mostly have booked the PH or RS for our cruises, but these new perks aren't all that as we didn't care for Luminae, and we spend very little time in Michael's Club. About the only perks we like are the Internet package and the Premium Drink package, but we've never had a problem with paying extra for those in the past. But, being long time "loyalists" and seeing the decline in the Celebrity product, has caused us to look elsewhere. We cancelled three X cruises, all in the PH, and booked an Oceania and a Crystal instead.

 

I'm looking forward to reading about your river cruise experience. My cousin just returned returned from an AMA cruise, I believe the boat name was the Prima, and she can't stop raving about the experience. I have no doubt that you will have a wonderful time.

 

FYI, Oceania has now announced new pricing for many of their cruises, and quite a few have a 50% single supplement. And believe it or not, their prices for their ocean view cabins are really not bad, when you consider they offer free airfare on many of their cruises, non-alcohol beverages are included and All their specialty restaurants are included (except for the private dining specialty). All in all, it's a pretty good deal---plus they play lots of trivia, lol.

 

I hope you have a wonderful river cruise.

[Gracie115]

No, but I've tasted their pizza:D

 

And so have we and it REALLY is the best pizza at sea....BY FAR!!!:D

[vickykay]

Lois,

 

Have a wonderful time. We have been to Amsterdam many times and it's one of our favorite cities. Enjoy!

 

I wonder if Celebrity just wants to get rid of all of us who receive many perks thru elite status as it does increase their overall costs? I think I liked it better when it was just plan pricing and no add ons.

[2onboardagain]

Taking my first River Cruise in April

sailing out of Amsterdam

 

Good for you! You will enjoy river cruising as it is so different from ocean cruising. There will much more to see on their equivalent of a "sea day" and the smaller number of passengers makes it easy to meet and enjoy the company of one another.

 

We liike to "mix up" our cruise lines and let itineraries be our primary criteria for selecting a cruise and have found that variety really is the spice of life!

[Lois R]

Hi Darcie, thanks for your post:) I am going on a brand new riverboat and

i will be on her maiden voyage. Holds 160 people. Name is AMAStella.

 

As for Oceania, I know in the past their prices were too high for me but

I haven't done any research for any new Ocean Cruises at this point.

I will have to see about doing that and finding what else is out there.

[MareT]

Lois hope you enjoy your river cruise as much as we did. We sailed 3 years ago with Viking - Amsterdam to Basel. We did a pre cruise stay in Amsterdam and a post cruise stay in Lucerne. River cruising is so different. but we loved it and would certainly do another one day.

 

Maryann

[carlyshenk]

Lois,

Have a great river cruise. I hope you enjoy it as much as the Celebrity cruises you've taken. After nearly 20 years with only sailing Celebrity, we've decided it's time for a change. Celebrity doesn't seem to value the long time customers anymore, and since Michel Roux left, the food has declined to not much better than cafeteria food.

 

This is us exactly! We started cruising X in 1995 and thought it was a very good value for the price. But the standards have been so steadily declining, it's just not worth it for us now. We too have been terribly disappointed with the decline in food quality since Michel Roux. We have a cruise on Eclipse in February and not planning to book another on board as we usually do.

 

We love to cruise, so I'm sure we'll find another line...maybe Azamara or Oceania. But, Celebrity is not on our agenda at this point, even with the Elite+ perks.

 

Lois, I hope you have a wonderful time on the river cruise! Please come back and let us know how you like it. Who knows, maybe we'll give that a try in the future.

Edited December 12, 2015 by carlyshenk

[Cruise a holic]

This is us exactly! We started cruising X in 1995 and thought it was a very good value for the price. But the standards have been so steadily declining, it's just not worth it for us now. We too have been terribly disappointed with the decline in food quality since Michel Roux. We have a cruise on Eclipse in February and not planning to book another on board as we usually do.

 

We love to cruise, so I'm sure we'll find another line...maybe Azamara or Oceania. But, Celebrity is not on our agenda at this point, even with the Elite+ perks.

 

Lois, I hope you have a wonderful time on the river cruise! Please come back and let us know how you like it. Who knows, maybe we'll give that a try in the future.[/quote

 

If you can afford oceania IMO based on what I have heard, those ships do not compare with Celebrity. It's comparing apples to oranges. My dh and I hope to try at least a nice balcony stateroom on oceania.

[kelmac]

Hi Darcie, thanks for your post:) I am going on a brand new riverboat and

i will be on her maiden voyage. Holds 160 people. Name is AMAStella.

 

As for Oceania, I know in the past their prices were too high for me but

I haven't done any research for any new Ocean Cruises at this point.

I will have to see about doing that and finding what else is out there.

 

Wow! Sounds like fun Lois. I like the idea of a brand new ship!:) This is the first time in 15 years, that we do not have a Celebrity cruise booked for the up coming year (2016).

 

Enjoy!

Kel:D

[2onboardagain]

This is us exactly! We started cruising X in 1995 and thought it was a very good value for the price. But the standards have been so steadily declining, it's just not worth it for us now. We too have been terribly disappointed with the decline in food quality since Michel Roux. We have a cruise on Eclipse in February and not planning to book another on board as we usually do.

 

We love to cruise, so I'm sure we'll find another line...maybe Azamara or Oceania. But, Celebrity is not on our agenda at this point, even with the Elite+ perks.

 

Lois, I hope you have a wonderful time on the river cruise! Please come back and let us know how you like it. Who knows, maybe we'll give that a try in the future.[/quote

 

If you can afford oceania IMO based on what I have heard, those ships do not compare with Celebrity. It's comparing apples to oranges. My dh and I hope to try at least a nice balcony stateroom on oceania.

Interesting! We found an itinerary that suited us for a birthday celebration on Celebrity this coming summer in the Mediterranean (after a fairly long hiatus from Celebrity) and now I wonder if we have made the right choice after reading this thread. But we will make our own determination and appreciate the comments that have been made.

I can tell you that if you are interested in the best food at sea then Oceania should be on your list for a future cruise. Their ships are smaller then what you may be used to and the entertainment is at best "modest" but, at least in their two larger vessels (which were designed and built by Oceania) the accommodations (especially the bathrooms) are fabulous!

We do tend to travel on a number of cruise lines as we have found that it is very much human nature to become bored with that with which we are most familiar and so we are looking forward to our first cruise in Aqua Class and dining in Blu as it will be totally "new" for us!

[Lois R]

Wow! Sounds like fun Lois. I like the idea of a brand new ship!:) This is the first time in 15 years, that we do not have a Celebrity cruise booked for the up coming year (2016).

 

Enjoy!

Kel:D

 

Hi Kel, first tell Lauren hi from me:)

 

And I know you sail different lines.....and so do many folks. Guess I

was in the opposite corner.....Celebrity had won me over. I will have

to do some research in order to expand my horizons. But The River

Cruise has me very excited:) I have never been to any of the places

we are visiting. I think the Tulips in the Springtime will be beautiful!

 

Oh...you have nothing booked with X either?.....Hmmmmmmm

[Redtravel]

Enjoy your riverboat cruise. Riverboat cruising is fantastic. Ama has beautiful ships. I cruised on the Amacello in 2012. It is very different from ocean cruising. Tulip time in the Netherlands is nice. Amsterdam is a fabulous city. I have been there 4 times and would love to go back. Kukenhof gardens is gorgeous. There are a lot of good deals on riverboats. Last year we booked a close out deal on a Viking trip that was excellent.

I agree with many posters on this topic about the higher prices persuading them to sail on other lines. I am elite+ and have 3 more future cruises booked on celebrity. I also have a cruise booked on Windstar. While I do like Celebrity, I am not exclusively booked on celebrity. I often book while sailing. However, on my recent cruise in Oct., I priced a family vacation and was blown away at the cost. Even my TA told me to wait until wave season before booking.

[maggie.1008]

Many foodies love Oceania. That is why I am trying them. I`m sure I will be back with X at some point as the Elite Plus Perks and Crew are smashing. I am not unhappy with the food or service on X it is more about the prices for AQ and Suites that have made me look at other lines.

[1cruiselvr]

Interesting timing of this post as I am currently booked on Connie in Feb 2016 and for the first time in my cruising 'life' I am not excited about going. I have already decided not to book a FCC while on board and I'm thinking I am done with cruising in general. It's just not what it used to be and they are asking too much $$ to get less IMHO. I used to get so excited and couldn't wait for my next cruise experience. Don't feel that way anymore.

Lois, enjoy your river cruise. I get what you are saying and why.

Edited December 12, 2015 by 1cruiselvr

[TRIPACIAN]

I've sailed with Celebrity about 18 times over the last few years and it is very interesting to read other long term cruisers echoing my thoughts about the current standard.

 

Celebrity seems to have lost "something" in the last two or three years and the last cruise was the first where we thought it may be time for a change to another cruise line.

 

Apart from the gradual deterioration of the quality of the food, the entertainment and the apparent reduction in staffing levels there seems to be a different atmosphere on board.

 

 

 

My wife and have also cruised 18 times with Celebrity and most of them were for 12 to 14 days. After our last cruise (October 2015 Equinox T/A) we have decided "no more." Celebrity's "modern luxury" just doesn't work.

 

We noticed a major decline in almost every aspect of the Celebrity experience. I will say that the food was acceptable and the staff as usually was fantastic however I think their attempt to attract a younger customer with the "Modern Luxury" theme just isn't working for us. I can see where it does work for Celebrity on their one week Carribean cruise where they are attracting a new and younger customer but on the 13 day T/A this customer was in the minority.

 

We have been moving away from Celebrity for the past three years with cruises on Princess (2), Oceania (3), RCl (2), Crystal (2), Seabourn (1). All of this could have been on Celebrity if we had not felt like we were not the Celebrity target cruiser.

 

We have 9 cruises booked over the next two years and none on Celebrity. If you add up the revenue lost on our cruises we booked on other lines as well as other customers like us it should be of concern to Celebrity management.

 

Like many of you we are Elite + and enjoy those perks but they do not offset the service and "atmosphere" we enjoyed so we are moving on to other cruise lines. I guess you could say we are also "long time Celebrity Cruisers jumping ship."

[Flatbush Flyer]

Many foodies love Oceania. That is why I am trying them. I`m sure I will be back with X at some point as the Elite Plus Perks and Crew are smashing. I am not unhappy with the food or service on X it is more about the prices for AQ and Suites that have made me look at other lines.

 

 

Smart move. And, if you do the bottom line "daily rate" comparison with Celebrity, including O's added value of included airfare, O Life perks (I.e., tips, excursions and internet) as well as the other inclusive items like specialty restaurants and all non-alcoholic beverages, you'll find O really does provide the "best bang for the buck."

[gizmodog]

I'm happy to hear that it is not only me disenchanted with celebrity and the pricing and the removal of previous perks. I have read Lois's remarks on this board for years, I hope she does find a new fit as I have been looking for a year now, so far I am back to princess. This celebrity board has so many unhappy cruisers now we all cannot be wrong