The good ole' days?

[neverbeenhere]

Celebrity cruising is pretty great. We get a nice ride for the money we pay. But, many like to think about the good ole' days and what used to be. Here is the beginnings of a list of what Celebrity cruising included at one time or another.(not withstanding loss of water in Aqua class) (hoping this won't get too negative) - some of this might still exist at times

 

Personal escort to stateroom upon embarkation

 

Personalized Stationery

 

Large Varied chocolates nightly

 

waiter/assistant called you by name after first night

 

Nearly continuous cleaning of stateroom by steward (way back)

 

Clothesline in shower

 

Water and ice automatically in stateroom UGH

 

Harp Player

 

Quartets

 

String trios

 

Many Announcements over the loud speakers UGH

 

Gift from officer when attending Captain's table.

[hcat]

Celebrity cruising is pretty great. We get a nice ride for the money we pay. But, many like to think about the good ole' days and what used to be. Here is the beginnings of a list of what Celebrity cruising included at one time or another.(not withstanding loss of water in Aqua class) (hoping this won't get too negative) - some of this might still exist at times

 

Personal escort to stateroom upon embarkation

 

Personalized Stationery

 

Large Varied chocolates nightly

 

waiter/assistant called you by name after first night

 

Nearly continuous cleaning of stateroom by steward (way back)

 

Clothesline in shower

 

Water and ice automatically in stateroom UGH

 

Harp Player

 

Quartets

 

String trios

 

Many Announcements over the loud speakers UGH

 

Gift from officer when attending Captain's table.

 

Genuine reggae isand bands. Like Opus, Flare, many more

 

jimmy buffet guitar players...who can both sing and play guitar,,

 

Classical guitarist

 

great party bands

 

top notch classy cruise directors like Dru Pavlov

 

Formal service in MDR..,great bread baskets, flaming desserts

 

Cap Club access to Michaels...cozy, friendly get togethers

 

Free onboard events like wine tasting, elegant tea

 

Absence of persistent sales pitches (always pitched art auction and spa products..but now everything)

 

Every one dressing their best!

Edited December 15, 2015 by hcat

[junetraveler2014]

Midnight buffet

 

Ice sculptures

 

Red roses on embarkation

 

My understanding no more "Captains Table"

 

Escort by butler to your suite

 

Dinner by the senses in Normandy or sister restaurants

 

A nice leisurely top deck to sit quietly with a nice after dinner sherry

 

Craft beers

 

Am I showing my age?:eek:

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

The clothesline in the shower still exists on the M class ships.

 

Linda

 

[neverbeenhere]

Grand Buffet (or whatever the lunch thing was called)

 

Sorbet

[TeaBag]

Still a Captains Table. We saw 3 events on our TA last month.

 

Choux pastry swan floating in a sea of chocolate sauce. Yum.

Mixed vegetables in potato baskets.

[redhead525]

Molecular Bar

Formal Nights (heard this weeks cruises was the end of Formal Night)

Activity staff (more than one) with free activities as opposed to pay as you go.

[bubbadogmom]

I know it's silly but I thought the personalized stationary was the coolest thing ever[emoji4]

[dkjretired]

Genuine reggae isand bands. Like Opus, Flare, many more

 

jimmy buffet guitar players...who can both sing and play guitar,,

 

Classical guitarist

 

great party bands

 

top notch classy cruise directors like Dru Pavlov

 

Formal service in MDR..,great bread baskets, flaming desserts

 

 

 

Cap Club access to Michaels...cozy, friendly get togethers

 

Free onboard events like wine tasting, elegant tea

 

Absence of persistent sales pitches (always pitched art auction and spa products..but now everything)

 

Every one dressing their best!

 

Besides flaming desserts in the MDR, flaming drinks especially after dinner.

 

Four people in the MDR serving you with less tables than they have now.

 

Michel Roux

 

One thing from the OP, I don't ever remember many announcements over the loud speakers and I'm going back 20plus years.

Edited December 15, 2015 by dkjretired

[ABoatNerd]

My offerings...

 

* Grand buffet

 

* Real pastry offerings - the pain au chocolate used to be pastry quality, now cheap bread

 

* Breads made on ship - now frozen and baked

 

* Real cream for room service coffee - now some awful edible oil crap that leaves an oil film

 

* Garnished entrees in MDR - now sparse to none

 

* Complex and innovative salads at the Spa Cafe - now basic salads and less variety

 

* Meat quality reduction - as previously noted by many posters

 

* Sail away band for caribbean sailings - gone

 

* On S class - the fancy sandwiches at Bacio available when you boarded - added a glass of wine while waiting for the rooms to be ready - was a magnificent way to start the cruise - gone

 

* The lemon tarts with chocolate slab on top - replaced with pre made tart with no chocolate. The former tarts were available in the Bacio - they were made with real lemon curd and absolutely fabulous. On many cruises we were at the sunset cafe and we would send someone to fetch a plate - gone

 

 

In all cases, the former "premium" offerings have been replaced with inferior products.

 

The former offerings were more in line with "modern luxury". Today, the products are typical mass stuff that would be found on most cruise lines.

 

This is the essence of how Celebrity has changed to just another cruise line.

 

Frankly, I am willing to pay a fare that provides for the former product - it is just that Celebrity will not provide it.

 

ABoatNerd

[Gracie115]

GOOD piano bar entertainers

 

A plethora of Sommeliers in the MDR....

 

Birthday cakes/Anniversary cakes in the MDR(okay they weren't great but it was the "thought")

[JFontaine]

Live music in the MDR

Same MDR table for breakfast, lunch and dinner

Potato baskets with potatoes inside

 

But: if you missed lunch there was no food until tea. No all day burgers or pizza.

[Cruzinram]

Sailing on Celebrity since 1995. Makes me sad to see all the changes and Celebrity simply following the herd and not setting themselves apart from the other lines. I have always chosen Celebrity because they are different from the other lines. I can sail any ole cruise line if I want the same cookie cooker experience.

[richstowe]

What's really incredible is how recent many of these changes are . My first Celebrity cruise was less then 3 years ago and I enjoyed many of these former amenities . A year later some more were gone and now even more cuts . I sense a trend .:D:eek: Perhaps the biggest single change is the gutting of the cruise directors / entertainment staff . There was actually free Zumba . It was seen as an activity not as a profit center .

[Snit13]

Would like to print most of the previous posts and Priority Mail to the CEO. What are they going to take away from us next? All of my/our favorite things which have gone missing have been posted....now even our water taken away.

Since we have free beverage package for our 1st cruise and not our 2nd cruise in Feb. guess we better stock pile bottles of water for 2nd cruise.

[Ma Bell]

Bridge Instructors and organized bridge games

 

More Sommeliers in MDR

 

Midnight Bites

 

Dessert Tray

 

More daytime activities and instruction without charge

 

Personalized dining room service

 

More live musicians

 

M Class ships had much better sight lines to the sea from public rooms before they started filling up every available nook and cranny

 

More beautiful flowers

 

Poor selection of side dishes and vegetables in MDR

 

Better spa and beauty services at more reasonable prices

Edited December 15, 2015 by Ma Bell

[Mary El]

Sugar cubes instead of sugar packets

 

People dressed up (not necessarily formal) in the dining room

 

Acepella group

 

Quartet in the MDR

 

We've been sailing on Celebrity since the 80s. Our first cruise was on the Meridian.

[CruiseLurker]

piano music in the dining room.

 

Colonel Mustard in the Conservatory.

Edited December 15, 2015 by CruiseLurker

[jsf]

Back in the early 90's on Formal Night's they requested that pax remain dressed up all evening. Then again it might have been called Chandlis instead of Celebrity.

J.

[Hobbsey]

Michaels Club - a classic gentleman's style lounge with full Humidore and a cigar master who rolled them right in front of you.

 

Sony state-of-the-art theater effects.

 

Golf Simulator

[cb at sea]

Molded butter pats on ice...not the wrapped stuff!

[Iamcruzin]

This is a very depressing thread. :(

 

I'm almost happy that being new to Celebrity that I really don't miss these things. I guess this is why they are looking for new blood. What you don't know won't bother you.

[HS2BS]

Access to cabin when you boarded early

 

Lunch in the dining room on embarkation day

 

Ha

[Karynanne]

Molded butter pats on ice...not the wrapped stuff!

 

Luminae does have molded butter pats.

[neverbeenhere]

This is a very depressing thread.

 

Please don't interpret this thread as depressing. There are many many nice amenities on the currently Celebrity line that did not exist in the past. While I would like to see some of what has been listed return, there is many positive things to say about Celebrity cruising today.

 

 

Oh ya... The Tubes of Fire. (direct connect hair dryers)

Edited December 15, 2015 by neverbeenhere