Celebrity Moving Down Market??

[jbuch02]

The last poster mentions "price" and we now see problems with X pricing due to large increases over the past couple of years......

 

Can you elaborate? Cabin class? Itinerary, time of the year, compared to industry increases?

 

I did a quick search and found these 2017 prices for an OV cabin, 7d Med cruise in June.

 

NCL: $207 pp/d (no perks)

HAL: $162 pp/d (no perks)

CEL: $199 pp/d (Pick one, GBB)

 

The Celebrity Perks are worth $55/d pp (or $385 for 7d) for the Classic Beverage Package, $300 for an OBC. The free gratuities don't equal this value until you get over 10d.

 

If you take the classic beverage package, your price pp/d is $144. If you don't drink and choose the OBC, your price pp/d is $156.

 

The big thing for me is the assertion that X has applied "large (fare) increases over the past couple of years."

 

I don't think that is accurate for Inside, OV and Veranda rates. I can't speak for suites and as I've stated in previous posts I don't think those willing to pay for suites are as price sensitive as those that aren't. We had another poster in this thread state that his first Celebrity cruise on Zenith in 1999 was $220 pp/d and his last cruise on Celebrity was considerably less than that. I'd be not so quick to criticize Celebrity management ....... that is good stuff.

 

I think HAL is very competitive from a price standpoint. I don't think NCL is. Carnival does not sail Med routes in June or July as they concentrate on shorter cruises in the Caribbean. RCL (Jewel) does sail in the Med in the time frame I selected for comparison and does price out at < $140 so, there is that.

 

But my point is that unless you are flexible and able to book inside 90d which is what you may be doing to get the best rates, and I applaud that, I don't think the assertion that Celebrity Cruises has foisted higher fares on its value customers is a supportable claim.

 

So, let's talk about booking inside 90d. Celebrity is clearly more expensive on a pp/d basis in most cases but not all. Why do you suppose that is? It is probably because they are filling their ships faster when cruises are first listed. The "yield management" software boogey man that calculates demand pricing is responsible for that and Celebrity is not the only line using it.

 

I think it has been said elsewhere on this forum if you want or need to book greater than one year in advance, you are going to pay a premium for that if the cruise doesn't sell out. If it does you are going to be one of the lucky ones who took advantage of low, intro fares and perks for onboard booking. It behooves value shoppers to look carefully at the density of cruises on a particular itinerary and time frame and, if you want low fares, avoid these unless that itinerary in that time frame is on your bucket list and it may be.

Edited May 29, 2016 by jbuch02

[ChucktownSteve]

 

The Celebrity Perks are worth $55/d pp (or $385 for 7d) for the Classic Beverage Package, $300 for an OBC. The free gratuities don't equal this value until you get over 10d.

 

Don't want to quibble too much but FYI the classic package is worth $454.30 for a seven day cruise if you count the 18% gratuity.

[MicCanberra]

Can you elaborate? Cabin class? Itinerary, time of the year, compared to industry increases?

 

I did a quick search and found these 2017 prices for an OV cabin, 7d Med cruise in June.

 

NCL: $207 pp/d (no perks)

HAL: $162 pp/d (no perks)

CEL: $199 pp/d (Pick one, GBB)

 

The Celebrity Perks are worth $55/d pp (or $385 for 7d) for the Classic Beverage Package, $300 for an OBC. The free gratuities don't equal this value until you get over 10d.

 

If you take the classic beverage package, your price pp/d is $144. If you don't drink and choose the OBC, your price pp/d is $156.

 

The big thing for me is the assertion that X has applied "large (fare) increases over the past couple of years."

 

I don't think that is accurate for Inside, OV and Veranda rates. I can't speak for suites and as I've stated in previous posts I don't think those willing to pay for suites are as price sensitive as those that aren't. We had another poster in this thread state that his first Celebrity cruise on Zenith in 1999 was $220 pp/d and his last cruise on Celebrity was considerably less than that. I'd be not so quick to criticize Celebrity management ....... that is good stuff.

 

I think HAL is very competitive from a price standpoint. I don't think NCL is. Carnival does not sail Med routes in June or July as they concentrate on shorter cruises in the Caribbean. RCL (Jewel) does sail in the Med in the time frame I selected for comparison and does price out at < $140 so, there is that.

 

But my point is that unless you are flexible and able to book inside 90d which is what you may be doing to get the best rates, and I applaud that, I don't think the assertion that Celebrity Cruises has foisted higher fares on its value customers is a supportable claim.

 

So, let's talk about booking inside 90d. Celebrity is clearly more expensive on a pp/d basis in most cases but not all. Why do you suppose that is? It is probably because they are filling their ships faster when cruises are first listed. The "yield management" software boogey man that calculates demand pricing is responsible for that and Celebrity is not the only line using it.

 

I think it has been said elsewhere on this forum if you want or need to book greater than one year in advance, you are going to pay a premium for that if the cruise doesn't sell out. If it does you are going to be one of the lucky ones who took advantage of low, intro fares and perks for onboard booking. It behooves value shoppers to look carefully at the density of cruises on a particular itinerary and time frame and, if you want low fares, avoid these unless that itinerary in that time frame is on your bucket list and it may be.

 

Greta points and excellent summary. For some itineraries, we book early as they rarely drop to the original sale price level, for others we book when we feel the price is right and it will not drop too much further. Either way there is no hard and fast rule of the optimal time to book, it is always fluctuating due to supply and demand and the software boogey man (as you called it) makes the call.

[MicCanberra]

Don't want to quibble too much but FYI the classic package is worth $454.30 for a seven day cruise if you count the 18% gratuity.

 

Even better value with the perk then.:D

Edited May 29, 2016 by MicCanberra

[cookiersmom]

We have seen major differences on our two most recent X cruises. On a one week Summit Caribbean cruise over New Years 2015, we were very disappointed with the same activities issue the OP mentioned. Almost all "activities" were commercials for some revenue genetation, such as spa services or Apple sales. Trivia was very weak, Bingo cancelled or shortened. Our MDR service was terrible and slow, and the sommelier rude when he showed up at all.

 

Contrast to that our 2 week Baltic Cruise early summer 2015 on Eclipse. Back to the X experience we have been used to. Great service in the MDR. For the first time, due to 1-2-3, we had a beverage package. We really enjoyed that, utilizing Cafe El Baccio regularly, and feeling able to experiment with new drinks. We enjoyed visiting the Corning Glass show, and both trivia and bingo.

 

Was the difference based on the Cruise Director? Or two week vs one? Or Baltic, primarily empty nesters vs Caribbean families? Not sure, but it was hard to reconcile these two cruises as from the same line.

[denlishen]

I certainly won't say it's a total "booze cruise" but I just got back from the May 13th sailing on the solstice and I was disappointed. I sailed with celebrity back in 2014 and it was great (Caribbean). However then the drink package thing was kinda new. My fear now is that they are drawing the wrong kinds of people. My recent Alaska cruise was with mostly just a bunch of poorly dressed/poorly mannered "people of Walmart" types. Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE drinking and having fun. I'm only 30! But this group was pathetic. I hope it was a one time thing, maybe a bad sailing? But it had gone down hill. The cruise line itself was still good but if this is the kind of folks being brought in by free booze. I'm out. I'm going to try to look at maybe more premium lines also. I'm really not a snob but its sad when you can't even put on shoes that cover your toes or pants or anything besides a torn tshirt for dinner in a nice restaurant. Also I was highly annoyed with people ordering Miller lites and rum/cokes at the martini bars. These guys are busy enough imo. At least the molecular bar turned away drunks and made them order off the menu. I still think celebrity is a great product (aside from the gym being above my floor and hearing techno music all day for seven days-room 1509 for those interested) but the scenery sure has changed as far as fellow pax. Just my 2 cents.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

Edited May 29, 2016 by denlishen

[neverbeenhere]

Elegantly Chic.

[shipshape sam]

We started sailing in 1998.

 

Things have evolved and I believe cruise lines are trying to do 2 things:

 

First, make the market (pie) bigger.

 

Second, I think to do that, they feel they must offer a land based type of experience. NOT what was once a unique experience.

 

Cruise lines, like banks and other companies have calculated an estimate of how many passengers will leave. Not as many as you think, based on some info about bank rates of lost. Too many people talk about leaving, but it takes effort to leave. Secondly, where would you go to get a similar type experience. Another cruise line? They too are changing and in similar fashion in general.

 

 

We are glad we are somewhat low maintenance cruisers and as long as the food is good and they are not charging for sunshine, breezes and a few other things, we will continue to sail. We already have slowed down sailing over last couple of years and are doing more land based trips.

 

At least that is how I see it. :)

Edited May 29, 2016 by shipshape sam

[grandgeezer]

Can you elaborate? Cabin class? Itinerary, time of the year, compared to industry increases?

 

I did a quick search and found these 2017 prices for an OV cabin, 7d Med cruise in June.

 

NCL: $207 pp/d (no perks)

HAL: $162 pp/d (no perks)

CEL: $199 pp/d (Pick one, GBB)

 

The Celebrity Perks are worth $55/d pp (or $385 for 7d) for the Classic Beverage Package, $300 for an OBC. The free gratuities don't equal this value until you get over 10d.

 

If you take the classic beverage package, your price pp/d is $144. If you don't drink and choose the OBC, your price pp/d is $156.

 

The big thing for me is the assertion that X has applied "large (fare) increases over the past couple of years."

 

I don't think that is accurate for Inside, OV and Veranda rates. I can't speak for suites and as I've stated in previous posts I don't think those willing to pay for suites are as price sensitive as those that aren't. We had another poster in this thread state that his first Celebrity cruise on Zenith in 1999 was $220 pp/d and his last cruise on Celebrity was considerably less than that. I'd be not so quick to criticize Celebrity management ....... that is good stuff.

 

I think HAL is very competitive from a price standpoint. I don't think NCL is. Carnival does not sail Med routes in June or July as they concentrate on shorter cruises in the Caribbean. RCL (Jewel) does sail in the Med in the time frame I selected for comparison and does price out at < $140 so, there is that.

 

But my point is that unless you are flexible and able to book inside 90d which is what you may be doing to get the best rates, and I applaud that, I don't think the assertion that Celebrity Cruises has foisted higher fares on its value customers is a supportable claim.

 

So, let's talk about booking inside 90d. Celebrity is clearly more expensive on a pp/d basis in most cases but not all. Why do you suppose that is? It is probably because they are filling their ships faster when cruises are first listed. The "yield management" software boogey man that calculates demand pricing is responsible for that and Celebrity is not the only line using it.

 

I think it has been said elsewhere on this forum if you want or need to book greater than one year in advance, you are going to pay a premium for that if the cruise doesn't sell out. If it does you are going to be one of the lucky ones who took advantage of low, intro fares and perks for onboard booking. It behooves value shoppers to look carefully at the density of cruises on a particular itinerary and time frame and, if you want low fares, avoid these unless that itinerary in that time frame is on your bucket list and it may be.

 

I tried to verify you numbers but couldn't I couldn't find any 7 day Med cruises in June 2017 for HAL or Celebrity and the NCL I found was about $155 per day.

[MicCanberra]

I certainly won't say it's a total "booze cruise" but I just got back from the May 13th sailing on the solstice and I was disappointed. I sailed with celebrity back in 2014 and it was great (Caribbean). However then the drink package thing was kinda new. My fear now is that they are drawing the wrong kinds of people. My recent Alaska cruise was with mostly just a bunch of poorly dressed/poorly mannered "people of Walmart" types. Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE drinking and having fun. I'm only 30! But this group was pathetic. I hope it was a one time thing, maybe a bad sailing? But it had gone down hill. The cruise line itself was still good but if this is the kind of folks being brought in by free booze. I'm out. I'm going to try to look at maybe more premium lines also. I'm really not a snob but its sad when you can't even put on shoes that cover your toes or pants or anything besides a torn tshirt for dinner in a nice restaurant. Also I was highly annoyed with people ordering Miller lites and rum/cokes at the martini bars. These guys are busy enough imo. At least the molecular bar turned away drunks and made them order off the menu. I still think celebrity is a great product (aside from the gym being above my floor and hearing techno music all day for seven days-room 1509 for those interested) but the scenery sure has changed as far as fellow pax. Just my 2 cents.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

Different itineraries attract differing crowds, not all X cruises are as you describe, it is a shame that your cruise was spoiled by them.

BTW, the drinks packages have been around for a long time before 2014. We had them already back in 2011 and they were not new then. I hope your next cruise works out better for you.

[neverbeenhere]

I missed a fun cruise.

[MicCanberra]

I missed a fun cruise.

 

I suppose it depends on what you consider fun. Sounds interesting to say the least.

[starri]

My fear now is that they are drawing the wrong kinds of people. My recent Alaska cruise was with mostly just a bunch of poorly dressed/poorly mannered "people of Walmart" types.

 

Oh, good. Let's make sure we look down our noses at people who, by choice or by circumstance, shop at Walmart.

 

I don't like people who drink to much and act foolish either, but that also doesn't translate to the "wrong" people. Someone who shops at Neiman Marcus is just as capable of being a sloppy drunk.

[MicCanberra]

Oh, good. Let's make sure we look down our noses at people who, by choice or by circumstance, shop at Walmart.

 

I don't like people who drink to much and act foolish either, but that also doesn't translate to the "wrong" people. Someone who shops at Neiman Marcus is just as capable of being a sloppy drunk.

 

or Rodeo drive I suppose.:rolleyes:

[whitelilly]

Waiting to disembark from the Summit. We have done a dozen cruises on Celebrity, several on this ship. Time for a change.

[ChucktownSteve]

Waiting to disembark from the Summit. We have done a dozen cruises on Celebrity, several on this ship. Time for a change.

 

What is your opinion that caused you to say that? I had mixed feelings when I sailed her last fall and soon have an upcoming Summit cruise.

[The_Big_M]

Can you elaborate? Cabin class? Itinerary, time of the year, compared to industry increases?

 

I did a quick search and found these 2017 prices for an OV cabin, 7d Med cruise in June.

 

NCL: $207 pp/d (no perks)

HAL: $162 pp/d (no perks)

CEL: $199 pp/d (Pick one, GBB)

 

The Celebrity Perks are worth $55/d pp (or $385 for 7d) for the Classic Beverage Package, $300 for an OBC. The free gratuities don't equal this value until you get over 10d.

 

If you take the classic beverage package, your price pp/d is $144. If you don't drink and choose the OBC, your price pp/d is $156.

 

The big thing for me is the assertion that X has applied "large (fare) increases over the past couple of years."

 

I don't think that is accurate for Inside, OV and Veranda rates. I can't speak for suites and as I've stated in previous posts I don't think those willing to pay for suites are as price sensitive as those that aren't. We had another poster in this thread state that his first Celebrity cruise on Zenith in 1999 was $220 pp/d and his last cruise on Celebrity was considerably less than that. I'd be not so quick to criticize Celebrity management ....... that is good stuff.

 

I think HAL is very competitive from a price standpoint. I don't think NCL is. Carnival does not sail Med routes in June or July as they concentrate on shorter cruises in the Caribbean. RCL (Jewel) does sail in the Med in the time frame I selected for comparison and does price out at < $140 so, there is that.

 

But my point is that unless you are flexible and able to book inside 90d which is what you may be doing to get the best rates, and I applaud that, I don't think the assertion that Celebrity Cruises has foisted higher fares on its value customers is a supportable claim.

 

So, let's talk about booking inside 90d. Celebrity is clearly more expensive on a pp/d basis in most cases but not all. Why do you suppose that is? It is probably because they are filling their ships faster when cruises are first listed. The "yield management" software boogey man that calculates demand pricing is responsible for that and Celebrity is not the only line using it.

 

I think it has been said elsewhere on this forum if you want or need to book greater than one year in advance, you are going to pay a premium for that if the cruise doesn't sell out. If it does you are going to be one of the lucky ones who took advantage of low, intro fares and perks for onboard booking. It behooves value shoppers to look carefully at the density of cruises on a particular itinerary and time frame and, if you want low fares, avoid these unless that itinerary in that time frame is on your bucket list and it may be.

 

 

Hiltner did refer to 100 nights in 2017. While it wasn't said how many were already made, as 2017 is outside the 90 day range, it's reasonable to speculate it's not due to <90 day pricing.

[whitelilly]

Food in Blu was very disappointing. Twice I had to send back cold food (and I could have a third time). At 6:30 one night the Martini Bar was out of glasses. They gave us a small glass and a shaker with the rest of our drink which of course got watered down. Twice I tried to order wine in Cellar Masters and was told they didn't have it. We are not usually show people...we went last night and enjoyed it. Otherwise the music venues in the lounges left a lot to be desired.

[jbuch02]

I tried to verify you numbers but couldn't I couldn't find any 7 day Med cruises in June 2017 for HAL or Celebrity and the NCL I found was about $155 per day.

 

The pricing came from a well known, on-line consolidator that has a search engine that allows one to customize the search to cone results down to specific region, period of time, length of cruise and cruise lines, among others. If you can imagine what this site is here are the custom criteria:

 

Period: June 2017 to June 2017

Length: 7d

Region: Med

Cruise Lines: HAL, NCL, CEL

 

Once you've completed your search the page allows you to select a cabin category and it will then calculate a base fare price per day/person by clicking an icon in the upper right hand corner of the page. You then calculate the value of perks the line is offering for that itinerary to get a price per day/person cost (if you click on a specific cruise whatever perks are being offered will be displayed for that cruise).

 

Whether you book with this consolidator (I have in the past) or not, it is a great web site to quickly look at pricing and assess the density of the cruises being offered during a selected time period/itinerary.

[richstowe]

I agree with OP's sentiments . Perhaps less would disagree with the points made if the title was "Celebrity Moving to Join the Pack ?" . I don't believe Celebrity is moving down market , but how different is a Celebrity cruise then with the other mass market cruise lines ?

 

I love the cruise experience but do believe that with cutbacks in entertainment staff and food , substitution of paid activities from included ones and other changes , Celebrity is no better then the others . (And yes all lines have made cuts )

What drew us to our first X cruise was the more restrictive smoking policy and the promise of a more up-market cruise . As the others have changed their smoking policy , another Celebrity advantage has disappeared .

 

I love Celebrity as I love all my cruise options . They are certainly to be considered when choosing my next cruise choice . With the perks they usually include , they offer good value . The issue is originally I believed they offered something different then " good value" . I believed they offered a superior higher quality experience . Not now .

Edited May 29, 2016 by richstowe

[grandgeezer]

The pricing came from a well known, on-line consolidator that has a search engine that allows one to customize the search to cone results down to specific region, period of time, length of cruise and cruise lines, among others. If you can imagine what this site is here are the custom criteria:

 

Period: June 2017 to June 2017

Length: 7d

Region: Med

Cruise Lines: HAL, NCL, CEL

 

Once you've completed your search the page allows you to select a cabin category and it will then calculate a base fare price per day/person by clicking an icon in the upper right hand corner of the page. You then calculate the value of perks the line is offering for that itinerary to get a price per day/person cost (if you click on a specific cruise whatever perks are being offered will be displayed for that cruise).

 

Whether you book with this consolidator (I have in the past) or not, it is a great web site to quickly look at pricing and assess the density of the cruises being offered during a selected time period/itinerary.

 

I do this every single day. I must be missing something. I checked several of the biggest online agencies I know of, could find nothing that meets your criteria except for NCL. I went to HAL's and Celebrity's website and couldn't find any there either, 9 days cruises but not 7. No big deal, time to move on.

[jbuch02]

I agree with OP's sentiments . Perhaps less would disagree with the points made if the title was "Celebrity Moving to Join the Pack ?" . I don't believe Celebrity is moving down market , but how different is a Celebrity cruise then with the other mass market cruise lines ?

 

I love the cruise experience but do believe that with cutbacks in entertainment staff and food , substitution of paid activities from included ones and other changes , Celebrity is no better then the others . (And yes all lines have made cuts)

 

What drew us to our first X cruise was the more restrictive smoking policy and the promise of a more up-market cruise . As the others have changed their smoking policy , another Celebrity advantage has disappeared .

 

I love Celebrity as I love all my cruise options . They are certainly to be considered when choosing my next cruise choice . With the perks they usually include , they offer good value . The issue is originally I believed they offered something different then " good value" . I believed they offered a superior higher quality experience . Not now .

 

I can agree that Celebrity has changed ("joined the pack" is not a bad description for your purposes) but, I think you are implying that Celebrity is no longer offering "something different." Let's assume you mean a different experience (e.g., all cruise lines and even ships within a cruise line can provide a certain experience).

 

OK, having said that, what is the Celebrity experience? The Carnival Experience? The NCL Experience and so forth. This one is tough because every cruiser's experience is probably going to be somewhat different... a matter or personal preferences and perceptions. However, I think there are identifiable characteristics that each cruise line markets. e.g., Carnival = Fun Ships, NCL = do anything, any time (first cruise line to offer anytime dining and others followed), HAL = sedate (I've never cruised HAL; this might be a euphemism), MSC = I really don't think they've differentiated themselves in my mind, nothing unique, Disney = Disney (if you know what I mean), Oceania = Refined Culinary standards and elegance.

 

What about Celebrity. Some history: Celebrity, in the beginning with Chandris and in the early 90s when Chandris sold Celebrity to RCL, the symbol, =X=, meant excellence and it was marketed as something up-scale and different. Our first cruise experience on Century in 2001 was definitely that and until sometime after the introduction of the Solstice class ships, our first experience on Century was consistently repeated.

 

I would agree that since then it has become more homogenous and not as easy to differentiate from other lines. I also think that management has, nevertheless, done a good job of offering value and still maintain an ambience of excellence albeit not at quite the same level. I get what the OP and others have said. Lutoff-Perlo has ginned up some interesting "New Coke" type endeavors aimed at "more affluent cruisers" (yes, that is in their marketing spiel). I don't think it is a re-branding type of thing; it is definitely targeting a higher spending cruiser. Successful? You can argue either way. So, there are tradeoffs.

 

Given this, I have to ask would you rather pay more to Celebrity to get higher quality food, bigger pours at the bar, less ice in your drinks, more staff/better service and more activities that didn't involve selling you something or would you rather have a lower price? If you say, "I'd pay more," for a complete change, try Oceania or you can play into Lutoff-Perlo's strategy and upgrade to what Celebrity is selling although at a higher price point. If not, you'll probably stick with Celebrity assuming you've liked your Celebrity experience and baring that option, you can, and probably should, look around. We have and keep coming back to Celebrity for reasons that involve both perceived value and the Celebrity experience itself. IOW, you have choices. A lot of them. I guess it feels like home to us and a certain bias certainly pertains. But I don't think I am alone among Celebrity loyalists who both look for value and then when they find it keep coming back.

[ABoatNerd]

Compliments to posters for the excellent analysis - very informative read.

 

Have cruised with Celebrity since 2001. Ended cruising with Celebrity 2015. Have cruised all other mass lines over the years on a fairly regular basis - never was exclusive to Celebrity.

 

Celebrity has moved "down market" indeed despite the focus on suite class. Up to about 2012, Celebrity clearly was the "premium" cruise line in the mass market segment. There was a real difference that you enjoyed. I remember in the past being asked by other cruise line passengers what it was like to be on Celebrity and they had a bit of awe in their voice.

 

Other cruise lines have stepped up the pace - so the historical gap between Celebrity and the others has closed. Celebrity is about the same as the Princess and HA experience, albeit different.

 

The end of doing business with Celebrity was last Feb on the Infinity South America - when real cream for coffee was replaced with a vile edible oil creamer on the room service trays. The end of Celebrity being "premium" we foresaw in 2014 when the former real lemon curd tarts with amazing pastry and a square piece of chocolate available at Cafe B, were replaced with mass produced tart shells and lemon pie filling. Even earlier, in Sept 2013, on the Solstice, when I last was able to get the amazing little sandwiches and a cold chardonnay at Cafe B while waiting for the 1 pm call for room readiness. That was a spectacular experience.

 

The lemon tart and the sandwiches were "modern luxury" and appropriate for a "premium" line. Not available any more.

 

In the end, all cruise lines and airlines for that matter, have gone downmarket. To acquire the previous level of standards requires a huge increase in cost. Some people pay it and others like our household will not pay it and no longer travel. Our funds are reassigned to other market segments that provide us better value.

 

Some people are very observant about the downgrade of former product offerings and they make choices to end patronage of such companies. Other consumers do not care they are paying more for less. To each their own.

 

Safe and happy travels to all.

 

ABoatNerd

[El Crucero]

I totally agree. We just got off the Infinity in May and were very disappointed in Celebrity for the very first time. Felt like I was on a Royal Caribbean or Carnival cruise....NOT that there is anything wrong with that....just NOT what I expected from Celebrity. We ordered drinks in the MDR one night and they got it wrong. Again on the 2nd night....wrong. 3rd night.....wrong. Finally we stopped ordering. And if Celebrity makes their martini glasses any smaller.....it will be a shot glass. I did not have the drink package so I expected a normal size martini glass for my $12.00

 

We just got off the Infinty a week ago and had a totally different experience. We found Celebrity just as good as ever in our experience (we are Elite cruisers). I asked the Hotel Manager about reduced staff and he said not true. He said staffing levels have remained constant "for years."

 

We found too much to do aboard and we don't go to to those specialty store things, and Art auctions, and have never played a cent in the Casino. What we do go to is lectures, indoor and outdoor activities, movies in the Auditorium, etc. There is always too much for us to do everything.

 

We did have the Classic beverage package and enjoyed everything about it. Our Sommelier, Dennis, was excellent - helpful, patient, and knowledgeable.

 

So no, we don't think Celebrity is going down market. It's just that you can't please all of the people all of the time.

[maggie.1008]

It is funny how on the same cruise we all felt different. I was on May 11th Infinity cruise ( my 24th on X 50th cruise total ) and for the first time was very disappointed. Crew seemed tired. Service was not the same. I have another X cruise on the Solstice in August. For the first time I did not book another cruise on X while on board. I have always been a X cheerleader but this cruise was a let down. I spent more for this cruise in AQ 1 than I did my last Oceania cruise in March. Oceania exceeded my expectations as my first cruise with them.