What Do You Miss About Celebrity?

[Tenderpaw]

All gone except Ocean Liners on Constellation. They realized the made a mistake.

 

Absolutely knuckleheaded decision to replace those wonderful venues with, IMHO, Olive Garden of the Seas, Tuscan Grille

 

I didn't know the venue survived on the Constellation. I'm glad to hear that. I hope the reason for its survival is a realization of the change being a mistake and not that they just haven't gotten around to converting it to "the Olive Garden of the Seas". Changing the other venues was absolutely a bad decision.

 

If you notice, most of the things folks are listing here are things that make the experience "premium" rather than mass market. But Celebrity still markets themselves as "premium".

 

Dave

Edited October 6, 2016 by Tenderpaw

[warmwinds]

On the M class ships when they got rid of Olympia, SS United States, Normandie, etc. what happened to the original paneling/furnishings, etc from those iconic old ships - are the venues the same but they just changed the menu, etc....or did they THROW AWAY the history of those gorgeous rooms?

[dkjretired]

I recall berthing next to a Carnival ship that left just before us...they played "YMCA".

 

In the 90s when a Celebrity ship left port they played a beautiful song called Conquest of Paradise by Vangelis.. It was from the movie 1492 Conquest of Paradise which was about Columbus.

[davekathy]

To all that have posted, thanks for the memories.

[LabGuy64]

They still mail luggage tags ....you just have to click a button in the check in process requesting they be sent

 

Funny, I have totally forgotten that we used to get documents and luggage tags in the mail. I agree, it was exciting to get them for some reason...open it up, triple check everything and then put with the passports. I do miss that.

...and the Century, Galaxy, and Mercury.

[richsea]

In the 90s when a Celebrity ship left port they played a beautiful song called Conquest of Paradise by Vangelis.. It was from the movie 1492 Conquest of Paradise which was about Columbus.

 

I remember that. It was a great sailaway song.

 

We used to like when they uses Tina Turner's "Simply the Best" on their commercials & some sailaways.

[Tenderpaw]

I remember that. It was a great sailaway song.

 

We used to like when they uses Tina Turner's "Simply the Best" on their commercials & some sailaways.

 

Back in those days, Celebrity was "Simply the Best". Now we have "Miami DJ" or the equivalent at sailaway. Oh well, time marches on.

[Karynanne]

On Hawaii cruises, there was always Hawaiian music playing, while walking to your cabin. The whole ship had a great Hawaiian atmosphere.

 

 

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[ABoatNerd]

Our household missed the "premium" features of this once "premium" mass cruise line.

 

* Real coffee cream in the room service morning tray - not the vile fake creamer - gone

 

* Savory sandwiches at cafe B with a glass of wine while waiting for rooms - gone

 

* MDR gracious service which was genteel and not rushed - gone

 

* M. Roux food - gone

 

* Sorbet by the pool at 3 pm - gone

 

* Music at the sunset cafe - gone

 

* Quiet dining at the sunset cafe now replaced by sales staff harassing one to by a restaurant package - gone

 

* The real flakey pastry pain au chocolate now replaced with the bread version - gone

 

* At the cafe B, the devine small real lemon curd tarts with a square piece of dark chocolate on top - replaced with lemon filler in mass produced shell - gone

 

It was the fake coffee creamer that ended our households business with celebrity.

 

Celebrity is now just another mass cruise line - all of whom are reducing the quality of their product line. Taking a planned long break from cruising - we now sail with cruise critic exclusively.

 

ABoatNerd

[NorthernLite]

We started looking for a new regular when they announced changing the European service Ocean liners, Normandie, SS United States into the new Olive Gardens of the sea. We had done 1 one week cruise on a S Class and hated it. The Tuscan Grill was over crowded, noisy and no self respecting Italian would eat there. Why remove the one place that moved slower and had the absolute best wait staff in the industry where a couple could still dine wonderfully and have private conversations without the person at the next table 8" away hearing It? The MDR lost table side service by around 2005 and those restaurants made Celebrity premium as did Concierge Class. Then they decided to have 3 different price points for the CC cabins. We love those M Class afts but then that lovely warm bagel with a goodly serving of a rather good grade smoked salmon grew cold and stringy.. The breakfasts on those verandahs were terrific because there was room for a real table. Now we have heard that the sushi we used to get a plate of and sit in the Sunset Bar with a glass of white wine has been turned into a specialty restaurant. That was our snack to see us through to late seating. And, of course, the disappearance of the Cova Cafe for no known reason. The perfect place to get a chocolate croissant or two and head back to bed on a sea day. Not to mention the luscious chocolates that came with our espressos after dinner and maybe a cognac.

 

Changes that have been Good? Getting rid of Informal nights. Adding balconies to different levels of cabins for those needing accessible rooms instead of grouping them altogether on deck 5 like the C Class. The beds that arrived in 2006 to replace those camp cot horrors.

 

I'm only reading this forum because of a Moody Blues cruise family invited us to on one of the S Classes in January of 2018. Maybe by then the onion bagels that are always listed on the CC breakfast menus will finally have been found. ��

Edited October 7, 2016 by NorthernLite

[cruise47]

Michel Roux

Harpist in Sp dining. She also played for the fancy aft tea.

Daily water in Aqua class

Free Zumba classes

Pkg of documents, luggage tags etc mailed to the house and doing the happy dance when we got them.

 

Ditto. I missed our names being remember by our servers in the MDR. Where is our Chef Michel Roux ?

[PoppyandNana]

Our household missed the "premium" features of this once "premium" mass cruise line.

 

* Real coffee cream in the room service morning tray - not the vile fake creamer - gone

 

* Savory sandwiches at cafe B with a glass of wine while waiting for rooms - gone

 

* MDR gracious service which was genteel and not rushed - gone

 

* M. Roux food - gone

 

* Sorbet by the pool at 3 pm - gone

 

* Music at the sunset cafe - gone

 

* Quiet dining at the sunset cafe now replaced by sales staff harassing one to by a restaurant package - gone

 

* The real flakey pastry pain au chocolate now replaced with the bread version - gone

 

* At the cafe B, the devine small real lemon curd tarts with a square piece of dark chocolate on top - replaced with lemon filler in mass produced shell - gone

 

It was the fake coffee creamer that ended our households business with celebrity.

 

Celebrity is now just another mass cruise line - all of whom are reducing the quality of their product line. Taking a planned long break from cruising - we now sail with cruise critic exclusively.

 

ABoatNerd

 

I don't disagree with anything you have stated. I have my own list of things i miss as well. That said we still only sail on X and love everything she provides in a cruise.

 

So to say you won't cruise on her ships anymore because you get fake coffee creamer from room service is so incredibly pompous and absurd I can't even begin to tell you what I really think.

 

Please tell us you were using an amusing commentary to make your point.

Edited October 7, 2016 by PoppyandNana

[seacruise9]

Hi,

 

I took my first Celebrity cruise on the Horizon back in 1991. The food on Celebrity was outstanding in the early 1990s. At the time, Celebrity particularly emphasized the quality in the dining room (this was before the line was purchased by Royal Caribbean).

 

As an ocean liner enthusiast, I also miss the ocean liner themed specialty restaurants on the M class ships. These were unique venues that should have been retained. I remember having an excellent dinner on the Summit in the Normandie Restaurant at a table near one of the beautiful original panels from the Normandie.

 

I am booked on the Millennium this February and will miss the Olympic Restaurant.

 

Chuck

Edited October 7, 2016 by seacruise9

[SusieV]

Tableside food preparation! I remember on my very first cruise back in the 90s, they made Cherries Jubilee tableside in the MDR. It was awesome- plus it said a lot about the service ratio that waiters had the time to do so!

 

Now you rarely get tableside service even in the specialty restaurants- only one or two dishes in Murano.

[TeaBag]

Yes, the Cherries Jubilee were wonderful. I also miss the Choux pastry swan swimming in a lake of chocolate and the little potato baskets filled with perfectly cooked vegetables. But then, I miss my 30's too!:D:D.

 

Maybe I'll find some of these great food items on AMA waterways next June.

[seacruise9]

Yes, the Cherries Jubilee were wonderful. I also miss the Choux pastry swan swimming in a lake of chocolate and the little potato baskets filled with perfectly cooked vegetables. But then, I miss my 30's too!:D:D.

 

Maybe I'll find some of these great food items on AMA waterways next June.

 

Hi,

 

I had a pastry swan on the Queen Mary 2 last week at afternoon tea (although it was not swimming in a lake of chocolate). Remember how Celebrity featured the pastry swan in advertisements during the 1990s?

 

Chuck

 

[NCHPcruiser]

My husband really missed the Caesar Salad prepared table side in Tuscan Grill on the cruise we just returned from on the Equinox. We also missed the afternoon "snack" delivered to sky suites. We would only get something if we asked for it specifically and even then on the few occasions we did ask, it wasn't delivered until between 5:30 or 6:00. Our butler said they are wanting people to go to Michaels in the afternoon instead which isn't what I want to do if I've been sitting by the pool all afternoon or we are just getting back on the ship. Hey, I'm not complaining though since I'm fortunate to be cruising at all!

[Tenderpaw]

On the M class ships when they got rid of Olympia, SS United States, Normandie, etc. what happened to the original paneling/furnishings, etc from those iconic old ships - are the venues the same but they just changed the menu, etc....or did they THROW AWAY the history of those gorgeous rooms?

 

While i haven't been on the M class since these restaurants were removed, press releases stated they were going to preserve the historic items in a display on the ships. I'm not sure where it is or what was done. I'm sure all the other non-historic decor from these restaurants ended up in the dumpster.

 

Dave

[ABoatNerd]

Having sailed on Celebrity from 1992 our household feels the change in Celebrity boils down to Quality replaced with Cheaper and More Choice in keeping with trends in the industry and consumer society.

 

The experience on Celebrity used to be of higher quality product and service. There was a big gap between Celebrity and the Princess and HAL during that time. M. Roux's food and staffing levels were a big reason for Celebrity having earned the "premium" label amongst mass cruise lines over many years.

 

Today, Celebrity is just like their mass competitors. For our household the "premium" feel has vanished. If a patron had not experienced the previous Celebrity, it would be hard to understand why posters here on the board express their disappointment with both the big and little changes.

 

Another observation is that it used to be possible to book a cruise knowing that the future product offering would be exactly as you remembered - ie consistency. Year after year our household knew what to expect from Celebrity. That gave you confidence in booking. This seems to be replaced with regular significant product elimination/reduction in quality, which if too much, undermines some patrons confidence in what they are paying for. It may be the way of the world now but it does not mean everyone accepts it. People post about this trend on all the boards these days.

 

Since change is constant it is logical patrons will flow across cruise lines in search of a product offering that works for them.

 

Safe and happy sailing to all

 

ABoatNerd

[mightycruisequeen]

I miss everything Celebrity was before Royal Caribbean bought them.

I miss Century, Galaxy, Mercury, Zenith & Horizon.

I really really really miss Onyx with Clairmont & Junior & the guys.

[Happy2cruise]

The Porch for lunch (before changing to seafood menu) and luggage valet:(

[bbeltmom]

The Porch for lunch (before changing to seafood menu) and luggage valet:(

 

 

Has the Porch changed their menu or are you confusing it with Bistro on 5 which is now Sushi on 5?

 

 

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[neverbeenhere]

White Gloves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Walt: 47 days

[Luvcrusn]

1.LUGGAGE VALET!!!

2. Baked Alaska

3.Midnight buffet (but I understand why it's gone)

4.Lot's of live music at the pool (they've really cut back A LOT! and on live music in general)

5. Lobster night

6. Formal dress, made it feel special

[FriendsofWalt]

We miss the single class feeling of Celebrity cruising. Now everyone is separated into various classes.