Celebrity losing its way?

[hcat]

If you've been cruising Celebrity for a few years, say from 2012 or or later, you have no idea the changes that have ruined the Celebrity product that we long time cruisers have seen. We've cruised Celebrity since 2001 and have more than 35 cruises, and we saw so many negative changes that we moved over to Oceania and have never looked back.

 

And to those who say we're whining, please, give me a break. When we long time cruisers say that things have changed for the worse over the years, it's not whining, it's stating fact. Things that used to be part of the Celebrity experience are gone, things that used to be included in the base fare are now extra cost and all the while they keep raising prices.

 

I'd like to pound a fact into the brains of those running Celebrity. A few years ago, HAL tried to shed it's image of being a cruise line for retirees by building Zuiderdam and marketing it to families. Well, that didn't work because when you have a certain image for so long, saying you're something else doesn't make it so. Celebrity needs to realize that their product is what it is and what it has been, a line for those over 50 who want an upscale experience that you couldn't find anywhere else on a mass market line. And don't forget, the 20 and 30-somethings who cruise the likes of Carnival and Royal Caribbean, will one day be the 50-somethings and will be looking for a more upscale experience. But now, they no longer provide the experience that we long time cruisers knew and loved. Celebrity has become more Royal Caribbean, because that's what Lisa Lutoff-Perlo knows and it's obviously something SHE loves, but we "oldsters" don't love at all.

 

Agree 100 % with your points....too bad current management is not interested in being special anymore...

[markeb]

Agree 100 % with your points....too bad current management is not interested in being special anymore...

 

And, not to discount your view, yet the ships sail full...

 

I think there are enough of us moving "up" from Royal that are finding it special.

 

I guess this is like cars (I'm a bit of a car nut). If you spend any time on BMW forums, for instance, everyone wants a stripped down 3-series with a 6 speed manual and rear wheel drive. The reality is BMW sells over 90% (probably over 95%) of its cars in a near loaded configuration, X-Drive, and an automatic transmission. The forums are not representative of the market in the least.

 

Are we (collectively; we're one-timers) representative of the Celebrity cruise market?

Edited January 5, 2017 by markeb

[galensgrl]

Funny thing. My husband and I both have tattoos and I have a problem with my weight that I've spent the last year finally getting a handle on. Our next cruise on X is a celebration of my graduation from medical school at the age of 39.

 

If you see us across Michael's Club or Luminae, you needn't lower yourself to try and have a conversation us "less classy" people.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Graduating from medical school - congratulations! As education goes, medical school is a long arduous haul. And "soon to be Doctor" Starri - enjoy that cruise. :)

Edited January 5, 2017 by galensgrl

[xmarksx]

I happened to notice that some who have posted negative comments also have pending Celebrity cruises. Do you think the negative commentary will somehow change RCI/Celebrity? Just seems a bit ironic.

 

Yep, I am a Celebrity cheerleader. That being said, I have a cruise booked on Silversea this summer. Why? I am not married to Celebrity and I found a better deal. Kind of eliminates the negative energy for me.

[Host Jazzbeau]

There are four levels of cruise lines. Each of them is evolving, but IMO it is highly unlikely that any cruise line will move from one level to another. Celebrity has always been "premium" and still is. If it isn't (as some posters have stated), what is? -- or has that category ceased to exist? Celebrity, HAL and Princess are "premium." They are a cut above Carnival, NCL and RCL. To get more luxury than those three, you must pay much more to jump to the next level ("super-premium" or "near-luxury," depending on where you are looking from) with Azamara or Oceania. For the price of a balcony cabin on those two you could have a Sky Suite on Celebity, with Michael's Club, dining in Luminae and GO BEST. Since neither Azamara or Oceania has better shows than Celebrity the only benefit I can see is the more adventuresome itineraries. So we can complain that Celebrity has cut some feature that we like, but the reality is that there still isn't any equally-priced alternative that is better.

[sloopsailor]

And, not to discount your view, yet the ships sail full...

 

I think there are enough of us moving "up" from Royal that are finding it special.

 

Yes, they sail full. There are plenty of people who will be satisfied with less than what it used to be because they don't know better. If you have never eaten at a 5 star restaurant, moving up from a 3 star to a 4 star restaurant will seem to be pretty special. It is all a matter of what you are used to.

Edited January 5, 2017 by sloopsailor

[TFLG]

I'm used to cooking my own food. So Yea, the food on Celebrity is usually a step up (not always tho, I can cook a mean rack of lamb!:D).

[aquanaut1]

Funny thing. My husband and I both have tattoos and I have a problem with my weight that I've spent the last year finally getting a handle on. Our next cruise on X is a celebration of my graduation from medical school at the age of 39.

 

 

 

If you see us across Michael's Club or Luminae, you needn't lower yourself to try and have a conversation us "less classy" people.

 

 

 

Thanks in advance.

 

 

I love that you've posted this , we cruise with X

I have a beautiful full shoulder blade and shoulder tattoo of hibiscus flowers , it's gorgeous and I'm very proud of it , and looks ace with a halter neck [emoji13]and TBH i thought more people would look at me with disdain and avoid me , but it was a talking point . My husband also hasone , but that cannot really be seen . Both of us are media professionals , and frankly don't care what anyone else thinks . It's art , and I am proud of it .

Huge congrats on graduating you must be very proud of yourself

 

 

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[bertrande]

There are four levels of cruise lines. Each of them is evolving, but IMO it is highly unlikely that any cruise line will move from one level to another. Celebrity has always been "premium" and still is. If it isn't (as some posters have stated), what is? -- or has that category ceased to exist? Celebrity, HAL and Princess are "premium." They are a cut above Carnival, NCL and RCL. To get more luxury than those three, you must pay much more to jump to the next level ("super-premium" or "near-luxury," depending on where you are looking from) with Azamara or Oceania. For the price of a balcony cabin on those two you could have a Sky Suite on Celebity, with Michael's Club, dining in Luminae and GO BEST. Since neither Azamara or Oceania has better shows than Celebrity the only benefit I can see is the more adventuresome itineraries. So we can complain that Celebrity has cut some feature that we like, but the reality is that there still isn't any equally-priced alternative that is better.

 

 

As a very regular cruiser of RCL's short itineraries sailing from Singapore, I was puzzled and disturbed by the number of comments that suggest that CEL is now a mass market cruise line. We are only going on our third cruise on CEL next month (but have another booked in 2018) but from our previous experience, we would not put CEL on the same level as RCL. In fact, that's why we are paying extra to cruise with CEL next month - we are bringing my in laws along and want to go for something more "premium". Thank you for the confident assertion that it still belongs in the premium category - it is very assuring.

 

 

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[hubofhockey]

There are four levels of cruise lines. Each of them is evolving, but IMO it is highly unlikely that any cruise line will move from one level to another. Celebrity has always been "premium" and still is. If it isn't (as some posters have stated), what is? -- or has that category ceased to exist? Celebrity, HAL and Princess are "premium." They are a cut above Carnival, NCL and RCL. To get more luxury than those three, you must pay much more to jump to the next level ("super-premium" or "near-luxury," depending on where you are looking from) with Azamara or Oceania. For the price of a balcony cabin on those two you could have a Sky Suite on Celebity, with Michael's Club, dining in Luminae and GO BEST. Since neither Azamara or Oceania has better shows than Celebrity the only benefit I can see is the more adventuresome itineraries. So we can complain that Celebrity has cut some feature that we like, but the reality is that there still isn't any equally-priced alternative that is better.

 

Dress codes and other aspects of cruising our evolving in the same way our society is. Even professionally, why some don't like it, we have to manage business in line with how millennials think or we'll lose them. The cruise lines are changing, but so are we (the population overall). The good old days were great, but cruise lines need to look to today's market and tomorrow's market. Yesterday's market has a special place in the rear view mirror. Hopefully, you can still find what you are looking for either with your current choice of cruise line or another.

[pullen0]

My wife, daughter and I (37, 14, 40 respectively) were on the Christmas Summit cruise as well. We had an inside cabin which we were pleased with except for the dirty floor. Size was fine and we had 2 drop down beds. My daughter used one of those so we had a decent amount of room to move around.

 

This is only my wife and I's second cruise, my daughter's first. Our first cruise was with Royal on a 4 nighter to the Bahamas in 2013. With both cruises, our expectations were pretty low and we were pleased with both. We are of the floating hotel demographic and whenever we do land vacations, we typically look for hotel rooms in the $100 or less range depending on the area and market. Clean and free of bed bugs are our biggest requirements as we don't go on vacations to sit in our hotel rooms. We shower and sleep.

 

We fit into the floating hotel demographic. On this 7 night cruise, we were up by 5:00am with the exception of the sea day and St. Maarten. We're at the gate to get off the boat when it opens and we don't return until just a few minutes before boarding time. By the time we get back on ship, clean up a little, and eat, there isn't a whole lot of time to do stuff and get to bed at a decent time for the next days port. We thought there might be more entertainment to see but weren't too disappointed as we didn't have a whole lot of time for it.

 

As far as the dining, we did all breakfasts in the Oceanview. One lunch and 4 dinners in the MDR. Wore shorts in the MDR the first night and for lunch on the sea day. Wore Jeans and short sleeve button up shirts for the other dinners. Overall, the buffet food was pretty poor. Overall, the MDR food was pretty good. For all the complaints about the relaxed dress codes, why not demand 5 star food to go along with your 5 star dress codes? With the exception of the lobster tails (which were excellent by the way for all the complaints I've read about cruise ship lobster), I didn't have a meal that I couldn't get at home for $25 or less while wearing flip flops, shorts and a wife beater. Sorry, I'm not putting on a tux for a cut of prime rib that I can get better at home for under $20. We were select dining and had the same servers for 3 of our meals, which we requested. Service was excellent.

 

I received a $250 on board credit from my travel agency so our gratuities were mostly covered. We spent $79.98 on shopping on the boat. I spent $19 plus a $5 tip at Sushi on 5 (I thought it was excellent for the price) and $5 on a gelato sandwich. No drink or dining packages for any of us.

 

We're not resort type of vacationers. We're about the destination and seeing new places. I'd say us floating hotel types are the largest untapped demographic out there. Our base fare was around $3000 for 3 people. The fact that others would spend double or triple that to sail on the same ship and go to the same ports is unfathomable to me.

 

Overall, we were pleased with our cruise. I expected to be looked down on for our dress in the MDR but never was. Many more were dressed like I was.

[ECCruise]

We're not resort type of vacationers. We're about the destination and seeing new places. I'd say us floating hotel types are the largest untapped demographic out there. Our base fare was around $3000 for 3 people. The fact that others would spend double or triple that to sail on the same ship and go to the same ports is unfathomable to me.

 

I agree with everything you said, especially this. We travel exclusively for destinations and cruises form a part of our planning because they do transport you from location to location easily. Have no desire to spend on our time on a ship (I am amazed by people who stay on the ship in some of the most amazing places in the world, even though they have never been there).

 

And for people spending 2x or 3x what you paid? How about more than 10 times what we are paying on an upcoming cruise and we are in a Concierge cabin. And less than 2 weeks from final payment.

[pullen0]

I agree with everything you said, especially this. We travel exclusively for destinations and cruises form a part of our planning because they do transport you from location to location easily. Have no desire to spend on our time on a ship (I am amazed by people who stay on the ship in some of the most amazing places in the world, even though they have never been there).

 

And for people spending 2x or 3x what you paid? How about more than 10 times what we are paying on an upcoming cruise and we are in a Concierge cabin. And less than 2 weeks from final payment.

 

We did the dolphin swim at Atlantis when we went to Nassau. We were far more disappointed in Atlantis than we were on our taxi tour excursion and eating at the Fish Fry. If all I want to do is sit in a fancy resort, I can do that in Vegas. I want to see these islands for what they are.

 

I spoke to a couple who flew to St. Lucia and they paid $1600 each just for flights. Flight costs like that are what draws me to a cruise for that type of vacation. I can eat $50 steaks at home. I don't need luxury on the boat.

[go noles]

It has to do with level of expectation.

If you are accustomed to having certain things that you like on a cruise, you notice and miss them when they are changed or taken away.

 

New cruisers don't realize when things have changed and most likely are not even aware of what used to be provided that is now missing or downgraded.

 

 

 

 

Exactly! On Equinox now. No stir fry in buffet as far as I can tell. My favorite guilty pleasure of a hot fresh burger at the mast grill is gone. They are in chaffing dishes. Luke warm with cold cheese. Ordered charcuterie in gastropub and they brought me a dish of cold cuts from the buffet with some decent pickles and some mustard. Had to call steward for shampoo as it was not being replaced. Most of crew remains excellent and hard working. Pool bar tenders for the most part have been non engaged and somewhat incompetent. Tuscan grill and sushi on 5 are great. MDR is continuing to lag. Also, it would be nice if they would hire another couple of people to clear the bus stations occasionally. Tired of seeing trays of half empty glasses and baskets of silverware.

[ABoatNerd]

Interesting feedback from our poster on the E currently.

 

Reductions in food and service right on target for the revised Celebrity vision of "a bit better than RCL".

 

Celebrity's deliberate decision to move from its historical position as the previous sole occupant of the premium level of the mass market cruise lines can be clearly seen since about 2012.

 

Celebrity is not "losing its way" - Celebrity has chosen to change and chosen to provide a lesser product offering than in the past. That does not mean it is a bad product, just different from its glorious past. I believe Celebrity wishes to keep up to the changes in the broader society (casual dress, alcohol, glitz) to ensure they keep their many ships filled. This is the same pressing business objective of most cruise lines appealing to this same market segment.

 

Past and current patrons do have choice regarding the selection of a cruise vacation.

 

Avoiding exclusive patronage of a service provider is a wise choice in today's business world.

 

Further, consumers have choice to avoid cruising all together and engage in resort, river cruises and land based travel options.

 

For many previous Celebrity cc posters - they have moved on to other lines. Others stay.

 

Vote with your $

 

ABoatNerd

[go noles]

Agree and don't get me wrong we are having a great time and are blessed that we can do these things. We started cruising mostly Celebrity after cruising mostly Princess. I no longer see a real difference in the two products like I once did.

[sloopsailor]

The fact that others would spend double or triple that to sail on the same ship and go to the same ports is unfathomable to me.

 

Seriously? Do you ever dine at a nice restaurant instead of McDonalds? Do you drive a car that has more amenities than a entry level econobox? Do you ever shop for things at stores other than dollar stores? If you answer yes to even one of these questions, you should know why some people spend more than the bottom fares for their cruises - they want the entire experience to be special, not just the destinations. Sorry that you can't understand that to some of us a vacation is something special, and we want to make it as nice as we can afford to make it.

[keithm]

There are four levels of cruise lines. Each of them is evolving, but IMO it is highly unlikely that any cruise line will move from one level to another. Celebrity has always been "premium" and still is. If it isn't (as some posters have stated), what is? -- or has that category ceased to exist? Celebrity, HAL and Princess are "premium." They are a cut above Carnival, NCL and RCL. To get more luxury than those three, you must pay much more to jump to the next level ("super-premium" or "near-luxury," depending on where you are looking from) with Azamara or Oceania. For the price of a balcony cabin on those two you could have a Sky Suite on Celebity, with Michael's Club, dining in Luminae and GO BEST. Since neither Azamara or Oceania has better shows than Celebrity the only benefit I can see is the more adventuresome itineraries. So we can complain that Celebrity has cut some feature that we like, but the reality is that there still isn't any equally-priced alternative that is better.

Sorry, I don't look at Princess as premium. No butler service for the suites no wine stewards? Those perks, which I see on Cunard/HAL/Celebrity demonstrate a more Premium" feel than what is offered on Princess. Some of the pax behavior on the Regal last Feb. was another indicator that they are NOT premium. The true lower level lines are Carnival/NCL. RCCL is a tad above them, but below Princess. The Royal class ships of Princess are pretty close to Celebrity, but still below the S class ships.

[galensgrl]

Seriously? Do you ever dine at a nice restaurant instead of McDonalds? Do you drive a car that has more amenities than a entry level econobox? Do you ever shop for things at stores other than dollar stores? If you answer yes to even one of these questions, you should know why some people spend more than the bottom fares for their cruises - they want the entire experience to be special, not just the destinations. Sorry that you can't understand that to some of us a vacation is something special, and we want to make it as nice as we can afford to make it.

 

We agree. We started with an OV cabin on NCL in 2009, and on the cruises since then have realized we enjoy a balcony. We do hang out in the cabin some of the time, so for us it's worth it to get the best cabin we want to afford. Other people are perfectly happy in an inside, so I guess it's just another ymmv situation. :)

Edited January 6, 2017 by galensgrl

[Hlitner]

This is one of those different strokes for different folks kind of things. Budget cruise lines, which had lower prices and emphasized ports have not done well in the USA/Canada market which should tell the OP something. In the USA the demand seems to be for new and glitzy ships with lots of bells and whistles. Look at the demand for cabins on RCI's Oasis Class ships. And Disney, who charges top dollar for their class, generally sells out their ships.

 

But for the OP there is an option. They can book the least expensive inside cabins, avoid the photographers, shops, art auctions, casino, Bingo, over priced ship excursions, booze, and alternative restaurants and have a relatively inexpensive cruise. For the cruise lines it is a win-win as they can fill their least desirable cabins..even though they are not going to maximize their onboard revenue.

 

When we started cruising (about forty-five years ago) we generally booked the cheapest cabins and watched our pennies. Now, we book balconies or suites, dine in alternative restaurants when it suits us, and spend too much money on booze or drink packages. Last year we cruised 103 days (4 cruises) and walked on each cruise with a big smile...and walked off with another big smile.

 

Hank

[xmarksx]

Interesting feedback from our poster on the E currently.

 

Reductions in food and service right on target for the revised Celebrity vision of "a bit better than RCL".

 

Celebrity's deliberate decision to move from its historical position as the previous sole occupant of the premium level of the mass market cruise lines can be clearly seen since about 2012.

 

Celebrity is not "losing its way" - Celebrity has chosen to change and chosen to provide a lesser product offering than in the past. That does not mean it is a bad product, just different from its glorious past. I believe Celebrity wishes to keep up to the changes in the broader society (casual dress, alcohol, glitz) to ensure they keep their many ships filled. This is the same pressing business objective of most cruise lines appealing to this same market segment.

 

Past and current patrons do have choice regarding the selection of a cruise vacation.

 

Avoiding exclusive patronage of a service provider is a wise choice in today's business world.

 

Further, consumers have choice to avoid cruising all together and engage in resort, river cruises and land based travel options.

 

For many previous Celebrity cc posters - they have moved on to other lines. Others stay.

 

Vote with your $

 

ABoatNerd

 

And the cacophony of the regular complainers has finally hit its target.

Edited January 6, 2017 by xmarksx

[Lois R]

What were those links? I clicked all of them and nothing came up.

[JanineM]

This is one of those different strokes for different folks kind of things. Budget cruise lines, which had lower prices and emphasized ports have not done well in the USA/Canada market which should tell the OP something. In the USA the demand seems to be for new and glitzy ships with lots of bells and whistles. Look at the demand for cabins on RCI's Oasis Class ships. And Disney, who charges top dollar for their class, generally sells out their ships.

 

But for the OP there is an option. They can book the least expensive inside cabins, avoid the photographers, shops, art auctions, casino, Bingo, over priced ship excursions, booze, and alternative restaurants and have a relatively inexpensive cruise. For the cruise lines it is a win-win as they can fill their least desirable cabins..even though they are not going to maximize their onboard revenue.

 

Hank

 

OP here ... I was not quibbling about the cost of a cruise on X, I was stating that we are finding the experience CONFUSING. Celebrity no longer has an identity. Is it luxury? Is it floating hotel? Are they trying to attract millenials, or baby boomers?

 

We used to know what to expect when we boarded but that's no longer the case. And that's not because it was a Christmas cruise. We've sailed 3 times on the last 12 months and this is a general observation from those cruises.

 

If X's target audience is millenials that's absolutely their prerogative ... we just want to know what to expect when we fork over our fare. The advertising doesn't seem to match the product any more.

[WpgCruise]

Celebrity no longer has an identity. Is it luxury? Is it floating hotel? Are they trying to attract millenials, or baby boomers?

We used to know what to expect when we boarded but that's no longer the case.

 

I think that's what has so many conflicted. There is no longer a target market. Todays Celebrity goal is to be everything to everybody.

 

The downside of this strategy is that to accomplish the goal, the product has to be diluted so that it appeals to the homogenized pool.

 

The result is the mass market finds the product acceptable. Those looking for a premium experience move on, those looking for what it once was, either stay or go, but they no longer are Celebrities target market.

 

The product has changed. The market has grown so that relatively new to the brand cruisers consider the product acceptable. Those looking for what Celebrity once was need to adjust their expectations or move on to another vacation option.

[xmarksx]

What were those links? I clicked all of them and nothing came up.

 

Lois, they were links from their posts going back to 2004 that complained about Celebrity then. I cut them from a post I did a few days ago and they must have not carried forward when I pasted. They complain, haven't sailed Celebrity since 2015 and swore off sailing. Take a look at their statistics, almost all negative going back 13 years. Primary is the horrible tragedy of Celebrity switching from cream to creamer.

 

Here is a link to my post:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=51814226#post51814226

 

There are quite a few folks who complain that I do respect, they have recently sailed Celebrity and have valid criticisms (Hank is one). May not agree with all of the critiques but I do respect the opinion.