Celebrity losing its way?

[Oville]

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?

 

So is Celebrity not interested in those born between the mid-60s to mid-80s?

 

With the exception of one horrible 5 day cruise in March during Spring Break a couple of years ago, we have no complaints with Celebrity. We've taken 30 Celebrity cruises beginning in 2008 and still love the experience. Our most recent was the Eclipse in December and it was another gem and booked 3 more future cruises while on board.

 

To compare Celebrity to Royal, NCL or Princess is a stretch by a mile.

Edited January 6, 2017 by Oville

[TFLG]

well I was born mid 60's so I fall into the older end of that group and while we like celebrity we also feel there is plenty of room for improvement. The MDR food isn't really much or any better than what we have had on RCI (yea it's better than NCL or Carnival). The stuff we notice and like are the little things. We like the cabin bathrooms, the beds and sheeting, the towels on deck, the padded lounge chairs etc. We much prefer the musical entertainment on RCI and usually Carnival too. Celebrity just seems too conservative in the music choices and we are on the older end of the Gen Xers. We are usually in Quasor wondering where the heck everyone is:rolleyes: (in bed probably).

 

If "modern luxury" is their quest then they are missing the mark horribly. They need to go to any reasonably big city and hit some high end dining and entertainment spots. They are NOTHING like a Celebrity cruise. They definitely seem to be lost as to their target consumer. And I understand it's a tough thing to pull of. Bring in the younger (40-50) affluent crowd without alienating their older loyal guests. I think the ships are big enough to accommodate both groups, but do they want to spend the money to do it?

[teecee60]

 

And yet the ships sail full... I think there are enough of us moving "up" from Royal that are finding it special.

 

 

Yours is a very interesting comment...especially considering I just did the exact OPPOSITE this past year... sailing 55 nights on Royal Caribbean... and not ONE on Celebrity. :o

 

I found the service and specialty restaurants (Chops and Giovanni's) to be on par with Celebrity, with the music/bands and Diamond Lounge experience to be FAR SUPERIOR to Celebrity. :eek:

 

But I will openly admit that I really, REALLY, *R*E*A*L*L*Y* missed the amazing beauty and classy "feel" of S class ships... along with the MUCH better experience in Celebrity's Main Dining Room and their buffet. :(

 

 

We have seen many changes since we first cruised on Horizon back in 93. From time to time we toyed with changing brands because Celebrity was downgrading a lot of their luxury touches.

 

I spent a lot of time trolling the other boards and found that cruisers on other lines were also complaining of similar issues.

 

We have changed/lowered our expectations and now find that we are quite happy doing nothing on board except the things we love to do at home. We sail when prices drop, settle for insides when prices in OV are double because of an non-optional perk or triple in balconies. The extra price of CC or AQ would be re-invested in another cruise.

 

The ship is our destination.

 

Look at the Tuesday specials. Lately there has been only 1 page and more Celebrity ships are sailing full than ever before. Obviously a lot of people are willing to cruise on Celebrity no matter how many changes there have been.

 

Celebrity has changed its direction, perhaps has not found its true destination, but the voyage is still better than what we hear about the competition... and we do look for better alternatives but have found none at the price we are willing to pay.

 

 

While having nowhere NEAR your history on Celebrity, I agree almost completely with your comments.

 

Even though it may APPEAR that Celebrity prices have gone up, (while quality has gone down) as bemoaned in SO many threads on this board...

 

I am ALWAYS able to find INCREDIBLY GOOD deals on Celebrity.

 

Right now, an on line site has the 13 night Eclipse transatlantic in April for only $599pp (inside) and $849pp (balcony!) :eek: :D :cool:

 

The price is even LESS on a military rate... and comes with $100 OBC from the site... and (supposedly) $250 OBC for shareholders.

 

That's over $400pp LESS than the price on Celebrity's website!

Edited January 6, 2017 by teecee60

[LabGuy64]

I think that if you are in an inside or balcony that Celebrity is quite reasonable

 

 

 

 

QUOTE=JanineM;51893033]We were on Summit for the Christmas cruise, and the experience has left us wondering if Celebrity has lost its way and badly needs management help.

 

Who is Celebrity's target market? I'd argue that they have no idea. The activities, entertainment, and even the service levels are all over the place. I used to be able to tell my friends that Celebrity provided a subdued experience. I'd always say, "think martinis as the ship sails away, and not drunks doing relay races in the pool", but after this cruise I can't say that.

 

I'm not stuck in the past - I know that things change and to succeed a company has to market itself to changing demographics. But I think Celebrity hasn't figured that out yet. In some ways it is clinging to the past (the string quartets), but in others it's clearly going after the under 30s (Demi Lovato and the silent discos) or the budget traveler (drinks included). The three don't necessarily meet - especially when you're paying beaucoup dollars for a vacation.

 

Anyone else see the same thing?

[Riocca]

We are on Constellation at the moment, our first time on Celebrity for a while and have to say we are very disappointed. Most of the problems are of Celebrity's making the cruise was selling very poorly and about balance due date there were incredible deals. At that time we could with our Loyalty discount have booked an inside cabin for £299 pp for a 9 night cruise. We do seem to have a disproportionate number of passengers determined to eat their body weight in food every day. In addition a large block of cabins were placed with a German tour operator, in it's self not a problem but we now have a very large number of non English speaking passengers with whom the staff are struggling to communicate.

Around the ship there is continuous loud and intrusive music, for the first few days you could not go in a bar or restaurant without someone trying to sell a drinks package upgrade. Bar service is patchy at best, last night in the Elite lounge it took 20 minutes and the intervention of an officer to get served, only two people serving drinks in a busy lounge!

On the upside our cabin steward is extremely good as has been the service and food in Blu. Weather is also good with interesting ports of call but definitely not the Celebrity experience we were used to.

 

 

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[chamima]

I think that if you are in an inside or balcony that Celebrity is quite reasonable

 

 

 

 

QUOTE=JanineM;51893033]We were on Summit for the Christmas cruise, and the experience has left us wondering if Celebrity has lost its way and badly needs management help.

 

Who is Celebrity's target market? I'd argue that they have no idea. The activities, entertainment, and even the service levels are all over the place. I used to be able to tell my friends that Celebrity provided a subdued experience. I'd always say, "think martinis as the ship sails away, and not drunks doing relay races in the pool", but after this cruise I can't say that.

 

I'm not stuck in the past - I know that things change and to succeed a company has to market itself to changing demographics. But I think Celebrity hasn't figured that out yet. In some ways it is clinging to the past (the string quartets), but in others it's clearly going after the under 30s (Demi Lovato and the silent discos) or the budget traveler (drinks included). The three don't necessarily meet - especially when you're paying beaucoup dollars for a vacation.

 

Anyone else see the same thing?

 

 

 

I agree !!!

But I also see a lot of budget cutting in the entertainment dept. that affects all demographics (those string duos were quartets a couple of years ago). A disco with a DJ after 11pm is a lot less expensive than a band. The late night comedians have disappeared. Port lecturers are now just sales pitches for the excursions. And entertainment staff has been drastically cut.

 

Last year I decided to highlight in different colors the activities in the Daily that were basically sales pitches (spa, jewelry, art gallery, etc.) vs. actual activities. Try it - it's really eye opening! :(

[anniegb]

 

 

 

I agree !!!

But I also see a lot of budget cutting in the entertainment dept. that affects all demographics (those string duos were quartets a couple of years ago). A disco with a DJ after 11pm is a lot less expensive than a band. The late night comedians have disappeared. Port lecturers are now just sales pitches for the excursions. And entertainment staff has been drastically cut.

 

Last year I decided to highlight in different colors the activities in the Daily that were basically sales pitches (spa, jewelry, art gallery, etc.) vs. actual activities. Try it - it's really eye opening! :(

 

Completely agree.

 

On the Millenium, they had the DJ supervising the table tennis tournament, giving podium lectures, conducting trivia quizzes in addition to his other duties.

 

Entertainment is important to many cruisers - under invest in that area and it will cost you - JMO.

 

Annie

[chamima]

I need to add as a postscript that the reason I complain is NOT to vent but in the hopes that someone at Corporate reads these boards and realizes that people notice the cuts ,are extremely unhappy about them and maybe make some positive changes!

(I also comment while on the ship and on my post cruise survey)

[anniegb]

I need to add as a postscript that the reason I complain is NOT to vent but in the hopes that someone at Corporate reads these boards and realizes that people notice the cuts ,are extremely unhappy about them and maybe make some positive changes!

(I also comment while on the ship and on my post cruise survey)

 

I agree again.

 

I also vote with my wallet.

 

Celebrity and other cruise lines have to remember that cruising is not the only vacation option.

 

nnie

[WonderMan3]

But isn't part of it the nostalgia of things past? It's the same with restaurants and stores we shop at and TV shows and movies. You hear constant complaints from older generations about how "it's not like it used to be" or "that place has gone downhill" or " they don't make 'me like they used to". In my early 40's I notice myself falling into that more often than in the past and my spouse and friends who are in their mid-50's even more so. Things of the past often seem better and can become elevated in people's memories. That's just human nature.

 

 

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[Softball20]

No cruise line (or resort, for that matter) can be everything to everybody. We are in our early 50s and love Celebrity. We have also loved the cruises we've done on HAL, when we were not yet in our 50s. We've also enjoyed most aspects of our Princess cruises, etc. (Royal and Carnival, not so much). People also cruise different sailings for different reasons - some for the ship itself, some for the reputation of the cruise line, some for the itinerary and some for all of the above. Seems like it makes it difficult for the lines to figure out just which way to go to attract the most customers, as they are, after all, doing this to make money.

 

I don't know, however, why so many of these posts on this thread seem to equate people who get a drink package as "low budget" travelers or the root of the demise. We started getting the drink package when Celebrity first started offering them in 2010 and wouldn't sail with out it. We're going to pay the money anyway, so why not do so where we know how much it's going to cost with no surprises? For our upcoming Reflection sailing we did the Go Best. For a ten day sailing we paid $450 additional to get the premium beverage package ($650, right there), as well as all the other perks. Do the math; it's a no-brainer. It's not about being low-budget, it's about being a smart shopper. Why pay more when I don't have to? Seeking out a good price or a good deal doesn't make one low-budget; it saves me money to take more vacations.

[bboop51]

We were on Summit for the Christmas cruise, and the experience has left us wondering if Celebrity has lost its way and badly needs management help.

 

Who is Celebrity's target market? I'd argue that they have no idea. The activities, entertainment, and even the service levels are all over the place. I used to be able to tell my friends that Celebrity provided a subdued experience. I'd always say, "think martinis as the ship sails away, and not drunks doing relay races in the pool", but after this cruise I can't say that.

 

I'm not stuck in the past - I know that things change and to succeed a company has to market itself to changing demographics. But I think Celebrity hasn't figured that out yet. In some ways it is clinging to the past (the string quartets), but in others it's clearly going after the under 30s (Demi Lovato and the silent discos) or the budget traveler (drinks included). The three don't necessarily meet - especially when you're paying beaucoup dollars for a vacation.

 

Anyone else see the same thing?

 

We have cruised on the Summit twice (and are booked for a third trip. All three trips included/will include "free drinks." I presume many (most) of our fellow passengers also had free booze. But we made sure to cruise when school was in session to avoid throngs of children running amuck throughout the ship. We have a good overall experience and expect the same on our next cruise. We also avoid judging folks on how they look. But everyone is entitled to their opinion.

[Hlitner]

Some interesting posts i this thread, especially the comments of Riocca who is on the Connie. We do think some the opinions are a bit unfair to Celebrity. Yes, Celebrity is now marketing to many non-English speaking countries and groups. Riocca talks about a large German speaking group on the Connie. We also had a very large German speaking group on the Eclipse (a few weeks ago) and we found the Germans to be an absolute delight (especially at the Martini Bar). We have always found a mixed demographic to add some fun to cruises and tip our cap to the Germans who have enough spirit of adventure to book on an English speaking cruise line.

 

As to the service problems in the "Elite" Lounge (usually Skywalkers) this is a frequent issue on cruises that have a lot of Elites/Elite Plus folks. In a sense, Celebrity has become a victim of its own success. The cruise line has tried to deal with the issue in various ways (such as giving out drink coupons that can be used at other bars). But many Elites still enjoy cramming into the Elite cocktail hour....even if they have a drink package that allows them to drink at any bar! Celebrity does need to better staff the Elite cocktail hours and the situation on the Connie sounds like the Hotel Manager (and his/her staff) have simply dropped the ball. Personally, we are Elite Plus and now generally avoid the Elite parties (on S Class ships) since we have the Premium Drink Package and prefer the Martini Bar (always lots of fun to be had at this venue).

 

And this brings up another issue which are the drink packages. Celebrity did not invent the drink package concept, but they certainly took it to new heights with a great degree of success. Has this attracted younger cruisers (who like to drink till they drop)? We think it has certainly attracted some. And many of us older folks (we are Seniors) do admittedly find ourselves drinking more "adult beverages" then the norm....which is part of the fun of Celebrity. On the S Class ships, the Martini Bar is usually a hopping fun place in the evening...and this is primarily because of the drink packages. For those that do not like this kind of drinking atmosphere, there are plenty of quiet places on the ship (just sit down in Cellar Masters where you will die from boredom. Or relax in the Ensemble Bar (a favorite venue of ours). If folks want a totally subdued atmosphere where everyone falls asleep by 6pm...you can always go on a HAL cruise (we have nearly 500 days on HAL).

 

Our only problem with Celebrity has to do with recent (the past 3 years) cut-backs in quality....combined with large price increases. It is this degradation in quality that is driving us to book more cruises with other cruise lines. We cruise 70-100 days a year and simply vote with our dollars. And Celebrity has now reached a point where more of our dollars are going elsewhere.

 

Hank

[richsea]

L

 

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.

 

Totally agree. There are times when I see certain screen names & immediately know pretty much what the content of the post will be; something negative. Oddly some are regular Celebrity cruisers, but seem to constantly nit pick. It seems there are some who feel that because they no longer cruise the line (or say they don't), they nonetheless feel they must convince others to change lines.

[hcat]

I agree !!!

But I also see a lot of budget cutting in the entertainment dept. that affects all demographics (those string duos were quartets a couple of years ago). A disco with a DJ after 11pm is a lot less expensive than a band. The late night comedians have disappeared. Port lecturers are now just sales pitches for the excursions. And entertainment staff has been drastically cut.

 

Last year I decided to highlight in different colors the activities in the Daily that were basically sales pitches (spa, jewelry, art gallery, etc.) vs. actual activities. Try it - it's really eye opening! :(

 

Completely agree.

 

On the Millenium, they had the DJ supervising the table tennis tournament, giving podium lectures, conducting trivia quizzes in addition to his other duties.

 

Entertainment is important to many cruisers - under invest in that area and it will cost you - JMO.

 

Annie

 

Would love to see Celeb bring back a genuine Island band on Caribbean itins....they pared down to a singer with a keyboard or steel drum and then nothing, Island bands get the party going!

Also miss good party bands & Jimmy buffet type music...most of the current performers seem like college bar or coffee house.. who cannot get the words or music right! But happy to see a trend to live music....a good sign!

[dread_pirate]

But isn't part of it the nostalgia of things past? It's the same with restaurants and stores we shop at and TV shows and movies. You hear constant complaints from older generations about how "it's not like it used to be" or "that place has gone downhill" or " they don't make 'me like they used to". In my early 40's I notice myself falling into that more often than in the past and my spouse and friends who are in their mid-50's even more so. Things of the past often seem better and can become elevated in people's memories. That's just human nature.

 

 

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Not entirely. My negatives (and the cruise was far from awful!) had to do with things I expect, not because "it used to be" like that, but because these were things I enjoy and make my trip more memorable. I don't think it's "nostalgia" to expect the MDR, and especially a grill specialty restaurant, to serve a properly cooked steak or burger. I don't think it's "nostalgia" to expect that the singers in the production show stay on key. I don't think it's "nostalgia" to expect some talks or activities not centered on shopping. (Many of those shopping talks were unnecessary anyway - people who are interested in Bulgari or Omega watches don't need a "talk" to describe them; they already know about the brands and if they want to shop, they want their specific questions answered. People who aren't interested in them before they get on the ship won't become interested in them by a "talk.")

[Baron Barracuda]

Let's see,

 

Cut, cut, cut - then give away drink pkg to keep ships full

Cut, cut, cut - then add free grats and obc under 123 Go to keep ships full

Cut, cut , cut - give away Go Best to keep ships full

Cut, cut , cut - free cruise next?

 

Doesn't seem like the path to prosperity.

 

Hate seeing services reduced on each sailing, but all those "free" perks keep us coming back.

[Redtravel]

I am elite+. I cruise often on Celebrity. I also cruise on other lines. Up until 2 years ago, I would easily say my go to cruise line was Celebrity/Azamara. It wasn't unusual to have 3 or 4 future cruises booked. We often sailed with family and friends to relax or celebrate events. Celebrity had been great about providing cakes, etc. for our celebrations. I often booked onboard. There were usually some good perks to persuade me to book. That type of incentive has gone away. With all the recent changes, I hesitate to book too far ahead. I will be on the Eclipse soon. I booked it 2 years ago while sailing on the Eclipse. After my last Celebrity cruise on the Summit, I was on the fence as to whether to go or not. My last Celebrity cruise in May was a big birthday celebration for my spouse. We brought the whole family. My TA and I informed Celebrity way in advance. Celebrity ignored my requests. Birthday celebration was a bust. Disappointed in a big way. We are hoping that our upcoming cruise on the Eclipse is good.

[ChucktownSteve]

I must agree with this post. We sailed to Bermuda on the Summit this past August and it was a less than stellar experience. The pool area and bars were jammed, it was hard to get a drink and even harder to sit down and relax.

 

Was on the Summit in August and agree.

[WonderMan3]

Not entirely. My negatives (and the cruise was far from awful!) had to do with things I expect, not because "it used to be" like that, but because these were things I enjoy and make my trip more memorable. I don't think it's "nostalgia" to expect the MDR, and especially a grill specialty restaurant, to serve a properly cooked steak or burger. I don't think it's "nostalgia" to expect that the singers in the production show stay on key. I don't think it's "nostalgia" to expect some talks or activities not centered on shopping. (Many of those shopping talks were unnecessary anyway - people who are interested in Bulgari or Omega watches don't need a "talk" to describe them; they already know about the brands and if they want to shop, they want their specific questions answered. People who aren't interested in them before they get on the ship won't become interested in them by a "talk.")

 

If you reread my post you'll note I said nostalgia was "part of it", I did not say that applied to everyone's complaints. But I see a lot of people posting here who have been cruising with Celebrity for 20+ years and talking about a whole list of things that they used to do and don't anymore. Things change with time, some are due to cost cutting, some are due to lack of interest from cruisers, some are due to company rebranding, some are due to a need to keep up with competition, etc. But life goes on. If a cruiseline has evolved into something you don't like that move on to one that does meet your needs. You may have to pay a lot more money for that but so be it. I used to cruise Norwegian. When they were becoming unsatisfactory I moved over to Celebrity and have been very happy. If Celebrity becomes unsatisfactory to me in a few years then I'll look to another cruiseline to travel on. What I won't do is self-abuse myself by continuing to give money to a company that is not meeting my needs and then incessantly whine and complain about it.

[grandgeezer]

Let's see,

 

Cut, cut, cut - then give away drink pkg to keep ships full

Cut, cut, cut - then add free grats and obc under 123 Go to keep ships full

Cut, cut , cut - give away Go Best to keep ships full

Cut, cut , cut - free cruise next?

 

Doesn't seem like the path to prosperity.

 

Hate seeing services reduced on each sailing, but all those "free" perks keep us coming back.

 

If you think those perks are free, I've got some oceanfront property in Montana for sale.

You don't record record profits for giving away all that free stuff.

One way or another, most of the ships we've sailed on, over the last fourteen years, were full one way or the other.

[LuAnn]

We were just on "Sillie" for the T/A and then Equinox for the 14 day holiday cruise...both in AQ staterooms.

 

The food on the T/A was far better in Blu..different chef??? The shows..I'm so sorry..we liked the production shows in the past...but on both of these sailings they just seemed " dis-jointed"...weird...we could not figure out what they were about...and even the CDs could not explain the "theme" that well!!! And the individual performances were not that great...again IMO!!! (and many other CCers we talked to on board)

 

The constant "music" overheard was over-bearing..IMO...and we did not have any TV coverage in 2 ports...NO...I don't go on a cruise to watch the news...but I do like to be informed...and at least X could have told us about the "black-out"...this was in the Carib.,,,

 

Yes...I did comment while on board...and a senior staff member of the Guest Relations staff did call me..and we met in person...KUDOS to her and the staff for giving me the opportunity to comment while on board.

 

So many items missing from the past...we know it...because we are long time X cruisers (Elite Plus) so we are not "newbies"...It seemed to us that many items were not "mentioned" or provided with hopes that the passengers would not know what they were missing!!????

 

Will we still sail X...yes...will I do another X T/A...probably not...as mentioned before the Elite events were a ZOO...with no pre planning on the part of X...who KNEW how many Elites and Elite Plus members were on board...example...opening an additional venue for the Elite morning hours...about 5 days into the T/A....and never putting on extra staff for the Elite HHs...those poor servers...they were so busy and over worked!!!!

 

We have sailed X since 2001...and we continue to do so...for certain cruises...but no more T/As...and we do miss "the good old days"...sorry...they were BETTER IMO!!!! Lots of the venues have changed...and we are looking again to AZ and O for options...yes...they may cost a little more...but the experience is better we think!!!...especially AZ where the X benefits transfer! LuAnn

[galensgrl]

But isn't part of it the nostalgia of things past? It's the same with restaurants and stores we shop at and TV shows and movies. You hear constant complaints from older generations about how "it's not like it used to be" or "that place has gone downhill" or " they don't make 'me like they used to". In my early 40's I notice myself falling into that more often than in the past and my spouse and friends who are in their mid-50's even more so. Things of the past often seem better and can become elevated in people's memories. That's just human nature.

 

 

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Hi WonderMan3. I think what you say has a lot of truth to it. But I also think that long time loyal cruisers of certain lines are noticing cutbacks, especially when what was once standard and included in the fare suddenly becomes an "upcharge" experience. They also see when the little niceties they looked forward to have gone by the wayside. Feeling like you pay more to get less certainly does chafe, and I can understand how that would take away from the overall cruise experience. We started with NCL in 2009, so the word "upcharge" has been in our vocabulary since day one. We had 4 fun cruises with NCL but jumped ship when the nickel and diming became too much. It's one thing to offer specialty dining if it's truly something nice. But on the last NCL cruise we felt we had to buy specialty dining in the evening, every evening, in order to have edible food for dinner. Not even awesome or very good, but edible. It wasn't just the food on NCL, we were ready for something a little "more" so we tried Holland America, and to us that was luxury. We were on the Veendam twice, we don't mind older ships, we aren't really the bells and whistles type looking for rock walls to climb and planks to walk lol. We've always wanted to try Celebrity, so when we felt we were getting a good deal we booked X for May. Now I'm curious to see what we will think of Celebrity in comparison to HAL.

Edited January 6, 2017 by galensgrl

[jonsmum]

You don't have to be a 'long time cruiser' to notice the cutbacks, particularly in frontline staff. We only started sailing in 2012 and have sailed exclusively with Celebrity. On our first cruise, there were plenty of bar staff circulating and taking orders in the buffet, on the sun decks and in the theatre. In Nov, we waited over an hour for the drinks that we had ordered to be delivered on the sun deck. In the theatre, the performance was half over before my brandy appeared. On numerous occasions, we gave up on waiting for someone to take our order in the buffet. Maybe not deal breakers, but hardly 'modern luxury' or even 'premium' cruising come to that.

[keithm]

Hi WonderMan3. I think what you say has a lot of truth to it. But I also think that long time loyal cruisers of certain lines are noticing cutbacks, especially when what was once standard and included in the fare suddenly becomes an "upcharge" experience. They also see when the little niceties they looked forward to have gone by the wayside. Feeling like you pay more to get less certainly does chafe, and I can understand how that would take away from the overall cruise experience. We started with NCL in 2009, so the word "upcharge" has been in our vocabulary since day one. We had 4 fun cruises with NCL but jumped ship when the nickel and diming became too much. It's one thing to offer specialty dining if it's truly something nice. But on the last NCL cruise we felt we had to buy specialty dining in the evening, every evening, in order to have edible food for dinner. Not even awesome or very good, but edible. It wasn't just the food on NCL, we were ready for something a little "more" so we tried Holland America, and to us that was luxury. We were on the Veendam twice, we don't mind older ships, we aren't really the bells and whistles type looking for rock walls to climb and planks to walk lol. We've always wanted to try Celebrity, so when we felt we were getting a good deal we booked X for May. Now I'm curious to see what we will think of Celebrity in comparison to HAL.

I guess a lot has to do with the ship. We've only done the Eclipse twice(soon to be third)We've found it to be really nice. Previously, we've done 6 times on Cunard(still our favorite overall line)However my work makes it hard to travel when they do most cruising in the Caribbean(November-December) We did a 14 day B2B on the Regal Princess this past Feb. The ship was very nice. A lot of the pax the first week looked like they came from a Trailer Trash Jamboree(Super Bowl week)Second week it was MUCH better. Hard to explain as our first trip on the Eclipse also occurred during Super Bowl week & the pax seemed fine. Food on the Regal was a step down(exception seafood, which was excellent)The specialty rest. had good food, but not leaps & bounds better than the MDR. I'd certainly do Princess again(except during a certain time!)I'd also prefer a full 14 days rather than B2B trips. We'll see how missing the Eclipse for a year will whether cutbacks in our opinion are obvious or not. The specialty rest. on the Eclipse were excellent overall. Though the price at $50 is rather steep, there are frequent discounts offered, so don't expect to pay the full price. I think overall you'll have a good time & look forward to your reviews.