Celebrity losing its way?

[ghstudio]

Maybe, by disappointing the regular Celebrity clients, the parent company is trying to get the more well-traveled (et al.) clientele to "move up" to their premium brand, Azamara(?)

 

 

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If that was their goal, they failed with us. They did succeed in moving us up on some cruises (and to some land travel), but not to Azamara...another RCL company which will likely soon be following Celebrity's "modern luxury" expense cutting.

[harz99]

Yes, a bit like your pic ChucktownSteve. Lol. Although I was thinking more of all the staff in the small theatre/cinema.

Stuff, not staff!!

 

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[Cruisercl]

Maybe, by disappointing the regular Celebrity clients, the parent company is trying to get the more well-traveled (et al.) clientele to "move up" to their premium brand, Azamara(?)

 

 

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(Since this was brought up......)

 

Oh my gosh, I hope so!!!!

 

I have been on 2 Celebrity cruises, 10 years apart, just recently in Oct 2016; I have never seen such a large group of crabby, rude and self-entitled fellow passengers. I just ignored them and had a great time anyway; lots of eye rolling on my part, I must admit. :)

 

I am very 'well traveled' as someone put it but have no sense of entitlement; calling something premium and complaining about the loss of past things is VERY subjective. Don't get me started on the term 'classy' implied on this thread.

 

It surprises me sometimes what people believe they are entitled to or are considered special things. You make your own vacation/cruise fun and special; you shouldn't rely on the cruise line or other people. Move on if it doesn't work for you; the rest of us thank you in advance........since you seem miserable and it is difficult for the rest of us to listen to the whining, all of the time. JMHO, and yes you are entitled to yours too.

 

Safe sailing!!!

[CelebrityMan]

We did a B2B sailing in November on Summit. We are Elite Plus, and have cruised with Celebrity since September, 1998. We have seen a lot of changes in that time frame.

 

I don't even know where to start about what seemed to be "off" about the November sailings. Hardly anything except the ship itself seemed to be the familiar and favored Celebrity.

 

I heartily agree with other posters to this thread who surmise that trying to be all things to all people; that not being able to comfortably identify and stick with a demographic seems to be a huge problem. And I as heartily agree that times change and societal, cultural conventions with it. For instance, I would prefer to dress for dinner, but recognize society as a whole is no longer in that mindset.

 

An earlier poster also said that they once spoke of/promoted Celebrity as an upscale experience. I've done that, myself, for nearly 20 years. I will not use those terms again in reference to our beloved Celebrity. That's how bad things were in November.

 

I could give a litany of what was 'off' about the cruise(s), but I won't. I will give an example — 'trivial' though it is — which to me spoke of a tremendous corporate inattention to detail, or at the very least a complete lack of understanding thereof. It was the menu..., no not the food offerings (though they weren't great, either). It was the printed menu.

 

Again, I know times change. But how much does it cost to print menus in a font and style that speaks of elegance, refinement, and gracious ambience? Instead, what we were handed was a cheap, uninspired font with color and graphics!! I couldn't believe what I was seeing! In today's world of high-definition printers, anyone with even a basic knowledge of a publishing/word-processing program could produce something much better than what we saw.

 

What really got to me was the difference between the two weeks. Week One, loyalty perks were missing, service was not up to par, and much seemed to be amiss. Week Two, the president of the line was aboard for a conference and suddenly many of the previous week's shortcomings disappeared. Isn't that amazing?

 

Sadly, the corporate conferees destroyed any improvement of Week Two. They treated the paying passengers with disdain, pushed, shoved, and got in others' way in the Café, and generally made the first three days of that week the worst experience we've ever had on a Celebrity ship.

 

If the president of the line wants to improve things, how about doing this with shipboard conferees: require them to split up into no more than two-person groups and intermingle unobtrusively with regular passengers at breakfast and lunch in the Café. This would enable conversations about real-world experiences and just might yield some genuine insights into passenger preferences as well as expectations.

 

And lastly, I would speak to the loss of elegance and upscale experience as demonstrated by something we saw on Week Two: a group of four individuals, two men, two women, attempting to come into the main dining room on the first 'Evening Chic' night dressed in sleeveless undershirts, midriff-baring halter tops, cowboy hats, etc. Yes, a sectional maître d' turned them out.

 

It was, to say the least, a very disappointing and disheartening two weeks for these two Celebrity loyalists.

 

CM

[ChucktownSteve]

CelebrityMan Thank you for your comments. They were telling from your observation.

 

To wit I would say, you must have mistaken them for someone who shives a git.

[chamima]

We did a B2B sailing in November on Summit. We are Elite Plus, and have cruised with Celebrity since September, 1998. We have seen a lot of changes in that time frame.

 

I don't even know where to start about what seemed to be "off" about the November sailings. Hardly anything except the ship itself seemed to be the familiar and favored Celebrity.

 

.........................................................................................

 

Week Two, the president of the line was aboard for a conference and suddenly many of the previous week's shortcomings disappeared. Isn't that amazing?

 

Sadly, the corporate conferees destroyed any improvement of Week Two. They treated the paying passengers with disdain, pushed, shoved, and got in others' way in the Café, and generally made the first three days of that week the worst experience we've ever had on a Celebrity ship.

 

If the president of the line wants to improve things, how about doing this with shipboard conferees: require them to split up into no more than two-person groups and intermingle unobtrusively with regular passengers at breakfast and lunch in the Café. This would enable conversations about real-world experiences and just might yield some genuine insights into passenger preferences as well as expectations.

 

 

 

It was, to say the least, a very disappointing and disheartening two weeks for these two Celebrity loyalists.

 

CM

 

 

I seem to remember reading the exact same thing about corporate conferees last year.

You'd think someone would have taken note and required them to behave better.

But I guess that would have required that someone to actually care............ :(

 

Sorry you had to experience that!

[HokiePoq]

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. We are sailing on The Regent Princess and in Club Class in March. We are hopeful that Princess will be a better experience. If not, we are going back to smaller ships.

 

 

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Summit to Bermuda was a different experience from all our other X cruises. There were MANY large groups that made select dining very difficult. But we had a great time anyway. HAL's smaller ships might provide the experience you are looking for. We finally became elite and were looking forward to our next cruise.....but X took it for a charter. A unique cruise, one of a kind, that cannot be rescheduled because it was the only one with that itinerary. I was not pleased when a new CEO changed NCL and it looks like Celebrity has changed as well. Yes, a business needs to look for new customers, but they should not alienate the faithful ones that have made the line what it is today.

[grammy c]

This is a no brainer for us. Time to look elsewhere. Boarded Eclipse 11/27 and did b2b2b thru 1/2/17. Since 2010 the first yr. for the Eclipse and Celebrity for us, we have sailed atleast four wks a yr. and have come away wishing not to leave. This yr. I was ready to leave after the second wk. still had three to go! Like others, the list is too long to make, and explain how this is now a ship in crisis. Nothing was the same, except the hard working crew! But of course they have a personal stake here, and the fact that some portions of the passengers STILL find they can afford to cruise but not to do their share and pay the tips to these hard working people is just too much. No it's not a new phase, but just the fact they demand way more than they should. Just my beef for the day. If it was you on my cruise, shame on you, and just know, I paid for us both. You want see me again. To those that stick it out with celebrity, good luck, and happy cruising .

[ChucktownSteve]

LPP is making Celebrity in her own image and persuasions. As long as you and others keep booking, it confirms she's taken the correct direction. When prices have to decline, they add perks or they add back the things they've cut, then it was the wrong direction.

[bogofman]

Not to discount your experience, but as someone in my 30's it is hard to afford a 10-14 day cruise when you factor in the time away from work (and I dont mean just financially). Also as a former employee, I can tell you that longer cruises and European cruises can be very different experiences because many of those who are on board are retired or semi-retired.

 

Don't have to be retired to cruise 14 nights, most uk have about 6 weeks paid leave

 

I have 8 plus bank holidays :)

[Globehoppers]

Comments above come as a concern now that we have booked our first X cruise in three years. Have always liked X, especially the Millennium class even though they are starting to show design age. We booked Aqua class primarily for BLU which negates the need for the MDR which we find to be uncomfortable and too noisy on almost all ships. Have also taken a dislike to the RCI offerings: last sailing on a Radiance class was less than satisfactory despite being a Fall northeast itinerary. And forget about the larger ships - a T/A on Oasis was just horrible, so bad, in fact, RCI reimbursed those who asked 30 percent for a future cruise.

 

We do sail frequently on Azamara and really enjoy the personal contact with the officers and the professional service by the crew. The recent refurbishment of Journey and Quest was successful - made them better experiences.

 

Maybe its our "maturity." "X" was always billed as the line for those of us of a certain age... Hopefully they have not lost that ideal.

 

We recently tried the new Princess offerings (Royal and Regal) and found them to be very Solstice-like: comfortable venues, decent service and good food. Hurtigruten is up next for an expedition to Antarctica - that is a different type of cruising and yes, we have done Galapagos on Xpedition.

 

We don't want to cancel our just booked X cruise for early 2018, but any more negative reviews may cause us to review our purchase. "X" does not need to become another RCI - RCCL already has their "party" ships. Keep the "X" offering a cut above.

[CelebrityMan]

CelebrityMan Thank you for your comments. They were telling from your observation.

 

To wit I would say, you must have mistaken them for someone who shives a git.

 

...pity that they don't.

 

You're welcome. :D

 

CM

[Germancruiser]

Well said Celebrity Man. I joined ship ( X ) a few years later- well you might try Cunard- my next voyages are booked with them. I think I might give the Edge Class a try. Some the Elite Plus benefits are really nice to have. LOL!

[ChucktownSteve]

The OP titled this thread Celebrity Losing its Way? I stumbled across an article in Travel Planners International from mid last year that indicates Celebrity hasn't lost it's way but more a calculated effort that probably began two years before LPP took over as Celebrity CEO.

 

According to the article, "Prior to serving as President and CEO of Celebrity Cruises, Lisa Lutoff-Perlo was Executive Vice President, Operations for Royal Caribbean International. She was appointed to this position in August 2012 and oversaw several critical areas for the global cruise brand, including Marine Operations which included nautical and technical operations, Global Marine Services and Fuel Efficiency Management, as well as Hotel Operations. This included all areas impacting the guest experience such as Hotel Services, Entertainment and Activities, Food and Beverage Operations and Onboard Revenue."

 

https://www.travelplannersinternational.com/blog/uncategorized/2016/06/07/celebrity-cruises-ceo-lisa-lutoff-perlo/

 

Isn't 2012 when more cuts started being implemented under Michael Bayley? So how much did LPP have to do with those cuts?

[LuAnn]

we will be sticking to Azamara for our T/As. The last one we did on X..as mentioned on this thread before...was a ZOO in the Elite venues...with no pre-planning on the part of MIA or the staff on board...anything done was done "after the fact".

 

"Driven to AZ"??? no...we did AZ years ago...and do love that product...has it changed??? well...the ships have been totally re-done décor wise...and we love the staff/captains and the over-all ambiance of the ship...can we afford to sail AZ all the time??? NO...so we will continue to book X for other cruises...but we do mourn the previous items/shows/staff etc that we have enjoyed in the past.

 

Do things change??? Of course they do...and my first cruise...on the "Love Boat" with Princess was an entirely different experience..in the 70s...but the change I am lamenting about is recently within X...within the last several years!...We miss the old "X"...and our $$ spent on cruising will reflect that. LuAnn

[BosoxI]

This is a no brainer for us. Time to look elsewhere. Boarded Eclipse 11/27 and did b2b2b thru 1/2/17. Since 2010 the first yr. for the Eclipse and Celebrity for us, we have sailed atleast four wks a yr. and have come away wishing not to leave. This yr. I was ready to leave after the second wk. still had three to go! Like others, the list is too long to make, and explain how this is now a ship in crisis.

 

We did the last two of your three cruises. and we, too, were ready to come home but only because we had already spent too much time in the Caribbean over the years. We've been on the Eclipse for at least two cruises in December for the last six years. In 2017 we'll do just the pre Christmas cruise for which we got a relatively low price with four perks plus extra OBC from Celebrity. The Christmas cruise is ridiculously high priced and we won't pay that much for a Celebrity cruise. The product does not warrant it. But many people will foot the bill, apparently. We did the 2016 Christmas cruise only because blind luck got us a steal for an Aqua guarantee cabin. I don't expect lightning to strike twice.

[Rob the Cruiser]

This is a no brainer for us. Time to look elsewhere. Boarded Eclipse 11/27 and did b2b2b thru 1/2/17. Since 2010 the first yr. for the Eclipse and Celebrity for us, we have sailed atleast four wks a yr. and have come away wishing not to leave. This yr. I was ready to leave after the second wk. still had three to go! Like others, the list is too long to make, and explain how this is now a ship in crisis. Nothing was the same, except the hard working crew! But of course they have a personal stake here, and the fact that some portions of the passengers STILL find they can afford to cruise but not to do their share and pay the tips to these hard working people is just too much. No it's not a new phase, but just the fact they demand way more than they should. Just my beef for the day. If it was you on my cruise, shame on you, and just know, I paid for us both. You want see me again. To those that stick it out with celebrity, good luck, and happy cruising .

 

We were on Eclipse starting 11/27 and did B2B. Crisis? What crisis? We were aboard a beautiful ship with a happy, hard-working crew and friendly officers.

[CelebrityMan]

The OP titled this thread Celebrity Losing its Way? I stumbled across an article in Travel Planners International from mid last year that indicates Celebrity hasn't lost it's way but more a calculated effort that probably began two years before LPP took over as Celebrity CEO.

 

Isn't 2012 when more cuts started being implemented under Michael Bayley? So how much did LPP have to do with those cuts?

 

This is engaging in semantics. Whether the changes and losses of which we lament are a calculated effort or not, the result is the same: our beloved cruise line IS 'losing its way' and becoming something many of us no longer prefer.

 

The current president may be continuing the decline, but she isn't necessarily the whole cause, and I agree shouldn't be cast as such.

 

 

CM

[Lastdance]

From the article mentioned above...

 

 

This statement is quite interesting..."Celebrity Cruises’ president and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo took top honors: She and Celebrity were named the number-one woman-led business in Florida for 2016..." I guess some of us are looking at different things and comparing those to the way we remember it being .

 

 

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Edited January 9, 2017 by Lastdance

[ghstudio]

From the article mentioned above...

 

 

This statement is quite interesting..."Celebrity Cruises’ president and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo took top honors: She and Celebrity were named the number-one woman-led business in Florida for 2016..." I guess some of us are looking at different things and comparing those to the way we remember it being .

 

 

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I doubt there is any other women led travel related company in Florida close to the size of Celebrity.....this is a no brainer statement vs an award of some sort for something she (or celebrity) actually did.

 

If you define the field small enough, anyone can get an award.....isn't that something like what politicians do in re-districting?

[Mynki]

Maybe, by disappointing the regular Celebrity clients, the parent company is trying to get the more well-traveled (et al.) clientele to "move up" to their premium brand, Azamara(?)

 

 

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With only two small ships I doubt that very much.

 

Although interestingly I've been looking at pricing and note that there are cruises available on genuine 6 star lines in their low end suites which compare to the costs of sky suites. My thoughts are that I really need to try one of these lines to see first hand how they compare.

[Mynki]

This is a no brainer for us. Time to look elsewhere. Boarded Eclipse 11/27 and did b2b2b thru 1/2/17. Since 2010 the first yr. for the Eclipse and Celebrity for us, we have sailed atleast four wks a yr. and have come away wishing not to leave. This yr. I was ready to leave after the second wk. still had three to go! Like others, the list is too long to make, and explain how this is now a ship in crisis. Nothing was the same, except the hard working crew! But of course they have a personal stake here, and the fact that some portions of the passengers STILL find they can afford to cruise but not to do their share and pay the tips to these hard working people is just too much. No it's not a new phase, but just the fact they demand way more than they should. Just my beef for the day. If it was you on my cruise, shame on you, and just know, I paid for us both. You want see me again. To those that stick it out with celebrity, good luck, and happy cruising .

 

Bye then.

[richsea]

I doubt there is any other women led travel related company in Florida close to the size of Celebrity.....this is a no brainer statement vs an award of some sort for something she (or celebrity) actually did.

 

If you define the field small enough, anyone can get an award.....isn't that something like what politicians do in re-districting?

 

It does not specify "travel" business, it says number one woman led in Florida.

[jagoffee]

I think Celebrity is changing it's way for sure.

 

1. The overall Celebrity Suite experience has significant improved. Many great benefits have been added. Suites are more popular than every selling out early on many cruises. I doubt that very many suites are being given to passengers as free upgrades as was very common in the past. The overall suite experience was in need of improvement.

 

2. The BBB pricing model has resulted in more bundling and certainly higher spending per passenger.

 

3. It has been mentioned numerous times, but deals are available. I think you have to be more flexible to get the deals.

Edited January 10, 2017 by jagoffee

[xmarksx]

Bye then.

 

Ha! There is a current US slang phrase that can also be employed; Bye Felecia.

 

Someone earlier commented that they were hopeful Celebrity might view these complaints and it would somehow impact them. Have you ever seen a X response to one of these strings? Can you point to any time this tactic has actually worked?