Is it worth the work to Elite Plus, or time to try other cruise lines?

[Shadow9612]

I've been reading many recent posts about how X isn't the same as it was 5 years ago or more (unless you are in the suite staterooms, perhaps).

 

I have been traveling with celebrity for just over 6 years, and generally travel in a concierge stateroom. I've never been in a suite :(

 

I love points, I collect so many from so many places - air miles, drug stores, ...You name it!

 

I'm a loyalty client, and was so happy to reach Elite status with celebrity. I look forward to one day achieving Elite Plus although I have a long way to go (and can't even imagine how I'll ever get to zenith!).

 

I was on Equinox for the holiday sailing and I noticed many minor changes - most notably the quality of food and service in the MDR has decreased dramatically, the selection of items in Ocienview has been reduced, and removal of sushi in ocean view was a huge disappointment.

 

Did I love the cruise - yes! I feel so fortunate to be able to get away and relax on the ocean on such a beautiful ship. I had a wonderful time.

 

Do I love celebrity - yes!

 

But the little changes did disappoint me - not because they were problems, but I had been spoiled by X over the years and came to expect each cruise to get better.

 

So I don't have 1 'real' complaint. Had this been my first cruise with X, I would have been exceptionally happy. I could go on and on actually about all the positives. I thought the staff were phenomenal this cruise, even the stateroom attendant who was dealing with being on his own now for the first real time. The housekeeping staff throughout the ship were spectacular -always greeting all passengers with a smile. The bar staff throughout the ship also did a fantastic job of remembering people's drinks from one location on the shop to another. CD Damian and the activity manager were hilarious, visible, and approachable.

 

So I find myself wondering what to do??? Is it worth cruising solely with X so I can one day achieve Elite Plus (I'm lucky to go one cruise per year). Are the additional benefits worth it? Will these little declines add up so I one day I am not happy? I fear trying other lines because I did a B2B once with princess and was so disappointed with Princess.

 

I've thought about trying Crystal, but the costs seem substantially higher.

 

Apologies for the length of this post - thank you for reading and I look forward to your suggestions and comments.

[SusieV]

Elite Plus doesn't really get much more. We're Elite, my mother is Elite Plus, and if you have the drink package basically all you get is one extra match play coupon and an extra bag of laundry. Cruise Celebrity if you like it, but not to achieve the next loyalty level.

 

We are trying Oceania... apparently if you don't mind the lower level cabins, pricing is not that much higher than Celebrity on some sailings. I know it's a different type of experience, but we're going to give it a shot.

[NLH Arizona]

I would say to try a few other lines, to see if Celebrity is still the best fit for you. I can recommend Crystal 100%, as it is a step above Celebrity and IMHO worth the money. Even after saying that, my January cruise on Celebrity was one of the best one I've had over the years (am Elite, closing in on Elite+), as far as the food and service. I also cruise in Concierge Class cabins.

[grandgeezer]

Elite Plus doesn't really get much more. We're Elite, my mother is Elite Plus, and if you have the drink package basically all you get is one extra match play coupon and an extra bag of laundry. Cruise Celebrity if you like it, but not to achieve the next loyalty level.

 

We are trying Oceania... apparently if you don't mind the lower level cabins, pricing is not that much higher than Celebrity on some sailings. I know it's a different type of experience, but we're going to give it a shot.

 

You also get 240 minutes of internet vs 90, free cappuccino and latte all day, 10% discount on any beverage package, and 15% off all specialty dining. I don't know why a drink package is mentioned as both Elite and Elite Plus get the two hours of drinks in Sky Lounge at night.

[easyboy]

We cruise more on itinerary and ship amenities. Loyalty perks are just an icing for us. It is really a matter of preference.

[QE2_Fan]

You also get 240 minutes of internet vs 90, free cappuccino and latte all day, 10% discount on any beverage package, and 15% off all specialty dining. I don't know why a drink package is mentioned as both Elite and Elite Plus get the two hours of drinks in Sky Lounge at night.

 

 

 

I read it that if you have the drink package as a perk (we mostly do) then the evening Elite and above drinks are of lesser value, even at Elite status.

 

To the OP, I think for the small extra perceived value in Elite + ststus I would instead mix it up a little and try some other lines. Even give Azamara a go, where points earned still count towards your Captains Club ranking.

 

For one cruise it won't set you back in claiming the Celebrity points ladder too much and will give yourself a chance to reflect and compare if Celebrity is still that 'happy place' you want to return to !!

 

Good luck!

 

 

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[jelayne]

We are Elite + but the extra laundry we don't use,(I mean how many bags of work out clothes, t-shirts, socks& jeans do you need in 14 days) the 240 Internet minutes are a plus. But we have found that all the mass market cruise lines keep cutting small things here an there as competition is stiff. So no Celebrity isn't like it was 6-8 years ago but neither are the others.

 

So the decision for us is do we move up to a Azamara, Regent, Seaborn, Oceania, etc or do we cruise more often and stick with X; we haven't decided.

[bigbenboys]

We are just off Millieium. Now at Shanghai Disney. We are Elite+ before we started booking Suites. Our last cruise was the best we have ever been on. We do like Celebrity. We book Suites or Aqua. The points are just extra benefits.

 

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[Duanerice1]

Don't chase points. If you enjoy Celebrity, take another cruise. And there is nothing wrong with trying a different line. We will probably never try the high end lines, just so interest for us. As long as we get a decent deal and have a good cruise - which We've never had a bad one (even Carnival) - then we are happy.

 

We did try (and made it) to get to Elite before the changeover to points becasue there is a big jump in benefits from the basic to Elite. And we needed a cruise anyway :) But from here on there really aren't any great benefits.

 

We still book mainly Celebrity but aren't shy from taking pretty much any cruise line. Just have to have a balcony.

[Lois R]

Interesting thread to me......I am Elite+ and have been cruising with

Celebrity for 14 years....2016 was the first time I did not sail with X. I

went on my first River Cruise (LOVED IT:)) and then I went on a cruise

with my sister on Royal Caribbean which was ok. My next cruise is

on REFLECTION over Superbowl Sunday. I am looking forward to it but

to be honest, I am not in the mindset of booking anything else (years

ago I would have put a deposit down on something all the time) but

I guess I have changed a bit.

After trying that River Cruise I know I love the smaller size....and going

forward, (Elite or not) I just don't have that "fuzzy feeling".......Now,

if this coming cruise blows me away I know I can still book something

else.

 

But, it just seems my thought process has changed. To be honest, I may have

the opportunity to try WINDSTAR later this year and if that happens?

I will do it:D....they are supposed to be pretty awesome.

Edited January 26, 2017 by Lois R

[bigbeergut]

I'm Elite on Celebrity and Diamond+ on RCL and I don't think it's worth it to chase points. Except for possibly Carnival (depending on your age and family situation) you can enjoy yourself on any of the major cruise lines. Sure there will be differences, but there are far more similarities than differences among the major cruise lines. Sure a free drink in the evening, or a cabin category upgrade (probably about $50 value) are nice but I would focus on the itinerary and features on a particular ship far more than the cruise line. The only Elite benefit that I think is really valuable is priority tendering. Tendering is never a good process and priority tendering can save a lot of time and reduce the stress (this probably isn't an issue for suite passengers).

Edited January 26, 2017 by bigbeergut

[Shadow9612]

I don't think it's worth it to chase points.

 

Thanks to everyone for comments on not chasing points. It's an angle I hadn't considered since I love points ;), but it seems correct putting the benefits into perspective.

 

Which brings me to another curiosity: what is the logic with Celebrity making Zenith so 'unattaiable' to most, other than perhaps suite guests cruising months per year. The point gap is astronomical.

 

Why not put another level in between?

 

Isn't the point system to try to lock in loyalty so cruisers don't jump all over the place to different cruise lines? Aren't they missing the mark, if the take home message by most becomes not to worry about, or chase points?

[Oceangoer2]

I agree with your assessment re 'point class in between Elite + and Zenith' if they added enough inducements to keep with the line. We're one cruise away from E+; after that the other lines will be given a look as Z is too far off in the horizon for us. I think at the Elite level most of the value of points is realized, with E+ not offering enough to induce cruisers to keep sailing with X based on points alone. Having said that, we've cruised most other lines, settling on Celebrity as the one that meets best our expectations. Perhaps now the other lines are catching up. Ports changes will be an incentive for us as X keeps to the 'usual' too often for frequent cruisers.

[wallie5446]

Yes it reads like it is time to 'move on down the road' and start over with the collecting somewhere else.

[flyingv4me]

I agree with those saying not to chase points. I'm elite and love X, but have noticed the subtle and not-so-subtle cuts in the five short years I've cruised. Frankly, it IS possible to die from a thousand cuts and if they continue it will be time to move on.

 

Hmm. Maybe it is time that I branched out! :)

[lvz2cruz]

We sailed X exclusively for years reaching elite then tried other lines for preferred itineraries.

We did not like NCL but found we preferred HAL to X so much that the elite perks are gladly forfeited for a better cruise experience.

We have tried X twice in the past year and really want to love it but it just comes up lacking in too many ways. We cancelled an x booking for February and are staying with HAL.

Rather than compare the current x experience with ten years ago, we compare with current experience on HAL and HAL wins by a landslide.

We will try x again in a few years and hope they have improved.

[BosoxI]

We're Elite+ but we'll never make Zenith. Becoming Elite was the big plus, anything more is of modest importance, considering the time and money it takes to reach the higher levels. Twenty six cruises with X and we are actively investigating other lines again. Honestly, after having taken sixty five + cruises, the bloom is off the rose. And you know what? If we never take another cruise on X, they won't miss us one bit.

[Mynki]

No I don't think so. After our current cruise I've just worked out that every point we accrued cost us £23.86 each after sailing in both AQ rooms and Suites.

 

Do some maths, work out the true cost of Elite + vs the true value to you, whilst remembering that this is coming at the potential cost of missing out on better cruises with other lines.

 

People IMHO should really try other experiences and not fall for marketing traps that are 'loyalty programs'. I believe CC is good. It's without question better than those of other mass market lines, but no, it's not worth it.

 

I genuinely believe some people are slaves to their loyalty program and are being stiffed as a result. The more Elite + on board a cruise the higher the cost to the cruise line. How do you think they recoup those losses? Either through increasing costs, cost cutting or both. The celebrity program is popular, yet we're seeing increased costs and cost cutting. There are no prizes for guessing at least one of the reasons why.

[Lois R]

quote:

"We're Elite+ but we'll never make Zenith".....

 

Me too.

 

And for the person asking about another level between Elite+ and Zenith....

the question has been asked many times since the Zenith level points were

put in place......my guess is....Celebrity doesn't care about having another

level.

[CRZR58]

To be honest, I may have

the opportunity to try WINDSTAR later this year and if that happens?

I will do it:D....they are supposed to be pretty awesome.

We absolutely loved the Windstar experience. Significantly better food than X. Great cabin. Small ship means hundreds, not thousands of folks in the smaller ports. Great shore excursions. The only downside is the lack of large entertainment venues, so don't expect a 'Broadway:cool:' style show.

[nusailor]

We're Elite+ but we'll never make Zenith. Becoming Elite was the big plus, anything more is of modest importance, considering the time and money it takes to reach the higher levels. Twenty six cruises with X and we are actively investigating other lines again. Honestly, after having taken sixty five + cruises, the bloom is off the rose. And you know what? If we never take another cruise on X, they won't miss us one bit.

 

We feel the same, started cruising in 2009, mostly RCL and Celebrity. We are also elite plus and after last celebrity cruise are a little disillusioned.

Immediately fell in love with cruising, in fact 26 cruises in 8 years( feel really lucky).

 

After last cruise, I am questioning our loyalty to the brand. Cabin neighbors on their second cruise, were invited to Michael's club every evening. Huh!!

 

Seems fair enough that you shouldreward loyalty rather than new guests. Also, we upgraded drink package to premium, but premium wines were rarely available. We could only get them in the dining room. When requesting a glass of celebrity elegance at cocktail hour they always responded with "sorry, we are out." Cellar masters was closed most of the time or hostesses were in back. Had to wait for 10-15 minutes every time. Also large bottles of Pellegrino, Evian and even vitamin water were hard to come by.

 

Seems like the shows are always the same, how many times can you see the same tired acts? One innovation that we enjoyed was the silent disco, hooray! Innovation. But why switch venues when party starts hopping. After 45 minutes, shut it down. Why??

 

First time I have disembarked without reserving next cruise, a little sad but am looking into other companies. Hope to find a better match with more activities and better production shows.

[TeaBag]

We have sailed only 2 other cruises since first boarding Meridian in 1994. The rest have been exclusively Celebrity and we also are Elite+ but don't see ever making Zenith:(. We are sailing on AMA this summer and looking very carefully at replacing our Constellation cruise in 2018 with Azamara.

[docmark]

We sailed X exclusively for years reaching elite then tried other lines for preferred itineraries.

We did not like NCL but found we preferred HAL to X so much that the elite perks are gladly forfeited for a better cruise experience.

We have tried X twice in the past year and really want to love it but it just comes up lacking in too many ways. We cancelled an x booking for February and are staying with HAL.

Rather than compare the current x experience with ten years ago, we compare with current experience on HAL and HAL wins by a landslide.

We will try x again in a few years and hope they have improved.

 

What makes HAL a winner by landslide? we usually are suite customers,and did several HAL cruises before Celebrity. Food quality (and specialty selection) is better in X(imo),Michael lounge offers more than Neptune lounge,and Service is about the same.Please detail your reasons ..

[donaldsc]

I have a few cruise lines that I tend to like but I also have absolutely no brand loyalty. They do not care about my loyalty so why should I care about being loyal to them.

 

I decide where I want to go to and when I want to go and then check out my best deal on a line I am comfortable. Then and only then do I consider points and which lines I have cruised w in the past.

 

DON

[cathep]

I think with anything you tend to build up your memories into something that can't be equaled. So those first impressions of wow! just don't hold up long term. I first started on these boards over a decade ago. People were bemoaning Celebrity's cost-cutting measures then. "They've gone downhill since I first started cruising x years ago." And those complaints haven't stopped. Is Celebrity making changes that people aren't happy with? Of course, as does any business. But they've also implemented some pretty impressive changes in the last 15 years. So part of your growing disillusionment is likely that comparison to your initial feelings of wow! that can't ever be equaled. Those wow! feelings are now your normal and you want to be wowed again. Try a different cruise line to see if you get your wow! back. You'll either find it with that cruise line, or your standards will have been reset and you'll get it the next time you cruise Celebrity. You may feel that's a risk as you'll miss points, but is the wow! feeling more important than your points? Only you can decide that.

 

Some family members have a high status with both RCL and Celebrity and won't cruise any other lines because they've gotten attached to their perks. But what they list as the perks they can't do without are things I wouldn't give up my freedom of choice for. Drinks and laundry? That doesn't drive a vacation choice as far as I'm concerned. It just seems like you're limiting yourself if that ultimately decides what you do. And there's a whole lot of joy in planning what that choice is.

 

We'll be trying Celebrity again with our kids this time. It's been 16 years since our last one. I'm hoping for wow! for all of us. If we don't get it, then we move on to the next choice. And I'll have a fantastic time figuring out what that will be.

Edited January 26, 2017 by cathep