It's refreshing to see more and more POSITIVE Celebrity reviews!

[Mynki]

The previous 3-4 years we averaged between 40-60 days a year and loved every minute of it, that's why we cruised so much. We still enjoy the destinations, it's the trip getting there which doesn't excite us the way it did before.

 

One day in six on board a ship would get boring very soon. In fact I'd be going stir crazy regardless of which line I was sailing. I can see why you appear so jaded.

[jagoffee]

In the last few weeks I've noticed more and more uplifting positive reviews!!

 

Makes me more excited to depart in 64 days!!

 

Whoo hoo X!

 

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You have a good reason to be excited. We have been on many Celebrity cruises including 3 in the last year, loved every one of them, and they are only getting better. We like the most of the changes, but not all of them. We have 7 more booked between now and the spring of 2019. ( might only take 5 of them) We like to cheerlead on an actual cruise as well as on this forum.

 

I understand how some people might not enjoy their cruise experience and it is good that they share their experiences. For them it is good have many other cruise choices. I do continue to be surprised that posters that never plan on doing another Celebrity cruise continue to monitor and post on this thread. Just might be that they are not really committed to never boarding another Celebrity ship.

 

Enjoy your cruise and the anticipation. I am very confident that you will have a great time.

[trishkri]

Just to put it all in perspective I did a little research. My DH and I signed up for our first cruise on the Mercury in the Caribbean in Nov, 2001. We had three children, ages 3-8, little money and a brave MIL willing to watch the kids for a week. We signed up for an inside cabin with a group from work for $569. I just looked up the identical itinerary on the Silhouette this November for $749.

 

Frankly, I don't remember enough about that the service on that cruise to compare to that we experienced on our last two cruises. (Plus we sailed through the outer portion of Hurricane Michelle so it wasn't typical). BUT, in my opinion Celebrity offers a very nice experience and great value for the money paid. Over the past 17 years the price for the cruise has only risen 30%. The CPI has risen by ~60% over that same period for the US. Personally my salary and home value have doubled.

 

My long-winded point is that Celebrity could probably deliver the same level of experience as they did several years ago if they charged proportionately with inflation. Would they be able to find enough passengers willing to pay an extra 30%? I doubt it. The business model for that segment of the market has changed and the smaller, more exclusive lines are taking over at the higher price.

 

I am happy with the product that I get from Celebrity for the price that I pay. BTW, I think that the price increase is probably less in the ocean view and balcony cabins when you factor in the perks that are common today that were unheard of several years ago.

 

 

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[The Fun Researcher]

Since we started cruising on Celebrity 'way back' in 2015 there has been a noticeable drop in the level of both the food and the service.

 

I agree with the original poster. In 2015 we've done six Celebrity cruises for a total of 56 days, with our last being 14 days on the Silhouette this past December. None booked for 2017 and none in the planning stage.

 

I'm baffled, and I'm being sincere here. Please give examples of these changes in the past two years that are severe enough to warrant a complete dismissal of X in the future? ...or those that display a "noticeable drop in level".

 

To me, your comments sound more the issue of "familiarity breeds contempt". I've seen this on forums for other vacation destinations. Things were almost always "Better way back (insert your desired timeframe here)."

 

Keep in mind, I'm not X fanboy. Never sailed X. (will be in August though).

 

Regarding service, that is such a hard one for me to generalize about. Each cruise, for the most part, we've had a completely different set of crew that we interact with individually, yet they make a huge impact on our experience. (room steward, waiters, bar staff, CD...) so maybe a handful of staff that that have a large impact on your cruise. Yet, we feel we can generalize on the service levels of the entire ship based on the few that we have solid interaction with.

 

Anyhow, I hope everyone's next cruise on X is fantastic.

 

Dan

[El Crucero]

The overtly positive reviews from the 'Celebrity Cheerleaders' lately are in direct response to a bunch of negative reviews from folks who mostly have valid complaints IMO. Since we started cruising on Celebrity 'way back' in 2015 there has been a noticeable drop in the level of both the food and the service. If your last Celebrity trip was before 2015, I'm sure you'll notice the changes too.

 

Well that didn't take long! :rolleyes:

 

BTW: My next trip won't be on Celebrity as the cost no longer matches level of the service or food, so no, the negative posters don't happily keep sailing on Celebrity or any other line for that matter.

 

You don't cruise on Celebrity anymore but yet you keep posting on the Celebrity Forum to trash the line? :eek:

[Fish Lover]

I hope you have a great time too!

 

The overtly positive reviews from the 'Celebrity Cheerleaders' lately are in direct response to a bunch of negative reviews from folks who mostly have valid complaints IMO. Since we started cruising on Celebrity 'way back' in 2015 there has been a noticeable drop in the level of both the food and the service. If your last Celebrity trip was before 2015, I'm sure you'll notice the changes too.

 

It's all about setting your personal expectations to the current realistic level.

 

If you're expecting that the MDR will be like a fine dining restaurant in your city, then you are likely to be unhappy. If you're expecting a large (1500+ people) wedding venue, then you're likely to be happy.

 

If you're expecting the buffet to be like a good restaurant's Sunday Brunch, you'll likely be unhappy. Set your expectations below that and you'll be fine. (Try the cooked to order eggs at breakfast and you should be happy.).

 

If you're expecting to get a couple of loungers by the pool after 8:00 AM on sea days, you'll be unhappy. Same goes if you're expecting Celebrity to do anything about it. The choices are join the Chair Hogs, find a lounger away from the pool or remove the towels of the offenders and risk a nasty confrontation on your holiday (My own unwise choice).

 

If you're expecting everyone to get dressed up because it's Chic Night, or that Celebrity will police their own policy you will be unhappy. If you just care how you and your significant other is dressed, you'll be fine.

 

If you expect that bar waiters will promptly bring you drinks whenever you want, then tip them $5 a drink. Otherwise just go up to the bar and order your own.

 

If you expect customer service to actually provide service you're likely to be disappointed. Same holds true if you're expecting Celebrity's web site to work well and be accurate.

 

In short, it is what it is. Complaining about it, valid or not, won't help, so just go with the flow and have a good time.

 

BTW: My next trip won't be on Celebrity as the cost no longer matches level of the service or food, so no, the negative posters don't happily keep sailing on Celebrity or any other line for that matter.

 

OK. Then your opinion is noted. Please stop trying to convince people here that they shouldn't be looking forward to and enjoying their cruise with Celebrity. Please stop trying to make people feel as though they are ignorant of the fact that they aren't getting good value for their money. You cannot look to the past to compare. It is valid to compare services and determine value based on what is provided today, not two or more years ago. Negative posters frequently applaud changes they like, but complain bitterly about changes they don't like....yet they expect the price, value etc to stay the same. It makes no sense whatever. Please, find a line that is comfortable for you and post on their forum.

[friendlyfifer]

I hope you have a great time too!

 

The overtly positive reviews from the 'Celebrity Cheerleaders' lately are in direct response to a bunch of negative reviews from folks who mostly have valid complaints IMO. Since we started cruising on Celebrity 'way back' in 2015 there has been a noticeable drop in the level of both the food and the service. If your last Celebrity trip was before 2015, I'm sure you'll notice the changes too.

 

It's all about setting your personal expectations to the current realistic level.

 

If you're expecting that the MDR will be like a fine dining restaurant in your city, then you are likely to be unhappy. If you're expecting a large (1500+ people) wedding venue, then you're likely to be happy.

 

If you're expecting the buffet to be like a good restaurant's Sunday Brunch, you'll likely be unhappy. Set your expectations below that and you'll be fine. (Try the cooked to order eggs at breakfast and you should be happy.).

 

If you're expecting to get a couple of loungers by the pool after 8:00 AM on sea days, you'll be unhappy. Same goes if you're expecting Celebrity to do anything about it. The choices are join the Chair Hogs, find a lounger away from the pool or remove the towels of the offenders and risk a nasty confrontation on your holiday (My own unwise choice).

 

If you're expecting everyone to get dressed up because it's Chic Night, or that Celebrity will police their own policy you will be unhappy. If you just care how you and your significant other is dressed, you'll be fine.

 

If you expect that bar waiters will promptly bring you drinks whenever you want, then tip them $5 a drink. Otherwise just go up to the bar and order your own.

 

If you expect customer service to actually provide service you're likely to be disappointed. Same holds true if you're expecting Celebrity's web site to work well and be accurate.

 

In short, it is what it is. Complaining about it, valid or not, won't help, so just go with the flow and have a good time.

 

BTW: My next trip won't be on Celebrity as the cost no longer matches level of the service or food, so no, the negative posters don't happily keep sailing on Celebrity or any other line for that matter.

 

I agree with every word you've said!

Standards have dropped dramatically in recent years and, of course the current offering appeals to many people. Like you, we nolonger cruise with Celebrity just as we now fly business class rather than economy. Each to his own.

[grandgeezer]

One day in six on board a ship would get boring very soon. In fact I'd be going stir crazy regardless of which line I was sailing. I can see why you appear so jaded.

 

You are on the ship everyday including port days. Even if you get off, you are still on the ship for 16 hours. Our favorite cruises have been transAtlantics, we've done six of them. There you are on the ship 7-8 days straight. So yes, it can get boring, it didn't used to be. Even at the current rates of the spring tas in the $60 per day range for a balcony, it's not appealing. Money is not a factor.

[Mynki]

I agree with every word you've said!

Standards have dropped dramatically in recent years and, of course the current offering appeals to many people. Like you, we nolonger cruise with Celebrity just as we now fly business class rather than economy. Each to his own.

 

Are you from Fife by any chance?

[CHEZMARYLOU]

We started cruising with Celebrity in 1997 and are Elite + (just mentioned this to show we have experience with them). We have noticed some declines mostly in the MDR food. We work around this by booking suites. :D

 

We cruised 4 weeks in 2016. The only complaints I think we had was the unfriendliness of the senior officers on a 2 week cruise and a lack of entertainment and activities on Silhouette when we did a B2B in December. This might have been due to the number of ports and the fact that they were 7 day cruises.

[Mynki]

You are on the ship everyday including port days. Even if you get off, you are still on the ship for 16 hours. Our favorite cruises have been transAtlantics, we've done six of them. There you are on the ship 7-8 days straight. So yes, it can get boring, it didn't used to be. Even at the current rates of the spring tas in the $60 per day range for a balcony, it's not appealing. Money is not a factor.

 

I think you misunderstand. You say you have sailed up to 60 days a year. So you're on a cruise approximately one day in six. Even with impeccable service and dining that would still get very boring. The wow factor will have been lost a long time ago.

 

I've seen a few people suffer from the same thing on here.

[Pier290]

We went to Bermuda on Summit and Mediterranean on Silhouette. ....they both were outstanding cruises all the way around........I booked our April 2017, 10 day on Equinox without even reading a single review....it was after I booked in early January of this year that I began reading very negative reviews of Celebrity......I'm found a lot of it hard to believe and am keeping a very open mind about our 10 day with our kids this time too! After all....we make the cruise !

 

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[Pier290]

OK. Then your opinion is noted. Please stop trying to convince people here that they shouldn't be looking forward to and enjoying their cruise with Celebrity. Please stop trying to make people feel as though they are ignorant of the fact that they aren't getting good value for their money. You cannot look to the past to compare. It is valid to compare services and determine value based on what is provided today, not two or more years ago. Negative posters frequently applaud changes they like, but complain bitterly about changes they don't like....yet they expect the price, value etc to stay the same. It makes no sense whatever. Please, find a line that is comfortable for you and post on their forum.

So well said [emoji41]

 

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[El Crucero]

Like you, we nolonger cruise with Celebrity

 

Then why are you posting on the Celebrity Forum?

 

We have been cruising on Celebrity for four years now, close to 200 days in Concierge and Aqua. In the meantime, we have tried other lines including Princess, but we much prefer Celebrity to the others by far, a much better value for the money. We have 40 days booked on Celebrity in the next 18 months, mostly in Aqua class. Celebrity is just as good as ever in our experience. But yes, we did have to go to the bar ONCE to get an order, it darned near ruined our trip. :p

[CRZR58]

??? This is a joke right? So in 2 years or less, you've experienced a noticeable drop in the level of both the food and the service? How many Celebrity cruises have you gone on during this period for you to base these comments on?

 

Dan

3 for a total of 27 days from Dec 2015 thru to Dec 2016.

 

After the first cruise I was a cheerleader. Told everyone how great Celebrity was. Not as good as Windstar, but not the same price either. Celebrity was our choice. Everything wasn't perfect, for example it took about 3 hours to board due to some idiot saying there was a bomb on board, but I didn't let that get me down. Didn't have a bad meal, although my wife and FIL didn't like their overcooked and under tasty MDR steaks so we stopped ordering them. Didn't need to deal with Customer 'Service'.

 

Want a drink around the pool? No problem, just wave to the waiter and they'll be right over. Want a drink at a bar? Just sit down. Someone will be there in a couple of minutes.

 

I was still a cheerleader after the second cruise. Perfect? Nope. Still good to great? You bet. A couple of bad meals in the MDR. A slight decline in the level of service, notably in getting drinks from the waiters. No problem, we just went up to the bars and ordered from the bartender. A great night in a specialty restaurant. Still telling everyone how great it was.

 

It all came crumbling down on Equinox, a boat everyone seems to love. The readers digest version of a few of our issues... Booking problems then someone already in our room and unpacked when we checked in. Our welcome aboard Strawberries dipped in chocolate showed up on the 3rd day, even tho they were obviously made on the first day. We actually needed Customer 'Service' for the first time and they we horrible to deal with, inefficient and ineffective, likely because they were dealing with long lines of 'negative' folks.

 

The food and service in the MDR wasn't up to the last two trips. A couple of horribly bad dinners like shoe leather tough veal and soggy crusted Beef Wellington. It wasn't just our table either. About half way thru the trip the cooks were sent out to go to every table to collect complaints face to face. They didn't look like they were having a good time or getting a lot of pats on the back.

 

Wine stewards (I refuse to call them Sommeliers because they have little to no training.) didn't show up when we were seated, didn't refill our glasses, didn't ask if we wanted more wine or desert wine, didn't even bring the wine we ordered then said it's the same grape when we asked to have what we did order. The waiters and wine stewards were run off their feet. I can't say for sure, but it looked very much like there were less staff than our other trips.

 

There were 3 waiters around the pool on a ship that carries about 3000 guests. Lots of folks complaining that they couldn't get the waiters attention except one couple from New York who were beside us one day. I asked them their secret and he said, just tip them 5 bucks every time. After already paying 18% for tips, I chose to go up to the bar and get my drinks there. Not a big problem for me, but certainly something that folks who are booking ought to be aware of.

 

It makes me :rolleyes: when folks say they've never had a bad meal then you find out they are elite or suite or aquaclass and are eating at Blu or Luminae, places that are off limits for us who book steerage (Inside, OV or Balcony). Same holds true for those who have no problem getting a drink in Micheal's Club. I would hope those places are better considering the up charge those folks are paying, but they have nothing to do with the MDR or Oceanview or the public bars on the ship.

 

I take umbrage to the idea that I have high or unrealistic expectations. Celebrity set my expectations on my first two trips and failed to live up to them by a long shot on the third. I treat all the staff with respect, say please and thank you and try not to make waves. I am not the idiot talking down to the waiters or yelling at the 'service' desk. I'm not high maintenance either. I couldn't care less what other folks wear or if I get towel animals or if I have to get up early to get a chair or even if I have to get my own drinks. I just think that folks should know what's going on and adjust their expectations to match.

 

Call me an Eeyore now, if that makes you happy, but I am voting with my dollars and moving on.

[The Fun Researcher]

3 for a total of 27 days from Dec 2015 thru to Dec 2016.

 

After the first cruise I was a cheerleader. Told everyone how great Celebrity was. Not as good as Windstar, but not the same price either. Celebrity was our choice. Everything wasn't perfect, for example it took about 3 hours to board due to some idiot saying there was a bomb on board, but I didn't let that get me down. Didn't have a bad meal, although my wife and FIL didn't like their overcooked and under tasty MDR steaks so we stopped ordering them. Didn't need to deal with Customer 'Service'.

 

Want a drink around the pool? No problem, just wave to the waiter and they'll be right over. Want a drink at a bar? Just sit down. Someone will be there in a couple of minutes.

 

I was still a cheerleader after the second cruise. Perfect? Nope. Still good to great? You bet. A couple of bad meals in the MDR. A slight decline in the level of service, notably in getting drinks from the waiters. No problem, we just went up to the bars and ordered from the bartender. A great night in a specialty restaurant. Still telling everyone how great it was.

 

It all came crumbling down on Equinox, a boat everyone seems to love. The readers digest version of a few of our issues... Booking problems then someone already in our room and unpacked when we checked in. Our welcome aboard Strawberries dipped in chocolate showed up on the 3rd day, even tho they were obviously made on the first day. We actually needed Customer 'Service' for the first time and they we horrible to deal with, inefficient and ineffective, likely because they were dealing with long lines of 'negative' folks.

 

The food and service in the MDR wasn't up to the last two trips. A couple of horribly bad dinners like shoe leather tough veal and soggy crusted Beef Wellington. It wasn't just our table either. About half way thru the trip the cooks were sent out to go to every table to collect complaints face to face. They didn't look like they were having a good time or getting a lot of pats on the back.

 

Wine stewards (I refuse to call them Sommeliers because they have little to no training.) didn't show up when we were seated, didn't refill our glasses, didn't ask if we wanted more wine or desert wine, didn't even bring the wine we ordered then said it's the same grape when we asked to have what we did order. The waiters and wine stewards were run off their feet. I can't say for sure, but it looked very much like there were less staff than our other trips.

 

There were 3 waiters around the pool on a ship that carries about 3000 guests. Lots of folks complaining that they couldn't get the waiters attention except one couple from New York who were beside us one day. I asked them their secret and he said, just tip them 5 bucks every time. After already paying 18% for tips, I chose to go up to the bar and get my drinks there. Not a big problem for me, but certainly something that folks who are booking ought to be aware of.

 

It makes me :rolleyes: when folks say they've never had a bad meal then you find out they are elite or suite or aquaclass and are eating at Blu or Luminae, places that are off limits for us who book steerage (Inside, OV or Balcony). Same holds true for those who have no problem getting a drink in Micheal's Club. I would hope those places are better considering the up charge those folks are paying, but they have nothing to do with the MDR or Oceanview or the public bars on the ship.

 

I take umbrage to the idea that I have high or unrealistic expectations. Celebrity set my expectations on my first two trips and failed to live up to them by a long shot on the third. I treat all the staff with respect, say please and thank you and try not to make waves. I am not the idiot talking down to the waiters or yelling at the 'service' desk. I'm not high maintenance either. I couldn't care less what other folks wear or if I get towel animals or if I have to get up early to get a chair or even if I have to get my own drinks. I just think that folks should know what's going on and adjust their expectations to match.

 

Call me an Eeyore now, if that makes you happy, but I am voting with my dollars and moving on.

 

Interesting read, and thanks for taking the time to write that up! I do believe you that you aren't someone that expects too much.

 

Call me crazy, but it sounds to me like you had ONE bad cruise experience on the Equinox, and the specific crew you dealt with, and have since declared that Celebrity is a cruise line with service and food that has suddenly gone noticeably downhill. I can understand how that most recent cruise would be souring, but those are blanket statements with extremely limited experience to base it on.

 

Have you thought of going back to the first Celebrity ship you were on, with the experience that you so much enjoyed, to give that another try? That's the true way to determine if the service and food has declined. Otherwise you are comparing apples to oranges in many ways, but blanketing the entire cruise line with negativity. :)

 

Kindly,

Dan

[AZ Ocean Lover]

I've had some great cruises and I've had some good cruises and I find the difference between the two doesn't have anything to do with the cruise line but rather the cruise passengers.

[CRZR58]

Interesting read, and thanks for taking the time to write that up! I do believe you that you aren't someone that expects too much.

 

Call me crazy, but it sounds to me like you had ONE bad cruise experience on the Equinox, and the specific crew you dealt with, and have since declared that Celebrity is a cruise line with service and food that has suddenly gone noticeably downhill. I can understand how that most recent cruise would be souring, but those are blanket statements with extremely limited experience to base it on.

 

Have you thought of going back to the first Celebrity ship you were on, with the experience that you so much enjoyed, to give that another try? That's the true way to determine if the service and food has declined. Otherwise you are comparing apples to oranges in many ways, but blanketing the entire cruise line with negativity. :)

 

Kindly,

Dan

 

Not sure why anyone who had a bad experience with Celebrity in general or even a specific boat like Equinox, would book another trip on the same cruise line to see if it gets better. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

 

I'm just sharing my personal experiences and observations, not blanketing the entire cruise line with negativity. I think that folks use these forums to get info they can't get from Celebrities ads and that they want a balanced view of what cruising is like.

 

If you just go by Celebrity's ads, you'd think there are only 5 or 10 people lounging around the pool area while a smiling waiter serves up fruity cocktails. The reality is that the pool area is full on sea days, while some folks save a bunch of chairs and others circulate looking for a place to sit . You'd think that you and your significant other, dressed to the 9's, would be strolling almost alone to the evenings entertainment. The reality is that you along with about a third of the rest of the guests, dressed up or down, will be filing past the sidewalk sale as you go to the entertainment. Everyone who has cruised knows these things. Newbies should too.

 

If you just go by the positive posters, you'd think that everyone has the same great experiences. About 3000 guests, assuming most are couples, means about 1500 different experiences. You'd think that the food and service are consistently great, no matter if you're in a Suite or steerage or anywhere in between. You'd think that all changes are for the better or don't matter or are being done everywhere anyway. You'd think that everyone who disagrees with these 'truths' was just being negative, have unrealistic expectations, and shouldn't post around here. IMO, that's both one sided and wrong.

[The Fun Researcher]

If you just go by Celebrity's ads, you'd think there are only 5 or 10 people lounging around the pool area while a smiling waiter serves up fruity cocktails. The reality is that the pool area is full on sea days, while some folks save a bunch of chairs and others circulate looking for a place to sit . You'd think that you and your significant other, dressed to the 9's, would be strolling almost alone to the evenings entertainment. The reality is that you along with about a third of the rest of the guests, dressed up or down, will be filing past the sidewalk sale as you go to the entertainment. Everyone who has cruised knows these things. Newbies should too.

 

 

I love this. So true!

 

Dan

 

 

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[Tweets]

OK. Then your opinion is noted. Please stop trying to convince people here that they shouldn't be looking forward to and enjoying their cruise with Celebrity. Please stop trying to make people feel as though they are ignorant of the fact that they aren't getting good value for their money. You cannot look to the past to compare. It is valid to compare services and determine value based on what is provided today, not two or more years ago. Negative posters frequently applaud changes they like, but complain bitterly about changes they don't like....yet they expect the price, value etc to stay the same. It makes no sense whatever. Please, find a line that is comfortable for you and post on their forum.

 

I agree with you Fish Lover, it's so odd that people who have NO interest in ever cruising Celebrity again or haven't in years keep coming to the forum with their negativity. I think it's much more helpful to hear from people who just recently cruised and can tell us about their experience. The constant comparisons to the past don't help anybody. If you are done move on. :confused:

[ricka47]

Just to put it all in perspective I did a little research. My DH and I signed up for our first cruise on the Mercury in the Caribbean in Nov, 2001. We had three children, ages 3-8, little money and a brave MIL willing to watch the kids for a week. We signed up for an inside cabin with a group from work for $569. I just looked up the identical itinerary on the Silhouette this November for $749.

 

Frankly, I don't remember enough about that the service on that cruise to compare to that we experienced on our last two cruises. (Plus we sailed through the outer portion of Hurricane Michelle so it wasn't typical). BUT, in my opinion Celebrity offers a very nice experience and great value for the money paid. Over the past 17 years the price for the cruise has only risen 30%. The CPI has risen by ~60% over that same period for the US. Personally my salary and home value have doubled.

 

My long-winded point is that Celebrity could probably deliver the same level of experience as they did several years ago if they charged proportionately with inflation. Would they be able to find enough passengers willing to pay an extra 30%? I doubt it. The business model for that segment of the market has changed and the smaller, more exclusive lines are taking over at the higher price.

 

I am happy with the product that I get from Celebrity for the price that I pay. BTW, I think that the price increase is probably less in the ocean view and balcony cabins when you factor in the perks that are common today that were unheard of several years ago.

 

 

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Good point! Years ago, when we were doing a number of cruises on RCI, we had some friends who had a few bucks more than us and they sailed exclusively on X. Now, we sail X more and they have moved on to Crystal and Oceana. Today, I don't see a really big difference between X and RCI and pretty much go with where we can get the best deal.

[Gerrym]

LOL, silly me. I thought I would come here to read positive reviews... haha.

 

 

I first sailed Celebrity 12 years ago. I have sailed on M and S class ships. I was on Eclipse 18 months ago, Reflection 9 months ago (and will be on Eclipse the next time it gets to Miami!).

 

I have always been very happy that I am getting a luxury holiday at a good price.

 

If I did not feel that I would choose another line and not frequent the Celebrity boards anymore.

 

 

I understand why people give constructive criticism (we all need 'balanced' feedback), I don't get it when people come here to whinge and tell the world they would not sail with Celebrity again!!

 

 

 

Cheers

 

Gerry

[Fish Lover]

Not sure why anyone who had a bad experience with Celebrity in general or even a specific boat like Equinox, would book another trip on the same cruise line to see if it gets better. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

 

I'm just sharing my personal experiences and observations, not blanketing the entire cruise line with negativity. I think that folks use these forums to get info they can't get from Celebrities ads and that they want a balanced view of what cruising is like.

 

If you just go by Celebrity's ads, you'd think there are only 5 or 10 people lounging around the pool area while a smiling waiter serves up fruity cocktails. The reality is that the pool area is full on sea days, while some folks save a bunch of chairs and others circulate looking for a place to sit . You'd think that you and your significant other, dressed to the 9's, would be strolling almost alone to the evenings entertainment. The reality is that you along with about a third of the rest of the guests, dressed up or down, will be filing past the sidewalk sale as you go to the entertainment. Everyone who has cruised knows these things. Newbies should too.

 

If you just go by the positive posters, you'd think that everyone has the same great experiences. About 3000 guests, assuming most are couples, means about 1500 different experiences. You'd think that the food and service are consistently great, no matter if you're in a Suite or steerage or anywhere in between. You'd think that all changes are for the better or don't matter or are being done everywhere anyway. You'd think that everyone who disagrees with these 'truths' was just being negative, have unrealistic expectations, and shouldn't post around here. IMO, that's both one sided and wrong.

 

This is nonsense. Exactly when do people let commercials set their expectations and need you to come along and set them straight? Tell me, have you ever bought a sub from Subway or burger from Burger King? Does what you get ever resemble the commercial? Of course not. Everyone knows it. Every thinking adult is capable of separating marketing hype from reality.

 

There is a significant difference between being a negative poster that uses hyperbole and is emotionally invested in convincing others his/her negative opinion is correct, and providing an honest and objective critique of one's actual experience. As an adult, I am certain we all know that nothing is ever perfect but neither is everything always awful. I think most posters are looking for honest opinion which is put in perspective.

[Fish Lover]

I've had some great cruises and I've had some good cruises and I find the difference between the two doesn't have anything to do with the cruise line but rather the cruise passengers.

 

I absolutely agree. You make your own good time.

[binzer2604]

Why the heck do you bother going. Lighten Up have fun