Are Standards Slipping? Celebrity Eclipse - May 2017 - President’s Cruise.

[hcat]

I was on Eclipse in January and again in April. the music at poolside is at ideal volume until things go live after lunch. Staff seems to think they can't show enthusiasm and energy unless volume is deafening.In the foyer for a before dinner drink I reall enjoy the music but volume is over the top. Impossible to converse at all. Loud does not equate to enjoyable.Will be back on Eclipse in January again and hope that all these comments will result in lower volume.

 

On days we plan to visit the outdoor pool, we get out there very early..,enjoy a shaded lounger, uncrowded pool, clean hot tub, and nice music. We leave for lunch when the noisy music and pool games with whistles commence

 

When we enjoy the solarium, we arrive early, have a lite AQ spa breakfast..enjoy uncrowded pool. We leave there when the din and snoring of nappers gets too loud . Some ships no longer play the nice spa music anymore in the Solarium.

 

Moving to quieter areas is a good strategy for us.

[anniegb]

LLP likes loud music ! It is that simple.

 

Annie

[The Fun Researcher]

Familiarity breeds contempt? Maybe try some other ships.

 

Dan

[Swampduck]

I think you are finding out what many others have been discussing for a while...We are elite plus and just took our first non Celebrity cruise in over 10 years...and in future will not automatically book with them. In past we didn't even look around.

 

A question...When did you find out (pre cruise or during cruise) about losing 1 stop in Iceland?

 

(we did a 3 day "stopover" last September...[on way back from that first non-Celebrity cruise in 10 years] and rented a motor home...LOVED Iceland...will definitely go back again)

 

Hi,

I'd be interested in knowing who you choose to sail with, if not Celebrity, just out of curiosity. I had looked about for this year, but then decided, better with the devil I know..

thanks

[Jonah8208]

 

Curious if there was any push for fundraising for the Malala fund.,.not everyone is a fan. Miss the Breast Cancer awareness fundraisers. Everyone can relate to that as a good cause and was a very popular event.

 

They have mentioned it a few times but if they were fundraising I missed that, maybe someone else on this cruise could answer?

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

We are booked on the Aug 27 President's 8-night cruise on Equinox sailing in the Eastern Caribbean. What will be special about it compared to a generic non-presidential cruise? Is the food better? Are the shows and guest entertainers a higher caliber? Do you get extra special gifts rather than the tote and card case? Does the President have a special talk with guests to talk about Edge and new itineraries or what? Does the President have a question and answer session for passengers?

 

Just wondering. I thought the cruise would be special, but I can't tell from this thread if it is. I'll tell you all this...when I return from the cruise, I will itemize for you what was special, if anything, about this cruise.

[BeeMinor]

Celebrity are obviously trying to attract a younger demographic unfortunately they are no longer catering for the people they have, and the younger set they want can’t afford it and are not due to turn up for another 20 years when they like us have got rid of their kids and paid off the mortgage.

 

Yeah, we're part of that younger set and we're not fans of loud music either. Cruises are for peace and quiet away from work.

 

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[Orator]

We are booked on the Aug 27 President's 8-night cruise on Equinox sailing in the Eastern Caribbean. What will be special about it compared to a generic non-presidential cruise? Is the food better? Are the shows and guest entertainers a higher caliber? Do you get extra special gifts rather than the tote and card case? Does the President have a special talk with guests to talk about Edge and new itineraries or what? Does the President have a question and answer session for passengers?

 

Just wondering. I thought the cruise would be special, but I can't tell from this thread if it is. I'll tell you all this...when I return from the cruise, I will itemize for you what was special, if anything, about this cruise.

 

On that cruise as well. Not excited about Carribean during height of hurricane season, but friends convinced us to go. Don't expect anything special that would be free. I know that in the past they've had special events, but at a cost I wouldn't pay. I'll just enjoy time with cruising friends and hopefully good seas.

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

On that cruise as well. Not excited about Carribean during height of hurricane season, but friends convinced us to go. Don't expect anything special that would be free. I know that in the past they've had special events, but at a cost I wouldn't pay. I'll just enjoy time with cruising friends and hopefully good seas.

 

The hurricane threat gave me pause too. September 10 is, according to statistics, the day a hurricane is most likely to be active in the Caribbean. So the weather could be quite interesting, but then you never know. I guess the President of Celebrity isn't worried.

[Orator]

The hurricane threat gave me pause too. September 10 is, according to statistics, the day a hurricane is most likely to be active in the Caribbean. So the weather could be quite interesting, but then you never know. I guess the President of Celebrity isn't worried.

 

Sept. 10th is myBirthday and I'll be on Millie.

[maisiecat]

On here we have had extra gifts, a great one last night was a powerbank each, as we are both iPhone users this is really useful. We have had Icelandic lava salt too. We had a free concert to go to in the Reykjavik Harpa centre, by Greta Salome, I really enjoyed that one. Many other special events on but paid ones. LLP did do a Q&A for club members on a sea day but we did not learn much new, some questions were pretty dumb and did not need to be asked of her. Otherwise onboard entertainment much of a muchness. I do miss any kind of craft session, cut backs in staff I believe. Makes sea days for me just a bit less pleasurable, as do trying to run a quiz in ensemble that could have filled sky. For fans, no more progressive trivia either and no prize tickets, prizes are given out to winners at time (this I do like!)

 

 

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[floridatravelersforlife]

Well we are in our 60s and actually like the music played at the level they do on board. Sometimes we have asked if it could be turned up !

Maybe you should have gone to the silent disco...it would be just your cup of tea.

We are also on the Silhouette on the same cruise next September. It will be interesting to see how they cater for our varying tastes.

 

 

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By any chance do you have hearing aids? We found such people find all cabins quite.

[wendychloecruiser]

(Just a quick HELLO! to Jonah and Fran from Jackie and Pete). Every time I see a sponge bob I think of you guys!

[fizzy1]

Look at Cunard . Especially QM2 , Victoria ,

 

 

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[Bloodaxe]

Hi,

I'd be interested in knowing who you choose to sail with, if not Celebrity, just out of curiosity. I had looked about for this year, but then decided, better with the devil I know..

thanks

 

We cruised with Celebrity for several years then tried Azamara which much preferred even though it was more expensive.

We had been thinking of trying Celebrity again and almost booked this Presidents cruise to Iceland.

After reading this I am pleased that we didn't.

[Jonah8208]

We are booked on the Aug 27 President's 8-night cruise on Equinox sailing in the Eastern Caribbean. What will be special about it compared to a generic non-presidential cruise? Is the food better? Are the shows and guest entertainers a higher caliber? Do you get extra special gifts rather than the tote and card case? Does the President have a special talk with guests to talk about Edge and new itineraries or what? Does the President have a question and answer session for passengers?

 

Just wondering. I thought the cruise would be special, but I can't tell from this thread if it is. I'll tell you all this...when I return from the cruise, I will itemize for you what was special, if anything, about this cruise.

 

Yes the Pres does have a Q&A with guests in the theatre, shows are the same, guest entertainers variable as usual, yes she bangs on about the new edge class (re the Magic Carpet thing she has not heard the phrase "if it looks right it probably is right", and its obvious implications). The gifts were pretty grim apart from the actually useful phone power bank we got last night. One gift was those horrible plasticky card wallets that you are supposed to stick on the back of your expensive smart phone, that was terrible but the rock salt was vaguely OK.

 

Overall it has been nothing special and the Pres jumped ship after Reykjavik

[kevinyork]

I for one would hate to cruise with LLP. We discovered Celebrity 4 years ago and loved the Eclipse but LLPs changes are destroying the line. She totally misunderstands the core passengers who support her cruise line. She strives for young couples or families with disposable income and yet offers little to actually appeal to that different market. The production shows now are just laughable. A five year old might be marginally interested but a grown adult just feels patronised.

 

Select dining has been worse, cruise by cruise, with longer wait times and buzzers routinely being given out. To hear one photo posted of LLP is of her in Luminae sums it all up. She's experiencing suite life when she should be experiencing the cruise experience of someone in an inside cabin that faces ridiculous bar prices or someone paying double for a balcony as it has a drinks package included only to find the inclusions in that drinks package are being eroded from the offerings that were included when people booked. We are back on Eclipse in 2 weeks and perhaps it might be our last for sometime.

 

 

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[Orator]

I for one would hate to cruise with LLP. We discovered Celebrity 4 years ago and loved the Eclipse but LLPs changes are destroying the line. She totally misunderstands the core passengers who support her cruise line.

 

 

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If she, as you say ""totally misunderstands the core passengers who support her cruise line", how do you explain the full ships and strong advance bookings Stock prices are based on future expectations, not current earnings and the investment community seems to like what she has been doing. Now, someday the market may weaken and when it does it might be difficult for Celebrity to regain lost passengers. But, that's the risk and so far it seems to be breaking Celebrity's way.

[hcat]

Has anyone on board had the chance to tell LLP about the chaos going on daily with the new website...? Many issues for browsing, booking and managing res.

 

If you haven had the Q&A this would be a very good Q for the CEO....

 

PS oops......just re read last few posts and see has already left the ship ..maybe she's going on Carnival to get ideas on how to destroy modern luxury !

[Baron Barracuda]

If she, as you say ""totally misunderstands the core passengers who support her cruise line", how do you explain the full ships and strong advance bookings Stock prices are based on future expectations, not current earnings and the investment community seems to like what she has been doing. Now, someday the market may weaken and when it does it might be difficult for Celebrity to regain lost passengers. But, that's the risk and so far it seems to be breaking Celebrity's way.

 

Have to disagree.

 

All ships almost always sail full. The question is how much they have to discount those final cabins.

 

Advance bookings are for the most part refundable deposits that may or may not turn into real sales. We know ta's often take down large blocks of cabins that they later release.

 

No one knows what X's earnings are. Parent RCCL doesn't break them out. X only accounts for 20% of RCCL total berths and hasn't added a ship since 2012 so doubt investment community pays much attention to the brand or even knows who LLP is. Agree stock price is forward looking, focused largely on growth in Asia and increased capacity with 11 new ships on order (4 Edge).

 

LLP fails to understand how it's much more expensive to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one. Her death-by-a-thousand-cuts approach makes long time customers feel unappreciated and willing to explore other cruise lines. Am personally considering Oceania, MSC yacht club and Viking.

[The_Big_M]

No one knows what X's earnings are. Parent RCCL doesn't break them out. X only accounts for 20% of RCCL total berths and hasn't added a ship since 2012 so doubt investment community pays much attention to the brand or even knows who LLP is. Agree stock price is forward looking, focused largely on growth in Asia and increased capacity with 11 new ships on order (4 Edge).

 

This is the key point. It's just unknown. And Celebrity's share is so small relative to the main RCL brand that Celebrity may have a downturn of say 5% in future bookings, and it would still be outweighed by growth in the larger brand.

 

All we can do is rely if there was a significant (massive) variance it would be called out. However a modest one like the above wouldn't, so it's just not possible to say what the state is from her changes in terms of future customer acceptance.

 

Based on discussion in these threads, there's certainly not a lot of people saying they're increasing, or even maintaining their future booking level.

[ChucktownSteve]

This is the key point. It's just unknown. And Celebrity's share is so small relative to the main RCL brand that Celebrity may have a downturn of say 5% in future bookings, and it would still be outweighed by growth in the larger brand.

 

All we can do is rely if there was a significant (massive) variance it would be called out. However a modest one like the above wouldn't, so it's just not possible to say what the state is from her changes in terms of future customer acceptance.

 

Based on discussion in these threads, there's certainly not a lot of people saying they're increasing, or even maintaining their future booking level.

 

For now maybe however corporate knows the exact numbers. If it's working, they'll let her keep doing it. If the older LLP undesirable demographic, who cruises more often or for longer durations, have started incorporating different lines, eventually this will have it's affect.

 

Mostly the younger demographic is still working. That reduces the available annual cruise days they can sail.

 

I put my money where my mouth was. I'm not saying I'm done with Celebrity. If the LLP situation changes and they attract me back, I'll consider it. But for now, I'm one of those who has been pushed to explore as Baron Barracuda is doing.

 

If a leading company is usurped, it costs a lot more money to try to regain the former position and many times it won't be successful. The fall from public grace is not a pretty one for corporate.

Edited May 19, 2017 by ChucktownSteve

[fastnloose]

My partner and I have been cruising with Celebrity for 6 years now I think this is our 7th cruise so we have spent 14 weeks on this ship in total and 7 days on Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas for contrast. We have been getting less and less happy with Celebrity Eclipse over that time period and I would like to list the reasons. Overall it is nothing major that you can put a finger on just a long slow decline in overall service - to put it bluntly we pay the premium to get a premium cruise experience and initially that is exactly what we got but six years later it is only slightly better than Royal Caribbean yet still premium prices. The staff and the crew (with the glaring exception of the dire entertainment staff on this cruise) are as good as they always were but cutbacks in staff levels and service are obvious. We may as well sail with another cheaper cruise line because this is only “premium” in the minds of the senior management and staff - in reality it is just overpriced these days and the penny pinching Celebrity indulges in is frankly a bit embarrassing.

 

Anyway our beefs specifically for this “President’s” cruise we are on currently out of Southampton for which we paid more than usual.

 

Food is still excellent but there is less choice in the Ocean View Cafe. Main Dining Room has been cut down by adding the suite class dining room Lumiere and now we often have to wait before getting seated for Dinner - this almost never used to happen - not a big deal but we notice this stuff.

 

Bars are not stocked properly - asking a guest to wait 20 minutes before a non-alcoholic beer or a Heineken can be provided is just ludicrous at this level of cruising and should never happen, never used to.

 

Muzak throughout the ship in most areas is annoying, there is almost no place you can go where it is not present but it is better than Royal Caribbean (only just)

 

Live music is too loud and intrusive, guests (not just us) end up leaving comfortable lounges because the DJ turns up with his mobile rig or one of the house bands does a set. The demographic on this ship is middle aged to retired and does not appreciate modern “Dance” music. Background lounge music is fine but the all the various bands turn up and play excessively loud gigs, which would be fine in a live music event / party or outside on the pool deck, but not in a lounge setting except late at night, Its a cruise ship not the X factor auditions or Glastonbury. You cannot escape it, there is one lot in the sky lounge and another lot in the grand foyer and as soon as one stops the DJ is in there making an infernal racket - as for the DJ he should stay in his club where he belongs, he most certainly should never, ever be allowed to conduct another quiz, the one he did was frighteningly bad.

 

Kudos however to the guy that plays piano in the ensemble lounge - he is brilliant. Not too loud and provides good background music so you can relax and have a drink and chat without having to shout at each other, or listen / sing along if you want to. The ensemble lounge is now the only place on the entire ship not subjected to banging “music” for hours on end.

 

Kudos also to Jim Kennedy whose excellent beyond the podium lectures on NASA and the Shuttle Program have been educational, informative and inspiring.

 

Entertainment for many cruisers has been pretty poor, the worst of it being on one of the sea days because the Park West art people took over the sky lounge so the Ensemble Lounge was used for the afternoon quizzes - and we had people sitting all over the floor. This would NEVER have happened when Sue Denning was entertainment director on this ship unfortunately she is not. The guy who is however, although very impressed with himself is missing most of the time unless the President and / or Captain are present and I have rarely spotted any of the entertainment staff around the ship unless they absolutely have to be there; and when they are they are severely lacking in basic general knowledge themselves and it shows. The quizzes are amateurish badly put together rubbish, there is obviously no thought or preparation put in, just turn up, read the questions, hand out the prizes and get it over with. Crafting and other entertainments are extinct because Celebrity cut back entertainment staff some time ago, overall it has been boring and frustrating entertainment wise. I don’t know about the dancing classes and similar they may be terrific but from my POV and my friends aboard we have been disappointed by the lack of quality quizzes and no other activities to choose except dance classes. Lot of stuff for kids though - there are a couple of dozen at the very most aboard.

 

Re Park West - the guests on this ship have paid a lot of cash to use the facilities and I am personally very offended that Park West, who have an allocated art area as we know, are allowed to take over the biggest lounge on the ship to flog their dubious “art” at an auction attended by maybe 50 people, I counted whilst many more guests are chucked out and prevented from using the space by “art” blocking the seating. They can do this and in their own sales area, they should not be using any other area of the ship. I personally would not have any of their “art” given to me, and have several times mostly politely told them to keep their “free” art. I have no idea why Celebrity still have them aboard bearing in mind their reputation (google art at sea) but still I don’t mind as long as they stick to their part of the ship and out of my face.

 

The rest of the cruise has been pretty good as usual but the little details and penny pinching silliness have contributed to our growing concern that Celebrity is becoming very complacent and not looking after its existing clientele. We have booked a cruise on Solstice out of Southampton next year (Western Med in September) and will see if another ship is any better. Celebrity are obviously trying to attract a younger demographic unfortunately they are no longer catering for the people they have, and the younger set they want can’t afford it and are not due to turn up for another 20 years when they like us have got rid of their kids and paid off the mortgage.

Jonah

Unfortunately I have to agree with this post. Left Eclipse on 7 May, and immediately cancelled our next booked cruise on her in August. We are also loyal Celebrity cruisers, but are now looking elsewhere. Such a shame Celebrity

[bobnjeff]

Unfortunately I have to agree with this post. Left Eclipse on 7 May, and immediately cancelled our next booked cruise on her in August. We are also loyal Celebrity cruisers, but are now looking elsewhere. Such a shame Celebrity

 

 

 

We have found some comfort in sailing on RCCL. Being Elite on X gives us very nice benefits on RCCL at much lower prices. We have found the food comparable as well as service. Not saying it is better then X but for less money I can deal with the cut backs. When I am willing to pay more I find Cunard is a wonderful option and one most Americans over look is P&O UK. They have several adult only ships that while a bit older offer amazing food and service comparable to what X used to be ten years ago.

 

 

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[fastnloose]

We have found some comfort in sailing on RCCL. Being Elite on X gives us very nice benefits on RCCL at much lower prices. We have found the food comparable as well as service. Not saying it is better then X but for less money I can deal with the cut backs. When I am willing to pay more I find Cunard is a wonderful option and one most Americans over look is P&O UK. They have several adult only ships that while a bit older offer amazing food and service comparable to what X used to be ten years ago.

 

 

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Thanks Bobnjeff, have already started looking at P & O. Though we are sad at giving up our cruise on X, we felt we were not looking forward to it, based on what we had just experienced, so decided to vote with our feet.