Too much negativity - let's have some positive thoughts.

[loosygoosy]

Could you point out the long time cruisers.. ie more than 20 years that give positive remarks about the present product?

 

Perhaps long time is relative to those who have not been around as long..

 

 

 

I would like to know what is better now than it was 20 years ago or 15 or even 10.

 

The food?

 

The Service?

 

The entertainment?

 

The Captain's Club Celebration?

 

 

 

OK the perks are better, the ships are more spectacular.

 

The "Orchestra" is smaller,

 

There are now 4 or 5 sales staff rather than one.

 

Park West is back

 

Murano or it's equivalent is gone on M class

 

The cabin assistant is gone

 

The librarian is gone

 

the Harp Player is gone

 

the dance hosts are gone

 

the bridge instructors are gone

 

the priest/minister etc is gone

 

the good Filipino bands are gone

 

the activities staff has been cut in half

 

the ability to get a free, one category upgrade from concierge two to one is gone..

 

 

 

 

 

Just a few of the cuts that I remember...

 

 

 

oh but you can now buy a burger.. that's positive news..

 

 

 

I just checked the Captains Club for the list of perks, and it shows that upgrades are available from 11-A1, meaning that you can still go from a C2 to a C1. Where are you getting this information from??

 

 

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[hcat]

Could you point out the long time cruisers.. ie more than 20 years that give positive remarks about the present product?

Perhaps long time is relative to those who have not been around as long..

 

I would like to know what is better now than it was 20 years ago or 15 or even 10.

The food?

The Service?

The entertainment?

The Captain's Club Celebration?

 

OK the perks are better, the ships are more spectacular.

The "Orchestra" is smaller,

There are now 4 or 5 sales staff rather than one.

Park West is back

Murano or it's equivalent is gone on M class

The cabin assistant is gone

The librarian is gone

the Harp Player is gone

the dance hosts are gone

the bridge instructors are gone

the priest/minister etc is gone

the good Filipino bands are gone

the activities staff has been cut in half

the ability to get a free, one category upgrade from concierge two to one is gone..

 

 

Just a few of the cuts that I remember...

 

oh but you can now buy a burger.. that's positive news..

 

Great post...still missing our daily watered bottle of water in BLU, upgraded towels, genuines island bands, etc....but you sure covered alot of missed items...

seems the upcharge pool burgers are gone..

[grandgeezer]

The Captain's Club Celebration is a joke compared to what it was as little as five years go. They used to have several food stations set up where you could get such things as sushi, prime rib, desserts, and such. A couple of singers and dancers would come up and do a 15-20 minute show. Now it's like all the other lines. Drinks, maybe a couple of snacks, an maybe a little music.

[Toofarfromthesea]

Funny thing is, you can find exactly the same negativity on the boards here of just about every mass market cruise line. And in most cases about a lot of the same things.

 

Folks surely take the Critic part of Cruise Critic seriously. Too seriously?

[Quo Vadis?]

Funny thing is, you can find exactly the same negativity on the boards here of just about every mass market cruise line. And in most cases about a lot of the same things.

 

Many people are sticking with Celebrity because they recognize that cost cutting and declining experiences are an industry phenomenon. Just because corporations think it's better on their watch to satisfy their shareholders, it's the long term cruisers who notice the change. Just as a grocery shopper buying a large box of cereal or chips might not notice the increased amount of air rather than substance, newer cruisers don't realize how full the box or bag was before. Of course the people who know what they lost will criticize management. Sometimes it just feels good to vent. Most people talk about the weather in the same way, we criticize it but mother nature does what she wants.

[herbanrenewal]

...... Most people talk about the weather in the same way, we criticize it but mother nature does what she wants.

 

One difference between the weather and cruising is that the weather is not a product we purchase. As consumers we need to assume responsibility for our choices.

 

Personally I like the current product from Celebrity. I can afford to cruise much more than i could in the "good old days." I don't lead a luxurious life and I don't really miss the luxuries of the old celebrity product. For me its a luxury to have someone make my bed and cook my food while I get to see parts of the world that I feel privileged to be able to enjoy.

 

If I needed to have the things that have been eliminated from Celebrity I would look for a different product to consume, but Celebrity fits my lifestyle very well.

[villauk]

I just checked the Captains Club for the list of perks, and it shows that upgrades are available from 11-A1, meaning that you can still go from a C2 to a C1. Where are you getting this information from??

 

 

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No, because there are exclusions (from the X website):

ONE-CATEGORY UPGRADE

 

One-category upgrade requests must be made at the time of booking and apply only for upgrades within the supercategory, depending on availability. Example of a supercategory upgrade in AquaClass: A2 to A1. Captain's Club one category upgrade excludes category 12, FV, SV, C1 and guarantee categories, Z, Y, X, XC, XA, W. This offer cannot be used with certain restricted fares including but not limited to travel agent and employee rates. Upgrades apply for one stateroom per cruise. Stateroom assignments only. Not valid on holiday sailings. Upgrades available from categories 11- A1 (subject to exclusions above) on all Celebrity ships except Celebrity Xpedition®, Celebrity Xperience℠ and Celebrity Exploration℠. Offer valid for members who are Classic Level or higher at the time of booking.

[A Sixth?]

Could you point out the long time cruisers.. ie more than 20 years that give positive remarks about the present product?

Perhaps long time is relative to those who have not been around as long..

 

I would like to know what is better now than it was 20 years ago or 15 or even 10...

 

Well I've been cruising for over 25 years and personally I think it is actually better than it used to be. At least for the things I enjoy.

 

Sure somethings are gone but many things have been improved on and added, too many to mention. Plus the cost of cruising is a fraction of what it was

 

Single best thing that's changed; no smoking allowed inside anywhere and more importantly on balconies! There was nothing more maddening than having to Head back into the cabin and close the door when your neighbor went outside to smoke stinking you out and off your now unusable balcony

[Quo Vadis?]

Well I've been cruising for over 25 years and personally I think it is actually better than it used to be. At least for the things I enjoy.

 

Sure somethings are gone but many things have been improved on and added, too many to mention. Plus the cost of cruising is a fraction of what it was

 

 

Other than smoking issue, which I agree was a great change in policy, could you just mention some of the "too many to mention'"?

 

Cost of cruising is just a fraction??????

My computer isn't picking up on the fractional bit Check South America, cruises to Australia, Europe, Iceland...

 

Some prices have stayed stable but many exotics have more than doubled ...

[herbanrenewal]

I've not been cruising with Celebrity as long as some of you, but definitely for over 20 years. I know my first cruise was on a then fairly new ship, the Horizon.

 

Some of the differences I appreciate include:

• many more dining options, including AquaSpa cafe and the free desserts at Cafe al baico. I dont really remember poolside food on our first few cruises.
  
• lots of technology upgrades - of course few people were addicted to email back them so no internet cafe needed. But I like the ability to look at the tv to check my bill daily instead of waiting for the paper delivery of a bill on the last night. For that matter, I don't remember watching the on-ship activities being available on the tv if you missed them (or starred in one). There may not have even been TVs - I really don't remember,
  
• few cabins had balconies - remember back in the day that only the most expensive cabins had balconies?
  
• the pool lounge chairs were much more uncomfortable then
  
• if they had exotic locations then I certainly was unaware of it. Caribbean cruises were the norm. Today the more exotic cruises are at premium prices, but you can still find great prices on the Caribbean cruises, especially if you can take advantage of the post-final payment date sale prices and don't mind the lower end cabins (Oceanview and Interior cabins compare more with what was the norm then)
  
• although I don't drink enough to make a drinks package worth my money, a lot of cruisers love them, and they were not available in the Good Old Days. BTW if you make your reservations without the "free" packages you may be surprised with the prices you can get.
  

Really the only thing I miss is the various live music venues. For me, today's Celebrity is a best value for my vacation dollars.

 

addendum - the point of this thread is too much negativity - lets have some positive thoughts.

[Quo Vadis?]

I've not been cruising with Celebrity as long as some of you, but definitely for over 20 years. I know my first cruise was on a then fairly new ship, the Horizon.

 

Some of the differences I appreciate include:

 

• many more dining options, including AquaSpa cafe and the free desserts at Cafe al baico. I dont really remember poolside food on our first few cruises.
  
• lots of technology upgrades - of course few people were addicted to email back them so no internet cafe needed. But I like the ability to look at the tv to check my bill daily instead of waiting for the paper delivery of a bill on the last night. For that matter, I don't remember watching the on-ship activities being available on the tv if you missed them (or starred in one). There may not have even been TVs - I really don't remember,
  
• few cabins had balconies - remember back in the day that only the most expensive cabins had balconies?
  
• the pool lounge chairs were much more uncomfortable then
  

Really the only thing I miss is the various live music venues. For me, today's Celebrity is a best value for my vacation dollars.

 

.

 

I'm positively sailing on Celebrity because one can still find some good deals on some itineraries.

The staff is great and one will find more smiles from crew members than from the other cruise lines we sail.

 

However, Horizon was launched in 1989 that makes you more experienced than you think if you sailed her when she was nearly new.

 

The aqua spa cafe has been around since Millennium in 2,000 and even Century provided the offerings.

Cafe al Baccio was called Cova cafe and the pillow chocolates were actually delicious Cova Chocolates.

 

The balconies have now been standard since Millennium 2,000

 

The deterioration and cut backs involve primarily food, waiters, assistant waiters, entertainment.

I believe it was the need for more cabin space for sales oriented crew that so many positions were eliminated.

 

And we agree, Celebrity is still a good destination for vacation bucks for certain destinations.

[JanineM]

I agree with the OP, which is why I basically quit coming to Cruise Critic. Too many cranky "get off my lawn" cranksters.

 

Then my husband reminded me that the name of the site is "Cruise CRITIC" ... :')

[cdn_tbird]

Cost of cruising is just a fraction??????

 

My computer isn't picking up on the fractional bit Check South America, cruises to Australia, Europe, Iceland...

 

 

 

Some prices have stayed stable but many exotics have more than doubled ...

 

I just did a quick comparison of our first cruise (11 day western Mediterranean) back in Oct 2002 and a comparable one in Oct 2018. Inside cabin with no perks back then set us back approx. $6500 Canadian. Next year it would set us back $5800, so adjusting for inflation next year would be $3000 cheaper.

 

 

 

 

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[Fouremco]

I just did a quick comparison of our first cruise (11 day western Mediterranean) back in Oct 2002 and a comparable one in Oct 2018. Inside cabin with no perks back then set us back approx. $6500 Canadian. Next year it would set us back $5800, so adjusting for inflation next year would be $3000 cheaper.

A large part of the difference is due to the CAD/USD exchange rate back in 2002, which ranged from a low of 0.618312 to a "high" of 0.664778. Or, if you made the booking in 2001, a slightly better rate, 0.624143 to 0.670107. Compare either of those to the 2017 rate, ranging from 0.726183 to 0.800794. Although the Loonie has performed poorly over the last few years, the rebound of recent weeks notwithstanding, it has been nowhere as low as the 2001-2002 period.

[Quo Vadis?]

1997 Princess 14 night around British Isles including air and transfers $3,855 US$

1998 Norwegian Rome to Athens Holy Land Cruise: $4,262 CAD including air

200214 Night Noordam Caribbean $3,400

2006 10 night Barcelona return Rome, Florence inside 1029 air 569.50(1 way)

2006 Panama 15 night Mercury total $2676 for 2

2007 13 night Canada new England inside $999+108 tax.

2009 14 night eastbound Panama CS Concierge 1399+247 tax

 

So how are today's prices a fraction of those?

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

We are happy with Celebrity. Currently we have nine cruises booked - seven with Celebrity. We've never had a problem that couldn't be solved - with the exception of the web site but even that is being worked on :D While we enjoy the Solstice class, our favorite ship is the Connie. Maybe because it was our first Celebrity cruise a number of years ago. Long story short we are happy with Celebrity. Keep up the good work.

 

I just wanted to say thank you for starting this thread! I'd at one point been booked to sail on the Reflection but got so scared off by so much negativity on here I cancelled it well before final payment. The Edge had me intrigued enough to be willing to give it a chance, so I'm booked on her for Feb 2019 and am trying to stay excited about it - and that means staying off of these boards a lot. (I am on the Edge sub-board, but lordy the whining after the announcement about Eden just about drove me off there too.) Even when I'm on here I try to pick and choose the threads I read and avoid the ones that come off as "worst cruise line ever" (and I know that those pop up on RCCL, Princess, and Disney boards as well), because I know that there is some good information out there. BUT I am also afraid to ask questions sometimes because either I get fussed at for not searching for something that was addressed in a post 10 years ago that didn't pop up when I searched OR I get responses saying "Don't do that" or "Why would you book that category" when that was not what I was asking. Thankfully the agent I'm working with on this cruise (something new for me as I usually book myself) is super helpful and willing to answer my questions, so I'm not floundering all alone.

 

But I just wanted to say thanks for trying to keep some positive things on here.

[Texed]

I just wanted to say thank you for starting this thread! I'd at one point been booked to sail on the Reflection but got so scared off by so much negativity on here I cancelled it well before final payment.

 

Beth,

I am very sorry you got scared off by some of the folks here. I promise most folks on here and the ships are very nice. I hope you will enjoy your future cruises.:)

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

Beth,

 

 

I am very sorry you got scared off by some of the folks here. I promise most folks on here and the ships are very nice. I hope you will enjoy your future cruises.:)

 

 

 

Thank you!! This time I am focusing on the chance to cruise on a practically new ship that looks super beautiful and exciting! :)

 

 

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[deliver42]

Very well said. It's a shame that some people insist on keeping this a opinionated forum If they don't like your opinion. then they flame you into thinking you are the dumb one.

[cdn_tbird]

A large part of the difference is due to the CAD/USD exchange rate back in 2002, which ranged from a low of 0.618312 to a "high" of 0.664778. Or, if you made the booking in 2001, a slightly better rate, 0.624143 to 0.670107. Compare either of those to the 2017 rate, ranging from 0.726183 to 0.800794. Although the Loonie has performed poorly over the last few years, the rebound of recent weeks notwithstanding, it has been nowhere as low as the 2001-2002 period.

 

 

 

Yes the exchange rate differences do play a part, but even when you account for those it ends up being $1,670 cheaper today than it was back then.

 

 

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