Oh those olden days, those golden days...

[Bootstrap77]

I have noticed a definite change in passengers in the last few years on our X cruises. And not only the passengers but also the general ambiance as well. Not sure why the change, whether it’s because of the marketing strategy of X, the accessibility of the beverage packages, or what. But I do miss some of the old X I remember.

[fleckle]

Who took away my free nights stay between cruises?..........

 

Know what you mean. That is one of the cutbacks we disliked most.

It was one of the very best Celebrity-RCI perks, that incentivized passengers to take multiple cruises on different Celebrity-RCI ships.

 

The last time we were able to use it was following a trans-Atlantic cruise several years ago.

They comped our transfers from the dock to the DoubleTree Westminster hotel in London, our overnight hotel room there (including a free breakfast the next morning), and then the transfers from the hotel back to the port to board our next ship.

There were enough passengers doing that for them to charter a large, comfortable sightseeing bus (coach) for us both ways.

It was a fairly long ride from the port into London and back, so almost like getting an extra sightseeing excursion included each way.

[NordicPrince]

Boy the way Glen Miller played

Songs that made the Hit Parade

Guys like us we had it made

Those were the days.

 

And you knew who you were then

Girls were girls and men were men

Mister we could use a man like Herbert Hoover again

 

Didn't need no welfare state

Everybody pulled his weight

Gee our old LaSalle ran great

Those were the days.

 

Thank you Archie Bunker. We won't miss you.

[shipshape sam]

Fortunately, X has not attracted the hairy armpit tank top, tatoo crowd, Yet.The drink packages seriously downgraded the demographics, however! And that led to new X cruisers who did not want to dress up or have set meal times etc. We still enjoy cruising on X but less frequently.

 

Yet? They will come. I know a few that are fun to be around too. :)

 

Celebrity is playing to a new generation of demographics as the primary target market. Celebrity appealed to a demographic 10-15 years ago that are passing on. We all are getting older and for us, we have options and most of them do not involve cruising.

 

Still love to cruise and will draw the line when they charge for sunshine, breezes and meeting new friends.

[Luvcrusn]

We sailed with X back in the day and loved our experiences. We travel on X now and love our experiences. The two are different, but so is the world we live in. I think sometimes looking back at days gone by I see them through rose colored glasses. I guess I'd rather enjoy my life today instead of wishing for things that no longer exist. To wish for the simpler life of times gone by is to not appreciate what I have today.

[deliver42]

I started cruising back in 1993, and that had me hooked, even though it was on a Carnival Fantasy Class ship. I've since sailed Rccl, a lot, NCL, MSC, Princess, and am now booked on X for 2019. Yes it has changed, but i still look forward to my cruises, and have hangovers when I leave the ship, waiting for the next one. I think it's still the best value vacation there is.

[ABoatNerd]

The real excitment is that there are so many options out there!

 

Celebrity is really old news - it is Oceania, Azamara, Viking and Virgin that is innovating with really new products.

 

I am not talking about gimmicks - like magic carpets and garden of edens etc. That is Celebrity's lie.

 

It is fundamentals - really great service and food and itineraries that more and more consumers are learning about.

 

Celebrity is living on its old reputation.

 

Too many negative reviews about food, service, no wait staff to take beverage orders, degraded Aqua Spa, poor product for non suites, and on, on, on.

 

Thank goodness for innovation and change - that is what moves the world forward.

 

Celebrity - you are old news despite your marketing hokum - like modern luxury bull!

 

May consumers learn more about the wonderful world of cruisng options out there.

 

Expand your wings and fly!

[chaps612]

Thank God we have a free market so we can choose the cruise line that delivers the best product for the money. We just came off of a Christmas cruise on the Silhouette. We had a great time and booked next year’s Christmas cruise on the Silhouette. There were a ton of families with children but that didn’t take away our great time. I didnt see a whole lot of drunks but maybe people having a good time. I do like that I’m basically getting an all inclusive vacation for three for about $600 a day. Service was great, food was darn good and we left happy and very relaxed! One pet peeve was the use of cell phones in public spaces. Now that’s is tacky.

[MagPie60]

See, in 1970whatever I was a teenager, living in a landlocked country. Cruising was like flying to the moon.I had no idea that a thing called Celebrity even existed. So now as a relatively picky and careful-with-my-coin adult I consider myself blessed and fortunate to sail on a gorgeous floating hotel at most Celebrity prices. I am delighted that the pompous when-we's are departing for Oceania blah blah blah. I am just happy to hear the sound of the ocean, not have to cook dinner and see new places without having to fly. I am not sucked in by Celebrity's marketing - I have a brain and the ability to make decisions for myself.

 

Different strokes.

[Ma Bell]

see, in 1970whatever i was a teenager, living in a landlocked country. Cruising was like flying to the moon.i had no idea that a thing called celebrity even existed. So now as a relatively picky and careful-with-my-coin adult i consider myself blessed and fortunate to sail on a gorgeous floating hotel at most celebrity prices. I am delighted that the pompous when-we's are departing for oceania blah blah blah. I am just happy to hear the sound of the ocean, not have to cook dinner and see new places without having to fly. I am not sucked in by celebrity's marketing - i have a brain and the ability to make decisions for myself.

 

Different strokes.

 

wow

[WpgCruise]

. I am delighted that the pompous when-we's are departing for Oceania blah blah blah. I have a brain and the ability to make decisions for myself.

Different strokes.

 

I've generally found that moving the discussion to the personal level tends to remove any credibility from the discussion.

And of course it makes the poster appear less than capable of presenting a cogent argument.

[MagPie60]

I have never seen such pomposity as on these boards. It is very interesting.

[WpgCruise]

I have never seen such pomposity as on these boards. It is very interesting.

 

I don't see anyone being pompous but rather seasoned Celebrity customers discussing their perception of the product, the value received, and options they have discovered.

 

While some on this Board are quite comfortable with the product Celebrity is offering, others are not and to take their criticism personally really isn't productive.

 

For those who like the Celebrity product, I think that's wonderful The critics aren't denigrating your children or kicking your dog, they're simply pointing out what they see as opportunities for improvement and offering options for those who are looking for them.

[Toronto Guy]

I am also in complete agreement with your comments. I never thought I could flip so quickly but after 32 cruises, we came home from our recent Equinox voyage disappointed with the whole Celebrity cruise experience. We're also done for a while until we can find a cruise line that offers more entertainment, music and activity options.

 

 

 

In particular, with this last cruise, the majority of onboard activities, especially on sea days, seemed to all center around some product promotion. Since when did facial rejuvenation, watch, jewelry and art promotions, Cariloha sheet sales etc. etc. become the main activities offered? It wasn't that long ago that there was usually some type of musical entertainment available in the daytime on sea days; and, certainly throughout the evening there were pretty much continual live music performances going on in different venues.

 

 

 

I don't know if our recent experience was the result of corporate directives or a totally M-I-A cruise director, but we're not wasting our money any longer on this brand.

 

 

 

Absolutely agree. I can’t find anything on the daily activity sheet that I am even remotely interested in participating in!

[Kingofcool1947]

Absolutely agree. I can’t find anything on the daily activity sheet that I am even remotely interested in participating in!

 

Don’t they still have Needlepoint? Napkin Folding? Canasta? Bingo?

[hcat]

Never participated in those..

 

But they now have fewer speakers, no afternoon sorbet at the pool, no piano bar singer to mention a few gaps.

 

Many so called activities like food/ alcohol demos are geared to selling dining or drinking events...same with healthy living lectures at the gym.,

 

We find enough to keep us happy but clearly it is more no frills than in the past when Modern Luxury was more than a slogan

. Looking forward to EDGE !

[Mynki]

One pet peeve was the use of cell phones in public spaces. Now that’s is tacky.

 

I used my cell phone in a public place last time I was onboard. I was really struggling to get a signal on one half of the shop. I needed to have an urgent conversation about my dying grandfather who sadly now no longer with us. I'm sorry you think, that kind of behaviour is tacky.

 

Perhaps you think I should have emailed instead?

[Bo1953]

Never participated in those..

 

But they now have fewer speakers, no afternoon sorbet at the pool, no piano bar singer to mention a few gaps.

 

Many so called activities like food/ alcohol demos are geared to selling dining or drinking events...same with healthy living lectures at the gym.,

 

We find enough to keep us happy but clearly it is more no frills than in the past when Modern Luxury was more than a slogan

. Looking forward to EDGE !

 

I would think a talk with the Activities Director would be quite in order if we want and desire something far different or more.

 

I trust those who are not happy with the current state of activities spoke with the AD before dis-embarking so they know and can start to be more pro-active in planning If not, oh well...

 

bon voyage

[Mynki]

I don't see anyone being pompous but rather seasoned Celebrity customers discussing their perception of the product, the value received, and options they have discovered.

 

While some on this Board are quite comfortable with the product Celebrity is offering, others are not and to take their criticism personally really isn't productive.

 

For those who like the Celebrity product, I think that's wonderful The critics aren't denigrating your children or kicking your dog, they're simply pointing out what they see as opportunities for improvement and offering options for those who are looking for them.

 

Check the posters history who you quote. That will tell you all you need to know. ;)

 

As for Celebrity product, it's good, IMHO it could be made better very easily but it won't, it is what it is. People can book with them or go elsewhere. If people think it's awesome then that's great for them as they're having a great time. If people think it's terrible, no problem either, book elsewhere would be my opinion.

 

Some Celebrity cruises offer value, some do not. I'd always treat every single booking on its own merits and blatantly ignore anyone making sweeping statements.

 

For me personally, and these are my very personal thoughts, I need to try other lines. Entertainment is not a big factor when considering who to sail with, which is probably just as well when booking X ships. Dining is very important. Recently we've been completely underwhelmed with the food on Celebrity. I could cook better at home in almost all instances. On chic night in Blu, diners were presented with one tiny Bahamian lobster tail, a few potatoes and a single asparagus stick!

 

So I plan to complete an Asian sailing and a trip on Edge within the next 12 months but have no plans to book with Celebrity at full rate fares anymore. I'd rather pay more and try Azamara and Oceania. I don't believe that makes me pompous. I just need to find a better fit. Having dined in two land based restaurants very recently, the likes of the MDR, Blu and even specialty restaurants have really been put into perspective for me. I know land based restaurants have a massive advantage over those operating at sea, but even so, they made the ships offerings look poor. Very, very poor by comparison.

 

Maybe I'll find AZX and O poor too, maybe they'll not be worth the money and maybe one day we'll even achieve Zenith status if X get their act together. We shall see.

 

As for Edge, my head tells me to cancel, my heart tells me I want to see the new ship. I think the Retreat is a sound idea and should enhance the whole Celebrity experience. But.. I've seen nothing to suggest that the quality of the entertainment will improve. I've seen nothing to see that daily activities will improve and that passengers won't be bombarded with more thinly veiled sales events etc. I doubt pax will be free from staff hawking specialty dining and beverage packages and perhaps most of all, I've seen nothing to suggest that food quality will improve. If S and M class ships serve the same fare, why will the new E class ships be different?

 

I also think if people were to take a hard look at Edge fares and compare it to other cruise lines, many people would be very surprised what other options they have. For the price of Aqua and suite class sailings you have a whole multitude of other quality lines, itineraries and experiences waiting for you.

 

But each to their own.

[Mynki]

I would think a talk with the Activities Director would be quite in order if we want and desire something far different or more.

 

I trust those who are not happy with the current state of activities spoke with the AD before dis-embarking so they know and can start to be more pro-active in planning If not, oh well...

 

bon voyage

 

I didn't. But DW and I both made our feelings very clear on the surveys which followed our B2B's. If a lot more people did this, then they might take note.

 

Celebrity staff have always said that changes are based on these surveys as they can identify trends amongst large numbers of cruisers. A complaint to the activities manager may well be in order, but if everyone feeds back then maybe people might see some changes.

 

I quite enjoyed some of the Celebrity Life talks on a previous Millennium cruise, but these seemed to have been done away these days. The cost to the cruise line is minimal so why scrap them. They were quite well attended so I doubt that was an issue.

[Bo1953]

I used my cell phone in a public place last time I was onboard. I was really struggling to get a signal on one half of the shop. I needed to have an urgent conversation about my dying grandfather who sadly now no longer with us. I'm sorry you think, that kind of behaviour is tacky.

 

Perhaps you think I should have emailed instead?

 

m - I Am sure that your situation is not what the poster was speaking about.

 

 

I Am sorry for your loss....

 

 

bon voyage

[Luvcrusn]

This discussion reminds me of many conversations with my dad. Often, he would wax nostalgic to days gone by when a loaf a bread cost two cents and it was "quality bread, not the c**p we have today!"

[richsea]

The real excitment is that there are so many options out there!

 

Celebrity is really old news - it is Oceania, Azamara, Viking and Virgin that is innovating with really new products.

 

I am not talking about gimmicks - like magic carpets and garden of edens etc. That is Celebrity's lie.

 

It is fundamentals - really great service and food and itineraries that more and more consumers are learning about.

 

Celebrity is living on its old reputation.

 

Too many negative reviews about food, service, no wait staff to take beverage orders, degraded Aqua Spa, poor product for non suites, and on, on, on.

 

Thank goodness for innovation and change - that is what moves the world forward.

 

Celebrity - you are old news despite your marketing hokum - like modern luxury bull!

 

May consumers learn more about the wonderful world of cruisng options out there.

 

Expand your wings and fly!

Your posts are always interesting and intriguing, however just about all of them have to do with putting Celebrity down. Can you share when was the last time you were on a Celebrity ship? For the the past few years, at least, you point out all that is wrong with Celebrity, and how you have moved on. Why then, do you keep coming to the Celebrity forum? Are you recruiting for Oceania?

 

In your above post you remind us how change and innovation moves the world forward, yet you constantly put Celebrity down for change and innovation. It’s like when Celebrity does it, it is bad; but anyone else, it is progress.

 

I suspect that on every cruise line forum here, people are complaining about change and cutbacks. Being a long time Celebrity cruiser I do it myself. However, we still enjoy the product that Celebrity offers, even if after so many years. Some changes we like, and some not so much, so we are now sailing other lines as well. But to constantly offer nothing but negative opinions regarding one particular line gets old after a while, and people start to consider the source and just not pay it much mind.

[richsea]

This discussion reminds me of many conversations with my dad. Often, he would wax nostalgic to days gone by when a loaf a bread cost two cents and it was "quality bread, not the c**p we have today!"

Yep, back in the day, Wonder Bread was the cat’s meow. I also walked 2 miles to school, uphill both ways!

[beentothere]

I would think a talk with the Activities Director would be quite in order if we want and desire something far different or more.

 

I trust those who are not happy with the current state of activities spoke with the AD before dis-embarking so they know and can start to be more pro-active in planning If not, oh well...

 

bon voyage

 

 

1) the 192 ft new layout is very comfortable and well designed for the feel of a mini suite.

 

2) The combo of the MDR, the buffet, and the grill feeds us more than adequately. But not always in that combination.

 

3) Entertainers are expensive. Dancers broke their legs. Cruising will not likely provide those experiences as they once did. I personally loved the dancing having once participated my self on the great white.

 

4) Prices will fall and rise as the seas.

 

5) Dogs and other pets will become more frequent and less well behaved.

 

6) Passengers will complain more but be less proactive on issues of safety and health.

 

7) NJ will secede over taxes.