Is Celebrity shooting itself in the foot?

[Airspeed]

I have had my third Celebrity cruise in December, the last two cruises were in a Penthouse suite on the Millenium-class Summit, prior to that we were in a Royal Suite.

We both (my wife and I) really liked the Summit, and though we felt the Royal Suite was dark, dated, and definitely can use an upgrade, loved the Penthouse suite to death! Wooden Parquet flooring, Yamaha C1 grand piano (I play), gigantic balcony, and so on...

 

From everything I read the Edge looks close to a concept disaster. Yet Celebrity, without testing the market perception of its new concept, has decided to go full blown and "Edgesize" its entire fleet. The Penthouse Suite will be forever ruined on the Summit.

 

This reminds me of the CueCat, that innovative bar code scanner that ended up being on or IT's worst marketing disasters. The difference: It was free. The Edge is not. In fact,she carries a premium.

 

This whole horror show has prompted me to  look at other suites on other cruise lines, such as Holland America's Pinnacle Suite, or the Royal Caribbean Royal Suite. I would have never done so had I now known that the Penthouse was going to be ruined.

 

In my opinion, Celebrity is shooting itself in the foot...

[goldsmip115]

While I share your concerns I am trying to remain positive.  I love the PS on Summit and hope that the best elements of it are preserved.  We have 19 nights booked in that suite beginning at the end of April and a separate cruise at the beginning of June.  I am anxiously awaiting on PS reports and pictures from the Millenium.

[dkjretired]

19 minutes ago, Airspeed said:

I have had my third Celebrity cruise in December, the last two cruises were in a Penthouse suite on the Millenium-class Summit, prior to that we were in a Royal Suite.

We both (my wife and I) really liked the Summit, and though we felt the Royal Suite was dark, dated, and definitely can use an upgrade, loved the Penthouse suite to death! Wooden Parquet flooring, Yamaha C1 grand piano (I play), gigantic balcony, and so on...

 

From everything I read the Edge looks close to a concept disaster. Yet Celebrity, without testing the market perception of its new concept, has decided to go full blown and "Edgesize" its entire fleet. The Penthouse Suite will be forever ruined on the Summit.

 

This reminds me of the CueCat, that innovative bar code scanner that ended up being on or IT's worst marketing disasters. The difference: It was free. The Edge is not. In fact,she carries a premium.

 

This whole horror show has prompted me to  look at other suites on other cruise lines, such as Holland America's Pinnacle Suite, or the Royal Caribbean Royal Suite. I would have never done so had I now known that the Penthouse was going to be ruined.

 

In my opinion, Celebrity is shooting itself in the foot...

 

We've had a couple of previous threads on this, at least when the Solstized the M class ships they waited to get the reaction of passengers on the S class ships. 

[mnocket]

27 minutes ago, Airspeed said:

I have had my third Celebrity cruise in December, the last two cruises were in a Penthouse suite on the Millenium-class Summit, prior to that we were in a Royal Suite.

We both (my wife and I) really liked the Summit, and though we felt the Royal Suite was dark, dated, and definitely can use an upgrade, loved the Penthouse suite to death! Wooden Parquet flooring, Yamaha C1 grand piano (I play), gigantic balcony, and so on...

 

From everything I read the Edge looks close to a concept disaster. Yet Celebrity, without testing the market perception of its new concept, has decided to go full blown and "Edgesize" its entire fleet. The Penthouse Suite will be forever ruined on the Summit.

 

This reminds me of the CueCat, that innovative bar code scanner that ended up being on or IT's worst marketing disasters. The difference: It was free. The Edge is not. In fact,she carries a premium.

 

This whole horror show has prompted me to  look at other suites on other cruise lines, such as Holland America's Pinnacle Suite, or the Royal Caribbean Royal Suite. I would have never done so had I now known that the Penthouse was going to be ruined.

 

In my opinion, Celebrity is shooting itself in the foot...

Ah, the CueCat.  I'm probably one of the few that knows what you're talking about.  I actually thought this was a good idea at the time.  I used to have one still in it's packaging somewhere in the closet, but it's gone now - might become a valuable collector's item some day

Edited February 2, 2019 by mnocket

[Diver2014]

How can you say Celebrity is 'shooting itself in the foot' without ever setting foot on the Edge?   Looking at photos and reading other people's opinions should not sway your opinion.  I think Celebrity knows exactly what they are doing and 'suite' folks like yourself are complaining about something you have not experienced.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

What has made you decide that they will ruin the penthouse on Summit?  Or any of the M class ships?

[[g]cruiserke]

55 minutes ago, Airspeed said:

From everything I read the Edge looks close to a concept disaster. Yet Celebrity, without testing the market perception of its new concept, has decided to go full blown and "Edgesize" its entire fleet. The Penthouse Suite will be forever ruined on the Summit.

 

 

The Edge is nowhere near being a concept disaster. There was an enormous amount of pre-release hype, certainly here on the forums and now there clearly is some negative push-back negating that positive hype, but believe me, she's not the unmitigated disaster some people here seem to imply.

 

We've been on the Edge, in an IV cabin, and we thoroughly enjoyed the ship and new experiences. We'll be back on the Edge in April, in a Sky Suite, and we can't wait to get back. 

 

Secondly, the changes to the other ships to make them more Edge-like will mainly be cosmetic - updating interior design, rebuild cabins, restaurants etc. The two most controversial innovations on the Edge are probably the Infinite Verandah and the Magic Carpet (and for what it's worth we enjoyed both of those on our cruise) and neither will be part of the changes to the older ships. 

Edited February 2, 2019 by [g]cruiserke

[First family]

I will be in PS 6148 on Summits second sailing out of dry dock on April 6. I’ve never been in the PH before. I’ve never been on M class.  I’ve mostly sailed on the S class Celebrity ships, or in balcony and/or suites on other cruise lines other than Celebrity, so I have no idea of what the changes are.  I have noticed a decline of personal service on all cruises across all categories.  And ships are getting larger so they can pack more people on. Even the Summit is adding staterooms where empty space used to be. I’m not hard to please and I like easy going people, but I’m a STICKLER for attention to detail. But the main reason I cruise is for the connection to the sea. I’ll probably skip ports just to sit on my balcony.  If Summit disappoints I’ll be looking at a luxury line.  

[ipeeinthepool]

1 hour ago, Airspeed said:

I have had my third Celebrity cruise in December, the last two cruises were in a Penthouse suite on the Millenium-class Summit, prior to that we were in a Royal Suite.

We both (my wife and I) really liked the Summit, and though we felt the Royal Suite was dark, dated, and definitely can use an upgrade, loved the Penthouse suite to death! Wooden Parquet flooring, Yamaha C1 grand piano (I play), gigantic balcony, and so on...

 

From everything I read the Edge looks close to a concept disaster. Yet Celebrity, without testing the market perception of its new concept, has decided to go full blown and "Edgesize" its entire fleet. The Penthouse Suite will be forever ruined on the Summit.

 

This reminds me of the CueCat, that innovative bar code scanner that ended up being on or IT's worst marketing disasters. The difference: It was free. The Edge is not. In fact,she carries a premium.

 

This whole horror show has prompted me to  look at other suites on other cruise lines, such as Holland America's Pinnacle Suite, or the Royal Caribbean Royal Suite. I would have never done so had I now known that the Penthouse was going to be ruined.

 

In my opinion, Celebrity is shooting itself in the foot...

 

I agree reed with you 100%.   The Edge concept was poorly executed an wont be appealing to many passengers.  It will continue to command a premium for a while just because it’s a new ship and there are many passengers that don’t understand the details.  But prices will drop significantly because they will not get the same level of return cruisers as they expected.

[Nymich]

2 hours ago, Airspeed said:

This whole horror show has prompted me to  look at other suites on other cruise lines, such as Holland America's Pinnacle Suite, or the Royal Caribbean Royal Suite. I would have never done so had I now known that the Penthouse was going to be ruined.

 

In my opinion, Celebrity is shooting itself in the foot...

The good news is you have some high class problems.

[lisiamc]

30 minutes ago, ipeeinthepool said:

 

I agree reed with you 100%.   The Edge concept was poorly executed an wont be appealing to many passengers.  It will continue to command a premium for a while just because it’s a new ship and there are many passengers that don’t understand the details.  But prices will drop significantly because they will not get the same level of return cruisers as they expected.

They seem to be giving the impression that they don’t want any/many repeat cruisers.  They’re looking for younger people who take a week or two of vacation per year, and might cruise every five years at the most.  I think they’re hoping there will be enough one-off cruisers to keep profits high.

[chemmo]

We have loved 3 fantastic cruises in the PH on Millie and the Summit. We have loved those cruises and the suite lay out...Two separate areas making it more suitable for two couples/ family to share and that fantastic balcony.....Rather than being worried about the Revolution, however, we do feel the M ships do need a full refurbishment...I honestly could happily cruise again on any of the the S class just as they are (we are happily  booked on Eclipse pre refurbishment in 2020)...

 

As long as they don’t reduce the ‘real estate’ of the PH on M class we are more likely rather than less likely to book post refurbishment. Interested in what will happen to the speciality restaurants as only Tuscan or LPC just isn’t enough...that missing  ‘Ocean liners’/Murano’s factor is a big miss for us.

 

Looking forward to the pictures of the new PH on M class and hoping that the ‘full package’ of M class bars and restaurants is a real upgrade...

Edited February 2, 2019 by chemmo

[Canada 1070]

I hope you do use the favor of you being on a different line Thank you.

 

[Airspeed]

What I lament the most is that the parquet flooring will be replaced, and there will be no more grand piano. I am old fashioned in a way, and also European: I really like the style of the living room, and will miss the fact that the piano will be gone (I am classically trained and practiced during the cruises I took).

 

Looking at other options...

 

The reviews I have read on the Edge pretty much sound like a warning: When a supposedly positive review starts with all kinds of caveats, I see this as a warning. I don't spend this kind of dough to be experimenting with something I might or might not enjoy. My feeling is the Edge was a giant mistake, and they rushed when they decided that this is the new concept to apply to all ships.

Edited February 2, 2019 by Airspeed

[twodjs]

On the one hand, you mention the cabins are outdated and in need of refurbishing, yet you think Celebrity is ruining the cabins by refurbishing them. I think the new decor looks great and they are adding a suites-only deck area. The Pinnacle on HAL is great, but you don't an exclusive restaurant, internet, drinks or anything else. I think you need to see the actual result and the complete offer before condemning Celebrity. 

[First family]

37 minutes ago, Airspeed said:

What I lament the most is that the parquet flooring will be replaced, and there will be no more grand piano. I am old fashioned in a way, and also European: I really like the style of the living room, and will miss the fact that the piano will be gone (I am classically trained and practiced during the cruises I took).

 

Looking at other options...

 

The reviews I have read on the Edge pretty much sound like a warning: When a supposedly positive review starts with all kinds of caveats, I see this as a warning. I don't spend this kind of dough to be experimenting with something I might or might not enjoy. My feeling is the Edge was a giant mistake, and they rushed when they decided that this is the new concept to apply to all ships.

They are taking out the piano?  I don’t play but I was looking forward to the disk music. A couple of recliners in place of the piano would be good/useful. What other changes have you heard about?  

[Airspeed]

2 minutes ago, First family said:

They are taking out the piano?  I don’t play but I was looking forward to the disk music. A couple of recliners in place of the piano would be good/useful. What other changes have you heard about?  

The whole thing will be stripped down to the are metal. They are doing the white furniture pattern as seen throughout the new Edge styling. This may be an improvement in the Royal Suites, which need a desperate makeover, but will definitely bring down the standards of the penthouse suites. They are also not fixing the worst part of the Royal Suites on the Millennium Class - that porthole in the bedroom really should be a larger window.

 

After reading some of the less enthusiastic reviews of the Edge, I am looking for alternatives...

[twodjs]

Now, after reading your last post about your classic piano training, I have a better understanding why you would object to the update of the cabin. Removing the piano when you have a passion for it is extremely unfortunate. Celebrity probably made a conscious decision, considering the small % of people who appreciate the piano and the expense to maintain proper tuning - so sadly it is going away. I'm lamenting the removal of part of the gym/spa area, in favor of additional cabins. So, for a variety of legitimate reasons, when this Edge revolution is complete, many will take their business elsewhere.  

[Airspeed]

5 minutes ago, twodjs said:

Now, after reading your last post about your classic piano training, I have a better understanding why you would object to the update of the cabin. Removing the piano when you have a passion for it is extremely unfortunate. Celebrity probably made a conscious decision, considering the small % of people who appreciate the piano and the expense to maintain proper tuning - so sadly it is going away. I'm lamenting the removal of part of the gym/spa area, in favor of additional cabins. So, for a variety of legitimate reasons, when this Edge revolution is complete, many will take their business elsewhere.  

 

I was not aware of the gym/spa area changes. That gym is fantastic, so yes, that is another downgrade.

 

The problem is that before this edge craze I really, really liked Celebrity. Now they are forcing me away from them. One thing about the Edge, in some of the reviews it read that she seemed more crowded. I never felt overcrowded in the Summit.

 

Yes, the Summit needs some upgrades and fixing, but don't destroy what is best about her in the process...

Edited February 2, 2019 by Airspeed
typo

[Airspeed]

3 hours ago, mnocket said:

Ah, the CueCat.  I'm probably one of the few that knows what you're talking about.  I actually thought this was a good idea at the time.  I used to have one still in it's packaging somewhere in the closet, but it's gone now - might become a valuable collector's item some day

 

Mine is sitting in front of me on my desk. It sill has the purple PS2 keyboard connector. On the Cat's left side it reads "delta.com", on the right side is the logo for wired magazine.

 

What is funny is that my mouse, a LogiTech gaming mouse, is much larger than the CueCat. I think it could eat the CueCat, not the other way around...

 

eBay values it at about five bucks...

Edited February 2, 2019 by Airspeed
typo

[Airspeed]

2 hours ago, ipeeinthepool said:

 

I agree reed with you 100%.   The Edge concept was poorly executed an wont be appealing to many passengers.  It will continue to command a premium for a while just because it’s a new ship and there are many passengers that don’t understand the details.  But prices will drop significantly because they will not get the same level of return cruisers as they expected.

 

Thank you! I see it the same way. A lot of initial hype that will not translate into new passenger numbers. The good news is that cruising will be cheaper over all, because of excess capacity...

[cardiffman]

I am almost done with my first cruise on Celebrity. I'm in a Celebrity Suite, not PS or RS and I am wondering what you folks used to expect. I have other experiences in cruising and hotel stays that calibrated my reaction to the service we got and space we occupied, and I feel that the CS is as good as it gets. Can you kindly share some notes?

 

[Airspeed]

1 minute ago, cardiffman said:

I am almost done with my first cruise on Celebrity. I'm in a Celebrity Suite, not PS or RS and I am wondering what you folks used to expect. I have other experiences in cruising and hotel stays that calibrated my reaction to the service we got and space we occupied, and I feel that the CS is as good as it gets. Can you kindly share some notes?

 

 

The issue seems to be with the renovations they are planning for the entire fleet. Celebrity Cruises is a highly personlized, service oriented cruise line, which I have really enjoyed taking after finding Oceania a little to staid and MSC's service standards impossible.

 

The problem is that the new Celebrity Edge is a completely redesigned concept, with white/grey tones and a very modern look and feel. One criticism here on this board has been that she has no "soul". Other issues seems to be the crampedness of the cabins, and the new way of having glass enclosed balconies. Some people reported that she felt more "crowded", which is the very opposite of how the Summit, though also a larger ship, felt.

 

I don't know how it will affect the Celebrity Suite, but I know that all cabins will be stripped down to the metal and refurbished/redone. That may be a good idea for some of the more aged suites, such as the Royal Suite, but the Penthouse Suite is one of the best suites in the whole business, and it looks like they will be ruining those.

 

Other notes: The service we have experienced on the Summit is beyond belief. They bend backwards to fix problems, are responsive, and really do try to take care of you. On the last trip in December, we brought along some Christmas music CD's. Turns out, there was no CD player in the Suite. So they found one and installed it, without asking any further questions...

[First family]

I am certainly hoping for great service on the Summit. My expectations are high when I pay $$$$$. I’ve noticed a large scale decline of service in all cruise lines lately, enough so that I nearly didn’t book this cruise on the Summit. I nearly gave up cruising all together. 

[Airspeed]

At this point you will not go wrong going on the Summit, trust me.