Things that Celebrity have done away with that you would like to see back

[shipshape sam]

On 4/27/2019 at 2:55 PM, Pier290 said:

Complimentary Sushi at 5pm on back deck.

Legit fresh squeezed orange juice.

Chocolate on pillows.

 

 

We enjoyed the sushi too in the buffet area.  It was popular on the sailing we were on, so I suspect it was remove for a reason beyond non use.

[TeaBag]

Perry Grant, the vegetables served in a potato basket (yes, I know, labor intensive, but so good), the swan floating in the chocolate lake.  Now I know I'm dating myself.

[ABoatNerd]

The change/decline in Celebrity since 2003. I have sailed Celebrity since 2002.

 

When Celebrity launched, it was the highest level of the mass lines. I would say it was the equal to Oceania, Azamara or Viking of today. 

 

There was a distinct higher end difference in the Celebrity service, product, ship versus the mass lines of the day - think the recycled ss France ie NCL, the recycled old Canadian Pacific Cruise lines ships bought by Carnivale etc.

 

Celebrity chose to go downwards due to LLP management - not upwards to actually be a premium cruise line. Celebrity is a mere shadow of the amazing cruise line it used to be - for ALL passengers. Celebrity could have chosen to be a premium cruise line using their long term historic product. Rather, LLP chose to downgrade this once proud line. Celebrity could have killed off the sorry excuse for a premium line that is Oceania today.

 

People posting today may not know of the previous Celebrity, so I understand that. You are missing an amazing product.

 

What I miss, in no priority:

 

1) The amazing lemon tarts (real lemon curd) with bitter chocolate square on top at the Cafe El Bacio, oh my. No, the substitutes were awful

 

2) The shrimp and crab sandwiches in Cafe El Bacio - boarding in Barcelona in 2013 - we added a chardonnay - it was heaven when we waited for our room

 

3) A forward viewing lounge for ALL - how dare you to eliminate this essential ship element Celebrity

 

4) A forward viewing lounge for ALL - we viewed the arrival into Venice, the Beagle Channel in South America, the Panama Canal - where there was coffee, tea, pastries and a guest lecturer guiding us ALL through the arrivals. From 5 am onwards. Gone mostly.

 

5) Forward viewing lounge/afternoon tea - think real afternoon tea for ALL - they had the pastry cart (as Oceania and Crystal does now). It was amazing. Real clotted cream and scones and shrimp and crab tea sandwiches (neither Oceania or Crystal provide these sandwiches now).

 

6) Amazing menu in the MDR - Real meats but also California cuisine and other choices. I watch the comments about Luminae, heavy foods focused on meats and sauces. Many posts from customers choosing to eat in Blu or order from the MDR menu, really? Not interested. 

 

My impression is that Celebrity got bought by RCL and got downgraded. That was when they sent edible oil coffee creamers onto my breakfast tray in 2015, not 10% real cream. Really?

 

Yes, the previous Celebrity would cost more than today. Understood.

 

I miss the old Celebrity - what an amazing product available for ALL.

 

Times change and vacations options change. Cruising is not the only vacation option out there.

 

 

[Jim_Iain]

REALLY miss the Cova Chocolates that were served at Cova Cafe (Al Baccio).    They use to also leave the premium Cova chocolates on your pillow at night.  

[Pushka]

Agree re the freshly prepared sushi in the buffet. I don’t like sushi, husband loves it. He would grab a few pieces, I would grab some wonderful curry, a couple of glasses of wine in the aft portion of the buffet around sunset and we would watch the last port disappear on our med cruises. Or sunset. We miss that very much and as I don’t like sushi I’m not paying to go to that Restaurant for it. 

[SusieV]

I miss: 

• gourmet bites in the lounges in the evenings
• midnight buffet & chocolate buffet
• more live music (I know there is still some, but less)
• mini sandwiches at Cafe al Bacio (previously Cova Cafe)
• fresh to order salmon at the Aqua Spa Cafe
• tableside food preparation in the MDR (I am really dating myself here but I started cruising young!)
• getting off menu meals in the specialty restaurants (I miss my lobster in champagne sauce)
• the dessert tray in the MDR
• the harpist in the specialty restaurants
• formal afternoon tea
• the fancy drinks by Junior Merino at the Molecular Bar (now World Class)
• Bistro on Five
• paper Captain's Club coupons (so I can use my traveling companions' match play coupons!)
• more onboard learning seminars and demonstrations that aren't simply advertisements
• better service from the sommeliers in the MDR

[NMTraveller]

2 minutes ago, SusieV said:

 

• more onboard learning seminars and demonstrations that aren't simply advertisements

Amen to this one.

[jjsnonna]

These comments make me sad for the posters.

 

 

[jmdlv1]

On 5/4/2019 at 8:50 AM, TeeRick said:

Hey we are neighbors!  But how long ago did they let you take duty free liquor to your cabin?  That is something I do not remember at all.

Our first Celebrity Cruise was on the Century ‘98.

They we’re taking orders as you stood in line to check in at the port.

I don’t remember the limit but we bought a bottle of vodka and rum that appeared in our cabin.

by our next cruise in 2000 I believe it was no longer available.

 

[davekathy]

Might as well as pens to the list as some are posting their dissatisfaction with Celebrity for replacing pens with pencils. 

[NMTraveller]

On my first Alaskan cruise the waiters performed a show during dinner in the MDR.  That is something special that I remember to this day and miss.

[4774Papa]

On 5/2/2019 at 5:23 PM, Von & John said:

 

We similarly shop via the Itinerary...

It is our first consideration for any cruise...

We mainly sail 3 lines & Celebrity is our favorite - but we have more nights (due to itinerary) on another...

We started cruising with NCL but were attracted to Celebrity by their cruises that were all over the World, South America, Australia/NZ, East Asia, South Asia and the Middle East, the Black Sea as well as all over Europe and the Caribbean.  NCL is still weak in many of those areas, even though they have improved.  HAL has good choices around the World, as does Princess.

[highway180]

On 5/2/2019 at 10:43 AM, misterkevin said:

I started cruising in Aqua on Celebrity after they stopped offering custom muesli for breakfast, and I still consider Blu a perk worth paying extra for. Of course, I don't know what I'm missing, but it's not a deal breaker for be for these reasons:

1. The staff is wonderful and know us almost immediately.
2. The room is smaller so it's more intimate, and there's typically no wait or very minimal wait to be seated.
3. The breakfasts are delicious and include fresh squeezed juice.
4. The dinners entrees are typically more interesting than the MDR, but we've had the opportunity to order from MDR menus on the Summit. 
5. We get our drink or wine orders taken and filled quickly.
6. It feels more exclusive, because it is.

The little perks from Aqua for me give the vacation a special feel without having to pay double or triple to upgrade to suite class.

I totally agree!

i have Never had a good experience in the MDR, drink service....awful, food service barely acceptable, and we have always had the misfortune of ending up with table mates that were either mute or lacked conversational skills.

Once switching to AQ, and we always do, Blu has been an enjoyable alternative. My wife feels that the drink service is too good.  Is that even possible????

 

i may be in the minority here, but.......

 

happy cruising!

[crusinpeg]

On 4/27/2019 at 8:31 PM, jelayne said:

I wonder how much people would be willing to pay to have all of these things back?.

Good question...I would rather have a few cutbacks and keep the pricing competitive. Some of our cruise prices were more expensive back in the day compared to now.

[mahdnc]

15 hours ago, SusieV said:

I miss: 

• paper Captain's Club coupons (so I can use my traveling companions' match play coupons!)

 

The match play coupons themselves are still paper.  You just need your friends to present their SeaPass card at the table and the pit boss will hand out the proper number of match play coupons and they can give them to you.   That is how I handle it with my family of 4 (all CC Elite) and the 12 match plays that we get as a group. 

[BBH]

I miss the Gourmet Bites that were served late evenings in the lounges.

[Jim_Iain]

Heck the world is changing all around us and will never go back to where it was.   The past brings back good memories that will probably never be repeated. The raise in fuel from 8-10 cents a gallon to the current price has forced many changes in the Transportation industry. 

 

I also miss the old days when on United Airlines in First Class they carved Châteaubriand table side and Dining in the Sky with sit down tables on International 747 First Class.      OK... OK..... I'm showing my age.  

[richstowe]

33 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

The raise in fuel from 8-10 cents a gallon to the current price has forced many changes

8-10 cents a gallon ? How old are you ?

[Mike981]

Our first cruise was on the Mercury in 2000 (talk about being spoiled right out of the gate). Now the MDR is night and day different. It was a tad stuffy for us, but now they have gone too far the other way. I honestly don't remember (to many drinks of the day in between) much else except the employee to guest ratio was much better.

If you slip over to other cruise lines forums, they all have the same topics. "Remember when?" I like the fact that I pay the same or less and still enjoy myself.

 

Like Jim said above, times change. And if you REALLY want to go back to the old days, there are options for you to try. It's just going to cost a lot more.

[Jim_Iain]

3 hours ago, richstowe said:

8-10 cents a gallon ? How old are you ?

 

Really not that old.    In the early 70's the average price of Bunker ran between $1.21 to 2.70 a barrel.  At 42 gallons to a barrel that equates to 3-6.50 Cents per gallon.  

 

I remember buying gas at $0.25 a gallon and could run my Corvette for a week on $1.00 worth of fuel. 

[richstowe]

41 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

Really not that old.    In the early 70's the average price of Bunker ran between $1.21 to 2.70 a barrel.  At 42 gallons to a barrel that equates to 3-6.50 Cents per gallon.  

 

I remember buying gas at $0.25 a gallon and could run my Corvette for a week on $1.00 worth of fuel. 

Fair enough . $5 filled my first generation Honda Civic .🙂

[shipshape sam]

22 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Heck the world is changing all around us and will never go back to where it was.   The past brings back good memories that will probably never be repeated. The raise in fuel from 8-10 cents a gallon to the current price has forced many changes in the Transportation industry. 

 

I also miss the old days when on United Airlines in First Class they carved Châteaubriand table side and Dining in the Sky with sit down tables on International 747 First Class.      OK... OK..... I'm showing my age.  

There is a verse in a song by Paul Williams... You can get back to the place (ship) but not the time (same experiences). There are new memories to be made though.

 

I do like to reminisce.  Like sailing/traveling and creating NEW memories too, just different. 

 

Got to fly a 747 once from Chicago to Honolulu.  The upper cabin area was a lounge for all passengers. It was on United as I recall. 

[JSR]

Tables large enough to have breakfast on the balconies. Or even portable carts like in hotels for breakfast on the balcony. 

[sailingskyward]

While it may seem silly, one thing I miss is the free movies on stateroom TVs. Once Celebrity made this change a few months ago, I realized their tagline about being "modern luxury" is a joke. What was luxurious about my experience? Old inner-spring mattress with threadbare sheets?

 

Sorry, Celebrity, but this relationship isn't working out. It's not me, it's you!

[seahappy08]

On 27 April 2019 at 8:32 PM, simon stingray said:

Michaels Club re-opened to all guests (not only suite) and the piano entertainers returned. I don't understand why X decided to do away with this kind of entertainment/venue as It was always busy back in the old days and RCCL have the Schooner bar and Princess have Crooners which offer similar entertainment and continue to be very popular venues.  

 

I have nothing against suite guests having their own private lounge but surely X could re-locate this someplace else instead of taking away a popular venue from the majority (non-suite) guests.

I so agree with you!