Cruise Amenity Cutbacks: Where Do You Draw The Line?

[jelayne]

2 hours ago, Covepointcruiser said:

Added amenities since we began cruising in Celebrity

 

Anytime Dining

Much better selections in buffets

No more formal nights and a very relaxed dress code

Gluten free items

Vegan and Vegetarian Menus

Beverage Packages

Internet and Internet packages

Gratuities are now automatic, no more envelopes and searching for crew to tip

More than one dining option, MDR, Buffet, Mast Grill, all included

Coffee Bar with great coffee and free pastries

Pillow choice, mattress toppers, wedges for those with GERD

Special cabins for disabled passengers

Dogs now allowed on the ships (even emotional support)

Self Disembarking

Daily Trivia

Special Lounge and Restaurant for suites

Aquaclass

 

 

 

 

Unlimited drinks 5-7 for Elite and above at most bars.

Speciality dining packages 

Surf internet packages 

Enhancements to Concierge Class. 

The revolutionizing of every cabin. 

[vtcruising]

11 minutes ago, TommyD3 said:

Don't really care about the balcony furniture but am upset at the deletion of ANY coffee table on Millennium and Summit concierge cabins.Had to bring the balcony table in. Again the tiny coffee / storage table in concierge cabins on Edge was a joke !!!

The main issue is that they keep deleting items and adding extra costs. Now they will charge gratuities on the "free" beverage packages!

I really hope they learned their lesson on the Edge. I do not want to walk in to my Apex stateroom and find a tom tom "coffee table". The old oval M and S Class coffee tables worked well for us - not a huge footprint and easy to move out of the way, but large enough for Room Service, afternoon canapes and wine cooler. They would just need to paint them grey and we would be good to go.

Edited September 28, 2019 by vtcruising

[Norwaylady]

4 hours ago, vtcruising said:

I really hope they learned their lesson on the Edge. I do not want to walk in to my Apex stateroom and find a tom tom "coffee table". The old oval M and S Class coffee tables worked well for us - not a huge footprint and easy to move out of the way, but large enough for Room Service, afternoon canapes and wine cooler. They would just need to paint them grey and we would be good to go.

 

BINGO!

we really hope they listen to this.....

 

[G.M.T.]

If there is a novovirus outbreak, hopefully  there are enough sick beds to separate the passengers / patients:

 

Suite

 

Balcony

 

Inside

 

 

[vickykay]

Thanks for doing this.  Hopefully someone at Celebrity reads it as well.

[hcat]

11 hours ago, vtcruising said:

I like the ships and as long as we are not priced out, will stick with X for now. We like the Chic nights - we dressed to the nines on Royal back in the day and are much more comfortable with Chic. We looked at other lines and none were perfect  - sometimes sticking with what you know is good, especially with all the new builds and revolutionized ships to try to add to the excitement.

 

I think you will like the suite amenities - that will be an exciting cruise!! Is that a birthday cruise?

It will be a birthday month cruise in Jan 2021,  out of Tampa on Constellation.  We have enjoyed her  a few times in the past and this will be post reno.  We booked one of the great deals right after they announced a re-deploy to TPA.  Suite may have a semi ugly view and we are a bit  concerned about hi step into tub but we wanted to try a suite.  

 

Our other bookings are  in categories down from AQ class, Sunset Verandas  for 2 cruises with 4 mdr plan,  and a reg balc on Summit ( great itin). I expect we will go back to AQ after that if we can afford it and see something on Silho....and if we are still happy with X.

 

The Chocolates are nothing much compared to the past but we bring them home for our dtr.  Fluffy robes are too heavy; we trade in for the waffle ones but fluffy non scrstchy towels would be great!

 

[vtcruising]

37 minutes ago, hcat said:

Suite may have a semi ugly view and we are a bit  concerned about hi step into tub but we wanted to try a suite. 

We haven't stayed in an M Class Sky Suite yet, just CS, which we loved. We do have a Sky on the Infinity in March for the FPC. We will be in 6132 with a huge balcony - it is pre-revolution  - a video showed 3 chairs and footstools, small table for drinks and larger table for dining. It will probably be our last pre-revolution M Class ship cruise. A little sad, but will be nice to have everything refreshed during the refurb. Hope they are listening about the design and furniture complaints for the Connie and Infinity.

 

The tub isn't so bad - we had the same type of tub in the CS, compounded by an awkward position next to the sink. It took a couple of tries, but I  figured out how to get in more easily - my DH loves those big tubs. 🙂

 

 

 

[shipgeeks]

Why is there no "none of the above" option?

[vtcruising]

12 minutes ago, shipgeeks said:

Why is there no "none of the above" option?

Only can have 20 responses so ran out of choices for number 1. There is for number two - "I don't care if any..".

Number 3 probably should have had a "none" - in the initial comments I said I would forget some things so comment below, if that happens. Thanks for commenting!  🙂

 

Edited September 28, 2019 by vtcruising

[Mauidiver]

Celebrity has always been about service and food for me.  Those are the two big reasons we've always chosen Celebrity over other lines and we've never been disappointed.  I am glad that RCCL is making the RCCL ships the "family fun" mega-ships and keeping Celebrity focused more on adult-type cruising with "smaller" ships.  Personally I don't mind that the line is trending to be a bit more casual and modern since that's reflective of societal trends.  I am very excited about our upcoming cruise on Edge and look forward to the "hotel" feel of the ship and the more modern entertainment.  IMO it's great that there are ships like Edge as well as more traditional type of ships, it gives a variety of options for people and hopefully everyone will find a favorite class of ship.  One size does not fit all in cruising, and it's good to have choices.

Edited September 28, 2019 by Mauidiver

[jryan110]

I am one of those who wouldn't have my cruise impacted if the amenities listed in the survey were taken away.  Are they nice to have?  Absolutely, but for my wife and I, they are not deal breakers.  That said, I understand some or many of these are deal breakers to many cruisers and can sympathize.  I would also agree that booking with the expectation of receiving (insert amenity here) and not receiving it is incredibly disappointing.

 

The one thing that stands out to me here and in the many other comments I've read through CC is the notion that certain amenities are being taken away while nothing is being added in its place.  I would argue that the major revitalization taking place across the entire fleet, the incredible new ships they are building (Edge, Apex, Flora) and the unique and ground breaking features they are adding (Magic Carpet, Infinite Veranda) are evidence that the company is finding new ways to give back to its customers.

 

I'm not raising this point to argue the merits of who prefers footstools over the Magic Carpet or whether any one passenger will use the tote bag more than the Celebrity Flora.  Nor do I want to start a discussion about the nickel-and-dime approach of removing complimentary AQ water bottles to help fund the fleet-wide revitalization.

 

My point is, Celebrity is continuing to provide upgrades, services, and amenities to its customers, they are just on a larger scale than what has been removed.

 

......I'll step off my soap box now.......

[alwaysonaship]

Interesting thread. We cruised a lot on Celebrity, but as things changed we moved on, and never looked back. One, the ships have too many people.

 

Currently on Seabourn, lovely cabin, all inclusive (except for shore excursions and WiFi) 12 nights for probably less than any suite on Celebrity. All the food is outstanding, excellent service, great wines, etc. 

 

Next Crystal for 15 nights in January (all inclusive except for shore excursions)

 

Then Regent all inclusive and business class air.

 

Honestly do not know how Celebrity can continue to keep customers with the prices going up, and what you get going down.

[TeeRick]

These are not amenities but there are a lot of improvements since we first started sailing that are just taken for granted. A lot of behind the scenes technology that makes today's cruises much more enjoyable. Very big improvements in ship safety and safety procedures.  Communications including wifi improvements and streaming. Powerful and efficient engines and stabilization systems.  Much improved departure home port terminals.  The list can go on and on.  And these type of improvements add a lot of cost unseen by the average passenger complaining about the loss of a 50 cent piece of chocolate on their pillow after stuffing themselves all day.   I know the little things are very important and nobody likes to lose things but there is a bigger picture too.

Edited September 28, 2019 by TeeRick

[vtcruising]

2 minutes ago, jryan110 said:

I am one of those who wouldn't have my cruise impacted if the amenities listed in the survey were taken away.  Are they nice to have?  Absolutely, but for my wife and I, they are not deal breakers.  That said, I understand some or many of these are deal breakers to many cruisers and can sympathize.  I would also agree that booking with the expectation of receiving (insert amenity here) and not receiving it is incredibly disappointing.

 

The one thing that stands out to me here and in the many other comments I've read through CC is the notion that certain amenities are being taken away while nothing is being added in its place.  I would argue that the major revitalization taking place across the entire fleet, the incredible new ships they are building (Edge, Apex, Flora) and the unique and ground breaking features they are adding (Magic Carpet, Infinite Veranda) are evidence that the company is finding new ways to give back to its customers.

 

I'm not raising this point to argue the merits of who prefers footstools over the Magic Carpet or whether any one passenger will use the tote bag more than the Celebrity Flora.  Nor do I want to start a discussion about the nickel-and-dime approach of removing complimentary AQ water bottles to help fund the fleet-wide revitalization.

 

My point is, Celebrity is continuing to provide upgrades, services, and amenities to its customers, they are just on a larger scale than what has been removed.

 

......I'll step off my soap box now.......

I agree - if you saw post #26, covepointcruiser and jelayne have outlined many of those very nicely - a great reminder!

 

One of my reasons for doing this was because of all the cutback threads - I wanted to see if people actually had a red line and what that might be. I worded it to see when they would potentially start looking at other cruiselines (not necessarily booking) and that is how I answered it. I did look at other lines mostly because of the veranda furniture on Edge Class and now the revolution ships, but balancing the pluses and minuses on a few lines, we will stay with X for now (and a lot has to do with the pluses in post #26). 🙂

 

 

[jryan110]

1 minute ago, vtcruising said:

I agree - if you saw post #26, covepointcruiser and jelayne have outlined many of those very nicely - a great reminder!

 

One of my reasons for doing this was because of all the cutback threads - I wanted to see if people actually had a red line and what that might be. I worded it to see when they would potentially start looking at other cruiselines (not necessarily booking) and that is how I answered it. I did look at other lines mostly because of the veranda furniture on Edge Class and now the revolution ships, but balancing the pluses and minuses on a few lines, we will stay with X for now (and a lot has to do with the pluses in post #26). 🙂

 

 

 

Fully agree and apologies for not clarifying in my original post; my comment was intended to detract from the survey or the overall intent of this post.

 

We all have our priorities and find value in different things.  Your survey has done a good job of capturing the overall feeling of Celebrity Cruise Critic users regarding the recent (and maybe not-so-recent) changes.

[vtcruising]

32 minutes ago, Mauidiver said:

Celebrity has always been about service and food for me.  Those are the two big reasons we've always chosen Celebrity over other lines and we've never been disappointed.  I am glad that RCCL is making the RCCL ships the "family fun" mega-ships and keeping Celebrity focused more on adult-type cruising with "smaller" ships.  Personally I don't mind that the line is trending to be a bit more casual and modern since that's reflective of societal trends.  I am very excited about our upcoming cruise on Edge and look forward to the "hotel" feel of the ship and the more modern entertainment.  IMO it's great that there are ships like Edge as well as more traditional type of ships, it gives a variety of options for people and hopefully everyone will find a favorite class of ship.  One size does not fit all in cruising, and it's good to have choices.

Agree! I am looking forward to trying all the Edge Class ships - the Beyond will be a bit bigger and have more surprises to look forward to in the future.

[vtcruising]

6 minutes ago, jryan110 said:

 

Fully agree and apologies for not clarifying in my original post; my comment was intended to detract from the survey or the overall intent of this post.

 

We all have our priorities and find value in different things.  Your survey has done a good job of capturing the overall feeling of Celebrity Cruise Critic users regarding the recent (and maybe not-so-recent) changes.

No worries - not taken that way - just wanted to point out the pluses that were listed. If you are like me, sometimes when skimming the other posts I miss key posts. I should have tried to put a list of additions together in the first post to make it more balanced. 🙂

[jryan110]

21 minutes ago, jryan110 said:

 

Fully agree and apologies for not clarifying in my original post; my comment was intended to detract from the survey or the overall intent of this post.

 

We all have our priorities and find value in different things.  Your survey has done a good job of capturing the overall feeling of Celebrity Cruise Critic users regarding the recent (and maybe not-so-recent) changes.

 

Too late to edit my own post...

 

Above should read; "....my comment was not intended to detract....."

 

[vtcruising]

2 minutes ago, jryan110 said:

 

Too late to edit my own post...

 

Above should read; "....my comment was not intended to detract....."

 

LOL - I didn't even notice...

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

17 hours ago, vtcruising said:

I agree that if you are expecting something and it changed, it is the hardest to take. I cleaned out a closet and threw out a lot of those X bags last week (the cheap ones) - I did save the navy one with the faux leather handles. 🙂

 

I've always left the cheap ones on the ship.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

5 hours ago, vtcruising said:

We haven't stayed in an M Class Sky Suite yet, just CS, which we loved. We do have a Sky on the Infinity in March for the FPC. We will be in 6132 with a huge balcony - it is pre-revolution  - a video showed 3 chairs and footstools, small table for drinks and larger table for dining. It will probably be our last pre-revolution M Class ship cruise. A little sad, but will be nice to have everything refreshed during the refurb. Hope they are listening about the design and furniture complaints for the Connie and Infinity.

 

The tub isn't so bad - we had the same type of tub in the CS, compounded by an awkward position next to the sink. It took a couple of tries, but I  figured out how to get in more easily - my DH loves those big tubs. 🙂

 

 

 

 

Lucky you.  You will still have a walk-in closet.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

3 hours ago, jryan110 said:

 

My point is, Celebrity is continuing to provide upgrades, services, and amenities to its customers, they are just on a larger scale than what has been removed.

 

......I'll step off my soap box now.......

 

Celebrity may view this stuff as upgrades, services, and amenities.  Some of their customers view them differently.

[vtcruising]

4 minutes ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

Lucky you.  You will still have a walk-in closet.

Nice! I didn't realize that. Glad I have the chance to try one before they change them up.

[Lady Chew]

Right now there are very similar threads on the Holland America and Royal Caribbean threads, although this one has by far the most well-thought out & comprehensive poll.  

 

We cruise in balconies, an occasional suite, on Celebrity, Royal & HAL.  One cruise on Oceania, we did not really like the ship, and there were way too many of the "let me tell you how important/rich/wonderful I am" types on board.  So, no more Oceania for us, unless the perfect itinerary at the perfect price comes along at the perfect time.  We are not interested in any of the luxury lines at this time.

 

We pick our cruises based on a combination of price & itinerary.  We find Celebrity & HAL to be roughly interchangeable, with Royal a notch below.  None of the individual items on this poll would be enough to make us change lines, especially since we think they're pretty much the same anyway.  If enough of them ever occurred that they impacted our enjoyment of cruising, that's when we'd have to look at Viking or Oceania again.

[cruisesport]

8 hours ago, Mauidiver said:

Celebrity has always been about service and food for me.  Those are the two big reasons we've always chosen Celebrity over other lines and we've never been disappointed.  I am glad that RCCL is making the RCCL ships the "family fun" mega-ships and keeping Celebrity focused more on adult-type cruising with "smaller" ships.  Personally I don't mind that the line is trending to be a bit more casual and modern since that's reflective of societal trends.  I am very excited about our upcoming cruise on Edge and look forward to the "hotel" feel of the ship and the more modern entertainment.  IMO it's great that there are ships like Edge as well as more traditional type of ships, it gives a variety of options for people and hopefully everyone will find a favorite class of ship.  One size does not fit all in cruising, and it's good to have choices.

 

Most recent promo is Kids sail free, so much for Celebrity being  more adult style cruising.