Stepping away from Celebrity

[mahdnc]

7 minutes ago, Pushka said:

We were in GC last May. Expecting it to be hot we packed our summer gear (we were then travelling on to an Alaska cruise afterwards). Well, some kind of polar thing hit and it SNOWED! In late May? And out came all our Alaska gear. People had only packed shorts etc and so the stores did a great trade in selling beanies and jackets. At inflated costs! Alaska was so much warmer (except on the glaciers). 

 

A rude surprise, indeed!  For us, we will be expecting cold weather when we go.  So we should be prepared.  We will see.

[Baron Barracuda]

9 hours ago, 4774Papa said:

I always compare Viking when doing river cruises, the are competitive, but never have taken a cruise with Viking, since other quality cruise lines always had a better cruise for less money.  Also, hate the pay a year in advance policy.

 

Their ocean cruises are way more expensive than Celebrity, Royal C., NCL or Princess.

 

With VO (like other lines) there are bargains out there if you search.  For instance the 15 night NY - San Juan repo cruise this October is currently offered from $3800 including free r/t air.  We did this itinerary last fall in a 340sf PV3 for under $250/night.  That was a great value compared to X.  Some of their promos also offer flexible payment dates.  

[Bo1953]

1 hour ago, hcat said:

Wanted to post  a link to the thread about what "brings you back to Celebrity."....Thought it would make an interesting contrast...but the search feature on CC has again disappointed ne

Maybe someone can find it..

h - here you go!

 

bon voyage

[GeorgiaPeach51]

We are on the Silhouette Eastbound for a TA in April, then returning on Cunard, the QM2.  First time on Cunard for us.

 

Next August we will do a westbound TA on Oceania.  First time on Oceania.

 

So, count us in the group exploring options other than Celebrity for the first time in many years.  We were on the Edge in October last year.  We liked some of it.  Disliked some of it.  I would not say we are fans and would not be eager to book an E class again.  However, we love the S class ships, so that will probably be our preference as far as Celebrity is concerned.

[Pushka]

Cunard and QM2 is very very different to Celebrity in its own special way. 

[MarLieb]

We've sailed on the Summit twice and will sail on it at least one more time in December of this year.  We like the size of the ship and my son enjoys their kids club and basketball court.  We like sailing out of PR and that looks like it is up in the air after 2020.  We currently have a river cruise booked through Adventures by Disney (it's an Amawaterways ship and crew with Disney-added activities).  After these two cruises, not sure where we will go next.  We have zero interest in Edge or Apex.  

[NMTraveller]

3 hours ago, Phxazzcruisers said:

We sailed in the Suites.  For one thing, as there are so many suites on the Edge Class,  Luminae is much larger than it is on the S and M Class.  For us, it was way too loud and we felt like is was just a large MDR, it totally lost its charm.   We wound up eating with our friends that traveled in Aqua Class in Blu and enjoyed that dining experience much more,.

We found the same thing in specialty dining on Edge.  Fine Cuts was difficult to get into but when we did it was it was more of a loud and shouty experience.

 

We absolutely loved Muranos on S class.

 

We felt that the ship in general was loud and shouty.  It lacked all of the intimate venues that we loved on S class.

[NMTraveller]

19 minutes ago, GeorgiaPeach51 said:

We are on the Silhouette Eastbound for a TA in April, then returning on Cunard, the QM2.  First time on Cunard for us.

 

Next August we will do a westbound TA on Oceania.  First time on Oceania.

 

So, count us in the group exploring options other than Celebrity for the first time in many years.  We were on the Edge in October last year.  We liked some of it.  Disliked some of it.  I would not say we are fans and would not be eager to book an E class again.  However, we love the S class ships, so that will probably be our preference as far as Celebrity is concerned.

Let us know how you like Oceania.  Happy sailing.

[hcat]

1 hour ago, Bo1953 said:

h - here you go!

 

bon voyage

Thanks for the link!  Btw did you ever post your EDGE review?

[hcat]

6 minutes ago, Pushka said:

Cunard and QM2 is very very different to Celebrity in its own special way. 

We enjoyed a short cruise to Canada on QM 2..It is .a beautiful Ocean !iner...but agree it is  a diff experience  from X ...more formal and diff demographics  on our cruise from  Red Hook Bklyn.  If we ever do a Transatlantic we will select QM2..very solid and smooth sailing!

[NMTraveller]

3 hours ago, mahdnc said:

 

Celebrity still is our cruise line of choice.   However when our Silhouette cruise was cancelled (originally set to sail in less than 2 weeks from now), we decided to pursue our other interest and visit the national parks.  So we are going to the Grand Canyon instead and we also managed to score a permit to hike the Wave in Arizona.

Any tips on how to get the permit for the Wave.  I tried a time or two and was not lucky.  I suppose I need to keep on trying...

 

You will love the Grand Canyon.

[davekathy]

15 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

Any tips on how to get the permit for the Wave.  I tried a time or two and was not lucky.  I suppose I need to keep on trying...

 

You will love the Grand Canyon.

See if this is of any help...https://www.thewave.info/

[dcyonce]

 Celebrity is still our first choice. But, we are booking far fewer cruises. Maybe 1/3 as many now. 
 

Some changes we like ... Ocean View buffet just keeps getting better. Revolution on M class is nice. 
 

Some changes we REALLY do not like ... The new Luminae menus are terrible. Vegetarian options are completely missing. Along with the new menus, they seem to have changed the process in Luminae also. Extremely slow service now. The staff is still very nice, but they really cannot fix the problems pushed onto them from Miami. Luminae is no longer worth visiting at all. Thank goodness Ocean View is still wonderful or we wouldn’t be booking ANY cruises with Celebrity. 
 

We have no interest in the E class. We have heard it described as a “freak show”. Definitely not interested in the louder venues and very weird “entertainment”. 
 

But, at this time, we still very much enjoy the M and S class ships. The price increases and very disappointing Luminae makes us move in to other options. 

 

Trying Azamara later this year. Booking more NCL ( better itineraries than Celebrity ). 
 

But, land tours and “all inclusive” Resorts are now getting the bulk of our travel dollars. 
 

— Don

[Stateroom_Sailor]

14 hours ago, Miaminice said:

So your self evident conclusion is to make it a fact that Edge and Revolution are inevitable reasons to leave Celebrity?! 

 

Someone can leave because they don't like how the carrots are being cut, and they still wouldn't need your permission to do so.

[OuiOnboard]

We are old school cruisers. We liked to cruise in balcony or concierge at base level and add the niceties a la carte. The lines have increased the base fares such that the all-perks deals look better compared to base-level cruise pricing.

We are cruising less these days , but we're still looking for another Celebrity cruise that rings our bell.

Edited January 20, 2020 by OuiOnboard
sp

[mahdnc]

2 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

Any tips on how to get the permit for the Wave.  I tried a time or two and was not lucky.  I suppose I need to keep on trying...

 

You will love the Grand Canyon.

 

No, we were just very lucky.  This was the first time I ever applied for the lottery and I even got my first choice of dates which was a Saturday (the day after my 60th birthday).  The Bureau of Land Management website indicated that there were over 340 applications asking for that date.  Also the application was for my family of 4, and as you know, the on-line lottery limit is a mere 10 people total for each day (plus 10 people from walk-in permits distributed by lottery on the day before which is pretty tough to win as well.  I had a friend who tried the walk in on 3 different occasions and failed).  So I figure my chances were less than 1% for getting picked.  

 

I followed the rules and I did not stuff the ballot box--I submitted just a single on-line application for our entire party of 4.  So I don't have any real smart tips from my single experience to offer you.  I am sorry.

 

I don't know if you have heard, in May 2019 the BLM announced that they are looking into the possibility of raising the daily limit from 20 to either 48 or as high as 96.  The environmental assessment, completed in Sep, did not identify any significant impacts.  And the last piece of news I read was that the public comment period ended on Oct 12.  So, that may be my best tip for you is to wait and see if the limit gets raised.

 

The day I received the email notification that I had been selected for a permit, we had put our beloved family dog, Cookie, down the day before.   I know there can't really be a connection, but I will be thinking about it as we hike to the Wave.  But of course, I would have gladly given up my permit to get my dog back.

Edited January 20, 2020 by mahdnc

[NMTraveller]

2 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

 

No, we were just very lucky.  This was the first time I ever applied for the lottery and I even got my first choice of dates which was a Saturday (the day after my 60th birthday).  The Bureau of Land Management website indicated that there were over 340 applications asking for that date.  Also the application was for my family of 4, and as you know, the on-line lottery limit is a mere 10 people total for each day (plus 10 people from walk-in permits distributed by lottery on the day before which is pretty tough to win as well).  So I figure my chances were less than 1% for getting picked.  

 

I followed the rules and I did not stuff the ballot box--I submitted just a single on-line application for our entire party of 4.  So I don't have any real smart tips from my single experience to offer you.  I am sorry.

 

I don't know if you have heard, in May 2019 the BLM announced that they are looking into the possibility of raising the daily limit from 20 to either 48 or as high as 96.  The environmental assessment, completed in Sep, did not identify any significant impacts.  And the last piece of news I read was that the public comment period ended on Oct 12.  So, that may be my best tip for you is to wait and see if the limit gets raised.

 

The day I received the email notification that I had been selected for a permit, we had put our beloved family dog, Cookie, down the day before.   I know there can't really be a connection, but I will be thinking about it as we hike to the Wave.  But of course, I would have gladly given up my permit to get my dog back.

Thanks.  I will start submitting my lotto entries again in a couple of months when it warms up a bit.  Sooner or later they will call my number.

 

Sorry to hear about your dog.

[mahdnc]

8 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

Thanks.  I will start submitting my lotto entries again in a couple of months when it warms up a bit.  Sooner or later they will call my number.

 

Sorry to hear about your dog.

 

Thank you.  I think persistence is also key,  Good luck.

[yorky]

6 hours ago, Pushka said:

Cunard and QM2 is very very different to Celebrity in its own special way. 

Cunard is probably the last of the bigger lines to stick with tradition and I applaud them for it. You either agree to dress to a certain standard or you don’t cruise with them. They took a risk sticking with that tradition and it paid off.

[Moby Jones]

3 hours ago, yorky said:

Cunard is probably the last of the bigger lines to stick with tradition and I applaud them for it. You either agree to dress to a certain standard or you don’t cruise with them. They took a risk sticking with that tradition and it paid off.

 

Which is a very good thing IMHO. 

It gives those who like that sort of thing a choice that has been taken away from them elsewhere. 

[Miaminice]

8 hours ago, Stateroom_Sailor said:

 

Someone can leave because they don't like how the carrots are being cut, and they still wouldn't need your permission to do so.

 

And where excactly did I say they needed my or anybody else´s permission?!

For all I care people can leave because they don´t like the shape of the doorknobs. I merely objected to the OP taking for granted and assuming that his personal preference must be a reason for everybody else to leave...

[4774Papa]

14 hours ago, Baron Barracuda said:

 

With VO (like other lines) there are bargains out there if you search.  For instance the 15 night NY - San Juan repo cruise this October is currently offered from $3800 including free r/t air.  We did this itinerary last fall in a 340sf PV3 for under $250/night.  That was a great value compared to X.  Some of their promos also offer flexible payment dates.  

Glad it worked for you.  Our cruise planning is more focused on specific location, like we plan to visit Great Britain or Italy or Greece.  We don't cruise just to cruise and don't do the Caribbean.   We live on an island on the coast of Georgia and don't look for beach vacations ever.

 

We look for bargains, largely comparing different cruise lines from a specific location.  I have found a couple of Azamara cruises that I really liked, for example the Rome to Rio transatlantic, or Rome to Buenos Aires, but the fare is always way, way more than I want to spend.  IF I did book such a cruise, we would have to eliminate another cruise due to cost.

[Farts]

On 1/18/2020 at 3:47 PM, alwaysonaship said:

My issue with Viking is they require payment in full immediately

do you get a refund in full if you cancel before some date?

[OliveOil2330]

On 1/18/2020 at 4:49 PM, Stateroom_Sailor said:

We cancelled our March 2020 cruise on Eclipse, and plans for Solstice in 2021.  For right now we're primarily sailing Holland America, but leaving 2022 open to try Azamara.

 

Also open to Princess, Oceania, Windstar, Viking Ocean, and Avalon.

If you have not done a few Windstar cruises it is well worth trying.  Smaller ships and we love their motor sail along with their yachts.  We like Celebrity and have two cruises booked for 2021 and one more this year.  I guess it boils down to an individuals own tastes and wants in a vacation?

 

[4774Papa]

1 hour ago, Farts said:

do you get a refund in full if you cancel before some date?

Yes, but they get the use of your money.   Let's say you pay $10000 to Viking a year in advance.  How much would you get having that money in the stock market or just in a money market fund?  Even at 3%, that would amount $300.