Celebrity will start sailing with only 50-60% capacity

[LGW59]

8 minutes ago, UnorigionalName said:

 

Force everyone to wear social distancing donuts.  Then you won't have problems with overcrowding in elevators!

 

As an accommodation, couples would be allowed to share a donut.

 

99.9% of the time we use the stairs.  Pre-COVID elevators were a joke with the privileged ones, their attitude will not change, I do not think.  Scooters, walkers on wheels, step back back get out of the way.  

[phoenix_dream]

33 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

99.9% of the time we use the stairs.  Pre-COVID elevators were a joke with the privileged ones, their attitude will not change, I do not think.  Scooters, walkers on wheels, step back back get out of the way.  

So you basically define privileged as the disabled people who cannot navigate the stairs so must use the elevator.  Interesting.  I consider myself privileged because I do not have to use the elevator unless i want to for convenience.  Considering how crowded the elevators are I can only imagine how very, very difficult it is for people with disabilities to find room in an elevator, especially on the occasions people in the elevator are either selfish or oblivious (hopefully more the latter) and tend to crowd the front of the elevators so that the disabled cannot board without asking them to step back. I've seen that happen all too often on my 50+ Celebrity cruises.  

[Miaminice]

15 hours ago, Fouremco said:

 

Easy? Yes, definitely an easy solution, treating all the booked passengers equally badly.

 

Fair, no fuss or muss? Not so much.

TBH there is no way to please them all! 
Personally, I am not surprised anymore but somewhat amazed by the feeling of entitlement displayed by so many passengers. Everyone finds a reason why he or she should be treated better and needs to be first in line.

 

If a cruise will be very different from the way it was originally planned and booked it must be canceled. Otherwise it would not meet the conditions of the contract creating a pile of other problems. I am also sure any cruise line would prefer to sail the way they originally planned... well, it’s not gonna happen. In the first months Itineraries will be modified to whatever is possible at the time.
 

After cruises are canceled, everyone will have a chance to book again. And 90 % writing on CC or FB will cry about not being treated fairly, maybe about having to pay more, about not getting their preferred stateroom, about losing OBC, or about how terrible the new normal on a cruise ship is... ending with the meaningless threat that they will switch to another cruise line and the whole enchilada which we have all heard a thousand times.

 

There will also be the ones realizing that this situation is a situation nobody asked for, neither cruise lines nor passengers. They will be the ones happy to return to a bit of ‘normal’ and they will be the ones simply enjoying the cruises. Unfortunately, they will also be the ones not writing about it on social media because they are pushed away by all the negativity which has taken over. 
 

I wish there were more people realizing that this is an unprecedented situation and we will eventually get through it. And without whining and moaning and fussing around it would be much easier!

 

[Pinboy]

9 hours ago, LGW59 said:

INDEED, so many more important things to think about and look forward to!  Cruising I love, but way down on my list of priority. 

So true--- Months ago  " someone ?? " made a similar comment when lots of, a whole bunch of CCers were " depressed " over not being " entitled " to cruise and was dragged into the woodshed for a beating. 

LOL--There was an inquiry recently wondering " Who's on board "  which came " that close "  to another visit to the woodshed .

[TeeRick]

12 hours ago, phoenix_dream said:

Here are some of my thoughts on some of the comments on this thread.  My opinions may have changed somewhat from my posts even a few weeks ago but here goes.

 

I think they absolutely will begin sailing out of the US some time this summer.  May?  Perhaps.  But I think definitely this summer.  By then there will be enough people fully vaccinated with the very effective vaccines to ensure there will be no serious illnesses with the passengers.  There are enough people who can't wait to cruise again that I think they can fill 50-60% capacity easily.

 

I think it is a problem getting enough crew, and also getting vaccinated crew.  But I think that there will only be a couple ships sailing for awhile, so I think the numbers are manageable.   

 

How will they get to 50-60% capacity for cruises seemingly booked higher than that?  I think the requirement of a vaccination (which I have to believe will be there) will cause many cruisers to cancel - either because they have not been able to secure one yet, have not been able to have both shots yet (for the double dose shots), or because they are anti-vaxxers, or the  "I may take it eventually but I'm too scared to take it now" crowd.  

 

If they need to "bump" people (and based on the above I think most of it will take care of itself for awhile) I am of the opinion that loyalty status will mean nothing, but how much you paid for your cabin will.  They need money, and they need it yesterday.  I personally don't think having many passengers on a particular floor is that big a deal.  Elevators are crowded regardless of the floor.  They may need to make some changes - like turn a specialty restaurant into Luminae temporarily, or the same with Blu.  I will be shocked beyond words if they use a lottery process or something similar.

How can they offer the current scheduled cruises and in a fair procedure reduce the booked passengers by one half?  Maybe they cannot.  So one scenario is that they cancel the scheduled cruise booked at 100% capacity.  Then offer a "new" cruises which is essentially the same with minor changes.  Same dates and ships and embarkation port.   Possibly a minor itinerary change.  And book it at 50% and offer preference (and same prices) to those customers who have Lifted and Shifted and are also vaccinated. Then fill in the rest of the ship with vaccinated customers until 50% is reached. Maybe they need to physically book cabins and sections of the ship at 50% too for social distancing purposes.  For example book every other cabin or suite on a deck and in a corridor.  This will also greatly help areas like Blu and Luminae allow 50% of capacity dining.   This takes away arguments of loyalty status, cabin category, suite status, whatever.  I cannot see any other way to reduce a scheduled cruise to 50% without having half the people be upset and offended.

[paulh84]

If you are really concerned about getting bumped,  you could follow the lead of some of our acquaintances and book a cruise on Celebrity, Princess, HAL and MSC for the same week next winter in hopes that one actually sticks 🤨   To say they are determined is an understatement.

[Oceangoer2]

56 minutes ago, paulh84 said:

If you are really concerned about getting bumped,  you could follow the lead of some of our acquaintances and book a cruise on Celebrity, Princess, HAL and MSC for the same week next winter in hopes that one actually sticks 🤨   To say they are determined is an understatement.

Thought about that....still concerned our 10 day Nov. '21 on Silhouette won't go....so checked Nov. '22 for same cruise.  Comes up as the only Nov. '22 10 day cruise, same itinerary, almost same sailing date, and is now on the Edge at SEVERAL more $$s than '21.  Celebrity is one step ahead as usual.  What are the chances they also think this year is a wipe out and any of us looking to L&S (if allowable) will have to take the Edge cruise at prevailing rates? 

[terrydtx]

1 hour ago, paulh84 said:

If you are really concerned about getting bumped,  you could follow the lead of some of our acquaintances and book a cruise on Celebrity, Princess, HAL and MSC for the same week next winter in hopes that one actually sticks 🤨   To say they are determined is an understatement.

We booked HAL Westerdam cruise in September after X canceled similar Constellation cruise. This cruise follows our Infinity Spain and Portugal cruise. 

[paulh84]

10 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

We booked HAL Westerdam cruise in September after X canceled similar Constellation cruise. This cruise follows our Infinity Spain and Portugal cruise. 

 

Cruise lines across the spectrum are citing high demand, but I do question how much of that is artificially inflated by people like my friends who have 4 cruises booked with zero intent they will take 3 of them. We also don't know from looking at cabin availability that they haven't already blocked big portions of cabins. 

 

[shipgeeks]

My feeling is that when cruises are actually going to happen, the number of passengers will adjust to around the 50% level without the cruise line having to cancel anyone.  As Paulh says above, there are those who have more cruises booked than they intend to use.  And reading many posts here on CC, there are lots of people who say "If I can't take my unvaccinated children/have to wear a mask/have to do only cruiseline excursions/have to be vaccinated/etc. then there's no way I'll cruise on a prison ship", there will be plenty of room for those of us who intend to accept and comply with whatever requirements are in place at that time.

[luckyinpa]

i'm lost as to the thoughts of any alternating rooms being needed. whats the point of that? you will run into everyone in the hall no matter what. there are wall between rooms. why not keep cabins near each other so stewards have it easier. 

[Nancycat]

One way to limit capacity is to only let 2 passengers in all rooms regardless of the size of the cabin.
We have a September 30 on the Apex booked with 4 cabins, we will all be vaccinated before we go, I’m ok wearing a mask. 

[cruisemom42]

10 hours ago, luckyinpa said:

i'm lost as to the thoughts of any alternating rooms being needed. whats the point of that? you will run into everyone in the hall no matter what. there are wall between rooms. why not keep cabins near each other so stewards have it easier. 

 

Presumably if they are balcony cabins, people could end up less than 6 ft apart depending on where they sit on their balcony.

[TeeRick]

12 hours ago, luckyinpa said:

i'm lost as to the thoughts of any alternating rooms being needed. whats the point of that? you will run into everyone in the hall no matter what. there are wall between rooms. why not keep cabins near each other so stewards have it easier. 

I mentioned social distancing purposes (in my previous post) for certain groups like suites and aqua and specifically their dining areas.  So overall alternating cabins are not needed for hallway social distancing and balcony social distancing for the ship.  But alternating cabins might be an easy way to keep capacity at about 50% for all groups and cabin categories involved.  It combats the idea that Celebrity will first completely fill all higher priced cabins like suites and Aqua.  If suites are also limited to alternating rooms that will not happen.  Just addressing the fairness question.

Edited January 31, 2021 by TeeRick

[phoenix_dream]

On 1/30/2021 at 8:10 AM, TeeRick said:

How can they offer the current scheduled cruises and in a fair procedure reduce the booked passengers by one half?  Maybe they cannot.  So one scenario is that they cancel the scheduled cruise booked at 100% capacity.  Then offer a "new" cruises which is essentially the same with minor changes.  Same dates and ships and embarkation port.   Possibly a minor itinerary change.  And book it at 50% and offer preference (and same prices) to those customers who have Lifted and Shifted and are also vaccinated. Then fill in the rest of the ship with vaccinated customers until 50% is reached. Maybe they need to physically book cabins and sections of the ship at 50% too for social distancing purposes.  For example book every other cabin or suite on a deck and in a corridor.  This will also greatly help areas like Blu and Luminae allow 50% of capacity dining.   This takes away arguments of loyalty status, cabin category, suite status, whatever.  I cannot see any other way to reduce a scheduled cruise to 50% without having half the people be upset and offended.

Who knows how they will actually handle it.  Your scenario is interesting, but I'm not sure I can see Celebrity doing it.  They already have so many cancelled and lifts and shifts going on this would inundate them with tons more.  And to think their system could identify those already lifted and shifted to offer preference?  Their IT dept. can barely handle regular bookings.  

 

Don't you think many people will already be cancelling prior to sailing for so many reasons - incl. perhaps passengers from other countries (I am talking US cruises here) who don't want to risk coming to the US or dealing with the travel restrictions, people who have not yet been able to secure a vaccination, people who are unwilling to vaccinate, people who don't want to wear masks onboard, people who still don't think cruising is safe and so on.  I have to think that will whittle down the numbers close to 60% without Celebrity doing anything.  

 

Whatever way they choose, it will chaos for sure

[C-Dragons]

44 minutes ago, phoenix_dream said:

Who knows how they will actually handle it.  Your scenario is interesting, but I'm not sure I can see Celebrity doing it.  They already have so many cancelled and lifts and shifts going on this would inundate them with tons more.  And to think their system could identify those already lifted and shifted to offer preference?  Their IT dept. can barely handle regular bookings.  

 

Don't you think many people will already be cancelling prior to sailing for so many reasons - incl. perhaps passengers from other countries (I am talking US cruises here) who don't want to risk coming to the US or dealing with the travel restrictions, people who have not yet been able to secure a vaccination, people who are unwilling to vaccinate, people who don't want to wear masks onboard, people who still don't think cruising is safe and so on.  I have to think that will whittle down the numbers close to 60% without Celebrity doing anything.  

 

Whatever way they choose, it will chaos for sure

Agree, 100%.

 

[Spif Barwunkel]

On 1/30/2021 at 6:50 AM, Miaminice said:

I wish there were more people realizing that this is an unprecedented situation and we will eventually get through it. And without whining and moaning and fussing around it would be much easier!

Whining and fussing and moaning deflects indignation and the inability to understand and/or accept a situation for what it is. When taken as a personal affront, the thought of not being recognized for whom you feel you are or what you feel you deserve becomes more consequential than the overall circumstances. It can be frustrating not to have any say in the matter. So, if you are not included in that initial 50% passenger count when cruising begins again, consider the decision a wise one that best fits the interests of the cruise line. 

 

It might not be when you think it should, but your time will come. You'd be much better served to realize that.   

[TeeRick]

18 hours ago, phoenix_dream said:

 

Whatever way they choose, it will chaos for sure

 Yes that seems likely.

[ipeeinthepool]

14 hours ago, Spif Barwunkel said:

Whining and fussing and moaning deflects indignation and the inability to understand and/or accept a situation for what it is. When taken as a personal affront, the thought of not being recognized for whom you feel you are or what you feel you deserve becomes more consequential than the overall circumstances. It can be frustrating not to have any say in the matter. So, if you are not included in that initial 50% passenger count when cruising begins again, consider the decision a wise one that best fits the interests of the cruise line. 

 

It might not be when you think it should, but your time will come. You'd be much better served to realize that.   

 

Yes, sailing at reduced capacity will create some problems.   It will be interesting to see how Celebrity selects the rest of the passengers that will sail with me.

[phoenix_dream]

On 1/30/2021 at 5:50 AM, Miaminice said:

After cruises are canceled, everyone will have a chance to book again. And 90 % writing on CC or FB will cry about not being treated fairly, maybe about having to pay more, about not getting their preferred stateroom, about losing OBC, or about how terrible the new normal on a cruise ship is... ending with the meaningless threat that they will switch to another cruise line and the whole enchilada which we have all heard a thousand times.

 

There will also be the ones realizing that this situation is a situation nobody asked for, neither cruise lines nor passengers. They will be the ones happy to return to a bit of ‘normal’ and they will be the ones simply enjoying the cruises. Unfortunately, they will also be the ones not writing about it on social media because they are pushed away by all the negativity which has taken over. 
 

I wish there were more people realizing that this is an unprecedented situation and we will eventually get through it. And without whining and moaning and fussing around it would be much easier!

 

You can't honestly believe that we don't all know that this is an unprecedented situation and we will eventually get through it.  

 

If you end up being one of the people cancelled will you be one of the happy ones?  If you felt their method of choosing cancellations was patently unfair (not saying it will be, just if), will you be one of the happy ones?  If they cancel all cruises and then want people to rebook but the prices have more than doubled so you can no longer afford it will you be one of the happy ones?  If you've invested literally tens of thousands of dollars in Celebrity to ride out the storm as it were (like many of us have) and then you get treated in a way you consider unfair, would you still be one of the happy ones?  Maybe you would - most would not.

 

This virus has challenged everyone, including the cruise lines.  And certainly there are bigger problems many have faced than being treated unfairly by a cruise line.  That's a given.  But if things like the above occur, I think expressing that frustration on these boards is unfairly categorized as "whining and moaning and fussing".  It also is a way to communicate to others what is actually happening.  This allows them to make sure that they are being treated in accordance with what has been happening to others.  It is, after all, titled "Cruise Critic", not Celebrity Fan Club.  I love Celebrity and will be thrilled to sail again and will be very thankful to do so.  But I expect what most would consider fair and honest treatment from a cruise line I have been loyal to for 50 cruises and 28 years.  If that doesn't happen, I will likely discuss that circumstance on these boards.

[Arizona Wildcat]

On 1/30/2021 at 9:55 AM, paulh84 said:

 

Cruise lines across the spectrum are citing high demand, but I do question how much of that is artificially inflated by people like my friends who have 4 cruises booked with zero intent they will take 3 of them. We also don't know from looking at cabin availability that they haven't already blocked big portions of cabins. 

 

My TA offered me the opportunity to book cabins with refundable deposits on a very long list of cruises.  Almost always Verandas.  This one TA has anywhere from 25-50 cabins in their block.  Pretty standard situation

BUT . . . . add those cabins to tens of thousands of bookings made with FCCs from a year of no cruising and you have large "demand" - largely caused by COVID.

[hcat]

On 1/29/2021 at 2:12 PM, Miaminice said:

This has been discussed many times...

 

When cruises resume it will not be the ones already booked. Due to the new regulations and different rules in different countries it will be different itineraries, possibly 7 days max etc. etc.

 

So the same thing that happened with all the cruise lines which already sailed in Europe is going to happen = existing cruises are canceled and new cruises / itineraries are opened for booking.

 

That way they press the reset button and it’s first come first serve...

 

If that happens we'll walk..along with many others,

But after all the lift and shift efforts, I think X will try to preserve bookings.

[Miaminice]

1 hour ago, phoenix_dream said:

You can't honestly believe that we don't all know that this is an unprecedented situation and we will eventually get through it.  

 

If you end up being one of the people cancelled will you be one of the happy ones?  If you felt their method of choosing cancellations was patently unfair (not saying it will be, just if), will you be one of the happy ones?  If they cancel all cruises and then want people to rebook but the prices have more than doubled so you can no longer afford it will you be one of the happy ones?  If you've invested literally tens of thousands of dollars in Celebrity to ride out the storm as it were (like many of us have) and then you get treated in a way you consider unfair, would you still be one of the happy ones?  Maybe you would - most would not.

 

This virus has challenged everyone, including the cruise lines.  And certainly there are bigger problems many have faced than being treated unfairly by a cruise line.  That's a given.  But if things like the above occur, I think expressing that frustration on these boards is unfairly categorized as "whining and moaning and fussing".  It also is a way to communicate to others what is actually happening.  This allows them to make sure that they are being treated in accordance with what has been happening to others.  It is, after all, titled "Cruise Critic", not Celebrity Fan Club.  I love Celebrity and will be thrilled to sail again and will be very thankful to do so.  But I expect what most would consider fair and honest treatment from a cruise line I have been loyal to for 50 cruises and 28 years.  If that doesn't happen, I will likely discuss that circumstance on these boards.

Certainly I would not be happy about my cruise being canceled. Just like I wasn’t happy about the cruises which were canceled already. However, you wouldn’t find me discussing and complaining about it here. It happened, I know why it happened... I move on.

 

Although we have “only” done around 30 long cruises you also wouldn’t find me feeling entitled to be treated any differently than a newbie. I guess that’s where we are apparently different.

If you want to live up to the “critic” in the forum’s name, I can’t keep you from doing it. Just like you can’t expect me to agree to it.

 

 

 

[ipeeinthepool]

If they cancel 50% of the reservations that will create a lot of problems.  I'm confident I will cruise.  However I will miss not having my DW on the cruise.

[Miaminice]

19 hours ago, hcat said:

If that happens we'll walk..along with many others,

But after all the lift and shift efforts, I think X will try to preserve bookings.

 

Look, the problem is how would they "preserve" bookings for cruises which no longer exist.
In the beginning the cruises sailing will be short cruises with itineraries adapted to whatever is possible at the time.

 

When some cruises in Europe started late summer of 2020 the European cruise lines had the same problem. Some countries still banned cruise ships, some countries didn´t. They also had the limitation to 50-60% capacity. The maximum number of days was limited due to agreements made to get approval. B2Bs weren´t allowed and so on. In a nutshell: the cruises happing were completely new cruises.

 

The "12 Night Eastern Med Explorer" cruise, "The 10 Night Wonders of Amalfie Coast" cruise or whatever fancy name the cruises already booked by passengers had simply did not exist any more. There was nothing to preserve. Not even 50%... So all the cruise lines were able to do was to cancel those cruises and offer the new doable cruises to the public.
Reset button and start new...

 

I am 99 % certain that this will be the way it´s going to happen with Celebrity, Royal, NCL, Princess etc. as well. Simply because the problem they are facing is exactly the same. It´s unrealistic to believe that once they get the go, the first cruises can happen just as planned and booked. The limitation to 7 nights alone is a factor already known.

Edited February 2, 2021 by Miaminice