Beyond the Ascent?

[terrydtx]

It looks like there will be a fifth E Class ship in 2025, but nothing ordered beyond 2025.

 

[danceswithphones]

There was a letter of intent for the 5th E-class but it was put in place in 2019 (pre-Covid and pre-Apex delivery delay). I don't think it's on the books any longer. Time for LNG power. 

[paulh84]

15 minutes ago, danceswithphones said:

There was a letter of intent for the 5th E-class but it was put in place in 2019 (pre-Covid and pre-Apex delivery delay). I don't think it's on the books any longer. Time for LNG power. 

 

Source? The last 10-Q say it's still active. 

[terrydtx]

23 minutes ago, danceswithphones said:

There was a letter of intent for the 5th E-class but it was put in place in 2019 (pre-Covid and pre-Apex delivery delay). I don't think it's on the books any longer. Time for LNG power. 

This was from a late 2022 article on future cruise ship builds, so it is current.

[danceswithphones]

I hope they build a 5th E-class. Earnings call and business update is scheduled for February 7th. Maybe we will get an update. 

[Cap_D]

Hope they redesign the dining/kitchen setup so that they can have food options that are not (1) banquet food; and (2) impacted by the poor design and space utilization of the OVC.  The MDR concept (however its split up) is, at best, antiquated and not able to meet the needs of cruisers that want hot and freshly prepped food; and a ship built for 3k doesn't seem able to sustain options as presently designed and budgeted.  

[paulh84]

6 minutes ago, Cap_D said:

Hope they redesign the dining/kitchen setup so that they can have food options that are not (1) banquet food; and (2) impacted by the poor design and space utilization of the OVC.  The MDR concept (however its split up) is, at best, antiquated and not able to meet the needs of cruisers that want hot and freshly prepped food; and a ship built for 3k doesn't seem able to sustain options as presently designed and budgeted.  

 

Cruise food for the masses is banquet food, no matter what line you are on or how creative they get with the presentation. Expecting something totally different on build #5 seems highly unlikely. By what standard is the buffet poorly designed and utilized? It's one of the better ones I have seen.

[Miaminice]

19 minutes ago, Cap_D said:

Hope they redesign the dining/kitchen setup so that they can have food options that are not (1) banquet food; and (2) impacted by the poor design and space utilization of the OVC.  The MDR concept (however its split up) is, at best, antiquated and not able to meet the needs of cruisers that want hot and freshly prepped food; and a ship built for 3k doesn't seem able to sustain options as presently designed and budgeted.  

If you feel that way don’t cruise Celebrity! 
 

[Cap_D]

30 minutes ago, paulh84 said:

By what standard is the buffet poorly designed and utilized? It's one of the better ones I have seen.

Take a look at the videos of the E-Class dinner OVC buffets post 1-1-2023.  Use of 1 station out of multiple food stations, and an abandoned pizza station in the rare (after requiring passengers to walk the entire length of the empty OVC) does not look appealing or enhance the food.

Edited January 23, 2023 by Cap_D

[Cap_D]

20 minutes ago, Miaminice said:

If you feel that way don’t cruise Celebrity! 
 

Defend all you want.  While the ships may be pretty, in my view the ship layout and kitchen setups may not be sustainable as recent cutbacks have revealed.  Celebrity's model already is built on marketing better food and service.  With food and other costs going up, the ships could be designed with better space and systems to allow the same or less crew to meet the dining needs of cruisers.  Instead one has an empty OVC at night with a bologna bar and bread pudding with a bunch of crew hanging out, cloth napkins, so on.  That's as much the cutbacks, as it is bad design.  

 

5 ships with empty OVCs, leaving the MDR as the only included "basic" option, at night is poor design c.2016 - 2018.  Celebrity (or someone) will have these ships for 20 years or more.  The current OVC setup, including with pizza orphaned to the back, coupled with the MDR chopped into 4 (plus suite class restaurants on the other end of the ship inhibiting requests from the MDR menu), is already dated and revealing a lack of foresight by Celebrity.

 

Edited January 23, 2023 by Cap_D

[jelayne]

I tend to disagree, but that what is so nice about opinions.  Every can have one and they don't have to agree.