Call me a cheerleader if you must

[OnTheJourney]

4 minutes ago, Vagabond Knight said:

It's actually a wonder most of the cruise lines are still around post-Covid, so I assume this will be the cruising status for a while. Will things ever go back to the pre-Covid days of cruising?  Who knows. 

Good point, and good post! Frame of mind going into any experience, especially if it's a new one, is a vital part of what impressions we wind up coming away with.

 

LOL on the charge for 3rd entree. I'm reminded of someone here on CC who posted something about how great the french onion soup is on X and mentioned that he typically orders like a half-dozen of them!!! I assume that is in place of appetizer and also possibly a separate entree...and maybe even dessert!  I tend to eat too much bread before the meal, but that's ok since the portions in Blu sometimes are not all that big.

[Ocean Breezer]

On 6/3/2023 at 4:21 PM, PatandStu said:

We are trying X for the first time in September after a disappointing NCL cruise in February.  Our ta found us a great deal and suggested we try X. But it’s funny, in talking to my brother & nephew (who are planning a fall NCL cruise) the things we found “lacking” wouldn’t bother them a bit. 
I read reviews with a very open mind. I do love the relaxation aspect, but for the money charged, I believe we should get good service & food at least slightly better than what I can prepare for myself at home.  We are decent tippers, but I like to see a good level of service before I hand over the first greenbacks. 
With this being our first X cruise (Equinox in a standard veranda room) our only hope is the stuff we found lacking in NCL are present in X. 
We have one dinner reserved at Murano to celebrate our anniversary, but for the rest we’ll try MDR. We are not buffet fans, other than for a fast breakfast on excursion days or for a late afternoon snack.

I’ll submit an honest review on this site when we’re home. 

After years of cruising NCL, we became very disappointed with just about every aspect of our last cruise.  We switched to Celebrity and we have not looked back.  I have never been disappointed with service on Celebrity.  

[RichYak]

2 hours ago, OnTheJourney said:

but having lukewarm food in Blu just about every night didn't impress me.

 

2 hours ago, OnTheJourney said:

Flip side (which is what you're looking for) is that the food was, for the most part, very good to excellent in Blu.

I am having difficulty understanding how both of these comments from the same post can be true. Can you elaborate?

[BunnyLebowski]

3 hours ago, Vagabond Knight said:

Stop comparing to the pre-Covid days and instead just compare what's available NOW on Celebrity and on other lines and choose what suits you the best.

This is really the best way to sum it up. For the past 10 years I’ve been happy to pay a little more for Celebrity because it felt like a great value considering the food, drinks, decor and overall vibe.
 

Have sailed 3 times with X since the restart. First “post pandemic” sailing in 2022 on the reflection was really fantastic, one of my favorite cruises ever. But our August 2022 Iceland/Greenland trip on the Summit was a real cluster in terms of staffing and service. The bar and dining staff just could not keep up and it was really chaotic. We of course still had a fantastic time even if we had to repeatedly eat dinner in the buffet for the first time ever if we wanted a stress free meal. Okay, no problem, we get that COVID is still a thing, we still had a great time.

 

Then on our March 2023 sailing on the Reflection the staffing issues were improved, but the quality of the wine selection and the raw ingredients used to make the meals were noticeably worse than the same ship and itinerary just one year prior in 2022. I spoke with the food and beverage director onboard the ship and he agreed that it was indeed the case and blamed it on supply chain issues. Sorry, but that doesn’t ring true anymore, especially when all the changes result in lower costs to the cruise line. But fine. It in no way ruined our trip, but it’s there and we no longer feel like we’re getting a great value the same way we used to. 
 

So for the first time in 10 years we’re trying a new line. Taking Holland America Rotterdam to Norway this summer. I don’t know if the food/service/decor will

be better or worse, but we have a Neptune Suite plus an inside booked across the hall for the kids. Compared to a similar itinerary on Celebrity in a Royal Suite we’re saving just under $18K. So that alone feels like a good value.
 

All this to say I’m only in my mid 40s and have a ton of vacations ahead of me, god willing. We love our elite perks and used to only look at celebrity sailings when making plans to cruise. We traditionally sail in family suites (3+x) or the Penthouse (3x) depending on what’s available and have found tremendous value in both. But a few negative experiences now have us looking elsewhere to see if we can find something that suits us better.
 

Celebrity can manage their product any way like, and more power to them. But I’m not a “loyal” customer anymore, and am really looking forward to trying something new. No hard feelings, no negativity, but my vacation time and dollars are valuable and it makes sense right now to be discerning. 

[NMTraveller]

2 hours ago, RichYak said:

 

I am having difficulty understanding how both of these comments from the same post can be true. Can you elaborate?

I think that he was trying to be positive...

[OnTheJourney]

3 hours ago, RichYak said:

Can you elaborate?

Somehow I knew that might get attention after I posted it and thought about it later. As NM correctly alluded to, I was indeed trying to be positive. Food can be very good in taste and quality, but not necessarily as hot as I usually prefer it. Conversely, food can be piping hot and yet not taste all that good. The combination of really good taste, presentation, and at least medium hot, for me, impresses the most.

[buzz031]

28 minutes ago, law chick said:

So for the first time in 10 years we’re trying a new line. Taking Holland America Rotterdam to Norway this summer. I don’t know if the food/service/decor will

be better or worse, but we have a Neptune Suite plus an inside booked across the hall for the kids.

I'd like to know what you think about Holland. We really enjoyed our Holland cruises pre-covid, but the one we took post-covid (over New Years 2023) just wasn't quite up to what we had before Covid. The menu was limited, there were upcharges that weren't there previously, and although I enjoyed the food, there just wasn't the variety. Celebrity has a great (different) salad every night (at least in the Blu on the Silhouette), and I was looking for that same healthy eating experience and didn't find it in Holland's MDR.

[PatandStu]

As I read comments, I’m thinking as a first time cruiser on X with no previous history for comparison, I might not be disappointed. 
In February, our first post-Covid cruise, and 5th on NCL, we were disgruntled  enough to try something new. 
As I previously stated, I pay for relaxation, the opportunity to visit new places, good service & food quality and prep better than I can make for myself at home. 
If I get all those, then I’m a happy cruiser. 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

10 hours ago, law chick said:

This is really the best way to sum it up. For the past 10 years I’ve been happy to pay a little more for Celebrity because it felt like a great value considering the food, drinks, decor and overall vibe.
 

Have sailed 3 times with X since the restart. First “post pandemic” sailing in 2022 on the reflection was really fantastic, one of my favorite cruises ever. But our August 2022 Iceland/Greenland trip on the Summit was a real cluster in terms of staffing and service. The bar and dining staff just could not keep up and it was really chaotic. We of course still had a fantastic time even if we had to repeatedly eat dinner in the buffet for the first time ever if we wanted a stress free meal. Okay, no problem, we get that COVID is still a thing, we still had a great time.

 

Then on our March 2023 sailing on the Reflection the staffing issues were improved, but the quality of the wine selection and the raw ingredients used to make the meals were noticeably worse than the same ship and itinerary just one year prior in 2022. I spoke with the food and beverage director onboard the ship and he agreed that it was indeed the case and blamed it on supply chain issues. Sorry, but that doesn’t ring true anymore, especially when all the changes result in lower costs to the cruise line. But fine. It in no way ruined our trip, but it’s there and we no longer feel like we’re getting a great value the same way we used to. 
 

So for the first time in 10 years we’re trying a new line. Taking Holland America Rotterdam to Norway this summer. I don’t know if the food/service/decor will

be better or worse, but we have a Neptune Suite plus an inside booked across the hall for the kids. Compared to a similar itinerary on Celebrity in a Royal Suite we’re saving just under $18K. So that alone feels like a good value.
 

All this to say I’m only in my mid 40s and have a ton of vacations ahead of me, god willing. We love our elite perks and used to only look at celebrity sailings when making plans to cruise. We traditionally sail in family suites (3+x) or the Penthouse (3x) depending on what’s available and have found tremendous value in both. But a few negative experiences now have us looking elsewhere to see if we can find something that suits us better.
 

Celebrity can manage their product any way like, and more power to them. But I’m not a “loyal” customer anymore, and am really looking forward to trying something new. No hard feelings, no negativity, but my vacation time and dollars are valuable and it makes sense right now to be discerning. 

We were on the the Reflection TA with friends, 

Had a great time , food was good , wine was ok , it was wet , enough for me

the biggest disappointment was there was no Kraken on the ship 😱, 

Our friend is into wine , he said the wine selection on the Reflection was pretty good 

They stay in the EU and are now on the HAL, sorry to say , they reported food been ok , but the selection of wine was been poor 

Have fun on your future cruise 

 

[Bo1953]

25 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

We were on the the Reflection TA with friends, 

Had a great time , food was good , wine was ok , it was wet , enough for me

the biggest disappointment was there was no Kraken on the ship 😱, 

Our friend is into wine , he said the wine selection on the Reflection was pretty good 

They stay in the EU and are now on the HAL, sorry to say , they reported food been ok , but the selection of wine was been poor 

Have fun on your future cruise 

 

Well, the last few comments point out that it seems like it is a roll of the die since the pandemic on food, drinks and service...

 

Poor for some on any given line, great for others and still phenomenal for others.... or am I reading the comments incorrectly???

 

At any rate, I trust all will enjoy their chosen vacation if on X or not...

 

bon voyage

[mayleeman]

15 hours ago, OnTheJourney said:

. I'm reminded of someone here on CC who posted something about how great the french onion soup is on X and mentioned that he typically orders like a half-dozen of them!!!

 

I might have this confused with another post, but IIRC the post said they ordered it 5 or 6 times on every cruise so wanted it to stay on the daily menu. But if in one meal, the cheese would kill me!

[MISTER 67]

We’ve been on 8 cruises since the startup with 5 on Celebrity. Only bad cruise was with Holland America. We were on the Infinity last October and it was one of the best cruises we’ve had out of the 70 we have been on. Food was very good in the MDR, fantastic entertainment and the service was outstanding. The ship for her age was in great shape and is just the right size. The Captain and officers were quite visible as IIRC we saw the Captain every day. The other 4 cruises on Celebrity were also very good with no complaints at all. The buffet on the Equinox and Reflection were really good with amazing variety.

The only thing that will keep us away from Celebrity in the future are the prices, I’ve notice rates inching up higher and higher and we like to cruise 4 times a year, our next cruise is on the Equinox in August and we have a decent rate but higher to what we are are paying for a Princess cruise in December.

Edited June 6, 2023 by MISTER 67

[Pinboy]

12 hours ago, PatandStu said:

As I previously stated, I pay for relaxation, the opportunity to visit new places, good service & food quality and prep better than I can make for myself at home. 
If I get all those, then I’m a happy cruiser. 

If you read any of my posts and trust a fellow Canadian's opinion--- no worries---your needs and wants are covered--- 

( Off topic )

Ottawa eh ???  Are you in one of the groups bidding on the Senator's ?  

[RMac713]

Before Celebrity we did 6 Disney cruises--2 with 3 kids, one with our youngest who was a senior, and 3 as adults. Only one post-pandemic--a holiday cruise to see the decorations.  When I started looking at prices for another cruise last summer I decided to try Celebrity but I was nervous.  However, for the price of a Disney cruise (without tips or drinks or excursions) we booked a 6 night celebrity suite on the equinox.  Wow!  We were sold.  So in April we took a 7 night on Beyond in a sky suite--WOW again!  We now have a Beyond scheduled in November and an Apex next November.  Disney is great, but unti the grands can go, no point in spending the money.  In fact, we have been spending our vacation money on cruises and saving up our Disney Vacation Club points to see our daughter in Hawaii this summer--we may sell them after that because need to do Disney every year is gone.  I'd rather cruise and see new places.  My grand plan is to cruise the Greek Isles in 2026 for our 40th anniversary.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

1 hour ago, RMac713 said:

Before Celebrity we did 6 Disney cruises--2 with 3 kids, one with our youngest who was a senior, and 3 as adults. Only one post-pandemic--a holiday cruise to see the decorations.  When I started looking at prices for another cruise last summer I decided to try Celebrity but I was nervous.  However, for the price of a Disney cruise (without tips or drinks or excursions) we booked a 6 night celebrity suite on the equinox.  Wow!  We were sold.  So in April we took a 7 night on Beyond in a sky suite--WOW again!  We now have a Beyond scheduled in November and an Apex next November.  Disney is great, but unti the grands can go, no point in spending the money.  In fact, we have been spending our vacation money on cruises and saving up our Disney Vacation Club points to see our daughter in Hawaii this summer--we may sell them after that because need to do Disney every year is gone.  I'd rather cruise and see new places.  My grand plan is to cruise the Greek Isles in 2026 for our 40th anniversary.

Been to Disney once about 30 years ago and that was enough 😁

Been to Greece a number of time , it is way better 

 

[BunnyLebowski]

7 hours ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

They stay in the EU and are now on the HAL, sorry to say , they reported food been ok , but the selection of wine was been poor 

Have fun on your future cruise 

Thanks for the heads up. Our issue with wine on Celebrity had to do with paying for the beverage package, and then not finding wines by the glass that were to our liking, even though we were willing to pay more if necessary. This has never been an issue in the past 10 years, and although we are knowledgeable about wine, we’re far from being wine snobs. I’m typically happy with a house Pinot Grigio at most restaurants, but even that was somehow consistently bad onboard. 
 

So moving forward we will skip the packages and instead just buy wines by the bottle that we know we will like as bringing a few bottles aboard with us. We aren’t heavy drinkers and prefer quality over quantity so it will hopefully work out. But given our five figure savings, paying for exactly the drinks we want should work out well in our favor lol. We’ll do the same the next time we sail on Celebrity too. It’s a shame because the beverage package was a lot of fun, but it no longer even comes close to being worth it for us anymore. 
 

 

[BunnyLebowski]

17 hours ago, buzz031 said:

I'd like to know what you think about Holland. We really enjoyed our Holland cruises pre-covid, but the one we took post-covid (over New Years 2023) just wasn't quite up to what we had before Covid. The menu was limited, there were upcharges that weren't there previously, and although I enjoyed the food, there just wasn't the variety. Celebrity has a great (different) salad every night (at least in the Blu on the Silhouette), and I was looking for that same healthy eating experience and didn't find it in Holland's MDR.

Will try to come back to post about our experience. Thanks for the feedback on your impressions of the food differences between the two lines. 
 

I booked 4 nights of dining in specialty restaurants and the other 3 nights plus breakfasts we’ll be in their Club Orange suite dining room. Looking at the menus it seems that there will probably be enough for us to choose from given our dietary needs. We are not huge salad eaters, but mostly eat beef, seafood, butter and veggies along with very few processed foods and no seed oils. Am hoping their steaks are okay and they can somewhat accommodate the seed oil allergy. But even if they can’t, I won’t feel like we got a bad value given the enormous savings compared to the 7 day celebrity Norway itinerary sailing the same week I almost booked instead. 
 

Am particularly looking forward to trying HAL’s pastries and desserts since the reports are that in addition to looking beautiful, they taste quite good.

[PatandStu]

5 hours ago, Pinboy said:

If you read any of my posts and trust a fellow Canadian's opinion--- no worries---your needs and wants are covered--- 

( Off topic )

Ottawa eh ???  Are you in one of the groups bidding on the Senator's ?  

Pinboy, I cashed in my empties & drained my piggy bank but the Senators snubbed my offer! 

[C 2 C]

18 hours ago, buzz031 said:

I'd like to know what you think about Holland. We really enjoyed our Holland cruises pre-covid, but the one we took post-covid (over New Years 2023) just wasn't quite up to what we had before Covid. The menu was limited, there were upcharges that weren't there previously, and although I enjoyed the food, there just wasn't the variety. Celebrity has a great (different) salad every night (at least in the Blu on the Silhouette), and I was looking for that same healthy eating experience and didn't find it in Holland's MDR.

It is not fair to compare Blu to the MDR either on the same ship or between different lines unless you are paying the same $/day.  We were very happy with the food on HAL's N. Statendam but not so much on Zaandam.  My wife is a beef carnivore.  I'm happy with a glass of wine and a cheese plate.  The beef was exceptional.  I don't do green so salads would not impress me.  The desserts on HAL are better than they are on Celebrity.  I gave up eating desserts on X but indulged in the chocolate offerings every night on HAL  (all ten weeks over the last year.)  I come home healthier and skinnier on X than on HAL but we just love the Connie too much to look elsewhere this fall and winter.

[OnTheJourney]

8 hours ago, MISTER 67 said:

Only bad cruise was with Holland America.

We've only done one with them - Alaska, onboard the Veendam back in '06. Really enjoyed everything about it as I recall. At that time, though, it was only the 2nd cruise we'd ever done so had little to compare it to. I'd like to go again with HAL on the one Alaska itinerary they offer that is a 14-day roundtrip Vancouver.

[MISTER 67]

2 minutes ago, OnTheJourney said:

We've only done one with them - Alaska, onboard the Veendam back in '06. Really enjoyed everything about it as I recall. At that time, though, it was only the 2nd cruise we'd ever done so had little to compare it to. I'd like to go again with HAL on the one Alaska itinerary they offer that is a 14-day roundtrip Vancouver.

We are 4 Star Mariners with HAL but the pandemic hit them hard and the cutbacks are noticeable, we are avoiding them until things change for the better.

[Bo1953]

1 hour ago, PatandStu said:

Pinboy, I cashed in my empties & drained my piggy bank but the Senators snubbed my offer! 

ps - I say up the ante.... LOL

 

bon voyage

[MisterMet]

10 hours ago, MISTER 67 said:

We’ve been on 8 cruises since the startup with 5 on Celebrity. Only bad cruise was with Holland America. We were on the Infinity last October and it was one of the best cruises we’ve had out of the 70 we have been on. Food was very good in the MDR, fantastic entertainment and the service was outstanding. The ship for her age was in great shape and is just the right size. The Captain and officers were quite visible as IIRC we saw the Captain every day. The other 4 cruises on Celebrity were also very good with no complaints at all. The buffet on the Equinox and Reflection were really good with amazing variety.

The only thing that will keep us away from Celebrity in the future are the prices, I’ve notice rates inching up higher and higher and we like to cruise 4 times a year, our next cruise is on the Equinox in August and we have a decent rate but higher to what we are are paying for a Princess cruise in December.

Thanks Geo!  See you on 8/13 on the Equinox

[MISTER 67]

1 minute ago, MisterMet said:

Thanks Geo!  See you on 8/13 on the Equinox

Looking forward to it!

[OnTheJourney]

1 hour ago, MISTER 67 said:

the pandemic hit them hard and the cutbacks are noticeable, we are avoiding them until things change for the better.

Not surprising to hear this. Thanks for mentioning though. I didn't plan on scheduling that Alaska cruise with them anytime in the immediate future. All the lines have cut back, as I mentioned previously. We were disappointed to not having received the same level of amenities in Aqua Class during our recent cruise that we had pre-pandemic. But, again, not surprising. I will say, however, that it appears X is primarily catering to suite level rather than any category below that.