Big news tomorrow (apparently!)

[NMTraveller]

6 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Nothing says Luxury like a 3-day sailing. 😒

[39august]

Hysterical!!

[NMTraveller]

Three day cruises on the Reflection for $268pp plus fees.  Much cheaper than a hotel even with adding the drink package.

[Whinenowine]

11 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

Three day cruises on the Reflection for $268pp plus fees.  Much cheaper than a hotel even with adding the drink package.

And yet people will still feel the need to drink their money's worth!  Has all the makings of a reality TV show...

 

🤣

 

[JLMcruise]

2 hours ago, Whinenowine said:

And yet people will still feel the need to drink their money's worth!  Has all the makings of a reality TV show...

 

🤣

 

I would need to do a B2B2B2B2B2B to get me on one of these cruises.

[NMTraveller]

14 minutes ago, JLMcruise said:

I would need to do a B2B2B2B2B2B to get me on one of these cruises.

Five booze cruises in a row? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Edited July 21, 2023 by NMTraveller

[PTC DAWG]

14 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

Three day cruises on the Reflection for $268pp plus fees.  Much cheaper than a hotel even with adding the drink package.

Sign me up for 2.  So I went and looked, they have a 5 and a 3 day B@B that I would gladly sail on.  🙂

Edited July 21, 2023 by PTC DAWG

[NMTraveller]

11 hours ago, PTC DAWG said:

Sign me up for 2.  So I went and looked, they have a 5 and a 3 day B@B that I would gladly sail on.  🙂

[NMTraveller]

Is it tomorrow yet 🙂 🙂 

[zitsky]

10 hours ago, NorthStarStateCruiser said:

Hey, I was post #136. Wohoo!

Every thread has a show off.  😭😭😭

[1Virgo]

On 7/20/2023 at 10:49 AM, cruisemom42 said:

Let me preface my comments by saying that I'm not really in the category of cruisers who are interested in Caribbean cruises....

 

That said, I can understand why Celebrity is making the change to shorter and more cruises in the Caribbean at all times of the year. Airfare ex-US is horrendous. Most of my travel is to Europe (and also a cruise around Japan earlier this year), so I have struggled to find fares that required me to sell a kidney, let alone  but finding a direct flight with premium economy seating (my unicorn). 

 

I believe Celebrity is banking on people having a fixed budget for vacations -- if they spend less on the airfare, they are more likely to upgrade their cabin category and purchase extras onboard. For all the reasons already stated, shorter cruises tend to bring in more revenue. I too have noted the many "last minute" sale prices on European itineraries this year.

 

What distresses me is Celebrity's decreasing number of longer cruises being offered. Here I am, newly retired and having had some great cruises on X since Covid. But it's hard to find worthwhile longer itineraries without stringing together a "B2B2B2B" kind of cruise. Not ideal. I wish Celebrity would dedicate a couple of their M class ships to longer itineraries around the world. Maybe one ship in Europe and S. America (seasonally) and another in Asia/Africa. It's a shame X isn't doing this because there is definitely a niche there. HAL is trying to fill it, but I enjoy the onboard experience so much more on Celebrity. My 28 days on HAL in April convinced me that there is too little going on onboard on longer cruises to keep me happy....

 

I like smaller ships. I would never preferentially book an Edge-class ship for an itinerary-intensive cruise. I'd rather a great itinerary than a "new" ship. I'd sail with Oceania or Azamara before I'd do it on an E-class.

 

 

.  We too are not interested in 3 or 4 day cruises otherwise known as the party hard cruises.   That is what Carnival did for years (not sure if that has changed).  RCL may hope it will bring in a younger crowd that will spend/buy more, but it would be interesting to see stats on monies spent in the shops.  The demographics they are aiming for, generally do not have the disposable income to spend a lot in the casinos or in the Effy/Coach etc. shops.

 

we were on an island when a Carnival ship pulled in. The passengers made a beeline to the bars as drinks a lot cheaper than on the ship.  They sure indulged, quickly. 

 

A friend knows a few staff that worked those short cruises and they hated them.  Too many inebriated unruly passengers.  The damage done and extra cleaning staff needed cost the cruise line. 

 

 

 

 

[RichYak]

1 hour ago, weregoingcruising said:

Who can you believe nowadays? Well maybe Celebrities claim that todays sale is the best ever and ending in 48 hours.

Wait, what? You mean it isn't?

[phoenix_dream]

1 hour ago, 1Virgo said:

 

.  We too are not interested in 3 or 4 day cruises otherwise known as the party hard cruises.   That is what Carnival did for years (not sure if that has changed).  RCL may hope it will bring in a younger crowd that will spend/buy more, but it would be interesting to see stats on monies spent in the shops.  The demographics they are aiming for, generally do not have the disposable income to spend a lot in the casinos or in the Effy/Coach etc. shops.

 

we were on an island when a Carnival ship pulled in. The passengers made a beeline to the bars as drinks a lot cheaper than on the ship.  They sure indulged, quickly. 

 

A friend knows a few staff that worked those short cruises and they hated them.  Too many inebriated unruly passengers.  The damage done and extra cleaning staff needed cost the cruise line. 

 

 

 

 

I am both shocked and dismayed that Celebrity would even consider this, much less implement it and believe it is a good idea.  The cruise line I've loved for many, many years is changing in unwelcome ways.  But it's not just about me.  I understand they need to continue to bring in new customers as us old folks eventually can't cruise anymore.  But a key word is eventually.  Many of us loyalists have 20+ years or more of cruising ability yet to come and we had hoped to do so on Celebrity.  Three and four night cruises are not just for a younger crowd, they are for a much, much younger crowd.  What's the logic in that???  If anything, aim for the 40-50 year old crowd whose kids are grown or off to college and bring them into the mix for long-term survival.  Having experienced a 5 night "Animal House" cruise during spring break several years ago with 700 college students onboard, trust me, Celebrity, this is not the demographic you want to attract, but I fear this change will do that.

[C4HCG]

1 hour ago, phoenix_dream said:

I am both shocked and dismayed that Celebrity would even consider this, much less implement it and believe it is a good idea.  The cruise line I've loved for many, many years is changing in unwelcome ways.  But it's not just about me.  I understand they need to continue to bring in new customers as us old folks eventually can't cruise anymore.  But a key word is eventually.  Many of us loyalists have 20+ years or more of cruising ability yet to come and we had hoped to do so on Celebrity.  Three and four night cruises are not just for a younger crowd, they are for a much, much younger crowd.  What's the logic in that???  If anything, aim for the 40-50 year old crowd whose kids are grown or off to college and bring them into the mix for long-term survival.  Having experienced a 5 night "Animal House" cruise during spring break several years ago with 700 college students onboard, trust me, Celebrity, this is not the demographic you want to attract, but I fear this change will do that.

There are still a whole boatload of cruises that aren’t 3/4 days so what’s the problem? Nobody is being forced into taking them.

[Charles4515]

12 minutes ago, C4HCG said:

There are still a whole boatload of cruises that aren’t 3/4 days so what’s the problem? Nobody is being forced into taking them.

It changes the character of the cruise line. Next thing you know they will transfer the ships and call them Royal Caribbean with Celebrity style. The Royal Caribbean Group has Royal Caribbean for the glitz niche. I suspect that they are getting more revenue per passenger on Royal Caribbean, reduced food costs etc,less crew per passenger,  so the bean counters want that on the Celebrity ships. The logic taken to its end would be end the Celebrity brand. 

Edited July 23, 2023 by Charles4515

[C4HCG]

2 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

It changes the character of the cruise line. Next thing you know they will transfer the ships and call them Royal Caribbean with Celebrity style. The Royal Caribbean Group has Royal Caribbean for the glitz niche. I suspect that they are getting more revenue per passenger on Royal Caribbean, reduced food costs etc,less crew per passenger,  so the bean counters want that on the Celebrity ships. The logic taken to its end would be end the Celebrity brand. 

So the character of every cruise they offer changes, you really think that? At the end of the day there are many cruise lines, if the Celebrity product no longer appeals move on. That’s what we will do if it happens. Don’t think the fact that they now offer these new short cruises will have any impact whatsoever on the 3 cruises we have booked, don’t understand the logic that it would.

[zitsky]

6 minutes ago, C4HCG said:

So the character of every cruise they offer changes, you really think that? At the end of the day there are many cruise lines, if the Celebrity product no longer appeals move on. That’s what we will do if it happens. Don’t think the fact that they now offer these new short cruises will have any impact whatsoever on the 3 cruises we have booked, don’t understand the logic that it would.

It’s a bit lame to tell people, “oh you don’t like the changes?  Just move on.”  How about we give feedback so marketing and the executive team can see how stupid they are.

 

 

[NMTraveller]

7 minutes ago, zitsky said:

It’s a bit lame to tell people, “oh you don’t like the changes?  Just move on.”  How about we give feedback so marketing and the executive team can see how stupid they are.

 

 

The Celebrity executive team...

 

[C4HCG]

9 minutes ago, zitsky said:

It’s a bit lame to tell people, “oh you don’t like the changes?  Just move on.”  How about we give feedback so marketing and the executive team can see how stupid they are.

 

 

Eh? Where did I say not to give feedback? To me it makes absolutely no

difference whatsoever that they have added this itinerary. So I have no feedback to give to them on that basis but you go ahead and give it.

[Charles4515]

52 minutes ago, C4HCG said:

So the character of every cruise they offer changes, you really think that? At the end of the day there are many cruise lines, if the Celebrity product no longer appeals move on. That’s what we will do if it happens. Don’t think the fact that they now offer these new short cruises will have any impact whatsoever on the 3 cruises we have booked, don’t understand the logic that it would.

It means those ship are no longer available for longer itineraries. I have already began moving on but also  I have never been loyal to one cruise line. 

[weregoingcruising]

3 hours ago, RichYak said:

Wait, what? You mean it isn't?

 Celebrity said it so it must be true.

[zitsky]

2 hours ago, C4HCG said:

Eh? Where did I say not to give feedback? To me it makes absolutely no

difference whatsoever that they have added this itinerary. So I have no feedback to give to them on that basis but you go ahead and give it.

Thanks for giving me permission to give Celebrity feedback.

[RichYak]

2 hours ago, C4HCG said:

So the character of every cruise they offer changes, you really think that?

Of course. Celebrity is one brand that attracts a certain class of traveler. That brand is changing, certainly not overnight, but it is changing. Short 3 and 4 night cruises, vaping, Coco Cay, double cheeseburgers in the MDR, etc. These are small incremental changes in a not so good direction. The passengers that this new brand attracts will change along with it.

[zitsky]

9 minutes ago, RichYak said:

Of course. Celebrity is one brand that attracts a certain class of traveler. That brand is changing, certainly not overnight, but it is changing. Short 3 and 4 night cruises, vaping, Coco Cay, double cheeseburgers in the MDR, etc. These are small incremental changes in a not so good direction. The passengers that this new brand attracts will change along with it.

All I can say is party on dude!

[C4HCG]

36 minutes ago, zitsky said:

Thanks for giving me permission to give Celebrity feedback.

Eh? Go pick a fight with someone else.