If I wanted to visit Coco Cay, I'd cruise Royal.

[Eve]

I can't be the only one who is dismayed that the new head of Celebrity is trying to incorporate more "Royalness" into the cruise line. I choose Celebrity because I enjoy the more upscale experience that it has traditionally offered. The blurring of the brands makes me think she is going to look for more way to cut costs on Celebrity at the expense of service, amenities included in fares, and a more centralized focus on being "family-oriented". There are already enough cruise lines that cater to water slides, kid-friendly amenities and mega ships. The "luxury" lines like Regent and Oceania skew much older than I like and are far too expensive to allow me to cruise regularly on them. Celebrity was always the sweet spot. A little more refined than Royal and a lot less stuffy than Regent. I feel like the upscale elegance the line has always been known for is not trending in the right direction with the addition of Coco Cay. Thoughts???

[Georgia_Peaches]

That’s funny because DH said last weekend as we were talking about our upcoming cruise that the only downside to Celebrity is that they don’t stop at a private island. 
 

I guess they are just trying to broaden their appeal. Nothing wrong with that IMO. 
 

I will edit to say that the one time we were on a Celebrity cruise we did stop at Cocoa Cay. We were the only ship there. The whole experience was lovely. 

Edited June 28, 2023 by Georgia_Peaches

[cw2go]

 

I'm absolutely fine with a port stop in CocoCay. From the other Social Media sites that I've glanced over, the positive posts are a large majority.

I don't equate The New Celebrity to elegance, personally I see bartenders standing on counters and Silent Discos equate to the same vibe as a private islands full of fun. 

 

My hubby would have a blast and I'd get a great tan. 

 

What I am not absolutely fine with is the way Cel handled this for those pax who were already booked on Beyond for 2024. 

Patty 

[davekathy]

We aren't private island fans or beach goers.  But will adjust accordingly. Sometimes we don't like a ports of call either on all our intinaries.  We'll try and pick Celebrity intinaries like we do our RC and Princess intinaries. Ones without a PI stop but if we can't avoid a PI stop then we'll just get off the ship, wonder around, grab a drink and a snack, chill out for awhile and back to the ship when our fun meter is pegged. That's our plan for our March Princess cruise when we stop at Princess Cays.  

Edited June 28, 2023 by davekathy

[39august]

We don't care what the ports are at this point. BUT, I am afraid that X is slowly becoming RCI...on which we are Pinnacle. We were sold on X after our first cruise on Silly Dec. 2017. Back then the difference between RCI and S was night and day. Frankly, we wouldn't dream of going back. We're booked up until Jan. 2025.I shudder to think what other changes will be made by then.  After that, we may just give up cruises. Or try HAL. 

Edited June 28, 2023 by 39august

[mom says]

Wait, did I miss something? Does every Celebrity cruise now include a stop at Coco Cay? Do I need to go to another line to find an itinerary that doesn't include it? Bummer.

[cw2go]

6 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

That’s funny because DH said last weekend as we were talking about our upcoming cruise that the only downside to Celebrity is that they don’t stop at a private island. 
 

I guess they are just trying to broaden their appeal. Nothing wrong with that IMO. 
 

I will edit to say that the one time we were on a Celebrity cruise we did stop at Cocoa Cay. We were the only ship there. The whole experience was lovely. 

 

Labadee is amazing! It's a private port we enjoy far more than many of the other islands in the Caribbean. Many cruisers from the north who sail in Jan/Feb are really only looking for fun & sun! My hubby and I look to the ships as AI sailing so private islands are an added bonus. 

Patty 

[cw2go]

Just now, mom says said:

Wait, did I miss something? Does every Celebrity cruise now include a stop at Coco Cay? Do I need to go to another line to find an itinerary that doesn't include it? Bummer.

 No not all! You'll easily find itineraries that bypass CocoCay. 

 

Patty 

[prmssk]

I think that Celebrity knows that if it wants to grow, they need to appeal to the next generation of cruisers.  I see Princess doing the same thing with their new Sun Princess.  

 

This news about Coco Cay doesn't bother me.  I'm not a huge fan of Coco Cay (although I would enjoy a less crazy private island) but there still are plenty of other itineraries.

[WestLakeGirl]

coco cay = a lovely day on board😀

[Mark_T]

27 minutes ago, cw2go said:

What I am not absolutely fine with is the way Cel handled this for those pax who were already booked on Beyond for 2024. 

That's the way I feel as well, adding a private island to the Caribbean cruise schedules helps them compete in a market where the islands are an expected inclusion.

 

We don't want a beach stop so we do not usually do Caribbean itineraries.

 

As long as they don't start trying to do the same all round the world there should still be plenty of interesting options.

 

However, what they have done with the existing reservations at short notice is completely unacceptable and displays a causal disregard for their customers. 

[Saturngrl]

I've done an Oasis Lagoon Cabana and a day at the Beach Club on CoCo Cay.   Both were great experiences, but I am no longer craving to go there again, anytime soon.  I agree the vibe on Celebrity is more adult and a bit more refined and love Celebrity accordingly.  

 

What makes me sad is that my beloved Reflection is going to do 3 and 4-night cruises to Nassau and CoCo Cay.   Such a beautiful ship with so many wonderful experiences.  Short cruises will never do that ship justice.  Glad we are sailing her to A,B,C in February, before the CoCo Cay business starts! 

[jcpelly]

If this replaces a Nassau port day then sign me up.  

[jwlane]

51 minutes ago, mom says said:

Does every Celebrity cruise now include a stop at Coco Cay? 

That's the point---everyone is getting upset over a VERY limited data set.

[C4HCG]

1 hour ago, Eve said:

I can't be the only one who is dismayed that the new head of Celebrity is trying to incorporate more "Royalness" into the cruise line. I choose Celebrity because I enjoy the more upscale experience that it has traditionally offered. The blurring of the brands makes me think she is going to look for more way to cut costs on Celebrity at the expense of service, amenities included in fares, and a more centralized focus on being "family-oriented". There are already enough cruise lines that cater to water slides, kid-friendly amenities and mega ships. The "luxury" lines like Regent and Oceania skew much older than I like and are far too expensive to allow me to cruise regularly on them. Celebrity was always the sweet spot. A little more refined than Royal and a lot less stuffy than Regent. I feel like the upscale elegance the line has always been known for is not trending in the right direction with the addition of Coco Cay. Thoughts???

I don’t think the coco cay announcement, or any of the food ones recently, detract from the overall upscale experience you like with Celebrity. 

[PTC DAWG]

3 minutes ago, jwlane said:

That's the point---everyone is getting upset over a VERY limited data set.

People are easily confused and quick to complain.

[Algebralovr]

I've not been to Coco Cay, but I do like Labadee and have stopped there on Celebrity Ships.  

 

I've heard from a few people who are quite satisfied with the way their rebooking was handled.  Beyond to Apex or Aspire and Reflection to Beyond for the same time frame.  

 

I think Celebrity is trying to appeal to the Gen X crowd (of which I am) who are starting to cruise with their families, including young adults and even some grandkids. 

 

My kids are late 20s and early 30s.  I unabashedly bribe them with vacations to spend time with us.  My favorite form of vacation is a cruise, and Celebrity is my favorite line.  

We don't do the evening show.  We enjoy the bartenders at the Martini Bar.  

 

I DO want to eat better food, and I've got some concerns about the menu updates, but I also know that food has gone up substantially and prices for cruises have not kept up with inflation.  So, I will elect to do more speciality restaurants if I don't want to eat what is on the menu in the dining room, or I'll upgrade to a suite.... although the pricing of suites has risen enough that I can book a veranda and buy a nightly specialty package for less than a suite.  Which is an open.  

 

If you don't like the itinary, pick a different ship or a different line.  There are plenty to choose from. 

[PSU]

Originally my husband and I booked four cabins for our family in the retreat for our 50th anniversary next year on the Eclipse from Bayonne. We would all save on airfare. I would have liked to sail on the Summit from Bayonne.

Yesterday, I saw a June sailing on the Beyond from Fort Lauderdale that was $9,000 cheaper with a Celebrity Suite and three Sky Suites. Also got more OBC.

Even with the airfare it is still cheaper. Our children and grandchildren will love it.

Beyond and Summit are our favorite ships.

 

[D. B.]

Look. CoCoCay is Owned by RCCL group.

  Rather than pay Port Charges or Big Tourist Fees it makes sense to do this as it helps with the big Debt.

 If they have an Adults Only venue I will do that.

 We have been there 3 times on Royal's Oasis class ships and feel we could take it or leave it.

 This also fits in with the switch to shorter 3-6 days cruises.

Edited June 28, 2023 by D. B.
added content.

[shipshape sam]

2 hours ago, Eve said:

I can't be the only one who is dismayed that the new head of Celebrity is trying to incorporate more "Royalness" into the cruise line. I choose Celebrity because I enjoy the more upscale experience that it has traditionally offered. The blurring of the brands makes me think she is going to look for more way to cut costs on Celebrity at the expense of service, amenities included in fares, and a more centralized focus on being "family-oriented". There are already enough cruise lines that cater to water slides, kid-friendly amenities and mega ships. The "luxury" lines like Regent and Oceania skew much older than I like and are far too expensive to allow me to cruise regularly on them. Celebrity was always the sweet spot. A little more refined than Royal and a lot less stuffy than Regent. I feel like the upscale elegance the line has always been known for is not trending in the right direction with the addition of Coco Cay. Thoughts???

We sailed HAL earlier this year and enjoyed our time at their private island, Half Moon Cay.  For sure it  is not close to having all the slides et al., but we actually enjoyed how Coco Cay use to be except they now have a dock  and not the hit or miss for Coco Cay when we sailed on Sovereign..  

 

I do want to go back to Coco Cay with our granddaughter and hope to do that next January on Royal.  Will also plan a trip to Labadee, again with granddaughter and on Royal.

 

I am with you on wanting a more upscale sailing on Celebrity.  I would give Celebrity a shot here as we have just stayed onboard if we did not want/like a specific port of call.

[NutsAboutGolf]

1 hour ago, D. B. said:

Look. CoCoCay is Owned by RCCL group.

  Rather than pay Port Charges or Big Tourist Fees it makes sense to do this as it helps with the big Debt.

 If they have an Adults Only venue I will do that.

 We have been there 3 times on Royal's Oasis class ships and feel we could take it or leave it.

 This also fits in with the switch to shorter 3-6 days cruises.

 

I posted an article in another thread...In the Bahamas at least, cruise lines pay more passenger taxes/fees to visit their private islands than if they went to a regular Bahaman port

[D. B.]

44 minutes ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

I posted an article in another thread...In the Bahamas at least, cruise lines pay more passenger taxes/fees to visit their private islands than if they went to a regular Bahaman port

 

44 minutes ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

I posted an article in another thread...In the Bahamas at least, cruise lines pay more passenger taxes/fees to visit their private islands than if they went to a regular Bahaman port

I looked it up.

 Could be that RCCL/X like having control of the dates and all the Extra fees charged for things at CoCo Cay go to them?

 We are on a Beyond cruise Jan. 2-8,2024 that has a stop scheduled at Bimini, Bahamas on Jan. 7th. I would rather go there than Nassau.   .

[bikerunner]

49 minutes ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

I posted an article in another thread...In the Bahamas at least, cruise lines pay more passenger taxes/fees to visit their private islands than if they went to a regular Bahaman port

Doesn’t matter the extra fees those are put onto the passenger.  A good portion of the revenue from the private islands goes directly to Royal Caribbean group.  So it’s a win for them. Personally how this whole thing was handled or better mishandled that I am much more looking at other cruise lines.

[markeb]

1 hour ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

I posted an article in another thread...In the Bahamas at least, cruise lines pay more passenger taxes/fees to visit their private islands than if they went to a regular Bahaman port

 

Someone pointed out later in that thread that RCG controls operations at CocoCay. They probably pay more government taxes and fees, but it's their operation, so they're probably not paying prevailing rates for docking operations, and likely aren't paying harbor fees or pilot fees. No idea what those are, but that probably offsets a lot of the difference.

 

And, obviously, the drink and recreation revenue is theirs...

[phoenix_dream]

4 hours ago, jwlane said:

That's the point---everyone is getting upset over a VERY limited data set.

As one of those who does not like the change, I can tell you my reasoning.  Not everyone will agree of course and that's fine.  I don't intend to debate it; just want to share my view.

 

First of all, every cruise line has a different vibe to it.  Celebrity has always been a bit more classy and laid back than Royal Caribbean, which in my opinion doesn't track with a stop at an island amusement park (which is how I view it).  Celebrity has also been more of an adult cruise line - don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with having some kids onboard - I sailed X with my son as a child.  But it is not designed with a whole bundle of activities like Royal ships.  I am concerned this change will bring a lot more families with young children onboard and overall the ship is not designed for large groups of kids.  It just isn't, nor was it meant to be.  And finally and probably most important, this is yet another move that seems to follow/mimic Royal - the latest before this being the attempt at menu deterioration and up-pricing for the better food options.  I liked the idea of having a choice - a certain vibe on Royal and a different vibe on Celebrity.  My favorite was obviously Celebrity.  I don't want it to turn into Royal 2.0 but it seems to be trending in that direction.  Makes me concerned about what's next.  For the first time in literally 30 years I am considering other options (for these and other reasons, like pricing).