Cookies now cost $2 plus 20%

[The_Big_M]

23 hours ago, Robert de Beaumont said:

FWIW: I received this in response to an email expressing some concern. 
 

“Thank you so much for your email. We are piloting offering a hot chocolate chip cookie right out of the oven for our guests for a small fee. All other treats that have been offered complimentary are still being offered. Absolutely nothing has changed in that regard. This is an additional offering for those guests that may really want it.”

My reaction: 🙄

 

This takes the biscuit!

[The_Big_M]

23 hours ago, Kelownadon said:

If it’s fresh, hot and right out of the oven, I have to admit I may be tempted. If it’s just warmed up, forget it. 

 

For the pilot, it's out of the oven.

 

When it's rolled out everywhere, in a year's time, they'll be pre-made, warmed on demand...

[The_Big_M]

20 hours ago, Ocdublin said:

I sent an email to the executive offices, they called and basically said it is a pilot program and they will review at a later date to determine if the will enforce on all ships.  So, really the only thing you can do is let them know you are not happy with the new cookie program!  That will determine if we have cookies or not!

 

Celebrity did mention that this pilot is similar to the vaping one.  So, many complained they decided not to enforce!

... Or they just found there was no revenue benefit from allowing vaping...

[Ocdublin]

You are right about the cumulative effect. We were on the Infinity in May 2023 and experienced the downsizing of the dinner buffet, mast grill hamburgers taste like meat loaf now, the afternoon tea and scones removed and also during our cruise the cookies were not available everyday. We asked why and they said they did not know!  We wondered at that time it was strange, but went on with our cruise.  I joked that I would have to write an email to the executive office!  Well, then this weeks news!  My point is they have been working on this for a while!  It would be nice if they would tell us what ship is doing test runs on various products, so we can opt in or out!

[D. B.]

2 minutes ago, The_Big_M said:

 

This takes the biscuit!

Once again the Cc. “Chicken Little ( the ski is falling)” Crowd overreacted and declared they would cancel all their Celebrity cruises rather than pay for cookies?

[The_Big_M]

13 hours ago, 2023 said:

Everyone take a deep breath…..

 

Did you have to pay your mother a gratuity for licking the dough spatula?

[The_Big_M]

6 hours ago, OysterD said:

There was one photo, don't know when it was taken and that's it. Plenty of people have said there are still free cookies available and X have emailed/messaged several people to say there will still be free cookies available. 

 

Can we please please stop the fake uproar now?! 15 pages of moaning for no reason just beggars belief.

 

Celebrity have actually confirmed the truth of the account - as you acknowledge - so the fact there is only one photo is irrelevant and a red herring to try to dismiss it.

 

As for the impact, it's up to the customer what they feel about their cruise experience. The fact there's uproar shows that for many it hasn't gone down well, despite what your feelings about it are.

[D. B.]

3 minutes ago, The_Big_M said:

 

Did you have to pay your mother a gratuity for licking the dough spatula?

She let me lick the mixer bowl and if I was good she. Would turn the mixer Off first!🤪

[The_Big_M]

4 hours ago, terrydtx said:

I am sorry this is the typical Celebrity Kool-Aide spin on changes. We give you more by taking away. This was the same spin they used for the Butler changes for Sky Suites, you will have better service with fewer butlers. 

 

"...But we won't give that better service to the higher suite grades. And if you still want that service then you have to pay to upgrade to a higher suite."

[hankandteri]

3 hours ago, LMaxwell said:

They are going to do exactly what Royal Caribbean did; create an uproar over a cheap item, rescind the charge, say "We listened to our valued guests" and then raise specialty dining 20-40% costs 

100%! That bit of sleight of hand worked perfectly for RCI—first intentionally generate an uproar over a potential pizza surcharge, then demonstrate your customer focus by “listening” while you’re silently implementing massive price increases (ranging up to 50%!) at fast casual restaurants that already had an upcharge. So brilliant. So cynical.

 

This month Princess began charging for their fast casual pizza and sold the price hike to their customers and TAs as an “enhancement.” So brilliant. So cynical. 

Cookiegate may well be a similar tactic. Someone on board should probably look to see if the price of a tuna roll is up 40% at Sushi on Five today. 

 

Edited August 26, 2023 by hankandteri

[NMTraveller]

My apologies for not reading the thread all of the way through.  Can we still get cookies but in a different venue on Equinox?

[mac_tlc]

3 hours ago, LMaxwell said:

They are going to do exactly what Royal Caribbean did; create an uproar over a cheap item, rescind the charge, say "We listened to our valued guests" and then raise specialty dining 20-40% costs 

Exactly! 

 

RCI : Would you pay $2 a slice for Sorrento's pizza?

Guests : NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO.

RCL: Ok, pizza is still free. Portside BBQ  & Playmekers is 30-50% more. Thank you for your valued input.

 

 

mac_tlc

[bjahil47]

3 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

My apologies for not reading the thread all of the way through.  Can we still get cookies but in a different venue on Equinox?

I have heard they are free at Oceanview, but they are not warm.  We will find out firsthand in a few weeks

[thorntor]

On 8/24/2023 at 1:10 PM, cruisequeen4ever said:

The only baked goods that taste good to me on Celebrity are the cookies. They’re not as good as Princess’s, though, and I certainly wouldn’t pay for them. This is just ridiculous. 

This observation seems to a universal truth.  I wonder if anyone ever shares this opinion while on board with the pastry chef or the executive chef.  If enough of us started sharing this while on board, perhaps they would make improvements ? 🙄 🙄 🙄

Edited August 26, 2023 by thorntor
correctness.

[Ocdublin]

The cookies were not available in May on the Infinity at the Oceanview or  Cafe Al Bacio!  On a 10 day cruise we only had cookies half of the time!  This is what I experienced!

[Susanb10567]

For those on Edge class ships…are they still serving the chocolate chip cookies in Eden…those are really good…hope they don’t take them away…

[kwokpot]

10 minutes ago, Susanb10567 said:

For those on Edge class ships…are they still serving the chocolate chip cookies in Eden…those are really good…hope they don’t take them away…

Yes, I was on the Apex the first two weeks in July and although I didn't get to the Eden Cafe too often since it's only open on sea days they had BOTH the brownies and cookies, as pictured below:

 

[NutsAboutGolf]

4 minutes ago, Susanb10567 said:

For those on Edge class ships…are they still serving the chocolate chip cookies in Eden…those are really good…hope they don’t take them away…

 

Had the Eden cookies in July 2021 on the Edge and they were fantastic, had them this past May on the Beyond and they were completely different as they were just okay yet better than the free cookies they offer.  Their "brownies" were like fudge, which could be good or bad but the surprising star of the show was chocolate cake.  I find X's baked desserts below average as they're very bland and many have lots of gelatin for some reason but this cake was full of chocolate flavor

 

[kwokpot]

Just now, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

Had the Eden cookies in July 2021 on the Edge and they were fantastic, had them this past May on the Beyond and they were completely different as they were just okay yet better than the free cookies they offer.  Their "brownies" were like fudge, which could be good or bad but the surprising star of the show was chocolate cake.  I find X's baked desserts below average as they're very bland and many have lots of gelatin for some reason but this cake was full of chocolate flavor

 

I can attest that the brownie recipe on the Beyond is different and exactly as you describe. Seems like it was a conscience decision to have a different brownie recipe, since on the Apex last month the brownies were the ORIGINAL recipe and tasted like I remember when they first debuted on the Edge. 

[hcat]

great suggestion re EDEN cafe..good bread too.

 

i think we may turn our Sailaway Party into a Cookie Exchange..  

[NutsAboutGolf]

2 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

I can attest that the brownie recipe on the Beyond is different and exactly as you describe. Seems like it was a conscience decision to have a different brownie recipe, since on the Apex last month the brownies were the ORIGINAL recipe and tasted like I remember when they first debuted on the Edge. 

 

Did the Apex cookies taste like the Beyond cookies?  They were way different than the ones the on the Edge in 2021

[NutsAboutGolf]

1 minute ago, hcat said:

great suggestion re EDEN cafe..good bread too.

 

i think we may turn our Sailaway Party into a Cookie Exchange..  

 

You're so mean, don't tease us by giving us hope that we could have good free cookies on board an X ship 😅

[kwokpot]

11 minutes ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

Did the Apex cookies taste like the Beyond cookies?  They were way different than the ones the on the Edge in 2021

No, both are the original recipes from the Edge as I remember them. 

Edit: First photo from Apex July, 2023, Second photo Apex November 2021 

Edited August 26, 2023 by kwokpot

[CruisersTimesThree]

There is a thread with a poster onboard the Equinox right now in a Sky Suite and she reported on some of the changes taking place.

As far as cookiegate, she has seen the $2 chocolate chips for sale at the gelato counter and has said that there are “ no cookies at all” at Cafe el Bacio! Also in the buffet at the ice cream counter, there are some cookies, but no chocolate chips. 

[kwokpot]

7 minutes ago, CruisersTimesThree said:

There is a thread with a poster onboard the Equinox right now in a Sky Suite and she reported on some of the changes taking place.

As far as cookiegate, she has seen the $2 chocolate chips for sale at the gelato counter and has said that there are “ no cookies at all” at Cafe el Bacio! Also in the buffet at the ice cream counter, there are some cookies, but no chocolate chips. 

The thinking is if they're testing the viability of charging for a chocolate chip cookie you can't have free ones elsewhere, and certainly not across the way at Al Bacio.. 

Edited August 26, 2023 by kwokpot