Cookies now cost $2 plus 20%

[deliver42]

This stupidity goes to the Royal Caribbean Group, not Celebrity. First it was Pizzagate on Royal, then Cookiegate on Celebrity. I can only wonder what's next. They keep trying, and it keeps them looking red faced. They really think their customers are stupid.

[kwokpot]

10 minutes ago, awhcruiser said:

Someone please explain to me why a person would pay $1000s for a cruise, yet complain about a $2 cookie?

Because it doesn't make sense precisely for the reason that one pays $1,000's for a cruise. It goes against the whole persona of what a Celebrity cruise is supposed to be. There's ZERO reason there should be a charge for a COOKIE on a Celebrity cruise, ZERO. Put it in another way, Celebrity sees itself as a premium cruiseline to the extent that they provide cloth hand towels in the public rest rooms, which no other mainstream cruiseline provides.Yet they would have they audacity to charge for a cookie? 

Edited August 27, 2023 by kwokpot

[terrydtx]

20 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

Because it doesn't make sense precisely for the reason that one pays $1,000's for a cruise. It goes against the whole persona of what a Celebrity cruise is supposed to be. There's ZERO reason there should be a charge for a COOKIE on a Celebrity cruise, ZERO. Put it in another way, Celebrity sees itself as a premium cruiseline to the extent that they provide cloth hand towels in the public rest rooms, which no other mainstream cruiseline provides.Yet they would have they audacity to charge for a cookie? 

I can't remember the last time I ate a cookie on a cruise, so the $2 wouldn't affect me, but it is the principle like you said why would a cruise line who sees itself a premium line charge for a cookie. For me it's more of today it's the $2 cookie and next it will be something else that might affect my cruise more. The more its customers speak up today in protest about a miner thing like a cookie the less likely they will do something as lame in the future.

Edited August 27, 2023 by terrydtx

[deliver42]

It isn't about the $2.00. It could be $.50, it just doesn't make sense, period. If you're trying to get people mad, and are looking for newbies to buy your product, the reasoning is ridiculous. Let's face it. Since the change in leadership in the RCCL group, and Celebrity, both lines are losing all credibility for what they pretend to be offering.

[Robert de Beaumont]

53 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

I can't remember the last time I ate a cookie on a cruise, so the $2 wouldn't affect me, but it is the principle like you said why would a cruise line who sees itself a premium line charge for a cookie. For me it's more of today it's the $2 cookie and next it will be something else that might affect my cruise more. The more its customers speak up today in protest about a miner thing like a cookie the less likely they will do something as lame in the future.

This is it precisely. I couldn’t put it better. The cookie fiasco was very ill advised, cheapened Celebrity’s brand image, and repulsed many loyal cruisers, like us. It’s not the cookie in isolation; it’s the cumulative effect of changes over the last several months: shrinking MDR menus, MDR quality degradation (low-cost fish, such as Tilapia; even a hamburger as a “test” on Equinox); new room service charges; reduced offerings for Aqua Class; elimination of dedicated butlers for Sky Suites.  These are just the items that come to mind.  

[terrydtx]

11 minutes ago, Robert de Beaumont said:

This is it precisely. I couldn’t put it better. The cookie fiasco was very ill advised, cheapened Celebrity’s brand image, and repulsed many loyal cruisers, like us. It’s not the cookie in isolation; it’s the cumulative effect of changes over the last several months: shrinking MDR menus, MDR quality degradation (low-cost fish, such as Tilapia; even a hamburger as a “test” on Equinox); new room service charges; reduced offerings for Aqua Class; elimination of dedicated butlers for Sky Suites.  These are just the items that come to mind.  

The fact that an online cruise industry news blog, Cruise Hive, carried this story as a headline news on Friday did nothing to enhance Celebrity's public image.  The cookie story was then followed the next day with one about Aqua Class cuts with the afternoon Canapes and pillow chocolates.

Edited August 27, 2023 by terrydtx

[psuboater]

Yes, Celebrity is no longer a premium cruise line for the majority of their passengers (non suite), they're simply Royal Caribbean with a different color scheme. They're no longer worth the premium up charge because they have and are continuing to chip away at the special touches that differentiated themselves from their mainstream brand. 
 

We jumped from X to NCL for our annual Bermuda trip and no regrets. It's a mainstream cruise line but their base fare relflects as such and we pay for the extras we want.  

[Medic5emt]

Dear Celebrity. Stop nickle and dimming us. If you can not provide us the same great services and quality. Just increase our fare a little.

 

[Pvscott]

2 hours ago, awhcruiser said:

Someone please explain to me why a person would pay $1000s for a cruise, yet complain about a $2 cookie?

That knife cuts both ways.  Please explain to me why a cruise line would be willing to tarnish their image to customers trying to decide where to spend their shrinking disposable vacation budgets over a $2 cookie?

[HMR74]

25 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

The fact that an online cruise industry news blog, Cruise Hive, carried this story as a headline news on Friday did nothing to enhance Celebrity's public image.  The cookie story was then followed the next day with one about Aqua Class cuts with the afternoon Canapes and pillow chocolates.

 

 

My analysis is that I shop at Costco not for the samples  or BBQ chicken or cheap lunches) hot dogs just went from 1.50 to 1.99-think about that vs a $2 cookie), but that Costco has fantastic management and operations.

 

Who wants to compare RCL/X management to Costco's.  Not just the management but shoreside operations including the website. eg, its not easy to compare say Sky suite, to Aqua prices.

[MISTER 67]

2 hours ago, kwokpot said:

Because it doesn't make sense precisely for the reason that one pays $1,000's for a cruise. It goes against the whole persona of what a Celebrity cruise is supposed to be. There's ZERO reason there should be a charge for a COOKIE on a Celebrity cruise, ZERO. Put it in another way, Celebrity sees itself as a premium cruiseline to the extent that they provide cloth hand towels in the public rest rooms, which no other mainstream cruiseline provides.Yet they would have they audacity to charge for a cookie? 

Holland America has cloth hand towels in the public restrooms and has had them before there was a Celebrity Cruise company.

[D. B.]

2 hours ago, awhcruiser said:

Someone please explain to me why a person would pay $1000s for a cruise, yet complain about a $2 cookie?

Are you new to Cruise Critic? 🤔

[Robert de Beaumont]

Sooo . . . I sent a rather candid (though still polite) email to Laura Hodges-Bethge yesterday.  Just moments ago, I got a phone call from 305-539-6000. A Miami number, which made me think it could be from Celebrity. Sure enough, a Google search showed this is Royal Caribbean Group’s corporate communications number.  I didn’t answer.  But a few minutes later I got the following email.  Of course, it’s just corporate spin, but I was rather surprised they attempted to call me by phone — and on a Sunday.  I hope they truly are going to approach changes more carefully. 
 

Here’s the email: 

 

“I hope all is well.

As a member of her Executive Team, it is my pleasure to respond on behalf of our President and CEO, Ms. Laura Hodges-Bethge. 

I am pleased to inform you that as of yesterday, August 26th, we have discontinued the test offering of a warm chocolate chip cookie for a small fee for our guests.

Receiving honest feedback from our guests is critical to our efforts to do better as a company. This is why we truly value your additional input regarding the areas of service that we could improve upon. We are always challenging ourselves to perfect the onboard experience, and, with your help as our partner, we will rise to the occasion.

Once again, please accept our gratitude. Your thoughts and feedback mean the world to us, and we hope to welcome you both back on board soon!”

 

[doghog]

1 hour ago, Medic5emt said:

Dear Celebrity. Stop nickle and dimming us. If you can not provide us the same great services and quality. Just increase our fare a little.

 

Lett your voice be heard...executiveoffice@celebrity.com

[awhcruiser]

49 minutes ago, D. B. said:

Are you new to Cruise Critic? 🤔

Good point! 

[D. B.]

1 hour ago, HMR74 said:

 

 

My analysis is that I shop at Costco not for the samples  or BBQ chicken or cheap lunches) hot dogs just went from 1.50 to 1.99-think about that vs a $2 cookie), but that Costco has fantastic management and operations.

 

Who wants to compare RCL/X management to Costco's.  Not just the management but shoreside operations including the website. eg, its not easy to compare say Sky suite, to Aqua prices.

I hope X doesn’t start moving everything around on the ship like COSTCO does in it’s Stores?

[awhcruiser]

3 hours ago, kwokpot said:

Because it doesn't make sense precisely for the reason that one pays $1,000's for a cruise. It goes against the whole persona of what a Celebrity cruise is supposed to be. There's ZERO reason there should be a charge for a COOKIE on a Celebrity cruise, ZERO. Put it in another way, Celebrity sees itself as a premium cruiseline to the extent that they provide cloth hand towels in the public rest rooms, which no other mainstream cruiseline provides.Yet they would have they audacity to charge for a cookie? 

Thank you for the explanation.

[NutsAboutGolf]

I think its ironic that instead of removing the fee and giving their guests a higher quality cookies which costs them very little, they just remove the better cookie

[HMR74]

20 minutes ago, D. B. said:

I hope X doesn’t start moving everything around on the ship like COSTCO does in it’s Stores?

yeah, well retail is different than Treavel and Leisuer, but its difficult to argue with Costco having fantastic management.

[Cap_D]

9 minutes ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

I think its ironic that instead of removing the fee and giving their guests a higher quality cookies which costs them very little, they just remove the better cookie

Agree 💯%.  Current management doesn't want to maintain the brand or work hard to figure out how to make it work for 3k passengers per ship. And, the weekend customer service calls show they don't understand costs either.  No way the cookie revenue covers even a small number of responses to cookiegate. 

Edited August 27, 2023 by Cap_D

[sanger727]

Typical celebrity crowd. Doesn’t mind paying $13,000 for a cruise. But that extra $2 for a cookie IN ADDITION to the normal free ones, and ready to cancel. I’ve cruised cheap lines and expensive ones. They all have their ways of making extra money. 
 

this forum is the definition of cutting of your nose to spite your face. If you are paying $500-$1,000 per night, clearly you like the celebrity product. The extra $2 for a cookie you never expected to get shouldn’t made a bit of difference in the long run. 

Edited August 27, 2023 by sanger727

[kwokpot]

2 hours ago, MISTER 67 said:

Holland America has cloth hand towels in the public restrooms and has had them before there was a Celebrity Cruise company.

Thank you for that piece of information, I've never sailed Holland so I didn't know that. Have you sailed Holland recently? How do they stack up against Celebrity? 

[doghog]

4 minutes ago, sanger727 said:

Typical celebrity crowd. Doesn’t mind paying $13,000 for a cruise. But that extra $2 for a cookie IN ADDITION to the normal free ones, and ready to cancel. I’ve cruised cheap lines and expensive ones. They all have their ways of making extra money. 
 

this forum is the definition of cutting of your nose to spite your face. If you are paying $500-$1,000 per night, clearly you like the celebrity product. The extra $2 for a cookie you never expected to get shouldn’t made a bit of difference in the long run. 

Glad we aren't part of what you call the typical Celebrity crowd. 

[NutsAboutGolf]

7 minutes ago, sanger727 said:

Typical celebrity crowd. Doesn’t mind paying $13,000 for a cruise. But that extra $2 for a cookie IN ADDITION to the normal free ones, and ready to cancel. I’ve cruised cheap lines and expensive ones. They all have their ways of making extra money. 
 

this forum is the definition of cutting of your nose to spite your face. If you are paying $500-$1,000 per night, clearly you like the celebrity product. The extra $2 for a cookie you never expected to get shouldn’t made a bit of difference in the long run. 

 

They liked the Celebrity product BEFORE they offered the premium cookie for a fee; just give us better cookies for free as the free ones aren't anything to write home about

[sanger727]

17 minutes ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

They liked the Celebrity product BEFORE they offered the premium cookie for a fee; just give us better cookies for free as the free ones aren't anything to write home about

but the celebrity product BEFORE included the standard cookie. That hasn’t changed. Sure, everyone would like the best product available included in the price they paid. But if a company is getting plenty of bookings, why would they source a higher priced product for free? I’ve thought celebrity was a rip off for some time now and haven’t booked post covid. But a $2 cookie has nothing to do w that

 

but being upset you can’t cancel a booking worth several thousand dollars because the latest and greatest cookie isn’t free, is silly. And it makes it hard to take them seriously.

Edited August 27, 2023 by sanger727