Warm Cookies for a Fee are Over

[2chiefs]

How's this for an experiment:

Free beer.

 

[kwokpot]

I think it's the approach that Celebrity is taking to be quite honest is bone headed. In a prior career I was a Business Analyst and Process Improvement Specialist for the largest bank in the Country. We crunched all kinds of numbers and made recommendations on how to improve things from a cost and efficiency perspective. So from my professional opinion this cookie experiment made absolutely no sense in any way, shape or form. What would have made more sense is to reimagine the whole Gelateria counter in M & S Class ships by shifting the Gelato to the Oceanview Cafe as it is on E-Class ships and coming up with a new food and/or beverage concept which would be at extra cost. . 

[jonthomas]

Celebrity will just charge for something else.  Although they already do charge for pretty much everything. 

 

Ah just keep enough alcohol in your system and you won't care about paying extra for everything.

[crusinthrough]

The Equinox has become the test ship.  Experiments are born and die on the ship.  TBH I'm weary on booking the Equinox for this reason.  Who knows the other experiments that are in the works.  I think the other test ship is the Silhouette.  Why does Celebrity hate these ships?  

 

$2.40 for cookies was a really bad idea and a downgrade to Celebrity's image.  It would make sense on Royal, NCL and Carnival but Celebrity market is different.  Social media pressure helps.. 

[DoubleEntry]

I believe, that unless management actually comes out and says that the great cookie debacle was wrong and will not be tried with other things, they are treating us like the lemmings we've turned into and will keep up the nonsense.   We're on the Reflection 9/2 for France and Italy and I truly hope that after 17 Celebrity cruises, this will not be our last. 

 

Susan & Jeff

Elite Plus

[hcat]

1 minute ago, crusinthrough said:

The Equinox has become the test ship.  Experiments are born and die on the ship.  TBH I'm weary on booking the Equinox for this reason.  Who knows the other experiments that are in the works.  I think the other test ship is the Silhouette.  Why does Celebrity hate these ships?  

 

$2.40 for cookies was a really bad idea and a downgrade to Celebrity's image.  It would make sense on Royal, NCL and Carnival but Celebrity market is different.  Social media pressure helps.. 

Royal wants x to be in that same market.. possibly  more profit in low end shorter cruises

[Islander500]

18 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

I think it's the approach that Celebrity is taking to be quite honest is bone headed. In a prior career I was a Business Analyst and Process Improvement Specialist for the largest bank in the Country. We crunched all kinds of numbers and made recommendations on how to improve things from a cost and efficiency perspective. So from my professional opinion this cookie experiment made absolutely no sense in any way, shape or form. What would have made more sense is to reimagine the whole Gelateria counter in M & S Class ships by shifting the Gelato to the Oceanview Cafe as it is on E-Class ships and coming up with a new food and/or beverage concept which would be at extra cost. . 

It’s hard to imagine that an idea like this one came out of any kind of a team that includes marketing and hospitality trained people, not just bean counters.  But the CEO sets the tone of whether different points of view will be heard, and that dissent and differing opinions will be encouraged and valued. If not valued, they will be shut down and discussed after those folks left the meeting. And yes, diversity of background, training, experience annd point of view is critical. Unless you want to make bone-headed decisions that are quickly reversed & should be an embarrassment to the company. 

[crusinthrough]

23 minutes ago, hcat said:

Royal wants x to be in that same market.. possibly  more profit in low end shorter cruises

They can try but unfortunately it's a different market who will look elsewhere when the two cruises become too similar.  With the high prices, diminishing quality and extra costs, Celebrity is driving away their core market.  Sometimes things must hit rock bottom before it improves. 

[Jim_Iain]

2 hours ago, omeinv said:

I told them I liked the cookies, so they immediately discontinued them 😂

 

 Harris

 Denver, CO

 

Thanks for the update.    I read on the "internet" that Celebrity received a huge swarm of complaints and tried to back peddle by releasing a statement -

 

 

 

[Silkroad]

43 minutes ago, crusinthrough said:

The Equinox has become the test ship.  Experiments are born and die on the ship.  TBH I'm weary on booking the Equinox for this reason.  Who knows the other experiments that are in the works.  I think the other test ship is the Silhouette.  Why does Celebrity hate these ships?  

I believe the other “vaping in the Casino” test ship was Solstice, not Silhouette. For that test, it appeared that they wanted test ships departing from both an east coat port and a west coast port.

Edited August 26, 2023 by Silkroad

[Mr. Click]

27 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

Thanks for the update.    I read on the "internet" that Celebrity received a huge swarm of complaints and tried to back peddle by releasing a statement -

 

 

 

That is all well and good but for me the bottom line is their gelato is not that good to begin with so why pay extra for it when there is very good ice cream included in your cruise fare?  We have tried the various gelatos using our CC freebies and found the flavors lacking.  That said, I glad to hear that the $2 cookie has gone the way of the $10 hamburger at the Mast Grill.  

[Cruise till you drop]

It was a crumby idea to start with 😂 

[weregoingcruising]

The Celebrity mug that cancelled the cookie caper was one smart cookie.

Sincerely

Phillip Marlowe

[mahasamatman]

26 minutes ago, Mr. Click said:

We have tried the various gelatos using our CC freebies and found the flavors lacking.

 

We've also found the gelato is often improperly stored and laden with ice crystals. I would certainly never pay for it.

[cruising teacher]

3 hours ago, bnurick said:

Double confirmed.

 

 

[cruising teacher]

Just now, cruising teacher said:

 

The Zenith luncheon is always delicious but that is over the top! Can I ask how many Zenith aboard?

[goofysmom99]

I'm still shaking my head that Celebrity made such a bone-headed, negative-publicity inducing "test" in the first place.  People who don't cruise with X will still remember and associate the line with the ridiculous cookie headlines.  Unbelievably stupid move.

[MamaFej]

4 hours ago, Bo1953 said:

Methinks that this experiment was to move some of us from the small changes being made to be ready for the big one...

That's what it feels like to me: sleight of hand. "Hey, everybody, look over here!"  Meanwhile, raise the prices at Sushi on Five or somewhere/something else while everyone is distracted.

 

Ugh. I hate being so cynical. I wish Celebrity would stop giving me reasons to feel this way.

Edited August 26, 2023 by MamaFej

[NutsAboutGolf]

The way to do this test correctly, offer these cookies for free for a month explaining this is a pilot with the goal of eventually charging for them

[Bo1953]

11 minutes ago, MamaFej said:

That's what it feels like to me: sleight of hand. "Hey, everybody, look over here!"  Meanwhile, raise the prices at Sushi on Five or somewhere/something else while everyone is distracted.

 

Ugh. I hate being so cynical. I wish Celebrity would stop giving me reasons to feel this way.

I understand, yet do not mind much at all, at least for now.

 

Were things to get really out of hand for us, then we will change how we vacation as I Am sure other lines are undergoing the same or similar metamorphosis...

 

I still have yet to read where the ocean is bluer for similar to X in terms of passenger demographics, ship size and service.

 

While food is subjective, since I Am vegan my meals are specifically prepared for me and for many of those with whom I travel... 

 

So, for the moment, no issues as I prepare to sail next week in a verandah...

 

All of the "challenges" posted over the last few weeks, I have taken under advisement and determine if they really affect me or not.

 

Thanks all and bon voyage

[miched]

I love day old or hard cookies   I like them crunchy.    Same with cereal.   I don’t soak cereal in milk.  I eat it dry.  I can’t stand it when it is all soppy.  
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[NutsAboutGolf]

What did they do with the left over cookie dough and where's their next port?  😅

[Stem to Stern]

That’s the way the cookie crumbles….

[omeinv]

7 hours ago, CruisersTimesThree said:

It’s been reported by someone else on board that there have been NO cookies at all at Cafe el Bacio, have they now put cookies out there? 

Yes, they’re there now.  I’m not sure they were actually gone. 
 

Harris

Denver, CO

[budmeister]

8 hours ago, kittyraptors said:

I board the Equinox tomorrow (we’re driving to the port right now actually) and that post made me super nervous. Glad to hear that they reversed it - hopefully that holds for the next week! It’s our first Celebrity Cruise and some of the posts on this board have been making me really nervous. 

Take the negativity with a grain of salt. You may hear about say, 20 people complain, but not a peep from the 2000 that did not. I am on an older, smaller ship in 2 weeks, one I have never been on, and I am going to have a fabulous time! I may love free cookies, but it would take a lot to actually ruin a cruise vacation for me.  Seriously,  I would not worry about a thing! Have fantastic cruise!