Seriously now-how many of you are REALLY looking at other cruise lines because of the CEO's changes going on?

[xamsx]

👋

 We now have 11 future cruises booked, and only one is with Celebrity. We are trying everything from competitors to luxury lines. I doubt we will be back to Celebrity without adjustments to their business model once that final cruise has been sailed.

[rgribble]

We sailed with Celebrity for over a decade enjoying exceptional service and food on some very interesting itineraries. After many years we stopped sailing with Celebrity last year before the CEO switched out to a President. We sailed on Celebrity 4 time last year in Aqua and on each cruise we found the quality of food and drinks, and entertainment lacking with some ships in a state of disrepair (S&M class). The recent changes reaffirm this was a good decision. The Celebrity cruise Itineraries are also stale and in need of a rethink. I have been cruising on Princess and HAL and really enjoy the more diverse Itineraries. I find the food and included offering much better, getting a greater bang for my dollar! I believe cruisers have to find what fits ones individual cruising style, not everyone wants to be on a theme park at sea, while others love it. In the case of Celebrity not sure what niche they are trying to carve out, but it no longer appeals to us.

[Georgia_Peaches]

We already have our 2025 line up and not one is on Celebrity.  Sad as I am, it is what it is...

[vjmatty]

1 hour ago, Cruise Junky said:

I booked 2025 on Azamara.  I’m also in the market for a spring Alaska cruise that I was eyeing Solstice but now leaning towards Ruby Princess or Koningsdam.  We’ll see.   

For an Alaska cruise I’d stick with Princess regardless of what’s going on with Celebrity’s issues. They have naturalists on board as well as access to certain glaciers that other cruise lines don’t, depending on your itinerary. 

[Jeremiah1212]

I'm not sure Princess is all that much different than Celebrity. Choose wisely. 

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2957180-just-got-an-email-outlining-the-new-offerings/

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2958333-response-from-princess-to-email-re-changes/#comment-65943401

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2954258-casual-dining-fixed-price-menus-and-a-la-carte-charges/

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2954341-confused-about-the-new-charges/

 

[scubarn1]

Not looking at other cruise lines, but deciding if we want to do more land based trips in the future instead of cruises. Currently have 4 Celebrity cruise booked for the future. Recently was on the Apex in August and this was the first time we did not book another cruise while onboard. 

[zitsky]

9 minutes ago, rgribble said:

We sailed with Celebrity for over a decade enjoying exceptional service and food on some very interesting itineraries. After many years we stopped sailing with Celebrity last year before the CEO switched out to a President. We sailed on Celebrity 4 time last year in Aqua and on each cruise we found the quality of food and drinks, and entertainment lacking with some ships in a state of disrepair (S&M class). The recent changes reaffirm this was a good decision. The Celebrity cruise Itineraries are also stale and in need of a rethink. I have been cruising on Princess and HAL and really enjoy the more diverse Itineraries. I find the food and included offering much better, getting a greater bang for my dollar! I believe cruisers have to find what fits ones individual cruising style, not everyone wants to be on a theme park at sea, while others love it. In the case of Celebrity not sure what niche they are trying to carve out, but it no longer appeals to us.

Could you tell me more about this S&M class?  Asking for a friend.  😂

[Cruise Junky]

5 minutes ago, vjmatty said:

For an Alaska cruise I’d stick with Princess regardless of what’s going on with Celebrity’s issues. They have naturalists on board as well as access to certain glaciers that other cruise lines don’t, depending on your itinerary. 

Yes, agreed. We’ve done Alaska a couple of times so Glacier Bay isn’t a show stopper, but I would like to go back.  

[SoloAlaska]

I’m not booking on Celebrity for now. I don’t see the value (quality to price).

 

Next cruises are NCL and RCI but looking at trying other lines including Virgin, MSC, and Cunard. 

[dreamer321]

I'm sailing on Reflection in December and have down a refundable deposit on a cabin on Ascent's initial transatlantic crossing.   I've been looking at Azamura, HAL and Virgin Voyages as alternatives. Whether I keep my reservation on Ascent will depend in large part on how things go in December.

[lv2cruisgrl]

To answer the question Yes...we will look at other lines!

[Gracie115]

24 minutes ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

I'm not sure Princess is all that much different than Celebrity. Choose wisely. 

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2957180-just-got-an-email-outlining-the-new-offerings/

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2958333-response-from-princess-to-email-re-changes/#comment-65943401

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2954258-casual-dining-fixed-price-menus-and-a-la-carte-charges/

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2954341-confused-about-the-new-charges/

 

 

I have no issue with the Plus and Premium plans now offered by Princess.  Frankly they are one of the reasons we have booked our next cruise with them.  

 

I don't care if they are charging for pizza, there are still areas on Princess ships you can get pizza at no charge.

 

If you order room service from the door card there is no charge for breakfast.  We don't order room service at all, unless we book the "Ultimate Balcony Dinner"  which is FAR better than pretty much anything X has to offer.

 

Yes, they are making changes, but they just don't seem as cavalier as X, who it appears just don't give a damm about their long time customers.  We've cruised Princess several times and always enjoyed it and expect that to continue.  Entertainment is better, itineraries are light years better, frankly their Penthouse suites are wonderful in comparison to the CS and especially the SS on Celebrity at MUCH less cost.  We look forward to our cruise on the Sky in 2024.

[cluso]

Elite+.  A TA on Silly this Fall and then a January Equinox Ultimate Southern Caribbean.  After those, 2 Star Clippers (we are sailors and have been on them @ 14 times), then an Oceania Alaska/West Coast Cruise next September.  A few land trips sprinkled in.  Also looking at Ponant and Regent.

[Linda W.]

1 hour ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

To be fair, with their cutbacks they also "cut" the CEO job title; Laura is only the President, not also the CEO like LLP, X is becoming more like RCI, and X's parent company is run by a former CFO; all those are facts.  Now for the coincidental speculation, the Parent Company company sacked LLP so they could call the shots/standardize with RCI and now it's the President's job to implement the changes at the operational level.  Again, just speculation, nothing more

 

Yes I meant to say she’s the President.

[phoenix_dream]

For the first time in more than 20 years and over 75 cruises (save for a couple on Royal with the kids), we are seriously looking into other options.  Obviously I love Celebrity and it really hurts to have to look elsewhere but given recent cuts and especially pricing, we are open to other lines.  I also really dislike the Royalization in so many ways - adding shorter cruises and changing my favorite ship to a different port to appeal to a younger crowd which will no doubt result in more children onboard (LOVE kids - just prefer not to sail with lots of them), adding visits to a beach amusement park which will do the same, testing vaping, testing selling cookies.  Ugh!  I have several cruises booked and I will keep them and hope for the best (especially since they are non-refundable deposits).  A couple are in Sky Suites, and the rest in Aqua Class.  Hoping for the best with the butler team approach and changes to menus, but we'll see how it goes.  Very disappointed with the direction Celebrity is taking.  Had really hoped to spend the next 10+ years sailing Celebrity but now that is all up in the air as far as I'm concerned.

[bikerunner]

I have my last 2 with celebrity thanksgiving cruise and an April TA.  After that done. Have booked an Azamara and oceana cruise with virgin probably sometime next year also.   Then 2025 will probably be an all inclusive in spring and Christmas market river cruise also.  Need to do some research on that one as not really familiar what route we want to do yet. But yeah celebrity not even a thought at this point.  My TA gets it too as he has seen the same from quite a few of his customers. 

[ILgirl]

I sail mostly solo and have 4 booked with Celebrity on E Class solo IV cabins in the next 12 months.  With the four MDRs I think I will avoid “mashed potato gate” so I’m not concerned about the food.  I always book AI and I am being priced out for future cruises.  Even before all of the negativity on these boards I took an NCL transatlantic which was always on my bucket list but unaffordable on Celebrity.  It was different but thoroughly enjoyable.  Sailing Princess next week after a 10 year hiatus.  I am open to any line and am excited to try something different.  

[Veinless]

Turning Elite with Celebrity next March, but for 2025 have decided to give Princess our business for 14 days in the Mediterranean. 

[patty1955]

We have one Celebrity cruise booked and two Oceania cruises. The Celebrity cruise is meant to be a test to see if it's as bad as it seemed to be heading on our last cruise. Oceania reminds of the way Celebrity used to be.

My husband speculates that they may be bringing Celebrity in line with Royal with the intent to merge them.

[islabahia]

We have one SS booked on Reflection next December and that will be our last cruise on X.  If things continue in a downward trajectory we will cancel the X cruise and do a HAL cruise instead.

[dock]

Ascent in Feb’24, becos of a NRD and then Oceania. I’m not brand loyal anymore. 

[Lyn Mc]

We have really enjoyed our 40 Celebrity Cruises, Elite plus,  Started to notice big differences last year and their itineraries from the UK are now very boring, can’t even do a round the UK on them.  Have now sailed Cunard and Princess.  Have one more Celebrity Cruise in October then trying Azamara in November  Have another Princess booked for 2024, much better itineraries than X and the snacks in the International Cafe knock spots off Al Bacio.  As others have mentioned Celebrity are bringing an E class to Southampton and not sure about those Infinite rooms at all. So this could be farewell to Celebrity, we will see next month.

[danceswithphones]

We like to sail from Port Everglades. Princess reworked Terminal 2 but we were not impressed. Princess doesn't do upper level suites well. Owner's suite on the Sky Princess did not have a dining table. We had a picnic on the floor. 🙄

Celebrity's Terminal 25 rocks for Retreat people. Loved the Beyond. We are booked on the Ascent and don't intend to look at anything but X out of PE. 

[81Zoomie]

We have 3 cruises and a B2B booked with Celebrity.  Most were booked before the recent price escalation.  All were booked before the cascading changes and cuts.  It remains to be seen if our current Celebrity bookings will resemble the product we expected when we booked them.  We are usually loyal to a good value, not a cruise line.  Unless there is an amazing price or the perfect itinerary, we will be sailing elsewhere in the future.  It’s simply too difficult to keep track of Celebrity’s changes of the week and the lack of transparency.  We have nothing booked in 2025 and will wait to see what looks appealing, relaxing, and provides value commensurate with the pricing.

[NutsAboutGolf]

1 hour ago, Linda W. said:

Yes I meant to say she’s the President.

 

Totally get that yet it is pretty significant that the previous CEO and president leaves and the CEO title is eliminated