Does Celebrity Think We Are Stupid?

[Ex-Airbalancer]

1 hour ago, goofysmom99 said:

Those are what remain Now.  They were much, much ($4K+) cheaper just a few months ago when I was considering one.  Price ($16K) today for a 12-night sky suite is hilarious.

 

So OP, I guess Celebrity thinks of us along the same lines as P.T. Barnum....

So just means Celebrity is using dynamic pricing, 

Just like any airplane or concert ticket 

if you snooze you lose

[Ex-Airbalancer]

2 hours ago, goofysmom99 said:

Those are what remain Now.  They were much, much ($4K+) cheaper just a few months ago when I was considering one.  Price ($16K) today for a 12-night sky suite is hilarious.

 

So OP, I guess Celebrity thinks of us along the same lines as P.T. Barnum....

Sky suite is only $12,500 CAD about $9,100 USD 

 

[Midsomer Madness]

10 hours ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

The Sky Suite are still selling 

For the Equinox Nov 2024 TA , there are 3 Sky Suites available and the are HC and only 7 Sunset  Sky Suite available, 5 are under the OVC 

So Celebrity marketing must be working 

On our Edge sailing in January there are currently 24 Sky suites, 5 Sunset Sky suites, 9 Aqua Sky suites and 3 MC Sky suites available…so they aren’t selling well on our cruise! We are in a Sunset Sky suite and are annoyed the product has been changed after we booked…

 

I got the “everything is enhanced” blah blah response from Celebrity.  Not acceptable..

 

instead of now booking Celebrity for our silver wedding anniversary in 2025 we have booked. Cunard Queens Grills…doubt we will sail with Celebrity again. 

[Cruise a holic]

Due to corporate greed, cruise lines, and other business have increased prices and cut service- I expect that this isn't only limited to Celebrity, but like dominos, all cruise lines will be the same-  We pay more an get less.  I feel sorry for the employee's on the ships, as they clearly will be expected to work harder and get paid less.  We used to tip our butler, but will not if we don't see him/her daily and they are unable to provide us with any service like previously.  We have lower expectations.  But recently on the Apex- in a suite and it was perfect.  Will be sailing on an S class in January. 

 

We now mix our vacations to include All Inclusive.  Have had wonderful experiences in Cancun.  

Edited December 13, 2023 by Cruise a holic

[Midsomer Madness]

I’ve just a call from celebrity advising we still have a future cruise credit with them and if we don’t book by the end of December we will lose the additional OBC.

 

She was a little taken aback when I told her we wouldn’t be booking anything else with them as a result of recent changes they’ve brought in but not had the courtesy to let people know, instead they have to find out from social media or cruise groups.

 

She tried telling me that nothing has really changed and I suggested the powers that be take a look at cruise sites like this so they can actually see that people aren’t very happy with how things are going…especially the Retreat Host who is supposed to do what a butler did only it seems he/she is actually just a cabin steward with a new badge!  
 

Bet she was glad she rang now…not! 
 

so, yes, it appears they do think we are all stupid 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

14 minutes ago, Midsomer Madness said:

I’ve just a call from celebrity advising we still have a future cruise credit with them and if we don’t book by the end of December we will lose the additional OBC.

 

She was a little taken aback when I told her we wouldn’t be booking anything else with them as a result of recent changes they’ve brought in but not had the courtesy to let people know, instead they have to find out from social media or cruise groups.

 

She tried telling me that nothing has really changed and I suggested the powers that be take a look at cruise sites like this so they can actually see that people aren’t very happy with how things are going…especially the Retreat Host who is supposed to do what a butler did only it seems he/she is actually just a cabin steward with a new badge!  
 

Bet she was glad she rang now…not! 
 

so, yes, it appears they do think we are all stupid 

She probably doesn’t care , and she just moved on to the next person on her screen 😁

[edgee]

Agree that Celebrity just does not give a damn unless it really effects their bottom line. These cutbacks are happening throughout the cruise industry. Other than improving wifi and adding it as an included item like some upper premium/luxury lines are doing (eg. Oceania going to 2 free hook ups per cabin) I cannot think of any recent enhancement in the cruise industry...only cut backs. Examples include charging extra for lobster/steak in main dining rooms, cutting back to only one cabin service per day...many other examples. 

 

Also, IMHO citing Cruise Critic reviews in any complaint letter to a cruise line is a major turn off to any cruise line employee. I believe the cruise lines consider Cruise Critic comments to represent a small minority of cruisers which over represent the complainers and under represent those who are supportive of a cruise line's product. I do not agree with that view, but believe it is widely held in the cruise industry.

[seasoon]

17 hours ago, OceanCruise said:

I am insulted by this response Celebrity sent me today in regard to an email I wrote to them well over a month ago. It would have been better if they had not responded at all because, IMO, this indicates they think their customers are stupid. I had written to the executive office explaining I am Elite Plus with Celebrity and normally sail in Sky Suites. I stated I have always enjoyed the pampering, great service in Sky Suites but am now concerned about my upcoming two cruises in Sky Suites due to the butler staff changes implemented after I had booked and no option to cancel without penalty. I asked several specific questions, such as: Will the Retreat Hosts now have fewer rooms to attend to due to their additional duties for Sky Suite passengers? Is Celebrity increasing the number of Retreat Concierges to accommodate the increased demand on them? I also noted I am concerned about the many poor reviews on Cruise Critic from cruisers who never even met the Head Butler and apparent decline in service reported. I asked specifically how these staff changes will create an elevated experience, which Celebrity had expressed as justification for removing the dedicated butlers. I received this response today (I left off the person's name):

 

Thank you for contacting the Executive Office of Celebrity Cruises. Your recent email to Ms. Hodges was forwarded to my attention, and I am glad to have this opportunity to follow up with you on her behalf.

 

I am grateful that you took the time to share your concerns regarding the recent changes and updates made to Celebrity Cruise. Please be assured that these changes were implemented to enhance the cruising experience for our guests, particularly with regard to the increasing popularity of Celebrity Cruises Suite amenities."

 

Again, thank you for reaching out to us.

 

While I understand the executive assistants have to support company policy, this did not show any appreciation for my loyalty and made no attempt to answer my questions or alleviate my concerns. It actually made me more pi**ed  off because it reinforces they really don't care about their customer base.

 

 

 

 

Maybe wait until you cruise.  Negative comments are others findings...yours may be different.  I think HQ will respond better to the incidents which you've actually experienced.

Edited December 13, 2023 by seasoon

[Midsomer Madness]

16 minutes ago, edgee said:

Agree that Celebrity just does not give a damn unless it really effects their bottom line. These cutbacks are happening throughout the cruise industry. Other than improving wifi and adding it as an included item like some upper premium/luxury lines are doing (eg. Oceania going to 2 free hook ups per cabin) I cannot think of any recent enhancement in the cruise industry...only cut backs. Examples include charging extra for lobster/steak in main dining rooms, cutting back to only one cabin service per day...many other examples. 

 

Also, IMHO citing Cruise Critic reviews in any complaint letter to a cruise line is a major turn off to any cruise line employee. I believe the cruise lines consider Cruise Critic comments to represent a small minority of cruisers which over represent the complainers and under represent those who are supportive of a cruise line's product. I do not agree with that view, but believe it is widely held in the cruise industry.

I’m sure you are correct and it won’t make an iota of difference but it made me feel better having said it…

 

I am more annoyed about Celebrity not having the courtesy to let people know of these changes, that is just shocking customer service

[TeeRick]

Celebrity does not really think you are stupid.  They are reacting to market conditions and to a customer base still filling their suites at elevated prices and lesser service and amenities.  Now maybe that is stupid?

[CruisinShips]

Customer service response letter aside, isn't it likely Celebrity believes most people who book Sky Suites do so for reasons that are more important to the cruiser than just the dedicated butler?  In other words, that those who book Sky Suites do so primarily for the overall Retreat perks and experience, and for the cabin itself, and don't really use the dedicated butler very much?

 

I can say from personal experience I used to book Crown Loft suites on  Royal's Oasis class ships because I loved the Suite Lounge/Coastal Kitchen, the suite sundeck, the cabin itself, and all of the other suite perks...and never once even thought about having a butler.  The concierge took care of most of my requests.

 

I assume this algorithm  factored into their calculations before making the changes.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

58 minutes ago, edgee said:

only cut backs. Examples include charging extra for lobster/steak in main dining rooms, cutting back to only one cabin service per day...many other examples. 

 

Also, IMHO citing Cruise Critic reviews in any complaint letter to a cruise line is a major turn off to any cruise line employee. I believe the cruise lines consider Cruise Critic comments to represent a small minority of cruisers which over represent the complainers and under represent those who are supportive of a cruise line's product. I do not agree with that view, but believe it is widely held in the cruise industry.

On our November TA on the Connie there was no charging extra for lobster or steak in the MDR , and the cabin was serviced 2x per day 

FB groups have a bigger following than This forum 

[riredsox]

When they took away the OBC and said it was because that is what their customers wanted proved two things.  Either they think we really are stupid or we are really stupid (only if you asked them to please take away that annoying OBC) oh and those pesky tips too.  

[edgee]

3 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

On our November TA on the Connie there was no charging extra for lobster or steak in the MDR , and the cabin was serviced 2x per day 

FB groups have a bigger following than This forum 

Was not saying those extra charges and reduced cabin service apply to Celebrity, yet, although I believe RCCL is going in that direction.

Edited December 13, 2023 by edgee

[PTC DAWG]

Riding on a bus for 22 days sounds like misery to me.  

[NMTraveller]

23 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

Celebrity does not really think you are stupid.  They are reacting to market conditions and to a customer base still filling their suites at elevated prices and lesser service and amenities.  Now maybe that is stupid?

Short term gains vs. long term satisfaction of their customers.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

4 minutes ago, PTC DAWG said:

Riding on a bus for 22 days sounds like misery to me.  

My wife did one ( I was smart and didn’t go) see said never again 

Too much snoring on the bus,😁 most day they were traveling in the bus during daylight hours 

 

[chisoxfan]

56 minutes ago, QuestionEverything said:

We are doing similar, reducing cruising due to their new business model of pay more get less.

In fact we have 0 cruises booked.

We are 100% itinerary driven.

Instead we have 2 trips on land with air, travel guides and customized concierge.

Trip 1 - Globus 22 day Great Britain taking us to every place we ever dreamed of. Checked a cruise, nope, some ports for a day but much spent sailing. Not anywhere equivalent. When back in London, we head to Southampton and board the QM2 to New York. Now that is a trip. Added it all together, not more expensive than a 12 day Great Britain cruise and way more value.

Trip 2 - SE Asia. We had an Oceania 12 day booked - Cancelled. Oceania has a tendency to miss ports and they have shortened in port time. Not. I am not flying all that way to miss a port or to only get an overview.

We are doing a similar itinerary, we have booked through our TA a 100% customized trip consisting of air between cities like Singapore, Bangkok, Hanoi etc. Then in each venue, we have a car and driver who will take us where we want to go. We have researched the restaurants we wish to patronize and the car and driver waits for us (we did this approach in Rio years ago, worked amazing). The car and driver take our photographs etc. They know the area, and we will not be waiting in lines.  It is not that expensive at all to do this approach. Overall, our trip is 20 days and we see everything we wish, eat local foods, and are not rushed or worried about missing a port.

_________________

I am rather done with the repetition of cruising and the superficyialit of it all. 

May take a simple cruise to easy areas in the future.

Offering up my travel approach for consideration by others.

In the end do what you want to do and be happy and safe.

 

 

Certainly can understand your viewpoint and largely share it. We started to add AI's to our trips replacing cruises in the Winter. Looking at future travels in Europe, spending sea time to sneak a few ports for limited hours is not always ideal. We were on Apex to Egypt and Holy Land which was cancelled (itinerary changed) in Oct. and I came to the realization that if we want to really experience things in this region it makes more sense to stay with tours and/or driver vs. long  bus rides and confined port time. We felt that it was almost a blessing that we cruised the Greek Isles with beautiful weather instead. Same with UK where we are also looking for more inclusive land tours. We accepted cruising because it was a relative value and easy. The value part part of this equation is fast declining. Your comment on the repetition and superficiality of it all initially struck me as strident but in general I can appreciate the sentiment.

[paulh84]

7 minutes ago, riredsox said:

When they took away the OBC and said it was because that is what their customers wanted proved two things.  Either they think we really are stupid or we are really stupid (only if you asked them to please take away that annoying OBC) oh and those pesky tips too.  

 

Test the waters. On a 7 day cruise in a suite they are/were literally giving away $922 dollars at minimum. If they don't have to, why? We've only spent a fraction of the total OBC balance in the instances we've had $1000+ in OBC. 

 

Based on some of those blank entires in the Cruise Planner for 2025 cruises there are changes coming to how the extras are bundled anyway. It's about time. The name has been around for 3 years but the structure has changed quite a bit in that time. 

[Retired Cruiser2015]

17 hours ago, Northern Aurora said:

We were on the same three cruises with @emmas gran.  We were also in the same sunset sky suite for all three legs.  We were totally underwhelmed by the “enhanced” butler team experience.  
 

We have four more B2B pairs booked (8 reservation numbers), all booked in either Sky or celebrity suites.   Doubt we will take all of those cruises.  We are Zenith members of the loyalty program and for the first time in how many years left the ship without booking a future cruise.  It was that bad.  

I share your sentiment, sadly.  What cruise line are you looking at for future cruising? 

[riredsox]

14 minutes ago, paulh84 said:

 

Test the waters. On a 7 day cruise in a suite they are/were literally giving away $922 dollars at minimum. If they don't have to, why? We've only spent a fraction of the total OBC balance in the instances we've had $1000+ in OBC. 

 

Based on some of those blank entires in the Cruise Planner for 2025 cruises there are changes coming to how the extras are bundled anyway. It's about time. The name has been around for 3 years but the structure has changed quite a bit in that time. 

They haven’t lowered the price for all-inclusive though.  Just what is included.  

[riredsox]

17 minutes ago, paulh84 said:

 

Test the waters. On a 7 day cruise in a suite they are/were literally giving away $922 dollars at minimum. If they don't have to, why? We've only spent a fraction of the total OBC balance in the instances we've had $1000+ in OBC. 

 

Based on some of those blank entires in the Cruise Planner for 2025 cruises there are changes coming to how the extras are bundled anyway. It's about time. The name has been around for 3 years but the structure has changed quite a bit in that time. 

I had $800 OBC on my last MSC YC and brought home a couple of high end scotches that were 25% off on the last day.  There is never a reason to not spend your OBC.   Jewelry for a friend or family member at least.  

[paulh84]

5 minutes ago, riredsox said:

They haven’t lowered the price for all-inclusive though. 

 

All signs point to they have no reason to. 

 

1 minute ago, riredsox said:

I had $800 OBC on my last MSC YC and brought home a couple of high end scotches that were 25% off on the last day.  There is never a reason to not spend your OBC.   Jewelry for a friend or family member at least.  

 

We, like many, always cash it out. I'm not traveling with booze I can get at the grocery store or buying questionable jewelry or art that looks like it came from Hobby Lobby. 

[riredsox]

3 minutes ago, paulh84 said:

 

All signs point to they have no reason to. 

 

 

We, like many, always cash it out. I'm not traveling with booze I can get at the grocery store or buying questionable jewelry or art that looks like it came from Hobby Lobby. 

I don’t think you can get the booze I got at the grocery store.  I would never by art.  You can’t cash out the non refundable which is what my OBC was.  I didn’t want to give it to the casino to try to cash it out that way.  I took the refundable in cash though.  

[Honolulu Blue]

3 hours ago, Cruise a holic said:

I feel sorry for the employee's on the ships, as they clearly will be expected to work harder and get paid less.

I feel VERY sorry for ship crew because they HAVE been expected to work harder since the restart.  However, I think they will be compensated for it - at least in part.  Wages have been going up worldwide, at all levels.  I don't expect cruise ships and their crew will be an exception.

Edited December 13, 2023 by Honolulu Blue