Here's The Problem - What's The Solution

[NMTraveller]

The solution is to move over to the higher level cruise lines or take land trips.

 

The higher level cruise lines care about protecting their reputation.  Celebrity seems happy floating around in the same boat as Princess and HAL with no intentions of building a better product or competing with them.  Celebrity used to be a half step ahead of the competition with a fanatical fan base...

Edited December 14, 2023 by NMTraveller

[Cap_D]

One emerging onboard trend is the shifting of items from included to an upcharge in order to make up the OBC that was included in the promos up until October-ish.  The drink prices being raised to above the threshold for the packages is one example, and there are likely more in the works. 

 

In addition to raising the actual total cost of the trip, the depletion of OBC to cover the gaps will also result in fewer tailored experiences and perception of choice. E.g., on an e class, we may have opted out of an OVC lunch and visited the Bistro and not had to outlay cash.  This then also places more attention on what's included, and whether it's adequate for the expectation and so on.  That then places more strain on the shipboard crew who presumably sense the passengers aren't as upbeat as they've been in the past, has many of us wondering if Retreat is worth considering some of the routine issues they have, and for 80% of suite rooms the main point of contact has become the housekeeper who wasn't given butler school training and quite possibly was just cleaning up a mess (and we appreciate that greatly) or, haggling with the waiter to find the $20 mass market bottle of wine that now suddenly has a per glass price of about the same on the ship.  (There was even the recent thread on this forum about soda).  Everything suddenly has a value that probably makes little sense in the outside world, and serves to help degrade the vacation experience.    

 

So, everything has been pushed down or out on the customer, yet the marketing and what one expects is something more than having to hope you're the one is an exception to everything that has been reported.  

 

And, it's been reported that more RCL managers are finding their way to the same roles on Celebrity ships.  If intentional by corporate, it's further steps to scuttle what even the modern Celebrity experience was attempting to achieve.  

Edited December 14, 2023 by Cap_D

[happy cruzer]

One solution:  Be flexible and do not book with non refundable deposits.

[villauk]

3 hours ago, happy cruzer said:

and do not book with non refundable deposits

 

Not every country has that option.

[Cruise a holic]

IF you are so concerned, take the cancellation insurance.  It is pricey- but might work for you.  Unfortunately, the ships are still sailing at capacity.  Many people enjoy sailing regardless of any cuts.  

 

The cruise lines have the upper hand now- as consumers, we need to decide if cruising is really for us.  

[Midsomer Madness]

1 hour ago, villauk said:

 

Not every country has that option.

Exactly…us in the UK definitely don’t have that option..you cancel you lose your deposit, admittedly Celebrity deposits are not that large compared to some cruiselines, we had to pay a 15% deposit for Cunard 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

54 minutes ago, Midsomer Madness said:

Exactly…us in the UK definitely don’t have that option..you cancel you lose your deposit, admittedly Celebrity deposits are not that large compared to some cruiselines, we had to pay a 15% deposit for Cunard 

In Canada , we have pay a deposit of $960 CAD for 2 in cabin( AQU and lower)  , if we cancel a cruise with non refundable deposit, we would lose $200 and get the rest in FCC 

Do you lose the whole amount in the UK ? 

[CruisinShips]

I guess I am in the minority, but I have not seen any cutbacks to be significant enough so as to ruin my vacation experience.  Things like fewer menu choices, waiting a little longer for a drink on occasion, missing one food item....none of that is significant enough for me to get all worked up over when I am on a cruise ship.  Of course I agree prices have gotten too high...particularly in the suites...and that is certainly a major consideration, but the other things mentioned, while less than ideal and disappointing, don't warrant us deciding not to cruise.  As others have said, others are complaining of the same things on other cruise line boards...so for me, Celebrity is still the best fit from an age, quality and ship size perspective.

[Midsomer Madness]

45 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

In Canada , we have pay a deposit of $960 CAD for 2 in cabin( AQU and lower)  , if we cancel a cruise with non refundable deposit, we would lose $200 and get the rest in FCC 

Do you lose the whole amount in the UK ? 

Yes, as far as I know we would lose it all but we only pay £150pp deposit, but it would still be £300 down the drain 

[The_Big_M]

17 hours ago, markeb said:

 

And I'll say this again: If Royal hadn't bought them, who would have? Whether you knew they were on the market or not, they clearly were. They could have simply killed the brand instead of selling. For most of the ensuing 26 years, RCCL/RCG provided the financing and infrastructure for Celebrity. I suppose Carnival could have bought them...

 

Everything's on the market - at the right price.

 

Given Celebrity's long history, the fact most competitors have been viable for many years since, and no sign of any issues prior to sale, there's no reason they would not have continued fine as a going concern. But RCL made an attractive offer and, like many now, many are happy to cash out for the right offer at the right time.

[ljk76]

We still find cruises, including Celebrity, to be a bargain. We have begun to focus on transatlantic and repositioning cruises. We enjoy the new E class - the theater and entertainment in general, are outstanding.  We have concluded an IV room isn’t necessary and moving to an ocean view really creates a great price point. We book without add ons, but when we find 40% off drink packages or internet we consider those. With the 4 dining rooms we don’t miss Blu as much. 
 

when a cruise is $72 a night per person, base fare, it’s easy to be forgiving of a few cut backs. We’re on the Ascent. Pretty sure a one way plane fare to Barcelona would cost much more than my 13 night cruise. 
 

But for a 7 night Caribbean cruise I know the math is much different. And I would need a real balcony for that! So I do feel everyone’s pain when I consider that. 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

19 minutes ago, ljk76 said:

We still find cruises, including Celebrity, to be a bargain. 
 

when a cruise is $72 a night per person, base fare, it’s easy to be forgiving of a few cut backs. We’re on the Ascent. Pretty sure a one way plane fare to Barcelona would cost much more than my 13 night cruise. 
 

 

Our next TA 12 night cruise , we at $833 CAD a person in a balcony , and the cheapest direct flight to Lisbon is $666 CAD for 6 hours 🤔😁

[raymac46]

We did a *lot* of cruising on Celebrity from 2006 - 2018. Then after a 2019 cruise on RCI came COVID. Last year we went on another RCI cruise to use up credits we had from Canceled COVID dates.

Now we are coming back to Celebrity as we got a good deal on a Caribbean cruise on Reflection.

We'll see how it goes. We don't have high expectations, we have Elite Plus status so we get a number of perks.

I doubt we'll ever cruise on E class - the IV "balconies" look ridiculous and we would never pay the kind of money Celebrity is asking for a suite. We also don't like the creeping stratification going on with Edge where you can't even go near the bow of the ship unless you pay a premium.

Fortunately at our age, the S class ships will be around as long as we can cruise.

Edited December 14, 2023 by raymac46

[ljk76]

23 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Our next TA 12 night cruise , we at $833 CAD a person in a balcony , and the cheapest direct flight to Lisbon is $666 CAD for 6 hours 🤔😁

That is a great price, and for a balcony! You agree, bargains can be found! Enjoy!

[ljk76]

23 minutes ago, raymac46 said:

We did a *lot* of cruising on Celebrity from 2006 - 2018. Then after a 2019 cruise on RCI came COVID. Last year we went on another RCI cruise to use up credits we had from Canceled COVID dates.

Now we are coming back to Celebrity as we got a good deal on a Caribbean cruise on Reflection.

We'll see how it goes. We don't have high expectations, we have Elite Plus status so we get a number of perks.

I doubt we'll ever cruise on E class - the IV "balconies" look ridiculous and we would never pay the kind of money Celebrity is asking for a suite. We also don't like the creeping stratification going on with Edge where you can't even go near the bow of the ship unless you pay a premium.

Fortunately at our age, the S class ships will be around as long as we can cruise.

I honestly have things I like about all Celebrity ships. Try the Edge class…it may surprise you!

[PTC DAWG]

1 hour ago, QuestionEverything said:

I agree. 

No cruises booked for 1st time since 1989.

I am very, very suspicious of the missed ports, shortened ports, particularly on Oceania who is known to do this much (and I have experienced this often).

We are 100% itinerary driven and cruises simply do not provide that.

I am not interested in shows, beverage packages, spa etc.

But 2 wonderful land based trips booked (described in an earlier post, "Does Celebrity Think We are Stupid").

The car and driver service is outstanding, used that in Rio in 2015 and have it booked for many urban areas in our SE Asia personalized land tour in 2025.

____________________

Land vacations are the real way to see the world with the exception of hard to reach places like SA, Norway etc.

Enjoy your trips and thrive.

 

I'm wondering why you are posting here if cruising is not the way to go.  Obviously most here really enjoy the cruising lifestyle.  

 

Many of us are interested in shows, drinks, spa treatments, casino, etc....

[PTC DAWG]

16 minutes ago, ljk76 said:

I honestly have things I like about all Celebrity ships. Try the Edge class…it may surprise you!

Agreed....they have regular balconies available aft, the the "porthole" balconies fore and aft are nice.  Some folks even come back and say they really enjoyed the IV...admitting they went in with much doubt.  

[raymac46]

2 hours ago, ljk76 said:

I honestly have things I like about all Celebrity ships. Try the Edge class…it may surprise you!

Maybe if a good deal becomes available on a Transatlantic cruise. I think we'd probably just get an Oceanview if available.

[PTC DAWG]

6 minutes ago, raymac46 said:

Maybe if a good deal becomes available on a Transatlantic cruise. I think we'd probably just get an Oceanview if available.

They have some nice forward facing OV cabins from what I’ve seen, 

[Cruise a holic]

3 hours ago, raymac46 said:

We did a *lot* of cruising on Celebrity from 2006 - 2018. Then after a 2019 cruise on RCI came COVID. Last year we went on another RCI cruise to use up credits we had from Canceled COVID dates.

Now we are coming back to Celebrity as we got a good deal on a Caribbean cruise on Reflection.

We'll see how it goes. We don't have high expectations, we have Elite Plus status so we get a number of perks.

I doubt we'll ever cruise on E class - the IV "balconies" look ridiculous and we would never pay the kind of money Celebrity is asking for a suite. We also don't like the creeping stratification going on with Edge where you can't even go near the bow of the ship unless you pay a premium.

Fortunately at our age, the S class ships will be around as long as we can cruise.

We are senior citizens- Didn't like the infinite balcony,  but other options- on the e class- Aft cabins, oceanview or if you can swing a suite great!  The e-class ships are wonderful!  We went on a b/2/b apex cruise and found it to be the best celebrity cruise we ever had- we were in a sky suite.  Our next cruise in about a month is on an S class.  We also enjoy the silhouette and reflection, other fine also.  But you should try the E-class at least once-

Edited December 14, 2023 by Cruise a holic

[Ex-Airbalancer]

1 hour ago, PTC DAWG said:

They have some nice forward facing OV cabins from what I’ve seen, 

Been in one for a TA on the Apex , it is 935 steps to the pizza station and back  🥵😁

[Susanb10567]

On 12/13/2023 at 11:50 AM, Tierun said:

My solution has been MSC, and Virgin Voyages. I even sailed the new Carnival Celebration earlier this year in their Cloud 9 Spa balcony, which is equivalent to Aqua class. The experience was good and enjoyable, and it included a couple of specialty dining options which was a blessing considering the MDR low level of quality. So with X basically charging more for less, I will go where my dollar takes me farthest.

I too was looking at Virgin too as an alternative…good thing I booked it a week ago because they have just raised their prices astronomically….

I booked a Seriously Suite(lowest suite) for a 5 night cruise in December of next year for $3600 …today it is $5600…and it looks like lower categories have gone up tremendously as well…

[Spif Barwunkel]

On 12/13/2023 at 10:21 AM, Hawkstar33 said:

Enjoy the cruises you have booked, and can't change, and look at different options for the future.  

This sounds like you answered your own question. But here you are asking for "other" solutions when there is only one answer, and always has been for that matter. Personal choice. When one feels disappointed, swindled, betrayed or priced out, get out. Why keep soliciting reasons for or solutions to not leaving, if leaving is what you really want to do? I experienced some of these circumstances onboard the Ascent during her maiden voyage. Common sense told me that some things might be different. No problem, I can adjust mentally, physically and financially. A truly enjoyable cruising experience, in all respects. Therefore, my future options include continued Celebrity cruising. How 'bout that.

[happy cruzer]

9 hours ago, villauk said:

 

Not every country has that option.

True, I had forgotten that point.  However, at some point, all cruise reservations have cancellation costs (like the non refundable deposits).  So booking when you are not sure about what you will receive can have a cost for anyone, any where.  If you are more flexible about cabin, dates, itineraries, ships, etc.  then you can book later with less exposure.  Might help mitigate the risk of unwelcome changes.

 

The cancellation terms and conditions have always made a cruise riskier than many travel options.  Insurance helps but at a cost.

 

 

[billc23]

12 minutes ago, Spif Barwunkel said:

This sounds like you answered your own question. But here you are asking for "other" solutions when there is only one answer, and always has been for that matter. Personal choice. When one feels disappointed, swindled, betrayed or priced out, get out. Why keep soliciting reasons for or solutions to not leaving, if leaving is what you really want to do?

So true. I travel and take cruises or land based vacations as desired. In the past 20 years I usually would have more vacation days booked on Celebrity going forward than any other vacation (land or sea). Now Celebrity has moved to second place for me and may go further down the list, but I will still continue to book Celebrity as long as I do not lose confidence that they will deliver a great experience.  I have not been outright disappointed on any cruise, yet the pricing gives me pause, and, while it is not a problem for my vacation budget, it has pushed me to look at other options I may not have considered in the past. I have enjoyed the other options and find the Celebrity experience lacking at the increased price point if it is only me and my wife traveling. For a family trip Celebrity and Royal are appealing.