Jumping ship to a new cruise line

[PTC DAWG]

On 12/16/2023 at 3:00 PM, Lastdance said:

Okay…enough, you have refused to understand what I am trying to convey.  Hopefully, we can agree to disagree.  These people were not crew members!!!  They were just singing it out to everyone…I was being sarcastic about the silver hair; people do think you are older and open doors much more frequently too!

You sure seem pretty argumentative about this situation here..just saying.  

[grandgeezer]

43 minutes ago, PTC DAWG said:

You sure seem pretty argumentative about this situation here..just saying.  

We jumped to not cruising at all. From all our experiences, we divided no cruise lines gave us value for the price paid. Do we miss it, from pre 2013, immensely, from anything after that, suites a little bit. All the other classes of cabins, not in the least.

[JCMass.]

On 12/14/2023 at 1:29 PM, onespots said:

We having been sailing with Celebrity since 2005. Usually in a verandah/balcony stateroom or higher. We have noticed many small changes over the years. However since Covid our observations have been about the quality of the food in both the buffet & main dinning room. Also the changes with Captain's Club & general entertainment. It appears to us that management has no interests on our loyality to their line & service levels are at an all time low. Although we have enjoyed many good/nice sailing over the years, our lastest experiences see too large of a decline from the past. Prices have increased significantly, service levels are down, & food quality not even average. Although we are nearing the end of our cruising experiences, mostly to Europe, we our now considering using Viking or Azamara for our future. The new ships to do not appeal to us & it seems if you are not in a suite, Celebrity has very little interest in your business.

 

Our last cruise was in September on the Summit sailing from Boston to Boston for 11 nights. The changes in the observation lounge for Captains's Club happy hour, were just flat terrible. Did not allow for any oppertunity to meet fellow travels & enjoy a beverage before dinner or the theater. I understand that is changing. Still we will taking future cruises on a different cruise line.

 

Happy Travels to All,  John

 

 

We were on that cruise out of Boston, and our first time on Celebrity.   We are Diamond on RCI so we looked forward to a nice cruise with some of the same extra's.   We booked late and there were only veranda cabins left, in the aft.   It was a walk down a long corridor to get to anything, but the cabin was very nice.  We enjoyed our cruise but there was lots to get used to.  We found the food excellent especially in the buffet.  I can't imagine it was even better in the past. 

 

We were disappointed in how many area's of the ship were not available to us at any price.  The three specialty restaurants we could go to  were OK, but not much better than the MDR as far as the food goes.   Two restaurants were only for passengers with certain cabins, on RCI if you want to pay extra you can eat anywhere you want.  Because there were only two of us, we ended up in strange locations in the MDR, next to the stairway behind a pole, the staff had a heck of a time getting our food to us.  Once we were so tightly packed near the window, food had to be passed so close to the next table they always had to move for them to reach us. 

 

We also found the Elite benefit of unlimited drinks for 2 hours and in certain locations cumbersome.  We are not big drinkers, so the unlimited part is lost on us, but we always had to a bar to get a glass of wine and carry it in to dinner.  Then if we wanted water to take on an excursion the next day we had to get it before 7pm, and carry it back to our cabin.  RCI allows four drinks of anything per day in any restaurant, or bar, so it works better for us. 

We were told they took out the library, I always look forward to finding a good book and just sitting there. 

Still we will probably try it again since the itinerary was outstanding and we loved the length of the cruise. 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

Don’t like your table ask to move to one you like 😁

To get Diamond perk you have to be on a RCL ship which is a negative 😉
Spend thousand on a cruise but complaining about not enough free books to read 

I don’t think I have time to read a book on my last 10 cruises, spending to much time talking with cruising friends 🤣

[hcat]

54 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Don’t like your table ask to move to one you like 😁

To get Diamond perk you have to be on a RCL ship which is a negative 😉
Spend thousand on a cruise but complaining about not enough free books to read 

I don’t think I have time to read a book on my last 10 cruises, spending to much time talking with cruising friends 🤣

Clearly..Royal is a better fit for some..as noted  in some posts above. We used to cruise on both X and RC but prefer X ships,  X dining and the X programs.

 

Books are loaded on my tablet, and the Cap Club perks work fine for us, esp with our Classic Bev plan.  Hope the two lines do not fully blend! We are not jumping....

[Baynanno1]

18 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

Has anyone sailed Azamara since RCL sold them?  Comments?

 

We did our 31st and probably last cruise with Azamara earlier this year. A mix of "old" and newer crew.

 

Pretty much the same apart from the volume of music during sets in The Living Room and The Den, which has steadily risen since about 2017 to levels consistently above the well documented safe level of 85 decibels. We actively avoided those areas during sets after consultation (not for the first time) with management and no improvement. Music has been a large part of our cruise experience enjoyment over around 60 cruises. In The Cabaret Lounge - same production shows were still being rolled out.

 

Food - ok.

Shops - a bit more upmarket.

As far as I can remember, the same activities as before were available during the day.

 

Captain's Club points were not added for either Azamara or Celebrity and the cruise was completed before the separation. Followed up, but no joy.

 

 

[Lastdance]

10 hours ago, PTC DAWG said:

You sure seem pretty argumentative about this situation here..just saying.  

We all have a right to share information on Cruise Critic; some actually seek to understand, while others like to keep it going by judging using their own set of values.  What part of agreeing to disagree came across as argumentative to you???  It helps to remember that when you engage with someone who is sharing information and choose to quote them, they have the right to respond!

 

 

Edited December 19, 2023 by Lastdance

[Lastdance]

On 12/16/2023 at 11:10 AM, PTC DAWG said:

I’m fine with the stairs myself….but I tend to travel light…healthy 60 year old here, I will say that I can see the liability of a case tumbling down the escalator…

 

Well, that case would not be ours because we were not taking the escalator, so I have no idea where you got that information!!!  Please do not say things about me that are not true.  Let’s just remember the beauty of cruising!

Edited December 19, 2023 by Lastdance

[Lastdance]

4 minutes ago, Lastdance said:

On 12/16/2023 at 11:10 AM, PTC DAWG said:

 

Expand  

[Lastdance]

12 hours ago, hcat said:

I believe the free hand to hold on  to an escalator is a rec safety

 " rule"  for use of the escalator.

 

If one person loses control of  their bag, walker  or stroller, etc,    it endangers others.. so I think it's a good rule..My husb disagrees but he is a rebel!   

 

Being old or decrepit is not the reason..its  carrying too much stuff!

Thank you for your response, especially the words you chose.  We were not using the escalator and never planned to use it.  We were using the stairs like we always do.  For some reason, I did not make that clear enough, so I apologize.  We have never used the elevator because those with mobility aides need it.  No one was using the stairs at all; when we went down, others followed.  Workers were chanting to use the elevator and were blocking the stairs, along with people trying to get to the elevators.  It was a mess.  We were just trying to be able to use the stairs, as were others.  Celebrity says that this is fine to do.  I am explaining this to you because your information is always helpful.  Too many people jump to conclusions from not choosing to understand the situation by asking for more information, criticizing etc.  That in itself does not bother me, but I wanted you to understand.  Thanks!  
 

 

I put on the photo to remind all of us why we cruise…

Edited December 19, 2023 by Lastdance

[Baynanno1]

On 12/18/2023 at 2:42 PM, NMTraveller said:

Has anyone sailed Azamara since RCL sold them?  Comments?

 

Further to my answer to your question yesterday, there is an in depth post by Marcus Dobler on the Azamara Live thread on a social media website. My post may or may not survive if I mention the book of faces.

[RichYak]

42 minutes ago, Baynanno1 said:

 

Further to my answer to your question yesterday, there is an in depth post by Marcus Dobler on the Azamara Live thread on a social media website. My post may or may not survive if I mention the book of faces.

You can mention Facebook here, just don't link to the thread.

[hcat]

20 hours ago, Lastdance said:

Best photo this week..Congrats!

[hcat]

20 hours ago, Lastdance said:

Thank you for your response, especially the words you chose.  We were not using the escalator and never planned to use it.  We were using the stairs like we always do.  For some reason, I did not make that clear enough, so I apologize.  We have never used the elevator because those with mobility aides need it.  No one was using the stairs at all; when we went down, others followed.  Workers were chanting to use the elevator and were blocking the stairs, along with people trying to get to the elevators.  It was a mess.  We were just trying to be able to use the stairs, as were others.  Celebrity says that this is fine to do.  I am explaining this to you because your information is always helpful.  Too many people jump to conclusions from not choosing to understand the situation by asking for more information, criticizing etc.  That in itself does not bother me, but I wanted you to understand.  Thanks!  
 

 

I put on the photo to remind all of us why we cruise…

I appreciate the added info.. Stairs are dangerous too esp when hurrying,  but we were never barred as far as I recall..

 

 Over the years. Celeb has had terrible departure procedures.   The early departure self carry  line is now  snaking all around.. and  line up starts very early.   Many try to cut the line, some say they will miss their flights, arguments ensue and there is  very little security.  In the priority dep areas for AQ etc, there is over- crowding    and announcements are hard to hear!..

We usually just sit in the theater which is at least near the dep level..

 

On BEYOND, we were in Retreat..The priority lounge was very crowded and extra staff was called to check status and keep others out..Once the line started  it was a free for all but did move..

 

I have no suggestions but think X could do better for safety and sanity...debark is hazardous!

[Baynanno1]

1 hour ago, RichYak said:

You can mention Facebook here, just don't link to the thread.

I am well aware of the CC guidelines.

Edited December 19, 2023 by Baynanno1

[SusieAV8R]

On 12/18/2023 at 4:58 PM, hcat said:

Clearly..Royal is a better fit for some..as noted  in some posts above. We used to cruise on both X and RC but prefer X ships,  X dining and the X programs.

 

Books are loaded on my tablet, and the Cap Club perks work fine for us, esp with our Classic Bev Iplan.  Hope the two lines do not fully blend! We are not jumping....

I agree hcat!!  DH and I read a lot when we cruise, enjoying each other's company; contrary to ou very lives at home.  That's why we cruise!😂  And we also hope the 2 lines do not fully blend!!

[publicpersona]

I would be interested to hear from those who have recent cruise experience on both Celebrity and Holland America. We've done about 70 cruises favoring Royal and Celebrity, but in recent years I'm finding pleasure in discovering new things/ships.

 

Our first venture outside RCG was MSC. While certain things such as food paled in comparison to Celebrity, the value proposition for price paid was much better. I will sail them again and set expectations appropriately.

 

Now I've become curious about Holland America. Being used to how things are on Celebrity, what would I be disappointed in on HAL? What would I find a welcome improvement?

[onespots]

Hello Everyone,

 

I found most of your resposes very interesting & informative. I can appreciate everyone's opinion. Since I posted this about Jumping Ship, it seems some of you have done the same. Therefore we have just completed 2 bookings. We are going with Viking riverboat from Bordeaux for 7 days & returning to Bordeaux. One day later we board Azamara in Bordeaux for a 12 night cruise with one sea day & ends in Amsterdam. Since we are already in Bordeaux, this seemed like good fit. Upon our return, I will share our experiences on both lines. This a good itinerary for us because it is all France, with one day in Belgium & an overnight in Amsterdam. From there we will fly home to Arizona.

 

Happy Travels,  John

[TeaBag]

We, too, are Celebrity cruisers for the most part.  We just completed our first HAL, mainly because it was sailing from Vancouver.  We should be on Azamara Journey right now sailing from Singapore to Melbourne.  We had to cancel as I developed a leg problem that made long flights inadvisable, sob.  As a consolation, we booked the HAL cruise.

We were not told that you can book a specified table at a specified time on HAL, so that resulted in lining up at dinner each night which we did not enjoy.  You don't have to line up for anything if you have Club Orange (extra fee).  We found the food inferior to Celebrity.  In fairness to HAL, maybe we should give them another chance.  We had dinner one night with a gentleman who had sailed with them over 500 days.  He said there was something off about the Eurodam.

Our cabin was delightful being on the stern.  That is a must for the Panama Canal!  

We really enjoyed the concert pianist on board.  I think he might have been in his late 70's and boy could he play.

So I would say give HAL a try and see what you think.  BTW, we love Azamara but it is more expensive.

Happy sailing whatever you choose.

 

[TeaBag]

John, we must have been typing at the same time.  I am envious of your plans!  River cruises are delightful.  We have sailed with AMA, Budapest to Amsterdam.

You will be on the Quest?  captain Johannes is delightful, so I hope he is on board for your cruise.

I look forward to your experiences when you arrive home.

[hrhdhd]

5 hours ago, publicpersona said:

I would be interested to hear from those who have recent cruise experience on both Celebrity and Holland America. We've done about 70 cruises favoring Royal and Celebrity, but in recent years I'm finding pleasure in discovering new things/ships.

 

<snip>
 

Now I've become curious about Holland America. Being used to how things are on Celebrity, what would I be disappointed in on HAL? What would I find a welcome improvement?

I was on the Nieuw Statendam a week ago, returning to HAL after 10 years, and found the food much better than on Celebrity last year. The ship was clean with lots of interesting spaces, my cabin was fine (Family Oceanview on Deck 1), and overall I had a great time. I'd book HAL again if the price/itinerary were right.

[Cruise till you drop]

5 hours ago, onespots said:

Hello Everyone,

 

I found most of your resposes very interesting & informative. I can appreciate everyone's opinion. Since I posted this about Jumping Ship, it seems some of you have done the same. Therefore we have just completed 2 bookings. We are going with Viking riverboat from Bordeaux for 7 days & returning to Bordeaux. One day later we board Azamara in Bordeaux for a 12 night cruise with one sea day & ends in Amsterdam. Since we are already in Bordeaux, this seemed like good fit. Upon our return, I will share our experiences on both lines. This a good itinerary for us because it is all France, with one day in Belgium & an overnight in Amsterdam. From there we will fly home to Arizona.

 

Happy Travels,  John

 We are staying with Celebrity and loving every minute of it.  Have 3 booked for Januarys of 2024, 5 and 6.

 

 

[melusina]

On 12/18/2023 at 2:53 PM, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Don’t like your table ask to move to one you like 😁

To get Diamond perk you have to be on a RCL ship which is a negative 😉
Spend thousand on a cruise but complaining about not enough free books to read 

I don’t think I have time to read a book on my last 10 cruises, spending to much time talking with cruising friends 🤣

Some people want to talk to strangers, others to read. Different strokes.

[melusina]

6 hours ago, publicpersona said:

I would be interested to hear from those who have recent cruise experience on both Celebrity and Holland America. We've done about 70 cruises favoring Royal and Celebrity, but in recent years I'm finding pleasure in discovering new things/ships.

 

Our first venture outside RCG was MSC. While certain things such as food paled in comparison to Celebrity, the value proposition for price paid was much better. I will sail them again and set expectations appropriately.

 

Now I've become curious about Holland America. Being used to how things are on Celebrity, what would I be disappointed in on HAL? What would I find a welcome improvement?

There's a comparison thread on the Holland America board, about 3 days old now. We've booked our first ever cruise on Celebrity for the spring, based on itunerary and timing, but the more i read about the 2 linesrhe more i think HAL would be better for us. Thinking about doing a transatlantic with them next year.

[montythecat]

I would certainly recommend HAL to those of you who

are considering leaving Celebrity. We have made the

move with the entertainment on MusicWalk, the 

quality of the food and imaginative menus and the

delights of The Dutch Cafe representing the 

highlights of our experiences which make it

worthwhile being on The Pinnacle Class ships.