Don't sail the Millennium if....

[glgolfer]

Consider this: Isn't profit the primary goal for any company, particularly those that answer to shareholders? Not that that is always the best thing, but, it all comes down to 'the bottom line' eventually.

 

One of my jobs was manageing a $50 million a year new install and maintenance contract for broadband coax cable networks on 6 Air Force bases. The day I took over that job, I told the contractor I had no problem with reasonable profits, but don't try to gouge us. Thery tried, got shot down and we got along fine after that.

I have no problem with a company making a profit. It's when they cut corners, take away benefits, charge more and make deciions based on the short term gain rather than the long term and make an obscene amout of profit. The cruise lines aren't as bad as the oil companies, but they will begin to alienate long time cruisers.

They're betting the new cruisers will keep coming back even as they keep cutting services.

[Amlee]

It is my understanding that the crew isn't told who has prepaid and who hasn't, so they have no idea a head of time to sway their purpose. And, in our case, even though we prepay, we still give extra to those who are deserving at the end of the cruise. There will always be those in service that go that extra mile and those that only do what they feel is needed. It's just luck of the draw as to which one you end up with. But, as some have mentioned before, you are not doing any favors to the future passengers of some stewards by not reporting their dis-service. Some just need a wake up call and others just need replacing most likely. I'm only mentioning this so as to appease those that feel they should be getting what they are paying for. Then again, it also depends on what the passenger's idea of service needed is. Some don't expect as much as others.

 

I have been told that they know who is pre-paid and who isn't. On the Century I pre-paid and didn't get any type of ticket to give to my people. I went down to guest relations to see what was up and was told that the dinner staff and the room attendents already knew who was pre-paid and not to worry about getting a ticket or voucher. I did ask for enevlopes to put my extra money in.

 

On the Summit pre-pay came up at our table. I asked the waiter if he knew who had pre-paid and who hadn't. He said yes, they were told before the end of the cruise.

[caviargal]

I don't agree with that. I havent found the ships to be in such disrepair as is widely reported. In addition, I know I see ongoing maintenance taking place during a cruise. In my 3 most recent epxeriences on 2 different Celebrity ships (Constellation, Mercury). I would not say the ships are falling apart as some may claim.

 

 

I have my own opinions based on personal experience. Personally, I was very disappointed in the condition of Mercury when I cruised in October of 2005. After 5 years of not cruising with X, and after excellent experiences on Horizon and Zenith in their early years and then Summit when she was still sparkly, I was very sad to see how shabby how Mercury had become. Our cabin was a mess and public spaces showed wear and tear beyond what is acceptable to me.

 

There are others who I am certain had no problem with the worn furnishings, nasty shower stalls, cracked sinks, and threadbare soft goods and that is certainly their right.

 

I had been on Vision of the Seas and Rhapsody a few months before Mercury and they were both in lovely condition though far older.

 

Jade, there was no charge for the sauna and steam on LOS and this is something I really enjoy about RCI's newer ships. Great and underused as well, so always quiet.

[Jade13]

 

Jade, there was no charge for the sauna and steam on LOS and this is something I really enjoy about RCI's newer ships. Great and underused as well, so always quiet.

 

Thanks!

[wolfshadow]

I have been told that they know who is pre-paid and who isn't. On the Century I pre-paid and didn't get any type of ticket to give to my people. I went down to guest relations to see what was up and was told that the dinner staff and the room attendents already knew who was pre-paid and not to worry about getting a ticket or voucher. I did ask for enevlopes to put my extra money in.

 

On the Summit pre-pay came up at our table. I asked the waiter if he knew who had pre-paid and who hadn't. He said yes, they were told before the end of the cruise.

I've experienced the opposite. And, I've still received the envelopes at the end while having prepaid. We were told that everyone received these just in case they wanted to extra tip. When this discussion came up at our table, our waiter told us they weren't allowed to be told who had prepaid. When we gave our extra envelope to our steward we told him this was for his wonderful service to us because we felt our prepaid amount just wasn't enough. He was genuinely surprised to hear that we had double tipped. He was very taken aback which led us to believe that most who prepay think they've done enough. So, maybe there's a difference in rules between the ships.

[Amlee]

On the Century and the Connie I wasn't given anything to give to the staff. Both times I was told they already knew. On the Millie and the Summit I was given the vouchers, but it was on the Summit that the waiter said they knew before the end of the cruise who was pre-paid and who wasn't. Matter of fact now that I'm thinking about it, on the Century one of my table mates asked our waiter about pre-pay. He said yes he knew we were all pre-pay.

[wolfshadow]

On the Century and the Connie I wasn't given anything to give to the staff. Both times I was told they already knew. On the Millie and the Summit I was given the vouchers, but it was on the Summit that the waiter said they knew before the end of the cruise who was pre-paid and who wasn't. Matter of fact now that I'm thinking about it, on the Century one of my table mates asked our waiter about pre-pay. He said yes he knew we were all pre-pay.

As I said previously, maybe it's just different rules on the different ships. I was on the Infinity and my mother was told the same when she was on the Infinity last September. Other good friends experienced the same answer on the Millie last year. We'll be sailing the Millie in June so I'll see what I'm told then. If we asked 100 different passengers what they experienced, we would most likely get at least 50 different answers anyhow. After all, in the end, it's all about how blessed we are to be able to even afford to cruise, isn't it? ;)

[Amlee]

As I said previously, maybe it's just different rules on the different ships. I was on the Infinity and my mother was told the same when she was on the Infinity last September. Other good friends experienced the same answer on the Millie last year. We'll be sailing the Millie in June so I'll see what I'm told then. If we asked 100 different passengers what they experienced, we would most likely get at least 50 different answers anyhow. After all, in the end, it's all about how blessed we are to be able to even afford to cruise, isn't it? ;)

 

 

LOL if there is one thing I have noticed about the Celebrity ships is that they are ALL different! Each time I board one of those ships, I never know what to expect. From the games played on the ship to the rules on the bridge. Each ship is different.

 

I am very blessed to be able to go as much as I do.

[Gold Coast Cruisers]

I have my own opinions based on personal experience. Personally, I was very disappointed in the condition of Mercury when I cruised in October of 2005. After 5 years of not cruising with X, and after excellent experiences on Horizon and Zenith in their early years and then Summit when she was still sparkly, I was very sad to see how shabby how Mercury had become. Our cabin was a mess and public spaces showed wear and tear beyond what is acceptable to me.

 

There are others who I am certain had no problem with the worn furnishings, nasty shower stalls, cracked sinks, and threadbare soft goods and that is certainly their right.

 

I had been on Vision of the Seas and Rhapsody a few months before Mercury and they were both in lovely condition though far older.

 

Jade, there was no charge for the sauna and steam on LOS and this is something I really enjoy about RCI's newer ships. Great and underused as well, so always quiet.

 

 

We too cruised on Mercury in 2005 and we were not impressed with the standard of the ship. It was well overdue at that time for refurbishment.

We cruised on her again in 2007 after a reburbishment and I am happy to say it was 100% better than 2005. Keeping ships 'ship shape' is really important and all Companies need to keep on top of their reburbishment schedules, even though they don't seem to have much in the way of dry dock time these days.

 

Jillybean:)

[Gold Coast Cruisers]

I've experienced the opposite. And, I've still received the envelopes at the end while having prepaid. We were told that everyone received these just in case they wanted to extra tip. When this discussion came up at our table, our waiter told us they weren't allowed to be told who had prepaid. When we gave our extra envelope to our steward we told him this was for his wonderful service to us because we felt our prepaid amount just wasn't enough. He was genuinely surprised to hear that we had double tipped. He was very taken aback which led us to believe that most who prepay think they've done enough. So, maybe there's a difference in rules between the ships.

 

 

I believe that the staff do know who has prepaid and who hasn't. It's on the manifest they receive with their cabins/table allocation.

 

I posted on another thread about a conversation with an ex cruise ship wine waiter recently. Back in 1992 he was making US$1100 to US$1500 per week in tips. Now that was a pretty good income I thought. The company's input was US$50.00 per week.

 

Here in Australia I am happy to say it is not customery to tip. However, if you do tip it is purely because you have received exceptional service.

Some people might comment that things are more expensive here but that is because the average wage is a lot higher and waiters/bar staff etc earn enough wages to live on and tips are considered a bonus.

I would be interested to hear if anyone knows how much per year they calculate in their budget for tips, not just on cruises but for everyday living.

 

Jillybean:)

[Amlee]

I believe that the staff do know who has prepaid and who hasn't. It's on the manifest they receive with their cabins/table allocation.

Jillybean:)

 

 

I can tell you it's listed on the manifest. But I don't know what staff has access to that information. The manifest I had, had our cabin numbers, name, age, table numbers, the time we boarded, and our pre-paid status.

 

I had noticed part of my group hadn't made it on board by the time the ship sailed. I requested a list of my group to see who hadn't made it. Due to Atlanta being shut down, because of weather I had a couple who missed the ship in San Juan. They caught up with us in St. Maarten and their luggage in Grenada. It also told me who had changed from the late seating to early, so I could make sure they got their wine with thier dinner.

[zamgwar]

Wow- I was on deck 7 in February and didn't find ONE of the things you mentioned. We had a ton of Cabins, one complained their deck furniture was worn, and one had a shower curtain with mold spots which was quickly replaced.

 

Our waiters did bring the peppermill around and there absolutely was a dessert tray at each meal. EVERYONE called us by name

 

Sound like you either had a pretty bad luck of the draw or we had a pretty good one. Based on our trip, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the ship.

 

John

Office of Good Fortune

The Zamgwar Institute

[zamgwar]

Duplicate

[Sky Sweet]

I have my own opinions based on personal experience. Personally, I was very disappointed in the condition of Mercury when I cruised in October of 2005. After 5 years of not cruising with X, and after excellent experiences on Horizon and Zenith in their early years and then Summit when she was still sparkly, I was very sad to see how shabby how Mercury had become. Our cabin was a mess and public spaces showed wear and tear beyond what is acceptable to me.

 

There are others who I am certain had no problem with the worn furnishings, nasty shower stalls, cracked sinks, and threadbare soft goods and that is certainly their right.

 

I had been on Vision of the Seas and Rhapsody a few months before Mercury and they were both in lovely condition though far older.

 

Jade, there was no charge for the sauna and steam on LOS and this is something I really enjoy about RCI's newer ships. Great and underused as well, so always quiet.

 

Hi Caviargal :)

 

We were also on the Mercury in 2005, and thought the ship had extensive deferred maintenance at the time. Since we had a sky suite with a huge balcony that was partially exposed to the sun, we spent a lot of time there, but the condition of the ship would have been a bigger issue to us if we had a standard cabin.

[caviargal]

Keeping ships 'ship shape' is really important and all Companies need to keep on top of their reburbishment schedules, even though they don't seem to have much in the way of dry dock time these days.

 

Jillybean:)

 

I agree. I have to say that there are more discussions - and disagreements - on Celebrity's ability/desire/investment in keeping their ships up than any other line in this forum.

 

X let Mercury fall into severe - IMO - disrepair and many reports indicate Galaxy and Millennium are suffering similar fates. Since the condition of my cabin and the ship overall does have an impact on my enjoyment of a cruise, I prefer to chose a line that I know from experience consistently maintains their ships to a high standard. Others certainly have different priorities.

 

Seems to me that X is very much focused on their new builds these days so that they can attract a wider audience who wants size, gimmicks and more dining options (some at a fee). This, I fear, is the future of cruising. While it may work for many, it holds zero appeal for this cruiser.

[sammiedawg]

"

I agree. I have to say that there are more discussions - and disagreements - on Celebrity's ability/desire/investment in keeping their ships up than any other line in this forum."

 

I totally agree that Celebrity boards have many more threads and discussion on the condition of its ships than other cruise lines I read about. This issue comes up over and over again.

While no line is perfect, keeping up the physical plant is very important whether you are staying in a motel, hotel, cruise ship.

We've sailed a half a dozen lines more than once, we did Celebrity one time and it is the only cruise line we complained about ship condition. We are not difficult customers but we expect clean bathrooms, cabins, decent plumbing fixtures, carpet and upholstery should be clean and in good condition. Its a health and sanitation issue. I dont think anyone making excuses would tolerate nasty conditions in a hotel or motel.

I hate to think what the back of the house looks like if the front of the house (cabins, bathrooms) is shabby.

Its not just what we see, but what we dont see

[suncruzr]

We too were on the 3/23/08 Millenium sailing. Having sailed the Millenium on three previous cruises; the ship showed a general deterioration in maintenance and cleanliness. There was mold in the shower and on the bathroom floor tile. If I had checked into a hotel with the bathroom in that condition, I wouldn't have stayed a second night. The sofabed and desk chair were shabby and need to be replaced, as well as the carpet.There was also the intermittent sewage smell . We were in a CC cabin near midship on Deck 8. However, our stateroom attendant was excellent and even replaced the flowers on almost a daily basis.

 

The service in the dining room was adequate. The waiter and assistant served the food and filled the water glasses, but spent little time at the table. I don't know if this is because they have more tables and are rushed, but it didn't seem the same. There was no desert tray or fresh ground pepper, and while that isn't important, the one night we ate at the alternative dining restaurant on deck 10 the waiter brought both of these items.

 

My DH and I are loyal Celebrity cruisers having been on more than 12 Celebrity cruises and this is the first time I have ever felt compelled to say anything negative. Despite these issues,it was a wonderful cruise,we had a great time, and enjoyed the company of lovely tablemates.

 

Suncruzr

[LMKohler]

Thanks for your observations:) .

 

 

WE already have speculation that Galaxy is leaving now that our prior favorite Zenith is gone. I assume with 6 new ships on the way that six will leave the fleet, or at least 4. With the pod problems and the unsuccessful law suits so far regarding them I have to wonder if the M class will dissapear also in lieu of this new mega mass market trash that they are promoting ...ie. Solstace, Equinox, and the other four to be built.

 

Dave:eek:

 

 

six new ships? I thought it was four or maybe five:)

[Tos]

Well, today I found this thread that I started almost 11 years ago while posting on another thread for the Celebrity Edge that I will be on later this year.  I never did read all of the continuing comments to my original post until today most likely because I had to head back to work right after I returned.  It was interesting to see how varied the responses were both for and against what I had posted. I have remained a supporter and customer of X and continue to enjoy cruising on their ships. My correspondence with Celebrity was very worthwhile for both of us and I do think some of my comments about Celebrity management's level of concern for passenger experience were not correct.  I apologize if I offended any of the other contributors to the thread and never had any intention of persuading anyone from booking their cruise on Celebrity.  Case in point....look at all the very negative comments on the "windowed verandas" on the Edge.  Many said they would never book on them again.   I'm not changing my booking!  Thank you all!!

[sippican]

Interesting that you felt compelled to resurrect an 11 year old thread the very same week that the Millennium is returning to sea from dry dock! I can't wait to experience her revolution.

Happy cruising!