Celebrity Infinity was FILTHY

[boobearzoo]

I just returned from the Alaska trip on Celebrity Infinity May 30-June 6. The ship was discusting. They NEVER cleaned the glass elevator doors, handrails, windows NOTHING. The tables in the grill were always dirty. The carpeting was torn or very warn. I was so dissappointed to see this. I have sailed with them before and never remember this. The service in the dining room was slow. The guy who was in charge of our section for drinks came around as sinner was almost over. Our sliding door in our CONCIERGE CLASS room had more hand prints than you could imagine. The mirror had a hand print on it that was not ours, it was there when we walked in. There was rust on the bathroom floor and the vanity was all stained. I will NEVER sail with Celebrity again. When we were in the ports the other ships had people cleaning the outside windows and such but not ours!!!!!! The food was fair. Breakfast buffet was always ice cold. Soup served in dining room was cold ( and no it was not a chilled soup LOL) . The coffee was absolutely hideous! When we got to port we went and got coffee and the woman in the store said everyone who came off our ship was saying the same thing. Celebrity went down quite a few notches in my book! The one GREAT thing was the Captain got us 3/10th of a mile away from the glacier!!!!!!

[hcat]

Well-at least you got close to the glacier. That should be a nice memory for you.

 

.Wonder why the ship & service were so poor? Is it going into drydock or was there a change in the labor force on board? I suspect many usual employees can't work for dollars anymoe because their home lands are on the Euro.

[C 2 C]

Thanks for joining Cruise Critic for your first post and first review.

 

I'm sure that with this kind of cruise experience you will never cruise with Celebrity again.:cool:

[gracecarmo]

Did you ask to have your window cleaned?

 

Tell us more....especially about the ports you visited.

[franrandol]

We are thinking about booking an August Alaska cruise on the Infinity but are having second thoughts after reading your review. We have been on the Millie several years ago and it was fantastic. Is there anybody else out there who feels the Infinity has slipped?

 

Thanks for any response.

[nps001]

Take each of these posts with a grain of salt, especially the ones that don't bother to give specifics or details.

 

Having said that, I have read reviews from the same cruise that I took, and the perceptions were totally different.

 

As I usually do every weekends, I read all of the current reviews for X. Surprisingly, most are extremely positive with a majority posting that they were a bit apprehensive about reading the types of comments such as the OP made, and they found a very pleasant experience.

 

I have not been on this ship, but I can tell you that even the Galaxy which I sailed 2 weeks before drydock had some of the best food and service I have encountered. Happy Sailing.

[Host Anne]

Franrandol ~ my suggestion would be to visit some of the recent roll calls and reviews for Infinity and see how others felt about the ship.

 

Here are some options on roll calls to check out:

ROLL CALL MAY 30th (small roll call...don't know if anyone will come back to this thread)

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=594647&page=3

 

ROLL CALL MAY 23rd (several who sailed have returned to this thread)

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=728594&page=5

[dkjretired]

Franrandol ~ my suggestion would be to visit some of the recent roll calls and reviews for Infinity and see how others felt about the ship.

 

Here are some options on roll calls to check out:

ROLL CALL MAY 30th (small roll call...don't know if anyone will come back to this thread)

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=594647&page=3

 

ROLL CALL MAY 23rd (several who sailed have returned to this thread)

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=728594&page=5

 

I agree with Anne in her infinite wisdom, I did just that after reading this review earlier this morning. The last several returning cruises on the roll calls do not reflect the OPs observations.

[Leela]

Is there anybody else out there who feels the Infinity has slipped?

Well, let's put it this way, based on this one review it seems that Infinity has gone massively and incredibly downhill since May 9-16 2008 when my mom & sailed in CC to the Hubbard Glacier.

 

The only thing on this list that I recall seeing was that there was some rust on the outside railings of the balcony to our cabin.

 

It was interesting, because based on reviews I read before the trip I had the impression that Infinity was a tatty mess, but when we got on board we thought she was just fine and in fact liked her more than Summit (which we had cruised on in April of 2007) and Century (January of 2008).

[Host Walt]

I agree with Anne in her infinite wisdom...

 

Pun clearly intended, I presume! :)

[Coreopsis]

One thing I will agree with OP, the coffee really is substandard unless there has been a change recently.

 

The dining room coffee is just OK - room service and buffet - horrible. We bring our own and order a pitcher of hot water and steamed milk each morning. We use a non-breakable french press.

 

This is subjective, I know. We've gotten pickier over the years and as a result, prefer to bring our own coffee at some hotels or on cruises. To us - =X= coffee is undrinkable. I wish it weren't so - would save me money and space in my luggage!

 

As for condition of the ship - when we sailed recently, I was expecting a ship falling apart from some of the comments. We found her in fine shape. If your expectations are too high - you will need to select (and pay for) one of the luxury lines.

[usha]

Thanks for joining Cruise Critic for your first post and first review.

 

I'm sure that with this kind of cruise experience you will never cruise with Celebrity again.:cool:

That's the nice way to say what I was thinking....:cool:

[SactoGalCruiser]

Having just been on the Infinity (May 23-May 30), I don't agree with the majority of the observations made by BooBearZoo.

 

They NEVER cleaned the glass elevator doors, handrails, windows NOTHING.

On our cruise, I did find the windows a bit spotty but also saw the cleaning crew out and working on this.

 

The carpeting was torn or very warn. I was so dissappointed to see this.

The only place I saw worn carpeting was in the hallway area between the cinema and the meeting rooms.

 

The service in the dining room was slow.

In my experience, this can largely depend on what dinner service you are at. First seating dinner guests usually don't have slow service because the wait staff have another service looming at 8:30pm. Also, if you want speedy, flash-dash service then eat at the buffet.

 

Breakfast buffet was always ice cold.

ALWAYS?!? Seriously, I doubt it. Must not have had waffles, pancakes or omelets as they are made to order and then given right to you. I had breakast at the buffet for all but one morning and the hot foods were hot and the cold foods were cold....as it should be.

 

The coffee was absolutely hideous!

I do not drink coffee but I did hear from many that the coffee in the Cova cafe was great while the "free" coffee was not so good.

 

 

In short, I think the Infinity has some refurbishment due but it most certainly did not fit the definition of "filthy."

[cruiseyguy]

You gotta wonder what's really behind these "everything was horrible" first posts. But they are kind of fun to read. Must be a slow Sunday.

[uktog]

Oh dear- to the OP how were your complaints handled on board - I am assuming given the terrible conditions you encountered that you immediately brought the issues of cleanliness to the attention of the Hotel Director to ensure the issues were rectified. I would be unhappy if I made complaints and they were not addressed, however if I did not escalate things in the usual manner, well I would reflect differently.

A

[NorCalCruiseGuy]

I just returned from the Alaska trip on Celebrity Infinity May 30-June 6. The ship was discusting. They NEVER cleaned the glass elevator doors, handrails, windows NOTHING. The tables in the grill were always dirty. The carpeting was torn or very warn. I was so dissappointed to see this. I have sailed with them before and never remember this. The service in the dining room was slow. The guy who was in charge of our section for drinks came around as sinner was almost over. Our sliding door in our CONCIERGE CLASS room had more hand prints than you could imagine. The mirror had a hand print on it that was not ours, it was there when we walked in. There was rust on the bathroom floor and the vanity was all stained. I will NEVER sail with Celebrity again. When we were in the ports the other ships had people cleaning the outside windows and such but not ours!!!!!! The food was fair. Breakfast buffet was always ice cold. Soup served in dining room was cold ( and no it was not a chilled soup LOL) . The coffee was absolutely hideous! When we got to port we went and got coffee and the woman in the store said everyone who came off our ship was saying the same thing. Celebrity went down quite a few notches in my book! The one GREAT thing was the Captain got us 3/10th of a mile away from the glacier!!!!!!

 

Did you bring any of this to the attention of someone onboard who could have made things right? For your stateroom, ask to speak to the Asst. Housekeeper. For the general ship appearance, call the Chief Housekeeper. Call the Hotel Manager, or send him or her a note.

It is important to take some action when you see things that aren't going the way you would like, or when you get home all you'll be able to do is let out your frustration on these boards, when things could have been fixed if you talked to the right person while still on board.

We did have some issues on our most recent sailing on Infinity. When we brought these issues to the attention of the people who could make things right, we had a much better experience. It pays to say something at the time, rather than when the vacation is over.

[tommusic]

I just got back from this same cruise. I had a great time, but maybe I'm not picky enough.

 

My main complaint: we had an inside cabin, and couldn't find our window or how to get onto out balcony.

 

Secondary complaint: shower curtain seemed dirty or moldy. I am certain that if I actually mentioned it to someone, it would have been fixed. I was just too lazy/not disturbed enough.

 

The food wasn't as good as my HA honeymoon cruise; but perhaps my memory is distorted.

 

My two favorite on-board things: Brent Nixon's nature talks (this guy is amazing), and the little awards show thing they're doing. We totally won team trivia.

 

I had a great time. The ship didn't look brand new, but it wasn't enough to make me vomit.

[madelinerose]

If you're serious, that would have been my first complaint, a second after I noticed it. Ugh.

 

Glad you enjoyed your cruise.

 

Doubt if the op will be back.

 

Secondary complaint: shower curtain seemed dirty or moldy. I am certain that if I actually mentioned it to someone, it would have been fixed. I was just too lazy/not disturbed enough.

[Cruise Arizona]

Anne and Walt are right, one of the thinks that is great about cruise critic is that there are so many different opinions. With so many members there is a great diversity. While I don't completely dismiss the the original poster's comments, when you put them in the context with other reviews, you get a more complete picture. Maybe a travel pack of Windex wipes could have saved his cruise, or a call to housekeeping.

 

Brent Nixon is fabulous. His lectures are as entertaining as they are fabulous.

 

What is this "Awards" thing? Never had on any of my cruises? Who is the current cruise director? Maybe this is his or her new idea?

[aaklang]

I was on Infinity May 16 - 23. While I do recall thinking she was a bit worn (carpet and couches in my room), I never thought the ship was filthy. Sorry to hear the OP had such a disappointing cruise. I hope others are not scared away forever though.

 

We got good service throughout both in our room and at dinner (early seating). In all honesty, I didn't feel as pampered as I did on Millie in 2006, nor did I feel the ship was quite as nice. But I did have a great cruise and would certainly sail with Celebrity (even Infinity) again.

 

Oh, and the breakfast was never cold (unless the food was supposed to be), but the scrambled eggs were horrible. : )

[Mary El]

Is the Infinity due to be dry docked soon? If not, when was the last time she was dry-docked? We are on her for a South America Cruise on 14/09. Thanks in advance.

[AWillie]

We were on the Infinity May 30, 2008 cruise in a 2C cabin. The only dirty thing we saw was the veranda mat. Our cabin attendant was almost never seen, but kept the cabin looking great and plenty of ice in our ice bucket. Our waiter and assistant waiter offered very good service. Food & wait staff was not as good as Crystal, but I would never expect it to be. We have cruised RCC, Carnvinal, the old Sitmair, and Crystal and feel that this cruise was a real value. The 3/10 mile view of Hubbard Glacier was fantastic.

[peteranddan]

Hmmmm....we were on Infinity to Alaska July 2007 (last summer) and she was absolutely beautiful. The service was wonderful, the food was great and our room was imaculate.

 

Just goes to show how different people's opinions can be.

 

Peter

[jaybird from SC]

I just returned from the Alaska trip on Celebrity Infinity May 30-June 6. The ship was discusting. They NEVER cleaned the glass elevator doors, handrails, windows NOTHING. The tables in the grill were always dirty. The carpeting was torn or very warn. I was so dissappointed to see this. I have sailed with them before and never remember this. The service in the dining room was slow. The guy who was in charge of our section for drinks came around as sinner was almost over. Our sliding door in our CONCIERGE CLASS room had more hand prints than you could imagine. The mirror had a hand print on it that was not ours, it was there when we walked in. There was rust on the bathroom floor and the vanity was all stained. I will NEVER sail with Celebrity again. When we were in the ports the other ships had people cleaning the outside windows and such but not ours!!!!!! The food was fair. Breakfast buffet was always ice cold. Soup served in dining room was cold ( and no it was not a chilled soup LOL) . The coffee was absolutely hideous! When we got to port we went and got coffee and the woman in the store said everyone who came off our ship was saying the same thing. Celebrity went down quite a few notches in my book! The one GREAT thing was the Captain got us 3/10th of a mile away from the glacier!!!!!!

Never heard of a Celebrity ship being "filthy". Very unusual based on my experience. Would love to hear more details and also hear from some other cruisers on this sailing.

[Travel Angel]

I just got back from this same cruise. I had a great time, but maybe I'm not picky enough.

 

My main complaint: we had an inside cabin, and couldn't find our window or how to get onto out balcony.

 

Secondary complaint: shower curtain seemed dirty or moldy. I am certain that if I actually mentioned it to someone, it would have been fixed. I was just too lazy/not disturbed enough.

 

The food wasn't as good as my HA honeymoon cruise; but perhaps my memory is distorted.

 

My two favorite on-board things: Brent Nixon's nature talks (this guy is amazing), and the little awards show thing they're doing. We totally won team trivia.

 

I had a great time. The ship didn't look brand new, but it wasn't enough to make me vomit.

 

I just had family members on the May 23d sailing of the Infinity and they too had several let downs after reading :::glowing:::: reviews of the ship.

They had a good time overall and RAVED about Brent and his nature talks....

 

They were in a CC class stateroom and although they really liked the size of the stateroom as well as the larger balcony (#6144), they found the room in a bit of a muss when they arrived i.e. hand prints on glass on Verandah door and bathroom mirror, rust/mildew marks on tile.....They also commented that the coffeee was terrible and they too had less than favorable dining room service at their late seating.

 

They went in with high expectations and were unfortunately let down as was I after hearing from them a less than stellar review of the condition of the ship, overall unhappy staff they encountered and entertainment being sub par from their previous cruise experiences.

 

Will they sail Celebrity in the future....??? According to them, they have found the food, entertainment and staff more accommodating on their previous Royal Caribbean sailings and will probably head back where they feel their dollars were better spent.