Is Celebrity a "Premium Line"

[detroitcruiser]

Is Celebrity a "Premium Line"

 

1. Yes

2. No, just the best of the mass market lines

[sammiedawg]

it is not a premium line, just sailed Celebrity for the first time and Princess/Holland America ships are nicer than the Century.

[cruiseyguy]

Define "premium line" and "mass market line" first.

[apfra.]

Celebrity is a premium mass-market line for your information. All mainstream cruise lines are mass-market, including Holland America and Princess.

 

Mass-market refers to who the clientele they market to, not the product they deliver. Get your definitions right.

[detroitcruiser]

I think my definitions are right. What you did was create a new term. Good for you.

 

Mass Market does refer to the clientel and while I feel it is different on celebrity then lets say Princess it is not premium for the simple reason that it does not have a premium price. Many time a similar cruise on RCL is less.

[apfra.]

FYI (For Your Information):

 

What do you call a line that serves more than 14,000 passengers per day on a fleet of 10 huge ships (9, actually), and markets its low prices and great product on the television and major newpapers? A line can without a doubt be a mass-market line that still delivers a premium product at a premium price..

 

Standard, Premium, Luxury, and Utterly Exclusive are the LIFESTYLE classifications of lines. It refers to the cost of the cruise experience and the type or product that the line delivers. Let me read to you the definition according to Douglas Ward (the world's top cruising authority):

 

“Lifestyle: Designated as Standard, Premium, Luxury, or Utterly Exclusive, according to a general classification into which segment of the market the ship falls. This should help you choose the right ship and cruise experience to fit your lifestyle.

 

Standard (RCI, Princess): The least expensive

Premium (Oceania, HAL, Celebrity): More expensive than Standard, having generally better food, service, and facilities

Luxury (Crystal, Seabourn): More expensive than Premium or Standard, providing more personal comfort, space, and better food, staff, and training

Utterly Exclusive (SeaDream, HPL Europa): The best in Facilities, food, and service, and the finest cruise experience available at the present, and more expensive than Luxury, Premium, or Standard.”

[detroitcruiser]

we will have to agree to disagree

 

And i think the poll results support my position

[apfra.]

I guess we will then. If you just take the word "premium", regardless of how the industry defines it, it seems to fit Celebrity so well. Not luxury, but a step below it.

 

My point was that Standard, Premium, and Luxury do not have much to do with “mass-market”, and while the terms are connected, they are more separate. One is the product and price the line is, and the other is where they market and to what group they market to (Celebrity markets to the masses, while delivering a premium product).

[ocngypz]

There are but less than a handful of premium cruiselines in the world.

And they are not mass marketed, but target marketed. Ergo, the difference.

Not only demographics are taken into consideration, but also psychographics.

 

Celebrity is a mass markted line.

[cruising with marti]

All of the aformentioned cruise lines are considered by the cruise industry as Premium lines, now you may disagree, but that is how the industry defines, Princess, celebrity, HAL and Rcl.

 

 

 

Phil

[Two@Sea]

Symantics aside... most of us understood what the question meant, and the intended concept of the requested opinion.

 

Marsha

[Sky Sweet]

Celebrity is a premium mass-market line for your information. All mainstream cruise lines are mass-market, including Holland America and Princess.

 

Mass-market refers to who the clientele they market to, not the product they deliver. Get your definitions right.

I think it is almost impossible to separate clientele from the product because most businesses strive to develop a product based on the expectations of their clientele.

[hotspur]

It's a mass-market line just like all the others (RCCL, Carnival, Costa, NCL, HAL). There is nothing more "up-scale" about the experience, and certainly nothing about the passengers. They attract the same nice cross-section of American folks, with a sampling of Brits, Canadians, ANZACS, etc., to make it interesting. All the posturing here about Celebrity being so special or different from the others is simply self-gratification on the part of a few.

 

The results of a poll on the Celebrity board are irrelevant.

[apfra.]

My point was that Standard, Premium, and Luxury do not have much to do with “mass-market”, and while the terms are connected, they are more separate. One is the product and price the line is, and the other is where they market and to what group they market to (Celebrity markets to the masses, while delivering a premium product).

 

Even though they are without a doubt connected, they are two different terms describing two different facets of a line.

[geoherb]

Tavelocity classifies Celebrity ships as "premium" for "lifestyle category." Its other premium cruise lines are Disney, HAL, Princess.

 

Radisson, Windstar, and Crystal are "luxury" cruise lines, according to Travelocity. Carnival, NCL, and RCI are "contemporary."

 

Travelocity's definitions for the classifications are here.

 

* Contemporary - Look forward to a clean, comfortable, quality cruise experience aboard a "contemporary" ship. As non-stop, onboard activities are planned with a wide range of passengers in mind, these ships are ideal for almost any age group with varying interests. Ships range from smaller, classic vessels to brand-new mega-liners. But no matter the size of the ship, surroundings are comfortable and service is friendly.

 

* Premium - Attentive service, fine food, and elegant furnishings are the foundation of a "premium" ship. These vessels are imaginatively decorated, cuisine is innovative and fresh, and nightlife options are varied and exciting. Caring ship personnel always strive to make guests feel special.

 

* Luxury - Expect nothing but the best from a ship in this high-end category. Incredible attention to detail, unsurpassed personal service, exquisite food, and quality entertainment all converge to create a truly memorable cruise experience. The decor aboard these ships is best described as country-club casual, passenger space ratios are high, and one-of-a-kind itineraries tend toward more exotic locales.

[hotspur]

You can quote anyone you want, but our experience shows no significant difference between an NCL (or the dearly-departed Renaissance) cruise and a Celebrity or HAL cruise--and certainly not in the make-up of the clientele. All the talk here about passengers being "more sophisticated and refined" on Celebrity is hogwash--a rather sad attempt by a few to elevate their own status in some way by association. Yes, a nice cross-section of folks--just like you'd find on other mass-market lines.

 

Shlock art auctions, trivia, karaoke, bingo, daily PA announcements by the cruise director (contrary to Celebrity's PR), the usual tawdry casino (not a James Bond to be seen), intrusive photographers, run-of-the-mill entertainers, the poorest shipboard library I've seen, many broken-down lounge chairs by the Oasis pool, dirty cigarette-burned veranda furniture in our suite, etc.--all on Galaxy--do not make for "sophistication" or "refinement" or "premium."

 

We've cruised both HAL and Celebrity in the last six months and there is nothing "premium" about either--except perhaps their marketing hype. Certainly not their prices, either--both comparable with our NCL cruise (a repo, at that) in 2002. Not to say we didn't enjoy HAL and Celebrity. We did--as we enjoyed our NCL and Renaissance cruises. But a lot of the gushy stuff posted here simply has no basis in reality. Sorry to have to say it.

[Danno]

I think pre-RCI, Celebrity was attempting to make itself something unique in the mass marketed cruise industry....since RCI I think it's a nice cruise line with a lot to offer but nothing you couldn't find elsewhere.

 

The things that make X special tend to be the hold over items from the past...the better food, the staff ratios, the no PA policy. Don't count on these being around long...

[hdawson]

I think to attempt to compare the super casual NCL and Celebrity is a very big stretch. Celebrity has superior food and service and certainly far above that found on Royal Caribbean or NCL. The only PA announcemet I've heard other than the noon position report was once concerning a helicopter medivac restricting certain deck areas. Never for bingo, pool games or other activities. I think there are many subtle differences that set Celebrity apart from other mainstream lines. These opinions, personal of course, are based on 4 Celebrity cruises, 4 Royal Caribbean, one HAL and 4 Carnival, and a few others. Looking forward to Horizon in Feb.

[hotspur]

The only PA announcement I've heard other than the noon position report was once concerning a helicopter medivac restricting certain deck areas. Never for bingo, pool games or other activities.

 

Sorry, dawson. On the November 13 Galaxy cruise, immediately after the captain's daily briefing, our cruise director chimed in by reading the remainder of the ship's daily schedule to us--including every "sophisticated and refined" bingo, trivia, and karaoke event. Only Renaissance lived up to their "no announcements" claim, with the one announcement coming when we had to make an unscheduled landing in Palermo to send a stricken passenger to a hospital.

 

Regarding food, dinners in the Galaxy main dining room were certainly better than HAL, but HAL at least offered a flexible, reservation-free, varied menu, multiple-course alternative in their Lido, for those late or tired after their shore excursions. Frankly, HAL's dinner buffet was fresher and better prepared than their dining room dinners. Celebrity's breakfasts and lunches--in both the buffet and dining room--were no better than HAL, NCL, etc.

[hdawson]

Hotspur. I've found on all lines, normal buffets are just that. Buffets. Not great or memorable and not bad. I've never tried the buffets for dinner since I enjoy the dining room meals. Now that you mention it, on Mille, the CD may have come on following the Capt's position report with some extension of activities, but still not at all like the other lines every 15 or 30 min.

[mhenry]

I'd have to agree with hotspur. I have been on Celebrity, Princess, Carnival and RCCL and have yet to see any noticable difference between Celebrity and the other mass market lines. Each cruiseline has strong points and weak points, but overall the experience and cross-section of fellow passengers is pretty much the same.

 

It's a mass-market line just like all the others (RCCL, Carnival, Costa, NCL, HAL). There is nothing more "up-scale" about the experience, and certainly nothing about the passengers. They attract the same nice cross-section of American folks, with a sampling of Brits, Canadians, ANZACS, etc., to make it interesting. All the posturing here about Celebrity being so special or different from the others is simply self-gratification on the part of a few.

 

The results of a poll on the Celebrity board are irrelevant.

[mafig]

I'd have to agree with hotspur. I have been on Celebrity, Princess, Carnival and RCCL and have yet to see any noticable difference between Celebrity and the other mass market lines. Each cruiseline has strong points and weak points, but overall the experience and cross-section of fellow passengers is pretty much the same.

 

I agree. My dh loves to cruise, but he leaves researching and booking the cruise to me. After six cruises, he has them all confused in his head, and if I ask him if any of the passenger demographics stand out in any way, he says no -- all the same.

[hotspur]

Hotspur. I've found on all lines, normal buffets are just that. Buffets. Not great or memorable and not bad. I've never tried the buffets for dinner since I enjoy the dining room meals. Now that you mention it, on Mille, the CD may have come on following the Capt's position report with some extension of activities, but still not at all like the other lines every 15 or 30 min.

Agree, dawson. I prefer the dining room for dinners as well. But sometimes I'd just like to control my own pace in the evening. Maybe have soup and a salad at 6:30 and then an entree later, perhaps after the 7:15 show. Celebrity just doesn't give you that option. Not a show-stopper, but I think it's the only major cruise line that doesn't. And, on a 12-15 day cruise, I miss having that flexibility.

 

Lastly, yes, the once a day announcement is preferable to what most other lines do. But it is disingenuous to claim a "no announcements" policy when it's just not so, and even that one lengthy, unnecessary reading of the entire schedule irks me. I suspect everyone on a cruise ship can read. Frankly, after a few days of a cruise, the constant hype and phony excitement in everything the cruise director says to us gets on my nerves. Someone here characterized it as sounding like "summer camp," and that poster was dead spot on. If a cruise line seeks a "sophisticated and refined" ambiance, probably the first thing it should do is tone down the cruise directors and tell them to treat us like discerning adults. The "cheerleading" grows old quickly.

[Giorgi-one]

I totally agree about camp atmosphere with cruise directors. Most of this must be aimed at first time cruisers because it gets old starting with the second cruise. I also agree that adults don't need someone to read the daily paper for them.

[excitedofharpenden]

hotspur, I was on the same cruise as you and I have to admit I never heard an announcement, except for the call to the life boat drill. Perhaps I wasn't paying attention or was on deck having a kip:o

 

As for the CD, I didn't rate ours at all. I think he has now left. They need to get some new material. The old jokes are.........well, old (and tacky).

 

Phil