Is Celebrity a "Premium Line"

[hajekfam]

I have been on 10 Celebrity cruises and have never heard announcements of the day's activities since our first couple of cruises in the early 90's.

Since Celebrity went to a no announcement policy other than the usual noontime location, weather, travelling speed, etc., I have only heard some activity announcements poolside in the early afternoon - but that was usually when the poolside activity was starting or finishing. These announcements were poolside only (from the mike and speakers by the the pool) so they could be heard on the outside decks (loudness depending how far away you were from the outside poolside speakers), not in the staterooms or inside public areas of the ship.

There have been announcements over the system when there are rather strange or unusual sightings (whales, dolphins, we've been asked to circle the area to help the coast guard in a possible rescue mission, etc).

[JJPNYC]

To further expand on this, the only time there were announcements were at the end of activities as stated above. Things like at Bingo at the end saying "Tonight we have the big show here in the lounge" or stuff like that. This is OK in my book becuase you're already at an event and the announcement is a local announcement just to those who are in the room or ear shot of that particular PA system.

 

jeff

[hotspur]

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

 

Phil

Trust me, Phil. Every time we heard the captain give us his daily briefing, Barrett followed it by reading the day's program. My wife and I grumbled and groaned every time. Maybe he's unique on Celebrity. (I hope so. And if he's now gone...no great loss, IMHO. And if I tar Celebrity unfairly because of one CD's behavior, my apologies.) But that was a real annoyance to us and, frankly, a disappointment.

[KenM]

Who cares. I just got off the HA Volendam.

 

Nice ship - poor dinning room service.

I can't wait to get back on Celebrity..

 

The shows, the quality of service, the average age of the people on board..

Celebrity all the way....

 

I never realized how good Celebrity is-- HA is good - Celebrity is excellent..

 

I can't believe that I went back to HA- had a great suite but everything else was not at the Celebrity level. What was I thinking.........

[pa.cruisers]

Latest Conde Nast ratings give X 85.8 in the top 10. the following were not in top 10,but rated as follows:

 

Princess 82.7

Disney 81.0

Oceania 81.1

HAL 80.0

 

Your comments if any ?

[Lois R]

Hi...everything is OPINION.....you know what they say about that?;) ......

I didn't vote.......

 

I was on HAL once.....and other than the Promanade Deck and Entertainment(both were outstanding)....the rest of the cruise left alot to be desired......Food and Service were lacking (in my opinion). I always feel welcomed on Celebrity....

and so I am back on them.

 

Ken...I agree with you.....if that makes me a Celebrity "Homer" so be it.

Just returned from Constellation.......had a wonderful week:D

Need to book something soon!!!!

[Dolphintime]

Celebrity management considers themselves to be premium and at the range of Crystal Cruises. Wrong. Perhaps closer on either side of Holland.

 

Dolphintime

[C 2 C]

We've cruised about 500 days...

 

If the price were the same... forget about premium lines which we have never done..(surcharge for limited options)...

we would pick 1) Celebrity 2) Celebrity (3) HAL (4) Princess... RCL only if our daughter was along... NCL... forget about it (once was enough)... Carnival... not in this lifetime

 

Reasons: Service, food, on board activities, cruisers with similar tastes...

 

We were on the Galaxy for 25 days in May and do not remember announcements other than position... On the Infinity (Dec) wonderful silence after the bingo/hog calls on Princess (Feb & Oct)

 

Mass Market: we get specials from the major lines weekly, premium lines seldom have "specials", we ignore Carnival and NCL... would travel the others depending on length.. long is good... But based on our experience, Celebrity offers the best product in its category...

[Blizzard54]

We very much enjoyed out cruise on Celebrity and will be returning to them with the new situation regarding the Captains Club and Crown & Anchor. We will not be returning to NCL or CCL. We might consider HAL or Princess but with the loyalty perks we get from Celebrity and RCL we will most likely be staying with them.

[TWELVEOHONE]

According to those that classify ships, Celebrity is in the premium market. In fact it was recently rated by readers of Conte Nast as the best in teh premium market.

 

MASS Market

Carnival, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean

 

PREMIUM

Hollad America, Princess, Celebrity, MSC

 

LUXURY

Crystal, Silver Sea, Radisson

 

Thsi si NOT all inclusive just what came to mind

[SueSea]

I side with those in the premium camp. While it's true that Celebrity & HAL are closer to NCL, RCI, & CCL than Seabourn or Radisson, there are difference that make them a slight cut above those other mass market lines. (Personally, I put Princess somewhere between Celebrity/HAL and the others.) Here are the reasons I put Celebrity & HAL in a different category. IN GENERAL, their prices are higher. (I know there are exceptions, you don't have to list them.) This means their market is smaller than the mass market lines. Of potential cruisers, more can afford NCL/RCI/CCL than Celebrity/HAL. This smaller market niche means Celebrity/HAL are not mass market. They market to a subset of all cruisers--the slightly more affluent cruiser and those who are willing to spend a little more to get a little more.

 

Another difference is the service. All of the lines I've cruised on, mass market and premium, had good to great service. The difference is in formality. Mass market lines tend to have more friendly, less formal service. Premium lines have more formal, somewhat deferential service.

 

In my experience, the food on premium lines is a step above mass market lines. On my HAL Caribbean cruise, I had king crab legs for dinner and an all-you-can-eat seafood lunch with jumbo shrimp and crab legs. I've never had either crab legs or a seafood buffet luncheon on a mass market line. Perhaps mass market lines have that on Alaskan cruises, but not on my Caribbean or Mexican Riviera cruises.

 

Cruise prices have been low across the board until recently, primarily due to 9/11 and the quick buildup of capacity. The premium lines had to move closer to the mass market product; they just couldn't their product as superior with the fares they were charging. We are now starting to see prices rise. The premium lines are starting to set themselves above the mass market lines even more. Celebrity's concierge class cabins & HAL's Signature of Excellence programs demonstrate this.

[newmexicoNita]

In TA business Celebrity is thought of as a premium line, one level down from luxury. For us, I guess I would agree, but didn't find them much different than any of the mass mraketed lines: Little amenities like Champange upon arrival did add a bit, the cabins on the Connie were decorated quite nicely and the T pool was wonderful as was the spa. Still I thought the overall appeal wasn't all that much different: buffets are buffets and thought Celebrity does a much better presentation than say, NCL the food in the buffet really isn't even as good I didn't think: The entertainment was equal to, but not any better than RCI or HAL. The staff was very attentive and very friendly; the pool area not as nice as some ships in my estimation. So, as you can see, I would still call the line just basic but it is grouped as premium. NMnita

[TWELVEOHONE]

Is Celebrity a "Premium Line"

1. Yes

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

 

According to who ever rates them Celebrity is squarly in the premium market.

To take it a step further, readers of Conte Nast rated Clebrity the best in the premium market.

 

MASS MARKET

Carnival Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Line

Royal Caribbean International

Disney

 

PREMIUM MARKET

Celebrity

Holland America

Princess

[greydog]

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.

 

Sometimes its nice to interject some independent ratings into the discussion. Here's Conde Nast Traveler's GOLD LIST for 2005 Celebrity seems to be keeping some 'premium' company.

 

Top Cruise Lines

 

"These 12 Gold List and 8 Reserve lines concoct the finest experiences. Rates vary based on itinerary; contact individual cruise lines for details. Vessels are listed in order of ascending passenger capacity. "

Celebrity Cruises

Clipper Cruise LIne

Crystal Cruises

Lindblad Expeditions

Peter Deilmann Cruises

Radisson Seven Seas Cruises

Seabourn Cruise Line

Sea Cloud Cruises

SeaDream Yacht Club

Silversea Cruises

Star Clippers

Windstar Cruises

[idssms]

IMHO Celebrity is a premium cruise line.

 

All I can do is compare my experiences on Celebrity with those on Princess, Carnival and RCL.

 

It is a cut above the others.

 

Don

[chatisfaction]

Call it premium or call it mass-market whatever makes you feel good. All I know is I went,I had some nice dinners in the dining room, enjoyed breakfast on my balcony, had great martinis and met lots of nice people in the Martini Bar, overall I had a great time and I don't remember once asking myself. "Is this really refined and upscale or am I having low class fun here."

 

I don't know if it makes me a slob or a snob but I'd love to go again.

[newmexicoNita]

Call it premium or call it mass-market whatever makes you feel good. All I know is I went,I had some nice dinners in the dining room, enjoyed breakfast on my balcony, had great martinis and met lots of nice people in the Martini Bar, overall I had a great time and I don't remember once asking myself. "Is this really refined and upscale or am I having low class fun here."

 

I don't know if it makes me a slob or a snob but I'd love to go again.

 

 

Right attitude working here: it still is an interesting question and the opinions are worth reading even if we all have to make up our own minds.

 

NMNita

[rs12065]

Wow, just read this whole thread. It is hard to discern the difference (if any) between cruise lines, yet people like Apfra seem to just want to muddy the discussion with inane semantics. Can't we just answer a simple poll without some people trying to add their two cents as to the validity of the poll? This just appears to be someone trying to sound more intellectual than the rest of the respondents. I have crusied Celebrity and Princess...noted the differences, but damn it, I am on vacation, and the worst cruise is still way better than a week in upstate NY where i live. Some people are to damn pretentious.

[rs12065]

Apfra, thank you for letting all of us morons know that FYI means "For Your Information". I see you made a point to let us know this in your earlier posting. I for one did not know this, and I am glad there are people more intellectual than I am to inform us. Sheesh!

[cruisespecialist]

Celebrity joins the ranks of Princess and Holland America as premium cruise lines. And Celebrity ranks very high on this level from my perspective. When you examine the quality of service and food, the amount of free space in the public areas, and the ratio of crew to passengers you will certainly understand what makes it premium.

[JenChris05]

Cruisespecialist-

I am going on the Brilliance to the Med this July and we're booked for cabin 8590. I see you were also once in this cabin. Can you please tell me about it size-wise and the balcony and bathroom in particular? If you have any pics that would be great too.

 

My email is jenvisbisky@hotmail.com

 

Thanks!

Jen

[newmexicoNita]

Celebrity joins the ranks of Princess and Holland America as premium cruise lines. And Celebrity ranks very high on this level from my perspective. When you examine the quality of service and food, the amount of free space in the public areas, and the ratio of crew to passengers you will certainly understand what makes it premium.

 

 

I certainly would rate Celebrity above HAL and probably Princess in most cases. Princess can be very hit or miss and HAL isn't quite what she was about 5 or 10 years ago.

 

NMnita

[L11]

I have to say that I have really never heard any announcements other than the noontime position report read by the Captain or the cruise director in the 5 Celebrity cruises I have taken. Might have been bad judgment on the part of a cruise director who is no longer there.

 

I prefer the rather toned down pace of Celebrity and the fact that, even on full cruises, I have rarely felt terribly crowded. Lots of little touches make it nicer than Princess etc., though I must admit that those touches are mostly on the M class ships (like the Aqua Spa cafe). I have sailed on some of the luxury lines as well (Windstar most recently) and Celebrity is closer to that feel than other lines mentioned (Princess, NCL, etc). Personally, I prefer the set dining times and getting to know my tablemates. So, FOR ME, it is a good match and closer to 'premium' than the other lines. But that hinges on my personal preferences. If I preferred a casual experience with free choice dining, I would look to other cruiselines.

 

The age demographics are generally about the same on Princess and Celebrity in my experience, though that changes somewhat depending on th departure point. HAL is older and RCL is younger. I have never been on NCL (it just doesn't appeal to me from what i have read) so I can't say, but I suspect it is younger as well. I do agree that, in term of socioeconomic backgrounds, they are likely all pretty similar.

 

Linda

[newmexicoNita]

Linda,

 

I think Celebrity draws from a little higher socioeconomic group than say, Princess. That has just been my experience in the business, but it isn't something worth debating for sure. As for age and NCL, NCL is probably the line with the most deverse age breakdown on the seas and perhaps this goes for socioeconomic makeup as well. That is why some find it either disappointing as they are accostom to lines that fit a mold. I don't know if this is good or bad.

 

NMNita

[Leela]

My, what a heated topic. My crusing experience isn't as wide as most of yours, but I will share how my mom & I look at Celebrity. We took the Century last year in a CC cabin, and this year we're taking the Horizon in a suite. We feel that our experience has been "business class" (as in airline business class). A bit nicer with more comfortable surroundings, better service, and better food than in coach, but without the full-on price/attention/amenities of first class. This suits us just perfectly, as we like to get value for our money but also like to give ourselves a little pampering.

 

Really when you make these comparisons you have to take ship and cabin into account. Mom's & my first cruise was in an inside cabin with an upper berth in Transatlantic Class on the QE2. She was disappointed in the food, sniffing that it was about as good as at a Holiday Inn. Years later she and my dad took the Vistafjord, and that was so much better, yet was still Cunard. Years later she took the QM2 (not sure what level, but probably Brittania restaurant) and she thinks that the food and ambience on the Century was better.

 

I've taken RCCL once, on the Viking Serenade, right before they got rid of her. The boat was really worn down and the dining room was very loud, but I had booked one of a very few balcony cabins all to myself. The room was threadbare -- the Motel 6 in San Simeon near Hearst Castle is nicer -- but I still had a great time. However, would it really be fair for me to use that one RCCL experience to judge all the newer nicer in good repair RCCL ships?

 

Still, based on my limited experience, limited to one fabulous week in a CC cabin on Century, I feel like I've found my cruising "home." I hope our upcoming experience on Horizon is as good. I know the ship is old and is due to be leased to another line, so I'm prepared for it not looking as sparkling and wonderful as the Century, but I figure if my experience is 80% as good as what I got on Century then I'll have a great time and it will still be good value for the fares we paid.