I am a new cruiser so everything I "know" about Celebrity and other cruise lines is based off of forums like this one, youtube videos, cruise line advertisements, etc. I do not wish to start any trouble but I have a real question about how and when cruise lines communicate substantial changes to policies, practices and advertisements to their customers. (By "substantial," I mean something that a regular person might have relied on in making his/her cruise decisions.")
It appears to me that Celebrity is very good at flying under the radar and is also very slow to correct conflicting and obsolete information. When the dining changes were made, lines like Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Carnival and Princess proactively made announcements about them. As a couple of other people have already noted, the information on Celebrity's website often conflicts with what is actually happening on its ships. Examples include the roll out the new drink packages (the advertisement in the cruise planner where you purchase drink packages said the Zero Proof Package was included in the Classic Drink Package but is it not); a new room service fee was imposed but not all the menus showed the fee; the Solarium is billed as "adults only" when 13 years olds are now allowed in at all times of the day, along with the family swim times; etc.
It's not the changes or the policies themselves that confuse me. What confuses me is why Celebrity does not feel the need to ensure the information it puts out there, oftentimes in writing, is accurate. It is like ordering and paying for the best model Lexus only to be delivered the no frills base model Lexus. Yes, you are still getting a Lexus but I think most people would be upset at the downgrade.
So, do all the cruise lines operate this way? Is it something that is just built into the industry? Which lines would you say are the best when it comes to providing the experience the line advertises?
Thank you in advance for your views on this topic.