CRZR58

Read the complaints and decide which ones pertain to you and which ones don't. Things aren't as bad as some say and they aren't as good as others say. Take both the complainers and the cheerleaders opinion's with a grain or two of salt.

A lot of the complaints are actual problems. Just because they didn't happen to some posters, doesn't mean they don't happen at all. We've had great experiences and poor ones on the same cruise line on the same class of ship in the same year. Sometimes it's just luck of the draw.

Realistic expectations are the key here. Cruises feed around 3000 people each meal. Some will be happy. Others, not so much. Some meals will be great. Others need to be sent back. Most are OK, but nothing special, unless you pay for the 'Specialty' restaurants, which in our experience have been quite good.

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Try clearing all of the cookies for Celebrity Cruises in your web browser' date=' then try again. I posted links to instructions here. There should have been a check for legacy cookies and to clear them out prior to logging in.

I use LastPass to have different passwords on all websites, but I don't use huge passwords on anything except banking sites. It works great on most sites and worked before the changes on Celebrity' site. Gotta assume it has something to do with the new code.

I don't know Celebrity's systems, or how they handle their passwords, so I agree that a database scan may not be viable. Take my database search comment as a knee jerk reaction to a frustrating situation that turned out to be wrong.:o

IMO, any time a company makes a password policy change (Mine was 7 characters), they should send an email to everyone who MAY be affected by the change. Celebrity is fully capable of sending out emails to everyone which is better than simply posting a FAQ and pointing those who have problems to it.

I did clear all cookies that Celebrity uses. Tested, and it didn't make any difference. I then cleaned all cookies in the Chrome (CCleaner). Tested and it didn't make any difference. I've now signed back on to all the sites I frequent without problems, yet I still can't get a simple search to work on Celebrity in Chrome. Luckily, I'm tech savvy enough to find a work around (Edge).

Of course you are being tracked, that is the nature of internet usage today, with the bells and whistles to stop being tracked, often times it is a no go.

 

Try to find a cruise website which will not track you and conduct business there, if you can find one. I, personally, have never looked, then again I do have 'do not track' turned on in my browser along with ad blocker and things appear to be working just fine, for now. Ad blocker is working I know, the 'do not track' not sure at all if that is working.

 

bon voyage

Before the changes, it worked with an ad blocker and the VPN. Most cruise sites work with both on too. Not that an ad blocker and do not track are 2 very different things.

Hi - We are sorry about this! Please see our FAQs here: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=56188434#post56188434

 

If you have additional questions about your experience, please call 1-866-755-2171. Thank you.

None of the FAQs answer my problems, which you should have known if you read them.

Since my original note, I've:

Tried Edge: LastPass and search don't work there either.

Tried Edge and Chrome without VPN turned on. No difference in searchability.

Tried Edge and Chrome with ad blocker (Ublock Origin) turned off. No difference in Chrome, but I did get valid search results in Edge, so I've got 1 way to search, but now I'm being tracked and I'm getting ads.

My Experience in Chrome so far:

1. LastPass doesn't work

2. System now only takes Email addresses

3. I had a 7 character password so I had to do a password reset - This required re-entering all of my information

4. My captains club number didn't make the transition so I re-entered it to get my past cruises

5. I cleared my cookies

6. Signed off and signed back on - New lastpass entry created

7. Signed off and signed back on - LastPass still doesn't work even with the new entry

8. Tried to search for a cruise...

- Filled in the dates

- Filled in the destination

- Clicked on Find Cruise

. Got Select your Country of residence

. Down arrow doesn't work, but you can type in Canada if you put your cursor over the word 'Country'

. Pressed the GO button

Went back to the main page without showing any trips. Dates and destinations have been cleared.

Tried everything in step 8 again with the same results, so as it stands, I can't use Celebrities website to search for trips!

As an ex-IT guy, this is a horrible update.

1. Run a scan through the database, find all users with a Username or a password that doesn't match the new standards. Send them all an email that outlines how the new system will work and when it will be implemented.

2. Make sure the system works with standard browsers like IE, Chrome, Edge and Safari

3. Make sure the system works with standard apps like LastPass.

4. If cookies are getting in the way of the new system, let everyone know via email before the update.

5. Don't drop any information during the transition.

6. Drop down arrows should work.

7. Gotta make sure that folks can search for trips once they can sign on

Anyone else having search problems? Anyone know a fix for them?

When we went to San Juan on Celebrity, we were supposed to dock at 3:30 PM. Didn't get in until 4:30 PM or off the boat until after 5. Forts (our first choice of things to do) were closed. Grab a coffee at the highly rated coffee shop by the main square? Nope, it was closed too. Most of the other stores also closed.

Wandered around the town for a while and noticed that the restaurants and bars were the only things that were open, so we went back to the ship.

Would love to go back some day when you get in early or stay over night so we can actually see the place.

It happens all the time doesn't make it less tacky or less rude.

Yes, I know I'm in the minority, but I don't care what other people think. That's their problem. (See how rude it sounds?)

Yes. It's tacky and rude.

I'd take the later flight and enjoy a little bit of what Vancouver has to offer. That being said, last time we got off in Vancouver, it only took 5 minutes before we were outside. We had to wait until the car rental place opened to get our car for the day. Skytrain would have got us to the airport by 8:00AM.

So many people want to point fingers now days. It bothers me the we as citizens are becoming a society where everything has to be done and explained for and to us because we don't have the time or energy to do it ourselves. And then if we didn't hear it right, it is someone else's fault. Humans can have a tendency to hear what they want to hear.

 

My DW and I spent 2 hours going through policies yesterday to determine which one was right for us for this fall. This meant actually reading the coverages and comparing them for OUR needs. We have a spreadsheet with over 20 coverages over 15 to 20 areas. Everyone has different needs and someone at Princess, a travel agency, or another cruise line do not know your needs as well as you do. Explaining these needs to then only raises the risk of misunderstanding as to the real need.

 

There are several threads on CC where the discussion on what type of coverage a person buys and needs. These discussion go to show that no two cruisers see the problem the same.

Good for you if you choose to create spreadsheets and explore every option for yourself. It's a good idea if you can't trust the information you get in the first place. In the end, you have to trust someone tho. Which of the several resources you used do you trust?

The whole thing is a byproduct of morphing from a society where the customer is right to one where the company is always right, even if they provide you with bad information. In my experience, companies rarely make mistakes in the customers favour and when they do, they find a way to recoup their losses, because that's just good business.

The company most likely has a recording of the conversation(s) in question. If they didn't actually tell the OP what he thinks they did, I'm sure they can provide him with the proof. If there's any question, they won't have a copy of the recording.

Personal responsibility is all well and good, but you should be able to rely on the information that you are provided over the phone. Providing accurate information is the responsibility of the company who is providing it in the first place. If they're wrong, they should make good on their promises.

I don't want to exaggerate but I have a friend who lives near a Princess call center. They were recruiting Princess phone reps for summer positions in a high school newspaper. This was several years ago but you get the picture. Many of these people have never cruised before, let alone are experts on insurance.

 

Not sure about you, but whenever I book a cruise, I am immediately sent the Princess insurance policy. It would have given the OP a perfect time to read it.

 

Yes - I say lucky because many people come here with health issues and don't have any coverage. He walked away with something - I hope he can use it.

So your point is that it's OK to provide the wrong information and not stand behind it because they don't hire experienced people and they don't train them properly? :o:rolleyes:FTR: If the folks on the telephone don't know the right answers then it's the companies fault, not the customers.

The problem is that Princess looks out for Princess. An agent looks out for their clients. Do you see the difference? When I had a relative with a medical condition, I read the fine print and asked the difficult questions of the insurance company. If the OP had called the insurance company - they would have found out the coverage.

 

The OP is lucky they received a cruise credit for a future cruise. I am glad they had that coverage. I sure hope they can use it. Other policies may have offered nothing.

You, and others, don't seem to have any problem with a cruise line giving out bad information and you don't think that they should be held responsible for the mistakes that they make.

If it were me, I would have called the insurance company directly too, but I shouldn't have to. I should be able to rely on what the companies representative tells me. They are in it for themselves, but that doesn't mean they can give out wrong info then say "You didn't actually believe us did you? What a knob! YOU should have checked with someone else who doesn't work for the cruise line.".

As for the OP being 'lucky', what a crock. 'Lucky' would have been being able to rely on the information they got from the company they bought the coverage from. 'Lucky' would have been getting their money back. Heck, that's not even 'lucky'. It's what should have happened if the OP's post is accurate, and I have no reason to believe it isn't.

OP buys the insurance that he was told to by Princess. Princess doesn't honour it. CC folks blame OP for not doing his homework, not using a travel agent and not reading the fine print instead of Princess for giving the wrong info in the first place. Typical CC.

To OP... I'm sorry about your wifes worsening condition, that you were given bad info and that Princess isn't making things right. Thanks for letting everyone know.

I read the OP and thought to myself... here come the cheerleaders to flame you and I sure wasn't disappointed!

It seems to me that using 2, 80 person tenders to move 3K PAX to then from the dock is a valid complaint.

If you expect 'Olive Garden At Sea', you should be happy. If you expect high quality dining, you won't.

I was on Star Breeze last year and concur with you about the food. It was excellent. For me the MDR was better than any of the Specialties that are on either Celebrity or Azamara.

 

However I found the experience as a whole disappointing. Some of the crew weren't very friendly and the ship lacked polish. Uncomfortable loungers, an excess of which remained stacked up at the back of the sun deck all cruise. The information on tours at the ports was severely lacking and one of our ship tours was cancelled through lack of interest, even though we rounded up quite a few guests to do it. No effort made to accommodate us.

 

Small ships are great and I particularly chose Windstar to go through the Corinth Canal which was fabulous, but in the final analysis even with great food and paid wine package I wouldn't return.

 

Phil

This is why I say to each their own.

We didn't have the same experience on Windstar. Crew was friendly. Port talks were the best we've been to as they didn't include the sales pitch or the re-reading of what was in the dailys. Didn't find the loungers uncomfortable and loved the fact that they took them to shore for the beach picnic. Our excursions weren't cancelled and we don't expect special effort at accommodation.

All in all, we'd go back in a second, but I can certainly understand why you wouldn't.

We thought about doing the Windstar Legend next year from Japan, which may have been cheaper overall than Celebrity in Aqua. At the end of the day, we weren't sure we would enjoy that fancy of food. Maybe if Windstar starts building bigger ships, they'll have a downgraded steerage package. :p

The food was fabulous. The upcharge to good bottles of wine at meals was better than we expected and the quality of the wine was better too.

We love the small ship experience. No lineups, even for tenders. Embark / Disembark in 20 minutes. Go places that the big ships can't. Small groups for shore excursions. Beach party on a secluded spot on an island was amazing. No 'yard sales' to go through. Comfortable cabins with excellent bedding that are very well taken care of.

Others don't like the lack of an 'Off off broadway' show, the small pool, or the small number of bars. Those things don't matter to us.

Like I said... too each their own.

What's the best alternative for us steerage passengers?

To each their own.

Some will move on to other cruise lines... We love Windstar, but it's not for everyone and too expensive for us to go too often.

Some will move on to other types of travel... Our last 2 trips were All Inclusives which are:

Cheaper from Canada all in

Easier - Book one thing, go out to the airport and your taken care of until you get back to your home airport

Have bigger rooms

Have bigger pools so you don't have to fight the chair hogs as much

Everything is included

Excursions are cheaper and the crowds on each are much smaller

No tenders or lineup to get off the property or back except the first check in which is faster than getting on or off a boat anyway

You can go somewhere else if you don't like the food or want different entertainment

The only thing we miss is being out on the water.

Out of curiosity, which ship?

Equinox.

From folks who book steerage and weren't sailing in the golden years.

On our last Celebrity I ordered the Jerk Chicken, basically a roast chicken. That simply made it badly named. What made it inedible happened when I cut down to the bone and found it blood red, with gelatinous, uncooked cold meat. Put me off even ordering another one to replace it.

Same trip I ordered a medium rare steak. It came well done. Think greyage meat and you've got the idea. Sent it back, got an second one, still had no pink, let alone red. Gave up and ate it, cuz it wasn't inedible, just unenjoyable. None of the 4 of our group ever got a properly cooked or even an enjoyable steak in the MDR. It's not that they can't do steak right because the ones we had in an upcharge restaurant on board were excellent.

Same trip I ordered the Beef Wellington, something I usually love. Not crisp on the outside. Soggy on the inside of the 'crust'. Cut it down the middle and pulled off the entire outside to get to the meat, cuz the outside was inedible. Meat in the middle was cooked thru, but cold. Unpalatable, but not inedible.

Most desserts are simple big pans of cake with sweet icing. Stopped eating them on day 2. Went to Cafe Al Bacio and got better deserts and cappuccinos that didn't take 20 minutes to arrive, which of course made them cool, which isn't the idea of coffee.

Was running a bit late one evening. Went to the MDR and asked if we could move our reservation later. Was told no. Ate at the buffet, which had surprisingly good indian food, but not the atmosphere we were looking for.

Is the food inedible? Some yes. Mostly no. Is it up to your standards? Maybe. Make up your own mind. We did and moved on.

The WiFi hardware has already been paid for. It's the bandwidth people are paying for. Kinda like your monthly internet bill. It would be really cheap on a per person basis if it was included in everyone's fare. Likely less than $5, but it would also be 'dial-up' slow if everyone tried to use it.

Personally, we just do without unless we're in a port. Even then, we usually need to buy a coffee or a drink to get the 'free' WiFi. Then again we're 60+ so we were without WiFi for most of our lives anyway.

For us the #1 criteria is food. It's no longer up to snuff in the MDR and paying extra for 'specialty' restaurants nightly bumps the price up significantly. Everyone else is doing it is an excuse, not an argument for Celebrity to try and win the race to food mediocrity.

People post their warnings to others, not to change the cheerleaders minds or to try and take people away from Celebrity, but to set the expectations to realistic levels. For example: Set your expectations for the MDR to slightly better than Olive Garden at sea and you should enjoy Celebrity.

Try Rouge - http://roguewetbar.com/ for close and tasty.

A bit longer walk. A bit more expensive. A lot better food. - Water Street Cafe http://www.waterstreetcafe.ca/

Enjoy my favorite city!

Can you tell me a bit more about your Windstar experience? I checked out the website, and I'm interested. Not that we haven't enjoyed our Princess Cruises. We don't usually do the Theater shows, but enjoy the comedians and live music. We want to do Panama, and Windstar has some interesting itineraries. I see they are currently having a sale, do they also honour price drops?. I'm not one to embrace change usually :) but I'm intrigued.

We loved our Caribbean cruise. Small ship life is definitely different. Embarkation/Debarkation took 15 minutes each . Just dropped our baggage off, walked onboard and did the rest with a drink in our hands sitting at the bar.

Mostly stopped at smaller islands, but did one day where we were in town with 2 big ships, which is a completely different feeling. Shore excursions are the same as the big ships, but the numbers of people going are way smaller so they are more intimate. Going to a beach means 20 or so others there at the same time, not 2000-3000.

Only one venue with live music nightly and a couple of musicians at the aft bar on our ship... Windsurf. No comedian. Best food at sea by far for us. Celebrity is #2, but way back. Good wine upcharge was better than I expected. The two downsides of the ship were lack of varied entertainment at night and a hilariously small pool, but the water sports platform at the back of the ship meant we didn't use the pool anyway.

Some highlights were the 1 island where we had a BBQ picnic on shore for lunch on a beach where the ships passengers were the only folks. They brought everything ashore including lounge chairs. One night, the winds were right and they unfurled the sails and turned down the engines. Pretty special to be actually 'sailing' quietly.

Our cabin was small but really well done. Very comfortable beds with really nice Egyptian linens. Included bath products were L’Occitane.

Not sure if they honour price drops or not as we booked one of the specials.

If you like good to great food and a small ship experience, try Windstar. Depends on your tastes though... No 'Off-Off Broadway' musical, kids, flow riders etc. and just the one nightly venue with live music. No waiting for tenders or lining up for most things. The ships can visit places that others can't get to, so there are significantly less folks on the island than the big ships in the bigger ports.

We loved it.