AnnaNicole

You can bring a case of water? I didn't know that was still allowed. Good to know.

On our recent Solstice cruise the lobster tail was so small, the waiter brought my husband a second tail without him asking for it. Don't even get me started on the very small size of the shrimp in the shrimp cocktail. 😄

I am very sorry for your loss. Sincere condolences to you and your family.

Normandie was fantastic!

It has already started. You can sign up for limited housekeeping and receive extra loyalty points for doing so.

We are thinking along the same line. No huff. No puff. We just see better value for our vacation money. I have a Celebrity cruise booked for February and I am still considering Windstar for Tahiti. I will see how it goes.

Are you sure? Everything in the zero alcohol package *is* included in the classic alcohol package. Do you mean classic no-alcohol package?

Classic Alcohol or non-alcohol? The zero alcohol drinks were included in the premium non-alcohol package. The zero alcohol drinks are included in the classic alcohol package.

This is how I feel too. Funnily enough, I just got another offer for a free veranda from the BCC. This is my fifth or sixth offer.

Because they were a part of the overall experience. That's why. I don't know how to explain it any further.

I don't see it on their ticker. Which cruiseline? (thanks)

It is not about chocolates, towel animals, or midnight buffets, per se; it is about the overall experience. The devil is in the details. In my experience, a cruise used to feel special. Food was excellent, service was outstanding, the little things add a lot and it was money well spent. Once you start stripping off the toppings, well, sometimes the base product is not enough. It is a lot like food dishes. You start removing the "extras" and it just doesn't taste the same or have the same enjoyment factor. Yes, it still provides nourishment, but it no longer holds the same appeal.

Exactly. Plus, we are not big eaters. We can't do MDR every night. Sometimes, we just want a quick bite for dinner.

Yes.

We also had great experiences on MSC. We may take another look as it has been a while since our last cruise with them.

The dwindling of food, amenities, and service started well before the pandemic. The pandemic has exacerbated the problem. Cruiselines, no doubt, are trying to weather the pandemic storm. The only issue I see, is that once something is gone, be it a good or service, it rarely returns. The value of cruising (for me) has decreased considerably since my first cruise over 20 years ago.

OK. But I paid $70 in September Solstice and December Reflection cruises. And you said $3 per day! Your math was way off. It was more like a $17 increase in one day and $39 in one month. I could not even add the beverage package to my February cruise until a week or so ago. It showed as unavailable for purchase in mid-December.

I would argue what got us to this place is the huge increase in executive compensation of the past two decades. 😄

Well... I got a free veranda from the BCC. I am not complaining. I am just surprised by the huge 50% increase.

$70 per day to $109 per day. Not including gratuity. That's a 50% increase.

You can monitor your daily charges on the Celebrity App.

What is with the huge price increase? It was $90 something + gratuity last week. I paid $70+ gratuity for the Premium alcohol package on my December Reflection cruise and my September Solstice Cruise. Are you guys seeing these prices for your cruises?

I will finish out what I have booked. Then I will most likely book other upscale lines. I am mostly looking at Windstar. The premium drink package on my next Feb cruise is $90+ gratuity. A hard pass. My last two cruises (Sept & Dec 2022) the drink packages were much less. I probably don't break even at the lesser rates but I always book the packages because it is easier. Not any more.

We were on the December 18 Reflection sailing (sunset veranda). No charge for room service of main dining room dinner menu items.