diligaf51

So I reserved my first cruise on Celebrity less than 3 months ago, that we'll be taking in 2 weeks. Before I get to the crux of the issue here…my family is is very looking forward to this cruise and we're sure we'll have a good time.

 

We are, however, getting concerned at the one-sided nature of the "agreement" we had to cruise with Celebrity.

 

We do not take that many vacations - due to limited vacation time, kids' commitments to school and sports teams, etc. What we have taken to doing is a family vacation or a couples vacation, in alternating years. What this means is…1 vacation per year. Given our location and the logistics (and cost) of travelling with kids, it makes more sense to do less vacations and have them be memorable. We are quite looking forward to a great cruise in a corner FV cabin!

 

We have done a variety of vacations - Disney, land-based resort, other cruises, and more "roughing it" style vacations. Every one of those vacations, the conditions of sale DID NOT CHANGE from booking to cruising. Disney, for example, frequently changes dining rules etc. on their programs - but it's clear from day one what the rules are (i.e. - if you book in March for September, the rules that will be in place in September are clearly indicated upon booking if you are willing to ask the right questions).

 

With Celebrity, it seems that they collect the fare, but will then be able to do as they please as to the terms of what is on offer.

 

Based on the research I had done at the time of choosing my cruise, the following SIGNIFICANT changes have happened:

 

1) I was quite looking forward to the Michael's Club and it's collection of draft beers, as advertised on the website. But then, a press release went out, and Michael's Club's doors got shut, to be opened only for 10% of the people on the boat. Nobody at Celebrity has made it clear if/where the craft beer will be available.

 

2) My wife was looking forward to the Zumba lessons by the pool. Those have been cancelled.

 

3) The last sea-day brunch buffet that we had read about on the website got canned.

 

4) Pricing has been increased from $5 to $7 at Bistro on 5 (will they change its name now too??). This upsets me quite a bit - was looking forward to eating there as a family, but $7 is the tipping point where it makes no sense to bring the kids who might or might not like it - so we'll bring them to the buffet and let them go to the kids' club while we go to Bistro on 5…which removes a potential family activity from a ship that didn't have many of them to begin with. The other specialties on Summit might be increased too, but that doesn't bother me as much as I wasn't planning to bring the kids to QSine at $45 (or is it $50?) a pop anyways.

 

5) There are reports of decreased selection on the Classic beverage package.

 

6) NO NEW FEATURES are present to replace these items.

 

Now, I might have still chosen Celebrity regardless of these changes, I just find it abhorrent that within a 3-month span, so many cutbacks in service can occur without warning. If you make a deal to buy a car, and when you go to pick it up they've decided to drop 3 features, well then you will have the option to either back out of the purchase or get a discount. If Celebrity can't operate in this manner, fine, but where are the upgrades to compensate for the obviously lower value level that I'm getting for the dollar amount already paid? Is this industry so unregulated that a company can collect your fare, and then deliver whatever they want?

 

Frankly, my choices were Celebrity Summit vs. Norwegian Breakaway on this cruise. I haven't read of any cutbacks on Norwegian. What this tells me is that going forward, I can't trust Celebrity to provide the product that they advertise, even compared to other cruise lines, let alone other vacation types.

 

Let's hope that the product delivered is of a high enough quality that it will be a ton of fun regardless of the clear drop in value that I will be receiving for my dollar from what the 'deal' was when I paid. Unfortunately, this is feeling like a bit of a swindle at the moment.

If you are going to compare Norwegian with Celebrity, there is no comparison regardless of how much Celebrity cuts back.

I have been wrong this whole time.....the sky IS falling. Relax everyone. The hull does not leak.

amazing, isn't it, how much some people complain about changes, which are always for the worse, never for the better according to them. You would think they have never changed anything in their own lives before. Nothing stays static. If it did, it would become worn out, boring, and just not worth doing anymore. But, some people's lives are stuck in the past, too afraid of moving forward and having new experiences and adventures. I feel sorry for them for the fear they must have about being left behind as life around steadily them moves on.

ditto

I have always wanted to go to there but cancelled after finally booking for this summer. No way is that ass Putin getting my money.

I think its great, this is great news for suite passengers. Honestly no one is taking anything away from anyone, michaels club is a small space and on the S class very under utlized. Everyone has the option of paying for a suite and accessing the corresponding amenities. It works that way on airlines and in hotels, why not on ships?

Stop worrying about someone else getting more perks. Worry if someone takes something away from you.

Just wondering if the dinner menu in Blu has changed in the past year or so? Love Blu but have gotten sort of tired of the menu.

hey jrmint....great review and pics. I'd be willing to give you a days pay if you would call in sick and post the rest of your review. I find myself checking the thread every few hours to see if you have posted more. thanks again.

Thanks for the review. I am interested in the ship too. Do you plan on adding pictures of the ship as well? Thanks again.

Diligaf51 posted - I have 27 credits and the rep said that the new level "will be to your benefit" - Seems this could be a potential cut-off.;)

I came away with the impression that the cutoff will be less than 27. She was referencing this coming year for the announcement. Please don't kill the messenger.

I do not have any definitive specifics but did speak with a Captains Club rep on another topic a couple of days ago and asked for any update. She said that there were ongoing discussions on a new level now and thought an announcement could be made as early as the first of the year. I have 27 credits and the rep said that the new level "will be to your benefit".

Joseph is the CC host on the Reflection.

I have been on five TAs. I am 62. While there are a good number of people younger than me and even a few kids, I would guess the average age is about negative 5

While I do not know the specifics of booking a handicapped accessible cabin, I can tell you from having worked my entire career in professional and college sports that if someone comes to the ticket window and wants handicapped seating you cannot by law question whether or not they have a disability.

what happened to Chandru, former CC Host on Infinity?

Not trying to pile on work for the butler but have him or her bring you hot almond croissants fresh from the bakery each morning. The BEST!

Does anyone know who runs the duty free shops on Holland? I am trying to contact them about having a jewelry trunk show. Thanks.

Julie

When visiting Cherbourg last spring we used a company called Normandy Sightseeing Tours. Their website is normandywebguide.com. Excellent guide and very good prices. I highly recommend them.

Mark