Elite and The Not

[dkjretired]

I may too be labeled a complainer, but I have a different opinion of me, and mine's still the only one that counts.:D

 

A lot has been taken away over time, and I know I might be smacked down with here is what you say on one thread and now here is what you say on another, but for this topic and for this issue, IMHO these updates are a token gesture for the loyalty despite all the changes and reductions over time. To make them out to be more than a token offer of thanks....:o

 

You just reenforced why I like your posts so much......

[Xcruiser]

No. I was referring to significant items that were once part of the Celebrity experience. Most of the easily recognizable examples pertain to food such as dining room service hours, classic buffets, waiters handling buffet trays right down to the tiny things like chocolates on the pillows and water pitchers.

 

Peripheral items pertain to electronic documentation that eliminated pre-printed luggage tags.

 

If you want to speak about perks specifically, CC members used to receive a gift for each member in the cabin. Now its just one.

 

These are just a few things that identify what has been taken away in recent years.

 

This is really getting OT but one last reply on this thread to your thoughts as I promised.

 

When I got off Millie in early 2008 I couldn't have agreed more. The Celebrity experience that we've come to love was M.I.A. on that sailing. We had issues with no can do attitudes with our stateroom attendant, room service and dinning staff. Something that we've never encountered in any prior =X= sailing. We really thought it might have been our last sailing with Celebrity and we were looking at HAL for the next.

 

We ended up catching a last minute deal on a short Century sailing and that turned us around. We found more of the old Celebrity attitude, service along with a big improvement in overall dinning, but not necessarily the quality of food in the MDR however.

 

It impressed us so much we did it again this February and things were even better so we are sticking with this ship and doing a TA on her in two months.

 

I think many of the items you mentioned are not fleet wide changes but ones that are unique to the new S class ships. These are valid reasons and why I'm not booking on one, yet anyway.

 

My documents for my upcoming sailing are the preprinted ones of old and include luggage tags. It's still an option on the My Celebrity booking page, you can still pick ether. My understanding is some TA's are no longer allowing you to pick preprinted but Celebrity still does.

 

Our last sailing we still had a water pitcher and ice bucket refilled twice a day.

 

We had chocolates on the pillow each night, buffet trays in the lido and a better food selection than on our first sailing on Century in 2001.

 

The dinning room hours were the same as they always were. In addition they offered a very popular causal dinning option in the lido, Murano and Aqua Spa options that didn't exist in 2001.

 

The Midnight Buffet has been replaced by a brunch which I enjoy much more than the wasted food display at Midnight.

 

Maybe it's just us but the only gifts we've ever got from the Captains Club were two small box's of Cova chocolates and on our last sailing these were replaced with a very nice vase with a single red rose for my wife as a gift from the CC host. My DW enjoyed that much more

 

Yes a few things have changed, you now only get personal invites to special events and the standard CC events are listed in a letter in your stateroom the first day. The CC coupon book has been replaced with a single page of worthless coupons (based on old CC benefits):rolleyes:.

 

So yes there are a few cut backs but I feel they are small. For the pre diems we are paying today vs. those when I started sailing with Celebrity I could go to Murano every night and have many Martini's for cocktails and still come out way ahead.

 

We are paying about $ 100.00/pp per diem for our 14 night TA on Century in a CC stateroom and that includes airfare to Spain - Ill take that over the few small changes from the past, any day. Now add in the upgrades to the Captains Club as frosting on the cake:).

 

BTW: FC, I really enjoy your posts as well, this is just one of the very rare times I don't agree but like you said it's what maters most to you that really counts.:)

 

Joel

[FinelyCruising]

Don and Joel...I am feeling the Love.:D Thanks!

 

We are paying about $ 100.00/pp per diem for our 14 night TA on Century in a CC stateroom and that includes airfare to Spain - Ill take that over the few small changes from the past, any day. Now add in the upgrades to the Captains Club as frosting on the cake.

 

There is no doubt this is a beneficial effect of the balancing to become lean, and I give them high fives for a very deserving effort and for the documented success!

 

Let's see what happens over the next couple of months with the ships and the perks. There is always room for improvement, and the market has been very kind recently, so it can only get better;)

[raudacruise]

Don and Joel...I am feeling the Love.:D Thanks!

 

We are paying about $ 100.00/pp per diem for our 14 night TA on Century in a CC stateroom and that includes airfare to Spain - Ill take that over the few small changes from the past, any day. Now add in the upgrades to the Captains Club as frosting on the cake.

 

 

There is no doubt this is a beneficial effect of the balancing to become lean, and I give them high fives for a very deserving effort and for the documented success!

 

Let's see what happens over the next couple of months with the ships and the perks. There is always room for improvement, and the market has been very kind recently, so it can only get better;)

 

 

I thought we were going to have to send the three of you to corners for a time out :p.

 

Its a work in progress - heck the way they count the credits is a work in progress. But it is a step in the right direction - let's just hope its not two step forwards three steps back.

 

When you get on board - who cares :D?