What is going on with Celebrity?

[pamstravel]

We were on the November transatlantic and were very unpleasantly surprised with the Solstice and if you read the recent reviews we have plenty company! We have always enjoyed the OLD Celebrity but found the new to be a big let down. Have other loyal Celebrity cruisers found this to be true? The food, service and especially the entertainment were really substandard...what is going on?

[GregNVNY]

We were on the November transatlantic and were very unpleasantly surprised with the Solstice and if you read the recent reviews we have plenty company! We have always enjoyed the OLD Celebrity but found the new to be a big let down. Have other loyal Celebrity cruisers found this to be true? The food, service and especially the entertainment were really substandard...what is going on?

 

Sorry to hear about your experience. In what venues did you experience substandard food quality and service and what specifically was disappointing?

[CathyCruises]

Geez, we were on the 11/4 cruise and had a great time! What are you referring to specifically?

[pamstravel]

Probably the biggest disappointment was the almost total lack of entertainment. The few semi-interesting activities tended to be scheduled at the same time. Live music was almost nonexistent and the little there was ended at about 11:00 PM. There was a 5 piece band that played occasionally but it also ended at about 11 or 12. The casino staff came around early each night and announced the it was closing. Some of the entertainment were barely adequate for a second class bar. Bingo was a joke, very little music by the pool, the cruise director seemed almost bored with his job etc.

 

The food was barely OK at the buffet, usually cold (this could have been partly because of the extra care taken with the norovirus) and the menu hardly changed from day to day. Our waiter tried really hard but the food was so-so in the dining room. Morano and the Tuscan Grill were very good but Silk and Bistro on Five left much to be desired. Room service was right on time each morning but the food was under cooked and/or greasy.

 

Our room steward was fabulous but I overheard several higher staff members being very curt with elderly passengers. It almost seemed that the lower status staff were going far beyond the call of duty while the higher status staff were often out of line.

 

It was hard to pin down exactly what the problem was but you just knew that something just wasn't quiet right. I first thought that it was just us and our traveling companions, but then I heard rumblings from others and now I am reading recent reviews that are not that great.

 

We have always enjoyed Celebrity but were definitely underwhelmed on this cruise!

[bonsat]

ditto

[Denny01]

Sorry you found the entertainment and food sub-par, and although you personally experienced excellent service, you thought it was bad because you overheard what you thought were curt comments, which you heard out of context.

 

Den

[Dunmore2]

There are numerous negative reviews recently and that is a concern. Hopefully more recent Solstice cruisers will post and we can see if these negative posts are due to Celebrity's shortcomings, cruisers with unrealistic expectations, or something else.

I can understand how a delayed departure would be a disappointment for THAT day only, not the entire trip.

We have been on many cruises and find it hard to imagine a cruise so bad that we wouldn't sail Celebrity again.

[suec12]

just wondering if it was staff turnover time - end of one season, new crew for the next? add that to norovirus - possibly not the best Celebrity experience?

[bonsat]

now multiply poor service, substandard entertainment, a dull and inept activities staff, overworked and irritated dining and steward workers and at least half of the 3000 passengers whining and complaining (and rightfully so imho) by 8 sea days --6 of them consecutive--and you will understand how this ended up a below average cruise.

[Fblack]

I have been on two B2b's where one of the two cruises was a Trans Atlantic sailing. We noticed several things changed on the TA portion. First, the average age of the Celebrity passengers was higher on the TA. And I mean a lot higher. Most were very seasoned cruisers who liked the bargain prices on a TA. Suddenly at night the bars were quieter, seats more available at the shows, and the amount and type of after dinner entertainment changed. More people wore true formal wear at dinner. By day, trivia, lectures, and movies were packed. By 11:00PM the ship was deserted. Also, from what I heard, many members of the crew were going home at the end of the cruise. Since the TA's were longer cruises, with a number of days between stops, they ran out or limited certain foods. As an example, fresh berries, tomatoes, lettuce. Quality seemed to drop on certain meats. I assumed they had to go to frozen steaks etc. rather than fresh meats. Don't get em wrong, the TA cruises were very enjoyable. and the food was fine. It's just that a TA is a bit different than regular cruises.

[candbgirl]

now multiply poor service, substandard entertainment, a dull and inept activities staff, overworked and irritated dining and steward workers and at least half of the 3000 passengers whining and complaining (and rightfully so imho) by 8 sea days --6 of them consecutive--and you will understand how this ended up a below average cruise.

 

You knew this when you booked the cruise. Eight sea days should not have been a surprise. I learned a long time ago not to depend on the cruise director to provide my entertainment. I find many so full of themselves and so impressed with themselves that they are very hard to take in small doses.

 

I'm sorry that you and others had a not perfect Celebrity cruise. But when you are dealing with thousands of people things can and will happen. I still think a day on a ship is better than any day at home/work.

[Orator]

I have been on two B2b's where one of the two cruises was a Trans Atlantic sailing. We noticed several things changed on the TA portion. First, the average age of the Celebrity passengers was higher on the TA. And I mean a lot higher. Most were very seasoned cruisers who liked the bargain prices on a TA. Suddenly at night the bars were quieter, seats more available at the shows, and the amount and type of after dinner entertainment changed. More people wore true formal wear at dinner. By day, trivia, lectures, and movies were packed. By 11:00PM the ship was deserted. Also, from what I heard, many members of the crew were going home at the end of the cruise. Since the TA's were longer cruises, with a number of days between stops, they ran out or limited certain foods. As an example, fresh berries, tomatoes, lettuce. Quality seemed to drop on certain meats. I assumed they had to go to frozen steaks etc. rather than fresh meats. Don't get em wrong, the TA cruises were very enjoyable. and the food was fine. It's just that a TA is a bit different than regular cruises.

 

I've been on 6 TAa and totally agree with your observations. The cruisers tend to be much more experienced. On Connie TA his November a cruiser with more than 100 cruise points wasn't in the top three cruisers. People generally know what to expect and enjoy the TA experience, I'm hook on the TA.

[pamstravel]

Sorry you found the entertainment and food sub-par, and although you personally experienced excellent service, you thought it was bad because you overheard what you thought were curt comments, which you heard out of context.

 

Den

 

There is never any excuse to speak sharply and in a condescending manner and tone of voice to anyone and especially an elderly paying customer!!

[GregNVNY]

I still think a day on a ship is better than any day at home/work.

 

Ditto.

 

Right now, I am just thinking in terms of being thankful that I have the means to be able to take a cruise. Many are never able to for either health or financial reasons.

 

So I'm ok with it if there is an occasional bad dish. I just order something else. If I don't like the show, I just leave. There are lots of options. The lure to me is just being on a verandah in the middle of the ocean hearing the waves with a nice calm breeze. Its that kind of simple, relaxing nautical experience that attracts me.

[Bridge Maven]

Celebrity cruises are a lot less expensive than they use to be so I think it is unavoidable for them to have to cut corners. It appears that the only cruise lines who are in a position to charge enough to provide an upscale product are those that have a relatively small number of berths to fill. However, Celebrity does offer a number of a la carte options for those who are willing to pay more during their cruise to enhance the quality of their experience at sea.

[pamstravel]

Our usual travel companions and my husband and I have been on numerous transatlantics, including Cunard, Royal Caribbean (twice), Norwegian, Celebrity (twice), Princess (twice) and Crystal. We are hardly novices with too high expectations.

 

We don't have the expectation of 24/7 entertainment but we do expect to have varied options during the day and some music after 11 PM. When we first started doing repositioning cruises we were by far the youngest passengers and yet were still entertained; now we are in our 60's and found this trip to be the first to be almost devoid of entertainment.

 

As I said earlier, the lower tier staff really tried to be cheerful and helpful even though they were vastly overworked dealing with the norovirus and the higher tier often seemed surly and disinterested. There have always been elderly, grumpy passengers on transatlantics but this is the first time that I have found the need to defend rather than ignore them.

 

In our many years of cruising all four of us agreed that we were ready to get off the boat, find something to do and get a good meal!! The one positive was that we caught up on all our reading, sleep and didn't gain weight.

[Bridge Maven]

Our usual travel companions and my husband and I have been on numerous transatlantics, including Cunard, Royal Caribbean (twice), Norwegian, Celebrity (twice), Princess (twice) and Crystal. We are hardly novices with too high expectations.

 

We don't have the expectation of 24/7 entertainment but we do expect to have varied options during the day and some music after 11 PM. When we first started doing repositioning cruises we were by far the youngest passengers and yet were still entertained; now we are in our 60's and found this trip to be the first to be almost devoid of entertainment.

 

As I said earlier, the lower tier staff really tried to be cheerful and helpful even though they were vastly overworked dealing with the norovirus and the higher tier often seemed surly and disinterested. There have always been elderly, grumpy passengers on transatlantics but this is the first time that I have found the need to defend rather than ignore them.

 

In our many years of cruising all four of us agreed that we were ready to get off the boat, find something to do and get a good meal!! The one positive was that we caught up on all our reading, sleep and didn't gain weight.

 

Pamstravel, I think that compared to other cruise lines entertainment was always weak on Celebrity, even when their overall product was much better than it is now.

[Orator]

The Noro situation could have been a major factor in what you described. We had the same on Connie. The noro started with the Holy Land cruise on Nov. 6th and things were never back to normal for the 27 days. This led to long hours for the staff and frustration for the passengers. If one reported that they had noro symptoms ( and Celebrity described the breakout as "massive") they received a future cruise credit for the time in isolation. The most frustrating thing for many was the closing of the Library and the complainers were very vocal. I've been lucky since in my more than 50 cruises this is the first noro outbreak I've experienced. Since I now know what to expect I'll try to avoid booking a cruiseon a ship with a recent noro history.

[pamstravel]

Pamstravel, I think that compared to other cruise lines entertainment was always weak on Celebrity, even when their overall product was much better than it is now.

 

You may be correct about the entertainment. I think that the thing that bothered us the most was the way some of the elderly guests were treated and secondly the lack of entertainment.

[willie2845]

Probably the biggest disappointment was the almost total lack of entertainment. The few semi-interesting activities tended to be scheduled at the same time. Live music was almost nonexistent and the little there was ended at about 11:00 PM. There was a 5 piece band that played occasionally but it also ended at about 11 or 12. The casino staff came around early each night and announced the it was closing. Some of the entertainment were barely adequate for a second class bar. Bingo was a joke, very little music by the pool, the cruise director seemed almost bored with his job etc.

 

The food was barely OK at the buffet, usually cold (this could have been partly because of the extra care taken with the norovirus) and the menu hardly changed from day to day. Our waiter tried really hard but the food was so-so in the dining room. Morano and the Tuscan Grill were very good but Silk and Bistro on Five left much to be desired. Room service was right on time each morning but the food was under cooked and/or greasy.

 

Our room steward was fabulous but I overheard several higher staff members being very curt with elderly passengers. It almost seemed that the lower status staff were going far beyond the call of duty while the higher status staff were often out of line.

 

It was hard to pin down exactly what the problem was but you just knew that something just wasn't quiet right. I first thought that it was just us and our traveling companions, but then I heard rumblings from others and now I am reading recent reviews that are not that great.

 

We have always enjoyed Celebrity but were definitely underwhelmed on this cruise!

 

:rolleyes:We have also found our last few Celebrity cruises as you say underwhelming! And we have many cruises with Celebrity.

We have found the food in the MDR has really gone down hill. And as far as older guests go we have been told by people that work for the Captains Club, and on some of the last few ships we've been on, that Celebrity is trying to go after the younger cruisers who don't know what Celebrity was in the past.

We have a lot of cruises booked with Celebrity, but if our Silhouette cruise we have booked in January is not better then our November Century cruise was, we just may cancel the others.

[JRJARS]

In reading posts from this website the more I see how many people have this sense of entitlement and boy if one thing goes wrong they are the first to start with the negative reviews. What I also find funny is that the people that are always complaining are the ones that have 2 - 3 more cruises already booked. Either I am the luckiest person when it comes to cruises or maybe it's just how I treat the staff but in all my cruises I have had maybe 1 waiter that wasn't very good. And before you start analyzing how many posts I don't have I will tell you that I am an Elite member. I know long before I board the ship that I may or may not see my room steward everyday - if my room is clean I don't care. I already know that the eggs in the buffet line will be cold and runny, I am fully aware that the comedian may or may not be that funny and I am also aware that I probably won't win much if any in the casino. We aren't in the days of the Titanic!

[Bridge Maven]

Aside from what has been previously mentioned, I think there is another factor. There was a time when only a small percentage of the population could afford to cruise and those who could only took one or two cruises a year, if that often. Needless to say, those people had very high expectations for a cruise and the cruise lines knew they had to meet them to stay afloat.

 

Now a person with a relatively modest income can afford to cruise very frequently and their expectations are typically very different than when cruises were very expensive. So Celebrity probably realizes that for every person who complains about cutbacks, there are hundreds of people who cruise frequently with no complaints. Even on this message board there are a lot more people who think every Celebrity cruise they take is perfect than those who have found room for improvement.

[CathyCruises]

I will say that on our cruise, I thought the activities WERE lacking. Many were for-a-fee spa type 'classes' or seminars, there was trivia and bingo, and then other pay activities like wine and scotch tasting, 'high tea', etc. There were very few organized activities that interested me. But we were on a port intensive med cruise and so the few sea days we had were relaxing and enjoyable. Even though I enjoyed our cruise, I don't think I would opt for a TA on Celebrity. There have to be activities that would appeal to the typical -X- cruise and don't include hairy legs contests or the like.

[Orator]

One must recognize that the suits in Miami are most concerned about the bottom line. Their goal is to increase the profit margin as much as possible. The staff on the ships are for the most part, concerned with pleasing the guest. Their goal is to provide an enjoyable experience. In large part their fate is in the hands of their guests since postive comments are a major part of the promotion evaluation process. The two goals are often in conflict with each other. There have been recent cutbacks in the amount Celebrity budgets per day for food. Chef's have complained that this makes the quality product more difficult to obtain. Some ingedients are now so costly (Colorado Lamb, for example) that they can no longer be used. Maitre 'ds tell me they receive more complaints and would like to see a increase in the food budget. The suits justify cutbacks as necessary to satisfy revenue requirements.They might argue that recent earnings reports indicate strong bookings at higher rates support their decisions. X is not alone in looking for ways to cut costs.My guess is that the crew position will gain strength only when the cutbacks appear to hurt the bottom line.Certainly, that's not what's happening now. May not be happy with the new reality, but that's the reality and not just for Celebrity.

[GregNVNY]

I've been lucky since in my more than 50 cruises this is the first noro outbreak I've experienced. Since I now know what to expect I'll try to avoid booking a cruiseon a ship with a recent noro history.

 

But thats the point, it really comes down to a matter of chance and your extensive cruising history reflects that chances are good most people won't have problems.

 

Not booking a particular ship might make one feel better, but the chance of an outbreak on any other ship won't change. You could avoid the Solstice and book the Eclipse for a cruise either a month or a year from now. Then the Eclipse could start having a lot of cases and countless threads would express frustration for the Eclipse.