Class distinction on Celebrity

[jocelysue]

Thiss will be our first cruise on Celebrity and I'm beginning to have more & more misgivings about our choice.

 

We are well-seasoned travelleres and cruisers who have enjoyed wonderful expériences. Howerver, reading the Celebrity board, there seems to be ever so much more snobbiness and class distinction on the line.

 

For example, on HAL,every cabin received Elemis products and a housecoat.Fresh orange juice was available for free to everyone in the morning.If one had a suite, the was a pricate reception room with concierge services but that was about all the distinction there was. Didn't seem to matter how many stars one had either.

 

On the X board, I see fellow passengers making distinctions between those who are higher up on the Captain's Club scale and those who are not. . There also seems to be a distinction between those who cruise Solstice class and those who cruise Millenium . So many little things that enhance class feeling: stools on balcony, privileged seating in theatre, etc.

For those who feel like flaming me, it's your call. Of course we could have chosen another line that we know and are comfortable with, but DH & I like to experience something different and X does have a good reputation

. Plus the date, price and itinerary suited us. Plus we do like fixed seating and formal evenings.

 

 

So perhaps I'm feeling misconceptions and my apprehensions are not well- founded. Please let us know if X is class-oriented or not. Thanks

[SWACruising]

Relax and enjoy your cruise, you'll have a great time. What you see here on the boards is a cruise through a magnifying glass and all the little things that get blown up on here are rarely evident on your cruise.

 

It will be like previous cruises and hopefully one of the better experiences. :)

[tteettimes]

Relax and enjoy your cruise, you'll have a great time. What you see here on the boards is a cruise through a magnifying glass and all the little things that get blown up on here are rarely evident on your cruise.

 

It will be like previous cruises and hopefully one of the better experiences. :)

 

Well said SWAcruising.......totally agree

[H2OH!]

well said by my fellow cruisers. If you are reading the Celebrity boards then you will see the new Captains Club points system was recently launched which will always bring about a certain level of chatter. Relax and enjoy.

[jackdiamond]

Remember, only about 8-10% of cruisers frequent the CC boards.

[PROCRUISE]

We don't rank very high on the "pecking order" but we've loved our cruises with Celebrity and intend to cruise X again soon. You'll have a wonderful time, I'm sure. :)

[lcmslady]

Celebrity is my favorite line and I just ignore all the chatter on these boards.

Some folks like to make themselves look/feel important with their suites, perks, etc.

I've never really seen that on a Celebrity ship but I'm also usually in a cabin on a lower deck (and ofter inside), so I'm usually with the more normal people who just want to enjoy a great vacation.

 

There will always be people who think they are special.....just ignore it and have a great trip!

[Andy]

Hi Jocelysue,

 

I agree with the previous comments, stating the commentary about Captains Club levels is magnified on here. Please keep in mind that a *major* revamp of Captains Club has just occured, which was anticpated dating back to 2009, when former Celebrity CEO Dan Hanrahan stated "there's more to come", after the last set of enhancements. The new rollout/levels certainly has resulted in a huge amount of discussion, and rightfully so.

 

I'm fairly certain you not see much, if anything, regarding class status when onboard your cruise. IMO, it's absoultely not worth worrying about, OR, for it to be on your radar.

 

Please don't let it concern you. Enjoy your Cruise !

Edited December 20, 2013 by Host Andy

[Phxazzcruisers]

I agree with all above. Once you are on board everyone is treated the same. Do not let the comments on Cruise Critic stop you from trying Celebrity. I think you will have a very enjoyable cruise. There is no Class distinction on board. Enjoy your cruise

[Fouremco]

As a fellow well-seasoned traveller and cruiser about to take his first Celebrity cruise, I totally understand your concern. If I see one more post starting with "I'm an Elite Plus blah-blah-blah" or another whine about being screwed out of a status level because of the stupid conversion system, I'm going to spit! I've never experienced such status awareness elsewhere.

 

That being said, DW and I will shower with whatever soap is provided, buy our own drinks while the Elites worry about what price range of drinks their tickets can be used for during their cocktail hour, and will thoroughly enjoy our days ashore, even if we aren't the first off the ship.

 

You aren't the first to express these concerns, and probably won't be the last, but I agree with the other who have responded to you so far: relax and enjoy.

 

Bonne chance et amusez-vous bien! :)

Edited December 20, 2013 by Fouremco

[middlehaitch]

Well said SWACruising!

jocelysue,

Relax.

All the reading you are doing about 'class' on Celebrity is because:

1)Celebrity have just changed the way you collect status points (every cruise line offers these) so people are having healthy discussions about the change.

2) Celebrity unfortunately called one of their levels 'Elite' that makes those unfamiliar with Celebrity nervous. No need to be it is just a lablel.

When on board you don't know one level from another, there are no flashing neon lights, tattos on foreheads or even pins on lapels, and all are treated the same.

There is the 'Aqua Class' that people pay a premium for and they have their own dining room with a healthier menu. Again they are treated just the same as me and you on board.

Solstice and Mellinium are 2 classes of ship not passenger.

Solstice are the mewer bigger ships; Millenium are a little older and smaller but have been updated. Some cruisers prefer one style of ship over the other and say so. I like both for different reasons.

I have never sail HAL but my MiL does and we find comparing our experience onboard there is little difference.

Glad you enjoy dressing for dinner, you really can dress to the nines on Celebrity. Again there are always heated discussions on this forum about Celebrity's dress code. There are people who choose to cruise with Celebrity but don't want to adhere to the dress code, these people are in the minority but can annoy some passengers.

If you haven't joined your Roll Call, do, also sign up for the Connections party so you can meet some of your fellow Cruise Critic cruisers in the first couple of days.

I hope this has helped assuage your fears.

Cheers, h.

[dgparent]

I have only sailed with X once and I did not notice any difference in class levels on the ship at all, I think one passenger mentioned they got free internet because they were elite on the whole cruise, and it was just because we were talking about internet access not because they were trying to rub my face in it.

 

Actually the biggest thing I noticed and others talked about was the drink package, for some reason , at least on our cruise last April, a lot of passengers did not know about the 1,2,3 promo and were buying their own drinks, some were pissed at the TA's for not letting them know the promo had come out after they booked and they could of gotten it if they asked.

[HazyDavy]

Thiss will be our first cruise on Celebrity and I'm beginning to have more & more misgivings about our choice.

 

We are well-seasoned travelleres and cruisers who have enjoyed wonderful expériences. Howerver, reading the Celebrity board, there seems to be ever so much more snobbiness and class distinction on the line.

 

For example, on HAL,every cabin received Elemis products and a housecoat.Fresh orange juice was available for free to everyone in the morning.If one had a suite, the was a pricate reception room with concierge services but that was about all the distinction there was. Didn't seem to matter how many stars one had either.

 

On the X board, I see fellow passengers making distinctions between those who are higher up on the Captain's Club scale and those who are not. . There also seems to be a distinction between those who cruise Solstice class and those who cruise Millenium . So many little things that enhance class feeling: stools on balcony, privileged seating in theatre, etc.

For those who feel like flaming me, it's your call. Of course we could have chosen another line that we know and are comfortable with, but DH & I like to experience something different and X does have a good reputation

. Plus the date, price and itinerary suited us. Plus we do like fixed seating and formal evenings.

 

 

So perhaps I'm feeling misconceptions and my apprehensions are not well- founded. Please let us know if X is class-oriented or not. Thanks

 

I don't necessarily agree that there is any problem or issue with "class distinction" on Celebrity, but to the extent that there is one, or is the perception of one, it is no different from HAL.

 

Booking a suite on HAL, or should I say a Neptune Suite, since I always find their booking system unnecessarily confusing, entitles you to more preferential treatment than just access to the Neptune Lounge. Suite status on HAL gives you preferential boarding, tender priority, restaurant reservation priority and seating preferences, access to the concierge to address any customer service issues, etc.

 

Elite or Suite guests on Celebrity get similar perks but instead of a dedicated lounge they use Micheals or another venue for Suite or Elite events.

 

IMHO, none of the above materially detracts from the experience of non-suite guests. You're not getting some additional benefits that you're also not paying for. But you're not being kept from doing anything that you have paid for.

 

So, if you've experienced HAL as a non-suite quest, your experience on Celebrity as a non-suite guest will be about the same, that is to say, I doubt you'll notice.

 

Relax, you'll have a great time.

[upwarduk]

If you haven't joined your Roll Call, do, also sign up for the Connections party so you can meet some of your fellow Cruise Critic cruisers in the first couple of days.

 

Jocelysue

You will get a better feel for your cruise by chatting to fellow passengers, who will give you excursion ideas amongst others.

Many are experienced Celebrity cruisers, who will give you tips, eg I had never ever been to Hawaii and I learnt that I could pre book our visit to Pearl Harbour via the Internet.

Edited December 20, 2013 by upwarduk

[hurwitz5]

We just attained Elite status. This has to do with how many cruises you have taken. We usually sail in inside cabins, but we are able to get various benefits because of our cruise loyalty. When you are out of your cabin, no one knows if you are sailing in a suite or inside cabin, or somewhere in between. You will be treated with respect if you treat others with respect. We have enjoyed sailing on Celebrity because of their superior service, food, ambiance, and the beautiful ships. Enjoy yourselves.

[Bfson]

We just attained Elite status. This has to do with how many cruises you have taken. We usually sail in inside cabins, but we are able to get various benefits because of our cruise loyalty. When you are out of your cabin, no one knows if you are sailing in a suite or inside cabin, or somewhere in between. You will be treated with respect if you treat others with respect. We have enjoyed sailing on Celebrity because of their superior service, food, ambiance, and the beautiful ships. Enjoy yourselves.

 

Agree!

Edited December 20, 2013 by Bfson

[Hlitner]

Just an interesting observation about the OPs post. He/she uses HAL as an example to cite Celebrity for a class distinction. But the post clearly ignores the fact that HAL has a "Neptune Lounge" on its ships that is a place only open to the passengers in Suites. And on HAL they have various events for those higher up in the Mariners Society..... As 4 Star Mariners on HAL we get perks like priority tendering, special cocktail parties (although not nearly as many as we get as Elite on Celebrity), 50% discounts on 2 wine packages, etc. Nearly every cruise line now recognizes frequent cruisers with various perks so we do not see Celebrity being any different then the others with the exception that Celebrity does seem to have the best package of perks in the industry.

 

Hank

[cruisegirl1]

OP - Please keep that you are getting the opinion of the smallest percentage of passengers on board a ship. Contrary to what many like to believe, most passengers on the ship have never heard of CC. Many are first time cruisers and are not concerned with “what level are you” etc.

 

We are newer Celebrity cruisers with many land and sea experiences and have found Celebrity to be enjoyable and I hope you do as well .

 

M

[dinosaurdem]

We have sailed Celebrity in everything from an interior cabin to a sky suite and have been at every level of the Captain's Club except Zenith. Except for the red carpet treatment of those with over 100 cruises, I have never noticed any difference in how people are treated.

[drarill]

Relax and enjoy your cruise, you'll have a great time. What you see here on the boards is a cruise through a magnifying glass and all the little things that get blown up on here are rarely evident on your cruise.

 

It will be like previous cruises and hopefully one of the better experiences. :)

 

Excellent advice!!!:):)

[Despegue]

Also on HAL, there are little perks for those loyal passengers.

Mariners can have lunch in the MDR at embarkation, cocktail parties, priority boardng etc etc.

Same goes for suite pax.

 

Everyone is treated equally good onboard X, there are NO classes, just some extra perks, just like with a frequent flier programme.

 

We sail nowadays only on Celebrity and Aida, and for that, we do get recognized and thanked, as we should, this translates in getting some perks through the loyalty programme. Absolutely no different than in hotels, car rental, restaurants, airlines, phone companies, you name it!:)

 

Enjoy your cruise,

 

D.

[jackdec]

Hello folks. we are very new to cruising, but you are in for a treat with Celebrity. The customers are some of the nicest people you will ever meet. They are mostly looking to enjoy themselves, and love to meet people from other countries. We have met some very special people and have made friends for life.Dont worry too much of negative points you read. There is always some that no one can keep happy.

Do what the Irish do. If you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours :).

Life is to short to complain. Enjoy Celebrity, they have people on all classes, but they all are there for a good time, so look forward to a GREAT Cruise.

Fat but trying to slim Irishman

[Chipsaredown]

Cruise Critic folks represent only a small portion of those you would meet on board a Celebrity ship and most of those are quite nice in person. (Even if they don't appear so on these boards.):)

[gimletgal]

jocelysue - Not to worry! There is no class distinction noticeable at all on Celebrity. Since I started cruising with Celebrity (and before I even knew the Captain's club existed) I have never noticed any difference in how I was treated or how others were treated. Perhaps more "perks" for the frequent Celebrity cruisers, but certainly nothing that will affect your enjoyment.

 

Go and enjoy the wonderful Celebrity experience! You will most likely love the ship, the crew interaction, and your fellow passengers.

[miched]

Just got off of a cruise.

 

Unlike other lines the color of the cabin card does not indicate status. The colors represent the category that doesn't affect anything. The captain club status is printed in fine print and the only time anyone pays attention to it is for entrance to the events that are held for the different levels.

 

The workers don't care what level you are at. They appreciate being treated as a human instead of a slave or peon and that will get you better service more than what level you are.

 

Not many people wear the cards around their neck like they do the other lines touting their status.

 

As stated in a previous post there are not too many CC cruisers and they don't rule, affect anything, or get any special treatment or privledges.

 

Don't worry enjoy the cruise and just use these boards for tips, and info.

 

.🎅🎄