Celebrity Cruises, what will it be like in 3 years?

[wvufan]

There are many threads and posts about changes. Trivia, Miami DJs, brunches, dining rooms, gastro pubs, zumba, activities, etc. It all seems to be happening little by little, with lots of mass confusion and conflicting information.

 

Surely, Celebrity has a vision and a master plan. What is it? What does Celebrity want to be? What group (s) does it want to target? What will Celebrity be like one year, 3 years, and 5 years from now?

 

Perhaps we would feel a little more secure if we knew where Celebrity was headed and how it is going to get there. All the speculation and uncertainty has been frustrating

 

You have provided us a lot of very useful information and we appreciate that. Hopefully you can shed some light on where the ship is sailing.

 

Happy Sails to You

 

OOOEEE :D:D Bob and Phyl

[Orator]

There are many threads and posts about changes. Trivia, Miami DJs, brunches, dining rooms, gastro pubs, zumba, activities, etc. It all seems to be happening little by little, with lots of mass confusion and conflicting information.

 

Surely, Celebrity has a vision and a master plan. What is it? What does Celebrity want to be? What group (s) does it want to target? What will Celebrity be like one year, 3 years, and 5 years from now?

 

Perhaps we would feel a little more secure if we knew where Celebrity was headed and how it is going to get there. All the speculation and uncertainty has been frustrating

 

You have provided us a lot of very useful information and we appreciate that. Hopefully you can shed some light on where the ship is sailing.

 

Happy Sails to You

 

OOOEEE :D:D Bob and Phyl

 

I don't know what I'll be like in three years, but FWIW here's my impression:

Their strategy will be designed to attract and keep the high spending cruiser who is interested in the Suite life. At the same time they will try to initiate programs to attract a younger demographic. These ideas don't necessarily conflict since discovery of new technology will give more disposable income to a growing group of younger people. The middle class is showing signs of shrinking and that trend might continue making the middle class less frequent cruisers and therefore less prime targets. Itineraries will feature new and exotic ports. Caribbean cruises to the usual ports will be reduced. More ships will be based in Asia. Asians will become a major target group.

Celebrity will add at least one new build to the fleet and have announced plans for at least one more. The ship will be M size or a bit smaller and will be heavy on Suites. This would reflect my crystal ball analysis of where Celebrity is going. Cruising is a copy cat industry and what works well on one line will be tried by another. Look for the loss of a MDR if the idea works well on Quantum ships.

The affluent will see the changes as positive. The middle class cruiser will long for the good old days.

Only guesses, not facts. Hopefully, I'm still cruising in 3 years to see how things develop.

[dst87]

I think there will always be a demand for a good mass-market product. People change, and Celebrity know that they need to attract a younger demographic to stay afloat (if you'll pardon the pun).

 

Celebrity are a business and need to make money. They collect a lot of information about what their customers want. They'll only stay in business if they keep delivering a product that people think is good value for money (not necessarily cheap) and that attracts people to the brand (i.e. give people what they want!)

 

A lot of the threads talk as if Celebrity are deliberately alienating their biggest customers and ruining the product. I don't think that gives them enough credit.

[JLSPOOL]

To start:

 

Less space for smokers.

 

Better ventilation of food odors.

 

Multi-spray showers in all cabins.

 

Ice water dispensers in cabins.

 

Thumb therapy in spa.

 

Kennels for service/other animals.

 

Arms on loungers.

 

Reserved loungers.

 

Silent movies w/captions poolside.

 

Better service in dining/lounge/areas.

 

Choice of complimentary toiletries and hypo-allergenic products.

 

Smaller portions.

 

More ethnic specialty restaurants.

 

Mix your own coffee dispensers.

 

Less waste.

 

jls

Edited April 29, 2014 by JLSPOOL

[fla jack]

Elimination of all non-revenue activities.

No Zumba/Trivia/Lectures/Demonstrations/etc

Jack

[CruisingChick]

The middle class cruiser will long for the good old days.

 

Already doing that doing that now.

 

If I want to go to a different restaurant every night of the week with a different table and different waiter, then I'll just stay home. Especially if I have to pay extra to have quality food served in those restaurants. :(

 

And another thing that I don't get .... they keep talking about attracting younger demographics. When we started cruising we were younger and our son was very young. We all loved the old fashioned, traditional style of cruising. That's what got us hooked in the first place. We didn't know whether or not we would like it, but we ended up LOVING it.

Edited April 29, 2014 by CruisingChick

[wallie5446]

they keep talking about attracting younger demographics.

 

That has never really been posted by the 'Celebrity Cruiser' nor put in print anywhere that I can find by any Official from Celebrity. It is myth created by rumor threads here on Cruise Critic. I have asked many time for a link to a statement. Ok, thats off the chest:)

 

We are now 60, and sailed X the first time in 1993 at 39. Yes we have seen changes to the product, some we think are OK, some not quite to our line of thinking. But none enought off base to make us quit sailing with Celebrity.

 

If our sailing on the Reflection last Nov was an indication of the direction X is going, we like it, and will continue to look first at booking with Celebrity.

Edited April 29, 2014 by wallie5446

[cruiserjt]

The Baby Boomers turned 65 in 2012 - This is the demographic Celebrity needs to keep for the next three to 15 years. This is also the generation that is family oriented and wants to spend more family time - that is why I believe Celebrity will not ignore the younger families. This is what we are seeing with the quality family programs blended into the suite life priorities. There is a good amount of time left for this generation to cruise - but after that - the population will decline. Economics will remain a factor - but it seems as though we are still on an upswing which should help Celebrity as well.

I am at the young end of the Baby Boomers - "Sandwiched" right in to the middle. 10 more years and I will hopefully be able to consider more than one cruise a year!!

[Tommy3putts]

Depending on who you believe in the CC Celebrity forum threads, CC with either be

 

1. An exclusive luxury cruise liner with no shorts allowed, tuxedos required for dinner, butlers for every cabin and lounge chair police; or,

2. A hip trendy ocean liner with loud hip hop music, cut-offs, tank tops and flip flops for formal night, and a water slide into the MDR.

[mcrcruiser]

Too many accidents created by free liquor resulting in bad PR

[Beachdude]

Depending on who you believe in the CC Celebrity forum threads, CC with either be

 

1. An exclusive luxury cruise liner with no shorts allowed, tuxedos required for dinner, butlers for every cabin and lounge chair police; or,

2. A hip trendy ocean liner with loud hip hop music, cut-offs, tank tops and flip flops for formal night, and a water slide into the MDR.

 

Yes, this appears to be the dilemma of all the lower end cruise lines. Up until 9/11, cruising was about elegance. But the industry took such a hard hit that it started restructuring by reducing staff and amenities. Not all at once, but little by little was saw the food quality change and the staffs get smaller and less skilled.

 

Some of the lines (Carnival) even lowered their prices to keep the ships full and it worked. But, with lower prices came a different demographic cruiser with different expectations. Elegance was no longer the theme or even a theme at all. Family entertainment was the new black and some of the cruise lines are changing to get those customers. The Love Boat has become Six Flags over a barge. With the water park tubs, climbing walls, and parachute rides, Carnival, Disney and Royal Caribbean are looking more like gerbil towns than cruise ships. Floating family theme parks is the cruising trend of today.

 

So I am also curious where Celebrity is going to fit into the modern American cruise vacation. Can loud music really pull in a younger crowd without driving away the older cruisers who sit in higher comfort and amenities? I wonder, will Americans forget even how to spell eligance and leave it to Europe and Asia to be the place of what was once an American dream.

 

You know what the Americans say, it’s my vacation and ………

 

Burt

[Andy]

That has never really been posted by the 'Celebrity Cruiser' nor put in print anywhere that I can find by any Official from Celebrity. It is myth created by rumor threads here on Cruise Critic. I have asked many time for a link to a statement. Ok, thats off the chest:)

.

 

Sorry Wallie, but Celebrity is NEVER going to admit to any of what you mentioned above, either verbally or in print... in fear of discrimination lawsuits. Whether it's actually happening or not ? I will leave that our community to debate.

[h20cruzer]

Already doing that doing that now.

 

If I want to go to a different restaurant every night of the week with a different table and different waiter, then I'll just stay home. Especially if I have to pay extra to have quality food served in those restaurants. :(

 

And another thing that I don't get .... they keep talking about attracting younger demographics. When we started cruising we were younger and our son was very young. We all loved the old fashioned, traditional style of cruising. That's what got us hooked in the first place. We didn't know whether or not we would like it, but we ended up LOVING it.

 

I am with you on this one.

Norma

[cruise47]

To start:

 

Less space for smokers.

 

Better ventilation of food odors.

 

Multi-spray showers in all cabins.

 

Ice water dispensers in cabins.

 

Thumb therapy in spa.

 

Kennels for service/other animals.

 

Arms on loungers.

 

Reserved loungers.

 

Silent movies w/captions poolside.

 

Better service in dining/lounge/areas.

 

Choice of complimentary toiletries and hypo-allergenic products.

 

Smaller portions.

 

More ethnic specialty restaurants.

 

Mix your own coffee dispensers.

 

Less waste.

 

jls

 

I love your suggestions.

Sound like they needs to build more ships.

[wallie5446]

Sorry Wallie, but Celebrity is NEVER going to admit to any of what you mentioned above, either verbally or in print... in fear of discrimination lawsuits. Whether it's actually happening or not ? I will leave that our community to debate.

 

To the point, I understand they can not, which makes it a never ending debate "Whether it's actually happening or not".

 

In looking at the people that came to the Dallas event last month, ( cause we dont know who was really invited :rolleyes: ) the average age looked to be 50+, with a 50/50 mix of RCCL Diamond's, and Celebrity Select, and there was only 1 family with 3 kids in the 300 or so present. If younger was the target market, one would think they would have been invited to the party, but none were to be seen, hense my thoughts that this younger cruiser focus is a myth.

 

Now with that thought said, it is a fact in any business that new blood is needed for a company to maintain, survive, and grow. Which with common sense applied = new younger pax are needed. I get it, but still feel they would like for us to stick around for a few more years too.

 

EW

 

ps: we have someone on our Roll Call that went to the event in DC last month, and the age breakdown was older there also. None of the young 'hip' in crowd, just good old every day Celebrity faithfull.

Edited April 29, 2014 by wallie5446

[Quo Vadis?]

That has never really been posted by the 'Celebrity Cruiser' nor put in print anywhere that I can find by any Official from Celebrity. It is myth created by rumor threads here on Cruise Critic. I have asked many time for a link to a statement. Ok, thats off the chest:)

 

.

 

Perhaps the "myth" created by CC started here...

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1747933

[dkjretired]

I don't know what I'll be like in three years, but FWIW here's my impression:

Their strategy will be designed to attract and keep the high spending cruiser who is interested in the Suite life. At the same time they will try to initiate programs to attract a younger demographic. These ideas don't necessarily conflict since discovery of new technology will give more disposable income to a growing group of younger people. The middle class is showing signs of shrinking and that trend might continue making the middle class less frequent cruisers and therefore less prime targets. Itineraries will feature new and exotic ports. Caribbean cruises to the usual ports will be reduced. More ships will be based in Asia. Asians will become a major target group.

Celebrity will add at least one new build to the fleet and have announced plans for at least one more. The ship will be M size or a bit smaller and will be heavy on Suites. This would reflect my crystal ball analysis of where Celebrity is going. Cruising is a copy cat industry and what works well on one line will be tried by another. Look for the loss of a MDR if the idea works well on Quantum ships.

The affluent will see the changes as positive. The middle class cruiser will long for the good old days.

Only guesses, not facts. Hopefully, I'm still cruising in 3 years to see how things develop.

 

Agree they will try to attract the suite cruisers however what many don't realize with all the recent changes is that Celebrity is trying to catch up in terms of the suite life, especially with a cruise line such as NCL with their Haven product. I would suspect that if they do a new ship which I would not expect for five years, the suite areas will be separate from other areas with access only by suite passengers. The class arguments will then commence even more.

Edited April 29, 2014 by dkjretired

[gek]

Celebrity would be insane not to target the Baby Boomer market. It's strange that some of the recent rumoured changes seem focussed on other demographics. At the moment I think Celebrity are a perfect fit for child-free Boomers and once they realise this I expect to see:

 

* More classic rock, disco and possible 80's music. Boomers love nostalgia.

* The retention of free activities such as trivia. Boomers love free stuff.

* Standard drinks packages included in price. Boomers love to drink (in moderation).

* Celebrity will make their money from drink package upgrades. Boomers love cocktails

* More focus on selling health, beauty and anti-ageing related services. Boomers are getting old.

* Fewer, older and more laid-back activities staff. Boomers hate those young over-enthusiastic whippersnappers.

* More gay entertainers. Boomers love gays

[NLH Arizona]

Celebrity would be insane not to target the Baby Boomer market. It's strange that some of the recent rumoured changes seem focussed on other demographics. At the moment I think Celebrity are a perfect fit for child-free Boomers and once they realise this I expect to see:

 

* More classic rock, disco and possible 80's music. Boomers love nostalgia. We also like today's hits, not just oldies.

* The retention of free activities such as trivia. Boomers love free stuff. This boomer doesn't mind paying for the activities I want to attend. Not looking for free stuff.

* Standard drinks packages included in price. Boomers love to drink (in moderation). Wouldn't be interested in a drink package or subsidizing others drinking.

* Celebrity will make their money from drink package upgrades. Boomers love cocktails

* More focus on selling health, beauty and anti-ageing related services. Boomers are getting old. Health related items would be great, forget the anti-aging stuff; if one wants it, it would be cheaper to do at home.

* Fewer, older and more laid-back activities staff. Boomers hate those young over-enthusiastic whippersnappers. I love being around energetic young folks, not just those my age.

* More gay entertainers. Boomers love gays. Don't judge a performer, because of their sexual orientation, it is because of their talent.

This boomer disagrees with most of your generalizations..see comments in red.

Edited April 29, 2014 by NLH Arizona

[boingy300]

Amen to the red! We are looking for smaller ships, more unique experience, places to sail. Don't care about sexual orientation of entertainers....really? Entertain me, period- that's all I need to know about you! We are young 50s. Started cruising 1991. Looking for adventure not afraid to spend money, not wanting to be nickel and dimed. We like learning new things or places. I want a fun place to retire to. Sailed Holland and only activity at 11am on a sea day was bridge in the parlor? I would have been happier with a how to play bridge class. Take me places, teach me things- please! Karen

[TheMediaman]

My crystal ball sees the following;

 

- 1 part current financials. What's profit and what's loss.

 

- 1 part forecast financials. Is the smart money invested in satisfying the "boomers" ( if you are born after 1964 you are not a boomer) or invested in the millennials? Boomers may be a little hesitant with spending until the fear/effects of 2008 are but a distant bad memory. Millennials are the upcoming market, one who has a longer spending lifetime, but will they have money? $500 bottle service in Las Vegas nightclubs say they do.

 

- 1 part marketing hocus pocus fact o spin o Rama. I've seen my share of emerging market opportunities invented to get the ad budgets.

 

- 3 parts harsh reality.

 

There's more profit in suites and higher end amenities. The ship goes the same place as the inside staterooms at the same cost so why not charge more. RCCL has a billion dollar ship or 3 with inside facing verandas that support this. Welcome back first class and steerage. 2nd class (middle income and management) has the same fate as the dodo. Sadly.

 

Millennials (the sought after Golden Fleece of the 18-25 market) spend en masse and quickly. Shove them into inside cabins or the Caribbean merry go round. Hook them now. Loud music and all.

 

The truth is without the facts we can only guess at what Celebrity will do. We know that it will be a plan for maximizing profit. Some will rejoice in that plan and others will lament.

 

Remember the Las Vegas cycle. Sin city gave way to a more family friendly Vegas then foodies took over. Yes food and entertainment revenue outpaced gambling revenue. Now, I believe, nightclub revenue is the new cash cow.

 

Marketing and trends live and breathe and they cycle. What's out is in and what's in is out and what's out is now back in. Anyone over 40 has seen a variation of what was in for them go out and then come back in a style.

 

I hope I am fortunate enough to go on a couple more cruises with the love of my life. When the allure of cruising (pardon the pun) no longer attracts me or doesn't want me then I hope I'm even more fortunate to be able enjoy the memories and make new and different ones.

 

Life changes. Sometimes change is a hard thing to accept.

[dkjretired]

This boomer disagrees with most of your generalizations..see comments in red.

 

I think the difficulty is in making such generalizations in the first place, I agree with much of what gek said and disagree with it also. I agree with your comments and disagree also, we are all different. The one thing I agree with you on is the Gay comment, that has never been a consideration to me or anyone I know. I do think however with the apparent changes that Celebrity at this point may be throwing boomers under the proverbial bus.

 

As a aside, it will be interesting to see if there are any trends changing as far as music goes after June when the new Clint Eastwood directed "Jersey Boys." movie is released. The acapella groups played a lot of the Four Seasons songs.

[NLH Arizona]

I think the difficulty is in making such generalizations in the first place, I agree with much of what gek said and disagree with it also. I agree with your comments and disagree also, we are all different. The one thing I agree with you on is the Gay comment, that has never been a consideration to me or anyone I know. I do think however with the apparent changes that Celebrity at this point may be throwing boomers under the proverbial bus.

 

As a aside, it will be interesting to see if there are any trends changing as far as music goes after June when the new Clint Eastwood directed "Jersey Boys." movie is released. The acapella groups played a lot of the Four Seasons songs.

That was my point, we are all different. You can't paint everyone with the same brush. Some might be looking for free stuff, but doesn't mean all our, same goes for cocktails....most of my friends are boomers and not all of them like their cocktails, some do and some don't.

 

Have to disagree, I don't think they are throwing boomers under the bus, because many of us boomers like the new direction; again, it is a matter of taste.

 

Also, a movie is not going to change those that don't care for an a cappela group into all of a sudden liking them. I love the Four Seasons, but an a cappela group not so much.

Edited April 30, 2014 by NLH Arizona

[USVI-4-me]

Three years out, when Celebrity designs/configures more Suites,

It's a good idea to have two full bathrooms

with two closet areas for Millennials with children and extra cruise

money.

 

I think land based vacations with 2 bedroom & 2 baths,

will be more competition for the Boomer bookings.

 

-Marisa

Edited April 30, 2014 by USVI-4-me

[Orator]

Three years out, when Celebrity designs/configures more Suites,

It's a good idea to have two full bathrooms

with two closet areas for Millennials with children and extra cruise

money.

 

I think land based vacations with 2 bedroom & 2 baths,

will be more competition for the Boomer bookings.

 

-Marisa

 

Hi Marisa;

You are describing the Reflection Suite that's about $35000 per week on average.There is a market for this since it books very quickly.