Buyer's Remorse

[Cruzin with BQ & CQ]

My DW and I are seasoned cruisers and sail 1 or 2 times a year. We have never sailed Celebrity, so during the 123GO promotion we decided to take the plunge and booked Aqua on Silhouette for November. We wanted to try Celebrity and were hopeful it would provide a pleasant experience.

 

Naturally, I came over and began following the chat on the Celebrity board to get a feel for the ship, experience on board and overall experience of others. I have to say, I'm more than a little concerned. There is significant discontent with a lot of folks on this board regarding Celebrity. Customer Service issues onboard, problems with the details of the booking such as the drink packages not on the passenger's reservation, decline in food quality, etc. I get that every line out there is making cutbacks, so I'm not going into this blind.

 

So is this just me overreacting, or are there some serious issues going on. We were using this cruise as a trial ballon for a 2016 Mediterranean cruise on Celebrity, but also want to have a nice vacation in November. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated!:confused:

[WestLakeGirl]

Keep in mind that most posters here feel that the on board experience is far superior to the customer service issues we face before the cruise. And report after report say that the MainDiningRoom food remains fine, or has perhaps even improved, recently

[LetsGetWet!]

I get that every line out there is making cutbacks, so I'm not going into this blind.

 

So is this just me overreacting, or are there some serious issues going on.

Nope, I don't think you're overreacting, but I think others are! I think the part I quoted says it all. All lines are cutting back - and I'll admit we don't like that much either. But it is what it is!

 

I swear that some here seem to do nothing BUT complain. We're just off of Century yesterday. To read many of the posts here, you'd have to conclude that that ship is run-down, badly maintained, filthy and almost falling apart! Despite looking closely, we saw nothing of the sort during our cruise. She seemed to be in fine shape to us, and that's from the perspective of my wife too, who used to own a brick & mortar TA and has now been on 99 cruises.

 

We had a wonderful cruise, and I'm sure you will too, as long as you don't go into it with the attitude that you won't! :)

 

 

Sent from my Galaxy S4 via Tapatalk

[goinsoon]

After cancellng a Princess cruise and booking with Celebrity I too hit the Celebrity boards. YIKES! (so I thought). But now have no fears. I have asked many questions and always get an answer back with a smile and additional great advice. Princess, in my book, is a tought act to follow but my wife and I can't wait to sail with Celebrity. So, hang in there and enjoy your cruise!

[Cruise Junky]

I think you'll find some long time Celebrity Cruisers on this board and sure, things aren't like they used to be but are they on any cruise line these days? Things change, some perceive them as improvements, some perceive them as take aways. We've only cruised with Celebrity twice, once last week and the first cruise was back in 2005. After the 2005 cruise we couldn't figure out what the fuss about Celebrity was and wasn't inclined to book another cruise, we went back to Princess. After last week, we're hooked on Celebrity and booked another onboard. Yes, there does seem to be an awful lot of complaining on this board lately, but we take a lot of them with a grain of salt, somepeople just like to complain and point out flaws. I think you'll have a fantastic time on your cruise.

[Cruzin with BQ & CQ]

I think you'll find some long time Celebrity Cruisers on this board and sure, things aren't like they used to be but are they on any cruise line these days? Things change, some perceive them as improvements, some perceive them as take aways. We've only cruised with Celebrity twice, once last week and the first cruise was back in 2005. After the 2005 cruise we couldn't figure out what the fuss about Celebrity was and wasn't inclined to book another cruise, we went back to Princess. After last week, we're hooked on Celebrity and booked another onboard. Yes, there does seem to be an awful lot of complaining on this board lately, but we take a lot of them with a grain of salt, somepeople just like to complain and point out flaws. I think you'll have a fantastic time on your cruise.

 

Hey thanks for your response! So it's not my over active imagination after all!

[Cruise Junky]

Hey thanks for your response! So it's not my over active imagination after all!

 

Oh no! Negativity abounds these days but keep in mind, very few cruisers actually post on Cruise Critic so you're only hearing from a very small vocal percentage. Some things are absolutely true, their website sucks, response time at the call centre is ridiculous so I can see some genuine complaints but the onboard experience is wonderful. Enjoy!

[Cruising89143]

I suggest that you board your upcoming Celebrity cruise with an open mind and judge for yourself. I took my first cruise with Celebrity last March. Prior to that I read the boards and if I had made my decision based on the comments from Cruise Critic I would not have taken the cruise. I am now glad that I did not let those negative comments sway my decision. Also if you really look the number of negative posters is a small number. It's just the SAME ones posting over and over. :)

 

No cruise line is perfect. I have been cruising almost thirty years and have seen many changes. Most for me have been for the better. I personally think for the price X offers a very nice product. I have come to the conclusion that some people just like to look at the glass as being half empty.

Edited May 11, 2014 by cruisingator2

[GuinnessGal]

Please don't be put off by the negative comments you've read. You will have a great cruise! I've sailed with other lines, but Celebrity remains my hands down favorite (my most recent cruise was April of this year on Silhouette...so I can vouch for her as a great ship with great crew/staff). And I've done 3 med cruises with Celebrity so can vouch for those as well.

 

I love aqua and I love Blu. I've done 8 aqua sailings with Celebrity and have sailed twice on the silhouette...Yes there may be cut backs...but I can't say that this impacted my cruise experience any....any disappointments were so mild they caused nothing more than a momentary blip that was soon behind me. We had a wonderful time...and more importantly enjoyed this year's cruise as much as last year's as much as the year before etc. Net Net: if you look to find fault, you can and you will. Brown stuff happens...I think how people choose to deal with it, and the attitude they adopt whilst doing so, is what impacts their cruise far more than anything else.

 

Go have a great time!

Edited May 11, 2014 by GuinnessGal

[miched]

The problem is that too much information can hurt you.

 

The first cruise that we ever took was fabulous and we couldn't understand why some people were complaining.

 

We didn't know that a captain club or loyalty club existed.

 

That cruise was in 2002 and on the Carnival Jubilee that was a repositioning Hawian cruise. After that cruise there were people who cruised before telling us that ship was too old, too small, etc and that we need to sail on such and such and on and on. I guess we were too stupid to realize that we weren't supposed to have a great time because of all of the negatives.

 

We didn't really didn't do any research about cruise lines or participate or look for any forums. We were complete uninformed rookies.

 

Then after 14 years of cruising we are more experienced and just like anything else we have noticed changes, some good and some that we don't like but that don't mean that they aren't good.

 

We also know what to expect or are supposed to get but sometimes don't, and that is where the complains come from. Some just expect too much because they feel that they are the only person on board and have watched too many Love Boat episodes.

 

Chances are you will not be disappointed if you have the right attitude and sometimes a little patients.

 

🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

Edited May 11, 2014 by miched

[wwcruisers]

 

There is significant discontent with a lot of folks on this board regarding Celebrity.

 

 

Actually, that's not the case. Yes, there are problems with Celebrity -- just like any other cruise line. But, when you really start looking at some of the negative posts/reviews, you'll find that it's mostly a handful of people, beating the same dead horse. :rolleyes:

 

I like your idea of doing a "trial balloon" cruise, before committing to Europe. IMHO, you should take your November Silhouette cruise, and make up your own mind about Celebrity. One more suggestion -- if you haven't done so already, check out the roll-call thread for your cruise. There, you can meet the folks you'll actually be sailing with. You'll probably find some experienced Celebrity cruisers who can answer your questions. Not to mention, a more positive vibe! :cool:

[summer slope]

I took a Celebrity cruise, on the Constellation, last month. First time on Celebrity. Read the boards, took them with a grain of salt, and had a fabulous cruise. Got upgraded to Aqua and enjoyed all the amenities. Ate in the MDR one night and the food was wonderful. Have a wonderful time on your cruise.

[rubydoobydoo]

I just came off Eclipse yesterday and it was every bit as good as last year on Equinox

 

The ship was spotless, the staff great and the food lovely

 

No complaints from me, I love Celebrity

 

Go and have a great time :D

[NLH Arizona]

Please don't be put off by the negative reviews of others. You will have a great cruise! I've sailed with other lines, but Celebrity remains my hands down favorite (my most recent cruise was April of this year on Silhouette...so I can vouch for her as a great ship with great crew/staff). And I've done 3 med cruises with Celebrity so can vouch for those as well.

 

I love aqua and I love Blu. I've done 8 aqua sailings with Celebrity and have sailed twice on the silhouette...Yes there may be cut backs...but I can't say that this impacted my cruise experience any....any disappointments were so mild they caused nothing more than a momentary blip that was soon behind me. We had a wonderful time...and more importantly enjoyed this year's cruise as much as last year's as much as the year before etc. Net Net: if you look to find fault, you can and you will. Brown stuff happens...I think how people choose to deal with it, and the attitude they adopt whilst doing so, is what impacts their cruise far more than anything else.

 

Go have a great time!

You are so correct, it is how people choose to deal with stuff. I read one review where they said their cruising experience was tarnished because there was not ice in their room. Wouldn't have been a big deal to me, because after all, all you have to do is ask for it to be delivered to your room once or twice a day, but to them it must have been a huge deal. I personally love the reviews that say there is rust or there is a worn area here or there; these folks just go around looking for something wrong to complain about. I couldn't tell you if there was any rust on any of my cruises or any worn carpet, I've always been to busy enjoying myself and the Celebrity cruise experience and the experience was so good that I have two Celebrity cruises booked.

 

To the OP, if you have any trepidations and are that worried about what you have read on here by some, I might consider changing my plans, so as not to cause you any undo stress with regard to your vacation. One thing you will see on here, is that posters on the same cruise have differing opinions. One will say the music is ear splitting, while another said it was fine. One will say they waited forever to get a drink, while another will say they were served right away. Also, seems like the complaints amped up after the change in the Captain's Club and that could be the reason some are no longer satisified and see everything as an issue/

Edited May 11, 2014 by NLH Arizona

[snowmc]

We have a sailed with Celebrity, Holland America and Princess. Will never go back to Princess. We are looking forward to being back on Celebrity this summer....its been a few years. Holland was nice, but the ship layout and service seemed much better on Celebrity. Enjoy your cruise!

[Cruzin with BQ & CQ]

Actually, that's not the case. Yes, there are problems with Celebrity -- just like any other cruise line. But, when you really start looking at some of the negative posts/reviews, you'll find that it's mostly a handful of people, beating the same dead horse. :rolleyes:

 

I like your idea of doing a "trial balloon" cruise, before committing to Europe. IMHO, you should take your November Silhouette cruise, and make up your own mind about Celebrity. One more suggestion -- if you haven't done so already, check out the roll-call thread for your cruise. There, you can meet the folks you'll actually be sailing with. You'll probably find some experienced Celebrity cruisers who can answer your questions. Not to mention, a more positive vibe! :cool:

 

Hey thank you so much. I guess what I was trying to say is that there seemed to be a disproportionate amount of complaints on this board as to some other boards I have monitored, hence my concerns. Thanks again.

[JudyU]

We did our first Celebrity cruise in March after doing 5 cruises on another line. I, too, got on these boards and was so worried. In addition to being negative of the cruise line, they were also very critical of fellow passengers. However, we enjoyed our cruise and are now Celebrity converts.

[4774Papa]

My DW and I are seasoned cruisers and sail 1 or 2 times a year. We have never sailed Celebrity, so during the 123GO promotion we decided to take the plunge and booked Aqua on Silhouette for November. We wanted to try Celebrity and were hopeful it would provide a pleasant experience.

 

Naturally, I came over and began following the chat on the Celebrity board to get a feel for the ship, experience on board and overall experience of others. I have to say, I'm more than a little concerned. There is significant discontent with a lot of folks on this board regarding Celebrity. Customer Service issues onboard, problems with the details of the booking such as the drink packages not on the passenger's reservation, decline in food quality, etc. I get that every line out there is making cutbacks, so I'm not going into this blind.

 

 

So is this just me overreacting, or are there some serious issues going on. We were using this cruise as a trial ballon for a 2016 Mediterranean cruise on Celebrity, but also want to have a nice vacation in November. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated!:confused:

We have done seven Celebrity cruises since 2011 and loved them all. We have been on Infinity, Constellation and Solstice.

We have not experienced the virtual collapse of service or quality from some panic stricken folks on cc.

We are people that love to dine for two hours, in no hurry. We don't drink much prior to five PM and therefore if bar service is slow before then, we don't notice.

 

Our table service continues to be exceptional and the food is generally the same quality from cruise to cruise or ship to ship.

Our last cruise did not have the late cruise brunch, but we had a bit of norovirus, so that may have been the problem.

 

We have two more cruises booked for 2016 and are confident that X will come through for us.

[ghstudio]

If everyone on this board had no history, the comments would be far more positive. All cruise lines have cut back. Each of us has to make a decision on each cruise whether we find the current Celebrity experience worth the $'s or, if they no longer offer the same experience, do we want to book on a different cruise line. The vast majority of the discussion here is "it ain't what it used to be".....and from my perspective "it ain't". On the other hand, I can't buy gas for $.30 a gallon any more and so on.

 

I think, compared to other mass market lines, celebrity still does a great job on the cruise itself. Their HQ operation, maybe not so much.... but you're not sailing with them. Celebrity does some things in a way that is frustrating....mainly they make changes on the fly...eg. the change in classic drink package, the change in specialty dining prices, the charge for zumba, I could go on. Again...focus on that sentence about "maybe not so much".

 

Your cruise will be great...it just won't have some of the things that many of us had on our last cruise, or some things may cost more. Since you have no history, those things aren't going to bother you as changes. After your first cruise, that will be your basis for comparison and you'll likely find that by the time you cruise again, there will be more changes, more than likely cuts or things more expensive.

 

As you read this board, remember prices in the supermarket are higher than last year (try to buy a lime recently), your air ticket is going to cost much more and now with all those add on fees. There are few statements that something on board isn't good (food is subjective), most of the comments are essentially, things on board aren't the same or as expected.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[Cindy]

I visit several different lines' forums, because I have or will be cruising with them. I think the negativity is very noticeable across the board. When it gets to be too much of a downer, I go to my roll calls.

 

Some people see the glass as half empty, and they aren't happy unless they are finding fault with something. I think recently there are a lot of those type of people posting. The same goes for social media like Facebook...most of the customers who post do so to complain. As an example, over on the Royal Caribbean board right now there are actually people A) Cursing out the cruise line because they don't think the current sale is good enough/cheap enough, and B) accusing them of being racist because the current sale is only for residents of the US and Canada!:eek:

 

My first Celebrity cruise is (finally) a week from Wednesday...my first one got cancelled so this is a replacement cruise. We're very excited to try Celebrity, and AQ, and I'll form my own opinions! I expect it to be like anything else -- there will be some things we like and some things we dislike. I'm sure we'll have a great time though -- we always do!:D

[dappledumpling]

My DW and I are seasoned cruisers and sail 1 or 2 times a year. We have never sailed Celebrity, so during the 123GO promotion we decided to take the plunge and booked Aqua on Silhouette for November. We wanted to try Celebrity and were hopeful it would provide a pleasant experience.

 

Naturally, I came over and began following the chat on the Celebrity board to get a feel for the ship, experience on board and overall experience of others. I have to say, I'm more than a little concerned. There is significant discontent with a lot of folks on this board regarding Celebrity. Customer Service issues onboard, problems with the details of the booking such as the drink packages not on the passenger's reservation, decline in food quality, etc. I get that every line out there is making cutbacks, so I'm not going into this blind.

 

So is this just me overreacting, or are there some serious issues going on. We were using this cruise as a trial ballon for a 2016 Mediterranean cruise on Celebrity, but also want to have a nice vacation in November. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated!:confused:

 

I fully understand your position. Infact that could have been my post 2 months ago.

We were on the Silhouette in April and it was one of our best cruises to date. While on it we booked infinity for 2015.. RCCL isn't the same line since my first cruise in 1989 definite changes some good some not so good.. I am sure its the same with celebrity.. But we will add celebrity to our cruise rotation....enjoy

 

Rick

[NLH Arizona]

 

Some people see the glass as half empty, and they aren't happy unless they are finding fault with something. I think recently there are a lot of those type of people posting. The same goes for social media like Facebook...most of the customers who post do so to complain. As an example, over on the Royal Caribbean board right now there are actually people A) Cursing out the cruise line because they don't think the current sale is good enough/cheap enough, and B) accusing them of being racist because the current sale is only for residents of the US and Canada!:eek:

 

I like you always seem to have a great time on all my cruises. There are those that will always find something wrong, but I would venture to guess that that is how they are in their every day life....something is always wrong or nothing is every good enough or they are always the victim.

[TLCOhio]

My DW and I are seasoned cruisers and sail 1 or 2 times a year. We have never sailed Celebrity, so during the 123GO promotion we decided to take the plunge and booked Aqua on Silhouette for November. We wanted to try Celebrity and were hopeful it would provide a pleasant experience. Naturally, I came over and began following the chat on the Celebrity board to get a feel for the ship, experience on board and overall experience of others. I have to say, I'm more than a little concerned. There is significant discontent with a lot of folks on this board regarding Celebrity. Customer Service issues onboard, problems with the details of the booking such as the drink packages not on the passenger's reservation, decline in food quality, etc. I get that every line out there is making cutbacks, so I'm not going into this blind. So is this just me overreacting, or are there some serious issues going on. We were using this cruise as a trial ballon for a 2016 Mediterranean cruise on Celebrity, but also want to have a nice vacation in November. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated!:confused:

 

We have done five different cruises, the last two being on the Celebrity Solstice. First was June 2011 in the Med from Barcelona. See below a link for many port details and options for that unique part of the world. Also as noted in the live/blog below, we got off of the Solstice in February. No big "problems". All worked out well. Did we see things to improve, fine-tune, etc.? Sure. Were there some "changes"? Yes. But, overall things worked fine for us and the six other couples in our travel group from Central Ohio. Check out these postings for more info/background on this nice ship, its entertainment, food options, etc.

 

Much depends on what you are seeking and needing. For us, much is about the port and various stops. The cruise ship is of important and value, but it is not the only thing for us. AND, especially in the Med, it is ALL about the ports. So much to see and do there. What ports will you be visiting??

 

Go and enjoy!! There are lots of great options on these ships. These boards can be good for sharing information, but don't get too, too carried away in worrying and reading ALL of the negative posts that it damages your fun and upcoming cruise experience.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Back from doing a 14-day Celebrity Solstice, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure on this ship and getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for much more information and lots of wonderful pictures on these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 56,248 views for this fun posting.

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 171,067 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[LetsGetWet!]

If everyone on this board had no history, the comments would be far more positive. All cruise lines have cut back. Each of us has to make a decision on each cruise whether we find the current Celebrity experience worth the $'s or, if they no longer offer the same experience, do we want to book on a different cruise line. The vast majority of the discussion here is "it ain't what it used to be".....and from my perspective "it ain't". On the other hand, I can't buy gas for $.30 a gallon any more and so on.

 

I think, compared to other mass market lines, celebrity still does a great job on the cruise itself. Their HQ operation, maybe not so much.... but you're not sailing with them. Celebrity does some things in a way that is frustrating....mainly they make changes on the fly...eg. the change in classic drink package, the change in specialty dining prices, the charge for zumba, I could go on. Again...focus on that sentence about "maybe not so much".

 

Your cruise will be great...it just won't have some of the things that many of us had on our last cruise, or some things may cost more. Since you have no history, those things aren't going to bother you as changes. After your first cruise, that will be your basis for comparison and you'll likely find that by the time you cruise again, there will be more changes, more than likely cuts or things more expensive.

 

As you read this board, remember prices in the supermarket are higher than last year (try to buy a lime recently), your air ticket is going to cost much more and now with all those add on fees. There are few statements that something on board isn't good (food is subjective), most of the comments are essentially, things on board aren't the same or as expected.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

Good post - the only thing I'd take issue with is - I don't think it's a matter of how much cruise history one has, but rather just their general outlook and disposition.

 

Sent from my Galaxy S4 via Tapatalk

[Cruzin with BQ & CQ]

I visit several different lines' forums, because I have or will be cruising with them. I think the negativity is very noticeable across the board. When it gets to be too much of a downer, I go to my roll calls.

 

Some people see the glass as half empty, and they aren't happy unless they are finding fault with something. I think recently there are a lot of those type of people posting. The same goes for social media like Facebook...most of the customers who post do so to complain. As an example, over on the Royal Caribbean board right now there are actually people A) Cursing out the cruise line because they don't think the current sale is good enough/cheap enough, and B) accusing them of being racist because the current sale is only for residents of the US and Canada!:eek:

 

My first Celebrity cruise is (finally) a week from Wednesday...my first one got cancelled so this is a replacement cruise. We're very excited to try Celebrity, and AQ, and I'll form my own opinions! I expect it to be like anything else -- there will be some things we like and some things we dislike. I'm sure we'll have a great time though -- we always do!:D

 

Hey Cindy thank you very much! That's my DW's name! As I always say I've never met a Cindy I didn't like! I hope you have a wonderful cruise! Would love to hear your thoughts upon your return! Have fun!:D