HeinBloed's Blog from CELEBRITY MILLENNIUM April 2014 Hong Kong - Shanghai

[HeinBloed]

The new HeinBloed Blog (incl. review) starts right now:

 

Day 0 on the way from Germany via Switzerland to Hong Kong (in two chapters)

 

http://heinbloed-x.blogspot.com/2014/04/tagday-01-vor-derbefore-celebrity.html

 

 

Very nice care of Swiss International Airlines

 

A very nice view from our hotel room

 

 

 

Very nice food

 

 

 

22.30 hrs in Hong Kong

 

Finally arriving in the bed

 

 

To continue click on "Newer Post" at the bottom of the chapter. I will let you know when Day 1 is available.

 

Regards

HeinBloed

[Keith1010]

Thank you of sharing this.

 

Keith

[TeaBag]

Thank you for posting this. I will enjoy reliving our cruise of 2013, same itinerary. I love Hong Kong.

[HeinBloed]

Let's go to Day 1: Embarkation in Hong Kong - 8 chapteris

 

http://heinbloed-x.blogspot.com/2014/04/tagday-11-auf-deron-celebrity.html

 

Please continue by clicking on "Newer Post" at the bottom of the end of a chapter.

 

Small warning:

 

like you know the health advise with cigarette advertising or on every cruise ship the warning of consumption of raw meat:

 

This is nothing for real Celebrity-Fanatics - especially those who do not know anything else but the standard of Celebrity - no matter how high it was or low it is like now.

 

For those who booked already the cruise: no reason to cancel:

 

You will see a lot of pictures from wonderful places we saw - and you can get information for your own plannings.

 

And you can better prepare your self for some more stuff to pack: like microwave, instant-cup noodles, seats when you go fishing, writing board, cleaning agents, body wash and you can start to check where to find the next HomeDepot close to the single cruise terminals.

 

As said: I compare between the voyages on Celebrity but also with Princess, Holland America and Norwegian! And I experience a total different standard with them.

 

 

The brand new Kai Tak Cruise Terminal on the former runway of the famous airport.

 

One more time a great breakfast in the Inter-Continental.

 

 

 

Spiderman in Hong Kong

 

Hong Kong from the Victoria Peak

 

 

 

The last old fishermen boats in Aberdeen who need to vacate more space for the modern yachts

 

This picture stands for the whole cruise: while the crew was sitting comfortable at chairs at tables we need to sit on the floor to fill out the forms. Everything for the comfort for the crew - guests had to follow. They were not in the center of the attention... 13 nights - but luckily two nights less

 

 

I will notify once Day 2 is ready.

 

Regards

HeinBloed

[jkgourmet]

I'm not sure I'm understanding you, Heinblod. Are you happy or unhappy with Celebrity? We were on the NCL Jade with you in Jan 2014, which I know you enjoyed (but most of your meals were in speciality restaurants, I believe?)

Edited May 31, 2014 by jkgourmet

[HeinBloed]

I'm not sure I'm understanding you, Heinblod. Are you happy or unhappy with Celebrity? We were on the NCL Jade with you in Jan 2014, which I know you enjoyed (but most of your meals were in speciality restaurants, I believe?)

 

I was unhappy! They promised "Modern Luxury" - but you did not get it. I am only wondering why NORWEGIAN is rated so low if you see the performance on our a Celebrity cruise.

[HeinBloed]

Day 2 = 1st day at sea in 7 chapters

 

http://heinbloed-x.blogspot.com/2014/04/seetagday-at-sea-21-auf-deron-celebrity.html

 

To continue to the next chapter please click on "Newer Post" at right of the bottom.

 

 

Everything was upside down!... the whole ship and the whole cruise experience.

 

On the first sight: a very "sexy" ship...

 

 

 

Great art objects all over the ship.

 

A "Turf no Surf" because you had no "Surf and Turf" - at none of 13 nights - even not with the gala nights.

 

 

 

Let's start the Captain's Toast.

 

Strictly Ballroom - one of the very best production shows I ever saw on sea.

 

 

I will notify once Day 3 in Keelung, Taiwan is completed and available.

 

Regards

HeinBloed

[shipfriend_max]

Interesting blog so far.

In some points I agree with you: The presentation of fruits during breakfast should be better, and also used cutlery shouldn't be used again, especially in case of Code Red!

But I personally disagree with you, that instant soups are used - when we were on Summit, it tasted always fresh and every soup was relatively hot, so that we had to wait 1-2 minutes until we could eat it.

But, in comparison to you, we were sitting near the kitchen.

 

To your comparison to Princess: I think there are more points were Celebrity beats Princess - taste of food/quality and service.

But on Princess I really like the fruit basket in the stateroom, which you do not get on Celebrity.

These are just my personal experiences from Crown/Emerald Princess, and Celebrity Summit! :)

 

I am interested how it continues.

[jkgourmet]

I was unhappy! They promised "Modern Luxury" - but you did not get it. I am only wondering why NORWEGIAN is rated so low if you see the performance on our a Celebrity cruise.

 

Are you eating in the buffet and MDR on Celebrity? If so, then that's not a fair comparison to your dining experience on NCL Jade where I believe you ate exclusively (almost??) In extra cost speciality dining. Like your breakfasts in Cagney's? All I'm saying is that you need to compare apples to apples.

 

I'm not a member of the Celebrity cheerleader club. We sail ANY line that offers a good itinerary and cheap price. And each line does some thngs well and other things nit so well. But I will state that the buffet and MDR food on the NCL Jade was the worst we've ever experienced on a cruise. OTOH, the Jade had sone of the best entertainment we've ever seen on a ship.

[HeinBloed]

Are you eating in the buffet and MDR on Celebrity? If so, then that's not a fair comparison to your dining experience on NCL Jade where I believe you ate exclusively (almost??) In extra cost speciality dining. Like your breakfasts in Cagney's? All I'm saying is that you need to compare apples to apples.

 

I'm not a member of the Celebrity cheerleader club. We sail ANY line that offers a good itinerary and cheap price. And each line does some thngs well and other things nit so well. But I will state that the buffet and MDR food on the NCL Jade was the worst we've ever experienced on a cruise. OTOH, the Jade had sone of the best entertainment we've ever seen on a ship.

 

We never eat at the buffet on Norwegian - nor do we eat buffet on Celebrity.

 

Normally we mostly eat in the Main Dining Room - on Norwegian and on Celebrity.

 

Even I had this time the privilege to have breakfast and lunch at the Cagney's I had many many times before in the Grand Pacific.

 

But at the Grand Pacific:

 

they walk for you an extra mile if you ask for something else which is not on the menu

they replace the dirty silverware and do not put back on the table that you use it for the next course again

 

Celebrity and Norwegian are not playing in the same league -

 

Celebrity is Premium

Norwegian is Mass-Market

 

You pay much more with Celebrity to have "Modern Luxury"

 

But the level of food you get in the MDR on CELEBRITY MILLENNIUM and on NORWEGIAN JADE is about the same.

 

And it's NOT because Norwegian became better within the last years. You can see the savings all over the year too.

 

But the decrease on Celebrity actually faster than with Norwegian.

 

Food is always a question of personal preferences. But with Norwegian I can ask to get something else and they try to do it.

 

With Norwegian you get mass market and you get exactly the food of mass market.

 

With Celebrity you had it more special (like breakfast at SpaCafé) and upgraded but it became as bad as with Norwegian.

 

This time it was terrible on NORWEGIAN JADE: because of the opening of NORWEGIAN GETAWAY. Everytime when they take the bests of the best from any ship to run a new ship you will experience a big disappointment.

 

So you will also see in my Norwegian-Blog that I was not exited either. And even not with food experiences in alternative dinings (like Moderno, Teppanyaki).

 

Normally we go at least twice a year with Norwegian but for 2015 there is only one more Norwegian cruise left since we have one more cruise reward to redeem.

 

But no more plans for Norwegian either (same with Celebrity) as there are better cruise lines and you get much more for a little more money.

 

If we still stay with Norwegian: it's because of the fantastic crew - we never hear a "no" with Norwegian.

 

You get what you pay for.

 

For Norwegian it is o.k., although the price level is now higher than years before.

 

For Celebrity you are paying actually too much. They must improve the food and the service to have a difference to the others.

 

The shows on CELEBRITY MILLENNIUM were MUCH MORE BETTER than on NORWEGIAN JADE... it's a difference if you have 11 dancers PLUS VOCALISTS on the stage which makes it full and very vivid and dynamic or you have only 6 or 8 like on NORWEGIAN JADE and they have to fill out the empty space on the stage!

 

Regards

HeinBloed

Edited June 1, 2014 by HeinBloed

[mariners]

HeinBloed, I am enjoying reading your review and looking at all of the photographs. Thanks so much for posting.

[shipfriend_max]

 

For Celebrity you are paying actually too much. They must improve the food and the service to have a difference to the others.

 

IMHO the food on Celebrity Summit was the best we ever had in MDR! And I also can compare with Crown and Emerald Princess, which are definitely no mass-market ships. IMHO the food on Summit was more tasteful than on the two Princess ships - either in MDR or buffet.

I think Celebrity has a very good value for money. We payed 680 € for one week in an ocean-view stateroom with onboard credit.

For this price, we got: welcome aboard drinks, cold drinks and towels when leaving and boarding the ship.

At the buffet you have food statios where your dishes are freshly made ("Stir Fry", Pasta station, chefs daily special...). OK, therefore, the Princess buffets provide more food, at least in the evening.

OK, on Princess you get fruits in your stateroom.

 

Some sources of criticism/complaints I understand, but others not...

 

In conclusion, I recognized that Celebrity has more staff in the housekeeping/hospitality sector than Princess.

 

But I also really like Princess, and experiences differ from person to person...

Edited June 1, 2014 by celebrity_fan

[HeinBloed]

Day 3 in Keelung, Taiwan in 5 chapters

 

http://heinbloed-x.blogspot.com/2014/04/tagday-31-auf-deron-celebrity.html

 

Click on the right of the bottom "Newer Post" to continue to the next chapter.

 

 

A wonderful sunrise over the port of Keelung

 

Searching the Egyptian Queen Nofretete

 

 

 

Let us go up on Taipei 101

 

Too much art, culture and history make you tired: National Palace Museum

 

 

 

So sad that she passed away in February 2014 and our meeting of four generations was not possible: My Grandmother

 

A wonderful memory for the kids

 

 

Another day at sea will follow. I revert when I completed the blog.

 

Greetings

HeinBloed

[jkgourmet]

Heinbloed, thank you for the clarification and answers to my questions. I do hope that I have not derailed this thread into a nonsense mess of 'who is better? NCL, Celebrity, Princess?' My apologies if I haved inadvertently caused that.

 

I am sorry that you were unable to see your grandmother again, and have four generations of your family together. It is obvious from the photo you posted here that she was very proud of you.

[HeinBloed]

Heinbloed, thank you for the clarification and answers to my questions. I do hope that I have not derailed this thread into a nonsense mess of 'who is better? NCL, Celebrity, Princess?' My apologies if I haved inadvertently caused that.

 

I will let you know in September...

 

We are going one night on EUROPA which is accordingly to Douglas Ward the second best cruise ship ever 5*+ - only beaten by her brand new sister EUROPA 2.

 

We can afford only one night since one night is about 650 USD/night.

 

It's a once in a lifetime experience. Only to see what we are "missing" and to claiming later how "bad" everybody else is after the one Gourmet Night (11 *-chefs onboard and all of them has a "market stand" on the pool and you browse from stand to stand...).

 

But we cannot afford to pay such prices for a long cruise.

 

I only want to be "hurt" and "disappointed". I am working too hard for my money which I spend all in cruises.

 

So I want to have the best for the money I can afford.

 

And sometimes you are "victim" of a great marketing. But this works only once.

 

My blog is first of all for me. But also for others to understand how I experience something. Some might say: this does not apply to me and this could not happen to me.

 

Of course you can discuss which line is better BUT

 

a different ship

a different itinerary

a different crew

a different senior management

 

and "paradise" could be "hell" or "hell" could be "paradise".

 

I was totally five times on NORWEGIAN JADE:

 

I had very good time and it was the "cruise of my drreams"

but

I had also very bad times and few nights of "nightmares"

 

and you find the good days in the blog but also the bad days.

 

And you will experience that I have great days on board while other had bad days if you read the reviews and have the impression they were on a different cruise.

 

This could happen as everyone has a different demand and expectation.

 

"Learned" from this cruise we booked now DIAMOND PRINCESS from Singapore to Japan.

 

I want to see more from Japan since Nagasaki (the next port in my blog) impressed me very much and our cruise end after three calls in Japan in Tokyo/Yokohama and so we can go and see Mt. Fuji...

 

I want to go back to Taiwan again and show Bruno more.

 

I want to have an overnight in Hong Kong to show Bruno Macao which he passed like time on ZAANDAM.

 

I want to see the places in Vietnam which I missed:

 

Ho Chi Minh City - which we cannot enjoy because of the malorganisation of the private tour - and because my iPhone was stolen there and I am trying to find the driver of the transport provider at the pier...

 

Nha Trang - which we missed as the port was skipped and there is still a birthday cake waiting for me since 2 years and has wait two other years

 

Da Nang/Hue - heared so many times in "Good Morning Vietnam" - and I want to see another UNESCO World Heritage: the former Imperial City

 

and

 

Singapore to stay one night in the Marina Sands...

 

And I have to pay more than I paid with Celebrity. But I hope that I get more for my money and come back more happy than I did come from CELEBRITY MILLENNIUM.

 

I am sorry that you were unable to see your grandmother again, and have four generations of your family together. It is obvious from the photo you posted here that she was very proud of you.

 

Thanks for your kind words of sympathy.

 

Regards

HeinBloed

[HeinBloed]

I only want to be "hurt" and "disappointed". I am working too hard for my money which I spend all in cruises.

 

Of course

 

I only DO NOT want to be "hurt" and "disappointed".

[HeinBloed]

Day 4 - the 2nd day at sea - in two chapters

 

http://heinbloed-x.blogspot.com/2014/04/seetagday-at-sea-41-auf-deron-celebrity.html

 

Click on the right of the bottom "Newer Post" to continue to the next chapter.

 

 

A very nice person and personal troubleshooter: Jean Pascal.

 

Are we here on the Seawalk on ROYAL PRINCESS?

 

 

 

One Nutella-Crepes in Bistro on Five.

 

Looks like Pippi Longstocking.

 

 

 

My first lobster on board - and you have to pay for it - but it was worth as we had lunch in The Olympic.

 

Our three good spirits: Beverage waiter Shubert, Hendrix and his assistant Kenneth: wonderful guys!!!

 

 

Next call: Nagasaki, Japan. I revert when I completed the next day of my blog.

 

Greetings

HeinBloed

[HeinBloed]

Day 5 - Nagasaki, Japan - a wonderful place - in four chapters

 

http://heinbloed-x.blogspot.com/2014/04/tagday-51-auf-deron-celebrity.html

 

Click on the right of the bottom "Newer Post" to continue to the next chapter.

 

 

Our wonderful tour guide: June

 

I love small things which make the difference: the peace crane as souvenir for our private tour

 

 

 

Another small thing which makes a difference: the umbrella service at the pier

 

The most cordial farewell: Sayonara and domo-arrigato Nagasaki

 

 

 

Fun with Assistent Maître D' Azem

 

 

Next call: Busan, South Korea. I revert when I completed the next day of my blog.

 

Greetings

HeinBloed

[HeinBloed]

Day 6 - Busan, South Korea - a total surprise to me - in three chapters

 

http://heinbloed-x.blogspot.com/2014/04/tagday-61-auf-deron-celebrity.html

 

Click on the right of the bottom "Newer Post" to continue to the next chapter.

 

 

Our tour guide Bu-Gyeong Choi and our new friends from Califoria: Vivian and her mother.

 

A nice temple at the seaside: Haedong Yongong Temple.

 

 

 

I should have a lot of fortune now after touching two pigs.

 

My favorite Korean lunch: Bibimbab.

 

 

 

In love forever!

 

The second largest fish-market in the world.

 

 

Next call: Jeju-Island, South Korea. I revert when I completed the next day of my blog.

 

Greetings

HeinBloed

[HeinBloed]

Day 7 - Jeju-Island, South Korea - glad to have no big mega city but nature - in three chapters

 

http://heinbloed-x.blogspot.com/2014/04/tagday-71-auf-deron-celebrity.html

 

Click on the right of the bottom "Newer Post" to continue to the next chapter.

 

 

Our tour guide on Jeju-Island: Hyan Dong Hak.

 

Our Disco-Bus.

 

 

 

At the edge of a vulcano crater.

 

Korean Lunch.

 

 

 

"I'd like I'd be... under the sea..."

 

YMCA... so much fun on stage and with all the others in the audiance... "Boogie Wonderland" - my favourite Production Show

 

 

Next call: Tianjin, China - but in two days. We will have one more day at sea - the 3rd of totally 5. I revert when I completed the next day of my blog.

 

Greetings

HeinBloed

[shipfriend_max]

Such a lack of objectivity is a shame just because you really want to dislike the certain product of Celebrity.

Nothing can run 100 % perfectly.

[HeinBloed]

Such a lack of objectivity is a shame just because you really want to dislike the certain product of Celebrity.

Nothing can run 100 % perfectly.

 

Somebody who has a NO COSTA Logo tries to tell me that his objectivity is allowed to say that I am not allowed to say NO CELEBRITY?

 

Who says that I must be objective? I am telling the good things and the bad things.

 

Have you been on my cruise? The answer is no.

 

This blog reflects my experience and not yours!

[true45]

Thank you

Enjoying the blog travelogue very much

Linda

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[HeinBloed]

Day 8 = Easter Sunday - the 3rd of totally 5 days at sea before arriving in China - in two chapters

 

http://heinbloed-x.blogspot.com/2014/04/seetagday-at-sea-81-auf-deron-celebrity.html

 

Click on the right of the bottom "Newer Post" to continue to the next chapter.

 

 

Well... I had no idea what this is - but I was told that this were some Easter rolls.

 

The only single time you had exotic fruits at breakfast: Papaya.

 

 

 

Maintaining new friendships.

 

Looked great. But unfortunately unenjoyable.

 

 

 

The costume closest to a Easter Bunny costume.

 

A wonderful gesture: Some consolation for a sick child which cannot show up for dinner.

 

 

Next call: Tianjin, China. I revert when I completed the next day of my blog.

 

Greetings

HeinBloed

[shipfriend_max]

"Or is Celebrity just became Celebrity so much down from their level [...]"

 

Slowly it's boring... Just you did not like Celebrity it is wrong to say that celebrity is "down from its level"... Celebrity offers far more than the competitors, and often you do not pay more.

 

But the best story is the one with the shower gel - even in 5 weeks I keep laughing about it. :D