Exhausted reading negative comments

[CathyCruises]

[quote name='Chicago Boy']We sail on Celebrity a couple of times a year and find very little to complain about. We have seen people do the following: Complain because their table did not have a saucier to sauce their shrimp cocktail, complain because there were not enough chocolate chips in the cookies, complain because their lobster was sauced when it came to the table,even though the menu did say that's the way it came. We have seen guests abuse the wait staff and we have seen guests complain that the elevator stopped on every level. We have seen people order their dinner and when it came they said the didn't want it and the ordered a cheese burger with fries and the waiter had to get it. Quite frankly I think there are people who just like to complain and they don't eat or live at well at home as they do on the ship. Sure prices for things go up. When you give perks or have promotions they are going to be paid for one way or another. We were on a cruise from Barcelona to Fort Lauderdale last November and half the ship was Elite. They were upstairs during cocktail hour having the free booze. Free isn't free and anyone who thinks it is, is kidding themselves. And yes we are off to Rome in November to do a Trans Atlantic on the Constellation. I say to those who complain stop and smell the roses and enjoy your cruise.[/QUOTE]

My sentiments exactly! Kwitchyerbellieakin!!!

[CathyCruises]

[quote name='Pushka']And companies should not take advantage of that. The bottom line is that whatever the luxury item that is purchased, the goods must be delivered. Using your line of thought, people would pay for Gucci but should be happy if they received a Target bag. After all, it's still a bag.[/QUOTE]


Nope, not a reasonable comparison at all. They may however, find that the cost of the Gucci bag has gone up, or find that the quality has decreased somewhat at the old price. Then they have the option of paying the higher price, accepting the decrease in quality, or switching to a Prada bag if they think they will find more value there.

It's really all about [I]value[/I]. I find that for the price I pay, and I am a bargain shopper, the value I receive is outstanding. If I were booking the Penthouse at full price, I may find the value lacking, in which case I would probably start looking elsewhere. I used to think $1500 in the Med for a balcony cabin was a fabulous deal. Then I paid $699 for a 15 day TA in a hump balcony. Now I think $1500 is way too expensive!! On our TA last month, the only thing I could find to complain about was that there weren't enough trash cans in the public areas!!

As for "Modern Luxury", that's just an advertising slogan. Kia advertises one of its cars as luxury too--do I believe it is comparable with a Mercedes?? Celebrity is not a 'luxury' cruise line, no matter what their branding or phony photos show, but at their price point they do a darn good job of providing a high quality vacation experience. Edited June 1, 2014 by CathyCruises

[mariners]

Are people actually complaining or are they providing you with facts? If the information is factual, but it displays Celebrity in a negative light, does that mean the person is complaining? Are those of you who are saying to stop complaining requesting that people not write any facts about negative experiences?

For example, on our Millennium cruise, the following information are facts:

We initially booked 2 adjoining cabins, but then changed the reservations to 3 cabins for 4 adults and 2 children (10 and 15). We booked directly through Celebrity and had 2 adults in each cabin with one adjoining cabin for the two children. When the 123 perks came available, we booked the Classic Alcohol Package for the 4 adults and the $300.00 credit for the children (which was suggested by the Celebrity rep). New invoices were provided that reflected the alcohol package, but no new invoice came for the children. We had multiple calls with Celebrity about the children's cabin as nothing could be done online because there was no adult in the cabin. We were assured that everything was fine and there would be no issues once we were onboard. This was not true.

Facts:

1. None of the reservations had the perks attached to them when we boarded the ship. I had to go to Guest Services and join the long line of individuals who had issues with a variety of things. Copies of our documents had to be provided to Guest Services so that they could forward them to Celebrity main office. Our accounts were to be credited once the information was verified and the billing for drinks was to be removed. I left happy thinking that all would work out. Wrong.

2. We were unable to buy water that was covered by the Classic package as Celebrity does not sell that water. We were assured that the water would be covered. It was not removed from our bill when the other charges were removed from the bill. The first time I went to guest services on this issue, the person spent a long time on the computer to remove the charges. It did not work. The second time that I went to guest services, I had Judith (who deserves many accolades for the amount of time that she spent trying to rectify the problems we had with our reservations), and she assured me that all of the charges would be removed by the next day. They were.

3. Our grandchildren never did receive the $300 credit. Despite showing dates of invoices, changes in reservations, etc., neither I nor Judith was able to get Celebrity to honor the perk. Celebrity main office was adamant that the children's booking was for March and the rest of us were booked in July. We argued that the invoices all had the same date. We argued that a 10 and 15 year old could not make a booking on their own, so how was that possible. Judith sent multiple messages to head office and every one came back with a refusal to honor the credit. At no time was I angry with her because of the amount of time I had to spend with her trying to sort this out, nor was she angry with me for taking up so much of her time.

4. Every person who had private shore excursions that were in Beijing had to go and give details to the people handling the passports/immigration. This included the time of disembarkation. I gave the time that we were being picked up by our tour guide, and asked if it would be an issue. I was assured there was no problem, but that they needed to know the information so that disembarkation would be as easy as possible. Everyone was warned that there could be general delays in the clearing of the ship as well as passengers going through the immigration lines. We were appreciative knowing that we might be delayed for those reasons.

On the morning of our arrival, we went and sat in the public areas waiting for the ship to be cleared. After waiting for a long time, I went and asked if the ship had been cleared; however, although I was told the ship had not cleared, Celebrity tours were leaving the ship. As I stated in my review, I would not have an issue with this if Celebrity had informed me ahead of time that Celebrity tours had priority. I would even have accepted it if I was told the information when I asked if the ship had cleared as I would have phoned our guide to let her know that we were delayed. However, compared to some passengers with private tours, we were almost in Beijing when they managed to get off the ship.

The ship was under Code Red because of the Norovirus.

Our balcony and furniture was covered in salt spray and dirt. The salt spray even coated the inside of our balcony door with crusted salt. Even when we were told that it was going to be cleaned, it was not. Our grandchildren had an adjoining cabin, and their balcony was much cleaner so we just used their balcony.

These issues are all facts. Should I not have written them?

Despite these issues, and others, we had a great cruise and have wonderful family memories and photographs. We won't, however, be choosing Celebrity for our next family cruise. The facts speak for themselves.

[wallie5446]

mariners,
Yours are the comments we need to see and know about.
But I have one question. You said, 'we had a great cruise', so if your next cruise has no issues, but the experience on ship of the actual cruise is a let down and is just so-so, what then? Yes, there are quite a few different cruise lines, we have sailed on 7, so we get it. The people that work at any one of them can and will makes errors along the way, and all any of us can do is have a bit of patience just as we would want if there was a mistake to be corrected by us at our business. Fare treatment is a door that swings both ways.
Please come back and let us know how your next sailing compared, please. Edited June 1, 2014 by wallie5446

[mariners]

wallie5446, I should have worded "we had a great cruise" differently. We had a "great time" because of travelling with our family, a fabulous itinerary, two very good Celebrity excursions, a fantastic private excursion to Beijing for two nights, wandering ports on our own, an excellent crew who worked tirelessly, and meeting people who were a joy to be around.

We have previously taken the family on Regent (a four generation cruise that was outstanding and should have been given the price paid), a Princess cruise, and on two other Celebrity cruises. No cruise is going to be perfect for everyone all the time, but we have never had so many issues on any vacation. Celebrity not honoring the $300 perk was the final straw. Right now, we don't have another family cruise booked, but I can guarantee that I will write a review after the next one.

Happy sailing!

[buffetking]

Guess what...an expensive bag, car, watch, ring, suit, etc. is after all pretty much the same as their cheaper cousins. I can afford any car I want, and pay cash for it....not lease or finance it like most "high class folk." I drive a Honda Civic. I pay less, get a solid performing car, and do not expect it to be anything more than a cheap car. When I book a cruise on a mass market line like RCL or X, I pay less and still get a pretty great cruise, and not complain if the experience is a little plain. If I want a "high class" cruise than I'll book me a Seaborne or Crystal cruise. Then if it is not first class all the way...I will complain loudly.

My other point is really more important. Those of us lucky enough to be born in developed countries, where we get good jobs and are able to have disposible income to go on vacation,
count yourself as RICH. We are living the good life, sometimes you just have to sit back and think about it.

May all your bags be Gucci !!

[WpgCruise]

I have no problem at all reading negative reports, and get value from people telling of what happened and suggestions from themselves or others on what they did or could have done to fix the problem.

Where I loose interest in Cruise Critic, and why I no longer recommend Cruise Critic to people, is often CC becomes a forum for debate. We too often see the same people post on the same thread time and time again with their opinion, arguing their position is correct....marginalizing those who don't share their opinion ......why do this? Take a look at some of the recent Threads on hot button topics, and you'll see the same poster often posts 10-15-20% of the posts on the thread.

I give credibility to people who post their opinion once, and move on. Posting multiple times on the same subject won't make your opinion any more valid, won't make anyone else's less valid, and in fact only makes the multiple poster look desperate, and often a little silly.

The arguing, the bickering, the belittling comments, only serve to hurt the Cruise Critic Community, and turn away people who come here to learn and share with others how to make their cruise experience better. Edited June 1, 2014 by WpgCruise

[Pushka]

[quote name='CathyCruises']Nope, not a reasonable comparison at all. They may however, find that the cost of the Gucci bag has gone up, or find that the quality has decreased somewhat at the old price. Then they have the option of paying the higher price, accepting the decrease in quality, or switching to a Prada bag if they think they will find more value there.



[/QUOTE]


The analogy is that they'd paid for the Gucci and were waiting for delivery (as we wait for our cruises after payment).

During that period of waiting the price of the Gucci bag increased so the company swapped it for an "inferior brand" that was now the same price as the original purchase because the Gucci bag was now more expensive than what was originally paid.

Good grief wpg, debate is important for the community. Proper debate doesn't turn people away. You might even learn something or see an issue from someone else's perspective. As far as re posting and credibility I think that doesn't make sense. If you have a genuine issue there must be lots of clarifying responses. You have posted multiple times on this issue yourself so what are you saying about your own comments?
I rarely read glowing reports. I read reports that are negative and work out whether their issues would bother me and whether their comments are reasonable or just a whinge.

The fact that we can afford cruises should not be used as an argument against receiving the service/product we pay our hard earned money for. That line of discussion is a red herring

And the most expensive bag I've purchased was around $120. I don't buy Gucci. ;). Edited June 1, 2014 by Pushka
edit

[woodyren]

Agree 100% with what you say Pushka. The 3 common lines put forward by others as to why people should not post negative comments are in general terms:

(a)you are very lucky to be able to cruise in the first place or
(b) the value is great or
(c) Celebrity is NOT a luxury line.

Those 3 arguments are just strawmen to this debate. I am still waiting for a valid point from anyone to support their issue that one should not post a negative comment and I am quite confident that none will be put forward.

On a personal level the only posts on here that don't give me an opportunity to learn anything that may help in my decisions or add to my enjoyment are the ones where people simply complain or criticise those who make negative comments. If you don't agree that is fine. Just read it and move on or if you feel strongly enough relate your positive experience to what the posters negative one may have been.

Surely people should be discerning enough to draw their own conclusions based on comments read on here and from their own personal experience. Edited June 1, 2014 by woodyren

[north29]

We are world travelers/cruisers, we know that there will be many different issues with travel. Some of our friends take our comments on the negative side, which is not true, they are just comments of our experiences, no trip or cruise cannot be without some strange issues. Many of our friends take our comments as just comments, and understand what we mean, that travel is not rocket science, and issues will happen. Guess which ones we talk to more. LOL
I do believe that many want to hear negative comment so they can say to who ever, see, a bad experience do you REALLY WANT TO GO. These are not true travelers/ cruisers.

[OBX-Cruisers]

I agree that negative comments about issues on a ship are often useful if they are posted accurately and represent real problems. Reviews that downrate the cabin because they had to actually ask their cabin attendant for ice, soap, etc. etc. are not helpful if the requested items are received in a reasonable amount of time.

Reading both positive and negative comments on the message board is similar to digesting the truth about a ship when looking at the cruise reviews. People who rate all of the choices with 5's are probably true optimists and I take those review with a couple grains of salt.
Similarly people who give 1's and 2's to various items without a reasonable explanation are similarly suspect as not being fully objective or accurate.
You can only look at the concensus of the different reviews and if several point to a particularly good or bad issue have a real value for when we go on that or similar classes of X ships

[Big_G]

[quote name='mamamzee']Even six months out, I am excited about the next cruise and read CC every day. Our last cruise was HAL and we got lucky with upgrades/upsells and ended up in a suite. Lots of HAL customers had their panties in a wad over all kinds of little things and I got so tired of it , I never considered HAL this time.

Lots of complaints on Celebrity about rising prices of drinks. I just got back from Publix grocery store and found a package of lettuce to be 4.99--yikes. Ground meat is out of sight too. It is what it is, on or off ships.

We booked AQ this time just for the experience of BLU and all the rest and now I read that it's a terrible restaurant, too busy, food is lousy, etc.

I am going to read no more on CC. Bye.[/quote]

Sorry the Debbie Downers and the Chicken Littles got the best of you but you'll be missing out on some good information here on Cruise Critic if you move on. Some times you just have to filter out the complainers. Have a great cruise.

[Kevnzworld]

Celebrity has a social media person that reads Cruise Critic. Hopefully some of the valid criticism won't land on deaf ears. It's also helpful for some of us to know that we aren't alone noticing some of the changes that aren't for the better. I recently wrote a post on my negative feeling regarding Tuscan Grills new menu and higher price.
Celebrity is and has raised their prices substantially over the last twelve months, it's reasonable to hold them to account for any deterioration in service or product.
A few examples :
New meat vendor, thin steaks lower quality
No more " Grand Buffet "
Higher specialty restaurant prices
Having to pay for shuttle service at many ports
Poorer service in Blu. ( I stopped eating there for breakfast because the service was slow and my eggs were often cold , at night there is a 10 minute wait line while many tables are empty )

[Cruising89143]

[quote name='Big_G']Sorry the Debbie Downers and the Chicken Littles got the best of you but you'll be missing out on some good information here on Cruise Critic if you move on. Some times you just have to filter out the complainers. Have a great cruise.[/QUOTE]

I'm posting from Villefranche and am currently on the EQ. Great ship and service is outstanding. No cuts that I have noticed. Check in was a breeze. A happy cruiser.

[C 2 C]

[quote name='cruisingator2']I'm posting from Villefranche and am currently on the EQ. Great ship and service is outstanding. No cuts that I have noticed. Check in was a breeze. A happy cruiser.[/QUOTE]

Could you post the names of senior staff on board?

Enjoy the cruise.

[vulcan1971]

[quote name='cruisingator2']I'm posting from Villefranche and am currently on the EQ. Great ship and service is outstanding. No cuts that I have noticed. Check in was a breeze. A happy cruiser.[/quote]

IF you are planning to check out the new Gastropub (where the old Cellar Masters was located), I think we would all enjoy hearing your thoughts on the ambiance and menu selections for wine / beer / and food offerings. Feel free to throw in a picture(s) if you are so moved. :D

[chamima]

[quote name='OBX-Cruisers']I agree that negative comments about issues on a ship are often useful if they are posted accurately and represent real problems. [B][U]Reviews that downrate the cabin because they had to actually ask their cabin attendant for ice, soap, etc. etc. are not helpful if the requested items are received in a reasonable amount of time.[/U][/B]

Reading both positive and negative comments on the message board is similar to digesting the truth about a ship when looking at the cruise reviews. People who rate all of the choices with 5's are probably true optimists and I take those review with a couple grains of salt.
Similarly people who give 1's and 2's to various items without a reasonable explanation are similarly suspect as not being fully objective or accurate.
You can only look at the concensus of the different reviews and if several point to a particularly good or bad issue have a real value for when we go on that or similar classes of X ships[/QUOTE]

But what those reviews DO accomplish is to tell people that, even though there might not be an ice bucket in the cabin, instead of just bemoaning that fact, you can get one by just asking for it.

[chamima]

[quote name='cruisingator2']I'm posting from Villefranche and am currently on the EQ. Great ship and service is outstanding. No cuts that I have noticed. Check in was a breeze. A happy cruiser.[/QUOTE]

[quote name='vulcan1971']IF you are planning to check out the new Gastropub (where the old Cellar Masters was located), I think we would all enjoy hearing your thoughts on the ambiance and menu selections for wine / beer / and food offerings. Feel free to throw in a picture(s) if you are so moved. :D[/QUOTE]


May I please second the request for thoughts and pictures of the Gastrobar.

[wallie5446]

[quote name='cruisingator2']I'm posting from Villefranche and am currently on the EQ. Great ship and service is outstanding. No cuts that I have noticed. Check in was a breeze. A happy cruiser.[/QUOTE]

Wonderful! And you know what inquiring minds are waiting for you to tell us about:D
EW

OK, I asked too before reading all the other post! Edited June 2, 2014 by wallie5446

[Big_G]

[quote name='wallie5446']Wonderful! And you know what inquiring minds are waiting for you to tell us about:D
EW

OK, I asked too before reading all the other post![/QUOTE]


The more, the merrier. We all want to know. ;)


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[chamima]

[quote name='wallie5446']Wonderful! And you know what inquiring minds are waiting for you to tell us about:D
EW

OK, I asked too before reading all the other post![/QUOTE]



For Wallie, my friend who has been as anxious as I regarding news on the changes on the Equinox - finally a "Live From"


[url]http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2050703[/url]

or two

[url]http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2051022[/url]

[wallie5446]

[quote name='chamima']For Wallie, my friend who has been as anxious as I regarding news on the changes on the Equinox - finally a "Live From"


[URL]http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2050703[/URL]

or two

[URL]http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2051022[/URL][/quote]

Thank You berry berry much Karen!:D

[wallie5446]

[quote name='vulcan1971']IF you are planning to check out the new Gastropub (where the old Cellar Masters was located), I think we would all enjoy hearing your thoughts on the ambiance and menu selections for wine / beer / and food offerings. Feel free to throw in a picture(s) if you are so moved. :D[/quote]

[quote name='chamima']For Wallie, my friend who has been as anxious as I regarding news on the changes on the Equinox -

[/quote]

And the news is very good!
[URL]http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2051239[/URL]

[Gladys146]

Can I please just make a point. I, too, read (very occasionally) the reviews, good and bad. If I were to take notice of all the bad ones, I would never cruise again. I feel very lucky that my husband and I are in a position to enjoy a cruise on Celebrity. So, if you are thinking of taking a cruise for the first time, don't be put off by some of the professional "moaners". Its like anything else, if you look hard enough, you can find something to complain about - last year we were on Cunard and all we could hear from a couple on the table next to us was constant complaining - nothing but nothing our waiter could do was good enough. So its not just Celebrity, all lines get hammered by a section of the cruising fraternity. Just "go with the flow", enjoy and thank your lucky stars you are there!

[NLH Arizona]

[quote name='Gladys146']Can I please just make a point. I, too, read (very occasionally) the reviews, good and bad. If I were to take notice of all the bad ones, I would never cruise again. I feel very lucky that my husband and I are in a position to enjoy a cruise on Celebrity. So, if you are thinking of taking a cruise for the first time, don't be put off by some of the professional "moaners". Its like anything else, if you look hard enough, you can find something to complain about - last year we were on Cunard and all we could hear from a couple on the table next to us was constant complaining - nothing but nothing our waiter could do was good enough. So its not just Celebrity, all lines get hammered by a section of the cruising fraternity. Just "go with the flow", enjoy and thank your lucky stars you are there![/quote]Thank you very much Gladys for putting your perspective on the subject. people complain over small issues, like no chocolate on the pillow or the Elite breakfast set-up changing, when they really should look at how fortunate they are to be cruising. There are so many people in the world who can only dream about cruising, or taking a vacation for that matter, and someone has an issue with no chocolates on the pillow....I'm sure there are many in the world that could only dream of having a pillow, much less a chocolate on it. The older I get, the more amazed I am about people! Edited July 28, 2014 by NLH Arizona