New Level at Captain's Club??

[richsea]

We sailed Celebrity because we loved the product back when we started in 2002. We chose to stay loyal and attain a certain level in the Captain's Club because we liked Celebrity so much. But as the years went on we have become disenchanted with a lot of the changes not only on Celebrity but the cruise industry as a whole.

 

We book now based on price and itinerary. We are grateful for the Elite+ Perks but also we feel they are not that much different from Elite Perks.

 

Personally I'd give up all my Captain's Club perks if Celebrity would go back in time and provide the great service, food and attention to detail that they did back in 2002.

 

Same here. We started cruising Celebrity in 1996, & pretty much cruised with them exclusively until we felt that many of the reasons we stuck with them slowly started to disappear, while the fares increased disproportionally, to the point that we now also book according to price/itinerary.

 

While it would be nice to see an additional tier below Zenith, we too would give up all the CC perks to go back to the days of "attention to detail", great service, & great dining.

[luvstosail]

Personally I'd give up all my Captain's Club perks if Celebrity would go back in time and provide the great service, food and attention to detail that they did back in 2002.

 

Totally agree.

 

 

We also agree with you 100 %. We very much miss all the little Special things that just made our cruises so Special. We are 23 Celebrity cruises in and several future ones booked. Every year

we chat with others and come up with the same answers ,how much more can Celebrity cut back and then cut back even more, and when will we either stop cruising or just travel some other way.:o

We are stuck in being creatures of habit as are many others are .My new biggest peeve is when they eliminated the 14 night southern Carribean cruises.

 

luvstosail

Boston Ma

[norwegianwood57]

Zeniths currently get 25% discount on specialty restaurants.......so I'm sure there's no way this "new level" (if there really is one.......remember there's been talk of this for a long time!) would ever see a 50% off specialty restaurants.

 

At any given time, I have been offered 30% off Specialty dining, so 25 off is no big deal.

 

Yes we are also at the Zeni level.....and at this rate will never get the "th"....so hoping with everyone else for mid level . What could it be called? We are not elite plus, so Zenith minus...nah...no good...

[Iamcruzin]

delete

[dkjretired]

Same here. We started cruising Celebrity in 1996, & pretty much cruised with them exclusively until we felt that many of the reasons we stuck with them slowly started to disappear, while the fares increased disproportionally, to the point that we now also book according to price/itinerary.

 

While it would be nice to see an additional tier below Zenith, we too would give up all the CC perks to go back to the days of "attention to detail", great service, & great dining.

 

Ditto, new Celebrity cruisers don't realize that the dining room in the 90s exceeds any Specialty Celebrity restaurants in terms of food and service. This was every night for no extra charge.

[Spf12]

Ditto, new Celebrity cruisers don't realize that the dining room in the 90s exceeds any Specialty Celebrity restaurants in terms of food and service. This was every night for no extra charge.

I remember the day.In the 90's,the food in the MDR was better than anything they serve today and that includes the specialty restaurants.

[phoenix_dream]

I remember the day.In the 90's,the food in the MDR was better than anything they serve today and that includes the specialty restaurants.

Totally agree. But I admit I rarely mention this as I and others saying similar things have been lambasted too many times on these boards with how I can't accept change, how this is a business, how great it is to have so many options these days, and on and on. 95% (I estimate of course) of these admonitions come from people who weren't sailing Celebrity back then. It truly was a whole different experience. I still love Celebrity as compared to the other mainstream cruise lines, but miss the days when it wasn't really a mainstream cruise line - it was closer to a luxury line with mainstream prices.

[hcat]

Interesting that this MAY be instituted when many loyal to X cruisers are getting fed up and branching out to other lines despite current perks, esp lines with functional websites.

[Lois R]

I remember in the early 2,000's (my first cruise with Celebrity was 2003) and I have a memory of the main dining room and

having the waiter standing beside the table, waiting to pull your chair out for you.........and the food was delicious too.

Edited June 16, 2017 by Lois R

[shipshape sam]

We sailed Celebrity because we loved the product back when we started in 2002. We chose to stay loyal and attain a certain level in the Captain's Club because we liked Celebrity so much. But as the years went on we have become disenchanted with a lot of the changes not only on Celebrity but the cruise industry as a whole.

 

We book now based on price and itinerary. We are grateful for the Elite+ Perks but also we feel they are not that much different from Elite Perks.

 

Personally I'd give up all my Captain's Club perks if Celebrity would go back in time and provide the great service, food and attention to detail that they did back in 2002.

 

I am with you as to changes on Celebrity and that it is an industry issue too.

[shipshape sam]

I remember in the early 2,000's (my first cruise with Celebrity was 2003) and I have a memory of the main dining room and

having the waiter standing beside the table, waiting to pull your chair out for you.........and the food was delicious too.

 

That was attentive elegance! Miss that level of service and the MDR meal as an evening event.

[cruise kitty]

I can remember on our first Celebrity Cruise ( I think in May 2002) we were escorted to our cabin, sorbet & cold wash clothes were passed around by the pool each afternoon... However, I did pay quite a bit for that...

 

We won't be elite plus for at least 5 years, if we continue at our rate, a cruise every 18 months or so. Prices being what they are, it's much more reasonable to book a standard balcony, & then just buy a dinner pkg. so no extra points for us, but considering the ony tangible thing that the elite plus offers is an extra bag of laundry (yawn) it really doesn't bother me, or entice me to book concierge for the extra points... now if they offered something substancial in either elite plus or the possible new catagory, I might go after the points again.

 

Zenith is not going to happen for us, when we get to a finacial situation where I feel comfortable spending more time & money on vacations, we'll probably upgrade to Viking or Azmara or River cruising & just cruise on Celebrity for TA's

[abbydancer2003]

 

 

 

I gave up chasing status after cruising on Carnival and Princess where it really seemed important only to have the benefits constantly eliminated. After about first cruise on X we decided that it was the line that was right for us and it had nothing to do with the CC. We learned our lesson about how foolish it was.

 

 

Both Princess and Carnival really seem to make a bigger issue about staatus. Princess prints your name and status (shown by color) on a card that is displayed outside. Princess had a special lounge during the evening that had a drink of the day for sale at $4 and a nice little buffet with shrimp, cheese, vegetables and etc. Wasn't very crowded because there was a cost and the special was for only one designated drink. One day a Mojito, next day a margarita, chairman of the board, cosmo and etc.

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌞

 

I'm Elite on Princess, and about to try Celebrity. We decided it might be nice to see another line.

 

As elite on Princess, I get free laundry (supposed to be overnight, but lately they are saying 3 days), a free mini bar, some free internet, wine tasting and a few other odds and ends, including the special lounge, which now has the drink of the day for 5.00, but you can get any of the designated drinks, not just the one for the day.

 

Princess does it on number of cruises or number of days. We did it on cruises, but are constantly told on Cruise Critic that we cheated. And of course, on their boards, people are saying they need a higher level. Because we used to do a lot of short weekend cruises, it took us about 4 years of active cruising to get there.

 

The top levels of Celebrity seem very difficult to get to. Up until Zenith, it looks like Princess is better.

[neverbeenhere]

We are in the group that cruised exclusively with Celebrity for many many years and many many cruises. A dozen or so cruises after the conversion, we decided even with over 2,000 points, that since we prefer to cruise in an inside stateroom that we would likely make Zenith to many years into the future. So, we jumped off the exclusive bandwagon and started cruising other lines. We have seen many good things and many other bad things on other lines. While the Celebrity product is still our preferred product, we see the benefit of cruising with other lines. Would creation of another level bring us back to exclusive cruising status? maybe. But, I doubt it. The benefit wouldn't be enough to give up the itinerary, price and benefit choices we get with other lines.

 

Of course, if all this talk about another level is all bunk, bring back the white gloved, Formal Nighted, Captain's Tabled MDR Celebrity that we knew in the 1990's.

[abbydancer2003]

Just curious - what was the old system? I only started looking at Celebrity a few months ago.

[Oville]

There is nothing new in this post that I haven't said before:

What Celebrity has been missing, and might finally be realizing is that as one gets closer to a new reward stimulates business. Many people set their goals based on new status and/or perks. This is how many apps keep you on their screens.(Just a good piece on 60 Minutes about this). This is an old, but effective tactic. I've noticed that when a passenger closing in on the Zenith level tends to cruise more. They want to reach the new level. My guess from reading posts over many years that cruising patterns change as one is closing in on any new level. More cruising means more business and profits. Zenith perks are wonderful, yet some of the highest number Zeniths have given themselves a new name "Double Zenith". This comes at 6000 points. We will soon have a triple Zenith who earned his points on Celebrity ships. These people are beginning to ask for additional perks. I agree that their loyalty should be recognized and that would serve to motivate Zeniths to try to reach another level. The points needed to go from Elite+ to Zenith serve to discourage some from even thinking about reaching a new level. Once that happens they may lose interest and gravitate to another line. making a goal appear reachable and achievable is a key factor in keeping people interested. I would urge Celebrity to consider a new level somewhere halfway, 1500 points, between Elite+ and Zenith.

 

Charles, I remember when you set your goal at becoming Zenith and you did it in short order. On our last Celebrity cruise you and your wife were honored as top cruisers with many points, congrats.

 

We are not driven by achieving cruise status. When we cruise on Celebrity we typically are in a suite and get a lot of perks as a result so don't need the Zenith status.

 

We have begun to branch out to other lines, Oceania recently and Viking Ocean later this year.

 

Finally, we've decided to take a year off from Celebrity. After the Silhouette cruise in April we just need a break.

 

Hope you are both well.

 

Katie

[neverbeenhere]

Wow, questions about the "old system". The old system is a complex combination of one class cruising where most passengers enjoyed premium cruiseline service and services for a price that was only slightly more than other cruiselines. Differentiation of passengers was limited as after 15 cruise you had reached the pinnacle of Celebrity Cruise status. While there were suites, oceanview, balcony and inside staterooms, everyone dined in the same restaurant, hung out at the same pool, breathed in the same second hand smoke and could upgrade to specialty dining serve for $ 2 per passenger. Oh... That's not what you were asking. The old system was ...

 

 

The old system does not matter as you now get to enjoy the current system.

[johhnnyt]

I saw that Lisa LP posted this on twitter earlier today when someone asked her about whether a new tier being added

 

Lisa Lutoff-Perlo @·10h

Replying to @

Thank you @, this is still under consideration and we will make an announcement once decided one way or the other.

[abbydancer2003]

I guess I asked a forbidden question? I'm sorry! I was just curious ...

[cruisestitch]

Still under consideration? Hmmmph!

[Lois R]

Charles, I remember when you set your goal at becoming Zenith and you did it in short order. On our last Celebrity cruise you and your wife were honored as top cruisers with many points, congrats.

 

We are not driven by achieving cruise status. When we cruise on Celebrity we typically are in a suite and get a lot of perks as a result so don't need the Zenith status.

 

We have begun to branch out to other lines, Oceania recently and Viking Ocean later this year.

 

Finally, we've decided to take a year off from Celebrity. After the Silhouette cruise in April we just need a break.

 

Hope you are both well.

 

Katie

 

Hi Katie, I will never make Zenith either and have branched out as well. Last year I took a River Cruise (FABULOUS,

LOVED IT:D)....and in August I am going on Silversea from Barcelona to Rome and I am still trying to decide what to

do for the next cruise which will be for my 60th Birthday. I perused Celebrity's website (Gawd, that is a mess:rolleyes:)

but I doubt I will be sailing with them for it. A few years ago, I would have not looked at anything else.....now, I guess

we all change....

 

The only thing I have booked on X is The EDGE........and that is in 2019.

Edited June 16, 2017 by Lois R

[Orator]

Hi Katie and Lois: Hope you are both well. I was very close to Zenith when the program was announced so it didn't take much to get to that level. But I'm a goal oriented person and once they announced new benefits I wanted to get there ASAP for fear that they would change their mind. Yes, I am in the group that reacts to motivation. "Loyalty" and "enjoying" are not mutually exclusive. No new levels ahead for me, but I still cruise Celebrity. Have been thinking about other lines, but DW just doesn't want to do smaller ships. I'm sure all of us will have rewarding experiences wherever we cruise. Be well.

[CruisingChick]

I believe you're on the July 7th Summit sailing, as am I. We can discuss this some night over a drink. I'm guessing we both feel the same way about the "new Celebrity" vs. the "old Celebrity" :)

 

Yes, we will see you in 3 weeks. We originally wanted to do the June 27 cruise that is 10 nights and goes up north, but timing and pricing didn't work out. So you are stuck with us.

[Iamcruzin]

There is nothing new in this post that I haven't said before:

What Celebrity has been missing, and might finally be realizing is that as one gets closer to a new reward stimulates business. Many people set their goals based on new status and/or perks. This is how many apps keep you on their screens.(Just a good piece on 60 Minutes about this). This is an old, but effective tactic. I've noticed that when a passenger closing in on the Zenith level tends to cruise more. They want to reach the new level. My guess from reading posts over many years that cruising patterns change as one is closing in on any new level. More cruising means more business and profits. Zenith perks are wonderful, yet some of the highest number Zeniths have given themselves a new name "Double Zenith". This comes at 6000 points. We will soon have a triple Zenith who earned his points on Celebrity ships. These people are beginning to ask for additional perks. I agree that their loyalty should be recognized and that would serve to motivate Zeniths to try to reach another level. The points needed to go from Elite+ to Zenith serve to discourage some from even thinking about reaching a new level. Once that happens they may lose interest and gravitate to another line. making a goal appear reachable and achievable is a key factor in keeping people interested. I would urge Celebrity to consider a new level somewhere halfway, 1500 points, between Elite+ and Zenith.

 

I agree this psychological marketing ploy allows them to substitute goods and services for a few extra trinkets that cost them less than having an extra sommelier, waiter, live entertainment or better cuts of meat. Just read all of the complaints from upper status passengers who continue to book cruises and justifiably complain every step of the way.

[C 2 C]

I guess I asked a forbidden question? I'm sorry! I was just curious ...

 

There was an old system and an older system and an ancient system.

 

 

I can't remember all the changes but originally one paid to become a member of the Captain's Club but that ended about the same time as the last Millennium, not the ship. Those who had paid were given on onboard credit to cover a free meal in a specialty restaurant.

 

If one cruised 10 times for 7 nights, one became elite. (corrections welcome unless they're snarky)

 

However one earned a point if the cruise was two, three, 4, 5, 7, 10, 11 or 14 nights.

A change around 2001 (+/- five years) gave 2 points for a 14 night cruise.

Somewhere Concierge class was invented and one could get an extra point for the cruise.

A person cruising for 2 weeks in a concierge cabin would get three points, a cruiser in concierge for 3 nights would get two points.

It required a calculator to figure it out.

 

Here is a chart that may help explain the calculations:

 

Edited June 16, 2017 by Arno.