Lack of daily activities

[ipeeinthepool]

Perhaps we should all start telling the CD's that we miss the genuine island bands and we wish they would bring them back.

[hcat]

Good idea,...our fav was OPUS...who moved on to Cunard after awhile.  Possibly now on Princess...

 

We also enjoyed the horse races on Royal C...a fun group and family event..

Group " bought" the  plain wooden horse, decorated it, took it around the ship all week and then  came the big race day.. Everyone turned out to bet and cheer .. award given for best decorated...May sound corny but it was lots of fun!

Edited March 16, 2019 by hcat

[motherchic]

We are elite plus on Celebrity and I am 63. Love the ships, service, food....

BUT I agree with you, the entertainment is pretty sad. I miss a piano bar, more music during the day and activities.

I do not want to be sold "something" as an activity. Their Beyond the Podium speakers are good but they dont offer enough of them. The same speakers are repeated way too often on other sailings. My opinion Celebrity needs to put some energy into their offerings. Even we "older" people would like more.

Many times on our Roll Calls I will start an activities sheet. Card groups, dice games, bar hops, slot pulls. Some sailings with an active Roll call can be allot of fun.

Thankfully, I also enjoy swimming and reading and just hanging with my husband too.  I wish more people would request some new and different activities when Celebrity asks for reviews.

[ghstudio]

New/more activities cost $'s....the stores/franchises running events cost no $'s and perhaps bring income.  As long as the ships are full, it's a win for Celebrity.  Very simple economics.   Don't expect to see more items costing $'s until their bottom line starts to hurt a bit.  

 

The edge is clearly a work in process....Celebrity is charging premium prices and it's not filling the ship....should be interesting how that plays out.  My email is filled with edge offers.....(we have no interest in paying any premium at all for an infinity veranda).

[keesar]

16 minutes ago, motherchic said:

We are elite plus on Celebrity and I am 63. Love the ships, service, food....

BUT I agree with you, the entertainment is pretty sad. I miss a piano bar, more music during the day and activities.

I do not want to be sold "something" as an activity. Their Beyond the Podium speakers are good but they dont offer enough of them. The same speakers are repeated way too often on other sailings. My opinion Celebrity needs to put some energy into their offerings. Even we "older" people would like more.

Many times on our Roll Calls I will start an activities sheet. Card groups, dice games, bar hops, slot pulls. Some sailings with an active Roll call can be allot of fun.

Thankfully, I also enjoy swimming and reading and just hanging with my husband too.  I wish more people would request some new and different activities when Celebrity asks for reviews.

 

I agree with all your points.  We have not had a Beyond the Podium speaker for many, many years.  When I inquire, I am told the speaker missed the ship.  Illness.  

 

There is less to do on the ship and more space dedicated to income producing activities.  Just compare the activities now versus years ago and it is obvious.  We do enjoy relaxing but there need to be more.

 

The entertainment needs improvement.  A DJ by the pool for hours and hours.  How about a Steel Drum group for a change?  

[hcat]

Love the steel drum idea..

Putting  contest by the pool

Poolside sorbet

Even the poolside game where  they ask for items to be brought up...sort of a fun scavenger hunt twist  

But they  need staff to offer  a bit more !

Edited March 16, 2019 by hcat

[cangelmd]

On 3/15/2019 at 5:27 AM, chemmo said:

 

Laughed at this one!

 

During a typical cruise we may go to an odd trivia, an odd lecture, an occasional show or activity but if we wanted more entertainment we would cruise on Royal Caribbean.

 

The highlights for us of cruising are....

 

Some nice relaxing lying by the pool in the sun,

Some nice relaxing star gazing late at night,

Some nice relaxing quality meals,

Some nice relaxing quality family time,

Some nice relaxing time reading, doing crosswords or sudoku....

 

 

 

 

 

 

My husband wants to know when you guys cruise next so we can cruise with you, because that is exactly what we do on a cruise. I pointed out that have someone else along might ruin the relaxing... so he asked if we could parallel cruise?

[chemmo]

7 hours ago, cangelmd said:

My husband wants to know when you guys cruise next so we can cruise with you, because that is exactly what we do on a cruise. I pointed out that have someone else along might ruin the relaxing... so he asked if we could parallel cruise?

 

If we did cruise together we could enjoy...

 

Some nice relaxing drinks in a bar

Some nice relaxing chat about past and future cruises

Some nice relaxing conversations about our home towns and families

 

Meeting and making new friends is another aspect of cruising we enjoy and another reason why we like the laid back and relaxing bars on Celebrity.....

 

 

 

 

[Host Hattie]

On 3/15/2019 at 5:39 PM, Ken the cruiser said:

That's great news! We might even consider booking Cunard if I can just wear a polo shirt and Dockers on non-formal nights in the MDR and specialty restaurants as well as go to the evening shows in the main theater like on every other cruise line we sail. Thats great news! When did they change their policy?

They haven't, you had the right advice first time round.

[C 2 C]

I have not seen any posts on Park West... a great way to waste time and money on "great" art..

They are great at making a presentation to a dozen or so people while preventing everyone else from using the sky lounge near the windows on sea days..  They will even arrange the seats so that trivia players will have to move them if they would like to play in teams..  Those participating in trivia will then be asked to rearrange the chairs for Parkwest whose presentation is hours later... (sorry a real pet peeve about who really matters in occupying prime real estate onboard).

[trivia addict]

I agree with those who feel that Celebrity is giving us less and less real activities.

On each cruise that I go on lately, it seems that the daily planner is filled more with the shopping type “activities” than ever before. None of these activities holds any interest for us. And while I love sitting by the pool with a book, sometimes one needs a little bit more! 

What I would really like to see on Celebrity would be a piano bar.  One of the main reasons that I sometimes switch to Royal is so that I can sit with a drink at night in the Schooner Bar singing along with the Caberet crowd! 

[Ma Bell]

On 3/16/2019 at 12:52 PM, ghstudio said:

I agree.....your post just brought back the memories of the caribbean cruises with steel drums.  Very different than today's music which is location detached.  With so many cruises now in the Caribbean and the competition, maybe that would be something Celebrity really should consider adding back to the cruise experience.

Not as bad as a sail away we had on Constellation years ago.  We were sailing down the Grand Canal just about to pass St. Marks Square when the guy playing at the aft bar started playing and singing The Banana Boat Song. Dayo, Daaaayo....I wanted to choke him.😂

[NantahalaCruiser]

On 3/14/2019 at 5:27 PM, DebInAntigua said:

I noticed the listing on a posted Daily for the "card room" for bridge and poker. I think my husband and I will bring in some Exploding Kittens cards and see if anyone joins in, lol.

 

Does anyone know if they send drink servers to the card room, or is it that they just throw open the doors and you're on your own with no servers or staff?

No servers for the card rooms on S-class and no longer any card rooms on M-class (they turned them into the raised sitting area at Cafe al Bacio.)

[could travel all the time]

Hello all, long time lurker but had to chime in ..yes totally agree!  We booked another cruise this fall because it has a great itinerary but was quite hesitant. After last year’s cruise on the Equinox we said wow, things have changed

and have progressively gone downhill

over the last few cruises. As many have mentioned, the ‘activities’ offered are more or less a sales pitch for some product. Even the trivia games are lacking. We started cruising Celebrity a few years ago because we really enjoyed the enrichment programs / seminars and esp. the food. Sadly we have seen downhill quality on both counts. Giving Celebrity another try but thinking this might be our last if things don’t improve 😞. 

[cruiseflyer38]

It would be really great if some business out there started a new cruise line and copied everything Celebrity did ten years ago.  Giving the old Celebrity Cruises a rating of 9 out of 10 and the new Celebrity 5 out of 10. Just another cruise line now,  as Donald Trump would say " soo  sad".

ps. The new Millennium has about 200 more cabins then the original ship.

[could travel all the time]

Yes cruiseflyer38, absolutely right..regrettably. 

 

I’d love to see this thread keep active so that perhaps someone will take note..or

am I delusional? 

[jkgourmet]

1 hour ago, could travel all the time said:

Hello all, long time lurker but had to chime in ..yes totally agree!  We booked another cruise this fall because it has a great itinerary but was quite hesitant. After last year’s cruise on the Equinox we said wow, things have changed

and have progressively gone downhill

over the last few cruises. As many have mentioned, the ‘activities’ offered are more or less a sales pitch for some product. Even the trivia games are lacking. We started cruising Celebrity a few years ago because we really enjoyed the enrichment programs / seminars and esp. the food. Sadly we have seen downhill quality on both counts. Giving Celebrity another try but thinking this might be our last if things don’t improve 😞. 

 

I get what you mean!  Which one would you look at booking instead?

[could travel all the time]

13 minutes ago, jkgourmet said:

 

I get what you mean!  Which one would you look at booking instead?

Now that’s the million dollar question ..looked at Princess but itineraries didn’t suit us. Seriously considered Oceania for the cuisine but heard that activities are lacking as well. Looked at Crystal which seems to have everything going for it but alas the budget doesn’t permit. So again we are with our once favorite Celebrity. 🤞

[jkgourmet]

35 minutes ago, could travel all the time said:

Now that’s the million dollar question ..looked at Princess but itineraries didn’t suit us. Seriously considered Oceania for the cuisine but heard that activities are lacking as well. Looked at Crystal which seems to have everything going for it but alas the budget doesn’t permit. So again we are with our once favorite Celebrity. 🤞

 

If your willing to eat the majority of your evening meals in a speciality restaurant, you might look at NCL.  We found they did MANY things well - some things better than X.  On board activities (even on port days) and entertainment were excellent.  Not nearly so many activities that were actually sales pitches.  And the speciality restaurants were on par with X, as was the buffet.  I've heard The Haven is wonderful.

 

But the MDR food was bland, sometimes bad, and boring.  The 20% gratuity didn't leave me warm and fuzzy.  And the casual attire of A LOT of passengers was downright sloppy.

 

If they improved that food in the MDR, it would be a worthy competitor.  Viking Ocean might float your boat. . .

[jkgourmet]

11 hours ago, cruiseflyer38 said:

It would be really great if some business out there started a new cruise line and copied everything Celebrity did ten years ago.  Giving the old Celebrity Cruises a rating of 9 out of 10 and the new Celebrity 5 out of 10. Just another cruise line now,  as Donald Trump would say " soo  sad".

ps. The new Millennium has about 200 more cabins then the original ship.

 

(Not directed just to you, cruiseflyer38.  Your comments succinctly summarized what is said around here frequently.)

 

I understand why everyone pines for the 'old celebrity '.  But let's be honest and admit it:  there are very, very few things that are as good as 'the old days'.  Even those very few things that are better have disadvantages; usually, the price has increased and/or they have gained other negative attributes.  (There are a few exceptions.  Cellular phones.  Televisions - if you don't buy the newest, greatest model.)  

 

The old celebrity isn't coming back.  One look at the Edge shows the future of this cruise line, and proves that as a fact.  Even if it did come back, the prices would be in par with the luxury lines - which is EXACTLY what they SHOULD be because that would their competitors.  

 

PS - the millennium has 130 new cabins, mostly (all?) Interior and OV.  Which pleases some of us who prefer those cabins.)

 

 

 

 

Edited March 20, 2019 by jkgourmet

[could travel all the time]

jkgourmet, thanks for your suggestions on other lines to try 👍

 

but to also reply to the above post, I’d be happy with how things were say even 5 years ago ..ok maybe 10 😏

 

Going back to what the OP was saying, the activities on-board are snooze-ville and largely disguised as a sales pitch. 

 

Again on an optimistic note..I have high hopes that the line will hear us and things will improve 🤞👍

[Stateroom_Sailor]

12 hours ago, cruiseflyer38 said:

It would be really great if some business out there started a new cruise line and copied everything Celebrity did ten years ago.  Giving the old Celebrity Cruises a rating of 9 out of 10 and the new Celebrity 5 out of 10. Just another cruise line now,  as Donald Trump would say " soo  sad".

ps. The new Millennium has about 200 more cabins then the original ship.

 

I agree.  NCL especially has a golden open opportunity to enter the premium mass market.  

 

This may not be a popular idea, but I would also make it "Fun Ship Light", to draw in everyone who's outgrown CCL, NCL, and RCCL, but want a few tasteful things to do (such as a bowling ally, indoor movie theater, tennis).

[hcat]

 

They are actually trying some of that now on EDGE which has a good blend of activities.  But "fun ship lite" with a completely  new demographic from those other ships would be our signal to say adieu!  No hairy legs contests please!

 

Would tennis be easy to do on board?...seems it would take up alot of space..lawn bowling might be fun!

[Stateroom_Sailor]

2 hours ago, hcat said:

 

They are actually trying some of that now on EDGE which has a good blend of activities.  But "fun ship lite" with a completely  new demographic from those other ships would be our signal to say adieu!  No hairy legs contests please!

 

Would tennis be easy to do on board?...seems it would take up alot of space..lawn bowling might be fun!

 

No hairy legs contests, only fun activities that would seen tasteful in a resort.  Tennis may be too big, so I would opt for a wall for practice.  Love bowling!

[mfs2k]

My first Carnival cruise was in the mid 80's.  One of the activities I participated in was skeet shooting off the stern of the ship.  

 

I don't think they'll be handing passengers rifles with live ammo in 2019.

 

They also had a golf "driving range" where you hit a bucket of golf balls off the stern of the ship into the ocean.

 

I don't think that's happening in 2019 either.  Plastic straws ruined it for everything else. 

Edited March 20, 2019 by mfs2k