What cruise lines are you considering, due to increased X prices?

[4774Papa]

50 minutes ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

 

That's not us at all. Even though we would be in that 30%. For the cruises we book and the things we want and need, Celebrity continually comes out on top when it comes to value. We also only cruise once a year, so it would take me a long, long time to get that free bag of laundry. Airline status I will chase. Cruiseline status? No thanks.

 

I think Royal's ships have turned into a floating Six Flags. Their product seems to keep getting further away from what we enjoy. We're in the late 30/early 40's bracket and we don't have kids.  NCL does nothing for me. I won't consider Carnival. Princess and HAL could be an option, but Princess isn't all that appealing and I think HAL would be too sleepy. The premium/luxury/etc. lines are priced higher than I am willing to spend on a cruise. On those lines, I've never found these deals people speak of where the all-in pricing is similar to Celebrity. So by default, and with no complaints, Celebrity it is for now...

We have done one Royal C. cruise, on Explorer of the Seas from Sydney to Seattle.  We didn't fell that our ship was a floating Six Flags.  Perhaps that is so for the large mega ships, but not the medium sized ship like Explorer.  We love the layout of the Celebrity ships.  NCL ship layout is about the worst.  Explorer was not too bad, but we miss the aft bar behind the buffet.  Most Royal ships seem to block that off.  Otherwise, we felt that Royal excelled in entertainment and was a bit below Celebrity in dining, but the differences were not huge.  We are attracted to Royal now, that we picked up diamond benefits and Royal's prices are far better than Celebrity's.

[Perky1]

On 4/17/2019 at 9:57 PM, cheeseheads4ever said:

Totally agree with grandgeezer!

 

On Celebrity perks are NOT Free. Price a cruise without perks and with perks. You will see a large price difference. They will include perks for a higher cruise fair. Im not saying in the grand scheme of things its bad thing depending on what you are looking for. But they are not Free!

I did price one today with and without perks.  If you take prepaid grat as a perk that was over $200 and then we like the drink package so that is a steal at $160 - diff in price is $360 pp plus full deposit is refundable.  

[Stateroom_Sailor]

I'm currently on Celebrity Eclipse.  The future cruise desk apparently rarely gets requests for Future Passage Deposits on Azamara, to the extent that they're not sure if or how to do it.  My request on embarkation was forgotten, hopefully today's fares better.  I will contact Azamara directly if we can't get the ball rolling, see if I can book it direct.  I actually think Azamara would get more business if this were an advertised option on their fliers.

[clskinsfan]

Just checking back in on this post. Great subject by the way. Celebrity cant like that only 32% of their current passengers will guarantee to cruise with them on their next cruise. There isnt a company in the world that would be happy with a 32% retention rate on anything. And the scarier thing for Celebrity in this thread is that LONG STANDING loyal customers are talking about jumping ship to another line. Not a good look for them.

[hcat]

They are still posting on the X threads..so they have not completely moved on.

 

There are many posts that say " new to X" . . Maybe  cruisers are just wanting to explore more with so many choices out there.

 

 We are sticking with X,   so far

Edited April 19, 2019 by hcat

[DrKoob]

Just now, hcat said:

They are still posting on the X threads..so they have not completely moved on.

 

Oh I may move on to Viking Ocean but I will still always be around to post on X threads.

Not enough activity over there. And if I do move on, X will always be my second choice. Just never want to sail on an Edge class ship.

[MAHA]

12 minutes ago, clskinsfan said:

Just checking back in on this post. Great subject by the way. Celebrity cant like that only 32% of their current passengers will guarantee to cruise with them on their next cruise. There isnt a company in the world that would be happy with a 32% retention rate on anything. And the scarier thing for Celebrity in this thread is that LONG STANDING loyal customers are talking about jumping ship to another line. Not a good look for them.

I think that they are trying to appeal to younger demographics with the Egde class ships, but have missed the mark.  Also, the revolutionizing is taking away cabin and bathroom storage space and many items in the passenger areas look uncomfortable.  I don't know who the designers are, but it seems to be apparent that none of them have cruised and especially for longer or B2B cruises.

 

[Luvcrusn]

46 minutes ago, hcat said:

They are still posting on the X threads..so they have not completely moved on.

 

There are many posts that say " new to X" . . Maybe  cruisers are just wanting to explore more with so many choices out there.

 

 We are sticking with X,   so far

We're still posting here because we still have some booked cruises with X. However we shopped other lines before booking....we haven't done that in years. We continue shopping others and it's becoming likely we will book elsewhere. Previously when deciding to take a cruise vacation we automatically booked Celebrity and just looked for the best deal on X. Now we're shopping many other lines.  It's never a good idea for a company to give its customer base a reason to shop because they risk losing it to its competitors. The way to build a business is maintain your customers and add to your base, not chase your base and hope to more than replace them.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

1 hour ago, DrKoob said:

 

Oh I may move on to Viking Ocean but I will still always be around to post on X threads.

Not enough activity over there. And if I do move on, X will always be my second choice. Just never want to sail on an Edge class ship.

I'm with you.  I'm hoping Celebrity can recover from this craziness.  And I currently have 4 cruises booked with them.  But I now cruise elsewhere as well.

[Perky1]

It just doesn’t make sense to me that if our friends want to sail with us they now have to pay over 2000$ more than we paid for a cabin beside us.  This will likely be our last with X unless the prices change.

[Globehoppers]

Much of the "confusion" with Celebrity pricing and policies can be laid directly at their CEO's feet: Lisa Cutoff-Perlo.  She appears to be on a campaign of repositioning Celebrity "up" within the cruise industry by increasing prices and making the line more "select."  Doesn't appear to be working well.  With return rates hovering in the 30 percent level, prices increasing across the fleet, and decline of "perks" the line is stumbling.  One of the reasons they have embraced "move up" bidding to fill empty higher cost cabins. 

 

We have sailed numerous cruise lines and in the past have enjoyed Celebrity.  Not so much anymore.  Azamara is a favorite and as an alternative to Celebrity my spouse really enjoys the Princess "Royal" class ships for their great layout, good seating in public venues, and wonderful buffets.

[Luvcrusn]

2 hours ago, Perky1 said:

It just doesn’t make sense to me that if our friends want to sail with us they now have to pay over 2000$ more than we paid for a cabin beside us.  This will likely be our last with X unless the prices change.

Agreed, but have hope if your sailing is still before final payment and your friends have flexible schedules. Our last cruise we booked 2 years out. Our friends decided to join us about 6 months before the cruise, but the cost had gone up $600 per person and wisely they decided to price was too high. After final payment there was a drastic price reduction and the price dropped below what we paid, there were plenty of cabin s left and their schedules allowed them to join us. I do think however that the pricing games X has been playing the past 2 years have become distasteful to many, ourselves included! At this point any future bookings with X will most likely be done after final payment. We are lucky enough to be able to travel last minute.

[bobndee]

The price increases don't seem to have affected the next X cruise we have booked - a repo cruise from Chile to San Diego in March 2020.  With the recent offering of perks on transocean and repo cruises, our TA was able to add beverage package and gratuities to our booking.  And she did so without increasing the price we're paying, which was already less than the currently-posted fare.  In fact, our OBC actually increased!

 

That being said, on Friday we booked a cruise on MSC in Yacht Club class.

 

[4774Papa]

1 hour ago, bobndee said:

The price increases don't seem to have affected the next X cruise we have booked - a repo cruise from Chile to San Diego in March 2020.  With the recent offering of perks on transocean and repo cruises, our TA was able to add beverage package and gratuities to our booking.  And she did so without increasing the price we're paying, which was already less than the currently-posted fare.  In fact, our OBC actually increased!

 

That being said, on Friday we booked a cruise on MSC in Yacht Club class.

 

What are you paying and for what type of cabin?

[bobndee]

48 minutes ago, 4774Papa said:

What are you paying and for what type of cabin?

 

We're in an obstructed view veranda cabin.  Our fare is $1599 plus taxes.

 

[greydog]

Agree that X pricing has gotten pretty rich (20 years, 30 cruises with X, Reflection-Iceland this June) and we have been trying other "premium light" lines lately. 

Broadening our experience includes our recent 1st river cruise, which can offer competitive 'bang for the buck'.

 

About 2 months ago I posted a 3-page review comparing X ocean cruise to our Viking Rhine river.

 

Here's the link if interested

REVIEW: LEFT THE BRINE TO WINE/DINE ON RHINE

[keithm]

On ‎4‎/‎16‎/‎2019 at 7:11 AM, Stateroom_Sailor said:

 

No, I rate them both at Premium Mass Market.  I've never sailed Princess, so can not compare.  Only the first 4 choices are in order of class.

On Princess, you'll find more smokers, FAR more hard drinkers than I've seen on any other "premium" line. I also rate ships by the "paper towel" test.  You NOT see cloth towels in the rest rooms on Princess. I believe you still do on Celebrity(I hope)Specialty rest. on Princess are not as good as those on Celebrity(though Celebrity is more pricey)

[4774Papa]

3 minutes ago, keithm said:

On Princess, you'll find more smokers, FAR more hard drinkers than I've seen on any other "premium" line. I also rate ships by the "paper towel" test.  You NOT see cloth towels in the rest rooms on Princess. I believe you still do on Celebrity(I hope)Specialty rest. on Princess are not as good as those on Celebrity(though Celebrity is more pricey)

I checked some cruises on Princess and was astonished at the prices.  They had TA cruises for $3000 pp!

[keithm]

5 minutes ago, 4774Papa said:

I checked some cruises on Princess and was astonished at the prices.  They had TA cruises for $3000 pp!

TA trips are always pricey. If I'll give the Regal Princess anything, it's the fact the buffet was better than any we ever saw,including Oceania(our current line of choice)It dislike the awful bath towels on Princess. These were the worst of any line. Small & scratchy, like from a cheap hotel.

[4774Papa]

2 minutes ago, keithm said:

TA trips are always pricey. If I'll give the Regal Princess anything, it's the fact the buffet was better than any we ever saw,including Oceania(our current line of choice)It dislike the awful bath towels on Princess. These were the worst of any line. Small & scratchy, like from a cheap hotel.

TA cruises are usually the cheapest cruises that we take.  We have done three, two with Celebrity and one with NCL.

We paid anywhere from $700-$1500 per person for those cruises and for a balcony every time.  All cruises were 14-15 days.

Now, only a few of Celebrity's TA cruises are less than $2000, but Royal still has most of theirs under $2000, a couple down around $1200 pp.

[keithm]

On ‎4‎/‎16‎/‎2019 at 6:52 AM, Stateroom_Sailor said:

With the recent spike in prices from Celebrity sailings starting next year, what cruise lines are you considering trying, or sailing more frequently with?

 

For those what Choose "X is still a Great Choice", that could mean any number of different things, such as:

A. The new prices are worth it, especially considering the new ships and revamps.

B.  Perks and loyalty benefits offset the cost, there's more than base fare to consider.

C.  We're booking like normal, but hoping for price drops.

D.  Just as loyal, but sailing a bit less often.

E.  Sailing just as often, but in a lower cabin category.

 

I do like Celebrity's choice of itinerary, which is usually excellent. We're both in the food industry & food quality is paramount to us(real foodies)In 2017 the food quality of Eclipse was amazingly poor considering the year prior. I can see raising prices, but don't raise them & still screw you at the same time! We'll give Silhouette a try in Jan. 2020 for a 14 day cruise(our normal choice)If quality is the same or worse as in 2017, then we'll likely become permanent Oceania aficionados.(thank God for spell check, I'd never have gotten afficionado correct)

[DrKoob]

1 minute ago, keithm said:

If quality is the same or worse as in 2017, then we'll likely become permanent Oceania aficionados.(thank God for spell check, I'd never have gotten afficionado correct)

 

Sorry but this just cracked me up. They are spelled differently.  Is it one f or 2 fs?

[keithm]

1 minute ago, 4774Papa said:

TA cruises are usually the cheapest cruises that we take.  We have done three, two with Celebrity and one with NCL.

We paid anywhere from $700-$1500 per person for those cruises and for a balcony every time.  All cruises were 14-15 days.

Now, only a few of Celebrity's TA cruises are less than $2000, but Royal still has most of theirs under $2000, a couple down around $1200 pp.

 TA's for 14-15 days is nice. You got great deals for those cruises. Still wonder why Princess was so high. That's more than many Cunard trips.

 

Just now, DrKoob said:

 

Sorry but this just cracked me up. They are spelled differently.  Is it one f or 2 fs?

My spell check said one "f". It, could, however, be the British version of spell check!

[Stateroom_Sailor]

1 hour ago, keithm said:

I do like Celebrity's choice of itinerary, which is usually excellent. We're both in the food industry & food quality is paramount to us(real foodies)In 2017 the food quality of Eclipse was amazingly poor considering the year prior. I can see raising prices, but don't raise them & still screw you at the same time! We'll give Silhouette a try in Jan. 2020 for a 14 day cruise(our normal choice)If quality is the same or worse as in 2017, then we'll likely become permanent Oceania aficionados.(thank God for spell check, I'd never have gotten afficionado correct)

 

Currently on Eclipse, and as novice foodies, I can tell not all is up to X standards.  The biggest letdown is the buffet, everything is lukewarm, mostly uninspired.  There's no steam coming off the soup.  I'm used to a wok and fresh cooked pasta station.  While they still have the latter, it is just a quick boil, without all the topping options.  All I am willing to eat there is a salad, fruit, and cheese.

 

I've had the MDR for lunch twice, so far no complaints.  I've never had to ditch the buffet before, so have no prior experience to compare.  Blu entrees have generally been very good, with a couple misses.  They have obviously run out of their various cheese, mixed butter, and hummus spreads.  We're getting mashed up corn, beats, and peas.  While a bigger restaurant than Infinity last October, I believe Blu on Eclipse has less staff.  They're doing their best, but it does feel rushed and under pressure.

[CruzinfromFL]

This thread is very interesting. Here's my recent experience. We were booked on an NCL cruisetour to Alaska in May 2020, but were uncomfortable with the price and some basic internet searching on my part showed we could get lower rates. So after changing travel agents (long story) our new new TA recommended Celebrity to us. This will be our first cruise on Celebrity (our previous cruises have all been Royal Caribbean to the Caribbean). We booked a similar cruisetour leaving 10 days later in May 2020, including 2 perks (drink package and $300 OBC), and we are paying $900 less than what we would have paid for the NCL trip (which included the drink package and $50 shore excursion credit at each port).

 

Our TA told me that Celebrity has actually reduced their prices lately to appeal to more people, so I really do find this discussion interesting and reading everyone's experiences and perspectives.