Removal of foot stools from CC and AQ on Equinox

[gerelmx]

It's not only the removal of amenities, cuts, LLP, etc , the prices have gone up too much, Now the insides are at the same PPPD than Concierges 2 years ago. we will try Princess for our 2021 spring cruise, this is a record of what I have been paying, the numbers are only the cabin rate:

 

 

 

 

[Arzeena]

15 hours ago, 4cats4me said:

Sadly, people in Concierge and Aqua have reported that foot stools are no longer on balconies.  

Pictures have popped up on social media corroborating this.  The pic I saw of the balcony table 

was so tiny, about the size of a small pizza, it appeared. 

Our final payment is due in a couple weeks.  We always book AQ on Equinox.  We’ve really enjoyed X. 

But I like to kick back and relax on the balcony. That is the one thing I have always appreciated about AQ, is having a foot stool.  

Sadly, I think we are going to cancel this cruise.  We are paying a hefty premium for AQ, but I can go that same week on another line for about half AND get a foot stool, so I think I will be calling my TA tomorrow and book on our other favorite line.  

First they took the daily water away, then the little amenities in the bathroom, ie, nice individual bottles of lotions, et cet, and now the balcony 

thing. I don’t understand why X continues to advertise that one will get a foot stool when in fact that is not true.  

.

Edited June 16, 2019 by Arzeena

[4cats4me]

2 minutes ago, Arzeena said:

How important is a foot stool to decide to cancel a cruise over? I just do not understand. 🙄

Ma’am, there is a hefty  price tag with AQ cabins, and relaxing on the balcony is one of my pleasures of cruising.  It is my happy place. If I had known that foot stools would no longer be provided then I could have saved $800 -and booked  basic balcony with no foot stools.  If X is advertising foot stools as an incentive to booking AQ then I expect a foot stool. It isn’t JUST the foot stool, ma’am.  It is the cumulative effect of many little cuts which add up to one big cut.  I want the AQ experience that I have received on all my prior Eauinox cruises.  I do not want a dwindled down version; otherwise I could have booked something different at the outset. I NEED to elevate my legs, and I won’t go into all the medical reasons why.  I could have booked this cruise at a much reduced rate for basic obstructed view balcony guarantee but I chose to book an all inclusive upgraded experience which I’ve come to expect and now thankfully got a heads-up before making final payment.   We all cruise for different reasons.  Furthermore, let’s not even go to the issue of the new minuscule tables on the balcony.  At this point, the balcony is not useful anymore to me and i’d Be better off booking a senior inside rate at $746 pp, yes, that’s was the rate last week, and paying for specialties restaurants every night versus paying the multiple thousands of dollars for an AQ cabin with an unusable balcony due to missing furniture and shrinking tables that barely fit three glasses on them.  

I don’t want a diluted cruise experience and I have choices,and I made my choice with my wallet today and canceled the cruise and rebooked on my other favorite cruise line where I will be getting my foot stool for $1,700 cheaper cruise fare plus the 700-$900 potential airfare cost savings, so I am good with my decision.   

If X returns the foot stools to the balconies then I will reconsider AQ in the future. I do not want to bring my own foot stool. Why should I? 

 

[boscobeans]

Just one little thing at a time. Reason to cancel a cruise?? No.

 

It is somewhat amazing to see how many just one little things are gone.

 

Amazing to see how many scoff at a passenger who mentions the loss of a foot stool or any other of the just one little things.

 

Pointing out another just one little thing is missing is worth hearing about.  Now it gives time to buy one of our own so we can sit out on our veranda with our feet up, so we can buy our own sun blocking curtain for our IV cabin. So many unimportant just one little things that many have never seen or experienced are gone forever.

 

One at a time each loss would not be reason to cancel a cruise and the mountain of just one little things we have seen in just 20 years is still not enough to make us cancel a cruise.

 

Best way is to forget what your last cruise experience was like and enjoy each new one as your first and do not look for or mention the loss of just one little thing..

 

Other than suites, which have actually improved, almost all other stateroom categories have suffered in so many ways from the just one little thing syndrome and those who have been on cruises for 20 or more years can see the changes. 

 

Still we are looking forward to many more.

Edited June 16, 2019 by boscobeans

[TeaBag]

The day I have to start lugging furniture to make up for what has been taken away, is the day I quit Celebrity and I am a long time cheerleader of this cruiseline.  STOP THE CUTTING, LLP!!!!!

[hcat]

4 hours ago, 4cats4me said:

 

Had no idea that they’d rescinded the priority boarding perk as well.

I just emailed my agent telling her to cancel our booking , and why.  I have also put a hold on my favorite cabin on another cruiseline for the same date as Equinox cruise but on the opposite coast, and then I will transfer that booking to my TA.  

 

  

They  actually did call AQ  before the reg  staterooms but everyone charged the entry! Very uncivilized and not enough staff to supervise..Nothing like what  we were expecting in the  boarding area....reminded me of a public bus depot! 

 

Previously, on most of our cruises  it has been suites and Zenith    wheelchairs, then AQ and Elite Plus,     Concierge and Elite and so on... The new deal is  suites, high rollers and Zenith have a  special area,   and priority. Everyone else on your own!

[hcat]

Isnt it Richard Fain?  Seems after he was on the  EDGE  many good changes were made.  

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

So agree with 4Cats4Me. I book concierge cabins more than anything for the lovely balcony experience  which includes the footstool. If I recline the lounger to take a nap, I need the footstool so my legs are supported. We pay extra for this little luxury. Others here make  light of this and call it a First World problem, but I pay more for Concierge and I expect more than a regular balcony offers. 

Secondly my husband and I often enjoy a light dinner on our balcony, but this would be difficult with a small table. I dislike leaning over to eat. Gives me heartburn, for one thing.

I would like Celebrity to explain the current advantages of Concierge Class if the benefits that used to come with that cabin class are taken away. I will not be bringing camp stools or beach balls in my luggage while still paying a premium to stay in a Concierge Class cabin.

Edited June 17, 2019 by Silvery Seas Cruiser

[boscobeans]

10 minutes ago, TeaBag said:

The day I have to start lugging furniture to make up for what has been taken away, is the day I quit Celebrity and I am a long time cheerleader of this cruiseline.  STOP THE CUTTING, LLP!!!!!

 

JUST ONE LITTLE THING ( J.O.L.T. ) 

 

The JOLT syndrome

[ipeeinthepool]

1 hour ago, gerelmx said:

It's not only the removal of amenities, cuts, LLP, etc , the prices have gone up too much, Now the insides are at the same PPPD than Concierges 2 years ago. we will try Princess for our 2021 spring cruise, this is a record of what I have been paying, the numbers are only the cabin rate:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm sorry but I just don't see the trend in this data.  You need to compare the same region at the same time of the year.  It also depends on when you purchased the cruise, was it early or late with only a few rooms left.  You can't compare a Venice cruise with a Western Caribbean.  New England cruises may have gone up from 17 to 19 but 19 was much earlier.  The Reflection Caribbean in 19 does appear to be more expensive but I'm not sure exactly how the perks compare.  

 

But if you think it's too expensive, I'd try Princess. I wonder how Princess will compare in price to your future celebrity cruises when you account for perks.

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

Lately I must confess that I sometimes wonder if Celebrity is making the balcony experience less pleasant, comfortable, and welcoming is that folks like myself spend too much time out there. While there, we are not out in the ship spending money. We peacefully read or dose on our balconies and do not patronize bars, the casino, play bingo, buy items in the shops, attend shopping lectures or art auctions.

We just bliss out on our balconies enjoying the ocean air privately. We really aren't very profitable passengers, but I thought that is why Celebrity makes up for it by charging us more to be on our special balconies. Now they are still charging us more, but taking away the comfortable amenities we so much appreciate. I hope other cruiselines do not get the same idea.

[miched]

We have a few more cruises booked on X.  Some are iffy.  We usually book AQ and occasionally a SS.  We have in the past “down graded” to a veranda.

 

We don’t need the extra points as we will never see Zenith and aren’t chasing after it.  

 

We have seen many things being deleted from the first time we sailed in AQ and many of them were the reason we booked AQ.

 

A few cruises ago we booked a veranda because we couldn’t justify the extra cost per day for AQ.   We found that the MDR for breakfast, when available lunch and dinner was just as good if not better than Blu.

 

Our iffy cruises are booked into 2021.  After that we may give up cruises and just do land tours by doing road trips across the USA.  More choices, options, and not as costly.

 

happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

 

 

[gerelmx]

2 minutes ago, ipeeinthepool said:

 

 

I'm sorry but I just don't see the trend in this data.  You need to compare the same region at the same time of the year.  It also depends on when you purchased the cruise, was it early or late with only a few rooms left.  You can't compare a Venice cruise with a Western Caribbean.  New England cruises may have gone up from 17 to 19 but 19 was much earlier.  The Reflection Caribbean in 19 does appear to be more expensive but I'm not sure exactly how the perks compare.  

 

But if you think it's too expensive, I'd try Princess. I wonder how Princess will compare in price to your future celebrity cruises when you account for perks.

 

You don't see it I put book date and cruise date , the bookings are early bird.  For me what counts is the service I am receiving and this is more expensive than 2 years ago, you can see the same summit to NE & Canada in the same Interior as it went up and with 2 days less. If you do not do a full analysis, better, do not think

[4cats4me]

15 hours ago, GerScot said:

Sorry but I would never book or cancel a cruise for the sake of a footstool!

 

15 hours ago, Greenymac said:

We are cancelling cruises over footstools now? First world problems.

 

Who knows? Maybe the bean counters will decide to stop furnishing toilet paper next and we all have to bring our own rolls onboard along with the blow-up foot stool/ottoman/makeshift tables, oh, and curtains.  

As I’ve stated, the foot stool is not the only issue.  It is merely another  “one little thing”  that caused me to cancel, one very important thing “to me.”   Most certainly some things are important to “you.”   What if X were to remove beds from the staterooms and replace them with sleeping bags instead, or blow up mattresses? Would that be a silly complaint or would you be just as happy about your cruise experience? 

[GerScot]

yeah right! and at that point  I will decide! 

[ipeeinthepool]

54 minutes ago, gerelmx said:

 

You don't see it I put book date and cruise date , the bookings are early bird.  For me what counts is the service I am receiving and this is more expensive than 2 years ago, you can see the same summit to NE & Canada in the same Interior as it went up and with 2 days less. If you do not do a full analysis, better, do not think

 

If it makes sense to you that's all that counts.  Let us know how you like Princess.  I've shopped Princess and Celebrity several times in the last few years and Princess never turned out to be cheaper when everything was factored in. I hope you enjoy Princess.

[NemoCrownie]

2 hours ago, ipeeinthepool said:

 

If it makes sense to you that's all that counts.  Let us know how you like Princess.  I've shopped Princess and Celebrity several times in the last few years and Princess never turned out to be cheaper when everything was factored in. I hope you enjoy Princess.

I always thought the same thing but after the 1/31 Silhouette cancellation we are trying a 15 nt on Princess - free gratuities but no drink pkg, however the very hefty OBC will more than cover our drinks. For a semi-late booking, their prices for many itineraries came out less than Celebrity and even Royal Caribbean. We'll see how it goes. A change will be fun.

 

Regarding footstools, that is the only reason we book Concierge class as the other Concierge "perks" mean nothing to us. We love the foot stools and I won't pack a camp stool or beach ball; I pack enough already. I agree with OP in that it would be a deal breaker for me.

[4cats4me]

18 hours ago, chemmo said:

 

Whilst a footstool can seem a little thing I do understand where the OP is coming from.

 

We have a RS booked on Equinox in September and instead of looking forward to new balcony furnishings we are anxious that the decent sized table may have shrunk and that the wonderful comfortable lounger may have converted into something chic but impractical... Like the OP our balcony space is important to us....Upgrading (Revolution) of a ship should enhance not diminish comfort and facilities.

 

OP sincere best wishes for a fantastic cruise either on Equinox or an alternative....

 

 

 

 

Thank you! We booked the Royal Princess departing on the same date and are saving $2,700 between cabin price difference and airfare, plus we’re getting foot stools and an extra deep balcony.  Life is good!! With all that savings we can eat at a specialty restaurant every night for a total of $580.  Woo hoooo!    Plus we get lots of free alcohol on Princess and lots of OBC.  I still love Equinox, but next time we will book obstructed OV and not do AQ anymore.  

Edited June 17, 2019 by 4cats4me

[mnocket]

It seems like the gap between Celebrity and RCCL is narrowing - due largely to Celebrity cutbacks dropping it closer to RCCL.  It makes me wonder if perhaps the company is trying to re-position the two lines.  No longer will Celebrity be the more upscale line with better quality and service, instead it will offer similar quality and service but it will target the older demographic while RCCL targets the younger crowd.  Azamara will be the upscale line.  Just a thought.

[yorky]

5 hours ago, boscobeans said:

Just one little thing at a time. Reason to cancel a cruise?? No.

 

It is somewhat amazing to see how many just one little things are gone.

 

Amazing to see how many scoff at a passenger who mentions the loss of a foot stool or any other of the just one little things.

 

Pointing out another just one little thing is missing is worth hearing about.  Now it gives time to buy one of our own so we can sit out on our veranda with our feet up, so we can buy our own sun blocking curtain for our IV cabin. So many unimportant just one little things that many have never seen or experienced are gone forever.

 

One at a time each loss would not be reason to cancel a cruise and the mountain of just one little things we have seen in just 20 years is still not enough to make us cancel a cruise.

 

Best way is to forget what your last cruise experience was like and enjoy each new one as your first and do not look for or mention the loss of just one little thing..

 

Other than suites, which have actually improved, almost all other stateroom categories have suffered in so many ways from the just one little thing syndrome and those who have been on cruises for 20 or more years can see the changes. 

 

Still we are looking forward to many more.

Suite class is the way forward for Celebrity, the revolution is a totally one way thing, improvements for suite guests, inferior for everyone else. People seem very desperate to see the sky lounge  cut right back in size, the retreat deck cutting options with no doubt crowding on the main pool deck, and now other smaller things as mentioned above. A fresh coat of paint is not fooling many.

Edited June 17, 2019 by yorky

[excitedofharpenden]

34 minutes ago, mnocket said:

It seems like the gap between Celebrity and RCCL is narrowing - due largely to Celebrity cutbacks dropping it closer to RCCL.  It makes me wonder if perhaps the company is trying to re-position the two lines.  No longer will Celebrity be the more upscale line with better quality and service, instead it will offer similar quality and service but it will target the older demographic while RCCL targets the younger crowd.  Azamara will be the upscale line.  Just a thought.

As this is a footstool debate, just to say that Azamara doesn’t have footstools on any of its balconies, suites included, save for the 10 largest suites which have a lounger.

 

Phil

Edited June 17, 2019 by excitedofharpenden

[chemmo]

1 hour ago, yorky said:

Suite class is the way forward for Celebrity, the revolution is a totally one way thing, improvements for suite guests, inferior for everyone else. People seem very desperate to see the sky lounge  cut right back in size, the retreat deck cutting options with no doubt crowding on the main pool deck, and now other smaller things as mentioned above. A fresh coat of paint is not fooling many.

 

Some of us who book suites are less than happy....No new carpets and curtains post Revolution on Equinox and worries that the ‘solid’ balcony furnishings may disappear. Also Edge, prices for suites through the roof and the RS far less spacious and comfortable that on the S class.

 

We were looking at trying an Edge villa this Spring but when we priced up it was the cost of a new family car. Presently touring Wales in the new car....People do have options, we love our Celebrity cruises, presently have two more booked but if our experience is ‘watered’ or the price (particularly in Europe) continues to be so high we will look at other options on land and at sea....

[villauk]

1 hour ago, excitedofharpenden said:

As this is a footstool debate, just to say that Azamara doesn’t have footstools on any of its balconies, suites included, save for the 10 largest suites which have a lounger.

 

Phil

 

 

But are Azamara advertising they do provide footstools on any balcony? And are they charging more for those suites but not providing those loungers? I think that’s the main point of the whole thread: paying extra for advertised amenities that are no longer being provided.

[Gracie115]

4 hours ago, yorky said:

Suite class is the way forward for Celebrity, the revolution is a totally one way thing, improvements for suite guests, inferior for everyone else. People seem very desperate to see the sky lounge  cut right back in size, the retreat deck cutting options with no doubt crowding on the main pool deck, and now other smaller things as mentioned above. A fresh coat of paint is not fooling many.

 

This may all be true BUT the suite prices have sky rocketed.....2 and 3 times and even more in many cases.....so while that may be their emphasis people who frequently book suites like us ARE looking elsewhere.  We cruised on Regal Princess last year in a full suite at half the price the same type of room would have cost on X.  No, there wasn't a "suite lounge" and no Luminae but they did have Club Class Dining and enough OBC to cover the free drinks we would have gotten on X.  We loved it...we've booked 3 more cruises on Regal and her sister ship the Sky.  We still have 2 booked with X but only really committed to one of them....looking at other lines for the other... 

 

We have been loyal to X for over 20 years but not enough to blindly spend our dollars for a diminished product...…..  

[hcat]

We are going to try bringing on a cheap folding lounger if we can find one at a dollar store pre cruise...we could have our feet elevated on that.  Otherwise we use the trash can with a folded towel.

 

My feet swell a bit from air travel so el evating them ( and walking) really helps.

 

Guess the people at X had no clue about how popular footstools are ..and most pax agree that  the recent  furniture seems sub par..

Edited June 17, 2019 by hcat