Shampoo—Standard, Aqua, Concierge—Bizarre

[Bruin Steve]

I’ve always read that a benefit of Aqua or Concierge was getting a better class of shampoo and other toiletries.

But...right now, I am nearing the end of our second of back-to-back 12 night cruises on Reflection.  For reasons I may eventually get to on another thread, we are in our third cabin.  First, we were in a Concierge cabin...then we switched to a standard veranda...and now, we are in Aqua Class...

in our first, Concierge, cabin, the toiletries we got were in little rectangular blue plastic bottles. On the back, they said made in Italy by Albatross.  The shampoo absolutely sucked.  Hard to squeeze the bottle, resulted in virtually no lather.  We wondered how this could possibly be the “upgraded” shampoo and toiletries??

When we moved to the standard veranda, we suddenly found Bulgari toiletries in our cabin—oh, so much better.  But, a couple of days of that and we were able to move to an Aqua cabin.  Again, we found those lousy Albatross toiletries.  My wife asked the cabin steward if we could get the Bulgari stuff instead...and was told, no, those were only for the suites!  But, then, he managed to get us some anyway...

 

In our Aqua cabin, we found only soft pillows.  My wife asked for a couple of firm pillows and was told they were “out”...

 

But...it gives rise to the question:  What are we really getting for booking Concierge and Aqua cabins?  Concierge:  one bottle of cheap champagne and the ability to go to lunch in the MDR on embarkation day IF we get to the pier early enough? Aqua:  Blu restaurant and a shower with strange nozzles aiming at our legs?

 

It certainly can’t be a special perk to get THAT crummy shampoo???

[mom says]

I've never been wowed by any of the supplied toiletries in any hotel ( with the exception of a couple in Japan) or ship, regardless of category. Better to bring your own. And no, people don't book Concierge or Aqua for the toiletries they are supplied with.

[warmwinds]

I use whatever shampoo is in whatever category I'm in, and this also extends to land hotels - a different one in every one, and I just use them.  I don't really care about the quality of the stuff (I read once that your hair likes a change from what you use every day at home, so I consider traveling a vacation for my hair).  But I do get annoyed with stupid containers that are difficult to open, don't stand up so you have to lay them on their sides, screw tops...I mean, who wants to stand in a shower, unscrew a top, pour some out, and then screw it back on?

 

Otherwise I could not even tell the difference between the brands if I had to do a blind test.

[luvcdays]

1 hour ago, Bruin Steve said:

I’ve always read that a benefit of Aqua or Concierge was getting a better class of shampoo and other toiletries.

But...right now, I am nearing the end of our second of back-to-back 12 night cruises on Reflection.  For reasons I may eventually get to on another thread, we are in our third cabin.  First, we were in a Concierge cabin...then we switched to a standard veranda...and now, we are in Aqua Class...

in our first, Concierge, cabin, the toiletries we got were in little rectangular blue plastic bottles. On the back, they said made in Italy by Albatross.  The shampoo absolutely sucked.  Hard to squeeze the bottle, resulted in virtually no lather.  We wondered how this could possibly be the “upgraded” shampoo and toiletries??

When we moved to the standard veranda, we suddenly found Bulgari toiletries in our cabin—oh, so much better.  But, a couple of days of that and we were able to move to an Aqua cabin.  Again, we found those lousy Albatross toiletries.  My wife asked the cabin steward if we could get the Bulgari stuff instead...and was told, no, those were only for the suites!  But, then, he managed to get us some anyway...

 

In our Aqua cabin, we found only soft pillows.  My wife asked for a couple of firm pillows and was told they were “out”...

 

But...it gives rise to the question:  What are we really getting for booking Concierge and Aqua cabins?  Concierge:  one bottle of cheap champagne and the ability to go to lunch in the MDR on embarkation day IF we get to the pier early enough? Aqua:  Blu restaurant and a shower with strange nozzles aiming at our legs?

 

It certainly can’t be a special perk to get THAT crummy shampoo???

It doesn't make much sense.  Will you be doing a review on the Reflection?

[jelayne]

As they revolutionize the ships the little bottles in Aqua and below are being replaced with large, refillable pump bottles for body lotion, conditioner, shower gel and shampoo.  It has been pointed out on another thread the ingredients in the shampoo and shower gel are identical.  The pump bottles are awful, pump sticks, bottle too large to hold and pump.  

Edited July 16, 2019 by jelayne

[ghstudio]

The little blue square bottles are obviously meant to impress you...after all, who wants a big pump bottle of “use everywhere” cleaner.  Celebrity offers “modern luxury”.  As I said in the other thread where you will find pictures of the ingredients in the shampoo and body wash....they are almost identical.....and they are, imho, terrible. I bought shampoo at one of our ports...the store brand...and it is actually shampoo...it doesn’t leave my hair sticky, it foams, it rinses out.  Best $2 I ever spent.  

 

Just part of the race to the bottom.  

[GastroGnome]

I bring my own shampoo etc because I have long hair which needs looking after.  But do folk really book concierge or aqua based on the quality of the toiletries?  Or even the bottle on arrival?  Isn't it more about floor space / cabin layout?

[Bruin Steve]

2 hours ago, GastroGnome said:

But do folk really book concierge or aqua based on the quality of the toiletries?  Or even the bottle on arrival?  Isn't it more about floor space / cabin layout?

Nope.  Floor space and cabin layout are same as standard verandah.  In fact, my prior standard verandah had a larger slant balcony.  The main reason to book Aqua is Blu restaurant.  Other than that, the advertised Concierge and Aqua perks are marginally worth anything...but, Celebrity needs to give you SOMETHING to justify the higher price...so...it’s little things like allegedly better toiletries...SO, as long as we’re paying for that, we might as well actually get something better...

[Cruising TBD]

37 minutes ago, Bruin Steve said:

Nope.  Floor space and cabin layout are same as standard verandah.  In fact, my prior standard verandah had a larger slant balcony.  The main reason to book Aqua is Blu restaurant.  Other than that, the advertised Concierge and Aqua perks are marginally worth anything...but, Celebrity needs to give you SOMETHING to justify the higher price...so...it’s little things like allegedly better toiletries...SO, as long as we’re paying for that, we might as well actually get something better...

 

No Bruin Steve, as ghstudio stated, it is the race to the bottom for Celebrity.

 

Celebrity does NOT need to give you anything "to justify the higher price". As long as people keep rebooking and paying their ever escalating prices, they will give people LESS for MORE $.

 

Celebrity, as most other commercial enterprises, are there to make money from you.

 

Consumers are accountable to make purchasing decisions based on research and their unique determination of value for money. Blind loyalty to Celebrity, or any other business, is not a wise consumer choice.

 

Celebrity has not been purchased by my household since 2016 and is not on the list of vacation options going forward.  I have seen no evidence that Celebrity is doing anything but racing to the bottom of quality and utilizing renovations to distract guests from the downgrades everywhere.

[chemmo]

I don’t think it is too much to expect a quality real shampoo and shower gel no matter what cabin category you are in...Cruise lines are not budget motels.

 

Whilst I always bring my own conditioner it is hard work, bulky and heavy to carry shower gel, shampoo etc...Generally the more you pay for a room the better the ‘little luxuries’ are. They are not deal breakers but we all want to feel pampered on vacation. 

 

I do understand about plastic waste but I don’t like the idea of having refillable bottles handled by the guests before you, the guests before them....Something else to sanitize before using. If they were fixed to the wall it would bother me less as there would be less handling. Is it just me or do others think it is more about  saving pennies than saving the planet?

[DYKWIA]

37 minutes ago, chemmo said:

I don’t think it is too much to expect a quality real shampoo and shower gel no matter what cabin category you are in...Cruise lines are not budget motels.

 

Whilst I always bring my own conditioner it is hard work, bulky and heavy to carry shower gel, shampoo etc...Generally the more you pay for a room the better the ‘little luxuries’ are. They are not deal breakers but we all want to feel pampered on vacation. 

 

I do understand about plastic waste but I don’t like the idea of having refillable bottles handled by the guests before you, the guests before them....Something else to sanitize before using. If they were fixed to the wall it would bother me less as there would be less handling. Is it just me or do others think it is more about  saving pennies than saving the planet?

 

Agree 100% - even modest hotels are usually able to offer a reasonable selection of toiletries.

 

I'm struggling to visualise the large bottles with a pump on work if they are not fixed to a wall?  How do they keep them safe from tampering - i.e the previous guest adds something to the dispenser?  When fixed to the wall they are tamper proof.

[keesar]

3 hours ago, Cruising TBD said:

 

No Bruin Steve, as ghstudio stated, it is the race to the bottom for Celebrity.

 

Celebrity does NOT need to give you anything "to justify the higher price". As long as people keep rebooking and paying their ever escalating prices, they will give people LESS for MORE $.

 

Celebrity, as most other commercial enterprises, are there to make money from you.

 

Consumers are accountable to make purchasing decisions based on research and their unique determination of value for money. Blind loyalty to Celebrity, or any other business, is not a wise consumer choice.

 

Celebrity has not been purchased by my household since 2016 and is not on the list of vacation options going forward.  I have seen no evidence that Celebrity is doing anything but racing to the bottom of quality and utilizing renovations to distract guests from the downgrades everywhere.

 

How much did it cost Celebrity to furnish new 16.7 oz. bottles of water when needed in Aqua Class?  That tells you a lot of where priorities are.  Then the price of the cruise increases...

[hrhdhd]

4 hours ago, chemmo said:

Is it just me or do others think it is more about  saving pennies than saving the planet?

 

It's not just you. ☺️

[opa&oma]

1 hour ago, hrhdhd said:

 

It's not just you. ☺️

Most large corporations are trying to wean us off of single use (or more) plastic containers, etc. It is the future.

[mom says]

I don't think it's an all or nothing answer. The company PR machine gets to extol the virtues of reducing single use plastics, while saving money on bulk volumes of their toiletries. And by the looks of things, buying a lesser quality product into the bargain.

[hrhdhd]

1 hour ago, opa&oma said:

Most large corporations are trying to wean us off of single use (or more) plastic containers, etc. It is the future.

 

I don't disagree. I just don't like how it's cloaked in some vague concern "for the planet" rather than described as a money-saving move. 

[Bruin Steve]

I am okay with saving plastic...or recycling plastic...or anything else that helps the environment.  I don’t care if it’s in a little bottle, a bigger bottle...or even a cardboard carton.

What I do have a problem with is getting an inferior shampoo...especially when I’ve been charged a premium price with the advertising saying that one of the perks in booking the more expensive category is getting an upgraded brand of toiletries.

 

It’s like if your car manufacturer charged you more for the “sports” version of the car telling you the car came with upgraded sports car tires, then delivered it with cheap retreads...

[K12Guy]

21 hours ago, warmwinds said:

Otherwise I could not even tell the difference between the brands if I had to do a blind test. 

My gripe is with the fact that I don't wear reading glasses whilst in the shower. Now some folks may say, "How do you see the stuff you're supposed to be washing"? Well, actually, I don't. Anyway, what irks me is the darn containers that are almost identical and have very little print that is pretty much impossible to read, so I don't know if I am getting shampoo, conditioner or body wash. Not that I really care, honestly, just like you. Unless I want to shave in the shower and use conditioner instead of shave cream.

[C 2 C]

2 hours ago, hrhdhd said:

 

I don't disagree. I just don't like how it's cloaked in some vague concern "for the planet" rather than described as a money-saving move. 

As long as Celebrity allows advertising in print from their vendors such as Park West, the Casino and the shops on board while cutting back on the print that passengers actually wanted, I refuse to believe in the seriousness of their environmental efforts.

9 hours ago, DYKWIA said:

 

Agree 100% - even modest hotels are usually able to offer a reasonable selection of toiletries.

 

I'm struggling to visualize the large bottles with a pump on work if they are not fixed to a wall?  How do they keep them safe from tampering - i.e the previous guest adds something to the dispenser?  When fixed to the wall they are tamper proof.

Watching video of people licking ice cream and putting the item back in the store freezer and gargling with mouthwash in the store and spitting it back in the bottle, I'm waiting for the first lawsuit about someone putting crap in the re-usable bottle.... (the crap is not referring to the stuff Celebrity uses to replace Bulgari products)...

[C 2 C]

3 hours ago, hrhdhd said:

 

I don't disagree. I just don't like how it's cloaked in some vague concern "for the planet" rather than described as a money-saving move. 

If it was for the planet, the M-class ships would not have diesel fueled/engines replace the more expensively fueled turbo-electric engines..  If Celebrity and Royal were really concerned about the environment, they would cancel all cruises.... not what I want but get serious about your objectives.  I know that on every S-class ship that we have cruised, we have seen the carbon residue  on our balconies.  Cruising is all about conspicuous consumption and I'm a victim at the same time as being the cause of harming the environment.  I'm sure that we could all offer suggestions on how to cut back on waste but at least have the industry admit their reasoning does not stand up to the facts.

[K12Guy]

30 minutes ago, Arno. said:

If it was for the planet, the M-class ships would not have diesel fueled/engines replace the more expensively fueled turbo-electric engines..

For some reason I have been under the impression that Celebrity had switched to bio-diesel engines as a way of being more environmentally 'friendly'. I researched their site containing specifications on the Solstice class ships and found nothing indicating they are bio-diesel. Do you happen to know?

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

I've not heard anything good about the "new, improved" toiletries on Celebrity.  It's a pain to have to bring shampoo and body wash along, but I guess that's what I'll have to do.  Will really miss the lovely Bulgari, but I guess that they have to pay for all the mistakes they made "revolutionizing" the ships somehow.  Or maybe I'll just move on somewhere that really gets the concept of luxury after my current crop of booked Celebrity cruises are done.  Will see.  I will have my first opportunity to try the "new, improved" toiletries starting on August 31.  But I will be bringing backups based on what I've read here.

[mayleeman]

For about $6 I can buy all the travel size toiletry items I need, which I recommend to everyone.

 

Or, better yet, for less than $3 I can buy several TSA compliant bottles and refill them with my favorite brands from home trip after trip.

 

And then I don't have to worry about perfumy crap I hate, or whether some joker put Nair in the shampoo bottle!

 

2 hours ago, Arno. said:

I'm waiting for the first lawsuit about someone putting crap in the re-usable bottle.... (the crap is not referring to the stuff Celebrity uses to replace Bulgari products)...

 

Well, there might be truth in labelling for the sham-poo at least.

[screwsmcernst]

On 7/15/2019 at 7:04 PM, Bruin Steve said:

 

in our first, Concierge, cabin, the toiletries we got were in little rectangular blue plastic bottles. On the back, they said made in Italy by Albatross.  The shampoo absolutely sucked.  Hard to squeeze the bottle, resulted in virtually no lather.  We wondered how this could possibly be the “upgraded” shampoo and toiletries??

 

 

 

Most people use shampoo that has sulfates in it.   The shampoo probably didn't lather because it was Sulfate-free shampoo. Which is deemed more "Eco-friendly".   It will clean just as effectively as do the sulfate shampoos.

There is only one draw-back. It does not lather like the sulfate shampoos. This can be disturbing to those who associate cleanliness with lather. The two have nothing to do with each other.  Sulfate free shampoos do take some getting use to.  but they will do a good job on your hair, and they don't dry your scalp and hair out as much as a regular shampoo does.  I'm not saying either one is better, it is a matter of personal taste.  I will end up bringing my own shampoo and conditioner, because I have celiac, and I don't want to spend my vacation with possible itchy blisters on my scalp.  That is really no fun.

 

We booked our next Concierge cabins because by the time we pick the location of the cabin we want, it is just a few dollars more for the little perks and really nice larger verandas than a normal veranda cabin.  For us it is location and balcony size.  The perks are just that, perks.

 

 

[Redtravel]

Bring your own toiletries. You never know what you will bet on a cruise or in a hotel. If it is good, it is nice. However if it stinks, you can use your own products. I also bring my own bar of soap. On my last Celebrity cruise the bar of soap had stuff stuck in it. Exfoliating?  Just skatched my skin. Never had any bar of soap so bad. With the new dispensers stuck on the wall, I will always bring my own stuff. They look shiny when new.  After a short time, they get gross. They actually make more work for the cabin attendant.