Constellation redeployed from Asia to Tampa 2020/21

[Redking]

On 8/12/2019 at 10:49 PM, vtcruising said:

This is the Celebrity press release (didn't read it word for word to see if different from above):

https://www.celebritycruisespresscenter.com/press-release/1144/from-the-far-east-to-the-eastern-caribbean-celebrity-cruises-brings-the-celebrity-revolution-to-tampa/

 

Here are the Tampa Connie cruises - the 11 day ABC itin looks good to me. The redevelopment of the terminal and port area sound promising.

 

Sorry for those displaced by the redeployment (I've been there and understand the disappointment).

 

CS_Tampa_One_Pager_Flyer_CS_CARIB_TAMPA_2020_21_OnePager.pdf 530.53 kB · 100 downloads

 

Had to chuckle at this spin doctoring:

"expanding the brand’s global vacation offerings with the redeployment of Celebrity Constellation." I would argue that pulling Connie out of Asia is contracting not expanding the brand's global vacation offering! 

[carlmm]

10 hours ago, Cruise Junky said:

I've seen a few posts on another group from Brits that were notified.

 

Thank you very much.

So it looks like some people were notified others not but anway Celebrity's offer is meager.

 

Well, I'll wait some more time.

[Edinburghgirl1]

We booked direct with Celebrity and were notified of the cancellations on Monday morning. Think we are going to a land based holiday to Malaysia and Cambodia in November/ December instead of the cruise and flip the cruise bookings to a Caribbean b2b for March  2021. 

[vtcruising]

3 hours ago, Redking said:

Had to chuckle at this spin doctoring:

"expanding the brand’s global vacation offerings with the redeployment of Celebrity Constellation." I would argue that pulling Connie out of Asia is contracting not expanding the brand's global vacation offering! 

So true! I didn't even think of that - the spin worked for me....

[buggins0402]

Interesting, Oceania recently redeployed Sirena to the area for winter 2020/2021.  Some itineraries are similar, but nothing identical to what Celebrity was offering.

[Globehoppers]

Just booked Connie for the ABC itinerary out of Tampa.  Easy drive for us to the port and very easy access to port parking.  Corralled an S1, my spouse's favorite cabin.

 

Don't give upon on Dubai.  Several years ago we did 17 days Mumbai-Pireaus on Azamara and it was great.  Included Dubai - the visit to the Burj Khalifa is not to be missed.  Northern Arabian Sea and Red Sea transits, stops in Aqaba and Eilat, Suez transit, Cyprus then into Pireaus.  

[cruisemom42]

54 minutes ago, buggins0402 said:

Interesting, Oceania recently redeployed Sirena to the area for winter 2020/2021.  Some itineraries are similar, but nothing identical to what Celebrity was offering.

 

I'm actually looking at Sirena in that area but for late 2021. Pricing isn't terrible for Oceania, although they only ever appear to have a 200% solo supplement...assurances to the contrary. Never once seen anything less on any O cruise I've considered.

[Mynki]

5 hours ago, Redking said:

Had to chuckle at this spin doctoring:

"expanding the brand’s global vacation offerings with the redeployment of Celebrity Constellation." I would argue that pulling Connie out of Asia is contracting not expanding the brand's global vacation offering! 

 

 

It is. And the Caribbean of all places too! lol 

 

Their marketing department is full of bovine excrement though so would you expect anything else? 

Still, I suppose they need to be seen doing something due to the current situation. 

Edited August 14, 2019 by Mynki

[TraceyT7717]

We were booked on the 19 December 2020 cruise.

 

The alternatives we have been offered are useless to us

 

They will let us book the same cruise but a year earlier however they do not have a like for like cabin available. Our options are to downgrade or pay extra for an upgrade to next available category. 

 

They have advised me there are only 60 cabins left on this cruise this year

 

To be honest though cruising a year earlier  isnt really the best option for us as we have a cruise booked for April, bit too close to each other as far as our jobs are concerned

 

Surely any offers should have been for around the same dates.  I would happily(ish) transfer onto the new cruise which Connie will now be doing unfortunately the price is way more than we paid for this one

 

Very disappointing 

 

 

 

[foodsvcmgr]

Has anyone been able to obtain any specifics as to exactly how far into or through the canal the ship will actually go before returning to dock in Colon the next day?

[ECCruise]

4 hours ago, Mynki said:

 

 

It is. And the Caribbean of all places too! lol 

 

Their marketing department is full of bovine excrement though so would you expect anything else? 

Still, I suppose they need to be seen doing something due to the current situation. 

But since the current situation is just that, why would they wait 18 months to do something?

Don't think it has anything to do with that.  They wanted a ship in Tampa and more Caribbean.  Thanks but a big no thanks.

[DebInAntigua]

27 minutes ago, foodsvcmgr said:

Has anyone been able to obtain any specifics as to exactly how far into or through the canal the ship will actually go before returning to dock in Colon the next day?

I talked to a X Planner last night who confirmed that it will enter the locks and go into the lake, then later in the day turn around and leave out the same locks. It does not fully transit across. I'm ok with that, I'll still get to see the Panama Canal for the first time in my life!

[Provence55always]

Feel very luck that we are going to Singapore to Dubai on the Connie January 2020.....so sorry for all the folks who have been disappointed for future dates. We are also not interested in going to the Caribbean anymore. Loved all the times we were there but not for us anymore.

[Chrissi3010]

21 hours ago, carlmm said:

What a disappointment. I was booked Singapore to Dubain 2021 via Sri Lanka and India.

Certainly flying from Europe to Tampa for some Caribbean Islands is not really an option.

 

Even more disappointing: No notification so far.

Did anybody in Europe get any information or offer so far?

We were notified today by our TA (German cruise Website) that our booking Nov. 19 th, 2020 from Athens to Dubai was cancelled. Very disappointing. And does Celebrity think a cruise from Tampa to the Caribbean is an option for those who wanted to go to the middle east? 😞

And well, another cruise ship in the Caribbean now. How boring is that?

[Edinburghgirl1]

We spoke to our cruise concierge at Celebrity today re the cancellation of our cruises. She advised it was nothing to do with the “current situation’” and was down to the fact bookings on the cruises on offer had not been good therefore they took the desiccant to redeploy the ship to another area which may prove more lucrative for them. 

[little britain]

1 hour ago, Edinburghgirl1 said:

We spoke to our cruise concierge at Celebrity today re the cancellation of our cruises. She advised it was nothing to do with the “current situation’” and was down to the fact bookings on the cruises on offer had not been good therefore they took the desiccant to redeploy the ship to another area which may prove more lucrative for them. 

72 hours later and my USA TA has still not been advised.....🤷‍♀️.  This is becoming laughable.....

[carlmm]

14 hours ago, Chrissi3010 said:

We were notified today by our TA (German cruise Website) that our booking Nov. 19 th, 2020 from Athens to Dubai was cancelled. Very disappointing. And does Celebrity think a cruise from Tampa to the Caribbean is an option for those who wanted to go to the middle east? 😞

And well, another cruise ship in the Caribbean now. How boring is that?

 Thank you for this information. I have written an email to my TA but did not receive any reply so far.

Tatsächlich enttäuschend.

Beste Grüße.

[BigAl94]

Just in the last few minutes received an email from Celebrity advertising Connie out of Dubai January 2020 !! 15 Nights Best of India and South East Asia departing Dubai on 2 January 2020.

 

Celebrity Dubai

[ghstudio]

Celebrity HQ seems to be made up of fiefdoms that work independently without any communications between them.  Is there anyone on CC that believes that the web folks or customer service folks are "in the loop"....and marketing keeps creating "images" that are, well, just mysterious.....Marco Polo or even modern luxury.

 

You sort of have to forgive them....It has been hypothesized that most in HQ have never actually been on a ship....

 

It certainly comes as no surprise that one of the fiefdoms still believes that there will be a January 2 2020 sailing from Dubai.....

[MsDolly]

15 minutes ago, ghstudio said:

Celebrity HQ seems to be made up of fiefdoms that work independently without any communications between them.  Is there anyone on CC that believes that the web folks or customer service folks are "in the loop"....and marketing keeps creating "images" that are, well, just mysterious.....Marco Polo or even modern luxury.

 

You sort of have to forgive them....It has been hypothesized that most in HQ have never actually been on a ship....

 

It certainly comes as no surprise that one of the fiefdoms still believes that there will be a January 2 2020 sailing from Dubai.....

 

To my understanding only cruises after April 2020 to the Middle East have been effected so yes January 2020 is still for sale, at least for the time being.

 

I am on the last cruise before going into dry dock and my cruise has not been cancelled 

[ECCruise]

13 hours ago, Edinburghgirl1 said:

We spoke to our cruise concierge at Celebrity today re the cancellation of our cruises. She advised it was nothing to do with the “current situation’” and was down to the fact bookings on the cruises on offer had not been good therefore they took the desiccant to redeploy the ship to another area which may prove more lucrative for them. 

I think this is definitely the case.

Not sure what it says about Celebrity's perceived demographic, though.

Edited August 15, 2019 by ECCruise

[ghstudio]

7 minutes ago, MsDolly said:

 

To my understanding only cruises after April 2020 to the Middle East have been effected so yes January 2020 is still for sale, at least for the time being.

 

I am on the last cruise before going into dry dock and my cruise has not been cancelled 

 

I think you're right.....but my comments still apply to the fiefdoms....maybe that sailing will still happen.

 

ECCruise.....it's a bit confusing because the Florida west coast (tampa) is not a young area...many many retirees.....certainly not the demographic Celebrity has been coveting.  But there is a definitely a market for a higher quality cruise from Tampa and the Constellation fits. 

Edited August 15, 2019 by ghstudio

[Cruise Junky]

45 minutes ago, BigAl94 said:

Just in the last few minutes received an email from Celebrity advertising Connie out of Dubai January 2020 !! 15 Nights Best of India and South East Asia departing Dubai on 2 January 2020.

 

Celebrity Dubai

and it is still sailing.  The changes are for the fall of 2020, spring 2021.  No changes to the 2019/2020 season

[cruise kitty]

12 hours ago, little britain said:

72 hours later and my USA TA has still not been advised.....🤷‍♀️.  This is becoming laughable.....

 

I booked with Celebrity last November... still no notification whatsoever.   I have no idea what I should be doing....  thinking about emailing the Celebrity one touch team.  & you're right, this is laughable  

[ECCruise]

46 minutes ago, ghstudio said:

 

I think you're right.....but my comments still apply to the fiefdoms....maybe that sailing will still happen.

 

ECCruise.....it's a bit confusing because the Florida west coast (tampa) is not a young area...many many retirees.....certainly not the demographic Celebrity has been coveting.  But there is a definitely a market for a higher quality cruise from Tampa and the Constellation fits. 

I am not necessarily talking about age.  More about Celebrity's mission statement,   Doesn't exactly mesh with trading the Middle East for Tampa and the Caribbean.

Celebrity Cruises exists because we believe in opening up the world. We know that travel makes us better—every one of us. We’re here to help vacationers understand the value of travel. Our cruises encourage people to sail beyond their own borders and expand their horizons