Celebrity Now vs Then

[crusnbee]

In 2005, some unusual circumstances had my family cruising on Celebrity Century. It was amazing. I was impressed with the 'little things' that X seemed to do to make them stand out in the growing group of cruise lines.

 

Basic examples - champagne at boarding, iced towels when returning from shore, sorbet as a pallet cleanser in the MDR and also served one sea afternoon at the pool

 

Due to life, I have had the opportunity to cruise many times, but never again on Celebrity until now. I was just wondering if they still do these kind of things or if they had gone away because of the 'big box boat' mentality.

CJ

[BigAl94]

You will be disappointed compared to your experience 16 years ago in every area.

[Jim_Iain]

They still do most of the things listed.    The only one I don'r recall recently was the Sorbet pallet cleanser in MDR.    May be that we always travel in suites and they now have Luminae.    They still often have it around the  pool but not always.    Also the tid bits they use to serve around the bar are gone.

 

They have also added some things you may not have experienced like the Silent Disco.   Another new change is the do it yourself muster drill that has been initiated this year.

[dkjretired]

2 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

They still do most of the things listed.    The only one I don'r recall recently was the Sorbet pallet cleanser in MDR.    May be that we always travel in suites and they now have Luminae.    They still often have it around the  pool but not always.    Also the tid bits they use to serve around the bar are gone.

 

They have also added some things you may not have experienced like the Silent Disco.   Another new change is the do it yourself muster drill that has been initiated this year.

 

They did the sorbet in the 90s on formal nights which of course then were actually formal.   

 

Many things have changed but they still provide am excellent experience.

[mahdnc]

24 minutes ago, crusnbee said:

In 2005, some unusual circumstances had my family cruising on Celebrity Century. It was amazing. I was impressed with the 'little things' that X seemed to do to make them stand out in the growing group of cruise lines.

 

Basic examples - champagne at boarding, iced towels when returning from shore, sorbet as a pallet cleanser in the MDR and also served one sea afternoon at the pool

 

Due to life, I have had the opportunity to cruise many times, but never again on Celebrity until now. I was just wondering if they still do these kind of things or if they had gone away because of the 'big box boat' mentality.

CJ

 

 

We have been cruising with Celebrity exclusively since 1996.  In a nut shell, I would say that much of the little service things that you were impressed with have gone away.  The service is still pretty good, just not as good as 2005.  On the other hand, the ships have gotten nicer.

[loupana]

My first two cruises were with Celebrity on Equinox and Summit in 2012. On the last Sea Day we had a huge Brunch Buffet in the MDR that I thought was amazing. Have not seen it since then.

[Oxo]

All cruise lines have changed and cut back on many things over the years.

Playing cards, post cards, letter stationary, soap bars in the cabins.

Veggies (4 choices on a tray) being served in MDR by Asst. Waiter.

Many more choices on the menu.

Less angry/drunk passengers!

More formal attire and classy evenings.

Now bigger ships, canned music, .....

Is it all bad? No, but it sure has change.

Yes, we still cruise and will continue if C19 clears up.

Happy cruising stay safe!

[Silkroad]

My first cruise was on Celebrity Millennium in 2006. Since then, the sorbet has gone (but not the cool towels and cold water when returning to the ship on hot days) and the formal nights have become less formal. Thankfully, smoking is no longer allowed in the casino or on the balconies, there are still small hand towels in the public restrooms (not paper towels), and real dishes and cutlery are still in use. You'll still be greeted with sparkling wine at embarkation, the crew remains first rate, and the ships are still kept remarkably clean. Yes, things have changed over time, but DH and I have found that for every change we perceived as a loss, there was another change we perceived as a gain.

[seacruise9]

Hi, 

 

I took my first Celebrity cruise on the Horizon back in 1991. Since the Horizon, I have taken eight additional Celebrity cruises over the years.

 

Most recently, I cruised aboard the Celebrity Summit from July 10-17, 2021 out of St. Maarten. This was an outstanding cruise that exceeded my expectations. However, there were only 410 passengers on my particular cruise. As a result, I think this was better than a typical Celebrity cruise.

 

Even though times have changed, I still think Celebrity is a very nice line. 

 

Chuck

Edited August 6, 2021 by seacruise9

[lv2cruisgrl]

Nothing stays the same! Being able to except change is the best way to enjoy life.

[Baron Barracuda]

We started with X in '93.  White gloved aw's offering to carry female passengers trays from buffet line to table.  Sterling silver service in MDR.  MIchel Roux's mdr creations.  Hw's preparing flaming desserts tableside.   Three hour gourmet dinners in ocean liner restaurants on M class. 

[Oxo]

1 minute ago, lovrccl said:

Nothing stays the same! Being able to except change is the best way to enjoy life.

Topic - Celebrity now and then!

It is not about accepting change. Person asked about Now and Then.

I don't believe people were not accepting what it is now. JMHO!

[jameslee]

I think everything in the past is still offered now except you need to be on higher tier booking

[davekathy]

We took our first Celebrity cruise in 1991 on the Zenith. Thought what a huge ship. No balconies. One level MDR with cooper looking ceiling. Can it get any better than this. It did going forward. Inside cabin. Like all our cruises I do video so I have recorded (VHS poor quality) memories of the ship and itinerary. Yes including the midnight buffet. 😂 We had to pay to join the Captains Club after that first cruise.  

Edited August 6, 2021 by davekathy

[mafig]

My very first post on Cruise Critic was asking if it was customary  to tip the person who escorted us to our cabin on embarkation.

[Oxo]

34 minutes ago, jameslee said:

I think everything in the past is still offered now except you need to be on higher tier booking

I don't think so. Even what was offered a couple years ago, based on tier booking, has been removed now. 

[George C]

Had the iced towels a few weeks ago , I believe they had the champagne also, I prefer Celebrity today since suite perks are way better than before, there were no suite lounges and suite private restaurants back then . Dress codes greatly changed but that applies to most lines.

[Cruising is my passion]

1 hour ago, lovrccl said:

Nothing stays the same! Being able to except change is the best way to enjoy life.

 

[Cruising is my passion]

I have been on 65+ cruises with Celebrity since the late 90’s…20 of them on the Wonderful Century. On each cruise, I met the most wonderful staff, crew and guests. To this day, each time I board the ship my tears flow but I know I am home. We will, hopefully, return to our second home on the 28th of this month on the Edge. I am putting a new mantra in place with accepting what I cannot change by changing what I can accept. Through our cruising experiences, times and economics have changed. We have had what we like to call “vanishing amenities”, such as having to ask for q-tips or cotton balls or our tier benefits changing, but what hasn’t changed is the way we are treated on board by the staff and crew. From the first venture out everyday being greeted with a smile, a warm greeting whether from the crew member polishing the banister or vacuuming the steps to a person with stripes on their epaulets, it is like Dorothy said….”there’s no place like home.”

Cannot wait to see those faces once again.

[mahdnc]

Good point, @Cruising is my passion, crew attitude has not changed.

[m8zenblue]

I have been X 4 times and each time gets better and better.

We usually cruise Concierge Class but our last cruise, Edge, we we did not.

This was the the Edge 2nd cruise and the staff was absolutely fantastic, more than usual.

Our dinner companions asked for things that were not on the menu and the staff went out of their way to accommodate them.

Our cabin attendant went above and beyond her duties to please us.

And what more can you say about Captain Kate !!!

 

[dkjretired]

2 hours ago, Baron Barracuda said:

We started with X in '93.  White gloved aw's offering to carry female passengers trays from buffet line to table.  Sterling silver service in MDR.  MIchel Roux's mdr creations.  Hw's preparing flaming desserts tableside.   Three hour gourmet dinners in ocean liner restaurants on M class. 

 

I used to get the flaming coffees table side, I think it was the Spanish and recently was available at Cafe al Bacio without the flames. 

 

Remember one time I ordered a coffee on the first night and when they made the coffee there were lots of ons and awss.   The next night it seemed like everyone was doing it.  They should have given me a finder's fee.   😀

 

A big change which someone  else mentioned was when they stopped the contract with Michel Roux.   Big, big loss

Edited August 6, 2021 by dkjretired

[Jim_Iain]

One thing that has definitely gone away is the Midnight Extravaganza Buffet.    We us to love visiting it but never sampled it.    The artistic work done by the chefs was incredible but assume there was a huge waste. 

[lv2cruisgrl]

3 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

One thing that has definitely gone away is the Midnight Extravaganza Buffet.    We us to love visiting it but never sampled it.    The artistic work done by the chefs was incredible but assume there was a huge waste. 

True it was beautiful but so much wasted food. We would see people pile a plate, eat half and leave the rest. 

[Oxo]

1 minute ago, lovrccl said:

True it was beautiful but so much wasted food. We would see people pile a plate, eat half and leave the rest. 

Agree with you.  Still see that everyday on a cruise regardless of Dining time. Waiters even look disgusted when they clear tables. People think they should get their money's worth even if they do eat it.  Do we believe they (passengers) waste that much food when they are home? Doubt it!