Celebrity Now vs Then

[George C]

36 minutes ago, lovrccl said:

We really miss dressing in tux and gowns!  We have such beautiful pictures of us all decked out!

Since we are diamond plus and get two free photos each cruise we have dozens with me in my tux, of course my wife always dressed up.

[Germancruiser]

Oh yes- the captains still do the messages from the bridge- I am not sure if it is at 10am or 12pm- but thats neither here nor there- I love that, too.

The also still adhere to no anouncment policy so at least we are spared that. LOL.

Edited August 7, 2021 by Germancruiser

[HappyCamper49]

7 hours ago, BigAl94 said:

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

Probably applies  to all cruise lines, not just Celebrity!

[HappyCamper49]

7 minutes ago, Germancruiser said:

Oh yes- the captains still do the messages from the bridge- I am not sure if it is at 10am or 12pm- but thats neither here nor there- I love that, too.

The also still adhere to no anouncment policy so at least we are spared that. LOL.

It has been 10:00a.m. on all of our Celebrity cruises.

[HappyCamper49]

7 hours 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

Last Celebrity cruise in 2019 and they were serving bubbly.  We also received iced towels in Mykonos and Santorini.  Not really needed at other 5 ports on that cruise.  No sorbet to cleanse pallets or at the pool.

[George C]

1 hour ago, Germancruiser said:

Just back from Apex´s wonderful Maiden Voyage 6 weeks ago my memory is still fresh, so I though to add my 2 cents. My first X- ship was the then brand new Millenium- just Millenium then- not yet Celebrity Millenium.

Coming from about 10 RCI cruises I was very very impressed with the difference I noticed, even though the white gloved service was already gone at embarkation day.

Did the experience with X change- yes it did- so did I – so did we- so did almost everything in the last 20 years.

Some for the better some not. What remained is the wonderful crew- I have yet to run into an unfriendly, rude X- staff- member.

The formal nights are gone- yes- which makes packing easier – but sometimes I still miss the festive atmosphere. Even chic as they call it now – well it´s still evening, but chic- well that´s in the eye of the beholder. LOL.

For me the most significant change is, that their ships got louder by the year- or so it seemed. Canned music all over the place- hard to escape from. I also could do without the captain climbing on the bar and being part of the entertainment. Most people love it- I don´t!

After all is said and done I think X is still a step above the usual mass market ships.

I didn’t see captain Kate jump up on bar on my 7/3 cruise on the Edge , we had lots of live music starting in early afternoon in both Martini bar and Eden. 

[sasset]

35 minutes ago, Germancruiser said:

Oh yes- the captains still do the messages from the bridge- I am not sure if it is at 10am or 12pm- but thats neither here nor there- I love that, too.

The also still adhere to no anouncment policy so at least we are spared that. LOL.

Love the no announcement policy. Several years ago we were docked next to a Carnival ship in, I think, Nassau. We heard nearly constant announcements from their ship.

[George C]

7 minutes ago, sasset said:

Love the no announcement policy. Several years ago we were docked next to a Carnival ship in, I think, Nassau. We heard nearly constant announcements from their ship.

Worse is Costa who would make the announcement in several different languages.

[mahdnc]

47 minutes ago, Germancruiser said:

Oh yes- the captains still do the messages from the bridge- I am not sure if it is at 10am or 12pm- but thats neither here nor there- I love that, too.

The also still adhere to no anouncment policy so at least we are spared that. LOL.

 

Solstice, Jan 1 2020

[Germancruiser]

Oh my- I am pretty sure they do those announcements also on MSC- and I am booked there - albeit in YC. I hope they can not be heard there. LOL.

[George C]

4 minutes ago, Germancruiser said:

Oh my- I am pretty sure they do those announcements also on MSC- and I am booked there - albeit in YC. I hope they can not be heard there. LOL.

I don’t recall hearing them in YC, totally loved sailing in Yacht club, will definitely book another.

[Germancruiser]

Oh thats great news George. Thanks for telling.

[Shadow9612]

6 hours ago, Cruising is my passion said:

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,

I love the mantra!

 

The crew mentality and positivity is something I noticed instantly with Celebrity (for me, about 11 years ago), and you are correct, that it remains the same today.

[conodor]

One thing X stopped doing. Taking towels off pool loungers.  just 6 years ago they would walk around and take the unattended towels off, i think it was ever 30 minutes. Our last couple cruises(pre Vid)  3/4 of the chairs had towels with no one in site.

[SueMo]

I remember when shuttles into port cities were complementary.

I remember soufflés for dessert in the main dining room!

I remember when there was no such thing as specialty dining because the main dining experience was special.

I remember when nobody tried to sell me a drink package (although now I assume that has changed with the all inclusive deal).

A lot has changed over the years, for sure, and I still enjoy Celebrity cruises and the wonderful people who work so hard to make our time special.

However…

I remember a time I thought X was so special I would not consider sailing with anybody else, but have found myself “cheating on her” over the last couple years.

[Germancruiser]

Sue Mo- you comment brought a wonderful song to mind.

I remember,  very well- all the happy times on board the blackpool belle....!

I, too " cheated on X". So for the time beeing it´s either X or Cunard- with a few jumps to HAL and for first this year to MSC. Can´t wait for that completley new experience to happen.

Oh, I forgot- my one and only Costa Cruise- I never, ever, had a bad cruise- but Costa- in regualar balcony cabin- well- once was quite enough. LOL.

[grandgeezer]

26 minutes ago, SueMo said:

I remember when shuttles into port cities were complementary.

I remember soufflés for dessert in the main dining room!

I remember when there was no such thing as specialty dining because the main dining experience was special.

I remember when nobody tried to sell me a drink package (although now I assume that has changed with the all inclusive deal).

A lot has changed over the years, for sure, and I still enjoy Celebrity cruises and the wonderful people who work so hard to make our time special.

However…

I remember a time I thought X was so special I would not consider sailing with anybody else, but have found myself “cheating on her” over the last couple years.

We also thought it didn’t get any better than cruising on Celebrity. Between 2010 and 2016 we averaged 42 days of cruising, all but 21 days total, on Celebrity. In the last five years we’ve done 56 days total, with only 14 on Celebrity, with none in the future. With the cutbacks and pricing going crazy, we don’t see the value in their product or that of any other lines.

If or when the  Covid situation calms down we’ll sit down and decide if we should take any traveling vacations or just do car trip getaways.

 

 

[4cats4me]

Back in 2001 our X Cruise was magical.   The specialty restaurant, SS United States, was the best specialty restaurant we’ve ever dined in aboard a ship.  The MDR was so elegant and each place setting had several pieces of silverware, including fish knives, butter knives, and iced tea spoons.  

The whole experience on that cruise was understated elegance. 

Our most recent cruise on X in 2017 was still very nice.  We always do AQ now, so our service has always been very good.   Slightly different vibe on X now vs then, more active, I would say, draws a more lively crowd than 20 years ago.  

Lots of little cutbacks over the years, but it’s the same with all mass market cruise lines.  

Edited August 7, 2021 by 4cats4me

[graphicguy]

I’m probably the outlier here.  First cruise was on the SS Norway.

 

I recall smoking allowed just about everywhere, which wasn’t to my liking.  Clothes smelled like an ashtray every night when we went to bed.  I remember the entertainment paling in comparison to what you get on board today.  I remember my cabin(s) being teeny-tiny.  I remember meals taking hours to be served and to be eaten.  To some, that’s a positive.  To me, I had other things I wanted to get to.  So, many times we’d get desert to go and take to the cabin to eat later.

 

Some will consider this tragic. Me?  Not so much.  I used to work for one of the largest tech firms in the world back then.  We were required to wear suits, EVERY DAY!  As the dress codes have changed with the times, I have welcomed the more casualness of cruises.  I’m on vacation.  I do not want to wear tuxes, suits, etc.

 

I’m not one of those who think things used to be better “back in the day”.

 

I’ll take a current cruise over a anything I sailed on 35+ years ago.

Edited August 7, 2021 by graphicguy

[Hlitner]

I am sitting on the Seabourn Ovation looking over at the Apex here in Piraeus.  There was a time when we would have happily been on the Apex looking at the Seabourn vessel.  Now we need something like Seabourn to get the quality we used to experience on X.  By the way, the Apex looks gorgeous except for that ugly Magic Carpet thingee

 

Hank

[George C]

34 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

I’m probably the outlier here.  First cruise was on the SS Norway.

 

I recall smoking allowed just about everywhere, which wasn’t to my liking.  Clothes smelled like an ashtray every night when we went to bed.  I remember the entertainment paling in comparison to what you get on board today.  

I have to disagree on the entertainment on SSNorway , they were the first cruise I can remember that had a broadway play in there theater and remember comedians and singers that were on Johnny Carson then , like Paul Rodriguez etc .also a nice piano bar . I cruised SSNorway 7 times starting in mid 1980’s . I thought there entertainment in general was better than Celebrity, Celebrity is only line I am aware of without a piano bar , only piano they used to have was in suite lounge and they removed that. 

[canderson]

49 minutes ago, George C said:

Celebrity is only line I am aware of without a piano bar , only piano they used to have was in suite lounge and they removed that. 

This is a 'sorta then-and-now' comment, specific to your piano point:

 

You may not ever have sailed Constellation, or perhaps not long enough ago, but how many here recall that Constellation DID have a 'piano bar' - Michael's Club?  And that Perry White held court there on a nightly basis for most of 11 years?  Make of his act what you will, it was usually SRO.  They finally moved his show to the Sky Lounge on the Eclipse just to offer the necessary additional space.

[George C]

18 minutes ago, canderson said:

This is a 'sorta then-and-now' comment, specific to your piano point:

 

You may not ever have sailed Constellation, or perhaps not long enough ago, but how many here recall that Constellation DID have a 'piano bar' - Michael's Club?  And that Perry White held court there on a nightly basis for most of 11 years?  Make of his act what you will, it was usually SRO.  They finally moved his show to the Sky Lounge on the Eclipse just to offer the necessary additional space.

I know micheals became the suite lounge , what started us cruising Celebrity is they currently host lots of music charters , so I have seen some great acts in last few years including Michael McDonald, Boz Scaggs, America, Air supply, Todd Rundgren and many others , we pay extra but entertainment is amazing, next is next February on Summit.

[Lady Arwen]

We started sailing with Celebrity right from the beginning in 1991.  If you were lucky, Amanda Reid was your Social Hostess.  We came to know her quite well and she invited us to the Captain’s Table for dinner twice.  Two formal nights and two semi formal……DH had a tux and a dinner jacket on a 7 night cruise.  Those were the days of elegance and glamour, at least for our one week.  It all felt so special and we just couldn’t wait for the next cruise.  Loved the old Meridian to Bermuda…..the best cruises ever!

We still love Celebrity,  but we also sail with Princess and HAL.  It’s not the same, but we go with the flow and enjoy being on the sea.  We started out in tiny inside cabins and now we must have our balcony, so that’s an improvement.  The food has not improved,  nor the service,  but still suits us just fine.  Thank goodness for our wonderful memories. 

[davekathy]

21 hours ago, davekathy said:

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.  

I just reread my post. Incorrect date. Should have been 1994 was our first Celebrity cruise on the Zenith. 1991 was out first cruise and that was with American Hawaii Cruise Lines on the SS Constitution.