FOR YOUR 2023 CRUISING DOLLAR, DOES X MARK THE SPOT?

[NMTraveller]

On 1/14/2023 at 9:46 AM, Spif Barwunkel said:

I totally agree, NMT. I also agree with AnnaNicole in post #112. I referenced several threads together rather than try to address each one individually in order to make my point. Because my cruising dollars are still comfortably spent on X only signifies that I am still comfortable with the product, nothing more nothing less. So, your savvy and my savvy are different. Perhaps. You need more, and me, not so much. As to information, experiences and expectations, we've all got 'em and it's all good. From that, we decide when it's time to make a change...or not.   

Have you sailed X or priced out your cruise with all of the added fees and increased charges?  They are not small increases.

[Spif Barwunkel]

6 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

Have you sailed X or priced out your cruise with all of the added fees and increased charges?  They are not small increases.

Yes, and we have two upcoming cruises in Feb and May. Because we are not yet put off by all the changes, why should it bother folks that our dollars are still well spent for what we enjoy? I appreciate your question, but I do not need to defend or justify how we spend our money. Bluntly, we can afford it and X still works for us. If that is a problem for some, not my problem, nor do I care.  

[RichYak]

2 minutes ago, Spif Barwunkel said:

...nor do I care

You sure fooled me.

[NMTraveller]

I laugh when I see the price of the drink packages coming very close to the price of the cruise fare.  I am kind of shocked by the other price increases.

 

The excursions seem to be reasonable because they have competition and not a captive audience.

Edited January 16, 2023 by NMTraveller

[AnnaNicole]

1 minute ago, NMTraveller said:

I laugh when I see the price of the drink package coming very close to the price of the cruise far.

I was thinking the same thing.  LOL

[talljules1]

I think my answer the the OP question has now to be NO.

 

We enjoyed our 2021 and 2022 cruises with Celebrity, but the rising prices are something else. The put the retreat into the same price brackets as luxury lines, and that's likely where we will jump ship to for 2024. We already have a Christmas 2023 cruise booked with Celebrity, which we look forward to. But for Summer 2023 we've already jumped ship and are sailing in MSC Yacht club (swayed, in part, by a more interesting itinerary).

 

Because we now sail in the retreat, I guess a lot of the recent changes don't affect us much. But we have been irritated/disappointed by rising prices for specialty dining (we noticed that especially in Sushi on 5 between our May and September Silhouette cruises - a la carte prices rose, meaning we go less for our $35pp allowance, and sake was no longer available by the glass within the drink package. Yes, a first world problem, but it lessened our experience). Also disappointed that for lunch on port days the only choice was either the buffet or mast grill (or some very disappointing bites on the retreat sundeck). 

 

So, going forward, we will be giving serious consideration to Azamara, Oceania, Silversea etc.

[Ken the cruiser]

I just did a sample test to see what the various category prices were on a randomly picked 10-day Caribbean cruise starting Nov 20, 2023 on the Silhouette. Here's what I found:

 

Inside Cabin

 - Cruise Only Fare (pp) = $884

 - All Included Fare (pp) = $1759

 - Cost for AI = $875 or $87.50 pp/day

 

Oceanview Cabin

 - Cruise Only Fare (pp) = $1031

 - All Included Fare (pp) = $1906

 - Cost for AI = $875 or $87.50 pp/day

 

Veranda Cabin

 - Cruise Only Fare (pp) = $1725

 - All Included Fare (pp) = $2600

 - Cost for AI = $875 or $87.50 pp/day

 

Concierge Cabin

 - Cruise Only Fare (pp) = $1647

 - All Included Fare (pp) = $2522

 - Cost for AI = $875 or $87.50 pp/day

 

Aqua Cabin

 - Cruise Only Fare (pp) = NA

 - All Included Fare (pp) = $2375

 

Sky Suite Cabin

 - Cruise Only Fare (pp) = NA

 - All Included Fare (pp) = $4434

 

Just thought it was interesting to see that the cruise fare prices were cheaper for the Aqua cabin and the veranda cabin on this particular cruise.

 

Update: Here's the current daily stateroom gratuity charge based on category for comparison.

 

 

Edited January 16, 2023 by Ken the cruiser

[NMTraveller]

With the cutbacks X has blurred the lines between Royal and Celebrity.  On the lower end I might pick Royal over X.  Similar food?  Similar cabins?  Similar itineraries?  What makes X better these days?

Edited January 16, 2023 by NMTraveller

[love to cruz]

Sorry to say, Princess will now be our cruise of choice. We are not heavy drinkers & Celebrity charges $90.68 per drink for the wife, tips & drink package. Princess charges $68 per day. This makes more sense for us.

[Spif Barwunkel]

2 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

With the cutbacks X has blurred the lines between Royal and Celebrity.  On the lower end I might pick Royal over X.  Similar food?  Similar cabins?  Similar itineraries?  What makes X better these days?

Okay, let's hit it from the other side. Why does X have to be better? In its heyday - whenever that was - Celebrity was never every cruiser's choice. There has always been and always will be points of concern and dislike for some passengers. For others, not so much. Granted, Celebrity is nowhere close to being the best that it can be, and in this day and time to climb out of a deep debt pit, perhaps requires that you must move further backward before you can move further forward. Totally understandable that this ain't workin' for many folks. Example. I do not frequent the OV buffet for the evening meal. However, i recently did because that is what I wanted to do. Even around and about a less than half buffet spread, I found plenty of good food...for me. For you, maybe not. That's okay, right?  

 

Let me assuage your pent-up emotions by reminding you that I get it if you want to take your money and run. Your reasons are yours to bare and justify. I'm not there yet. That's okay, right?

 

 You is not you specific, NMT. It's a general you, more like youse.

 

Edited January 16, 2023 by Spif Barwunkel

[C4HCG]

13 minutes ago, Spif Barwunkel said:

Okay, let's hit it from the other side. Why does X have to be better? In its heyday - whenever that was - Celebrity was never every cruiser's choice. There has always been and always will be points of concern and dislike for some passengers. For others, not so much. Granted, Celebrity is nowhere close to being the best that it can be, and in this day and time to climb out of a deep debt pit, perhaps requires that you must move further backward before you can move further forward. Totally understandable that this ain't workin' for many folks. Example. I do not frequent the OV buffet for the evening meal. However, i recently did because that is what I wanted to do. Even around and about a less than half buffet spread, I found plenty of good food...for me. For you, maybe not. That's okay, right?  

 

Let me assuage your pent-up emotions by reminding you that I get it if you want to take your money and run. Your reasons are yours to bare and justify. I'm not there yet. That's okay, right?

 

 

Agree. We too are sticking with Celebrity as we like the product and feel we get value for money. We will only stop if a cruise disappoints us and we feel we’ve not had that value. That doesn’t make us flag wavers for Celebrity, just people who are spending our money how we want to. Others might think we are fools, don’t care.

[NMTraveller]

26 minutes ago, Spif Barwunkel said:

Okay, let's hit it from the other side. Why does X have to be better? In its heyday - whenever that was - Celebrity was never every cruiser's choice.

 

I suppose that Celebrity does not have to be better.

 

There are just so many of us that have expectations of the old Celebrity where they were better.

 

Anyways I booked my first Celebrity cruise while on a Royal ship.  I was told that Celebrity was a more premium experience.  After that I never went back to Royal.

 

However with the cutbacks in the MDR and OVC I don't think that is the case anymore.

 

Celebrity's problem today is their extraordinary experiences that they provided in the past.  It is difficult to backtrack from that.

[Spif Barwunkel]

3 hours ago, C4HCG said:

Agree. We too are sticking with Celebrity as we like the product and feel we get value for money. We will only stop if a cruise disappoints us and we feel we’ve not had that value. That doesn’t make us flag wavers for Celebrity, just people who are spending our money how we want to. Others might think we are fools, don’t care.

Good post. I have been saying the same thing for a long time, on many threads. You and I agree on this, for now, but there might become a time when we don't. That's cool. You do want to be careful about who you agree with. On these boards I do live in a different neighborhood, and I would not want to sully your reputation. 

[C4HCG]

5 hours ago, Spif Barwunkel said:

Good post. I have been saying the same thing for a long time, on many threads. You and I agree on this, for now, but there might become a time when we don't. That's cool. You do want to be careful about who you agree with. On these boards I do live in a different neighborhood, and I would not want to sully your reputation. 

I am capable of sullying in it without help 😁I don’t intend to though - as cruise novices we learn lots of useful things on here and are not here to either fall out with or befriend anyone.