Not to pile on, but it’s bad…

[Markanddonna]

1 hour ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

 

People cough for all kinds of reasons - it's not exclusive to COVID.

 

Colds. Bronchitis. Other chest/lung issues. Asthma. Allergies. Swallowing their spit wrong. Inhaling something that irritates their throat. Etc.

 

Is COVID still around? Yes. But is every single cough COVID-related? No.

We just got off a B2B ship on another cruise line. My husband, who has COPD, picked up bronchitis and he's still coughing. He had three antigen and one PCR COVID tests that last week onboard and all were negative. There WAS COVID onboard (the CD had it!) , but most problems seemed to be the typical cruise crud we've seen before the pandemic. I am still surprised that most people on this cruise just opened their mouths wide and coughed and sneezed without covering. 

[islabahia]

If anyone expects X to deliver a product equal to or above pre Covid will IMO be disappointed.  That was then this is now.  Does anyone really think X has decided to keep their ships understaffed?  If the workers need visas and they cannot be issued in a timely fashion to fully staff the ships,  how is that the fault of X?  I certainly do not agree with or understand the rationale of cutting food costs which in turn results in unhappy pax but…we are returning to X in 3 weeks with another cruise booked for Dec.  If we are unhappy, we will bite the deposit (very very low) and move forward with Oceania.

 

As always JMHO

[Torfamm]

9 hours ago, OysterD said:

The complaint was about not having a free table to eat breakfast or find a seat by the pool. That's nothing to do with staffing. 

Not finding a table seemed all about understaffing when I was on the Solstice recently. It takes much longer to clear tables if there aren’t enough staff. 

[TeeRick]

12 hours ago, buckeye8810 said:

All in all, there’s no reason to pay premium prices for Celebrity anymore, because it’s no longer a premium brand. With the changes they’ve made, it’s not any different than NCL. Not saying I wouldn’t cruise with Celebrity again, but there’s no chance I would pay current prices. We felt ripped off, considering when we booked this cruise we were expecting the level of service from years past.

 

 

It is your money and your decision on spending.  If you don't like the product and the prices, and felt ripped off, why would you cruise with them again- even assuming you can find the price you want?  There are a lot of people here posting similar opinions, but I am still trying to figure out what the alternative solutions are besides Celebrity? Many gripes but no solid choices.  The backyard grass is not greener anywhere.   It seems all cruise lines are in the same financial boat (literally) due to the long shutdown, no revenue, massive debt incurred, staff shortages.  So recently I cruised Equinox, expected the worst actually, but came away with a pretty enjoyable cruise.  But I too am searching for the perfect post-pandemic cruise line - not sure it exists.  

[Crazy planning mom]

Did you fill out any cruise surveys?

[AmberCascades]

I am wondering, is any of this kind of stuff  happening on other cruise lines?  I guess I can go look at their boards.  In my own "at home" life, we are finding understaffing in many stores and restaurants, massive price hikes in restaurants and grocery stores, and certain items (e.g. romaine lettuce/ceasar salad) that aren't available sometimes in restaurants.  Could any of this have an effect on the current cruise experience?  I'm just wondering if it would be related to that kind of thing, as opposed to X just being out to screw us out of our money and fun times.

 

We will be on our first post-covid cruise in April and plan to enjoy the heck out of it.  We really need a break after the last 3 years.  🙂

[dodger1964]

10 hours ago, OysterD said:

You mentioned food and not enough staff but that was all. Ships being crowded isn't a bad thing, you can't expect them to sail half full forever more or else they'll go bankrupt. 

 

What was so terrible about the food and what was so terrible about service? And was there anything else or was your statement about everything being worse just hyperbole?

 

I'

I think the problem isn't that the ship is full...I think the problem could be that the ship is not fully staffed.

 

We sail on X for the first time in about 4 years (we are elite plus) in less than 2 weeks (first time on Egde)...I am going with open mind...We will have a great cruise not matter what the ship life is like (we basically use the cruise ship as a hotel).

[lhsail]

11 minutes ago, AmberCascades said:

I am wondering, is any of this kind of stuff  happening on other cruise lines?  I guess I can go look at their boards.  In my own "at home" life, we are finding understaffing in many stores and restaurants, massive price hikes in restaurants and grocery stores, and certain items (e.g. romaine lettuce/ceasar salad) that aren't available sometimes in restaurants.  Could any of this have an effect on the current cruise experience?  I'm just wondering if it would be related to that kind of thing, as opposed to X just being out to screw us out of our money and fun times.

 

We will be on our first post-covid cruise in April and plan to enjoy the heck out of it.  We really need a break after the last 3 years.  🙂

We were on the Summit last week and are currently on the Enchanted Princess. Both full ships. We have cruised extensively in the last 18 months and were spoiled with the reduced capacity, but realize the cruise lines can’t continue to operate that way. Both lines have cut back on their dining room food offerings, but for the most part the quality of what’s being offered is good. Both show some signs of insufficient staff. But, the staff we’ve interacted with are hard working and positive. The other thing we’ve come to realize lately is there seems to be more inconsistency from ship to ship within the lines. Staffing, port of embarkation, something else?

 

The days of sailing at 60% or less capacity were fun, but not realistic. We feel no reason, however, to quit cruising. We’ve cruised NCL and neither Celebrity nor Princess have digressed to that level. And NCL’s cutbacks are reported to be even greater. 

[gizmodog]

Thank you for your review whether it be your first or not, your opinion is just as good as those who post every day. I agree with what you dealt with on your cruise as I had the same issues on the Edge in January. 
celebrity cheerleaders can defend celebrity all they want or find excuses where there are none but sadly this is happening. 
celebrity has always been my favorite cruiseline and although I have cruised princess and Holland, I always seemed to return to Celebrity. 
I am saddened as to what is happening right now on their sailings. I am leaving in two weeks on the Infinity a cruise that has been paid for since last November and although I know I will enjoy just being on the ocean, I don’t expect much in the way of service and food, we shall see, hope I am wrong.

[jwlane]

11 hours ago, buckeye8810 said:

 Smaller portions.

Did you ask for more?

[rmalbers]

I just got off EQ and I agree with, basically, all the comments that people have made that have cruised since Jan 1.  I agree that the staffing issues are having the most impact.  The bars and MDR are definitely not staffed with as many people as before and that is very, very apparent.   One bright side is that the nightly entertainment in the theater seemed to me to be just as good as ever and it's the typical, 'there will be some acts that people like and some they won't' type of thing.  As has been shown and talked about many times the dinner buffet is cut back for sure.  The new MDR menus are also one of those things that some will like and some will hate.   Anyway, on staffing, it's really a question of are they trying to hire and can't or is covid taking out crew,  I'm fairly sure it's a little of both.   One of our servers disappeared after two days and a couple of others were wearing masks for a day or two then not wearing them.  Personally, my next cruise is on VO this summer and I'm not sure when I'll be booking a x cruise again, but it won't be until RCG gets out/mostly out of the financial mess they are in. 

[Tigerfnan23]

27 minutes ago, rmalbers said:

I just got off EQ and I agree with, basically, all the comments that people have made that have cruised since Jan 1.  I agree that the staffing issues are having the most impact.  The bars and MDR are definitely not staffed with as many people as before and that is very, very apparent.   One bright side is that the nightly entertainment in the theater seemed to me to be just as good as ever and it's the typical, 'there will be some acts that people like and some they won't' type of thing.  As has been shown and talked about many times the dinner buffet is cut back for sure.  The new MDR menus are also one of those things that some will like and some will hate.   Anyway, on staffing, it's really a question of are they trying to hire and can't or is covid taking out crew,  I'm fairly sure it's a little of both.   One of our servers disappeared after two days and a couple of others were wearing masks for a day or two then not wearing them.  Personally, my next cruise is on VO this summer and I'm not sure when I'll be booking a x cruise again, but it won't be until RCG gets out/mostly out of the financial mess they are in. 

I've wondered about the cause staffing issues as well.  Is Celebrity requiring all crew members to be vaccinated/boosted etc and, if so, is this why they can't find enough people?  Or is it something else?  Seems odd that crisis lines are all of a sudden unable to find people to work on their ships when this was considered a great opportunity for mamy people prior to the pandemic.  I realize it also extends to other industries as well as a large segment of society appears to have dropped out of the work force entirely for whatever reason.  

[rmalbers]

7 minutes ago, Tigerfnan23 said:

I've wondered about the cause staffing issues as well.  Is Celebrity requiring all crew members to be vaccinated/boosted etc and, if so, is this why they can't find enough people?  Or is it something else?  Seems odd that crisis lines are all of a sudden unable to find people to work on their ships when this was considered a great opportunity for mamy people prior to the pandemic.  I realize it also extends to other industries as well as a large segment of society appears to have dropped out of the work force entirely for whatever reason.  

Ya, it is interesting.  I haven't mentioned it but the rise of the 'middle class' in developing countries may be part of it.  X workers, at least customer facing, have to be able to speak and understand at least a little English and if they can do that maybe they are getting better paying jobs elsewhere (not in the cruise industry). 

Edited February 12, 2023 by rmalbers

[RichYak]

40 minutes ago, rmalbers said:

Anyway, on staffing, it's really a question of are they trying to hire and can't or is covid taking out crew

I can think of a third possibility--they are not actually trying to hire more staff and reductions are just another cost cutting measure.

[rmalbers]

3 minutes ago, RichYak said:

I can think of a third possibility--they are not actually trying to hire more staff and reductions are just another cost cutting measure.

I don't think that is the case, they have a serious mess on their hands with staffing levels, at least on the ship I was on.  One thing that I don't know is if staffing levels are better at the new cash machine, the E class ships.  I haven't paid much attention to E class staffing complaints, if there are any.  

[RichYak]

7 minutes ago, rmalbers said:

I don't think that is the case, they have a serious mess on their hands with staffing levels, at least on the ship I was on.

Given all the other cost-cutting going on, I'm not convinced it isn't the case.

[NC58]

30 minutes ago, Tigerfnan23 said:

I've wondered about the cause staffing issues as well.  Is Celebrity requiring all crew members to be vaccinated/boosted etc and, if so, is this why they can't find enough people?  Or is it something else?  Seems odd that crisis lines are all of a sudden unable to find people to work on their ships when this was considered a great opportunity for mamy people prior to the pandemic.  I realize it also extends to other industries as well as a large segment of society appears to have dropped out of the work force entirely for whatever reason. 
 

From what I understand there is a large backlog on getting Visas processed for new staff . 

[Cruizerguy]

We were also on the same Silhouette that the OP posted on. As long time Celebrity cruisers we have definitely noticed a downturn in the quality of the food served. We stayed in Aqua so we had breakfast and dinner at Blu everyday. Although Blu was still quite good, it wasn't as "special" as it used to be. The service was outstanding there, however we there was a noticeable decline in the quality and quantity of the portions served. Of course we could have asked for additional food, however we did see that the staff was really working hard and we didn't want to impose on them. I actually met with the F&B Manager to discuss this and it was pretty clear that he understood and had heard these complaints recently. Clearly it is the shore side staff that are dictating these changes.

 

As far as the Oceanview Cafe, we tried to avoid it at all costs as the quality of the food there has definitely declined. The ship was at 97% capacity so it was quite crowded, and we did notice a number of people coughing, but that is the new reality that we will need to deal with if you want to live your life.

 

I will say that the entertainment was outstanding from the magician, to the guest singers, to the production staff and the aerialists. The CD Dave was also excellent.

 

[islabahia]

Instead of all of these “theories” re: understaffing, reach out to the State Department and research processing time(s) for C-1/D visa.  SMDH

[RichYak]

9 minutes ago, Cruizerguy said:

we did notice a number of people coughing, but that is the new reality that we will need to deal with if you want to live your life.

I think we all have a little covid ptsd that will hopefully subside over time. I remember noticing every jet that flew overhead for quite some time after 9/11. Eventually, they just blended in to the background.

[MamaFej]

40 minutes ago, Tigerfnan23 said:

I've wondered about the cause staffing issues as well.  Is Celebrity requiring all crew members to be vaccinated/boosted etc and, if so, is this why they can't find enough people?  Or is it something else?  Seems odd that crisis lines are all of a sudden unable to find people to work on their ships when this was considered a great opportunity for mamy people prior to the pandemic.  I realize it also extends to other industries as well as a large segment of society appears to have dropped out of the work force entirely for whatever reason.  

We were B2B2B onboard Summit late last summer when the announcement was made that the vaccination requirements were being ended. We had three different crew members tell us that they decided they would finish their contracts and not come back. They (and their families) did not want to be stuck on a ship with increased risks of outbreaks and maybe exposures to new variants that their own vaccines might not protect against. 

 

I imagine there are folks who didn't originally come back because vaccines were required. I don't know which group is larger. I don't pretend that the folks who mentioned their feelings to us are a statistically representative sample. 

[Guest 4-2-N-8]

I woke again today. The sun does still shine. I am grateful.

 

In a recent sailing, ...

 

I can safely report that I had sheets on my bed, people enough to service what needed servicing, and sufficient food and drink at every turn.

 

Loved my first delve into Celebrity. Sure, it was on Beyond (and any line will likely always strive to put their best foot forward with their latest ship).

 

But, I entered eyes wide open with a view of the world exiting a pandemic, complete with massive supply chain and business interruptions.

 

Gripe all you want. I won't stop anyone.

 

Yet, my cruise was phenomenal. People were happy. Everywhere. Quality was superb. True, I did primarily stay around Retreat areas, but from what I saw, the rest of the ship looked great.

 

I did keep open eyes and mind as I walked around.

 

It was busy top deck on sea days, chair hogs, too. I saw people not wash hands (I'm a germophobe long before the pandemic). These aren't ship staff responsibilities to hound adults to be respectful and clean. That's an individual disrespectful behavior issue, and given what we've all been through, everyone should now know by heart.

 

I've consulted other cruise line forums on this site to compare gripes. I've got some history of my own on much smaller ships to compare, as well. everyone, everywhere is experiencing similar issues.

 

Settle down. Breathe deeply. We're in a whole new ballgame here.

 

Smile. Find grace in the kindness of those willing to be far from home serving those who (likely to many of them) are rich beyond belief.

 

Take solace that in our world such a luxury exists, and grant patience while enjoying how we all live within our new normal. 

 

Alas, the sky does yet look blue. I've seen it. It's true. And, it does not appear any lower from where I stand.

 

I'll be back on you again in August, Celebrity. You did great by me, my new friend.

 

Peace and love and all that jazz.

 

Edited February 12, 2023 by 4-2-N-8

[Georgia_Peaches]

 

1 hour ago, jwlane said:

Smaller portions.

1 hour ago, jwlane said:

Did you ask for more?

I have my embarkation clothes and my debarkation clothes...the first come tailored and nicely fitted.  The second are elastic and flowy.   I'm thinking/hoping that smaller portions will help with my net gain on our upcoming cruise ☺️. 

[cruisin from florida]

57 minutes ago, Tigerfnan23 said:

I've wondered about the cause staffing issues as well.  Is Celebrity requiring all crew members to be vaccinated/boosted etc and, if so, is this why they can't find enough people?  Or is it something else?  Seems odd that crisis lines are all of a sudden unable to find people to work on their ships when this was considered a great opportunity for mamy people prior to the pandemic.  I realize it also extends to other industries as well as a large segment of society appears to have dropped out of the work force entirely for whatever reason.  

I think that like workers everywhere, staff found other ways to support themselves and thei families during the shutdown, and (just like everywhere) many are choosing a different work/life balance than before. It's something that almost all employers are having to deal with.

[wadewood]

12 hours ago, OysterD said:

The complaint was about not having a free table to eat breakfast or find a seat by the pool. That's nothing to do with staffing. 

Yes it does.  If not enough staff, then tables don't get cleaned in timely fashion, which results in no place to sit down.