Are Celebrity cost cutting and penny pinching there faithful customers off the ship?

[Gracie115]

10 hours ago, PurpleTraveller said:

If you read the Princess threads then you will see that passengers are up in arms due to the about to be implemented charges for previously included items such as room service and Alfredo's (a casual dining restaurant).

I think all cruise lines are trying to reduce costs and improve their bottom line. They also seem to be less interested in keeping their long term loyal customers and are hoping to attract new younger passengers.

I am a long time Princess cruiser who tried Celebrity last year and had such a wonderful cruise I have two more booked. From now on I am not loyal to any particular cruise line and will book according to itinerary, price and value for money.

 

I'm glad you enjoyed your Celebrity cruise. We have also cruised both lines and now find that Princess offers a better price point, especially in the full suites AND their itineraries are just far superior to what X offers.  We rarely order room service and while we enjoy Alfredo's once per cruise the up charge doesn't bother us and is nowhere near the cost that lunch at any of the Spec Rest on  X charge.  So we have booked with them for our next cruise.  

 

 

Edited August 2, 2023 by Gracie115

[PurpleTraveller]

8 minutes ago, Gracie115 said:

 

I'm glad you enjoyed your Celebrity cruise. We have also cruised both lines and now find that Princess offers a better price point, especially in the full suites AND their itineraries are just far superior to what X offers.  We rarely order room service and while we enjoy Alfredo's once per cruise the up charge doesn't bother us and is nowhere near the cost that lunch at any of the Spec Rest on  X charge.  So we have booked with them for our next cruise.  

 

I've got another Princess cruise booked for December as well as the two Celebrity ones for 2024. It pays to shop around as the Celebrity 7 day Greek Islands cruise was cheaper than a 7 day cruise from Athens on Princess when I booked. Admittedly the Princess ship is a lot newer than the Celebrity ship but the Celebrity itinerary is what interested me the most.

 

The new charges for room service and to order through the medallion don't affect me because I don't use them but we usually go to Alfredo's a lot on the ships that have it. It won't stop me sailing with Princess but it's another cost to take into account.

 

I have found Celebrity and Princess are both great cruise lines to cruise with and it's a good thing that we all have a choice of who to cruise with.

[OysterD]

9 hours ago, tfred said:

On this forum?  Probably. Unfortunately they isn’t a good representation of any average cruise pax. The number of active posters is really quite low in relation to actually on board. 

It's why I largely ignore the negativity from most of the posters who have been complaining non stop. There are maybe 10-15 who consistently post criticism and complaints, mainly about the same things just over and over again, or even worse, just vague references to 'constant cuts'. You get threads 30 pages long about a topic but if you break it down some posters have just opined the same view dozens of times on the thread. 

 

So we have 10 to 15 regularly stating negative views out of roughly 30,000 people who are cruising on Celebrity every week. This board is not at all representative of the cruising population as a whole. I have friends and know people who cruised with Celebrity in Jan, Mar, Apr, and just stepped off a cruise last week. Not a single complaint from anyone, everyone loved it and is looking at booking future cruises. 

 

Is Celebrity cost cutting? Maybe. Find me a business or a cruise line who isn't. Are the cost cutting measures enough to stop me or anyone I know from cruising with Celebrity? Nope.

 

If i ignore the hyperbole on here, I can't even think of any actual serious cost cutting measures! Putting prices up for cabins, drinks and specialty restaurants aren't cost cutting, they're just price increases which has happened to every single product or service globally in the last year. The room service charge, could be argued if that's cost cutting or a price increase. Either way, it's a tiny amount compared to price of cruise and I haven't and won't order room service anyway. 

Food is subjective and I'll decide in a month if the quality has declined since last year. Yes there were some reductions in food availability for a month or two at the beginning of the year but who knows why that was. Personally I wonder if it was related to pretty much every cruise ship in the world suddenly being based out of Florida for the first time in 3yrs and supply chain issues related to that. Who knows. But I've looked at menus for current sailings and they look near identical to ones from last year, so I'm not at all worried about what I'll find next month. 

 

Perhaps when I cruise next month my friends or myself will be very disappointed with aspects of the ship, service or food. But I doubt that. 

 

[Ken the cruiser]

8 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

Hmmm.  I did take a look and there were some very good deals...

For us if we're going to book an NCL cruise, the itinerary has to be awesome and not reasonably offered by either Princess or Celebrity. In the case of our Oct 2024 Pyramids and Ancient Ruins B3B cruise on the Getaway, it was half the price being offered by Celebrity on the Silhouette, when comparing a Club Balcony cabin (with FAS Plus and 6 free SR dinners per leg) with an Aqua cabin with AI. As far as our Longyearbyen B2B cruise in May 2025, Princess doesn't offer any itinerary to Longyearbyen any longer and Celebrity never did.

Edited August 2, 2023 by Ken the cruiser

[tfred]

3 hours ago, ChucktownSteve said:

 

Yes true fact that has been stated countless times on CC.  However with no prior Celebrity communication, and no shared knowledge as from here, how do you believe the hoards of unsuspecting suite passengers are going to feel after discovering the changes once onboard?

 

We may be a microcosm of passenger sentiment, however I suspect opinions here, both pro and con will be extrapolated throughout those once on board  possibly in a similar percentage. 

 

Or maybe passengers who don't use Cruise Critic won't care about the takeaways?

What's are the changes on board as a suite guest - no full time butler?  They won't care.  

 

X has figured out that the room butler is mostly a food runner with occasional convos in the hallway.  I would think that most of the "can you change an excursion or get a dinner Rez for me" is easier done in The Retreat lounge for immediate feedback.  

[Joker54]

10 hours ago, swjumbo said:

Have a look at Gary Bembridge a youtuber who recently sailed in MSC Yacht Club.

It makes for interesting viewing.

Thank You - it was very interesting and I enjoyed a few of his other videos. You have saved us a cruise we probably would not have enjoyed. We are both retired and our kids are in their 40's. We have no problem with children and are happy many cruise lines cater to families. Also happy a few cater to those of us who prefer a more quite cruise experience. Hope that isn't offensive to anyone.

 

Just wish Regent hard larger suites - oh well.

 

For the money a high end suite costs, one could get 2 biz class airline tickets to most anywhere in the world, spend 2 weeks in a 5 star hotel like the Conrad, dine in some amazing restaurants and still have money left over. Which is how we traveled for years and to many far away destinations. We only started cruising in 2016 enjoying the "we only have to unpack once" vacation.

 

There are pros and cons to both types of vacations - cruising or flying to a destination

 

Cheers

[NMTraveller]

21 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

For us if we're going to book an NCL cruise, the itinerary has to be awesome and not reasonably offered by either Princess or Celebrity. In the case of our Oct 2024 Pyramids and Ancient Ruins B3B cruise on the Getaway, it was half the price being offered by Celebrity on the Silhouette, when comparing a Club Balcony cabin (with FAS Plus and 6 free SR dinners per leg) with an Aqua cabin with AI. As far as our Longyearbyen B2B cruise in May 2025, Princess doesn't offer any itinerary to Longyearbyen any longer and Celebrity never did.

For the cruise itinerary I was looking at NCL had a junior suite for quite a bit less than a balcony on Celebrity.  Plus NCL had all of the extras...

Edited August 2, 2023 by NMTraveller

[Joker54]

8 minutes ago, tfred said:

What's are the changes on board as a suite guest - no full time butler?  They won't care.  

 

X has figured out that the room butler is mostly a food runner with occasional convos in the hallway.  I would think that most of the "can you change an excursion or get a dinner Rez for me" is easier done in The Retreat lounge for immediate feedback.  

Can we get along without a dedicated butler, of course.

 

Like others have said,  I expect some sort of communication after they make a perk change after I have paid in full.

 

The change isn't the problem its how it was/is being done. We could have booked in an aqua class room and been just as happy for less money, but that option isn't available since the cruise is paid in full.

[zitsky]

2 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

For the cruise itinerary I was looking at NCL had a junior suite for quite a bit less than a balcony on Celebrity.  Plus NCL had all of the extras...

What were the extras?  

I keep getting Oceania catalogs in the mail and I think they are owned by NCL?  We did an NCL cruise 5 years ago and liked it, because we were invited into Cagney’s for breakfast and lunch after being a CC host.

[zitsky]

2 minutes ago, Joker54 said:

Can we get along without a dedicated butler, of course.

 

Like others have said,  I expect some sort of communication after they make a perk change after I have paid in full.

 

The change isn't the problem its how it was/is being done. We could have booked in an aqua class room and been just as happy for less money, but that option isn't available since the cruise is paid in full.

I’m debating going back to Aqua instead of our SS but it looks like I would completely lose my deposit of about $1400.

[swjumbo]

10 minutes ago, Joker54 said:

Thank You - it was very interesting and I enjoyed a few of his other videos. You have saved us a cruise we probably would not have enjoyed. We are both retired and our kids are in their 40's. We have no problem with children and are happy many cruise lines cater to families. Also happy a few cater to those of us who prefer a more quite cruise experience. Hope that isn't offensive to anyone.

 

Just wish Regent hard larger suites - oh well.

 

For the money a high end suite costs, one could get 2 biz class airline tickets to most anywhere in the world, spend 2 weeks in a 5 star hotel like the Conrad, dine in some amazing restaurants and still have money left over. Which is how we traveled for years and to many far away destinations. We only started cruising in 2016 enjoying the "we only have to unpack once" vacation.

 

There are pros and cons to both types of vacations - cruising or flying to a destination

 

Cheers

Thank you for your thank you!

We love Celebrity but tried Cunard last year.

It was enjoyable and we were in a suite but our main complaint was that we were still a tad on the young side for it but when we retire we’ll be back.

Gary Bembridge is also a fan and his videos about Cunard are most informative so it might be worth considering.

 

[NMTraveller]

10 minutes ago, zitsky said:

What were the extras?  

I keep getting Oceania catalogs in the mail and I think they are owned by NCL?  We did an NCL cruise 5 years ago and liked it, because we were invited into Cagney’s for breakfast and lunch after being a CC host.

It was the Free at Sea package.  Free drinks, free excursions,  free specialty dining, and free Wi-Fi.

[go.without.you]

They are pricing me out of the market. I booked the Retreat on Ascent for December 17 while I was onboard last November. Since then the prices have gone up 42%. The Retreat pricing is outrageous and now they are taking away butlers? I have 1 out of 4 future cruises booked with X and it will most likely be my last.

[bikerunner]

I been on a bunch of cruises since start up late 21.  I have completely enjoyed them with Celebrity but my main problem with them is their communication of what is changing and their lack of clarity and explanation of the change, and that is one of the main reasons I am done after my next cpl cruises with them, I have azamara and Oceana booked already.  The Beyond repositioning for next year was handled as badly as can be, along with these other changes that are happening there is absolutely no communication from the cruise line.  The retreat change might not be a bad thing and might actually be more expedient in overall service, yes the one on one with a single butler might be lost but the service might be better.  Cant tell until it plays out.  Food I have to see on my own, as its completely subjective overall.   Service has always been a main draw for me and Celebrity offers it better than the other mass cruise lines I think.  Pricing is what it is right now, everything is outrageous, and deals can be found but are not as readily available   I do All Inclusives, and other land based travels, and have seen their prices go crazy also, but I do enjoy cruising as its a moving hotel in the end.  

 

I have talked to other friends who have travelled on compteting cruise lines, Royal, NCL and they have seen the same types of things happening with those cruise lines,

[Tierun]

I last sailed X in March 2022. Since then I’ve sailed MSC 3 times with a 4th coming up in November. I tried Carnival for their new ship Celebration and confirmed that they just aren’t the line for me. Celebrity is still the favorite, but with Ascent booked for early 2024 we’ll see if that still holds true. I’ve come to find that I prefer newer ships and instead of loyalty I might just try whatever each line is bringing to the market. So I’m looking at Virgin Voyages, NCL Prima class, RCL Utopia and Icon, the new Sun Princess, Disney Wish. Also looking more premium such as Azamara, Oceania, and Regent. Although a little reluctantly being in my my 40s I feel they might not offer enough for my liking.
 

Basically the ship has become the destination and with X no longer being a true value for what’s being offered, why be loyal? Cruising is becoming a more and more homogenized industry, the similarities between lines far outweigh the nuanced differences. Until I find true differentiator I’ll be a cruising nomad for the foreseeable future.

[Lena11033]

15 minutes ago, bikerunner said:

I have talked to other friends who have travelled on compteting cruise lines, Royal, NCL and they have seen the same types of things happening with those cruise lines,

 

I've seen the same complaints as well, actually watched a video on the changes on Princess cruises on how it didn't make sense to put in a package that you pay for something that last week was complimentary. So it seems like all the lines are making changes and not being taken well.

 

Companies aren't loyal to people so just shop around for what's best for you. Right now I have cruises booked with X, MSC and NCL. Based on places I want to go, cost and times that work for me.

[tfred]

33 minutes ago, Joker54 said:

Can we get along without a dedicated butler, of course.

 

Like others have said,  I expect some sort of communication after they make a perk change after I have paid in full.

 

The change isn't the problem its how it was/is being done. We could have booked in an aqua class room and been just as happy for less money, but that option isn't available since the cruise is paid in full.

So you would have rebooked just because of the  butler change?  AQ is very nice but it isn’t the whole Retreat experience. 
 

Companies don’t send alerts about every single change as it would cause confusion with purchases mostly over unused or trivial changes. “We are cutting the prime rib thinner” is not something that you will see in an e mail. 

[bnurick]

While I do not disagree inflation has hit the bottom line everywhere, RCL has a debt problem and now with higher interest rates this issue is slowly being passed along in both prices and cutbacks. We are booking more DCL cruises as our last in June didn’t see any food quality reductions.

Edited August 2, 2023 by bnurick

[gizmodog]

I too worked my way up to elite plus and celebrity is losing me as well as the 2 other couples we always travel with. If you are an old celebrity cruiser you know what it use to be like, new celebrity cruisers I’m sure think they are fantastic, the ships are beautiful. They do not realize the food cutbacks, the extra charges for everything. They know no better.

It’s really sad what’s happening I will miss the older days I’ve had with celebrity.

my last two cruises with them this past Jan and again in Feb. the food was edible but no steaks or prime rib, I don’t even get the lobster on lobster night anymore. The service was lacking. The drinks? We never had a drink made the same way twice, some drinks were so bad we left them without drinking, what waste….if they would train the employees better maybe they would save some money there.

I will probably never go to le petite chef again, our first few times it was delicious steak and lobster, this past time short ribs (tasted like stew meat) for the price they charge no thank you, I really do not mean to sound snarky but I’m so saddened by the route they are taking.

I will always stand by the beauty of their ships though and the staterooms are so well thought out. 
I have a b2b booked this coming January so we shall see, three times you’re out.

Edited August 2, 2023 by gizmodog

[librarylady19]

14 hours ago, swjumbo said:

Have a look at Gary Bembridge a youtuber who recently sailed in MSC Yacht Club.

It makes for interesting viewing.

Gary - Tips for Travellers - is a great source of information! I really trust his opinions as he pays for his own cruises and is my age 😀

[librarylady19]

3 hours ago, Lena11033 said:

 

I've seen the same complaints as well, actually watched a video on the changes on Princess cruises on how it didn't make sense to put in a package that you pay for something that last week was complimentary. So it seems like all the lines are making changes and not being taken well.

 

Companies aren't loyal to people so just shop around for what's best for you. Right now I have cruises booked with X, MSC and NCL. Based on places I want to go, cost and times that work for me.

That’s my approach too. Tried HAL this year (Rotterdam) and will be on Virgin for first time on December.  Just like there is little tangible benefit on being loyal to airlines anymore unless you e got top tier status, same goes for cruise lines. 

Edited August 2, 2023 by librarylady19

[Joker54]

3 hours ago, tfred said:

So you would have rebooked just because of the  butler change?  AQ is very nice but it isn’t the whole Retreat experience. 
 

Companies don’t send alerts about every single change as it would cause confusion with purchases mostly over unused or trivial changes. “We are cutting the prime rib thinner” is not something that you will see in an e mail. 

Your expectations and ours are different.

 

And yes I may have rebooked on principle. We are not fans of the E-class ships and these days spend very little time in the retreat lounge. We also hardly ever ever dine in Luminae (E-Class), tending to eat more in specialty restaurants. My military career ruined my hearing and my hearing aids do a great job but not in really noisy environments. The noise is loud enough in Luminae on the Apex that is painful.

 

I also do not find the prime rib dinner example to be a relevant comparison.

 

I am curious what industry you work in?

Edited August 2, 2023 by Joker54

[mnocket]

The fact is that, like it or not, the changes the mainstream cruise lines are making are working for them.  They have made a remarkable recovery from the Covid shutdown in terms of both capacity and revenue.  It's also true that many of these changes don't work so well for seasoned cruisers whose expectations are set by the way things used to be.  We are collateral damage - unfortunate, but necessary in the eyes of the cruise lines.  

[Bo1953]

4 hours ago, Joker54 said:

Can we get along without a dedicated butler, of course.

 

Like others have said,  I expect some sort of communication after they make a perk change after I have paid in full.

 

The change isn't the problem its how it was/is being done. We could have booked in an aqua class room and been just as happy for less money, but that option isn't available since the cruise is paid in full.

If The Retreat is fully booked, it may be an option if X can resell the cabin easily, which I Am sure...

 

You may not receive cash back in lieu of an FCC for the difference.

 

Ask your point of reservation to find out if this is possible.

 

bon voyage

[Joker54]

3 minutes ago, Bo1953 said:

If The Retreat is fully booked, it may be an option if X can resell the cabin easily, which I Am sure...

 

You may not receive cash back in lieu of an FCC for the difference.

 

Ask your point of reservation to find out if this is possible.

 

bon voyage

Thank you!

 

No one can say YES if you dont ask. That question will be on my list of questions for my vacation planner

 

Cheers