Older vs Younger

[georgiaguy]

There is a trend I have been noticing that I find a bit frustrating. Repeatedly folks posting here make comments about Celebrity driving away its older customers and how everything thing is targeted toward the younger generations. Can I just say I find it really insulting to be spoken about like I don’t matter and only those who have been cruising for 30 years and are elite have opinions that count? Ok I did say it. I am 40 years old with two kids that are under 5 and pretty much exclusively cruise with Celebrity. Why is it ok to consistently speak down about the “younger generation” as if my money shouldn’t also be sought after by the company. I wont retire for another 25 year likely, but isnt it ok for the CEO to think about me as well. I am not saying to just forget about long time customers but I think younger customers matter as well. Ok rant over. Thanks for listening. 

[numnums]

7 minutes ago, upwarduk said:

Royal Caribbean cater for the younger passengers and families.

Genuinely I’d think I’d like royal carribean ships/princess if they had less families. I think that’s why it’s so hard to swap off celebrity, it’s the only balance that I like, virgin voyages isn’t even a close contender considering their itinerary and price point. I only saw one family the whole time on my sailing.

[upwarduk]

4 minutes ago, numnums said:

I only saw one family the whole time on my sailing.

I thought Virgin Voyages was Adult only.

[the penguins]

4 hours ago, georgiaguy said:

There is a trend I have been noticing that I find a bit frustrating. Repeatedly folks posting here make comments about Celebrity driving away its older customers and how everything thing is targeted toward the younger generations. Can I just say I find it really insulting to be spoken about like I don’t matter and only those who have been cruising for 30 years and are elite have opinions that count? Ok I did say it. I am 40 years old with two kids that are under 5 and pretty much exclusively cruise with Celebrity. Why is it ok to consistently speak down about the “younger generation” as if my money shouldn’t also be sought after by the company. I wont retire for another 25 year likely, but isnt it ok for the CEO to think about me as well. I am not saying to just forget about long time customers but I think younger customers matter as well. Ok rant over. Thanks for listening. 

You are entitled to a rant.

I think X's current mix of cruises covers all ages with the shorter cruises being more attractive to younger (I e. with less vacation time) passengers.

It's just that X's main advertising is currently focused on the shorter cruises.

As a member of the "older group" I am happy to see all ages onboard and if X would enforce its current rules most of the criticisms voiced would disappear.

Just keep enjoying X. 

 

[numnums]

9 minutes ago, upwarduk said:

I thought Virgin Voyages was Adult only.

Oops, my mistake. It is quite late.

 

I mean to say I’ve only seen one big family in my celebrity sailing. I try to avoid families as they tend to take up a lot of seating, and I had multiple bad personal experiences with the selfish ones.

[soozles]

I feel ya… I’m around the same age as you, I have 2 kids under 5, and im

starting to feel like I will be some sort of piranha from reading these boards. And all these comments to stick with Royal or carnival? My kids are terrified of the deck parties and all the noise on carnival or Royal. It’s our choice where we choose to spend our money. My kids deserve to take up space just like anyone else. And if they really didn’t want to have kids on a cruise, they wouldn’t have a kids club or a kids menu. 

[swjumbo]

Well done for starting this thread.

I have cruised with Celebrity since my kids were babies.

They are now 10 and 12 and we’re on the Silhouette next week, yay!

Celebrity is for all ages. 
My DH and I had an enjoyable 20 minutes a few years ago listening to an elderly couple complain to the Retreat Host about everything. It was actually quite funny because it was so ridiculous.

If the oldies aren’t happy the there’s always Cunard, Saga or Holland America but nearly everyone I’ve met, regardless of age, just enjoys cruising.

Keep going with Celebrity and have fun!

[Lena11033]

I'm 42 in a couple of weeks, I have felt recently with some of the comments that I wasn't welcome because I haven't been cruising long enough but its very easy for people to make comments online and not realize they are offending other people. So I just forget about them because my money is just as important - I work hard enough for it.

 

I'm probably in some of the demographic they are trying to hit, I say some because the recent email for 'girls weekend' is not really me. I have no kids but I don't have an issue with them either it is about behaviour. Quite frankly sometimes its the adults that are worse.

 

I remember last year with all the comments before my first cruise of 'what you should wear' I was completely stressed because I don't wear fancy clothes and apparently what I wear to a restaurant people felt that wasn't good enough. In the end I took what I had (I had gained a lot of weight during covid so I didn't have a lot of things that fit well), I figured if the staff had an issue then sure my dresses weren't good enough and I'd change as for other people, their problem. But it was fine, no one had an issue.

[chemmo]

48 minutes ago, swjumbo said:

Well done for starting this thread.

I have cruised with Celebrity since my kids were babies.

They are now 10 and 12 and we’re on the Silhouette next week, yay!

Celebrity is for all ages. 
My DH and I had an enjoyable 20 minutes a few years ago listening to an elderly couple complain to the Retreat Host about everything. It was actually quite funny because it was so ridiculous.

If the oldies aren’t happy the there’s always Cunard, Saga or Holland America but nearly everyone I’ve met, regardless of age, just enjoys cruising.

Keep going with Celebrity and have fun!

There frequently seems to be a Mr and Mrs Grumble in the Retreat lounge…My favourite memory was of a couple complaining to the concierge that their visit to Lisbon hadn’t been that good ‘…because everyone spoke Spanish’…?!?! It would have been funny enough if the lady had said Portuguese!

 

Sincere best wishes to you and your family for a fantastic cruise on Silhouette, our favourite ship. Such a pity she is not cruising from Southampton next year.

 

PS please don’t send the ‘young at heart’ oldies like myself off Celebrity and onto Saga!

Edited August 9, 2023 by chemmo

[lv2cruisgrl]

We have cruised for years on Royal and loved it.  As we aged we found we no longer liked the craziness of it all.  We switched to Celebrity and love it. To us it is a more relaxed atmosphere.  We usually cruise when kids are in school to eliminate that aspect (we raised 4).  So I think many of us just don't want Celebrity to change that aspect of their cruises.  We love Celebrity and at this time don't want to change cruiselines.  So hopefully the new advertising that seems to be geared toward other age groups doesn't drastically make a difference in our cruises.  

[swjumbo]

43 minutes ago, chemmo said:

There frequently seems to be a Mr and Mrs Grumble in the Retreat lounge…My favourite memory was of a couple complaining to the concierge that their visit to Lisbon hadn’t been that good ‘…because everyone spoke Spanish’…?!?! It would have been funny enough if the lady had said Portuguese!

 

Sincere best wishes to you and your family for a fantastic cruise on Silhouette, our favourite ship. Such a pity she is not cruising from Southampton next year.

 

PS please don’t send the ‘young at heart’ oldies like myself off Celebrity and onto Saga!

Chemmo

 

We do seem to cross paths and one day I hope we might even be on the same ship!

 

Also, looks like it’ll be the last time we’ll be on Silhouette from Southampton which is very sad. 

The ‘Saga’ comment wasn’t directed at you! Lol

 

To everyone else…… could it be that Celebrity’s advertising has always been geared towards the same age range and it’s just us who have become older? 😉

[hcat]

2 hours ago, Lena11033 said:

 

partial quote:

You're fine, it's people that are causing a us vs them mentality. There's room for all of us.

 Well said,  but I fear this thread may  bring  out more  ageist ,  and other neg commentary pitting folks against one another!

 

Intolerance  and lack.of considerstion is not confined to any age group. It can go all ways.

 

Older cruisers can cut children and

teens some slack if they are being themselves....but  parents should  supervise them,  and encourage consideration of others in indoor and outdoor common   spaces, including elevators, theaters,  hallways and  swimming pools and pool decks etc .

 

Well behaved and properly  supervised teens and children ARE NEVER a problem. But maybe  some kiddos are not as well behaved as  parents  think they are or could be. Cruise ships can be dangerous spaces... free range on board not the best approach.

 

Cruiseline should not take away adult spaces other than for family swim hours our events.

 

Mr.and Mrs Grumble are entitled to some peace and quiet too!

 

Celebrity sets a fairly liberal dress standard  which most all on board find workable with their personal style.  Following  it is a common courtesy to others. No swimsuits in dining rm, etc. Those who want a "flip flop" dining  experience  once or more always have access to the buffet!

 

Smokers and Vapers should  keep their fumes and  vapors away from others by adhering to the rules. 

 

Chair savers,   lounger and table hogs in dining spaces, cafe baccio, theaters,  Solarium cafe,  Thermal suites,  buffet, tables in EDEN etc should consider that others might want to also use those amenities. There are card and game rooms on the ships and pkenty of seats in the theater.  No need to be a hog!

 

Drinking to excess such that it disrupts  others' enjoyment. (abuse of staff or other cruisers   broken glass in the pool/ hot tubs). should be   promptly addressed  by security staff.

 

For any cruisers young,  old or in the middle..it's  NOT all  just about you..Civility,  courtesy  and respect can work wonders! 

 

Edited August 9, 2023 by hcat

[kr00t0n]

Didn't you know? EVERYONE under 40 just wants to party and drink 24/7. 😄

 

I have been sailing with Celebrity exclusively since I was 30 (so for the past decade) because it ISN'T like Carnival/Royal, my wife and I like to relax on our holidays. Might also explain why we love the Celebrity production shows over boring Broadway/West End style musicals.

[hcat]

50 minutes ago, kr00t0n said:

Didn't you know? EVERYONE under 40 just wants to party and drink 24/7. 😄

 

I have been sailing with Celebrity exclusively since I was 30 (so for the past decade) because it ISN'T like Carnival/Royal, my wife and I like to relax on our holidays. Might also explain why we love the Celebrity production shows over boring Broadway/West End style musicals.

We're with you.. We used to be 40...the years fly by We like what you described.

 

.In " olden days"  on X, we enjoyed the authentic reggae bands and Jimmy Buffet style singers..Nice mellow party crowd! We do not miss the harpist but it was a nice touch at dinner on fancy nights..Don't miss those either!

 

We enjoy the shows on E Class..They are  cutting Edge, visually stunning   and  are performed  in amazing hi tech theaters!

 

Edited August 9, 2023 by hcat

[MISTER 67]

We are in our late 70s and have no problem with younger people, what we don’t want is for Celebrity, Princess or Holland America turning their ships into amusement parks with water slides, roller coasters and bumper cars like what Carnival and Royal are.

[TeeRick]

59 minutes ago, kr00t0n said:

Didn't you know? EVERYONE under 40 just wants to party and drink 24/7. 😄

 

You forgot Vape.

[Tierun]

I’m mid 40s and my youngest just turned 18. Been sailing X as a couple since 2018. It’s been a rule to sail Royal as a family and X as a couple. Our kids love the nonstop fun, and excitement. X was our escape from the family vibe. We are going to try VV at some point although I feel we might be too old or laid back for that crowd.

[Hobbsey]

10 hours ago, georgiaguy said:

There is a trend I have been noticing that I find a bit frustrating. Repeatedly folks posting here make comments about Celebrity driving away its older customers and how everything thing is targeted toward the younger generations. Can I just say I find it really insulting to be spoken about like I don’t matter and only those who have been cruising for 30 years and are elite have opinions that count? Ok I did say it. I am 40 years old with two kids that are under 5 and pretty much exclusively cruise with Celebrity. Why is it ok to consistently speak down about the “younger generation” as if my money shouldn’t also be sought after by the company. I wont retire for another 25 year likely, but isnt it ok for the CEO to think about me as well. I am not saying to just forget about long time customers but I think younger customers matter as well. Ok rant over. Thanks for listening. 

I suspect its less an attack on younger cruisers (most of us were younger when we started) and more a complaint about changing times and generally the higher costs associated with everything else affecting the cost of delivering what is expected at a price that is no longer affordable.  

 

No company can assure its future success by ignoring its future demographic.   That said I fear Celebrity is going at it too quickly and on too many fronts at once.   

[kr00t0n]

9 minutes ago, MISTER 67 said:

We are in our late 70s and have no problem with younger people, what we don’t want is for Celebrity, Princess or Holland America turning their ships into amusement parks with water slides, roller coasters and bumper cars like what Carnival and Royal are.

There is very little risk of that happening with Celebrity, the 3 brands have their positioning, zero reason to include things so specific to Royal on Celebrity ships, even the family positioning is more for older teens.
 

If Celebrity ever add a waterslide to one of their ships, I will go buy a hat and eat it. 😄

[bikerunner]

3 hours ago, swjumbo said:

Celebrity’s advertising has always been geared towards the same age range and it’s just us who have become older?

I see this as a very true statement.  For me I started sailing Celebrity in 2001, late 20s first cruise I think.  I pretty much have always ignored advertising and marketing, If anything Ill go the opposite way on trends.  My main consideration was what works for me, I never cared for gimmicks, ie rock wall, bumper cars, water slides etc,  I was told multiple times on my first few cruises that I would enjoy Royal/Carnival more by people onboard.  Kind of laughed as many people just assume based on age what I would like and not like   My main focus always has been on service given, and quality not quantity.  

[cnktodhunter]

We are in our mid 30s and have only sailed with X. We chose it specifically to avoid things like the water slides etc. as, as others have said, that's not for us and we want to relax! I'll never forget the 'older generation' Zenith couple who were on our table at an officers lunch on our first cruise. Firstly they were astonished that we'd 'somehow managed to get an invite' to the lunch (only Celebrity could tell you that!) and couldn't believe that we could possibly enjoy a 13 night transatlantic as we were so young we would just be bored.

The next cruise we were up until 3am one night drinking with two 'older' couples. Let's just all enjoy our cruises!

Edited August 9, 2023 by cnktodhunter

[Jeremiah1212]

54 minutes ago, MISTER 67 said:

We are in our late 70s and have no problem with younger people, what we don’t want is for Celebrity, Princess or Holland America turning their ships into amusement parks with water slides, roller coasters and bumper cars like what Carnival and Royal are.

 

If you want to see the future of Princess, Sun does have the splash pad, ropes course and the rollercoaster-ish thing 'Rollglider'. 

 

3 hours ago, swjumbo said:

could it be that Celebrity’s advertising has always been geared towards the same age range and it’s just us who have become older? 😉

 

👍 Celebrity makes no bones to their sales teams that the target client is 40-55, high income, limited time off individuals among other things. Does that mean everyone else is excluded? No. Change is hard. A handful of people here I believe have legitimately hurt feelings that the past no longer exists. The good thing is you can quickly spot the one complaining couple on board and know who to avoid the rest of the trip. Thankfully the onboard experience isn't Cruise Critic. 

 

You can also jump to Silversea or true lux market cruises (Azamara and Oceania are not it) to get your fix of true lux 'golden days of cruises' experience but what I see is most people can't afford it or won't commit that much of their budget to buying into that type of cruise. 

[SoloAlaska]

Thank you for posting this. The comments on CC have made me less want to cruise on Celebrity. I’m in my 30s, single, no kids and just want a relaxing vacation with a little pampering. My presence on board the ship does not negatively impact anyone else’s vacation but they complain that advertising is encouraging women in their 30s to cruise. What is so wrong with women in their 30s?

 

If anything we have a lot in common. Just like them I like that celebrity isn’t covered in children running around. Just like them I enjoy good food. Just like them I want to sip my drink (mine is scotch). Just like them I don’t want to see water slides on the ship.

[Tyler414]

The older I get, the more irritated I get with old people.

[lv2cruisgrl]

6 minutes ago, Tyler414 said:

The older I get, the more irritated I get with old people.

The older I get the more irritated I get with people in general.  Lol