My thoughts on all the "cuts"

[KKB]

I look at the cuts noted in Retreat, AQ, etc.

Many of the cuts are little things. (not all)

Did they decide that those little things aren't going to significantly affect cruisers satisfaction?

Did they do surveys to determine which things have the biggest impact on cruisers satisfaction?
I don't know.

While little things are nice (ie daily chocolates in AQ), in NO way do they make or break a cruise for me & I'm not going to miss them.

Retreat butler changes--meh, didn't really use ours when we were in Retreat anyway. (YMMV)

Sky Suites no free booze in room? That's odd to me as there are grab & go beers/seltzers in lounge fridges, and you can get a free drink at any bar..it seems to be a time issue stocking more than a $ issue.

 

ALL lines are cutting costs.

Celebrity still has the best overall product of mainstream lines, imo.

 

[lv2cruisgrl]

21 minutes ago, KKB said:

I look at the cuts noted in Retreat, AQ, etc.

Many of the cuts are little things. (not all)

Did they decide that those little things aren't going to significantly affect cruisers satisfaction?

Did they do surveys to determine which things have the biggest impact on cruisers satisfaction?
I don't know.

While little things are nice (ie daily chocolates in AQ), in NO way do they make or break a cruise for me & I'm not going to miss them.

Retreat butler changes--meh, didn't really use ours when we were in Retreat anyway. (YMMV)

Sky Suites no free booze in room? That's odd to me as there are grab & go beers/seltzers in lounge fridges, and you can get a free drink at any bar..it seems to be a time issue stocking more than a $ issue.

 

ALL lines are cutting costs.

Celebrity still has the best overall product of mainstream lines, imo.

 

For us we don't care about the chocolate or canapes. However they have made cuts to the menu and the quality of food.  That will make or break it for us.  Also the price increases have been steep. So yes the little things are not a big deal, but how much more will they cut?  Time will tell.

[Dolebludger]

Celebrity is certainly the best of the mainstream lines. Indeed, it is the only mainstream line that I would consider booking again. I only hope it stays that way. At least we got the cookies back (according to another thread here) even though I don’t care about this.  And thanks for telling us that we can get cokes and beer in cans for the suite in the lounge. Nobody else has mentioned that.

[Georgia_Peaches]

What I find interesting is the no big deal attitude that some have when it comes to cruise line cuts/changes.  It's especially easy to say it's no bid deal  if the cut doesn't directly impact a particular cruising group.  But the fact is, a cut doesn't have to directly impact every passenger in order for it to impact the over all product.  I never ate dinner at the buffet but I wasn't happy when Celebrity cut down their dinner time offerings.  I rarely used my butler but I know people who did and it was a nice perk for those who had more butler needs than others.  I don't relish the bubbly they used to hand out on embarkation day but I do relish the symbolism of having someone greet me with a glass when I step on the ship.  I could go on but my point is, just because one isn't personally impacted by a change or a cut doesn't mean that others will or even should feel the same way.  We all cruise for different reasons and when a brand that we've come to know and love makes sweeping changes and cuts, it stings...IMO.

[ChucktownSteve]

34 minutes ago, KKB said:

I look at the cuts noted in Retreat, AQ, etc.

Many of the cuts are little things. (not all)

Did they decide that those little things aren't going to significantly affect cruisers satisfaction?

Did they do surveys to determine which things have the biggest impact on cruisers satisfaction?
I don't know.

While little things are nice (ie daily chocolates in AQ), in NO way do they make or break a cruise for me & I'm not going to miss them.

Retreat butler changes--meh, didn't really use ours when we were in Retreat anyway. (YMMV)

Sky Suites no free booze in room? That's odd to me as there are grab & go beers/seltzers in lounge fridges, and you can get a free drink at any bar..it seems to be a time issue stocking more than a $ issue.

 

ALL lines are cutting costs.

Celebrity still has the best overall product of mainstream lines, imo.

 

I believe it's the frog in the tepid water pot syndrome.  You just haven't reached the Celebrity death temperature yet? Others have because they see what's been coming. Enjoy Celebrity as long as you can please.  That will lessen the demand on more upscale lines that others have moved on to.

[hcat]

8 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

What I find interesting is the no big deal attitude that some have when it comes to cruise line cuts/changes.  It's especially easy to say it's no bid deal  if the cut doesn't directly impact a particular cruising group.  But the fact is, a cut doesn't have to directly impact every passenger in order for it to impact the over all product.  I never ate dinner at the buffet but I wasn't happy when Celebrity cut down their dinner time offerings.  I rarely used my butler but I know people who did and it was a nice perk for those who had more butler needs than others.  I don't relish the bubbly they used to hand out on embarkation day but I do relish the symbolism of having someone greet me with a glass when I step on the ship.  I could go on but my point is, just because one isn't personally impacted by a change or a cut doesn't mean that others will or even should feel the same way.  We all cruise for different reasons and when a brand that we've come to know and love makes sweeping changes and cuts, it stings...IMO.

well said.. some folks are quite blase..until it may be  something they like is cut out... We should all stick together!

[RichYak]

43 minutes ago, KKB said:

That's odd to me as there are grab & go beers/seltzers in lounge fridges

No there isn't. Only non-alcoholic beverages are in the grab & go lounge fridges on my last 2 cruises.

Edited August 26, 2023 by RichYak

[hcat]

40 minutes ago, KKB said:

I look at the cuts noted in Retreat, AQ, etc.

Many of the cuts are little things. (not all)

Did they decide that those little things aren't going to significantly affect cruisers satisfaction?

Did they do surveys to determine which things have the biggest impact on cruisers satisfaction?
I don't know.

While little things are nice (ie daily chocolates in AQ), in NO way do they make or break a cruise for me & I'm not going to miss them.

Retreat butler changes--meh, didn't really use ours when we were in Retreat anyway. (YMMV)

Sky Suites no free booze in room? That's odd to me as there are grab & go beers/seltzers in lounge fridges, and you can get a free drink at any bar..it seems to be a time issue stocking more than a $ issue.

 

ALL lines are cutting costs.

Celebrity still has the best overall product of mainstream lines, imo.

 

sounds like the X of today..is  just perfect for you.  Some of us would just prefer the extra little touches!

[horseymike]

Being an admitted foodie, the quality of the included food is very important to me.

X had a stellar reputation for their INCLUDED cuisine for decades, I miss what it used to be.

There will always be things that mean more to different people, but at some point if things keep disappearing under the current fare structure some people will look for other options.

[Baggy178]

Imagine working in Celebrity's media department.

You think you've got everything covered.

Finger on every pulse.

And then boom 💥 Out of nowhere comes Cookiegate™ !

Shell-shocked spin doctors are sitting there now in BS HQ drinking cans of warm Bud Lite saying " Chuffing heck man, where did that come from ? "

Edited August 26, 2023 by Baggy178

[kiwichick62]

17 minutes ago, ChucktownSteve said:

I believe it's the frog in the tepid water pot syndrome.  You just haven't reached the Celebrity death temperature yet? Others have because they see what's been coming. Enjoy Celebrity as long as you can please.  That will lessen the demand on more upscale lines that others have moved on to.

Exactly!  And the thought that some bean counter thought it a good idea to experiment with charging for cookies and adding a gratuity on top of that shows how out of touch they are.  Higher prices for a reduced product then getting nickel and dined once you are aboard, not what I call relaxed luxury.

 

We booked our cruise for next May back in February.  What is on offer has eroded since then.  My concern is poor food choices in the MDR,  not good for our 13 night cruise.

 

if it a very noticeable change from our Celebrity cruise from 2019 it will be our last.

Edited August 26, 2023 by kiwichick62

[MustBCruzn]

15 minutes ago, RichYak said:

No there isn't. Only non-alcoholic beverages are in the grab & go lounge fridges on my last 2 cruises.

This was our experience as well while on our July Baltic cruise on the Apex.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

There have been many cuts, changes, extra charges and experiments that do or did not directly impact us.  But in every case I took time to make my displeasure known to the Executive Office because these cuts, changes, extra charges and experiments do impact others that we cruise with. I would much rather cruise with a happy group of people than a disgruntled group because the latter will impact my cruise.

[ChucktownSteve]

13 minutes ago, kiwichick62 said:

Exactly!  And the thought that some bean counter thought it a good idea to experiment with charging for cookies and adding a gratuity on top of that shows how out of touch they are.  Higher prices for a reduced product then getting nickel and dined once you are aboard, not what I call relaxed luxury.

 

We booked our cruise for next May back in February.  What is on offer has eroded since then.  My concern is poor food choices in the MDR,  to good for our 13 night cruise.

 

if it a very noticeable change from our Celebrity cruise from 2019 it will be our last.

Two of the things I learned while running my businesses was that price didn't matter if you had very strong customer service that elevated you above your competition and gave your customers things that had a high perceived value with a low out of pocket cost.  Celebrity I believe is doing the complete opposite.

 

They've been cutting the services and crew while charging for the low perceived value items like water, soft drinks and cookies among other items while at the same time rapidly increasing cruise fares.. The long term problem with that is once you chase off a customer, it takes a long time and a LOT of money to attract them back.  It's cheaper to keep a customer than to replace them.

 

Even manufactures understand that they  first reduce the amount in the package, then later raise the price before going through the cycle again without changing the size of the packaging to fool the naive consumer.

Edited August 26, 2023 by ChucktownSteve

[stevetod]

I agree 100%. Celebrity is double dipping its customers. They raise prices significantly as well as lower the food quality and make small cutbacks. At some point customers will seek another cruise company and they may or may not get that customer back down the road. We had a local restaurant here do this exact thing about six months ago. Several of our friends and I stopped going. I guess we were not the only people who did so since they closed last week. Prior to their money grab policy they were doing a pretty good business.

[phoenix_dream]

44 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

What I find interesting is the no big deal attitude that some have when it comes to cruise line cuts/changes.  It's especially easy to say it's no bid deal  if the cut doesn't directly impact a particular cruising group.  But the fact is, a cut doesn't have to directly impact every passenger in order for it to impact the over all product.  I never ate dinner at the buffet but I wasn't happy when Celebrity cut down their dinner time offerings.  I rarely used my butler but I know people who did and it was a nice perk for those who had more butler needs than others.  I don't relish the bubbly they used to hand out on embarkation day but I do relish the symbolism of having someone greet me with a glass when I step on the ship.  I could go on but my point is, just because one isn't personally impacted by a change or a cut doesn't mean that others will or even should feel the same way.  We all cruise for different reasons and when a brand that we've come to know and love makes sweeping changes and cuts, it stings...IMO.

You expressed this beautifully.  I am so tired of the arrogant lectures of what we should and should not care about. Bottom line these cuts are a serious trend that ultimately in some way will affect us all, all the while paying as much as double the cost of the past few years. Are we supposed to just take whatever they dish out with no feelings about it.  Sorry (not sorry),  I worked very hard for many years to earn my cruise money and I expect to get what I paid for when booking.

[Pennstatedj]

I agree with the original OP. 

I also think they will cut as long as the ships are full. When people stop seeing the value as to competition ships will start sailing with less people and then it will be too late and they will go away. It's a fine line in business. You cannot save your way to prosperity. Many businesses have tried. You must create a value for the customer. They must keep food above average and treat their loyal customers better like they use to. 

It will be interesting to see who they are targeting for customers as they continue to cut cruise lengths. It is almost all 7 day cruises in Caribbean. I know because we always did 9 days or longer for about 20 years. Now if we want longer cruises we must do BTB. It's ok but food must be good. Our last two cruises in July even with all the cuts we were happy. It will be very interesting for the whole industry in the next few years. 

[Dolebludger]

Well, if the in suite fridge is at (high) charge, and if I can’t get cokes and BEER to my suite any way, (sadly) count me out.  It is a no go, for the cost of the Retreat. And, I agree, the free cookies may have been that important to some.

Edited August 26, 2023 by Dolebludger

[doghog]

Looking forward to our October Eclipse cruise. 

[PatandStu]

This will be our first celebrity cruise (equinox) after Disney, rcl, NCL & carnival.  We’re looking forward to trying something “new”.  So we won’t miss the canapés, the butler, the champagne on embarkation etc because we’ve never had them. 
We are foodies, though, so hoping for a step up from our last cruise on NCL where food, especially at the specialty restaurants, was a letdown. We plan on dining in mdr except for our anniversary celebration booked at Murano.

The thing we liked most about our last NCL cruise was the entertainment: Six, Dueling pianos & Syd Normans.  Hoping for decent entertainment/music on equinox. 
We’re very happy with the AI price finagled by our ta. 
We will be sure to do a side by side NCL/celebrity comparison after the cruise. 
 

[PatandStu]

To add, every business I’ve dealt with in the last six months including, but not limited to, groceries, gas, dental, clothing, restaurants, etc has gone up in price. In some cases, quite drastically. 
I have no doubt cruise lines are dealing with the same high costs.

Even the hotels that offer shuttle to the airport no longer state “free”. 
I’m happy with the price we paid for the cruise; hopefully we will find value in the vacation dollars spent. 

[doghog]

2 minutes ago, PatandStu said:

This will be our first celebrity cruise (equinox) after Disney, rcl, NCL & carnival.  We’re looking forward to trying something “new”.  So we won’t miss the canapés, the butler, the champagne on embarkation etc because we’ve never had them. 
We are foodies, though, so hoping for a step up from our last cruise on NCL where food, especially at the specialty restaurants, was a letdown. We plan on dining in mdr except for our anniversary celebration booked at Murano.

The thing we liked most about our last NCL cruise was the entertainment: Six, Dueling pianos & Syd Normans.  Hoping for decent entertainment/music on equinox. 
We’re very happy with the AI price finagled by our ta. 
We will be sure to do a side by side NCL/celebrity comparison after the cruise. 
 

Don't let others positive or negative opinions and experiences influence you that you read here on CC. Make those decisions/opinions  based only on your personal experiences for your specific cruise. If you haven't already make sure you have your CC numbers assigned before boarding. Your RC tier level with Celebrity is reciprocals up to Elite. 

[PatandStu]

Just now, doghog said:

Don't let others positive or negative opinions and experiences influence you that you read here on CC. Make those decisions/opinions  based only on your personal experiences for your specific cruise. If you haven't already make sure you have your CC numbers assigned before boarding. Your RC tier level with Celebrity is reciprocals up to Elite. 

I won’t let others’ negativity dissuade me! Our RC cruise was a charter so no status unfortunately. 
CC numbers already assigned. 
We’re looking at a Mediterranean cruise for 2024-waiting to see how we like X before researching further. 

[doghog]

4 minutes ago, PatandStu said:

I won’t let others’ negativity dissuade me! Our RC cruise was a charter so no status unfortunately. 
CC numbers already assigned. 
We’re looking at a Mediterranean cruise for 2024-waiting to see how we like X before researching further. 

Enjoy your first Celebrity cruise. 🍻

[Cap_D]

Agree with @Georgia_Peaches.  The prior era Celebrity, and the earlier iterations were selling an experience that none of the other lines have from decor, food, etc.  For some it was aspirational and for others it may be a heightened or more convenient version of their everyday.  From a holistic standpoint, and the Edge Class ships especially, need happy guests at all classes of rooms that can enjoy the same things and each other.  Eden needs people to be filled, the big ship shows need a big ship budget, and so on.  Someone must have figured out that is about 3k passengers, with 200 suites, etc. 

 

The unique thing about the Celebrity we cruised on was the entire ship was "nice" and their was a baseline of quality and service.  And, everyone was there for it.  If people drop off, the ecosystem doesn't work.  It is a different experience for everyone, the cookie lover, nonsmoking gambler, etc.