Poll on Celebrity Cruises' President

[Orator]

10 minutes ago, lovecruzin said:

Where can we see the results of the poll? 

.Most polls show the results as votes are cast. The OP will share the results later I guess with interpretation of results. I would like to see the results and draw my on conclusions.

Edited October 20, 2023 by Orator

[hcat]

36 minutes ago, tfred said:

I would love to see the % of pax who are new cruisers now.  My guess is that it is higher than you think.  I look at X FB pages and there many new cruisers asking the usual new cruise questions 

 

X et al are trying to replicate the land based resort experience.  That experience doesnt include OBC or free anything.  Stay at any Marriott resort and see what the experience is  - expensive, no entertainment, with very few freebies unless you are a very high status person (and even then there isnt much)   It is easy to spend upwards of $1k/night with just a standard room. BTW - those land resorts are jammed with people

 

Cruise Critic is comprised of long term cruisers who want much of what they had before - way before.  New people have no idea of yesteryear and if X can follow the land resort model they won't care or know what it used to be like. 

Hilton gives a full breakfast buffet..nice cocktail party, drinks and snacks...nice pools and bars..and concierge svc.. free wifi at certain levels. free tv , many channels and movies...suite rm with living rm  Tv area

 

All incl resorts are truly all included 

except for spa and shops..good value and cruises should be the same

Edited October 20, 2023 by hcat

[a350flyer]

Poll is closed since there's a very clear trend. 

 

78% of respondents are dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with the changes made under Laura.

The majority of respondents (42%) are very dissatisfied.

[tfred]

11 minutes ago, a350flyer said:

Poll is closed since there's a very clear trend. 

 

78% of respondents are dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with the changes made under Laura.

The majority of respondents (42%) are very dissatisfied.

Only shows the CC people on this site.  Not valid for the population including newbs who dont look at CC

[a350flyer]

On 10/16/2023 at 5:19 PM, a350flyer said:

How do you feel about changes made under Laura Hodges Bethge's tenure as President of Celebrity Cruises? 

Click link to vote:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PGCVLLR

Reply to the post if you'd like to comment on any changes and/or if you have any desired changes in mind.

 

Post response format:

List any positive changes that Laura made:

1. 
 

List any negative changes that Laura made:

1.

 

List any desired changes you want Laura to consider:

1.

 

Note: I watched the Q&A with Laura. Seems to me that the Q&A was a PR stunt to spin-off why Laura approved changes that were perceived to be cost cutting and/or "cheapening" of the Celebrity brand. Would also like to hear your summary opinion via the poll on how you feel about changes under Laura. If Celebrity is listening, the poll can hopefully summarize customer sentiment. Will post poll results in a week.

 

1 minute ago, tfred said:

Only shows the CC people on this site.  Not valid for the population including newbs who dont look at CC

Thanks for stating the obvious.

[tfred]

26 minutes ago, hcat said:

Hilton gives a full breakfast buffet..nice cocktail party, drinks and snacks...nice pools and bars..and concierge svc.. free wifi at certain levels. free tv , many channels and movies...suite rm with living rm  Tv area

 

All incl resorts are truly all included 

except for spa and shops..good value and cruises should be the same

They aren't giving anything away at AI Resorts like Sandals.  A quick lookout some of their locations for a week gives a price of $6K.  . Looking a 7 night on Edge Class at the same time is $5k in a veranda room with tips, booze and food.  

 

My recent stay at a Marriott Key Largo resort for 3 days was about $3k with room, A la carte booze and food. 

 

Both AI and X have drinks , snacks, pools, bars, tv - so pretty much the same 

 

X's advertising is centered on the resort that sails from island to island.  They can give the average vacationer a familiar concept (resort ) that offers a different view every day. 

[tfred]

17 minutes ago, a350flyer said:

 

Thanks for stating the obvious.

then whats the point of your survey - a very narrow group of people with an even smaller subset that replies?  You know what the result would be without the poll 

[NutsAboutGolf]

25 minutes ago, tfred said:

They aren't giving anything away at AI Resorts like Sandals.  A quick lookout some of their locations for a week gives a price of $6K.  . Looking a 7 night on Edge Class at the same time is $5k in a veranda room with tips, booze and food.  

 

My recent stay at a Marriott Key Largo resort for 3 days was about $3k with room, A la carte booze and food. 

 

Both AI and X have drinks , snacks, pools, bars, tv - so pretty much the same 

 

X's advertising is centered on the resort that sails from island to island.  They can give the average vacationer a familiar concept (resort ) that offers a different view every day. 

 

Sandals is as all-inclusive as you can get because you get wifi, tipping and top-shelf drinks along with gourmet food, and watersport rentals such as water skiing and scuba diving.  The only extra costs are spa treatments, most off-resort tours, super-expensive wines, and experiences like a private one-on-one candlelight dinner.  They are couples only so no kids

 

If one wants the best bang for their buck with an AI, check out AI resorts in the Cancun area although that isn't the "price gap" RCG is talking about as many are cheaper than cruising

 

With all that being said, there's a huge difference between cruising and AI.  Yet one of the most common questions we encounter when talking to new cruisers is "You two have been to port XYZ before, where I can find a nice beach?"

[TeeRick]

On 10/19/2023 at 1:34 PM, Orator said:

What we get is what people are willing to include in their experience. People are booking, especially Suites at what I feel is  to me outrageous prices, but that  being said, Celebrity would be fools(and they're not) to get less than the market will allow. The passengers who continue to book are most responsible for the decline in service and the rising prices. The market determines price!

There are a good number of cruisers here on this board that have multiple Celebrity cruises booked - many in suites.  They seem to complain about prices and whatever.  Often they say that they will stop booking Celebrity after their next 4, 5, 6+ cruises.  Celebrity needs to just sit back and let the money roll in.  No need to pay attention to anything here as long as the bookings continue.

[a350flyer]

50 minutes ago, tfred said:

then whats the point of your survey - a very narrow group of people with an even smaller subset that replies?  You know what the result would be without the poll 

It would have been an assumption to know what people are thinking. We now have data to back up that assumption.

[Stockjock]

I think that a poll is likely premature.  She has barely settled into her new role.  Let's give her some time.  So far, she seems peppy, upbeat and more responsive than not, imo.

[NutsAboutGolf]

On 10/19/2023 at 4:56 AM, deliver42 said:

The pillow soft questions didn't help either.

 

I feel the complete opposite, you do need an intro question which was how do you like being president and they did ASK nearly every question most had on here.  Her ANSWERS left a lot to be desired and a good interviewer would respond with follow-up questions but this was damage control and plausible deniability that "everything is fine, don't believe anything you see online"

 

The only two questions I would have loved to hear:

1) Why did the parent company RCG strip the title of CEO from your position?

2) What are some upcoming cutbacks and improvements we can expect?

Edited October 20, 2023 by NutsAboutGolf

[mjfship]

46 minutes ago, a350flyer said:

It would have been an assumption to know what people are thinking. We now have data to back up that assumption.

The assumption is solely based on the opinions of a mere 121 engaged Cruise Critic followers, which is definitely an insufficient amount of data to accurately gauge the demographics or passenger base of X.

[zitsky]

19 minutes ago, mjfship said:

The assumption is solely based on the opinions of a mere 121 engaged Cruise Critic followers, which is definitely an insufficient amount of data to accurately gauge the demographics or passenger base of X.

It would be sad if Celebrity didn’t care about losing those 121 customer’s business.  Because they didn’t represent the average customer.

[mjfship]

2 minutes ago, zitsky said:

It would be sad if Celebrity didn’t care about losing those 121 customer’s business.  Because they didn’t represent the average customer.

Indeed, it would be sad.  However, with X's possession of a robust database of hundreds and hundreds of thousands of potential cruisers (with new ones joining daily), the impact of a small fraction of dissatisfied Cruise Critics becomes less significant.

[tfred]

35 minutes ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

I feel the complete opposite, you do need an intro question which was how do you like being president and they did ASK nearly every question most had on here.  Her ANSWERS left a lot to be desired and a good interviewer would respond with follow-up questions but this was damage control and plausible deniability that "everything is fine, don't believe anything you see online"

 

The only two questions I would have loved to hear:

1) Why did the parent company RCG strip the title of CEO from your position?

2) What are some upcoming cutbacks and improvements we can expect?

that was a total softball, underhand throw interview with prearranged questions with a very friendly interviewer. The only purpose was to let people see that she acts like a normal. likable person.

 

Mission accomplished 

[mjfship]

1 minute ago, tfred said:

that was a total softball, underhand throw interview with prearranged questions with a very friendly interviewer. The only purpose was to let people see that she acts like a normal. likable person.

 

Mission accomplished 

Very strategic maneuver, and lays the predicate for Laura acting like a 'good cop' in the future.  From a marketing/ public relations perspective, although softball, the end result was a solid triple if not home run!

[NutsAboutGolf]

3 minutes ago, mjfship said:

Very strategic maneuver, and lays the predicate for Laura acting like a 'good cop' in the future.  From a marketing/ public relations perspective, although softball, the end result was a solid triple if not home run!

 

We are talking about QUESTIONS, not ANSWERS.  What questions would you have liked to see?

[mjfship]

1 minute ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

We are talking about QUESTIONS, not ANSWERS.  What questions would you have liked to see?

One of my questions is actually one of yours.  I would like to know what other changes or modifications are in the pipeline, knowing very well that the 2024 marketing and operating budgets are finalized. The executive team at X certainly has the approved strategic blueprint for next year and beyond.   

[C 2 C]

"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics"

 

I did not look at the video.  My opinion of the new President:

 

The old regime kicked frequent cruisers out of Michael's and the Retreat.

The new regime recognizes that pax who have cruised a 100 times with X have paid their dues.

She gets a 10 out of 10 from me.

[grandgeezer]

3 hours ago, tfred said:

Only shows the CC people on this site.  Not valid for the population including newbs who dont look at CC

I doubt, if the numbers were reversed, you would have made this comment.

[tfred]

1 minute ago, grandgeezer said:

I doubt, if the numbers were reversed, you would have made this comment.

I would have. CC is a very specific (small) set of people who have very strong opinions. That isn't what you are looking for in a survey although it may be a good idea of what CCers are thinking.  Bad news is that no is going to run a business based on what anyone says here 

 

Surveys are designed to get a clear(er) view of what are the trends. Survey Questions ask the same thing twice but in a different way to make sure they are truthfully answered

 

[zitsky]

What?  You mean the President isn’t really going to call me every day of my next cruise to see if I’m satisfied?  😭

Edited October 20, 2023 by zitsky

[hcat]

two points

 

After Sandy storm we cancelled a Reflection cruise (AQClass), and did Sandals Bahamas Concierge level  instead.   Easier flights, limo from airport to the resort,  real Champagne check in..fully stocked bar to  husb's tastes, ocean view balc, huge spa style bthrm..plus all dining, alc,   music   and pvt island  etc  Quiet pool and party pool..no chair hogs.

Price was about the same back then!

 

second point

is that the very colorful poll results are good for Cruise Critic discussions but  are just a snapshot..like the other recent poll!

[NMTraveller]

6 hours ago, a350flyer said:

Poll is closed since there's a very clear trend. 

 

78% of respondents are dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with the changes made under Laura.

The majority of respondents (42%) are very dissatisfied.

Just wondering where the 13 that liked the president came from?  New cruisers, blind cruisers, etc.?

 

The same for the 14 neutral cruisers...

 

But overwhelming CC cruisers are not happy with the president.  I guess that means a bunch of turnover for Celebrity.

Edited October 20, 2023 by NMTraveller