Jumping ship to a new cruise line

[onespots]

We having been sailing with Celebrity since 2005. Usually in a verandah/balcony stateroom or higher. We have noticed many small changes over the years. However since Covid our observations have been about the quality of the food in both the buffet & main dinning room. Also the changes with Captain's Club & general entertainment. It appears to us that management has no interests on our loyality to their line & service levels are at an all time low. Although we have enjoyed many good/nice sailing over the years, our lastest experiences see too large of a decline from the past. Prices have increased significantly, service levels are down, & food quality not even average. Although we are nearing the end of our cruising experiences, mostly to Europe, we our now considering using Viking or Azamara for our future. The new ships to do not appeal to us & it seems if you are not in a suite, Celebrity has very little interest in your business.

 

Our last cruise was in September on the Summit sailing from Boston to Boston for 11 nights. The changes in the observation lounge for Captains's Club happy hour, were just flat terrible. Did not allow for any oppertunity to meet fellow travels & enjoy a beverage before dinner or the theater. I understand that is changing. Still we will taking future cruises on a different cruise line.

 

Happy Travels to All,  John

 

 

[mahdnc]

I hope you find what you’re looking for with the other cruise lines. Take care. 

[TeaBag]

I think you would enjoy Azamara.

[doghog]

We aren't loyal to any one cruise line, but still seeing the cuts/reductions with the other ones we cruise with. Not just Celebrity. If not happy we'll express our complaints to the cruise line for what it's worth. But we still cruise with them. For us, still worth what we are paying for. 

Edited December 14, 2023 by doghog

[PTC DAWG]

Fascinating…I haven’t felt slighted ever on Celebrity…

[ETHTrader]

Companies care less and less about loyalty these days. It's all about profit and loss. Sooner or later, cruise line loyalty program will become similar to airline loyalty programs (e.g. status and benefits reset each calendar year rather than based on cumulative sailings). Unfortunately, that's how these executives make their big salary and bonuses. Not based on long time customer satisfaction or loyalty

[horseymike]

the only loyalty any cruise line is concerned with these days is occupancy of the ship at the highest price they can charge and still sell cruises. almost every other business has the same model :

What can you do for me today ?

[MISTER 67]

3 hours ago, onespots said:

We having been sailing with Celebrity since 2005. Usually in a verandah/balcony stateroom or higher. We have noticed many small changes over the years. However since Covid our observations have been about the quality of the food in both the buffet & main dinning room. Also the changes with Captain's Club & general entertainment. It appears to us that management has no interests on our loyality to their line & service levels are at an all time low. Although we have enjoyed many good/nice sailing over the years, our lastest experiences see too large of a decline from the past. Prices have increased significantly, service levels are down, & food quality not even average. Although we are nearing the end of our cruising experiences, mostly to Europe, we our now considering using Viking or Azamara for our future. The new ships to do not appeal to us & it seems if you are not in a suite, Celebrity has very little interest in your business.

 

Our last cruise was in September on the Summit sailing from Boston to Boston for 11 nights. The changes in the observation lounge for Captains's Club happy hour, were just flat terrible. Did not allow for any oppertunity to meet fellow travels & enjoy a beverage before dinner or the theater. I understand that is changing. Still we will taking future cruises on a different cruise line.

 

Happy Travels to All,  John

 

 

We basically sail with 3 lines, Celebrity, Princess and Holland America.

Since Covid cruising has changed pretty dramatically with a lot of cuts with higher fares  and a lot of nickel and diming. Things got pretty bad with HAL and we wont sail with them anymore until we hear things have improved. We sailed on the Sky Princess last week and had a nice cruise but we could tell the food budget has been cut a bit, we never had a bad meal but things just were not the same as in the past, we never had a great meal. My wife is a wonderful cook and could tell that some ingredients were lacking along with the lack of butter in desserts. Ship was beautiful and we had great service and pretty good entertainment. Twice a day cabin service but no chocolate mints on the pillow.

That brings us to Celebrity, we have cruised with them 5 times since the startup and found them to continue to offer an excellent product but at higher prices than Princess and HAL. We've had some pretty good meals in the MDR and IMHO the buffet is the best of the major cruise lines not only in taste but also with the variety being outstanding. Service continues to be excellent and we still get mints on the pillows. 

We have 4 cruises scheduled in 2024 and 2 are on Princess and 2 with Celebrity. We are old time cruisers since 1982 and are set in our ways and refuse to patronize specialty restaurants, don't drink much so no drink packages for us and we can do without the internet for a week or so.

Edited December 14, 2023 by MISTER 67

[asctony]

This year we sailed Celebrity, MSC, NCL, Princess & RCI. 

 

Go to those CC forums and you will read basically the same words you have posted.

 

All Cruise Lines are in the same posture. Cuts, reducing quality & quantity. Even at home, restaurants are doing the same.

 

You have a choice. It's your money.

Hope you find what you are looking for. If you do, please let us know. 

[marieps]

Dear OP,

 

Please name the cruise line you have chosen in =X='s stead.

[Gracie115]

We are on the Oceania Vista right now. The service everywhere has been amazing and the food just wonderful. We were so disappointed in our last 2 Celebrity cruises, with the cutbacks in quality and service and ridiculous increases in prices for everything. Our stateroom on Oceania is a PH1, equivalent in space to between an SS or CS on X for half of what it would have cost on X. 
 

Nice to feel our $$ are well spent again. To the OP … keep looking there are better options out there than X right now.

 

 

[montythecat]

We treat ourselves to Viking (three and one booked) and to

Azamara (five) every now and then. We enjoy them a lot

but comparing larger and smaller ships is definitely a chalk

and cheese exercise. We also like larger ships with more

facilities and after many years with Celebrity have moved

to Holland America whose music (rock band, pianos) on

their larger ships is more to our tastes than X’s

production shows.

[islabahia]

X has lost us as Retreat passengers.  Crazy prices for an SS with decrease in quality of food and loss of services (we have no interest in a Retreat Butler Team.  We have cancelled our one remaining X cruise and booked into a PH2 on Oceania for less $$ than the X cruise would have been.  No brainer for us….better suite, more days for less $$ than on X.

[hcat]

Too many threads with the same subject..wish they could be combined!

[deliver42]

It makes no difference if iI'm on the celebrity forum, the Princess forum, or the HAL forum. Only the names change. The complaints are exactly the same, including I'll never cruise this line again.

[doghog]

3 minutes ago, deliver42 said:

It makes no difference if iI'm on the celebrity forum, the Princess forum, or the HAL forum. Only the names change. The complaints are exactly the same, including I'll never cruise this line again.

Same with the RCI forum. 

[hasentreelake]

We are currently considering a Panama Canal transit in 2025.  Choice is X vs Princess.
X is $1000 more ($9000 vs $10000) for the 16 day E-W transit. (SV on X vs MiniSuite on P)
I have spent a lot of time researching and even though P itinerary is just a bit better than X, we will likely choose to cruise with X since we know what we'll get.  We spend time in Martini Bar, Craft Social, Specialty dining (although this is M class - so not a lot of options).  We have found that Starlink is actually pretty darn good on X.  Just figuring out all the ins and outs of other lines is a pain in the tookus. 

[prmssk]

With how common these threads have become (regarding all the cruise lines), maybe we need an arrivals and departures board.

[hasentreelake]

6 minutes ago, prmssk said:

With how common these threads have become (regarding all the cruise lines), maybe we need an arrivals and departures board.

what else to talk about?  that's why we're (I'm) here 🙂 😁

[prmssk]

1 minute ago, hasentreelake said:

what else to talk about?  that's why we're (I'm) here 🙂 😁

That wouldn't stop the conversation.  Just look at the PowerUp Points thread.....

 

It just might show how many people are moving to Celebrity from other lines.  And how many are leaving to luxury lines that really aren't a direct competitor to Celebrity (which IMHO would be happening to a certain extent anyway as people's incomes and tastes change). 

[hasentreelake]

8 minutes ago, prmssk said:

That wouldn't stop the conversation.  Just look at the PowerUp Points thread.....

 

It just might show how many people are moving to Celebrity from other lines.  And how many are leaving to luxury lines that really aren't a direct competitor to Celebrity (which IMHO would be happening to a certain extent anyway as people's incomes and tastes change). 

Both very good points!  Although I won't read the PowerUp Points thread - I just don't have the time or desire.   

[prmssk]

5 minutes ago, hasentreelake said:

Although I won't read the PowerUp Points thread - I just don't have the time or desire.   

I don't either.

[hcat]

30 minutes ago, prmssk said:

With how common these threads have become (regarding all the cruise lines), maybe we need an arrivals and departures board.

Great idea... who is leaving  X,  who  is   new, and who has  left and is now  returning!    Grass is greener elsewhere..or not....

[hasentreelake]

I 'tried' to leave.  I did not.  Other options do not fit for us.
a)  Those lines that are just too $$ for us.  Just not interested in paying $$ for vacations.
b)  Those other lines that are just a comporable as X.  Same issues (as mentioned) , so I know what I'm getting here and we are happy with SV / Prem / Spec Din.  We know our sweet spot.
c) Those other lines... I won't settle for anything less that X from a 60-something vibe , but want Martini Bar, Craft Social, Silent Disco.  🙂 

[NMTraveller]

1 hour ago, prmssk said:

With how common these threads have become (regarding all the cruise lines), maybe we need an arrivals and departures board.

That would take up the whole board 🤣