Such Negativity-Anything Positive to Say?

[islabahia]

Take a good look at the new X tv ads and you will see who they are marketing to (young, upwardly mobile).  I think the targeted demo on these ads has zero loyalty to any one brand.  They will go where their $$ reap the most benefits.  IMO

[RichYak]

30 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

Crippling?  Really?

Yes. I think the advice is that bad. I chose my words carefully. 

[NutsAboutGolf]

1 hour ago, ldubs said:

 

A long time ago a poster here on cruise critic says they would not be guided by a negative post.  I think that is very good advice.  I have always enjoyed Celebrity.   I'm sure, and you reinforce, the on board atmosphere is not what this forum might reflect from time to time.  

It’s quite the oxymoron as this site is called cruise CRITIC.  Perhaps someone should launch a “celebrity is always perfect and can never do anything wrong” type of website

[ldubs]

1 hour ago, RichYak said:

Yes. I think the advice is that bad. I chose my words carefully. 

 

Of course you do.  

[keesar]

1 hour ago, islabahia said:

Take a good look at the new X tv ads and you will see who they are marketing to (young, upwardly mobile).  I think the targeted demo on these ads has zero loyalty to any one brand.  They will go where their $$ reap the most benefits.  IMO

I see only Ken and Barbies on the tv ad.  Don't see anyone resembling those on my Celebrity cruises.  

[ldubs]

1 hour ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

It’s quite the oxymoron as this site is called cruise CRITIC.  Perhaps someone should launch a “celebrity is always perfect and can never do anything wrong” type of website

 

Why an oxymoron?  I take it by critic you agree it means to judge the positives and/or negatives of something.    

[markeb]

Critic:

1

a: one who engages often professionally in the analysis, evaluation, or appreciation of works of art or artistic performances

a literary critic

a film critic

a theater critic

 

b: one who expresses a reasoned opinion on any matter especially involving a judgment of its value, truth, righteousness, beauty, or technique

Critics of the new law say that it will not reduce crime.

 

2

: one given to harsh or captious judgment

a fierce critic of immigration policies

 

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/critic

 

Only one of the three definitions is limited to purely negative judgements. Critic always implied an analysts of plusses and minuses. Siskel and Ebert, Rolling Stone, art critics. And Cruise Critic, which historically had as many positive posts, reviews, questions and answers, etc., as negative posts.

[grandgeezer]

26 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

Why an oxymoron?  I take it by critic you agree it means to judge the positives and/or negatives of something.    

I think the oxymoron is brought into play, because anybody who makes a comment that is any bit negative about the cruising experience is ostracized for doing such.

It’s pretty sad when some people can’t accept the fact that somebody might fell different and have the nerve to make their opinion public.

[markeb]

1 minute ago, grandgeezer said:

I think the oxymoron is brought into play, because anybody who makes a comment that is any bit negative about the cruising experience is ostracized for doing such.

It’s pretty sad when some people can’t accept the fact that somebody might fell different and have the nerve to make their opinion public.

And anyone who says something positive is a cheerleader. 

[horseymike]

13 hours ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

This is cruise critic, a balanced review should have pros and cons, I’ll focus on the cons

 

Simply put, people aren’t seeing the value they used to

-Price…X’s parent company, RCG, openly brags during their earnings call that they can keep raising the pricing (for context, way above inflation) and bookings don’t suffer

-Food…Some food items were cut while others were downgraded, many won’t notice or care

MDR sides…Most MDR entrees now come with a scoop of mashed potatoes which looks a little disappointing

-Food temp…95% of the time, we have had hot enough food, we’re not the plate needs to be sizzling type but those who are claim odds have increased of receiving food not hot enough to their liking

-Food service…There can just be long waits to get a table and receive your food

-Bar Service…Can be long waits during peak times as I experienced this first hand with a 20 minute wait on the beyond this past spring.  Some claim they cut bartenders

-Alcohol availability…Name brand liquor can be out of stock with either a house replacement or no replacement at all…Also, Wine by the glass out of stock or they tell you despite what the menu says, you can only buy the entire bottle

That waiting a long time for a drink is a direct result of all the prepaid drink packages.

The drinks and tips have already been paid for so from Celebrity’s position, why rush on the delivery? There used to be servers every 10 feet all over the ship asking if you wanted a drink.

[ldubs]

2 minutes ago, grandgeezer said:

I think the oxymoron is brought into play, because anybody who makes a comment that is any bit negative about the cruising experience is ostracized for doing such.

It’s pretty sad when some people can’t accept the fact that somebody might fell different and have the nerve to make their opinion public.

 

Wow, if someone was ostracized from this thread, I missed it.  In fact, now that I think about it, those negative view folks might even be more vocal against those who won't accept their views.     

 

Either way,  I think anyone who has cruised for any length of time knows and agrees that it isn't what it used to be.  A worldwide pandemic certainly didn't help.  

[ldubs]

14 minutes ago, horseymike said:

That waiting a long time for a drink is a direct result of all the prepaid drink packages.

The drinks and tips have already been paid for so from Celebrity’s position, why rush on the delivery? There used to be servers every 10 feet all over the ship asking if you wanted a drink.

 

Seems drink packages existed back when there were more servers.  Hard to say the staff cut back is a direct result of drink packages.   

[C4HCG]

8 hours ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

It’s quite the oxymoron as this site is called cruise CRITIC.  Perhaps someone should launch a “celebrity is always perfect and can never do anything wrong” type of website

Using your flawed logic (as others have explained there is such a thing as a positive critic), then trip advisor should be strictly for advice on trips. 

[NutsAboutGolf]

2 hours ago, C4HCG said:

Using your flawed logic (as others have explained there is such a thing as a positive critic), then trip advisor should be strictly for advice on trips. 

Purely positive (and purely negative) critics are “flawed logic” as you’ll never know if they are intentionally hiding the truth.  With “positive critic” cruise bloggers, one should be extra careful because the popular ones are often given free cruises.  They’ll even double down in bending the truth by saying something like “disclaimer, yeah the cruise line gave me a free cruise but it wasn’t really free, I had to pay for business class airfare for two on my own”.  They’re still going to hide the negatives in hopes they continue to receive free future cruises

[NutsAboutGolf]

9 hours ago, horseymike said:

That waiting a long time for a drink is a direct result of all the prepaid drink packages.

The drinks and tips have already been paid for so from Celebrity’s position, why rush on the delivery? There used to be servers every 10 feet all over the ship asking if you wanted a drink.

Good read on that.  Yet some of the best drink service on the ship are the buffet drink wait staff.  It can take you 10 minutes to find an open table and perhaps another 10 minutes for it to be bussed and cleaned but during that time there’s good odds you’ve already been asked twice if you’d like a drink 

[Gracie115]

On 1/13/2024 at 3:40 PM, bEwAbG said:

A lot of people are upset at how far the Celebrity product has fallen in the last year.  If you haven't experienced it, then you really won't have that as a comparison.  I think it comes down to pricing these days.  Will you be ok if you pay a premium price but get a similar or lesser experience versus a cheaper ship?  Are you ok with Celebrity advertising something today that they might take away tomorrow?

 

 

 

You hit the nail on the head.  Those who have never cruised Celebrity have no way of knowing how much the product has slipped in the last few years.  Also have no way of knowing how excessive it has become to book a Celebrity cruise.  Celebrity, IMHO, is banking on this to acquire a new clientele who are willing to pay high prices for lesser service and quality since they know no better.  They don't give a rat's xxx about the long time X cruiser.  We are "expendable" at this point.....

[C4HCG]

2 hours ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

Purely positive (and purely negative) critics are “flawed logic” as you’ll never know if they are intentionally hiding the truth.  With “positive critic” cruise bloggers, one should be extra careful because the popular ones are often given free cruises.  They’ll even double down in bending the truth by saying something like “disclaimer, yeah the cruise line gave me a free cruise but it wasn’t really free, I had to pay for business class airfare for two on my own”.  They’re still going to hide the negatives in hopes they continue to receive free future cruises

I don’t follow any cruise bloggers, just use this board as I have learnt lots from it.

[C4HCG]

36 minutes ago, Gracie115 said:

 

You hit the nail on the head.  Those who have never cruised Celebrity have no way of knowing how much the product has slipped in the last few years.  Also have no way of knowing how excessive it has become to book a Celebrity cruise.  Celebrity, IMHO, is banking on this to acquire a new clientele who are willing to pay high prices for lesser service and quality since they know no better.  They don't give a rat's xxx about the long time X cruiser.  We are "expendable" at this point.....

I am a new cruiser and take exception to you saying I know no better. I have travelled with my now grown up family extensively over the years and am perfectly capable of judging any holiday including cruises on whether they are value for money. When we leave a ship and think that time we haven’t got that value, then we won’t be getting back on, but in our 5 cruises we feel they have been more than full value.  You have clearly done with Celebrity and I respect that, but please don’t look at those of us who haven’t as people who know no better, it’s not justified. Maybe you just chose the wrong term, at least I hope you did.
 

 

[hcat]

11 hours ago, horseymike said:

That waiting a long time for a drink is a direct result of all the prepaid drink packages.

The drinks and tips have already been paid for so from Celebrity’s position, why rush on the delivery? There used to be servers every 10 feet all over the ship asking if you wanted a drink.

Those packages also brought  a new cruiser demographic to X . There are many who drink all day long to get their money's worth, while others  pay the rising costs but  do not consume  the max ;  in essence supplementing the heavy drinkers!

 

We would favor a  more limited alc package that included the water..teas coffee etc. Or maybe a wine package might be nice.  As is, the alc packages are  pricing many out ..even from the Classic.

 

Neg posts do not bother me.. I just ignore if someone is harping on the same point repetitively or constantly touting their fav alt cruise line..over and over.

[C4HCG]

10 minutes ago, hcat said:

 

Neg posts do not bother me.. I just ignore if someone is harping on the same point repetitively or constantly touting their fav alt cruise line..over and over.

Best way to be - I do try, sometimes fail but am striving to get better at ignoring and moving on.

[Moby Jones]

On 1/13/2024 at 8:10 PM, Jamietravelstheworld said:

I am a very experienced cruiser but have my first Celebrity cruise booked for January 2025 on the Edge. Reading the posts here, everything is so negative. Should I cancel? Or are the people with positive things to say just not posting? No cruise line is perfect, and every cruise has made cuts due to budget, but is it so extreme on Celebrity. My favorite cruise line is Azamara and I often cruise solo. I also like Oceania but find there's not a lot to do on the ships. I like Princess too, but they don't do enough to engage the solo travelers or help them meet each other.

If you sat down with a blank piece of paper and described in detail what your perfect cruise line would be I think it's safe to say it wouldn't exist! 🙂

All we can do is find the line or more likely, cruise lines with the best fit. 

We love Azamara, but they're all about the destination. Those who see the ship as the destination wouldn't enjoy their R class ships IMHO. 

[QuestionEverything]

1 hour ago, Gracie115 said:

 

You hit the nail on the head.  Those who have never cruised Celebrity have no way of knowing how much the product has slipped in the last few years.  Also have no way of knowing how excessive it has become to book a Celebrity cruise.  Celebrity, IMHO, is banking on this to acquire a new clientele who are willing to pay high prices for lesser service and quality since they know no better.  They don't give a rat's xxx about the long time X cruiser.  We are "expendable" at this point.....

I agree indeed.

The slippage started in 2018, it was dramatic. Up to that  point I did 2 C cruises per year and the product was consistent. 2018 the slide down was dramatic. It was a management change that drove it. C had also started the class apartheid process. Enough.

That was the last time I patronized C despite sailing with them starting in 2001. 

When they started C was the Oceania of the day, a cut above the mass lines. Not any more.

Fortunately there are other cruise lines and other vacation options available for consumers.

Thank you for your post.

[BP99]

6 minutes ago, QuestionEverything said:

I agree indeed.

The slippage started in 2018, it was dramatic. Up to that  point I did 2 C cruises per year and the product was consistent. 2018 the slide down was dramatic. It was a management change that drove it. C had also started the class apartheid process. Enough.

That was the last time I patronized C despite sailing with them starting in 2001. 

When they started C was the Oceania of the day, a cut above the mass lines. Not any more.

Fortunately there are other cruise lines and other vacation options available for consumers.

Thank you for your post.

Hi,

We really liked Celebrity when we started cruising on different

cruise lines (20-30 years ago!). We became Elite and liked

some of the perks. 10 years ago we decided to try RCL

(as Diamond). The perks were WAY better! WOW! The Diamond

lounge was GREAT, the FOOD in the lounge during Happy

hour was OUTSTANDING!! WOW! WOW! (as compared to Celebrity). We also liked having our 4 drinks (Almost unrestricted

types) put on our card to have at ANY time (not restricted like Celebrity) and at venue like the pool (my wife loves slushy drinks)

dinner (glass of wine) etc. WOW! We decided to cruise MOSTLY 

on RCL. WE ENJOY WOWS! However, we are trying Celebrity again because of the itinerary.

My questions:

Has the pathetic food improved in the Celebrity Elite happy hour?

Has the pathetic service improved in the Celebrity Elite happy hour? Are they putting less restrictions on the types of drinks?

Thanks!

Bill

 

[Oceangoer2]

1 hour ago, hcat said:

We would favor a  more limited alc package that included the water..teas coffee etc. Or maybe a wine package might be nice.  As is, the alc packages are  pricing many out ..even from the Classic.

More choice would be good.  On our next cruise we've decided to go back to paying for each beverage and then compare cost difference from our last cruise.  I calculated the Classic pkg is approx $600 more than if we paid independently for our usual number of drinks per day.

[Gracie115]

2 hours ago, C4HCG said:

I am a new cruiser and take exception to you saying I know no better. I have travelled with my now grown up family extensively over the years and am perfectly capable of judging any holiday including cruises on whether they are value for money. When we leave a ship and think that time we haven’t got that value, then we won’t be getting back on, but in our 5 cruises we feel they have been more than full value.  You have clearly done with Celebrity and I respect that, but please don’t look at those of us who haven’t as people who know no better, it’s not justified. Maybe you just chose the wrong term, at least I hope you did.
 

 

 

I did not mean to insult anyone.   If you like what you get in Celebrity then that's fine.  It does not take away from the fact you are reacting to X now and not what the line has been in the past, as many others besides myself have stated.    Obviously they have to be making someone happy since they keep filling ships, just fewer and fewer long time Celebrity guests are among those persons.