Any Celebrity fans left in here?

[keysey222]

Not a fan of everything Celebrity does, but our December cruise on the Infinity was fantastic. It was a better experience than I had on the Edge in terms of food (Luminae) and overall service. I'd go as far to say as the food in Luminae/Blu on my most recent Infinity cruise might have been the best I've had on any cruise. 

[grandgeezer]

2 hours ago, goofysmom99 said:

I look at the shareholder benefit as a nontaxable dividend and lately, have been applying it to gratuities.  

How much taxes do you pay on a $100 or even a $250 dividend? A couple of bucks or so? Hardly a reason to get excited about or to base a financial decision on it.

I wish I had to pay $1,000,000 in taxes, imagine how much money I would have to make to do that, not as much as you think if you have a good financial planner to work with.

You failed to bring up the other half of the equation, how much obc if you don’t cruise in a particular year?  I haven’t stuck a penny out of my pocket since September 2001 and the money keeps rolling in.

[ncgolferette]

I will not be booking anymore cruises on Celebrity until they remove the penalty for being a solo (widow) cruiser.  As far as I am concerned, shame on them.

[goofysmom99]

22 minutes ago, grandgeezer said:

How much taxes do you pay on a $100 or even a $250 dividend? A couple of bucks or so? Hardly a reason to get excited about or to base a financial decision on it.

I wish I had to pay $1,000,000 in taxes, imagine how much money I would have to make to do that, not as much as you think if you have a good financial planner to work with.

You failed to bring up the other half of the equation, how much obc if you don’t cruise in a particular year?  I haven’t stuck a penny out of my pocket since September 2001 and the money keeps rolling in.

Good for you I guess.  I have no idea what you're referencing and probably don't care.  My DH bought 100 shares of Carnival and Royal back in the 90's when we started cruising.  I haven't thought about them much since then except to apply for the OBC (they have nothing to do with my own investments).  I'll sell when I stop cruising.  

[billc23]

1 hour ago, grandgeezer said:

How much taxes do you pay on a $100 or even a $250 dividend? A couple of bucks or so? Hardly a reason to get excited about or to base a financial decision on it.

I wish I had to pay $1,000,000 in taxes, imagine how much money I would have to make to do that, not as much as you think if you have a good financial planner to work with.

You failed to bring up the other half of the equation, how much obc if you don’t cruise in a particular year?  I haven’t stuck a penny out of my pocket since September 2001 and the money keeps rolling in.

401k distributions are taxed as ordinary income, no preferential "Qualified Dividend" tax treatment,  and that is $40.80 of federal tax per $100 for me. But that is not the point. I purchased Royal stock for cruising coming out of Covid at $38 per share and have sailed enough to basically cover the cost of 100 shares. If you don't cruise there is no benefit, except the current unrealized capital gain, but those who own the stock have been very pleased with the extra OBC. The other feature I use as a shareholder is to apply for my OBC at a time when I want an updated official booking conformation without having to contact anyone. 

[deliver42]

I'm a big Celebrity fan. We enjoyed the Equinox, and loved the beyond. We're also booked on the Ascent, and looking forward to it.

[Team Stag]

We are still fans.  When we talk about vacations, a Celebrity cruise is always included in the discussions.  We have always enjoyed sailing with them.  We recognize the prices have gone up; but what hasn't?

I think a some people allow outside frustrations to creep in and use Celebrity as a punching bag.  Inflation is rampant and the dollar just doesn't go as far as it did. Heck, I was in the best grocery store this week and a chuck roast was $9.49 / lb!  That's just insane. 

 

I travel a lot.  And I have seen changes throughout all types travel & vacationing.  Airlines have made cuts while raising prices and add on fees.  Airport lounges are also making all kinds of reductions of offerings or price increases (or both).  Hotels are cleaning the rooms when they feel like it vs everyday.  I live in Orlando & have you looked at the price of a Disney vacation??  We use to have annual passes pre-covid & the cost to buy the same one now is almost double.  And don't even get me started on Restaurants.  They are a shell of their former selves.  Even my favorite pricey steakhouses have yet to return to their quality standards while raising prices.

 

Fortunately most of the grumbles having been going on so long now; it's just background noise to me.

Edited January 18 by Team Stag

[NMTraveller]

I am looking at Princess for my next cruise I am booking...

[doghog]

We've got a March cruise booked with Princess. Booked it for the itinerary. No other reason. 

[maiaaya]

2 hours ago, Team Stag said:

We are still fans.  When we talk about vacations, a Celebrity cruise is always included in the discussions.  We have always enjoyed sailing with them.  We recognize the prices have gone up; but what hasn't?

I think a some people allow outside frustrations to creep in and use Celebrity as a punching bag.  Inflation is rampant and the dollar just doesn't go as far as it did. Heck, I was in the best grocery store this week and a chuck roast was $9.49 / lb!  That's just insane. 

 

I travel a lot.  And I have seen changes throughout all types travel & vacationing.  Airlines have made cuts while raising prices and add on fees.  Airport lounges are also making all kinds of reductions of offerings or price increases (or both).  Hotels are cleaning the rooms when they feel like it vs everyday.  I live in Orlando & have you looked at the price of a Disney vacation??  We use to have annual passes pre-covid & the cost to buy the same one now is almost double.  And don't even get me started on Restaurants.  They are a shell of their former selves.  Even my favorite pricey steakhouses have yet to return to their quality standards while raising prices.

 

Fortunately most of the grumbles having been going on so long now; it's just background noise to me.

We are also passholders who live in Orlando. Not only have the prices gone up, but we get a lot less being APs than we did before Covid! So you’re right….costs are going up everywhere, and we are getting less than we used to. 

[Germancruiser]

I would not call myself a fan of X anymore. I have been- a big fan- for many years. Then the changes came- the ships got louder and louder. I don´t need barwaiters or even the Captain standing on the bar and perform like they are in the theater. I don´t need senior members, including the Captain  in the pool playing games for bored quests to be entertained. I don´t enjoy sitting in the - say- Martini Bar which music so loud you can´t hold a propper conversation. I started sailing with X in my early 30´s and could not stand all that even then- which is now 25 years ago.

That said- I still come back ( from Cuanrd) to X every now and then- they still are a big step above the other mass market lines- the food is still excellent- the service has never let me - us - down.

The Elite Plus- perks are not to be missed either- LOL. Their ships are spottless and well maintained- nice- yet elegant-  interious. My perference are the Millenium and Solstice Class of ships. The new ones- not so much.

[The Fun Researcher]

13 minutes ago, Germancruiser said:

I would not call myself a fan of X anymore. I have been- a big fan- for many years. Then the changes came- the ships got louder and louder. I don´t need barwaiters or even the Captain standing on the bar and perform like they are in the theater. I don´t need senior members, including the Captain  in the pool playing games for bored quests to be entertained. I don´t enjoy sitting in the - say- Martini Bar which music so loud you can´t hold a propper conversation. I started sailing with X in my early 30´s and could not stand all that even then- which is now 25 years ago.

That said- I still come back ( from Cuanrd) to X every now and then- they still are a big step above the other mass market lines- the food is still excellent- the service has never let me - us - down.

The Elite Plus- perks are not to be missed either- LOL. Their ships are spottless and well maintained- nice- yet elegant-  interious. My perference are the Millenium and Solstice Class of ships. The new ones- not so much.

I appreciate your straightforward comments.  👍🏼

[the penguins]

9 hours ago, goofysmom99 said:

Good for you I guess.  I have no idea what you're referencing and probably don't care.  My DH bought 100 shares of Carnival and Royal back in the 90's when we started cruising.  I haven't thought about them much since then except to apply for the OBC (they have nothing to do with my own investments).  I'll sell when I stop cruising.  

Hi Ruth, we agree with you 100%. Bought our 100 at $22 are very happy with the OBC we get and will be even happier when the dividend is reintroduced. As we don't drink alcohol and don't need unlimited WiFi  the Elite  + benefits make a cruise on X at "Sail Only" rates  practically "all inclusive" for us.

[Gracie115]

On 1/16/2024 at 3:10 PM, zitsky said:

I’d say not just regular cruises.  Even some frequent cruisers need to be patient.

 

Sorry but I think this is just wrong.

 

Why be patient to have what was always there and has been taken away and charged more for less?

 

I'm glad some like the "new" Celebrity, after all if they didn't the line wouldn't survive.

 

But it's going to survive without a large group of long time Celebrity people that have moved on to lines that are offering what Celebrity once did.  

 

 

[villauk]

10 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

I am looking at Princess for my next cruise I am booking...

 

They did the same last year: changed included amenities to additional costs and did not notify us until we had boarded. We had paid for a package, but they didn’t grandfather in those who had already paid - asked for more if we wanted certain items which were included when we had fully paid for our cruise three months prior. I was more annoyed that they did not inform any pax with imminent sailings until we were actually on the ship.
 

Very poor customer service. I didn’t want the special ice cream desserts in the new package, just the amenities which were included when we booked and paid for our cruise. So, in conclusion, they are all at it.

[cruzeluver]

Yep. Still fans. Been sailing X and a few other lines for 20 years now and still enjoy them all. Never felt compelled to become loyal to just one line. None have perks that get my attention and as they say "familiarity breeds contempt". 90% of the complaints I have read either do not have any impact to me or I have not experienced. Some of them have made me laugh out loud though at their pettiness. Boarding Constellation next month and am very much looking forward to it. 

[Ipeeinthepools]

On 1/16/2024 at 3:08 PM, Moby Jones said:

Regular cruisers just need to step onboard with realistic expectations these days. 

 

So what are "realistic expectations" these days?   I guess I was confused, I thought I was the customer and Celebrity should be looking for ways to meet and exceed my expectations. 

[GenerationX]

17 hours ago, barbels said:

Generation X Are you by any chance on the Jan 29 Silly cruise?  i’ve followed your live from posts with great pleasure. If we’re on the same ship Barry and I would love to meet you for drinks. 

Barbara

Thank you so much for your kind words and invitation!  Unfortunately we will miss each other by a ship and a couple of days.  We are sailing on the Feb 3 Reflection cruise.  
 

Have a wonderful time on Silhouette!  I think precisely this time last year I was on a fantastic cruise on her.

 

I would love to take you up on a drink invitation if our cruising plans meet in the future!

[zitsky]

3 hours ago, Gracie115 said:

 

Sorry but I think this is just wrong.

 

Why be patient to have what was always there and has been taken away and charged more for less?

 

I'm glad some like the "new" Celebrity, after all if they didn't the line wouldn't survive.

 

But it's going to survive without a large group of long time Celebrity people that have moved on to lines that are offering what Celebrity once did.  

 

 

When I speak of patience I am speaking of the on board experience.  I’ve seen complaints saying I didn’t get something, because I didn’t ask for it.  Or I won’t give feedback on board.    So it took 5 minutes last time and now it takes 6 and you’ll never sail Celebrity again?  Ok.

[NMTraveller]

1 hour ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

 

So what are "realistic expectations" these days?   I guess I was confused, I thought I was the customer and Celebrity should be looking for ways to meet and exceed my expectations. 

Exactly.

 

I moved on from Royal because I liked Celebrity better.  And then Celebrity became Royal....

 

I think that they are referring to setting the bar lower for realistic expectations...  I am ready to set it higher...

Edited January 18 by NMTraveller

[OceanCruise]

I am Elite Plus and was a huge Celebrity cheerleader. We had not looked elsewhere for the past 15 years or so. My realistic expectation for my two 2024 cruises was that I understood inflation and was willing to pay Sky Suite prices significantly higher than past cruises because I "knew" what I was going to get (before the recent changes). I will wait and see how my cruises are this year and decide at that time whether I will book again with Celebrity given the current price points. My philosophy has always been that no cruise is a bad cruise. However, I will say I do not have the usual excitement that I normally have in anticipation of sailing. Because of the gaslighting Celebrity did in saying the detrimental changes make for "an elevated experience", I have fully lost trust in Celebrity and am waiting for another shoe to drop that would continue to impact my upcoming sailings negatively and cost me more money. Rather than eagerly awaiting "luxury" and "not having to lift a finger" (Celebrity's words), it is hard to keep an open mind when I have legitimate concerns that an overworked room attendant (aka Retreat Host) might not clean my room adequately, that the food will be just ok, and only low-end wine is included for the exorbitant prices I am paying. What has Celebrity done recently to show they care about their customers? Have they added anything of value? All they had to do to soften the blow about butler removal would have been allowing cancellation without penalty or offering some gesture of goodwill.  They could have grandfathered in those with a premium package to give an increased upper limit of $19. Instead, they made many of us feel taken advantage of and created a negative opinion of Celebrity which we never had before. What I may be open to in the future is to book veranda or Aqua class at a much more palatable price point, take full advantage of my loyalty perks, and no longer book Sky Suites.

[zitsky]

I hear complaints that service takes longer. Compared to a year ago?  Five years ago?  Yes there was that time I waited 15 minutes for my martini flights.  It didn’t kill me.

[grandgeezer]

16 hours ago, billc23 said:

401k distributions are taxed as ordinary income, no preferential "Qualified Dividend" tax treatment,  and that is $40.80 of federal tax per $100 for me. But that is not the point. I purchased Royal stock for cruising coming out of Covid at $38 per share and have sailed enough to basically cover the cost of 100 shares. If you don't cruise there is no benefit, except the current unrealized capital gain, but those who own the stock have been very pleased with the extra OBC. The other feature I use as a shareholder is to apply for my OBC at a time when I want an updated official booking conformation without having to contact anyone. 

I don’t need an explanation on how 401k distributions are made. Maybe you need help from a tax attorney. The tax is based on net income not just the 401k.  I have to take a distribution every year because of my age. In 2022 my distribution was $47,000 and my total tax was in the 18% range. That’s taking standard deductions with no debt.

That puts $37,213 in my pocket after state taxes.

 

[The Fun Researcher]

3 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

I moved on from Royal because I liked Celebrity better.  And then Celebrity became Royal....

 

I think that they are referring to setting the bar lower for realistic expectations...  I am ready to set it higher...

This is how we felt a month ago.  We've only sailed X twice.  Once in 2017 and once 2023 on the same ship.  Our first cruise with Celebrity was a noticeable bump up in food quality and service and amenities.  Now I feel like Royal's latest ships (Oasis and Quantum Class) have matched or even leapfrogged X.  Not only is there more to do, but the food quality is on par (in our experience), service is similar...

 

I went into our cruise last month very much looking forward to what we received from X back in 2017.  Unfortunately it fell flat.  We weren't looking to find problems with X, quite the opposite.  We love more options for cruising but we've mostly crossed it off our list.  I will keep Edge class on the list though and if the price, timing and itinerary is right we can give that a try

Edited January 18 by The Fun Researcher

[Stockjock]

On 1/17/2024 at 1:20 PM, grandgeezer said:

How much taxes do you pay on a $100 or even a $250 dividend? A couple of bucks or so? Hardly a reason to get excited about or to base a financial decision on it.

I wish I had to pay $1,000,000 in taxes, imagine how much money I would have to make to do that, not as much as you think if you have a good financial planner to work with.

You failed to bring up the other half of the equation, how much obc if you don’t cruise in a particular year?  I haven’t stuck a penny out of my pocket since September 2001 and the money keeps rolling in.

Maybe I'm reading this incorrectly but I suspect there may be confusion between the shareholder benefit and a stock's dividend.

As many know, a common stock may pay a dividend but is not obligated to do so.  That dividend can be increased, decreased or eliminated at any time. 

I believe that when covid hit, most or all of the publicly traded cruise lines suspended/eliminated their dividend.  They had bigger fish to fry, huge expenses related to maintaining empty ships, and paying a dividend was the least of their worries.  The same thing happened to most banks during the financial crisis of 2008.  Many resumed paying a dividend once the economic outlook normalized.

There are different tax rates between qualified and non-qualified dividends, but I am not here to address that, as while I work for a big Wall Street firm, I'm not a tax advisor, and besides, these stocks aren't currently paying a dividend anyway, to my knowledge, so it's a moot point (or as my former manager would say, "a mute point", and no, I never corrected him).

Most or all publicly-traded cruise lines choose to provide a shareholder benefit, under certain circumstances, to passengers sailing on their cruise lines.  This could be $50, $100 or perhaps $250 in onboard credit, mostly depending on the length of the sailing.  This has absolutely nothing to do with dividends.  Also, to my knowledge, this is not a taxable event, although there's probably some snarky person out there who will insist that the IRS will kick down your door and arrest you for not trying to report your shareholder benefit.  But again, to my knowledge, this is not a taxable event, or certainly no "normal person" would try to report it, and again, unrelated to the dividend, if any.

And since I am with a big Wall Street firm, I have to say that this is not tax advice nor is a recommendation for or against any securities.

Edited January 19 by Stockjock