What is happening with Celebrity?

[buncosquad]

A tale of two cities...

[sonnycruises]

On 4/8/2024 at 10:39 AM, swigso said:

I have sailed with Celebrity since my first cruise on Summit in 2002

at least twice a year never Never had these problems 

 

Lucky you!

[tscoffey]

5 hours ago, indy406 said:

and — wait for it — a pair of wadded up dirty underwear under the throw pillow on the couch

A cruise duck, by any other name.

[PTC DAWG]

On 4/10/2024 at 3:24 PM, QuestionEverything said:

I started sailing on Celebrity in 2001. Decade after decade Celebrity provided CONSISTENT product and service, I booked 3 cruises each year with confidence. The same great product year after year albeit newer ships came along, but still great service and product.

It was the Confidence of the product to book that kept us booking Celebrity.

At that time Celebrity was the premium cruise line - there was no Oceania etc.

Around 2018, I noticed the RCLing of Celebrity and the downgrading and the destroying of the Celebrity product due to class apartheid as well as today, the loss of access to the sea on the E class (no forward lounge).

My last Celebrity cruise was 2019. We cancelled Celebrity thereafter and moved to the premium lines.

___________________

I am not picking on Celebrity, the loss of consistency is seen in all travel venues and restaurants.

I am so very sad at the decline in cruising, hotels, restaurants etc - it was not always this way.

This turns me, a consumer, off from any vacation bookings. 

No cruises booked at this point.

Everyone be well, be careful of your bookings, Put Yourself First.

 

 

 

 

Yet you still grace us with your input..we are blessed.

[QuestionEverything]

10 hours ago, PTC DAWG said:

Yet you still grace us with your input..we are blessed.

Thank you. Indeed. Nice to be here but, like many posters on CC, sad to see the changes to cruising. 

Time will tell what happens to the cruise lines, I will monitor same indeed.

Stay well in your travels.

[RK-NC]

On 4/8/2024 at 2:48 PM, llawrence said:

1/2 a roll of toilet paper..no extras… This is not the Celebrity I know and love…

 

Boarded Beyond yesterday. Drawer in the bathroom - I wish I could send some of this over to the Summit.

[Tyler414]

On 4/10/2024 at 7:29 AM, Hawkstar33 said:

The crew of the newest ships get picked from all the other ships...They take the cream of the crop...Seeing the room attendant or not, would not bother me

I actively try my best to avoid my room attendant.

[llawrence]

We were on the Beyond last year….great trip…No comparison to the Summit…I do like the Millie and Connie…..age does not matter….it really comes to the Staff Captain.  Another thing we noticed on this Summit Cruise is the fact that on two of the shows a cast member was promoting her cd available outside the theater after the show.  I can see cruisers wanting a memory of the show but the cd was not even associated with the show…the other show was more about how the performers got started and less about the show itself…I can take or leave the shows…we have seen great shows and not so great shows…But is this now the norm on Celebrity.

[Loracpin2]

Although we still book with Celebrity (Elite+ and have said this many times before) ever since RCI purchased the line in 1997, little by little, year after year Celebrity has been in a downward spiral!!!. 

[cruisetonowhere10]

On 4/9/2024 at 8:32 AM, Norwaylady said:

thank you❤️ it’s not just us that had a similar experience😌

We are “back” in steerage class😂😂🤭 And we have a great time on EQ❤️ 

 

These make me laugh…I am a steerage girl as well…not a chance I could shift suites regularly so I’m not inclined to even try it out.  This will be DHs first cruise this summer (later in life marriage) and I am sooooo hoping for a good experience.  He is extremely social and I actually want a set dining time/servers instead of anytime because I think he’ll love having the sane person and getting to know them.  On a positive note, he really has no basis to know whether the service is celebrity level or not and our next cruise is on Silhouette so the first two experiences will likely be different anyway, albeit both in steerage. 😂

[hcat]

we prefer AQ Class and will try Concierge on Silhouette. 

 

We tried an E class suite (used up our  Covid cancel  fcc).  Other than priority embark and disembark and a bigger room and balc..not worth the extra fare to us..

 

be happy with what you book and enjoy!

[katenmax2]

On 4/10/2024 at 2:48 AM, the penguins said:

You can hardly use the term steerage on E class as only around 5% of passengers have the forward view you love. One reason we will never cruise E class.

For those who've not sailed on E class ships in the Retreat, only the Iconic Suites have forward facing decks.  The Oceanview fully fore cabins also do and as a bonus, include extra living space.  Even in the Retreat Lounge, there are only side facing windows as the Spa and fitness centers capitalize on those valuable fore view real estate. The Retreat decks do wrap around the entire fore section of the top deck and 1/2 and offer spectacular views but......when it's windy up there, forget keeping towels in place, hats will blow off and it's blazing HOT during the warmer summer months.  The M and Solstice ships are my favorites with their floor to ceiling windows in the sky lounges.  The good news with E class ships is that there is a roof garden (with cabanas (no charge) that provide awesome aft views, as do the Oceanview Cafes. 

 

I like all Celebrity ships but service has definitely declined since reopening after the pandemic. 

 

The loss of Lisa at the helm also brought changes that steer towards profit over service.  Hopefully, Summit will get their act back together as it was my favorite ship in the Celebrity lineup.  

 

For those who are onboard Summit, the hotel director's name is Zafer Colak (but he may be off contract right now) @ ext 6400 (any acting director).  He takes the hotel side of the ship very seriously and will promptly correct any defects on the service side .  

[katenmax2]

5 hours ago, Loracpin2 said:

Although we still book with Celebrity (Elite+ and have said this many times before) ever since RCI purchased the line in 1997, little by little, year after year Celebrity has been in a downward spiral!!!. 

I discovered cruising in early 2019 after fully retiring.  I can only imagine how those of you who've gradually watched the decline in service and offerings over the years.  Must be shocking.

 

My first cruise was with my bff and grandchild on RC.  We stayed in a huge family suite on Freedom of the Seas. I thought service was outstanding but, had nothing to compare it with.  I wanted a more adult experience so changed to Celebrity.  Sailing on Edge was my first experience and was love upon 1st cruise.  Service, food, hospitality and ambiance I related to staying at a 4 star resort.  There were 6 of us gal pals sharing an Edge Villa (now limited to 4).  I never wanted to leave the cabin and was thoroughly spoiled.  I've never had a butler serving me anything I desired. Luminae was a special experience and a dedicated deck for suite guests (right outside the master bedroom door) was unbelievable.  I spent many days inside the cabin in the private plunge pool on our balcony.  Hooked!  Cannot go back as I was forever spoiled by the Retreat Experience.

 

Flash forward to today.....I have 56 points until CC Elite Plus with 9 Celebrity cruises under my belt......Summit, Edge, Beyond, Apex, Equinox and Connie.  All had their unique features.  All had outstanding service, food and overall quality until around the start of 2023.  Beyond and Apex are the only 2 ships I've sailed since then. I've witnesses the rapid decline with double and at times triple the cost.  

 

So what's up with Celebrity?  They are NOT Seabourn (sailed on 1x - loved) nor Seven Seas (have not sailed on yet).  The prices are almost identical now (sometimes Seabourn even less) without all of the included perks of the luxury lines.  

 

All comments welcome.  I still enjoy Celebrity but thinking the line is my comfort point that few of us stray from.

[Spif Barwunkel]

We are Elite Plus on Celebrity and X continues to be our cruise line of choice. There has been much negativity written over the last several years, but other than the occasional hiccup we have yet to experience anything overwhelmingly unpleasant. For us, it just isn't there, and that pertains to all classes of ships across the fleet. Celebrity provides us with comfortable conveyance and a pleasant environment in which to enjoy our intended cruise. For sure, prices are higher, and perhaps the return on your dollar is not as much. Our comfort zone is still intact, and our money is still well spent, because there is nothing happening with Celebrity that causes us to feel otherwise.          

[gimletgal]

On 4/8/2024 at 1:09 PM, PTC DAWG said:

Be very clear with any towel etc request..numbers etc..I always find out the comply easily..

If there are two people in a stateroom, shouldn't there be at least two of everything???? Should be automatic without having to request.

[NutsAboutGolf]

On 4/14/2024 at 5:41 PM, Spif Barwunkel said:

We are Elite Plus on Celebrity and X continues to be our cruise line of choice. There has been much negativity written over the last several years, but other than the occasional hiccup we have yet to experience anything overwhelmingly unpleasant. For us, it just isn't there, and that pertains to all classes of ships across the fleet. Celebrity provides us with comfortable conveyance and a pleasant environment in which to enjoy our intended cruise. For sure, prices are higher, and perhaps the return on your dollar is not as much. Our comfort zone is still intact, and our money is still well spent, because there is nothing happening with Celebrity that causes us to feel otherwise.          

 

To oversimplify, as they charge more, they don't do much of anything to improve their product; food being one of the best examples.  If there were noticeable product improvements added from time and time (NOT counting the reversing of cutbacks), people might not be as negative.  Like it or not, we saw firsthand the real outrage that can erupt from something as minor as X introducing a $2 cookie

[Hawkstar33]

Well enough said about this whole experience...I cancelled our 2/25 Summit...Been a great ship 8X, with great crews, but time to let her go...I'm sure they will figure it all out, but aside from the glaring issues by several posters, options are appearing now to be much better in S Class, for us...Replaced with a BTB Silhouette.....BETTER

[Liao]

On 4/10/2024 at 3:24 PM, QuestionEverything said:

I started sailing on Celebrity in 2001. Decade after decade Celebrity provided CONSISTENT product and service, I booked 3 cruises each year with confidence. The same great product year after year albeit newer ships came along, but still great service and product.

It was the Confidence of the product to book that kept us booking Celebrity.

At that time Celebrity was the premium cruise line - there was no Oceania etc.

Around 2018, I noticed the RCLing of Celebrity and the downgrading and the destroying of the Celebrity product due to class apartheid as well as today, the loss of access to the sea on the E class (no forward lounge).

My last Celebrity cruise was 2019. We cancelled Celebrity thereafter and moved to the premium lines.

___________________

I am not picking on Celebrity, the loss of consistency is seen in all travel venues and restaurants.

I am so very sad at the decline in cruising, hotels, restaurants etc - it was not always this way.

This turns me, a consumer, off from any vacation bookings. 

No cruises booked at this point.

Everyone be well, be careful of your bookings, Put Yourself First.

 

 

 

 

Wow the drama and the apartheid reference…

[soccermommy]

So sorry, OP, that your Summit cruise was so unsatisfactory. We had our second cruise on her last August and had excellent service in our cabin. We joked we’re actually in steerage, Deck 2 Oceanview, but our cabin was immaculate. The only problem was the repetition of menus in the MDR but that was just before they changed.( There was much more choice on the Millennium in October, btw). I do have to say, though, if anything like your experience happened to us, we would be escalating it to Hotel Director level. 

I am not an old timer who remembers the old days on Celebrity, but we have been very happy with the product we have now. I have much more experience with NCL. Sadly, for a number of reasons, I don’t think we will be sailing them again. There have been cutbacks all around, but I hope you find someplace that makes you happy to sail.