Celebrity Eclipse Sky Lounge closed during 12 day cruise

[NMTraveller]

51 minutes ago, C4HCG said:

Be interesting for you to share where you’ve seen travel slowing down. Business travel for sure, where I work it’s being tightened, but no evidence in the UK of people travelling less for holidays.

I was on flights for the Labor Day holiday flying to Las Vegas, so that would be for the leisure traveler.  You can also look at the airline's financials.  Southwest airlines is laying off, etc.

 

Actually, the plane was half full going both ways ...  It was kind of nice not having a full plane.

 

Travel companies rein in their forecasts as US consumers cut spending | Reuters

Edited September 5 by NMTraveller

[C4HCG]

4 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

I was on flights for the Labor Day holiday flying to Las Vegas, so that would be for the leisure traveler.  You can also look at the airline's financials.  Southwest airlines is laying off, etc.

 

Actually, the plane was half full going both ways ...  It was kind of nice not having a full plane.

And we were in Orlando Labour Day having driven up after getting off the ship. Our hotel was very busy. Still here and all the area busy, not business travellers. 

[NMTraveller]

3 minutes ago, C4HCG said:

And we were in Orlando Labour Day having driven up after getting off the ship. 

You and a million other kids going to Disney World 😉

[81Zoomie]

6 hours ago, canderson said:

Depends upon the cabin you book.  Celebrity Retreat pax are waking up to options.  More than a few of our fellow pax on our first Silversea cruise had jumped ship from Celebrity suites.  Expect more with the recent loyalty match.  Celebrity's suite prices are getting really hard to justify by way of comparison.  It's easy for us to handle the idea of a higher level of service in equal or larger space for the same or less money.

You are spot on!  We have one more X cruise and nothing booked with them after that.  The premium atmosphere on Celebrity has evaporated and we have grown tired of the corporate lip service, declining product, revenue generation schemes, and silly high prices.  There are many new and interesting cruise and vacation options out there.  Variety is the spice of life and we are now looking for smaller ships that deliver more a refined experience and value.

[zitsky]

3 minutes ago, 81Zoomie said:

You are spot on!  We have one more X cruise and nothing booked with them after that.  The premium atmosphere on Celebrity has evaporated and we have grown tired of the corporate lip service, declining product, revenue generation schemes, and silly high prices.  There are many new and interesting cruise and vacation options out there.  Variety is the spice of life and we are now looking for smaller ships that deliver more a refined experience and value.

Where will you go?  We have tried Viking but we like the entertainment on big ships.  We may try Princess.

Edited September 5 by zitsky

[81Zoomie]

17 minutes ago, zitsky said:

Where will you go?  We have tried Viking but we like the entertainment on big ships.  We may try Princess.

In 2025 we are trying Explora, Viking, Silversea, and returning to Azamara.  For our TA this fall we are on HAL’s Rotterdam because we like the Pinnacle class ships.  Have not sailed Princess in nearly 10 years, but the Sun Princess looks interesting, except for the size!  We also enjoy the intimate yacht like atmosphere on expedition cruises with 200 pax or less.  There is no shortage of products to try 🚢🛳️⛴️🛥️🚤 , something for everyone 😀!  And, Celebrity might be a good fit for some cruisers. 

Edited September 5 by 81Zoomie

[the penguins]

14 hours ago, markeb said:

 

Yes. There are threads dealing with Park West VIP cruises on the Royal Caribbean board. The contract is apparently with RCG. No idea how long Celebrity has done this; this cruise was clearly more disruptive and noticeable. 
 

There are plenty of cruise lines that invite gamblers on board to hawk the casino. Other than taking over space (do they do tournaments on the ship?), it’s the same as inviting art customers. 
 

People are obsessing over a symptom not the patient. It seems more and more likely that Celebrity is struggling to meet revenue (really profit) targets. They’re doing everything but revisit their core strategy. Probably because everyone’s background is in operations. They’re giving up their “near premium” niche for near term revenue. Maybe the niche we all loved wasn’t as profitable as we thought…

The quarterly figures and forward bookings all show highest ever bookings/prices/onboard spends. Share price way above precovid levels and dividends reinstated. Must be doing something right.

[RichYak]

10 hours ago, zitsky said:

Where will you go?  We have tried Viking but we like the entertainment on big ships.  We may try Princess.

My options aren't as limited since we don't really care much about big entertainment production shows, but we sailed last on MSC in Yacht Club and it's everything that Retreat should be but isn't. And it has plenty of entertainment. For sure they will be our go-to for Caribbean getaway cruises.

[zitsky]

1 hour ago, RichYak said:

My options aren't as limited since we don't really care much about big entertainment production shows, but we sailed last on MSC in Yacht Club and it's everything that Retreat should be but isn't. And it has plenty of entertainment. For sure they will be our go-to for Caribbean getaway cruises.

I will check MSC.  I think they only have some short Asia cruises?  Or you build a back to back?

[RichYak]

19 minutes ago, zitsky said:

I will check MSC.  I think they only have some short Asia cruises?  Or you build a back to back?

I've never researched any cruise on any line for Asia.

[phoenix_dream]

20 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

I think that day is coming up...  Anyone that has followed the airlines will know that they are bleeding cash and laying off employees.  Plus surprised to see open first class seats on my last flights.

 

Yes,  cruises are booked a year or two in advance, so this will probably take a year to catch up with them.  But travel is slowing down ...

Travel is slowing down?? I wish.  I Travel a lot, on land and on cruises. Everywhere I go (in my case this year, the US) places are jammed. I'm in Vegas as I write this. I expected crowds over the holiday weekend but thought it would ease up by midweek.  Nope. Wall to Wall people and casinos jammed.  They said hotels were 92% full this weekend.  These trips are often not planned years or even months in advance like cruises. And planes? I've flown a lot this year with planes always 95-100% full.  People are still spending like crazy and many racking up credit card debt like never before in history. All you hear about on the news as well as campaign trails (both sides) is how high prices are and so on. I don't disagree that they are but you'd never know it by the crowds everyplace in my travels !

[NMTraveller]

1 hour ago, phoenix_dream said:

Travel is slowing down?? I wish.  I Travel a lot, on land and on cruises. Everywhere I go (in my case this year, the US) places are jammed. I'm in Vegas as I write this. I expected crowds over the holiday weekend but thought it would ease up by midweek.  Nope. Wall to Wall people and casinos jammed.  They said hotels were 92% full this weekend.  These trips are often not planned years or even months in advance like cruises. And planes? I've flown a lot this year with planes always 95-100% full.  People are still spending like crazy and many racking up credit card debt like never before in history. All you hear about on the news as well as campaign trails (both sides) is how high prices are and so on. I don't disagree that they are but you'd never know it by the crowds everyplace in my travels !

Anecdotal...

 

Real numbers...

ES-Jul2024 (simpleviewcms.com)

 

I am interested in seeing the August numbers myself ...

Edited September 5 by NMTraveller

[Oville]

2 hours ago, phoenix_dream said:

Travel is slowing down?? I wish.  I Travel a lot, on land and on cruises. Everywhere I go (in my case this year, the US) places are jammed. I'm in Vegas as I write this. I expected crowds over the holiday weekend but thought it would ease up by midweek.  Nope. Wall to Wall people and casinos jammed.  They said hotels were 92% full this weekend.  These trips are often not planned years or even months in advance like cruises. And planes? I've flown a lot this year with planes always 95-100% full.  People are still spending like crazy and many racking up credit card debt like never before in history. All you hear about on the news as well as campaign trails (both sides) is how high prices are and so on. I don't disagree that they are but you'd never know it by the crowds everyplace in my travels !

Tried booking a nonstop from Boston to Naples.  The first nonstop was 11/11 at $3,600.  Booked on the 16th for a lot less but still pricey.  People are traveling by air and if you look at the news by a lot.

[Liao]

3 hours ago, phoenix_dream said:

Travel is slowing down?? I wish.  I Travel a lot, on land and on cruises. Everywhere I go (in my case this year, the US) places are jammed. I'm in Vegas as I write this. I expected crowds over the holiday weekend but thought it would ease up by midweek.  Nope. Wall to Wall people and casinos jammed.  They said hotels were 92% full this weekend.  These trips are often not planned years or even months in advance like cruises. And planes? I've flown a lot this year with planes always 95-100% full.  People are still spending like crazy and many racking up credit card debt like never before in history. All you hear about on the news as well as campaign trails (both sides) is how high prices are and so on. I don't disagree that they are but you'd never know it by the crowds everyplace in my travels !

Spent 3 weeks land vacation May/June, London, Cambridge, Oxford, Glasgow Edinburgh.  London was a madhouse, all the others were a very close second.  Flights from US and return were full.  Took the overnight Caledonian sleeper train from London to Glasgow and every sleeper berth was sold out.  Travel domestically and internationally is at its highest level in many many years.  Prices for everything are up and people don’t care, call it the pandemic effect or whatever, money is being spent.

[hcat]

topic is straying a bit..

Do any  other cruise lines close off major  venues  for  pvt events  for long periods?  Large groups csn be annoying but losing space adds to it..

[cruisestitch]

1 hour ago, hcat said:

topic is straying a bit..

Do any  other cruise lines close off major  venues  for  pvt events  for long periods?  Large groups csn be annoying but losing space adds to it..

Yes holland America has

[cublet]

1 hour ago, hcat said:

topic is straying a bit..

Do any  other cruise lines close off major  venues  for  pvt events  for long periods?  Large groups csn be annoying but losing space adds to it..

Hello,

 

Royal regularly close Bolero’s (a bar) on Anthem for PW to show and auction their tat.

Regards,

 

Cublet

 

[hcat]

rhanks.. no plans to book  Holland or Royal C..  Cunard is still on our list!

[Ex-Airbalancer]

1 hour ago, hcat said:

rhanks.. no plans to book  Holland or Royal C..  Cunard is still on our list!

Holland does have some interesting  itineraries

Like down the Amazon river or an around trip from California to South Pacific and back 

[cruisegirlppp]

On 8/26/2024 at 3:01 PM, OysterD said:

I'm probably on the same cruise, Sept 20th from Athens. Weather will be hot so the half dozen to a dozen people who like the sky lounge during the day may be inconvenienced. While I disagree with the sky lounge being taken over for so long on so many days for so many cruises (especially by a dodgy company selling photocopies of 'art'), I will say that it is a vastly under used part of the ship during the day. I've never seen more than a dozen people in there and personally never been in during daylight hours. I've walked past many times, and it's always been very quiet. 

I have had the exact opposite experience- on sea days of recent Scandinavian and past South American cruise it was packed with people. Maybe different itineraries change how the room is utilized??

[Oville]

3 hours ago, hcat said:

topic is straying a bit..

Do any  other cruise lines close off major  venues  for  pvt events  for long periods?  Large groups csn be annoying but losing space adds to it..

HAL cruise, first seating at dinner closed every night for a very large group.

[Honolulu Blue]

3 hours ago, hcat said:

Do any  other cruise lines close off major  venues  for  pvt events  for long periods?  Large groups csn be annoying but losing space adds to it..

I'll define a "long period" as the closing of the same venue by the same group multiple hours per day multiple times on a cruise. I can't say that I have seen it happen on any of my cruises. This takeover by Park West is as extreme as I have seen, which is why I'm still here.

[RichYak]

6 hours ago, hcat said:

topic is straying a bit..

Do any  other cruise lines close off major  venues  for  pvt events  for long periods?  Large groups csn be annoying but losing space adds to it..

Here is a current thread on the NCL board...

 

[markeb]

6 hours ago, hcat said:

topic is straying a bit..

Do any  other cruise lines close off major  venues  for  pvt events  for long periods?  Large groups csn be annoying but losing space adds to it..

 

Yes. Pretty sure all of them. Partial charters, large groups, etc. They almost always shut off venues both for their own privacy and to somewhat segregate them from the general cruise population. I've not seen a major venue like this for the bulk of the cruise (again, I understand why RCG would do this). Usually it's a few hours here and a few hours there and sometimes they move from venue to venue. 

 

We were on a Royal cruise a few years back where there was a large group celebrating their quinceañera. That was interesting. And they had areas shut down at various times for private functions.

 

I'll argue this is annoying people more because it's Park West. Specifically.

[canderson]

52 minutes ago, markeb said:

I'll argue this is annoying people more because it's Park West. Specifically.

Certainly a real factor, but I would imagine any company hogging a major space for an entire cruise to make a buck at the passengers' expense - and that's definitely what's happening in this instance, and with Celebrity's full support and benefit  - would raise similar complaints.  It's probably just more acute due to PW's poor reputation among many for how they go about making that buck.

 

Not great that an unexpectedly large group of normal passengers can do this, too, but at least for those events, the rest of the passengers aren't effectively being asked to subsidize sales of the group by forfeiting access to space - and without prior warning.