Inside Beyond

[swjumbo]

Got off the Beyond this morning and spent 6 nights in an inside cabin!

 

We’ve done all classes and had to try this as our kids had a veranda across the alleyway which enabled us to get our ocean view fix if needed.

 

We needn’t have worried as we have never slept so well on any cruise.

My partner asked if the extra $800 for a veranda would have been worth it and I’m not sure if it is.

 

As an aside, every other Celebrity cruise has been a 9.5 or 10. Unfortunately this one was a strong 8.

 

There seemed to be a lack of both officer presence and leadership on board. On the other ships we have been very impressed with the classy, humble, Greek Captains who seemed to be everywhere, likewise the Hotel Directors. 

Lots of self serving announcements here about a cat, social media, facebook, blah, blah. Yes she’s done well for herself but give us a dashing Greek chap every time.

 

Tables were left uncleared, no paper towels in OVC, a drink was left on the staircase for 24 hours.

 

The crew seemed overwhelmed and we felt sorry for them.

 

We’re still fans of Celebrity but might just steer clear of Beyond for the time being.

[jelayne]

We were on that same cruise and I wholeheartedly agree there were no Officers visible around the ship.

We didn’t go to any shows which, from what I heard from others, was the only place they saw the Officers.

It didn’t have the feel of any of our other cruises. 

 

We did have a chance to speak to the GRM, Julie and she injured her leg and was hobbling and told to stay off her feet.  She was however at the gangway saying Good Bye to guests as we departed.  
 

We had excellent service in the dining rooms.  We didn’t get the feeling they were overwhelmed but the  bar staff in some bars just seemed like they were not particularly interested in working.  
 

 

 

[swjumbo]

Agree with your sentiments.

 

Dining room staff were amazing in Eden, Tuscan and our favourite on this cruise, Cypress.

 

The two guys at the Magic Carpet were newish and overwhelmed. Not their fault, nor any of the other staff but the feeling on the ship just wasn’t the same as we’ve had on six other Celebrity ships.

 

Funnily enough, the only Hotel Officer we spoke to was Julie as well! She seemed to be in a lot of pain, bless her. The only time her voice is awful is when she has been on the tannoy telling us to get off on our final day.

Edited August 25 by swjumbo

[chemmo]

3 hours ago, swjumbo said:

Agree with your sentiments.

 

Dining room staff were amazing in Eden, Tuscan and our favourite on this cruise, Cypress.

 

The two guys at the Magic Carpet were newish and overwhelmed. Not their fault, nor any of the other staff but the feeling on the ship just wasn’t the same as we’ve had on six other Celebrity ships.

 

Funnily enough, the only Hotel Officer we spoke to was Julie as well! She seemed to be in a lot of pain, bless her. The only time her voice is awful is when she has been on the tannoy telling us to get off on our final day.

So sorry your cruise has been slightly ‘off’.
 

On a positive note you now know you can happily cruise in an inside room which may make future cruising a slightly cheaper option. One of my friends recently cruised inside on Cunard as it was cheaper than flying to NY and, like you, found it restful…Her next cruise on Princess is also inside, I think it may need to be a special itinerary or great price to get her back in a balcony again…

 

We did once experience a slightly ‘off’ cruise on Equinox… we found out part way through the cruise that there had been a big staff change over as we embarked. Certainly our room attendant and the sommelier in the MDR were sub par. Like you it didn’t wreck our cruise but it did take a bit of the ‘shine’ off it…The fact that other regular cruisers (jelayne) also felt the same is a good indication that something was definitely ‘off’ on your cruise. So easy to sometimes think that ‘it is just you’…certainly things that pertain to hygiene like no paper towels in Oceanview is simply not acceptable on any cruise…

 

 

[lv2cruisgrl]

17 hours ago, jelayne said:

We were on that same cruise and I wholeheartedly agree there were no Officers visible around the ship.

We didn’t go to any shows which, from what I heard from others, was the only place they saw the Officers.

It didn’t have the feel of any of our other cruises. 

 

We did have a chance to speak to the GRM, Julie and she injured her leg and was hobbling and told to stay off her feet.  She was however at the gangway saying Good Bye to guests as we departed.  
 

We had excellent service in the dining rooms.  We didn’t get the feeling they were overwhelmed but the  bar staff in some bars just seemed like they were not particularly interested in working.  
 

 

 

Wow well that stinks we are to sail her in November !

 

[NCTribeFan]

1. I've sailed a lot ver the past 20+ years.  For only my 2nd & 3rd time on Celebrity, I'm doing a side-to-side on Reflection & Beyond.  My only other sailing was on Summit (which I enjoyed very much).

 

As a solo cruiser, I almost always sail in inside cabins.  I never spring for an OV.  If a balcony isn't in my budget, I happily book interior cabins.  I love it nice and dark when I'm sleeping.

 

I personally only notice the CD when I feel they're intrusive and just, you know, trying too hard.  I know they're really important to some cruisers, but not me.  I rarely attend any functions or entertainment where they typically appear, so I just don't really pay attention. 

 

1. I'm very much looking forward to these two cruises in November.  I actually expect I'll prefer Reflection, just going by reviews and looking at photos.  It will be interesting to compare and contrasts the two ships.  I follow Beyond with a 2-night stay in FLL, then board HAL's Nieuw Amsterdam with some friends.  I'll try to post my thoughts here. Thanks for sharing yours.

[jelayne]

6 minutes ago, NCTribeFan said:

1. I've sailed a lot ver the past 20+ years.  For only my 2nd & 3rd time on Celebrity, I'm doing a side-to-side on Reflection & Beyond.  My only other sailing was on Summit (which I enjoyed very much).

 

As a solo cruiser, I almost always sail in inside cabins.  I never spring for an OV.  If a balcony isn't in my budget, I happily book interior cabins.  I love it nice and dark when I'm sleeping.

 

I personally only notice the CD when I feel they're intrusive and just, you know, trying too hard.  I know they're really important to some cruisers, but not me.  I rarely attend any functions or entertainment where they typically appear, so I just don't really pay attention. 

 

1. I'm very much looking forward to these two cruises in November.  I actually expect I'll prefer Reflection, just going by reviews and looking at photos.  It will be interesting to compare and contrasts the two ships.  I follow Beyond with a 2-night stay in FLL, then board HAL's Nieuw Amsterdam with some friends.  I'll try to post my thoughts here. Thanks for sharing yours.

The Officers I was referring to did not include the CD.
 

We have done a multitude of cruises and on most of Celebrity’s ships and it is the norm to see the Captain, Staff Captain, Chief Engineer, Hotel Director, Safety Officer, F & B Manager and Guest Relations Director walking around the ship both during the day and evening, engaging with guests.  That wasn’t the case on this cruise. 

[Cruising Princess]

Thanks for the feedback regarding the Beyond.  We join her a week from today.  

 

Very interesting is your comment about lack of officers’ presence onboard.

 

By way of example, I was just discussing with my husband how Captain Kate takes time to post on social media and now having a new jewelry line, do all these distractions take time away from her other duties like roaming the ship to greet guests?  Or did you just miss them?  I’ve had cruises where my schedule did not mesh with the parties and gatherings.  

[mulh2370]

We were on the prior cruise on the Beyond and the officers were highly visible on a daily basis...some folks we met even had Captain Kate escort them personally to their cabin at embarkation after seeing them by the elevator. 

 

We were on Reflection a few weeks prior and officers were not as visable as they were on Beyond.  Not a complaint, both cruises were fantastic. 

[joydivision84]

3 hours ago, lv2cruisgrl said:

Wow well that stinks we are to sail her in November !

 

8/10 is hardly stinks...to be fair.

[jelayne]

48 minutes ago, joydivision84 said:

8/10 is hardly stinks...to be fair.

If your Celebrity crew member anything less than a 10 on the survey is not acceptable. 

[jelayne]

1 hour ago, mulh2370 said:

We were on the prior cruise on the Beyond and the officers were highly visible on a daily basis...some folks we met even had Captain Kate escort them personally to their cabin at embarkation after seeing them by the elevator. 

 

We were on Reflection a few weeks prior and officers were not as visable as they were on Beyond.  Not a complaint, both cruises were fantastic. 

No Sr officers when we boarded.  We did not go to the main shows in the theater.  But we were frequently  on the Retreat Sundeck.  In Retreat Lounge, at the Martini bar/Grand Plaza. Craft Social, 

Cafe Al Bacio, Eden bar. Blu, MDRs, elevators. Rooftop Grill & Garden; all places where we normally see the Officers. 
Just not the norm.  Maybe a 6 day cruise is different, only time we have done that short a cruise. 

[swjumbo]

4 hours ago, jelayne said:

No Sr officers when we boarded.  We did not go to the main shows in the theater.  But we were frequently  on the Retreat Sundeck.  In Retreat Lounge, at the Martini bar/Grand Plaza. Craft Social, 

Cafe Al Bacio, Eden bar. Blu, MDRs, elevators. Rooftop Grill & Garden; all places where we normally see the Officers. 
Just not the norm.  Maybe a 6 day cruise is different, only time we have done that short a cruise. 

Interesting that we both felt the same about this cruise.

 

Other than The Retreat we frequented the same venues as you and on a very regular basis. Being in an inside cabin made us live outside it more than on any other cruise.

 

Someone here has mentioned the 8/10 score which I gave. Absolutely stand by that and it’s a great score but it’s the lowest I’d ever give a Celebrity cruise because they’re always so good.

 

Capt George,for example, on Solstice would walk through every restaurant as often as possible in the evening just to be seen. No big ego just a presence.

 

 

 

[jelayne]

24 minutes ago, swjumbo said:

.

 

Capt George,for example, on Solstice would walk through every restaurant as often as possible in the evening just to be seen. No big ego just a presence.

 

 

 

Capt Dimitrous ( sp) is at Al Bacio at. 10:15 every sea day morning to meet passengers and announces it. Capt Matt is everywhere,  Capt Costas can be found visiting the Grand Plaza, OVC  and outside venues every evening, Captain Tasos is around the ship, inside and pool deck.   This was just strange.  BTW we gave an overall score of 9 but on the question of Officer visibility we gave that a 4. 

[chemmo]

1 hour ago, jelayne said:

Capt Dimitrous ( sp) is at Al Bacio at. 10:15 every sea day morning to meet passengers and announces it. Capt Matt is everywhere,  Capt Costas can be found visiting the Grand Plaza, OVC  and outside venues every evening, Captain Tasos is around the ship, inside and pool deck.   This was just strange.  BTW we gave an overall score of 9 but on the question of Officer visibility we gave that a 4. 

Much as ‘socialising’ is part of the daily walks I think it is also an important way of monitoring standards too. I remember Captain Leo walking through the Solarium one day and gathered a few glasses and plates which he placed at a  table in the spa cafe. Minutes later a waiter and tray appeared who he had a word with then a thorough gathering from sun beds took place…Amusingly a guest, obviously not recognising the stripes, asked the Captain to pass her another towel which he obligingly did! If Officers don’t circulate they won’t be aware that some staff at certain times are overwhelmed or that cleaning in other areas is suspect…Often it can be little changes that make a big difference to quality of service…

[vav]

Do people really care if they see a Sr. Officer or not?  This impacted your cruise enough to post about it?

 

I guess people are focusing on different things on vacation....

 

Staff the bars...have good food prepared...and provide a clean room...I couldn't care less if a guy with stripes said hello to me 🤷‍♂️

[keesar]

Officer visibility is not that important to me.  However, self-promoting oneself is not something I like on a cruise.  Gets tiring really quickly in my opinion.

[NCTribeFan]

I'll keep an eye out for some Officers then, and not the CD.  And, again, it will be interesting to compare the two ships and follow it up with a HAL sailing (where I often see many Officers out and about).

[swjumbo]

4 hours ago, vav said:

Do people really care if they see a Sr. Officer or not?  This impacted your cruise enough to post about it?

 

I guess people are focusing on different things on vacation....

 

Staff the bars...have good food prepared...and provide a clean room...I couldn't care less if a guy with stripes said hello to me 🤷‍♂️

If you look at the photos on my initial post you’ll see photos and comments about the ship.

 

We’ve had the pleasure of speaking to many Captains, Senior Officers, Hotel Directors who appear to know us and know their crew. 

To see the way these people treat the crew is amazing. The crew appear to feel valued and respected.

 

We were on Sky Princess in April and recognised one of the barmen who couldn’t wait to get back to Celebrity. He even bumped into a Celebrity Captain in Madeira who took him for a coffee! He felt valued. 
 

Looking at your signature and list of previous cruises, VAV, you haven’t been on Celebrity. If you had been then you’ll know what I mean.

 

There’s an interesting vid on YouTube about P&O Oriana back in the 90’s. P&O was very different then.

 

Commodore Ian Gibb states that the Captain of a cruise ship needs to be seen by all passengers doing the ‘walk round’ to show them that all is well. It earns respect from all on board.

It gives the Captain a general feel for the ambiance on board and gives them the opportunity to meet the passengers and crew and they can see if the standards on the ship are being maintained.

 

So if you want staffed bars, good food and a clean room then you’ll get that in any hotel.

 

I want to see our Officers doing the rounds, ensuring that the standards are maintained and giving us a nice cruise experience.

 

[Oceansaway17]

5 hours ago, keesar said:

Officer visibility is not that important to me.  However, self-promoting oneself is not something I like on a cruise.  Gets tiring really quickly in my opinion.

I take it you mean Capt Kate?

 

how was she self promoting herself other than making sure folks get to see the cat sometimes as she walks around or comes to do her talk?

[jelayne]

1 hour ago, Oceansaway17 said:

I take it you mean Capt Kate?

 

how was she self promoting herself other than making sure folks get to see the cat sometimes as she walks around or comes to do her talk?

Her new collaborations with companies for her jewelry designs that are to be available on board, comes to mind.  

[RichYak]

6 hours ago, vav said:

Do people really care if they see a Sr. Officer or not?

 

6 hours ago, keesar said:

Officer visibility is not that important to me.

If officers are invisible, that also means that the staff are not seeing their bosses. 

[vav]

3 hours ago, swjumbo said:

 

Looking at your signature and list of previous cruises, VAV, you haven’t been on Celebrity. If you had been then you’ll know what I mean.

 

Ya that signature hasn't been updated in years but anyway… have to be honest…..still wouldn’t care if I saw an officer it’s just not what I go on vacation for… but you do you…and if seeing the captain is it…cool

[Hawkstar33]

On 8/24/2024 at 8:28 PM, swjumbo said:

Got off the Beyond this morning and spent 6 nights in an inside cabin!

 

We’ve done all classes and had to try this as our kids had a veranda across the alleyway which enabled us to get our ocean view fix if needed.

 

We needn’t have worried as we have never slept so well on any cruise.

My partner asked if the extra $800 for a veranda would have been worth it and I’m not sure if it is.

 

As an aside, every other Celebrity cruise has been a 9.5 or 10. Unfortunately this one was a strong 8.

 

There seemed to be a lack of both officer presence and leadership on board. On the other ships we have been very impressed with the classy, humble, Greek Captains who seemed to be everywhere, likewise the Hotel Directors. 

Lots of self serving announcements here about a cat, social media, facebook, blah, blah. Yes she’s done well for herself but give us a dashing Greek chap every time.

 

Tables were left uncleared, no paper towels in OVC, a drink was left on the staircase for 24 hours.

 

The crew seemed overwhelmed and we felt sorry for them.

 

We’re still fans of Celebrity but might just steer clear of Beyond for the time being.

Funny how folks see things so differently...Officer presence will never be included in a post by me unless I was questioned....As long as the ship gets me there and back, I'm good..Others like to see them in their dress blues, milling around Martini bar after supper, or at the entrance to the theater each night..Many enjoy conversation with them..Me, I will see them when I leave....Tables left uncleared means one thing..They are overwhelmed at certain times...That table there is obviously the leftovers from the Mast grill, which is a short walk to that bar area seating......Again, those folks could have walked right back over by the grill, and puts the plates on the side counter like many others do...But they are on vacation, they paid, and not their job...Many go in OVC and eat like they are going to the chair, as they say..Plates etc are left on tables but really not for long.....Eventually they get to it....A glass left on the staircase railing , or other spots is not uncommon....People feel they paid their fare, so they can do dumb things like that..Effects of the booze most of the time....Probably a setup to see if anyone on staff would notice it...People do strange things...Anyways, don't be afraid to give Beyond another shot..

[wcook]

On 8/24/2024 at 8:28 PM, swjumbo said:

Lots of self serving announcements here about a cat

 
Cat?