Has X Ticked You Off?

[Capt]

Sooner or later "X " will alienate themselves from the loyal consumer.

 

It may be the embark and disembark procedures, the repetitive itineraries, the seldom changed menu, non-competitive suite prices or the same tired stuff that you will get if you sail them year after year after year.

 

They surely are not the line that they were when we started cruising them in the early 90's. The dining room food was fairly close to what the alternative dining rooms are today. Frequent cruise spiffs were better (God, I'm sounding like my Dad) and we felt a little more special than we recently have.

 

To celebrate our attainment of Celebrity's highest frquent cruiser status we are going AWOL to Princess. Will we dislike it? Only trying it will answer the question. If we find out X is really not that bad, we will gladly return.

 

Exercise your free-market rights!! See what the competition has to offer.

If they fall short and the experience is wanting return to the line that "exceeds your expectations" As far as our upcoming cruise we will be pleased if it meets our expectations.

 

Will report post cruise.

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

After 9 cruises w/ Celebrity we decided to give Princess a shot. Let me 1st say that we really did not have any great expectations other than good food, a mini-suite and a great time being w/ our friends.

 

Allow me to me to give a brief and concise review.

 

Embarkation- Smoothest of ALL cruises taken. Arrived at port @ 1:15, on ship and in cabin @ 1:25. Plenty of time to see the NFL Playoff games on the MUTS.

 

Mini – Suite: Spacious. Bed very comfortable. Bathtub a plus. Large balcony w/o covering but we enjoyed being in the sun. Bath towels had a lot to be desired.

 

Dining: Shocked to say that the food was every bit as good as Celebrity’s and in some cases it surpassed Celebrity’s. The service was exceptional in all venues especially the Palm Dining Room. Buffet lines were difficult to navigate but food was typical buffet fare. Any time dining is not exactly “anytime” but we learned how to make it work for our party of 4.

 

Highlights:

1. Must do seafood buffet on the 1st evening.

2. Pasta dishes were excellent

3. Beef dishes were very enjoyable.

4. Lobster nite- received three, yes 3 lobster tails WITHOUT asking for. Went well w/ the Beef Wellington.

5. Sushi very good- served @ 2 lunch buffets.

6. Sugar –free desserts were outstanding. No make that “to die for’.

 

Entertainment: Lounges had good to very good performers. We did not go to any “production shows”

 

Disembark- Chaotic AFTER claiming baggage and out of Princess terminal. But we were able to get transportation very quickly.

 

Summary: Guess who “exceeded our expectations”? Our Princess experience was wonderful. We were very happy to look at menus that were not the typical Celebrity fare. The food was beyond what we had hoped for and we can recommend Princess as being a great overall cruising experience. We look forward to cruising w/ Princess again in the near future.

[excitedofharpenden]

Capt, I'm guessing that if you didn't have any great expectations of Princess, it was pretty easy to exceed them;)

 

Glad you enjoyed the experience.

 

Phil

[florisdekort]

We just returned from the PC on the Summit. We loved every moment of it. We have done 5 other cruises on X. We tried Princess once and couldnt get back to X fast enough. Really missed those extra touches. The only time we were ticked off was when we had to leave the ship !!

 

The same here! I tried Princess once for the itinerary (French Polynesia), but it just wasn't my thing. But tastes differ; isn't it a wonderful thing we can all pick our own favorite line and enjoy it? Too bad there are always people who want to force their choice upon others; I don't understand why people come to the Celebrity Board to talk down Celebrity and applaud Princess. I would never do the opposite out of respect for the people who enjoy and love Princess and the first time Princess cruisers who should not see their pre-vacation fun turned into pre-vaction stress about nothing... How many people haven't returned from a Celebrity cruise these past few months and posted something like "I was so worried after reading these boards, BUT we had such a great time...". That's sad and I still don't understand why some get an apparent kick out of doing just that.

 

Floris

[badger71]

our last 4 or 5 cruises have been on celebrity. yes, the president week on millenium is getting old(but i rebooked for next yr because i was able to land an aft cabin),but for me, i would miss the aquaspa for breakfast and lunch and the aft c abins cannot be beat. nothing is perfect, and perhaps the food has slipped a bit, but we still find the little extras x offers to beat out the competition so for now we will stay put princess was a close second for us, then ncl and last was carnival soon as i hit the jackpot, maybe well try crystal or radison, or buy our own :)

[floridacruisers]

After 16 cruises on X, you'd think I would have learned my lesson about them! But no, not me! I get ticked at them every time they tell me I have to leave the ship. Some nerve!!!

It has been my experience you get out of a cruise what you put into it. A smile here. A good morning there always (well, almost always) works. Life's too short.

[Capt]

The same here! I tried Princess once for the itinerary (French Polynesia), but it just wasn't my thing. But tastes differ; isn't it a wonderful thing we can all pick our own favorite line and enjoy it? Too bad there are always people who want to force their choice upon others; I don't understand why people come to the Celebrity Board to talk down Celebrity and applaud Princess. I would never do the opposite out of respect for the people who enjoy and love Princess and the first time Princess cruisers who should not see their pre-vacation fun turned into pre-vaction stress about nothing... How many people haven't returned from a Celebrity cruise these past few months and posted something like "I was so worried after reading these boards, BUT we had such a great time...". That's sad and I still don't understand why some get an apparent kick out of doing just that.

 

Floris

 

Chill out Floris.

 

Not here to shill Princess. Just letting the masses know that, yes, there are options out there.

 

If you feel that you and the rest of this board that you represent are being dissed then I apologize. My comments were not intended to "force my choice" on others nor create "pre-cruise stress".

 

Would I cruise X again? Of course I would. Would I do Princess again? Sure.

Would I try another line? Probably.

Would I post my experience again? Bet on it!

[Captain Cosmo]

Chill out Floris.

 

Not here to shill Princess. Just letting the masses know that, yes, there are options out there.

 

If you feel that you and the rest of this board that you represent are being dissed then I apologize. My comments were not intended to "force my choice" on others nor create "pre-cruise stress".

 

Would I cruise X again? Of course I would. Would I do Princess again? Sure.

Would I try another line? Probably.

Would I post my experience again? Bet on it!

 

Hi Capt.! Thanks for sharing your experience on X and Princess. These boards work best when people are honest about their experiences. For every poster who objects to hearing anything negative there are many more who like to hear all sides of an issue so they can make up their minds for themselves. Keep on postin'!

[Texed]

Not here to shill Princess. Just letting the masses know that, yes, there are options out there.

 

I have cruised Princess twice. They do NOT have waffles. :cool:

[OCruisers]

We need to forget "the good ole days" Crusing has changed regardless of what line we sail. Some of what we miss will never return, some of our dissatifactions comes from repetition. the same thrill just isn't there and last, but not least, all cruise lines have their strong points and week points. Yesterday is gone forever and tomorrow isn't quite here. NMNita

 

:cool: SO AGREE! Great reply! :cool:

 

Happy Sailing! OCruisers :)

[usha]

I have cruised Princess twice. They do NOT have waffles. :cool:

Princess also doesn't have wine stewards, towels by the pool for your use (or overuse:) ), or enough space for everyone onboard. My one Princess cruise was the most crowded vacation experience of my entire life (even more crowded than Disney World!)

Capt, if you enjoyed Princess, more power to you, (especially if that means you're going to be a new regular on the Princess boards.:D )

[kruisecat]

Chill out Floris.

 

Not here to shill Princess. Just letting the masses know that, yes, there are options out there.

 

If you feel that you and the rest of this board that you represent are being dissed then I apologize. My comments were not intended to "force my choice" on others nor create "pre-cruise stress".

 

Would I cruise X again? Of course I would. Would I do Princess again? Sure.

Would I try another line? Probably.

Would I post my experience again? Bet on it!

 

But Capt. don't you think that if you take 15 or more cruises with Princess that you might find that the menu's get tired or that the itins get borring as well? Believe me I'm not a loyalist, I just get a chuckle when people who cruise A LOT expect the cruise lines to constantly change the menus/entertainment/itins. I'm very happy that you had a great experience. I've had a great experience on X and RCCL and would be very happy to try Princess, HAL and even (the dreaded ;) ) Carnival if the pricing itins were right. I don't feel that you were trying to force Princess on anyone but I do feel that you are trying to make the rest of us feel that we should want to try something else.

 

Just my 2 cents

[2ladies]

Great thread - except the posts by those who like to close their ears to opinions about other cruise lines!!

 

I love to hear the comparisons - and the pros and cons of every line.

 

Personally, we don't travel Celebrity any more at present. Just not what it used to be IMHO and we have more fun, equally good food and great 'perks' on RCCL!!!! Also, we very much enjoy the more 'informal' alternative restaurants, Chops and Portofinos!! Sometimes eat there every evening.

 

Princess is certainly not what it used to be either. We noticed a big different pre and post the Carnival takeover. The service has gone downhill since they automatically put tips on the bill - they have removed the incentive to provide good service!! I have heard the excuse about the Anytime Dining impossible for tipping - not true, everyone could be given an envelope to be put in a box upon leaving the Personal Choice Dining Room on the last night!! Same thing!!!

[Capt]

Princess also doesn't have wine stewards, towels by the pool for your use (or overuse:) ), or enough space for everyone onboard. My one Princess cruise was the most crowded vacation experience of my entire life (even more crowded than Disney World!)

Capt, if you enjoyed Princess, more power to you, (especially if that means you're going to be a new regular on the Princess boards.:D )

 

I must agree that we certainly did miss the waffles. Towels... we had no problem getting what we needed. Wine stewards are a nice touch

 

What is good about these boards and more importantly being THE Capt. is having "dual cyber citizenship" on both boards

 

You have swayed me back to X just for the waffles alone.

[dkjretired]

Great thread - except the posts by those who like to close their ears to opinions about other cruise lines!!

 

QUOTE]

 

Didn't see one post in this entire thread where anyone closed their opinions to other cruise lines. As a matter of fact, those who disagreed were very respectful.....

[dbh62ark]

Would I cruise X again? Of course I would. Would I do Princess again? Sure.

Would I try another line? Probably.

Would I post my experience again? Bet on it!

I appreciate all the information that is posted, no matter which cruise line it favors, so that I can make my own decision about what is best for me. Any board member is free to post their opinions, and those who don't like it can respond or can choose to move on. I had great experiences on Princess and would cruise that line again. Thank you for your comments.

 

Donna

[Jimsgirl]

Well , this is where I join the ticked off posters.

 

Maybe I am difficult to deal with , I have this strange affliction that believes the customer neeeds to be kept "pleased"

 

So why am I displeased today. On Friday I put a hold on a cabin on Mercury Nov 2007 Honolulu to Auckland. Custom Air (just for choice of airport near my home and Business class seat on the journey back fromc Aukland due to the length of the flight). Would allow Cruise line to choose air lines, route, and time

 

First hurdle, was a demand to my TA from Celebrity that my request for Custom Air be put in writing (E Mail) TA did this, reply was that the request would take 4 WEEKS to process. Meanwhile paid the deposit, incl a pre cruise stay for one night at Cruise line choice of hotel

Cost $292 for one night as I am a solo passenger. Fine , agreed to that. Hotel was Hawaiian Village.

 

Yesterday afternoon an E Mail from Celebrity to my TA said that the Custom Air request would now take 7 WEEKS to process. Not thrilled but said OK.

 

Last night I pulled up the web page for the Hotel to find that the place has beeen in process of "rebuilding" since Sept 2006, that this will go on until Dec 2007. During my stay, rooms will be torn apart, the reception atrium will be torn apart, and the pool and terrace area will also be torn apart. Trucks, drills, dirt and NOISE - oh yes the "blurb" did say that all the construction work would only be between the hours of 8-5 and dust barriers will be in place!!!!!!

 

So I sent an E Mail to my TA informing him that because of the flight s 7 weeks to process and the construction at the hotel, he was to cancel my booking. I was not going to pay almost $300 to stay on a construction site!

 

Of course the TA is not pleased to lose the booking ( I am prepared to book something else in place of Mercury when I can do the research).

 

What I cannot understand is Celebrity's complete disreagard for their relationship with their loyal passengers. Surely any Dept Manager or CEO should know that passengers do not want to be told "Yea we will deal with your request in about 7 weeks", or " yea the hotel does look like a bomb site in Baghdad, but there is nothing we can do about that , blame the hotel"

 

No I blame Celebrity management, any worthwhile Head of Dept, should be aware of his staffs incompetence. and the hotel construction started over 5 months ago, how long does it take for that to penetrate up to a corner office?

[Capt]

Xers-

 

As you can see, we have been fairly fortunate to have cruised X (9 times) as often as we have. Obviously they have done a lot of good things based on our rate of return.

 

Has X ticked me off? Of course. Has my wife ticked me off? Ditto

Does this make them bad? Unworthy to return to? NO, NO, NO.

 

That being said, the original thread was not an opinion. We all know that opinions are like body parts. Everyone has one and they all stink. This thread originated as an O B S E R V A T I O N.

 

Based on a few replies, to my observation, I question whether CC should start an "X Shill Message Board." That would be pretty ridiculous.

Cruiseline preferences are neither political nor faith based.

 

I feel that as a member of the CC community I have an obligation to help, where I can, to make the the TOTAL cruise experience from booking to disembark, better for ALL of my fellow members

 

In closing we should be VERY thankful that we have a forum that allows us to make our vacation experiences that much easier. I know that I am.

 

Respectfully,

 

CAPT

[bobbyleduck]

Well , this is where I join the ticked off posters.

 

Maybe I am difficult to deal with , I have this strange affliction that believes the customer neeeds to be kept "pleased"

 

So why am I displeased today. On Friday I put a hold on a cabin on Mercury Nov 2007 Honolulu to Auckland. Custom Air (just for choice of airport near my home and Business class seat on the journey back fromc Aukland due to the length of the flight). Would allow Cruise line to choose air lines, route, and time

 

First hurdle, was a demand to my TA from Celebrity that my request for Custom Air be put in writing (E Mail) TA did this, reply was that the request would take 4 WEEKS to process. Meanwhile paid the deposit, incl a pre cruise stay for one night at Cruise line choice of hotel

Cost $292 for one night as I am a solo passenger. Fine , agreed to that. Hotel was Hawaiian Village.

 

Yesterday afternoon an E Mail from Celebrity to my TA said that the Custom Air request would now take 7 WEEKS to process. Not thrilled but said OK.

 

Last night I pulled up the web page for the Hotel to find that the place has beeen in process of "rebuilding" since Sept 2006, that this will go on until Dec 2007. During my stay, rooms will be torn apart, the reception atrium will be torn apart, and the pool and terrace area will also be torn apart. Trucks, drills, dirt and NOISE - oh yes the "blurb" did say that all the construction work would only be between the hours of 8-5 and dust barriers will be in place!!!!!!

 

So I sent an E Mail to my TA informing him that because of the flight s 7 weeks to process and the construction at the hotel, he was to cancel my booking. I was not going to pay almost $300 to stay on a construction site!

 

Of course the TA is not pleased to lose the booking ( I am prepared to book something else in place of Mercury when I can do the research).

 

What I cannot understand is Celebrity's complete disreagard for their relationship with their loyal passengers. Surely any Dept Manager or CEO should know that passengers do not want to be told "Yea we will deal with your request in about 7 weeks", or " yea the hotel does look like a bomb site in Baghdad, but there is nothing we can do about that , blame the hotel"

 

No I blame Celebrity management, any worthwhile Head of Dept, should be aware of his staffs incompetence. and the hotel construction started over 5 months ago, how long does it take for that to penetrate up to a corner office?

 

You are right in making a change. The Hilton Hawaiian Village is a mess. My wife and I just visited Hawaii and walked around and through the Hawaiian Village, and they couldn't have paid me to stay there, not to mention try to over charge for the "opportunity." Given the information about the hotel, I don't see why Celebrity doesn't book people in a different place.

 

Why don't you book your flight and hotel on your own? I do that whenever I cruise and have done so for our upcoming Panama Canal cruise on Infinity.

 

Bob

[jer_l]

Five Celebrity cruises in six years and they have never ticked me off.

[Sky Sweet]

For the most part, we have received excellent service aboard all our Celebrity Cruises, and have had no problems with their land based services either.

 

In fact, when our cruise had not been cancelled after a considerable period of time had lapsed from my verbal and written requests to our TA to do so, I called Celebrity to express my concern and asked if we had any recourse with them. Celebrity then informed me that our reservation had not yet been cancelled by the TA, and they could accept the request directly from me because I booked that cruise through a TA. However, they did call the TA on my behalf while I was on hold, and took care of the problem for me. Within a day from that call to Celebrity, our deposit for that cancelled cruise was credited to our charge card.

 

I may be a little disappointed that a few things that I enjoyed in the past such as Bridge, are no longer being offered on cruises that have less than 4 seas days. Yet, I also realize that it is only natural for Celebrity to consider what the majority of their passengers want, and Bridge is not as popular with young adults as it is with baby boomers.

[Susan-M]

However, they did call the TA on my behalf while I was on hold, and took care of the problem for me. Within a day from that call to Celebrity, our deposit for that cancelled cruise was credited to our charge card.

 

 

Hi Sky Sweet - glad to hear that you were able to get your cancellation processed ..... did you still have to submit the $200 to your TA in advance of this being done?

[Sky Sweet]

Hi Sky Sweet - glad to hear that you were able to get your cancellation processed ..... did you still have to submit the $200 to your TA in advance of this being done?

 

Thank you, Susan M. When I sent my cancellation letter to the TA, I had enclosed a check for the TA's $200.00 cancellation fee at the time. That was before I called Celebrity.

[Susan-M]

Thank you, Susan M. When I sent my cancellation letter to the TA, I had enclosed a check for the TA's $200.00 cancellation fee at the time. That was before I called Celebrity.

 

It was nice of Celebrity to deal with it while you were on the phone :) Do you have a 'replacement cruise' in mind?

[TeaBag]

Jim's girl, if you are still reading this thread, we are on the cruise you had booked (Mercury Nov 23, 2007 Honolulu to Auckland). We are also booked on the next sailing, Auckland to Sydney. We did our air deviation this week. When I called Celebrity on Monday they told me too, that we had to have written email from the TA. We gave her the specifics and she sumitted it. Today, we received the good news that they are allowing the flights we asked for and there is no extra charge. I wish you had given them a bit more time. I should say also that we are saving about $1000 each on what we could have booked ourselves. We are basically needing two one ways which the airlines soak you for if you do it on your own.

[rubrrick]

And I thought that was my complaint...

 

 

For every trip on X I get $200 for booking on board and $250 for owning the stock...

Carnival policy against double dipping: Princess and HAL don't allow both credits on the same sailing.. That extra dough is worth laundry and internet credits.

 

Celebrity is not perfect. They have ticked me off over the years but so have the other lines. For every person leaving the X-fold there is a guest on Princess or HAL (etc) coming to X.

No matter what you choose for your cruising pleasure... find the one that suits your own tastes and let the cruise lines know how to improve their product.... Competition is great for all of us.

 

Arno..........we also enjoy the "double dipping"! If loyal members were leaving, why is it so hard to get a cabin I want..........unless I book it at least one year out????:rolleyes: