BIG Announcement from Celebrity

[6MonthsHere6MonthsThere]

Shares down 30cents within 2 minutes of annoucement:( :eek:

[StknCPA]

Shares down 30cents within 2 minutes of annoucement:( :eek:

 

Do you interpret that to be a nonevent or to be significant?

[1cruiselvr]

Yahoo! I'm going on a luxury cruise ship! HEEHEE Well I did learn that I will be getting a free dinner in one of the alternative DRs included in the price of my cruise. That's nice to know. BTW we are on the first Quest sailing in October. Happy Sailing!

[Sky Sweet]

nah, I was able to get back on and nothing yet. Nothing on RCCL either.

 

Someone posted on the RCCL section of Cruise Critic that RCI is creating a new company for Journey and Quest, so it will not be part of the Celebrity Fleet, as originally announced.

[Richard Stein]

Went to both Seatrade Insider News and the Celebrity website prior to coming here at 1:30 EST today and where is the news? Sounds like a hoax to me. We first heard this on May 1st, did he think it was April?

[tom_uk]

This all makes a lot of sense. We've already commented here (in other threads) about the differences in policy between traditional Celebrity ships and Journey/Quest, and the possible difficulty in marketing this mixed message. This tidies it up considerably. Now they're free to let Celebrity itself drift downmarket a bit, and push Azamara.

[Host Kewlguy]

Didn't the undercover person say three announcements? The press release earlier would only count as one.

[chessbriar]

why would anyone want to make a world cruise in one of those small cabins that R built on their ships? I think inside a month one would develop claustrophobia big time. Unless the price of these so-called luxury trips is commensurate with the cabin size, seems to me that world cruisers would continue to flock to Cunard and HAL for comfort if nothing else. Sounds like a lot of PR; will have to wait to see if there is substance to match:(

You can do a world cruise without having it be 100 days long. You book it in smaller segments 2-3 weeks long. Other lines do it that way. I think Princess runs a ship like that

 

I hope they include laudry facilites.

[6MonthsHere6MonthsThere]

Do you interpret that to be a nonevent or to be significant?

 

In my opinion, they were not too encouraged by the annoucement,

[AstridSJ]

For some of you, who might have missed Andy's or my posting of the link to the article on page 5, here it is again

 

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070504/clf053.html?.v=64

[StknCPA]

<snip> Now they're free to let Celebrity itself drift downmarket a bit... <snip>

 

Great. I hope not.

[chessbriar]

Didn't the undercover person say three announcements? The press release earlier would only count as one.

I could see it as 2 as there will be world cruises.

 

And maybe Journey and Quest each count at one story. There we go, we just made 3.

[1cruiselvr]

I don't think Undercover meant 3 press releases, I think he meant 3 announcements within it.

1. New luxury cruiseline - Amazara

2. World Cruise

3. New webpage

I think I got it all. Happy Sailing!

[cruiseacecat]

Hi All,

 

Is anyone else concerned about what this means for the original Celebrity product? Many of us have commented on the cost cutting that seems to be taking place. I would hate to see Celebrity edge down another notch.

[Andy]

Went to both Seatrade Insider News and the Celebrity website prior to coming here at 1:30 EST today and where is the news? Sounds like a hoax to me. We first heard this on May 1st, did he think it was April?

 

Hi Richard !

 

It's official. The news is at Royal Caribbean's website. Here is the link, if you do not have it already.

 

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=103045&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=996028&highlight=

[JORAY]

Next question (we are booked on the Journey in Feb '08)

 

With the just announced introduction of AZAMARA cruises, will our Celebrity Elite membership transfer over to AZAMARA? :confused:

 

What is confusing is this head line Celebrity Cruises Presents New, Deluxe Cruise Line: Azamara Cruises

 

I know if we book RCCL it does transfer.

 

Ray

[sueclark]

Another tidbit. For those people that are already booked on Journey or Quest, their Captains Club numbers and level will transfer over to AZAMARA. She didn't know whether this would be true for new bookings.

[StknCPA]

In my opinion, they were not too encouraged by the annoucement,

 

Finally, an uptick. Let's see what is next...

 

Frankly, I was surprised it didn't move more after the earnings announcements the other day...

[Host Kewlguy]

I don't think Undercover meant 3 press releases, I think he meant 3 announcements within it.

1. New luxury cruiseline - Amazara

2. World Cruise

3. New webpage

I think I got it all. Happy Sailing!

 

All I know is I'm still waiting for the announcement for the Captain's Club enhancements.

[6MonthsHere6MonthsThere]

All I know is I'm still waiting for the announcement for the Captain's Club enhancements.

 

Me too Kewlguy:cool:

 

John.

[Host Kewlguy]

i have provided clues for 2 of the 3...I will give you another one. A certain Country will not be happy or it will be happy with the fact that no ships or there will be ships calling it a port of call.

 

That is the 3rd clue to the 3rd topic to be discussed

 

What was in today's press release that pertains to this post?

[1cruiselvr]

here's the answer about Captain Club membership under Azamara's new website:

our Captain's Club membership falls into one of three levels. To qualify for enrollment, you must complete one sailing on Azamara or Celebrity Cruises.

So it appears that nothing has changed. Happy Sailing!

[tom_uk]

Great. I hope not.

 

So do I, Mike, but it's hard to see how the traditional Celebrity experience will work on the Solstice class ships.

 

I have a feeling that the way it's going is this: RCI = budget/mass-market; Celebrity = mass-market + a little bit; Azamara = Premium.

[6502programmer]

I have a feeling that the way it's going is this: RCI = budget/mass-market; Celebrity = mass-market + a little bit; Azamara = Premium.

 

Is that really any different, with the exception of no Azamara, of where things are now? I've booked my first cruise, and chose Celebrity because it's a combination of value and service. Those who stray to value go to RCI (or further into the mass market world), those who want to spend for service will got to Azamara. Sounds like a win-win, if you're willing to pay for it. The only challenge will be buying into an expensive market with a completely new brand. They'll need to sell to the well-heeled on the shoulders of "we've been around, so we know what we're doing" while overcoming the mass market perception on the part of the target audience.

 

A tough row to hoe indeed, if you ask me, but not an impossible one. To me, this makes perfect sense. Just like Saturn, Hummer, and Cadillac are all different incarnations of the same company, so too are Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, and now Azamara.

[Stock Cop]

This new news does not really grab me that much. :cool:

For a long cruise (20 days or more) I would prefer Regent over Journey or Quest. The ships are the same size (700 pax) but on Regent ALL cabins are suites with balcony, plus All-Inclusive on wine, etc. The smallest cabin on Regent is 300 sq ft (inc balcony) so who would want to spend a long voyage in a chicken coop cabin like those on the R-Class sized ships?

 

Just my opinion so don't get in a Celebrity uproar (common here sometimes) :eek:

 

Rich :cool: