If you could change just one thing (or two)...

[caviargal]

[quote name='Celebritymania']Thanks for explaining why you prefer Holland-America. With Celebrity no longer doing the Mexican Riviera, I might do Holland-America more frequently (as I will next April).

.[/quote]

Donald, I was on Oosterdam last month to the Mexican Riviera. Great mix of passengers, the disco was hopping and the staff was terrific. Food was very good as well.

[Kapricorn]

[quote name='caviargal']Donald, I was on Oosterdam last month to the Mexican Riviera. Great mix of passengers, the disco was hopping and the staff was terrific. Food was very good as well.[/quote]

Caviargal, I also did the Mexican Riviera on the Oosterdam last November. It was exactly as you said, especially the staff!:)

[MrsKinsey]

I would love if Celebrity would actually follow through with what they print in the dailies. (i.e. saying that a pool attendant will remove a chair hog's belongings only to be told by a pool attendant that even though it is in the dailies, it isn't their policy! :eek: ).

Celeste

[GORDONCHICK]

I thought of one more thing - an almond croissant on my pillow instead of the truffle. I'm not a big chocolate person, but I love those croissants!

[ezcheezy]

What do you folks think of South Pacific itineraries??????

Regent's Paul Gauguin is there but it is quite expensive. Windstar pulled out, and Princess has removed her Tahitian Princess during the summer (Tahiti's best weather)

Would love to see more of Tahiti, the Cook Islands, Marquesas, and Fiji.

[Andy]

Hi Everyone !

I will pick the "two things to change" option.... but I have about 100 things to change :) .

1. I would like to feel more appreciated by Celebrity. I feel management has a case of the "less is more" mentality right now, and I feel they need to get back to taking the very best care of their passengers, ESPECIALLY their best customers. This is simple business common sense, but I feel Celebrity is losing sight of this badly. They desperately need to revamp Captains Club, and add new benefits for ALL levels, and add a new level (how about calling it Captains Level) for those who have sailed 25 or more Cruises. They should also get rid of those horrible coupon books, and come up with a better plan. I have countless ideas on how to make Captains Club and onboard benefits work much better. I truly wish Celebrity would ask my opinions. Trust me, we would all be happy with the results !

2. I know this probably wont happen anytime soon, but I would like to see Celebrity pay a little more attention to the Caribbean region. Over the next 2 years, Celebrity's options are extremely limited, and the Caribbean season is as short as I have ever seen. I totally realize there is more money to be made in Europe as of **this moment**, but I strongly feel that every cruise line is overdeploying there, and there will be a glut of ships in Europe, especially in Winter '08. Most every cruise line is putting everything they have in Europe in 2008/2009. When cruise lines put all their eggs in one basket, that usually turns out to be a mistake. I find it interesting that some of Celebrity Europe sailings are on Happy hour of late. I wonder just how strong Europe is, and with many of the newer ships headed there, the competition will only get tougher for Celebrity.

I am a big believer of buying low and selling high. This would be a good time for Celebrity to buy low in the Caribbean region. Has anyone looked at prices in the Caribbean this Summer ? They are high. Why ? because there arent many options. I am not suggesting they do anything radical. By taking 1 more ship and having it spend more time in the Caribbean would make a difference. With the lack of ships in the Caribbean, I feel Celebrity should do quite well with it. Hopefully, as the Solstice Class is deployed, this problem will be resolved.

Let's hope Celebrity is listening.

[Lois R]

[quote name='Host Andy']Hi Everyone !

I will pick the "two things to change" option.... but I have about 100 things to change :) .

1. I would like to feel more appreciated by Celebrity. I feel management has a case of the "less is more" mentality right now, and I feel they need to get back to taking the very best care of their passengers, ESPECIALLY their best customers. This is simple business common sense, but I feel Celebrity is losing sight of this badly. They desperately need to revamp Captains Club, and add new benefits for ALL levels, and add a new level (how about calling it Captains Level) for those who have sailed 25 or more Cruises. They should also get rid of those horrible coupon books, and come up with a better plan. I have countless ideas on how to make Captains Club and onboard benefits work much better. I truly wish Celebrity would ask my opinions. Trust me, we would all be happy with the results !

2. I know this probably wont happen anytime soon, but I would like to see Celebrity pay a little more attention to the Caribbean region. Over the next 2 years, Celebrity's options are extremely limited, and the Caribbean season is as short as I have ever seen. I totally realize there is more money to be made in Europe as of **this moment**, but I strongly feel that every cruise line is overdeploying there, and there will be a glut of ships in Europe, especially in Winter '08. Most every cruise line is putting everything they have in Europe in 2008/2009. When cruise lines put all their eggs in one basket, that usually turns out to be a mistake. I find it interesting that some of Celebrity Europe sailings are on Happy hour of late. I wonder just how strong Europe is, and with many of the newer ships headed there, the competition will only get tougher for Celebrity.

I am a big believer of buying low and selling high. This would be a good time for Celebrity to buy low in the Caribbean region. Has anyone looked at prices in the Caribbean this Summer ? They are high. Why ? because there arent many options. I am not suggesting they do anything radical. By taking 1 more ship and having it spend more time in the Caribbean would make a difference. With the lack of ships in the Caribbean, I feel Celebrity should do quite well with it. Hopefully, as the Solstice Class is deployed, this problem will be resolved.

Let's hope Celebrity is listening.[/quote]

Hi Andy..so good to see you on here:D and per usual,
You have an intelligent voice of reason. Your suggestions
are top notch (in my opinion):).
Maybe someone in a higher place will see them and take
action?

[Karynanne]

Andy, I have to echo your thoughts exactly, on creating a "Captain's Level" for those with 25 more cruises with Celebrity.

Acknowledgement and appreciation are the values that everyone wants to feel...whether it's in your personal life, or your cruising life. And if Celebrity wants to really retain their loyal past passengers, they will do "something" to reflect their attentions.

Karyn

[Andy]

[quote name='Karynanne']Andy, I have to echo your thoughts exactly, on creating a "Captain's Level" for those with 25 more cruises with Celebrity.

Acknowledgement and appreciation are the values that everyone wants to feel...whether it's in your personal life, or your cruising life. And if Celebrity wants to really retain their loyal past passengers, they will do "something" to reflect their attentions.

Karyn[/QUOTE]

Hi Karyn !

Thank you. That was exactly my point. In my industry, I work on 100% commissions. When I am on the phone with my clients, I NEVER end the call without saying "Thank you for your business. Your loyalty... it is very much appreciated".... even when they did not do any commissions with me that day ! I feel it is always a MUST to let your customers know their business is appreciated. Sadly, I am just not getting that feeling with Celebrity right now, and they should address it.

[Kapricorn]

[quote name='Host Andy']They desperately need to revamp Captains Club, and add new benefits for ALL levels, and add a new level (how about calling it Captains Level) for those who have sailed 25 or more Cruises. They should also get rid of those horrible coupon books, and come up with a better plan[/quote]

I always toss those coupon books into the trash can when I enter my cabin on the first day. I wish, though, that there is a recycling bin in each cabin for waste paper, like on Holland-America ships.

Great idea about Captains Level. There are more people entering the Elite level (I became one after my last cruise), and eventually it will be necessary to split that group in two. I still have the Mercury's program from November 21, 2005, and it reported that there were 56 Elite, 166 Select and 352 Classic members on that cruise. I would imagine that by now these numbers would be higher, if not double.

Donald.

[Brad1185]

I think they should ease up in the speciality restaurants and allow you to order more than 3 items.

[traveller333]

Andy,
I enjoyed reading your take on this thread. I may be in the great minority here but in my case, I feel like I am so over going to the Caribbean. It's just become way too crowded and commercialized IMO. I would rather travel less often but go somewhere more exotic such as Asia or Africa or just enjoy the beauty of somewhere like the Chilean Fjords than continue going to the Caribbean with thousands of other tourist all in port the same day. Again, this is just one cruiser's opinion which is what makes life interesting.

[Lois R]

[quote name='traveller333']Andy,
I enjoyed reading your take on this thread. I may be in the great minority here but in my case, I feel like I am so over going to the Caribbean. It's just become way too crowded and commercialized IMO. I would rather travel less often but go somewhere more exotic such as Asia or Africa or just enjoy the beauty of somewhere like the Chilean Fjords than continue going to the Caribbean with thousands of other tourist all in port the same day. Again, this is just one cruiser's opinion which is what makes life interesting.[/quote]

Hi traveller:) we are all individuals and of course you can
have that opinion. As you stated, that is what makes life
interesting. I agree with that statement.;)

I am on the opposite end of the opinion though about the
Caribbean. I still love it and if there is a port that is too crowded
for me, I will just stay on the ship:D. The ship can be my destination.
I wish I had the $$$ to go on an exotic itinerary like those
Chilean Fjords you mentioned. But it is not possible.

They used to have CENTURY sail from FLL all year round
and I believe she sailed full every week.
It would be nice if they had 1 ship doing it...thats all, just 1.
Lets see what Solstice brings.

[kehlx2]

[quote name='B4andAFT']Eliminate informal nights. Stick to formal and casual.[/quote]

I agree with this--for informal I am always torn as to what to wear---so I wear same pants/skirts for formal--but no glittzy tops or dresses..it is a confusing thing this informal..anyway thats how I go

[Drew B]

[quote name='traveller333']Andy,
I enjoyed reading your take on this thread. I may be in the great minority here but in my case, I feel like I am so over going to the Caribbean. It's just become way too crowded and commercialized IMO. I would rather travel less often but go somewhere more exotic such as Asia or Africa or just enjoy the beauty of somewhere like the Chilean Fjords than continue going to the Caribbean with thousands of other tourist all in port the same day. Again, this is just one cruiser's opinion which is what makes life interesting.[/quote]

That is a common response from veteran cruisers. Some of us who are newer to cruising or cruise less often, though, don't have the same experience. I've cruised only three times and have NEVER done the Caribbean. Also, with work it is nearly impossible to take off the 2 weeks + required for Europe or Australia or South America. The Caribbean would be far more manageable, especially since X stopped doing Mexican Riviera, too... I don't think they necessarily need to have four ships in Europe and three ships in Alaska all Summer. They could move one little C-Class ship to the Caribbean and make even more people happy.

[flagger]

1. Laundry facilities on board especially for longer cruises.

2. A buffet in the evenings. It is sort of silly to have to decide by 5:30 if I want to sit in the casual blvd.

3. The option for anytime dining.

4. Sodas included in the price of the cruise.

5. A port expert who didn't try to sell me on a particular ShorEx or jewelry store.

[shawn&angie]

[quote name='Host Andy']Hi Everyone !

I will pick the "two things to change" option.... but I have about 100 things to change :) .

1. I would like to feel more appreciated by Celebrity. I feel management has a case of the "less is more" mentality right now, and I feel they need to get back to taking the very best care of their passengers, ESPECIALLY their best customers. This is simple business common sense, but I feel Celebrity is losing sight of this badly. They desperately need to revamp Captains Club, and add new benefits for ALL levels, and add a new level (how about calling it Captains Level) for those who have sailed 25 or more Cruises. They should also get rid of those horrible coupon books, and come up with a better plan. I have countless ideas on how to make Captains Club and onboard benefits work much better. I truly wish Celebrity would ask my opinions. Trust me, we would all be happy with the results !

2. I know this probably wont happen anytime soon, but I would like to see Celebrity pay a little more attention to the Caribbean region. Over the next 2 years, Celebrity's options are extremely limited, and the Caribbean season is as short as I have ever seen. I totally realize there is more money to be made in Europe as of **this moment**, but I strongly feel that every cruise line is overdeploying there, and there will be a glut of ships in Europe, especially in Winter '08. Most every cruise line is putting everything they have in Europe in 2008/2009. When cruise lines put all their eggs in one basket, that usually turns out to be a mistake. I find it interesting that some of Celebrity Europe sailings are on Happy hour of late. I wonder just how strong Europe is, and with many of the newer ships headed there, the competition will only get tougher for Celebrity.

I am a big believer of buying low and selling high. This would be a good time for Celebrity to buy low in the Caribbean region. Has anyone looked at prices in the Caribbean this Summer ? They are high. Why ? because there arent many options. I am not suggesting they do anything radical. By taking 1 more ship and having it spend more time in the Caribbean would make a difference. With the lack of ships in the Caribbean, I feel Celebrity should do quite well with it. Hopefully, as the Solstice Class is deployed, this problem will be resolved.

Let's hope Celebrity is listening.[/QUOTE]

When a ship is not full, what about automatically upgrading their "best customers" to the next highest room level on the day of arrival?

[Andy]

[quote name='shawn&angie']When a ship is not full, what about automatically upgrading their "best customers" to the next highest room level on the day of arrival?[/QUOTE]

Hi Shawn & Angie !

That's another frustrating item with me. Unfortunately, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity decided a few years ago, to charge for last minute upgrades at the Pier, instead of offering complimentary upgrades. It makes perfect sense.... why not charge for something you would normally give away for free.... Right ? My opinion ? WRONG.

The few dollars they are taking in at the Pier should be forgotten, and they should go with the last minute upgrades. This would make their most loyal Customers VERY happy, and go a long way towards the customer remaining extremely loyal and happy. IMHO, you cant put a price on that !

Imagine getting a call from Celebrity, and them saying "Thank you Host Andy for your loyalty. We see you are sailing on (fill in name of ship) this week. We wanted to thank you for sailing with us X times, and we are upgrading you from a Balcony to a Suite". Wouldnt that thrill all of us ? How difficult is it for Celebrity to see the benefits of this ? IMHO, its a win-win for everyone !

I have suggested this to Celebrity many times in the past. If you recall in my earlier post, I mentioned I have many ideas for a new level called "Captains Level". I have compiled a list of numerous ideas for the new level. This happens to be one of the items I have on my list. Perhaps they will call me someday :)

[judyfssw]

I would like to see a more responsive customer service. The Celebrity Captain's Club site invites people to contact them via email which I did last week. I guess they won't be replying. Too bad for me. So sad for not caring about us.

[Kapricorn]

[quote name='Host Andy']Imagine getting a call from Celebrity, and them saying "Thank you Host Andy for your loyalty. We see you are sailing on (fill in name of ship) this week. We wanted to thank you for sailing with us X times, and we are upgrading you from a Balcony to a Suite". Wouldnt that thrill all of us ? How difficult is it for Celebrity to see the benefits of this ? IMHO, its a win-win for everyone ![/quote]

Andy, I've been on the [I]Mercury[/I] seven times and never once been invited to the Captain's Table. I will be on the ship again next July, and in November 2008 and February 2009. Will that give me an invitation? I will be shocked speechless if I ever get one ...

Donald.

[Andy]

[quote name='Celebritymania']Andy, I've been on the [I]Mercury[/I] seven times and never once been invited to the Captain's Table. I will be on the ship again next July, and in November 2008 and February 2009. Will that give me an invitation? I will be shocked speechless if I ever get one ...

Donald.[/QUOTE]

Hi Donald !

I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I wouldnt expect the invite. The possibility of being invited to the Captains table has been dropped from the list of Captains Club benefits.

I wouldnt let it bother you. Mercury is a wonderful ship, and I am sure you will have a great time. Enjoy your Cruise !

[Kapricorn]

[quote name='Host Andy']Hi Donald !

I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I wouldnt expect the invite. The possibility of being invited to the Captains table has been dropped from the list of Captains Club benefits.

I wouldnt let it bother you. Mercury is a wonderful ship, and I am sure you will have a great time. Enjoy your Cruise ![/quote]

Nah, I ain't gonna let it bother me. :) The [I]Mercury[/I] still will be my favourite ship.

[shawn&angie]

[quote name='Host Andy']Hi Shawn & Angie !

That's another frustrating item with me. Unfortunately, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity decided a few years ago, to charge for last minute upgrades at the Pier, instead of offering complimentary upgrades. It makes perfect sense.... why not charge for something you would normally give away for free.... Right ? My opinion ? WRONG.

The few dollars they are taking in at the Pier should be forgotten, and they should go with the last minute upgrades. This would make their most loyal Customers VERY happy, and go a long way towards the customer remaining extremely loyal and happy. IMHO, you cant put a price on that !

Imagine getting a call from Celebrity, and them saying "Thank you Host Andy for your loyalty. We see you are sailing on (fill in name of ship) this week. We wanted to thank you for sailing with us X times, and we are upgrading you from a Balcony to a Suite". Wouldnt that thrill all of us ? How difficult is it for Celebrity to see the benefits of this ? IMHO, its a win-win for everyone !

I have suggested this to Celebrity many times in the past. If you recall in my earlier post, I mentioned I have many ideas for a new level called "Captains Level". I have compiled a list of numerous ideas for the new level. This happens to be one of the items I have on my list. Perhaps they will call me someday :)[/QUOTE]

Andy,

Angie and I both were happy to get your response. Though we took a break from cruising for a few years to experience some resort vacations, we are back! I sailed with RCCL this last time and had a few issues based on how things had changed from cruising in the early 90s (most of which mentioned in this thread).

To your point, though X has the same parent company as RCCL we were very open minded to trying a different line this time (11/07). We would have, however maintained our loyalty if RCCL had they upgraded us as we requested on our last cruise or they showed us some other significant loyalty benefit. They are doing more things like this in the Resort Arena!

We could tell you are very passionate about this topic, I share it as well. After our last cruise during spring break (only time we had available, only by chance we have no children) I wrote a 7 page letter to RCCL which gotten a "canned" response! I would cruise with them again but it will not be the first place I look....they have lost my loyalty!

Shawn & Angie

[caviargal]

[quote name='Host Andy']Hi Shawn & Angie !

That's another frustrating item with me. Unfortunately, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity decided a few years ago, to charge for last minute upgrades at the Pier, instead of offering complimentary upgrades. It makes perfect sense.... why not charge for something you would normally give away for free.... Right ? My opinion ? WRONG.

The few dollars they are taking in at the Pier should be forgotten, and they should go with the last minute upgrades. This would make their most loyal Customers VERY happy, and go a long way towards the customer remaining extremely loyal and happy. IMHO, you cant put a price on that !

:)[/quote]

Andy, RCI is much more generous with upgrades for their most frequent guests. We were upgraded to a Jr. Suite from a standard balcony last December. The cost differential was 800pp at the time we booked so we were thrilled!

I am Diamond Plus and that gets me some very nice perks. We have priority check in, balcony discounts, a very useful coupon book which we actually use, the Concierge Lounge, priority tendering, priority debarkation and special cocktail parties. We also have a bridge tour invitation and some lovely gifts in the cabin.

I truly wish I enjoyed RCI as their perks are pretty darn good and a huge step up from X. But, the onboard ambiance is just not my style.:(

[lysolqn]

This thread contains a host of reasonable ideas, any one of which, if implemented, could improve on the already great Celebrity experience. Surely the "suits" in Miami are capable of coming up with a similar if not more inticing list but for some strange reason, simply choose not to. I can't believe it all boils down to $$$ because some of the ideas would cost the line absolutely nothing.