What would make X better? My Ideas

[bobbyleduck]

duck, Don't see how your suggestion would make Celebrity better.

 

But, tell you what - give us your mailing address and the rest of us will send you postcards from all our fabulous travels :D

 

Sorry you won't be doing any more happy cruising :(

 

You reminded me of this, so you are about to hear my biggest complaint with Celebrity and it has to do with...Drum roll please!

 

POST CARDS

We cruised aboard Infinity last March and my wife mailed 10 post cards from the ship, at various times, and only one arrived at its destination. In December, aboard Millennium, my wife was so disappointed that her previous post cards didn't arrive that she didn't want to send any. I persuaded her to send one, and guess what? It never arrived.

 

What's up with that. Celebrity deducts the postage from our account, takes her post cards and then what? Dumps them in the ocean? Uses them to fuel the ship? I don't know, but they just don't arrive where they're sent.

 

Anyway, that is truly my biggest complaint. And, you know what? We just won't send any post cards on future cruises. Problem solved!

 

Happy cruising to all!

 

Bob

[debihen]

What about those of us who do not drink coffee, or alcohol...I would hate to have to pay for something I will not be partaking in.

[Brucen]

What about those of us who do not drink coffee, or alcohol...I would hate to have to pay for something I will not be partaking in.

 

Debihen,

 

Please do not think I am not picking specifically on you, your point of view or your post. I am using your post to try to make a point. I hope you will not be offended.

 

Do you go to EVERY show on the ship? Do you see every classical quartet performance? Do you eat some of EVERYTHING in every food venue? Do you play all the Bingo games? Do you work out in the gym? Do you use the running track or the basketball court?

 

All of these "free" things have costs and we all pay for them whether we "want" them or not. It is just a matter of what the cruise line chooses to include versus what they choose to charge extra for.

 

The point is that every time we take a cruise on ANY line we pay for food, beverages and experiences that we do not participate in. The title of this thread was "What would make X better?" Other posters are trying to make the point that better coffee (for instance) should not cost much to provide but would enhance the overall cruise experience. I never go to the gym (I SHOULD!!!) but I understand that the gym enhances many other peoples experience. I am sure the gym costs FAR more to maintain than providing better coffee would cost. If other passengers are happier because of the gym, hopefully these happier gym goers will be more fun to be on a cruise with. Maybe better coffee would make for happier, more friendly fellow passengers and that is good for all.

 

The point I was trying to make in a post toward the beginning of this thread is it is all about trade offs. Gym or coffee. Smoking or non smoking. Better library or livelier night life. Every cruise line needs to define the demographic they hope to serve and figure out how to best serve THAT demographic. There is no way to please everyone. I think the issue is that many feel X may have lost sight of what they are or what demographic they are trying to serve. I have always thought they provided a GREAT product for the money. I will see if I still feel that way after my October Conny cruise.

 

Sorry to be so long winded...............

 

Best,

Bruce

[SusieV]

Immediately bring in "secret cruisers" whose comments on all aspects will go to the CEO (and only the CEO ) so that he will immediately become aware of "problem" areas BEFORE they are "concealed" by staff on board or "shredded" minions at HO

 

Now this, I can agree with! I'm a mystery shopper for several companies and I think it boosts service tremendously by sampling how a random customer is treated.

 

I'm sure there are lots of MSPA certified mystery shoppers who would be happy to shop a cruise line paying only, say, air, taxes, and port fees. There might be specific requirements like dining at a specialty restaurant or frequenting other locations (certain lounges, etc) to evaluate timing and quality of service, but that shouldn't be an issue for an experienced shopper.

 

They could also have mystery shoppers evaluate the customer call centre precruise for service and product knowledge. This is certainly an area that could use some improvement!

 

Getting that feedback quickly would help the cruiseline be proactive and responsive to problems and improve customer service and satisfaction.

 

I'm not sure that reports would have to go to the CEO, though. I'm sure that the Hotel Manager would probably be high enough to solve onboard issues, with a copy of the report going to someone important at head office as well.

[debihen]

Debihen,

 

Please do not think I am not picking specifically on you, your point of view or your post. I am using your post to try to make a point. I hope you will not be offended.

 

Do you go to EVERY show on the ship? Do you see every classical quartet performance? Do you eat some of EVERYTHING in every food venue? Do you play all the Bingo games? Do you work out in the gym? Do you use the running track or the basketball court?

 

All of these "free" things have costs and we all pay for them whether we "want" them or not. It is just a matter of what the cruise line chooses to include versus what they choose to charge extra for.

 

The point is that every time we take a cruise on ANY line we pay for food, beverages and experiences that we do not participate in. The title of this thread was "What would make X better?" Other posters are trying to make the point that better coffee (for instance) should not cost much to provide but would enhance the overall cruise experience. I never go to the gym (I SHOULD!!!) but I understand that the gym enhances many other peoples experience. I am sure the gym costs FAR more to maintain than providing better coffee would cost. If other passengers are happier because of the gym, hopefully these happier gym goers will be more fun to be on a cruise with. Maybe better coffee would make for happier, more friendly fellow passengers and that is good for all.

 

The point I was trying to make in a post toward the beginning of this thread is it is all about trade offs. Gym or coffee. Smoking or non smoking. Better library or livelier night life. Every cruise line needs to define the demographic they hope to serve and figure out how to best serve THAT demographic. There is no way to please everyone. I think the issue is that many feel X may have lost sight of what they are or what demographic they are trying to serve. I have always thought they provided a GREAT product for the money. I will see if I still feel that way after my October Conny cruise.

 

Sorry to be so long winded...............

 

Best,

Bruce

 

Exactly why things should remain "pay for it if you want it". I do not want a carafe of wine with dinner, so guess what? I don't buy it. I don't want coffee/espresso after dinner, so, you guessed it, I don't buy it. I would love a massage in the spa, so hey! Why don't I buy that? What? There's a casino?? Wow, I will definitely be dropping a few dollars there...my prerogative. I'm no dummy, I know that "free" isn't really free, but to ask me to pay for wine/coffee when I do not consume it is, well...ludicrous. It would be like forcing you to pay for a spa treatment that you will not use.

[Xelcaz]

We certainly haven't taken as many cruises as many of you out there, but here's a few suggestions, and hopefully X is listening;

 

Raise the fare $20-30/guest/day. $140-210 on a 7 day, $280-350 on a 14 day. Wow, I know that's not going to be popular, but ....

 

Now, use that money to stop nickel and diming me everywhere;

> Start brewing coffee. What they serve right now is a pretty sad attempt at it.

> Give us a small carafe of wine with dinner (per couple). We dont need a full bottle, who knows, maybe we'll want more, and lord knows how cheap wine really is (duty free). I'm not talking full-on open bar on the ship, I'd just like some wine with dinner w/o having to pull out the ol' charge card every night.

> Offer me an espresso / cappuccino after dinner, make my dinner special, not another excuse to pull out the shipboard charge card.

> Increase the money spent on food slightly, not a lot, and add some WOW to the meals. Offer one or two dishes/night with some stronger flavours, as sadly everything is very bland to appeal to the masses. A punchy curry for instance. We took to getting the waiter to sneak sambal out of the crew quarters.

> How about converting all the restaurant space into 5 or 6 separate restaurants (included), and a much much smaller generic dining room. Pick and choose your own cuisine every night.

> buy somewhat nicer bed linens, make your cabin a real retreat.

 

What I'm suggesting really shouldn't cost the 20-30/day I'm suggesting, but it's a sample figure.

 

I'm amazed that there really isn't a cruise line positioned between say Celebrity and Crystal. Are we the only ones willing to pay a premium over X's fares, but not at the stage of paying Crystal fares? I really can't imagine we are.

 

OK; I'm on a rant, and there are some things that I just love on X. Little things, things that don't cost much and are bringing me back to X after cruising on a couple of other lines

> Poolside icecream. The waiter with his tray of little sample ice creams every afternoon (made onboard I understand too!)

> Salad dressing. Every night the waiter had a great selection of unusual salad dressings.

> Good bread (did I mention how simple these things are)

> Top notch service and respect. Staff were exceptionally polite and nice onboard.

 

 

 

 

anyone else have things to add?

 

I do....

 

NCL has just changed all of their bedding -- quite comphy indeed I just sailed on the Gem -- they have also just added some perks..

 

They also greet you with a glass of champ when you board the ship, nice touch...

Dinner, I don't think any line is going to give you free wine but capucchinos and expresso all night long for free on NCL in the dining room and also in the buffet area..

 

I think the only things I took my card on NCL out for was embarkation soda sticker (unlimited soda) and t-shirts.. some of the specialty restaurants were an upcharge but as I can see you don't mind getting what you pay for.. so for the $15-$20 upcharge I really felt I got a gourmet dinner..

 

Ive been looking around at the different lines, trying to compare... I find NCL's prices are a bit higher then celebrity.. give the NCL line a shot, you maybe surprised (but stick to the Gem class or the Dawn class ships, I have not sailed on the smaller ones so I can't give you any feedback)

[fleckle]

The answer to this is very easy. My ideal X cruise would be one where everything that I want and use is top-notch and included in the base price of the cruise. That would make X so much better.

 

But it is very unfair to make me pay for things that I don't care about and never use. So the extra charges should, of course, only be made for all the things the other passengers want that are of no interest to me. ;)

 

[Drew B]

The point is that every time we take a cruise on ANY line we pay for food, beverages and experiences that we do not participate in. The title of this thread was "What would make X better?" Other posters are trying to make the point that better coffee (for instance) should not cost much to provide but would enhance the overall cruise experience. I never go to the gym (I SHOULD!!!) but I understand that the gym enhances many other peoples experience. I am sure the gym costs FAR more to maintain than providing better coffee would cost. If other passengers are happier because of the gym, hopefully these happier gym goers will be more fun to be on a cruise with. Maybe better coffee would make for happier, more friendly fellow passengers and that is good for all.

 

Very good point, Bruce. However, there is a difference between the gym and coffee. Having a gym clearly makes the experience better (for those who use a gym). Changing the coffee wouldn't necessarily make it better. While a different type of coffee might make it better for some, others would like the coffee LESS than what they currently have. A better analogy than having/not having a gym would be about changing the gym to "improve it". If they talked about changing the gym to a huge yoga and pilates studio and offering free classes, some would find it a huge improvement. Others prefer the cardio machines and free weights, etc., and they would think the change would be a step backwards.

would hate it. That's

[Coreopsis]

Improving the coffee service would most certainly make it better. Not for everyone, but for me and many like me who have voiced comments about their coffee. And it shouldn't cost more. Strike a deal with a premium coffee provider and call it a day! Imagine the money they could make when passengers would want to buy some Celebrity coffee to bring home for their house sitters, etc. At least coffee is something the vast majority of people actually use. Besides, it would mean I could leave my french press and coffee at home!

 

Celebrity probably already knows what their customers want (not that I don't want to listen to those of us who weigh in on these boards - yes, it is all about me!!).

 

I love the idea of a Concierge Class and/or Captain's Club lounge. Similar to what many hotels do for "club level". It could serve complimentary wine and spirits in the eve . . . higher end coffee (:D ) snacks, etc. A nice place to hang out before heading down to the dining room.

 

If we have this lounge, can it be non-smoking pretty please? :)

[Brucen]

Exactly why things should remain "pay for it if you want it". I do not want a carafe of wine with dinner, so guess what? I don't buy it. I don't want coffee/espresso after dinner, so, you guessed it, I don't buy it. I would love a massage in the spa, so hey! Why don't I buy that? What? There's a casino?? Wow, I will definitely be dropping a few dollars there...my prerogative. I'm no dummy, I know that "free" isn't really free, but to ask me to pay for wine/coffee when I do not consume it is, well...ludicrous. It would be like forcing you to pay for a spa treatment that you will not use.

 

I must have communicated poorly. I will give it one more try.

 

When you boarded you were offered champagne. Even if you do not take the champagne YOU PAID FOR IT. There is no place that I know of during the booking process that you can tell X that you do not want welcome champagne and have your cruse fare go down. A carafe of wine for every table COULD be the same as the welcome champagne. Drink it or not, it is included in your cruise fare. I am not even taking a position here about whether or not a carafe of wine should be included, I am just trying to make a point.

 

If you never enjoyed the string quartet around the ship, YOU PAID FOR THEM TO BE THERE. You were never given a choice. X decided that they could best serve their demographic by providing the string quartet AND MAKING YOU PAY FOR IT.

 

Hopefully that clears up my point or I hereby declare I am incapable of making the point and I give up.

 

Best,

Bruce

[Brucen]

Very good point, Bruce. However, there is a difference between the gym and coffee. Having a gym clearly makes the experience better (for those who use a gym). Changing the coffee wouldn't necessarily make it better. While a different type of coffee might make it better for some, others would like the coffee LESS than what they currently have. A better analogy than having/not having a gym would be about changing the gym to "improve it". If they talked about changing the gym to a huge yoga and pilates studio and offering free classes, some would find it a huge improvement. Others prefer the Cardiod machines and free weights, etc., and they would think the change would be a step back wards.

would hate it. That's

 

Drew,

 

My use of coffee and the gym to illustrate my point was probably a poor choice. You are correct that to a degree they are apples and oranges (or maybe oranges and tangerines?). You are also correct that one persons "better" coffee is another persons undrinkable swill.

 

Both the gym and the coffee we just supposed to be analogies - not the basis for an argument. I am sorry I was not clearer.

 

Thank you for your thoughts.

 

Best,

Bruce

[SusieV]

I must have communicated poorly. I will give it one more try.

 

When you boarded you were offered champagne. Even if you do not take the champagne YOU PAID FOR IT. There is no place that I know of during the booking process that you can tell X that you do not want welcome champagne and have your cruse fare go down. A carafe of wine for every table COULD be the same as the welcome champagne. Drink it or not, it is included in your cruise fare. I am not even taking a position here about whether or not a carafe of wine should be included, I am just trying to make a point.

 

If you never enjoyed the string quartet around the ship, YOU PAID FOR THEM TO BE THERE. You were never given a choice. X decided that they could best serve their demographic by providing the string quartet AND MAKING YOU PAY FOR IT.

 

Hopefully that clears up my point or I hereby declare I am incapable of making the point and I give up.

 

Best,

Bruce

 

That's true, but you have to expect that people who don't want those services/items are not going to want to see a fare increase to pay for them.

 

We're not talking about services they already offer. The discussion was about raising the fare to cover new items.

 

Frankly, I like the system the way it is. I know roughly how much my shipboard account will come to, and I budget for it. We usually spend more onboard then we do on the cruise fare, but it's our choice. I would resent my fare going up to pay for other people's incidentals just as much as I'm sure other people would resent their fare going up to pay for mine.

 

In today's cost sensitive environment, it's clear that if X was going to offer a better cruise experience/add more features, prices would go up. They're not going to offer premium coffee or remotely drinkable wine for free.

 

The only things I'd be willing to pay more for are things that absolutely benefit everyone- better furnishings/bedding in the staterooms, and higher quality ingredients for meals.

[Brucen]

That's true, but you have to expect that people who don't want those services/items are not going to want to see a fare increase to pay for them.

 

We're not talking about services they already offer. The discussion was about raising the fare to cover new items.

 

Frankly, I like the system the way it is. I know roughly how much my shipboard account will come to, and I budget for it. We usually spend more onboard then we do on the cruise fare, but it's our choice. just as much as I'm sure other people would resent their fare going up to pay for mine.

 

In today's cost sensitive environment, it's clear that if X was going to offer a better cruise experience/add more features, prices would go up. They're not going to offer premium coffee or remotely drinkable wine for free.

 

The only things I'd be willing to pay more for are things that absolutely benefit everyone- better furnishings/bedding in the staterooms, and higher quality ingredients for meals.

 

SusieV,

 

The way I interpreted the opening post of this thread was:

 

Getting "nickel and dimmed" by X keeps me from "feeling special" at the end of the cruise. Would it be better to raise the fare some minimally (debatable) amount and restore that special feeling by offering the following inexpensive "perks"................

 

The originator of this thread clearly thought a minimal fare increase would pay for the perks they thought were important and would have preferred the slight increase to paying $5.00 here and $10.00 there for duration of the whole cruise.

 

You clearly feel differently and that is great but you said "I would resent my fare going up to pay for other people's incidentals" and my point is that we ALL already pay extra for other peoples incidentals. One persons incidentals is another's absolute requirement.

 

My position remains that X has traditionally claimed that they provide an upscale experience. The held themselves above Princess and HAL. They now seem to be trying to compete with them on price rather than letting their "premium experience" speak for itself. I personally prefer the "premium experience" X traditionally provided and would be willing to have X charge more than Princess and HAL if they provide that experience. I am not even sure I know all of the specifics that define what the "premium experience" is- but I will know when it is not there! The issue is how much of a premium X would need to charge, I am not sure I even have a number. I know I would probably like Silversea but there is no way I am willing to pay that much.

 

Thanks for your thoughts,

 

Best,

Bruce

[psblin99]

My 2 cents even though my 1st Celebrity cruise is coming.

 

I just experienced the show before dinner and did not go once. Change it back. I still had plenty of time to lose money in the casino.

 

On to the issue of this thread. Just like dining establishments that 1st open in a certain dollar niche and are popular, the cruise lines are faced with a dilemma. First they appeal to a certain income group that find a good value for their comfort level. Then as cost go up they have a choice. Raise the price or cut the value.

 

Guess which choice many make?

[giblert]

Very good point, Bruce. However, there is a difference between the gym and coffee. Having a gym clearly makes the experience better (for those who use a gym). Changing the coffee wouldn't necessarily make it better. While a different type of coffee might make it better for some, others would like the coffee LESS than what they currently have. A better analogy than having/not having a gym would be about changing the gym to "improve it". If they talked about changing the gym to a huge yoga and pilates studio and offering free classes, some would find it a huge improvement. Others prefer the cardio machines and free weights, etc., and they would think the change would be a step backwards.

would hate it. That's

 

You know what, having coffee on board would be a good start, what they serve right now doesn't rate as coffee. I started this thread and started with the coffee. the coffee on board is not just 'so-so', it's really bad. I get better coffee on airlines, way better coffee at McDonalds, and even better at my local coffee joint. I work downtown, 2 blocks from the Vancouver cruise ship terminal and have directed more than one person to a <good> coffee shop after disembarking having been asked "Where can you get a good cup of coffee -- I just came off _____ (fill in ship name)".

 

It's amazing that Celebrity would spend the money they do on trying to have 'great cuisine' and have truly awful coffee.

[Coreopsis]

in ports and at special spots on the ship so we could leave goofy email messages for friends and family members!

 

Input jacks on the front of the TV so I can hook up my camera.

 

Better phone/voice mail - holy cow it was substandard.

 

Did I mention better coffee :D

[debihen]

That's true, but you have to expect that people who don't want those services/items are not going to want to see a fare increase to pay for them.

 

We're not talking about services they already offer. The discussion was about raising the fare to cover new items.

 

Frankly, I like the system the way it is. I know roughly how much my shipboard account will come to, and I budget for it. We usually spend more onboard then we do on the cruise fare, but it's our choice. I would resent my fare going up to pay for other people's incidentals just as much as I'm sure other people would resent their fare going up to pay for mine.

 

In today's cost sensitive environment, it's clear that if X was going to offer a better cruise experience/add more features, prices would go up. They're not going to offer premium coffee or remotely drinkable wine for free.

 

The only things I'd be willing to pay more for are things that absolutely benefit everyone- better furnishings/bedding in the staterooms, and higher quality ingredients for meals.

 

 

SusieV,You said it perfectly!!!!!