Is Celebrity slipping?
 

I just talked to a friend of mine today at the gym who is a devoted Celebrity cruiser. He has taken around 60 cruises with them. He and his wife did a repositioning cruise from Alaska to Florida last Sept. and he felt the quality of food and service had slipped noticably. He wrote them a letter upon his return which received a lukewarm, thats too bad reply. However what intrigued me was that he said apparently X has a new CEO who supposedly while directing RCCL led it on a downward path. Well I do believe the head sets the tone. Any ideas?

We were with Celebrity in September cruising from Seward to Vancouver. Found very little to complain about, most everthing up to their normal standards. The only complaints dealt with a couple of food items: the lobster served one dinner was not very good (small and not real tender) and one desert, creme brulee, was not done the way I like it. The ship (the Summit) and the cabin were immaculate, the staff unvaringly friendly and helpful, and the whole experience top notch.

We would not hesitate to cruise with them again.

Yes, Larry,
This applies not only to Celebrity. It is an inevitable process, much like inflation. Cruising used to be a privilege of a few chosen; now number of cruisers is increasing by millions and millions every year, despite rising prices. No wonder cruise lines don't have to care too much about their quality and about every single customer.

I think Spur is correct, unfortunately for those of us who so enjoy cruising. I started feeling this way a couple of years ago with several of my favorite cruiselines. I noticed way too much nickel and diming, hurry up and wait, buffet lines, lines for tenders and the food just wasn't what it had been. What I decided to do (and so happy I did) was to begin trying some of the luxury lines. There really is no comparison and I'll never go back. Well, shouldn't say that as when we do larger family cruises we go on the larger mass market cruise lines with children's programs and still have lots of fun. When it is just us traveling as a couple, I won't consider anything but the luxury lines now. I just hope they don't fall by the way side too! Dollar for dollar there isn't as much difference as you'd expect (and less when you snag a special) since it's all about the bottom line.

Celebrity is one of the higher end within the mass marketed lines, sorry to hear it's slipping. Jacketwatch, your friend may want to consider trying one of the luxury lines.

Thank you for those insightful comments. Good thoughts indeed.

My Celebrity experience has been my least favorite experience in regards to service and food. Carnival provided better service (scary).

Theresa: Was it a repositionig cruise?

No - 7 day Caribbean on the Millie. Though it was a few years ago. It was so bad, I haven't hd the guts to get back on another Celebrity ship.

Thanks Theresa. FYI the ship was the Summit which my friends had taken 3 other times. I saw them last night and they showed me a letter, very well written IMHO, that they had sent to X about their issues. I also saw the letter X sent them in reply and I must say it was a polite letter but with no substance, i.e. no incentive, not even a free bottle of wine on their next cruise. For people who had cruised X so much I, lke they felt very disappointed. They should have done something more I think.

Celebrity was bought by Carnival...as well as Royal Caribbean. It appears the corporate cost cutting has begun. I don't know how long Celebrity will keep it's reputation if that's how they are going to treat their customers.

FYI, Radisson cruisers are a little upset with their corporate frequent cruiser program. From what I've heard, they were supposed to get a new benefits program that hasn't appeared. I think the cost cutting is everywhere probably a result of the higher fuel costs.

Carnival did not buy Celebrity and RC. They bought Princess.

From the CCL web page is a link to their ownership:
http://www.carnival.com/CMS/Static_T...rivileges.aspx

Jacketwatch - I actually did get a good letter back from Celebrity addressing our concerns. We actually were given a free cruise (the cruise was that bad). We were able to use the free cruise on RCCL.

If the itinerary was right, I would go back to Celebrity. I love the look of the dining rooms on the M class and the thallossopy pool.

I have so many perks now with Princess (being Elite) - it is difficult to give that up. Though I am frustrated with all the large ships Princess has and the fact they are selling off the smaller ships.

I think HAL may be my next stop (smaller ships) - though I am in my 30's and am not sure if that is the right place for me.

We have sailed Celebrity and will sail again in March. We were and are very happy with it.
Of course every cruise-line has its bad days... things can go wrong everywhere.

We also sailed HAL, which we also liked. (HAL belongs to Carnival, as also Princess). However the passenger-
age in lower in Celebrity.
(Celebrity belongs to Royal Caribean).

I am going to die now:
//"the lobster served one dinner was not very good (small and not real tender) and one desert, creme brulee, was not done the way I like it...//"

I would NEVER eat smaller-then-I-imagined lobster nor I would touch not-to-my-taste brulee...what a shame, I am so sorry you had such a misfortune, Curt.

Theresa: I am stunned that you got a free cruise and my friends got zippo! That is mind boggling. I will suggest to them to forward the letters up higher, way higher. You've given me an idea. Thanks! :-)

When RCCL acquired Celebrity the idea was to keep the lines separate, each with their own personalities, so to speak. But, as the years have passed, the majority of the top people at Celebrity have left and RCCL's "personality" is more evident in the day to day running of the line.

The latest that I've heard is that the Greeks -- the captains, hotel managers and such who worked on the ships are being phased out and with them goes even more of the Celebrity personality.

I've cruised with Celebrity a few times, the last time was a year ago to Bermuda. They are still an upscale line, but things are definitely changing. And not for the better.
((c))

So far, Celebrity has been our very favourite of the mid stream lines. May have to re-consider our next Celebrity cruise though, my wife's favourite desert is creme brule.

We were not impressed with the condition of the one Celebrity ship we sailed. Badly in need of a total redo top to bottom. We had no complaints about the service or food, felt it was comparable to other lines

Actually I think X is reputed to be better than other lines, at least the mass market ones.