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Topic: Bashing Celebrity

nycruiser
First Class Passenger
Member # 960

posted 09-27-2000 03:07 PM

I was recently reading reviews on Celebrity ships on this site and most of the comments were really negative. Why is there so much beef with this line??

I have sailed on Carnival, Royal Caribbean and some budget lines and my best cruises have been with Celebrity.

Posts: 665 | From: Westchester County, NY | Registered: Dec 1999 | IP: Logged

Malcolm @ cruisepage
Cruise Director
Member # 301

posted 09-27-2000 04:51 PM

nycruiser, I too had a very good experience with Celebrity in 1998.

It seems to be that some folks are of the opinion (including the Berlitz guide) that their standards have dropped a little since Royal Caribbean purchased them. However, Berlitz still rates the Mercury and Galaxy as 4.5 stars!

Posts: 19210 | From: Essex (Just Outside London) | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

starfish
First Class Passenger
Member # 986

posted 09-27-2000 06:28 PM

nycruiser We've sailed Celebrity 3 times and always had great cruises.The last time we sailed with Celebrity was on the Mercury, a short while after RCI took over.I didn't notice any change then. I hope there isn't any now except I see the prices are higher.

Posts: 225 | From: Dallas,PA | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

cobra
First Class Passenger
Member # 1605

posted 09-27-2000 07:10 PM

We cruised on the Century this month, our 5th cruise with Celebrity. The food was not the quality that we had come to expect from previous cruises with them. However, the service and pampering from the staff more than made up for the average food. Having been on NCL, RCL, HAL, and Princess, our first choice will always be Celebrity.

Posts: 21 | From: north palm beach, fl. u.s | Registered: Sep 2000 | IP: Logged

offsite
Just Boarded
Member # 1606

posted 09-27-2000 08:59 PM

We will certianly be the next ones to bash Celebrity, which today cancelled our March 2001 trip on the Millennium in order to accommodate a charter. We booked suites about 2 months ago after much research. We are unsure about the legalities of cancelling us for such a reason (with a very cavalier attitude) but the ethics are very clear. Celebrity said it happens all the time on all cruise lines. Have any of you been bumped from a cruise in order to accommodate other people?
Thanks

Posts: 1 | From: Oakville, ON, Canada | Registered: Sep 2000 | IP: Logged

mrblanche
First Class Passenger
Member # 714

posted 09-27-2000 10:09 PM

I've never been bumped from a cruise for a charter, but I'll still "bash" Celebrity. At least a little bit, anyway.

We found the food (last October, on the Mercury) to be very ordinary, and the service to be cold. It's the only ship we have ever been on where we routinely saw the managers chastising the service people in front of passengers. It's the only cruise line that extorts payment from your room steward if you don't tip the head housekeeper. Need I go on?

That said, the ship was one of the most comfortable, roomy, and beautiful we have ever been on.

Posts: 308 | From: Cedar Hill, TX | Registered: Aug 99 | IP: Logged

Malcolm @ cruisepage
Cruise Director
Member # 301

posted 09-28-2000 05:43 PM

Here is some good publicity for celebrity:

Three Celebrity Cruises ships were honored as the world's first ships to receive Lloyd's Register's Environmental Protection Certificates. The certificates were presented to Richard D. Fain, chairman and chief executive officer of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., parent company of Celebrity Cruises, and Richard E. Sasso, president of Celebrity Cruises.

The Environmental Protection Certificate program was launched by Lloyd's Register in 1998. Celebrity Cruises was the first maritime business to apply for a Certificate, for its ships Century, Galaxy and Mercury. The three ships are the first ships in the world to receive the certificates, after
numerous onboard evaluations and audits taking place over eight months in 1999.

Posts: 19210 | From: Essex (Just Outside London) | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

nycruiser
First Class Passenger
Member # 960

posted 09-28-2000 06:48 PM

Offsite,

I am a travel agent and once NCL bumped my clients off of a cruise because they were chartering the ship to a gay tour group. I had them booked on the ship for three months until I was notified. The clients hated NCL and me. They never booked with the agency since.

Posts: 665 | From: Westchester County, NY | Registered: Dec 1999 | IP: Logged

AGT
Just Boarded
Member # 1546

posted 09-29-2000 12:55 PM

I cruised on the Millenium in August to the Baltic and Russia and had a wonderful time. The food and service were excellent!

I have no complaints with Celebrity, in fact, I would cruise with them again in a heartbeat!

Posts: 6 | From: St. Paul. MN USA | Registered: Aug 2000 | IP: Logged

Patrick
First Class Passenger
Member # 364

posted 09-29-2000 02:05 PM

I´m also a travel agent and I used to organize group-cruises as well, also with Celebrity and Festival. Usually, the line, especially if you are GSA of them, will advise the itineraries of each ship a ceratin time before the brochures will come out for the public. So, as an operator, you can decide normally early enough which ship you´ll charter or block cabins with and which date and itinerary.
Anyway, it also happened, that we decided to organize a group-cruise or charter-cruise when the itineraries were published already(for example in case of that another operator just came up withan interesting deal and you want to offer an alternative to have clients as well). In this case, the cruiseline has the right, if they see a chance in selling more cabins with this charter instead of single-sales, to cancel all previous booked cruises. It is one of the international rules of shipping which is published in the general conditions of the cruiselines.
Another good example for such matters is Royal Olympic Cruises. They often either change the ship, charter them or even take it out of service and is cancelling cruises. Passengers will normally be fully refunded and might also get a discount on another cruise. An alternative cruise will be suggested normally too.
I´m sorry, but it´s just one of the many rules and steps which have to be done in travel business. Because, remember that also our industry has to survive somehow.
Celebrity Cruises and neither any other cruiseline can be made responsible for such matters since all is published in the general conditions and you´ll accept them with your booking.
A word for nycruiser: In your case, the clients obviously were of those kind of people, whích still don´t know that the travel-agency is only an intermediate between the supplier and the clients. I´m sorry for you that you´ve lost them but maybe they were not worth it to book through you.

Posts: 1680 | From: OSC Luxembourg | Registered: Nov 98 | IP: Logged

CTrail
First Class Passenger
Member # 64

posted 09-30-2000 10:51 AM

A rather cavalier attitude Patrick.

May I just suggest that you would be horrified if your clients treated you with the same disregard as you have just presented to this forum.

Haveagreatday

Posts: 332 | From: Kitchener, ON Canada | Registered: Apr 99 | IP: Logged

Mercy
First Class Passenger
Member # 322

posted 10-02-2000 07:36 AM

My Turn! I am putting my two votes in for the two cruises I have taken on the Mercury. (Alaska and the Western Caribbean) BEST two out of my total six in the last three years. We have been on Carnival twice,RCCL's Vision, and the Norwegian Sky. Celebrity had the cleanest ship, best crew, best food, and best entertainment, and best cruise club.We hope our Millennium cruise in January, is as wonderful! I do feel really bad for the people who were bumped off the "Millie". I think the whole cruise industry is too cavalier about upsetting the travel plans of the their passengers. If you have ever read the contract you have to sign when you book a cruise. It's like you loose your rights the minute you step on board! The one big drawback to cruising, as compared to a luxury hotel.

Posts: 697 | From: Stanwood, Wa. USA | Registered: Sep 99 | IP: Logged

gohaze
First Class Passenger
Member # 586

posted 10-02-2000 07:48 AM

CTrail....you have to remember that Patrick is a European TA and they and the Brit ones have a rather different attitude to what we're used to....same with the doctors, lawyers etc....peter

Posts: 1909 | From: Vancouver.BC | Registered: Sep 99 | IP: Logged

AngieBCruisin
First Class Passenger
Member # 1369

posted 11-01-2000 01:17 AM

I'm sorry...I would tend to agree with Patrick. It's a rather simple philosophy. If there's is more money to be made by chartering a ship, then why wouldn't the cruise line do it?

Posts: 11 | Registered: Jun 2000 | IP: Logged

Malcolm @ cruisepage
Cruise Director
Member # 301

posted 11-01-2000 05:52 AM

Making money should not be put before providing a good customer service. If they upset passengers too often, cruise lines will not make any money at all!

Posts: 19210 | From: Essex (Just Outside London) | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

Barb Ann
Just Boarded
Member # 1663

posted 11-01-2000 10:53 PM

Does anyone have good things to say about the Zenith? I and a group of 11 people are booked on the New Year's 10-day cruise. I have sailed on RCCL, NCL, and Carnival in the past, and this line and ship are supposed to exceed those. I have mostly only been reading about good things about Zenith's sister ships. I am concerned, because I have been building up cruising to the members of the group who had been hesitant, and now I'm thinking I should tell them not to expect too much from the Zenith so they won't be disappointed. I have especially heard over and over that the Zenith's entertainment is boring at best, and not very good. Our group will consist of the ages of 12yrs to 83 yrs. Will this ship be a let-down do you think? Thank you for any replies.

Posts: 1 | From: Minnesota, USA | Registered: Nov 2000 | IP: Logged

jwine
First Class Passenger
Member # 634

posted 11-02-2000 09:03 AM

Sailed the Zenith thru the Panama Canal a couple of years ago and really liked her. My husband loves the big ships and was disappointed because I picked the Zenith, but her itinerary was by far the best out there at the time. Anyway, after about the second day he did say he really liked the ship. It's not mega, no atruim but was a very comfortable well taken care of ship. We had several clients on her going to Bermuda this year and they all loved her (most of them had been on newer, bigger ships before). As far as the entertainment, it was as good as any other ship we had been on. Have a great cruise.

Posts: 223 | From: Cincinnati, OH USA | Registered: Apr 99 | IP: Logged

Otterman34
Just Boarded
Member # 1671

posted 11-07-2000 03:05 PM

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Barb Ann:
[B]Does anyone have good things to say about the Zenith?

Barb Ann,
If the Zenith is anything like the Horizon & Century we are in for a great time. This will be the smallest ship I have been on (my parents were on the Horizon). I have always been pleased with the way Celebrity operated. The food has always been great as has been the service. Any problem or small complaint was handled & rectified immediately. I really believe with your large group that "you can't please everyone all the time", but I expect Celebrity to try their best to make everyone happy.
My family (5 of us - 10 yr. to 71 yr. old) will be on the same cruise. Hope to see you there.

Posts: 3 | From: Cooper City, FL, USA | Registered: Nov 2000 | IP: Logged

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