Just back from Celebrity cruise, makes me want to add on

[quandrea]

Just got back yesterday from an Alaskan cruise with Celebrity. Cruised with them four times I the past, but this time was different. Their product seems to have slipped. Food wan not as good, fewer staff present, felt like cattle on shore excursions.

The whole week I was thinking, I would rather put this vacation money toward another add on so I can spend some time at Disney, knowing I'm going to have a great trip, with super service in a villa as comfortable and convenient as home.

Our plans for 2014 are twelve nights in both January and November. We'd probably do another week at another destination. Now we are thinking of adding on and spending that week at Disney.

Disney isn't perfect, but no one knows how to move people like Disney or offer customer service like they do.

I also like that it's only a two hour flight from home and that I can jump in my rental car at the airport, head 'home' and be in control of how and where I go for the whole time I'm there. Nothing can beat it.

 

[DenLo]

I think I know what you mean. We have cruised a number of times, 25 or so and have four cruises booked, one in just 3 weeks on Princess. The cruise is out of LA so we have planned a post cruise trip to DLR. And can you guess what portion of the trip we are excited about---Disneyland of course. And we have a Celebrity cruise booked from Vancouver BC to Hawaii in 2014 but we're more excited about staying at Aulani afterwards. Perhaps we'll feel different about the Celebrity cruise when it gets closers as it is our first Celebrity cruise and we love cruising around Hawaii, but for now we saving our excitement for Aulani our newest home resort.

There is one cruise that really gets us excited and that is on the Disney Fantasy. Never cruised on that one.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I am surprised to read about your Celebrity cruise being a disappointment. We've not cruised them, but know others who have. We're quite pleased, with DCL, RCCL, Princess (some of our best cruises!) and dare I say it, Carnival!

I would not make a hasty decision...you already have 24 nights with Disney in 2014, that seems like a lot to me. When we were raising our sons in the 1980 - 90's we went to Disney, but I always said to them "there's more in FL to see than Disney" and so we went to state parks, yes other amusement areas, the beach..and The Everglades (in cool weather, otherwise mosquitoes!) .

We have over 1200 points, we share these with family, friends. I would never limit my vacations to Disney. I would think about it long and hard before swearing off even another Celebrity cruise.

Did you share your comments with Celebrity?

Best wishes to you...I would really think about how and why I was disappointed.

Bobbi

 

[jambo5564]

On the plus side your boat didn't sink and/or lose power and your toilets worked the entire trip. Haha

 

[quandrea]

Glad I'm not the only one. We've cruised lots too. Hope you have better with celebrity than we did.

 

[quandrea]

I am surprised to read about your Celebrity cruise being a disappointment. We've not cruised them, but know others who have. We're quite pleased, with DCL, RCCL, Princess (some of our best cruises!) and dare I say it, Carnival!

I would not make a hasty decision...you already have 24 nights with Disney in 2014, that seems like a lot to me. When we were raising our sons in the 1980 - 90's we went to Disney, but I always said to them "there's more in FL to see than Disney" and so we went to state parks, yes other amusement areas, the beach..and The Everglades (in cool weather, otherwise mosquitoes!) .

We have over 1200 points, we share these with family, friends. I would never limit my vacations to Disney. I would think about it long and hard before swearing off even another Celebrity cruise.

Did you share your comments with Celebrity?

Best wishes to you...I would really think about how and why I was disappointed.

Bobbi

We did share our concerns with celebrity. I've cruised probably twenty times, the last four times with celebrity and with the kids, who have been all over the world. They know there is more to the world than disney, I'm just starting to feel that I've seen enough of it for now--five continents. I'm at the point where I truly appreciate the familiarity dvc affords. I equate it to one's cottage--you go there to relax and recharge, to have a holiday, not to Travel. I think I'm at the point where I want to holiday, not travel. Make any sense at all?

 

[jekjones1558]

We did share our concerns with celebrity. I've cruised probably twenty times, the last four times with celebrity and with the kids, who have been all over the world. They know there is more to the world than disney, I'm just starting to feel that I've seen enough of it for now--five continents. I'm at the point where I truly appreciate the familiarity dvc affords. I equate it to one's cottage--you go there to relax and recharge, to have a holiday, not to Travel. I think I'm at the point where I want to holiday, not travel. Make any sense at all?

I totally understand the relaxation that a familiar vacation affords and more and more I appreciate that. DVC certainly provides a chance for familiarity but also enough variety of places to stay so that it isn't too boring.

I am sad to add my comments that Celebrity has slipped. DH and I used to cruise Celebrity every year and the service was impeccable, the food above other cruise lines. Last January we were disappointed in our Celebrity cruise. The ship was spectacular and we had a nice suite with a butler but the service is not what it once was and the best food now is served in specialty restaurants. If I were going again (and won't be), I would only book Aqua Class. Unfortunately our brand new ship did not have a single HA suite in Aqua Class, only staterooms, and DH really needs the room that a suite provides because of his scooter. The food and service in the Aqua Class restaurant (Blu) was up to the old standard that was served in the regular restaurants in Celebrity's earlier years.

 

[Belle & Ariel]

I can understand your feelings.
We had a cruise in the Med this summer with no hot water a lot of days and other disappointments and cancelled our December cruise and are doing Disney instead.
We are Elite on Celebrity and love them. We have sailed alot on Holland America the last few years because Celebrity has decided to go with the ship is the destination like RC and added sea days taking away port days. HAL is very much like X and while all lines have cut back they still offer a great product for the money. We miss our perks on X but usually choose HAL over X now, always saying next time we will go back to X. I would recommend you try them. They are NOT full of old people on the 7 to 10 day itineraries.
On any line there are some ships that are not up to par on service, food, entertainment, maintenance, etc. You can read reviews on cruiscritic.com to know what ship to avoid. I know Millennium has pod problems again and canceled a few sailings. That could have increased the occupancy on other ships in Alaska. What ship were you on?
I do feel when we go to the DVC it is so much easier--no worry about Noro, don't have to race back late afternoon so we don't miss the ship, if I forget anything Walmart is 10 minutes away, no dressing for dinner (we like it but it adds another suitcase of stuff), if it rains today we can do what we planned tomorrow, and so on.
I love my DVC but I also love to mix it up with cruising. Take a break from it for a year or so and perhaps you will again enjoy it.

 

[quandrea]

We were on the solstice. We have been on the eclipse several times. We won't be going back any time soon. Everything the previous posters have said has been our experience. I will be taking a break for a bit. It will be fascinating to see if I itch to go someplace other than wdw. I'm thinking I won't get that itch.

 

[darkwing818]

Just got back yesterday from an Alaskan cruise with Celebrity. Cruised with them four times I the past, but this time was different. Their product seems to have slipped. Food wan not as good, fewer staff present, felt like cattle on shore excursions.

The whole week I was thinking, I would rather put this vacation money toward another add on so I can spend some time at Disney, knowing I'm going to have a great trip, with super service in a villa as comfortable and convenient as home.

Our plans for 2014 are twelve nights in both January and November. We'd probably do another week at another destination. Now we are thinking of adding on and spending that week at Disney.

Disney isn't perfect, but no one knows how to move people like Disney or offer customer service like they do.

I also like that it's only a two hour flight from home and that I can jump in my rental car at the airport, head 'home' and be in control of how and where I go for the whole time I'm there. Nothing can beat it.

We've cruised Celebrity, RCCL & HAL & have found them to be fine cruise lines. However about 10 years ago we tried a 7 night Disney Cruise , using our points & it was wonderful. Our 2 DDs were in Heaven, & quite frankly so were we. We enjoyed DCL so much, that we've cruised 9 more times with Disney (3 w/points) & have combined our cruises with WDW stays before & after the cruise. We've found these Land & Sea vacations to be the "Best of Both Worlds".

 

[FreeTime]

I know how you feel. We have a RCCL cruise booked and I keep thinking that we could use it to buy into Mar. Timberlodge at Lake Tahoe (we have plenty of DVC points for our family right now). There are a few Timeberlodge resales that are less than the price of our cruise and we have been vacationing there every summer. The price for the 2B next summer is 3X what we paid this year!!!! We too, are ready for relaxing familiarity vs. cruising everywhere.