My family and I have been going on cruises for just about 40 years. Until this recent cruise, our last one was just before the Covid epidemic. Boy have things deteriorated over the years. Celebrity always marketed themselves as an upscale but not luxury cruise line. The captain and cruise director kept trying to call this the vacation of a lifetime. Not even close. The food: if the main restaurant were a restaurant on land, I would go once but never return. It was local diner quality. I could not even cut the lamb chop or one of the steaks. The Service: if not, terrific, it certainly wasn't anything special. I remember the day when everyone smiled. Still most do but I sense the artificiality of it. The amenities: the ship is old and is showing its age. Our cabin had several problems with plumbing and electric. There are only two American outlets in the cabin and none in the bathroom. So much space on the ship is taken up by art sales, jewelry sales, and photography sales. The fourth deck, which used to be the promenade deck, had so few lounge chairs, a place where people could go to avoid the noise of the over-crowded pool deck. The Costs: the basic cost of a cabin was not expensive, but if you throw in costs of Wi-Fi packages, drink packages, room service, up charges, shore excursions, tips (which are mandatory not optional, and therefore really not tips, but a required added expense), Insurance, travel, and all the other nickel and diming that the ship requires, the costs do not justify the ships mediocrity.
I am old enough to remember the days when flying on an airplane was a very pleasant experience, where the Airlines catered to your needs. And now it's unpleasant . I also remember the days when cruising was the ultimate experience, with midnight buffets and staff that put the customer first and not how much they could milk you for. This cruise was unpleasant. read more
