Celebrity Cruises President Responds to Community Backlash

[@butalina]

I posted a long response about this video and it disappeared again...so I will have to make this into 3 or 4 parts....Part 1...The Menus in Blu are the worst since Aqua was invented on Celebrity ships...Options were cut...If you remember I spoke to the President and her Executive Officer, they claimed it made the kitchen function better...LIE..Cost cutting.

[@tomsunday]

Thank you for reposting it here, Mark. I appreciate your time and feedback. Sometimes KZbin auto flags comments. I will have to figure out how to stop that.

[@skeletor9121]

Great video. Unfortunately, Celebrity is becoming no longer a premium cruise line. They seem to become more like a normal Royal Caribbean cruise. Down graded menu in MDR plus no longer including gratuities in the all included packaged.

[@tomsunday]

I am glad you enjoyed the video! I very much agree with your statement. Celebrity Cruises is losing their hard earned reputation. They are becoming Royal Caribbean without waterslides. It's very unfortunate.

[@mariebrooks7341]

@@tomsunday RIGHT ON. Catering to the small ship experience that we miss since they got rid of the smaller ships. It is no longer a premium experience. I just got off Celebrity Eclipse and it nice HOWEVER It was like cruising on Royal Carribean and not going on the water slides or other activities. smh If they continue on this way they are going to lose some folks who really enjoy Celebrity.

[@kennethpreston9813]

It’s insulting to hear her explanations when it’s so easy to fact check her lack of honesty.

[@tomsunday]

Exactly.

[@bocajay7481]

She should be in congress with this bs

[@tomsunday]

Good point! 😅

[@jobee1]

I booked my first cruise on Celebrity for March 24 and no sooner did I get my sunset Sky suite paid for then Celebrity announces, ‘hey you know all those things you paid extra for, yeah your not getting those now.” I’m contemplating how much money I’ll lose if I cancel, that’s how much I love that idea. I’ve heard people saying that now your room attendant is suppose to be your butler too. Just renaming somebody who’s already over worked is not ok.

[@tomsunday]

Well said, Jobee. This is unacceptable. You paid for a level of service that you are no longer going to get. I am sorry to hear that you are upset. I would be as well. You are correct in your statement about the room attendants. I just stepped off the Equinox. I sailed in a regular room that was serviced by a "Retreat Host". This poor guy looked like he ran a maraton everytime I saw him. When I asked him if he is ok, he told me he has to take care of our floor and a few suites as well. I feel bad for both the staff and the guests. This is clearly a cost cutting measure. It really upstep me when I have to listen to Laura try to spin this in a positive. She should be ashamed of herself.

[@pullcarsmelly8051]

Softball cherry picked questions, delivered by corporate agent in an obvious "damage control" moment. The Celebrity CEO was so insincere and lacking in genuine human warmth, I thought she might've been sent from skynet:). Her "interview" didnt spin me in their desired direction. Instead, it makes me want to swipe right on Celebrity.

[@tomsunday]

😂😅😳 You always have the best comments. Terminator is one of my favorite movies of all time.

[@pullcarsmelly8051]

@@tomsunday Im a sci fi, video game, and comic book nerd. It seeps out into my comments at times. Glad you liked it. Your commentary and observations were spot on. Celebrity is not being honest. It's always the bottom line for this CEO.

[@tomsunday]

@@pullcarsmelly8051 I am glad you enjoyed the commentary. Maybe one of these days I can bring some good news to our Community. She is so out of touch it hurt my head listening to this webinar.

[@pullcarsmelly8051]

@@tomsunday Her disingenuousness grated on me. It was almost as frustrating as her underestimation of our intelligence. She really thinks we are just that dumb. Celebrity can only cut so much.... then on to better lines.

[@tomhansen5422]

I am Diamond Plus on Royal and Elite on Celebrity. I have stopped cruising on Royal primarily because of the quality of the food and what they have done with the Crown and Anchor program. Switched to Celebrity for my last few cruises and now they have also significantly lowered the type and quality of food. Your comments regarding the response from the president are spot on. When I cruise, I look to a positive experience, not to be aggravated and to feel nickel and dimed. If the cost of living goes up, charge more but keep the quality and quantity that was Celebrities reputation. Holland America is my next choice.

[@tomsunday]

I am glad you enjoyed my commentary, Tom! You make a very good point. They should just raise prices if they want to increase profit. Nickle and diming the guests just makes them angry. Celebrity is ruining their hard earned reputation. Its a shame to see such short sighted business decisions.

[@dakotaiv]

Thanks for the thorough review and documentation of changes. We're avid cruisers and Celebrity used to have an upscale reputation - especially for food and service. Not so much these days. I've been hearing a lot of negative about Celebrity. Sounds like a suitable time to avoid them.

[@tomsunday]

You are most welcome. I will continue to report on the situation. I am hoping they change their heading. Like you mentioned, their hard earned reputation is being damaged. If things don't change, I will have to avoid them in the future as well.

[@kendram2664]

This president of Celebrity will take Celebrity down just like Disney found out when they had a very bad leader. I am a Celebrity Elite Plus member and I also like many others are looking at other cruise lines after all these years. After just being on the Celebrity Apex a few weeks ago, the quality of the food has gone down hill and the addition of foods for a cost added to the main dining room menu has made me feel that Celebrity is really going down hill. On this last cruise I really felt like extra costs were everywhere that were not there just a couple of years ago. I am very disappointed with Celebrity and to have a president sit here and smile while lying makes me just disgusted. I totally distrust Celebrity now. I have instructed my financial advisor to sell all my RCL stock as I feel that Celebrity will be going down in flames sooner than later. Come on Celebrity this is just awful. Thanks Tom for putting out the truth here.

[@tomsunday]

You're absolutely welcome. I'm delighted that you enjoyed the video and my efforts to lay out the facts. Your sentiments in this comment resonate strongly with me. The changes, even in the past year, have been noticeable, particularly in the significant reduction in food quality. I've diligently documented many of these shifts in my recent videos, and it's clear that a substantial portion of the Celebrity Community is rightfully upset. It's truly astonishing to witness management at Celebrity seemingly smiling at us while claiming no changes have been implemented. This glaring disconnect between the community and the management deeply saddens me, and it's disheartening to see them compromise their hard-earned reputation for what appears to be a short-sighted goal. I genuinely appreciate your insight and feedback. I'm committed to closely monitoring this situation and promptly reporting any updates. Hopefully, they'll heed the voices of concerned individuals like yourself. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

[@mickgoldynia9979]

Thank you, Tom, for putting this video together. It was informative and useful for future cruises. As loyal Celebrity cruisers, my wife and I are looking at other premium cruise lines moving forward.

[@tomsunday]

You are most welcome, Mick! I am glad you found this video useful. I look forward to hearing about your adventures on the high seas. Let me know if you find any good cruises. I am considering Oceania and Virgin for next year.

[@Bklyn112]

My husband and I cruise Princess. We're a cruise or two away from Captain's Circle Elite. We have been on Celebrity three times, Royal Caribbean three times and NCL six. We're finding the all of the cruise lines arena lock step in charging for experiences and specialty dining options that were previously included in your fare or accommodation level. For us in our mid 50's, cruising is still the most convenient, cost efficient and safe way to travel. On a recent cruise what we didn't do was use those services that were previously free. One of the speciality restaurants was empty for most of our cruise. We can make our displeasure known by not patronizing the service.

[@watcherquek263]

She is expecting the new / first time cruisers to outweigh the loss of business from more experienced cruisers

[@tomsunday]

Thank you for your comment. This is a very good point. I agree with you. However, I dont think this strategy will work long term. Even new cruisers are saying that the food is mediocre on Celebrity. I just stepped off Celebrity Equinox and spoke to a few first time cruisers. They loved the cruise (first time is always the best) but mentioned that the food was just satisfactory. Celebrity is losing their hard earned reputation. They are very short sighted.

[@watcherquek263]

@@tomsunday you are right. Sooner or later the new people will slow and people start comparing. But you know what? She would have taken her bonus (significant due to the rise in profit) and change job already. It is all about the quarter and annual reports. Say after 3-5 years she would have left with a nice bonus and the company will be left to rebuild is reputation

[@CPeter6]

Thanks, Tom, for posting this. I just returned from a cruise in Aqua Class and was surprised to hear some of these statements. I certainly noticed a degradation of service. Keep posting what we need to know!

[@tomsunday]

Thank you, Peter! I am glad you found this video helpful. You can count on me. I will report any news or changes asap. I am hoping they reconsider some of these decisions. Sacrificing a hard-earned reputation for short-term goals doesn't seem like a wise move.

[@CPeter6]

Thank you!@@tomsunday

[@PiaAdora]

Their CEO really needs better media training. I am disheartened by some of these changes and I’ll let my dollars do the talking. I have one more X cruise on the Edge to Alaska and then we’re done and all future cruises are on other lines. I’ve found that I can book small ship, ultra luxury cruises for the same or less than Retreat. Tom, would be interesting to see a video comparing prices and amenities in The Retreat to comparable itineraries on lines like Explora, Oceania, Ritz Carlton, Azmara etc.

[@tomsunday]

Thank you for your comment, Luna. I appreciate your feedback. It makes a lot of sense. I will look into a comparison of Retreat to the other lines you mentioned. Your suggestions are very much appreciated. I am hoping you have a great cruise on the Celebrity Edge. It's one of my favorite vessels in the Celebrity fleet!

[@fadedlogic1]

Total fluff ignoring/minimizing passenger concerns/complaints; came off condescending. After my upcoming April cruise on the Equinox; its time to investigate Oceania and Viking!

[@PiaAdora]

@@fadedlogic1 Viking is on my bucket list. I’ve only heard good things.

[@tomsunday]

@@fadedlogic1 I am going to book both Oceania and Viking at the start of next year. Time to compare them to Celebrity.

[@fadedlogic1]

@@tomsunday that’s great news; I respect your viewpoint and would very much value your take!

[@matthewthurlow1204]

I personally don’t think the cookie we’re “handcrafted” , more like foodservice Otis Spunkmeyer or Christine’s which normally cost about 5-7 cents a piece. ( Pastry chef & Caterer here)

[@tomsunday]

Great feedback. I did not get to eat this "premium" cookie but I heard the same feedback from a few other people who were on that sailing.

[@pj7342]

Agreed. Probably Gordon Foodservice frozen dough. And, most places would use a warmer regardless of how fresh the dough is.

[@butalina]

Part 2...The Food portions are extremely small example..I ordered Herb Crusted Lambchops...I received 2 tiny Lambchops with two string bean across then a 2 tablespoons of Mashed potatoes. I ordered off the Main Dining Room Menus 5 out of 9 nights. I am shocked at how small the portions are and nothing I couldn't make at home with no problem.

[@tomsunday]

It's sad to hear that you had to order from the MDR menu 5/9 nights when dining in Blu. Clearly, they are doing something wrong.

[@butalina]

@@tomsunday Everything you said in this video was correct..She is lying to everyone's face. It is a disgrace to see where this cruise line once was to where it is now...I never ever left Blu or a Main Dining Room hungry, this was the first cruise this has happened to me. But on a positive note, the bread basket was good and the flat bread was delicious. Other then that, Celebrity has failed on the Reflection anyway.

[@tomsunday]

@@butalina thank you for confirming, Mark. I appreciate your feedback.

[@matthewthurlow1204]

We also don’t want ship loads of other people’s children while vacationing.

[@tomsunday]

Very good point, Matthew! By the way, it was a pleasure meeting you in St. Thomas! I hope we run into each other in the future.

[@matthewthurlow1204]

Yes,nice meeting you and Melissa as well.

[@bigguy1403]

Excatly but all those kids moms will disagree and say why can't my child go there too and they should go but not all together get another island built. They also don't like sacred places for adults only. They figure if they have to have there kids with them we people that didn't bring our kids or grandkids should be part of that too. You see countless numbers of adults always trying to sneak their kids into the adult sections. That's why Carnival had to post security people at all the adult areas dressed in shorts to look like personal to stop the moms and dads trying to do this and this is securities words not mine when I asked them. I've seen it hundreds of times same people getting caught throughout the same cruise for bringing there kids into the adults only area. I like kids I have kids and I don't let them go were their not supposed to be.

[@tomsunday]

@@bigguy1403 well said! The adult only areas are not enforced on Celebrity. I noticed this many times while sailing. I also like kids but rules should be followed.

[@jobee1]

I don’t understand why families who can sail on ships with all kinds of things for kids to do choose to go on cruise lines that offer minimal things for kids to do and then complain that’s there’s not more for them.

[@AFerg-gc9dq]

I know they're Royal Caribbean sister ship, but I would prefer them to not add CocoCay to their itinerary. It's already crowded as it is when its two RC cruises at Port. It just takes away from the experience!!

[@tomsunday]

I very much agree with this. Thank you for sharing your feedback.

[@donstaley4606]

I more thing. The reason the mdr food is not that good is because they what you to go to the specialty restaurant and pay more. This is though out the whole cruise industry. She does not read any comment card or reviews

[@tomsunday]

Well said. Agreed. There is a major push towards the paid dining.

[@stevenchinich3738]

Btw, great video Tom. We ate in 3 specialty restaurants on our 8 night on the Equinox. My wife couldn’t stand the MDR menu.

[@tomsunday]

Thank you, Steven! I am glad you enjoyed the video. I also had a dinner package for half of my cruise. I very much agree with your Wife. The only reason we went to the MDR was to showcase it in the upcoming deep dive review.

[@joannbrackney6542]

Thanks Tom for posting this. I have been one to complain as well. We recently had a back to back in Europe. Their very limited menu is very tough for long cruises. My friend had one dish several times since there wasn’t much to choose from. They’re pushing you to specialty restaurants. I don’t expect every meal to be a grand slam but give us choices. Very low end choices as well. The CEO spun this in a well spoken manner, but in the end let’s face it, food is a huge part of cruising. Making me rethink things for sure. We gave another back to back next year that will be 21 days. Hoping they add a couple more items every night by then. It doesn’t have to be fancy. Every night it seemed there was chicken and some kind of cheap beef. Prices are going up and quality and variety are going down. Is Celebrity reading their reviews and comment cards, and watching videos like this? They should be. The standard of service is still great. Don’t let food be the issue that tarnishes their reputation.

[@tomsunday]

You are most welcome, Joann! I am glad you found this video helpful. I very much agree with you. Buying a dining package is almost a given if you want to have a good food experience. Its a shame they are ruining their hard earned reputation for such short sighted goals.

[@leslielaneashevillencrealt5072]

Seems like Laural has no idea that the changes are really not working as she thinks it is. She tried to spin it but unsuccessfully

[@tomsunday]

Agreed. She seems to be very disconnected from the Community.

[@jobee1]

I would recommend Laura book herself into a room and pay for it herself and see how impressed she is

[@snn6134]

She comes from a marketing background so it’s all BS lies coming from her mouth.

[@matthewthurlow1204]

On our recent 8 day sailing in a sky suite we never met our Butler “John” , we did have a great Retreat Host Indra.

[@tomsunday]

Thank you for your feedback, Matthew! I heard a lot of people voicing their displeasure with the butler change. Sky suite is still a suite and deserves all of the benefits of the Retreat.

[@LouDebbieTube]

Wow, thanks for opening my eyes. Food on Royal Caribbean has gotten so bad we were going to move to Celebrity because we remember how good it was. I think I'll do more research and maybe try Oceania as you mentioned. Great video.

[@tomsunday]

I am glad you enjoyed the video. That is my plan as well. I am going to test out Oceania and Virgin at the start of next year. I heard great things about their food. Time to compare them to Celebrity.

[@waynegreen5707]

I just saw your excellent video. This Celebrity President does a lot of spinning. This past April I sailed on the Beyond and was in a Sky suite which is excellent, it was 11 nights from Ft Lauderdale . The Retreat was very nice, the service in luminae was excellent but the food portions were tiny and tasted like food I had in the Navy 50 years ago. To get lobster we had to eat in Prime and spend $150 for 2, my wife likes steak. People who pay BIG premiums for suites should not have to pay extra for food. We live in Florida and cruise a lot, our next cruise is in 03/25 with Viking ocean out of Ft. Lauderdale. Celebrity is killing the goose that lays golden eggs. I do have more comments, maybe at a later date.

[@HenryEnrique13]

Laura, I suggest you read these comments and concerns as they are directly from your customers. I agree, I use to think Celebrity was the Mac Daddy of the Cruise industry especially in regards to food. I went on the Equinox, please Get rid of your pastry/dessert chef. I think the crab cakes were from Sams Club 😂Just Horrible.

[@tomsunday]

Thank you for sharing, Henry. I very much agree. The desserts on the Equinox were bad. I stopped trying them after day 2.

[@cjsop]

This is really disappointing as we’re getting ready to do our first celebrity cruise next year.

[@georgegarich252]

I hope that you Find a better cruise line. Celebrity has turned into a money grab cruise line.

[@tomsunday]

I am sorry you are disappointed, Chris. I will continue to monitor this situation and will report asap. I am hoping to have good news for your soon. Noone should be disappointed about their upcoming cruise. Celebrity should read this comment and be ashamed of themselves.

[@michaelneuburger418]

Take a look at Silver Sea at their entry level and compare with a Sky Suite. When I looked last week for a new year's eve cruise Silver Sea cost $2000 less and included more things like gratuities and shore exertions. And yes a butler.

[@tomsunday]

This is a great point. I did a price comparison a few videos ago. I discovered that even regular veranda rooms come out to be the same as Oceania and a few other luxury lines. Once you add all of the packages, extra charges, nickle and diming and etc......the price comes out to be the same. I am considering booking Oceania in the beginning of 2024. Once I do, i will make a series of videos comparing all aspects of those cruise lines to Celebrity.

[@jaywoods378]

Oh I completely agree. On a per diem basis, especially depending on the itinerary and time of year, Oceania is already NO more expense, and in some cases less expensive than Celebrity and for a MUCH better product and amazing food.@@tomsunday

[@tomsunday]

@@jaywoods378 thank you for the feedback. I am really looking forward to showcasing that experience and comparing it to Celebrity. The fact that you mention amazing food makes it even more exciting!!!

[@katebrough]

I’d say don’t get off the ship when you get to that expensive island and stay on the ship. Free food, drinks and sun. Don’t buy the cookie. Concierges class have to pay for premium breakfast that was part of that class, so stuck to basic breakfast in our room. Just going for veranda class now.

[@tomsunday]

Good tips. Thank you for sharing.

[@ericstine3486]

Tom, THANKS for mentioning the cancelling of the Beyond Mediterranean cruises. I am still fuming over this. Burnt my vacation and my cash. You should have seen the cancellation letter - how happy they were to do this. NO remorse on their end.

[@tomsunday]

You are welcome, Eric. I am really sorry to hear that you have to deal with this nonesense. It's unacceptable especially since this was a profit driven decision. I understand why you are so mad. I would be as well.

[@melvinjacobs2328]

Whatever they're doing is for $$$$$$.

[@tomsunday]

Agreed, Melvin.

[@laurie3745]

We were told unsolicited by room attendant that in aqua class there are no more canapé offerings. We were told this the first day of our cruise 10/23/23.

[@tomsunday]

We were told the exact same thing while sailing in Aqua on the Beyond.

[@deeslifestyleloves]

😬

[@bigguy1403]

Lies lies lies. You can easily tell she's lying. So Fake.

[@tomsunday]

Agreed. There is really no other way of putting it. I am shocked they picked this route.

[@515joymon]

She will make a fantastic politician one day.

[@tomsunday]

Don't give her any ideas! 😅

[@terridoerschuck7455]

We were on the Presidents Cruise this June in Alaska on the Solstice. Laura spoke before the show on one occasion and she was very unimpressive then. She can not even rise to the occasion of credibility in this soft ball interview! Food was a concern on that sailing. We were in Concierge, the welcome lunch was a joke(dry, cold chicken cutlet with french fries), canapes gross (only delivered once), coffee and pastries at the Al Bacio horrible, surf and turf night was sub par. Murano was good, but a couple we met went to Tuscan and said it was on par with MDR. We did have a few mains that were good, one outstanding fish entree. Just came off a week long sailing on MSC Seascape and found the food better overall compared to recent RCL and Celebrity sailings. The prime rib was very good, tender and tasty. My husband said the steak diane was very good as well. The surf and turf wasn't huge but much better prepared than on Celebrity (Royal sailings did not offer). Keep up the pressure Tom! Shame Celebrity into a better customer experience!

[@tomsunday]

Thank you for your feedback and all of the details. I am surprised to hear Tuscan was not good. However I am not surprised about the welcome lunch, canopes, pastries and etc. I am so not impressed with the food offerings on Celebrity. My next video will showcase the new menus Celebrity is planning to roll out on their ships. It will be out this friday if you are interested in checking it out. I will continue to monitor this situation and will report on any changes as soon as they happen. Thank you for the words of encouragement. I will do my best to show everyone the truth.

[@susancook1448]

We sailed on the Solstice in Sept and agree that the entrees were very marginal. We are not gourmets at all and not picky but we couldn’t get a good quality hamburger even the MDR. Expected better. Sides breads and desserts were good

[@andreatuckman1084]

Oh great. So now it will be even more mobbed. There’s 150 guests allowed in Beach Club, so whoever reserved first will get priority. This is bad news for Royal guests.

[@tomsunday]

Agreed. It's bad news for everyone except RC's bottom line.

[@Marcobeachcomber1]

The Celebrity CEO seemed to be very insincere. I hope I’m mistaken since Celebrity has been my go to cruise line for regular cruises. But, I’ll definitely change if what Tom Sunday says proves to be true on my next cruise.

[@tomsunday]

I am looking forward to hearing the feedback once you return. I hope you have a great cruise!

[@amberanthony883]

Coveted and loved? Coco cay is a water park. 🤬Nothing more. I live in ohio and think this is a total waste of a day. I avoid itineraries with either Labadee or Coco Cay because they are wasted travel time.

[@tomsunday]

I really don't understand where she is getting those facts. Not a single person that I have spoken to from the Celebrity Community likes CocoCay. Like you mentioned, most of them avoid Labadee and CocoCay. Btw that water park costs 150 dollars per person. Absurd.

[@AnitaDrake-x9q]

We were considering booking a 2024 cruise on Celebrity in the Retreat. After seeing your video & hearing the double talk from the CEO and reading all the comments, we will book elsewhere.

[@tomsunday]

I am glad I was able to help. I will continue to monitor this situation and will report any changes asap.

[@ChristopherLight]

Thank you for the great video. We've sailed multiple times in a Sky Suite, most recently on the Beyond. Our next cruise is in a panoramic oceanview. I'm voting with my dollars, and I hope Celebrity notices. As an elite Captains Club member, I honestly feel as though the brand is heading the wrong direction. It's not the same line that I took on my honeymoon is 2014. Every time we sail, we're less impressed, to the point that I'm not sure how many more we'll take. Coco Cay is an ABSOULTE disaster of an idea. That's exactly NOT why I sail on Celebrity and they better do some serious client outreach to get a true sense of how to maintain their brand.☹

[@tomsunday]

You are most welcome, Christopher. I am glad you like the video. I couldn't agree with you more. This brand is heading in the wrong direction. I am hoping they start turning things around very soon. It's a shame to waste a good reputation on such short-term goals. I appreciate your comment and this conversation.

[@terryjonas2667]

We just returned from a cruise on the Summit and I have to say the food quality has really gone downhill. Many nights I ordered soup and it came barely warm and had little to no taste. Many nights I wound up ordering off of the Vegetarian menu, because nothing on the main menu was appealing. We were traveling with another couple who have food issues and they would order the chicken breast. It came cold and tougher than shoe leather to cut! They didn’t order it again after 2 nights!

[@tomsunday]

Thank you for your feedback, Terry. I am reading similar experiences from other comments in this video. Its a shame how short sighted Celebrity is. They are runing their hard earned reputation. Not a good business move.

[@williamwatson689]

Tom, like most cruise lines this CEO is simply vomiting Celebrety Kool Aid.

[@tomsunday]

Hi William. I was honestly a bit shocked at how inaccurate she was in her statements to the public. When she said no changes were made, I almost spit out my drink.

[@bigguy1403]

​@tomsunday it's because she's trying to make sure her Xmas bonus stays nice and Big! She's 100% a company brown nose.

[@corinnemcleod1804]

Adding Coco Cay was a move to increase the familys on board. It is very expensive in general and again very expensive to use the no kid areas. I am not impressed.

[@tomsunday]

That's a good point. I really wish they added that area for free to everyone. First come, first serve. No need to make that into an excursion.

[@jaywoods378]

As well as yet another way to downgrade the product.

[@elizabethmorten2368]

Watching Laura smile while she spin doctors her slimy responses to genuine customer concerns makes my stomach turn flips. I also just watched your video about the increase in wine prices, allowing passengers to buy into former Retreat only benefits and charging for a Water package. I just want a package price that includes everything like before. Why remove just tips? We were on the Eclipse recently and will be on it again in March. What bothered me the most were the constant lines in MDR for Anytime dining - we had to wait even with a reservation. We usually avoid the Buffett as we like sit down service. The few times we ate there, it was a complete zoo. People shoving to get food, drink machines often out of beverages, no one at the hand sanitation stations so many cruisers were just passing by it, no direction in the lines so people coming from every direction - AAARG! We’ll see how it goes but have booked our next cruise with Oceania.

[@edw5208]

Seems like the only difference between RC and Cleb. Is the paint on the ships and the price.

[@tomsunday]

Exactly. Celebrity is turning into RC without water slides.

[@dr.patcrnadnap1264]

I think this blow would of hit less if the adult beach was included with Celebrity Guests.

[@tomsunday]

Agreed. It should have been free.

[@cathy1672]

Great of you to call them out on it!

[@jaywoods378]

Lies, lies, lies, and more lies.

[@tomsunday]

Very insulting to the Celebrity Cruises Community. We are not stupid. I can't beleive she did not think we were going to call her out on this.

[@lelandnanny967]

She has an MBA in international business and finance, or a I call them a bean counter. Just what they do not need.

[@tomsunday]

She seems really disconnected from the community.

[@skeletor9121]

@@tomsundayAnd from reality. Typical cost cutting bean counter.

[@sherylgenco6044]

Very informative!

[@tomsunday]

Thank you! I am glad you enjoyed the video.

[@marilynbrown8026]

I just returned today from a cruise on the Eclipse. I have been a TA since 1982 and make sure the majority of my groups sail on Royal or Celebrity. It was sickening to see the quality of Celebrity sink so low. The dining room meals were so bad we gave up and finished the week dining in Ocean view cafe. Some nights when food so bad to start we just sat informed waiter to cancel and we looked fir another place to eat. The canapés were not offered we had to request. Most were not edible. I can understand smaller servings but why should the taste and quality deteriorate? Unfortunately i won't sail on their ships until i hear that quality improves.

[@tomsunday]

Thank you for sharing your feedback. I very much agree. It's really sad watching Celebrity management ruin their reputation.

[@stevenchinich3738]

Hey Tom. Were you on the Equinox September 30 th, 8 night to Eastern Caribbean?

[@tomsunday]

Hi Steven! Yes, I was on that cruise. Did we run into each other?

[@stevenchinich3738]

@@tomsunday no but I thought I recognized you. I saw you in the buffet. I wanted to say hello but you were gone. Lol

[@tomsunday]

@@stevenchinich3738 That was me! Good eye. I was running around and gathering content for the upcoming video series about the Equinox. I wish we could have met! There were several subscribers from this channel on our cruise. It would of made my day if we got to chat. Maybe we will run into each other in the future. I look forward to it, Steve. Did you enjoy your cruise?!

[@stevenchinich3738]

Yes. My wife and I have been on the Equinox 3 times now. Going on the Silhouette and the Ascent next, however I’ll be in a sunset veranda on the Ascent. Wouldn’t stay in an IV. I know you like it.

[@tomsunday]

@stevenchinich3738 I am actually sailing in a Sunset Veranda on the Ascent in 54 days! I'm excited to check out the new ship.

[@MaryMartinez-xt5eb]

This puts me off of ever cruising. I wish there was more truth about the compensation given to creators who somehow manage to cruise continuously even though they claim to not get tickets for free. Ad revenue is not that good to afford this lifestyle and pay your bills. Advertising agencies, cruise companies no doubt pay or reimburse for these so called average Joe's to go out and pretend to not be selling a fiction to non-cruisers like me. An act is an act and those videos are long form commercials just no one is admitting it.

[@tomsunday]

You make a very good point. Thank you for sharing it here. Technically speaking they should be putting #ad in their titles/descriptions and etc. There is a law against this but some people try to walk around it. A viewer should know if the video is sponsored or a genuine opinion. If you wanted to watch a commercial, you would just go to their website or put on tv.

[@lynnleipold2617]

We are scheduled to go on a Canada and New England cruise in Sept. of ‘24. Hope things improve before then. We usually sail with Viking or Oceania so expectations are high. This will be our first cruise with Celebrity. We will be on the Eclipse.

[@tomsunday]

Eclipse is a great ship. I hope you enjoy your cruise!

[@travelswithscott339]

Thanks for the video. I have been watching many KZbin videos that show Celebrity is going downhill. I am elite member of Celebrity and have two more cruises booked. December 2024 on the Beyond. If Luminae is not good and we have any issues with whatever butler is assigned to our room, I will cancel my June 2025 cruise to Norway. Maybe SilverSea is better? We have only taken Celebrity cruises.

[@luv2cruise666]

I think Labadee would have been a better choice for Celebrity especially if no other ships were there.

[@tomsunday]

I actually like Labadee a lot more than CocoCay. I am sure the reason they picked CocoCay was the expansion and extra charges for the adults only area. Not sure. maybe Labadee will also get expanded at some point.

[@Ljberkow]

Every decision they make is designed to drive up earnings. You don’t need to listen to her try to explain. We’re on the Millennium in Japan next Spring. We overpaid for Aqua because of downgrades to food quality in the main dining room. Going forward, we’ll focus more on Oceania and Azamara.

[@tomsunday]

The main dining room downgrades are shocking. I will be releasing a video this friday which will cover the new MDR menu Celebrity is planning on rolling out to their fleet. I hope you have a good Aqua cruise experience on the Millennium. I am looking forward to hearing your feedback.

[@notpurrfect6397]

Seems like a plan to force passengers to pay restaurants.

[@msharelick]

We were just on Celebrity Summit in Concierge class and we got the daily canopies

[@terminator7832]

I retired more than 15 years, I like go to the Casino to play games 4 to 5 times a week, then we either will go to the Buffet or the VIP lounge for dinner, for the last 15 years, I tasted more than 3000 times either in their buffet or VIP lounges. In general, they are quite good. They are a lot better the MDR, especially the American dishes in MDR are subpar. Especially all their soups are watery, since they are using POWDER for their soup base. MDR should use fresh ingredients for their soup base, not just Powder for the soup base for their connivence, in It is quite easy using real bean, real green pea (not green pea powder) and real diced potato for their soup base, they use grain powder for their watery soup base, they are unacceptable.

[@ECHOGamingDiablo]

Really well covered here Tom. Impressed

[@tomsunday]

I am glad you enjoyed the video, Echo!

[@LovaLova808]

What about charging solo travelers triple occupancy?? Let us have our solo cabins back!

[@andreatuckman1084]

The deal with cookies… Royal always gave us free cookies in the cabin. They just stopped it. So now Celebrity is charging for them. Ridiculous.

[@tomsunday]

They reversed their decision to charge for them after 3 days. The community was quite clear about their dislike for this charge. Similar to the pizza charge on RC.

[@jinliu5928]

I am now a bit worried about my upcoming first-ever cruise at Dec on Celebrity Eclipse. After watching so many good reviews about celebrity’s food quality, and being a foodie. I am really concerned. The only good thing is that I snatched an amazing price for concierge class at $1100 for 6 nights. Fingers crossed

[@tomsunday]

Celebrity Eclipse is a fantastic ship. I had the pleasure of sailing on it last year. If you have a passion for fine dining, I highly recommend getting a dining package. For your dining options, I suggest reserving the main dining room (MDR) for the last formal night, as it often offers a special menu with free lobster. For the rest of your cruise, consider splitting your reservations between Murano, Tuscan, and Le Petit Chef (especially if you enjoy a dining show). The menus for these restaurants are available in your Celebrity Cruise app. In case you find that the MDR isn't up to your expectations on any given night, you can easily replace it with a reservation at one of the three restaurants I mentioned above. They consistently offer fantastic dining experiences. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask and I will do my best to help. Enjoy your cruise! I look forward to hearing your feedback.

[@jinliu5928]

Thank you very much for your response! I will definitely explore Tuscan grill. But I was actually going to allocate my speciality dining experience on my next July cruise that is on Celebrity Edge. I got almost $500 onboard credit so I can easily explore many speciality dining there. @@tomsunday

[@tomsunday]

Celebrity Edge has a ton of restaurants. I have a few videos showcasing all of the dining options on board. I highly suggest Eden restaurant. It's one of the best food options on any Celebrity cruise ship. Either way, if you have any more questions, Ill be here to help. Cheers and hope you have a great cruise!

[@JoanneMarshall-bc7ei]

We have been on well over 100 cruises. Every cruise line including Oceania, Azamara and others had to make cuts. If you’ve been on Oceania you will notice these cuts as well. Prior to Covid; during Covid and post Covid their service and food was excellent. Try going on other cruise companies and I’m sure you’ll be back to Celebrity. I leave in 3 days for the Accent and very much looking forward to it.

[@tomsunday]

Hi Joanne! Thanks for your comment. I am really looking forward to comparing Celebrity to other cruise lines. I am considering booking Oceania in 2024. I'll see you on the Accent in a few days. I'll be on it as well!

[@TomLane-ve5ii]

Does that woman think people are fools !! I have traveled on celebrity cruises many times pre- covid , and have recommended them to a few friends, they have all traveled post-covid with celebrity and have all been disappointed with the food and quality overall, they tell me that celebrity are no better than other much cheaper cruise lines, I am really disappointed as I am now starting to cruise again, but not with celebrity, I am trying Cunard again,hopefully they haven’t decided to downgrade their quality.

[@JonSayson]

Will be moving all my future cruises to Oceania!

[@tomsunday]

I am considering Oceania for my next cruise. It would be great to make comparison videos and see how they stack up against Celebrity.

[@Kattchannel]

We were disappointed with Blue when we sailed on Apex. We actually ended up dining in the main dining rooms and thought the food and service was far better. Steak house was sub par. La Petite Chef was excellent. We've been to Coco Cay when on RC and enjoyed it, but paid 200+ per person for Coco Beach Club. I don't think suite guests should have to pay that fee.

[@jamess7315]

Wow what a horrible CEO. Completely out of her depth. She comes across as condescending, unsympathetic and disingenuous.

[@frankcarpenter6175]

My one complaint is food quality. It has been poorer since Covid. Period.

[@tomsunday]

Agreed, Frank!

[@noeinroad7294]

I'm booked in concierge class for next October. I'm considering cancelling or downgrading to ocean view. I wanted a more upscale experience so I splurged a bit but now it seems I just paid for an overpriced balcony room.

[@tomsunday]

That would be my suggestion. Concierge gives you a separate guest services desk, canopes, welcome lunch and a departure lounge. You also get one bottle of wine/champagne. It's not worth the money. You should downgrade to a regular room or upgrade to Aqua class. That class gives you a good amount of benefits. I have a few videos that give you all of the details if you need more info. I hope this helps. Have a great cruise next October. Cheers!

[@marisolrodriguez3150]

I booked my first cruise on celebrity just a couple of months ago. I was looking forward to an upscale cruising experience now that we’re empty nesters, I was I saw this video sooner 🙁

[@noname-JS]

Who does she think she is? Julianne Moore? I feel the same way about Virgin after cancelling Brilliant Lady's launch! Oceania?! No! I hated them. I'm going to Silversea and Seabourn.

[@tomsunday]

Could you share your experience from Oceania? I wanted to try it next year. Why did you hate it? Any feedback and tips are highly appreciated! Thank you.

[@papah7398]

It sounds like someone is p**ing in your face and calling it rain?...That's why I don't sail with any of the RCG ships. Thanks for the vid.

[@jabbathehut656]

Just said below I have a cruise booked in May. I am looking at 2025 cruises too and am seriously contemplating moving away from Celebrity. Virgin looks a really goos alternative. I dont actually think Celebrity care if I left them, when a CEO talks like a robot in that way, they have clearly lost touch, and very probably have a hidden agenda.

[@capnmark4]

I will give her the benefit of the doubt (i.e., she's not lying). However, I think she's delusional and it seems to be fairly obvious they're (Celebrity) just trying to turn it into Royal+, not keeping the Celebrity brand with it's own personality. My wife and I were on the Eclipse for her last Alaska sailing this year (in a Sky Suite). We didn't miss the butler, the food in Luminae was good but not as awesome as I remember from the Summit (pre-pandemic), but overall, the experience was good. Starting to wonder about our Ascent sailing in January and starting to look at other options. Oceania and Viking are starting to look pretty good.

[@tomsunday]

Thank you for sharing your feedback. I very much agree about your Royal+ statement. I will be sailing on the Ascent in about 50 days. I will report back and provide lots of detailed reviews. Oceania is on my radar for next year! I hope you enjoy your cruise in January. Cheers!

[@bigguy1403]

​@@tomsundayBe careful Tom soon as you board they might lock you in your room for talking negative about them saying you had a fever 😅 they don't like hearing the truth.

[@tomsunday]

​@bigguy1403 this is a good point. Maybe I should wear a disguise. 😅 🥷

[@bigguy1403]

I wouldn't give her the benefit of the dought Tom when she's so blatantly lying. she has way to many tells that she's not being truthful in most of her responses. I worked with this for years and years to see when people are not being truthful or looking to bring the conversation away from the original question and answer it in the way that makes them look honest. I think celebrity is a great cruise line but they don't have to lie to people just be truthful we already know the correct answers it just makes them look bad when they aren't.

[@colnagosuper]

3 thoughts. Why dd you want coco cay?. ' my boss wanted it' 'Best lobster sandwich ever?' Hello Boston. The $2 cookie lady becomes the BudLight 2.0 CEO. Just an Elite plus wondering why I should ever Go back to Celebrity? Not for the experience! It is missing.

[@John-ue6lt]

She is a complete liar. So glad you made this video

[@tomsunday]

I will make sure to monitor this situation and report any more news asap!

[@vmaeallday]

I have to comment one more time. Miss Grand Poobah’s attitude reflects throughout her ships. She needs to go bye bye.

[@brianleonard6885]

I think some of this is a bit harsh on Cleriberty I was just on Apex and although It's not my favorite ship (I prefer the Soloist class ships) the food on the buffet was the best food ever on any ship hands down!

[@kathydombrowski8762]

Great video!! Love how you are so prepared 👍

[@kathydombrowski8762]

How can I view the original video you are referring to?

[@tomsunday]

Thank you for your kind words, Kathy! I'm delighted that you enjoyed the video. Unfortunately, these webinars are only available for a limited time, usually just a few weeks. Once they're over, they're removed from the website. That's why I recorded the entire webinar, so I could share it with our audience. If you're interested in watching future webinars, I recommend signing up for the Captain's Club. Keep an eye on emails from [e-mail]. They typically send notifications once the webinars become available. However, if you'd rather not deal with that, I'll be covering them as soon as they're released right here on this channel.

[@kathydombrowski8762]

Hi Tom, I am a member of the Captains Club and an Elite customer of Celebrity Cruises but have not received anything from them about these videos 🤷 But now since I have subscribed to your webinars with the notification bell on I won't be missing and more! Thanks again for your honest and direct webinars... can't wait for the next one!😉

[@tomsunday]

@@kathydombrowski8762 You are most welcome, Kathy! I appreciate your kind words. I got you covered and will report news asap. Next video will be out this Friday. It will cover the new main dining room changes that Celebrity is looking to roll out across their fleet. I look forward to chatting with you then. Cheers!

[@kathydombrowski8762]

​@@tomsunday❤

[@terminator7832]

Celebrity Summit also has problem with the Spa Cafe, it has many jars of fruit juice mixes on the display, they are always full, they look great. they put the half full or half empty jars back to the refrigerator, then take out in the morning, i was shocked in the mornings, they just add some fresh fruit juice mixes back to the old jars with the day old juice mix, it is not acceptable and is not hygiene. the old juice mix may sat in the jars on the display table for many hours, on the day before, they should dump the juice mix at the end of the day.

[@BryanBenoitPhoto]

Never been on any of these cruises so I don’t have a dog in this fight… but the CEO comes across as very dismissive.. it just sounds like she could care less about the people that are not happy.

[@tomsunday]

Welcome to our cruise community, Bryan!

[@mariebrooks7341]

Royal Carribean got rid of the amazing small ships in their fleet, ie Sovereign of the Seas, Monarch of the Seas, Majesty of the Seas and are left with some nice ships like Mariner, Navigator etc. People who liked the small ship experience and are not into all the attractions on the mega ships might be cruising Celebrity now because they want a laid back more adult cruise. How is having a Celebrity ship now go to Coco Cay going to give a private island experience to people who want a laid back adult experience. I cruise Royal Carribean and have been to Coco Cay when there was nothing there, went had to tender over to have a day long picnic at the beach. I have been to Coco Cay since it's been upgraded and it's nice HOWEVER I am not into the activities it offers. I can go over and enjoy the picnic, eat and go back to the ship. I am not interested in booking a Celebrity cruise that goes to Coco Cay. I would imagine there are other Celebrity cruisers who also do not want to visit Coco Cay.

[@tomsunday]

You bring very valid points. I couldn't agree more. Thank you for sharing your insight. I hope Celebrity listens.

[@justsmy5677]

Typical arrogant CEO lying through her teeth, assuming her customer base is too ignorant to recognize the decreased service or her false statements. All in the name of cranking out short term record profits so she can scoop up record bonuses and stock options, before moving on to the next company in search of a CEO that knows how to BS the customer and squeeze out profit while reducing service and losing business in the long term.

[@KLOB614]

I feel like cruise lines have always nickeled and dimed its customers. But the cuts and quality going down is going to ruin it for me. I have been a long time Royal Caribbean cruiser and my last cruise was decent. But I am looking for less kids and better service. I will be trying celebrity for the first time in march on the celebrity apex. I am still looking forward to comparing and seeing how much I like it compared to Royal.

[@tomsunday]

Apex is a great ship. I hope you enjoy your cruise!

[@vmaeallday]

She just said the customers making an observation about the changes are wrong. Hard no? Rude 😂

[@kerryhaygood7810]

I was so disappointed with the MDR changes …I’ll be looking elsewhere!

[@tomsunday]

I will have a video out tomorrow afternoon that will have an update regarding MDR changes.

[@generynkewicz4871]

Well, they are owned by NCL. Seems the nickel and dime is trickling upwards. Next it will affect Regent the same way. Sad. First ever cruise this year was with NCL. It’s also my last cruise with NCL.

[@tomsunday]

I think you mean RCL. Celebrity is owned by Royal Caribbean.

[@gal8poolmoreno110]

Just off of infinity. Main dining room very disappointing. When you add in classics to the menu selections you are left with very few daily choices. Had a difficult time ever selecting a main meal. The buffet was repetitive. Only one sea day lunch had good food at buffet.

[@tomsunday]

I feel the exact same way about the Equinox. I sailed with them on September 30th.

[@Ajmuzz]

Lady @ 13:43 is rocking out!

[@tomsunday]

😂

[@merycardenas746]

Laura must be a front line lying puppet, every industry has them. I’m sailing on celebrity in April and have watched every video out there on the Edge class. Every one agrees that they are becoming Royal Caribbean and soon a Carnival. It’s a very special trip for us and we’re splurging on the Retreat 😮

[@jammazon]

This video explains everything thats wrong with Celebrity. I cruised in the med on Edge in September - disappointing and corporate. This chick is a lot of the reason Im guessing. For the amount of money I paid, I should not have to go pay money for a damned cookie.

[@tomsunday]

Very good point. Cruise prices are up, nickle and diming is everywhere while the quality of the experience is down. This is simply unacceptable.

[@ellenwoodruff4518]

Oh my goodness! Just a word salad that in no way addressed issues. 0

[@tomsunday]

Agreed. They seem very out of touch with their community.

[@kennethchow3996]

Keep CoCo Cay and Labadee with Royal Caribbean. Greedflation is rampant where head honchos are poo poo nothing existed.

[@stevewilson6390]

Under her watch Celebrity is failing. Poor, Poor decisions have been maid.

[@DartyVic]

You know, they are a company whose bottom line is to make money. So if they're going to charge people for using amenities like a beach that is a private beach on a private island, they're going to do it. I find it very surprising that some of you are finding it so surprising that they were actually willing to do this

[@tomsunday]

It's more suprising how disconnected Celebrity is from their community. Their cruisers don't care about water parks in CocoCay. The added charge for the only "adult" area of the island was just an extra slap in the face.

[@colnagosuper]

I was thinking about an eastern Caribbean New year's cruise. Not Happening.

[@tomsunday]

I don't blame you.

[@mindygross3379]

Thank you so much for being real. Love watching your videos! We are booked on Celebrity Ascent for February 25th - Retreat- and we’re so excited and looking forward to our first cruise since 2001 (many of you weren’t born yet!) but we’ve been busy and now it’s time. We are traveling with friends (several different levels) but after seeing this Liar-in-Chief obfuscate and act like we are too stupid to see through her pathetic acting job, I’m having second thoughts before making my final bulk payment. No butler?? (it’s really the idea of it. Would not be used except for a pre dinner cocktail 🍹) Low quality food? (What else won’t I realize is different because I haven’t cruised in forever) It’s not even about the money…(10k)… I will go insane listening to my husband bitch and complain about these topics, and it will ruin any chance of going on another cruise ever again. Thanks for nothing, Laura 👎🏼 But thank you, Tom Sunday , for this big reveal! 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[@tomsunday]

Thank you so much for your kind words! Your comment made my day. I'm so glad you like my factual reporting. I will continue to monitor this situation. I have a new video coming out today or tomorrow. It will give you a few more updates. Thanks for watching!

[@colnagosuper]

My oh My she lies a lot. Bud Light 2.0

[@tomsunday]

Its very disappointing to hear how disconnected she is from the Community.

[@barrygleen2042]

I am sorry you guys got it all wrong. About the honeymooning couple, the sailing was replaced with the ascent which is a great replacement. She us overreacting. The worst if celebrity is far better than the best of other cruiselines.

[@barrygleen2042]

Virgin voyages is noT a competitor