Celebrity and Cunard compared

For some years I have been cruising with Cunard, mainly on Queen Victoria. On Friday I completed my first cruise with Celebrity on the Reflection. I thought people might be interested to read my impressions (and those of the friend who travelled with me) of the differences between QV (Cunard’s Queen Victoria) and CR (Celebrity Reflection). Remember that these are personal opinions based on my own preferences and personality. Others would react to the same ships in a different way.

Décor: I love QV’s Art Deco style, but CR really impressed me with its modernism and its white and chrome. It has lovely light and airy spaces.

Staterooms: On both my last QV cruise and on this CR cruise we were given an accessible stateroom. CR’s room seemed much more spacious and better set out, but the balcony was nowhere near as large as QV’s. I preferred QV’s bed linen and general feel to the room.

Toiletries: CR operates a strange two-tier system whereby you only get shower gel if you are concierge class (balcony room with a few extra services) or above. In a normal balcony cabin or below, you only get soap. That puts me off. CR’s toiletries were a good make supplied in plain white squeeze tubes. I would put them on a par with QV. I think I find the squeeze tubes easier than QV’s rigid plastic bottles, though they don’t look as nice.

Food: I struggle with food because I have so many food sensitivities and am just plain fussy (no seafood, nothing shiny or slimy, no garlic, etc.). I have generally found at least one thing to eat each night on QV. On CR I must have resorted to the everday items of plain salmon, chicken breast or steak at least half the time. My friend loves good food and does not suffer from fussiness, and his reaction was that QV was better than CR.

MDR: I loved the décor in the MDR on CR. The light and noise levels seemed appropriate. The waiters warned us that it would be busy at lunchtime on the first 2 days and suggested we wait for later in the cruise. I then discovered that it was not open for lunch on port days, so we did not ever experience lunch service. I think QV does things much better, being open every day.

Bars: CR is a larger ship and so there are many more bars. These are lovely spaces in which to sit. My real favourite was Café al Bacio, set up like a coffee shop. It had a wonderful array of cakes all day long, as well as serving coffees plus alcoholic drinks. The second favourite was the Martini Bar, all white with an ice-topped bar in which we could scribble our names. The only bar in which QV excels is the Commodore Club. CR’s equivalent is under-used and not as peaceful a place.

Drinks package: You can’t beat CR’s unlimited drinks package, especially when you are lucky enough to get it at a special promotion price or free.

Dancing: It is the ballroom and the dance hosts that will take me back to QV time and again. CR has tiny dance floors and the one mainly used is in the main foyer, with art sculptures and the staircase obstructing the flow, not to mention people walking across in front of the dancers to get to the other side. If you are lucky you get a 45-minute dance session to recorded music during the day (the only time you can dance ballroom) and some shuffling around to the band in other sessions. Occasionally the band played music to which we could have danced, but we would have looked like ‘social fruitcakes’ to attempt a proper cha cha or whatever while everyone else was bopping around.

Staff: QV has a wonderful blend of respect and friendliness from its staff. I did not feel this on CR. There was a surface friendliness (occasionally calling me ‘Miss Diane’ and sometimes ‘Diane’) but it lacked warmth. I also did not feel the respect and care that I find on QV.

Entertainment: We were not impressed by the shows, except for one comedian. The singing/dancing shows were not really geared for the right age group. One show was completely incomprehensible. (They had to explain the storyline before putting it on.) Another show was too modern, all about computer games – not really suitable for older people. By contrast, on our last QV cruise we enjoyed all but one show.

Dress code: CR no longer has formal evenings. Some people still choose to dress up but others definitely wear clothes that would upset many Cunard cruisers. There was a huge variety of clothes, and no sense of enforcement. Also, the dress code is only followed in the dining rooms; you can wear anything in the rest of the ship. I can happily ignore what others wear; the only thing is that I missed seeing fabulous clothes. I don’t think I once said to anyone ‘I love your dress’ or ‘You look fantastic’ – and I say that quite often on QV.

My time on the CR was lovely, and I will enjoy my next cruise on Equinox, but it won’t be long before I book again on QV. I think I am a Cunard person at heart.

(Please note: I have also posted this in the Cunard forum. I apologise to those of you who read both forums carefully.)

Thank you for taking the time to post your review. DH and I have sailed on several different lines, and I have to say that our first cruise, on the QM2, really spoiled us. All of our other cruises have been measured against her, and most suffered in comparison. Our next cruise will be on the Eclipse, and I'm sure we'll be doing the same, if only subconsciously.

Thank you for the review. We are Elite at Celebrity but are looking at some interesting itineraries on Cunard and may give it a try. Other than the lack of a drink package and the Elite perks that we're accustomed to it sounds like Cunard might be worth a try.

If we do, we may decide we prefer Celebrity but I doubt we'd be disappointed in Cunard.

Loyal elite plus celebrity cruisers, but love Cunard especially the QM2. Very unique ships that at least try to feel like ships with good food and service. If celebrity doesn't come out with a world cruise, we'll definitely be sailing with Cunard in a decade or so.

I have never cruised on a Cunard ship. Are the costs per day about the same?

Thank you for the comparison. I always thought Cunard served a much higher end market.

I have never cruised on a Cunard ship. Are the costs per day about the same?

 

Thank you for the comparison. I always thought Cunard served a much higher end market.

Cunard is the pioneer in class-based cruising [or rather, they never abandoned it since the "Titanic the movie" days] which Celebrity is now developing. They have four levels of MDR, and I just read that they are completing this trend by creating a separate venue for the "Britannia Club" level which had been a roped-off area of the basic MDR [Princess is about to copy that old idea, and the hoi polloi on the Princess board think it will make them feel dissed to watch the elite eat menu items they can't have...]. Anyway, if you book a basic-level cabin on Cunard it should not cost more than Celebrity. But another thing Cunard has maintained is a much more formal dress code -- that's what has stopped me from booking them.

Thank you so much for taking the time to write your lovely review. I actually just enjoyed reading it, period!

I would not mind cruising with Cunard but somehow I feel I'd be "out of place," and not keen about wearing a coat and tie to every dinner. However, I do still dress up on "chic night" which is what most of the cruise lines now have in place of "formal night."

I sincerely hope you enjoy your cruise on The Equinox, which up to this point is my favorite ship, although I know I'll enjoy our upcoming cruise on The Viking Star.

Thanks again for your really nicely written review! :)

Interesting that, especially in the last two posts, there still seems to be a misconception that somehow Cunard is more class based and divisive compared with other lines. Not sure that the dress code helps this misconception, but nothing could be further from the truth.

Yes there are a number of levels and different dining rooms, but this is in no way different to the different balcony/suite levels on Celebrity and on most other lines. We've cruised with just about every line and have enjoyed them all and have actually found Cunard to be less class based and snooty than many others. We've encountered far less of the 'I've been on hundreds of cruises - what loyalty level are you' type of passenger on Cunard than anywhere else.

This coming from someone who usually travels in an inside cabin and assumed that Cunard ships were populated by rich and pretentious people before we actually gave them a go. Going with Celebrity again tomorrow for the first time in a few years so it will be interesting to see how they compare now.

Procruise, thank you for your lovely comments.

I think the Cunard dress code sounds daunting at first, but it isn't really. It's quite easy to adapt to it as long as men are prepared to wear a tie and a jacket. It's easy for women as we can be dressy enough in just black trousers and a sparkly top for formal evenings.

I have never felt a class difference on a Cunard ship. Once on board, you don't know who is 'Mixed Grills' and who is in 'rowing class' or 'steerage' (as some of us call ourselves on the Cunard forum). The only big difference between the classes is the different dining venues, and you get that on Celebrity and on many other ships. I actually felt that Celebrity's decision to not give out shower gel below concierge level creates more of a class division than anything on Cunard.

Most of the people I have met on Cunard ships are hard-working English people who save hard to cruise with a company that they consider to be quality. Lots of them also choose Cunard because they don't want to fly and many Cunard cruises go from Southampton. I think Cunard is a slightly older clientele than Celebrity. They party in a different way. The bars are not as full or as loud. However, the enjoyment level is just as great.

As for price, in general I have found Cunard to be cheaper than Celebrity. However, it may depend on knowing just when the special offers are around. I think most of us pay too much for our first cruise with a new line.

Thanks for the review :). It's interesting to read as it confirms that Cunard wouldn't be for us. We prefer an international mix when we cruise and, from your statements, it appears to be mainly British cruisers of the older generation - perhaps stereotypical of the Cunard brand on this side of the pond ;). There is a cruise line for everyone at their particular time in life and for us, currently, Celebrity fits our needs. I do see Azamara in our future, but possibly only Cunard when we choose not to fly ;). Thanks again for taking the time to post your comments :).

Cunard is the pioneer in class-based cruising [or rather, they never abandoned it since the "Titanic the movie" days] which Celebrity is now developing. They have four levels of MDR, and I just read that they are completing this trend by creating a separate venue for the "Britannia Club" level which had been a roped-off area of the basic MDR [Princess is about to copy that old idea, and the hoi polloi on the Princess board think it will make them feel dissed to watch the elite eat menu items they can't have...]. Anyway, if you book a basic-level cabin on Cunard it should not cost more than Celebrity. But another thing Cunard has maintained is a much more formal dress code -- that's what has stopped me from booking them.

 

As for price, in general I have found Cunard to be cheaper than Celebrity. However, it may depend on knowing just when the special offers are around. I think most of us pay too much for our first cruise with a new line.

Thank you, both.

I will have to compare a Sky Suite to Cunards equivalent suite if I find an itinerary that works for me. It has either changed or I made an error in my previous comparisons. I have always wanted to try Cunard since they have such a long history in the industry.

I think the Cunard dress code sounds daunting at first, but it isn't really. It's quite easy to adapt to it as long as men are prepared to wear a tie and a jacket. It's easy for women as we can be dressy enough in just black trousers and a sparkly top for formal evenings.

This means packing enough dress shirts to cover every evening -- which adds a lot to the packing for North Americans who still have to fly one-way. And wearing a tie? -- that is not something I did at work [uS informality -- I was a professor at a law school] and certainly don't want to do in retirement! So yes, it is daunting!

I have never felt a class difference on a Cunard ship. Once on board, you don't know who is 'Mixed Grills' and who is in 'rowing class' or 'steerage' (as some of us call ourselves on the Cunard forum). The only big difference between the classes is the different dining venues, and you get that on Celebrity and on many other ships. I actually felt that Celebrity's decision to not give out shower gel below concierge level creates more of a class division than anything on Cunard.

I shouldn't have implied that Cunard still has the feel of the traditional class-based ships [a little hyperbole in my earlier post ;)]. But the separate dining rooms do segregate passengers by class every evening. There has been a lot of criticism on the Celebrity board about the ever-increasing number of main dining room levels and the negative repercussions of splitting up friends who can't dine together. [Celebrity also faces criticism over the negative effects of these changes on the regular MDR -- less space, fewer windows, and the possibility of even less-attentive service and lower daily food budgets -- which may not apply on Cunard since their ships were designed this way] And yes, the NCL Yacht Club and the MSC Haven are far worse in terms of class segregation.

As for price, in general I have found Cunard to be cheaper than Celebrity. However, it may depend on knowing just when the special offers are around. I think most of us pay too much for our first cruise with a new line.

That would require knowing which levels on Cunard offer a comparable experience to which levels on Celebrity. To equal a Celebrity Sky Suite [with butler and the Luminae restaurant] would I need to book a Queens Grill Suite, or would the Princess Grill level be comparable?

We sailed with Cunard in January and it was a bargain.

That is us now - last minute. Will not be booking a year or more in advance and watch the fare price plummet. We don't mind where we go we just enjoy ourselves wherever.

I do like Celebrity more though but only the S class. Hated Connie.

We travel both Cunard (Queens Grill) and Celebrity (Sky suite). The food and service on Cunard cannot be compared! However, the entertainment (IMHO) is terrible on Cunard, the drinks very expensive and no packages offered. I would drop Cunard in a heart beat for Celebrity I have so much more fun but DH enjoys the dining experience.