Celebrity cruiser who tried RCCL

[WeBeCruisin']

We did however, have to "save" deck chairs on the "at sea" days. We are planning another cruise in March 2006 on the Explorer...we go with a group of about 20 people.

 

I think Carnival really appreciates chair hogs more than either RCCL or Celebrity. Try them.

[WeBeCruisin']

Four of our first six cruises were on Royal Caribbean, (Majesty, Splendour, Legend, and Nordic Empress) and we loved every one of them. Our last three have been on Celebrity (Summit, Constellation, and Horizon) and we have loved each of them, too. Our RCCL trips were on what are now considered smaller ships, and were comparable to Celebrity's Horizon in size and service. Our favorites have been the Summit and the Constellation, but primarily because they are just such gorgeous ships and so very well laid-out and fewer passengers than on the same-sized RCCL ship. We're booked on the Brilliance for July, which is about the same size (90,000 tons) as the Summit and Constellation. We're looking forward to having another great cruise, regardless of what minor differences may be involved.

[xpcdoojk]

To the OP

 

here is another thread about the wonders of X

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=124014

 

It is amazing how different people have different perspectives. :D

 

jc

[Host Kewlguy]

Celebrity and Royal Caribbean are two completely different cruise experiences. We enjoy both of them.

[hockeycop]

Read your post! You could not find 1 (one) thing about RCCL that you liked. Admit it, you just don't like RCCL and be done with it. You still did not say whether or not that you brought your complaints to the attention of the purser or cruise staff. You made your point, so move on. I have never experienced the problems that you laid out in your op and I don't believe others have either, to the extent that you have claimed. I clearly understand that you are a Celebrity fan and I think others understand that you are also, and that's GREAT! We also spent as much as you did and got the quality that we expected from our cruises, and if we did'nt, we brought it to the cruise staff and it was corrected. Please don't be condescending in your remarks to people like myself and others who are loyal RCCL cruisers. As you stated, this is my opinion!

[mandltullis]

Read your post! You could not find 1 (one) thing about RCCL that you liked. Admit it, you just don't like RCCL and be done with it. You still did not say whether or not that you brought your complaints to the attention of the purser or cruise staff. You made your point, so move on. I have never experienced the problems that you laid out in your op and I don't believe others have either, to the extent that you have claimed. I clearly understand that you are a Celebrity fan and I think others understand that you are also, and that's GREAT! We also spent as much as you did and got the quality that we expected from our cruises, and if we did'nt, we brought it to the cruise staff and it was corrected. Please don't be condescending in your remarks to people like myself and others who are loyal RCCL cruisers. As you stated, this is my opinion!

 

Perhaps you should read my post. I quote "My husband and I did not find one thing THAT WE LIKED BETTER ON RCCL THAN ON CELEBRITY". There is a big difference in my statement and what you misread. I think it's great that you did not have the experience that we had. However, that does not make our experience any less real or less important than your experiences. Why are you personally offended about MY cruise experience? Are you always this angry?

[msts]

Can't compare the two never on Celebrity, however I was on the same cruise as the OP.

 

We had a great time. We always saw our room steward at least twice a day. (we would take a extra 30 sec to find him in the morning he was usually in another cabin doing his job) when we found him he came out and always talked with us and smiled. He kew we would be doing to back and when we needed something he was there within two or three minutes. For his services he was tipped very well.

 

On days at sea or in port (when we got back to this ship) we never had a problem finding a chair, (we get to the pool around 9:00 after we ate) and yes the chair hogs were out but it wasn't as bad as I have seen it in the past.

 

Did the waiters sing and dance, yes. Do they like doing it, probably not. But it still didn't keep us from enjoying ourselves or our tablemates.

 

Yes the food was better at chops than the dining room, but the dining room was still a good experience.

 

The entainment was so-so, but once again it is only a small part of the cruise. The comedian was very good. My wife enjoyed the production shows even though I don't care for them. All in all we had a great time and enjoyed the Navigator of the Seas

 

We had a great bar waiter (Pauline from Jamaica (SP)) and most of the employees at RCI always meet us with a smile and kind word. What more could we ask for?

 

msts

[mkk]

Sorry some have had a bad experience with RCCL..

Have been on X more than any other but did our first RCCL (Mariner) a few months ago and loved it...

X's food a little better...service the same..Announcements fewer but on our RCCL ship you could turn off the in-room stuff..

Entertainment was a little better on our RCCL cruise... (ei..ice show etc..)

As for the person who asked age..If you are referring to nightlife....on the whole probably RCCL better for a younger person..BUT it all depends upon when you' re sailing. Mariner has a disco called Dragon's Lair that DH and I checked out one night..If I were 20 yrs younger..WOW!!..Loved the energy of the place!

I (50) was on an X cruise a few years ago now...with two (40's) and a (20)..Caribbean..(spring) and we partied all night at the disco...everynight.. and at the pool all day....bunch of crazy people on that ship...

Went on the SAME ship..almost same time of year and itinerary two years later and the disco was dead most nights ..the pool area was very subdued also....strange contrast...

Of all the lines we've been on the past 3 yrs....never had a bad cruise experience...you just have to find the right "fit" for you.

We liked NCL for the extremely outgoing staff...

Princess for the ports of call they offered and the pool areas...

RCCL for the ice show and the variety of activities...

X for the exceptional food and low-key outstanding service,,not to mention the spa that is to die for!

It really is a matter of opinion..Any cruise is a good cruise ! :)

[Tatka]

Each of the lines has own "+" and "-"

 

Service on X is definitely more professional "white glove" , but on RCCL it's also nice.

 

I loved solarium pool opened 24 hours on RCI, nice atrium (not that I didn't like it on X)

 

The only real downer on Splendour for us was food, both in dining room and buffet. We were never hungry however just not very excited about it.

[klingoncruiser]

Could not resist it. Thought I would put in my 2 bits worth. My worst cruise ever was on Celebrity. But never go on just one experience. We took the Galaxy at Xmas this year. I have 15 cruises on RCCL, so obviouly I love them. But I must say that I WAS impressed with X. The ship was no match for RCCL. But then it was an older ship. Not an equal comparison. The food (JMHO) was better on X. However, deserts and clear soups were better on RCCL. Service was better on X, by a lot in the dining areas. About the same in the room. Will I give up RCCL? Nope. Will I go again on X? Yup, next Xmas, already booked.

 

mandltullis don't mind the flames, I got it when I reviewed the Galaxy on that board. I know how you feel. But I will say, try the Radiance class ships next, I would recomend the Serenade of the Seas. As always, no matter the line, it is the luck of the draw on your room steward and waiters. Generally had good luck on most lines.

[mortypro]

i agree don't take the flames to heart

i think my dh & i are the only ones who don't think celebrity food was any better then rccl.

if everyone agreed on ships how boring life would be lol

[Shmobo]

I will put in my 2 cents...

 

I have been cruising exclusively on X (Millie, 2XMercury,2XCentury) until last year when I tried RCCL VOS and BOS.

 

I do prefer X for the food and more formal services. But I have to say X really lack the activities..Poor entertainment staffs were walking around the pool and would not get anyone participate at all...

 

I did enjoyed my VOS and BOS experience..and I am going again in August on the Jewels...and booked Millie for Christmas 2005..

 

The food on RCCL is so so...I did love that warm chocolate cake dessert..our waiters on both cruises are excellent.

[Janapole]

We have done 2 RCCL cruises. One on the Splendour and one on the Jewel. Now we are booked to go on X'sMillennium in Aug from Barcelona to Venice. We found the food on both cruises excellent. What we liked most was the casual buffet dining option for ALL meals on RCCL. The variety was amazing and catered for any possible preference. What worries me is we have been told that on the Millennium, there is no evening buffet in the casual dining section. How would you compare RCCL and Celebrity as regards the casual dining?

[hockeycop]

Perhaps you should read my post. I quote "My husband and I did not find one thing THAT WE LIKED BETTER ON RCCL THAN ON CELEBRITY". There is a big difference in my statement and what you misread. I think it's great that you did not have the experience that we had. However, that does not make our experience any less real or less important than your experiences. Why are you personally offended about MY cruise experience? Are you always this angry?

Get A Life Please! You can spin your comments anyway you want but, people can read your op. Stay with your perfect cruise lines and stop "spinning" your op. You hate RCCL so, be done with it! I didn't know that you had a degree in psychology in "trying to determine my anger"! Stop being so defensive yourself and blaming everyone for their response to your criticsm of RCCL. You should expect it, "HELLO"!

p.s. I'm not angry, just passionate, get it! :D :D

[katdreamr]

Hockeycop, she's not "trying to determine your anger", and I seriously doubt there's a psych degree involved, she's a CLASSIC passive-aggressive narcissist.End of story.

[NTC9414]

Have cruised on Carnival twice, RCCL 10 times and Celebrity just once. We were in our mid 40's at the time, younger than most of our fellow passengers. I found Celebrity to lack activities, unless you call trivia games an activity! In their defense, there was little or no participation in pool games and the public areas were deserted by 10pm. The dinners and service were fantastic, but breakfast was the same as other lines, and the lunch buffets were the worst we have experienced. Perhaps it was due to it being a longer cruise on the Thanksgiving holiday or just an isolated incident - but our Summit experience was lackluster.

[mortypro]

We have done 2 RCCL cruises. One on the Splendour and one on the Jewel. Now we are booked to go on X'sMillennium in Aug from Barcelona to Venice. We found the food on both cruises excellent. What we liked most was the casual buffet dining option for ALL meals on RCCL. The variety was amazing and catered for any possible preference. What worries me is we have been told that on the Millennium, there is no evening buffet in the casual dining section. How would you compare RCCL and Celebrity as regards the casual dining?

 

 

the explorer which is the only rccl ship we were on had buffet dinner in the windjammer each night, informal, relaxed atmosphere you just show up

on the two celebrity mercury & zenith the windjammer was served dinner that you had to make a reservation for. it was very relaxed, food very good, a little different menu then the main dinning room but you could pick your time to dine, and they suggest you tip the waiters. we enjoyed both very much.

[WeBeCruisin']

Perhaps it was due to it being a longer cruise on the Thanksgiving holiday or just an isolated incident - but our Summit experience was lackluster.

 

We took an 11-day Summit Ultimate Caribbean over Thanksgiving in 2003we , and found the lunch buffet to be very good, and were in the casino or disco almost every night until 2:00 or 3:00 a.m. It was nothing like has been described by a previous poster. How recent was this "lackluster" cruise taken?

[NTC9414]

We took an 11-day Summit Ultimate Caribbean over Thanksgiving in 2003we ' date=' and found the lunch buffet to be very good, and were in the casino or disco almost every night until 2:00 or 3:00 a.m. It was nothing like has been described by a previous poster. How recent was this "lackluster" cruise taken?[/quote']

WeBeCruisen',

The "lackluster" cruise I described was Thanksgiving 2002. I believe the original poster asked for opinions. I was relating my personal experience and opinion. If I had to write a review of that particular cruise, it would be a "mixed" review. It may have been an isolated occurence or a simple difference in preferences. Many other seasoned cruiser's have suggested we try them again, I'm sure we will. Make no mistake about it, Celebrity does many things extremely well. It sounds like one year later, you had a wonderful experience.

[CruiseVirginfromBrooklyn]

Well I've sailed with many cruise lines and as far as food, I put RCCL at the bottom of the list. Some people think just because they aren't cooking it or cleaning up that makes it "good". I'm not sure how many people are aware that a good hunk of the money you pay for a cruise goes towards the purchase, preparation and presentation of your food. I notice RCCL cuts corners and the quality just isn't there. I agree that RCCL has some very pretty ships but, I doubt I'll return to RCCL unless the food quality improves GREATLY. I've been told this by many cruisers and it's a shame, it's otherwise a good cruise line but, given the choice for lower end cruise lines - I'll stick with Carnival. For middle level I'll take Princess or Celebrity. And for upper level cruising, we've only been on Crystal but loved them.

 

Personally, I'd rather read honest reviews on this board, including the good, the bad and the ugly - rather than get advice that isn't completely true. Maybe it's a regional thing and what some folks consider good others can't stand... Nonetheless, can "we" try to be less focused on "selling" the ship or the cruise line simply because "we" believe whatever "we" say or do is absolutely correct and "we never make mistakes". My wife and I are in a very fortunate position that we can afford to cruise often - others aren't so lucky and to give dishonest opinions just isn't fair or right.

 

Ok - getting off my soapbox now - let the flaming begin :rolleyes:

[mandltullis]

Could not resist it. Thought I would put in my 2 bits worth. My worst cruise ever was on Celebrity. But never go on just one experience. We took the Galaxy at Xmas this year. I have 15 cruises on RCCL, so obviouly I love them. But I must say that I WAS impressed with X. The ship was no match for RCCL. But then it was an older ship. Not an equal comparison. The food (JMHO) was better on X. However, deserts and clear soups were better on RCCL. Service was better on X, by a lot in the dining areas. About the same in the room. Will I give up RCCL? Nope. Will I go again on X? Yup, next Xmas, already booked.

 

mandltullis don't mind the flames, I got it when I reviewed the Galaxy on that board. I know how you feel. But I will say, try the Radiance class ships next, I would recomend the Serenade of the Seas. As always, no matter the line, it is the luck of the draw on your room steward and waiters. Generally had good luck on most lines.

 

Thanks for the kind words. I don't mind the flames but I must admit that I don't understand them. Seems that some people come to these boards for no other reason than to argue. I came to get and hopefully give useful information. This will be my last visit to these boards, I don't enjoy the kind of exchanges most people seem to want to have here. I did want to respond to your post before I left. It's nice to have someone post without name calling and nastiness. Sorry you had to experience the same thing with your review of the Galaxy. Happy cruising!

[mandltullis]

Awwwwwwwww, I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU to cruise virgin. What a nice way to start my week. I was going to leave these boards and never come back because of all the hostility, but now I'm not so sure. Nice to hear from such nice people! I'm so glad that you understand that my comments about my cruise were just my honest opinions.

[Escapingtheratrace]

Wow, this is my time visiting and I am shocked! My husband and I are considering cruising and have heard wonderful things about it. Our friends have told us about all the friendly people that they have met on cruises. Apparently those people do not come here. I'm not sure what mandltullis said that has everyone so upset. It looks to me like she has taken a few cruises and this last one was not her favorite. Now people are calling her everything except a child of God. Are you people this mean to people that you meet in person or are these boards like road rage? You feel safe venting all the frustrations of your own life on innocent people that you have never met.

[Hoosier Cruiser]

To the OP, so sorry that you have been attacked for voicing your opinion. It has also happened to me in the past, and I too have become a lurker rather than a poster at times. My two cents: we have sailed Celebrity, RCCL, and Carnival, all more than once. And I must say that we have never had a BAD cruise. Some have certainly been more enjoyable than others, and some have been darn near perfect, for us. You should also know that we too prefer Celebrity, for the almost indefinable differences in quality and service. To us, it just seems to be a classier experience all around. When traveling with only adults, we do Celebrity and when the children are with us we do RCCL and Carnival, for the obvious amenities and differences these family-friendly lines provide. I will readily acknowledge that the production shows on RCCL are the superior in our experience, and the biggest name headliners we have seen have been on RCCL. Having given this background, you should know that we LOVE cruising and I would like to share a few observations with you of our recent experience.

 

We just sailed NOS on 1/15/05, just one week after you. We took extended family members with us whom had never cruised before. There were 6 adults and 6 minor children. So we chose this ship because we thought it would appeal to all involved. And we were totally right in our selection! I don't know how we could have had a better cruise experience, for us and our group of travelers. The staff was good, the food was good, and the shows were good, so what more could we have asked for?

 

Our dining room wait staff could not have been better, offering us bread several times during our meal, anticipating and providing drink choices before we could even ask, and really catering to every whim of each of us. There was a "show" in the dining room on at least three nights. Although we had early seating, it is my understanding that you might have been subjected to an Adventure Ocean Pirate Parade at late seating on one evening; so sorry if you were and it disturbed your dining experience, but you should know that two of our little ones were in fact in this Parade on our cruise (ages 6-8), and it was a definite highlight for them. If you did experience this, then your total evening dining room shows could have in fact numbered four, which certainly could have been too many for anyone desiring/expecting a quieter dining experience. I can certainly accept how this could have been excessive for you if you do not care for this sort of thing.

 

If any of our dining choices did not please us, the waiter would insist on bringing us something else even if we said it would be ok. He brought extra servings of things he knew we particulary enjoyed (without our asking) and he freely advised on selections he thought we would like or not enjoy, and took it upon himself to insure that all were happy at every evening meal. One night, my SIL needed to leave just prior to main dish being served (back spasm), and he insisted on writing up a room service delivery for a later time in the evening. It arrived exactly as ordered, fresh and hot, and at the requested time. She wanted to just forget it, but the waiter insisted that he wanted to do this for her; later, when she was feeling better, she was grateful not to just have pizza or a sandwich but instead enjoyed her evening meal that she thought she had missed. He really was excellent.

 

We experienced good service other than the dining rooms also; our staterooms were made up for us twice each day and we saw our attendant team several times a day (9th deck aft). We could only come up with one request for the coincierge (he got our ice show tickets for us), and even in the Windjammer experienced a higher level of service than in the past. Not as good as on Celebrity, where you never have to carry your own tray or get your own drinks, but certainly better than in the past on other RCCL sailings.

 

We did have less than friendly service at Guest Relations for a simple request for a souvenir deck of cards, and the shop attendants were not overly helpful or friendly either, but we have experienced this same attitude on many other ships and lines. We don't need a lot of handholding or pampering from these service people, so it certainly doesn't affect us too negatively. The drink waiters around the pool were definitely more aggressive than what we have experienced on Celebrity, but no more than on Carnival and other RCCL sailings. Mostly we encountered friendliness wherever we traveled, from both crew and passengers alike. Even the Captain seemed very accessible, going to the Adventure Ocean several times and posing with the kids for pictures and answering their questions.

 

Sorry this posting is so long, but just wanted to share my opinion, and cruise reviews are just that, subjective and opinionated. All in all, we thought this cruise was great. The ship was indeed very large, the largest we have ever experienced in 12 cruises. We could never dream of experiencing everything she had to offer. She was also one of the most beautiful ships we have sailed. This is just my opinion and my experience of our week on this ship. It is not intended to be anything more than that, just a reflection of my experience. I fully intend to sail on both RCCL again sometime, and also Celebrity as well. Although they are different experiences, there is much to be enjoyed on both lines for us. To each his own, and to all, happy sailing!

[skiiergirl]

TO OP: If your goal really was just to let other Celeb loyalists know how your RCCL cruise went then why did you post it on the RCCL forum instead of the Celeb forum? (JUst asking...not criticizing...just curious)

 

I have been trying to get hubby to do a Celeb cruise but he likes the perks we have on RCCL. Now that they are "reciprocating" perks I thought I might be able to get him to try it. Now though I think I might have to reconsider. I think Celeb might be too "dull" for us. We are not late night party people. We do like going to the casino and shows after late seating dinner though. We do want the calypso/reggae band playing poolside. While we don't participate in the pool games we enjoy watching them. We don't particularly enjoy the bingo/art auction announcement, they don't really hinder our cruise enjoyment. I don't understand how the OP could have been upset over the singing in the dining room. To us this is just part of the cruise experience. We have been on many cruises (all RCCL) and still stand up and wave our napkins like it was our first time. None of these interfere with dinner. It on occassion will slow down receipt of dessert but usually we are eating dessert while the servers are "performing". The only exception to this is the kids in Adventure Ocean coming through during dinner (one-night). If none of this happens on Celeb then I think we might be disappointed. We don't need the announcements to determine what is going on but don't find them to be a problem. Maybe they were having printing problems with the compass. We have always found the compasses to give all of the information we needed. We hear the food is better on X but have never left a meal hungry on RC. As far as room stewards, yes they can vary depending on ship, deck,etc. We have had stewards that we didn't see between the first day and the last day but our cabin was always tended too properly. On the other hand we have had stewards that were in the hall everytime we opened our door. We even had one spend two hours with us in our cabin talking one day. Yes, RC has cut down on the number of stewards and they are having to do more rooms now so service is getting to be a little less than outstanding. But if I had trouble with service, I would definitely speak to someone and I am sure it would be corrected. They very much want to give good service because they want good reviews on the survey. The surveys are very important to them so everyone on board wants to do whatever they can to make the pax happy so they will get good reviews on the survey.

 

If I convince hubby to try X am I going to be sorry. Are we going to think it is "dull" or "too quiet"?????