Celebrity cruiser who tried RCCL

[JandD Mom]

I was just off the Jewel -- this was my 4th cruise on RCCL. I have to agree that I prefer X. However, the food was good on the Jewel (not as good as Celebrity generally, but very good for the most part). The food/drink service we received was actually better on the Jewel. Our cabin steward on the Jewel was as good as our last steward on the Constellation, and better than any of the others we had on X. But we had a terrific time on the Jewel. The room choices on the Jewel are better than those on X (not suites, just the balconies).

 

Why do I prefer X? It is a personal thing. First, we did not think the entertainment was any better on the Jewel than the Constellation or Infinity. In fact, in some respects it was worse. The one thing that would make me go on RCCL is that you think the entertainment would be better. IT was not. In fact, the Jewel has the worst cruise director I have ever seen.

 

Second, I always seem to find more people on Celebrity that meet our demographic than on RCCL. I won't get into dueling demographics, but it seems X suits us better.

 

Finally, it's the little extras -- the iced towels, the sorbet on hot days. Etc. I just prefer X. I also prefer the warmer decor on X to the glitzier decor on RCCL. Just my preference.

 

I would not however hesitate to cruise RCCL again. It just depends on what you are in the mood for.

[jima53]

Are you folks comparing ships of the same approximate size in this debate. Just curious because I've never cruised on Celebrity or RCCL and after a disaster on a small Carnival ship I'm starting to look for a much larger ship and love the looks of the Mariner of the Sea. Been on the

 

Jim

 

Uss Saratoga med cruise 1971

Uss Saratoga westpac 1972

Carnival Miracle 2004

Holland America Zaandam 2004

Carnival Celebration 2005

[DON M.]

Well, after many wonderful cruises on Celebrity we decided to try RCCL. Big mistake. We were incredibly disappointed. We tried to think of one thing that we liked better on RCCL and couldn't come up with a single thing. We were amazed at the difference in the level of service. We saw our cabin steward once the entire sailing. One day our cabin wasn't cleaned until after we went to dinner. On celebrity we saw our stateroom attendant every time we left or entered our room. It was impossible to find a chair in the sun unless you "saved" a chair by 8 am. The food quality was horrible compared to Celebrity. I thought the ship decor was plain and boring in comparison to Celebrity. The shows were awful and many people walked out on them. I felt they did a very poor job letting us know what the various activities were on the ship. People were wandering around constantly trying to figure out what was going on and where it was going on. The help was not helpful and they were not freindly. I've already booked my next cruise......on Celebrity. I am not posting this to bash RCCL. I know that there are many people who absolutely love to cruise with them. I am just trying to let people know that if you are used to sailing with Celebrity but want to try something different, I don't think that RCCL is what you are looking for. It is like driving a Mercedes and then switching to a Hyundai.

We have been on 6 rcl cruises (0 on Celebrity) and have never experienced anything close to what you did. Great shows where no one walked out, all the activities one could desire and always knew when and where from the compass, 5-star service from everyone, food for all tastes. But then again,I hate driving my wifes Mercedes.

[DON M.]

I was just off the Jewel -- this was my 4th cruise on RCCL. I have to agree that I prefer X. However, the food was good on the Jewel (not as good as Celebrity generally, but very good for the most part). The food/drink service we received was actually better on the Jewel. Our cabin steward on the Jewel was as good as our last steward on the Constellation, and better than any of the others we had on X. But we had a terrific time on the Jewel. The room choices on the Jewel are better than those on X (not suites, just the balconies).

 

Why do I prefer X? It is a personal thing. First, we did not think the entertainment was any better on the Jewel than the Constellation or Infinity. In fact, in some respects it was worse. The one thing that would make me go on RCCL is that you think the entertainment would be better. IT was not. In fact, the Jewel has the worst cruise director I have ever seen.

 

Second, I always seem to find more people on Celebrity that meet our demographic than on RCCL. I won't get into dueling demographics, but it seems X suits us better.

 

Finally, it's the little extras -- the iced towels, the sorbet on hot days. Etc. I just prefer X. I also prefer the warmer decor on X to the glitzier decor on RCCL. Just my preference.

 

I would not however hesitate to cruise RCCL again. It just depends on what you are in the mood for.

We will be on the Jewel in July-Baltic- and though it is port intensive, and the cruise director is of little concern to me, Iam curious as what made this person so bad in your opinion?

[Host Karen]

Jim, the OP was not comparing apples to apples, actually. The Mariner is a much larger ship than any of the Celebrity ships, so she should have sailed one of the Radiance class ships (i.e., Brilliance, Jewel) that are closer in size to the M-class X ships. We found the service to be better on the Radiance class ships than the Voyager class, but that was our personal experience. We wouldn't avoid the larger ships, as they have other benefits we enjoy that the smaller ships don't offer (ice skating, the Royal Promenade, Johnny Rockets), but if given the choice, we would choose the smaller ships.

 

It would be tough to compare apples to apples regardless of the ship, in my opinion, as I agree with the previous posters who note the company is reaching out to different demographics. Royal Caribbean is much more family and children-friendly, although Celebrity has a good kids program, too. Celebrity seems to attract an older, more laid-back crowd, most of whom will not be found in the disco at 2 a.m. Royal Caribbean's commercials promote its activities (rock climbing, excursions, spinning class) that would seem to appeal to a younger, more active crowd. This is not to say that an active 30-year-old would not enjoy a Celebrity cruise nor a 70-year-old a Royal Caribbean cruise. It's all personal taste, and as I suggested to Mugz, if you aren't happy with the ship you sailed but you enjoyed cruising, try different ships and/or different cruiselines until you find the right fit.

 

Karen

[JandD Mom]

Jim,

 

I am comparing Jewel with Celebrity Constellation and Infinity, which I believe are actually the same "platform" ship. Ie, they are the same size with many of the same features. However the location and size of some rooms, as well as decorative features are different. I believe the Jewel holds more passengers than the Constellation though. I did not base my comparison on the Voyager class which is a different animal alltogether. If I were going to cruise RCCL again, it would be on a Voyager or Ultra-V. If I want smaller I will do Celebrity.

 

Don, there are several threads about the CD on Jewel. I believe her name is Karen Mayberry (or Maybury). She is an English woman. I paid very little attention to the reviews until I got on the ship because the CD never mattered to me before. It seemed to me that she rushed every show or activity she was personally involved in. For example, in the Love and Marriage game, we showed up 5 minutes before the time listed in the Compass and she was already into the show. When there were very funny statements made she rarely elaborated on them to make the moment funnier, she just moved the show along. The entire show was done in 15-20 minutes.

 

The bellyflop competition was the same way. We showed up slightly before the listed time and they were handing medals out already. It seemed as though she was trying to "get through" her schedule to get to her free time. Also, the music selection around the pool when the band was not playing was horrible. We are not old people, but one day they were playing this reggae rap, which we found to be not the type of music you want to listen to by the pool. One of our friends complained and was told that while we are in port (we were in ANtigua) they have to play reggae and they were sorry but the music would stay the same (there were many, many people on this ship much older than us so I can't imagine they liked this music either). The next day we were in St. Thomas and we were waiting for the rap to start again. Guess what? They played oldies. So much for having to play reggae in port. In general, the entertainment, shows, activities were not good. She had some good Asst. CDs, but in all, it was the most disappointing cruise entertainment-wise I have been on.

[skiiergirl]

Mugz....The Mariner is a great ship. While we prefer the Radiance class ships we love the Adventure and Mariner. (Haven't been on any of the other Voyager class ships.) Go with a positive attitude and you will have a great time. A cruise is what you make of it....not what anyone else makes of it. You will have a great time on the Mariner. If Capt. Johnny is still there....he is very personable. Simeon was just coming on as CD back in late Nov. so he is probably still there as CD. He is great! I don't even remember what all the OP was complaining about but most of them I was astonished at. I think it is great that we have these boards for us to be able to share our experiences/opinions, etc. but I think it is sad when we have to go to such extremes with them. While I love these boards, I am truly glad I was an experienced cruises before I found them so that I had a good base of personal experience to be able to "shift through" what I (personal opinion only) deem to be valid complaints. Have a great trip!

 

JandDMOM.....We have been on many RCCL cruises (never anyone else) and typically we don't give a "rat's a&&" about who the CD is. But our whole group agreed on the Jewel cruise that KM is the absolute worst CD we have ever had. We even put it on our comment card. Don't know how she has been kept around.

[mandltullis]

Ollie, thanks for informing me on what I "should have done". Actually what you said makes no sense at all. Since I enjoyed my "apple" if I wanted another "apple" I would have had another one. I decided to try an "orange". Therefore I was comparing apples and oranges. My personal preference was for apples. Thanks for the laugh!

[mandltullis]

We have been on 6 rcl cruises (0 on Celebrity) and have never experienced anything close to what you did. Great shows where no one walked out, all the activities one could desire and always knew when and where from the compass, 5-star service from everyone, food for all tastes. But then again,I hate driving my wifes Mercedes.

 

Well then silly, quit driving your wife's mercedes just like I am going to quit sailing RCCL. :)

[mandltullis]

Mugz....The Mariner is a great ship. While we prefer the Radiance class ships we love the Adventure and Mariner. (Haven't been on any of the other Voyager class ships.) Go with a positive attitude and you will have a great time. A cruise is what you make of it....not what anyone else makes of it. You will have a great time on the Mariner. If Capt. Johnny is still there....he is very personable. Simeon was just coming on as CD back in late Nov. so he is probably still there as CD. He is great! I don't even remember what all the OP was complaining about but most of them I was astonished at. I think it is great that we have these boards for us to be able to share our experiences/opinions, etc. but I think it is sad when we have to go to such extremes with them. While I love these boards, I am truly glad I was an experienced cruises before I found them so that I had a good base of personal experience to be able to "shift through" what I (personal opinion only) deem to be valid complaints. Have a great trip!

 

JandDMOM.....We have been on many RCCL cruises (never anyone else) and typically we don't give a "rat's a&&" about who the CD is. But our whole group agreed on the Jewel cruise that KM is the absolute worst CD we have ever had. We even put it on our comment card. Don't know how she has been kept around.

 

skiier, I too hate to go to extremes. Could you please point out the extremes to which I went. Hopefully with this info. I can prevent ever doing it again. By the way, if you can't remember what I was "complaining" about perhaps you should reread my post and get your facts straight. I hope to one day become as experienced a cruiser as you are. Oh yeah, how many cruises have I been on? I guess you were just assuming that you have more cruises under your belt. Have you ever thought about changing your sn to Her Royal Highness? As your loyal subject I am sorry that I had the audacity to express an opinion that was not first approved by you.

[mandltullis]

Wow, this flaming thing is kind of fun.

[skiiergirl]

mandl...You make me laugh. "Her Royal Highness" I am not....even though I do work with "the princess of the world". I wasn't trying to "flame" you so I'm not sure why you thought "name calling" was appropriate. I was simply saying that it is sad that these threads are so negative and through the process some of the original issues get blown out of proportion and we sometimes forget exactly what the original post was trying to get across. In your original post you said "I am not posting this to bash RCCL. I am just trying to let people know that if you are used to sailing with Celebrity but want to try something different, I don't think that RCCL is what you are looking for. It is like driving a Mercedes and then switching to a Hyundai." Previously, I simply asked (out of curiousity...not as a flame) that if you weren't trying to "bash" RCCL and were simply trying to inform fellow Celeb cruisers of your opinion, why you posted it on the RCCL forum instead of the Celeb forum. I don't recall having gotten an answer from you on that. (I'll go back and reread the entire thread to see if I missed your reply and if so what your answer was.) I believe I stated that I was "astonished at" most of your complaints. I don't recall saying that they weren't true, I believe I just said I as astonished at them. Now to address the specifics you asked about...I don't recall having asked how many cruises you had been on. I'll have to go back and reread my posts because while I don't recall asking it, if I did I need to see what context I was asking it in. As far as you "expressing an opinion that was not first approved by me"....I believe I have said that it is great we can all share our experiences/opinions. What I said was we don't have to go to extremes. Specifics (as you requested)...Back to your OP....

1. "Well, after many wonderful cruises on Celebrity we decided to try RCCL. Big Mistake. " Why do you consider it a "Big Mistake". I would consider it a good learning experience. You wanted to see if it was greener on the other side of the fence and have learned that you prefer your side of the fence. Nothing wrong with trying new things and then learning that we really prefer our old experiences.

2. "We were amazed at the difference in level of service." I am truly sorry you were disappointed there but I think almost anyone on these boards could have told you that would be the case. I have never done Celeb but understand the service is impeccable. I think most of us on RCCL threads have stated that while we still choose to cruise RCCL that yes the service has decreased over the last couple of years in certain areas.

3. "It was impossible to find a chair in the sun unless you saved a chair by 8 am." I do find this hard to believe. Now if you had said "impossible to find a chair on the decking immediately around the pool" or "in the end bleachers by the pool" or "in the solarium" I would have agreed with you wholeheartedly. But "in the sun". That is a big ship with lots of open deck area with lots of sun (if the sun is shining) and the chairs are not bolted down so they can be moved. I just think your choice of words was a little extreme.

4. "The food quality was horrible compared to Celebrity." I think "horrible" may be a little harsh. "Less tasty" "Not as gourmet" "Not as delicious" "not as upscale" "not of equal quality"....these would have been much more understandable than "horrible". Again...on the RCCL boards we have spoken about how the food quality has deteriorated over the last few years. No secret here. I have also learned from these boards that Celeb food is fabulous and I would love to experience that. But on the RCCL boards we have discussed on numerous threads that you won't ever "go hungry" but the food is just not the quality it used to be or that we would all like.

5. "I thought the ship decor was plain and boring in comparison to Celebrity". I don't know what Celeb's decor is like but "boring"...what about "less bright", "more subdued", "not as interesting" rather than "boring".

6. "I felt they did a very poor job letting us know what the various activities were on the ship. People wanderign around constantly trying to figure out what was going on and where it was going on." Now that I find hard to believe. The compasses are always full of information. They deliver it to your room every evening for the next day. If you forget it or lose it you can pick up another one at a stand at Guest Relations. There is usually a compass at the greeting station in Windjammer if you need to glance over one. There are usually announcements reminding you of bingo, art auction, pool games, horseracing, etc. Most Celeb people complain about all of the announcements as they like the more "quiet, subdued atmosphere" of Celeb. (If you are telling us that you didn't get compasses or that they were a scaled down version...then maybe they were having a "printing press" problem. If they weren't making announcements then maybe they were having PA problems.)

6. "I am not posting this to bash RCCL. I know that there are many people who absolutely love to cruise with them. I am just trying to let people know that if you are used to sailing with Celebrity but want to try something different, I don't think that RCCL is what you are looking for." Again, if you weren't trying to "bash" RCCL why did you use "horrible" "boring", etc. ? If you were just trying to inform fellow Celeb cruisers why didn't you begin your thread on the Celeb board?

 

You are going to get good and bad on any ship (and I would guess any cruiseline). In two weeks we went from the best RCCL wait team we have ever had (Jewel) to the worst we had ever had (Mariner). It was still acceptable but not "excellent". We have had varying levels of service from cabin stewards but always acceptable. If it wasn't acceptable I would address it to housekeeping while on board rather than "bash" them once home. As far as the CD, in the same two weeks we went from the "worst" we have ever had (Jewel) to one that had recently been promoted and we had sailed with him previously on another ship while he was an asst. We thought he did a great job. There will always be good and bad and we all have the right to our opinions and I am a firm believer that these boards are a good place to share our experiences. I just think we have to be careful to not scare people off by going to extremes. But I do think that the "tone" of the original post helps set the "mood" for whether the thread is "perceived" as a "positive/informational" post or a "negative/bashing type" post.

 

I am off of the boards for the weekend so you don't have to ...let's see how was it you put it?...."be my loyal subject" for the next few days. LOL Too funny!

[Host Karen]

mandltullis, for someone who was annoyed at being flamed, it's interesting that you decide to flame posters who supported your right to post your opinion. I guess that proves the motto that no good deed goes unpunished.

 

I'm pleased to have given you a laugh. As far as I'm concerned, you merely rate a sigh of disappointment.

[mortypro]

the mini dewey is in gettysburg, pa in april & a new one in lancaster, pa in august let me know if u want info

[xpcdoojk]

mandltullis, for someone who was annoyed at being flamed, it's interesting that you decide to flame posters who supported your right to post your opinion. I guess that proves the motto that no good deed goes unpunished.

 

I'm pleased to have given you a laugh. As far as I'm concerned, you merely rate a sigh of disappointment.

 

And this person agreed with me, when I wasn't agreeing with them. Do you see the extreme humor in that Karen?:D

 

jc

[HawaiiApril]

I feel qualified to make a comment. I've cruised with both lines in question. First of all, the first cruise is ALWAYS the best one, no matter what. After that, we become more critical with each cruise. I try not to, but it happens anyway. Our upcoming cruise in June is with RCCL but our last 2 cruises were with X. I hope we don't end up being disappointed. The upcoming cruise will be our 3 grandchildren and we chose RCCL for that reason, that, and the itinery. I always enjoy cruising and can't wait to experience it with my grandchildren. I felt that X was way quieter, the average age was older. That's not always a good thing. I like to have fun, but I don't like "obnoxious." The entertainment on X was poor, we walked out most nights. RCCL was a little better. The food is a tad better on X, especially at the buffet. On RCCL the lunch buffet was often "scary" We'd look at something and know we saw it the day before looking like something else. Our dinners were always pretty good, but I'm looking forward to the great bread that RCCL had. X put the same bread out every night. I know the kids will enjoy the Voyager, (but I've read a lot of nasty stuff about kids on cruise ships and I think it would be best if we kept them in the cabin out of sight.)The chair situation on sea days was worse on RCCL, the old people on X stay indoors more, I think. Also, the drink hawking always gets to me on RCCL, not so bad on X. You try to enjoy the sun and the sea and every minute someone is coming by asking you to buy a huge expensive drink(that looks good). If the ship is going where I want to go, leaving when I want to leave from where I want to leave, I'll get on it! There's good and not so good about each line, if you give up something, you'll get something in return. BTY, the service has never been bad ever.

[Host Karen]

I think Alanis Morrisette should try to work this into an updated "Ironic" song, jc.

 

:D

 

Karen

[mandltullis]

I think Alanis Morrisette should try to work this into an updated "Ironic" song, jc.

 

:D

 

Karen

 

I couldn't agree with you more! I find great irony in the fact the people who do the flaming get the most upset when someone else gives it a try. When in Rome, I always say.

[WineLovers]

My wife and I are in late 20's just came of the RCCL Mariner, and thought the night life was great. They have a really cool club and we just enjoy having fun and parting. Dinner was just fine (when we remembered eating) and sevice i thought was good as well. I never had that hard of a time finding chairs by the pool, I think people respected the no holding chair rule.

 

We also sailed on the Millenium, the one thing we liked about the millenium over the mariner was the number of activities we got involved in, seemed to be abit more.

 

Over all we loved both, we are just happy to be on a cruise. I think many expect the world and when you pay a lot should probably get it. I felt both had awesome food, I mean all you can eat lobster or steak or shrimp, I am not complaining. I also felt it ws much easier to find the 3 am snack on the mariner than the milliium when wanderign the decks.

 

We are booking the 8 night trip on the Jewel and shooting for the suite, concierge service gotta love it.

 

Just enjoy you are on vacation. Not too offend, but too many people sound like my grandparents nit picking about everything. at least we all can afford to go on these nice vacations, so lets enjoy them. Think about the cruise you are on not the others.