After Celebrity, where next?

[Starry Nights]

I am suffering a bit of sticker shock at the prices for a 3rd person sailing in one stateroom on 10-14 day Celebrity cruises, so for the first time in 10 years, am looking beyond Celebrity for our next cruise. We will be a family of 5 in two staterooms: we will have DH and myself in a balcony stateroom, and two adult DD's and a 3-or-4-year-old (depending on the timing of the cruise) in a non-balcony stateroom (I won't sleep if I think she can get out a balcony door...she's a bit of a Houdini).

 

This is a hard move for me, because I love Celebrity, but we would like to take our next cruise as a family. My objection is not about the money, per se, but the value-for-money...I think $1600 for a 3-or-4-year-old child as the third person in an oceanview or inside stateroom is excessive, so I'm looking elsewhere.

 

I'm not so worried about the kids' programming, as I think our DGD will enjoy whatever is provided, and she will be with us much of the time. I'm not even worried about the itinerary particularly, although I wouldn't select a cruise with really tiring ports, like in the Eastern Med. The Baltic would be fine, as the ports involve a lot of walking outdoors, and we can pace ourselves to accommodate our DGD quite well there.

 

I really enjoy the product that Celebrity offers --it's a perfect fit for us--but I think it's time for me to begin to consider other options. Where would you recommend that I start looking? I don't think we're candidates for Carnival or NCL.

[cruzeluver]

Holland America and Princess seemed to be compared with Celebrity the most frequently. We are very happy with Celebrity for now and definitely look at them first, but if we do decide to stray, Holland would probably be the next line I would look into.

[TomTN]

I am suffering a bit of sticker shock at the prices for a 3rd person sailing in one stateroom on 10-14 day Celebrity cruises, so for the first time in 10 years, am looking beyond Celebrity for our next cruise. We will be a family of 5 in two staterooms: we will have DH and myself in a balcony stateroom, and two adult DD's and a 3-or-4-year-old (depending on the timing of the cruise) in a non-balcony stateroom (I won't sleep if I think she can get out a balcony door...she's a bit of a Houdini).

 

This is a hard move for me, because I love Celebrity, but we would like to take our next cruise as a family. My objection is not about the money, per se, but the value-for-money...I think $1600 for a 3-or-4-year-old child as the third person in an oceanview or inside stateroom is excessive, so I'm looking elsewhere.

 

I'm not so worried about the kids' programming, as I think our DGD will enjoy whatever is provided, and she will be with us much of the time. I'm not even worried about the itinerary particularly, although I wouldn't select a cruise with really tiring ports, like in the Eastern Med. The Baltic would be fine, as the ports involve a lot of walking outdoors, and we can pace ourselves to accommodate our DGD quite well there.

 

I really enjoy the product that Celebrity offers --it's a perfect fit for us--but I think it's time for me to begin to consider other options. Where would you recommend that I start looking? I don't think we're candidates for Carnival or NCL.

 

HAL would be my first choice. Some Princess ships are just fine. some are way over crowded.

[WestCoastCruzinator]

I would vote the other way..Princess for sure....HAL is OK but a tad sedate for families. We LOVE Celebrity but found HAL to be a tad boring with MANY unused spaces, just room after room of nice furnishings with nobody in them and nothing going on.....it looked like a bunch of funeral parlors waiting for people to show up. So if you enjoy LOTS of rooms to sit around and knit or read this would be great but I just thought these rooms were a waste of space.

[klingoncruiser]

I still like the ships of RCI the best. However the food is hard to beat on Celebrity.

 

We have been on NCL, CCL, and Princess. All have strengths and weaknesses. Go give other lines a try and see which one you like the best. Lately, the best prices have been on NCL.

[Essiesmom]

I think it depends on time of year, and where you want to go. I like HAL, and I think the reputation of Carnival as a party ship is greatly exaggerated. In fact, except for the decor and lack of enrichment lecturers, my TA on the Carnival Dream could have been a Princess or HAL cruise. Much older demographic than the short stateside Carnival cruises. And if you are looking at next year, Carnival is intrducing a new ship, Carnival Magic, with six months of Med. cruises. That said, my next cruise is two weeks to Alaska on Princess. EM

[chessbriar]

Since itineraries are not important, did you look at other X itineraries to see if any are a little better

 

Constellation July 3 12 nights $799 for the 3rd

Solstice July 13 12 nights $1099 for the 3rd.

Silhouette Aug 10 12 nights $1199 for the 3rd

Equinox July 8 10 nights $999

Eclipse June 4 14 nights $919

 

My guess it the ship and itineraries you are looking at are selling very well leading to the higher prices

[Bruin Steve]

Because of the time of year, you are likely to find higher prices on all cruise lines...

We also have the ssue of my wife working for the school district (She's a School Psychologist) and having a very limited window for a long cruise...

 

Back in the days when our kids were small, we paid outrageously to jam them in with us in our small cabin...but, my motto over the years has become "it is what it is"...Whatever the cost is, if you want it, you pay for it...

 

Go ahead and price other lines, but, remember, they are NOT Celebrity...

Personally, I have been fairly disappointed when cruising on Princess...the ships are overcrowded and poorly managed...and don't even get me talking about Carnival...

 

I like Royal Caribbean as an alternative choice...especially when travelling with kids...very nice ships (though also more crowded than Celebrity)...

 

We actually started putting our kids into their own room not when we decided "they were ready", but when we realized, on one cruise, that it was actually cheaper to put them in their own inside cabin across the hall from us than to book them as 3rd and 4th in our room! And, that was on RCI...

 

I know that it tends to become a matter of principle...the cruise line does not distinguish a 3 year old as a third passenger from a 15 year old or even a 60 year old...a third person in a room is a third person...it's an income slot that, if you don't fill it, someone else will...

 

Go ahead and price other lines, but, let's say Celebrity wants to charge you $1599 and Princess will charge you only $999...You also need to look at the overall price...What is it costing you for ALL FIVE of you...That's your true price difference...Are they comparable cabins? Are they comparable itineraries? Then look at the overally price difference, if any, and, say it's still around $600 more on Celebrity, just aske yourself if it's worth $600 to you to be on that cruise, on that ship and on Celebrity...To me, it likely would be...I don't choose cruises primarily by price...I will pay more for the cruise I want...

 

Good luck...

[Joecadd8269]

I am suffering a bit of sticker shock at the prices for a 3rd person sailing in one stateroom on 10-14 day Celebrity cruises, so for the first time in 10 years, am looking beyond Celebrity for our next cruise. We will be a family of 5 in two staterooms: we will have DH and myself in a balcony stateroom, and two adult DD's and a 3-or-4-year-old (depending on the timing of the cruise) in a non-balcony stateroom (I won't sleep if I think she can get out a balcony door...she's a bit of a Houdini).

 

This is a hard move for me, because I love Celebrity, but we would like to take our next cruise as a family. My objection is not about the money, per se, but the value-for-money...I think $1600 for a 3-or-4-year-old child as the third person in an oceanview or inside stateroom is excessive, so I'm looking elsewhere.

 

I'm not so worried about the kids' programming, as I think our DGD will enjoy whatever is provided, and she will be with us much of the time. I'm not even worried about the itinerary particularly, although I wouldn't select a cruise with really tiring ports, like in the Eastern Med. The Baltic would be fine, as the ports involve a lot of walking outdoors, and we can pace ourselves to accommodate our DGD quite well there.

 

I really enjoy the product that Celebrity offers --it's a perfect fit for us--but I think it's time for me to begin to consider other options. Where would you recommend that I start looking? I don't think we're candidates for Carnival or NCL.

 

 

 

I love Celebrity out of all major cruise lines I have been on. However NCL which I have sailed recently on the Jewel I thought was a great line. I enjoyed the Ship, the Line and the Crew. I found the Crew on this ship so wonderful with the Children. This was my first cruise since my child was born and was quite worried about my 10 month old. However NCL has the Nickalodien At Sea (pardon the spelling) program, with characters such as Sponge Bob, Dora the Explorer and more onboard. While they have these events to offer they do not interfere with cruisers who do not want to interact. The have several themed activites.

 

I enjoyed this cruise, but the one thing that is not up to par with Celebrity is the Food!!! The food was good but not celebrity quality.

 

BTW I paid $99 for my son for a 7 day cruise

 

Good luck with this, I know the feeling. 3rd person rates on RCCL and Celebrity is what made me try NCL in the first place.

[Solstice23]

YOu Pay for what you get....

 

and with the economy not affecting as many any more the prices will rise thats part of the game'

 

I Have seen the rise in Canadians like us cruising now as our Economy is much more solid then some others and our dollar remaining strong.

 

You could always reserve the room and wait for a price reduction! this happens all the time

 

good luck!