Curious

[USAF&wife]

We have only been on one cruise (Carnival), but enjoyed it.

 

Our few complaints seem to be the same as many others.

 

From what I have read about Celebrity, it sounds like more our type of cruise; but I am curious about some things.

 

Many posts refer to Celebrity as "refined" or even higher class. Not sure what they really mean.

 

We are in our early 50ies, not party people. We are looking for a relaxed cruise and love the spoiling we got on Carnival. We do not want to have to worry about bratty kids, chain smokers or rude cruisers. I don't want to hear people yelling in the hallways outside my cabin.

 

On the other hand, we like to wear jeans (not ones with holes) and don't want to be around people that turn their noses up at us (also considered rude cruisers). We enjoy meeting new people, but also love our quiet private time.

 

Is Celebrity for us? Or should we look elsewhere?

 

Tamara

[Jim Duffer]

If you were spoiled by Carnival, you'll be pampered by Celebrity. As far as I'm concerned it's a quiet low key atmosphere on their ships. Give the line a try. Don't be put off by the so called social arbiters. USAF (solo)

[Ocean Dancer]

Tamara, you sound almost perfect for Celebrity with the exception of your evening attire. Jeans are rarely seen at dining times, for casual, think comfortable capris, or calf lenght leggings with a longer dressier tee shirt for yourself, very comfortable, and for your husband, pair tan, or any solid color dockers with a collared tee shirt. Sandals for both are perfect and you will be accepted in the MDR, or anywhere on the ship. Jeans are bulkier to pack anyway and most passengers only wear jeans boarding the ship, and leaving the ship, that's if the jeans still fit. I personally don't care what you wear, it is your cruise, but some passengers and crew will gawk.

[backyardponder]

Carnival is a great cruise line for the price. It attracts younger folks partly because of the price and also because it is considered the "Fun Ships". I think that's the nice way of saying that we've been on Carnival but it isn't for us. Our next cruise is Celebrity's Equinox on February 7th.

 

We've had 5 cruises on Celebrity, Carnival, Princess, and RCL. I've never heard folks yelling in the hall. Smoking in some areas is a problem, so we avoid those areas.

 

John

[scf1270]

We are 53/54 and love Celebrity. They have a very restrictive smoking policy: not allowed in cabins or on balconys! Even the casino is smoke free. There are just a few designated smoking areas and they are easy to avoid.

 

There tend to be fewer childern (generally well-behaved), but if you travel at school breaks there will be more.

 

Many, many types of entertainment. There are nightclubs, but we don't do that much either.

 

Another poster addressed the jeans issue pretty well. My "go to" are a couple of pairs of nice black slacks for dinners . For formal nights I have black silk slacks and dressy tops. Sticking w black cuts down on shoe packing :rolleyes:.

 

Go ahead - try it!

Sara

[NnJ2010]

Carnival is definitely more of a floating party than Celebrity. So since that doesn't sound like what you want, I'd give Celebrity a try. My husband and I are 43 and 36 respectively. Our first Celebrity cruise I think was in 2003. We've tried other lines but so far none can compare. The service is impeccable. The food is the best out of any cruise line we've been on. It is a bit 'dressier' but that's just the evenings really IMO. The rest of the day in the heat people are wearing, shorts, capris etc like every other cruise. My husband grumbles about the dinner attire on occasion but I also make sure that we do at least one dinner on our balcony (depending on cabin/balcony size). And they now have the Select Dining (dine when you want) which we look forward to trying as that was one option on some other lines that we did like.

 

But just like with most things, a cruise (or any vacation) is what you make of it. :) So give it a shot and have fun!

[JanineM]

I don't think "refined" is the right word ... think "subdued". There aren't the same pool games (although there may be an officers versus passengers water polo game in a pool on a sea day), and there are dance parties, but more smaller areas with musicians. Some of it is dance music, some is listening music. There aren't constant announcements over the P.A. system about bingo and art auctions - just a midday address by the Captain.

 

Celebrity has one of the most stringent smoking policies and if you don't like cigarette smoke then you'll certainly be happy. There is no smoking in cabins or on balconies, no smoking in the casino.

[eandj]

You will see some jeans in the MDR. However they won't be the baggy, faded, torn kind. They'll most likely be black or very dark dress style. And worn with pretty tops or men with nice polos or cotton shirts.

 

"Formal nights" guidelines are on the x website. Or you can visit one of the more casual venues rather than the MDR on those nights.

 

I think you will really like X. please come back after your trip to let us know what you think! Happy cruising!

[Lsimon]

If you think you've been pampered on Carnival you haven't seen anything yet!

 

Put away the jeans and wear some khakis or other casual slacks and you'll have nothing to worry about - except for maybe formal night. And if the thought of formal night worries you then just do the casual dining in the buffet area that night.

 

You won't be sorry! The absolute worst that will happen is you'll have a fantastic time but decide in the end that, as a now well seasoned cruiser, you prefer a different line or style. But do give it a try!

[USAF&wife]

Thanks everyone.

 

If jeans are not acceptable on Celebrity, then I guess it is not the right cruise line for us.

 

Guess I will just keep looking for a fit for us.

 

Thanks again for all your posts,

Tamara

[Holly2]

I wonder if you had a chance to read some of the previous posts: Jeans are fine during the day and at the more casual dining alternatives at night.

 

I find that jeans are usually too hot to wear on many itineraries. I wonder if being able to wear jeans represents something more to you.

[middlehaitch]

Oh Tamara you have made me do my first post!

Please give Celebrity a try; your jeans are fine for any time but dinner in the main dining room. Just get a pair of black pants each and throw them on for dinner and you will do fine. We are in our 50's and had our first cruise on the Solstice 2009 (Europe) and it was so good we are booked on the Murcury over Christmas in the Caribbean (I think it will be too hot for jeans there).

Please give Celebrity a try you won't regret it!

[bighairtexan]

I used to really like Carnival (though I'd cruised on lots of other lines too), but my least favorite ship is Ecstasy. In fact, though it's convenient for me out of Galveston, I'll never cruise on her and i was on her this year AFTER her dry dock and major re-do. If you liked the service on Ecstasy you'll be over the moon on Celebrity anything.

I'm also in my 50's, my standard at home dress is either jeans or shorts and keds or flip flops, and I find that Celebrity suits me the best. I prefer not to wear jeans in the dining room (or anywhere else in the Caribbean), but on casual nights 2 weeks ago, I saw a number of NICE jeans in the dining room. Not the majority by any means but nothing that made anyone blink twice. There weren't any saggy, baggy, ripped or frayed jeans, and i really paid attention because I was curious after various threads on various boards.

[MattInFLL]

You are going to be fine in jeans except for formal night - and that is generally the norm no matter what cruiseline you are on (although, true enough on some cruiselines you still get into the MDR with jeans on formal night). I have worn black jeans with no problem in the MDR, and I would wear nice jeans with no problem. If you love Carnival, stick with them, but if you are looking for something more refined, then Celebrity is a good bet. It's like going to a W hotel - more refined but still hip, and not dowdy.

[lysolqn]

You can read some more comparisons on another thread still active on this page, Carnival addict, thinking of Celebrity.

[USAF&wife]

Thanks again to everyone for your posts.

 

Tamara

[dkjretired]

Thanks again to everyone for your posts.

 

Tamara

 

As of about 3 months ago, Jeans are now permitted in the dining rooms so you do not have a problem with that. Celebrity has very few public announcements, generally it is much quieter than other lines, food is excellent, and their S class ships are spectacular. Forget about the Jeans comments, most don't know the dress code was changed or wish it wasn't but on board you will find nothing but friendly people... I do agree however with the comments that Jeans are too hot in the Caribbean, I live in jeans in the winter but when going on a cruise they don't even get packed..

[dkjretired]

Just a note to everyone in this thread in case they are not aware. Jeans are now permitted in all dining venues as of about 3 months ago. It is really not an issue anymore...I am not commenting on whether this is correct or not, just stating a fact...

[madelinerose]

Tamara, you sound almost perfect for Celebrity with the exception of your evening attire.

 

 

Hi Ocean Dancer, I'm curious. Where in Post #1 did you read that Tamara would be wearing jeans as "evening attire"? :confused:

[lvcruiser]

By your first post, it appears that you have the same ideals in mind that my wife and I have. If we could afford Windstar, we would sail with them. For us, there is no mainstream or premium cruise line that fits all of our requests in a line, but Celebrity comes the closest, with the only exception being their dress code. Bear in mind, however, that the dress code has changed considerably over the years and likewise, the passengers attitudes toward same. The first time we sailed with Celebrity over a decade ago, on one formal night, we had done an extensive walking tour in port and my feet hurt terribly. After dinner was concluded, I just had to get my dress shoes off. I wanted to put on my tennis shoes, but certainly wasn't going to wear them with a black suit, so I changed into dress shorts and a polo shirt. While walking around the ship, I was snubbed by crew members and passengers alike, creating a very disturbing experience for me and one that I chose not to duplicate for several years. After reading on these boards that the dress code had become more lax along with the passenger's attitudes, we tried Celebrity again a few years ago, knowing full well that the dress code was still a little stricter than we would like, but we had gotten tired of all the other things you mentioned not liking aboard some of the other mainstream lines. We felt that dressing up a little more than we might want was a good trade off for getting better food, better service, virtually no announcements, a more subdued atmosphere, and lately, no smoke. And now, you can wear jeans in the MDR if you so desire. We will be going on our fourth Celebrity cruise in the past several years in December and will feel quite comfortable with our decision to make Celebrity our primary cruise line.

 

And please do not allow some of the posters on this board to convince you with their comments and opinions that Celebrity has snobs onboard that will be looking down their noses at you if you wear jeans. There is more snobbery on this board than onboard.

[Ocean Dancer]

To Madelinerose, because it's understood that you wear what you want during the days, but the nights are divided into smart casual, semi-formal, or formal, and even theme nights. Tamara and the other posters seemed to understand this. I'm not rude nor snobby and I did state that I personally did not care what she wore, it is her cruise, and gave her some suggestions on how to get around the jeans issue with comfort and even lighter packing. Tamara thanked all of us posters, so I guess her question was answered. I hope she trys Celebrity as I think she will love it. As for you, any more questions?:(

[madelinerose]

To Madelinerose, because it's understood that you wear what you want during the days, but the nights are divided into smart casual, semi-formal, or formal, and even theme nights. Tamara and the other posters seemed to understand this. As for you, any more questions?:(

 

Celebrity has no semi-formal nights. Questions from me? No. :D

[double bogey]

To Madelinerose, because it's understood that you wear what you want during the days, but the nights are divided into smart casual, semi-formal, or formal, and even theme nights. Tamara and the other posters seemed to understand this. I'm not rude nor snobby and I did state that I personally did not care what she wore, it is her cruise, and gave her some suggestions on how to get around the jeans issue with comfort and even lighter packing. Tamara thanked all of us posters, so I guess her question was answered. I hope she trys Celebrity as I think she will love it. As for you, any more questions?:(

hey ocean dancer, I know I liked you from your Phillies posts, I am still in shock, we thought it would be a cake walk, wrong, so I'll root for cliff lee tonight, I thought your post to tamara was perfect, I think of formal as being tux and gown, so semi formal would be suit and pant suit or short cocktail dress, call them what you want I know half the people in mdr are dressed semi formal

[Ocean Dancer]

Yes they do have semi formal nights, as that's how at least 75% of the guests dress on formal nights including me! If you are not in a long gown and DH is not in a tux, then you are not formal. Do you care? I sure don't.

Many years ago, my DH and I were in full 50's garb, saddle shoes, poodle skirt and ponytail for me, and DH was penny loafers, white tee shirt with cig pack rolled up in sleeve, and rolled up jeans. We were cruising with band friends who had been hired by the cruise line. We had late dinner and the band started at 10pm, so we had no time to dress up after dinner and wore our 50's clothes to the MDR. It was 50's night. We were denied entrance to the dining room, because DH was in jeans. The wife of one of the band members went to bat for us saying we were in costume for the evening. After much bickering back and forth, we were allowed in. Did I mention that the cruise was on Carnival's Fantasy? Even Carnival has changed. Enough said!

[Ocean Dancer]

To Double Bogey, thanks for the post as I was feeling a bit low. Nice to have a new friend! We are still very upset over Saturday's loss and also thought we had it in the bag, we never should have traded Cliff Lee! We are also still in morning over Harry Kalas. I'm still wearing my Phillies cap, and saw quite a few around today. I guess we'll be rooting for the Rangers.