Just back from consecutive RCI & Celebrity cruises: My impression & comparison...

[SWLinPHX]

After doing a 10-day ultimate Caribbean cruise on Celebrity Equinox followed by a 5-day on RCI Navigator of the Seas, I noticed some specific areas with the most apparent contrasts. This does not include obvious differences like itineraries or decor etc., but mostly on the service and way things were run:

 

 

• Senior crowd on Equinox (mostly above 60 or 70+) while much more diverse/mixed and younger on N.O.S. While this is to be expected when comparing Celebrity to RCI and a 10-day to a 5-day (and the ship does not control the demographic) there was no mistaking that much of the music, jokes and general mood was geared toward seniors & retirees, making those of us in our 30's and 40's (who paid the same as everyone else) feel out of place quite often.

 

• Oversized pool/beach towels on Equinox (different colors for pool vs. beach, but exact same otherwise), delivered to your room and exchanged on port days with no need to check towels out then back in with the threat of being charged $20. Navigator had that rule despite having much more rough, standard-sized bath towels.

 

• No self-serve soft-serve ice cream on Equinox as with many ships, but instead had an ice cream parlor where you could get delicious multi-flavored standard ice cream and soft-serve too, albeit only during business hours.

 

• Beverage stations: On Equinox there are multiple full-featured and self-service beverage stations opened 24 hours. You can even refill your own water bottles and thermoses to take back to your cabin. On Navigator, all beverage stations were off limits to guests and you had to request drinks or choose what had been poured and sitting out already in cups. And worst of all, unlike Equinox, Navigator did not have 24-hour beverages, just food (I'm talking cold, thirst-quenching beverages other than water and coffee or hot tea). I was often so thirsty late-nights/early mornings and longed for something besides water or hot drinks. Is that a more recent cutback? Last time I cruised RCI (way back in 2002 on Vision of the Seas) they not only had 24-hour beverage stations but it was self-service. I think all drinks other than soda & alcohol should be that way, as they still are on Celebrity. Are they that way on other lines like Norwegian, Carnival and Princess?

 

Overall, I anticipated a little better or more attentive service on Celebrity and more of a "fun" or party atmosphere on the shorter RCI voyage and was not mistaken or surprised at all in that regard. Here's a quick recap...

 

 

The things I liked better on Navigator of the Seas were:

 

1) The more varied age demographic and active environment and things (such as music, trivia, etc.) not primarily geared toward one age group

 

2) The much larger, inviting and utilized swimming pools, pool deck area and hot tubs

 

3) The more opulent three-tier dining room and fun themes of areas like The Dungeon, Ixtapa Lounge and Schooner Bar

 

4) Novelty features like the Promenade, ice skating rink, rock climbing wall, Johnny Rockets, miniature golf, inline skating, etc.

 

 

 

The things I liked better on Equinox were:

 

1) Better overall staff service and attentiveness

 

2) More intimate feeling and ship layout even though almost the same size as Navigator

 

3) Much more guest-friendly and less restrictive policies when it comes to pool/beach towels, self-service beverages, etc.

 

4) Better experience with Internet service (never was able to connect on Navigator, but I realize that may just be my own particular incident) as well as WiFi throughout all staterooms and ship

 

5) Newer and more modern room amenities and better interactive flat-screen TV's, although that is most likely due to the age difference (2002 vs 2009) of the two particular ships themselves

 

Overall, I like things the way they are run on Celebrity a bit more (even back several years ago when I sailed both, but even more so now), but next time I think I will probably either go during holiday breaks or summer vacation, or else take shorter cruises to ensure more of a diverse group and not a feeling of being in a retirement community. If I do those two things next time but book with Celebrity, maybe that is a way to have the best of both worlds. Since I like to be away longer, I will probably do two or three back-to-back 5-day cruises which I found for about the same price as our 10-day Celebrity + 5-day RCI total. It certainly gave me more recent and updated insight into those cruise lines and the way things are currently or have changed, for better and worse.

 

What are some of your experiences? Any insight will be appreciated on any of these or other areas. :)

[jackdiamond]

SW,

What were your room categories on the two ships?

[Lois R]

None of Celebrity's ships have Self Serve Ice Cream so that is not just

Equinox. It is always served to you.

 

As for the age comparison? Sorry you felt "out of place" I am in my 50s

so in between your age and those in the 60-70 age bracket and have

never felt out of place. I have friends ya'lls age and they prefer

Celebrity. I work full time but if I could go on longer cruises I would do

it in a minute;) but its not always possible.

 

As for the differences you listed.......that is why there are so many

different cruise lines to choose from:D those who want to climb rocks

can do so and those of us who prefer a more laid back atmosphere

can sail X:)

 

Thanks for your comparisons though:)

[SWLinPHX]

What were your room categories on the two ships?

 

Both were mid-range inside cabins.

 

None of Celebrity's ships have Self Serve Ice Cream so that is not just

Equinox. It is always served to you.

 

Not so.. My traveling companion recently sailed Carnival where they had self-serve soft-serve ice cream 24 hours, and our RCI cruise had it self-serve too, just not 24 hours. Have you sailed either of those two lines?

 

Sorry you felt "out of place" I am in my 50s

so in between your age and those in the 60-70 age bracket and have

never felt out of place. I have friends ya'lls age and they prefer

Celebrity.

 

I don't think it is at all hard to understand how people in their 30's and 40's would not want to only be surrounded by mostly 70's and above, as it was with our cruise (much older than even other Celebrity regulars were used to we were told). But thanks for your feedback.

[Lois R]

Not so.. My traveling companion recently sailed Carnival where they had self-serve soft-serve ice cream 24 hours, and our RCI cruise had it self-serve too, just not 24 hours. Have you sailed either of those two lines?

 

 

 

 

I don't think it is at all hard to understand how people in their 30's and 40's would not want everyone to be mostly 70's and above, as it was with our cruise (much older than either other Celebrity regulars were used to we were told). But thanks for your feedback.

 

You missed my post...I was just relaying about the Celebrity ships

and Ice cream...on the Celebrity ships it is always served to you.

 

And I am not arguing about the age...I am just saying sorry you

felt out place.

[SWLinPHX]

You missed my post...I was just relaying about the Celebrity ships

and Ice cream...on the Celebrity ships it is always served to you.

 

And I am not arguing about the age...I am just saying sorry you

felt out place.

 

Sorry, I missed that you said Celebrity never had self-serve. I didn't think they did, but was just stating comparisons between the lines.

 

Also, I just wanted to clarify that I have nothing against any age group. I would not want it to be dominated by only one slice of life, be it kids or middle age either.

[Solstice23]

We are age 33 and are very outgoing, but my wife as a teacher we sail in summer and spring breaks and we have never felt out of place on Celebrity. We enjoy RCCL but find Celebrity better for our dollar and the drink packages make it even better!

 

The design and decor of the X ships is much more to our liking also....other then the Oasis that had many rooms like the Solstice class

 

Equinox as a crew this past July was one of the best we ever had the pleasure to enjoy.

[The Big Booper]

We were on the Solstice last June out of FLL and noticed many younger people in their late 20s and 30's, mostly couples.

 

We also have been on RCI ships in mid September and noticed that the crowd was mostly senior citizens with few younguns.

 

Both were 7 day cruises.

[eandj]

Thanks for your comparisons. Altho it would be interesting had the length of the cruises been the same. And actually similar itineraries too.

 

Longer cruises during the school year always skew a little older...on all lines. You will find a younger crowd with many kids on most lines all summer.

[SWLinPHX]

We are age 33 and are very outgoing, but my wife as a teacher we sail in summer and spring breaks and we have never felt out of place on Celebrity. We enjoy RCCL but find Celebrity better for our dollar and the drink packages make it even better!

 

The design and decor of the X ships is much more to our liking also....other then the Oasis that had many rooms like the Solstice class

 

Equinox as a crew this past July was one of the best we ever had the pleasure to enjoy.

 

I think I agree with you. Since I sailed both back-to-back at same time of year from Ft. Lauderdale the only difference is the cruise line and length of cruise (not the time of year). There was still, as I said, a huge difference though.

 

So would you all say that it is best to pick whatever line or ship you like best and be sure to book during vacation times to get a more varied mix of people and age groups? You get better rates when cruising out of the peak vacation periods (as we did) so I figured booking shorter and maybe 2 or 3 in a row would be better than one long cruise during these non-vacation periods. Can you get equivalent rates during summer, spring or Christmas break? I've never sailed those times of year.

[smtcan]

So would you all say that it is best to pick whatever line or ship you like best and be sure to book during vacation times to get a more varied mix of people and age groups? You get better rates when cruising out of the peak vacation periods (as we did) so I figured booking shorter and maybe 2 or 3 in a row would be better than one long cruise during these non-vacation periods. Can you get equivalent rates during summer, spring or Christmas break? I've never sailed those times of year.

 

We did a 'B2B' last fall, Eclipse TA followed by five days on Century out of Miami. The five day had much younger cruisers, the youngest I have ever seen on Celebrity. The atmosphere was lively, and on the rare occasions (well actually one) we stayed up long enough to observe, the ship was hopping well after midnight. Incidentally we only booked the short cruise because the price was so good. This was not a vacation time - it was before US Thanksgiving.

Sheila

[SWLinPHX]

Ah, good to know. Looks like either multiple short B2B's during school season or longer sailings during vacation will be my first choices next time.

[DanishDonut]

Thanks for the great review esp with the comparisons.

 

On the Celebrity Equinox can you describe the casual dining choices (where you don't have to dress up)? I guess this applies mostly to the buffet and MDR, not the specialty restaurants.

 

Thanks!

[SWLinPHX]

Thanks for the great review esp with the comparisons.

 

On the Celebrity Equinox can you describe the casual dining choices (where you don't have to dress up)? I guess this applies mostly to the buffet and MDR, not the specialty restaurants.

 

Thanks!

 

I have only done the Oceanview Cafe and main dining room. Taking into account the demographic and length of cruise, I would recommend the Oceanview cafe if you want to wear shorts or jeans, and the main dining room when you don't mind wearing slacks, dockers, corduroy or something other than that. A suit or even nice blazer & tie is fine on formal nights. We had two of those. My friend insisted on the dining room for dinner, but the Oceanview Cafe (their buffet) was awesome, better than RCI!

[DanishDonut]

I have only done the Oceanview Cafe and main dining room. Taking into account the demographic and length of cruise, I would recommend the Oceanview cafe if you want to wear shorts or jeans, and the main dining room when you don't mind wearing slacks, dockers, corduroy or something other than that. A suit or even nice blazer & tie is fine on formal nights. We had two of those. My friend insisted on the dining room for dinner, but the Oceanview Cafe (their buffet) was awesome, better than RCI!

 

Do you have any pics of the buffet, MDR or other food?

[SWLinPHX]

Do you have any pics of the buffet, MDR or other food?

 

I didn't bring my camera. My friend had three digital ones (standard, iPhone and underwater) so I'm relying on him. Standard pics are available of all cabins and public areas on all cruise ships on many sites however, including here: http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-Equinox-Tour-5.html

[MiaS13]

SWL - I'll be cruising for the first time in a couple of weeks... what are these 24 hour beverage stations? Is it like a wet bar with a machine dispenser of drinks? Or a vending machine? What kind of drinks Or is that just a nice way of saying a bar?

[SWLinPHX]

SWL - I'll be cruising for the first time in a couple of weeks... what are these 24 hour beverage stations? Is it like a wet bar with a machine dispenser of drinks? Or a vending machine? What kind of drinks Or is that just a nice way of saying a bar?

 

Any self-service area providing a variety beverages from fountains or miscellaneous hot and cold dispensers, like at any Hometown Buffet, etc.

[CaroleLee]

After doing a 10-day ultimate Caribbean cruise on Celebrity Equinox followed by a 5-day on RCI Navigator of the Seas, I noticed some specific areas with the most apparent contrasts. This does not include obvious differences like itineraries or decor etc., but mostly on the service and way things were run:

 

 

• Senior crowd on Equinox (mostly above 60 or 70+) while much more diverse/mixed and younger on N.O.S. While this is to be expected when comparing Celebrity to RCI and a 10-day to a 5-day (and the ship does not control the demographic) there was no mistaking that much of the music, jokes and general mood was geared toward seniors & retirees, making those of us in our 30's and 40's (who paid the same as everyone else) feel out of place quite often.

 

• Oversized pool/beach towels on Equinox (different colors for pool vs. beach, but exact same otherwise), delivered to your room and exchanged on port days with no need to check towels out then back in with the threat of being charged $20. Navigator had that rule despite having much more rough, standard-sized bath towels.

 

• No self-serve soft-serve ice cream on Equinox as with many ships, but instead had an ice cream parlor where you could get delicious multi-flavored standard ice cream and soft-serve too, albeit only during business hours.

 

• Beverage stations: On Equinox there are multiple full-featured and self-service beverage stations opened 24 hours. You can even refill your own water bottles and thermoses to take back to your cabin. On Navigator, all beverage stations were off limits to guests and you had to request drinks or choose what had been poured and sitting out already in cups. And worst of all, unlike Equinox, Navigator did not have 24-hour beverages, just food (I'm talking cold, thirst-quenching beverages other than water and coffee or hot tea). I was often so thirsty late-nights/early mornings and longed for something besides water or hot drinks. Is that a more recent cutback? Last time I cruised RCI (way back in 2002 on Vision of the Seas) they not only had 24-hour beverage stations but it was self-service. I think all drinks other than soda & alcohol should be that way, as they still are on Celebrity. Are they that way on other lines like Norwegian, Carnival and Princess?

 

Overall, I anticipated a little better or more attentive service on Celebrity and more of a "fun" or party atmosphere on the shorter RCI voyage and was not mistaken or surprised at all in that regard. Here's a quick recap...

 

 

The things I liked better on Navigator of the Seas were:

 

1) The more varied age demographic and active environment and things (such as music, trivia, etc.) not primarily geared toward one age group

 

2) The much larger, inviting and utilized swimming pools, pool deck area and hot tubs

 

3) The more opulent three-tier dining room and fun themes of areas like The Dungeon, Ixtapa Lounge and Schooner Bar

 

4) Novelty features like the Promenade, ice skating rink, rock climbing wall, Johnny Rockets, miniature golf, inline skating, etc.

 

 

 

The things I liked better on Equinox were:

 

1) Better overall staff service and attentiveness

 

2) More intimate feeling and ship layout even though almost the same size as Navigator

 

3) Much more guest-friendly and less restrictive policies when it comes to pool/beach towels, self-service beverages, etc.

 

4) Better experience with Internet service (never was able to connect on Navigator, but I realize that may just be my own particular incident) as well as WiFi throughout all staterooms and ship

 

5) Newer and more modern room amenities and better interactive flat-screen TV's, although that is most likely due to the age difference (2002 vs 2009) of the two particular ships themselves

 

Overall, I like things the way they are run on Celebrity a bit more (even back several years ago when I sailed both, but even more so now), but next time I think I will probably either go during holiday breaks or summer vacation, or else take shorter cruises to ensure more of a diverse group and not a feeling of being in a retirement community. If I do those two things next time but book with Celebrity, maybe that is a way to have the best of both worlds. Since I like to be away longer, I will probably do two or three back-to-back 5-day cruises which I found for about the same price as our 10-day Celebrity + 5-day RCI total. It certainly gave me more recent and updated insight into those cruise lines and the way things are currently or have changed, for better and worse.

 

What are some of your experiences? Any insight will be appreciated on any of these or other areas. :)

 

Interesting.Demographics are often ruled by time & type of cruise. School break vs May for example. When DH & I cruised HAL to Alaska several yrs ago we were warned that HAL was old timers. We cruised in June ages ranged from infants in strollers to 90 y/o. Again June in Alaska is prime time. Length of cruise is also a key factor as you stated. Retirees have more flexible time than people on annual vacations. I agree with you that X service is more attentive. Having sailed Explorer of the Seas-it was horrible. Cabins were dirty-dust bunnies on the TV,goop in the bathroom. I called Housekeeping w/o result finally went to front desk and LOUDLY COMPLAINED(which is not my character) only then did housekkeping appear. I found RCL/EOS serevely lacking in customers svc, food quality. Will be on 2nd Solstice cruise in a few weeks-greatly looking forward to it. Yes, the demographic is older, the shows are geared to older referrences but the cabins, service , food are all superior.

Any vacation is what you make of it. Balance what is important to you v the ship/company etc and relax and enjoy your vacation.

Carole

[true45]

Did a Jan "S" class - Eclipse. There is SELF-SERVE soft ice cream station adjacent to the hamburger,onion ring area outside on deck. We loved it.

[Lois R]

Did a Jan "S" class - Eclipse. There is SELF-SERVE soft ice cream station adjacent to the hamburger,onion ring area outside on deck. We loved it.

 

Thanks for the correction. Guess I never looked when I was on her

in November.

[LibraLass41]

SWL

You said the Navigator dining room was more opulent, but I thought Equinox's was pretty classy!

 

 

The massive glass structure at the back of the dining room is a wine cellar full of bottles!

 

Over 100 photos of EQUINOX here in my album for anyone interested;

 

https://picasaweb.google.com/AuroraPartyCruiseSueV/Equinox2nCruise27July2009?authkey=Gv1sRgCOaXx9-78avLzgE#5363820067846643618

[SWLinPHX]

Did a Jan "S" class - Eclipse. There is SELF-SERVE soft ice cream station adjacent to the hamburger,onion ring area outside on deck. We loved it.

 

Interesting... there wasn't one when I sailed Equinox (sister ship) or Millennium. Did they have the hard scoop homemade ice cream counter with about 12 flavors on Eclipse also?

 

SWL

You said the Navigator dining room was more opulent, but I thought Equinox's was pretty classy!

 

Oh, of course the MDR on Equinox was beautiful, tasteful and classy. Most of the big cruise ships' MDR's are. However, on Navigator it was more "classic" (think Titanic) with three levels vs. two, and each level had its own name, each after a famous ballet. I guess it looked even more majestic, like something you'd see at the palace at Versailles.

[true45]

The soft-serve was at the Mast Grill on the Lido deck. The hamburger area faced the pool but the icecream was on the side facing the ocean -- perhaps some people just missed it. Yes, in the oceanview cafe on Eclipse there was hard icecream and various toppings.

[BroncosFan2010]

Thanks for a great comparison.