Celebrity Versus RCI - Just My Opinion

[i-m-ed]

Ok, I'll add my 2 cents to this. I just got off of the Summit yesterday and was on the Serenade last year, Junior Suite on Serenade and standard veranda on Summit. My take is as follows,

 

Stateroom attendants on both ships were very discreet and friendly, however, my experience was opposite of Lorabele's our attendant formally introduced herself on Serenade and we never had a formal introduction on Summit. Otherwise we rarely saw or interacted with them unless we needed something. The attendant on Serenade did a much better job at cleaning the room than on the Summit. On the Serenade everything was immaculate, on the Summit the same old wrinkled wet then dried several times paper napkins were used under our drinking glasses until I learned to throw them away every day. We had an aft cabin, 1100, on Serenade and a larger balcony on Summit. On both ships I asked for an extra chair, on the Serenade I had a recliner within an hour on Summit I was told no can do but a couple of days later I had an extra table from the pool area on my balcony. On the Serenade tipping was expected for the room attendant only, on Summit we were expected to tip the Asst. Chief Housekeeper, who the heck is that?? I noted the CD often referring to the ship as a floating hotel and that staff should be tipped accordingly, ok I rarely leave a tip for the cleaning lady at a hotel and I never seek out his / her boss so I can tip them.

 

On the Serenade we were directly under the outside part of the Windjammer and I never heard noise from upstairs unless I was on the balcony when someone was eating directly above me. Also, the balcony was more private on Serenade with roughly half of it being visible to anyone peering over the rail at the windjammer. On Summit 90% of my balcony was visible to anyone looking through one of several "portholes" in the waterfall cafe floor. On Summit the people in the Royal Suite below me had no privacy on their balcony as I could easily see everything from my balcony, no getting naked in the hot tub for them.

 

The general layout of both ships were very similar but I feel the Serenade flows a little better, but then again I do alot of business with Alstom and I have little respect for them so I'm a little biased. However, neither of the ships hold a candle to the layout of Voyager class ships.

 

Sales pitches seemed heavier on Summit than on Serenade, every sea day they would cart their X-wear out on the pool deck and try to hawk it. I don't remember seeing that on Serenade, but I'm sure it happened.

 

Waitstaff on both ships was superb, but I really liked our assistant wait person on Summit, I think she was more on the ball than our waiter. One evening she saw my daughter picking at my shrimp cocktail and within a couple of minutes my daughter had her own shrimp cocktail. She really didn't miss a trick.

 

Food on both ships was equally good however, I really didn't care for the menu selection on Summit. Some days it was so un-appealing I would eat pizza or sushi. On Serenade the Windjammer was open through dinner, on Summit if I didn't like the menu I would either eat off of the kids menu or go the the Waterfall for Sushi, Pizza, Pasta, or "casual dining" for $2 / head, or order room service which was basically the same menu as "casual dining". I aquired a taste for Sushi during this cruise, especially wasabe paste.

 

My main complaint is that all three formal days were on port days. There's nothing more pleasurable than getting on the ship at 4:15 half baked and covered with sunblock scrambling to get myself, wife, and two young children cleaned up and in formal wear by 6:00. Why not do these things on Sea Days as some of us like to spend full days at the beach when we're in port. Needless to say we were never exactly on time during formal days and on the last one I flat out refused to wear my tux and shirt with an over starched collar on my already stingy neck. Yes my wife was really P/O'ed at me but at least my neck didn't feel like someone was rubbing sandpaper on it while I was trying to eat.

 

I can't really comment on on-board activities for adults as we generally only partake in the shows and we found both to be similar.

 

The kids programs on both ships were outstanding and I do mean outstanding. I do feel the youth staff on Summit were much better than their Serenade counterparts. Maybe they were too good because there were times we had to drag our son off of the ship becuase he wanted to go to the Fun Factory rather than the beach.

 

I also felt the buffet on the Serenade was much better than on the Summit.

 

I really enjoyed all of the Europeans on Summit and was happy that my children were able to interact and play with children from other countries. My 8 y/o daughter has been trying to speak with an English accent for the past 4 days.

 

Overall I found the staff on Serenade to be much warmer than the staff on Summit, I don't know if I buy the "European Model" theory on this one.

 

In the end I would sail with either line again but itineraries being equal I would without hesitation choose RCCL over Celebrity. In the end do you think Jack Williams or whoever is replacement is will care whether they put my money in their left or right pocket???

[dfhnis]

Love them both but RCL's new Towel policy tees me off my wife and i USE a lot of Towels at Poolside. we dont lose them we dont steal them we USE them. One reason i prefer Celebrity

[Bisous3]

I'd like to add a note about entertainment. I know lots of people don't even attend the shows at night, but for me (its my business) its one of the most important factors. I have sailed X 8 times, and have never actually sailed RCI but have had the privledge of sitting in on some of their rehearsals, as a friend of mine is a choreographer for them and the rehearsal facility is near my home.

RCI has absolutely fabulous musical productions. Celebrity is getting better, but still isn't anywhere near the quality of RCI. Rci employs choreographers from dance companies like River North out of Chicago. Celebrity uses relative unknowns and it shows. The costumes on Celebrity are without a doubt the worst and ugliest I have ever seen.

The one exception to all of this is the Cirque de Soleil experience. While I wish they would do more, I felt lucky to have had this experience on the Summit.

 

By the way Fireguy.....before you knock cruise ship pizza and pasta (Celebrity's is NASTY!!) try Princess. I am 100% Italian and extemely critical of Italian food. I would have happily eaten ONLY the pizza and pastas on Princess.

 

Suzanne

[DeRon]

I agree with Suzanne. The pizza on Princess is wonderful!

 

I also think the entertainment on Princess (specifically Grand) was the best we have experienced.

[fireguy091]

Bisous3,

 

I was only talking about the pizza I have tried...So far Carnival has had the best, but I doubt that even Princess pizza is as good as home made...:) But hey who goes on a cruise for the pizza, all the food is good, some is just a little better...:)

[DeRon]

Fireguy, that may be true for you, but the pizza I have had from all over including Chicago's best, Princess rivals.

 

But isn't pizza like sex...no such thing as "bad". Heheheee

[fireguy091]

Fireguy, that may be true for you, but the pizza I have had from all over including Chicago's best, Princess rivals.

 

But isn't pizza like sex...no such thing as "bad". Heheheee

 

I haven't had the pleasure of trying Princess pizza but I hope to , but if you can make as bold a statment as you have about their pizza than who am I to doubt you...:)oh yeah it is kinda like sex... :D

[dfhnis]

I think Celebrity changed their pizza recipe In March( Mercury)it was not so good but in the past it was great. hamburgers still good

[fireguy091]

I don't think that pizza requires a recipe, it appeared that they were using what ever was left over as topping.

[dfhnis]

you better believe pizza requires a recipe come to new york

[OPSoccermom]

Love them both but RCL's new Towel policy tees me off my wife and i USE a lot of Towels at Poolside. we dont lose them we dont steal them we USE them. One reason i prefer Celebrity

I'm with you on the towel issue with RCI. We were on the Mariner last week. On port days, we had to continually ask our room steward to exchange our sandy towels for fresh ones. On one sea day, we ran into a short downpour. The towel exchange had disappeared and we all were stuck with wet towels for the rest of the day. I would have killed for a warm fresh towel.