Our arms being twisted to try Celebrity

[FoxyTerrier]

DH and I have loved HAL since our first cruise on the old Noordam 10 years ago. My cousin and her DH cruise often and almost always on X. They are planning a family reunion cruise to Bermuda and were not willing to consider HAL because they the starting price of balcony cabins were a bit more.

 

DH and I have wanted to try X since cousin has raved about their trips for years now. We didn't really want to cruise Bermuda again after going on last May on the Veendam.

 

We have now committed to go and are trying to figure out what cabin compares best to Deluxe Verandra Suite. The Sky Suite seems a bit small and while the Celebrity and Royal Suites seems very nice they are quite a bit more pricey that have ever paid for a 7 day cruise.

 

For those of you that sail both lines what is the closest to a SA, SB or SC category.

 

Thanks in advance.

[cruisinjudy]

I don't think there is really a close comparison suite on Celebrity. We have had a Sky Suite but that is similar to SS/SY cat on HAL. It includes the butler who we thought was a bit of a pain in the neck and then he begged for good marks. The Celebrity and Royal Suites are nice and have separate rooms but are more pricey. The newest class of ship on Celebrity is very nice, but I didn't see the suite categories on that class so I can't compare them.

[sail7seas]

When we used to sail "X", we booked the Royal Suite. On HAL, we book "S or SA"..... (been in PS but hardly ever.)

[iancal]

We only book VA balcony cabins on Celebrity.

 

You will just have to go and tough it out. Grin and bear it...then report back.

 

It is one of the cruise products that we like-especially the Solstice class ships.

[djhsolara]

It looks like you are looking at Summit. We were just on Millennium (same class ship) in a Celebrity Suite. We loved this suite. Actually none of the suites Celebrity and higher compare to SC-SA on HAL because these suites on these Celebrity ships have rooms. That is our one complaint of the suites (other than PH) on HAL in that they do not have rooms...they are all still one room. Our Celebrity Suite had a living/dining area and a separate bedroom. These Celebrity Suites do not have balconies (but some are getting them when they are "Solsticized") and we thought we would miss a balcony because we have never sailed without one, but we did not miss it at all. It is floor-to-ceiling windows in the suite with wonderful views...and the midship location is wonderful!!

 

I can try to get some photos here for you if you'd like.

 

:) :)

[RMLincoln]

I was on Constellation and visited friends in a Celebrity suite... the floor to ceiling windows were a huge wall of a curved bay window. No railings. It was quite breathtaking. I hope you can find something you can enjoy. We had a lovely time on Celebrity and found them to be very much like HAL but different in their own ways. Report back and let us know. m--

[Jade13]

We will be on Millennium next week, and can report back. We will be in a Sky Suite.

 

Celebrity is very similar to HAL in many ways, but the hardware is very different as Celebrity is very modern compared to HAL's traditional ships with wrap around promenade. We always seem to have an Indonesian cabin steward on Celebrity, and the food has been very good on our last cruises.

 

One thing we have found is that Celebrity is significantly cheaper than HAL, so it makes it easy for us to take additional cruises each year. Plus, we do not always want the same vacation experience.

 

One thing we really like is the Solstice class ships as they are stunning. We like AQU class because of the small private dinning room for breakfast and lunch. These staterooms do not have bathtubs, but have other great perks including bottled water and unlimited access to those ceramic loungers in the Spa. On their newest ship next year, Reflection, they will have AQU Suites.

 

I believe the Royal Suites will be the closest to HAL's "S" Suites.

[Krazy Kruizers]

It looks like you are looking at Summit. We were just on Millennium (same class ship) in a Celebrity Suite. We loved this suite. Actually none of the suites Celebrity and higher compare to SC-SA on HAL because these suites on these Celebrity ships have rooms. That is our one complaint of the suites (other than PH) on HAL in that they do not have rooms...they are all still one room. Our Celebrity Suite had a living/dining area and a separate bedroom. These Celebrity Suites do not have balconies (but some are getting them when they are "Solsticized") and we thought we would miss a balcony because we have never sailed without one, but we did not miss it at all. It is floor-to-ceiling windows in the suite with wonderful views...and the midship location is wonderful!!

 

I can try to get some photos here for you if you'd like.

 

:) :)

 

I would appreciate it some pictures here, please.

We have nothing planned for next fall and are thinking about Celebrity. Yesterday I tried checking out itineraries for the Caribbean on Celebrity's site and kept getting knocked off. Didn't have any trouble with other sites.

[esther e]

We have sailed in the Celebrity Suites also, but only in climates where we didn't need a balcony. What a great suite! If you are able to snag 6145 or 6146, go for it. It's an Sky Suite but since it is connecting to the PH, they are much larger suites. The bathroom alone is the size of a small house!

[tcook052]

Go try CEL as FWIW I very much fell for the Solstice Sky Suite I was in this past April. The attentive service and well appointed and comfortable cabin along with a more open ship layout convinced me to sail CEL again at some point.

[George C]

We were in SA suite last month and did a SS last year, did Solstice Sky Suite a couple of years ago, the sky suite was smaller but more elegant that Hals, also loved the 40 inch flat screen and there on demand movies, plus butler service.

[FrankNJ]

"One thing we have found is that Celebrity is significantly cheaper than HAL, so it makes it easy for us to take additional cruises each year. Plus, we do not always want the same vacation experience."

 

I'd like to try celebrity also , but whenever I check prices, "x" is higher , where should I look?

[iancal]

Our last few cruises (Europe and Carib. have been booked in the cancellation window.

 

Celebrity seem to drop their prices earlier and futher in this period than HAL or Princess. The last two Celebrity cruises were about 35 percent less than HAL and an even higher amount on Princess. We were watching three similar itineries/ships.

[FoxyTerrier]

Thank you for all who commented.

 

DH and I have decided on Celebrity Suite 8104 based on size, price and location. We are also glad the Celebrity Suites will get a balcony when in dry dock next month. We also got an unheard of to us $850 OBC - we have never gotten anything close to that on HAL.

 

One thing I forgot to mention is that my 91 one year old mother will be sailing with us and sharing our stateroom so size and is a big consideration.

 

As I said, on HAL we normally sail in a S, SA or SB which is approx 575 sq ft. This category gives us plenty of lounging room, storeage and the dressing room for dressing privacy.

 

When comparing X's Sky Suite they are only 251 sq feet about half the size. When comparing prices the list price on the Sky is about $1200 cheaper than the Veendam sailing on the same date.

 

The Celebrity Suite is still smaller than HAL at 467 sq ft but that seems pretty close and the pictures look very nice. As for the price it's about $600 more.

 

The Royal Suite is is 538 sq ft but that comes with a hefty price increase over HAL of $2400 more.

 

For Bermuda, I think one reason HAL is a bit more is they are in port one extra day over X which means more port charges. It's also possible docking in Hamilton costs more the way out in the boonies where X has to dock.

 

In July I will post a comparision of HAL and X. I'm hoping we love X as it will give us more cruising options, but X will have a lot to live up to.

 

Thanks again,

[kazu]

Thank you for all who commented.

 

DH and I have decided on Celebrity Suite 8104 based on size, price and location. We are also glad the Celebrity Suites will get a balcony when in dry dock next month. We also got an unheard of to us $850 OBC - we have never gotten anything close to that on HAL.

 

One thing I forgot to mention is that my 91 one year old mother will be sailing with us and sharing our stateroom so size and is a big consideration.

 

As I said, on HAL we normally sail in a S, SA or SB which is approx 575 sq ft. This category gives us plenty of lounging room, storeage and the dressing room for dressing privacy.

 

When comparing X's Sky Suite they are only 251 sq feet about half the size. When comparing prices the list price on the Sky is about $1200 cheaper than the Veendam sailing on the same date.

 

The Celebrity Suite is still smaller than HAL at 467 sq ft but that seems pretty close and the pictures look very nice. As for the price it's about $600 more.

 

The Royal Suite is is 538 sq ft but that comes with a hefty price increase over HAL of $2400 more.

 

For Bermuda, I think one reason HAL is a bit more is they are in port one extra day over X which means more port charges. It's also possible docking in Hamilton costs more the way out in the boonies where X has to dock.

 

In July I will post a comparision of HAL and X. I'm hoping we love X as it will give us more cruising options, but X will have a lot to live up to.

 

Thanks again,

 

I think you made a good choice. I had a Sky Suite on Celebrity and was very disappointed. You've done your research well:)

 

Have a great cruise - and we'll look forward to your report:)

[djhsolara]

I would love to share photos but apparently I no longer know how to do that on here. I used to be able to upload photos from my computer but now everytime I try to do it I get an upload error message.

 

Can anyone share any wisdom regarding this?

 

Thank you!!

 

:) :)

[fleckle]

FoxyTerrier, jannandjohn who post on these boards were kind enough to share their photos from a Celebrity Suite on the Infinity before the balconies were added and before the interior decor was updated. You can find their photos with this link.

 

Infinity Celebrity Suite Photos - jannandjohn

 

(Click on Next about half-a-dozen times to get to the bedroom.)

 

The layout of the Celebrity Suites on the Summit (and pretty much the layout of the entire ship) is very similar to the Infinity, although the decor is different.

 

Then just recently, after balconies were added to the Celebrity Suites on the Infinity, Project gal submitted some photos of the new balconies. So between them you can get a good idea of what you can expect to find in your Celebrity Suite.

 

Infinity Celebrity Suite Balcony -from Project gal

 

Even though it is not as large a suite as you are accustomed to having, it is a very nice suite that should accommodate 3 people in comfort.

 

Many people would love to have their arms twisted to stay in one of these suites. :D

 

Enjoy!

[fleckle]

One thing I forgot to mention is that my 91 one year old mother will be sailing with us and sharing our stateroom so size and is a big consideration

P.S. Even if you don't need the services of the butler and consider him to be "a pain in the neck" as someone else did, it will be wonderful to have the butler for your mother.

 

He will treat her like the Queen of England and bring her anything she wants so you will not feel as though you are neglecting her if you want to go off and do something without her, knowing that the butler will pamper her and take very good care of her.

 

Also, those Celebrity Suites are ideally located for an elderly person who may have mobility issues. They are close to the central elevator bank, providing easy access to anywhere on the ship.

 

(Don't worry, they are on a separate corridor away from the elevators so you don't get noise or traffic from the elevators.)

[Call8675309]

HAL is our first choice, but we have sailed concierge class on X and were very pleasantly surprised. I am sure you will have an enjoyable cruise.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

We have only done one cruise on X and it was the Solstice in September 2010. We were in Aqua Class, I totally enjoyed Blu but unfortunately felt the cabin was way too small especially the bathroom. Maybe because I like larger new ships I have never considered for myself a cruise on the older ships of X. But the one thing that confuses me is why so many think that X is so much cheaper than HAL :confused: Comparing dates and itineraries 99% of the time I find X to be quite a bit more expensive. The only time it is cheaper is for cruises is on their older ships especially Bermuda runs but then so is HAL :rolleyes: Granted they often have some nice sales for Inside and Ocean View but when looking at Aqua Class and higher categories forget it. It is really hard to compare X to HAL when you get to the Suite levels because they are nothing a like. HAL has far more Deluxe Verandah Suites and with the nicely priced Superior Verandah Suites to me it is a no brainer. The Aqua Class and some Concierge Class are the same price as a SY on HAL with double the sq ft and a much nicer bathroom. I was lucky that when we sailed the Solstice it was in September of the year they stayed in the Caribbean and the prices were crazy low because they were having a hard time selling. In all honesty I would never pay the price they are asking now for the same itinerary in an Aqua Class. Right now for the Solstice sailing the same week I am on the Westerdam comparing Inside to Inside (their Insides are smaller cabins) X wants $250 ,more per person. In all honesty X is not worth $500 more per couple than HAL.

 

Sorry for the rant :o X is good but only if that itinerary and price fits what you want. Overall I feel X is much higher priced product that is not always worth the cost difference. Celebrity sails out of more unique ports on the East Coast which allows for people to not have to fly. For those of us on the West Coast no matter what way we look at it, it is still a 5+ hour flight and basically and all day adventure so HAL ends up winning every time.

 

Foxey I look forward to hearing what you think. There were things we liked about X and things we did not care for. But we went on X at the end of a 2 year run of trying other cruise lines so when we returned to HAL this past Spring it became clear to us that HAL was still the best for what we look for in a cruise. HAL will always be our first choice, NCL runs second but booking a Suite only and Celebrity third.

[Jade13]

I would appreciate it some pictures here, please.

 

We have nothing planned for next fall and are thinking about Celebrity. Yesterday I tried checking out itineraries for the Caribbean on Celebrity's site and kept getting knocked off. Didn't have any trouble with other sites.

 

Book one of the Solstice class ships.

[Jade13]

"One thing we have found is that Celebrity is significantly cheaper than HAL, so it makes it easy for us to take additional cruises each year. Plus, we do not always want the same vacation experience."

 

I'd like to try celebrity also , but whenever I check prices, "x" is higher , where should I look?

 

You can look right on both websites.

 

Well to be honest we have been sailing Celebrity in the Carribean, but will be taking a transatlantic next year.

 

Also, just compared New Zealand & Australia and I think we will be going on HAL even though the Verandah on Celebrity was about 50% less. Plus, they had a "gratuities included" promo if booked by the end of this year.

 

Just check the cruiseline websites and you can see the differance.

[ASIWISH]

I misread the question... so, I am deleting my response!

 

have fun!!!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Book one of the Solstice class ships.

 

We are looking and checking out the Eclipse.

[Hawaiidan]

I too am taking a celeb cruise after years with Holland America because the price was 3300 cheaper for the same trip to Antarctica. That and the schedule will save me another $2500 on trips.. I cant ignore that its in total almost $6000 cheaper.

 

I do know from my checking that ther reason for the lower price is the ship is filled with extra charges, want a pannini? Holland its free, Celb..$5 PLEASE. Take in a movie in the theater; Holland free, Celeb. no theater and its pay-TV for the movie. and like 3 or 4 speciality restauraints charging $40 pp. No laundry package all by the piece

Little things, but dozens of them.\ I wil see how it goes, but think this is a one time foray.

 

Just keep you wits about you beause you wallet is a target, I am aware so they are not going to get to me. But if you casualy want what Holland provided Celeb will bill you for.