Celebrity for a younger couple?

[WillWorkForCruise121]

My wife and I have cruised both Carnival and Royal caribbean International. We enjoyed them both very much (RCI even more!). We are younger, I am 29 and my wife 24. I have had some people tell me we would be incredibly bored on a princess or celebirty cruise. That it will be a cruise full of retirees and everything being shut down by 9:00pm. We really aren't big partiers to be honest. We are usually worn out and ready for bed before midnight but would like some night life to enjoy.

 

Are there late night dining options? Is the ship dead after 8? I'm really not even convinced that this would be a deal breaker for us. Like I said, we aren't big partiers. The itineraries for Princess and celebrity just look really appealing to us. Espescially the 10 night southern caribbean trips.

 

We really loved our last cruise on Royal Caribbean and the ship (Liberty of the seas) was just amazing! But to go for 7 nights or more on Royal it is for the most part it is more expensive than Celebrity and Princess. Not to mention the itineraries do not seem as exciting.

 

Also, if there was one gripe I have about both Carnival and Royal caribbean (more Carnival) it is the mannerless fellow passengers. So many would get right up in the middle of shows with no regard for anyone around them. They don't even try for formal night (my wife and I enjoy dressing up). Forget about manners with Deck chairs and seat reserving in the shows!

 

I feel that we would enjoy a more formal and sophisticated crowd. Would we get this on lines like princess and Celebrity? I am not trying to start a debate on formal dress or general manners and behavior. I am just stating what we prefer to do, which is conduct ourselves in a dignified manner and it's nice when others around you feel the same way.

 

I posted the same question on the Princess forum and I may on Royal caribbean as well (we are still considering the oasis)

 

My wife and I have cruised in January the past two years and will likely do the same time next year. However we are considering going on a second cruise this year in September. would that time of year be different? Both are when kids should be back in school.

 

Any help or insight is greatly appreciated!

[johnb0529]

We have not cruised RCI, but several on Princess, one NCL and most recently Celebrity.

 

While older than you, we did our first cruises on Princes in mid-30's

 

First thing to note, age of passengers will depend on length of cruise and itinerary.

 

Short Cruise = Younger Crowd

European and Asian Cruises = Older Crowd

 

But there are always exceptions and i have never been on a ship that didn't range from newly weds in their early 20's to well, lets just say 'more experienced in life'.

 

Personally, we like the more sophisticated atmosphere we experienced on Celebrity, above Princess (but we still are very happy on Princess), and didn't like NCL for a number of reasons.

 

As for the manners of guests, every ship i have been on has those guests who think the rules don't apply to them, they are the most important on the ship, or simply don't have any manners! They cut in line i buffet, push their way past to get onto elevator, etc! But, you will avoid the drunkin partiers on Princess or Celebrity (well, ok i have seen a few drunk Grandmothers but they are mostly harmless:eek:)

 

The bars and clubs were open late, but never crowded. If looking to be out where people are, but not looking to mingle with large crowds, you will be fine to go our for a drink and dancing at 10 or 11:00. The Casino's also have a number of people late into the evening, but not Vegas style crowds!

 

I would ask yourself, when at home, would you prefer dinner at Applebees or a Ruth Chris Steak House? Would you prefer a night at the JW Marriott or the Hampton Inn? You prefer going out dancing at the local college bar or nice wine bar or jazz club? Not exact comparisons, but just like on shore, there are cruiselines for every budget and taste. I know some 50+ that love Carnival because they want the party/drinking atmosphere of a younger crowd, even though they can easily afford Celebrity or better...

 

You will find a quieter crowd, more reserved, generally older than yourselves, but well traveled and generally a fun crowd. With lots of things to talk about at dinner. We have found some very interesting people over the years at dinner, or in a bar, and while generally 10+ years older, we have plenty to talk about!

 

And i would never say Princess or Celebrity are full of retirees. There are plenty of 30-50 on their ships, that still go to work everyday! While they skew older than Carnival (i think every cruiseline does) there is a broad spectrum of passengers.

 

Good luck in your selection!

[Kevnzworld]

I had the same concerns.. The Martini bar is like a bar at the W, very fun. There are always younger couples that want to hang later on Celebrity. Its a good mix of people.

[i guide the sky]

I'm 29 my wife the same. I won't go into detail about this subject because you already received a great answer in post #1. However I will say that you described yourselves similarly to my wife and I, and we really adore celebrity. The average age on board can push the upper 60s on longer cruises but it has never ruined a cruise for us, as a small few have said in the review section.

 

That being said, we have felt a bit alienated in the trivia and activities department. But we make the best of it and participate.

 

Bottom line it's still an incredible value for a very high quality cruise experience.

[Emperor Norton]

I was going to mention sailing on an allegedly even more onion on belt type line when I was the OPs age, but then scrolled back up and read Johnb5029s post. That's about all I could offer as well.

[EithneMay]

We have not cruised RCI, but several on Princess, one NCL and most recently Celebrity.

 

While older than you, we did our first cruises on Princes in mid-30's

 

First thing to note, age of passengers will depend on length of cruise and itinerary.

 

Short Cruise = Younger Crowd

European and Asian Cruises = Older Crowd

 

But there are always exceptions and i have never been on a ship that didn't range from newly weds in their early 20's to well, lets just say 'more experienced in life'.

 

Personally, we like the more sophisticated atmosphere we experienced on Celebrity, above Princess (but we still are very happy on Princess), and didn't like NCL for a number of reasons.

 

As for the manners of guests, every ship i have been on has those guests who think the rules don't apply to them, they are the most important on the ship, or simply don't have any manners! They cut in line i buffet, push their way past to get onto elevator, etc! But, you will avoid the drunkin partiers on Princess or Celebrity (well, ok i have seen a few drunk Grandmothers but they are mostly harmless:eek:)

 

The bars and clubs were open late, but never crowded. If looking to be out where people are, but not looking to mingle with large crowds, you will be fine to go our for a drink and dancing at 10 or 11:00. The Casino's also have a number of people late into the evening, but not Vegas style crowds!

 

I would ask yourself, when at home, would you prefer dinner at Applebees or a Ruth Chris Steak House? Would you prefer a night at the JW Marriott or the Hampton Inn? You prefer going out dancing at the local college bar or nice wine bar or jazz club? Not exact comparisons, but just like on shore, there are cruiselines for every budget and taste. I know some 50+ that love Carnival because they want the party/drinking atmosphere of a younger crowd, even though they can easily afford Celebrity or better...

 

You will find a quieter crowd, more reserved, generally older than yourselves, but well traveled and generally a fun crowd. With lots of things to talk about at dinner. We have found some very interesting people over the years at dinner, or in a bar, and while generally 10+ years older, we have plenty to talk about!

 

And i would never say Princess or Celebrity are full of retirees. There are plenty of 30-50 on their ships, that still go to work everyday! While they skew older than Carnival (i think every cruiseline does) there is a broad spectrum of passengers.

 

Good luck in your selection!

 

I think this us an excellent comparison of RCCL Vs. Celebrity! Well said.

[die_hard]

Try Celebrity...you'll love it. You sound exactly like my wife and I and we prefer Celebrity.

[kasowell2]

I will be honest with you. On our first cruise onSolstice a couple of years ago when we went to the solarium pool we felt like it was a scene from Cocoon. But, we had probably the second best cruise ever. The best was on RCCL Navigator but for different reasons. Celebrity is more sophiscated and much more elegant. With the drink packages that are available it's wonderful. Besides one of the best ways to learn is to talk to olde wiser people that are willing to share their knowledge.

[kat228]

My husband and I are both 27. We did the Equinox for our honeymoon. We're the same way, we like a late night drink or two, but by no stretch of the imagination are we partiers.

 

We did a Carinval cruise before Celebrity and they don't even come close to comparing. I enjoyed the Carnival one for a break from working, but we wound up with such an OLD crowd that I had a hard time seeing where their reputation came from. In fact, I'd say the population on the Carnival cruise might have been older than that on the Equinox. So I think the crowd on any given cruise is determined more by the ports, length and time of year than the line.

 

The biggest reason why I loved Celebrity is that feeling of luxury. I like being spoiled, and I was on Celebrity.

 

We go to bed fairly early, didn't even make it to the late shows some nights because we were worn out from the day (ours was a European itinerary) so the ship is definitely not dead after 8. Perhaps a little quieter, but not dead.

[kitty9]

I'm on board Solstice right now, and having such a great time that we signed up for the next cruise, so we're staying on board for another week. I will say that this group is quite old, with the average age being rather high, but there are some younger on board. But despite that, the ship was rocking heavy the last few nights with things going strong well past midnight.

 

While it won't be anything like a Carnival group, it's not all walkers and everyone asleep by 11. I went up to bed at 12:30, and they were still partying strong.

[flashdog_1]

The late seating for dinner is not rushed at all and may go on until 10 or 10:30 if you keep having coffee and cocktails (first may be a little rushed since the dining room must be emptied and prepared for 2nd seating) and you may encounter a table that is a perfect match. Celebrity does a superb job on this demographically. Our first cruise we were all first time Celebrity cruisers, all had the same type cabin on the same deck, so there was no "mine is better than yours" kind of thing. A later cruise we were mostly of the "almost retired" age with one adult son which brought a new perspective to our thinking. On Celebrity it seemed to me that real conversations of depth occurred, not just pleasantries.

 

And of course you can ask for a table for 2. We've always gotten one when we asked if we didn't book at the last minute.

 

Plus, Celebrity will have two shows, one for the early seating, occurring after dinner and one early show for the late diners, so you don't really miss anything.

 

And although it's been a couple of years since I've sailed X, some passengers did observe formal night. And every night is sort of dress up now that they consider elegant casual to be a step above come as you are casual.

 

We enjoy all lines, but we like Celebrity best because of the food, the dignity, the classical music availability and wonderful superior service. Try it.

[TLCOhio]

Hi, Brandon! Excellent summary by John from Palm Springs and other key comments. You sound like you are the kind of person that would really love Celebrity ships, especially those of the Solstice-class that have such a nice, wide range of facilities, offerings, etc. Much, of course, depends on where you sail, how port-intensive is your cruise. Below are a few of my visuals to give you a better idea for how nice and "cool" are these well-designed ships. From my live/blog below, you can find out lots more details on the various offerings, food, activities, etc. on these ships.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 67,621 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

The Solarium was one of our favorite areas on the Solstice. Food and drinks were nearby and it was very relaxed and sophisticated. Quieter, too, as it is an adults-only area. Two hot tubs here. Not crowded, especially in the evenings. Nice art and design are there as a part of this sparkling ship facility.:

 

 

 

On the top, back of the Solstice, here is a wider view of Corning Hot Glass show area, plus the green grass and the unique covering designs for this special area of the ship.:

 

 

 

This is a view of the Solstice main pool area. Love the sun and activities here!:

 

 

 

For entertainment in the Solstice Theatre, it was called “Solstice -- The Show” featuring a European-style dance, air acts, music, etc. Very dramatic and interesting as they swing, twirl and soar over the audience and stage. It is a “state-of-the-art” theatre with these "Cirque-type" dancers being able to “do their thing”. Here is one example of the “air show” put on by the show performers.:

 

 

 

I liked to ride one of the eight glass elevators in the mid-ship courtyard with nice views out to the different floors, enjoying the ship architecture, people being active, etc. You can see the relaxing library in this shot. Classy design on this ship! Some tradition, but not too dated or old.:

 

[Dave85]

My fiancee and I are in the same boat so this thread caught my attention. We cruise predominately RCI and Carnival (although I did 5 Celebrity cruises in the '90s). We're looking at a September '13 wedding with a Greek Isles cruise for our honeymoon and based on what was available this year we're very interested in Celebrity. (Also, the translation of my Diamond status to Elite doesn't hurt either!)

 

I must say I'm very encouraged by what I've read on this thread. While we'll definitely consider both RCI and Celebrity itineraries when they come out later this month, I was impressed by the both the variety of the Celebrity itineraries and the dedication of newer ships to those routes (where RCI was deploying mostly older Vision Class ships). We don't really care about an older crowd so long as the ship doesn't completely shut down at 10pm and there are at least some other younger couples who will be out later with us!

 

I guess I'll have to start keeping up with the Celebrity board now! :)

[virginiaboy]

I would agree with johnb. Celebrity is the Ruth's of cruising.

 

My wife and I are similar in age and styles as you, and we love celebrity. We have been on Royal, and Princess as well (which we enjoyed both), but we always come back to celebrity. The food and service will exceed your expectations.

 

While the majority of passengers will be older than you, you wont feel out of place and you will have a great time. As stated earlier, celebrity does a good job of placing you with others around your age at dinner. We always get a large table and have made many new friends. We usually end up hanging out with our table mates during the cruise. As far as dancing, drinks, and music....you will have plenty to choose from.

 

As far as when to go......we prefer the time when school is in session, as there tends to be less kids onboard. However, even if you go when school is out, it has never been an issue with celebrity.

 

Give celebrity a try, you won't regret it.

[virginiaboy]

P.s. The ship doesn't close down @ 8 or 10......you will have plenty to see and do till wee hours in the morning, should you choose.

[WillWorkForCruise121]

Thank you all for your replies. I think this further confirms my original thought that we'd really enjoy Celebrity. I think if we find an itnerary we like and can afford we will absolutely give them a try.

 

Thanks for also posting the photos. Really gives you a feel for the ship to see what's on board. We definitely prefer upscale and it seems like Celebrity has that type of atmosphere

[jl24]

I have also wondered about the activities after dinner. We are sailng the "summit" in december, after converting from "carnival" We are in 36 and 40. The show for the late seating dinner, is it before the show, at like 7pm, of after dinner around 10pm? This will help us decied what seating to choose and how to plan out night life>

[hypercafe]

I am 65 and have been crusing for many years on all mass market lines. All have plus and minus however I think you would have a great time. Here the age is very mixed and that's why I like it. Just don!t go HAL.

[Philomath]

My husband and I first sailed Celebrity at 29 and will be back this year at 30, and are huge fans! Our first cruise together was on Princess, and with the exception of the golf simulator (which I must admit my husband really does miss), there is nothing we would trade. The aesthetics, food, and overall environment on Celebrity ships are a notch above in our opinion and we really enjoy it.

 

That being said, it is a myth that there are no drunk people on Celebrity ships! While on the upper pool deck of the Millennium enjoying the ocean view from our loungers last year, an incredibly drunk fortysomething man plopped down next to us and started regaling us with incomprehensible stories. He was bothering me to the point that I (politely) gathered up my stuff and headed back to the cabin to sit on our balcony. My husband stayed, and reported that just after I left, the man rolled onto his side, unzipped his shorts and started... um... "relieving himself" over the side of the pool lounger onto the deck! A concerned crew member apparently swooped in and stopped him and took him away, but it was kind of hilarious in retrospect. I guess you find a few people like that anywhere :rolleyes: but they're rarer on a Celebrity ship I hope!!

[Zoey1]

We just sailed for the first time on Celebrity a few weeks ago. We are in our early 50's and have sailed RCCL & Princess many times prior. While we really LOVED Celebrity and even booked our next cruise on them, we did take note to the demographic. On our 2/11 sailing of the Eclipse it felt like we were even among the younger crowd. Did we see some young couples your age, we did, but just depends on what you like.

 

We always do late dining, there are shows after dinner most nights, bars open late, casino etc so we were not bored in the least but it is a much slower pace. We loved it but not sure how much our kids (your age OP) would be into it. All in all if your aren't big party people and want a relaxing lovely time it was a great trip!

[JFO23]

Just got off Celebrity Summit last Saturday. Great mix of age groups. Had so much fun and lots to do after 10:00. You will be fine! Go and enjoy!

[TLCOhio]

I have also wondered about the activities after dinner. We are sailng the "summit" in december, after converting from "carnival" We are in 36 and 40. The show for the late seating dinner, is it before the show, at like 7pm, of after dinner around 10pm? This will help us decied what seating to choose and how to plan out night life>

 

WillWorkForCruise121: Thank you all for your replies. I think this further confirms my original thought that we'd really enjoy Celebrity. I think if we find an itnerary we like and can afford we will absolutely give them a try. Thanks for also posting the photos. Really gives you a feel for the ship to see what's on board. We definitely prefer upscale and it seems like Celebrity has that type of atmosphere

 

Appreciate the feed-back from Brandon that this info and these pictures have been helpful. Below are a few more to give you better sampling of offerings on these ships. From our first cruise with Celebrity' date=' we were impressed that they did a great job capturing that classy with upscale look and style.

 

On timing for the late show, from our Solstice Med cruise, the show times were generally at 8:45 and 10:45 pm. Each of these main shows ran about an hour. The fixed dinner seatings for our cruise were at 6:15 and 8:45 pm. Our timings in the Med might have been a little later as these cruises enjoy such busy, intense port offerings, plus the sun sets later in the summer.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio[/font']

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 67,621 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

Many times at the pool in the afternoons, the “party band” was going at it with great tunes, adding to the fun and excitement around the pool area. Just like done by some famous California pop groups, we were hearing “fun, fun, fun” underneath the sun!!:

 

 

 

Here’s an example for some of the “swinging” action to band on the 4th floor, central court area nearby the Solstice's main glass elevator bank. There were not large numbers dancing, but those that did, had fun and we enjoyed watching the "show"!:

 

 

 

This is the Sunset Bar area that adjoined part of the lawn areas on the top, back part of the Solstice.:

 

 

 

Here is an overview for this wonderfully-appointed, speciality Murano dining room with nice wood, ceiling, glass, etc., details.* Maximum capacity for seating in 90.* For the last night, they have 30 people on a waiting listing.* We booked ahead which was smart in order to get a specific date on a sea day.:

 

 

 

From the Main Dining Room on the Solstice in June, here is one of the dishes that I enjoyed on this cruise. As I recall, it is a veal beef shank.:

 

 

 

For the handy and quick Oceanview Cafe buffet, here is one visual sample showing how large and open are these various serving areas. This area includes getting items from the pizza-pasta bar area, various hot and cold items, free tea and juice machines, etc.:

 

[maggie416]

My husband and I are in our 60's and love to party and dance! We have cruised on Princess 5 times, and in 2 weeks we will be on Celebrity Silouette. I have to say, I was very surprised on our first Celebrity cruise 3 yrs ago. The crowd was in fact a bit older, but, could they party!! We were up till 1 am dancing and partying every night! The cruise director on That ship really got the people going. We found the atmosphere on a Caribbean cruise is more lively with the exception of Holland America, we found them to be more sedate. I don't think you will regret choosing Celebrity. 13 more days and 13 days of cruising!

Marg

[RCKM43]

My DH and I are in our mid to late 30's and have been going on celebrity for a while. I have traveled with family since high school. DH and I went on our honeymoon on Celebrity.

 

We have never had a bad trip. Yes there can be older passengers but there can also be people in their 20's and 30's. If you are looking for wild partiers you won't find them in great numbers on Celebrity. But DH and I have enjoyed going to shows or having drinks in a lounge after the show. We now travel with our children but before we would eat late seating (which starts around 830) and we have never been bored at night. There is usually a fairly good Comedian on board so that is at least one night you would probably enjoy. Also the deck party is usually fun as well.

 

If you are looking for good service and a relaxing trip you will enjoy Celebrity. It isn't as much of a party atmosphere as RCCL or Carnival but I think based on your description Celebrity would be a good fit for you.

[flashdog_1]

I have also wondered about the activities after dinner. We are sailng the "summit" in december, after converting from "carnival" We are in 36 and 40. The show for the late seating dinner, is it before the show, at like 7pm, of after dinner around 10pm? This will help us decied what seating to choose and how to plan out night life>

 

Usually the late dining folks will have an early show (at the same time the early diners are eating) and the early diners will have a late show. Seems there was at least one night where it was not that way because of the captain's party, perhaps?