Summit vs Valor?

[Wildgrits]

I am having very hard time making a decision on which ship for our next trip in March. I know there are a lot of you out there who have done a lot of cruising and I would love your input if you have experience on either ship.

 

We are DW, DH, and three DD's all teenagers. Our first and only cruise as a family was last year on the Legend. We really liked the ship but weren't crazy about most of the ports. So we would rather do the southern Caribbean and both these ship leave out of San Juan.

 

One of the pluses for us was how well the Teen Club was attended. My girls made many friends they still text and FB to this day. They really liked the freedom it gave them and that is one thing they are looking forward to on our next cruise. Never cruising with Celebrity, I'm not sure if their Teen Club is as well attended.

 

For us adults, the drinking package is really an incentive for us. I know a lot of folks don't feel it is worth the money but in our case it would be hundreds less than we spent last year.

 

Interest wise we have no use for the Serenity Area, don't go to shows, like the casino, only do the buffet as a last resort, and like the late time dining.

 

We are looking at getting two interior cabins on the highest deck possible.

 

So what pros or cons do you have about either of these ships?

[rebeccalouiseagain]

There aren't as many teens on Celebrity. I think if you had a good time on Carnival- do the Valor. There will definitely be more teens on Carnival because they market themselves as a family oriented cruise line and attract more families.

[vplsh]

We sailed the Valor with our then-19 year old daughter and loved it. She didn't go to the teen club, but she still met people sitting at the pool and around the ship.

 

As adults, we prefer Celebrity, mostly for the service and the perks we get as Elite members, but never hesitate to sail Carnival if the itinerary and price are right. And Valor remains one of the best ships we've ever sailed on.

[drychi]

My wife and I took our 35, 33, and 25 year old children and their guests on Valor in June, 2012. Most of the kids have cruised on other lines with us or their parents as teenagers. All agreed that Carnival has more to offer teens than most other cruise lines if your kids are social and active. Some kids are more quiet and they might like the activities on Celebrity better. Valor is a good ship and we enjoyed our cruise very much on her. My wife and I prefer Celebrity when we cruise without kids.

[Cruise a holic]

I am having very hard time making a decision on which ship for our next trip in March. I know there are a lot of you out there who have done a lot of cruising and I would love your input if you have experience on either ship.

 

We are DW, DH, and three DD's all teenagers. Our first and only cruise as a family was last year on the Legend. We really liked the ship but weren't crazy about most of the ports. So we would rather do the southern Caribbean and both these ship leave out of San Juan.

 

One of the pluses for us was how well the Teen Club was attended. My girls made many friends they still text and FB to this day. They really liked the freedom it gave them and that is one thing they are looking forward to on our next cruise. Never cruising with Celebrity, I'm not sure if their Teen Club is as well attended.

 

 

 

 

 

 

For us adults, the drinking package is really an incentive for us. I know a lot of folks don't feel it is worth the money but in our case it would be hundreds less than we spent last year.

 

Interest wise we have no use for the Serenity Area, don't go to shows, like the casino, only do the buffet as a last resort, and like the late time dining.

 

We are looking at getting two interior cabins on the highest deck possible.

 

So what pros or cons do you have about either of these ships?

 

We have sailed on both ships. As many people have said- Carnival is the party ship- so kids and teens are plentiful. While celebrity also has kids and teen guests, the biggest attraction is for the adults. But it truly depends upon the children. I think your family will not go wrong on either ship.

 

If it were just you and your husband- I would vote for Celebrity.

[blazeinthesun]

We were on the Summit this past February and specifically paid attention to teen stuff thinking we may take our daughter in 2013, and she would be 16 at that time. There seemed to be very few teens onboard, and we really couldn't find any of them in any of the "kid/teen" areas in the evening. We determined very quickly that our daughter would probably be miserable and consequently so would we!

 

We have never taken her on Carnival, but have taken her on RCCL and she has always had a great time participating in their kid and teen programs over the years. So if the happiness of teenagers is a priority, probably the Valor is a better choice!

 

Either way, have a great time!

[Wildgrits]

Thank you all for your replies. I think that you are right. Maybe Celebrity will be a better option when it's just the two of us. Although our girls aren't that hard to entertain, one of the things I did like about cruising was not having to do so.

[lakeariel]

My husband and I will be sailing this Sunday on the Summit without children! We sailed on the Valor last November with a 17 and 14 year old. They had a ball!!I loved the ship. It is so clean and well maintained. I have been on 9 cruises and I think the ship was beautiful and one of all of our favorites. I am hoping Celebrity is geared more for adults.