First time Celebrity passenger

[Hydrokitty]

I'm in the process of booking Panama Canal with Celebrity but haven't done it yet because previous one and only "big ship" cruise was a disaster from day one and went downhill from there!

A brief background: We're in our early 70's, very active and experienced world travelers. We usually go on river cruises and have been on 7 of them so far. Here are my questions/concerns and I will appreciate any and all help I can get!

1. Why should I choose Celebrity and are they as good as I've heard. Previous experience with HAL Alaska was nightmare.:(

2. DH hates to bring a suit on vacation. What are alternatives to two formal nights?

3. Looking at concierge level veranda cabin over regular veranda cabin...worth it or not.

4. How likely are we to get two deck chairs together on days at sea?

5. How likely are we to be able to actually use the pool on days at sea?

6. If we choose to have dinner in one of the informal dining options, how is the food and what kind of choice is there.

7. Is the entertainment provided by real entertainers or crew members doubling as singers and dancers?

8. Are there any cabins that should be avoided at all costs.....specificaly ones that vibrate constantly.

9. Are you allowed to get your own ice for your room or do you have to wait for cabin steward to bring it to you and can you contact your cabin steward directly or do you have to go through the main reception desk.

10. Does the crew speak English? I don't care where they're from, I just like to be able to communicate with them.

 

If it sounds like I'm a real high maintenance passenger, I'm not, it's just that our one and only cruise was so bad, I'm really gun shy. :o

Thanks for the input...anyone contemplating first time river cruise, I'm happy to answer your questions.

[Orator]

I'm in the process of booking Panama Canal with Celebrity but haven't done it yet because previous one and only "big ship" cruise was a disaster from day one and went downhill from there!

A brief background: We're in our early 70's, very active and experienced world travelers. We usually go on river cruises and have been on 7 of them so far. Here are my questions/concerns and I will appreciate any and all help I can get!

1. Why should I choose Celebrity and are they as good as I've heard. Previous experience with HAL Alaska was nightmare.:(

2. DH hates to bring a suit on vacation. What are alternatives to two formal nights?

3. Looking at concierge level veranda cabin over regular veranda cabin...worth it or not.

4. How likely are we to get two deck chairs together on days at sea?

5. How likely are we to be able to actually use the pool on days at sea?

6. If we choose to have dinner in one of the informal dining options, how is the food and what kind of choice is there.

7. Is the entertainment provided by real entertainers or crew members doubling as singers and dancers?

8. Are there any cabins that should be avoided at all costs.....specificaly ones that vibrate constantly.

9. Are you allowed to get your own ice for your room or do you have to wait for cabin steward to bring it to you and can you contact your cabin steward directly or do you have to go through the main reception desk.

10. Does the crew speak English? I don't care where they're from, I just like to be able to communicate with them.

 

If it sounds like I'm a real high maintenance passenger, I'm not, it's just that our one and only cruise was so bad, I'm really gun shy. :o

Thanks for the input...anyone contemplating first time river cruise, I'm happy to answer your questions.

 

Celebrity is my line of choice because of the outstanding service.

On formal nights you can go to the Buffet or any of the Speciality restaurants.

This is a bit out of your question order, but I don't care for the Concierge Cabins on the S Class Ship. Cabins are exactly the same as balconies and I don't think that the amenities are worth the difference in price. However, you should consider Aqua Class. Lots of benefits including Blu as your dining venue. Blu is always smart casual so formal nights would not be a concern.

Lots of places to sit and getting into pool should nt be a problem. I prefer the Solarium.

Cast for shows are professionals

English is the official language on the ship and evryone you contact will speak English. Some better than others.

Avoid cabins under pool, gym or spa. The cabins on the hump are most desirable since they have larger balconies.

[ariawoman]

I'm in the process of booking Panama Canal with Celebrity but haven't done it yet because previous one and only "big ship" cruise was a disaster from day one and went downhill from there!

A brief background: We're in our early 70's, very active and experienced world travelers. We usually go on river cruises and have been on 7 of them so far. Here are my questions/concerns and I will appreciate any and all help I can get!

1. Why should I choose Celebrity and are they as good as I've heard. Previous experience with HAL Alaska was nightmare.:(

2. DH hates to bring a suit on vacation. What are alternatives to two formal nights?

3. Looking at concierge level veranda cabin over regular veranda cabin...worth it or not.

4. How likely are we to get two deck chairs together on days at sea?

5. How likely are we to be able to actually use the pool on days at sea?

6. If we choose to have dinner in one of the informal dining options, how is the food and what kind of choice is there.

7. Is the entertainment provided by real entertainers or crew members doubling as singers and dancers?

8. Are there any cabins that should be avoided at all costs.....specificaly ones that vibrate constantly.

9. Are you allowed to get your own ice for your room or do you have to wait for cabin steward to bring it to you and can you contact your cabin steward directly or do you have to go through the main reception desk.

10. Does the crew speak English? I don't care where they're from, I just like to be able to communicate with them.

 

If it sounds like I'm a real high maintenance passenger, I'm not, it's just that our one and only cruise was so bad, I'm really gun shy. :o

Thanks for the input...anyone contemplating first time river cruise, I'm happy to answer your questions.

 

Gee, my first remark was going to be that you might want to try Holland America. Personally I've sailed them once and wouldn't hesitate to sail them again. Maybe consider giving them a shot - as they have your age demographic moreso than celebrity (though to be honest I felt they covered more than others will say....i was 36 on HAL and didn't feel out of place).

 

Now I'll attempt your questions :-)

 

1. Why should I choose Celebrity and are they as good as I've heard. Previous experience with HAL Alaska was nightmare.:( -- Everyones experience with a cruise line will be different. Personally I've had great cruises on both HAL (Nieuw Amsterdam) and Celebrity (Equinox). The reason I'm trying to stick to Celebrity is mostly based on the fact that HAL changed their smoking policy and people can smoke on verandahs (which kills them for me). I tended to find the solstice class ship on Celebrity to be the right fit overall for me, activities wise and overall feel.

 

2. DH hates to bring a suit on vacation. What are alternatives to two formal nights? -- You can order room service. You can go to the Oceanview Cafe. Those are basically your choices. :-)

 

3. Looking at concierge level veranda cabin over regular veranda cabin...worth it or not. - Personally, I dont think so. The cabin is the exact same size. It's all about the "amenities" and if you think those are worth the money. Personally, if I ever go higher than a 1A it will be to go to a suite.

 

4. How likely are we to get two deck chairs together on days at sea? - depends on what time you go. It's definitely difficult. We found the deck was at capacity a lot of the time. That said, we were able to eventually find 2 chairs together, but not necessarily in an area we wanted to be in.

 

5. How likely are we to be able to actually use the pool on days at sea? -- depends on the weather and the itinerary - a lot of factors. If you're referring to how crowded is the actual pool - i don't think they were overly crowded. Most seemed to be lounging/reading/whatever on the sides.

 

6. If we choose to have dinner in one of the informal dining options, how is the food and what kind of choice is there. -- what do you mean by informal? Non-wait staffed? If you eat at the Oceanview (buffet style) you will find a variety of foods. Salads, pizza, some sort of carving station, pasta station, bread station, desserts, usually a ton of different things and different cuisines (most of which i'm too picky to eat like sushi lol)

 

7. Is the entertainment provided by real entertainers or crew members doubling as singers and dancers? -- real entertainers. These entertainers will, however, work at things like the muster drill or often take on another role on the ship, but their primary function is entertaining.

 

8. Are there any cabins that should be avoided at all costs.....specificaly ones that vibrate constantly. - personally i avoid cabins that have a public area above or below. Ships sometimes will have a vibration to them all over, I believe when they use the stabilizer it might be more evident (?) not sure though.

 

9. Are you allowed to get your own ice for your room or do you have to wait for cabin steward to bring it to you and can you contact your cabin steward directly or do you have to go through the main reception desk. -- no there's no self serve for your ice bucket. You could of course always bring a glass of ice from the Oceanview up to your cabin if you didn't want to wait. There is a number to dial and they are very responsive. I wouldn't worry too much about the steward services, it's top notch. They are like ninjas, in and out of your room and you never seem to know how or when lol.

 

10. Does the crew speak English? I don't care where they're from, I just like to be able to communicate with them. - they do - but it won't be the best english. They will likely have accents and likely speak in broken english, but they can definitely communicate without issue.

[ariawoman]

Also just out of curiosity, could you go into a little bit what was bad about your prior cruise? Maybe if we know what issues you had, we can give advice that's more pinpointed to those issues too.

[ORV]

Celebrity is my line of choice because of the outstanding service.

On formal nights you can go to the Buffet or any of the Speciality restaurants.

This is a bit out of your question order, but I don't care for the Concierge Cabins on the S Class Ship. Cabins are exactly the same as balconies and I don't think that the amenities are worth the difference in price. However, you should consider Aqua Class. Lots of benefits including Blu as your dining venue. Blu is always smart casual so formal nights would not be a concern.

Lots of places to sit and getting into pool should nt be a problem. I prefer the Solarium.

Cast for shows are professionals

English is the official language on the ship and evryone you contact will speak English. Some better than others.

Avoid cabins under pool, gym or spa. The cabins on the hump are most desirable since they have larger balconies.

 

Will an S class ship fit through the Panama Canal? If not they'd be taking an M Class.

[ariawoman]

Will an S class ship fit through the Panama Canal? If not they'd be taking an M Class.

 

Very good question. My guess is possibly not.

[Orator]

Will an S class ship fit through the Panama Canal? If not they'd be taking an M Class.

 

Excellent point. They are taking M Class. For that the Concierge will work since it's bigger. AQ wouuld still be a good choice, but not as big if it were an S Class. There are specialty restaurants that they could use on formal nights on the M class ship.

 

Thanks ORV, great catch!

[Denny01]

Yes, it has to be an M-Class ship. We go with Concierge not only because the SR is larger, but we like a few more of the ammenities. But that is bery subjective.

 

As to picking Celebrity, we enjoy large ships and think Celebrity is the best of the mainline types. Excellent service, the common areas arent as crowded/cramped, beautiful ships....

 

A number of posts have addressed staying informal. But there is also the Bistro on 5 which is a lowkey restaurant that serves quiche, sandwhiches, salads and so on for $5pp for everything. One of our favorites and the M-Class now have them.

 

As to pools, yes, you should be able to enjoy the pool. You may not get two lounge chairs next to the pool, but our expereince on 13 Celebrity cruises have been that you can find them. M-Class has the Aqaua T-Spa pool. A large indoor pool that is very warm with lots of water action and steel pipes that form lounges on the side that you lay on and the water jets up through....the best pools afloat in my opinon. We get froward SRs on M-Class so we can zip up in the morning and enjoy that pool. It also has an Aqua Cafe for breakfast and lunch which is light fare.

 

They do not have icemachines, but you pick up the phone and call your personal room steward or the assist and they respond very quickly. By the way, Concierge Class has ice pitchers they keep full at all times (well, most of the time). Even when we were in a standard SR, we asked for a water/ice pitcher and the steward got one for us.....as I said excellent service.

 

Enjoy your cruise. Not sure why you hated your previous Big Shp cruise, but unless you are just going to not enjoy it because you are going to compare it to a small river cruise all the time. We've done both....and there are plus and minus on both experiences....for us.

 

Den

[Hydrokitty]

Thanks so much...I feel better about Celebrity now . The ship we would be on is Century. Re: HAL: we had veranda cabin that vibrated so much when standing in the shower you had to hold on (not rough seas!); a /c not working and could not be fixed so we had to keep balcony door open at night...not good for asthma....food was terrible in dining room and lido buffet...breakfast and lunch fine but I've had better meals at Debby's than the dining room...meat tough..veggies mushy...ice cream grainy...first morning discovered no bath towels and called 3 x and waited over an hour for them..2 calls and 45 minutes for ice ...at farewell dinner I had shrimp and got food poisoning! Not a positive experience although we loved land portion and excursions were fantastic (Alaska).

[cynbar]

I would suggest looking into an Aqua Class cabin. The cabin itself really isn't any different than Concierge Class, but it gives you the privilege of dining in Blu. Since you are used to river cruising, this will be much more of a small ship feel. The service is better, food is cooked to order instead of mass produced for the main dining room, and the overall ambiance is much more elegant and attentive. Also, and someone will correct me if I am wrong, there is no requirement to dress formally in Blu. The menu there is billed as "healthier" but is by no mean diet food, just lighter on the carbs and cream sauces. All large ships have some drawbacks (chair hogs, some crowds), but to most of us, those are outweighed by the pluses of more dining optionsand entertainmet, as well as a broader range of itineraries.

[Orator]

Thanks so much...I feel better about Celebrity now . The ship we would be on is Century. Re: HAL: we had veranda cabin that vibrated so much when standing in the shower you had to hold on (not rough seas!); a /c not working and could not be fixed so we had to keep balcony door open at night...not good for asthma....food was terrible in dining room and lido buffet...breakfast and lunch fine but I've had better meals at Debby's than the dining room...meat tough..veggies mushy...ice cream grainy...first morning discovered no bath towels and called 3 x and waited over an hour for them..2 calls and 45 minutes for ice ...at farewell dinner I had shrimp and got food poisoning! Not a positive experience although we loved land portion and excursions were fantastic (Alaska).

 

Century only has 1 specialty restaurant, Murano and does not have a Bistro on 5 nor Aqua Class. Do the specialty restaurant, buffet or dine in your cabin on formal night. You might want to look at a Sky Suite if price comes down. Century is an older ship and you might want to check with recent passengers on condition. I always loved the intimate feel of the ship.

[d4m]

Hydrokitty, it does sound like HAL was not such a good cruise for you.

 

Even on a regular balcony, we ask first day to have ice filled a couple times a day. Never have had to ask twice. Never a problem with towels, room cleanliness etc. Room stewards are usually visable in the halls etc if you need them.

 

Although nobody can guarantee that the food in the MDR or buffet will suit everyone, we have certainly found there is always sufficient and good food. In the MDR if you don't like the entree, you can always ask for another different one. If you want changes, they will accommodate. Ice Cream is made on ship and is a highlight!

 

Have a great cruise and report back about the experience!

[Hydrokitty]

Hydrokitty, it does sound like HAL was not such a good cruise for you.

 

Even on a regular balcony, we ask first day to have ice filled a couple times a day. Never have had to ask twice. Never a problem with towels, room cleanliness etc. Room stewards are usually visable in the halls etc if you need them.

 

Although nobody can guarantee that the food in the MDR or buffet will suit everyone, we have certainly found there is always sufficient and good food. In the MDR if you don't like the entree, you can always ask for another different one. If you want changes, they will accommodate. Ice Cream is made on ship and is a highlight!

 

Have a great cruise and report back about the experience!

 

Thank you again to all who took time to respond...I am now really looking forward to our trip although. I have to wait till until 2014 since 2013 is already booked! I will be happy yt o report back and I have a feeling it's going to be very positive

[coldweathergirl]

Thank you again to all who took time to respond...I am now really looking forward to our trip although. I have to wait till until 2014 since 2013 is already booked! I will be happy yt o report back and I have a feeling it's going to be very positive

 

The Infinity sails through the Panama Canal a couple of times a year so that might be another option.

 

We were in an Aquaclass stateroom on the Infinity this past winter and absolutely loved it. The food in Blu was wonderful. It is cooked to order and they have quite a varied menu with numerous choices. The service was much more attentive as well. They are also open for breakfast. Their juices are all fresh squeezed and their coffee is wonderful as well. It's spoiled us now that we only are booking AQ for our upcoming sailings.

 

There is also an ice bucket that is filled twice daily in AQ rooms plus you get complimentary bottled water and cold tea in your stateroom.

 

I like Celebrity as they have quite a "limited smoking" philosophy on board. There are only a couple of designated areas to smoke and people aren't allowed to smoke on their balconies.

[ariawoman]

Thanks so much...I feel better about Celebrity now . The ship we would be on is Century. Re: HAL: we had veranda cabin that vibrated so much when standing in the shower you had to hold on (not rough seas!); a /c not working and could not be fixed so we had to keep balcony door open at night...not good for asthma....food was terrible in dining room and lido buffet...breakfast and lunch fine but I've had better meals at Debby's than the dining room...meat tough..veggies mushy...ice cream grainy...first morning discovered no bath towels and called 3 x and waited over an hour for them..2 calls and 45 minutes for ice ...at farewell dinner I had shrimp and got food poisoning! Not a positive experience although we loved land portion and excursions were fantastic (Alaska).

 

Wow, I'm sorry you had such a bad time on that cruise! Sucks when the trip doesn't turn out like we planned. :( Hopefully, you'll have a better time on Celebrity! :-)

[alcpa1]

I happen to agree with OP about service and food quality on HAL.

The Century is one of our favorite ships. The layout is quickly embraced with tasteful (perhaps too modern for some) art. We found the displays on HAL in need of extensive cleaning but then so did our cabin.

The food is much better or should I say, more to our taste. The Lido buffet is extensive for all meals so a casual dinner there will provide the setting for both you and your DH. You can enjoy the evening's entertainment in comfort. The shows/performances vary timewise and the schedule will be posted in the daily.

The Century is smaller than the M class ships. The Century has been refurbished since we sailed on her.

Your cabin steward will be glad to provide an ice bucket if your cabin of choice does not have one when you sail. It will be refilled when your cabin is cleaned.

If you choose instead to take The Infinity, an M class ship, which also does the Panama Canal you will have a few more dining options. The ship is larger but equally easy to manuever.

It doesn't matter which ship you are on as far as access to deck chairs/chaises. It becomes a matter of timing. There are chair hogs on every cruise. Celebrity does its best to keep this abuse to a minimum. On the M class ships there are also more pool options. The therapy pool is my favorite. It is covered so can be used in any weather. The setting is also serene.

Cabin stewards on HAL care for more cabins than on Celebrity and that may explain the long wait for service. Your steward will speak English in some shape or fashion. It will be good enough to be understood. Your steward will also give you a direct phone line which will be answered by housekeeping if he/she is unavailable. You will not need to call the Purser's desk.

I do think you will change your opinion about sea cruising if you do sail on Celebrity. I know that if the HAL cruise had been our first, we would never board another ship again.

I do hope you find the cruise that best fits your needs, and if you change to an M class ship there are several choice, and favorite, balcony cabins that you can find described a number of times on Cruise Critic.

If you have more questions please return and we will all try to help.

[Northern Aurora]

Just a couple of quick comments.

 

A number of differences between HAL and Celebrity have been mentioned. In my opinion, two of the most interesting differences are the smoking policies of the two lines (which has already been mentioned), and the differences in the amount of cultural diversity of the crew and staff. I once read a review comparing different cruise lines, and Celebrity ships were described as a "floating United Nations." On Celebrity you will not find that the vast majority of cabin attendants are either from the Philippines or Indonesia.

 

We have done three full transits of the Panama Canal. The first was on the Mercury (sister ship to the Century) and the last two on the Infinity. The Celebrity M-class ships, with the heli-pad in the bow, are perfect for canal transits. If the weather is good (ie, no rain) the captain may open the heli-pad during the transit. What a view.

[Hydrokitty]

Again, many thanks to all of you..I just booked Panama Canal for April, 2012 on the Infinity. Only available cabins were concierge class with veranda....oh well, what can you do, I'll just have to bite the bullet:D Booking agent said concierge class has butler service, but Celebrity web page doesn't say that....anyone know for sure? And can I tell the butler thanks but don't call me, I'll call you?

[ORV]

Again, many thanks to all of you..I just booked Panama Canal for April, 2012 on the Infinity. Only available cabins were concierge class with veranda....oh well, what can you do, I'll just have to bite the bullet:D Booking agent said concierge class has butler service, but Celebrity web page doesn't say that....anyone know for sure? And can I tell the butler thanks but don't call me, I'll call you?

 

 

No butler, have to be in a S2 or above for that.

[dkjretired]

If you are concerned about vibration, do not book a cabin in the aft of the Century.

[Hydrokitty]

Thanks Orv: that is good news..the thought of strangers unpacking my suitcase is unsettling to me!:)

 

Don: thanks tor vibration alert....it was really dreadful on Statendam..as it turns out we're on Infinity instead of Century, but our cabin is aft...will that still be a problem?

[Essiesmom]

I was in cabin 8177 on Millennium and it is almost all the way aft. No vibration problems perceived. Are you on April 1 or April 16? EM

[Hydrokitty]

Essie'sMom: We're on Infinity departing San Diego on April 16 and we're in cabin 8173! We will be celebrating 50 years of wedded bliss (most of the time:D) during our cruise.

[navyrotorhead]

Essie'sMom: We're on Infinity departing San Diego on April 16 and we're in cabin 8173! We will be celebrating 50 years of wedded bliss (most of the time:D) during our cruise.

 

 

I think you will LOVE it!!! Wx that time of year is almost perfect, didn't get too warm until we got to the Canal and Columbia. Great ports, great food, great fun! Consider a couple days in San Diego, pre cruise. Lived there in the late 80s, lots to see and do. Have fun!!! :)

[tikcho]

1. Why should I choose Celebrity and are they as good as I've heard. Previous experience with HAL Alaska was nightmare.

To me CEL is the best cruise line on the market right now, better than some of the luxury lines (and we have been on most of them). Not sure exactly what the issues were on HAL but I have never been disappointed by CEL. Great ships, great food, amazing service

 

2. DH hates to bring a suit on vacation. What are alternatives to two formal nights?

The buffet, Bistro on Five or room service

 

3. Looking at concierge level veranda cabin over regular veranda cabin...worth it or not.

We have done both and would not pay the extra for Concierge. The few differences are a bottle of champagne, canapes, pillow menu and better robes. none of these things we care about so much. If you like healthy food, Blu is a restaurant available to Aqua class guests but, again, how much you'll use it would depend on whether it's worth the price for you

 

4. How likely are we to get two deck chairs together on days at sea?

Very likely unless you want to sit right by the pool. Adult pool area is not as crowded and very serene but we have not had issues with chairs as there are multiple decks and seating options.

 

5. How likely are we to be able to actually use the pool on days at sea?

Not sure what you mean by that. There are two pools and the dults-only one is rarely super crowded

 

6. If we choose to have dinner in one of the informal dining options, how is the food and what kind of choice is there.

The buffet offers various stations (sushi, salads, indian, mexican, pasta, etc) and most of the food is great. however, the food is the same each night so if you plan on eating there every night you may get bored. We also ate a lot at Bistro on five - there is a $5 charge but the crepes and salads were great.

 

7. Is the entertainment provided by real entertainers or crew members doubling as singers and dancers?

There is only one "crew talent" night. the rest of the time is real entertainers

 

10. Does the crew speak English? I don't care where they're from, I just like to be able to communicate with them.

Yes, they speak very good English, we never had an issue with that