For Those Who Have Sailed Celebrity

[TravelGal22]

How would you say they compare to NCL?

[anthem]

My opinion only -

 

Slightly different feel. Celebrity positioned just a bit higher than NCL which is mainstream. Celebrity is a bit trying to convey a bit more "class" than NCL. Not saying any one is better than the other - just slightly different. Main differences -

 

-Celebrity food better than NCL

-Celebrity has less kids onboard for similar cruise - on big cruising dates, Celebrity might have 300-400, NCL 700-800

-Celebrity has more longer cruises.

-Celebrity has no water slides

-Celebrity has an adult pool/atrium (as in no kids, not topless)

-Celebrity is a bit more formal (formal nights, photogs, fixed times)

 

-NCL has more/bigger kids activities and section

-NCL has water slides/etc

-NCL has bowling alleys, etc, etc

-NCL ships are usually larger, more crowded

-NCL is more freestyle dining (excluding upcharge dining venues)

 

To me celebrity has a more consistent feel across the entire ship (all classes of cabins). NCL suites may have better service in their suites (sometimes) as it becomes a two class (a la Cunard) ship. Celebrity has suites but its just a different room.

 

Sailed both - enjoy both. Next one I am going on is NCL but that isn't indicative either as we sail what we want and could care less of what line.

[cynbar]

The atmosphere is very different on Celebrity. It's quieter, more sedate, more dignified. There are set dress codes for the evening, 2 formal nights on a 7 day cruise and the others resort casual, and almost everyone follows them (some alternatives do exist to avoid formal nights, however.) There is less activity and entertainment than you'll find on NCL, more time quietly sitting in a lounge listening to music, for instance. Service is excellent, with a more formal feel. Food in the MDR seems better on Celebrity, buffet also seems better to us but has limited offerings in the evenings. Celebrity now offers both traditional dining and Select (anytime) but there are fewer specialty restaurants. We actually enjoy both lines but we know what to expect from each and therefore aren't disappointed. Sometimes we want quiet and elegant, sometimes we want lively and casual.

[wvfrogg]

How would you say they compare to NCL?

 

I've only been on Celebrity (Infinity) once, but have to say I was disappointed. The staff kept telling us that the two areas they excelled in were food and service. I found both to be inferior to NCL. Once our waiter realized that we would not be ordering wine at any meal, his interest in us ended. One night I ordered lobster bisque and they brought mushroom soup. I mentioned it, and the waiter took it back and brought me flavored warm water without a single bit of lobster in it. I should have kept the mushroom soup. We had a balcony suite and the room steward never introduced himself. The cabin itself was kept spotlessly clean. There were many children on the cruise, and very little for them to do -- so they ran all over the place. All in all it was a disappointing cruise. But I have heard other people rave about the Celebrity. I would not choose to cruise with them again.

 

I have been on NCL 4 times, with 2 more coming up soon. :) The staff on all of the cruises has been excellent. I've had OV twice, Balcony and 2 bedroom Haven suite. The stewards in all were friendly, considerate and very available. The senior staff on the NCL cruises were also very available; as they walked through the ship they talked to passengers, talked with us at dinner time, etc. The food in the MDR may not be excellent at every meal, but only once was I truly disappointed. They went out of their way to make sure I was "made happier"! In fact, when I mentioned that I did not like the MDR coffee, they somehow came up with a cup of wonderful coffee every evening after dinner. The maitre'd remembered every evening that I wanted the "better" (i.e. bolder) coffee and brought it to me without my asking.

 

I think it is possible that I just like the more "laid-back" feel of the NCL cruises and maybe because I was in a better frame of mind, I was more outgoing with the staff. I do know that what I send out comes back to me, so perhaps part of my Celebrity problems were my responsibility. Also, the Celebrity cruise was to Alaska and I am a warm-weather gal. But no cruise is a bad cruise, so to be fair I would have to compare Celebrity on a warm-weather cruise vs. the Alaskan cruise.

 

Just enjoy whichever cruise you decide to take!

[DMH15]

I choose NCL over X because of the suite perks. But X is my second favorite of the 4 lines I have cruised. I cruised the Summit to Alaska.

 

First, my best meal at sea, (aside from the Chef's Table which is a separate animal - more like an excursion on the ship), was ox X at Normandie. Out of this world! But there were not a lot of choices for alternative dining, (I prefer smaller venues to banquet halls and don't do buffets), and I love having Le Bistro served ensuite. X did have a sushi place in the evening that was includeded in base fare. There was also a wonderful spa food kiosk for a light breakfast and lunch, also no upcharfe So, the food issue really is a draw.

 

I liked the casino on X better. There was a bank of non smoking slots. Loved that. But now the entire casino is smoke free. Yippee.

 

Bingo better on X. NCL's is really a joke.

 

Liked casualness of NCL and laid back schedule. Freestyle rocks!

 

And as I said the suite perks on NCL win hands down.

 

Both lines have had great crews and clean maintained ships. I would not hesitate to sail either!

[gskimmel]

I've sailed Celebrity twice (Aqua class) and NCL once (suite). This is my opinion on both cruise lines:

 

 

• The specialty restaurants on Celebrity are far better than NCL's specialty restaurants (including Blu as a specialty restaurant although it was our MDR)
  
• The MDR on NCL was better than the MDR on Celebrity (felt the presentation on Celebrity was lacking and the food was just OK. When I tried the MDR food on NCL, I wasn't expecting much but was surprised that I really enjoyed the meal.)
  
• If you are a wine drinker, Celebrity wins. They have a wine bar, an extensive wine list, and the restaurants have a sommelier
  
• Celebrity has a more sophisticated feel, NCL has a more energetic feel
  
• NCL has something for everyone (budget conscious to luxury)
  
• Staff on both lines are friendly but I found NCL staff to be super friendly (not sure if this is because I was in a suite, though)
  

Overall, I found there to be more similarities than differences.

[anthem]

I've sailed Celebrity twice (Aqua class) and NCL once (suite). This is my opinion on both cruise lines:

 

Doesn't change the differences of the ship - but you should compare Celebrity suites (Royal/Penthouse) with the NCL haven suites for a side by side as a fair comparison. . . .

 

I like the haven concept, but the big Celebrity suites are absolutely stunning and are better done (and their suite service is top notch, but that can be hit or miss anywhere on any line). Albeit the mini-grand piano in the Celebrity suite is kind of a waste of space. . .

[DaisyGoldberg]

It's been a few years, but one thing they used to do on Celebrity that I found kind of odd was that they'd carry your buffet tray to your table for you. So you'd go through the line and select what you wanted, then a handsome Norwegian (they all seemed to be Norwegian, and dressed like officers in white) helped find you a seat. I found it a bit of overkill, when all I had on my tray was a box of cereal and a bowl of fresh fruit!

 

However, I did love the cruises themselves, and for a "find a deck chair and get out your book" vacation, considered it top notch. Rooms were bigger than NCL. Entertainment was better than NCL and Princess, as I recall, but all were older ships and not the newest ones with extravagant specialty shows. They had more free cruise-y things to do on sea days, like napkin folding and other fun trivial pursuits. I find NCL tends to have more pay-for-fun options, or else they're very athletically oriented. Nothing wrong with that, but I miss some of the "can't believe I'm doing this!" options I remember from the good old days of cruising, when I had 3-4 serious contenders for my attention every hour on a sea day. Many times now I read the dailies and don't see anything I "must" try. Maybe I'm just old!

 

You can't go wrong with Celebrity, but it IS a different vibe from NCL.

[jdvmd]

We are Elite on Celebrity and while we do enjoy them more than Royal, Princess etc. the big push on the food being excellent is a bit much. I have seen cutbacks. Presentation is still great for food but I don't find them any better than the rest. Plus the upcharge for Celebrity's alternative restaurants has gone up to $40 a person.

[Rochesterboatingdotcom]

Celebrity has more enrichment activities. We went to an around the world wine tasting seminar and a sushi making class while we were on the Solstice. Food was not much better than NCL, IMHO. Ship was much classier, rooms were nicer and larger. Entertainment not as good as NCL, and if you are a night owl, forget it. The whole ship was asleep by midnight.

[CPT Trips]

Celebrity has only one announcement a day over the ship's loudspeakers. It you want to do Bingo, remember the time as no one will yell at you to go. Same for the "big sales." Also, no indoor smoking - anywhere.

[Cubechick]

Celebrity has only one announcement a day over the ship's loudspeakers. It you want to do Bingo, remember the time as no one will yell at you to go. Same for the "big sales." Also, no indoor smoking - anywhere.

 

I have to say on the Epic last month there were very few announcements compared to past years. One in the morning and another in the early evening. It was very pleasant.

[canuckgal]

How would their prices compare, say for a mid-level suite? Also how would the room service be for suites? No butler, right?

[jdvmd]

How would their prices compare, say for a mid-level suite? Also how would the room service be for suites? No butler, right?

 

Not sure which line you are referring to.

NCL has butlers for all of their suites.

 

Also, make sure you are not looking at mini suites - these do not receive suite perks.

[canuckgal]

Celebrity vs. NCL suite prices?

[jdvmd]

Celebrity vs. NCL suite prices?

 

I think you will see a huge differences in pricing.

Celebrity will cost more but all depends upon sailing dates, time of year, itinerary.

[anthem]

Both suites come with butler services

[Winters in NZ]

With both Celebrity and HAL, I had always brought at least a tie and jacket that occupies some minimal space in my luggage.

 

On my recent Dawn cruise Quebec City to Tampa, enjoyed the 'freestyle' aspect particularly at dinner in the Venetian Dining Room. Excellent ambience and beautiful surrounding, without having to wrap any of my ties around my neck, the most of these ties in my closet eventually being destined forever to the dust bin anyways.

[FiggyWig]

I'm reading this thread with great interest. We've twice been on Solstice and absolutely loved it. We did 12 night eastern Med cruises both times in a standard balcony room - and could find nothing at all to complain about - loved the food in MDR / Buffet, loved the feel, loved the staff, loved the entertainment....we were Sooo Saadd to have to leave.

 

We now have our 1st cruise booked on NCL Epic next summer(we are me, DH & 16 yr old DS) - again in a standard balcony... so how do you think we will get on ?

 

Fig

[vacation luvver]

I've taken 8 cruises on NCL and 2 cruises on Celebrity, and the only reason I took a second cruise on Celebrity was to give them another chance. Big mistake!

 

I always get an inside cabin, so I don't know about the suites. I never eat in the surcharge restaurants, because I like the food in the MDR and buffet on both cruiselines. However, the service in the MDR on both of my Celebrity cruises was horrible. On the first Celebrity cruise, the service was rude and inefficient, while on the second one, it was polite and inefficient.

 

I enjoyed the entertainment on both cruiselines, but I would have to say that I preferred the entertainment on NCL, because on my first Celebrity cruise, most of the time, the daytime musicians did not show up to perform. Well, some of the time, one of the four singers would show up to say that they wouldn't be singing, and one of the three violinists would show up to say that they wouldn't be playing, but most of the time, they just didn't show up. When the pianist didn't show up, I asked about it at Guest Relations. The Guest Relations guy didn't have any idea why the pianist wasn't playing the piano, so he called someone, and he was told that the pianist wasn't on the ship. People asked me if Celebrity substituted other entertainment when the pianist, singers, and violin players didn't show up, and I said no.

 

On the NCL cruises, we were allowed to go outside and look for our tour buses at the docked ports, but on my second Celebrity cruise, we had to meet in the theatre or a lounge (that was much too small for all the people who had to wait there0 and wait and wait for the shore excursion staff to get their act together and put us on our tour buses. They caused us to be late for our excursions, and we had to miss sightseeing that we would have been able to see if we had been allowed to get off the ship on our own and look for our buses.

 

I prefer freestyle and not having to dress up formal, so that's another vote for NCL.

[old bag]

This is the question I wanted to ask ...

 

We were booked for a Celebrity Cruise to Bermuda for July 2013. We had two Aqua Spa cabins (though not connecting) ... there really wasn't a suite option for the four of us that worked. We switch to NCL for the same sailing to Bermuda for a better sleeping arrangement in a suite and less money!

 

My children are excited about the slides and the rock climbing wall ... they love Royal Carribean's rock wall and skating options, so I know we made the right choice.

 

However, we are used to formal nights and so forth ... and it seems like my gowns will be staying home for this trip.

 

Is there even a formal night?

 

One of my favorite things about Celebrity was the formality of it all ... yes, I'm snob. Don't care ... I work really hard, and like seeing my family looking fine in their suits and so forth ... will this be really different, or more like RCCL during spring break or Carnival in the summer?

 

Thanks for the feedback.

[stormynow]

Like the more formal dress in the evening on X. Wouldn't wear shorts to dinner at the Outback. Never taken a pair of jeans on a cruise. Just me.

[cruitenn]

This is the question I wanted to ask ...

 

We were booked for a Celebrity Cruise to Bermuda for July 2013. We had two Aqua Spa cabins (though not connecting) ... there really wasn't a suite option for the four of us that worked. We switch to NCL for the same sailing to Bermuda for a better sleeping arrangement in a suite and less money!

 

My children are excited about the slides and the rock climbing wall ... they love Royal Carribean's rock wall and skating options, so I know we made the right choice.

 

However, we are used to formal nights and so forth ... and it seems like my gowns will be staying home for this trip.

 

Is there even a formal night?

 

One of my favorite things about Celebrity was the formality of it all ... yes, I'm snob. Don't care ... I work really hard, and like seeing my family looking fine in their suits and so forth ... will this be really different, or more like RCCL during spring break or Carnival in the summer?

 

Thanks for the feedback.

 

Our family have done a number of Celebrity (Elite) and NCL (Platinum) cruises. We love cruising with both lines. We have been on more NCL cruises recently but our favorite cruise ever was a cruise from Vancouver to the Hawaiian islands on Infinity. We have sailed on all types f cabins, ocean views, balconies, mini-suites, concierge class and suites on both lines and have enjoyed them all.

 

Of course, you can still bring your gowns since there are two dress up or not nights. Most people do resort wear so you will be in the minority. I prefer to be overdressed myself than underdressed. I have so many formal gowns from my SS Norway and Celebrity cruises that have not been out of my closets in a while. Granted some of them do not fit anymore. ;-) I still get dress on those dress up or not nights but I take cocktail dresses now and my DH brings one suit and a couple of ties. I do miss those dress up nights.:)

 

Enjoy your cruise and you should dress up.

[DMH15]

A few cruises ago on the Dawn we planned a dinner at Le Bistro to celebrate my nephew's 18th birtday. Wanting it to be special we decided to pack dressy attire. I loved wearing my lace and velvet dress and my Louboutins that I brought in my carry on. It was all about how WE felt. Did not care about how others chose to dress.

[halos]

Celebrity is very nice, however, we found it to be a little too subdued and somewhat stuffy. Crew are very formal, which lends a different air to the cruise. I find NCL far more 'fun'. This is not to say that Celebrity is bad by ANY means; it is very much different.