Is Celebrity worth the extra money compared to Royal caribbean

[JensJ]

I like Royal Caribbean, but I do not have small kids, and never use the flowrider, climbing wall etc.

 

I will like to try Celebrity, but I think the price i about 20 % higher. Is Celebrity worth the extra money compared to Royal caribbean?

[Keith1010]

In my opinion the answer is yes.

 

We find the service and food and some of the other areas to be nicer than on RCI. This is not to imply that RCI is not good just that we appreciate Celebrity and for us it is well worth the extra money.

 

Keith

[RVRCLC]

Yes, yes, yes

Especially with anytime dining.

[greatdanemom]

For us it was definitely worth the extra money to try Celebrity. We'll definitely be on their ships again in the future.

[runner15km]

I have sailed both lines and I do give X a slight edge in service and dining. Watch for sales and find a good TA who offers cabin OBC.

Right now until the end of the year you can purchase a X gift card for 200.00 and they will match it on 7 night sailings.

[GORDONCHICK]

If you eat in the MDRs AND book one of the newer ships, yes. If you're talking the older ships, maybe - depending on itinerary.

[Hlitner]

Have to agree with Keith that, at least for most folks, Celebrity is worth more money then RCI. But for those who love all the activities and options of RCI this may not be so. Celebrity's product is a bit more refined, laid back, older crowd then RCI, and puts a bit more emphasis on their cuisine. But you will not find the same quality and variety of entertainment on Celebrity ships that you would get on the RCI mega ships.

 

Hank

[printingchick]

I like sailing out of San Juan and often find the Celebrity Summit itinerary to be LESS expensive than either of the two RCCL ships departing from there.

 

I've not yet tried Celebrity, but came close for my 2014 sailing. I use an RCCL Visa card and being able to use points makes Royal cruises less costly for me than any other line. Also, I'm a big fan of some of the typical Royal Caribbean activities, such as the 70s party, Quest Show, Sexy Legs contest...the low-brow stuff that I'm pretty sure does NOT exist on the more refined Celebrity.

 

That said, my favorite RCCL class is Radiance and Royal seems determined to follow the mega-ship direction. The Celebrity fleet has remained more "my size" so I suspect it's where I'll eventually end up. Some of their practices sound particularly appealing to me. A welcome aboard mimosa, the fancy lunch buffet during sea day, cooling cloths upon reboarding from port...those things sound pretty good to me!

[mstrc1]

I like Royal Caribbean, but I do not have small kids, and never use the flowrider, climbing wall etc.

 

I will like to try Celebrity, but I think the price i about 20 % higher. Is Celebrity worth the extra money compared to Royal caribbean?

 

We would take Celebrity over RCCL any day.

[voyager70]

Having sailed both lines extensively X is often no more expensive and sometimes even cheaper than RCI.

[JensJ]

Having sailed both lines extensively X is often no more expensive and sometimes even cheaper than RCI.

Really? When I look at cruises Celebrity is always more expensive, than Royal Caribbean if it is almost the same places and date

[bonsai3s]

I like Royal Caribbean, but I do not have small kids, and never use the flowrider, climbing wall etc.

 

I will like to try Celebrity, but I think the price i about 20 % higher. Is Celebrity worth the extra money compared to Royal caribbean?

 

 

Yes, is the quick answer. As someone already said, perhaps you can plan and search for deals and sales on Celebrity. Comparisons and value can be difficult because of different ships and itineraries. We agree, food is noticeably better with X. All other things can be debated endlessly.

Just for fun, we sailed B2B, the first week on the massive Allure of the Seas, second week on the elegant Celebrity Solstice. The difference was quite remarkable:

· Embarkation. On the Allure, it felt like a college graduation...there was excitement in the air. On the Solstice, it felt like attending church…peaceful, orderly, smiles, and quiet anticipation.

· Onboard. On the Allure, passengers were relatively younger, walking faster, larger families, children,…all seemed to be going somewhere. On the Solstice, you see mostly older couples…not rushing and their mannerisms will tell you…”been there, done that”.

· The Allure was a mall, a park, flowriders, zipline, ice-skating rink, golf, full size basketball court, rock climbing wall…y),ou can days without seeing the ocean. On the Solstice, you have a class on glass blowing, real grass on the top deck (still don’t understand the reason behind having real grass), salmon burgers, taste testing Scotch/Whiskey with shots of Johnny Walker “Blue”.

· Allure, soft serve ice-cream…Solstice, different flavored sorbets. Allure, long lines…Solstice, short line. Allure, difficult to get tables…Solstice, plenty of tables. Allure, outstanding gym and track…Solstice, small gym, outstanding spa.

· Both ships had happy and friendly passengers. Passengers on the Allure were happy to be on the Allure. Passengers on the Solstice were happy to be on the Solstice.

There are many differences. We loved and enjoyed both ships. Perhaps the most significant difference is the one BRUNCH they had on the Solstice. That brunch was probably one of the most extensive, wonderful,… and delicious we have ever experienced. Attached are a few photos.

[OCruisers]

Having sailed both lines extensively X is often no more expensive and sometimes even cheaper than RCI.

 

Honestly, this is TRUE! There are times when "apples to apples" Celebrity is actually less expensive than RCCL.

 

LuLu

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[wwcruisers]

Well, when comparing RC to X, there are other factors to consider, besides the stateroom price. For example, DH and I were at the D+ level in RC's C&A, when we first cruised on X. We were thrilled that the Captain's Club grandfathered us in as Elite members! However, X doesn't offer a "Diamond Balcony Discount", which we had always used when booking with RC. So, when the prices for a balcony cabin were identical, we still paid more for the X cabin. But as my DH pointed out, it didn't matter how much $$ we saved on an RC balcony, when it turned out that we couldn't enjoy that balcony because of constant cigarette smoke around us. :rolleyes: When it comes to the smoking policy, X is the hands-down favorite for us -- regardless of price! :cool:

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

We really like both Royal and Celebrity. I would suggest that you try Celebrity, especially one of their splendid Solstice Class ships for a taste of that cruise line.

 

When we are on Celebrity, I miss the high spirits of Royal. When we are on Royal I miss Celebrity's stricter smoking policy. On Royal I miss the elegance of Celebrity ships and their art and sculpture, definiely upscale. On Celebrity I miss all the goings on of Royal. I even miss putt putt golf and watching the antics at the Flow Rider.

 

We plan to switch back and forth between both cruise lines for as long as we are cruising.

[bjbear]

I think it also depends on what you like in terms of the ship. For me, RCC ships are way too big, I'm a smaller ship type of person. If you like a floating city type of cruise, by all means go for RCC. If you want a more intimate experience, try Celebrity. I think the food, service and ambiance are so much better on X but this is a really personal decision.

[Husky61]

Always bear n mind, that just because someone else likes Celebrity more than RCCL, it doesn't mean that you will.:)

[OCruisers]

Always bear n mind, that just because someone else likes Celebrity more than RCCL, it doesn't mean that you will.:)

 

How true! Good Comment!

 

While we like Celebrity better ... we are fine with RCCL. Depending on the ship, can see folks liking RCCL better.

 

LuLu

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[DanJ]

Honestly, this is TRUE! There are times when "apples to apples" Celebrity is actually less expensive than RCCL.

 

LuLu

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I found that too when I was shopping for a cruise next month. Now, it's hard to make an apples to apples comparison when I'm looking at one Celebrity cruise compared to Oasis, Allure and an 8 day Independence. But a good balcony on Celebrity (I can't remember which ship, but I think it was the newest one) was cheaper than an oceanview on Oasis.

 

Also factoring in to my calculations was we are a family of 4. RCI's 3rd and 4th fares are quite high compared to what I saw on Celebrity.

[beachchick]

I think it also depends on what you like in terms of the ship. For me, RCC ships are way too big, I'm a smaller ship type of person. If you like a floating city type of cruise, by all means go for RCC. If you want a more intimate experience, try Celebrity. I think the food, service and ambiance are so much better on X but this is a really personal decision.

 

We generally are too. But I wanted to point out that this only applies if comparing the largest RCI ships to Celebrity. For example, the RCI Voyager class (the largest we have or will cruise on) is only about 15,000 tons larger than Celebrity's Solstice class. RCI's Radiance class is virtually identical in size to Celebrity's Millennium class; RCI's Vision class is only a bit larger than Celebrity's Century.

 

Of course, there are those (not referring to you or anyone specifically) who will only cruise on ships that are less than 5 or 10 years old. Some even say that they're only interested in ships 2 or 3 years old. I don't understand that thinking considering that cruise ships are an enormous investment intended to last for decades. I guess it's partly that society in general has gotten to the point of many people "needing" the newest thing, even if what they've got is only a year old. But RCI only has the huge ships for those who want the newest ones.

 

In any case, most cruisers seem to find Celebrity's overall experience more elegant, refined, and perhaps calmer than RCI. That may make the ships seem smaller and more intimate even when they are the same size. We are at a point in our lives where we're looking at Celebrity and Azamara or Oceania as our next cruises. RCI is fun and we've had great times, but we're ready for a change. We don't have any interest in RCI's 2 largest ship classes and like Radiance class best.

 

beachchick

[marco]

I guess it's just the timing, itinerary or "whatever" because we have found RCI and "X" pretty much the same price for the same itinerary/# of days/cabin category. We're happy with both, but the basic Cliff's Notes answer to your question...... I would have to say "Yes".

[Curtzilla]

RC is better:

 

smoking

families/kids

production shows, overall entertainment

"lively" stuff to do onboard (wacky stuff poolside, Quest, etc)

 

X is better:

 

non-smoking

dining

niceties/extras

service

overall serenity

[olemissreb]

I, too, would have to say Celebrity. In shopping for our Alaskan cruise, I looked at both RCI and X and for me it came down to the smoking policy on Celebrity and the more relaxed atmosphere. We loved our RCI cruise with the kids, but it was a very port intensive cruise and even after a day of touring, I still wanted to try and experience everything that the ship had to offer - made for an exhausting vacation. Alaska will be the same way and so I wanted to be able to relax after a full day of touring. My kids are 17 & 13 and I don't think they'll miss many of the amenities from the RCI cruise.

[jdvmd]

We like Celebrity much better than Royal Caribbean and find it is usually cheaper too.

[trainfan]

Cost comparisons can be quantified but the rest is just personal preference that you may find you disagree with. Our worst cruise experience (safety, food, service, entertainment, etc.) was with Celebrity - yet others on the cruise saw no issues.