Are we a good fit for Celebrity?

[Lastdance]

Just go with your gut feeling, and you will have a wonderful time. Yes, it is good to get the opinions of others, but the ultimate decision is yours. Not everyone has the same experiences when cruising, but Celebrity and RCCL are wonderful cruise lines for many of us. You sound like someone who can make your own decision, and then let go and enjoy!

Edited November 27, 2013 by Lastdance

[digital_curator]

I think you will like either line. DH and I are a childless couple in our early 40's who started cruising in our mid-30's.

 

We have sailed on 5 RCI cruises and 1 Celebrity (but have another one coming up in February). The ships have a similar feel style wise and we enjoy both.

 

In terms of food, I think Celebrity is a step up but RCI has more variety (especially with sides- all of Celebrity's main courses seemed to come with the same mashed sides; we joked about how it was easier on the dentures).

 

We enjoy the entertainment and nightlife on RCI more. There was great live music on Celebrity but it didn't go late. The ship was dead after about 9/10 pm.

 

We thought the service on both was excellent but a little friendlier on RCI.

 

If you go in November but not around Thanksgiving, you aren't going to find many kids. We have only had one cruise where kids were bothersome; we have been on RCI for spring break, spent most of our time in the solarium and had late dining and never saw a child.

 

While we haven't sailed either of the ships you mention, and despite the fact that I would instinctively point you in the direction of RCI (especially on a ship with a wave runner and large cantilevered hot tub), I think if your choice is those two ships, I would go with the Silhouette. I think you will like the food better and enjoy the sophisticated spaces over the Boardwalk, etc.

 

Can't wait to hear a review of whatever you choose!

[skandls]

For entertainment - the Allure as there are several music venues at night. If food is a concern I would look into one of the packages for the specialty restaurants. I like 150 Park, Giovanni's (lamb was fab) and the Chef's table is really good. I used to like Chops but my last two experiences have been disappointed.

 

I have not been on the Sil but its sister ship the Solstice. IMHO the food is better on Celebrity but I would still look into the specialty restaurants or book Aqua class so you dine in Blu.

 

My vote would be for the Allure especially at your age - there is so much to do that the silly pool contests are not a big part of the entertainment on the ship.

[cricketgal]

sounds like Princess might be a good fit too. Unless you go at March break or Christmas break, usually not too many kiddos. Nightlife on Princess is decent, not party hearty like I hear Carnival is but lots of fun and always some good bands at different lounges, then disco until pretty late. some late night deck parties on occasion as well.

 

Haven't been on NCL myself by DB was (in late 40s but likes to have fun) and really liked it.

 

Just a thought for other options.

 

A question of my own in this regard, since I haven't cruised Celebrity in over 10 years: Wouldn't the SIN CITY comedy show be an option for late night entertainment as well, along with the Disco?

[cruisingourmet]

Celebrity is akin to a floating old folks home... Not that there is anything wrong with that..

 

I like the peace & quiet and cruise mainly for the sea days

[Cruising89143]

Celebrity is far from being a floating old folks home.

[wallie5446]

We sailed the Ruby Princess last yr, talk about a floating old folks home full of scooters and rolling oxygen, and cold bake taters:eek: Princess would not be a fit, IMHO.

[cricketgal]

We sailed the Ruby Princess last yr, talk about a floating old folks home full of scooters and rolling oxygen, and cold bake taters:eek: Princess would not be a fit, IMHO.

 

so are you saying that you find Celebrity more upbeat and having late night entertainment than Princess? If so, that would differ from how I found Celebrity to be when we last cruised them in 2001. Have they changed a lot since then?

 

I'm not putting Celebrity down here in favour of Princess BTW, just trying to clarify how things are with present day Celebrity.

[wallie5446]

so are you saying that you find Celebrity more upbeat and having late night entertainment than Princess? If so, that would differ from how I found Celebrity to be when we last cruised them in 2001. Have they changed a lot since then?

 

I'm not putting Celebrity down here in favour of Princess BTW, just trying to clarify how things are with present day Celebrity.

 

The thing about a sailing is that each 'will' be somewhat different even when on the same ship. But, all of our Princess sailing's have had very laid back evenings, even after the champagne waterfall.

Now it may have been our very active roll call for this last cruise that helped, but there was a lot of activity all over the Reflection with none of us involved. The Sunset Bar was full and stayed that way till closing every night. The aft pool area on Ruby was spotty even during sunny sea days.

Yes, Celebrity has changed a lot since our 1st sailing in 1994.

Edited November 29, 2013 by wallie5446

[wallie5446]

Thanks for all the input & great responses all! Celebrity really does seem perfect for us in almost all aspects. If only they would adopt their sister line's policy on the 24hr pool/hot tub, we would be set! We are currently going back & forth between Celebrity Silhouette & Allure of the Seas. They both have a Caribbean itinerary in November we like. Oh...decisions, decisions :p

 

What have you decided on?

[cibumcupio]

I think people are exaggerating the nightlife differences. I think the time that you are sailing will impact this a lot more than the cruise line. If you are looking at the same time period for both ships, it will be a similar crowd with a similar amount of kids. The only difference is that RCI will tend to have one more big planned activity, like say a 70s party or some other party. Everything will still end about midnight or so. I come from a town where everything really dies after 10pm. This is not what Celebrity is like. It's more like NYC on a weeknight. Things are open, people are doing stuff and out and about, but there is no one thing every day that everyone is at.

 

As for the hot tub, I remember being sad on Celebrity that I couldn't go take a dip after dinner. So when we sailed Royal I was looking forward to doing that. But actually we never got around to doing it. I don't know, it sounds better in theory. We still ended up walking around on deck looking at the stars.

 

I would love to sail Allure or Oasis someday. But I think for a honeymoon Celebrity would be better. Much better food (unless you only eat in the specialty restaurants on Allure or Oasis), more luxurious surroundings, more views of the ocean, and much more relaxing. Oh, and 24hr room service. Royal charges for midnight to 5am. On Allure or Oasis I would feel bad if I weren't taking advantage of all their activities every moment, kind of like an amusement park. So I guess your decision is great food vs. a million activities.

[KaththeTaff]

I would tend to agree with the majority of posters about Celebrity beign a good fit apart from the nightlife.

 

On our last cruise, DH was trying to find somewhere for a late drink at around midnight. There were two people in the Martini Bar, which looked like it was closing up, no one in the nightclub and about half a dozen in Sky looking as though they were about to turn in!

 

There was no one at all in the nightclub as far as he could see (the door was partially closed and there was a member of staff standing guard). The casino had three or four people in it.

 

He didn't bother checking Ensemble or Michael's as they were advertised in the daily as closing at midnight. The outside bars had been closed all day due to it being windy and wet!

 

He gave up and joined me in our stateroom!

 

That said, every cruise is different,. and if you are prepared for the possibility of quieter nights, then give it a go! You will love the food, atmosphere and service in every other way!

[suni]

Just off the Reflection. I find it interesting that people say it it dead at night. We were out having fun until at least 1:30 each night . One night we were out until 4 am! The shows don't even start until 10:30 pm and Sin City was at 11:00 ! I also see no difference between RCCL and Celebrity other than personality. IMO there are both mass cruise lines. Seabourn, Regent, Crystal are luxury IMO. I think entertainment on RCCL is over the top, but we had great entertainment this week. I think you should just pick the itinerary you love and the price point you are comfortable with. the one thing I must say is a bit nicer about Celebrity is that they have drink packages. that is a Major advantage if you drink alcohol, wine, coffee, bottled water or even Red Bull. There were more MUCH older people on Celebrity , but we hung in different places than they did. You will have a great trip if you make it a great trip! Enjoy .

Edited January 11, 2014 by suni

[going2cruz]

My fiance & I just returned from our first cruise ever aboard the Carnival Victory & absolutely loved cruising! We are ready to book another for next Oct/Nov for our honeymoon! Although we had agreat time, we feel that Carnival may not be the line for us though. We are a young"ish" couple (35/37) and enjoy having fun, but found Carnival to be a bit "much". We aren't into blasting dance music by the pool, belly flop contests or flashing shot glasses. Also, we do not have children and don't find yours' splashing us in the hot tub the least bit relaxing. We aren't stuffy or snobbish in the least, but we do tend to enjoy educational/ cultural enrichment experiences more when we travel than we do bar top dancing & jello shots. I work as an executive chef & my fiance is a professional engineer in the music industry & blues musician. We know how to have fun, but perhaps are a bit more subtle about it than some of our fellow pax on Carnival. I have received several recommendations on this board & from friends to try Celebrity. We were looking specifically at the Silhouette & Reflection. One small concern I have is that we are night owls and hope there will be some things for us to enjoy late night. Another is that I am a very heavily tattooed female & am wondering if I will be accepted by my fellow pax on Celebrity or will I spend me week hearing rude comments about my artwork & dodging disapproving glances? Everything I have heard & read about Celebrity make it sound like the PERFECT line for us, with the exception of the opinion that the fellow pax can sometimes be unfriendly & snobbish. Please fellow CC folks, clear up this misconception for me!

 

 

I'm in your boat:D I love Carnival night life and a lot of what you've mentioned is getting to me.....Last two cruises we were out late 3-4am......just not sure I'm going to get that fun here...........:D Maybe we need to do a Celebrity group cruise it call it Night Owls Cruise.....

Edited January 11, 2014 by going2cruz

[KaththeTaff]

I don't think there's any way of knowing whether a particular cruise is going to be good for late night entertainment or not, except for the roll call!

 

Every cruise will be different, the passenger demographics will heavily influence things, along with the weather (our SIlhouette cruise in the Eastern Med was livelier than our Eclipse cruise to Norway), and even the nationalities of the cruisers!

 

All you need to be prepared for is the possibility that nothing much will be happening on some nights. Even then you may be able to find a like minded group of people like DH, who likes a few late beverages in good company, and make your own fun!

[luckychef]

Well, we finally decided a few weeks back and after receiving an offer through American Express that we couldn't pass up, we went with RCI. We'll be sailing on the Freedom in late Oct. Were able to get a great rate on a balcony, some extras thrown in for our honeymoon and by booking with Amex, some OBC for drinks & fun! Celebrity is still on our list of lines to try though! Perhaps for our 1st anniversary next year. :)

[maggie.1008]

I think you would find a lot more to do at night on RCI large ships. We love Celebrity but we are in bed by 11pm.

[gsb]

[quote name='maggie.1008']I think you would find a lot more to do at night on RCI large ships. We love Celebrity but we are in bed by 11pm.[/quote]

Not as badas HAL--you'd be in bed by 9PM.:p

[Tiggertastic]

when you realise that the ice on the martini bar has melted and the bar staff have put the bottles in the plastic tubs to carry out back- you know it's 3am!

[rebeccalouiseagain]

[quote name='luckychef']My fiance & I just returned from our first cruise ever aboard the Carnival Victory & absolutely loved cruising! We are ready to book another for next Oct/Nov for our honeymoon! Although we had agreat time, we feel that Carnival may not be the line for us though. We are a young"ish" couple (35/37) and enjoy having fun, but found Carnival to be a bit "much". We aren't into blasting dance music by the pool, belly flop contests or flashing shot glasses. Also, we do not have children and don't find yours' splashing us in the hot tub the least bit relaxing. We aren't stuffy or snobbish in the least, but we do tend to enjoy educational/ cultural enrichment experiences more when we travel than we do bar top dancing & jello shots. I work as an executive chef & my fiance is a professional engineer in the music industry & blues musician. We know how to have fun, but perhaps are a bit more subtle about it than some of our fellow pax on Carnival. I have received several recommendations on this board & from friends to try Celebrity. We were looking specifically at the Silhouette & Reflection. One small concern I have is that we are night owls and hope there will be some things for us to enjoy late night. Another is that I am a very heavily tattooed female & am wondering if I will be accepted by my fellow pax on Celebrity or will I spend me week hearing rude comments about my artwork & dodging disapproving glances? Everything I have heard & read about Celebrity make it sound like the PERFECT line for us, with the exception of the opinion that the fellow pax can sometimes be unfriendly & snobbish. Please fellow CC folks, clear up this misconception for me![/quote]

I think you will LOVE the Silhouette or Reflection. Definitely try them out. There is nightlife on Celebrity especially on 7- day Caribbean cruises which attract younger people than say an Alaskan cruise. I am an early bird but a nice couple pushed me to stay up late one night and the Disco was hopping (this was a summer cruise on Summit to Bermuda) so I assume that there is night life on all of the cruises that attract younger people.

Now if you want to avoid kids- then you can not travel over school holidays like MLK b-day, President's Day in Feb, Easter and all summer cruises will have kids, same with Thanksgiving Christmas and New Years cruises.

I haven't sailed on Silhouette or Reflection but I have sailed on their younger sisters Equinox and Solstice. You will LOVE Bistro on Five ($5 pp surcharge) and "Qsine" on either Silhouette or Reflection.

There are usually lectures onboard, trivia games, battle of the sexes but nothing intrusive. They don't announce these things- you have to have your daily newsletter handy.

If I had to describe the difference between Carnival and Celebrity- it would be like Las Vegas versus Palm Springs. Celebrity is laid back.

[wallie5446]

[quote name='luckychef'] we went with RCI. We'll be sailing on the Freedom in late Oct. . :)[/quote]

We sailed on the Freedom in Oct 2011! Great Ship, loads of fun! Congrats.

[cavok]

as others have written, nightlife is hugely dependent on pax, length of cruise, time of year etc...

among 2800 guests, even if there's a tiny minority of younger night-owls, it may still be a sizeable number.
we felt it's what you make of it ;-) we had great times with maybe only 30-50 guests. the later the night, there's often staff and sometimes even crew out and about as well.

if anything, the problem is that the fewish nightlife people get dispersed and it may be quite the walk to find the hot spot, which also tends to spontaneously form from night to night... between michael's club, the martini bar, quasar, sunset bar and skyview lounge are quite some walking distances.

[wallie5446]

[quote name='cavok']as others have written, nightlife is hugely dependent on pax, length of cruise, time of year etc...

among 2800 guests, even if there's a tiny minority of younger night-owls, it may still be a sizeable number.
we felt it's what you make of it ;-) we had great times with maybe only 30-50 guests. the later the night, there's often staff and sometimes even crew out and about as well.

if anything, the problem is that the fewish nightlife people get dispersed and it may be quite the walk to find the hot spot, which also tends to spontaneously form from night to night... between michael's club, the martini bar, quasar, sunset bar and skyview lounge are quite some walking distances.[/QUOTE]
The OP posted they chose the RCCL Freedom!