Jump to content

Loyal RCCL cruiser sailed Celebrity - again


Recommended Posts

Thought I’d do a quick report as a long time and frequent RCCL cruiser having just returned from a 14 night Celebrity Eclipse cruise.

 

We booked a NYE 14 night Southern Caribbean Celebrity cruise, just 6 weeks out. We were watching the Freedom, (we sailed them last NYE) but quite honestly, the pricing went up and never came down. Even giving up the RCCL balcony discount, the Celebrity pricing was more than competitive. We were able to use a nice $250 stock ownership OBC as we had no other Celebrity booking incentive. We had a veranda guarantee and were assigned a mid-range, mid-level veranda cabin. It was our third time on the class of ship. Our D+ C&A membership transferred to Celebrity Elite (like D on RCCL). Just a quick bit of background - We are active late 50 something’s, have about 60 RCCL cruises and this was our third Celebrity cruise.

 

 

General Info - The Eclipse is beautiful and most like the Radiance Class in size and ship offerings. Perhaps because the cruise was 2 weeks, or that is overlapped with many school schedules, there were only 200 kids ages 2-18. It seemed 50% of the ship was European, which made for interesting gatherings or conversation. Overall staff were extremely pleasant and, more importantly, seem to be empowered to actually help. Judging from this and our other Celebrity cruises, passengers seem to be the same age as RCCL passengers when sailing a comparable date and time. Overall, passengers do seem a bit more “well-traveled”; and most seem to follow the dress guidelines for the evening. It is more than a “suggestion” as they list an evening dress code on the activity sheet and a notation that they expect passengers to follow the code in the dining room.

 

Just a few comparisons.

Celebrity still provides many of the “niceties” that RCCL never had or has eliminated.

 

Some examples include complimentary Mimosas at embarkation. Standard cabins ( veranda to inside) include a variety of toiletry products, chocolates at night, pens, ship stationary, ice ( without asking) robes to use , fabric tote bags to keep. Some upgraded cabins (but not suites) have even more or better amenities) I would have to give Celebrity the advantage for ship experience and cabin amenities.

 

Iced towels and sorbet are offered around the pool. When returning from port, there are iced towels and beverages. There we plenty of pool activities. Different from RCCL, but still quite a few. Most involve participation by or with officers. No ( or few) PA announcements during the day, just the 10 AM message from the bridge. Fresh water pools. LOTS of chairs and the pool staff clearing chairs that were vacant for long periods of time. Advantage (as we are not pool game folks) Celebrity.

 

The Activity guide has a variety of actives ranging for active to sedate. I think the overall day may have more activities over RCCL , but I did not sit and compare. Both lines are very good in this respect

 

We found the overall entertainment to be better on RCCL. Celebrity has a “Cirq” type show, but after that, the headlines were poor and the singers and dancers not as good as RCCL. Advantage, RCCL.

 

Food:

Main Dining room food was wonderful, at least to us. In fact, we cancelled our reservations at specialty restaurants as we found the dining room food so good. The Buffet was, again in our opinion, much better than RCCL . I have to be honest, after the first day lunch, I rarely go to the Windjammer, so perhaps the buffet has gotten better over the past few years. There are a few other casual eating places that were very good. General room service menu is comprehensive. The food arrived hot! Balcony tables are dining (rather than coffee table) height. I would have to give Celebrity the advantage for food.

 

Dining Room Service - This was only our second experience with “Select “dining, their version of my time dining. Seating was poor, reservations did not matter, you still waited in the same long line, and we seemed to have an issue with inadequate dining room service, some of the worst we ever had. In fact, our tablemate had a meeting with hotel director towards the end of the cruise. Too late for us as those surveys had already been submitted I would say our dining room service was the only negative of the whole cruse. Dining service (at least for this cruise, RCCL)

 

 

Elite/C&A benefits - The Elite benefits are a good mix of RCCL D or D+. There is a two-hour nighty (12 of the 14 nights) cocktail hour with a menu of mixed drinks and passed appetizers. It is held in an area much like the Viking Lounge. A morning Elite (and higher) coffee house style breakfast( held in a specialty restaurant) provides a continental breakfast , specialty coffees and a few limited complimentary breakfast cocktails such as Bloody Mary’s, Mimosas, etc. There is no dedicated lounge for all day specialty coffees, or a quiet place to sit. A variety of coupons are offered, some better than RCCL, some the same, and some not as good. (I guess it depends on what is important to you).

 

Overall – both lines are great and there are a few areas of each that may have an advantage over the other. We now check both lines, itineraries and prices when booking.

 

I can attempt to answer any specific questions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the comparison! Im considering a 7 night Eastern cruise on Reflection for 2/15.

 

I want to try a line thats a little bit of a step up from RCI and I LOVE the looks of the Solstice class ships!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great summary, thanks!

 

We are booked our second Celebrity cruise also. The nice touches you mentioned were a factor but overwhelmingly, it was Blu that lured us back. To me, it has the feel of a smaller luxury line and the service was fantastic.

 

And now with the 123 promotion and free beverage package, we couldn't resist.

 

Edit: Of course we still have our Royal Caribbean cruise on the books...variety is the spice of life!

Edited by galavant3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thought I’d do a quick report as a long time and frequent RCCL cruiser having just returned from a 14 night Celebrity Eclipse cruise.

 

We booked a NYE 14 night Southern Caribbean Celebrity cruise, just 6 weeks out. We were watching the Freedom, (we sailed them last NYE) but quite honestly, the pricing went up and never came down. Even giving up the RCCL balcony discount, the Celebrity pricing was more than competitive. We were able to use a nice $250 stock ownership OBC as we had no other Celebrity booking incentive. We had a veranda guarantee and were assigned a mid-range, mid-level veranda cabin. It was our third time on the class of ship. Our D+ C&A membership transferred to Celebrity Elite (like D on RCCL). Just a quick bit of background - We are active late 50 something’s, have about 60 RCCL cruises and this was our third Celebrity cruise.

 

 

General Info - The Eclipse is beautiful and most like the Radiance Class in size and ship offerings. Perhaps because the cruise was 2 weeks, or that is overlapped with many school schedules, there were only 200 kids ages 2-18. It seemed 50% of the ship was European, which made for interesting gatherings or conversation. Overall staff were extremely pleasant and, more importantly, seem to be empowered to actually help. Judging from this and our other Celebrity cruises, passengers seem to be the same age as RCCL passengers when sailing a comparable date and time. Overall, passengers do seem a bit more “well-traveled”; and most seem to follow the dress guidelines for the evening. It is more than a “suggestion” as they list an evening dress code on the activity sheet and a notation that they expect passengers to follow the code in the dining room.

 

Just a few comparisons.

Celebrity still provides many of the “niceties” that RCCL never had or has eliminated.

 

Some examples include complimentary Mimosas at embarkation. Standard cabins ( veranda to inside) include a variety of toiletry products, chocolates at night, pens, ship stationary, ice ( without asking) robes to use , fabric tote bags to keep. Some upgraded cabins (but not suites) have even more or better amenities) I would have to give Celebrity the advantage for ship experience and cabin amenities.

 

Iced towels and sorbet are offered around the pool. When returning from port, there are iced towels and beverages. There we plenty of pool activities. Different from RCCL, but still quite a few. Most involve participation by or with officers. No ( or few) PA announcements during the day, just the 10 AM message from the bridge. Fresh water pools. LOTS of chairs and the pool staff clearing chairs that were vacant for long periods of time. Advantage (as we are not pool game folks) Celebrity.

 

The Activity guide has a variety of actives ranging for active to sedate. I think the overall day may have more activities over RCCL , but I did not sit and compare. Both lines are very good in this respect

 

We found the overall entertainment to be better on RCCL. Celebrity has a “Cirq” type show, but after that, the headlines were poor and the singers and dancers not as good as RCCL. Advantage, RCCL.

 

Food:

Main Dining room food was wonderful, at least to us. In fact, we cancelled our reservations at specialty restaurants as we found the dining room food so good. The Buffet was, again in our opinion, much better than RCCL . I have to be honest, after the first day lunch, I rarely go to the Windjammer, so perhaps the buffet has gotten better over the past few years. There are a few other casual eating places that were very good. General room service menu is comprehensive. The food arrived hot! Balcony tables are dining (rather than coffee table) height. I would have to give Celebrity the advantage for food.

 

Dining Room Service - This was only our second experience with “Select “dining, their version of my time dining. Seating was poor, reservations did not matter, you still waited in the same long line, and we seemed to have an issue with inadequate dining room service, some of the worst we ever had. In fact, our tablemate had a meeting with hotel director towards the end of the cruise. Too late for us as those surveys had already been submitted I would say our dining room service was the only negative of the whole cruse. Dining service (at least for this cruise, RCCL)

 

 

Elite/C&A benefits - The Elite benefits are a good mix of RCCL D or D+. There is a two-hour nighty (12 of the 14 nights) cocktail hour with a menu of mixed drinks and passed appetizers. It is held in an area much like the Viking Lounge. A morning Elite (and higher) coffee house style breakfast( held in a specialty restaurant) provides a continental breakfast , specialty coffees and a few limited complimentary breakfast cocktails such as Bloody Mary’s, Mimosas, etc. There is no dedicated lounge for all day specialty coffees, or a quiet place to sit. A variety of coupons are offered, some better than RCCL, some the same, and some not as good. (I guess it depends on what is important to you).

 

Overall – both lines are great and there are a few areas of each that may have an advantage over the other. We now check both lines, itineraries and prices when booking.

 

I can attempt to answer any specific questions.

 

I appreciate your candid and well written comparison.

 

We are also considering booking Celebrity this fall. They have an itinerary that we would love to try. Much like you, we are D+ on RCI. Years ago (before they were purchased by RCI) we sailed the Galaxy.

 

I have a couple of questions regarding your experience. You mentioned that you sailed on the Equinox and that it was similar to the Radiance class. We were considering the Constellation (91,000 ton) thinking that that class was comparable to the Radiance class on RCI. Could you be a little more specific regarding your comparison? Elegance, size?

 

Additionally, as you know we have CL access on RCI cruises by virtue of D+. This equates to among other things cocktails from 5 - 8:30 in the evening (beer, wine & limited mixed drinks). Does the nightly cocktails on Celebrity include mixed drinks or just beer and wine?

 

Thank you again in advance!

Edited by stones902
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Actually the Radiance Class and the Millennium Class are almost the same size. Those ships were built around the same time. While I enjoyed the Solstice, I preferred the Millennium and Summit because the ships are slightly smaller.

 

I am about to do the opposite, as I will be going back to RCI after 10 years (and becoming a fan of Celebrity because of those extras the RC doesn't offer).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the comparison. We're looking forward to our first Celebrity cruise in May. I like that RCCL offers loyalty program members some reciprocity between lines, and now that the credit card points can be used on RCI, Celebrity, or Azamara that is a benefit as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you for your detailed comparison between Royal and Celebrity. We have been considering trying a Celebrity cruise out of NY for several reasons (can't get what we want on Quantum, now that Explorer is leaving us; just reached D+ and likely will not make Pinnacle in this lifetime LOL; wanted to see if Celebrity has some amenities that we've come to miss lately). We are having some difficulty with cabin categories. We usually get either a Jr. Suite or Grand Suite. Celebrity has more choices in these categories. Does anyone know what the rom category comparisons would be. (Sorry for how wordy this became)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We did the 14 night Eclipse last Jan and had a fabulous time. We thought the food was much better on Celebrity. Really enjoy the Elite benefits and feel they are better than Diamond on RC. We felt the Celebrity experience is a step above RC. We are getting ready to spend 21 nights on Legend this Friday as opposed to another 14 might on Eclipse as the price was almost the same and we get 7 extra nights.

 

Both lines offer a very nice product.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great summary, thanks!

 

We are booked our second Celebrity cruise also. The nice touches you mentioned were a factor but overwhelmingly, it was Blu that lured us back. To me, it has the feel of a smaller luxury line and the service was fantastic.

 

And now with the 123 promotion and free beverage package, we couldn't resist.

 

Edit: Of course we still have our Royal Caribbean cruise on the books...variety is the spice of life!

 

We had an AQ cabin in May and thought Blu was just OK. I was a bit apprehensive about going back to the dining room. We were overwhelmed by the taste and presentation of the dinner meals in the dining room. I guess it is a function of the particular chefs on board as friends had Blu dining on this cruise and loved every meal!

 

 

M

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I appreciate your candid and well written comparison.

 

We are also considering booking Celebrity this fall. They have an itinerary that we would love to try. Much like you, we are D+ on RCI. Years ago (before they were purchased by RCI) we sailed the Galaxy.

 

I have a couple of questions regarding your experience. You mentioned that you sailed on the Equinox and that it was similar to the Radiance class. We were considering the Constellation (91,000 ton) thinking that that class was comparable to the Radiance class on RCI. Could you be a little more specific regarding your comparison? Elegance, size?

 

Additionally, as you know we have CL access on RCI cruises by virtue of D+. This equates to among other things cocktails from 5 - 8:30 in the evening (beer, wine & limited mixed drinks). Does the nightly cocktails on Celebrity include mixed drinks or just beer and wine?

 

Thank you again in advance!

 

 

I compare it to the Radiance class mainly for the elegance and the actual style of Centrum VS Promenade. Also, there is a good deal of glass.

 

As for the cocktails, the nightly event, not held on the first night or the night of the senior officers party, the drinks are similar to what is available in a full DL or CL. Mixed drinks, beer, wine. I've read of cruises where three vouchers are offered in place of the cocktail lounge, but that was not an option on our sailing. There is some sort of cocktail party with the Senior officer's ( the other night the lounge is not offered) but we did not attend so I can't comment on what is offered.

 

Remember you can also order complimentary bloody Mary's , champagne or mimosa at the Elite continental breakfast. I think the breakfast hours are 8-10.

 

Drinks cannot be taken out of either venue. As there is a greeter checking sea pass cards to enter, that same person is there watching that folks do not take drinks out.

 

 

 

Thank you for your detailed comparison between Royal and Celebrity. We have been considering trying a Celebrity cruise out of NY for several reasons (can't get what we want on Quantum, now that Explorer is leaving us; just reached D+ and likely will not make Pinnacle in this lifetime LOL; wanted to see if Celebrity has some amenities that we've come to miss lately). We are having some difficulty with cabin categories. We usually get either a Jr. Suite or Grand Suite. Celebrity has more choices in these categories. Does anyone know what the rom category comparisons would be. (Sorry for how wordy this became)

 

There is no equivalent to a Jr. suite and I am not well versed on the various suite categories. We've had a standard veranda, a Concierge Class ( that has nothing to do with a concierge service or room, ) it is the same size as other veranda cabins , but provides a few extra amenities, and an Aqua Class Cabin that is also the same size as a standard veranda and offers intimate dining in a small restaurant rather than the dining room, access to a few limited areas of the spa and provides the amenities of the Concierge class cabin and a few more. Some older ships do have some difference is cabin size in these three classes but the solstice class ( which we have sailed) does not.

 

There are many on the Celebrity boards who are knowledgeable and can be helpful in selecting the cabin you want.

 

Oh - if forgot to note in my original past that smoking is really limited to a few outdoor areas and NO SMOKING IN THE CASINO. ADVANTAGE CELEBRITY,

 

M

Edited by cruisegirl1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

But on our Christmas X cruise last year, our first on X and we are D+ on RC and in our late 60's and early 70's.

I will agree with some. However, every one has a different view and has a cruising style that fits them better. We have never been on a Oasis class ship.

So this is OUR OPINION

Entreatment on RC is overall better.

The ship was super well maintained. The ship is designed mainly for adults. We missed the promenade. The ship never seemed crowded, except at certain times, never had to wait to talk to some one in guest relations(unlike RC)

Food in the MDR to us was hit or miss as with RC, should mention service was ok after we changed to(requested) a different waitress. She was excellent but the service from OUR VIEW was not any better than RC.

Sea View Cafe(Windjammer) Food on first day was super great, after that it got kinda redundant and a slight edge to X for quality. Breakfast, the scramble eggs were never dead, the rest was good.

We did the specialty restaurant package, Tuscan was just OK service well not so good, Morano food OK, service was not so good, Qsine was simply OUT STANDING.

Activities were basic cruise ship stuff, except the Apple IOS classes for the iPhone and iPad, learned some stuff. No organizes sports like Free Throw shooting contest or any other organized active sport activities, well if you are into ping pong they did have a I guess,a contest. LOL the waking path was sometimes blocked by walkers(not the moving kind)

Not many kids on board, and this ship was not designed for KIDS, not enough actives.

We prefer the D+ lounges on RC, not that the big room on the Eclipse was bad, but if you sat at a table it was kinda hard to get a drink and you were kinda by your self, if you sat at the bar, is was fun and people talkative. I guess there were so many D+(elites) on board, it was the only place big enough.

 

I was writing a review, but since, we are booked on the Equinox this spring, I will wait until then to a real review and sorry I got carried away did not mean to steal the OP's thread.

 

NO Cruise is a bad cruise

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have only sailed previously on RCL, and Carnival. I have been thinking of changing it up, especially since both of these lines have been cutting and cutting back more.

 

Reading this review of Celebrity, sounds like a dream. What a cruise should really be.

 

I am currently D on RCL. How does that convert to Celebrity? And, what do you have to do to get that conversion added to your reservation?

 

Also, someone on here just mentioned being able to use the points on another line. Did they mean that you can now use points accumulated on the RCL Visa, on another lines cruise? If so, how exactly do you do that?

 

Any information will be appreciated.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have only sailed previously on RCL, and Carnival. I have been thinking of changing it up, especially since both of these lines have been cutting and cutting back more.

 

Reading this review of Celebrity, sounds like a dream. What a cruise should really be.

 

I am currently D on RCL. How does that convert to Celebrity? And, what do you have to do to get that conversion added to your reservation?

 

Also, someone on here just mentioned being able to use the points on another line. Did they mean that you can now use points accumulated on the RCL Visa, on another lines cruise? If so, how exactly do you do that?

 

Any information will be appreciated.

 

My understanding is that RCI D or D+ both convert to Celebrity Elite. Conversely, Celebrity Elite and Elite + convert to RCI Diamond.

 

RCI Visa points can be redeemed on RCI, Celebrity or Alamora (sp?) cruise lines. You do so on line now through their website. No vouchers anymore like the old days.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the comparison! Im considering a 7 night Eastern cruise on Reflection for 2/15.

 

I want to try a line thats a little bit of a step up from RCI and I LOVE the looks of the Solstice class ships!

 

You won't be disappointed. As far as I am concerned, the Solstice class is the most

beautiful class of ships at sea.

Happy Sails!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My understanding is that RCI D or D+ both convert to Celebrity Elite. Conversely, Celebrity Elite and Elite + convert to RCI Diamond.

 

RCI Visa points can be redeemed on RCI, Celebrity or Alamora (sp?) cruise lines. You do so on line now through their website. No vouchers anymore like the old days.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

Kurt

I have one Celebrity cruise under my belt (Constellation) and found that diamond did translate to Elite. I'm not sure if D+ gets you elite plus. We got double RCI Visa points when paying for Celebrity cruise with it and can redeem points toward Celebrity. If you have any Constellation questions - let me know but suffice it to say we HAVE booked our second Celebrity cruise - Silhouette in February 2015.

Ruth

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kurt

I have one Celebrity cruise under my belt (Constellation) and found that diamond did translate to Elite. I'm not sure if D+ gets you elite plus. We got double RCI Visa points when paying for Celebrity cruise with it and can redeem points toward Celebrity. If you have any Constellation questions - let me know but suffice it to say we HAVE booked our second Celebrity cruise - Silhouette in February 2015.

Ruth

 

Hi Ruth!

 

I think we are doing the Constellation with Lisa & Scott and a few others 11/29. I haven't done Celeb since the days they weren't affiliated with RCI. Main reason is St. Barths is included in the itinerary and 9 days. It will be our 30th anniversary and Gina's 50th so we need to make it special. I will be calling on you for ship tips!

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Ruth!

 

I think we are doing the Constellation with Lisa & Scott and a few others 11/29. I haven't done Celeb since the days they weren't affiliated with RCI. Main reason is St. Barths is included in the itinerary and 9 days. It will be our 30th anniversary and Gina's 50th so we need to make it special. I will be calling on you for ship tips!

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

Lisa messaged me today to see if Marc and I could join you but we're already booked on a 9-night the month before. We WILL sail with you all again sometime...maybe next year for a 5-yr Liberty reunion (and my late 50th)!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lisa messaged me today to see if Marc and I could join you but we're already booked on a 9-night the month before. We WILL sail with you all again sometime...maybe next year for a 5-yr Liberty reunion (and my late 50th)!

 

Let's make it a point to do so!

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So are the Celebrity points and RCL points interchangeable? We are working our way through the C and A levels. Do nights accumulated on one line add to the nights accumulated on the other? Say I need three nights to move to the next level on RCL. I travel those three on Celebrity. Do they still count toward RCL? I know this sounds a little redundant, so I hope it is clear. Thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So are the Celebrity points and RCL points interchangeable? We are working our way through the C and A levels. Do nights accumulated on one line add to the nights accumulated on the other? Say I need three nights to move to the next level on RCL. I travel those three on Celebrity. Do they still count toward RCL? I know this sounds a little redundant, so I hope it is clear. Thanks!

Only the respective levels (Platinum/Diamond <-> Select/Elite) are recognized. The points on Celebrity do not add to the Royal total, and the points on Royal do not add to the Celebrity total.

Edited by clarea
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm on the other end of the spectrum from the OP. I'm Loyal Celebrity and I've recently tried Royal--again.

I think point by point I have to agree w/ pretty much everything the OP posted. In most areas (certainly not entertainment, however) I find the lines tied OR I give the nod to Celebrity. I think service on RCI is equally excellent to the service I've had on Celebrity. Sometimes a bit less polished on RCI, but what they may at times lack in polish they more than make up for in friendliness and being anxious to make the passengers smile.

 

I think for a mass market cruise line, in general, (there are hits and misses) Celebrity has excellent food (though I am SO not a fan of BLU and have booked Aqua class twice). I'd in general put RCI's food at very good.

 

I am Diamond on RCI by virtue of my Elite standing on Celebrity. But one thing that the Diamond and up had HANDS DOWN over Celebrity is that WONDERFUL balcony and above Diamond discount! That ROCKS as a perk which Celebrity doesn't have at all.

 

I currently have 1 RCI and 2 Celebrity cruises booked and that's about the ratio that I book them. I thoroughly enjoy both lines and I do enjoy a bit of variety. AND RCI sent us Texans the Navigator of the Seas year round so Royal gets HUGE points from me for that! Thank you RCI.

 

To the person who asked if D+ translates to Elite or Elite+ on Celebrity, right now Diamond and above equates to Elite on Celebrity. And Elite and Elite + are both Diamond on RCI. This may change, who knows, since Elite and Zenith levels on Celebrity have only been in place for a couple of months.

 

Points on the 2 lines are not combinable.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • Hurricane Zone 2024
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...

If you are already a Cruise Critic member, please log in with your existing account information or your email address and password.