The sophistication of Celebrity

[Schplinky]

a friend asked us why we chose Celebrity and we said that we had heard it was a bit more sohpsiticated. They asked how and really, the only thing I could say was that folks dress up more and there were no announcements.

 

Not having sailed X yet, can you help me fill out my answer? We know that X doesn't have as many active activities as our last cruise (rock wall, rink, mini-golf and inline skating) but we presume they must have other things that are their own sort of signature activitites.

 

 

Any thoughts?

[cruise pup]

Well IMHO I wouldn't necessarily call Celebrity a sophisticated cruise line. They are mass-marketed vessles. However, what I enjoy about the Celebrity experience that sets above the other mass-marketed vessels would be the champagne greeting upon boarding with an escort to your cabin; the sorbet served at the pool in the afternoon; the iced towels you sometimes receive when you return to the ship from port; the elegant tea served one afternoon during the cruise (I think this surpasses the teas on QM2) and the additonal one for Captain's Club members; the specialty restaurant on Millennium class ships (probably the most sophisticated feature of the cruise).

[hajekfam]

Its also the minimal amount of boistereous games - on our trans they did have "Survivor-the Crossing" held for a short hour each day of the crossing - there isn't a lot of noise to distract you from your rest and relaxation.

[Brucemcdou]

To build on what Cruise Pup and Hajekfam have said: ...no announcements other than the captain's single noon-time update; few announcements on debarcation day; coffee served in real china at the coffee bar - not paper "to go" cups like on HAL; wine stewards in the dining room; a much broader wine list than other mass market lines; hotel staff who make eye contact and greet you regardless of what they're doing; banquette seating in the theater with cocktail tables, rather than folding chairs with cupholders; no dancing and singing waiters in the dining room - I'm there for dinner, not a floor show; quiet time around the pool to relax; butler service in suites; ... hmm, did I forget anything?

 

Of all the "mass market" lines (i.e., the ones I can afford!) the Celebrity experience is the closest to what I want for a vacation.

[Karynanne]

Each cruiseline has it's attraction lure. One may have family activities, another may have lecture series, some offer small boat sailing experiences...

 

When we first started cruising, our desire to experience travel along with cruising was very different, than what it is now.

 

At this point, I prefer not to have an "extreme" actvitity oriented cruise, but prefer a more serene atmosphere.

 

We find Celebrity offers the best of both worlds. Activities when you want them, and also the ambiance that fits well into our everyday life.

 

We know our own "comfort" level. We always meet wonderful people, that we continue to be friends with. We enjoy the dress code, and all the other amenities that Celebrity offers.

 

Understated elegance and gracious staff members have made our cruises an important factor in our loyalty to Celebrity.

[Scott Cyn]

Our cruise on the Millie last year was our first in years, so I don't have a lot of experience to compare. But I was very impressed with the art on board. I'm not talking about the art for sale at the art auction. I mean the art that is just hanging on the walls. I am definitely NOT an art person. But I found myself standing around just looking at beautiful art. Maybe all the cruise lines do that, but I don't think so.

 

Scott

[Schplinky]

coffee served in real china at the coffee bar - not paper "to go" cups like on HAL... banquette seating in the theater with cocktail tables,

 

HAL sounds crummy!

 

Please tell me that X doesn't do a silly parade of Baked Alaska with guests twirling their napkins. I think it's one of the most juvenile sights I've ever seen.

[cruise pup]

Our cruise on the Millie last year was our first in years, so I don't have a lot of experience to compare. But I was very impressed with the art on board. I'm not talking about the art for sale at the art auction. I mean the art that is just hanging on the walls. I am definitely NOT an art person. But I found myself standing around just looking at beautiful art. Maybe all the cruise lines do that, but I don't think so.

 

Scott

 

Mercury had an exhibit of photos by Disfarmer (they were hung on the opposit side of the display racks for the on-board photos and were on view when the photo shop was closed) several years ago but they weren't actually for sale. I did buy a book on-line with a collection of these photos. This was like nothing I've seen on any other cruise ship.

[Karynanne]

HAL sounds crummy!

 

Please tell me that X doesn't do a silly parade of Baked Alaska with guests twirling their napkins. I think it's one of the most juvenile sights I've ever seen.

 

I can't tell you it doesn't....it does.

[Schplinky]

I can't tell you it doesn't....it does.

 

Oh crap. I'm afraid that this strikes me as one of the most [forgive the expression] Carnival Cruise Line activities ever!

[Jeanne S]

Oh crap. I'm afraid that this strikes me as one of the most [forgive the expression] Carnival Cruise Line activities ever!

 

The QE2's Restaurants have a very elegant Baked Alaska parade. It all depends on how it is done. On Cunard AUld LANG SYNE is sung by the waiters twirling sparklers and is very impressive. Celebrity does not have the Carnival Conga Line (Hot, Hot, Hot) for its Baked Alaska parade, is more subdued

[Sky Sweet]

I would like to add an additional illustration. On our Mexican Riviera Cruise aboard the Mercury, the pianist who performed one night announced that he was going to give a classical music concert during the last sea day. My husband and I went thinking we might be the only ones, and was pleasantly surprised to see how well attended it was. Even the pianist himself made a comment that he never expected to see so many people at his classical music concert.

[TEXASMUNK]

YES, Celebrity is mass market. But it does focus on a very specific segment of that market.

 

It focuses on people that enjoy a bit more refined environment, it focuses on people that have expectations of those their fellow passengers. Few of the "IT is my #(#*$&*%^ cruise and I will wear what I want, curse when I want, be loud and vulgar when I want" passengers cruise Celebrity.

 

The food and service are a cut above the rest of the mass market. For a comparison, HAL's offers very good food but extraordinarily BLAND so as not to offend the older palette. As another comparison, RCI spends about $5-7 per person per day , the average for the mass market cruise line, Celebrity spends $12-15 per person per day.

 

Entertainment is varied and consistant in quality and variety.

 

Or as my wife puts it, "I am fed up with the politically correct telling me how I have to tolerate people that dress like they just came from a pig fight, act like they were in the pig fight or smell like the pig"

[SANDY BEACH]

I think the difference is the European staff. The have a way about them that's very unobtrusive. They fill all your needs but you hardly know they are there. A very elegant style of service.

[caviargal]

I can say that service is a key differentiator IME with Celebrity.

 

While on Infinity three years ago, I had breakfast each morning at the solarium pool where they served a healthy breakfast. I would go straight from the gym. One day - the third of the cruise - I asked if they ever served smoked salmon. Five minutes later, a plate was served to me. Every morning after that, it would be placed in front of me minutes after I had enjoyed my first cup of coffee.

 

How very lovely!

[SANDY BEACH]

Caviargal, That is what I would classify as exceeding your expectations.

[Schplinky]

As another comparison, RCI spends about $5-7 per person per day , the average for the mass market cruise line, Celebrity spends $12-15 per person per day.

 

I read an article about RCL's food service and the number quoted for them was $14. I don't mean to be argumentative but I did read that when researchig our Navigator cruise last winter.

[dosi]

Or as my wife puts it, "I am fed up with the politically correct telling me how I have to tolerate people that dress like they just came from a pig fight, act like they were in the pig fight or smell like the pig"

 

 

Do people actually fight pigs??? I have heard of bullfights but this is something new. Talk about variety in your entertainment!! Is it part of the rodeos or a separate type of entertainment in and of itself?? I hear pigs can be pretty mean so this might be pretty exciting to observe. :)

[mikiew]

"Please tell me that X doesn't do a silly parade of Baked Alaska with guests twirling their napkins. I think it's one of the most juvenile sights I've ever seen."

 

 

Sorry, they do that stupid thing........also there is a photographer pestering you everytime you get on or off the ship, and in the dining room. I do not consider this to be a very "sophisticated" cruise line, but for what they do, "mass market" it is okay.

 

NCL Seaward 1981 Caribbean

 

Sitmar Fairwind 1983 Caribbean

 

Holland American 1986 Caribbean

 

Celebrity Zenith 1993 Caribbean

 

Celebrity Zenith 1994 Caribbean

 

RCCL

 

Windstar Windsong 1997 Tahiti

 

NCL Crown 1998 South America

 

NCL Norway 2000 Transatlantic

 

RCCL Legend of the Seas 2001 Australia to Singapore

 

Cunard Caronia 2002 Southampton to Canary Islands

 

Celebrity Zenith 2003 South America

 

Royal Clipper 2004 B to B Deep Caribbean

 

Oceania Regatta 2004 Transatlantic

 

Celebrity Infinity 2005 South America

 

Celebrity Xpedition 2005 Galapagos

 

 

Upcoming:

 

Clipper Odyssey 2005 New Caledonia to Melbourne

 

Celebrity Summit 2006 Hawaii

[SANDY BEACH]

We politely tell the photographer "no thank you" when we leave the ship if we do not wish our picture taken. We have never been asked twice.

[Votech]

We took our first cruise on Celebrity Horizon two weeks ago and had a great time except for two things. Chair hogs on at-sea days, the one day someone put tshirts on the recliners at 6 o'clock in the morning and never came back up on deck until almost noon time. The second is there were two diapered children in one of the pools and noone from Celebrity did anything about it, even after we mentioned something to one of the officers on deck.:mad:

 

We still enjoyed the rest of the cruise and will be returning to the Horizon next Saturday for another trip to Bermuda.

[excitedofharpenden]

Aside from the service, which has always been excellent, I have found the two Celebrity ships I have been on to be reserved, but warm and welcoming in feel with a lack of glitz and neon. I like that. Someone mentioned the artwork on the ships too. Both Mercury and Galaxy have some quite dramatic artwork, but it all seems to fit in very well. OK, some of the pieces on Galaxy are downright strange, but they do provoke conversation:)

 

Phil

[TEXASMUNK]

i do not consider your info on RCI costs 'argumentative" frankly, they are probably far more accurate than the info I got. After all my info came from a crew member, not a sourced article. That is one of the reasons we are all reading these boards...to find stuff out!

 

I have no idea where my wife dug up the pig analogy. But, if she says so, i ain'ta bout to argue with her. She may be tiny, but boy can she mean and tenacious when she wants to be. :-))

[canderson]

HAL sounds crummy!

 

Please tell me that X doesn't do a silly parade of Baked Alaska with guests twirling their napkins. I think it's one of the most juvenile sights I've ever seen.

No can do. This seems to be one of those traditions that is so entirely ingrained into the industry that nothing will kill it!

 

To the original post:

 

What Celebrity manages to do to a larger extent than other lines is to try to set a somewhat "tone" for their passengers. This is not to say that they're entirely successful, but unlike other lines, it's MUCH easier to avoid some of the things that detract from it (the "art auctions", etc.) than it is on other lines.

 

While it's already been well pointed out, I'd like to reiterate this: If nothing else, the amount of time the captain and staff spend on the PA makes a HUGE difference in the overall experience. I can't emphasize this enough. You get the mandatory info during the muster drill before you depart, your short daily report at noon, and an annoucement as to when the boat has cleared customs and is ready for disembarkation on port days, along with the information as to the correct exit to use for the gangway. This sets an entirely different tone for the entire cruise. You don't feel hustled and directed and bombarded by constant communication. You want to know when the bingo starts? Read the ship's daily! While Celebrity engages in as much crass commercialism as most other lines (gold by the foot, art auctions, wine auctions, t-shirt sales), it's something you can pretty well avoid if you choose to do so. It's all still available, but they don't create a constant din of audio to assure you can't possibly have missed one of these "exciting opportunities"! Again, can't emphasize enough the difference this seems to make. The day that Celebrity changes this policy will be the day we definitely start coming up with new vacation plans!

[AliceS]

You are soooooo right canderson, those anouncements on the PA can make one mad. We just enjoyed the most wonderful cruise on Princess in the Greek Islands and the Med and in every port at sail away they had a woman on the PA system telling the story of the port. She was well informed, but we were on our balcony having a glass of wine and enjoying the moment, until SHE STARTED HER STORY. Believe me, baked alaska is wonderful compared to this.

 

 

My first Celebrity experience was with a glass of champagne on arrival, escort to my cabin and off to the buffet. When the waiter took my tray, I held on. I'm the youngest of eight, don't mess with my food. I didn't know that they took the tray for the ladies. I got used to it. Celebrity is a little more classy that the other mass market, but Princess is more generous. We go both ways.

 

 

Our first TransAtlantic is with Celebrity next spring. I will enjoy the quiet and the champagne and if someone wants to carry my tray, OK!!! What the hell!