Help pick my cruise

[30scruiser]

My MIL has offered to babysit DD (18 months) so DH and I can have a short getaway for our 5th anniversary. MIL lives near Tampa so we were looking at 5 night Brilliance to Grand Cayman and Cozumel, but I've always been curious about Celebrity so I also was looking at 4 night Constellation to Key West and Nassau. We've been on Jewel OTS before and enjoyed it as well as HAL and Princess.

 

We have to go during the Christmas vacation because MIL and I are both teachers and I don't want to leave DD for more than 5 nights.we're looking for relaxation/pampering as opposed to a very active vacation. Which do you think? Or is there are 3rd choice I'm missing?

Edited August 9, 2014 by 30scruiser

[giswam]

Highly recommend the Celebrity Constellation, especially for a romantic couples only getaway. The service and food on Celebrity are far superior to Royal, in my opinion. My kids love Royal because of all the bells and whistles but my husband and I definitely prefer Celebrity. The rooms are more spacious, less crowds on board and just overall more upscale environment. If you book Celebrity, they are currently running the pick your perk promotion that could cover your gratuities or if you enjoy adult beverages, a nice drink package to enhance your trip. In my book, there's no bad cruise, so I'm sure you'll enjoy whatever you choose. Enjoy your anniversary.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[Sloop-JohnB]

At Christmastime I personally would be in search of the warmest holiday I could get / afford (natural wish / quest as I am a Canadian) ... And that is always going to be found the further south you go in the Caribbean. So for me that is a determining factor.

 

Although the Florida Keys, Bahamas & Cuba have never seen temps below freezing... They can on occasion get less than HOT conditions during late December and on into January (all depends on how low the jet steam is dipping down up north... Colder it is in Canada & the Northern USA so it goes the more unseasonable it will be in the rest of the USA and top of the Caribbean... Which is WHY for example places like Atlanta & the Florida Panhandle saw snow last year)

 

So when we plan a cruise for December or January we aim to have our funds take us as far south as possible.

 

If we have the time, then it might be a 7 Day or longer cruise that gets into the Eastern, Western or Southern Caribbean.

 

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.

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Continued... (sorry my post got cut off for some reason)

 

Also generally speaking the longer the cruise the fewer the kids on board over the Holiday... Which can / could have an Impact on how relaxing the cruise is for you.

 

Alternatively... If a short cruise is all you can swing with Celebrity.... Then you might want to opt for Aqua Class where there are naturally fewer families / kids... And plan your cruise around the more adult locations on the Ship... Blu DR (comes with Aqua Class) - Later Dining in the MDR - Specialty Dining venues like Murano's - The Spa - Solarium Pool etc

 

Also consider doing Shore Excursions on your own vs organized thru the ship... A great way to escape the crowds (valuable insight for any cruise... Anytime of year)

 

With a plan such as that one can Make the most of even a shorter Christmas Cruise with lots of Families aboard

 

BTW, Celebrity has a whole bunch of Holiday Cruises this year here is the link = http://www.celebritycruises.com/htmlpage/holiday-offer?icid=hp_bt_123ghl_1406_spcl_lk_491169

 

Take a look at them / keep an eye on them cause recently they've been running Specials (beyond The Pick Your Perk) on many of them (look for the little green price tags).

 

I so get the fact that as a Teacher when you can go is limiting... But I for one truly believe that any vacation is what you make of it, it is all about perspective... As they say a day on a cruise ship, or at the beach is a good day... And a change in Latitude requires a change in Attitude.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Cheers!

Edited August 9, 2014 by Sloop-JohnB

[Aquahound]

Both of these are great short cruises, and Brilliance and Constellation are both beautiful ships, but 5 beats 4, so I would pick Brilliance.

[Lois R]

Hi...Happy Anniversary:)...logisitcs wise, doesn't Brilliance sail out of

Tampa? Would that be easier for you and your MIL? Or does that not

come into the equation?

[30scruiser]

Hi...Happy Anniversary:)...logisitcs wise, doesn't Brilliance sail out of

Tampa? Would that be easier for you and your MIL? Or does that not

come into the equation?

 

Yes, that's definitely a factor. Basically we'd be away for 5 days either way, but for the Brilliance cruise we'd be cruising the whole time and for Constellation we'd be driving one of those days.

[30scruiser]

Highly recommend the Celebrity Constellation, especially for a romantic couples only getaway. The service and food on Celebrity are far superior to Royal, in my opinion. My kids love Royal because of all the bells and whistles but my husband and I definitely prefer Celebrity. The rooms are more spacious, less crowds on board and just overall more upscale environment.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

 

That's what I had heard about the food/ambiance. To be honest, the only reason we're even debating between the 2 is we were underwhelmed by the food on the Jewel OTS cruise we took a few years ago. Although food's not the only important factor to us.

[miched]

One thing to consider is if the Celebrity cruise has the last stop in Key West. I have read that you have to do the custom thing there and it is a real pain.

There has been discussion in other threads about that.

 

Happy Cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[Lois R]

Yes, that's definitely a factor. Basically we'd be away for 5 days either way, but for the Brilliance cruise we'd be cruising the whole time and for Constellation we'd be driving one of those days.

 

I have only sailed Royal twice ever...so I am really a Celebrity gal;)

but I agree with Paul.....5 nights is better than 4:D and I do know

folks whose opinion I respect and they have found Brillance to be very

nice.:)

[30scruiser]

At Christmastime I personally would be in search of the warmest holiday I could get / afford (natural wish / quest as I am a Canadian) ... And that is always going to be found the further south you go in the Caribbean. So for me that is a determining factor.

 

Although the Florida Keys, Bahamas & Cuba have never seen temps below freezing... They can on occasion get less than HOT conditions during late December and on into January (all depends on how low the jet steam is dipping down up north... Colder it is in Canada & the Northern USA so it goes the more unseasonable it will be in the rest of the USA and top of the Caribbean... Which is WHY for example places like Atlanta & the Florida Panhandle saw snow last year)

 

So when we plan a cruise for December or January we aim to have our funds take us as far south as possible.

 

If we have the time, then it might be a 7 Day or longer cruise that gets into the Eastern, Western or Southern Caribbean.

 

.

.

.

.

 

Continued... (sorry my post got cut off for some reason)

 

Also generally speaking the longer the cruise the fewer the kids on board over the Holiday... Which can / could have an Impact on how relaxing the cruise is for you.

 

Alternatively... If a short cruise is all you can swing with Celebrity.... Then you might want to opt for Aqua Class where there are naturally fewer families / kids... And plan your cruise around the more adult locations on the Ship... Blu DR (comes with Aqua Class) - Later Dining in the MDR - Specialty Dining venues like Murano's - The Spa - Solarium Pool etc

 

Also consider doing Shore Excursions on your own vs organized thru the ship... A great way to escape the crowds (valuable insight for any cruise... Anytime of year)

 

With a plan such as that one can Make the most of even a shorter Christmas Cruise with lots of Families aboard

 

BTW, Celebrity has a whole bunch of Holiday Cruises this year here is the link = http://www.celebritycruises.com/htmlpage/holiday-offer?icid=hp_bt_123ghl_1406_spcl_lk_491169

 

Take a look at them / keep an eye on them cause recently they've been running Specials (beyond The Pick Your Perk) on many of them (look for the little green price tags).

 

I so get the fact that as a Teacher when you can go is limiting... But I for one truly believe that any vacation is what you make of it, it is all about perspective... As they say a day on a cruise ship, or at the beach is a good day... And a change in Latitude requires a change in Attitude.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Cheers!

Thanks for your thoughtful response! None of those other choices time out for us. We definitely can't afford aqua. It'll be either inside or maybe a splurge on an oceanview since with pick your perk we'll get a better return for our money. But I like the idea of eating later/using the solarium for more adult time. Also, definitely a good thought about temperatures. I wouldn't even have thought of that! So many things to weigh!

[Lois R]

Ahhhh....I haven't sailed Constellation recently but I have friends on

here who call her their favorite ship:D....if the extra day of the cruise

is not important to you? Then definitely go on Connie:)

[Sloop-JohnB]

glad i could help.

 

5 Days vs 4...

 

Celebrity Constellation has a 5 Day Cruise leaving from Ft Lauderdale on Decenber 22nd as well. It goes to Cozumel (should be quite warm there) as well as Key West. 2 Stops over 5 Days... And Christmas Day is a sea day.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Cheers!

[FLACRUISER99]

CC would not let me vote I guess because I voted on the RCI board?:eek:

[Aquahound]

Yes, that's definitely a factor. Basically we'd be away for 5 days either way, but for the Brilliance cruise we'd be cruising the whole time and for Constellation we'd be driving one of those days.

 

In my mind, that makes it a no brainer. I've done both of these cruises and would call them 50/50. Both are better than the other in certain aspects, but as far as the ships themselves, I think Radiance Class is nicer than Millennium Class.

[Fouremco]

While you don't say so, I suspect that this might be your first cruise, so I think that either choice will be exciting and bring you many wonderful memories.

 

Based on itinerary, Brilliance wins hands down. Why waste money cruising to Key West when you can drive there? The extra day is a big bonus!

 

Based on the ship, Celebrity gets the nod, but most of the posters here are seasoned cruisers and their expectations are different.

 

I'd definitely recommend that you go with the Brilliance, but whichever you finally pick, have a great time!

[TeaBag]

I am a Celebrity cruiser and have never sailed on RCI. However, I agree with others that 5 days is better than 4. With a 4 day cruise you are embarking on the first day and disembarking on the fourth so that gives you only 3 nice relaxing days.

[TLCOhio]

Both of these are great short cruises, and Brilliance and Constellation are both beautiful ships, but 5 beats 4, so I would pick Brilliance.

 

Good question! Agree with the above poster from the Key West Republic. Five days away is better than only four. Plus, I like the port options as more interesting and diverse when going to Grand Cayman and Cozumel. Key West is great, but can be visited in other ways at different times. Nassau is OK, but there are better options and potentials in the Carib. The Celebrity Connie might be a better ship, but ports tend to be my personal "higher need/standard". Good luck!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Back from doing a 14-day Celebrity Solstice, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure on this ship and getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for much more information and lots of wonderful pictures on these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 71,378 views for this fun posting.

[rebeccalouiseagain]

Do Brilliance. 5 days is better than 4. I have cruised Constellation and Serenade (Brilliance's sister) and they are equally pretty ships, with specialty restaurants etc. There is a movie screen by the pool on Brilliance but none of Constellation. I'd do Brilliance. So convenient to be at the port in Tampa near your MIL.

Edited August 9, 2014 by rebeccalouiseagain

[30scruiser]

Thanks everyone! We're going to book the Brilliance. We really appreciate all the input

[hcat]

Good choice... we enjoyed Brilliance as did our dtr and son in law, but from other ports, have never tried TPA but hope to soon...proximity to TPA a definite factor for you with child care issues..and 5 days is a definite plus..forgot if you are fying but TPA is easy!

 

for our Jan cruise we had choice of Brilliance 5 night and 5 night Connie (coz and kw)but picked Connie...mostly b/c we have coz and gc on our next cruise in Nov and dislike tendering..have not been to KW or on Connie in awhile..

 

we were relieved that KW is first port to avoid the immig clearance slow down..

 

Have Fun!

Edited August 9, 2014 by hcat

[TLCOhio]

Thanks everyone! We're going to book the Brilliance. We really appreciate all the input

 

Great choice! Good luck on your "adventure!!! Don't be shy. Come back to these boards, ask your needed questions. The only "dumb" question is the one you don't ask.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at over 180,000 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[rrmcdonald]

Great Choice!

Brilliance is a wonderful ship

Cozumel/Grand Caymen better than Key West/Nassau

5 definitely better than 4!

[Go-Bucks!]

I voted for the Brilliance, not because of the ship, but for 2 other reasons:

 

1) I would rather have 5 days.

 

2) I like those ports better (Cozumel and Grand Cayman).

 

My 2 cents worth! :D