Which Cruise Ship

[louieebee]

Hi All

 

I am looking to book my first cruise next year for my 40th and never realised what a mine field it could be !

We are looking at the Norwegian Fords in August 2016 and have the option of Celebrity Eclipse or Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas. Can anyone let me know which is there preferred choice, we are looking at booking a suite so any comparisons would be really appreciated.:)

 

Many Thanks

[navybankerteacher]

Both are under the Royal Caribbean umbrella - but my experience is that Celebrity Eclipse (2,800 +/- passengers) would be a bit more mature and upscale, while Navigator (3,800+/-) would have more lively entertainment.

[SuiteTraveler]

Celebrity Eclipse will have the better food of the two ships. It is a more adult oriented cruise ship, more elegant - not all that much for kids to do onboard, not so much entertainment although you can expect to see a comedian and an acrobatic show. Much of the entertainment is music or young people dressed in costumes. There are some nice specialty restaurants - QSine is my favorite on this ship. Murano is extremely pretty, although I was not in love with the food nor the odd waiter we had in there who persisted in explaining each dish to us in minute detail - although it was very obvious to us what everything was from simply reading the menu. We were laughing at him behind his back. I also enjoyed hanging out at Cafe Il Bacio during the day and have specialty teas and tea sandwiches and little tea pastries. There are 2 large pools and a nice gym onboard. There is also a lawn topside which - well we didn't use it much - we were in the Med and spent most of the time on tours. There is a glass blowing show where they raffle off large pieces of glass made onboard. These ships are sedate and elegant and geared toward peaceful relaxation. MDR food is a cut above most mass market lines and the service is elegant. Do get a beverage package even if you only drink wine as this makes beverage purchases onboard for everything a no-brainer. Collect bottles of water for your cabin and touring on land.

 

Navigator of the Seas is an ACTION oriented type of ship. It has a big mall (Royal Promenade) where there are parades in the middle and several specialty restaurants as well. This ship is vibrant and family oriented, although there is the adults only solarium which includes hot tubs and small pools. There is a main pool, jogging track, mini golf, rock climbing wall, inline roller skating, ice skating and more. These ships are very vibrant with activities and shows, including an ice skating show and acrobats. These ships are geared towards family cruising. The food is hotel banquet quality food. It is good but not great, however, the specialty restaurants are a cut above and more similar to what is served on Celebrity. We generally only eat in the specialty restaurants on RCCL but these do cost extra. We go on RCCL when we want lots of entertainment and excitement in our cruise.

 

Cabins are extremely nice on both Celebrity and RCCL. For RCCL, they don't do anything special for suite guests based on the level of suite, so if you want a suite, you need not book anything more than a Grand Suite. On Celebrity, if you book a Verandah and wait until the day after final payment, sometimes a Family Verandah will come available. These are 2 bedroom suites with a living room and dining room. Normally they are only offered to parties of 5 or more, but if they don't sell by final payment, they are offered to everyone. If it becomes available, you can often upgrade for a nominal amount. So my husband and I got to sail on the Eclipse for 2 weeks in a Family Verandah, the second largest cabin on the ship, for only a few hundred dollars more than a regular verandah! It was GREAT! We used the second bedroom as a dressing room. RCCL's cabins are decorated in teal/blue and Celebrity Eclipse cabins are decorated in mauve and beige. Bathrooms are very similar with glass enclosed showers although I prefer the sink on Navigator to Eclipse - which has a faux vessel sink and weird oversized faucet that was in the way when washing my face. Still, I wouldn't let that issue cause me to not sail on Eclipse.

 

So, what you have are two very nice ships with two completely different vibes. Only you know what you would prefer and that is how your should choose your ship. BTW, both lines are owned by the same company - RCCL. Celebrity is considered the premium mass market line and RCCL is the family mass market line in the company.

[louieebee]

Wow that certainly has given me food for thought. I do like a lot going on but we are child free for the cruise so may prefer the Eclipse. The Suites look nice on the Eclipse and there are only junior suites available on the RC. I am now even more torn between the two, I want it to feel luxurious but don't want to be too formal all the time. Thank you for taking the time to reply navybankerteacher & Suitetraveler....

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

JMO -- but I would go with Celebrity -- we prefer a more adult group of people as well as a ship with fewer people.

[Grandma Dazzles]

Just so you are aware, on RC junior suites are not really full suites and do not have the full privileges of a "true suite." No concierge lounge for example.

[louieebee]

Thanks PMcC1998, think that has just made my mind up then :)

[Aquahound]

I am looking to book my first cruise next year for my 40th and never realised what a mine field it could be !

We are looking at the Norwegian Fords in August 2016 and have the option of Celebrity Eclipse or Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas. Can anyone let me know which is there preferred choice, we are looking at booking a suite so any comparisons would be really appreciated.:)

 

I love both of these ships and would book either one in a heartbeat. However, I think Eclipse is the best fit for a European cruise. Plus, if it's a full suite on Eclipse vs a Junior Suite on NOS, I'd certainly go with Eclipse. Celebrity Sosltice Class ships are beautiful. You'll love it! :)