Celebrity vs RCCL

[hazmat1]

Hello all:

 

I am thinking of making a jump from RCCL to Celebrity for the Transpacific on the Celebrity Solstice. I realize that they are basically the same company, but what are the differences? We are diamond level on RCCL.

 

What are the perks for Diamond on Celebrity?

What is the biggest difference (good or bad) that you have noticed.

 

Has anyone taken the Transpacific before, what should I expect?

 

Thanks in advance

[Clarea]

Diamond on Royal translates to Elite on Celebrity:

 

http://www.celebritycruises.com/captains-club/membership/captains-club-overview#captains_club_tier_elite/captains-club/membership/captains-club-tier-elite%3Fsubtab=true

[Lovelylady226]

The menus for Celebrity are a little more high-end and interesting that then typical fare on RCCL. My daughter was a little over a year old at the time of the cruise and was the only child that age on the ship. If you like to drink the beverage package is typically included-which is awesome. Age of passengers is higher than RCCL.

[Guest maddycat]

We sail both RCI and Celebrity. We find the crew on RCI ships to be friendlier. On Celebrity the service is very good but more reserved, formal.

 

If you are Diamond on RCI you will be Elite on Celebrity. That will entitle you to an evening cocktail hour similar to RCI's, but an hour shorter in length. No shorts or jeans are allowed in the Elite cocktail lounge. And the dress code is enforced.

 

Some say that the food is a step up on Celebrity. We find it to be on a par with RCI.

 

Celebrity ships are quieter, less late night entertainment. There is only one announcement a day on Celebrity ships and that is the Captain's noon announcement. Smoking is not allowed in the casino at any time.

[villager70]

No Diamond discount on Celelebrity. $225.00 ,325.00 ten or more days

[dst87]

I think others have covered it.

 

Celebrity wins for me on the enrichment activities (like lectures) and the food and drinks which is a little more sophisticated. You won't find any tacky souvenir glassware on Celebrity.

 

Food wise, I'd say the MDR food on Celebrity is just a little worse than the Chops Grille experience I had on Splendour. If you want a treat, you MUST try Murano on Solstice Class. Outstanding ambiance, food, and service.

 

If you love all of the activities on Royal you might be disappointed though. I think the entertainment/activities staff are better on Royal and much more pumped. There are no climbing walls, surfing sims or anything like that on Celebrity. They have some great live music though!

 

Celebrity ships are more spacious, and you'll find fewer people given the space. I'd agree with the other poster that said Royal staff are a bit friendlier and personable, and that the Celebrity service is slightly more reserved, though mostly they'll match your own attitude and mood quite well.

 

I'd say the dress code is much more adhered to on Celebrity - there's less sloppiness and laziness from fellow guests in this area, though on the odd occasion I have seen someone not dress properly on formal night it wasn't particularly enforced well, which is a shame. Formal nights are a real treat!

 

In short, if you want a premium, relaxing, and relatively sophisticated experience you'll probably enjoy Celebrity. If you love the fun and excitement offered by Royal Caribbean you might be disappointed.

[workstocruise]

We used to be loyal RCI cruisers but as we got older and got less interested in all the family activities, we tried Celebrity. Now we are loyal Celebrity cruisers. I think it's a better product with the food in the buffet and MDR much better. We also think the entertainment is just as good and I have never encountered any crew that were not as friendly as Royal. In fact I think Celebrity's crew are friendlier. However, that's just my opinion. We left RCI for Princess because of bad food and service on the Enchantment and then tried RCI again and found the MDR food to be better, but the buffet is still pretty weak. Try Celebrity, if you don't like it you can always go back to Royal.

[somerandomidiot]

The mdr/buffet food is better on Celebrity.

 

The ships are more tranquil.

 

I liked the solstice but there's a lot more to see and do on something like oasis or allure.

 

the odds for craps are better on celebrity.

 

I've only been on 3 celebrity cruises vs 15 on RCI so YMMV.

[cb140]

Hopefully I can be helpful having sailed on both. Like you, we're Diamond on RCI and took our first Celebrity cruise last year (and our second this year).

 

Generally the ambiance is rather more sophisticated/quiet/more geared to middle-aged (whether this is a good or a bad thing depends on what you like!). There are less "activities" on Celebrity than RCI (not just the ice skating/flow rider / climbing wall stuff, but also less quizzes/games/other things). They do have nightly shows and live music around the ship, though.

 

For me, I'd say the food very slightly has an edge but not dramatically. I probably prefer the Celebrity buffet restaurant. Also I love Cafe Al Bacio, there's not really an equivalent on RCI.

 

One thing that I think is better with Celebrity is the perks to being Elite. I don't think the Diamond perks are actually as good. You will get:

 

40 minutes of free internet (per person, not per cabin)

Elite cocktail event from 5-7 most nights with free (selection) of alcoholic drinks and canapes

A lot of free laundry stuff (RCI only offer discounts, which are not nearly the same). Our last 7 day cruise, we got a free "stuff the bag" wash and fold, again per person, which in fact was way more than we could possibly use in seven days! Also there were coupons for free dry cleaning, free pressing, free laundering (for one item each).

Free scoop of Gelato per person from the gelateria.

There was other stuff but we didn't use that so I don't remember it.

 

As well as a couple of 'meet the captain" Elite events which we didn't go to because I don't enjoy those, there is an Elite afternoon tea (very nice) on the last sea day. There's also an Elite breakfast available every day, which is a lot quieter and calmer than the buffet or the MDR. Its served plated, not a full buffet, but theres a good selection and they will bring you as much as you want (plus cappucino, smoothies etc). Its served in Tuscan Grille, one of the specialty restaurants with a nice view of the ships wake.

[Hotel CA]

We really like Celebrity but it was just a tad to quite for our taste. However the specialty restaurants (especially Qsine) were the absolute best and a definite cut above Royal--mainly for the uniqueness and interesting nature of the food that was offered.

 

Who knew??-- it turns out we like the announcements and poolside entertainment and the more diverse (especially in age) crowd mix found on Royal--But both are good in their own way--just different

[eel]

We are Diamond on Royal and did the full transpacific on Solstice from Sydney to Vancouver in Spring 2014. This was our first sailing on Celebrity. We thought about doing the transpacific on Radiance but we had just spent 33 days on Radiance doing the Australia Circumnavigation and thought we would need a change of scenery.

 

Overall we had a really good time on Solstice. I agree with most of the comments from the other posters. Food (especially buffet) much better on Solstice. A lot fewer shipboard activities. Entertainment was comparable to Royal. Many fewer announcements which was good. Lounge entertainment was OK, but there was not much to do late at night. They had some lectures during the day which were good.

 

The biggest problem was that with so many sea days, things could get a little boring. The ports where fantastic. I wish they planned more activities during the long stretches of sea days.

 

Later in 2014 we sailed Equinox on a Med. cruise which was port intensive. In my opinion, Celebrity is best suited for more port intensive itineraries. At least for us. We are in our late 50s and enjoy shipboard activities and more spirited lounge entertainment.

[dst87]

Interestingly the best lounge entertainment we've ever had on a cruise was on Celebrity Infinity - a singer/guitarist called Ric Steele. Absolutely outstanding and so lively!

 

Not seen anything like it anywhere else really, and I agree that typically Celebrity can die a bit at night. Come 11pm or 12pm there's less going on, though I think they're starting to fix this as on our most recent Celebrity cruise (last year) they had some late-night comedy and other game shows which was good.

 

They also have regular theme party nights up in the observation lounge. Not my cup of tea, and I don't think they're brilliantly attended (at least not on the cruises I've been on).

[Big_G]

As of late, we started splitting cruises between Royal and Celebrity. As with any cruise line, food will vary from ship to ship. Well, the same goes from line to line. We've had better food on Freedom than Celebrity and better food on Reflection than other RCI ships. The pay restaurants are much better on Celebrity. We've sailed in Aqua Class once and enjoyed the included Blu dining room very much.

 

Night time entertainment is better on Royal's big girls but about the same on others. Celebrity day time around the pool can be a snoozer except for maybe the few crew v. guest games. On Equinox, the most exciting thing for days was water aerobics.

 

Unlike others, we've found the crew a little more friendly on Celebrity especially the senior officers. They always seemed engaging and concerned about you enjoying your cruise. The most entertaining Captain ever is on Summit, Captain Dimitrios Kafetzis. More entertaining than Captain Johnny. I know, sacrilege but true.

 

Celebrity's has both outdoor seating at the buffet and aft bars that beat any cocktail setting on Royal.

 

Celebrity is a more laid back mature cruise and we like both lines equally for their own amenities.

[SPacificbound]

We have cruised three times on Royal (3 different ships) and three on Celebrity Infinity.

 

Celebrity buffet was better the Windjammer most of the time. I prefer buffet usually, since as a vegetarian I can generally find more options in the buffet.

 

Royal Caribbean gives me a feeling of being at home with the ship.

 

Celebrity was a little lacking in entertainment after 9PM.

 

Celebrity entertainment performers brought on for certain nights that were quite good.

 

We liked Royal's entertainment over all.

 

We had our 2016 all booked with Celebrity and then changed back to Royal. It just feels better.

Edited July 12, 2015 by SPacificbound

[Susie51]

We sail both RCI and Celebrity. We find the crew on RCI ships to be friendlier. On Celebrity the service is very good but more reserved, formal.

 

If you are Diamond on RCI you will be Elite on Celebrity. That will entitle you to an evening cocktail hour similar to RCI's, but an hour shorter in length. No shorts or jeans are allowed in the Elite cocktail lounge. And the dress code is enforced.

 

Some say that the food is a step up on Celebrity. We find it to be on a par with RCI.

 

Celebrity ships are quieter, less late night entertainment. There is only one announcement a day on Celebrity ships and that is the Captain's noon announcement. Smoking is not allowed in the casino at any time.

 

I have the same opinion except I like the food on -X- better.

[Bobal]

Agree with most of the comments on here:

Food (both MDR and buffet) is better on Celebrity

Demographic a little older and a little more sophisticated

Decor and ambience around the ships more sophisticated with Celebrity - although Q class gives them a run for their money

Evening entertainment has been about the same on both lines (with the exception of Oasis class which is in a class of its own)

Daytime and ship-led entertainment is far more active and fun on Royal

Crew slightly less friendly on Celebrity, but officers more visible and friendly on Celebrity

Perks for Diamond/Elite - some are better on Celebrity (eg internet and laundry) some better on Royal (free photos and balcony discount)

Cabin storage on S class Celebrity ships is not as good as Royal

Speciality Dining - we think Celebrity has the edge on this

 

The main difference which affects us is the Elite drinks versus the Diamond lounge experience. Celebrity runs from 5-7 and have a dress code. This is too early for us as late diners as we don't want to get all dressed up and go for pre-dinner drinks so early. We tend not to use the Elite drinks when we cruise with Celebrity but to get a drinks package - their basic package is better than Royal's basic package. We also love being able to pop into the D lounge to get a cappuccino any time of day - Celebrity don't have this facility. It's also nice to have a point of contact in the Diamond concierge to sort out issues such as bookings, account anomalies etc, the Captain's Club Host doesn't have the same role.

 

We will continue to sail on both lines as Celebrity have offered some great itineraries which Royal just can't match.

Edited July 12, 2015 by Bobal

[gw2fll]

We have sailed Celebrity - S Class Ships. We really enjoyed our cruises on both Solstice and Equinox. Everyone has pretty much summed things up, but a few additional items:

 

We found the décor on Solstice and Equinox more to our liking vs RCCL. (We have not sailed the newer RCCL ships yet - looking forward to Allure in October, so we will see how their designers have updated things then.) However, we were surprised that Navigator's décor still tended to have the same color scheme after dry dock vs moving things forward a bit more.

 

We really enjoy the specialty restaurants on Celebrity, although to us Murano is "overrated". I know it receives rave reviews, but we like Tuscan Grill better. Of course, the hamburgers at the Mast Grill are wonderful (and avoid the upcharge that Johnny Rockets imposes.) Also, for Asian fusion do give Silk Harvest a try if on Equinox / Solstice. We do enjoy Chops Grille on RCCL, but that's about it.

 

Not sure of your views on formal nights; however, on Celebrity if you dine in a specialty restaurant or Blu (is Aqua Class) you do not have to dress in formal attire. Unlike RCCL, where formal attire applies to the MDR and the specialty restaurants. (Based upon our experience and reviewing the RCCL and Celebrity brochures.) Just a point of reference if formal nights are something important to you.

 

On Solstice, we sailed in Aqua Class. The shower is great. However, balcony staterooms on the RCCL ships we have sailed appear to be larger. I believe this is driven by the fact on the S-Class Ships the staterooms are deeper, yet narrower, whereas on RCCL, the staterooms seem wider, yet not as deep. Square footage according to the brochures indicates they are similar in size, yet something felt different. On Equinox we sailed in a Sky Suite. We really liked the service - to us there is a difference in service level in particular in the suite category. Part of that is driven by the butler, but the room staff also plays a part (instead of having 1 stateroom attendant, we had a lead and a support person for a total of 2). Storage wise, we found the storage space in our Aqua Class cabin a bit better (due to the storage over the bed) than RCCL balcony rooms. Storage in a RCCL JS is much better than the storage in a Sky Suite (you can't beat the JS walk in closet).

 

Also, on Celebrity if sailing in a suite, you can dine in your room using selecting from the full MDR menu. Your butler will serve your meal course-by-course. We have sailed JS and Grand Suite on RCCL and never experience this level of service. Perhaps RCCL does it, but if they do, I believe the full meal is delivered at once instead of being able to dine by course.

 

We found service across the board a bit better on Celebrity than RCCL - from support areas (shops, etc.). Service from the wait staff in the MDR was consistent between both lines; however, the wait staff on Celebrity appeared less "rushed". I don't know if they covered fewer tables or what, but there was a difference in that on RCCL you could tell our waiter was stretched with the number of tables. (We typically dine MyTime (RCCL) / Select Dining (Celebrity). That could play a part, I just don't know.

 

Of course activity wise there is a larger difference. Celebrity has more enrichment type activities whereas RCCL has more "activity" based (ice skating, mini-golf, etc.) activities (sorry, couldn't think of a better way to say it this early in the morning).

 

We just made Diamond, so our upcoming sailing in 2016 on Equinox will be our first time experiencing Elite on Celebrity. So as far as Loyalty program comparisons, I can't really help there.

 

One item that I find unique or interesting is how Celebrity sets-up the pier area compared to RCCL. On Royal, the set-up is typically a set of ropes to queue us up for security. Whereas on Celebrity, there often is a sofa, chairs - sort of a living room set-up to welcome you back to the ship. Celebrity also has a "priority" boarding lane for suite guests, which is nice.

 

That pretty much sums it up. I will qualify this to say this is our opinion. I hope this helps.

[Iluvcruising2]

We've sailed many times with Royal, but only once with Celebrity on the Silhouette. I think I would agree with most of the comments here.

 

Food-wise, we found Celebrity to be better. Their dinner buffet was really good. I made this video.

[YOUTUBE]Ceq2U8CtNPk[/YOUTUBE]

 

We were Royal Diamonds when we sailed on Celebrity, so we could enjoy the Elite Social cocktail hour and Elite morning coffee, which was nice. You can see many more pictures on this blog post.

http://guitar123foodandtravel.blogspot.sg/2013/12/celebrity-silhouette-elite-social.html

[cb140]

Another thing I've remembered - I think the poolside experience is a little better on Celebrity. They don't ration the towels: on RCI ships I've been on, (mostly Oasis class) you get one towel, exchangeable when you like, and if you lose it they charge your card $25. On the celebrity ships I've been on (Equinox and Silhouette) the towels were freely available at a towel station. Also I found the celebrity pool stewards MUCH better at monitoring whether people are hogging sunbeds - at RCI, the notices are there but they never seem to do anything about it.

Edited July 12, 2015 by cb140

[gw2fll]

Another thing I've remembered - I think the poolside experience is a little better on Celebrity. They don't ration the towels: on RCI ships I've been on, (mostly Oasis class) you get one towel, exchangeable when you like, and if you lose it they charge your card $25. On the celebrity ships I've been on (Equinox and Silhouette) the towels were freely available at a towel station. Also I found the celebrity pool stewards MUCH better at monitoring whether people are hogging sunbeds - at RCI, the notices are there but they never seem to do anything about it.

 

Good point. Did you happen to notice how they had the towels out on boarding day. Laying on each lounge chair around the pool. If I remember correctly the towels were folded like napkins are folded at dinner. Really special.

[awhfy]

Celebrity is less frantic, only one announcement during the day; pool activities are minimal, no flow rider, rock wall, mini golf or ice rink. If you're looking to relax & just be, Celebrity is great; if you want constant activity, Royal is for you

[Bobal]

Another thing I've remembered - I think the poolside experience is a little better on Celebrity. They don't ration the towels: on RCI ships I've been on, (mostly Oasis class) you get one towel, exchangeable when you like, and if you lose it they charge your card $25. On the celebrity ships I've been on (Equinox and Silhouette) the towels were freely available at a towel station. Also I found the celebrity pool stewards MUCH better at monitoring whether people are hogging sunbeds - at RCI, the notices are there but they never seem to do anything about it.

 

Sorry but have to disagree with all this.

 

Royal no longer charge for towels and haven't done for some time. Although they don't have towels sitting on racks for people to help themselves (as do Celebrity) we've never had any problems getting as many towels as we want.

 

We feel pool stewards on both lines are poor at monitoring hoggers but Celebrity on S class ships are marginally worse. The deck above the pool deck on S class has the shaded canopies and it's common practice for some people to reserve loungers in the shade and also more loungers opposite and in the sun. The 'pool butlers' seem to do nothing to monitor this selfish practice.

Edited July 12, 2015 by Bobal

[sellwingri]

We've never cruised on Celebrity but really liked the itinerary on one we were considering last week. My brother also loves Celebrity and isn't a RCI fan. I called our TA to book it and she told me to take a day to reconsider. She knows what we like (lots of things to do well into the late hours) and she put it this way.

 

If excellent service and great food is extremely important to you, book Celebrity. If many shipboard activities with ok service and food, book RCI. We booked our next cruise on Serenade OTS.

 

As diamond, we also like the free drinks you can get around dinner time without going to the Diamond Lounge. It probably saved us at least $100 on our last cruise.

[hazmat1]

Thank you all for the responses.

 

I think we will be booking the Transpacific on Celebrity and probably the Hawaii to Vancover return. Now to get enough points for the first class ticket to Sydney.

 

:)

[cocacola86]

How is the Summit, were in our mid 30s and going on Adventure in Oct/2016 out of SJ, we to like to relax and not into flow rider. RC and probably book Celebrity on our RCcruise