Royal Carribbean vs Celebrity

[Sergio11]

Hello everyone, I have only been on Royal Caribbean and I am almost Diamond Plus. I have a friend who has been trying to convince me to switch over to Celebrity. What are the pros and cons of each and differences? Am I missing out by having not tried Celebrity? My friend things I am. Thoughts?

 

Thanks

[OCruisers]

Has your friend cruised on RCCL?

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

Hello everyone, I have only been on Royal Caribbean and I am almost Diamond Plus. I have a friend who has been trying to convince me to switch over to Celebrity. What are the pros and cons of each and differences? Am I missing out by having not tried Celebrity? My friend things I am. Thoughts?

 

Thanks

 

It's really personal preference. I've never tried Celebrity, but I hear that it is little more upscale and also quieter, but with a more subdued atmosphere and less things to do.

 

Do you think you'd like that? Yes? Give Celebrity a try. No? Stick with Royal.

 

Try thinking of what aspects of a Royal Caribbean cruise you enjoy, then see if those things are offered on Celebrity.

[Desert Cruizers]

it really is difficult to say if one would like a particular cruise line, you would have to judge for yourself. We have not tried Celebrity ourselves so can't offer a comment one way or the other. We enjoy Royal for over all cruising pleasure. Try it then you be the judge. Each cruise line has their pros & cons.

[Sergio11]

Yes my friend has been on Royal several times with me and now wants me to try Celebrity.

[peteukmcr]

Maybe ask the question over on the Celebrity board which is what I did so that we are prepared for our very first Celebrity sailing in just 31 days time.

[Wanderlost]

We are elite on Celebrity but also frequently cruise on RCL. We prefer the smaller ships on RCL, mainly because of the layout. I do think the food is better on RCL but food is a personal choice so that's just my opinion. I like many things about Celebrity but have recently found there is not a lot of difference between the two lines. Celebrity used to be a little more sedate but that is changing. On our recent Celebrity cruise we had the usual staff members "hawking" specialty restaurants, alcohol packages, and shopping items. This is fairly new for Celebrity and something I'm not fond of but I guess times are a changing and Celebrity and RCL have to keep the ships moving.

I do like the fact that Celebrity has a more restrictive smoking policy but I never let a little smoke keep me out of a RCL casino.

We are basically brand loyal and sail on RCL and Celebrity based on the itinerary and price.

You can't go wrong with either one.

Edited August 10, 2015 by Wanderlost

[lakelorain]

After 22 RC cruises we just tried Celebrity. We were on the Summit. It was quieter and the ship seemed darker to me. Most things were similar but there were some differences. Pros and cons on both sides. We missed the lunch salad bar and many activities. Bathroom amenities were a plus on Celebrity. Service was similar. Food was sometimes better and sometimes worse. Storage layout in our Veranda cabin was much better on RC.

We like both lines. Have 2 more cruises booked on Celebrity so we can get a better picture of what they have to offer.

Edited August 10, 2015 by lakelorain

[bouhunter]

After 9 RCCL cruises we tried Celebrity (Reflection, their newest ship) last March. Beautiful ship and nice cruise. Overall we didn't really notice much difference though. Food didn't seem any better (except for a couple of the specialty restaurants which were awesome). There was nothing about it that would stand out or make us "switch" from RCCL.

 

We would go back to Celebrity if the price and ports were right, but will still focus on RCCL to get that Diamond+ someday:D

[Moonarino]

It's been 5 years since I was on Celebrity (just the once), and the biggest reason for that is what seems to be a more limited choice of itineraries with Celebrity. But that's just for the Caribbean, which is usually all I'm interested in.

 

As for my one cruise on a Celebrity Solstice class (Eclipse), the lawn club was definitely the highlight. And there was a fantastic pianist in one of the lounge areas one morning, and I sat mesmerized for most of a half hour.

 

Otherwise, from that one experience I think Royal Caribbean is better all the way around. For one thing, on Eclipse I was more disappointed than pleased by the food, desserts and everything. And the ship (decor and crew) just seemed a bit "colder", not as warm and inviting as either of my RCCL cruises.

 

BUT my experience is extremely limited, so this is only about a half-cent's worth.

Edited August 10, 2015 by Moonarino

[marys350]

We enjoy both Royal Caribbean and Celebrity and appreciate the fact that they offer reciprocal benefits. We make our booking decisions based on price and itinerary. Don't hesitate to branch out and include Celebrity.

[DonnaK]

It's been 5 years since I was on Celebrity (just the once), and the biggest reason for that is what seems to be a more limited choice of itineraries with Celebrity. But that's just for the Caribbean, which is usually all I'm interested in.

 

As for my one cruise on a Celebrity Solstice class (Eclipse), the lawn club was definitely the highlight. And there was a fantastic pianist in one of the lounge areas one morning, and I sat mesmerized for most of a half hour.

 

Otherwise, from that one experience I think Royal Caribbean is better all the way around. For one thing, on Eclipse I was more disappointed than pleased by the food, desserts and everything. And the ship (decor and crew) just seemed a bit "colder", not as warm and inviting as either of my RCCL cruises.

 

BUT my experience is extremely limited, so this is only about a half-cent's worth.

 

That must have been Jordan Peterson. He is phenomenal! We were lucky enough to see him on both of our Celebrity Summit cruises.

 

Although Celebrity is said to be more sedate, with less to do onboard, we were totally blown away by the quality and quantity of live music and shows on the Summit. 3 production shows on a 7 day cruise, larger and more talented ensemble. We never walked through a lounge and found an empty stage or piano - there was always someone performing.

[OCruisers]

Yes my friend has been on Royal several times with me and now wants me to try Celebrity.

 

Your friend who has been on RCCL several times knows you much better than any of us.

Why does your friend think you'd enjoy Celebrity?

 

LuLu

[Big_G]

We've been trying to split our cruises between Royal and Celebrity. I thought Celebrity's food was slightly better but they threw me for a loop with barbeque sauce on salmon. :eek: Anyway, we love the S Class ships. They beat Royal with there aft Sunset Bar and the aft outdoor seating in the Ocean View Cafe. Royal has nothing comparable to the Lawn Club Grill and we've enjoyed jazz on the Lawn Club under the stars on deck 15. While food is subjective, we enjoyed Celebrity's pay restaurants over Royal's...not that Royal's are bad. There is no smoking at all in any interior area of Celebrity. That means the casino is smoke free. The best area to have a cigar is on the port side of the Sunset Bar. You couldn't smell it it even if you wanted from the starboard side. The shows aren't as good as the Oasis Class but just as good as others (Quantum Class disclaimer: haven't sailed them yet) except they have a comedy club. The clientele is not so much upscale as more mature. You'll find that most adhere to the suggested attire and there are less kids. The reason why we sail both is Celebrity is more laid back than Royal. Now and then we enjoy watching the belly flop contest although Celebrity's crew vs. guests can get pretty intense. The reciprocal benefits are a plus for us because we are considered Elite on Celebrity. I'm sure I'm leaving some comparisons out but I think you should give Celebrity a spin.

[Moonarino]

That must have been Jordan Peterson. He is phenomenal! We were lucky enough to see him on both of our Celebrity Summit cruises.

 

Actually it was a 30-ish Ukrainian lady (I remember clearly because of the lasting impression, not to mention she was as elegantly beautiful as the music), playing just off the Grand Foyer and Passport Bar for idly wandering souls. Nothing else was going on, the area was largely deserted and she was using the opportunity to make magic.

 

One thing I dearly love about cruising is the hidden gems you can only find by "idly wandering" throughout the day. Like the classical-acoustic Spanish guitarist I stumbled onto one night in Allure's Central Park; the sort of thing a printed daily schedule is usually inadequate for, unless one reads every jot and tittle of the small print and gets lucky.

Edited August 11, 2015 by Moonarino

[tinkertoy9000]

We cruise mostly on Royal but we have also been on Celebrity a number of times and on both the Millennium and Solstice Class ships. If you like the Royal Radiance Class ship the you will like Celebrity ships.

 

In our opinion, based on about 7 cruises with Celebrity, we feel that the food and service is better on Celebrity. One thing is for sure, things are quieter on Celebrity. They do not have the bells and whistles on board activities like Royal. No rock wall, no ice skating, no zip line, no FloRiders. They do have more lectures on certain cruises. And I disagree with the person who said Celebrity itineraries are limited. We cruised the Baltic, Australia, and the Panama Canal on Celebrity, as well as Southern Caribbean. I think Celebrity has more 12 to 14 day cruises to offer. They leave from some of the same ports that Royal leaves from like Miami, Ft Lauderdale and Cape Liberty.

 

If you are Diamond on Royal your Celebrity cruise will not count toward your Royal C&A status. However, you can register for the Celebrity Captain's Club and get comparable on board benefits to the C&A benefits. You would be Elite status in the Captain's club and, among other thing, get free internet minutes, free laundry, and enjoy the evening free happy hour drinks.

 

So you will get benefits going on Celebrity.

[Moonarino]

The clientele is not so much upscale as more mature. You'll find that most adhere to the suggested attire and there are less kids. The reason why we sail both is Celebrity is more laid back than Royal.

 

I'll second that, in spades. One big reason I didn't enjoy my Allure cruise as much as I could have, was so many kids (but mostly the parents who refused to rein them in). And that was in April.

 

Now and then we enjoy watching the belly flop contest although Celebrity's crew vs. guests can get pretty intense.

 

RC Oasis. I had a bird's-eye view of the aft pool/ampitheater from Deck 17 (with replays on the monster-tron) and that entire experience was a real treat.

[papaflamingo]

Hello everyone, I have only been on Royal Caribbean and I am almost Diamond Plus. I have a friend who has been trying to convince me to switch over to Celebrity. What are the pros and cons of each and differences? Am I missing out by having not tried Celebrity? My friend things I am. Thoughts?

 

Thanks

 

This is a very subjective subject. We have done 20 Royal Caribbean cruises and tried our first Celebrity on Reflection last Nov. We had an Aqua Suite (which no longer exists), and there were some nice upgraded amenities. But we enjoyed the Butler service. Everyday about 3:30 the butler came by with hors d'oeuvres. A nice touch. One night they did a "butler seating" at the theater where you met your butler, who was dressed to the max including white gloves, and they escorted you to a reserved seat. It seemed a really big deal to them. I don't actually care if I have a butler or not, but it was a nice touch. He was the "go to" guy for everything.

I loved the ship decor. I think it is very luxurious. I loved the no smoking in any indoor space. I also agree that the upcharge dining was nice, and the Lawn Club Grill was wonderful. Also really liked QSine. We were assigned Blu for meals due to being in an Aqua Suite, and I liked it. Can't comment on Main Dining Room.

But all in all, I found Celebrity too sedate also. They have a Molecular Bar that has wonderfully unique drinks. Problem is it closes by midnight. The Martini Bar was the center of the nightlife. No Schooner Bar or Pub with entertainment. Missed that.

The Elite Happy Hour was lacking. They walked around with hors d'oeuvres and it was mediocre service. Same with getting a drink. Not impressed. Like the Diamond Lounge on RCCL better. Plus, as D+ we have Concierge Lounge privileges which were much better. If you do a full suite then you'd get Michael's Club privileges which I suspect would be very nice.

We enjoyed the relaxation side. Rented a cabana on the Lawn for the day in Montego Bay as we had no desire to leave the ship. That was very nice.

Anyway, Celebrity is certainly worth the try. If you are someone who is looking for a nice, relaxing, little bit upscale cruise, you will really like it. If you like spending time in the Schooner Bar singing and having fun, you'll miss that. In fact the thing I don't like about Quantum is that it is too much "Celebrity," and not enough "Royal Caribbean."

Bottom line, I will go back on Celebrity in a heartbeat for the right cruise. But still like RCCL better.

[cruzinlady1947]

I've only been on one Celebrity cruise, on the Summit. I really enjoyed it and the MDR food, was, in my opinion, better than Royals. I have never had a bad meal on Royal, but Celebrity was better. However, I did not care for their buffet. I didn't like the way it was set up and I think the food was not as good as Royals. I did like the ice cream station on the Summit. They had hand dipped ice cream, along with soft ice cream.

 

The ship was indeed darker, meaning not much light coming into the different areas from windows and the lighting was not real bright. We had an ocean view cabin and I think the cabins were a step up from Royal.

 

Now the Elite lounge, Revelations, which as Diamond, you will be welcome into, was fabulous. Windows were floor to ceiling in 3/4 of the room. It was at the very front of the ship , on deck 11, with no obstruction at all. Loved sitting there every evening and being able to view some beautiful sunsets.

 

I really think you should try out Celebrity. If you don't like it, then at least you will know. We always sail Royal and will continue to do so, but will try to slip in a Celebrity cruise from time to time.

 

After all, in my opinion, there is no bad cruise, just some are better than others.;)

 

 

Gwen :)

[birdlord]

Hello everyone, I have only been on Royal Caribbean and I am almost Diamond Plus. I have a friend who has been trying to convince me to switch over to Celebrity. What are the pros and cons of each and differences? Am I missing out by having not tried Celebrity? My friend things I am. Thoughts?

 

Thanks

 

After 3 sailings with RCCL and a kind of bad experience on the third one (not the RCI's fault, but more the crowd that sailed that particular week), our TA suggested we try Celebrity for less kids and more upscale feel. So when we finally dived back into cruising, we sailed the Silhouette. And it was very nice, but it was definitely not less children (could have been the time we went -- the week after Thanksgiving) and definitely not a more upscale crowd. Not that we're snobs by any stretch! I hate to sound that way. We are just regular middle class folks from NJ. Anyway, I thought the food quality was the same. All the rest of the services (guest services, cabin steward, etc.) were the same. The dining room staff was another story. From the top on down, it was very disorganized on our particular sailing. Even the table assignment we had was already assigned to another couple (oddly). I definitely felt there were less activities, although we don't necessarily participate in many anyway. I wouldn't rule out Celebrity in our future, but at this stage of the game I think our money is better spent with RCI.