Is Celebrity the right line for our family

[cgolf1]

We are previous DCL cruisers looking to switch to another line due to the rising costs. I have to do this on the individual lines we are interested in because I didn't see a general thread where I could ask this.

 

My wife and I are late 30's early 40's with a college aged daughter. When we cruise our habits are as follows.

 

- Like trivia type events

- Like active events like a golf chipping contest for example

- Free cooking demos are always fun

- Not a fan of sitting around all day reading and laying out in the sun, so activities to keep us busy are key

- Enjoy comedy acts and production shows. Quality of both matters, don't mind off color comedy as long as it is done well

- We really like to swim, if there was a pool you could do mini laps in that would be great

- I love water slides, but only really do each one a few times a cruise

- Would be interested in what type of sports activities are available, mini golf, rock climbing, ropes course, etc

- I am gluten free, so they need to handle that well and easily, DCL does great with this.

- We generally eat in the mdrs, so decent food there is a must

- A good buffet for lunch and breakfast

- General theme is a decent selection of free food available on the ship, not a fan of upcharge meals

- We casually drink on the ship, but don't plant in a bar for a night, so would be curious about the drink packages. Going without soda probably wouldn't work for me

- Also looking for friendly service, I have a hard time believing that DCL hired the only good cms

 

Any insight on if we would be a good fit for this line would be appreciated.

[jelayne]

The active things you mentioned are not on Celebrity ships- no mini-golf, water slides, rock walls, wave riders or rope course. You may want to look at Royal Caribbean which has the active things you are looking for and has better production shows IMHO.

[hcat]

No lap pools, slides, ropes, zip lines, rock walls, mini golf..

 

Great gym, yoga, "cycling", indoor solarium, spa....

 

May not be active enough on the sports end...

 

Other than that, you might love it!

[cgolf1]

The sports stuff is always a bonus, that would be used if it were there. As far as the pools go, even the DCL dream class fail with their horribly designed adult pool. Their classics that we have sailed the most have a small but standard shape pool which works for us, but is really short. So if they have a standard shaped pool I am guessing it couldn't be much smaller.

[stratixman]

Sounds like RCCL would fit your interest a bit better, although we have enjoyed eevry Celebrity cruise we have ever taken, including one we took several years ago with our then college aged daughters.

[Alsmez]

We are previous DCL cruisers looking to switch to another line due to the rising costs. I have to do this on the individual lines we are interested in because I didn't see a general thread where I could ask this.

 

My wife and I are late 30's early 40's with a college aged daughter. When we cruise our habits are as follows.

 

- Like trivia type events

- Like active events like a golf chipping contest for example

- Free cooking demos are always fun

- Not a fan of sitting around all day reading and laying out in the sun, so activities to keep us busy are key

- Enjoy comedy acts and production shows. Quality of both matters, don't mind off color comedy as long as it is done well

- We really like to swim, if there was a pool you could do mini laps in that would be great

- I love water slides, but only really do each one a few times a cruise

- Would be interested in what type of sports activities are available, mini golf, rock climbing, ropes course, etc

- I am gluten free, so they need to handle that well and easily, DCL does great with this.

- We generally eat in the mdrs, so decent food there is a must

- A good buffet for lunch and breakfast

- General theme is a decent selection of free food available on the ship, not a fan of upcharge meals

- We casually drink on the ship, but don't plant in a bar for a night, so would be curious about the drink packages. Going without soda probably wouldn't work for me

- Also looking for friendly service, I have a hard time believing that DCL hired the only good cms

 

Any insight on if we would be a good fit for this line would be appreciated.

 

DH and I are late 30s early 40s as well, and we love Celebrity. However, given the list you provided, I'm not sure Celebrity is a perfect fit for you. Food and drink-wise, I think you'd be fine. Celebrity has a decent buffet and MDR, and they will have no issue with your gluten-free needs. There are a number of upcharge eating venues, but you can eat very well without ever paying an extra dime. The drink packages are a great even if you are not a big alcohol consumer, but even if you don't have one, the a la carte prices for drinks/sodas are approximately the same as what you'll find on other lines. Service is excellent overall, no worries there.

 

As far as activities go, though, you may find Celebrity lacking. They do have good shows (the Cirque du Soleil-style show is good, and they have various comedians and live music, etc.), but there aren't a lot of sporty activities available. No rock climbing, no ice rinks, no water slides. The pools are on the small side so swimming laps is difficult/impossible. The Solstice-class ships have some lawn games and things, but in general, there are far fewer sporty/active activities on Celebrity than on other lines. I don't know what type of experience your daughter would be looking for, but looking back I think I might have been bored if I sailed with Celebrity when I was her age.

 

Given the list you laid out in your post, I think Carnival or maybe Royal Caribbean would be a better fit for you and your family at this point. I did a Carnival cruise in my mid-20s and LOVED it - I don't think it's the right line for me now, but it was a lot of fun when I was younger!

[chemmo]

Sounds like RCCL would fit your interest a bit better, although we have enjoyed eevry Celebrity cruise we have ever taken, including one we took several years ago with our then college aged daughters.

 

We really enjoyed RCCL when our son was younger and wanted lots of activities. The bigger the ship on RCCL the more the range of shows and activities. Now as a family we are more happy with a rest and relaxation break which we see as X's strength.

 

I suggest you, and your family research on line some RCCL ships and cruises and some X ones and see which you think is the best fit for you at the moment. The Oasis and Allure are adventure parks in their own right! In terms of accommodation I suggest you do some research too...There are a variety of rooms on both ships more suitable when travelling with a young adult.

 

Whatever you choose, have a great family cruise!

[schlimazel_traveler]

We (my husband and I, middle-aged with college-aged daughters) sailed Celebrity twice with college-aged young ladies, once on Reflection and once on Summit. We are also looking for fun activities to do on board--trivia, interactive games, karaoke, etc. Although we managed to have a good time on both cruises, I'm not convinced Celebrity is the right line for us, because it really doesn't emphasize these aspects. The experience on Summit was notably better than on Reflection in that respect--the activities host was much more enthusiastic and engaging, and the spaces used for the activities were more suitable. The activities on Reflection felt like an obligatory afterthought. The activities hosts weren't into it, and the guy who hosted karaoke acted like he had been taken hostage and forced into servitude hosting karaoke on a cruise ship.

 

We also have done two Royal Caribbean cruises with our young adults, and I'd say the activities program was more extensive and we had more fun things to do.

 

On the other hand, the food on Celebrity--the quality, the variety, the general availability--was much better than on Royal. Now, granted, we were on the smallest of Royal's ships (Enchantment and Grandeur). The soda options were better on Royal (we liked the self-serve Freestyle machines which offered lots of diet soda options and didn't mind schlepping around our insulated mugs)--Celebrity has a soda package that offers canned sodas, but there are only a limited number of choices.

 

I was on the verge of trying Norwegian (the activities host on the Summit, who'd started on Norwegian, thought we might like it) but the Norwegian loyalist who post on Cruise Critic have been bemoaning change after change for the worst on NCL and that has put me off from giving it a try.

Edited January 17, 2016 by schlimazel_traveler

[LabGuy64]

I think you should look into RCL.....I especially think your daughter would prefer it.

 

 

 

We are previous DCL cruisers looking to switch to another line due to the rising costs. I have to do this on the individual lines we are interested in because I didn't see a general thread where I could ask this.

 

My wife and I are late 30's early 40's with a college aged daughter. When we cruise our habits are as follows.

 

- Like trivia type events

- Like active events like a golf chipping contest for example

- Free cooking demos are always fun

- Not a fan of sitting around all day reading and laying out in the sun, so activities to keep us busy are key

- Enjoy comedy acts and production shows. Quality of both matters, don't mind off color comedy as long as it is done well

- We really like to swim, if there was a pool you could do mini laps in that would be great

- I love water slides, but only really do each one a few times a cruise

- Would be interested in what type of sports activities are available, mini golf, rock climbing, ropes course, etc

- I am gluten free, so they need to handle that well and easily, DCL does great with this.

- We generally eat in the mdrs, so decent food there is a must

- A good buffet for lunch and breakfast

- General theme is a decent selection of free food available on the ship, not a fan of upcharge meals

- We casually drink on the ship, but don't plant in a bar for a night, so would be curious about the drink packages. Going without soda probably wouldn't work for me

- Also looking for friendly service, I have a hard time believing that DCL hired the only good cms

 

Any insight on if we would be a good fit for this line would be appreciated.

[Cruise Raider]

- Also looking for friendly service, I have a hard time believing that DCL hired the only good cms

 

 

I agree with the others, sounds like Royal Caribbean or even Carnival or Princess would be more to your liking based on your comments.

I do have to ask, though...what is DCL ... and cms? I am just curious.

[purpletequila]

Yup. Take a different line. I'm early 40s, been on 4 Celeb cruises and I'm done. They've bored me to death and into changing lines. There is very, very little to do during the day, same for the night.

[cgolf1]

I agree with the others, sounds like Royal Caribbean or even Carnival or Princess would be more to your liking based on your comments.

 

I do have to ask, though...what is DCL ... and cms? I am just curious.

 

 

Disney cruise lines. I am led to believe that they have the best staff, but I know other lines have good staff too. CM is what they call the staff, I even forget what if means.

[mandream]

Disney cruise lines. I am led to believe that they have the best staff, but I know other lines have good staff too. CM is what they call the staff, I even forget what if means.

 

Given it is Disney, I'd have to assume CM = Cast Member. That's what they call the staff at the parks and resorts.

 

Mike

[kitty9]

Celebrity has reduced their entertainment staff so they no longer have as many trivia/name that tune type games that they once did. I agree with others that Royal Caribbean would be a better choice.

[Guest]

I have sailed on both Celebrity (Eclipse) and RCL (Adventure), i was 18 when i went on the Eclipse and 20 when i was on the Adventure of the Seas. I throughly enjoyed them both, but each had their ups and downs

 

Celebrity:

- Better service, friendlier staff, more attentive staff

- Better Self Serve and MDR. Great burgers round the pool (which i missed on RCL)

- Nicer cabins (although i am aware the newer RCL ships are similar to the Solstice class cabins)

- I loved relaxing in the solarium, especially after an hour or so in the gym!

 

Royal Caribbean:

- More engaging entertainment (Awesome street parties, Queen tribute band)

- More to do during sea days (Rock Climbing, Mini golf)

- Cabins did not even compare to Celebrity- horrible plastic deck furniture and pebbledash floor, rusty balconies, worn furniture.

 

If i wasn't up to scratch on my cruise knowledge, and didnt know RCI had newer ships with nice cabins (see the Allure or Quantum on Google Street View) I would not cruise with them again after sailing on the Adventure.

 

However, i would like to try an Oasis/Quantum class ship in the future, if it is just me and my boyfriend travelling. When there is a group of you, you make your own entertainment!

 

Hope that helps!

[irishgal1970]

My sister and I are 42 and 45 respectively, and are relatively new to cruising. Celebrity has been our only experience (two cruises for me and one for her). This time around I wanted to try RC to see if a more active ship would suit us better. She demurred and wanted to go on Celebrity again precisely because it's more quiet and relaxed. She thought we'd see a lot of kids on RC and she was quite happy with the older crowd on X. If you knew us, you'd know that this is incredibly ironic as she was the party gal growing up and I was not. Anyway, I don't think X is for you, because there is very little in the way of quality activities. Basically, you eat, you lounge, you drink, and you walk the ship. You also get some reading and napping in too. If you want to test it out, find a cheap, short cruise and call the fare a research cost.

[Giorgi-one]

I would suggest on of the Royal Caribbean megaships - Oasis, Allure or Harmony (new this year)

 

However, if you do choose Celebrity, shop around. You should be able to get free beverage package, prepaid gratuities and some OBC if you book with the right agency,

[Giorgi-one]

I noticed some replies suggested Carnival. If you have sailed on Disney, you would never want to sail on a Carnival ship.

[cgolf1]

I noticed some replies suggested Carnival. If you have sailed on Disney, you would never want to sail on a Carnival ship.

 

 

We have never personally sailed Carnival, but enough of my wife's coworkers have. The information that she has gotten from them along with the stories was enough for us to decide it was not the line for us.

[Cruise Raider]

Disney cruise lines. I am led to believe that they have the best staff, but I know other lines have good staff too. CM is what they call the staff, I even forget what if means.

 

Thank you; that was making me a little crazy trying to figure it out.

[Queen of Oakville]

Did not read all the replies, so sorry if this is repetitive!

 

- Like trivia type events

Celebrity is a good fit

- Like active events like a golf chipping contest for example

Will not find this on X - don't know of a line that offers it

- Free cooking demos are always fun

Book on X for a Top Chef at Sea sailing. You will find all the cooking demos you want and will also meet some Celebrity Chefs. HAL is also good for cooking events

- Not a fan of sitting around all day reading and laying out in the sun, so activities to keep us busy are key

- Enjoy comedy acts and production shows. Quality of both matters, don't mind off color comedy as long as it is done well

Entertainment is not a strongsuit for X. If entertainment particularly DCL level ... look at Royal or Carnival or NCL and stick with their newer ships

- We really like to swim, if there was a pool you could do mini laps in that would be great

- I love water slides, but only really do each one a few times a cruise

Not on X :( Maybe Carnival or NCL (newer ships)

- Would be interested in what type of sports activities are available, mini golf, rock climbing, ropes course, etc

Royal sounds like a good fit. None of these will be found on an X ship

- I am gluten free, so they need to handle that well and easily, DCL does great with this.

IMHO X is the best cruise line at sea for food restrictions. My son is peanut allergic and we are so very impressed with how X handles this. I've only heard good things as far as GF is concerned. And this includes buffet areas too.

- We generally eat in the mdrs, so decent food there is a must

- A good buffet for lunch and breakfast

MDR food on X is on par with HAL and exceeds all the other mainstream lines. Buffet food on X is the best we've found

- General theme is a decent selection of free food available on the ship, not a fan of upcharge meals

- We casually drink on the ship, but don't plant in a bar for a night, so would be curious about the drink packages. Going without soda probably wouldn't work for me

- Also looking for friendly service, I have a hard time believing that DCL hired the only good cms

Best service we've found has been on X or HAL

 

 

I don't think there is a cruiseline out there that will give you everything you want (at least none that I have encountered. If you want "activities" go with Royal. If you want food and service - go with X or HAL

[cgolf1]

Want to thank everyone for the help with our decision. It was a difficult one ultimately between Celebrity and Royal, and it came down to how the dining times worked out. We really felt we couldn't go wrong with either, each checked different things off our list. We will be sailing on the Freedom of the Seas and we are super excited to go:)

[Cruise a holic]

We are previous DCL cruisers looking to switch to another line due to the rising costs. I have to do this on the individual lines we are interested in because I didn't see a general thread where I could ask this.

 

My wife and I are late 30's early 40's with a college aged daughter. When we cruise our habits are as follows.

 

- Like trivia type events

- Like active events like a golf chipping contest for example

- Free cooking demos are always fun

- Not a fan of sitting around all day reading and laying out in the sun, so activities to keep us busy are key

- Enjoy comedy acts and production shows. Quality of both matters, don't mind off color comedy as long as it is done well

- We really like to swim, if there was a pool you could do mini laps in that would be great

- I love water slides, but only really do each one a few times a cruise

- Would be interested in what type of sports activities are available, mini golf, rock climbing, ropes course, etc

- I am gluten free, so they need to handle that well and easily, DCL does great with this.

- We generally eat in the mdrs, so decent food there is a must

- A good buffet for lunch and breakfast

- General theme is a decent selection of free food available on the ship, not a fan of upcharge meals

- We casually drink on the ship, but don't plant in a bar for a night, so would be curious about the drink packages. Going without soda probably wouldn't work for me

- Also looking for friendly service, I have a hard time believing that DCL hired the only good cms

 

Any insight on if we would be a good fit for this line would be appreciated.

 

While I love Celebrity, I would suggest you consider Royal Caribbean Oasis class ships. THey have everything you need. The food IMO is better on Celebrity, but the other activities you mention are available (and then some) on the Oasis class ships. Freedom class on RC another good option. I suggest you avoid the Quantum class and the Older RC ships.

 

Enjoy!!

[wallie5446]

Want to thank everyone for the help with our decision. It was a difficult one ultimately between Celebrity and Royal, and it came down to how the dining times worked out. We really felt we couldn't go wrong with either, each checked different things off our list. We will be sailing on the Freedom of the Seas and we are super excited to go:)

 

We sailed the Freedom in 2011, my wife is Celiac, and the took very good care of her. There is a totally dedicated area of the kitchen with it's own staff to prep and handle food for the special needs pax to avoid cross contamination.

 

Are you just doing 'Gluten Free' or also have Celiac?

 

That said, our last 3 cruises in 2013/14/15 have been on Celebrity, and the concern shown for her was amazing.

EW

Edited January 22, 2016 by wallie5446