Trying to decide to try Celebrity or stay with Royal Caribbean

[susiedag]

Hello! I am a diamond member with Royal Caribbean but really like some of the port options for Celebrity. Does anyone have any pros or cons that have taken a trip with Celebrity? Thanks, Susie

[Midwestgal]

Why not try Celebrity just to do something different ? Mix it up a little.

[Langley Cruisers]

Hi Susie - we are Diamond members too and tried Celebrity for the first time last year on an Alaskan cruise. It was wonderful. :) Celebrity has a strict no indoor smoking policy and that was amazing, plus we really enjoyed the service and the food. Royal and X have reciprocal status with the C&A and Captain's Club programs; you simply have to sign up for Celebrity Captain's Club (have your C&A number handy) and you can enjoy their wonderful perks for that level, which include some free internet time, a free bag of laundry, Elite breakfast, and nightly drinks.

 

Absolutely try them... then you'll know. :)

 

.

[ABC91779]

I have sailed on both. My husband and I prefer Celebrity. Before sailing we were told that it is an "older" crowd but I just see it as a more mature crowd. We were 34/37 on our first celebrity cruise and had a great time. Food is great, Pool is relaxing, Drinks were perfect. Best cruise we have been on. I will say that Royal has more activities but celebrity is classier.

[Clarea]

If you do decide to try Celebrity, be sure to call their Captain's Club to get reciprocity with your Diamond level on Royal. They will give you Elite level on Celebrity, which I believe still comes with some sort of category upgrade perk.

[MommaBear55]

I have sailed Celebrity twice and am diamond on Royal. Our first cruise on Celebrity was a disappointment as it was a 5 day booze cruise and the last cruise before the ship went into dry dock, so the staff just didn't care about cleanliness or maintenance. We did enjoy the food and the live music. Second cruise was much more enjoyable because that ship was in much better shape, the staff was better and the food, entertainment and live music were still very good. Overall we prefer Royal's ships, but would happily do another Celebrity cruise for the right ports.

[peteukmcr]

No smoking casinos on celebrity- woo hoo! Everything else IMHO is a step up from RCI in terms of food quality, service and dining options. Martini Bar and cafe el Bacio alone knocks spots off RCI. Entertainment may not be as good, but it depends what you want from a cruise, and we don't need Broadway shows, ice rinks, zip lines, bumper cars, rock climbing, surf simulators etc.

[dln929]

Hello! I am a diamond member with Royal Caribbean but really like some of the port options for Celebrity. Does anyone have any pros or cons that have taken a trip with Celebrity? Thanks, Susie

 

Susie, go for it! Variety is the spice of life. We started out cruising with Royal Caribbean and then switched over to Celebrity because we disliked RCI's smoking policy. We stayed with X long enough to become Elite with them but then, when RCI banned smoking on the balconies, we came right back. Well, and then there were a few cruises in between with Azamara. We liked them all! Each has its high points and special features. You know how every class of ship on RCI "feels" different because they are so wildly different despite all being Royal? That's what it's like when you venture over to the sister brands. I'd say find some new ports on Celebrity and have fun. :D

[JillK]

My family cruised aboard the Silhouette last year, and my hubby and I have just returned from the Jan 30th sailing of the Oasis.

 

You seem to really love Royal, so I think you will also enjoy Celebrity as much - if not more so - than Royal.

 

While hubby and I thoroughly enjoyed our cruise aboard the Oasis, we couldn't help but compare it to the Silhouette and we concluded that we preferred Celebrity over Royal. Neither of us can articulate exactly why, just overall we feel that Celebrity has a touch of something a bit more special.

 

So give Celebrity a try - still in the family, but something different.

 

Jill

[CruisingChick]

Hello! I am a diamond member with Royal Caribbean but really like some of the port options for Celebrity. Does anyone have any pros or cons that have taken a trip with Celebrity? Thanks, Susie

 

Depends on what you like when you cruise. We have done 21 Celebrity cruises and only 2 RCCL. Doing #3 in 26 days on Anthem.

 

Overall I like the food and service better on Celebrity.

 

RCCL has more activities, bigger ships and just overall different vibe. Both cruise lines are good, but if you like all the bells and whistles on RCCL, Celebrity might seem boring to you.

[cmstl97]

I'm interested in the responses here...I would consider essentially all of Celebrity's 7 day Eastern and Western's from POM or FLL for next winter. I'm just nervous after cruising RCL and NCL that we will get bored on a Celebrity ship with the lack of nightlife. Daytime activities aren't so important but we're not ones to go to bed at 9pm either. They are still offering a drink package included which is a big selling point for us though.

[CruisingChick]

I'm interested in the responses here...I would consider essentially all of Celebrity's 7 day Eastern and Western's from POM or FLL for next winter. I'm just nervous after cruising RCL and NCL that we will get bored on a Celebrity ship with the lack of nightlife. Daytime activities aren't so important but we're not ones to go to bed at 9pm either. They are still offering a drink package included which is a big selling point for us though.

 

The do have some stuff in the evening, late night comedy, Liars Club - which is hysterical, Dancing with the Strips, Newlywend/Not so Newlywed Game (another funny one), Party on the Pool Deck, so it's not dead at 9 PM, but if you want to party until 2 AM then you are on the wrong cruise line unless you book a Spring Break or Mardi Gras Cruise.

Edited February 10, 2016 by CruisingChick

[grandgeezer]

No smoking casinos on celebrity- woo hoo! Everything else IMHO is a step up from RCI in terms of food quality, service and dining options. Martini Bar and cafe el Bacio alone knocks spots off RCI. Entertainment may not be as good, but it depends what you want from a cruise, and we don't need Broadway shows, ice rinks, zip lines, bumper cars, rock climbing, surf simulators etc.

 

When we were on the Silhouette in December, the starboard side of the casino had smokers and the port side was smoke free. If that's not the way it should be, it wasn't enforced, but what is?

[cmstl97]

The do have some stuff in the evening, late night comedy, Liars Club - which is hysterical, Dancing with the Strips, Newlywend/Not so Newlywed Game (another funny one), Party on the Pool Deck, so it's not dead at 9 PM, but if you want to party until 2 AM then you are on the wrong cruise line unless you book a Spring Break or Mardi Gras Cruise.

 

We're early/mid 30's so I think those type of things would be enough to keep us occupied. If we did a western with 4 ports and 2 sea days, I bet we would be worn out from being in port to do all that much in the evening anyway. Shooting for a February booking to purposely avoid the spring break crowd.

 

I can also get 10% cash back plus double cash back at the end of the year with my credit card so a seven day with balcony, plus tips and drinks included is just shy of $2000 total. Can't complain about that!

[CruisingChick]

We're early/mid 30's so I think those type of things would be enough to keep us occupied. If we did a western with 4 ports and 2 sea days, I bet we would be worn out from being in port to do all that much in the evening anyway. Shooting for a February booking to purposely avoid the spring break crowd.

 

I can also get 10% cash back plus double cash back at the end of the year with my credit card so a seven day with balcony, plus tips and drinks included is just shy of $2000 total. Can't complain about that!

 

I'd say go for it. You will have a good time. You will love the martini bar.

[silvermcs]

Helpful comments. We are D+ on Royal and sail with the kids. My son (14) would 'die' if we went on a ship without a flowrider. As they start to go to college and DW and I can cruise without them, I would really like to give Celebrity a try. It is all in the family.

[runawaysoul]

Thanks for sharing your experiences! I'm also trying to decide between the 2. It doesn't feel like I'm "cheating" on Royal at all. I thoroughly enjoyed my first 3 cruises on Carnival, and never would've discovered how amazing Royal was/is if I didn't try them. I'm also in my 30s, but I feel that Celebrity would be a great fit. I'm pretty much convinced that my next cruise will be on Celebrity. I've only got 22 points as a C&A member, which would take forever to get to the next level. Can't miss what you never had!

[CruisingChick]

Helpful comments. We are D+ on Royal and sail with the kids. My son (14) would 'die' if we went on a ship without a flowrider. As they start to go to college and DW and I can cruise without them, I would really like to give Celebrity a try. It is all in the family.

 

Since you are D+ you will get reciprocal benefits in the Captain's Club at the Elite level. Now I must warn you the Elite lounge is nothing like the Diamond Lounge, not even in the same ballpark. One area where Royal exceeds Celebrity.

 

We are Elite+ on Celebrity so we come over to Royal as Diamond. That's as high as they cross over.

[papaflamingo]

We are D+. We did our first Celebrity on Reflection in late 2014. We were in Aqua Suites (a cabin class that is no longer) so our dining room was Blu. I liked Blu. Cleaner eating and very nice. But a bit crowded. The crowd should be less since the suites have been dropped. We also did Qsine, Murano, Tuscan Grill, and Lawn Club Grill. I liked ALL the specialty restaurants.

The service was great. We had a Butler. Everyday he'd come by around 3:30 with ice tea and hors d'oeurves. Very nice touch. Entertainment was ok. Not the level of Oasis Class though.

The ship is beautiful. Total non-smoking indoors. That's nice. And the Martini Bar is wonderful. Problem was most the bars closed early. No real night life that we found. No piano bar. The other bar World Class maybe? Had the best drinks ever. But it closed early.

So, my impressions. I am 64. We love Schooner Bar and the Pub when there is entertainment. That was lacking on Celebrity. The Elite cocktail hour was so-so. It was hard to get a drink and they walked around with hors d'oeurves and handed them out one at a time. I like just grabbing a small plate for the table while we drink. And it wasn't that crowded. Not nearly as intimate as the Diamond Lounge or CL on Royal Caribbean. No real chance to meet others.

Rooms, decor, service, impeccable. Ship has some nice area like the Lawn area. But for me, I prefer Royal Caribbean. Having said that, you should definitely give Celebrity a try. It might just be for you. I will go again, but it'll be itinerary and price based. In fact one of my "dislikes" about Quantum was it is a merge between Celebrity and Royal Caribbean. I just prefer Royal Caribbean.

Anyway, I'd give it a go if I were you. But as mentioned, make sure you establish as an Elite Captains Club member. It's free and easy.

 

Oh, one other comment. They had a party one night, I don't remember what they called it. But it showed up in the daily news letter. It was $20 and was dessert and drinks (desert type). Many of the entertainment cast were there and they sang and danced and did some acrobatics, all among the passengers. We were part of the show. It was like an old speakeasy in costuming. One of the dancers wore a "skirt" that had desserts on it. You just picked one you like and took it. It was the most fun activity of the week. Only a handful attended and was more than worth the $20 entrance fee. So keep an eye out for something like that. Don't know if it was unique or not, but by far the best evening party on any ship.

Edited February 10, 2016 by papaflamingo

[George C]

We are diamond also and tried them about 6 years ago , it was a truly beautiful ship, great specialty restaurants also preferred there WJ buffet. Best of all we were upgraded to a aft sky suite which was great, But really disliked there entertainment also disliked food in MDR, we had a new waiter that was pretty bad. Have not tried them since but will most likely give them another chance, its good to see what other lines have.

[yuvraj]

I tried Celebrity once and really enjoyed it. Different experience, more laid back. My view, booking a suite makes a big difference especially when combined with D / Elite membership.

 

Food was ok, but the shows were excellent. Also enjoyed the butler service that comes with the suite.

 

Highlight for me were the speciality restaurants. You get 2 complementary bookings with a suite. Excellent food and service, comparable to the best land based restaurants.

 

A different experience which contrasts what Royal Caribbean offer. Classy and laid back IMO.

[going2cruz]

Celebrity has won us .......they brought back our love of cruising when we about done with it.............

[sjb317]

We have done 37 cruises on Royal and 1 on Celebrity. While we enjoyed our Celebrity cruise and have another cruise scheduled for Alaska this fall, we did miss Royal, especially some of the food!

 

And we did think the ship was pretty dead after 10pm.: But I liked the no smoking in the casino!:D

 

Sherri:)

[micmacmissy]

We are D+. We did our first Celebrity on Reflection in late 2014. We were in Aqua Suites (a cabin class that is no longer) so our dining room was Blu.

 

They still have Aqua class.

 

Give Celebrity a try- we think it's a step above Royal. Food is better (in buffet and in MDR, and Celebrity's specialty restaurants are great).

 

Other things we prefer on Celebrity:

 

-No 'hairy chest' contests or loud events at the pool. No "bingo bingo" announcements over the PA. More refined atmosphere overall.

 

-Wonderful live music and nice bars and lounges in the evenings. We had a hard time finding live music on Royal before 930pm.

 

-Great poolside grill that serves fresh made-to-order burgers.

 

-Homemade hard-scoop ice cream in the buffet; several flavors that change daily and tons of toppings...it is delicious!

 

-Casinos are smoke free

 

-Fewer kids and noisy groups on Celebrity (at least when we sailed)

 

-Adults only solarium is relaxing and wonderful!

[karena1]

We have done many many Royal cruises as you can see from my Signature. But we absolutely LOVED Silhouette. There was not one thing about it that we did not like. Ship was amazing.

 

We now look at whoever has the best deal b/t Royal and Celebrity. Hence we are doing Summit again in April 2017 b/c we got a great price for a balcony that included the bev pkg.

 

So we watch prices on both and also on Princess and go with whoever gives us the itin we want for the best price.