Celebrity vs Royal

[chemmo]

Thanks for the reply:)....I am sailing with my sister (she is a well traveled

person/cruiser too) so hopefully we will have a fun week together:)

 

I hope you have a great cruise. Just a final point....I don't know what room you have booked but if there is a chance to upgrade to a GS or an OS both are really nice spacious cabins. The conceirge lounge is one of the few in the fleet with both inside and outside space, really nice for evening cocktails but also nice for afternoon coffee.

 

Much as we now tend to stay with Celebrity, I think this size of ship on RC is really nice.

[gw2fll]

My upcoming cruise is the opposite......after 13 years and many cruises

on X, I am sailing Royal in October on Serenade of the Seas. I chose

it due to the itinerary.....Canada/New England. I have read a lot about

the ship and it seems to be in the "M Class size" category....(which I

like).

Normally I would have booked Summit but she only does 2 weekers

for this itinerary and that is one week too long for me.

 

Looking forward to it:)

 

Lois: Just returned from our second sailing on Serenade. Wonderful cruise. She is a smaller ship (have not sailed M Class yet to provide a comparison), but will mention a few things you will notice - good or bad dependent on your perspective.

 

Serenade is designed with a lot of glass to provide wonderful views of the ocean. Especially when using the central elevators. Her main venue decks, e.g., decks 4, 5, and 6 are "closed in" - unlike the design on S Class (or the Promenade on Voyager Class and above) which provide that multi-level openness feeling (think shopping mall - LOL).

 

You will notice a good selection of alternative dining venue's available - different from S Class, but good. (Don't miss the Park Café on deck 10. Wonderful "custom" salads and the famous roast beef sandwich (ask for an extra slice or two of beef to improve the "meat to bread ratio".)

 

Service is good to excellent. Our last sailing was in the Royal Suite - and I guess our expectations were a little too high from a service-level perspective. The little / special touch's like a bridge tour - nothing elaborate. In the past we received an invitation to the tour, but we had to ask while our suitemates received an invitation (even other "events" we missed out on). In retrospect, I think the difference is due to butler on Celebrity vs using the Concierge on RCCL. Still, a wonderful cruise and experience. Do it again in a heartbeat.

 

I really think you will have a great cruise on a wonderful ship on a great ship. Have a great cruise.

 

PS Hate you were unable to join us on Solstice back in 2013. Perhaps some point in the future?

[chemmo]

 

Service is good to excellent. Our last sailing was in the Royal Suite - and I guess our expectations were a little too high from a service-level perspective. The little / special touch's like a bridge tour - nothing elaborate. In the past we received an invitation to the tour, but we had to ask while our suitemates received an invitation (even other "events" we missed out on). In retrospect, I think the difference is due to butler on Celebrity vs using the Concierge on RCCL. Still, a wonderful cruise and experience. Do it again in a heartbeat.

 

 

Very good point re differences between the two lines which I had not really reflected on until I read your post! When we book PH or RS on Celebrity we are made to feel 'pampered' by all those small but significant touches, when we have cruised RS or OS on Royal we have felt we have just got a bigger room and conceirge access.....We cruised suites on Royal before cruising on Celebrity so we did not expect more than we received....perhaps another reason for not going back!

[Lois R]

I hope you have a great cruise. Just a final point....I don't know what room you have booked but if there is a chance to upgrade to a GS or an OS both are really nice spacious cabins. The conceirge lounge is one of the few in the fleet with both inside and outside space, really nice for evening cocktails but also nice for afternoon coffee.

 

Much as we now tend to stay with Celebrity, I think this size of ship on RC is really nice.

 

Hi, we have an AFT Balcony on deck 8. Suites are not in the cards.

[Lois R]

Lois: Just returned from our second sailing on Serenade. Wonderful cruise. She is a smaller ship (have not sailed M Class yet to provide a comparison), but will mention a few things you will notice - good or bad dependent on your perspective.

 

Serenade is designed with a lot of glass to provide wonderful views of the ocean. Especially when using the central elevators. Her main venue decks, e.g., decks 4, 5, and 6 are "closed in" - unlike the design on S Class (or the Promenade on Voyager Class and above) which provide that multi-level openness feeling (think shopping mall - LOL).

 

You will notice a good selection of alternative dining venue's available - different from S Class, but good. (Don't miss the Park Café on deck 10. Wonderful "custom" salads and the famous roast beef sandwich (ask for an extra slice or two of beef to improve the "meat to bread ratio".)

 

Service is good to excellent. Our last sailing was in the Royal Suite - and I guess our expectations were a little too high from a service-level perspective. The little / special touch's like a bridge tour - nothing elaborate. In the past we received an invitation to the tour, but we had to ask while our suitemates received an invitation (even other "events" we missed out on). In retrospect, I think the difference is due to butler on Celebrity vs using the Concierge on RCCL. Still, a wonderful cruise and experience. Do it again in a heartbeat.

 

I really think you will have a great cruise on a wonderful ship on a great ship. Have a great cruise.

 

PS Hate you were unable to join us on Solstice back in 2013. Perhaps some point in the future?

 

Thanks for the reply:)....we are booked in an AFT Balcony and I am

sure we will be fine. Suites are not in the cards.

 

As for sailing on Celebrity again? I don't know when that will be.....

I took my first River Cruise back in April and it it was fabulous.......I

booked another one for next year so after this cruise in October I don't

know when my next ocean cruise will take place.

 

Glad you enjoyed Serenade and I am sure we will too.:).

[villauk]

Thanks for the reply:)....we are booked in an AFT Balcony and I am

sure we will be fine. Suites are not in the cards.

 

As for sailing on Celebrity again? I don't know when that will be.....

I took my first River Cruise back in April and it it was fabulous.......I

booked another one for next year so after this cruise in October I don't

know when my next ocean cruise will take place.

 

Glad you enjoyed Serenade and I am sure we will too.:).

 

Lois,

 

Radiance class ships do have a real connection with the ocean because of all the glass ;). They are a nice size and we especially enjoy the Schooner Bar :).

 

Thanks for updating us on the river cruise; I did wonder how you had enjoyed your first river trip.

[OCA REP]

You will sacrifice some fun however Celebrity seems to be trying to appeal to a younger group with blaring music in the martini bar. You could not have a conversation.

 

Our last two cruises have been on M-Class vessels, the Summit and Infinity, and blaring music at the Martini Bar was not a concern. There was definitely a good beat playing, but that did not stop or impede good conversation between bar patrons at all!

[ECCruise]

I just checked all Asia cruise for Royal and the only ones that came up were less than 7 days out of Singapore.

 

I did find more choices on transpacific cruise. Royal has one from Seattle to Sydney. It has another that stops in NZ ends in Hawaii.

 

The search functions sometimes are not the best.

 

Mariner does a good many 7 days.

Ovation has some SIN-HKG trips, 9-12 days

Legend does a HKG-SIN 7 day and a 14 day SIN-Dubai

 

But you are right, most of the trips that touch Asia are Transpacific

[Lois R]

Lois,

 

Radiance class ships do have a real connection with the ocean because of all the glass ;). They are a nice size and we especially enjoy the Schooner Bar :).

 

Thanks for updating us on the river cruise; I did wonder how you had enjoyed your first river trip.

 

Hi, there is a review on the River Cruise Forum if you want to read it.:)

[villauk]

Hi, there is a review on the River Cruise Forum if you want to read it.:)

 

Thanks, I'll pop over and read it :).

[villauk]

Hi, there is a review on the River Cruise Forum if you want to read it.:)

 

Wow, certainly sounds like you had a wonderful time. Liked the little touches from the company, even the postcard after you returned :).

[Lastdance]

Thanks for the reply:)....we are booked in an AFT Balcony and I am

 

sure we will be fine. Suites are not in the cards.

 

 

 

As for sailing on Celebrity again? I don't know when that will be.....

 

I took my first River Cruise back in April and it it was fabulous.......I

 

booked another one for next year so after this cruise in October I don't

 

know when my next ocean cruise will take place.

 

 

 

Glad you enjoyed Serenade and I am sure we will too.:).

 

 

My DH and I have been thinking about a river cruise. Would you be so kind as to provide some details about yours?

 

Many thanks,

S

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Lois R]

My DH and I have been thinking about a river cruise. Would you be so kind as to provide some details about yours?

 

Many thanks,

S

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

 

Hi,:) this is probably not the best thread to help......how about this,

go over to the "river cruise" forum and I will be happy to give you

lots of details over there:).....

[taylortime05]

Does Celebrity have good evening entertainment? We like shows, don't have to be broad way shows. We enjoys comedy shows, live entertainment, etc.

 

Thank you for any feedback.

[MOcruiserman]

Does Celebrity have good evening entertainment? We like shows, don't have to be broad way shows. We enjoys comedy shows, live entertainment, etc.

 

Thank you for any feedback.

When I was on the Summit they had three production shows (singing, dancing, aerial) (excellent), a magician (okay), two comedians (one fair, one good) and a Four Seasons tribute group (good). All the shows were worth seeing.

[hcat]

We used to cruise both lines but since the mega ships arrived at Royal...they are just not our cup of tea..too much like a floating mall with mediocre food court, pools are over crowded and too many lines..have to reserve events ahead of time..,,,great for families and very active folks with rock walls, zip lines, ice skating etc,,,. They do have a nice Diamond cocktail hr in the evening...

 

Celeb although declining somewhat is still much more elegant, upscale and is recently more lively with a range of ages of cruisers..,since the alc packages there are cruisers from Royal, Norwegian and Carnival....making for a diverse demographic. Music and shows still hit or miss but always something to enjoy if not too fussy!

 

Celebrity AQ is where we have found our niche...

[Lois R]

Wow, certainly sounds like you had a wonderful time. Liked the little touches from the company, even the postcard after you returned :).

 

Yes, I did:)....it was in my top 2 cruises....or maybe A and 1A;)

[taylortime05]

When I was on the Summit they had three production shows (singing, dancing, aerial) (excellent), a magician (okay), two comedians (one fair, one good) and a Four Seasons tribute group (good). All the shows were worth seeing.

 

Thank you for the feedback!