First time with celebrity

[wato1963]

Hi all,we have booked a cruise on the silhouette sailing around the Caribbean.

We have sailed the last few cruises with royal Caribbean but have got a bit bored and disappointed with them

What can we expect with celebrity in regards to dining entertainment and overall experience compared to Royal (obviously if anybody had sailed Royal)

We are excited about trying a new cruise line

 

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[MOcruiserman]

Better food than RCCL, similar entertainment (excluding the newer RCCL ships), beautiful ships, older passengers.

[dkjretired]

Hi all,we have booked a cruise on the silhouette sailing around the Caribbean.

We have sailed the last few cruises with royal Caribbean but have got a bit bored and disappointed with them

What can we expect with celebrity in regards to dining entertainment and overall experience compared to Royal (obviously if anybody had sailed Royal)

We are excited about trying a new cruise line

 

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You get reciprocal status on Celebrity to whatever your status would be on Royal. Just call Celebrity and get a Captain Club number and have it associated with your reservation.

[JimAOk1945]

I'm following this thread. We are considering a Med cruise next year. I'm sure we can learn from the input given here. We are also getting bored with RC.

 

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[Scotico]

Hi all,we have booked a cruise on the silhouette sailing around the Caribbean.

We have sailed the last few cruises with royal Caribbean but have got a bit bored and disappointed with them

What can we expect with celebrity in regards to dining entertainment and overall experience compared to Royal (obviously if anybody had sailed Royal)

We are excited about trying a new cruise line

 

Sent from my SM-A300FU using Forums mobile app

Just got of my first Celebrity cruise (reflection). Sailed both Allure and Oasis.

If you were bored with Royal, then don't expect much from Celebrity. Very slow and quiet. Found the entertainment dull unless you enjoy ballroom dancing and big band music (they cater to the elderly crowd). We enjoyed the entertainment on Royal a lot more than celebrity. We found that after 11pm, the ship is dead and many bars/areas shut down (casino shut down one night before 11pm)

We found the food about the same with both. Buffet is laid out better on Celebrity but selection was not that great (ended up eating most of the time in the alternative restaurants which were good but cost extra). We decided not to go back to Celebrity since we are in our upper 30's and enjoy a more exciting cruise. Also found some of the other guests to be very snobby.

[jsf]

X= Better food

RCCL=Better entertainment

X= Older passengers

RCCL= more family friendly

[chemmo]

Have cruised both...

 

Celebrity's strengths are food, rest and relaxation, general calm and more sophisticated (but not stuffy) atmosphere.

 

RC's strengths are to do with entertainment and activities.

 

Generally we prefer Celebrity as in the evening our preferred entertainment is pre dinner drinks with good company, a quality meal and post dinner drinks with background music, good company....We do watch an occasional show, join in an odd activity but generally do not need to be on the go all the time...

 

In summary we get off a Celebrity cruise knowing we have had a great holiday whereas we can get of an RC cruise needing one!

[wato1963]

Thanks for the input I think that's the sort of cruise we're looking for

 

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[keesar]

We have found the food to be better on Celebrity. Also, it is more relaxed and calmer. Older passengers and the place is dead after 11 pm.

 

RCL has a higher energy level, younger crowd, and better entertainment.

[Pier290]

We,are barely 40, been on 2 X ships and going on 3rd in april.....they are amazing....from food, to cleanliness, pools, RELAXING, atmosphere, cabins and more of a sophisticated crowd...we've always had a blast....we always get a drink package as every drink whether it's bottled water, juice, soda, beer or wine...they are expensive and add up per day!!!

 

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[JimAOk1945]

Celebrity sounds very appealing. I like the idea of quiet and relaxing as opposed to a lot of activity. I'm sure the atmosphere will appeal to my wife. I'm going to continue to follow this thread and do a lot of research.

 

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[OCruisers]

We have found the food to be better on Celebrity. Also, it is more relaxed and calmer. Older passengers and the place is dead after 11 pm.

RCL has a higher energy level, younger crowd, and better entertainment.

 

Agree with the above!

Still, we find X is better for us than RCCL. ;)

[Fish Lover]

Just got of my first Celebrity cruise (reflection). Sailed both Allure and Oasis.

If you were bored with Royal, then don't expect much from Celebrity. Very slow and quiet. Found the entertainment dull unless you enjoy ballroom dancing and big band music (they cater to the elderly crowd). We enjoyed the entertainment on Royal a lot more than celebrity. We found that after 11pm, the ship is dead and many bars/areas shut down (casino shut down one night before 11pm)

We found the food about the same with both. Buffet is laid out better on Celebrity but selection was not that great (ended up eating most of the time in the alternative restaurants which were good but cost extra). We decided not to go back to Celebrity since we are in our upper 30's and enjoy a more exciting cruise. Also found some of the other guests to be very snobby.

 

Celebrity does in fact appeal to an older passenger demographic,however I would hardly call the clientele "elderly". I may not be in my early to mid 40's anymore, but I would hardly consider myself elderly....and I fit right in. I find the description above to be way off base. We rarely turn in before 1am and the casino, dance club, and martini bar are still hopping. I don't find the guests to be snobby at all.

Edited March 17, 2017 by Fish Lover

[nhsails]

Two different base models. Royal's focus is family, ships and on board designed for that. Celebrity's focus is contemporary couple(s). More sophisticated than Royal. More ecclectic venues, think more club than theatre. When travel with kids & grands usually go Royal, adults or just us definitely Celebrity. Great if you want a romantic getaway.

[1stcruiser1]

We just got off of the Silhouette Sunday. It was one of our best cruises ever! The shows were some of the best that I have seen.

The dining room waiters and overall menu was excellent. A lot of variety at the Oceanview Cafe.

 

We closed down the Sunset Bar a few nights, they are open until midnight, and the bartenders there are fantastic!

 

Yes, the crowd was older, but we were couples in their, 20's, 50s and 60-70 and all had a wonderful time. Its all how you make it for yourselves, I could care less how old the passengers are. If your going to have a good time, you certainly will on that ship.

 

I actually just said to my husband tonight, I hope I don't miss Celebrity too much, we booked a Royal Caribbean one next year, only for the ports that we had missed when our ship broke down a few years ago, then back to Celebrity I am sure!

[TFLG]

Older passengers and the place is dead after 11 pm.

 

Depends on the cruise. We typically cruise with a group and usually close down the sky lounge, then head to Quasor. We've been in there till after 3am some nights. But yes, overall there is much less nightlife if that's your thing.

[NemoCrownie]

We are Diamond with RCI and sailed 11 night Equinox cruise last month...loved it! The live music was great, food a little better but more options, staff was much better, ship much cleaner, the officers were much more engaged. No negatives for us, in fact we now have two more booked and I don't see RCI in our future. Also, ironically, we did the 11 night on RCI and I think the 11 night demographic was actually a little younger on Celebrity for our cruises but I don't know if that was just luck. Also, there were activities and a lot of people up much later than us - 11ish is about my limit.

 

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[griffy116]

We're 3 generations of Royal cruisers from 60ish to 20's. All Diamond on Royal and going on our first Celebrity cruise in June. I'm the one in the 60's and was hesitant to book this cruise since my 23 year old Grandson and a friend are going along with us. While he has enjoyed the "bells and whistles" of the water slides, FlowRider, rock climbing walls and late night pool parties, and has been fiercely loyal to Royal in the past, when we mentioned Celebrity, he was ready. The friend he is bringing on this cruise was with us on a Royal cruise in December. When I mentioned that Celebrity is quieter and has an older crowd, they actually seemed to like the idea of a quieter more relaxing cruise. They said they walked up to the party on the pool deck late one night and strolled right back out. They aren't into the club scene and hated the CROWD. I'm a little nervous but excited a the same time, if that makes any sense. We have just regular old balcony cabins for everyone and we're looking forward to a FABULOUS cruise and new experiences on a new cruise line too.

[wato1963]

Thanks for all the replies,the info you have given is great

 

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[Cruising from Mississauga]

My first cruise was with Royal (Grandeur of the Seas) almost 20 years ago and I was hooked! I loved the atmosphere, I ate in the MDR whenever I could and loved the food, and the sense of elegance. The next one was Celebrity, and for me, it was another level of sophistication. I was back with Royal two years ago (Jewel of the Seas) and I found it disappointing (rose coloured glasses, perhaps). The food and service were not what I remembered, and the entertainment wasn't up to current Celebrity standards. It was an older ship, so perhaps the experience is different on an Oasis class ship, but for me, Celebrity is my preference for food, entertainment, atmosphere, and service. I don't try to close any of the bars, so the late night scene is not something I look for. All this within the context of, any cruise beats shovelling snow!

[jules815]

We're 3 generations of Royal cruisers from 60ish to 20's. All Diamond on Royal and going on our first Celebrity cruise in June. I'm the one in the 60's and was hesitant to book this cruise since my 23 year old Grandson and a friend are going along with us. While he has enjoyed the "bells and whistles" of the water slides, FlowRider, rock climbing walls and late night pool parties, and has been fiercely loyal to Royal in the past, when we mentioned Celebrity, he was ready. The friend he is bringing on this cruise was with us on a Royal cruise in December. When I mentioned that Celebrity is quieter and has an older crowd, they actually seemed to like the idea of a quieter more relaxing cruise. They said they walked up to the party on the pool deck late one night and strolled right back out. They aren't into the club scene and hated the CROWD. I'm a little nervous but excited a the same time, if that makes any sense. We have just regular old balcony cabins for everyone and we're looking forward to a FABULOUS cruise and new experiences on a new cruise line too.

 

You will all have a wonderful time!! I took my 21 year old daughter on our first X cruise last year for her college spring break. Prior to that we had mostly sailed with RC. I was struggling to find a 5-day cruise that worked with the dates of her break and ended up on Constellation. I was a little worried she might be bored, and from what I'd read here, maybe I might be too. It was probably the nicest time we've ever had on any of our cruises, and we felt really bad her older sister and dad weren't with us to enjoy it too. We didn't miss any of the "stuff" on the RC ships, and found Celebrity to be the perfect mix of relaxation and fun. We found it to be a step-up from RC (as it should be), and didn't find the people to be snobby at all. Definitely fewer kids.

 

I booked 2 more for 2017 while on board, and leave 2 weeks from today for a 7-night on Reflection with my older daughter (27). Yay! :D It's always fun to sail on a new ship, with new menus, etc. Enjoy!

[griffy116]

Jules815, thank you SO much for your post. It's reassuring to know that you consider this one of the best cruises you've taken and to find your daughter enjoyed it so much. After reading so many posts from Celebrity cruisers that prefer Aqua Class or need a butler, don't like the food except at Specialty restaurants and the number of remarks about the change to "chic" from formal, i was a little worried that we might be a bit out of place. We have regular balconies and even after the number of cruises we've been on, from the moment we board, you can't wipe the smiles off our faces. Even though we've been on almost all the Royal ships and have been multiple times on some, we still have our camera out taking photos, don't feel the need to have a suite or to avail ourselves of the specialty restaurants.. and we love our lanyards. If any of those things are considered beneath the typical Celebrity cruiser, they certainly won't enjoy spending time with us, which is fine. We work very hard to save the money to go on these cruises and we don't let anything spoil it for it, so we are cautiously optimistic. I spent part of today with my Grandson and again said I was a little worried that he wouldn't enjoy this cruise as much as he has the cruises on Royal and he assured me that he and his friend are both very much looking forward to the cruise and aren't in the least bit worried about the lack of 'bells and whistles.'