First Time Cruisers with Celebrity

[strachan01]

Hi all,

 

Me and my fiancée are in our mid to late 20's and have booked on an 11 night Med cruise on the Reflection before our marriage. The majority of our cruises have been with Royal Caribbean with a few on Princess and P&O, I guess we are just not sure what to expect.

 

We have been to the majority of ports before and so the main purpose of the cruise is to get some proper relaxation time, we have a hump balcony and received the classic drinks package on booking which we are looking to upgrade once onboard.

 

We like snippets from every cruise line we have been on and wanted to branch out once more. The whole 'older' clientele with Celebrity doesn't really bother us - we are a couple who like to speak to others and get along with anyone, I assume it wont be any different from sailing with Princess or P&O.

 

We were spoiled for choice last year on Harmony and Allure with regards to dining options, especially at breakfast. We liked the idea of eating out with the restaurant and buffets options, does celebrity offer this? Something quick and healthy is usually our option.

 

Although we like the range of activities on royal Caribbean offer it can feel that you are constantly busy and have minimal time to relax, sometimes the crowded feel on some of the royal ships don't help this either. We do like to go to a show in the evening after dinner and wondered what shows are typical for Celebrity?

 

As it is out first time does anyone have any tips or tings that we should definitely try?

 

Sorry for all the questions,

 

Cheers,

 

Fraser & Anna

[4774Papa]

Hi all,

 

Me and my fiancée are in our mid to late 20's and have booked on an 11 night Med cruise on the Reflection before our marriage. The majority of our cruises have been with Royal Caribbean with a few on Princess and P&O, I guess we are just not sure what to expect.

 

We have been to the majority of ports before and so the main purpose of the cruise is to get some proper relaxation time, we have a hump balcony and received the classic drinks package on booking which we are looking to upgrade once onboard.

 

We like snippets from every cruise line we have been on and wanted to branch out once more. The whole 'older' clientele with Celebrity doesn't really bother us - we are a couple who like to speak to others and get along with anyone, I assume it wont be any different from sailing with Princess or P&O.

 

We were spoiled for choice last year on Harmony and Allure with regards to dining options, especially at breakfast. We liked the idea of eating out with the restaurant and buffets options, does celebrity offer this? Something quick and healthy is usually our option.

 

Although we like the range of activities on royal Caribbean offer it can feel that you are constantly busy and have minimal time to relax, sometimes the crowded feel on some of the royal ships don't help this either. We do like to go to a show in the evening after dinner and wondered what shows are typical for Celebrity?

 

As it is out first time does anyone have any tips or tings that we should definitely try?

 

Sorry for all the questions,

 

Cheers,

 

Fraser & Anna

DW and I are two generations older than you and we love Celebrity. Celebrity's food is a cut about the other cruise lines. Also, the atmosphere is more serene and great if you want to relax without all the sales pushes and announcements over the loudspeakers. The fellow passengers on Celebrity are what makes it so good. If you make any new friends, they will likely be well traveled, educated and interesting.

 

The Main Dining Room (MDR) is one choice for breakfast, as is the buffet. The buffet offers an eggs benedict station, which I love. I enjoy going to the buffet, and eating breakfast on the sunset bar at the aft of the ship just outside the buffet. If you go with a suite, Luminae is a wonderful restaurant. As far as dining, there are specialty restaurants where you pay to dine, which we rarely use, since the MDR is so good.

 

Entertainment is good on Celebrity, but not as good as on RCI. Also, the smaller size of the X ships are great compared to the huge RCI ships.

 

Be sure to join the cc meet and greet roll call for your cruise. It is a great way to find private tours and meet new cruise friends.

[chemmo]

If you enjoyed the food options on Allure you will love the options on Celebrity. We are recently off Oasis and have cruised Allure and whilst the food was 'fine' and restaurants 'ok' they did not match what we have come to expect from Celebrity. If you can run to it look at booking a speciality dining package or for offers on board to try the speciality restaurants. Murano's is always a special occasion.

 

Re entertainment...RC does win hands down for BIG shows. Personally I don't think this is Celebrity's strength. However, whilst we enjoyed the ice shows and Aqua theatre shows on Oasis as a change we tend to prefer live music in the background in various locations whilst we chat to newly made friends...

 

Things not to miss on Celebrity....

 

Look out for music performances on the lawn, sit down with a glass of wine and a cheese plate.

 

A walk around the lawn late at night....lie on the grass and watch the stars.

 

Spend time in the Solarium and enjoy the peace...

 

Hope you have a wonderful cruise.

[Shadow9612]

You are going to have a wonderful experience! I think you are going to find a nice balance between always having something to do (should you choose) and being able to simply relax and not feel everything is go-go-go.

 

On the 11 day cruise, you are probably going to have 3 shows put on by the Reflection performers themselves and a bunch of other guest entertainers on other evenings. I've never been on Royal so can't compare show quality, but I always enjoy the major shows put on by Celebrity performers. I've found the guest performers hit and miss.

 

For the healthy breakfast, you should check out the Aqua Spa Cafe, but definitely don't miss the Oceanview buffet as well! If you enjoy either or both of those, I don't think you need to 'try' the MDR for breakfast - it's good, but not better. For me, if I go to the MDR, it's so I can be served breakfast rather than walk around the buffet, not for food selection itself.

[griffy116]

We're Royal cruisers trying Celebrity for the first time too. We've always enjoyed breakfast in the MDR, simply because it's not quite so hectic as the buffet. On Royal, they now offer a small buffet, with more limited selections in the MDR, along with a regular full breakfast menu. I'm pretty sure Celebrity won't have the small buffet set up in the MDR for breakfast, which is fine, but do they offer a full breakfast menu?

[Shadow9612]

We're Royal cruisers trying Celebrity for the first time too. We've always enjoyed breakfast in the MDR, simply because it's not quite so hectic as the buffet. On Royal, they now offer a small buffet, with more limited selections in the MDR, along with a regular full breakfast menu. I'm pretty sure Celebrity won't have the small buffet set up in the MDR for breakfast, which is fine, but do they offer a full breakfast menu?

Although I can't compare to Royal as I've never been, I don't find the Ocienview Buffet too crowded in general (there is sometimes a peak time on a sea day that is a bit busier). Suffice it to say, you can find non-hectic times in the buffet.

 

My experience in X MDR for breakfast is they do have a full breakfast menu (just not as many options as buffet). It is certainly not limited to a continental type breakfast :), so you'll be fine in MDR for sure.

[strachan01]

Thanks for all the replies,

 

We are certainly looking forward to it. We'll make sure to try all your suggestions too.

 

With regards to specialty dining, we always like to try thee. We do however always wait to go onboard to book as we have found there to be better deals, is this still the case for celebrity or would you advise to book in advance?

[Mynki]

Thanks for all the replies,

 

We are certainly looking forward to it. We'll make sure to try all your suggestions too.

 

With regards to specialty dining, we always like to try thee. We do however always wait to go onboard to book as we have found there to be better deals, is this still the case for celebrity or would you advise to book in advance?

 

Yes. You should be able to get 40% or even 50% off. The restaurant staff will discount to entice you in there. You're doing the right thing by upgrading your drinks package, particularly if frequenting these restaurants as wine choices on the classic package can be limited.

 

Try the martini bar also once you've upgraded. And deffo try Murano, order dishes with tableside preparation for a bit more theater. Either the lobster or dover sole etc.

 

I'm sure you'll enjoy.

[rose6]

Deals offered for the specialty restaurants can vary from one cruise to the next. Depending on demand and the number of passengers who have pre booked the restaurants, a discount may or may not be available. I would suggest you approach the staff at each restaurant and ask them what is the best deal they can offer you. On one cruise I had to wait several days before the management got back to me with an offer. If you are willing to go on a port day rather than a sea day you may get a better price. Also, don't have your heart set on a particular dining time, as the offer may be for a time when the restaurant first opens, or for a late dinning time. Good luck, and enjoy your first Celebrity experience.

[cb at sea]

Yes..the MDR serves a full breakfast menu...mix and match, if you like!