Celebrity Cruise Advice

[biggunnz72]

Recently we revived a complimentary cruise for Celebrity and I'be been a little hesitant to book just yet pending some insight into what we can expect. I am a relatively new cruiser with my first cruise being on the MSC Divina in December 2014 followed by 6 Carnival cruises and have definitely found Carnival to be my comfort zone. We do not have young children, usually cruise by ourselves and are not drinkers. Aside from the ports I look most forward to the shows, casino and the dinners in the main dining room.

As I read some of the reviews and comparisons between Celebrity and Carnival, I feel unsure as to whether I should book or not. I know to many it sounds like an easy choice especially when it's comp but there is nothing worse than being stuck at sea for 7 days bored out of your skull. I enjoy the casino on the Carnival ships and the energy on the casino floor and casino bands I also like Carnival's entertainment schedule as there are always numerous activities taking place all hours of the day. If anyone can provide information that will help me to make this decision I would appreciate your comments. We are anticipating going on the Equinox Western Carribean itenerary.

 

MSC Divina 12/14

Carnival Sunshine 3/15

Carnival Conquest 7/15

Carnival Victory 11/15

Carnival Splendor 4/16

Carnival Magic 6/16

Carnival Conquest 10/16

[Clarea]

You might also want to pose your question on the dedicated Celebrity forum here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=28

[lostchild]

I have not been on Equinox but I did the 7 days Western Caribbean on Silhouette which is a sister ship to Equinox. I believe the food would be much better on Celebrity, but entertainment would be better on Carnival. I don't gamble, but the few times I cut thru the casino on Silhouette, it was quite empty. Not sure what kind of "energy" you are looking for on the casino floor, but it is kind of like a Vegas casino at 6am in the morning. And this is on a sea day.

 

If you are not going off the ship at any of the ports, you won't have much to do on the ship during the day. They have a few game shows (Top Chef quick fire, Family Feud, etc..) here an there, but very limited. You can hang out at the pool, spa, gym, cabin, or eat.

 

If you get your comp cruise because your MLife status, I think you could get the same with Royal Caribbean. I think RC cruise will have more entertainments on the ship and more action in the casino.

[cb at sea]

Agreed! RCI will be more like Carnival than Celebrity!

[Flatbush Flyer]

Celebrity is a premium cruise line wannabe. It caters to a generally well traveled and fairly mature (age) crowd. It has energy but not the Vegas type you may be seeking.

 

 

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[Aquahound]

You received a complimentary cruise and you're unsure whether you should book? :confused:

 

Yes you should book! Celebrity is a really nice cruise line, especially their Solstice Class ships. No, it does not have the energy of Carnival and no, there is not a band playing in the casino but the food is better, service is better and in many cases, the evening shows are better. Celebrity still uses a cast off singers and dancers with a live band unlike Carnival's cutbacks.

 

If Carnival is your comfort zone, Celebrity might be a little slow paced for you but why would you want to turn down a free cruise? If you do turn it down, let me know. I'd be happy to take it off your hands. ;)

[SuiteTraveler]

I want to suggest you consider booking a Northern Europe or Med or Alaska cruise on Celebrity - trust me you won't be bored. Exhausted, yes, but bored, absolutely not! The food is drastically better than on Carnival - but on European cruises and Alaska cruises, the cruise is more about the ports than anything else. You are lucky enough to have a 1 week free cruise - make the most of it and do something new and different - you will have a wonderful time!

[griffy116]

For many years, Royal Caribbean has been our comfort zone. We're taking our first Celebrity cruise this summer on a W. Caribbean itinerary....that we gladly paid for. While we've certainly enjoyed all the bells and whistles on the RC ships, we decided to try something new and we chose Celebrity. While I've never felt the need to book a Carnival cruise, if I got a cruise comped on Carnival, I would take it without hesitation or worry. There will be things that I'm sure you will miss, but I'm sure you'll find things you enjoy. Why would you feel you'll be bored? During the day, we plan some sort of excursion. There are far too many things to do at each port to be bored. During our sea day, we are going to enjoy lounging in the sun with our drink package advantage. I'm going to enjoy getting greeted with a drink when I board the ship. We're going to enjoy Cafe Al Baccio and I think we are going to be very pleased with the food in the Oceanview Buffet and the food in the MDR on the ship. I LOVE the photos of their bathrooms, the height of the table on the balconies, the chocolates being back on the pillows at night (that disappeared years ago on RC) and "chic" instead of formal nights. I'm told the service is fantastic. I think it's going to be fun to be a "newbie" again.