Tried Celebrity: Our Comparison with NCL

[fshagan]

This is a review of our first Celebrity Cruise on the Infinity, in Alaska, early September, 2017. I have posted a very similar review in the X forum, but wanted to highlight our comparisons to NCL's Jewel class ships.

 

This was a "comparison cruise" for us as we try (and retry) different lines to see how we like the experience. We have cruised Disney, NCL and Princess in the past, with NCL taking most of our vacation dollars over the last 6 years. We found a very good deal for a balcony cabin without any of the perks ($1,040 per person for a 7 day Alaska Cruise). We booked two cabins, one starboard and the other port, both in the "sweet sixteen" cabins with the huge balcony.

 

 

Embarkation day:

Once on board we missed being able to have a nice sit down lunch, as we don't like the buffet when it's crowded. I understand Celebrity has a restaurant open for lunch on embarkation days for Concierge class passengers. We ended up eating at the grill on the pool deck and experienced our first negative encounter. Our friends ordered a Coke and the waiter pushed, and pushed, and pushed for us to buy the drinks package. On the fourth or fifth "no, we just want to buy the Coke" he finally relented. We felt more "nickeled and dimed" by this encounter than we have ever felt on an NCL cruise.

 

We really missed having a MDR and O'Sheehans open for lunch on embarkation day.

 

We also missed the energy and of the sail away party on NCL. The night life was very low key throughout this cruise, and this may have been because it was the last Alaskan cruise of the season. We didn't see as many young families as we do on NCL, and we missed that. It could be a function of the time of year (kids back in school), or the demographic on X is older and more sedate.

 

Cabins: The balcony cabins were in good condition, much better than our last NCL cruise. The cleanliness on board seems quite a bit higher than NCL, and second only to Disney in our experience. We were very pleased with both our cabins (with those giant balconies) and the public areas on board.

 

 

Muster: Cruise lines have improved this process a lot over the years, and Celebrity handles this as well as anyone I think. Not Celebrity's fault, but by the end of the muster drill we had felt like we were herded all day ... through Canada Place, US Customs, to the buffet for lunch (but we were able to escape to be "nickle and dimed" by the waiter at the pool grill) and finally to the muster drill.

 

Dinner: My wife reserved Tuscan Grille, one of their specialty restaurants, for dinner. I'm critical of the extra charge venues on NCL, as the food isn't that much better than the regular main dining rooms. But all four of us agreed that the service and food was spectacular here. Not "spectacular for a cruise ship" but spectacular for anywhere. Our waiter, who swore his name was "Johnny Walker", and his team were very attentive. Celebrity definitely has a wininer with this restaurant (we dined there again later in the cruise and enjoyed it just as much.)

 

Breakfast: it just isn't very good on this ship. The food was cold, and odd ... two of us ordered french toast and were greeted with three half slices of thin bread with very little egg wash. Denny's does it better. The second day was no better, and we had room service for the remainer of the breakfasts.

 

The waiter served syrup to us, just like in a fancy place. But the fancy places have good food too. This was a precursor to what we noticed in the main dining room throughout the cruise: There's a pretentiousness that isn't supported by the actual food quality, in our opinion.

 

This is the main dining room's place settings for a 7 course meal (but you really are normally eating a three course meal). This place setting is also used for lunch and breakfast:

 

 

And here's the place setting for Tuscan Grille, where the food is very, very good (and you are eating a 7 course meal):

 

 

By the end of the cruise we were laughing every time the waiter came by and started scooping up all the unused flatware to take it back to wash it. Its silly.

 

Lunch and dinners had better food than breakfast, but I wouldn't place the quality of the main dining room food any higher than NCL. About equal in this respect, with NCL taking the lead because of better options with more free eating venues. We consider Disney a step above both of these; it's been several years since we sailed Princess so I can't make a good comparison until after our next Princess cruise.

 

Anytime dining is popular, but Celebrity still doesn't have it down quite yet. We are used to never waiting on NCL, while we almost always had at least a 20 minute wait for seating in the MDR. The arrangment of the main dining room also had a lot of room for improvement, with layout that had servers swinging trays over our heads to serve others, and leading other guests conga-line style winding between tables where there really should be a clear aisle. It's not the waiters fault .... I think the move to anytime dining has X playing catch up.

 

On MDR meals we would place Celebrity third because of the dining room layout and bad breakfast food, behind Disney (first) and NCL (second). The experience for guests choosing Aqua class may be quite different, as they have a different main dining room (Blu). But we were comparing apples to apples, with the same basic fare without perks that we normally choose.

 

Entertainment: This was a surprise for us. We had always heard that the entertainment on Celebrity was a step below NCL, but we have noticed the quality on NCL slipping. On this cruise the shows were very good. The singers did well, and while the dancing on the first night's show struck me as a little cheesy, everyone else liked it. The other shows we saw were very good as well. Based on our recent NCL cruises on similar sized ships, and the entertainment on Infinity on this trip, I would give the edge to Celebrity in this area. We really enjoyed this.

 

Itinerary: We went from Vancouver, had a sea day, to Icy Strait Point (Hoonah), Hubbard Glacier, Juneau and Ketchikan. It was our first time to Icy Stait Point, and the first time seeing Hubbard Glacier. The glacier was spectacular, and our port and starboard cabins allows us to move across to whatever side was facing the glacier as the ship turned around slowly.

 

Glacier calving video (link in case the video won't show):

 

 

 

The itinerary had us out of sight of land most of the time. On prior Alaskan cruises we sailed up the inside passage to Skagway, then back to Juneau and then Ketchikan, with land and a TON of sealife during the sea days. This itinerary didn't have the same feel. We're glad we took it, as Hubbard Glacier was certainly a high point, but when we cruise Alaska again we'll pick an itinerary that has more days in the narrower part of the Inside Passage.

 

Overall, our verdict is that Celebrity is a good cruise line, and will be on our radar for cruises where the price and itinerary appeal to us. I would sail NCL if price and itinerary was better, and Celebrity if they had a better offering. We'll pay a 25 - 50% premium for Disney for the right cruise. Our plans are to cruise on Princess again in the near future to see if they have changed in the last ten years (and I'm pretty sure they, like all the cruise lines, have evolved.)

[Still Dreaming]

We agree on a lot of your comparisons!! We love the sweet sixteen😁

[easyboy]

Thanks for the comparative review. Useful guide for future booking.

 

 

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[riclop]

Thanks for comparing.

[POA1]

Thanks for your review!

[Blondie008]

I totally agree!!

We did 2 x Celebrity and 2 x NCL in two years.

Celebrity we did enjoy for Alaska - but every day we paid the $10 for lunch in the "bistro on 5" place- I think however it was changing to a seafood bar??? Whatever - there was no serviced option for lunch on port days unless we paid for it. Only sea days and the menu was very limited.

We sailed in Aquaclass both times and agreed that was the only way we would do Celebrity. The breakfast there is amazing - as is dinner - It was the highlight of our cruises for sure. BLU restaurant is worth every penny you pay extra for Aquaclass.

We did one Transatlantic on X and it was very seriously zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzing for 14 days...

Also the Persian Gardens were a total disappointment - how could Celebrity get it so wrong ?? Its an awful place. BRIGHT - no ambience - and no facilities...

I agree with you on all counts - except for the cabin - again we found Celebrity's although to be "pretty" - those cupboards above the bed drove us insane - Unless you are +6ft tall (We Scots are no' very big!) you need to balance on the bed to get into the open (bang your head) upwards shelf units - So not practical.

Tuscan Grille we categorically did not rate at all - service was the worst here on the ships.

Murano is wonderful - class act - loved it every time. Don't know if you tried there? Tuscan grille has awesome views - especially in Alaska when pulling out of port on daylight evenings.. I can understand why you would book there.

Not sure about you but we have come away thinking we wont return to Celebrity until we are a good deal older -

They are marketing this "young upbeat dance vibe" - But not following it through.

The entertainment seems focused on the staff mixing cocktails and juggling tumblers and bottles - On a 14 night cruise this wore us down. Enough of "Hey look at me" already - there is a queue for martinis here lol! Just too much overkill whilst guests wait for drinks...

Wish I could see your pics - I am just getting a "-" blank.

Welcome home to NorwegianFreestyle! ;)

[photomikey]

We are regular Celebrity cruisers poised for our first (in a long time) NCL cruise in a month or so. It was refreshing to read your comparisons! I could have written basically all of your post myself, with the highs and the lows. Thank you for writing it!

[Keith1010]

Enjoyed your review.

 

Keith

[newmexicoNita]

Great, objective review. Thanks for sharing your opinion. I will be anxious to see what you say about Princess, as we think it is the most over rated cruise line there is. The only place I might differ from you is, the specialty dinners on NCL. We think Le Bistro and Cagney's are much better, especially service than the MDRs on NCL. But this is just an opinion. I would expect Disney to be a step up, based on their prices alone. thanks again.

[punkincc]

Thanks for the review. We have not sailed Celebrity for many years, but have booked an Aqua Class on the Edge, primarily because I was intrigued by the new Edge cabins, which have an infinity balcony.

 

Looked at some Blu menus, the dedicated restaurant for Aqua class, and honestly saw nothing that I would order. I have a very strong feeling that I might love the cabin, but hate the cruise in general. I fear I will be longing for NCL the entire cruise. Strongly considering cancelling this cruise.

[sanger727]

I agree with most of your observations, though we definately find the entertainment on NCL better. That may be because you were on a 7 day cruise so you got the 'main' shows that they do on every cruise. To do a direct comparison, we had a 10 day cruise on celebrity and a 10 cruise on Norwegian. We really enjoyed the 'fill in' shows on Norwegian as well as the main shows. On celebrity, we walked out of a few shows. There was a solo vocalist signing songs from the 40s, a 4 piece chamber orchestra playing classical music, etc. wasn't anything we enjoyed. But that was a few years ago and in the med. have a 12 day Hawaii cruise on celebrity coming up next year so curious how it will compare.

 

 

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[Shawnino]

Useful stuff. Thank you.

[fshagan]

I noticed two of the images didn't show up. Here's the place setting for the MDR that I found pretentious:

 

 

And the one in the fancy restaurant:

 

[weltek]

Great, objective review. Thanks for sharing your opinion. I will be anxious to see what you say about Princess, as we think it is the most over rated cruise line there is.

 

I haven't cruised Princess, but considered myself a prime target for them over the last decade. I used to think of them as the "quieter, classier NCL/RCCL." A line I'd consider in my later 30s/early 40s. Now, the more I read about them, they aren't even on my radar for future cruise travel. They certainly lack innovation. I'll be surprised if they are still around in 20 years. Celebrity and MSC are on our radar far before Princess.

[Huntingdon1701]

Thank you for the comparison. It's really helpful to have an idea of how they differ.

[Cruiser Bruiser]

I haven't cruised Princess, but considered myself a prime target for them over the last decade. I used to think of them as the "quieter, classier NCL/RCCL." A line I'd consider in my later 30s/early 40s. Now, the more I read about them, they aren't even on my radar for future cruise travel. They certainly lack innovation. I'll be surprised if they are still around in 20 years. Celebrity and MSC are on our radar far before Princess.

 

I have sailed Princess a few times and I prefer NCL in every respect. However, I'm sailing HAL more and more, and at my age I feel like I should be sailing on Celebrity instead. I appreciate your comparison, OP, as I repeatedly read that the reality of Celebrity isn't as good as their marketing. Now that Celebrity is creating suite-exclusive sun decks on all of their ships, I'm even more disinclined.

[Hearthosesteeldrumsplayin]

Thank you for the review! I have wondered about Celebrity. Don't think I'm quite to the quieter life on a cruise ship yet, but getting there! Have thought about Oceania, too; would LOVE to try Regent, but the price keeps me out. MSC is now on my radar for the Yacht Club. Would like to see how it compares to the Haven on NCL.

I didn't see where you had cruised RCCL. I put them above Princess and close on NCL. I am getting fonder of NCL's freestyle, although I am still old school and like to dress up for dinner. NCL certainly does suite life better than RCCL----at least in regular suites. I haven't tried RCCL in the latest Genie class suites; I did book one, but ended up cancelling in favor of a Haven suite on NCL.

[fshagan]

We sailed in Aquaclass both times and agreed that was the only way we would do Celebrity. The breakfast there is amazing - as is dinner - It was the highlight of our cruises for sure. BLU restaurant is worth every penny you pay extra for Aquaclass.

 

Thanks for your comments! I have heard Blu is amazing, so when we choose X again it will be with that in mind. I don't really like room service, or the buffet, so having bad food in the MDR for breakfast was a definite negative.

 

 

Tuscan Grille we categorically did not rate at all - service was the worst here on the ships.

Murano is wonderful - class act - loved it every time. Don't know if you tried there? Tuscan grille has awesome views - especially in Alaska when pulling out of port on daylight evenings.. I can understand why you would book there.

Not sure about you but we have come away thinking we wont return to Celebrity until we are a good deal older -

They are marketing this "young upbeat dance vibe" - But not following it through.

 

We didn't try Murano but did have a great experience, both in service and food, in Tuscan Grille twice! I would rate it much higher than Cagney's on NCL, but it is just one cruise. And on this cruise, at least, Celebrity seemed to lack that youthful vibe you get with young adults, families and children, so I agree with you there.

 

I think I have the images posted in another post now.

[fshagan]

We are regular Celebrity cruisers poised for our first (in a long time) NCL cruise in a month or so. It was refreshing to read your comparisons! I could have written basically all of your post myself, with the highs and the lows. Thank you for writing it!

 

At the risk of giving unsolicited advice, here's what I'd recommend for your first NCL cruise:

 

1. On embarkation day ignore the staff pointing the way to the buffet and ask which main dining room is open ... and go there. Or, if you like "pub style" food, find O'Sheehans and try it out for lunch. We prefer relaxing table service over the madhouse that is the buffet on sail-away.

 

2. Join in on the fun on the pool deck during sail away, even if you are just observing from the upper deck surrounding the pool. We didn't think we would miss this aspect, but we did (and we're not party animals).

 

X has advantages that you are probably aware of, a more generous beverage plan and, at least in terms of our opinion of the stateroom and public areas, a greater emphasis on cleanliness and maintenance. It will be interesting to read your review as a "cross over" from the opposite direction!

[Blondie008]

Thanks for your comments! I have heard Blu is amazing, so when we choose X again it will be with that in mind. I don't really like room service, or the buffet, so having bad food in the MDR for breakfast was a definite negative.

 

 

 

 

We didn't try Murano but did have a great experience, both in service and food, in Tuscan Grille twice! I would rate it much higher than Cagney's on NCL, but it is just one cruise. And on this cruise, at least, Celebrity seemed to lack that youthful vibe you get with young adults, families and children, so I agree with you there.

 

I think I have the images posted in another post now.

 

You are so right - restaurant experiences are often down to the team on board huh - the menu was good on Tuscan - but everything went belly up for us when in there - maybe just a bad team who knows -

We have had a few mediocre experiences with NCL in La Cucina - and yet on Getaway this year we were bowled over - must have had around 5 dinners there -

The magic is in the team I think - glad you had a good time all round :)

I loved Alaska - coming from Scotland it was a long way for a short cruise (to us a 7 nighter is usually a no go) - We spent a few days in Seattle first - it was wonderful

I want to do it all over again :)

Some day :)

[fshagan]

Great, objective review. Thanks for sharing your opinion. I will be anxious to see what you say about Princess, as we think it is the most over rated cruise line there is. The only place I might differ from you is, the specialty dinners on NCL. We think Le Bistro and Cagney's are much better, especially service than the MDRs on NCL. But this is just an opinion. I would expect Disney to be a step up, based on their prices alone. thanks again.

 

Thanks ... I know I'm in the minority when I saw I don't enjoy Cagneys. It's mainly a cost vs. value comparison for me, because I can get the same meal on land for about the same price. But I'm also giving up a $8 to $10 value in the MDR. Not everyone thinks in those terms. My main problem with Cagney's has been the food quality has degraded over the years and my veggies are almost always cold in the stupid ramkins they serve them in now. I like Le Bristro more, as I think the service and food is a bit better.

 

We were going to book Princess for our cruise next fall based on their British Isles itineraries, but Disney released a 7 day cruise that looked great ... more English ports, and I think the reason is that DCL doesn't have a casino to worry about opening outside of British waters. When it was first released it was at about a 25% premium to Princess so we took it.

[Gershep]

Great review and comparison.

[schultz]

I loved that the balcony chairs reclined on Celebrity. I thought the main dining room food was better than NCL What I didn't like with X is their push to upgrade your UBP from classic to premium. NCL's UBP is better as is the nightlife.

[fshagan]

I have sailed Princess a few times and I prefer NCL in every respect. However, I'm sailing HAL more and more, and at my age I feel like I should be sailing on Celebrity instead. I appreciate your comparison, OP, as I repeatedly read that the reality of Celebrity isn't as good as their marketing. Now that Celebrity is creating suite-exclusive sun decks on all of their ships, I'm even more disinclined.

 

We haven't tried HAL, but I know from your other posts that we are similar in "cruise taste". We are not particularly sensitive to it, but do you find smoke (from passengers smoking) an issue on HAL? I know they stopped smoking on balconies this year so we should probably reconsider them.

 

On the Epic we avoided the MDR that is downstairs from the casino because of the persistent smoke smell, and I always thought that HAL, with smoking on balconies, could have the same issue on our favorite place on the ship (our balcony). It sounds like overall you are happy with HAL.