Celebrity Summit compared to NCL Breakaway

[Georgia_Peaches]

They both have their pros and cons. DH and I do most of our cruising with Celebrity. We love the quiet and serene atmosphere. Blu is a really nice perk but since Aqua class is not a suite so you won't get the typical suite perks, like priority boarding and such that come with the Haven. On the Breakaway, you can count on lots to do for kids of all ages. The night life is much more vibrant on NCL than Celebrity. That said, we still prefer Celebrity over NCL. Which of the 2 we book is dependent upon the circumstance of who is traveling along or the itinerary being offered. We are on Breakaway over Thanksgiving. I would have preferred Celebrity but they didn't have an itinerary that met with our dates of travel. So NCL it is!

CM

[Zenica]

@Mynki,

 

 

Our children were 3 and 4 when we sailed NCL the first time, 4 and 5 the second time.

The kids pool was a disaster. Mainly because of unruly children not being disciplined by parents that seem to care less what the kids are doing, including doing things that are damaging the ship. On the day we didn't tender, everyone's hope for the warmth and sand of the beach quickly turned towards the only other water respite; the pools. Imagine the hordes of adults going to the pools only to find them over crowded. They quickly invaded the kids pools. The staff tried to limit this but they can only do so much.

 

 

This will come across as elitist and snobbish and while it may very well be, I won't apologize for wanting to avoid people on a cruise that I would also avoid on land. I was surprised by how many people were on the ship that lacked any degree of class. So many people with zero regard for fellow passengers and the staff alike. The level of rude is staggering. People completely disregard the signage, the staff and common decency in the buffet dining areas.

 

 

 

I can honestly say that we will be much less likely to sail NCL again if this Celebrity cruise goes half as well as our TA has advertised it.

The ONLY reason we might would be if the ship available is the one with the race track and we can use all four remaining future cruise credits.

 

 

 

The staff on the Breakaway were always nice and always accommodating but there are 4k other passengers you have to deal with and many may not share your level of decency or respect.

[Mynki]

Mynki

 

Give Equinox a shot, great ship...

 

We like S class ships, but due to the itinerary there are only certain days we can sail. Unfortunately the Equinox options result in cruise itineraries we don't want to do as we've already visited those ports before.. Some more than once.

 

So I've written that off. NCL was more of a process of elimination really. P&O is too British for my liking. To sound completely hypocritical now, Costa and MSC have demographics I'm not keen on. Being British, I know we invented the queue and generally speaking, Brits have manners, need I say more....

 

HAL pax are way older than us and Princess won't accept booking from Brits via our US TA which means they're not really a company I want to use. The NCL cruise is very well priced with many bundled perks and it should keep the kids happy.

 

The cruise is very much a second thought of an extended land vacation so I'm not too fussed. The smoke, nickle and diming and announcements I might be able to live with. I don't really gamble in casinos anyway. Will take a closer look. :)

[lisiamc]

We love Summit. We’ve done eight cruises on M-class ships, and four on S-class ships. We like both, but much prefer the M-class ships and would sail on any of them again in a heartbeat. They show their age in some places, but maintenance is ongoing.

 

I haven’t sailed on NCL, and most of their ships sound like they’d be too big for my tastes. If you’re looking for something calmer, smaller, more adult and more civilised, I think Celebrity could be a good fit for you. I think the nearest comparable experience to the Haven would be a suite, since suite passengers have their own lounge and private dining room, although not in a single, dedicated area. Aqua Class is nice and I adore Blu. We found it to be a big step up from the MDR, although we usually enjoy the food there.

[Zenica]

I will endeavor to write a review of our time aboard the Summit upon our return. My wife and I don't need much in the way of entertainment, we generally entertain ourselves with what ever is around where ever we are. The food will be the big litmus for us as well as how other passengers conduct themselves. Of all the vacations we have taken, one constant has been that most people working in hospitality do as much as can be done to ensure patrons enjoy themselves. Just about the only exceptions were two trips to mexico, I doubt we will ever return to try a third.

Edited July 23, 2018 by Zenica

[hrt4girls]

I will look forward to your review. We are sailing on Summit in March after the big refurbishment is finished. This summer we sailed on Equinox and loved everything about it. We have been sailing Norwegian for many years as always enjoyed that as well, but we might have found a new favorite. I can only speak for Equinox, but I have never experienced a happier, friendlier staff than those on the Equinox. I think it set the tone for the trip and it seemed that all the passengers were friendly and happy as well. It was probably the best food we have ever had on a cruise, but we aren't very picky as long as someone else is cooking and cleaning up. LOL

EnjoyAqua class and Blu. I thought it was wonderful!