Carnival Jumping ship to Celebrity

[6fan]

I have cruised Carnival a dozen times or so. Have booked Equinox in Oct. AM worried that The dress code might be a problem I am flip flopsd and T-sdhirt kind of guy. I do have shirts with buttons and they are in good shape as I hardly wear them. Wondering how the shows will be as compared to Carnival. Rweason I chose this was a visit ti Tortolaso I hope all goes well.

[hcat]

Beach style Flip flops are not allowed in the mdr for dinner. Khaki long  pants and decent shirt will be fine for dinner, even a nice polo with collar.  They might have a White Night deck party ...There is a dress thread raging on.,,you can check it out  if needed,...X is a step up from  beach casual at night, unless at the buffet, but no need to over stress,

 

  Never been on Carnival so not sure what the shows are like.  X  not known for the best shows but they do try  and  some of the guest entertainrs are very good

 

Enjoy your cruise!

Edited May 26, 2019 by hcat

[chipperberg]

I know the shows are leaps and bounds better than Carnivals recent shows.  My mom and I sailed Carnival in Feb. and she just returned from X on Sunday.  Raved about the shows.  I am excited to try X for the first time myself in August.  My mom felt that the dress was similar on both during the day.  The dress code for X is a bit more enforced I believe, no shorts, etc.  But nice jeans, maybe a pair of khakis, and a polo or botton down shirt is what I plan on packing for my boys. 

[Miaminice]

If you liked Carnival enough to do a dozen cruises with them I am afraid to say chances are high you might not like Celebrity. Most of us like Celebrity because it isn’t anything like Carnival. That includes the Flip Flop and T-Shirt ambiance...

 

[yorky]

4 hours ago, 6fan said:

I have cruised Carnival a dozen times or so. Have booked Equinox in Oct. AM worried that The dress code might be a problem I am flip flopsd and T-sdhirt kind of guy. I do have shirts with buttons and they are in good shape as I hardly wear them. Wondering how the shows will be as compared to Carnival. Rweason I chose this was a visit ti Tortolaso I hope all goes well.

Very, very different lines, I personally am not a fan of a Carnival, Celebrity is more upscale, older cruisers, and while not that formal anymore certainly more formal than Carnival. You will be fine these days in the MDR with a button down shirt or polo and jeans if that’s the worry with pretty much anything goes in the buffet short of a leopard print mankini.

[citronella]

I haven’t sailed on either line but just looked at photos on here of several Carnival and Celebrity buffet and bar patrons. Both cruise line passengers had identical cruise wear - shorts, sandals, capris and tank tops - interchangeable really.

 

As for evening dining, both cruise lines have the same dress codes. Carnival has a reputation of a more party atmosphere and younger crowd and I do believe Celebrity will have an older crowd.  

 

Can’t comment on shows.

 

 

 

 

[Lady Arwen]

If you like Carnival because of the very relaxed atmosphere and virtually no dress code and,  most of the time, no tablecloths in the MDR, then Celebrity will either blow you away or you'll hate it.  Much different in lots of ways than Carnival.  I would give it a try because you never know you may just end up a convert.  BTW we've done numerous cruises on Carnival and we're high level Captains Club on Celebrity and we would never go on another Carnival cruise for any price.

[jasmine196]

I had cruised carnival almost exclusively the last ten years, and then I tried Celebrity with my mom.  Booked the next cruise with my husband and we agreed we would never go back to carnival.  Not that carnival is bad, its just not our cup of tea any longer.  Maybe its because we've gotten older, or maybe because we like cursing with a crowd that is older.  We are in are early 40's and most times we've cruised we've been on the younger side.  I love celebrities shows, food and cabins, but I do miss my cove cabins on carnival.  The only downside to celebrity is that a lot of ports that I want to go are on longer cruises and my hubby doesn't want to do longer than 9 days.  But I'm working on that.

[Luckiestmanonearth]

I appreciate all the posts on this topic.  We are Platinum on Carnival and cruised 3 times on Princess and have been kicking around the possibility of trying out Celebrity.  Couple of questions

1) are there any glowing perks for being a frequent Celebrity cruiser (for me, Carnival was all about the Priority embarkation and the free laundry)

2) what is the atmosphere during sea days by the main pool (we absolutely hate Carnival’s loud music , wobble dancing, belly flop contests, etc)

3) what is the main activities that the cruise director is doing during the days with the passengers (we like the Trivia contests on Carnival )

4) in general , how much more do you spend on. Celebrity cruise versus Carnival for a balcony room (ballpark)

 

Any advice appreciated 

[GastroGnome]

Yes there are frequent cruiser benefits - I can't remember them all but free wifi, free laundry, free drinks at the captains club. I think eventually you might be able to get into Michael's   and Luminae which are normally reserved for suite guests.  If you book a suite you get many of the perks from the start - as far as I know priority boarding is only available for suites.

 

On European Cruises at least sea days are reasonably quiet.  Certainly no belly flop contests.  But there is sometimes music on the stage by the main pool.  The adult only pool is always quiet.

 

Sea day activities range from lectures, classes, trivia quizzes etc.  There are guest v staff deck games on the basketball court. Additional shows.

 

Never been on Carnival and never cruised outside a suite so I can't answer the price compariosn I'm afraid - someone will be along in a moment who will.

 

 

[Mike981]

5 hours ago, Miaminice said:

If you liked Carnival enough to do a dozen cruises with them I am afraid to say chances are high you might not like Celebrity. Most of us like Celebrity because it isn’t anything like Carnival. That includes the Flip Flop and T-Shirt ambiance...

 

 

I get what your saying, my wife and I enjoy both and I know we are not alone.
I know you said "most", but it might surprise you that in some areas they are very close. See my comments below.

 

4 hours ago, Lady Arwen said:

If you like Carnival because of the very relaxed atmosphere and virtually no dress code and,  most of the time, no tablecloths in the MDR, then Celebrity will either blow you away or you'll hate it.  Much different in lots of ways than Carnival.  I would give it a try because you never know you may just end up a convert.  BTW we've done numerous cruises on Carnival and we're high level Captains Club on Celebrity and we would never go on another Carnival cruise for any price.

 

In over a dozen Carnival cruises I don't remember 'not' having tablecloths in the MDR. In MHO, the MDR is the one area where you can say they are the most similar. From food, service and proximity of tables.

Think of the difference between the two lines like Walmart and Macy's. I used to say Nordstrom's, but not so much anymore. They have had to cut back to stay competitive on price with all the other mass lines. You will notice that the fit and finish is MUCH nicer. There are also a lot of little things that just make the experience better.
Annnnnnd, you just might like it...a lot.

My suggestion? Read and research. The more you know before, the more fun you will have. Not sure on the length of your cruise but just bring a few button down shirts, some khaki pants and closed toe shoes and you will fit in fine on their "formal" nights and any other. BTW, you can also wear nice jeans.

 

Work hard at having fun and I wish you only the best on your vacation.

 

[bigbeergut]

11 hours ago, 6fan said:

I have cruised Carnival a dozen times or so. Have booked Equinox in Oct. AM worried that The dress code might be a problem I am flip flopsd and T-sdhirt kind of guy. I do have shirts with buttons and they are in good shape as I hardly wear them. Wondering how the shows will be as compared to Carnival. Rweason I chose this was a visit ti Tortolaso I hope all goes well.

 

I think you need to give us some additional idea of your preferences and what you enjoy on a cruise to determine if Celebrity would be a good fit.  Do you entertainment at all the bars? Do you like fancy shows at night?  Are you happy with just hanging out with your friends and a few drinks?

[MISTER 67]

We sailed on the Carnival Freedom in 2016, worst cruise out of the 60 we have been on.

Ugliest ship except for the MDR and cabins. Horrible food, Golden Corral is way better, the entertainment was OK . I'm sure you will find Celebrity a much better product.

 

Edited May 26, 2019 by MISTER 67

[MJSailors]

Just a possible glimpse into the difference between Carnival and Celebrity cruises.

Celebrity has tablecloths in the MDR, Carnival does not.

 

[Swampbabe]

1 hour ago, Mike981 said:

 

I get what your saying, my wife and I enjoy both and I know we are not alone.
I know you said "most", but it might surprise you that in some areas they are very close. See my comments below.

 

 

In over a dozen Carnival cruises I don't remember 'not' having tablecloths in the MDR. In MHO, the MDR is the one area where you can say they are the most similar. From food, service and proximity of tables.

Think of the difference between the two lines like Walmart and Macy's. I used to say Nordstrom's, but not so much anymore. They have had to cut back to stay competitive on price with all the other mass lines. You will notice that the fit and finish is MUCH nicer. There are also a lot of little things that just make the experience better.
Annnnnnd, you just might like it...a lot.

My suggestion? Read and research. The more you know before, the more fun you will have. Not sure on the length of your cruise but just bring a few button down shirts, some khaki pants and closed toe shoes and you will fit in fine on their "formal" nights and any other. BTW, you can also wear nice jeans.

 

Work hard at having fun and I wish you only the best on your vacation.

 

No more tablecloths on Carnival with the exception of “elegant” night.

[MizT]

We sailed on Summit last August and will be on Equinox in 3 wks. Before that we were Carnival cruisers for years.  On Summit, I was constantly comparing things to my Carnival experiences.  More things were similar than different.  The food I found very similar, missed Carnivals chocolate melting cake, the best! The service I found good on both, bar service better on Carnival.  So many have drink plans on Celebrity that waiters can be scarce.  Entertainment/ activities were better for us on Celebrity just because we are older now and it seemed a little calmer.  Prices...I booked both cruises on Celebrity because they were cheaper than what I could book on Carnival at the time and the itineraries were good.  We are near retirement age, upper middle class income and for us cruising has always been what you make of it.  Relax, you’ll have a great time!

[soozles]

I am platinum on Carnival, but have been on pretty much all the other mainstream cruise lines as wel, I’ve been on celebrity a handful of times, NCL, princess. In all honesty, whether you will like celebrity depends on what kind of cruiser you are. I’m not big into the loud music and games by the pool on carnival, but I also don’t like to sit by the pool all day either, I prefer to find a spot in the shade and read all day, so I don’t miss those things when on other cruise lines. 

 

As for formality, I think most cruises in general have become more casual over the past few years. You won’t be out of place in shorts and flip flops during the day, but in the evenings you will need to change for the restaurants. I’ve always had good service on both lines, and as for the food, well taste is personal. My husband prefers carnival food because he has more simple tastes, he doesn’t like his meats with different sauces or seasonings. If his metabolism were faster, he would live off hamburgers alone. Although I prefer celebrity food. 

 

We choose based on price and timing. Lately, I’ve been finding that carnival is not any cheaper than other cruise lines when you include the added promotions. We were looking for a cruise in August out of Ny or NJ. Celebrity was doing a promotion for 3rd person free, and then prepaid gratuities, OBC, and a drinks package included. It ended up being a better deal than the carnival cruise out of NY or RCCL cruise from NJ when you include the gratuities and OBC that wasn’t offered by the other ships. The carnival cruise the same week from NY would have cost us almost $1000 more, since we would have had to pay for our son. 

[1980dory]

5 hours ago, Luckiestmanonearth said:

I appreciate all the posts on this topic.  We are Platinum on Carnival and cruised 3 times on Princess and have been kicking around the possibility of trying out Celebrity.  Couple of questions

1) are there any glowing perks for being a frequent Celebrity cruiser (for me, Carnival was all about the Priority embarkation and the free laundry)

2) what is the atmosphere during sea days by the main pool (we absolutely hate Carnival’s loud music , wobble dancing, belly flop contests, etc)

3) what is the main activities that the cruise director is doing during the days with the passengers (we like the Trivia contests on Carnival )

4) in general , how much more do you spend on. Celebrity cruise versus Carnival for a balcony room (ballpark)

 

Any advice appreciated 

If you've been on Princess 3 times, you should have a pretty good idea of what X is like for your comparison to Carnival.

One of the big perks on Princess is the military benefits if you qualify.

We've done four Carnivals and are now certainly done with them.  Now coming up on number 7 with Celebrity and their tier perks are the greatest!  Elite level perks on Celebrity include a free cocktail hour every evening.

Check out all the benefits on Celebrity's web site under Captains Club tiers and benefits.  Too lengthy to mention here.

4.  Too many variables to compare prices.  Look at cabin locations, dates, length of cruise, Concierge Class, or Aqua Class, etc.

Carnival has many unbelievable bargains but Celebrity does too (if you look hard enough).  We booked a 15 night trans Pacific to Japan for under $1000 pp (incl taxes and port charges) for a balcony. At one time it was listed for $724 for that balcony.  Insides were listed at one time for around $574 pp.

Get a good TA and watch prices DAILY!  They vary on a daily basis.  You must keep an eye on them.

The bargains are out there.

[cyntil8ing]

Here's a post I wrote a few years ago with my thoughts. Since then, we've done more on each line. We loved our back-to-back on the Carnival Vista. 

 

The one thing I forgot to mention was the comedy club on Carnival. We don't really go to the production shows, but we try to hit the four family comedy shows each seven night cruise. They have two comedians onboard who alternate family and adult shows, then another pair switches over from another ship mid-cruise on a port day.

[Lady Arwen]

4 hours ago, Mike981 said:

 

I get what your saying, my wife and I enjoy both and I know we are not alone.
I know you said "most", but it might surprise you that in some areas they are very close. See my comments below.

 

 

In over a dozen Carnival cruises I don't remember 'not' having tablecloths in the MDR. In MHO, the MDR is the one area where you can say they are the most similar. From food, service and proximity of tables.

Think of the difference between the two lines like Walmart and Macy's. I used to say Nordstrom's, but not so much anymore. They have had to cut back to stay competitive on price with all the other mass lines. You will notice that the fit and finish is MUCH nicer. There are also a lot of little things that just make the experience better.
Annnnnnd, you just might like it...a lot.

My suggestion? Read and research. The more you know before, the more fun you will have. Not sure on the length of your cruise but just bring a few button down shirts, some khaki pants and closed toe shoes and you will fit in fine on their "formal" nights and any other. BTW, you can also wear nice jeans.

 

Work hard at having fun and I wish you only the best on your vacation.

 

Sorry, but there are no longer table cloths in the MDR except for one (formal?) night.  Jugs of water are placed on the bare table to help yourself.  The food in the MDR on Carnival cannot compare to Celebrity.

[Langley Cruisers]

6 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

...MDR... Jugs of water are placed on the bare table to help yourself...

 

I admit I said "Wow" out loud here. I mean it's not a deal breaker by any means, but it just surprised me about a main dining room on any line, I guess...

 

OP, I wish you a wonderful cruise. We never got to Tortola, sadly. I hope you have a great time. 😊

Edited May 26, 2019 by Langley Cruisers

[Germancruiser]

WHAT? No more table cloth´s in MDR- I couldn´t really believe what I read. Maye they thought if people don´t dress up- the table can be bare an nice jug of water for everyone to fill their glases themselfes  will do.

To OP- I would just say try it- and see if it suits you. If you really don´t want to bother with their Dress Code - the Buffet area is always an option and there is something for everyone´s taste!

The seating is not as elegant as the main dinning room- more like those eating area´s in a shopping center

Edited May 27, 2019 by Germancruiser

[miched]

Long time Carnival fan and cruiser.   We loved Carnival.   It was the Fun Ship.

 

Just for wanting something different and to see what a “stuffy” cruise line was like we booked a X cruise.   We were hooked as soon as we boarded when they greeted us with the free glass of bubbly.  

 

Dress code really isn’t much different than on Carnival.    There aren’t really formal nights now that require a jacket for men.  It is basically collared shirt, long pants and no hats,  

 

I do feel Carnival has better entertainment.   I don’t like their smoking policy.   If you are a smoker you may not like X as it very limited.  

 

X is a little more laid back.    There isn’t that rah rah rah entertain you all day atmosphere.  You are treated more as an adult and not someone on spring break.  

 

There aren’t any hairy chest contest, stuffed bikini and etc but there are some  pool activities.

 

Best is to try it and judge for yourself. 

 

I had 20 cruises for about 200 cruise days on Carnival before cruising on X.  I now have 30 cruises on x for about 300 cruise days.   Figure it out

 

happy cruising  🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

 

[misterkevin]

I cruised on Carnival and had wonderful experiences until I tried Celebrity and found it preferable. Carnival is a "fun" ship with lots of activities during the day, comedy shows, game shows, scavenger hunts, raucous contests around the pool, and areas for the kids—it appeals to the kids in all of us. Celebrity is more sedate and relaxing. If you're into the nonstop fun, Celebrity can feel boring. When it comes to evening entertainment, I felt the talent in the shows on Celebrity is better, but the productions aren't as engaging as Carnival. 

 

Celebrity is steps above Carnival for food, service, and attention to detail. It's more adult. The average age is higher on Celebrity since there are fewer families with children. As for dress code, you cannot wear a sleeveless shirt, tank top, or shorts in the dining room; I've been asked to change before being admitted on Celebrity. A polo shirt and jeans are fine, however. The people on Celebrity are friendly, not stuffy, but don't have the gung-ho party orientation more common on Carnival. It feels a bit more sophisticated.

 

Ultimately only you can decide if one line fits you better than the other. It's still a cruise, and you should have a wonderful vacation. Don't sweat it!

 

 

[Mike981]

It has been two years since I cruised Carnival, I did not realize they stopped with the table cloth's. 
I agree that the product is better on Celebrity. If I cruise Carnival it has to be a large price difference for the experience. I used to lean to Carnival because of their price and piano bar, but they have watered down the talent there as well. When I compare my daily fair with perks on our next January Reflection cruise, Carnival is more expensive.