After 31 Days on Eurodam we went to Celebrity Apex and almost instantly regretted it!

[Real NHDOC]

After spending a very pleasant month aboard Eurodam we boarded the Apex on February 24th. Our first impression of the ship was it is beautiful and certainly a level above Eurodam being their Edge class. But the beauty of the ship could not offset the issues we have had which started with one of our suitcases going missing and not being located until 7pm. Then there is the dining room noise level, intolerable. The tables are all set so close to each other there is no privacy and no way to carry on a conversation. Food wasn’t as good as in MDR on Eurodam. 

Then there are the drink prices. Dramatically higher than they were even in January when we cruised on Summit. Almost no wines available for $10 a glass which is the limit for the standard drink package. Even some beers were over $10 (Stella at $11). Wines that were $10 a glass are now $17 and many relatively inexpensive wines are over $20 a glass. Cocktails that were $10 now $15. The same that can be had on HAL for $11 and included in the drink package are all an upcharge.  We eat most meals in the buffet which is okay but the food is never hot. HAL lido is probably overall better. 
 

Then there is the service. Cabins not clean until afternoon and evening turn down not done until after 8pm. Single stewards clean the cabins. Nowhere near as friendly or accommodating as on HAL.  Public areas strewn with dirty dishes left by slobs on stairs and in hallways for hours. 
 

Entertainment is still where Celebrity beats HAL hands down. Better stage shows and even the comedians and lounge singers are generally very talented. 

For value HAL wins hands down. Celebrity is on average 50% more expensive for everything and they never miss an opportunity to overcharge for things that are free or less expensive on HAL. 

Edited March 3 by Real NHDOC

[daisy-mae]

Even though we have cruised Celebrity in the past, we would not even consider trying their newer ships due to the lack of true balcony cabins.

[Niagarawine]

14 minutes ago, daisy-mae said:

Even though we have cruised Celebrity in the past, we would not even consider trying their newer ships due to the lack of true balcony cabins.

Same here. I has tge Ascent booked and canceled and went on Rotterdam

[OlsSalt]

Lots of reports passengers do not like the RCCL "Infinity Balconies", which seems to be one of the key features on their new ships.

 

What makes  them so unwelcome? Considering we have so many backs and forths about leaving balcony doors open on HAL ships.

[Djptcp]

We are 4* Mariners on HAL and sailing on Celebrity for the first time in a week. We booked it a year ago and decided to try it as it sails from Tampa, 30 miles from our home. As the year since booking has progressed I have had my doubts that it was a wise choice. It's the oldest ship and going into dry dock after our cruise. Long time Celebrity cruisers have complained about deteriorating service and food (Cruise Critic and Facebook). Some HAL passengers complain about this, too, but we have not seen it.

 

Friends are going with us and they have only cruise 3 times, once on Carnival and the last two on Holland. They wanted to try another cruise line, so we acquiesced.

 

 I found the Celebrity website awful. I couldn't pre-pay gratuities online and had to call Celebrity to do it. Descriptions of some of the services and gifts you could buy were lacking and not complete. I am used to charging our room in the HAL casinos, but Celebrity has come weird thing about it and it doesn't look easy. They give you a card in the casino to show how to do it and how much you can charge. We are bringing a lot more cash with us for the casino because of it.

 

[CNSJ]

We tried Celebrity last year after many great cruises with HAL.  Our one data point from Celebrity was a thumbs down.  We will stick with HAL.  Celebrity had poor service, mediocre food (buffet was horrible IMHO), and this ships, although not an Edge class was in poor shape.

 

 

[jlawrence01]

I was on the Celebrity Millennium, their oldest ship, a month after being on the Konigsdam and recently on the Eurodam.

 

I found the food to be better on the Millennium overall and the service in the MDR and buffet was excellent.  They recovered from the pandemic a lot faster than the Konigsdam.

 

There were three things that were unsatisfactory on the Millennium.  First, the main theater had one of the worst sound and lighting system that I have seen.  Honestly, my high school had better equipment.  Second, if you encountered any bad weather, the outside decks closed and there was limited space.  Third the entertainment did NOT match what was available on Konigsdam.

 

Having said that, I don't have a strong preference between HAL, Celebrity or Princess.  Excluding the new ships, they are all pretty similar and it really depends on pricing and itineraries.

 

Personally, I would NOT pay the price that the new Royal Caribbean and Celebrity ships are commanding.  If I was going to spend megabucks, I would probably do a Windstar cruise where I can get excellent food and impeccable service for a similar amount of money.

[ski ww]

Thanks for your insight on cruising with Celebrity, and here I always thought it was a step above HAL.

[Real NHDOC]

I didn’t mention in my original post that we had cruised on Celebrity several times before, just never on an Edge class ship. 
 

The upcharges for everything from specialty dining to snacks in one of the bars is especially irritating. The same croissant that is free on the buffet will cost you $2 in the cafe on deck 4. 
 

Celebrity is probably appealing to someone who wants a 7 day getaway and doesn’t care that much about service or atmosphere in the dining room. For people who spend a lot of time on ships and appreciate service over glitz it’s just not a good fit. 

[puppycanducruise]

Thanks for sharing your experience.

[cbr663]

Last night I watched a cruise vlog showing how the couple went from bar to bar on a X ship trying to find a cocktail that was included in the standard beverage package.  After 2 hours they found one in the casino bar.  It appears their standard beverage package is best for mocktails, a couple of wines and a limited number of beers.

[cruisemom42]

1 hour ago, cbr663 said:

Last night I watched a cruise vlog showing how the couple went from bar to bar on a X ship trying to find a cocktail that was included in the standard beverage package.  After 2 hours they found one in the casino bar.  It appears their standard beverage package is best for mocktails, a couple of wines and a limited number of beers.

 

I think Celebrity has done what HAL has done with regard to raising the prices for drinks without raising the limits of their beverage package. I haven't been on X since 2022, when that wasn't the case. But one can't say HAL isn't guilty of the same, just perhaps less aggressive...

 

Celebrity had a tough 2023. They did really well right after Covid, much better than HAL. But last year they made HUGE cutbacks in quality of food in the MDR, and for a while they even decimated their buffet dinner options until the extremely vociferous feedback forced them to restore it.

 

Celebrity also has significantly changed their itineraries. As someone else said, they seem to be aiming for short cruises (they even offer many 5-day cruises, which seems weird for a line that's much more sophisticated than Carnival).

 

I still like the design of the M-class and S-class ships very much. I am not really interested in the new class.

[Ken the cruiser]

16 hours ago, OlsSalt said:

Lots of reports passengers do not like the RCCL "Infinity Balconies", which seems to be one of the key features on their new ships.

 

What makes them so unwelcome? Considering we have so many backs and forths about leaving balcony doors open on HAL ships.

We have cruised with Celebrity quite a few times since cruising started back up. But our recent Galapagos cruise on the Flora was our first experience with the Infinite Verandas. Well, to the extent that we had a sky suite with a (regular) veranda while my BIL and his DW "upgraded" to an IV cabin. Basically, an IV cabin is a cabin with a very large window that slides up and down at the push of a button with an "inside" balcony. Funny thing was our sky suite with (an outside) veranda was the cheapest category on the ship. 😂

 

 

Here are some of the downsides IMHO with an IV balcony cabin. 

 

1. When the window is open, the cabin AC shuts off.

2. If it's raining, the Captain has the authority to close all of the open IV windows until the storm passes.

3. However, there was one main reason folks kept their windows closed in the Galapagos that might also be applicable at other locations, especially when the ship was stopped. With the window open, guess who wants to come visit and doesn't want to leave. Flies, mosquitos, etc.! 

 

No thanks. When we cruised on one of the Edge class ships, we either booked a sky suite or an aft-facing veranda cabin with a real balcony.

 

The funny thing is because of the "booking games" Celebrity has recently started to employ (e.g., charging an additional 20% for a refundable deposit to name one) along with their cookie cutter 4-11 day itineraries designed to target the working class, we are now looking to start booking HAL cruises again. Sure, HAL's entertainment is a little weak, but their cabin prices and early booking perks have definitely done an about face since our last cruise around Australia on the Maasdam back in 2019! 

 

Edited March 4 by Ken the cruiser

[TRLD]

32 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

I think Celebrity has done what HAL has done with regard to raising the prices for drinks without raising the limits of their beverage package. I haven't been on X since 2022, when that wasn't the case. But one can't say HAL isn't guilty of the same, just perhaps less aggressive...

 

Celebrity had a tough 2023. They did really well right after Covid, much better than HAL. But last year they made HUGE cutbacks in quality of food in the MDR, and for a while they even decimated their buffet dinner options until the extremely vociferous feedback forced them to restore it.

 

Celebrity also has significantly changed their itineraries. As someone else said, they seem to be aiming for short cruises (they even offer many 5-day cruises, which seems weird for a line that's much more sophisticated than Carnival).

 

I still like the design of the M-class and S-class ships very much. I am not really interested in the new class.

Comparing HAl, Princess and Celebrity. Celebrity visits the fewest unique destinations, about 350, compared to Princess at around 450 and HAL at around 550. Hal has the longest average itineraries, Celebrity the shortest.

 

We do not sail much on Celebrity these days due to a lack of unique itineraries and a higher average per day cost compared to the other 2.

[REOVA]

17 hours ago, Real NHDOC said:

After spending a very pleasant month aboard Eurodam we boarded the Apex on February 24th. Our first impression of the ship was it is beautiful and certainly a level above Eurodam being their Edge class. But the beauty of the ship could not offset the issues we have had which started with one of our suitcases going missing and not being located until 7pm. Then there is the dining room noise level, intolerable. The tables are all set so close to each other there is no privacy and no way to carry on a conversation. Food wasn’t as good as in MDR on Eurodam. 
 

Since the Apex can hold 1000 more passengers than Eurodam, I would think MDR noise and table space would be more similar to Pinnacle class ships, which we find noisy and crowded. 

 

Thanks for your comparison. It confirms other posts about decline on Celebrity (which is a topic of many lines) and where HAL is lacking (entertainment). It's very hard to compare 1 cruise against the other (even on same ship and different dates) as there are so many factors that can occur and subjective opinions from people (even doing the same cruise) but you were able to capture overall vibe of the comparison within the same time frame. 

 

 

[Real NHDOC]

12 minutes ago, REOVA said:

Since the Apex can hold 1000 more passengers than Eurodam, I would think MDR noise and table space would be more similar to Pinnacle class ships, which we find noisy and crowded. 

 

Thanks for your comparison. It confirms other posts about decline on Celebrity (which is a topic of many lines) and where HAL is lacking (entertainment). It's very hard to compare 1 cruise against the other (even on same ship and different dates) as there are so many factors that can occur and subjective opinions from people (even doing the same cruise) but you were able to capture overall vibe of the comparison within the same time frame. 

 

 

The Edge class actually has multiple (4) “main dining rooms” but they are all very densely packed with tables very close to each other. Each has a different theme but you can order any dish available in any dining room from any of them.  As noisy as the Pinnacle class MDR is on HAL it is still an overall more pleasant experience than being on Celebrity Edge class IMHO.  The ceilings are low and the large tables are very noisy and you just can’t escape them. It makes dining in them very unpleasant. So unless you want to pay for a special restaurant you are left with the buffet. 

Edited March 4 by Real NHDOC

[OlsSalt]

It was total luck of the draw when we took our first HAL cruise, after juggling endless pieces of paper trying to decide between Princess, RCCL and HAL.

 

We wanted to do an extensive Caribbean cruise back when I was traveling primarily to collect countries (Goal 100 countries- Travel Century Club) Quick and dirty, one can collect a lot in a short time in the Caribbean, with so many independent countries is a small area. 

 

The HAL itinerary squeezed in one more country than the others offered, if we made a quick ferry trip to BVI from St Thomas.  So HAL it was.

 

Something about HAL did hit the sweet spot for us after that first cruise,  and we have never looked back - we are travelers primarily so on-board life mattered less to us. HAL just offered comfort and solid value, while opening up virtually the entire world to us over time - only missing link was the very inland Five Stans.

 

Reading these other reports, we can't believe our luck we just happened on HAL for our first real commitment to a single cruise line. I often wonder if we would have been as committed to our later collection of cruise days, had we by chance chosen another line.

[Ken the cruiser]

.

Edited March 4 by Ken the cruiser

[julia]

We sailed on the Beyond on its first voyage from Port Everglades in Nov '22.  Although Elite on X, we hadn't sailed the Edge class, and wanted to try it.  We enjoyed the trip, had an IV balcony, never paid above the drink package, loved the buffet, and saw awesome entertainment.  Downside?  Did not like the four (crowded) dining rooms, service at bars was slow and impersonal, ship felt crowded and seemed "over the top" with decor, and it was pricy as all hell.  Overall, it was a total "one and done" for us, and from the sound of things here, we may be done with X entirely!

[jlawrence01]

1 hour ago, julia said:

We sailed on the Beyond on its first voyage from Port Everglades in Nov '22.  Although Elite on X, we hadn't sailed the Edge class, and wanted to try it.  We enjoyed the trip, had an IV balcony, never paid above the drink package, loved the buffet, and saw awesome entertainment.  Downside?  Did not like the four (crowded) dining rooms, service at bars was slow and impersonal, ship felt crowded and seemed "over the top" with decor, and it was pricy as all hell.  Overall, it was a total "one and done" for us, and from the sound of things here, we may be done with X entirely!

 

Yesterday, I was at a travel show and sat through NINE cruise line presentations.

 

I am starting to notice that the inside cabins on new ships like the Icon of the Seas and the Celebrity Edge class ships on a 7 day Caribbean cruise are often higher than the lowest cost cabins on some of the Windstar yachts where you get James Beard Foundation quality menu and ALL the dining venues are included.  You get itineraries with FEW sea days and you are able to get beyond the "same old" crowded ports that the large ships cannot reach. Imagine a 10 day cruise with nine port days.  And a lot more things are included.

 

While I am a budget traveler, there is a lot of value in some of the luxury lines.

 

 

 

 

[helen haywood]

10 hours ago, Real NHDOC said:

The same croissant that is free on the buffet will cost you $2 in the cafe on deck 4.

Are you referring to Cafe al Bacio?  All the food in the cases there is free.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Thanks for sharing.

[drivfour]

Infinite veranda is a huge engineering mistake. Cannot be fixed without massive refurbishment, and the embarrassment that would go with it. 

Interesting to see what they will do when they order next group of ships. Certainly no other cruise line will copy it.

Hollands entertainment is both pathetic and sparse. Alot of Hollands operations seems to border on laziness

Even though they do functions daily there is a lack of consistency in execution. This extends to food, beverage, getting people on an off the ship etc.

[CNSJ]

2 hours ago, jlawrence01 said:

Celebrity Edge class ships on a 7 day Caribbean cruise are often higher than the lowest cost cabins on some of the Windstar yachts where you get James Beard Foundation quality menu and ALL the dining venues are included.

But on that fancy Winter ship you don't have a "Johnny Rockets" burger joint, nine water slides, bumper cars, nor a robot that mixes your drink.  The big Mega Ships are NOT for us.

 

 

[Dancing Shoes]

I like both HAL and Celebrity for different reasons.  We always book an ocean view and cruise only rate.  We drink very little alcohol but enjoy our latte in the morning.  Apex has been the biggest ship for us and I would sail on her again.  Up next for us is the Volendam to Canada 2024.