Comparing Celebrity with HAL, NCL, and Oceania

[dszrew]

A year ago I retired, and I think we’ve cruised about 100 days on several cruise lines (a few new to us): Holland America, Oceania, Norwegian, Celebrity. We’ve probably done 20 cruises now, mostly on Celebrity. A year ago was our first cruise since the pandemic. 

 

Thought I’d compare the lines/ships as we experienced them this year (with some references to the past).

 

Best Embarkation: I liked the way Celebrity does embarkation now, with much of the check-in process automated, and then head to your stateroom to get your keys. It helped that in both cases we boarded later, not trying to get there at the first boarding time. 

Norwegian gets the worst embarkation of our 20+ cruises. They were not allowed to use the main terminal for check-in, so instead had everyone line up and they bussed you to the ship. A total of 2 people trying to control the boarding crowd and giving conflicting instructions on where to line up. Total chaos. They said they did not expect the change, but it was as if they had never done boarding before. 

Both Norwegian and Holland America shut down several of the elevators to move luggage, so it was often impossible to find an empty elevator and sometimes not possible to get where we needed to go without stairs. No signs or notifications of closed elevators or alternative routes.

 

Best Disembarkation: A positive with Norwegian is you don’t sign up for a time, you just go pick out the luggage tags you want based on when you want to leave. We tended to leave as soon as they’d let us off (if not a few minutes before), so we were able to get off quickly, grab our luggage, and get a taxi without too much of a wait on every cruise. Overall it seems less stressful than it used to be on any line.

The Edge had the best elevators for getting off the ship as they were larger and more of them and we were also up front where they were less used than the main elevator banks.

 

Best Cabin Attendants: No complaints on any line. All did their magic as we stepped out and kept the ice bucket full. We were somewhat frustrated on Norwegian with boarding, tendering, and docking locations. Our room attendant was the only one on the ship who didn’t try to argue with us and even ran up a few decks once when there was confusion over which deck to use to get off. 

 

Best Quality MDR Food: Oceania edges out the other lines. I really found the MDR food to be similar across all lines with good quality in the MDR (despite what you found anywhere else). 

Menus are very similar across all lines, except perhaps with a more French flare on Oceania. Little variation in bread offered each day, with fewer selections on the menu. After having one vegetarian, one gluten free, one (or more) fish/seafood, and a chicken dish, the final spot was split between beef, lamb, pork, etc. 

I have typically not liked lamb but found the lamb on Norwegian to be very good. 

 

Best Suite Dining Quality: On Oceania, there is no special suite dining. Their normal MDR beats out Celebrity Luminae for quality. Luminae was good, with varying quality, but with a selection of different items. On Oceania, it was often a variation of a thin slice of meat breaded and covered with a sauce. We thought Luminae had a more interesting menu (but not necessarily more or better choices and not really better quality). 

Best MDR Service: Celebrity wins hands down. On all other lines we found excessive wait times at dinner--even when we’d skip the appetizer. I think Celebrity wins overall in the service department, possibly because they seem to have more long-time employees. Everyone on Oceania tried hard to be happy and friendly, but there often seemed to be a lack of training or even urgency in clearing tables or doing other things. Heard Oceania was understaffed, but still think better management could have polished off the rough spots. 

 

Best Buffet Quality: Oceania by a mile (or nautical mile). They serve the same food in the buffet as on the dinner menu, with some additions. If none of that appeals, you can ask for grilled rib eye, new york strip, shrimp, and lobster tail. They cook it right there, not pull it off a pile pre-cooked. We found it easier to go to the buffet each night as it was faster and had better selection.

Surprisingly, I thought Norwegian did a good job. They didn’t try to be luxury, but they did budget well and did the best keeping the food hot. Celebrity might have had a bit of a tastier selection, but food was often cold, even if you tried to dig down into the big pans for something closer to the heat. 

Could not stand the Holland America buffet.

 

Best Buffet Selection: Celebrity had the most to choose from with the most variety. Unfortunately, that variety was somewhat disguised. Always a group of Indian, Asian, Gyro, Sandwich, Vegetarian and other common items. Specific items rotated, and after a while it seemed the same repeat each day with only a few exceptions. 

 

Best Desserts: Oceania wins again due to quality and a bit better selection. Sometimes unusual items, always a good chocolate something (or two). 

Celebrity is a distant second. Dessert in the buffet was often just a change in the color of the cake rectangles they served. We seemed to find sea days at lunch had better desserts. On Edge, they would create these beautiful cakes, but when you ask for some you’d get the piece of a sheet cake hidden behind. Solstice had better variety of desserts and you could often get a piece of the cake or pie yourself. 

Celebrity main dining room desserts were better, but I can’t believe how much the chocolate lava cake has shrunk over the years (smaller around than a quarter and just a bit taller). 

The other two lines were totally uninspiring at dessert. 

 

Best Ice Cream: Celebrity Edge wins. As good as the “old” Celebrity ice cream. Found the ice cream on Solstice to be less creamy, but they had a wider selection of flavors. I guess they didn’t want to compete with their Gelato stand on Deck 5. 

Oceania had good ice cream, with some unusual flavors that were hit or miss (more miss as they tried to be exotic). Norwegian had self-serve chocolate & vanilla soft ice cream, which beat out anything Holland America served up. 

 

Best Specialty Steak: Oceania wins, barely edging out Cagney’s on Norwegian. Cagney’s may have had the better steak, but you can’t beat the lobster mac & cheese on Oceania. Was not impressed with Fine Cut on Edge--didn’t measure up to the old Lawn Club Grill from a few years back (steak looked to have rested too long and had some odd texture and coloring). The Holland American steak place was not worth the tip I had to pay for the “free” specialty dining. 

 

Butler Service: Had a butler on Oceania and also the Edge. I frankly don’t know what to do with one--just keep the Coke Zero stocked and I’m happy. I’ve asked butlers to help with dinner reservations, and just don’t see the benefit as I can call direct and get the same answer. Took 2 days for the butler on the Edge to get back with me, by which time I had already done it. 

Only had a Sky Suite on Edge. When I asked about room service, like ordering from the MDR or something, was told the only option was the (very limited) menu. 

Oceania wins with our butler taking orders for the specialty restaurants for the last week of our 30 day cruise as we tired of the other food onboard. I’ve heard rumors of that on Celebrity, but I think only for higher up suite guests. 

 

Best Pizza: I think Holland America wins. I just want a greasy pepperoni. Celebrity second (if you got it hot). Oceania last (they tried to be too fancy). 

Best Burgers: Oceania is in a class by itself, with steak and lobster sandwich and larger burgers made when you order them. Only the Luminae burger compares favorably to Oceania--but with a wider selection. We used to like Celebrity burgers, but no more. I actually liked Holland American’s better. 

 

Best Food Item on Norwegian: Monte Cristo Sandwich for lunch. The Reuben would be a close second. 
Best Food Item on Holland: Probably the Reuben, extra meat. 
Best Food Item on Oceania: Nightly rib eye and lobster. 
Best Food Item on Celebrity: On the Edge, probably the ice cream (judged by how often we had it). The dulce de leche croissant was tasty.

 

Best Entertainment: We don’t go on a ship for entertainment. We’re often going to bed by the time the first show starts. I don’t like production shows by the ship cast. So Celebrity wins on entertainment because they bring in “headliners” who can often be quite good. I like when they bring in local acts, like the Gaucho dancers in Argentina or the Islander Dancers on our recent cruises. 

 

Best Enrichment Speakers: The speakers on Celebrity are more visible and easier to find, and there are more of them. The best regular speaker was on the Solstice, the woman talking about nature. She was knowledgeable, energetic, and funny. Best ever. 

 

Best Ship: Our cruise on the Edge was our first on that class of a ship. I really like how they changed several things that just made sense. Larger elevators, larger hallways in some public areas, the magic carpet for tendering, luxury tender boats, and a large area to walk on for security. First time in several years that I’ve taken many pictures of the ship. 

We’ve had a few suites, and they are often about the same size. I liked the layout of the Sky Suite, like it was wider than many and with some unusual touches here and there. 

The only thing better than the Edge was a Silversea ship or two that were very small and never crowded.

 

A few observations about Celebrity compared to pre-pandemic:

• I think Celebrity is better managed and overall has more competent people than the other lines. Service was good everywhere, just better and more professional on Celebrity.
• Apparently you can only get 100% butter now in specialty or suite dining. 
• Pathetic “sticky” buns at breakfast are cold, crumbly danishes with a little hard brown sugar and nuts. Virtually the same comment for their cinnamon rolls (didn’t try Eden’s). 
• Lunch and even breakfast was crowded in the buffet. Worse than I remember. One day had to circle several times to find a table. At one point I told my wife “this isn’t my idea of fun.” So many people you could hardly move in a straight line without someone stopping, stooping, or cutting in front of you. We did Luminae a few times, but the trade off is the limited selection and the time it takes to be served.

 

We did a lot of cruising this year, and are looking now for slower-paced vacations where we have more control over when and where we eat (and a better selection). I still think cruises are best for getting in many stops without having to pack and unpack constantly.

[LouChamp]

Aloha. Thank you for your detailed report. We have been blessed to sail the lines you have compared countless times over the decades and will reread many time!

[mac_tlc]

Thank you for your comparison! In 2025 we will be doing our first HAL and O cruises. Trying to find a time slot for Silversea and Viking, but recent price increases have lessened the urgency. 
 

 

mac_tlc

[bEwAbG]

Interesting observations based on your experiences.

 

I would give HAL the award for best buffet.  It might have more limited selections but those to me have always been well prepared and consistently good, plated at the correct temp and served to you by staff, so they have less of the "ick" factor than the traditional buffet experience.  Their desserts are always consistently better to me, too.  I feel like Celebrity goes for style over substance too often (pretty but zero taste).

 

Every line has its strengths and weaknesses.  The real takeaway is to get out there and try them to see how you like them.  I understand why people develop brand loyalty, but I feel like you're missing out if you don't mix it up every now and again.

[RK-NC]

5 minutes ago, bEwAbG said:

Their desserts are always consistently better to me, too.  I feel like Celebrity goes for style over substance too often (pretty but zero taste).

 

So glad to read this! We were on Beyond 10 nights in April and loved our cruise but I have a real sweet tooth and desserts never seemed to satisfy it. By the end of the cruise, they were just "eye candy" for me. We'll be on Rotterdam next spring so pleased to hear your description of the HAL buffet and desserts!

[Ex-Airbalancer]

28 minutes ago, bEwAbG said:

Interesting observations based on your experiences.

 

I would give HAL the award for best buffet.  It might have more limited selections but those to me have always been well prepared and consistently good, plated at the correct temp and served to you by staff, so they have less of the "ick" factor than the traditional buffet experience.  Their desserts are always consistently better to me, too.  I feel like Celebrity goes for style over substance too often (pretty but zero taste).

 

Every line has its strengths and weaknesses.  The real takeaway is to get out there and try them to see how you like them.  I understand why people develop brand loyalty, but I feel like you're missing out if you don't mix it up every now and again.

I get to feel this way with Celebrity marketing lately 

You summed it correctly 

Pretty but zero taste 😁

[kwokpot]

Thank you for your overall reviews and opinions. We will be trying our first Holland America cruise in January and it seems for you nothing really stood out with them either positive or negative? Is that a correct assumption?

 

The only observation I may have a differing opinion with is your feelings with NCL's buffet. I was on the flagship Viva in December and Celebrity's flagship Ascent in January and the two buffets were like night and day with us preferring Celebrity hands down. While I agree Celebrity's E-Class ships buffets can be a little challenging in getting a table we do eventually find a table and try to sit down in the double-height section (E-Class ships) for those wonderful views. On the Viva we were never able to find a regular table and always ended up sitting at the communal high top tables. Additionally the layout of the buffet on NCL's Prima Class, which is the traditional straightline buffet (vs Celebrity's scattered stations layout), causes alot of crowding due to the long narrow layout vs a more square layout of Celebrity's E and S Class ( Celebrity's M-Class buffets are a more traditional layout) buffets. Having said that you aren't alone in how you feel about a square - station type buffet layout and you are certainly not the first person not to like that type of buffet arrangement. 

 

I'm surprised you didn't highlight NCL's other complementary eateries which are more varied than on Celebrity which meant you could go elsewhere for your lunch. We preferred going to The Local or Indulge Food Hall than the buffet for lunch,and on seadays Hudson's Dining room was such a pleasure respite from the chaotic buffet.

 

[billc23]

2 hours ago, bEwAbG said:

Every line has its strengths and weaknesses.  The real takeaway is to get out there and try them to see how you like them.  I understand why people develop brand loyalty, but I feel like you're missing out if you don't mix it up every now and again.

That is the key. As a former Celebrity loyalist who loved the product and would defend it against any criticism, I ventured away and am so happy I did. The downside now is that when I sail on Celebrity I am able to see the shortcomings that I was oblivious to in the past. 

[duchesslt]

It's interesting how our point of view on NCL dining is so different. I went on the Prima last June and found the food everywhere sub-par from Buffet to specialty to MDR. Sometimes it bordered on inedible - like when the proteins came out drenched in sauces from the MDR (I felt like they were hiding something!) Pre-pandemic I thought it was very good. 

 

I haven't sailed Celebrity since 2017 but am looking forward to Aqua Class and Blu next month. I hope Blu is as good and light as everyone says it is. 

[Liao]

40 minutes ago, billc23 said:

That is the key. As a former Celebrity loyalist who loved the product and would defend it against any criticism, I ventured away and am so happy I did. The downside now is that when I sail on Celebrity I am able to see the shortcomings that I was oblivious to in the past. 

Curious to know if you have tried HAL since you ventured out from Celebrity?  If so, what are your thoughts?

[RK-NC]

5 minutes ago, duchesslt said:

I haven't sailed Celebrity since 2017 but am looking forward to Aqua Class and Blu next month. I hope Blu is as good and light as everyone says it is. 

 

We were in Retreat on Beyond in April and really enjoyed breakfast at Blu one morning. Such a pretty restaurant! Wish we had worked it out to have dinner there - the menus look great! Enjoy!

[billc23]

7 minutes ago, Liao said:

Curious to know if you have tried HAL since you ventured out from Celebrity?  If so, what are your thoughts?

I have not. 

[Lois R]

50 minutes ago, billc23 said:

That is the key. As a former Celebrity loyalist who loved the product and would defend it against any criticism, I ventured away and am so happy I did. The downside now is that when I sail on Celebrity I am able to see the shortcomings that I was oblivious to in the past. 

Hi Bill, interesting post. I also sailed with Celebrity for many years but ventured away in 2017. I will  be sailing Eclipse in 2 weeks and I am sure I will see some differences but I plan on enjoying myself. I booked a Sunset Sky Suite so will see how Luminae is as well.

I know the major difference I am going to experience is the size of the ship. I have been sailing with Silversea and their largest ship holds 728. 

Will just see how everything goes once I board the ship.

[DISFANS3]

Thanks for info. We will be on Celebrity in OCT..

[Lastdance]

I enjoy the Celebrity product, especially in a suite, but Lumanie, IMHO, needs a new menu.  My time spent in an SV was very enjoyable too, especially combining a suite with an SV for a b2b in Europe. I enjoy the OVC, but only early when it first opens for breakfast and/or lunch.  In 2025, I have a PH on Oceania that I chose for the itinerary and a smaller ship experience; I have no idea how that will compare to Celebrity, but after he cruise comes a wonderful visit to Algarve, Portugal!  Food is very subjective, so not being a picky eater is a benefit.  I have not been on NCL in a few decades for various reasons, but I do want to venture out and it seems that Celebrity does not mind at bit if I spend my money elsewhere, especially those employees who work off the ship and service bookings.  Onboard is a completely different story and a great experience overall.  I have two cruises booked on her next year...TA/b2b. 

 

Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

Edited May 13 by Lastdance

[billc23]

22 minutes ago, Lois R said:

Hi Bill, interesting post. I also sailed with Celebrity for many years but ventured away in 2017. I will  be sailing Eclipse in 2 weeks and I am sure I will see some differences but I plan on enjoying myself. I booked a Sunset Sky Suite so will see how Luminae is as well.

I know the major difference I am going to experience is the size of the ship. I have been sailing with Silversea and their largest ship holds 728. 

Will just see how everything goes once I board the ship.

I really enjoy Silversea after sailing on the Moon and Dawn a few times. I do have sailings on the Nova and Ray coming up - I hope they are as nice as the smaller ships. Enjoy your time on the Eclipse!

[dszrew]

4 hours ago, bEwAbG said:

I would give HAL the award for best buffet.  It might have more limited selections but those to me have always been well prepared and consistently good, plated at the correct temp and served to you by staff, so they have less of the "ick" factor than the traditional buffet experience. 

We did the Koningsdam a year ago to Alaska. Thought the buffet was consistently cold, carved meats looked to be of lower quality and cold, and desserts pretty normal. 

[Lois R]

34 minutes ago, billc23 said:

I really enjoy Silversea after sailing on the Moon and Dawn a few times. I do have sailings on the Nova and Ray coming up - I hope they are as nice as the smaller ships. Enjoy your time on the Eclipse!

I sailed Nova back in November and to be honest with you, I much prefer the Moon and  Dawn. Not really because of the amount of people but they changed multiple venues and I don't think those changes were positive.  Actually, I am sailing Moon again in December and very much looking forward to it!🙂

[dszrew]

2 hours ago, kwokpot said:

Thank you for your overall reviews and opinions. We will be trying our first Holland America cruise in January and it seems for you nothing really stood out with them either positive or negative? Is that a correct assumption?

I would choose HAL again based on price and itinerary. But I like Celebrity ships better, didn't like the buffet nor the steak restaraunt, but did think the MDR was similar in quality. I know some like HAL better than Celebrity but not us.

 

2 hours ago, kwokpot said:

The only observation I may have a differing opinion with is your feelings with NCL's buffet. I was on the flagship Viva in December and Celebrity's flagship Ascent in January and the two buffets were like night and day with us preferring Celebrity hands down.

I rated NCL's buffet based on what it was trying to be--a budget line. I did not expect a lot, but thought they got the temperature down better than most buffets. Personally, I'd say NCL is a Holiday Inn with a budget AYCE buffet, and for that they did a good job. 

 

2 hours ago, kwokpot said:

I'm surprised you didn't highlight NCL's other complementary eateries which are more varied than on Celebrity which meant you could go elsewhere for your lunch. We preferred going to The Local or Indulge Food Hall than the buffet for lunch,and on seadays Hudson's Dining room was such a pleasure respite from the chaotic buffet.

 

I left out some things as we couldn't compare directly. We were on the NCL Dawn which seems an older ship. 

 

• We liked O'Sheehan's Bar, nice place for breakfast and my Reuben sandwich. 
• We did the Brazilian Steakhouse. It was good, but we have a local place that has twice the varieties at half the price. Best on the menu was the fried cheese and lamb which our place doesn't serve. 
• We did Bamboo and it wasn't qualified to be called asian food. Several different chicken dishes where it seemed all they did was change the sauce. Table next to us asked if one dish was spicy, and he replied "nothing is spicy". Pretty bland Kung Pao and looked just like the sweet and sour except for the addition of some peanuts (and a different colored sauce). 
• Also did the French restaraunt. Liked the decoration, but can't remember anything about the food. It was good, but not memorable. 

 

Some other observations:

• Oceania dinner starts late--6:30. We prefer to do earlier and be done with it. 
• After 10+ days at sea, nearly every meal starts to look the same with just variations on the theme, regardless of the cruise line. 
• I liked that Oceania would publish a lunch menu for the buffet. Several lines do fish & chips during lunch so it's nice to see when it's available. 
• Specialty dining is better, but overall is not worth the high cost IMHO. Gone are the days of $20pp and less on special. We paid $130 each for Eden on Edge, and $70+ each for Fine Cut. I find I can cook a better steak at home for much less, and even dining out is comparable in cost (and sometimes cheaper). 
• Oceania lets anyone book specialty dining--if you can find a slot. Paid for in your fare, and if you are lucky enough you can keep going back (usually starting late for dinner). 
• Also after 10+ days you just want something simple to eat, without a lot of waiting.

[mkcurran]

2 hours ago, kwokpot said:

Thank you for your overall reviews and opinions. We will be trying our first Holland America cruise in January and it seems for you nothing really stood out with them either positive or negative? Is that a correct assumption?

 

The only observation I may have a differing opinion with is your feelings with NCL's buffet. I was on the flagship Viva in December and Celebrity's flagship Ascent in January and the two buffets were like night and day with us preferring Celebrity hands down. While I agree Celebrity's E-Class ships buffets can be a little challenging in getting a table we do eventually find a table and try to sit down in the double-height section (E-Class ships) for those wonderful views. On the Viva we were never able to find a regular table and always ended up sitting at the communal high top tables. Additionally the layout of the buffet on NCL's Prima Class, which is the traditional straightline buffet (vs Celebrity's scattered stations layout), causes alot of crowding due to the long narrow layout vs a more square layout of Celebrity's E and S Class ( Celebrity's M-Class buffets are a more traditional layout) buffets. Having said that you aren't alone in how you feel about a square - station type buffet layout and you are certainly not the first person not to like that type of buffet arrangement. 

 

I'm surprised you didn't highlight NCL's other complementary eateries which are more varied than on Celebrity which meant you could go elsewhere for your lunch. We preferred going to The Local or Indulge Food Hall than the buffet for lunch,and on seadays Hudson's Dining room was such a pleasure respite from the chaotic buffet.

 

Good Morning Kwokpot, 

I am very interested in your views on the various lines. I know you and you partner make the rounds. I also know you partner is into the casinos. so here goes the questions, if you would be so kind as to answer them:

1. Which line has the best program for gamblers?

2. Which one is best for the gambler's partners?

3. Which one has the best variety of food?

4. Who has the best quality of food?

5. Which line do you prefer the most?

Is there anything you can think of that makes one line stand out from the others?

 

Thanks!

[Tom47]

Thanks for your review.  It was a worthwhile read.    We have taken 9 Celebrity cruises, 3 Royal and none on NCL, Oceania or HAL.  We have a HAL Alaska land tour/ cruise booked for 2025.  Other cruise lines that we like:  Hurtigruten, Azamara, Pearl Seas, and American Cruise Lines.  We have been to Ireland and Iceland on land tours.

[kwokpot]

On 5/13/2024 at 1:47 PM, mkcurran said:

Good Morning Kwokpot, 

I am very interested in your views on the various lines. I know you and you partner make the rounds. I also know you partner is into the casinos. so here goes the questions, if you would be so kind as to answer them:

1. Which line has the best program for gamblers?

2. Which one is best for the gambler's partners?

3. Which one has the best variety of food?

4. Who has the best quality of food?

5. Which line do you prefer the most?

Is there anything you can think of that makes one line stand out from the others?

 

Thanks!

A few of the questions are a bit hard to answer, but here's my thoughts.

1) I would have to say that Carnival, Celebrity, and Royal have the best programs in that order. I explain in further detail below. 

2) Carnival, hands down. Many of their best offers includes benefits for both the player and accompanying cruiser. That's not the case with almost all the other cruiseline programs. (Virgin & MSC casino invited guests have free drinks while playing in the casino for main and 2nd guest)

3) Carnival, Virgin

4) Celebrity, Virgin

5) Celebrity

To elaborate on the first question, Carnival's program stands pretty much alone from all other cruiselines and even land based casinos. Reason for this is there aren't VISIBLE or explicit gambling tier levels to play towards. In other words how one ranks within Carnival's casino program is UNKNOWN;furthermore, there are no published tiers or status levels that you play and earn. So how do you know what benefits you'll get from gambling on a Carnival cruise? They do issue end-of-cruise future cruise certificates based on the gambling on that sailing and you will receive offers that's listed in your loyalty member profile on Carnival's website. They also send email offers and  postcard offers that are duplicates of the offers in your Carnival member profile. Onboard you can speak to the Casino host and see if your play warrants any comps for a free specialty dinner, a bottle of wine, spa treatment,etc. Usually the hosts are very friendly and will generally seek you out if you qualify for a comp and will ask if you're interested in a free steakhouse dinner. Carnival's casino program is also different than the others since they offer regularly casino sponsored cruises which are hosted by a separate casino staff hosts and there will be nightly contests and drawings. There are four different types of hosted casino cruises each with better benefits than the next. Apart from these hosted casino cruises there are also other casino comp offers that will be either discounted or fully comped based on your play. All these offers are for a certain list of cruises that you can choose from on their website. All their offers can be booked online on your own, you do not have to call the casino department. 

As you rightly are thinking you only know when you qualify for any comp and what type when it shows up in your account. There's no published formulas, for example, to figure out how much you need to gamble to be considered for an Elite hosted Casino Cruise Offer, which is considered the top hosted casino offer. 

 

Celebrity and Royal's programs are more like your standard land-based casino program, with published tier levels and the benefits that come with each. Even though they are owned by the same parent company the casino programs WERE totally independent and different;however, Celebrity's Casino department is now being run within Royal's Casino Department and although as of right now they are still separate and independent programs the writing is on the wall that they MAY eventually merge the two programs. As it stands right now Celebrity's program has a slight lead in that there are guaranteed freeplay amounts when you achieve the higher tier levels and take a Celebrity cruise, whether comped or not.  Additionally on the higher tier levels one of the benefits is a free beverage package (primary gambler only) which isn't offered at any level on Royal.

 

Having said all that each of three cruiselines I mentioned are different in the CRUISE product they offer. Anyone that says differently isn't being discerning enough.  Is a Chevy, Toyota, and Lexus car all the same?  We sail on all three, enjoy all three, but for different reasons (As of today, 113 cruises in total, we have 33 cruises on Royal, 29 Carnival, 27 Celebrity, the remaining on other lines )

For us Celebrity is our favorite cruiseline, although my husband will say that CARNIVAL has the best cruiseship casinos without question. Carnival consistently updates their machines even on their oldest ships, and not just the slot machines but they will renovate the whole casino even if the cabins hasn't been touched in 30 years. We like Celebrity for the quality of the ships and food the overall cruise experience is more upscale than Carnival or Royal. Royal's forte is the the number of ships and the sheer variety of the size and type of ships they offer. One can debate whether they like Royal's Oasis Class of ships but they are unique and offer features other cruiseline can't touch. What is up for debate is whether those features are important to you. 

Carnival offers a superior cruseship casino experience. Carnival's cruising style is laidback and as their tagline states, they are there to provide a FUN cruise experience. Everything, from the guests, employees, and cruise programming, is meant to embody having a fun vacation. 

 

In the end, what I would say is to decide which cruiseline offers the best vacation experience for you, then cruise and play in their casinos, and utilize their comp cruise offers. 

 

Let me know if you have other questions. 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 14 by kwokpot

[mkcurran]

2 hours ago, kwokpot said:

A few of the questions are a bit hard to answer, but here's my thoughts.

1) I would have to say that Carnival, Celebrity, and Royal have the best programs in that order. I explain in further detail below. 

2) Carnival, hands down. Many of their best offers includes benefits for both the player and accompanying cruiser. That's not the case with almost all the other cruiseline programs. (Virgin & MSC casino invited guests have free drinks while playing in the casino for main and 2nd guest)

3) Carnival, Virgin

4) Celebrity, Virgin

5) Celebrity

To elaborate on the first question, Carnival's program stands pretty much alone from all other cruiselines and even land based casinos. Reason for this is there aren't VISIBLE or explicit gambling tier levels to play towards. In other words how one ranks within Carnival's casino program is UNKNOWN;furthermore, there are no published tiers or status levels that you play and earn. So how do you know what benefits you'll get from gambling on a Carnival cruise? They do issue end-of-cruise future cruise certificates based on the gambling on that sailing and you will receive offers that's listed in your loyalty member profile on Carnival's website. They also send email offers and  postcard offers that are duplicates of the offers in your Carnival member profile. Onboard you can speak to the Casino host and see if your play warrants any comps for a free specialty dinner, a bottle of wine, spa treatment,etc. Usually the hosts are very friendly and will generally seek you out if you qualify for a comp and will ask if you're interested in a free steakhouse dinner. Carnival's casino program is also different than the others since they offer regularly casino sponsored cruises which are hosted by a separate casino staff hosts and there will be nightly contests and drawings. There are four different types of hosted casino cruises each with better benefits than the next. Apart from these hosted casino cruises there are also other casino comp offers that will be either discounted or fully comped based on your play. All these offers are for a certain list of cruises that you can choose from on their website. All their offers can be booked online on your own, you do not have to call the casino department. 

As you rightly are thinking you only know when you qualify for any comp and what type when it shows up in your account. There's no published formulas, for example, to figure out how much you need to gamble to be considered for an Elite hosted Casino Cruise Offer, which is considered the top hosted casino offer. 

 

Celebrity and Royal's programs are more like your standard land-based casino program, with published tier levels and the benefits that come with each. Even though they are owned by the same parent company the casino programs WERE totally independent and different;however, Celebrity's Casino department is now being run within Royal's Casino Department and although as of right now they are still separate and independent programs the writing is on the wall that they MAY eventually merge the two programs. As it stands right now Celebrity's program has a slight lead in that there are guaranteed freeplay amounts when you achieve the higher tier levels and take a Celebrity cruise, whether comped or not.  Additionally on the higher tier levels one of the benefits is a free beverage package (primary gambler only) which isn't offered at any level on Royal.

 

Having said all that each of three cruiselines I mentioned are different in the CRUISE product they offer. Anyone that says differently isn't being discerning enough.  Is a Chevy, Toyota, and Lexus car all the same?  We sail on all three, enjoy all three, but for different reasons (As of today, 113 cruises in total, we have 33 cruises on Royal, 29 Carnival, 27 Celebrity, the remaining on other lines )

For us Celebrity is our favorite cruiseline, although my husband will say that CARNIVAL has the best cruiseship casinos without question. Carnival consistently updates their machines even on their oldest ships, and not just the slot machines but they will renovate the whole casino even if the cabins hasn't been touched in 30 years. We like Celebrity for the quality of the ships and food the overall cruise experience is more upscale than Carnival or Royal. Royal's forte is the the number of ships and the sheer variety of the size and type of ships they offer. One can debate whether they like Royal's Oasis Class of ships but they are unique and offer features other cruiseline can't touch. What is up for debate is whether those features are important to you. 

Carnival offers a superior cruseship casino experience. Carnival's cruising style is laidback and as their tagline states, they are there to provide a FUN cruise experience. Everything, from the guests, employees, and cruise programming, is meant to embody having a fun vacation. 

 

In the end, what I would say is to decide which cruiseline offers the best vacation experience for you, then cruise and play in their casinos, and utilize their comp cruise offers. 

 

Let me know if you have other questions. 

 

 

 

 

Thank you!

I think you just confirmed my thoughts. I'm Carnival'd out I think. Fun is one thing, but the last couple of cruises have had their issues. I've never gotten the appeal of a floating amusement park. If I had kids, it would seem a no-brainer to go with Royal. I think it would be hard to be bored on those ships.

I've been leaning towards Celebrity for a while now, just now willing to pull the trigger when Long Beach has been so close, so easy, and much cheaper. But Long beach is no longer as easy as it used to be. So I'm looking east and Celebrity keeps popping up with attractive itineraries and surprisingly reasonable prices. 

I just have to convince my gambling friend to give them a try. The quality of food is the big factor. 

Anyway a lot of words to say I've seen your reviews and your tastes run similar to mine, so thank you for your input. 

[sofietucker]

On 5/13/2024 at 8:39 AM, RK-NC said:

 

So glad to read this! We were on Beyond 10 nights in April and loved our cruise but I have a real sweet tooth and desserts never seemed to satisfy it. By the end of the cruise, they were just "eye candy" for me. We'll be on Rotterdam next spring so pleased to hear your description of the HAL buffet and desserts!

Check out the poffertjes in  their Dutch Cafe!