RCCL Diamond looking to try Celbrity for a TA - What ship? What should I expect different? All help welcome!

[reeb4]

We started on Royal in 1988 and have done a cruise every few years.  We just reached Diamond.  We are very interested in trying a TA/Repositioning cruise and are thinking Celebrity might be a nice, new experience.  Any advice?  We would likely want a suite with balcony.  I understand the dining is an upgrade from RCCL...yes? I have looked at Youtube vids of some of the ships, done some initial research...BUT, this is the place with the real knowledge! Overall, what direction can you give us?

[canderson]

Our preference for a nice, long TA would be westbound on any of Celebrity's S (Solstice) class ships.  Those offer a bit more variety than the older M (Millenium) Class (dining, in particular) and unlike the newer E (Edge) class ships, have many real balcony cabins from which to choose, though its suites all do have balconies. 

 

S class is the sweet/suite spot for us for these cruises.  We booked late this year, so our TA will be on M class (Constellation) but we'll enjoy it all the same.

 

Edit:  Just how much 'suite' are you considering?  That might make a difference in the best answer.

 

Edited Tuesday at 09:20 PM by canderson

[DaKahuna]

21 minutes ago, reeb4 said:

We started on Royal in 1988 and have done a cruise every few years.  We just reached Diamond.  We are very interested in trying a TA/Repositioning cruise and are thinking Celebrity might be a nice, new experience.  Any advice?  We would likely want a suite with balcony.  I understand the dining is an upgrade from RCCL...yes? I have looked at Youtube vids of some of the ships, done some initial research...BUT, this is the place with the real knowledge! Overall, what direction can you give us?

 

Celebrity is not at all like Royal Caribbean.  Forget everything about any/all perks you get as Diamond on RCCL.  Celebrity’s works way different. 

 

All Suites on Celebrity have real balcony’s and come with an included premium beverage package and premium WiFi.  If you sail in a suite, dining it is like sailing in a Grand Suite on an Oasis class ships.  You have a dining room dedicated to suite guest, Luminae. 

You have a lounge dedicated to suite guest (there is no equivalent to the Diamond or whatever it’s being called now lounge).  It is open from about 0600-0630 to 2300-2330 daily and offer a free drinks and light snacks as well as continental type breakfast. 

 

Your Diamond Status will match to Celebrity’s Elite.  There is a dedicated breakfast lounge with a continental breakfast, sometimes seated service and sometimes buffet depending on how many Elite or above cruisers are onboard.

 

 

[39august]

If you like the big ships of RCI, you will probably  prefer the newer E class ships to the smaller, more classics S class ships. . Tho' E class ships have none of the bells and whistles like Oasis class, they are very modern in design and have outstanding theater capabilities. 

[Marie51]

I like the little things like chocolates on the pillow at night, twice a day housekeeping, not having to sign out pool towels, and as elite you will have a small vase of flowers in your cabin. On my last two celebrity cruises, the flowers were brought on the third day.

[TGfromTX]

I've only been on one ship so far so I can't give a suggestion - but I raise this question to some of you that have crossed the ocean.  Should how easily a ship gets tossed in bad seas be a consideration?  I've only had one really rough cruise and it was on an older and smaller ship.  It's the only trip I've been really badly seasick on - even the crew was sick on that trip & I wouldn't want to do it again.  The likelihood of big waves seems greater on ocean crossings to me.  My understanding is that heavier and newer ship with the newest technology sway the least - however I question if wider with fewer floors might help too.   Opinions?

[hcat]

1 hour ago, 39august said:

If you like the big ships of RCI, you will probably  prefer the newer E class ships to the smaller, more classics S class ships. . Tho' E class ships have none of the bells and whistles like Oasis class, they are very modern in design and have outstanding theater capabilities. 

E Class outshines Oasis in every way.  More upscale and beautiful.

 

  X cruisers are less concerned with status thsn Royals.. but you will get crossover perks

[George C]

2 minutes ago, hcat said:

E Class outshines Oasis in every way.  More upscale and beautiful.

 

  X cruisers are less concerned with status thsn Royals.. but you will get crossover perks

I still think oasis is way better when it comes to entertainment, oasis gives you broadway play , a fantastic aqua show, ice skating show . E class does have good entertainment.

[canderson]

26 minutes ago, TGfromTX said:

I've only been on one ship so far so I can't give a suggestion - but I raise this question to some of you that have crossed the ocean.  Should how easily a ship gets tossed in bad seas be a consideration?  I've only had one really rough cruise and it was on an older and smaller ship.  It's the only trip I've been really badly seasick on - even the crew was sick on that trip & I wouldn't want to do it again.  The likelihood of big waves seems greater on ocean crossings to me.  My understanding is that heavier and newer ship with the newest technology sway the least - however I question if wider with fewer floors might help too.   Opinions?

We've crossed on many different ships, some smaller than anything in Celebrity's fleet.  The worst waves we ever encountered were in the Caribbean on a Spring cruise back in 1986.  Remember that hurricane season storms tend to pick up steam as they head westward and find themselves able to pick up heat from warmer waters.  Out of the dozen and a half or so TAs we've taken (can you tell we enjoy them?), only one provided any real entertainment - by which I mean, the game was to get back to the cabin without touching a bulkhead.

 

Your odds of having an easy or rough TA depend upon how far away you are from peak weather seasons.  Earlier Spring and later Fall TAs are less likely to encounter weather, but it's a crap shoot from one year to the next when the season will run, or how much activity there will be.

 

As for motion and location, you'll want to do a little visualization here.  There are two primary motions (a couple of the third through sixth motions can be just plain ugly, but not as common) of a ship.  Side to side rocking (aka "roll"), where clearly the higher you are, the bigger the issue because while the arc being described is the same top to bottom, the distance you're moving is a lot more when you're higher up.  The second is front/back rise and fall, (aka "pitch").  Again, a little visualization demonstrates that being while the angle of the arc being described is the same, being fore or aft causes you to be moving greater distances.  So what many will advise if you're really concerned is low and midship.

 

The ones that really bring out the barf bags are large combined roll and pitch, with a little bile-raising yaw thrown in (ship spinning CW or CCW about its center).  With any luck, the captain isn't taking you through big waves at an angle that causes all of them at once.  When there's a bad case of both at once, even a few experienced seaman can be found huddling mid and low!

 

Fun, huh?  Most our Fall TA cruises haven't seen anything over 2~3m waves, and some have been less than 1m for most of the entire journey.

 

[mrgabriel]

6 hours ago, canderson said:

We've crossed on many different ships, some smaller than anything in Celebrity's fleet.  The worst waves we ever encountered were in the Caribbean on a Spring cruise back in 1986.  Remember that hurricane season storms tend to pick up steam as they head westward and find themselves able to pick up heat from warmer waters.  Out of the dozen and a half or so TAs we've taken (can you tell we enjoy them?), only one provided any real entertainment - by which I mean, the game was to get back to the cabin without touching a bulkhead.

 

Your odds of having an easy or rough TA depend upon how far away you are from peak weather seasons.  Earlier Spring and later Fall TAs are less likely to encounter weather, but it's a crap shoot from one year to the next when the season will run, or how much activity there will be.

 

As for motion and location, you'll want to do a little visualization here.  There are two primary motions (a couple of the third through sixth motions can be just plain ugly, but not as common) of a ship.  Side to side rocking (aka "roll"), where clearly the higher you are, the bigger the issue because while the arc being described is the same top to bottom, the distance you're moving is a lot more when you're higher up.  The second is front/back rise and fall, (aka "pitch").  Again, a little visualization demonstrates that being while the angle of the arc being described is the same, being fore or aft causes you to be moving greater distances.  So what many will advise if you're really concerned is low and midship.

 

The ones that really bring out the barf bags are large combined roll and pitch, with a little bile-raising yaw thrown in (ship spinning CW or CCW about its center).  With any luck, the captain isn't taking you through big waves at an angle that causes all of them at once.  When there's a bad case of both at once, even a few experienced seaman can be found huddling mid and low!

 

Fun, huh?  Most our Fall TA cruises haven't seen anything over 2~3m waves, and some have been less than 1m for most of the entire journey.

 

Worst TA we’ve done was eastbound very early Spring (think we left FLL on March 29). Three days of 25+ foot seas. Mid ship, lower deck helps. 

[chemmo]

10 hours ago, reeb4 said:

We started on Royal in 1988 and have done a cruise every few years.  We just reached Diamond.  We are very interested in trying a TA/Repositioning cruise and are thinking Celebrity might be a nice, new experience.  Any advice?  We would likely want a suite with balcony.  I understand the dining is an upgrade from RCCL...yes? I have looked at Youtube vids of some of the ships, done some initial research...BUT, this is the place with the real knowledge! Overall, what direction can you give us?

The focus on Celebrity tends to be more Rest and Relaxation vs Action and Activity on RC.

 

Fewer organised activities and less variety in show types on Celebrity. However, there are activities and lots of music that moves venue…You do need to check your planner to find these, none of the announcements you get on RC. 

 

People have already commented on the three classes of ships…M, S and E. If you start by considering which of the RC ships you like best you may get an idea which will suit you best. If it is the mega ships you will find nothing equivalent on Celebrity…If it is Freedom class or smaller in my opinion you will find something to suit you. I suggest you do some searching on YouTube to get an idea of the very different styles…Once you decide on which ship type will suit you best you may want to come back on and ask about different suite types.

 

Re Suites…Big difference in price, size and style between the three classes of ships…Also some ships have a sun deck and others don’t….You really need to do your homework. We all find our sweet, suite spot….Entry level suites (Sky) have full access to the suite venues on that ship. Higher suites have additional perks…I cannot stress enough the need to do your research on this. One criticism I would make of the Celebrity website is it does ‘mix and match’ pictures which can confuse. A Royal Suite, for example, on one class of ship is nothing like a RS on another…

 

We are D+ and E+ so know both lines well…However, we haven’t cruised RC for a while, the main reason being we love the laid back atmosphere on Celebrity and the better food. We find the food and ambiance in all dining venues (buffet, MDR, Luminae (suite dining) and speciality restaurants significantly better.

 

What would I choose? S class RS. Central position so less worry about stormy seas. Lovely room layout with all higher suite perks. Not bothered about a suite deck, TA cruises don’t necessarily have lots of pool days…

Edited Wednesday at 07:41 AM by chemmo

[welshrich]

We've done around 50 RCI cruises and last year did our first on Celebrity, we were so impressed we've booked 3 more, Celebrity seems so much better than RCI, almost like how RCI used to be before they cut so much, we thought the food quality was a lot higher than RCI and they do more varied itineraries than RCI, we still have RCI cruises booked but will probably look more to Celebrity in the future.

[TGfromTX]

A few items I've read to consider with TA trips - If you do a balcony, you may want a room facing away from the southern side - some rooms can get hot with the sun hitting directly on the exterior for the entire trip - especially if there isn't lots of shade over the balcony.   Another person posted the balcony seemed like a waste since all you ever see is water on most days - personally I'd still go for a balcony room though.  The other item is that many prefer trips that go in same direction as the sun - you have about an extra hour a day so you feel like you have plenty of time to do all you want.  When you are going opposite the sun, the hour loss day after day can make the days feel rushed.  Personally when I priced out a TA recently, I could not find better prices for airfare than what the cruiseline packaged into the trip where I usually can find better deals on domestic flights.

[the penguins]

3 hours ago, TGfromTX said:

A few items I've read to consider with TA trips - If you do a balcony, you may want a room facing away from the southern side - some rooms can get hot with the sun hitting directly on the exterior for the entire trip - especially if there isn't lots of shade over the balcony.   Another person posted the balcony seemed like a waste since all you ever see is water on most days - personally I'd still go for a balcony room though.  The other item is that many prefer trips that go in same direction as the sun - you have about an extra hour a day so you feel like you have plenty of time to do all you want.  When you are going opposite the sun, the hour loss day after day can make the days feel rushed.  Personally when I priced out a TA recently, I could not find better prices for airfare than what the cruiseline packaged into the trip where I usually can find better deals on domestic flights.

we usually do the TA every year and often twice a year. We like S class which used to be easy from Southampton but now we end up flying to/from Barcelona.

We have sat on our balcony for a minimum of 3 to 4 hours a day on every crossing. 

We love the relaxed atmosphere of the sea days, the extra entertainment, matinee shows in the theatre, the Beyond the Podium presentations, and the interaction with many of the Officers at numerous events/quizes etc.

We have Any Time Dining and share a table of 6 every night - we eat as a couple at home every day and have no intention of doing so on a cruise.

Of course the highlight of each trip is visiting our grandson in McKinney either before or after each cruise. 

 

 

[SEC Man]

We are considering a westbound TA for 2026 and leaning towards an E class ship as we enjoy that class and the IV cabins as they provide extra, usable cabin space.  Prior to the westbound TA thinking a land tour, river cruise or possible B2B maybe on the same ship depending on the itinerary (which may depend on the state of the world situation in 2026).

[phoenix_dream]

23 hours ago, TGfromTX said:

I've only been on one ship so far so I can't give a suggestion - but I raise this question to some of you that have crossed the ocean.  Should how easily a ship gets tossed in bad seas be a consideration?  I've only had one really rough cruise and it was on an older and smaller ship.  It's the only trip I've been really badly seasick on - even the crew was sick on that trip & I wouldn't want to do it again.  The likelihood of big waves seems greater on ocean crossings to me.  My understanding is that heavier and newer ship with the newest technology sway the least - however I question if wider with fewer floors might help too.   Opinions?

I get seasick in rough seas without medication.  IMHO there is little difference between S and E class. E class is newer and bigger, but not that much bigger. I would say M class would feel motion the most. I would also recommend you get a midship,  lower floor cabin.  Despite my sensitivity I have been on 81 Celebrity cruises on all classes of ships, plus 10 more on other lines. My point- just be prepared and don't let it stop you. 

[chemmo]

8 hours ago, SEC Man said:

We are considering a westbound TA for 2026 and leaning towards an E class ship as we enjoy that class and the IV cabins as they provide extra, usable cabin space.  Prior to the westbound TA thinking a land tour, river cruise or possible B2B maybe on the same ship depending on the itinerary (which may depend on the state of the world situation in 2026).

With the high cost of flights it always makes sense to add a ‘something’ on to a cruise.
 

Options are massive. I would start with deciding which ‘bit’ of Europe you want to see the most. If it is somewhere like the UK then a land tour is ideal followed by picking up your TA In Southampton. If you want to get a flavoured of Greece and the Greek Islands then a cruise before your TA may be best…Alternatively you may want to focus on a couple of city stays. For example, fly into Paris for 5 days then catch the train to Barcelona to spend a few more days before picking up your TA cruise there…

 

Being on the opposite side of the pond our favourite pre cruise experience was flying into Seattle and spending a week enjoying Washington State before getting on our Alaska cruise. We saw a bit of the USA that otherwise we never would have got to enjoy. Fabulous. We even got to visit friends there we had made on a European cruise four years earlier. Magical.

 

We have always enjoyed the planning of cruises like this far more than when we have ‘just booked a cruise’…Finding routes you can put together and even different transport methods add such variety to a vacation. Enjoy looking at all your options!

 

 

[SEC Man]

3 hours ago, chemmo said:

With the high cost of flights it always makes sense to add a ‘something’ on to a cruise.
 

Options are massive. I would start with deciding which ‘bit’ of Europe you want to see the most. If it is somewhere like the UK then a land tour is ideal followed by picking up your TA In Southampton. If you want to get a flavoured of Greece and the Greek Islands then a cruise before your TA may be best…Alternatively you may want to focus on a couple of city stays. For example, fly into Paris for 5 days then catch the train to Barcelona to spend a few more days before picking up your TA cruise there…

 

Being on the opposite side of the pond our favourite pre cruise experience was flying into Seattle and spending a week enjoying Washington State before getting on our Alaska cruise. We saw a bit of the USA that otherwise we never would have got to enjoy. Fabulous. We even got to visit friends there we had made on a European cruise four years earlier. Magical.

 

We have always enjoyed the planning of cruises like this far more than when we have ‘just booked a cruise’…Finding routes you can put together and even different transport methods add such variety to a vacation. Enjoy looking at all your options!

 

 

That is our general thought process as I will probably want to end up in Barcelona for a TA back to South Florida where we live. 

[hcat]

On 9/24/2024 at 7:00 PM, George C said:

I still think oasis is way better when it comes to entertainment, oasis gives you broadway play , a fantastic aqua show, ice skating show . E class does have good entertainment.

Guess it depends on perspective.. Where we live,  we have BROADWAY, and. top level ice shows.  Same for where we vacation over winter plus both have  Ballet, Opera   and fine dining.

 

We think Oasis  is  very good for families ..younger folks who enjoy zip line and wave riders...and the Parades. 

 

It does have an adult only outdoor hot tub area where we spent alot of time.  The small library and upstairs lounge were filled with day nappers!

 

Celeb..E Class has a an indoor Adult Solarium pool with hot tubs, a  great theater,  anazing EDEN, the Club. and  Central Martini Bar hub, plus a Rooftop garden and  Aft Bar area ...something for all tastes!

 

It will be different from Royal!

[George C]

2 hours ago, hcat said:

Guess it depends on perspective.. Where we live,  we have BROADWAY, and. top level ice shows.  Same for where we vacation over winter plus both have  Ballet, Opera   and fine dining.

 

We think Oasis  is  very good for families ..younger folks who enjoy zip line and wave riders...and the Parades. 

 

It does have an adult only outdoor hot tub area where we spent alot of time.  The small library and upstairs lounge were filled with day nappers!

 

Celeb..E Class has a an indoor Adult Solarium pool with hot tubs, a  great theater,  anazing EDEN, the Club. and  Central Martini Bar hub, plus a Rooftop garden and  Aft Bar area ...something for all tastes!

 

It will be different from Royal!

I am not saying I didn’t like E class, but entertainment is not equal to oasis class. We have upscale restaurants that we go to every week that has live music, but need to drive to them . What I have always loved about cruise ships is no driving needed. There may have live music in 3 or more places at same exact time Latin band playing in one area , guitar playing in pub and piano playing in schooner and something in main showroom. 
  The main thing we like on E class is suite perks , with a suite dining room which definitely better than rccl suite restaurant. Suite lounge on celebrity is really nice with way better service than oasis class, also I like that I can order doubles. Also suites on E class have their own pool , hot tub and outdoor pool. All ships have pools and hot tubs , I can use my pool and hot tub in my backyard about 6 months out of the year, longer if I want to turn on pool heater. 

[TeeRick]

16 hours ago, phoenix_dream said:

I get seasick in rough seas without medication.  IMHO there is little difference between S and E class. E class is newer and bigger, but not that much bigger. I would say M class would feel motion the most. I would also recommend you get a midship,  lower floor cabin.  Despite my sensitivity I have been on 81 Celebrity cruises on all classes of ships, plus 10 more on other lines. My point- just be prepared and don't let it stop you. 

You are correcting a misconception - that most think that E-Class is much larger than S-Class - and it is only slightly larger in size but with more passengers and more suites.  On a TA, in a suite,  I would go with E-Class for the full Retreat experience on all those Sea Days.  Non-suite, go with S-Class and get a real balcony.