Best ship/trip?

[ChampionCruiser]

After completing our sixth cruise on our sixth different cruise line (all of which we enjoyed) we are ready to try a Celebrity cruise because of the outstanding reviews.

 

Even though it will be a while before this trip, I thought that it would be fun to see your opinions on the best ship/itenerary that Celebrity offers (nothing too exotic). I know that the Solctise can't be included yet, but all of the others.

 

As for my family...we have been on nearly every size of ship (from the 15000 GRT Enchanted Isle to the 138000 GRT Mariner OTS) and have loved them all, even though our last two cruises have been our favorite. We really enjoyed Princess because of the good service, so we hope X will be as good as others say.

 

Another question: we love cruising in aft balconies, and were upset to see that X seperates these cabins into another class (sunset verandas or CC). How much more expensive are these cabins than regular balcony rooms?

 

And lastly, what is it that makes you cruise Celebrity, and what other lines should we try after our next cruise? (not Disney/Carnival/NCL/Princess/RCCL) We don't want to cruise twice on one line until we have to!

 

Thanks for the input!!

[Norcal Cruiser]

Our favorite cruise was a westbound Panama canal cruise with Celebrity.It emcompassed the Carribean with the Panama Canal and Costa Rica and Mexico.It brought us home to San Francisco.40 minutes after leaving the ship we were home!I am sure that was a big part of the appeal.Celebrity has amazing food and service!Our dream cruise would probably be Australia at this point but we also really want to do South America and go around the horn.We have not sailed other cruise lines.We are so happy with Celebrity we don't want to take a chance and be disappointed with another cruiseline.

[hajekfam]

After completing our sixth cruise on our sixth different cruise line (all of which we enjoyed) we are ready to try a Celebrity cruise because of the outstanding reviews.

 

Even though it will be a while before this trip, I thought that it would be fun to see your opinions on the best ship/itenerary that Celebrity offers (nothing too exotic). I know that the Solctise can't be included yet, but all of the others.

 

As for my family...we have been on nearly every size of ship (from the 15000 GRT Enchanted Isle to the 138000 GRT Mariner OTS) and have loved them all, even though our last two cruises have been our favorite. We really enjoyed Princess because of the good service, so we hope X will be as good as others say.

 

Another question: we love cruising in aft balconies, and were upset to see that X seperates these cabins into another class (sunset verandas or CC). How much more expensive are these cabins than regular balcony rooms?

 

And lastly, what is it that makes you cruise Celebrity, and what other lines should we try after our next cruise? (not Disney/Carnival/NCL/Princess/RCCL) We don't want to cruise twice on one line until we have to!

 

Thanks for the input!!

We have cruised Celebrity exclusively since our very first cruise.

We like Celebrity because the line is a perfect match for us. We love the traditional dining with assigned seating and tables, the service, the formal nights (with the dress code observed throughout the evening), the lack of announcements, and the little touches such as cool towels passed out when coming aboard after a warm port, the sorbet or sherbert served poolside in the afternoon on sea days, the glass of champagne handed out at boarding, the bucket of ice and silver carafe of water in your cabin that the steward keeps full.

For our very first cruise back in 1992, we went to a travel agent who asked us a lot of questions about our likes and dislikes and our ideas of an ideal vacation. After thinking for a while, he recommended a fairly new cruiseline with a brand new ship that he thought we would like. We took our first cruise on the Zenith and were hooked on cruising Celebrity.

As far as aft balcony cabins, the price difference can be as little as $30 per person or as much as $100 or more per person depending on where revenue thinks they will sell.

[Lsimon]

I think it really depends on what you enjoy during a cruise, and what you expect in terms of the ship, service, and itinerary.

 

My three favorite cruises have been (in no particular order):

 

Galaxy 10 or 11 day southern Caribbean from San Juan, PR. Without a doubt this is one of the best itineraries for the eastern/southern Caribbean islands! We did the 11 day one year and the 10 day this past year. It is a very busy itinerary that visits islands with some really great beaches and water activities. We've loved the service on all of the Celebrity ships we've been on, but the Galaxy really shined on our last cruise - especially since the staff was so great all across the board - from the officers we met to the dining room staff to the lounge entertainment as well as our stateroom staff. However, the Galaxy is an older ship, and while we felt it was maintained in fine condition, there have been some negative comments posted from time to time by some cruisers who apparently would be happiest on a much newer cruise ship.

 

Constellation 10 day southern Caribbean - love the itinerary. We've done this twice - once on the Summit and once on the Connie and have a third on the Connie planned for next year.

 

Millennium (now being done by the Summit) 12 or 13 night Mediterranean cruise from Barcelona to Venice or the reverse. What a great way to experience our first trip to Europe and sample so many of Europe's great destination cities. Talk about a busy itinerary! We had a great time on the Millennium and I'm sure the Summit, now doing this itinerary, will be just as great.

[Sky Sweet]

These are our three favorite cruises to date.

 

#1 - Baltic Cruise to Russia on Celebrity's Constellation - June 2006

 

#2 - Barcelona to Greek Isles on RCCL's Brilliance of the Seas - June 2008

 

#3 - Vancouver to Alaska on Celebrity's Infinity - August 2001

 

Our favorite Celebrity ships are Century and Constellation.

 

Our least favorite Celebrity ship is Mercury

 

Prettiest ship we have sailed is Brilliance of the Seas.

 

Nicest cabins were on HAL's Westerdam.

 

Best dining room food was on Celebrity's Infinity in 2001.

 

Best speciality restaurant was on Celebrity's Millennium in 2002.

[fendbass]

1- Millenium Eastbound through the Panama Canal. Had a aft corner balcony: it doesn't get much better than that

 

2- Infinity from Hawaii to Ensenada, mostly because it was our first time to Hawaii. A really bad disembarkation experience almost ruined it; we had to get up at 5am, and be off the ship by 7, and ended up standing in line for hours to walk across the border

 

3- Windstar in Tahiti - unforgettable experience

 

4- Mariner of the Seas- who cares where it went. What a great ship

 

5- All other cruises tied

[Karynanne]

We cruise exclusively with Celebrity, and have been fortunate to have had many wonderful experiences.

 

The Transatlantics are fantastic (Aft cabins), but my all-time favorite was the Australia/New Zealand/So. Pacific cruise for 29 days, this past Feb/Mar. The ports, the experiences, and the memories will be with us forever.

[librarycin]

I'm not really in a good position to offer advice, but of my 2 :cool: cruises, my favourite was my Alaska cruise to/from Vancouver on Infinity last year. I see there was one vote for Alaska on this thread, and I thought I'd add in another! But - my vote is for the place, not necessarily the ship. Alaska's beautiful! 7 nights wasn't enough, though... Not to say that Scotland/Ireland wasn't a great cruise, too, just a different focus (history vs. scenery/wildlife).

 

I don't think I could choose which ship I preferred. There were pros and cons to both Infinity and Century, I thought.

[Verity]

My very favorite cruise was Hawaii rt from San Diego in April 2007. My husband and I were both in need of a vacation. It was the most relaxing trip. Some people wouldn't like it because of all the sea days. We had a very active Connections group and as a result, knew people all over the ship. There were also pod issues on this cruise but it didn't spoil our trip.

 

We also enjoyed our New England/ Canada cruise on the Constellation in October 2007. It was a wonderful itinerary.

 

We have enjoyed all our cruises except one on another line. I'm sure this happens periodically on all cruise lines. It was the mix of personalities on this particular cruise with a lot of people we found offensive. We couldn't wait to get off the ship.

 

On an excursion that we booked outside of Celebrity, we met people from another ship and cruiseline, who were leaving the cruise early because they disliked it so much.

 

NCL Princess Cruiser, you are wise to ask questions about a line you have never cruised on. It's always a good idea to weigh the pros and cons with a grain of salt.

[Denny01]

Let's see, best Celebrity Cruises. I'd list two:

- Mercury Prepositioning from Seattle (and Vancouver) to Ensenada (and San Diego). In November, the Alaska ships move South to set up for the Mexico Riveria, Hawaii and Panama Canal. We did this cruise twice: 7 day and 10 day and loved it. Great US ports and we love Mercury.

- TransAtlantic on the Constellation. San Juan to Dover. Loved the Sea Days and the mix of Caribbean and European ports.

 

What is special about Celebrity: The Dining is a cut above the others. We've been on (Princess, RCL, Carnival, Cruise West), and enjoyed all, but we like the set dining times to really get to know table-mates and consistent waiters. Not like a restaurant when same team takes care of you and knows your likes. I think the service is a bit better - waiters carry your tray from the buffet lines, excellent Dining waiters and attentive room stewards. We love the Cova Cafe for the special pastries and coffees and the atmosphere for meeting friends and playing cards. On the M-Class ships, we love the T-Spa, a warm saltwater pool with side lounges in the water with bubbles coming up in between. We used T-Spa (free!) every day when we could.

 

We use Concierge (CC) when we can - it's usually about $100pp more depending on the cruise - the exta's and service, and good rooms. On M-Class, the room and balcony are larger.

 

Summary: love Celebrity because we think it has a bit better service and attention, more intimate common areas (esp Cova Cafe), Dining is a cut above (better choices - esp the soups), and T-Spa was great.

 

Next Line after Celbrity for you. You've cruised on the one's we've been on except Cruise West. Did a 5-day San Francisco Bay Wine Cruise on small ship of 150. Great time, but it is expensive compared to larger ships. Wouldn't do it unless very specific itinerary.

 

As you can see below, going on Infinity (M-Class) S American. Jumped on this because they had a great airline deal that made this cost-feasible, and then off to E. Med and a Transatlantic. Love those sea days! You can find grea deals with repositoning cruises.

 

Denny

[ChampionCruiser]

Thanks for all of the replies so far!!

 

I forgot to mention that we are HUGE HUGE HUGE fans of traditional dining, so this is another reason Celebrity is so appealing.

[Xcruiser]

Thanks for all of the replies so far!!

 

I forgot to mention that we are HUGE HUGE HUGE fans of traditional dining, so this is another reason Celebrity is so appealing.

If you like traditional dinning than all I can say about Celebrity is “Simply the best, better than all the rest”.:) Just keep in mind that you may (WILL) get spoiled after sailing on =X=.

 

My favorite ship is Century for a smaller ship with very nice décor. Favorite class of ships is the Celebrity M-Class that offers the best passenger to space ratio so they never seem large or crowded. Being from Florida we sail the Caribbean and both the Ultimate Caribbean East & West were our favorite itinerary’s on Summit and Constellation respectively.

 

We sail Celebrity most often for the onboard experience, service and food.

 

Happy Sailing!:)

[Host Anne]

NClprincess cruiser ~ It's really, really difficult to pick a favorite ship, favorite itinerary, favorite cruise. So much is dependent upon who you are sailing with, the crew onboard your cruise, etc. We have had so many great cruises for a number of different reasons. Here's my perspective:

 

Favorite Celebrity ship - M-class ships (have sailed three of the four). I like everything about them and yes, in my opinion, the extra cost for an aft veranda is worth it on the M-class ships. The balconies are considerably larger on the aft cabins and if you enjoy aft cabins, you'll love these. They are among our favorite at sea and we've sailed in them at least four times.

 

Favorite Itinerary - the difference between Caribbean itineraries and other parts of the world are pretty big for us. We've been to the Caribbean enough that we now sail this area for total relaxation and an occasional new island. When we sail Europe, Alaska, Hawaii and Panama Canal, these were primarily port driven cruises (ports were important in our decision-making process). You haven't said where you've cruised before so it's tough to make a recommendation on itinerary. I love the Constellation southern Caribbean route because it's longer and goes to great islands that I don't mind visiting again and again. If I were looking at ports (and cost wasn't a factor), it would be the Mediterranean hands down. There are far too many places we haven't seen yet and this was probably my overall favorite cruise of them all (I've been on 35+).

 

Next Cruise Line ~ I'd recommend HAL. We tried HAL last year and are anxious to try their newest ship, Eurodam. There were many things we really liked about HAL (great crew and buffet for breakfast and lunch). We will sail with them again.

 

I think you will enjoy Celebrity if you'd enjoyed all your other cruises. Their shipboard experience, for the most part, is very, very good!

 

HAPPY PLANNING!

[oshawa]

My favourite ship is Celebrity's Century. Did a transatlantic on this ship and it was wonderful. Also a Caribbean cruise. This year we will be doing another transatlantic on the Constellation and so looking forward to experiencing this ship.

 

In January this year we tried Hal's Westerdam. We were upgraded to a deluxe suite and it was wonderful! However, we did not like the layout of the ship, too complicated and seemed to be really crowded all the time. The service and dining experiences were on par or a little below Celebrity's. Ship/hotel transfers were superior to Celebrity.

 

Having sailed Celebrity for many cruises |I guess we are loyal Celebrity cruisers!

[drfun48]

After 28 cruises,24 with Celebrity,my two favorites,hands down were the Celebrity Xpedition to the Galapagos and the Celebrity Xpedition to the Galapagos.

[Cathy Maneri]

I've sailed on many Celebrity cruises and they are my first choice over RCL, which I've also cruised.

 

I like Celebrity for their fine food, service, no announcements, entertainment and just "plain nice folks" who cruise their line.

 

Unfortunately I haven't been to Europe as of yet but these are my favorite in order:

 

1. Alaska/West Coast 14 days on the Summit in May. I had my first Celebrity Suite for this one and I got spoiled.

 

2. Canada/New England 13 days on the Constellation in October. Overnight in Quebec was fabulous.

 

3. Ultimate Southern (Eastern) Caribbean 10 days on the Summit or Constellation and now the Equinox. Great itin....2 sea days five of the best Caribbean ports and then 2 more sea days. If you could do only one Caribbean cruise...this is it.

 

I've done the 14-night Hawaii on the Summit and the 15-night Panama Canal on the Infinity as well, but not ones I would repeat.

 

Celebrity is a good product and I'm looking forward to my already booked Solstice and Equinox.

[kitty9]

I just recently completed my 58th overall cruise to the British Isles on Constellation. I've been very fortunate to have cruised nearly every line out there, including the big four of luxury lines. Here are my comparisons of the mass market ships, and remember this is my opinion only, based on my experiences.

 

Itineraries: Celebrity

 

Food: Tie between Celebrity and Princess

 

Service: Celebrity

 

Regular Cabins: HAL

 

Suites: NCL

 

Entertainment: Fairly even among all lines

 

Shore Excursions: Celebrity

 

Day/At Sea Activities: RCCI or Carnival

 

Alternate Restaurants: Celebrity (for the exquisite food and service) NCL (not for the kind of food but for the sheer number of alternates offered)

 

Kid's Options: RCCI (they offer in-cabin sitting) and Disney

 

Multi-Generational Options: RCCI (something for everyone, no matter the age)

 

Pool area: Carnival, hands down

 

Ship Appearance: This is way too subjective. I prefer the subdued ambiance of Celebrity, but most seem to love the glitz of the RCCI ships, regardless of what class of ship.

 

Cabin Amenities: NCL, but only in their suites.

 

Multi-cultural: MSC---they seem to attract a wide range of passengers from a lot of countries

 

Enrichment Activities: Princess and Cunard

 

 

My Favorite Itinerary: For a mass market line it's the Panama Canal on any Celebrity ship. On a luxury line it's the 35 day cruise I did on Crystal that started in Hong Kong and ended in Dubai.

[halbfl2]

For itinerary, I'd pick the Baltic cruises that go to St. Petersburg. If you can get on a ship that is there for three days, all the better. We were on Princess, but I'm sure the X cruises are just as good if not better.

 

Years ago we did a Med. cruise that started in Athens and ended in Istanbul w/stops on several islands and 2 ports in Israel. This was on the Renaissance line--their ships now belong to several other cruise lines.

 

These 2 plus a Panama Canal crossing from Miami to San Diego w/RCCL are my favorites. All are 10 day or longer cruises.

 

For us the itinerary is more important than either the ship or the rooms. Food is still important, however.

[halbfl2]

For itinerary, I'd pick the Baltic cruises that go to St. Petersburg. If you can get on a ship that is there for three days, all the better. We were on Princess, but I'm sure the X cruises are just as good if not better.

 

Years ago we did a Med. cruise that started in Athens and ended in Istanbul w/stops on several islands and 2 ports in Israel. This was on the Renaissance line--their ships now belong to several other cruise lines.

 

These 2 plus a Panama Canal crossing from Miami to San Diego w/RCCL are my favorites. All are 10 day or longer cruises.

 

For us the itinerary is more important than either the ship or the rooms. Food is still important, however.

[hcat]

Connie to NE & Canada--overnight in Quebec & trip up Saguenay River..Didn't think we'd like a northern itin but it was truly fabulous in all respects..

 

Century W Medit Rt Barcelona Our first trip to Europe & what a great cruise! The size of Century is perfect for the Medit ports, great service & great itin...

 

Summit Ult Carib It was awhile ago but a great itin & cruise experience

 

Fav celeb ship overall is still Mercury----

 

Surprisingly, one of the least favorite cruises was the Hawaii RT from LA on Summit... By then the Summit was overtaken by Cirque decor/events & for us Hawaii was not all everyone said it would be...It was during some rainy weather, we found it very overbuilt & commercial in places.Other than really enjoying our hawaii Ambassador, hula essons etc., Pearl harbor, one nice snorkel trip out of two & Volcanoes Natl Park, we did not come back with that special feel about the place that some folks have...

[darrencantwait]

favorite cruise: 14 night Barcelona to Venice via Istanbul and Greek Isles on Millennium. What an absolute joy. Beautiful October weather, low crowds, wonderful ports with plenty of time, overnights in Rome and Istanbul. It actually felt like an adventure. We tried to stay up going through the Straits of Messina and the Dardanelles and failed both times. Dining on our veranda in the Sea of Marmara as we approached the Dardanelles was great.

 

favorite ship: Celebrity Constellation! Our first ship; our favorite ship! The M-class really are well done and nothing else we've sailed on has been a better match for us. That beautiful T-pool makes a wonderful treat after hiking all over the European ports or zip-lining through a rainforest.