celebrity vs rccl 5 star

[tcocktail]

Are there any differences between Celebrity ships and RCCL 5 star ships

[ghstudio]

Are there any differences between Celebrity ships and RCCL 5 star ships

 

if both ships are the same size (number of passengers) then the two are comparable. Food on Celebrity is generally better, but RCCL has some perks for frequent cruisers that are better. RCCL also tends to have better kids programs.

[cruisindoggie]

RCCL also has more deck activities and Cruise Directors that are way more visable and have more staff. I just sailed the Solstice and I was not very impresses with the CD. He is a great singer and ententainer but lacks in other areas like mingling with guest's and being more active on sea day's.

[BalconyBumz]

Celebrity is a bit more refined and classy than RCCL. The food is much better also in addition to the more attentive service.

[Longboysfan]

RCCL also has more deck activities and Cruise Directors that are way more visable and have more staff. I just sailed the Solstice and I was not very impresses with the CD. He is a great singer and ententainer but lacks in other areas like mingling with guest's and being more active on sea day's.

 

Exactly. That is what seperates the brands.

[GMoney]

You'll get lots of opinions on this. Here's mine: X is simply "Royal Caribbean +." X has no discernable identity to me. It's very nice, and I've enjoyed all my X cruises to me it's simply a more subdued version of RCI.

[erniesband]

I've posted this on the RCI boards and thought I'd post it here. Hope it helps.

 

Let me start by saying this is one man’s opinion with a little input from my wife. All cruisers are different and I’ll be commenting on the activities and services that we use.

A little about us: We’re mid-fifties, and like to be active on our cruises. We are Diamond members of C&A, which made us Captain’s Club Elite. We tend to cruise in January to escape the weather in Ohio and have been on Southern Caribbean itineraries 10 times.

This will be a comparison of RCI’s Serenade and X’s Summit as they are very similar ships. Cruise dates of 1/5/08 on Serenade and 1/10/09 on Summit.

Staterooms and related services:

We booked an aft D1 on Serenade and had an aft CC on Summit. If you wanted an aft cabin on Summit you had to pay the up-charge and book a Concierge Class cabin. The CC amenities were upgraded toiletries, a Hasgroh showerhead, fresh fruit, flowers, upgraded linens, expanded room service breakfast menu, and a welcome bottle of (cheap) champagne. While the balcony on Summit was about 4 feet longer than on Serenade that space had to come from somewhere so the cabin was smaller than on Serenade (191 vs 204 ft). There is also more storage space in the Serenade cabin. The up-charge wasn’t worth it. As for our cabin stewards they both did their jobs as expected although I felt that our stewards on Serenade have been more personable and friendlier than on Summit. On Summit it seemed that our steward always had to “check with someone “ about our request while on Serenade things just happened. I got the feeling that our steward on Summit was afraid of losing his job if he didn’t follow the rules to the letter. All other things were about equal.

 

Dining:

We like the food served on Serenade in the main dining room and can always find one or two items on the menu to try. We’ve sent a few back but have been very satisfied with the presentation and taste. As for Summit, I can say gourmet descriptions did not equal gourmet taste. I found most of the dishes served to be rather bland and tasteless.

I did like the desserts on Summit better than Serenade. Coffee on both lines still needs improvement. Dinner service on Summit was more formal than Serenade; each course was served separately, if you didn’t order a course that others at your table did you weren’t served the next course till everyone else was. A nice touch and didn’t make you feel as rushed as I did sometimes on Serenade. Summit’s dining room was quieter than Serenade but that just may be because of table locations. I did like the large window at the stern where our table was located. Our waiters and assistants have been excellent on both ships, but once again I felt that the ones on Serenade were friendlier and had more personality than Summit.

The food quality in both the Windjammer on Serenade and Waterfall Café on Summit was about equal. Usually the same thing available everyday, not much variety on either ship. While the Windjammer uses stations and the Waterfall is a cafeteria line, both are mirror images port and starboard. We found the Waterfall much more difficult to navigate. Beginnings of lines, plates, trays, and silverware were hard to find. On Summit the ice cream station and the sushi were a very nice addition. The outdoor part of the Windjammer is much larger and nicer than the deck 10 Aft Bar, which is where you had to go to eat outside on Summit and you don’t have to put up with the cigar smokers (more on that later).

The Seaview Café wins by a mile over the Pool Grill. The Pool Grill, although the burgers and such were off the grill it was pick your burger out of a warming tray. The variety and quality of the Seaview is far superior.

We do not use the up-charge restaurants. We feel that if we’re going to spend the money for that type of food we’ll go to Michael Symon’s Lola here at home or a place like Agua Viva in San Juan.

We did not try the Aqua Spa Café, or the equivalent on Serenade.

 

Entertainment:

We prefer port intensive cruises and are off the ship all day so I cannot comment on the daily activities. By reading the dailies there seemed to be more activities on Serenade than Summit.

I’m a professional musician of 40 + years so I tend to be more critical of the live entertainment. I’m not crazy about the production shows on Serenade, however I must say that the performances and quality of show is much better than what I saw on Summit. As a comparison the Vibeology show on Serenade is a pretty high energy show featuring contemporary songs while the Night Of Stars show on Summit started with a female vocalist singing Wind Beneath My Wings followed by a duet of You Don’t Send Me Flowers followed by a guy butchering Piano Man, low energy and boring. On Serenade one of the headliners was the Temptations, on Summit we got Antonio Salci, “ an internationally acclaimed recording and performance artist.” Who? What we got was a guy playing the melody to songs in octaves with his right hard and chords with his left. I know high school musicians who play better than he did. If the Celebrity Orchestra that accompanied him played with any less energy someone would have had to check their pulses to see if they were still alive. As for the recording part, every garage band in America can self produce a CD.

The dance bands on the Summit were geared to the 65+ age group while on Serenade you get more contemporary and island music.

The string quartet on Summit was very nice, better than the Rosario Strings on Serenade. They played actual classical quartet music as opposed to elevator music.

I could rant for days as to the quality of musicians on cruise ships but …………

 

Casino:

I made my usual donation to the casino on both ships. Serenade has a larger casino than Summit. I feel that the dealers on the Summit were a little friendlier and more fun than Serenade. I don’t know why but I seemed to playing the roulette table with the same people every night on Summit, which made it more fun. There were a lot fewer people in the casino on Summit than Serenade.

 

Overall ship layout:

The sizes of the 2 ships are similar; they’re basically the same hull. There is an additional deck of cabins on Serenade, deck 10. However, Serenade isn’t as cut up and we find it easier to navigate. There are actually two decks (12 and 4) where you can walk around the entire ship. On deck 4 there is passenger access to the helideck during the day, excepting when helicopter operations are underway, and there are even benches up there. It provides an interesting vantage point. And on 12, the sport deck, one can walk all the way forward, as well. There is a multi-deck Centrum, which provides a more open feel, and a lot more glass. The central stairs on Summit are nicer – don’t really care for Serenade’s green staircase. There were some areas on the Summit, which seemed difficult to get to. There are more computer terminals on Serenade. (They have upped the bandwidth, and Internet speed was much improved. Because Celebrity and RCI use the same Internet facilities, this should impact both lines equally.)

The Safari Club on Serenade is my favorite. The décor and chairs are very comfortable. All I can say about Revelations on Summit (formally know as Bar At The End Of The World from their brief relationship with Cirque) is what the hell were they thinking? It needs a total refurb.

 

C&A and Captains Club

As many have discussed on these boards the Captains Club Elite benefits are nowhere close to C&A’s. ‘nough said.

 

The " Hard Sell"

Overall Summit was very laid-back, very few PA announcements, no hawking of drinks, bingo, and art auctions. That said I sometimes found you had to tackle a waiter to get drink service while on Serenade they can be a little over enthusiastic.

 

Smoking Policy:

Non-smokers can stop reading here. While I realize we smokers are fast becoming outcasts in society in general, I feel reasonable accommodations should be made for us. Summit’s (and Celebrity’s in general) smoking policy was down right draconian. We were allowed to smoke in 4 areas outside and in one small area in Revelations. Portside on deck 4 was one, but they only had 3 ashtrays out there, so butts were in glasses, tossed overboard, on the deck, or in a mop bucket near the aft door. It didn’t make us look good, but I blame this on ship not providing proper receptacles. The other places were on deck 10 portside on both ends of the pool area and at the Aft Bar. Now, this is what really pissed me off. My cabin was on deck 8 aft with a balcony that I could not smoke on but had to endure the stench of cigars drifting down from the deck 10 smoking area. It was like everyone who smoked cigars, and there were many, used that area. So once again Serenade wins. At least you can still use your balcony and there are more comfortable and accessible indoor spaces.

 

In conclusion: I felt that while Celebrity advertises personalized service, gourmet dining and exciting entertainment they do not live up to their advertising. I’ve concluded that service on both ships to be equal. There are outstanding, average, and the occasional poor service personnel on both ships. The dining and entertainment on Serenade was better than on Summit. I’ll be staying with RCI.

 

That’s my opinion, I could be wrong.

 

Ernie

[Half Hitch]

Which RCI (RCCL) ships are considered 5-star?

[cruisindoggie]

I would say the same amount as Celebrity ships. NONE!

[Schplinky]

if both ships are the same size (number of passengers) then the two are comparable. Food on Celebrity is generally better, but RCCL has some perks for frequent cruisers that are better. RCCL also tends to have better kids programs.

 

I am one who feels that the food on Celebrity is not better than RCL. It might have been at one point but having sailed both over the past few years, it seems of the same quality, if not the same style. X's food is more Continental while RCL is an American fusion cuisine but the level of accomplishment is not as different as some will say, in my opinion. The only real difference we have noticed is that X has wine stewards and RCl does not. We have had bland food on both lines and great meals on both.

 

I think that Celebrity has better bars, particularly in their martini bar. On the other hand, I think the entertainment on RCL is noticeably of a better quality than on Celebrity. Both run the same "art" auctions, t-shirt sales, bingos and the like. Celebrity used to have a no-announcements policy but on both our Celebrity cruises, there were bingo announcements, although fewer than on RCL. That said, it's not as though there is an announcement even every hour on RCL. I would guess there are three a day at most.

 

I think that the lines are far more similar than those who prefer either would ever admit. For us, we choose Celebrity when we are exhausted and want a more quiet atmospere. We choose RCL when we want to have activities and entertainment.

[Sky Sweet]

I am one who feels that the food on Celebrity is not better than RCL. It might have been at one point but having sailed both over the past few years, it seems of the same quality, if not the same style. X's food is more Continental while RCL is an American fusion cuisine but the level of accomplishment is not as different as some will say, in my opinion. The only real difference we have noticed is that X has wine stewards and RCl does not. We have had bland food on both lines and great meals on both.

 

I think that Celebrity has better bars, particularly in their martini bar. On the other hand, I think the entertainment on RCL is noticeably of a better quality than on Celebrity. Both run the same "art" auctions, t-shirt sales, bingos and the like. Celebrity used to have a no-announcements policy but on both our Celebrity cruises, there were bingo announcements, although fewer than on RCL. That said, it's not as though there is an announcement even every hour on RCL. I would guess there are three a day at most.

 

I think that the lines are far more similar than those who prefer either would ever admit. For us, we choose Celebrity when we are exhausted and want a more quiet atmospere. We choose RCL when we want to have activities and entertainment.

 

Hi Schplinky - I agree with everything that you have stated in your post :)

[Schplinky]

Thanks! I agree with the favourites you list that we have in common, although I'm guessing that Solstice might nudge out Brilliance for prettiest ship. I'll let you know in a week or so!

[cruisindoggie]

Thanks! I agree with the favourites you list that we have in common, although I'm guessing that Solstice might nudge out Brilliance for prettiest ship. I'll let you know in a week or so!

 

 

I have sailed the Solstice and Serenade sister to Brilliance and I would say as pretty as the Solstice is I prefer the Serenade based on the glass alone. The Lawn club is also nice however, it is wasted space.

[CruiseAwayWithMe]

I haven't sailed on Celebrity yet but I've been on Royal Caribbean seven times. I'm about to go on Celebrity in a month. Royal Caribbean definitley has better benefits. My favorite benefit was the concierge lounge onboard most of the Royal Caribbean ships. :D I'm a Diamond member on Royal Caribbean. I'll be able to compare better in about a month. ;)

 

The "lawn club" is probably comparable to the boxing ring on the Freedom class. I thought the boxing ring was a waste of space too.

[jackdiamond]

I would say the same amount as Celebrity ships. NONE!

Sorry, you are incorect. All the Celebrity M and Solstice class are five star. Also, the Radiance and other classes of Royal are five star.

[Schplinky]

Sorry, you are incorect. All the Celebrity M and Solstice class are five star. Also, the Radiance and other classes of Royal are five star.

 

 

I think it all depends who is giving the stars. Some reviewers are more biased toward sedentary pursuits and so the lines skewing toward middle age and up do well (the Berlitz guide would fall in this group, with the author saying outright that he hates ships over a certain size). I generally don't trust the magazine polls since they are either written by editors (who also need to sell ad space) or are voted on by readers (which represent a specific demo as well).

 

The illusory nature of 5 star began to sink in when we were looking through a travel brochure a number of years ago and all the resorts ranged from 3 star to 7 star PLUS, whatever that means.

[Aquahound]

I think it all depends who is giving the stars.

 

Exactly.

 

Sorry, you are incorect. All the Celebrity M and Solstice class are five star. Also, the Radiance and other classes of Royal are five star.

 

According to Berlitz, Radiance Class ranks 4 stars. Celebrity M Class ranks 4+ stars.

 

So as Schplinky said, it depends on the rater.

[tcocktail]

Wow, thank you all so much for your input. I greatly appreciate reading your reviews of the two companies. I would never of asked the question had I not thought that things have changed on Celebrity starting with the food in the main dinning room. I always looked forward to dinner but our last trip on the Galaxy I was sadly disappointed.At times I wonder why they have the two companies because it seems they are getting closer and closer to each other. Maybe they should take the best of both lines and merge them together.

 

I shall take all under advisement when planning this next cruise.

[Schplinky]

Maybe they should take the best of both lines and merge them together.

 

I think they did and named the ship the Solstice. :)

[Sky Sweet]

Sorry, you are incorect. All the Celebrity M and Solstice class are five star. Also, the Radiance and other classes of Royal are five star.

 

These are Expedia's and Yahoo Travel's ratings for Celebirty's ships:

 

Celebrity Millennium - four and a half stars

Celebrity Summit, Infinity and Constellation - four stars

Celebrity Mercury - four stars

Celebrity Century and Galaxy- three and a half stars

[Sky Sweet]

I think they did and named the ship the Solstice. :)

 

Great post, Schplinky - It make me LOL :)

[hylasgirl]

I am one who feels that the food on Celebrity is not better than RCL. It might have been at one point but having sailed both over the past few years, it seems of the same quality, if not the same style. X's food is more Continental while RCL is an American fusion cuisine but the level of accomplishment is not as different as some will say, in my opinion. The only real difference we have noticed is that X has wine stewards and RCl does not. We have had bland food on both lines and great meals on both.

 

I think that Celebrity has better bars, particularly in their martini bar. On the other hand, I think the entertainment on RCL is noticeably of a better quality than on Celebrity. Both run the same "art" auctions, t-shirt sales, bingos and the like. Celebrity used to have a no-announcements policy but on both our Celebrity cruises, there were bingo announcements, although fewer than on RCL. That said, it's not as though there is an announcement even every hour on RCL. I would guess there are three a day at most.

 

I think that the lines are far more similar than those who prefer either would ever admit. For us, we choose Celebrity when we are exhausted and want a more quiet atmospere. We choose RCL when we want to have activities and entertainment.

 

 

Yep, I totally agree! It all depends on what type of experience you are looking for. I absolutely LOVE Royal Caribbean. But I also loved my cruise on the Century this last summer. I love the no announcement policy on Celebrity but I miss a lot of the activities.

 

I can't wait to hear what you think of the Solstice. I am a BIG BIG fan of the Brilliance and it would have been hard to pick the Solstice if the Brilliance was doing the exact same itinerary. BUT, I am really looking forward to experiencing the Solstice. It looks incredibly stunning! You must tell me all about it, k?:D

 

I agree with most of Sky Sweets list also. We had the best SS suite on the Westerdam but the rest of the ship!!!! Wowzer... hasn't anyone told them that none of those colors go together??? lol

 

I don't think you can go wrong on any Celebrity ship... or any Radiance class ship with Royal Caribbean.

[ellbon]

I jsut got off the Solatice and in love with the ship. to the point i am booked on the Equinox in jan. also i will be learning all about RCI in a month. i have a feeling iwill prefer ceelbrity but maybe I will like a mix.

[sadie8]

Just got off the Solstice Sunday and had a great cruise. The ship is beautiful. But our expectations for service were NOT met. I couldn't believe all the beverages at the buffet are self serve. It was impossible to balance a plate of food and get your drink, so I had to get my beverage, put it at the table and then go through the buffet. We received much better service on RCCL ships. Also the food in the main dining room is not any better than RCCL.

[ellbon]

i got food 4 times in two weeks at the buffet. I always took the meal with me. as far as a drink goes never got one. I like to know why it is a big deal to get a drink and a table then get the food. I did that at mast grill several times.

 

I felt all over the ship the level of service was very good. to the point my bar waiter got extra everyday...