Different cruise line?

We are Elite Plus and love Celebrity, but we are thinking of trying something different. We have done Princess and Holland America so I know what to expect. Any suggestions? (that won't break the bank!)

We are Elite Plus and love Celebrity, but we are thinking of trying something different. We have done Princess and Holland America so I know what to expect. Any suggestions? (that won't break the bank!)

You might like RC -- their ships have a real WOW factor. Also, your E+ status in the Captain's Club will translate to Diamond level in RC's Crown&Anchor loyalty program.

I'm not sure what your current CC status would translate to on Azamara, but we love that cruise line. The Journey is the one we've sailed on and the Captain, crew and staff are just wonderful and I love their longer stays in port and their overnights. Pax also rave about Quest, so you can't go wrong on either ship.

I book when there's a promo and there is one right now, until the end of the month, I believe.

You might like RC -- their ships have a real WOW factor. Also, your E+ status in the Captain's Club will translate to Diamond level in RC's Crown&Anchor loyalty program.

Meh, I would think that would be a step downward; if you love Celebrity you might NOT like the "wow" factor. (Although Celebrity doesn't have anything like Oasis or Allure and I'm tempted to try one of those just once).

My next step would be to look at Azamara or Oceania!

We sailed on the Allure 6 months before our first ever Celebrity cruise and it was on the Constellation. Talk about a huge difference in ship size, but we fell in love with X and our next 2 cruises are with them. The Allure is an amazing ship and very high tech. It is definitely worth sailing on at least once. Her itineraries are pretty limited because of her size and we cruise the itinerary more than the ship. Last year we sailed Oceania Marina and we loved it. Entertainment was ok at best, but service and food were outstanding. Sailed on Princess 5 months later and was so disappointed in food and entertainment we probably won't cruise with them again. Have not tried Azamara.

mamie

Interesting thread:

What would Celebrity have to do to keep you cruising with them? I have read numerous posts that indicate some of the following as factors.

Increased price of cruise, drinks, shore packages etc.. As well as menu items not changing frequently enough (same menu 2 or 3 years old in specialty dining), change of cruise destinations. Entertainment requiring an upgrade on stage and throughout the ship.

Those that cruise infrequently may not find the above as relevant.

You might enjoy Cunard, although they don't have a lot of Caribbean trips. Its a bit more formal for dressing, but if that is not a big deal to you I suspect you would enjoy it. Very good food, great dance floors, excellent service and very well travelled, nice passengers on the ships. I think the prices are comparable to Celebrity.

Meh, I would think that would be a step downward; if you love Celebrity you might NOT like the "wow" factor. (Although Celebrity doesn't have anything like Oasis or Allure and I'm tempted to try one of those just once).

 

My next step would be to look at Azamara or Oceania!

You should try one of them as they are totally different. The WOW factor is amazing. There is not much difference in the two cruise lines. Five years ago I would say there was a big difference, not now. Food, service has changed on all the cruise lines. Entertainment on RCL is much better than X. Cabins, depending on what you choose, can vary.

No one can say what anyone else will like until that person tries it for themselves. JMHO!

We are Elite Plus and love Celebrity, but we are thinking of trying something different. We have done Princess and Holland America so I know what to expect. Any suggestions? (that won't break the bank!)

Try Oceania. Outstanding food and great ships.

Try Oceania. Outstanding food and great ships.

You beat me to it. Agree, Oceania is very nice (except for entertainment, which is not so great because of the small ships. However, port intensive, so maybe not a big deal; was not for us.). Also, look at Windstar, which also has great food and service.

We always wanted to try Disney but are concerned about the potential rat 🐭problem :D

I seen where you can take your own liquor, beer and etc on board and there is no casino.

happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌞

For something completely different try a River Cruise.

Royal Caribbean is a sister company that will allow you to accumulate points and realize perqs. RCCL caters to a broad age range and tends to be more activity oriented. We've done a few with them and really enjoyed it.

Royal Caribbean is a sister company that will allow you to accumulate points and realize perqs. RCCL caters to a broad age range and tends to be more activity oriented. We've done a few with them and really enjoyed it.

Just to clarify, loyalty points earned on Royal do NOT get added to loyalty points earned on Celebrity and vice versa. If you have status at a certain level or higher you will receive reciprocal benefits on the sister line, but points earned on the two are not added together to boost you to a higher level.

Royal Caribbean has more energy in terms of activities and entertainment. Also, it seems to often have a younger crowd. The downside for us are the announcements which we find annoying. And definitely more kids.

It really depends on what is important to you. If entertainment options, impressive ships, and lots of activity are your thing, you might find Azamara too quiet. Their cabins are small, and their ships are quite plain, compared to the S-class ships. However, the food, service and itineraries might make up for it. The price is also daunting if you're used to the bargains you can get with Celebrity.

I've never tried Royal, but if I had to try something other than Celebrity, I'd give it a shot, just to see their new, larger ships.

It really depends on what is important to you. If entertainment options, impressive ships, and lots of activity are your thing, you might find Azamara too quiet. Their cabins are small, and their ships are quite plain, compared to the S-class ships. However, the food, service and itineraries might make up for it. The price is also daunting if you're used to the bargains you can get with Celebrity.

 

I've never tried Royal, but if I had to try something other than Celebrity, I'd give it a shot, just to see their new, larger ships.

Plain? I suppose that depends on whom you speak with. We find Azamara quite elegant and very traditional....much prettier than the contemporary design of X. Azamara just feels so much more homey than X.

Yes, the cabins are a little smaller but we've not found the decrease in size to be a problem.

As Elite plus the reciprocal status on RCI is a real bonus and while the cruises are targeted at a slightly differing demographic, I am sure you will still enjoy the cruise.:D

Azamara, RCL, Princess, or HAL. If you are sailing out of the same ports, switching up itineraries might also help. Celebrity goes to the Galapagos, RCL a transatlantic to Ice Land, Princess goes to Fiji, HAL a Dawson/Denali tour, and Azamara probably countless more.

Plain? I suppose that depends on whom you speak with. We find Azamara quite elegant and very traditional....much prettier than the contemporary design of X. Azamara just feels so much more homey than X.

Yes, the cabins are a little smaller but we've not found the decrease in size to be a problem.

Agree.

Would point out that Azamara is "smart casual" (as is Oceania) and for some longtime Celebrity cruisers that seems to be an issue.

We love Oceania and Azamara, but their prices do come close to breaking the bank. They tend to be almost twice the price of Celebrity.

Both O and A have wonderful food, and their itineraries include some more obscure ports since their size is so much smaller than X.

Agree.

 

Would point out that Azamara is "smart casual" (as is Oceania) and for some longtime Celebrity cruisers that seems to be an issue.

X is "smart casual" in the evening unless it's formal night. We're avoiding formal night on our next X sailing...we booked Aqua.

We love Oceania and Azamara' date=' but their prices do come close to breaking the bank. They tend to be almost twice the price of Celebrity.

 

Both O and A have wonderful food, and their itineraries include some more obscure ports since their size is so much smaller than X.[/quote']

 

Sometimes, especially out of Florida and maybe other places, they can be competitive. The only Oceania cruise that we could justify was a ten day cruise out of Miami. It was close enough to both Celebrity and HAL that it was worth the small additional charge for us to give them a try (in this specific comparison). They also offer "2 for 1" deals and free airfare, but we all know that this kind of thing is mainly just them moving dollars around, but you never know unless you compare them to others. We had a great trip and I am glad we got a chance to try them.

Highly suggest you do the Oasis or Allure(RCL) once in your lifetime.

There's nothing like them.;)