Crystal vs Celebrity S-Class

Crystal vs Celebrity? Dollars and size are obvious but how does the experience on board compare?

Categories that come to mind are:

Dining

Dining options

Lounges

Pool deck

Entertainment

Cabin comforts

Room service menu

Sea views

Service

Beverages

Ice cream

Comfortable seating

Art

and more.......

Tours

Transfers

Boarding

Air, lighting, ceiling heights, water temperatures

Lectures

Diversions

Passenger profile

As first cruise on Crystal, we'd look at a Caribbean itinerary.

We are "Elite" on Celebrity.

Thank you for helping us compare.

-Marisa

The standard rooms are like a Aqua room. Check in is on the ship so it goes faster. Food is one step up, service is one step up. The is more room per person on the ship so it all seems very open. There ships are much older so they might seem outdated to you. They have been kept up with so are in very good shape. They are all inclusive so booze,tips, one visit to speciality rest is all included in fare. Lectures are very good. Shows are not as elaborate or as large as X because of size of ship but good. I did not like the dinner arrangements because

It is just first or second sitting or make a reservation. There is no casual buffet of rest at night, just room service. One ship has more casual dinner spot by the pool but you still must make reservations. Their dress code is stricter than X. It is a older crowd than X. Shore trips are similar but cost little more. It is nice but did not appeal to me. I like a more casual deal at dinner.

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We were on a Princess cruise and had their any time dining. Even though we had a table for two the table next to us was close enough to converse with. From the moment they sat down until we left they complained about everything and raved about how great Crystal was and how Princess didn't do things the way that Crystal did. It was a formal night and lobster was being served, they told the waiter to keep them comming and complained that they were garbage and etc but still had 5 each.

After that we were turned off to Crystal as not wanting to put up with more like them.

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

Crystal has the best food period. The MDR is elegant, the food superb and the service is second to none. The ships are smaller and therefore can get into smaaler ports. It's tough to compare Celebrity to a luxury line such as Crystal because it's really apples to oranges. We have and will sail both. We take our adult children on Celebrity and sail Crystal for special occasions.

It was a formal night and lobster was being served, they told the waiter to keep them coming and complained that they were garbage and etc but still had 5 each.

 

After that we were turned off to Crystal as not wanting to put up with more like them.

 

Hilarious!

But, seriously, do you discount an entire line's passenger base from the experience of just two of their past passengers? Again, seriously? You've never seen a display of bad behavior on Celebrity before? Bad behavior comes in all forms across all lines of the spectrum!

We have been on Crystal twice. We did a 2 week Panama Canal cruise that was outstanding. I don`t think you can compare the two. I do think that Celebrity is a much better value.

We hated Crystal especially open dining. We were seated among tables that had people who were on the early seating. We chose to eat at 715PM. Our waiter had tables that were on the early seating and when they were done the late seating people arrived.

He and his assistant had to reset for the late seating while trying to wait on us. Most of their attention went to the fixed dining people. We complained about the lack of service that we were getting but to be honest it never got better.

Quality of food was nothing special. We had much better food on Silver Sea and Regent. We enjoyed the food in BLU more then Crystal. I don't even want to get into the cabin size for the per diem rate they were charging.

We hated Crystal especially open dining. We were seated among tables that had people who were on the early seating. We chose to eat at 715PM. Our waiter had tables that were on the early seating and when they were done the late seating people arrived.

 

He and his assistant had to reset for the late seating while trying to wait on us. Most of their attention went to the fixed dining people. We complained about the lack of service that we were getting but to be honest it never got better.

 

Quality of food was nothing special. We had much better food on Silver Sea and Regent. We enjoyed the food in BLU more then Crystal. I don't even want to get into the cabin size for the per diem rate they were charging.

The posts here on my "home board" are much more informative than the ones

on the Crystal board. We like to eat where and when we please. Buffet as an option for dinner is a plus for us. We don't like to sit in the MDR and watch the changing of table linens and settings. Housekeeping during dinner is not for us. The friendly people we meet on Celebrity are a big plus.

Please keep posting. I hope to learn more about the differences. Presently, dinner on Crystal is comparing to a high calorie evening dinner in Murano.

Thank you for the note about cabin size. The hump verandas on Celebrity are my favorite.

-Marisa

Crystal vs Celebrity? Dollars and size are obvious but how does the experience on board compare?

 

Categories that come to mind are:

 

Dining - Exceptional. I have never once been disappointed with a meal. Crystal is fine dining.

Dining options - MDR which has fixed seating or dining by reservations. There are specialty restaurants, which are included in the cruise fare (you can eat in each onces on a 7 day cruises, but after that one time, there is a reservation fee. They also have buffet and some other venues.

Pool deck - Very nice, never had a problem getting a lounger.

Cabin comforts - The cabins are a bit bigger than those on Celebrity (I travel in Concierge Class on Celebrity and a Veranda on Crystal - 191 square feet versus 246 square feet). Last time I cruise on Crystal, the shampoon, conditioner, body wash and body lotion were Aveda products....Rosemary Mint. They have bathrobes, slippers, etc. as well.

Service - Service is top notch...excellent.

Beverages - Almost all included in fare, I believe some top shelf liquor/wine might be at a fee, but I never went there.

Ice cream - Yes, there is an ice cream station, don't remember seeing any soft serve, however. Their chocolate chip ice cream is fantastic and if you go often enough, they will have a cone or bowl ready for you with your favorite ice cream when they see you coming.

Comfortable seating - yes

Tours - I have only had one unacceptable tour on Crystal.

Boarding - Very efficient.

Air, lighting, ceiling heights, water temperatures - To be honest, never noticed, must have been having too much of a good time. I was never too hot or too cold,could always see and shower temperatures were fine.

Lectures - Always very good. The have themed cruises - Enrichment, fitness, history, music, fashion, food and wine.

Passenger profile - Older, like Celebrity, refined, but a lot of fun.

 

As first cruise on Crystal, we'd look at a Caribbean itinerary.

We are "Elite" on Celebrity.

Thank you for helping us compare.

 

-Marisa

The posts here on my "home board" are much more informative than the ones

on the Crystal board. We like to eat where and when we please. Buffet as an option for dinner is a plus for us. We don't like to sit in the MDR and watch the changing of table linens and settings. Housekeeping during dinner is not for us. The friendly people we meet on Celebrity are a big plus.

 

Please keep posting. I hope to learn more about the differences. Presently, dinner on Crystal is comparing to a high calorie evening dinner in Murano.

 

Thank you for the note about cabin size. The hump verandas on Celebrity are my favorite.

 

-Marisa

Don't know if I agree. I guess it depends on what you order as far as the calorie count. I never had really high calorie dinners on Crystal, but then again, I'm not a sauce person.

We have been on Crystal twice. We did a 2 week Panama Canal cruise that was outstanding. I don`t think you can compare the two. I do think that Celebrity is a much better value.

We are going on X next year SF to FL 17 days on the Infinity. We are in Aqua class and took the free drink pak so it just like Crystal with the AI except for tips. It cost around 8k. Crystal has a similar trip for 10K more or 18k. Having been on Crystal I feel there is no way the Crystal Experience is worth 10k. The OP said they like to eat when and where they want. Crystal is not for them.

The posts here on my "home board" are much more informative than the ones

on the Crystal board. We like to eat where and when we please. Buffet as an option for dinner is a plus for us. We don't like to sit in the MDR and watch the changing of table linens and settings. Housekeeping during dinner is not for us. The friendly people we meet on Celebrity are a big plus.

 

Please keep posting. I hope to learn more about the differences. Presently, dinner on Crystal is comparing to a high calorie evening dinner in Murano.

 

Thank you for the note about cabin size. The hump verandas on Celebrity are my favorite.

 

-Marisa

Crystal has always been known for excellent food, and starting this year they have ramped it up exponentially. One side of the menu at dinner is traditional "continental" cuisine, the other side is "nouvelle" cuisine. Each side has as many choices as you are used to on X, and the choices change every day and never repeat [no 14 menus over and over]. You can order anything from either side, and make the dinner as long and gourmet as you want, or short and sweet.

We had anytime dining. There was a separate section of the dining room for anytime, so we never experienced them resetting from early to late fixed seating anywhere near us, and we had the same waiters several times each.

We were on Crystal Serenity, which also has the new Tastes restaurant - something like Qsine, but in an almost al fresco setting. You theoretically need reservations, but on our cruise it was slow enough that you could generally walk right in. The food was very good, lighter, and the setting more informal. This would be a good way to avoid the Black Tie Optional night (which only requires a suit or sport coat, there are very few tuxes in evidence any more).

Everyone we met was super friendly, and the range of ages was the same that you would see on X. (They even have a kids program, but the kids are never rowdy.) The level of activities is amazing, the lecturers are really good, there is ZERO nickel and diming (the port lecturer didn't even seem to know what excursions Crystal offers; he told us the history of the port, the best things to see and how to do it on our own), the entertainment doesn't have big sets or costumes but the 10 singers/dancers were very good (and that's a lot of salaries for a small ship).

There really wasn't any area of our Crystal cruise that wasn't better than X, except the price. We decided that the value wasn't enough for us to make Crystal our regular cruise line, but it did spoil us for mass market lines. We are trying Azamara as a compromise.

I wish Celebrity would offer a 1 week New England cruise, fall folliage,-- They just offer a two week experience, which won't work for us at that time of year.

(Oct) We are thinking that just for that itinerary we may spring for a Crystal cruise-- We were on Princess Royal ship, the twin to the new Regal-- did not care for the layout- food was almost (not quite) as good as Celebrity. We could do NCL Gem, but I think there have been complaints regarding the food. We could go on Queen Mary 2-- but there were too many complaints about the food as well. Crystal does include shore excursions, but we prefer to do Boston at least, on our own: overall, not the best value....

Marisa, I see you also posted this on the Crystal board as well as Celebrity. I replied on the Crystal board. I am glad you asked in both places in order to get a balanced view from both perspectives. I won't repeat what I wrote over there but I hope you will report back and let us know which one you choose. Our expereience was that Celebirty is the better value.

Marisa, I see you also posted this on the Crystal board as well as Celebrity. I replied on the Crystal board. I am glad you asked in both places in order to get a balanced view from both perspectives. I won't repeat what I wrote over there but I hope you will report back and let us know which one you choose. Our expereience was that Celebirty is the better value.

NLH Arizona, special thanks to you for recommending Crystal and giving much helpful information on this thread.

I don't want to hurry in making a decision. Concurrently there are only two Crystal cruises possible this winter season for us. As you know, there are many in the Caribbean available on Celebrity.

Yes, Celebrity is a good value. We like the ships, food, itinerary and service. It's loud music that makes us cringe but the visual aspect of the ships and cost differences weigh heavily in any decision.

Oddly, DH is willing to book Crystal for the Caribbean just to try it and see as suggested on the Crystal board. DH surprises me; but, he's more of a gambler. His willingness makes me eager to look at a few other cruise lines.

We prefer the mass market ships for variety, big rooms, high ceilings, lots of light, and sea views. The smaller ships may have better food and service but can't give us the number of options find on the big ships. We are somewhat over the ports because we've cruise a long time and toured most many times.

Our days of cruising the oceans and seeing Europe by ship are no longer in our plans. Rather than a long TA and port intensive cruise, we'll look closer to home.

Our thanks to all of you for providing information.

-Marisa

One of the benefits of Crystal is the free shuttles into town in most places. This will not apply as much in the Caribbean. I would recommend the Med as a better "try it" location for Crystal.

We have been on Crystal twice. We did a 2 week Panama Canal cruise that was outstanding. I don`t think you can compare the two. I do think that Celebrity is a much better value.

Celebrity used to be a better value before the prices increased by 50-100%.

I prefer smaller ships like Seabourn if I'm going to pay premium prices, like the new Celebrity 2015 suite prices

I have been on 8 Crystal cruises and 5 Celebrity cruises. The bulk of the Crystal cruises were before I met my partner (I am 37, he is 38). We both love Celebrity. I really enjoy Crystal, he doesn't care for it.

Crystal is superior to Celebrity on just about every level when it comes to service, food, stateroom amenities, shore side experiences. It's very hard to compare the two brands. But Celebrity S-Class is like a W Hotel, and Crystal is like a Four Seasons. They are both great within their target markets, but are quite different experiences. I have found a well-traveled, interesting and friendly group of people on both lines. Even though there aren't a lot of late night food options onboard Crystal, I love how the staff brings little hors d'oeuvres around to the public rooms late at night.

For my partner, the draw back of Crystal is a more "seasoned" crowd, more old -fashioned activities, more expectation to dress formally and no S-Class style Solarium (none of which bother me).

The only problem I have with Crystal is the brown-nosing the staff does towards the people who spend excessive amounts of time onboard. For me, it is awkward and annoying to have to compete with these regular cruisers for attention. It's like an exclusive club, which I have neither the time or desire to be a part of (and why the Crystal boards are a turn-off for me)

At this point for me, I choose cruises based on itinerary. If Crystal has an itinerary I really want to do, I will drag my partner. But I really enjoy both experiences immensely.

I would love to say try Crystal and form your own opinion, but Crystal is a pricey gamble.

Michael

Crystal has the best food period. The MDR is elegant, the food superb and the service is second to none. The ships are smaller and therefore can get into smaller ports. It's tough to compare Celebrity to a luxury line such as Crystal because it's really apples to oranges. We have and will sail both. We take our adult children on Celebrity and sail Crystal for special occasions.

Completely agree. We love Celebrity but, to me, it doesn't compare to Crystal.

My mental ranking system used to think of Celebrity as crystal extra light, now I don't know if the cuts and price increases should reconfigure my thinking.

I understand the upper categories are getting many exciting new things, but there has been a degradation to AQ that has me realizing I need to update my thinking.

jazzbeau...wow you are walking the camino..I know there is not a ship involved but like to know how it is for you.

MDR food is better

Rooms are better sized and more amenities (think AQ plus)

Demographics are probably Celebrity crowd +10 years

You really can not compare the two lines. If you could Crystal customers would really be ripped off. It really comes down to how much you want to spend. You also have to consider how much of this "Luxury Cruise Experience" is real or just hype. If you just spent 10+k for a OV small cabin looking at a lifeboat would you really say it was just OK?

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You really can not compare the two lines. If you could Crystal customers would really be ripped off. It really comes down to how much you want to spend. You also have to consider how much of this "Luxury Cruise Experience" is real or just hype. If you just spent 10+k for a OV small cabin looking at a lifeboat would you really say it was just OK?

 

 

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I really like Crystal but it rarely fits my budget. I find that if I get a good deal on an AQ cabin and use the free beverage package promo, it is a good product for us. If price were no object, I'd choose Crystal but sadly, that isn't the case.

Let's be real, your trying to compare two different cruise lines into one general opinion. Is Crystal to me worth double the price/cost, NO.

I'll take 2 cruises on Celebrity vs. 1 cruise on Crystal Always and All Ways. :cool:

Let's be real, your trying to compare two different cruise lines into one general opinion. Is Crystal to me worth double the price/cost, NO.

 

I'll take 2 cruises on Celebrity vs. 1 cruise on Crystal Always and All Ways. :cool:

As I look at your past cruises I see that you haven't sailed with Crystal. Is it worth double the price? absolutely, you get what you pay for. I like both X and Crystal but you really can't compare them. Before you make a statement like "Is Crystal to me worth double the price/cost, NO., I would try it so you can make an educated comparison.