Carnival cruisers thinking of Celebrity cruise...what changes?

Hi all,

My wife and I typically cruise Carnival but found a great itinerary on Celebrity that we'd like to try.

Just inquiring abut the transition to Celebrity from Carnival and anything we really need to know that is different. I heard something that dining is a bit different?

Is there a lot of nickle and diming once on board that seems to be the growing norm in the cruise industry?

We'd be sailing on Celebrity Silhouette if that helps tailor responses.

We have never cruised Carnival, but from what I have read Carnival is a bit like NCL. We have done NCL and Celebrity and prefer Celebrity. NCL does have better entertainment, but everything else on Celebrity is better.

NCL does appeal more to a younger passenger, while Celebrity mostly retired people. You con't get nickeled and dimed on Celebrity, but NCL does somewhat.

We prefer Celebrity, but dislike the bundled pricing for all but its repo cruises. Royal C seems to be cheaper.

Celebrity is more pricy, more elegant, finer dining and a classier demographic of passengers. Far fewer kids on Celebrity. It is also a quieter line. You won't hear as much yelling and screaming over loudspeakers, not as many noisy, obnoxious things going on with screaming and yelling. It's not a party line, so a little more low energy and relaxed. People dress a bit nicer for dinner.

Thanks for the responses thus far. The price we've been quoted for a 12-night isn't too far off what a similar Carnival 14-night cruise would cost in the same type of cabin we normally book. The 12-night cruise makes 2 extra ports of call, and we would get the classic beverage package include which more than makes up any difference.

We'd be traveling in early April and my wife was worried about Spring break. I told her that I doubt she would see much due to the length of the cruise and the demographics of the cruise line. Based your responses, this confirms my beliefs.

Agree. A 12 night celebrity cruise won’t appeal to spring breakers. Carnival markets as the ‘fun ship’ while celebrity markets as ‘modern luxury’ - that pretty well summarizes the differences. Different clientele and atmosphere. While you have all the contests and dancing on carnival decks celebrity has ‘the lawn’ a grassy area with wine and cheese events and a glass blowing demonstration.

Although my number 1 complaint w both lines is the entertainment. Neither can compare with NCL. But they are both lacking for different reasons. The carnival cruise we went on, the nightly shows were entertaining - just low quality and had just a few shows that repeated. The celebrity shows were higher quality but aimed at a target demographic much older than me (I’m in my 30s, but was traveling w a woman in her 60s and she felt that the entertainer would appeal to her mother).

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Hi, We'e done 29 CCL cruises and once we tried Celebrity, we never looked back. Much more relaxing IMO and no constant announcements over the loudspeaker. Yes, they have tables set up to buy specialty dining and other things but that seems to be synonymous with most lines now. No checking out of beach towels, the drink package is truly unlimited unlike the 15-drink limit with Cheers and we find the food much better. The decor is more subdued and not as flashy as CCL and we enjoy that. Room service menu offers hot breakfast items and other hot items during the day/evening with no fee (until after Midnight-6am a flat fee).

We've always bought Cheers on CCL and when we priced out Celebrity w/the perks, Celebrity was net less expensive for a much nicer experience. I hope you enjoy!

Longer itineraries on Celebrity will not be overrun with drunk spring breakers.

With that said, we are Platinum on Carnival and sailed cruised exclusively on them for about a decade. Then we decided to branch out and try something different just for the heck of it. Long story short, we haven’t been back on Carnival. We still consider them a great cruise line when seeking a more casual and budget minded experience, but we now feel that there are too many other cruise lines, destinations and experiences that justify trying as many cruise lines as possible rather than sticking with one exclusively.

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Well your responses have helped us make up our minds.....Celebrity, here we come!!

Just a heads up about an earlier post. The Silhouette does not have the Corning Glass demonstration. The Lawn Club and The Porch are two specialty restaurants that are in that place (read extra fee) instead. The other specialty restaurants are Murano (our favorite French with many tableside preparations), Tuscan Grille (Italian Steak House), Qsine (quirkly presentations of tapas type), Sushi on 5. On Celebrity you will only have one announcement daily at 10:00AM by the Captain and CD. There are shows each night performed twice at 7:00 and 9:00PM, usually 3 production shows and the rest of the evenings are guest entertainers. Since entertainment is subjective you'll have to decide for yourself. We find it different on each cruise, some we loved, others were okay only. You won't find belly flop or hairy chest contests on Celebrity and the atmosphere over all is much more refined and sophisticated. The food we've found much better and the same with the service aboard. You won't find towel animals, but will find chocolate on your pillow. There are fewer children, however on holiday sailings there are more than normal for Celebrity. The beverage packages are nice since there are no additional gratuities added for drinks ordered, they are included with you package. The packages also include specialty coffee and tea, fresh squeezed juices and bottled water. You cannot use your package to order alcoholic drinks from room service, and the bottle of water you'll find in your stateroom is an extra charge (strange but true). You'll find real cloth hand towels in the rest rooms. They'll be cold drinks and iced towels dockside when you are returning to the ship on a port day. The free dining venues are the MDR, the Ocean View Café, the Aqua Spa Café (in the adults only Solarium) and the Mast Grill (burgers and hot dogs near the pool). The desserts at the Café Al Bacio are free (you don't have to purchase coffee or tea to ask for them) and with the beverage package so are the coffees and teas. (There are some that are more than the Classic beverage allowance but you will only pay the difference between the allowance and the cost + 18%). If you order a drink above the Classic package allowance at any bar or restaurant you will only pay the difference + 18% as well. Celebrity has gotten rid of formal nights and replaced them with Evening chic nights which are more casual, however people do tend to dress a bit more for those evenings than other evenings. Shorts and tee shirts are not allowed in the MDR in the evenings.

It's quite a few years since we sailed on a Carnival ship when DH received several free Carnival cruises from his company. We've enjoyed our many paid out of pocket Celebrity cruises so much more. Happy sailing and smooth seas!

I am platinum on Carnival and went on our first Celebrity (on the Silhouette) in the summer of 2016. We had a great time and enjoyed the entertainment and dining. As the others have stated it is a quieter/older crowd. The ship does not have all the gimmicky slides and activities that people enjoy on Carnival. If you have kids, I would probably look elsewhere although they do have some kids programming. We really did have a great time on the Silhouette but it will probably be a while until we are back on an X ship.

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OP, you have chosen our favorite ship in the Celebrity fleet. It is lovely to sit up by the lawn and enjoy the scenery. if you don't mind paying extra for a restaurant, don't miss the Lawn Club. It is awesome. Sometimes they give a discount if they are not heavily booked. Enjoy your cruise.

I agree with all of the posters. I've sailed Carnival and now am hooked on Celebrity. My friend and I sailed the Silhouette over Thanksgiving and had a wonderful time! Be sure to participate in the Silent Disco--it is SO much fun and free! The only thing I wouldn't do again in the future is rent an Alcove on the top deck. Even at the $99 port day discount, it's too much money to spend looking across the grass at the other alcoves when there are equally nice, breezy spots on the ship. The Silly is my favorite cruise ship and I'm looking forward to sailing the Summit this Spring!

OP, you have chosen our favorite ship in the Celebrity fleet. It is lovely to sit up by the lawn and enjoy the scenery. if you don't mind paying extra for a restaurant, don't miss the Lawn Club. It is awesome. Sometimes they give a discount if they are not heavily booked. Enjoy your cruise.

Thank you. To reply to a previous poster, we are empty nesters around 50.

So how does one obtain a discount to a specialty dining venue? Do you haggle? :)

Another big difference for many is the smoking policy. Celebrity does not allow indoor smoking including the casino. It also has only a few designated areas for outdoor smoking. Of course, no smoking is allowed on balconies.

As far as discounts to specialty restaurants goes, it depends on their bookings. Most cruises you will see someone from specialty restaurants when you embark on the ship offering discounts, especially the first night. Thereafter, you will see people from the specialties outside of the OVC offering deals. Don't be afraid to ask for a bigger discount than offered, and if they are offering a restaurant other that the one you want, don't by shy about asking for the one you want. You will have most success if you are flexible about the day and time you'll dine. There are also dining packages you can buy pre-cruise that are discounted over the regular rate. These sometimes go on sale. We have been able to do just as well or better on board. If you have any OBC issued by Celebrity (not a TA) you can use that pre-cruise to make purchases such as dining, beverage packages (or upgrades), shore excursions, spa treatments.

Hi all,

 

My wife and I typically cruise Carnival but found a great itinerary on Celebrity that we'd like to try.

 

Just inquiring abut the transition to Celebrity from Carnival and anything we really need to know that is different. I heard something that dining is a bit different?

 

Is there a lot of nickle and diming once on board that seems to be the growing norm in the cruise industry?

 

We'd be sailing on Celebrity Silhouette if that helps tailor responses.

We've never cruised on Carnival but, from what I've read it's sort of a "Party" Ship; which is ok, if that's what you're looking for. We've sailed on both the Silhouette and the Equinox and found both upscale from the others. I'd give Celebrity a try, I'm sure you will not be disappointed, enjoy and happy cruising!

We've never cruised on Carnival but, from what I've read it's sort of a "Party" Ship; which is ok, if that's what you're looking for. We've sailed on both the Silhouette and the Equinox and found both upscale from the others. I'd give Celebrity a try, I'm sure you will not be disappointed, enjoy and happy cruising!

Thank you. Carnival has suited us these past 12 years, but as we're getting older a lot of what they offer isn't as appealing as it once was. The kids are grown and the itineraries are growing rather stale. Celebrity offer better cruise lengths (no such thing as 10, 11 or 12-night Carnival cruise) and go to some places Carnival doesn't.

Smoking for us is a big deal (i.e. we're non-smokers) and it's no fun being forced to walk through the smoky casino area or go out of our way on another deck just to walk fore to aft.

I think we'll like Celebrity.

The desserts at the Café Al Bacio are free (you don't have to purchase coffee or tea to ask for them) and with the beverage package so are the coffees and teas. (There are some that are more than the Classic beverage allowance but you will only pay the difference between the allowance and the cost + 18%). If you order a drink above the Classic package allowance at any bar or restaurant you will only pay the difference + 18% as well.

Yes, the sailing we are looking at includes the classic beverage package as one of the freebies you can choose. I asked our TA about the scenario you describe and they said this:

It works a little differently with Celebrity than with the other cruise lines when it comes to their beverage packages. Logically you would think that you pay the difference but the packages work differently. So….for example…..on the classic beverage package if the drink is $10 and it covers $9 you actually still have to pay the whole $10 (which is crazy to me). However, on the premium package, you only pay the difference so if the drink is $15 and the package covers $13, you pay $2.

Your comment says that you only pay the difference, even with the classic package.

Can anyone else confirm? Or do we need to upgrade to the premium package?

Yes, the sailing we are looking at includes the classic beverage package as one of the freebies you can choose. I asked our TA about the scenario you describe and they said this:

 

 

Your comment says that you only pay the difference, even with the classic package.

Can anyone else confirm? Or do we need to upgrade to the premium package?

Your travel agent is misinformed. They changed their policy about a year or two ago. Now you will only pay the difference + 18%. We were on Reflection last month and that was the case. There is also plenty allowed under the classic package that we've never had to order off of it. To upgrade your package if you decide your drinking preferences warrant it the cost will be $11.80 per person per day. For us, we'd never order that much to warrant the extra cost. If you have the Classic package, I'd advise trying it for a few days and see how your drinking preferences match the package. You can always upgrade on board if you find it necessary and the cost to do so will be the same.

We've always had the Classic package, and as I stated the scenario your travel agent describes used to be their policy. Their policy has changed. You can call Celebrity to verify. I'd also question the knowledge of the TA. It may be that they don't do a large volume of business with Celebrity since they are not knowledgeable about this change that occurred over a year ago.

Your travel agent is misinformed. They changed their policy about a year or two ago. Now you will only pay the difference + 18%. We were on Reflection last month and that was the case. There is also plenty allowed under the classic package that we've never had to order off of it. To upgrade your package if you decide your drinking preferences warrant it the cost will be $11.80 per person per day. For us, we'd never order that much to warrant the extra cost. If you have the Classic package, I'd advise trying it for a few days and see how your drinking preferences match the package. You can always upgrade on board if you find it necessary and the cost to do so will be the same.

Thanks. We've never purchased a beverage package before on Carnival due the outrageous price, but felt it was the best perk we could choose for this cruise. We're not heavy drinkers by any means, but it would be nice for a change to not have to pay for every drink, be it wine, coffees or beer.

Go, go, go, go. I won a cruise on Celebrity and it’s been amazing. Zero comparison. Try it once. You can thank me later!!! Cleanliness, service, amenities-I could go on but to each his/her own. Do it, you will not regret it.

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I have sailed both lines and they are both great for completely different reasons!

I sailed Carnival in my early 20’s and loved the party atmosphere.

Now I love the elegance and more subdued nature of Celebrity.

I don’t ever see going back to Carnival, but you can never say never!!!

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Agree that your TA was incorrect. Classic Package now only pays the difference in price + .18% gratuity. We've never needed to upgrade since this change was implemented.

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Celebrity is more pricy, more elegant, finer dining and a classier demographic of passengers. Far fewer kids on Celebrity. It is also a quieter line. You won't hear as much yelling and screaming over loudspeakers, not as many noisy, obnoxious things going on with screaming and yelling. It's not a party line, so a little more low energy and relaxed. People dress a bit nicer for dinner.

I completely agree, Celebrity caters to a demographic that appreciates a little more luxury and less instrusions. We have sailed most of all the other cruise lines and we won't cruise anything other than Celebrity. The average age is 45-65. Very few kids. We have met some really wonderful people from all over the world on these cruises. We are booked on the Reflection in March!

Just a quick note on Classic vs. Premium beverage packages... if you want to get bubbly water (e.g. Perrier or Pellegrino) you need to pay full price or be on Premium. We have this every night with dinner (as well as our wine), and it makes us feel luxurious. If you don't like bubbly water, don't drink fancy-class alcohol, and don't drink wine, I would not upgrade. "Regular" drinks with good alcohol are included in the Classic, as are many beers, soda, and coffees. Make sure to let your bartender/waiters know which package you are on, and they can help guide you to something that fits. Either way, if you are empty nesters in their 50's, you'll find Celebrity to be quite enjoyable. Also, for discounts on specialty restaurants, you can wait until you're on board and see what they have, or buy a 4-night package ($125/pp). If it is a very busy cruise (like the one I just got off - Jan 2-8) they may not offer the package or discounts on board.

Happy sailing!

Your drink package will be indicated on your seapass card. You will give your card to any bartender or server when ordering a drink and be informed if you are ordering off package. In the MDR, after the first night the server and sommelier have learned (possibly recorded) our package and most times never ask for the card again. That was certainly the case in Blu (dining room for Aqua Class guests.) We've found plenty of wines to drink on classic package. If you are more picky, you'll just pay the overage + 18%. We don't care for sparkling water, so I haven't experienced what happens when ordering it on Classic package.