Royal Caribbean vs Celebrity

The website is a little fickle but you can typically get a no-perk price. If one perk is automatically included, it is built in to the initial fare you’d see. The resident and senior rates for example override the promotional offers if you choose those.

 

We only sail the Caribbean but over the past 2-3 years, with perks taken to account, we’ve always found Celebrity to be the better value over Royal especially if you’re considering a bev package.

 

 

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Yes you can get a no perk price for sure - only suggesting as a response to the OP to do a true comparison. I understand that not everybody drinks and so it is expensive to include a beverage package in the fare as an included perk - agree that you do pay for it. On the other hand free gratuities is an example of a perk that most passengers would opt in. Everybody does pay gratuities (maybe a few exceptions out there though!). It is possible that a Celebrity Go Big price with one chosen perk (gratuities) is cheaper than an RCL price with gratuities added or applied on board.

I typically find X to be less expensive for a comparable cruise PLUS I can get the extra X perks included in the lower fare. Seems to me RC is always offering some type of "50% off of 2nd Person" type promos that are still always more than X. Or maybe is just we use a travel agent that gets better X deals.

I look directly at each lines website and i find the same ... X keeps coming out cheaper all things considered (as a drinker LOL). Thought I was missing something as I expect Celebrity to be more but it never comes out that way for what I look for. I find RC more and am always shocked, I figure it's to pay for all the activities they have that I would not take advantage of cause I would be too busy drinking :cool:. I keep comparing though, in case it changes.

That said, I have to add air travel to everything, maybe being close to the port offers some price advantages to residents there that I can't see?

If you prefer suites then X usually wins the price comparison if you do in fact want all 4 perks that come with an X suite. This is particularly true if you price a Sky Suite on X vs a similar Jr Suite on RCL (priced with the addition of premium drink package, OBC, unlimited internet, and gratuities). On X you have unlimited dining in Luminae and beverages in Michael's Club all day. With Jr Suite- only dinner in Coastal Kitchen if the ship has one. This comparison may not hold on Trans-ocean voyages where X might not offer all the perks in suites.

My DH and I enjoy both lines for different reasons. First, if we just want to relax, Celebrity a better fit for us- haven't noticed the pricing more for Celebrity vs. Royal for Grand (royal) v. Sky suites (Celebrity) with the exception of the Edge which is very high for suites. When we travel with family, the kids love all of the entertainment and activities on Royal- we also enjoy the entertainment. On Celebrity, much less entertainment venues and no merry go rounds, rock climbing walls, etc. So a more reserved vacation. In fact the entertainment on Celebrity is sometimes poor. We enjoy the specialty restaurants on both.

We probably will continue to sail on both for now.

We definitely prefer Royal & Celebrity over some of the Carnival Corp cruise lines . It is just that both lines rarely have any sailings now from California .

The sailings we see for Celebrity & Royal are Alaska & occasionally the Panama Canal cruises . Alaska requires flying both ways for us (we have done 5 sailings to Alaska 4 Celebrity & one Royal ) .Panama Canal requires flying one way & we have already done 2 sailings on Celebrity for full transits .:)

Unless we schedule a vacation for about a month ,we won't fly to Florida . We just flew to Newark in August to take the 9 night anthem of the Seas New England /Canada cruise & we spent time with relatives & friends while there + sight seeing trips :) Our next trip East is March 2019 where we sail a 9 night Royal Caribbean cruise from Miami & while there we will see if we can get good prices on a last minute Celebrity or Royal cruise :cool:

Other than the occasional flights to the east coast ,we can only cruise Holland America or Princess from California ports

We have sailed Celebrity way more than royal Caribbean ;however because of Xs higher & higher pricing ,we have found a new home sailing on Royal Caribbean ships as Diamond level

 

We can get Royal Caribbean cruise for far less cost per day for similar itineraries .Also ,we are finding a lot of exciting & new activities on Royal's newer ships

 

This is not saying that Celebrity delivers a good product . We do feel that it was better in the past though . Just that our pocket book finds a better value with Royal's larger ships :)

And they are not cheap.

If you prefer suites then X usually wins the price comparison if you do in fact want all 4 perks that come with an X suite. This is particularly true if you price a Sky Suite on X vs a similar Jr Suite on RCL (priced with the addition of premium drink package, OBC, unlimited internet, and gratuities). On X you have unlimited dining in Luminae and beverages in Michael's Club all day. With Jr Suite- only dinner in Coastal Kitchen if the ship has one. This comparison may not hold on Trans-ocean voyages where X might not offer all the perks in suites.

While the size of a sky suite on celebrity might be similar to a jr suite on royal, benefits are not in the same category. You have to compare a grand suite on royal to a sky suite on celebrity. Then you get true suite perks on both. Royal now has two different suite levels, as the top tier get a couple of more special services.

A Grand Suite on Royal does not give you much either. You get dining in Coastal Kitchen any meal if the ship has one.

Also on Royal you can have a cabana for a fee and use the suite area in labadee. Enhanced barbecue. On the new oasis ships you have access to a suite deck with free cabana

Also on Royal you can have a cabana for a fee and use the suite area in labadee. Enhanced barbecue. On the new oasis ships you have access to a suite deck with free cabana

Celebrity suite guests also have access to the suite area/enhanced barbecue--with cabanas available at a fee--while at Labadee ...

Celebrity suite guests also have access to the suite area/enhanced barbecue--with cabanas available at a fee--while at Labadee ...

Have been on 30 celebrity sailings and other then Michaels club I do not recall a suite deck with a bar, hot tub, cabanas and regular seating.

going on eclipse in a few weeks will check

Have been on 30 celebrity sailings and other then Michaels club I do not recall a suite deck with a bar, hot tub, cabanas and regular seating.

going on eclipse in a few weeks will check

This is for a facility at Labadee. Not on any of the current ships.

Oh thought you were referring to facilities on the ship. The edge will have facilities on board that compare with oasis (harmony and symphony) ships however price is very expensive m

This is for a facility at Labadee. Not on any of the current ships.

Just returned to catch up on this thread...

Sincerest thanks for having clarified my prior comment... You read it as I intended it and had thought I’d been clear (and am not exactly new to Celebrity either!)...

The website is a little fickle but you can typically get a no-perk price. If one perk is automatically included, it is built in to the initial fare you’d see. The resident and senior rates for example override the promotional offers if you choose those.

Is it possible on the new website to obtain a no-perk price (if you are not a senior or resident)?