Who here has sailed Celebrity?

Looking way ahead to planning my 40th bday trip - hoping for a cruise to Europe as it's always been my dream.

The dates/rates aren't out that far, but I'm looking around at the 2013 itins/rates/dates. I am seeing that for a little bit more we could cruise with Celebrity vs Carnival.

But, as I read on Celebrity's site, it seems like there are a ton more upcharges?

Could someone who has sailed both with Carnival and Celebrity compare and contrast the experiences? When sailing a 9-12 day itin in Europe (with emphasis on Italian ports) would it be worth it to go more "plush"? Are there better enrichment programs on Celeb than Carnival?

Thanks in advance for your input

I have sailed both lines. Which Celebrity ship were you looking at? There is a lot of difference in a Millennium class ship and a Solstice class ship..... I'm looking at the website and there are itineraries available from April 2013 - December 2013.

In terms of more upcharges....not really. Solstice class ships, for example, have a MDR and a Buffet the same way Carnival does....but they also have three or four surcharge restaurants....sort of like a Carnival Steakhouse surcharge. But IMHO you would be perfectly happy eating in the MDR and Buffet so you wouldn't need to pay extra. Drink prices are comparable....as are tips.

If you have a certain ship or sailing I could answer more questions.

Looking way ahead to planning my 40th bday trip - hoping for a cruise to Europe as it's always been my dream.

 

The dates/rates aren't out that far, but I'm looking around at the 2013 itins/rates/dates. I am seeing that for a little bit more we could cruise with Celebrity vs Carnival.

 

But, as I read on Celebrity's site, it seems like there are a ton more upcharges?

 

Could someone who has sailed both with Carnival and Celebrity compare and contrast the experiences? When sailing a 9-12 day itin in Europe (with emphasis on Italian ports) would it be worth it to go more "plush"? Are there better enrichment programs on Celeb than Carnival?

 

Thanks in advance for your input

I have sailed Italy on HAL & Princess they had good lecturers I mainly saw them on TV because i was working with the bridge program we either had lectures or games during the live lectures

I have sailed both lines. Which Celebrity ship were you looking at? There is a lot of difference in a Millennium class ship and a Solstice class ship..... I'm looking at the website and there are itineraries available from April 2013 - December 2013.

 

In terms of more upcharges....not really. Solstice class ships, for example, have a MDR and a Buffet the same way Carnival does....but they also have three or four surcharge restaurants....sort of like a Carnival Steakhouse surcharge. But IMHO you would be perfectly happy eating in the MDR and Buffet so you wouldn't need to pay extra. Drink prices are comparable....as are tips.

 

If you have a certain ship or sailing I could answer more questions.

Hard to know quite yet. I'd be sailing in 2014, so I'm just using the 2013 itins/dates/rates for general guideline at this point. But it looks like Equinox?

http://www.celebritycruises.com/search/searchResultsVacationItinerary.do?packageid=EQ12M322&dest=EUROP&shipCode=EQ

So the upcharges are only for the special restaurants?

Just did the Solstice in the Med.

I am now hooked on Celebrity. Nice large cabins. Excellent food in the MDR and the buffet (the buffet is limited at night). Room service has hot breakfast and service from the dining room menu when it is open.

Very limited smoking, none in cabins or on balconies.

Dress code is followed in the Med.

There are some extras like a specialty restaurant or Molecular bar but the ship has all the usual included items. Drink packages are offered. There is also AquaClass offered that includes alot of amenities as well as the Blu restaurant for most meals.

There are lecturers. And good entertainment at night.

You need to read lots of reviews that's the best way to get the info you want.

Yes, the restaurant surcharges are for Tuscan Grille, Murano, the Chinese place I can't think of the name...and a much lower charge ($5) for Bistro on 5. You would absolutely LOVE the Equinox!!!!! Personally, I find the basic balcony cabins (starting with 2B as 2D and 2C are obstructed balconies) are perfectly fine. I don't think the "perks" you get from booking Concierge Class (same exact size cabin and balcony) are worth it....and I'm not a fan of Aqua Class either....but that's just IMHO.

I can't think of a better way to celebrate your birthday! When I turned 40 we did a land tour of Italy.

I guess my question can be asked in the reverse as well:

If all things are more or less equal... why would I choose Celeb over Carnival?

I guess my question can be asked in the reverse as well:

 

If all things are more or less equal... why would I choose Celeb over Carnival?

I've been told the food and service is better, and you are treated as if you are special, more so than on Carnival and RCL.

Quieter, less announcements.

I have Celebrity booked twice next year. Will be my first time. I was waiting until I turned diamond on RCL so I will start as elite on Celebrity. One good thing RCL's loyalty does is reciprocate loyalty levels.

Just came back from my first Celebrity cruise. The service is outstanding. By far the best have experienced. As far as the food, I felt it was no better or worse than Carnival or Princess. I do feel that Carnival has better entertainment and shows.

Love x. We have three. Ow and as others posted the soltice class ships are they way tmetastatic rhabdomyosarcomao go

We book the aqua class so we eat at blu and to us it's awesome

A little more dressed , we find the mdr to be excellent both with food and service

While there are pay for venues one doesn't need to partake

The only thing I was concerned about was on here I heard alot of an older crowd

Certainly not the case not as many kids but the avg age without the kids was about the same

No hairy chest contests or hard sells

We don't do enrichment so I can't comment

Also euro .... While its great to cruise.

I you really want to expierence euro I suggest land the ferret couple times

Nothing like sitting late at Night on the plaza enjoying amazing foods

I have sailed Celebrity Millinium, Infinity, Century, and Carnival Dream, Glory, Conquest, and Valor in two weeks. Both are good cruiselines. The major differences I see are Celebrity has a more adventurous menu in food venues, much better enrichment programs, fewer ship announcements, more sophisticated live music groups example: harpist v. Top 50 guitar player, better spa, and in Aqua Class a much superior experience than Carnival's spa cabins, and a slightly older passenger with more travel experience. Carnival has better pool deck activities, cheaper fares, more families, seems to have younger people on board who stay up later, more good casual food venues particularly on the Carnival 2.0 upgrade ships, and a less formal way of doing things. Hope this helps. I am also not sure what you meant by upcharges by Celebrity. The only ones I know of are for specialty restaurants, beverage packages ( which I think are wonderful invention that Carnival does not have), and use of Persian Gardens.

Well, if smoking bothers you, Celebrity does not allow smoking in the cabins or balconies. The food in the buffet on Solstice Class ships is absolutely fantastic!! And the shows that have the Hot Glass Show are amazing!!

Looking way ahead to planning my 40th bday trip - hoping for a cruise to Europe as it's always been my dream.

 

The dates/rates aren't out that far, but I'm looking around at the 2013 itins/rates/dates. I am seeing that for a little bit more we could cruise with Celebrity vs Carnival.

 

But, as I read on Celebrity's site, it seems like there are a ton more upcharges?

 

Could someone who has sailed both with Carnival and Celebrity compare and contrast the experiences? When sailing a 9-12 day itin in Europe (with emphasis on Italian ports) would it be worth it to go more "plush"? Are there better enrichment programs on Celeb than Carnival?

 

Thanks in advance for your input

On the Millennium in Alaska, at least, I actually found there were fewer upcharges than on a Carnival ship. For example, there was no charge for the use of the spa area including the Thallasotherapy (sp?) pool, and there was really cool spa cuisine available in that area for no extra charge. I absolutely LOVE the Celebrity food, the lack of announcements, the elegance, and do recommend trying Celebrity for yourself.

Thanks for the feedback! I think if it's still a fairly minimal difference b/w the two lines we may try Celeb for this special trip!

I think I read all the restaurant options with all the associated fees as suggesting that MDR dining would be less desirable.

A quick glance at the shore excursions, for Europe at least, gives the impression that those are more expensive. But TBPH I have not looked at Carnival's Europe excursions. So maybe not.

I've sailed Celebrity three times and Carnival twice (Magic in July, sans 2 yr old, will be my third). In general I've found Celebrity to have a higher class of people and fewer children, likely because its more expensive. We couldn't afford the very few balcony cabins that were available on those ships and thanks to Carnival have fallen in love with balconies.

I've also found the food to be somewhat better on Celebrity, but my husband the vegetarian has found Carnival's veggie food superior. The lounges, clubs, entertainment, etc. are probably comparable.

I think it's a combination of cost, itinerary, and what experience you're looking to have. Either way, how can you go wrong! ;-)

Thanks for the feedback! I think if it's still a fairly minimal difference b/w the two lines we may try Celeb for this special trip!

 

I think I read all the restaurant options with all the associated fees as suggesting that MDR dining would be less desirable.

 

A quick glance at the shore excursions, for Europe at least, gives the impression that those are more expensive. But TBPH I have not looked at Carnival's Europe excursions. So maybe not.

Let's say you are in for a TREAT..2 steps above Carnival and like someone stated especially the Solstice class. Let un know what you have decided.

sailed Celeb Millie through Panama Canal & found it an interesting experience. More formal than Carnival (both on deck & evenings), free chocolate croissants in the morning, a daily newspaper, more challenging Trivia & games, more high-class entertainment. Food about the same, but Lido restaurant set up for sit-down meals.

No all-day serve yourself ice-cream. Only available certain hours in the afternoon (mostly right before first-sitting dinner), ATD available, better Roll Call M&M set-ups, nice Tea-Time set ups.

Looking way ahead to planning my 40th bday trip - hoping for a cruise to Europe as it's always been my dream.

 

The dates/rates aren't out that far, but I'm looking around at the 2013 itins/rates/dates. I am seeing that for a little bit more we could cruise with Celebrity vs Carnival.

 

But, as I read on Celebrity's site, it seems like there are a ton more upcharges?

 

Could someone who has sailed both with Carnival and Celebrity compare and contrast the experiences? When sailing a 9-12 day itin in Europe (with emphasis on Italian ports) would it be worth it to go more "plush"? Are there better enrichment programs on Celeb than Carnival?

 

Thanks in advance for your input

I say go for it!

I'm a big fan of celebrity's product. Did the Summit to Bermuda out of NYC for my 50th in one of the two penthouses, 6147 last August--ridiculously amazing! I'm doing a Carnival 8 day out of NYC this summer because it works with our schedules and I know my kids will be very satisfied with it. And hey, it's not a big birthday for me this year!;) We'll have a nice time, and know what to expect and not to expect.

Celebrity is a great line and the ships are lovely. Smoking is prohibited which we appreciate and the food and service is excellent. We had an amazing time. There are times when you might want things to be a little nicer, a little more special, yes? I think you will have that experience on Celebrity.

Have a great birthday!

My 2 week cruise with Celebrity is 3 years ago now, so some things may have changed. But this was my experience:

Food pretty much the same, the items on the menu were described beautifully but did not seem different in quality from the cruise fare I'd had before on carnival.

MDR service far, far superior to Carnival.

Much better room service menu, I was in a concierge class cabin so had a somewhat expanded menu for breakfast. But the 24 hr menu was the same for any cabin I believe, and put Carnival's to shame. Cheese plate was excellent. Many, many choices.

Better free gym classes, offered in the afternoon also and not just at 0:dark 30 like on Carnival.

Dance classes all seemed to be ballroom on Celebrity. Maybe this was due to it being a transatlantic. I asked one of the dancers teaching the class why it was all ballroom, he told me to look around at the age of average passenger. :p

The MDR on Celebrity is very nice, the food is good, just not the huge step up that I had been expecting after hearing so much from others on how much better it would be. So no, I don't think it's a situation where you need to dine in the specialty restaurant for a good experience.

Also I loved having lunch in the aqua spa - I think that's what it was called. It seemed to have healthier food choices that were delicious, and I read that the wait staff were all training to work in Murano. All I know is the food was delicious - I still remember the watermelon / feta salad that looked like a checkerboard.

Only downside I can recall now - the coffee is truly hideous. I am not a coffee snob (despite living in seattle) I can drink instant and think denny's coffee is just fine. But it was just terrible, and this was even in the bistro where they charge. It all had the same funky taste, like it had been cut with grain starting to turn rancid. I would have gladly payed triple for a decent cup of coffee, that is how desperate I was. Coffee fiend on a 2 week sailing, with no port for 8 days due to crossing the atlantic.....Not pretty. Bring via or a french press, or even instant packets if you are a coffee fan.

I had a fantastic cruise on Celebrity & would sail with them again in a heartbeat.

How fun to be planning a cruise to Europe! I have not been yet but will someday :rolleyes: I have tried and enjoyed both lines. As far as the spa goes, I choose Celebrity hands down. I like the service in the MDR and the food on Celebrity to Carnival. Carnival has a more laid back atmosphere and I prefer that to Celebrity. I really think it just depends on the experience you are going for. If its more sophisticated for this voyage....Celebrity. If its a less formal laid back experience I go with Carnival. Again, this is just my opinion and I had fun on both of them. I think you will to with whichever line you choose :D

Loving all this information - thank you all so much. It's one of the reasons CC is such a wonderful place :)

RE: coffee -- I know yours was a transatlantic, but I'm *really* hoping that being in Italy much of the time, I will be able to find a good cuppa in port, if not on the ship ;)

I do think I want this trip to be just a little more special. Our Carnival trips have all been great, but they've all been about relaxing and getting away. I want to pamper me, you know? Ease my way to the other side of 40 ;)

I love the smoking prohibited, and the idea of a free gym class that takes place when my eyes are actually open ;) I like the idea we can eat in the spa for yummy but healthful foods, too.

I am really being wooed by what I'm reading ;) ;)

We've sailed them twice out of 20 cruises. Would put both in our top 5 cruise experiences.

They still do (at least as of 2 years ago) most of the stuff Carnival used to do. Much better entertainment - not just in the show rooms but througout the ship. Evening parties are well done. Beverage packages are a huge plus.

We'll be taking our 10th Carnival Cruise since we have a new ship in Galveston, the only port we can drive to and we had fun points to get rid of. I suspect it will be our last CCL cruise.

Read out Summit to Bermuda Review here.

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=68285

No comparison between Celeb. and CCL.

Celeb. still does all the little things that make cruising special.

Return to the ship 15 mins. before leaving port rather than 30 mins, sparkling wine when boarding, sitting singles together at dinner etc..............

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Celebrity = Potentially much better vacation cruise experience.

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Just did the Solstice in the Med.

 

I am now hooked on Celebrity. Nice large cabins. Excellent food in the MDR and the buffet (the buffet is limited at night). Room service has hot breakfast and service from the dining room menu when it is open.

 

Very limited smoking, none in cabins or on balconies.

 

Dress code is followed in the Med.

 

There are some extras like a specialty restaurant or Molecular bar but the ship has all the usual included items. Drink packages are offered. There is also AquaClass offered that includes alot of amenities as well as the Blu restaurant for most meals.

 

There are lecturers. And good entertainment at night.

 

You need to read lots of reviews that's the best way to get the info you want.

I am just starting my research on Celebrity and this is the first I have read about hot breakfast and dinner from the dining room from room service. That would be a primary reason for me to try Celebrity! I don't want to dress formal, or go to a buffet or break the dress code rules so this is a viable option for me. Is this on all ships?