Celebrity Winter Caribbean Cruise Questions

[scorben]

Hi

 

This is a long post. We are planning a winter vacation to the Caribbean and considering a cruise. We will be traveling w/ our 21/2 yo daughter. Last year we went to Hawaii and had a great time, but that wasn't until mid March. This year we want to go mid feb to escape some of the winter rainy weather (we live in the bay area) so opting for Caribbean.

 

The last time we cruised w/ Celebrity was 2005 on a 14 day cruise to the Med on Millenium. We had an incredible time, enjoyed the ambiance, dining, and the passengers seemed upscale, w/ a nice mix of people/ages/nationalities etc. We pretty much had the same routine each night...pre-dinner cocktail at an outdoor bar where a spanish guitar player performed and some people danced. Late seating Dinner in main dining or specialty, then post dinner cocktail, casino or nightclub. Or sometimes to bed.

 

3 years ago we sailed an enormous RCL ship (Freedom) to Caribbean w/ my brothers family who had 2 young boys. I did not care for this ship at all. It was too big, the food was HORRIBLE, it was crowded w/ lines for everything, debarkation was a nightmare, and they had a major virus outbreak which shut down the food service for at least 1/2 a day.

 

My questions are the following:

 

1. Has anyone experienced that stomach virus that spreads on a cruise ship on Celebrity where they have to stop serving food and quarantine people?

The last cruise we took on RCL Freedom Ship, I felt a lot of the clientele was low class, not hygenic and this is why the outbreak occured. I could go into specifics of things I saw people doing on this ship, but wont bother.

 

2. Is the food quality still decent on Celebrity? We are major foodies, and live 20 min outside of San Francisco and 45 min. to Napa Valley so we are pretty spoiled in the food/wine dept. We are used to very good, fresh food and its pretty hard to get a bad glass of wine around here too! ;-)

 

3. We are considering cruises on these new ships: Equinox and Eclipse. One is 10 days and the other is 7 days. I know these are new and bigger than Millenium. Will I have the same RCL experience on these ships? I really want to avoid that at all costs. Particularly the huge crowds, clientele, bad food, and over the top, camp style activities. We don't care about rock climbing walls or pool parties, but would like a nice spanish guitar player while having our evening cocktail.

 

4. Ive read Millenium has gone way down hill. Should I avoid this ship? Ive also heard that Celebrity is now more like RCL or Carnival. Is this true?

 

5. Can you reserve babysitting before the cruise starts? We will likely dine/do evening activities on at least 1/2 the nights w/o our daughter, and want to make sure we have a babysitter in advance. Can we get a sitter for nap times during the day? And get the same person for the entire cruise?

 

6. This is really the biggest concern for me, and the main reason I probably wouldn't do a cruise. How safe are the balconies on Celebrity ships? Are they easy for small children to climb over? Is there any way to baby proof them? What about the railings on the rest of the ships? Has anyone heard of an incidence on any cruise ship where a child climbed over the railing and drown?

 

Thanks!

[Lsimon]

1. We've been on cruises where the virus noro existed. One serious one out of 15 Celebrity cruises and out of 20 cruises in total. This sickness tends to spread quickly through cruise ships when brought on board from land and it is common for outbreaks to exist on land. For example there were widespread noro outbreaks along the east coast last year and as a result there were some real problems reported on the Mercury sailing out of Baltimore. Celebrity does a pretty good job of wiping these out and can usually do so between two cruises although sometimes the ship gets reinfected when new passengers bring it back on. We did a cruise three years ago immediately following a very serious outbreak and our cruise had no issues we were aware of.

 

2. The food quality is great on Celebrity, but if you are expecting higher end Napa Area restaurant type food quality you will be disappointed in the buffet and main dining room food, and only moderately pleased with the specialty restaurants. Napa has so many truly great restaurants that I doubt any cruise ship can compare. While we think we've had the best food on Celebrity out of any other mass cruise line we've sailed on, and personally feel it was way better than RCL, cruise line food has its limitations. Think of the main dining room and buffet food on Celebrity as excellent banquet food and you won't be disappointed. The specialty restaurants are as good as nicer land restaurants but not quite 5 star on food quality (service is definitely 5 star in the specialty restaurants). Celebrity also has a pretty good wine list that compares favorably against a land based restaurant or resort in terms of pricing and selection but that too might pale in comparison to many nicer Napa area establishments.

 

3. The Equinox and Eclipse are great ships with lots of style and class. While these are larger than the M class they are much smaller than the newer RCL ships and have much more favorable guest to space and guest to staff ratios.

 

4. Millennium is an excellent ship with top notch service. On our last trip, in March, we found it in even better condition that we did on a 2007 cruise with lots of newer carpeting and furnishings. But it is a 10 year old ship and if you look around you will find some areas that are next to be refurbished and some areas that have had one too many coats of paint - none of which impacted our own cruise experience. If you are the type who would truly be bothered by some minor signs of age here and there then you might better be served by sailing on a newer ship. Personally the M class is my favorite ship and I'd sail the Millennium before the newer Equinox or Eclipse ships. But then again I have an 8 year old sports car which I'm still in love with despite it's signs of wear and tear as well.

 

5. We just sailed with friends who also had a 2 1/2 year old daughter. I know they arranged a babysitter two evenings and also one sea day afternoon but don't know much more about the arrangements. I believe that kids have to be 3 to be left at the kids club (as opposed to baby sitting) but they were able to fully utilize the kids club facilities as long as they remained there with their daughter - and the daughter loved it!

 

6. Most all of the veranda cabins have solid glass railings so they are not really climbable. Of course furniture left along or near the railings would change this considerably. Interestingly enough one exception to this is the side railings on some of the family view cabins on M class which have climbable bars. Railings around the ship vary from solid glass to bars, but as long as you keep an eye on your daughter she should be OK. Naturally, I would never leave her on the veranda unattended nor loose attention of her while out on deck. I've never heard of an incident where a child climbed over the railing but with the millions and millions of people who cruise every year it wouldn't surprise me if it has happened.

[scorben]

I remember the food on Millenium being good. It obviously wasn't 5 star, but it tasted very good and we enjoyed eating in the main dining room. Though we did have several meals off ship being in Europe. We also ate in the Specialty restaurant which had very formal service...also fun.

 

We would probably do babysitting on a 7 night cruise for 4 nights and 2 afternoons. On a 10 night...likely 7 nights. We would probably take our daughter to eat dinner around 6PM at the buffet....while one of us got ready...then give her a bath at the room...then take her back out for some quiet time, while the other person got ready....then bring her in for cartoon and bed around 8PM when the sitter got there, then head out to for a pre-dinner cocktail around 15 after 8PM and have the late sitting dining. We would likely do a lot of the specialty restaurants too.

 

Is there any place for our toddler to sleep in a regular balcony room or do we need to get a suite?

[algorithmannie]

Our family also sailed on Liberty of the Seas (sister to Freedom). We were very disappointed with the food quality and felt very crowded. It was a noisy, not very relaxing, trip.

 

Our trip on Solstice last Winter was a HUGE improvement! Solstice is way more mellow. They don't have crazy activities and announcements are only made once per day. We thought the food was significantly better. The MDR food was good, and the specialty restaurants were outstanding.

 

I think S Class ships really cater to people who want to relax, have a drink, listen to some live music and enjoy a quieter vacation. It was the classiest cruise that I've ever been on, and for whatever reason, the majority of guests seemed pretty classy too.

 

I don't know if toddlers sleep in beds or cribs... but there is a sofa bed available in many rooms. I also can't say for sure that a child has never fallen off a cruise ship, but I'm guessing they haven't. That would be a HUGE liability to the ship, and with the millions of people who cruise, if it could happen, it probably would have happened and we probably would have heard about it. You might post your todder-related questions on the family board.

 

From what you described, I think Celebrity would be a great fit. We really were searching for a more refined, relaxing experience and found it on Solstice.

[scorben]

I am pretty sure we were on Liberty. The one thing I liked about that cruise is that it went to 4 ports in 7 days whereas Celebritys 7 day Caribbean only goes to 3 ports, and the 10 day goes to 5 ports w/ 4 port days. I wish each had an extra port day.

 

I really like the calm warm water in the Caribbean but we don't want to stay at a resort or drive anywhere during this vacation. Otherwise I would do St Martin/Anguilla/St Barth and island hop...though it would be too hard for my husband. He would hate all the moving of luggage and possibly fussy child during all that transport every few days.

 

I am tempted to hold off till DD turns 3 in April, but the whole point is to get out of the gloomy winter weather. The bay area has very dark, low clouds w/ lots of rain. It REALLY starts to get to me by early feb. I hate it. I think if I had a cruise planned for presidents day, I would have something to look forward to through Dec/Jan....then come back and just deal w/ March, then winters over. :-)

 

If my daughter is *almost 3* or 2 yrs 11 month, would they take her in kids club if she is potty trained? She had already been going to preschool starting at age 2 and has a nanny so used to being with others looking after her.

[Infi]

You will probably find the passenger mix to be more mature than RCI (especially in February), and the activities to be more subdued. Expect lectures, wine tastings, language classes, trivia, not so much the camp style activities you referred to. The days are not terribly packed, but you can find something to do. IMHO, Celebrity's food (and service) is a cut above most of the other lines, so I think you will find it to be a considerable improvement from RCI.

 

As for the kids' club issue, I'm not so sure. They probably would allow you in the club along with your daughter to play with some of the toys during the off periods. Whether or not they would let her enroll in the program is another story due to the age issue. That being said, February is usually a slow month onboard kid-wise, so that might improve your odds of getting a yes from the counselors. If I were you, I would hope for the best, but also be prepared for a no.

 

Lastly, as an FYI, Norovirus can (and does) occur on any ship. I know you mentioned the clientele issue, but it's not really a class-related illness. The virus is found anywhere on land and at sea. Anyone can catch and spread Noro unwittingly. All it takes is touching a railing or surface that an infected person has touched. I have never had a Noro outbreak on any of my Celebrity cruises, but I know it's always a possibility. They keep the ships in meticulous condition and clean constantly, but it doesn't hurt to take precautions. Wash hands frequently, try not to touch shared surfaces, use hand sanitizer when soap and water is not available, and make sure your hands are clean before touching your face or eating.

 

Hope some of that info helps.

[alj1208]

Scorben, I know this is probably not what you want to hear, but we considered a Caribbean cruise last winter with our DS, who was 3 at the time but NOT potty-trained. We decided it was too much hassle and opted to cruise this coming winter instead.

 

DS is now 4+. He's totally independent in the bathroom and can go to the kids club, which we think he'll love. It would have been nice to cruise last winter, but I think it would have been more high-maintenance because of DS being younger. We are booked for this coming March on Eclipse (Western -- only two sea days).

 

I am as worried about you about the balcony. My little guy is very active and a climber. But, the extra year in development means he actually understands when we tell him something is dangerous and why. That said, folks on this message board have told me the new Solstice-class ships have pin locks high up on the balcony doors (so a child can't reach). Some have also suggested bringing a tension rod (the type for a shower curtain) to provide extra protection in securing the balcony door.

 

As for decks in the public areas of the ship, if I feel something could be unsafe, I have no qualms about using one of those backpack-type child safety harnesses, just for peace of mind, in limited situations. We don't use the harness as a replacement for behavior management or supervision, but as extra insurance in rare instances when our son's safety could be at risk. Again, I have an unusually active and impulsive DS, so this may be too extreme a measure for you. DS actually likes it, because he knows it gives him freedom to walk "by himself" in situations where I normally wouldn't allow it.

 

As for choice of cruise line, we picked Celebrity because we like a higher-end product without a "theme park" atmosphere. Just because we have a child doesn't mean we don't like luxury accomodations and dining. We've been told Celebrity kids clubs are top notch and a "hidden gem," despite the fact that Celebrity doesn't necessarily market as a family cruise line.

 

If you decide to go this winter, I am sure you will have a great time. But, as you know, it might be a tiny bit more "work" with a younger child who can't go to the kids club or swim in the pools because of the diaper restriction.