New Celebrity Cruiser

[cgags47]

Hello All!!

 

I'm an experienced cruiser, although completely new to Celebrity Cruises (10+ RCI cruises), and am interested in sailing the Summit in April, 2012. I've always gotten great info from the cruise critic community, so I have some questions:

 

First and foremost, do you all think that a Celebrity Cruise would be good for myself and girlfriend, both 25 years old? I know that Celebrity is definitely on the "mature" end of the cruising spectrum, and that is honestly what interests me. I can do without screaming kids at the pool, and would be much more interested in the nightclubs, bars and restaurants that Celebrity offers. We are both BIG wine fans, don't mind putting on nice clothes for dinner, and don't really need a ton of structured activities. From what I've read, Celebrity seems like it would be right up our alley, just looking for advice from past cruisers.

 

Second, any advice on the drink packages would be greatly appreciated. I would definitely go for the Premium Alcohol package, but can you get away with having one package for 2 guests? Or do the bartenders and waiters frown on that?

 

That's all for now, but I'm sure I'll come up with more!

 

Thanks in advance for your help!

[Leeroy-Jenkins]

First and foremost, do you all think that a Celebrity Cruise would be good for myself and girlfriend, both 25 years old?

 

Nope! :(

 

Second, any advice on the drink packages would be greatly appreciated. I would definitely go for the Premium Alcohol package, but can you get away with having one package for 2 guests?

 

Yes! :D

[NHCRUISIN]

Not trying to be the moral police here, but sharing a drink package priced for one and using it for two people is actually stealing....so ya I'm sure they would frown upon this.

[helpthejuggler]

I'll have to disagree with Lj, at 25 you would be at the younger age range, but your interests seem to match what is offered by Celebrity.

[1 HappyCruiser]

Second, any advice on the drink packages would be greatly appreciated. I would definitely go for the Premium Alcohol package, but can you get away with having one package for 2 guests? Or do the bartenders and waiters frown on that?

 

 

Just don't order two drinks at the same location at the same time and you'll be fine.

[miXterOB]

I agree with helpthejuggler...your prefs indicate you might enjoy Celebrity.

After doing a number of RCI cruises, I found the Celebrity clientele much more sophisticated than RC...and refined.

Only one way to truly find out...book one and enjoy

[cynbar]

It seems from all reports that the drink packages are carefully monitored by staff to prevent sharing. Only 1 drink can be ordered at a time, and if you are seen giving it to someone else, it will be taken away. Sure, you can probably go up to a bar, get a drink, carry it elsewhere and then go back to another bar ---- but that really seems like a lot of work. It also prevents the two of you sitting down for a cocktail together, or having wine with dinner. Best bet is to get 2 packages, or possibly one and the other could order by the drink if not a big drinker. DH and I both got the premium alcohol package and loved it. Sommelier kept the wine flowing at dinner and introduced us to several we had not tried before, martinis were wonderful , and we ventured out to try cocktails we otherwise wouldn't have ordered. Don't forget that the package will include all non-alcoholic drinks too: bottled water, San Pellegrino, sodas and smoothies, specialty coffees, fresh squeezed juices. I don't mean to sound like the Drink Package Police, but I just thought you should know in advance. Some cruisers have reported that they were quite embarrassed when trying to share (even for just a sip) and the drink was removed in front of everyone at the bar.

[Leeroy-Jenkins]

I'll have to disagree with Lj, at 25 you would be at the younger age range, but your interests seem to match what is offered by Celebrity.

 

Untrue.

 

[ghstudio]

You have been on RCL and NCL. Both have lots of younger adults and depending on the cruise, lots of children (longer cruises generally have less children). Both have nightlife and multiple bars/music venues that keep going to and past midnight. Both have more games, more PA announcements of Bingo starting now, more hustling for drinks around the pool.

 

Celebrity is a little different...more lay back. Yes, there's a Cruise Director and some games around the pool (but no hairy chest contests,....), there is some nightlife after dinner and the show...but not a disco that is packed and open to 2AM....most seem to have a drink, go back to the cabin to read or whatever. There are some younger folks (I call you a younger folk), some newlyweds, some younger folks with parents/grandparents....but I would estimate that most are over 40....there will be a signficant number of "older" people (I call older 60-70), and yes, there are a number of passengers who are on in years.

 

So celebrity will offer you a quiet vacation where you aren't hustled to spend a buck on a drink every 20 minutes...where you get pretty good food...where you will meet interesting people to talk to (many well travelled people from interesting jobs and careers). However, I am not sure that you will find a robust, active "young singles" scene, if that's a criteria.

 

Hope this helps a bit.....you may like celebrity; you may find it not active enough...but try a shorter cruise (7 days or less) and you'll enjoy the time...and you'll get a good flavor of Celebrity. My guess is that you'll like it.

[Zoey]

Celebrity has become VERY kid friendly and you may find a LOT of kids at the pools and elsewhere.

 

Also NOT big on nightlife. If I were you, I would go Royal Caribbean or Carnival. AND no, do not try and use one beverage package for both of you.

[CathyCruises]

Untrue.

 

 

 

What does this mean?

[pjsatc86]

My wife and I are 25 and are going to try celebrity for the first time. We are going on a mediterranean cruise on solstice next September. We have only cruised on rci. From everything we have read we think celebrity will be a good fit for us for this trip. We are looking for a more relaxed cruise since we will be tired from all the port days.

I know this probably isn't much help but I would say give it try. The worst that could happen is you decide it isn't for you and you go back to rci.

[helpthejuggler]

Untrue.

 

 

Leroy, I'm happy for you to have an opinion different from mine, maybe you would explain. A photo of a Solstice class coffee shop doesn't give your view.

 

There is nightlife. A live band in the Sky lounge until around 12. A DJ on the pool deck and Quasar until the early hours. The martini bar is busy until late.

 

It depends upon the ports, time of year and pax mix, but that applies to all ships.

[CathyCruises]

Just got back from Solstice in the Med. There were some people your age on our ship, including my daughter who is 29. She thought the ship was beautiful, but the activites were lacking--which is also my opinion. Other than trivia, a bunch of spa related (i.e. you pay for them) options, shopping 'events', and a smattering of overcrowded lectures by not-very-interesting lecturers, there wasn't much to do. We went to one lecture on St. Paul's travels in the Med, standing/sitting on the floor room only, and my DH knew more about the topic than the presenter did. He used the opportunity to talk about 'the play he wrote'. Gimme a break!

 

Now, we aren't very participatory anyway--but on sea days we often only found only one thing of interest to do. On the day before we arrived in Greece, there was a 'learn to speak Greek' event. We thought that might be fun so we went. It was held in the area where they used to have the art auctions--just an open area on Deck 5 with about 15 chairs. Of course, 50-75 people showed up, no place to sit, they said they were sending out for more chairs and after 15 minutes a trolley arrived with SIX chairs--it was just a mismanaged joke. And the cruise director Lisa was there--I wish I knew if she thought it was a success. That was our only event for the day.

 

I keep hearing people brag that Celebrity doesn't have 'hairy leg contests'. True, but there has to be something they could offer that would appeal to their demographic that's better than what they have. This was my 5th and possibly final Celebrity cruise--I have sailed a lot of other lines but not for a long time--I am ready to be pleasantly surprised!

 

However, if you want a calm, relaxing cruise wth lots of time for reading, and don't mind not having a partying atmosphere, it will work for you. The Med cruises can be intense. The S class ships ARE very nice, but there is almost no nightlife to speak of--so just be forewarned.

[Orlandocruiser]

If you are trying to avoid lots of kids on the ship google the spring break dates for the public schools in some of the larger states like NY. We did Freedom of the Seas one year and chose a date that the only states with public schools on spring break were VT and NH. We were speaking to one of the event coordinators and he said that there were only 200 kids on our sailing but the previous week there were 1500!

[ashmac8]

Well, we are taking a Cruise with Celebrity on the Summit in April. My husband and I are both 31. We are taking our 5 year old son. We booked based on itinerary.

 

We are wanting to spend quality time together and our cruise is very port intensive (plus a repositioning). We have previously cruised with Carnival (didnt care for) and RCI (loved).

 

From the research I've done the service will be top notch but there might not be much nightlife. This is fine with us as I am happy to read while my son is down for the night and my husband will gamble a bit or pop out for a drink.

 

Good luck!

[shorebilly]

Untrue.

 

We are going on Celebrity for the second time this year and cannot wait! We are NOT senior citizens. Leeroy here seems to want to discourage younger people from sailing with X! I say UNTRUE, go, you will have a great time!

[caripoo]

Based on what you are looking for I think Celebrity fits.........You never know until you try it...I personally never thought we could drink enough for the package to be worth it, but for my husband it works. ENJOY!!!

[ghstudio]

We are going on Celebrity for the second time this year and cannot wait! We are NOT senior citizens. Leeroy here seems to want to discourage younger people from sailing with X! I say UNTRUE, go, you will have a great time!

 

Leeroy will not respond because you have asked a question that requires more than a one word answer....check his posts over time. It may just be his style to be extremely net....

[stencilnyc]

I have a very similar question - my GF and I (I'm in my 30s, she's 28) are currently planning to do a 5-day Millenium cruise in February. We like to hang out, have some drinks, but we're also looking to relax.

 

A bit concerned that we'll be bored out of our minds, though. This would be our first cruise.

[6502programmer]

We were speaking to one of the event coordinators and he said that there were only 200 kids on our sailing but the previous week there were 1500!

 

And don't do a Christmas cruise. We did a ten night Equinox cruise two years ago, returning 12/24. There were about 120 kids on our cruise, and ten or so kids club staff. On the following cruise, there were 600 kids.

 

Regarding sharing: Don't do it! First, it's against the policy. Second, it's stealing. Third, it drives the cost up for everyone. Fourth, the might take it away from all of us, and I LOVE my PALL package, and wouldn't want to lose it. :) If you want to share a sip to taste, that's fine (IMHO--the package police may say otherwise, but I'm a reasonable guy), but wholesale 2-for-1 is fraud.

[SusieV]

My husband and I have been cruising Celebrity for 7 years, since I was 22 and he was 23. We love the experience they offer. However, our idea of a cruise is reading and relaxing, good food and service, and a casino with poker. We aren't really interested in many onboard activities nor do we attend the shows.

 

But it is very inappropriate to share a drink package. The package is per person. Either get one package each or just purchase your drinks a la carte.

[1 HappyCruiser]

With the number of people actually sharing a drink package I'm surprised they still offer it & have not gone to selling a punch card. It's just to easy to get around their drink program.

[cgags47]

Being that I am a big fan of cruising (and don't feel like committing fraud!), I now think that sharing is out of the question. I've just never had a drink package before, and wasn't sure of the parameters. What if both my girlfriend and I have the package, do we both need to order? Or can one person just use both cards? Thanks for the info!

 

So I held a room for the 4/28/12 sailing of the Summit, because it's a deal that I just can't pass up. I am noticing that most of you are citing a lack of activity/nightlife. I am very interested in the wine and martini bars, also, I like to spend time in the casino, and have some drinks after dinner. I don't need to stay out until 3:00 am, nor do I intend to, but I hope that the ship doesn't shut down after midnight. Has anyone noticed if there are nightclubs that stay open later, or live music that is open later? Anything like a piano bar, maybe?

 

Thanks for all the advice again!

[dolittle]

You sound mature for your age and right for X ,but as far as night clubs most nights they are empty except for loud music. It is my experience that there is not much of a club scene or late night bar action on X