Questions about Celebrity...

[Twibbs]

On a recent (non-Celebrity) cruise, we noticed at one of the ports that while we were sweating in line, the Celebrity lines were moving much faster towards the tenders and were being provided with drinks. As a result of that, I'm starting to ponder Celebrity, but I have a few questions.

 

1) Does Celebrity accommodate gluten-free dining the same way Carnival does? Ie, the maitre d' comes around the night before and takes your order, GF pizza available, French toast in the morning if you order ahead, SOL for lunch, etc?

 

2) Once you hit 10 cruises on Celebrity, what perks do you get? Are they worth staying loyal to one line for?

 

3) Do the Celebrity lines normally stay very short and get drinks when returning from port?

 

4) Are there many kids, and are there adult-only areas?

 

5) If your chosen place to be on a sea day is in a hot tub with a drink in your hand, is there someone wandering around who will bring you refills?

 

6) Any other reasons I should consider Celebrity?

[stipmom]

They also provide you with wet towels when you come back to the ship on a hot day

[smtcan]

On a recent (non-Celebrity) cruise, we noticed at one of the ports that while we were sweating in line, the Celebrity lines were moving much faster towards the tenders and were being provided with drinks. As a result of that, I'm starting to ponder Celebrity, but I have a few questions.

 

1) Does Celebrity accommodate gluten-free dining the same way Carnival does? Ie, the maitre d' comes around the night before and takes your order, GF pizza available, French toast in the morning if you order ahead, SOL for lunch, etc? Yes - our table mate last cruise ordered ahead for gluten free at dinner. Not sure about other meals, but she was happy with the service.

2) Once you hit 10 cruises on Celebrity, what perks do you get? Are they worth staying loyal to one line for? some internet minutes, a daily happy hour from 5 - 7 pm with free drinks and some free laundry and a few smaller items.

3) Do the Celebrity lines normally stay very short and get drinks when returning from port? Cold drinks, yes, lines vary, but generally not too bad

4) Are there many kids, and are there adult-only areas? Not many kids except in school holidays. Solarium is adult only although families may be allowed to use the pool for an hour in the morning and afternoon if it is too cold to use outdoor pools.

 

5) If your chosen place to be on a sea day is in a hot tub with a drink in your hand, is there someone wandering around who will bring you refills? Not sure

 

6) Any other reasons I should consider Celebrity?

 

See answers above.

Sheila

[prim8keeper]

On a recent (non-Celebrity) cruise, we noticed at one of the ports that while we were sweating in line, the Celebrity lines were moving much faster towards the tenders and were being provided with drinks. As a result of that, I'm starting to ponder Celebrity, but I have a few questions.

 

1) Does Celebrity accommodate gluten-free dining the same way Carnival does? Ie, the maitre d' comes around the night before and takes your order, GF pizza available, French toast in the morning if you order ahead, SOL for lunch, etc?

 

Yes they can/will accommodate gluten-free you just have to let them know ahead of time. That said I don't eat GF, however someone on my current roll call does and said they are very good about it.

 

2) Once you hit 10 cruises on Celebrity, what perks do you get? Are they worth staying loyal to one line for?

 

You gain X perks after your first sailing (classic), at 5 (select) and again at 10 (elite). You can also gain points faster by staying in Concierge, AQ or a suite - you will get two and if you sail on a sailing that's 12 nights or longer you also get an additional credit. This link provides information about all the levels.

 

3) Do the Celebrity lines normally stay very short and get drinks when returning from port?

 

On our cruise we never found any of the lines to be very long to get back on the ship. Even when we tendered in Grand Cayman it moved pretty fast. They seemed much longer for all the other lines.

 

4) Are there many kids, and are there adult-only areas?

 

Generally you wont find many kids on X unless it is during the holidays, however even then its not like what you will find on Carnival, RCI, etc. The solarium (enclosed pool area) is adults only.

 

5) If your chosen place to be on a sea day is in a hot tub with a drink in your hand, is there someone wandering around who will bring you refills?

 

They do have pool waiters although some people have said recently its becoming harder and harder to get service.

 

6) Any other reasons I should consider Celebrity?

 

We really like Celebrity because its almost like staying at a modern resort as opposed to being on a ship. That said the ship does get pretty quiet at night. My partner and I are in our late 20's and there wasn't much to do but we were always able to find someone to talk to/something to do, but if you are looking for a party you wont find it.

 

Answers above in red!

[Bruin Steve]

1) Does Celebrity accommodate gluten-free dining the same way Carnival does? Ie, the maitre d' comes around the night before and takes your order, GF pizza available, French toast in the morning if you order ahead, SOL for lunch, etc?

 

I am not entirely sure since "gluten-free" is not my issue. I do know that they are exceptional in handling most dietary issues...Hopefully someone else knows this issue well.

 

2) Once you hit 10 cruises on Celebrity, what perks do you get? Are they worth staying loyal to one line for?

 

I am an "Elite" Celebrity Captains Club cruiser--a level I reached in far fewer than 10 cruises...since there are extra "points" for longer cruises and for suites. Celebrity's Elite perks are outstanding: Free load of laundry for each passenger, free 90 minutes of internet time pp, free drinks from 5-7 pm in a "private club" atmosphere, special tours (bridge, theater, galley), Elite formal tea, Elite continental breakfast in Michael's Club...lots more...truly outstanding...

 

3) Do the Celebrity lines normally stay very short and get drinks when returning from port?

 

The main reason lines are short or nonexistent, especially compared to Carnival is the space-per-passenger ratio...Carnival jams close to 4,000 passengers on a 110,000 gross ton ship...Celebrity's M-class carries 1,950 in a 91,000 gross ton ship...the S-class 2850 in 122,000 gross tons...far fewer people for the size of the ship--less crowding, no long lines, shorter waits...far more pleasant atmosphere...and, yes, they greet you at the port with cold, wet towels, water and punch...

 

4) Are there many kids, and are there adult-only areas?

There are nowhere near the numbers of kids one finds on Carnival...but, yes, they do have kids...and a kids program that handles them well...I believe the Solarium Pool area is adult only...

 

5) If your chosen place to be on a sea day is in a hot tub with a drink in your hand, is there someone wandering around who will bring you refills?

 

Of course...

 

6) Any other reasons I should consider Celebrity?

 

It's simply a better cruise experience...they don't cut all the corners Carnival cuts...the service and food are both far superior...

[debadoo]

I love Celebrity and have been on other lines and still love them. Drinks in the hot tub are not allowed and you may be hard pressed to get a server to get a drink for you. I was even told that I needed to either get rid of the drink or out of the hot tub. It may depend on the bartender/server as well.

[Karen@Steve]

On a recent (non-Celebrity) cruise, we noticed at one of the ports that while we were sweating in line, the Celebrity lines were moving much faster towards the tenders and were being provided with drinks. As a result of that, I'm starting to ponder Celebrity, but I have a few questions.

 

1) Does Celebrity accommodate gluten-free dining the same way Carnival does? Ie, the maitre d' comes around the night before and takes your order, GF pizza available, French toast in the morning if you order ahead, SOL for lunch, etc? They have GF bread for breakfast and you can order GF crepes in Bistro on 5. Otherwise it sounds similar to what you have previously experienced.

 

2) Once you hit 10 cruises on Celebrity, what perks do you get? Are they worth staying loyal to one line for? The Celebrity site has all the benefits listed by level and can be seen at

 

http://www.celebritycruises.com/captainsclub/membershipBenefits.do

 

 

3) Do the Celebrity lines normally stay very short and get drinks when returning from port? Cold drinks and iced towels and a small sitting area if you need to wait. Makes you feel very pampered

 

4) Are there many kids, and are there adult-only areas? Never seen many kids and are always shocked at the number reported on the ship versus what we witnessed. Mostly seems like there aren't any

 

5) If your chosen place to be on a sea day is in a hot tub with a drink in your hand, is there someone wandering around who will bring you refills? I guess there has been a change since the last time I was on a Celebrity Ship. The drinks flowed freely in the hot tub but I haven't sailed recently

 

6) Any other reasons I should consider Celebrity?One last comment to consider...the very strict non-smoking code. If you are smoker it could be a deal breaker

 

Karen

[Algebralovr]

At least on the S-Class ships, Celebrity had a separate kitchen built to handle special meal requests. This kitchen does any allergy, GF, etc meals. If you are a non-smoker, they are great. If you are a smoker, you might not like the line. They do not allow smoking in ANY interior space and only a handful of exterior spaces. No smoking on room balconies at all. The daily states there is a $250 fine and to disembarked at next port of call for violations of this policy.

[Waihekean]

For me it is the very competitive pricing!

[Twibbs]

Thank you for the info. We'll definitely consider it when we're booking our next cruise!

[Twibbs]

One more question (for now).

 

Does Celebrity do something about chair hogs?

[jerseygirl3]

One more question (for now).

 

Does Celebrity do something about chair hogs?

 

You don't need to take 10 cruises to reach Elite (Celebrity's highest loyalty level). You can accrue up to 3 pts per sailing, depending on length of cruise, cabin category, etc.

 

I've actually noticed significantly less chair hogging on Celebrity. Maybe because the clientele is slightly older and less likely to want to bake in the sun all day? We were onboard Silhouette last week and the pool butlers appeared to be doing a good job picking up towels where chairs remained empty for awhile. I didn't see them remove anybody's personal belongings, but there appeared to be many available chairs, both in the sun and in the shade.

 

We've been on pretty much all the mainstream cruiselines (Carnival, NCL, HAL, RCI, Princess) and we've come to realize Celebrity is our best fit.

 

Jo-Ann

[Bruin Steve]

One more question (for now).

 

Does Celebrity do something about chair hogs?

 

I think this is yet one more issue tied into the relative overcrowding on Carnival...There is not an appreciable difference between the number of available deck lounges on the typical Carnival ship and the number on a typical Celebrity ship...

 

However, on that Carnival ship, you have twice as many people competing for those chairs...

 

Fewer passengers=less problems...

 

You may not easily find a lounge in a "prime location"--ie right next to the pool and near the bar...but I've never had a problem finding an open lounge...

[Dblreed]

For Q #1 by the OP, I can certify that Celebrity is excellent at taking care of dietary needs. My DW has reactions to multiple types of food (including gluten), and she has not had a problem at all. They take care of you in the main dining room, and if you find the chef at the buffet he will take care of you there as well.

 

We have cruised other lines as well, where the dietary needs were met nicely, but IMHO Celebrity is a cut above.

[Twibbs]

For Q #1 by the OP, I can certify that Celebrity is excellent at taking care of dietary needs. My DW has reactions to multiple types of food (including gluten), and she has not had a problem at all. They take care of you in the main dining room, and if you find the chef at the buffet he will take care of you there as well.

 

We have cruised other lines as well, where the dietary needs were met nicely, but IMHO Celebrity is a cut above.

 

As a former oboe player, I have to ask which double reed you play.

 

Thank you for the GF info.

[miched]

One more question (for now).

 

Does Celebrity do something about chair hogs?

 

I have never had any problem with chair hogs. If a chair is occupied I look for one that isn't.

 

The only problems that I have ever encountered are at the big brunch and when departing. They become like the people leaving out of a church parking lot.

[NorthCarolinaBelle]

I have never had any problem with chair hogs. If a chair is occupied I look for one that isn't.

 

The only problems that I have ever encountered are at the big brunch and when departing. They become like the people leaving out of a church parking lot.

:DLove the analogy of people leaving a church parking lot!!!:D

[Dblreed]

As a former oboe player, I have to ask which double reed you play.

 

Thank you for the GF info.

 

Bassoon. And I still play in amateur groups.

[Leo Jay]

I rarely lay out on deck, so hogging isn't an issue for me, but I'm just curious whether passenger ever bring their own (portable) lounge chairs on board. Some passenger must do, for beaches if nothing else. Are personal chairs allowed on deck?

[Bruin Steve]

I rarely lay out on deck, so hogging isn't an issue for me, but I'm just curious whether passenger ever bring their own (portable) lounge chairs on board. Some passenger must do, for beaches if nothing else. Are personal chairs allowed on deck?

 

You know, in all my cruises, I don't recall EVER seeing anyone bringing their own chairs (except wheel chairs, of course)...

 

And it has never occurred to me to do so...

First, I guess, packing one if there was an air flight involved...with all of the luggage restrictions and such...would be difficult...

On the cruise itself, they've got chairs...or, more importantly, lounges...the hogging may be a problem on some lines or ships or itineraries--but likely not enough to warrant the drastic step of hauling around your own lounge...

And, for beaches at various ports, it seems I have always gone places where they have chairs or lounges available..."Beach stops", like Labadee, Haiti, for example, they have lots of lounges available...Where we've visited beaches while on cruises--like in Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, Cozumel, etc., it seems the places we have visited have had facilities available--including seating...and bars and waiters, etc. If we were going to some remote beach without such facilities, we'd likely just make do with a towel on the sand...

[trainnut]

I totally agree with Bruin Steve on his points. I also like Celebrity because they don't seem to "nickel and dime" you as much as Royal Caribbean does.

[NYDee]

We were on the Eclipse when they rolled out the new menus. The MDR evening menu had a symbol for gluten free beside each item that is prepared gluten free. If I remember correctly, each course had at least 1 gluten free choice.

[bigmohes]

We have never had issues with "chair Hogs". We switched to celebrity from Royal because of the pace mostly and the no smoking policy. Now after a couple of cruises I have come to appreciate the choices of drink packages as well.

 

while on vacation I want to relax and the pace of celebrity allows for that:)

[denisey]

You know, in all my cruises, First, I guess, packing one if there was an air flight involved...with all of the luggage restrictions and such...would be difficult...

 

That reminds me of an hysterical story in Budget Traveler where the couple brought their loungers on as carryon luggage on the plane. When going through security the wife said this was their "rocking lawn chairs" and the TSA agent heard "rocket launcher"

 

Be warned! LOL!