Talk to me about Celebrity!

[K.T.B.]

It's time to branch out!

 

My wife and I are seriously considering a Panama Canal cruise and Celebrity, IMO, offers the best deal. Now then, we have cruised "exclusively" with Carnival if only because, for us, they offer the itineraries we prefer. However, they do not offer a Panama Cruise after next year though...

 

Anyway, with an acquaintance of mine talking up Celebrity on the train on the way to work every morning (she and her husband leave Wednesday for their Alaskan cruise), this is when I checked out Celebrity, Infinity to be exact, for Panama.

 

So I'm just wanting to know about the cruise line now. The good, the not so good, and so forth. How relaxed is the atmosphere on board? How is the food? How are the people who sail Celebrity like? Just how different are the lines?

 

Now then, I have to admit some of the pictures on Celebrity's website make it look a little non-relaxed in some ways. While in warm weather, I am definitely a shorts and t-shirt or Hawaiian shirt kind of guy throughout the day... While on vacation, I just love to relax. Give me a book and a lounge chair and I'm very happy on board. Night time and dinner are entirely different though. Whatever the dress code is, I'll follow it. :)

 

Overall, I'm just curious about what to expect. There are a lot of knowledgable people on here and many who have cruised numerous lines and can offer tons of insight!

 

So thanks in advance! :)

[Cruise Arizona]

It's time to branch out!

 

My wife and I are seriously considering a Panama Canal cruise and Celebrity, IMO, offers the best deal. Now then, we have cruised "exclusively" with Carnival if only because, for us, they offer the itineraries we prefer. However, they do not offer a Panama Cruise after next year though...

 

Anyway, with an acquaintance of mine talking up Celebrity on the train on the way to work every morning (she and her husband leave Wednesday for their Alaskan cruise), this is when I checked out Celebrity, Infinity to be exact, for Panama.

 

So I'm just wanting to know about the cruise line now. The good, the not so good, and so forth. How relaxed is the atmosphere on board? How is the food? How are the people who sail Celebrity like? Just how different are the lines?

 

Now then, I have to admit some of the pictures on Celebrity's website make it look a little non-relaxed in some ways. While in warm weather, I am definitely a shorts and t-shirt or Hawaiian shirt kind of guy throughout the day... While on vacation, I just love to relax. Give me a book and a lounge chair and I'm very happy on board. Night time and dinner are entirely different though. Whatever the dress code is, I'll follow it. :)

 

Overall, I'm just curious about what to expect. There are a lot of knowledgable people on here and many who have cruised numerous lines and can offer tons of insight!

 

So thanks in advance! :)

 

Kevin, I am an Celebrity enthusiast but in the course of extensively researching a possible Panama Canal cruise on Carnival I came up with some differences that tipped the teeter totter in the Celebrity direction for us. I think the two factors that had the most weight were the dressier atmophere (see below for details) and the fact that we have sailed many times with Celebrity and get lots of perks because of that.

 

Food – After reading the menus, reviewing the pictures from a Carnival Bloggers Cruise, and listening to others opinions I formed the following thoughts about the difference between Celebrity food and Carnival food. Both lines feature comfort food like burgers, dogs, and lasagna, and both lines features more gourmet items like prime rib, escargot and frogs legs. Both lines also features international cuisine in their buffet area. The main the difference I could discern is that the Celebrity menu is that it is slightly lighter, slightly more on the gourmet side, and less deep fried food. Also Carnival presents the items like "Frog Legs" as "Did You Ever", with Celebrity they don't mention those items as any thing unusual.

 

 

Dress Code – First, both cruise lines have problems with people showing up in clothing that doesn’t quite meet the dress code and nobody enforcing the code, but what was important to me was seeing what most people actually wear.

 

 

Formal nights, per the written code are more formal on Celebrity with suits or tuxes most common for the men and very nice dresses or pants suites and even long gowns being worn by the ladies. For anywhere but the Main Dining Room (MDR) on formal nights, the prevailing evening dress code is Smart Casual and Above. For Carnival the most formal level of dress is Cruise Elegant where only a dress shirt is required, jacket is suggested, and tuxes and suits are welcomed. The ladies dress code for elegant is dresses or nice slacks, with gowns welcome. Carnival is cruise casual through out the ship during the evenings. So both cruise lines have a minimum dress code for the MDR on the dressiest nights and casual alternatives to the MDR and through out the ship. It is just that more people still dress traditionally in a tux, suit or gown on formal nights.

 

 

 

On Celebrity tuxes, and evening gowns are about 33%, suits and cocktail dresses are about another 33% and possibly up to about another 33% are people dressed in smart casual who choose alternative dining or slip into the MDR against the written code.

 

Beverages – My husband and I are quite the wine enthusiasts and we have enjoyed Celebrity’s extensive wine list over our many cruises with them. If you are beer drinker the Michaels's club features craft beers and many international selections. Celebrity has a variety of soft drink, non-alcoholic and alcoholic drink packages.

 

 

 

 

Activities – Having been on 7 Celebrity Cruises I have been very pleased with the variety of activities offered on Celebrity, though some cruises have had a better flow and timing of those activities than other. After reading the Fun Ship activity schedule posted by Zydecocruiser online I noticed Lots of fun activities listed. Some that interested me were the afternoon Karaoke and comedy brunch.

 

 

Celebrity, like Carnival, has many of the listed activities are actually sales pitches for goods or services. Both lines offer an extensive youth program, but only the Carnival offers a water slide and mini golf on some of their ships. After reading through the many activities offered by Carnival and reading reviews, I gave Carnival a slight edge in the activities, though we have always enjoyed a more laid back approach offered on Celebrity.

 

 

If a good book and a deck chair is your favorite part of cruising you'd love Celebrity at there are no announcements during the day other than the captain's navigational announcement at noon.

 

 

 

If it is the Panama canal you'll be either on the Century or and M class ship. They are all, if not already, getting a nice make-over to add some of the features of the larger Solstice class ship.

[Czech Precision Forge]

Kevin, after 28 nights on 3 Solstice ships in the Med and Caribbean and 10 nights on Carnival Splendour, I found the biggest difference for me was the Celebrity approach much is less intrusive for daily life on board ship. There are activities if you wish to take part, but you will have to make your own effort to find them and get involved. On Carnival, the crew is constantly trying to involve the passengers in on board events and especially bingo. This applies also to nightlife on board, where Karaoke and the piano bar and dancing venues were regularly attended by large crowds on Carnival, but on Celebrity they were often empty and if partly attended much more subdued.

 

The food in all venues was on average slightly better on Celebrity.

 

Aside from possibly Blu on Celebrity, I found main dining room service and food to be superior on the one Carnival cruise, and it seemed to me that Carnival concentrated its efforts to insure the food, service and overall experience in the dining room would be something special. I have no complaints about Celebrity and generally prefer Celebrity, though I never found evening dining experience on 3 Solstice ships equal to that one cruise on the Splendour. This may be because the Splendour has two dining rooms and the Solstice ships serve all passengers from one large dining room. On the other hand, we grew tired quickly of the other venues for dining on Carnival.

 

On deck and around ship during the day, I cannot recollect a substantial difference in the attire between the two lines. The evening dress codes are not much different for the dining rooms between the lines, though perhaps there was more tendency to respect them on Celebrity, and on Carnival the evening attire of guests in the buffet was noticeably more relaxed than on Celebrity, and more guests tended to use the buffet on Carnival.

 

Keep in mind that these opinions are based only on that one Carnival cruise, which we took before any experience with Celebrity, and that our Celebrity experience is based solely on 3 different Solstice class ships.

 

H

[navyrotorhead]

It's time to branch out!

 

My wife and I are seriously considering a Panama Canal cruise and Celebrity, IMO, offers the best deal. Now then, we have cruised "exclusively" with Carnival if only because, for us, they offer the itineraries we prefer. However, they do not offer a Panama Cruise after next year though...

 

Anyway, with an acquaintance of mine talking up Celebrity on the train on the way to work every morning (she and her husband leave Wednesday for their Alaskan cruise), this is when I checked out Celebrity, Infinity to be exact, for Panama.

 

So I'm just wanting to know about the cruise line now. The good, the not so good, and so forth. How relaxed is the atmosphere on board? How is the food? How are the people who sail Celebrity like? Just how different are the lines?

 

Now then, I have to admit some of the pictures on Celebrity's website make it look a little non-relaxed in some ways. While in warm weather, I am definitely a shorts and t-shirt or Hawaiian shirt kind of guy throughout the day... While on vacation, I just love to relax. Give me a book and a lounge chair and I'm very happy on board. Night time and dinner are entirely different though. Whatever the dress code is, I'll follow it. :)

 

Overall, I'm just curious about what to expect. There are a lot of knowledgable people on here and many who have cruised numerous lines and can offer tons of insight!

 

So thanks in advance! :)

 

Hey Kevin... Did 14 nites on X Infinity thru the Canal Last April (eastbnd, San Diego to FLL) and LOVED every minute of it. Probably only 15-20 kids onboard, quiet and Relaxing if you want but still plenty to keep you busy. I also just did 8 nights on Splendor over Christmas and new years....and LOVED every minute of it!! Just COMPLETELY different. Food in MDR is better on X, but I was crazy over the Indian Food on the aft pool deck on Splendor, talked to the head chef several times, great guy, took a personal interst in it.

 

Celebrity was full of kids on vacation but not obnoxious. LOVED the Piano Bar, my 3 sons and I were there almost every nite doing sing alongs. Age difference is TREMENDOUS, avg on X is about 60-65 with MANY 70s and 80s. Avg on Carnival was 35-45 with almost no one over 60. Level of service is higher on X. I'm a tweener at 55 and manage to enjoy almost anything. Go have fun, X thru the Canal is GREAT :)

[CRUZBUDS]

I think your age statistic is a bit skewed. IMHO few people without kids would take a Christmas/New years cruise on any line. Why pay more to cruise with a boat load of children? That leads to a younger average (you have the throw in a few grandparents ;))

 

Our experience is age is mostly dependent on the length of the cruise. The longer the cruise the older the passengers. Our 12 day Carnival Hawaii was pretty much the same age group as our longer Celbrity and HAL cruises.

 

We did a B2B on the Carnival Spirit, the first was a five day and the second was eight. Just those three days made a noticeable difference in the demographic and atomosphere.

 

On most of our Celebrity cruises I don't think the number of tuxes was more than 20%. The number has slowly been declining.

 

The lack of smoke is one of the biggest differences, it is a big one for us. We don't enjoy being around smoke and it's much easier to avoid on Celebrity.

 

You'll most likely enjoy Celebrity. We've enjoyed every line we've ever sailed on :)

[Lois R]

What is non-relaxed?:confused:

 

"I have to admit some of the pictures on Celebrity's website make it look a little non-relaxed in some ways. While in warm weather, I am definitely a shorts and t-shirt or Hawaiian shirt kind of guy throughout the day... While on vacation, I just love to relax."

 

I LOVE to relax when I go to the Caribbean too:D....find a lounger,

take a book, a drink, a nap.............ahhhhhhh:) during the day

on a Caribbean cruise? I am in a bathing suit/cover up or shorts

and top too.

 

I can't give a comparison because the last time I sailed Carnival was

1992:eek:......but some folks think Celebrity is "too laid back" (not me)...

if I want to take part in activities, I do...if not, I don't....;)

[Mr. Click]

We have cruised on Carnival twice, Royal three times and Celebrity once. For us, the itinerary is the first key but after sailing the Med last summer on Equinox we now look at Celebrity first. We have really enjoyed all of our cruises but there was just something special about Celebrity. The food was better, the staff was better, it was more relaxed and while there was plenty of up selling, it was not as pushy. We are booked on Summit for the Southern Caribbean in March and we can't wait. One side note on tuxedos, with all of the airlines baggage fees many folks, myself included have stopped bringing them. I own one but DW needs that space in my bag for her "stuff"...

[K.T.B.]

Thank you so much for the responses so far! I truly appreciate the comments.

 

What is non-relaxed?:confused:

 

"I have to admit some of the pictures on Celebrity's website make it look a little non-relaxed in some ways. While in warm weather, I am definitely a shorts and t-shirt or Hawaiian shirt kind of guy throughout the day... While on vacation, I just love to relax."

 

I LOVE to relax when I go to the Caribbean too:D....find a lounger,

take a book, a drink, a nap.............ahhhhhhh:) during the day

on a Caribbean cruise? I am in a bathing suit/cover up or shorts

and top too.

 

I can't give a comparison because the last time I sailed Carnival was

1992:eek:......but some folks think Celebrity is "too laid back" (not me)...

if I want to take part in activities, I do...if not, I don't....;)

 

Lois, I am basing the non-relaxed "feel and look" purely on their website and the pictures I have seenon it. Lots of pics of men in polo-style shirts and khakis. Which is fine if I'm at work.... or for casual wear to the dining room. :)

[Cruise Arizona]

Thank you so much for the responses so far! I truly appreciate the comments.

 

 

 

Lois, I am basing the non-relaxed "feel and look" purely on their website and the pictures I have seenon it. Lots of pics of men in polo-style shirts and khakis. Which is fine if I'm at work.... or for casual wear to the dining room. :)

 

 

Kevin, shorts and t's are the norm during the day. The evenings are when you'll see people in "Smart Casual and Above."

[happy cruzer]

Search is your friend.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1645128

 

oops we posted at the same time, I hope this helps.

[K.T.B.]

Kevin, shorts and t's are the norm during the day. The evenings are when you'll see people in "Smart Casual and Above."

 

This is one of many reasons why I come here to ask. :)

 

Can anyone tell me what the overall "atmosphere" is like in comparison to Carnival? Or is it basically the same the same?

[Mr. Click]

Overall we found Celebrity more refined and relaxing than Carnival. Carnival tries to create that well, carnival atmosphere with lots of noise and stuff going on all the time while Celebrity is just a bit quieter and more relaxed. One of the little differences in on Carnival you are always hearing PA announcements all over the ship, on Celebrity, not so much. They do a set of daily announcements, they do required safety announcements but you don't hear the constant calls for bingo or belly flop costests.

[BKFlowerMound]

This is one of many reasons why I come here to ask. :)

 

Can anyone tell me what the overall "atmosphere" is like in comparison to Carnival? Or is it basically the same the same?

 

Funny thing is that the word I would use is Celebrity is much more "relaxed" than Carnival. It's the same word you chose to use as applied to clothing and I'm using it more broadly.

 

Carnival aims to achieve an aura of excitement, of fun on its ships. There are frequent announcements of upcoming activities, CD staff pushing you to get involved in the fun, hairy chest contests, etc. The ambient music as well as the passengers skews a bit younger. There are more people on board who want to party. The decor is Las Vegas loud. Overall, the sense is that Carnival has planned a lot of Fun things to do, and you better get involved.

 

Celebrity markets under the phrase "modern luxury." It aims for a sophisticated, relaxing environment. It doesn't want to be stuffy, but rather elegant. There is plenty to do, but it's up to you to find it by reading the daily. It's OK to relax on the padded loungers (these are much nicer than Carnival) and do nothing, though. You'll be in a smoke-free environment even on your balcony.

 

On any given cruise, it's my opinion that you're likely to find that the typical Celebrity passenger is slightly older than the typical Carnival passenger on a similar cruise. There will also be fewer children. I would also opine that the Celebrity passenger is wearing dressier clothing. That's not to say that during the day, there would be a lot of difference. You won't see many khakies and polos during the day. You might see the polos but they'll be with shorts though a t-shirt is more typical. You won't see many wifebeaters, which I saw frequently on my last Carnival cruise.

 

Celebrity's food budget per passenger is still rumored to be more than Carnival. In my opinion, the MDR food on Carnival is good. I think Celebrity's is better. I think the Buffet food at breakfast and lunch is much, much better on Celebrity. Celebrity has only a limited selection at night in the Buffet.

 

Infinity was my first Celebrity ship. She's a beauty. Give her a try!

[K.T.B.]

More great info, thank you!

 

As far as the announcements on Carnival is concerned, I don't even notice them. I know they're there, but I block them out. :)

 

I will admit my very first cruise with Carnival was far more partylike than the next 3, if only because it had a lot of recently graduated college kids. However, that's what my wife and I were looking for at that time. The Alaskan cruise we took, which we're taking again in 8 weeks ( :D ), was extremely relaxed and casual and the passengers skewed more towards our age. (At that time I was in my early 40's and my wife in her late 50's. There's 15 years difference, by the way!) Besides, I'm of the mind cruising is what you make of it.

 

Be that as it may, it looks like we may try Celebrity by taking a 7-day Southern Caribbean cruise in Feb. of next year, probably AquaClass. We've been wanting to do that intinerary for awhile now, and this gives us the excuse to try a different line. The 15-day Panama cruise is definitely still on the list, but this will give us a taste. :) So if we like it, we'll look towards 2014 for Panama; if we don't like it, then at least we can we tried. Plus, if we don't like it, we're not stuck on a ship for 15 days being miserable. (Though I seriously doubt that we'll be unhappy!)

 

Again, I really do appreciate all the comments and info.

[cirman52]

Back from a btb on the Solstice ( TA & Med ) & both my partner & myself are casual dressers. It's shorts & a tee durning the day & eve on formal nights. We do not dress for formal, eat in th Buffet, trust me, on formal nights, the buffet isn't worth putting on slacks, hardly anyone there.

We never made to feel uncomfortable by anyone as for how we dressed. And that includes having a drink in Michaels on formal night.

For the main dining room we wore slacks & a polo & fit right in.

I say do what makes you comfortable, but do follow the guidelines for formal night.

[HeatherC430]

Thanks for everyone's input. I also am an avid Carnival cruiser and have recently been pondering a Celebrity cruise. Specifically because I'm starting to run out of Caribbean itineraries & Celebrity has one that peaks my interest. Background: I'm 31 & my husband is 38 (no kids). We're both professionals & enjoy the finer things in life.

 

I few more questions I have regarding Carnival vs. Celebrity differences...

 

I get the impression that Celebrity isn't overrun with kids (which is a good thing). But I'm wondering if there's a reasonable amount of cruisers in our age rage? From what I'm read, most of the cruisers seem to be 40-50s & up?

 

Also, while the "typical" Carnival cruiser isn't as sophisticated as we may like, we're not even the slightest bit "stuffy". This is one concern of mine about Celebrity?

 

Does Celebrity have nightly shows? Or other events going on in the evenings? Number of bars, etc for evening?

 

I feel like the Celebrity website doesn't divulge as much information as I'd like to give you a good impression of what your cruising experience would be with them. Any additional information would be greatly appreciated!

[Lois R]

Thank you so much for the responses so far! I truly appreciate the comments.

 

 

 

Lois, I am basing the non-relaxed "feel and look" purely on their website and the pictures I have seenon it. Lots of pics of men in polo-style shirts and khakis. Which is fine if I'm at work.... or for casual wear to the dining room. :)

 

Daytime is very casual....you can wear your shorts and t's....actually

if you are laying at the pool? You can wear your bathing suit and no

top:p:D;).....

Seriously, daytime is very casual......

 

As for the Atmosphere? It is very laid back...some folks think

"boring"......I think laid back and relaxed:).....I just went on my

first cruise to the Med...now that was a BUSY cruise...very port

intensive....tours? Every day.....still casual....I wore shorts/capris

and short sleeved tops........

 

Hope you have a wonderful time.:D

[ORV]

More great info, thank you!

 

As far as the announcements on Carnival is concerned, I don't even notice them. I know they're there, but I block them out. :)

 

I will admit my very first cruise with Carnival was far more partylike than the next 3, if only because it had a lot of recently graduated college kids. However, that's what my wife and I were looking for at that time. The Alaskan cruise we took, which we're taking again in 8 weeks ( :D ), was extremely relaxed and casual and the passengers skewed more towards our age. (At that time I was in my early 40's and my wife in her late 50's. There's 15 years difference, by the way!) Besides, I'm of the mind cruising is what you make of it.

 

Be that as it may, it looks like we may try Celebrity by taking a 7-day Southern Caribbean cruise in Feb. of next year, probably AquaClass. We've been wanting to do that intinerary for awhile now, and this gives us the excuse to try a different line. The 15-day Panama cruise is definitely still on the list, but this will give us a taste. :) So if we like it, we'll look towards 2014 for Panama; if we don't like it, then at least we can we tried. Plus, if we don't like it, we're not stuck on a ship for 15 days being miserable. (Though I seriously doubt that we'll be unhappy!)

 

Again, I really do appreciate all the comments and info.

 

Why are you considering Aqua class?

[BKFlowerMound]

Thanks for everyone's input. I also am an avid Carnival cruiser and have recently been pondering a Celebrity cruise. Specifically because I'm starting to run out of Caribbean itineraries & Celebrity has one that peaks my interest. Background: I'm 31 & my husband is 38 (no kids). We're both professionals & enjoy the finer things in life.

 

I few more questions I have regarding Carnival vs. Celebrity differences...

 

I get the impression that Celebrity isn't overrun with kids (which is a good thing). But I'm wondering if there's a reasonable amount of cruisers in our age rage? From what I'm read, most of the cruisers seem to be 40-50s & up?

 

Also, while the "typical" Carnival cruiser isn't as sophisticated as we may like, we're not even the slightest bit "stuffy". This is one concern of mine about Celebrity?

 

Does Celebrity have nightly shows? Or other events going on in the evenings? Number of bars, etc for evening?

 

I feel like the Celebrity website doesn't divulge as much information as I'd like to give you a good impression of what your cruising experience would be with them. Any additional information would be greatly appreciated!

 

Celebrity appears more "stuffy" on CruiseCritic but in my opinion is not stuffy on board. The Celebrity Boards have a vigorously debated dress code debate daily but on board there isn't much debate or dissension. There are nightly shows, plenty of bars (including the popular Martini Bar on all ships and the very cool Molecular Bar on the S class ships). There are even drinks packages to take advantage of all the bars.

[sooper]

Thanks for everyone's input. I also am an avid Carnival cruiser and have recently been pondering a Celebrity cruise. Specifically because I'm starting to run out of Caribbean itineraries & Celebrity has one that peaks my interest. Background: I'm 31 & my husband is 38 (no kids). We're both professionals & enjoy the finer things in life.

 

I few more questions I have regarding Carnival vs. Celebrity differences...

 

I get the impression that Celebrity isn't overrun with kids (which is a good thing). But I'm wondering if there's a reasonable amount of cruisers in our age rage? From what I'm read, most of the cruisers seem to be 40-50s & up?

 

Also, while the "typical" Carnival cruiser isn't as sophisticated as we may like, we're not even the slightest bit "stuffy". This is one concern of mine about Celebrity?

 

Does Celebrity have nightly shows? Or other events going on in the evenings? Number of bars, etc for evening?

 

I feel like the Celebrity website doesn't divulge as much information as I'd like to give you a good impression of what your cruising experience would be with them. Any additional information would be greatly appreciated!

We're in our 30s and met quite a few people in the same age range in our last cruise. I could also count on one hand the number of kids I saw. But wouldn't the age range be dependent on the sailing itinerary and time of year? Perhaps we just happened to get lucky and made friends with similar energy and age. It's really a crapshoot and I don't think it's the same every cruise with the same line. ;)

 

Yes, there are shows nightly, a club, quite a few bars, casino, shops, spa, etc. I don't think I had enough time to see everything on the ship.

 

What is your definition of "stuffy?" I'd say I didn't feel like I was made uncomfortable by the people around me, if they were stuffy.

 

Have never sailed with Carnival so I can't compare the two, but I found Celebrity to be pretty classy and refined. Try it and see for yourself.

[K.T.B.]

Why are you considering Aqua class?

 

Some of the amenities I preferred, some I know my wife would definitely want (the meditation and yoga, and unlimited usage of the sauna and the Persian Garden), plus our dining room is BLU. Based on the sample menus I've seen of BLU and the MDR, I much prefer BLU's. And there is the early embarkation & debarkation and priority check-in, but that's just a nice added perk.

[Kevnzworld]

I dont know if this helps...but before Celebrity I only cruised with Regent. A line that though inclusive, is way more expensive. Regent is good, don't get me wrong. Celebrity is fabulous though.. If they were the same price and I had to choose, I would go Celebrity

[jayl65]

Here is my take. I've done one Carnival and one Celebrity. I won't book Carnival again, but have another booked on Celebrity. In your regular life, if you like to stay in boutique hotels,like fine dining. Not chain restaurants! Seek upscale atmosphere bars as opposed to stay up all night party playgrounds. You will love Celebrity. My partner is manager at a 5 star property here in Santa Fe. We know what is expected at that level. Celebrity surpassed those expectations and then some on our first cruise with them. We found ourselves tipping excessively because of the stellar service. Not that it was expected, but we felt that everyone worked so discreetly to provide the ultimate experience for us. We just felt it was the right thing to do. Our experience was unpretentious,"discreet" I'll say it again- service. We have never felt so pampered without being bothered in our lives. We could do as little or as much as we liked onboard. Very resort casual feel. As for the staff they were mind readers. They knew if we needed something almost before we asked. And if we did ask it was only once because it was remembered and repeated throughout the cruise. Without trying to offend anyone. Celebrity is like New York City,Montreal,Miami. Carnival was like spring break at Corpus Christi or Myrtle Beach. Not that I don't like any of these places. I love all of them. Celebrity for us is how we dream of living all of the time. I get to do all of these those things in moderation. When we were on Celebrity we felt special. We felt RIGHT!

[HeatherC430]

Thanks to those who responded to my questions! I'm glad to hear that Celebrity appears more "stuffy" on cruise critic than it does onboard. And yes, it was specifically the dress code threads that had me worried! Haha

 

I like to dress up every night. My husband not so much. He tends to take the stance that he's on vacation and wants to be relaxed. He works in consulting for a major pharmaceutical company and their dress code is jeans and shorts on the regular (which is shocking in my opinion). I'm lucky I can get him to dress up for a wedding! So, even on Carnival we tend to forego the formal nights in the main dining area and opt for the buffet or otherwise instead.

 

I'm specifically looking into the 8-night Caribbean & Bermuda on the Summit at the end of April for next year. It's perfect timing for our anniversary.

 

Is there a Sushi bar on Celebrity? Do they have other areas where you can grab something in the buffet area (similar to how Carnival has Pizza, Deli Sandwiches, grill at the Lido deck, Fish & chips, etc?) Just trying to see how many other dining options we would have if/when the hubby refuses to put on pants! Haha Also, I assume room service is free of charge?

 

Jayl65 - I like your analogy! You couldn't pay me to vacation at Myrtle Beach or the Outer Banks! From what I'm gathering from yours and other posts, there's a huge difference between Carnival & Celebrity in terms of the "feel" or more refined experience (which would be nice!) I think I just LOVE cruising and I've gotten so comfortable with Carnival. I think it may be time for me to branch out! It just makes me nervous since we tried one NCL cruise and we weren't a fan. Hence, I'm trying to gather as much information as possible in advance before making a decision.

[dln929]

Thanks to those who responded to my questions! I'm glad to hear that Celebrity appears more "stuffy" on cruise critic than it does onboard. And yes, it was specifically the dress code threads that had me worried! Haha

 

I like to dress up every night. My husband not so much. He tends to take the stance that he's on vacation and wants to be relaxed. He works in consulting for a major pharmaceutical company and their dress code is jeans and shorts on the regular (which is shocking in my opinion). I'm lucky I can get him to dress up for a wedding! So, even on Carnival we tend to forego the formal nights in the main dining area and opt for the buffet or otherwise instead.

 

I'm specifically looking into the 8-night Caribbean & Bermuda on the Summit at the end of April for next year. It's perfect timing for our anniversary.

 

Is there a Sushi bar on Celebrity? Do they have other areas where you can grab something in the buffet area (similar to how Carnival has Pizza, Deli Sandwiches, grill at the Lido deck, Fish & chips, etc?) Just trying to see how many other dining options we would have if/when the hubby refuses to put on pants! Haha Also, I assume room service is free of charge?

 

Jayl65 - I like your analogy! You couldn't pay me to vacation at Myrtle Beach or the Outer Banks! From what I'm gathering from yours and other posts, there's a huge difference between Carnival & Celebrity in terms of the "feel" or more refined experience (which would be nice!) I think I just LOVE cruising and I've gotten so comfortable with Carnival. I think it may be time for me to branch out! It just makes me nervous since we tried one NCL cruise and we weren't a fan. Hence, I'm trying to gather as much information as possible in advance before making a decision.

 

Sushi? Bermuda? Summit? My ears perked up when you said those lovely words. :D What you would like reading is CruiseDivaNJ's report of her recent cruise. Sit back and enjoy! http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1646096