Dedicated RC cruiser tries Celebrity

[Cindy]

Seven night cruise to Bermuda.

 

Two formal nights.

 

All other nights were smart casual.

 

Everyone seemed to adhere to the dress codes.

 

Celebrity also asks that you continue that night's dress code into the theatre.

 

About 90% that I saw followed that, too.

 

Conclusion: It's not so much the dress code itself. It's the people following it, not ignoring it.

 

:)

 

I was under the impression that Celebrity's specialty restaurants, including BLU, are always smart casual -- even on formal nights. As such, we were planning to take nice clothes but not formal wear, in the interests of trying to keep the luggage down on a 2 week trip (9 night cruise). What was your experience in BLU?

[galavant3]

I was under the impression that Celebrity's specialty restaurants, including BLU, are always smart casual -- even on formal nights. As such, we were planning to take nice clothes but not formal wear, in the interests of trying to keep the luggage down on a 2 week trip (9 night cruise). What was your experience in BLU?

 

I have the same question. I am one that always dresses as requested so I am willing to pack "formal" if I need to - but would prefer not to. The Celebrity site makes it very clear that the dress in specialty restaurants and Blu is smart casual - for all nights. I am seeing conflicting reports here. My husband was planning on bringing a blazer/tie/khakis for the two formal nights. Mostly so he won't stick out in other places on the ship.

 

Help!

[Cindy]

I have the same question. I am one that always dresses as requested so I am willing to pack "formal" if I need to - but would prefer not to. The Celebrity site makes it very clear that the dress in specialty restaurants and Blu is smart casual - for all nights. I am seeing conflicting reports here. My husband was planning on bringing a blazer/tie/khakis for the two formal nights. Mostly so he won't stick out in other places on the ship.

 

Help!

 

We have the same "uniform" in mind!:D

[Trekker954]

You nailed the comparison to a tee. We started sailing RCI primarily b/c my cruisemate is my daughter (at the time in her 20s), me in my 50s we felt it better suited for the age gap. But we don't like the craziness of all the kids on RCI, so we do enjoy Celebrity also, although on our few Celebrity it seemed too old a crowd. We also enjoy the shows and was blown away with the show on the Relection and enjoyed their comedy club. Emily also like WJ buffet, and found the Oceanview did not offer enough in the evening (she choses WJ over MDR. I do know the pizza and ice cream is way better on Celebrity. I also enjoyed the elite breakfast with mimosas. Our first Celebrity was also in Aqua Class and our second in Concierge class. Both very nice. We do much prefer the status lounges vs. the Captain Club happy hour, but it is what it is. We're sailing Celebrity next British Isles next month. So we have ventured out a bit. The itinerary was better than Royals.

[mm1251]

I was under the impression that Celebrity's specialty restaurants, including BLU, are always smart casual -- even on formal nights. As such, we were planning to take nice clothes but not formal wear, in the interests of trying to keep the luggage down on a 2 week trip (9 night cruise). What was your experience in BLU?

 

I have the same question. I am one that always dresses as requested so I am willing to pack "formal" if I need to - but would prefer not to. The Celebrity site makes it very clear that the dress in specialty restaurants and Blu is smart casual - for all nights. I am seeing conflicting reports here. My husband was planning on bringing a blazer/tie/khakis for the two formal nights. Mostly so he won't stick out in other places on the ship.

 

Help!

 

 

There has been some talk about this lately on Celebrity boards. You are correct, though, the Celebrity policy for Blu is "smart casual and above" for all nights. No need to pack anything formal.

 

This is one of the reasons we love Blu. Have absolutely no problem with the folks that want to go formal, we just aren't one of them anymore. Been there - done that.

 

On the European cruises more people tend to do coat & tie in Blu, but I still never felt out of place in my khakis and nice button-down, long-sleeved shirt without a tie.

 

Also, on another note, don't forget breakfasts in Blu are fantastic! IMfoodissubjectivebutiliketoeatandhavethebellytoproveitHO. :D

[FLACRUISER99]

I was under the impression that Celebrity's specialty restaurants, including BLU, are always smart casual -- even on formal nights. As such, we were planning to take nice clothes but not formal wear, in the interests of trying to keep the luggage down on a 2 week trip (9 night cruise). What was your experience in BLU?

 

Yes this is correct MDR is only Formal.

 

 

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[Cruising89143]

We have the same "uniform" in mind!:D

 

Cindy, all specialty dining including Blu is smart casual every night. On X you will find that on Formal night there are more that decide dress formal in the specialty restaurants than RCI but you are still fine in smart casual. We always book specialty dining for those nights.:)

[Cindy]

There has been some talk about this lately on Celebrity boards. You are correct, though, the Celebrity policy for Blu is "smart casual and above" for all nights. No need to pack anything formal.

 

This is one of the reasons we love Blu. Have absolutely no problem with the folks that want to go formal, we just aren't one of them anymore. Been there - done that.

 

On the European cruises more people tend to do coat & tie in Blu, but I still never felt out of place in my khakis and nice button-down, long-sleeved shirt without a tie.

 

Also, on another note, don't forget breakfasts in Blu are fantastic! IMfoodissubjectivebutiliketoeatandhavethebellytoproveitHO. :D

 

Cindy, all specialty dining including Blu is smart casual every night. On X you will find that on Formal night there are more that decide dress formal in the specialty restaurants than RCI but you are still fine in smart casual. We always book specialty dining for those nights.:)

 

Thanks! We used to take the formal attire on every cruise, but a strange thing has happened...I find myself wanting to pack less and travel lighter!:eek: The four suitcases and two carry-ons we took on our first cruise are a thing of the past. These days my goal is a suitcase and a carry-on each!:) No gowns and a coat and tie instead of a tux goes a long way towards achieving my goal!:D

[galavant3]

There has been some talk about this lately on Celebrity boards. You are correct, though, the Celebrity policy for Blu is "smart casual and above" for all nights. No need to pack anything formal.

 

This is one of the reasons we love Blu. Have absolutely no problem with the folks that want to go formal, we just aren't one of them anymore. Been there - done that.

 

On the European cruises more people tend to do coat & tie in Blu, but I still never felt out of place in my khakis and nice button-down, long-sleeved shirt without a tie.

 

Also, on another note, don't forget breakfasts in Blu are fantastic! IMfoodissubjectivebutiliketoeatandhavethebellytoproveitHO. :D

 

Thanks for the reassurance. This is meant to be a laid back, relaxing vacation before my husband starts a new job later in August. It will be nice to not have to worry about packing formal wear.

 

And we will take your advice and have breakfast in Blu also. I looked at the menu and anything we could possibly want seems to be there.

[PattyG12]

I don't play table games. Never cared to learn the rules of roulette or craps. I am the kind of blackjack player that nasty self-proclaimed experts yell at.

 

OMG :eek::eek: me too!! That's why I don't play black jack.

[Merion_Mom]

I had the opposite incident on Adventure. I'm in a packed elevator. It stops at a floor and this guy who is waiting proclaims that there is room for one more and proceeds to shoe horn himself into the elevator. It stops at the next floor and he informs all of the waiting people that there is no more room and he refuses to let anyone else on. Other passengers exchanged eye rolls.

 

VERY AMUSING to me.

 

I saw that happen on an RC cruise once.

 

Best part?

 

When he got on, the beeping alarm started - too much weight in the elevator. Turning bright red, he had to get back off.

 

:D

[Merion_Mom]

Thanks for your excellent comparisons! We will be taking our first Celebrity cruise in September...we're looking forward to our 9-night "Wine" itinerary down the Pacific coast in an aft AQ cabin. We have a very active roll call, and we're really excited about our trip.

 

I saw that cruise and would LOVE to be on it!

[Merion_Mom]

I was under the impression that Celebrity's specialty restaurants, including BLU, are always smart casual -- even on formal nights. As such, we were planning to take nice clothes but not formal wear, in the interests of trying to keep the luggage down on a 2 week trip (9 night cruise). What was your experience in BLU?

 

Yes, that was my experience in Blu. Except for the one night with a guy in jeans. ;)

[IBookHePays]

Round trip out of San Diego? With a quick stop in Ensenada?

 

Nope, out of Vancouver and flying home from Honolulu. Might even get to see another Carol before the cruise! :D

[Merion_Mom]

I thought of one more VERY VERY important difference. ;)

 

Chocolates on the pillow every night! Good ones, too.

 

(I just remembered because I brought them all home and put them in the refrigerator and decided just now to eat one.)

 

:D

[IBookHePays]

I thought of one more VERY VERY important difference. ;)

 

Chocolates on the pillow every night! Good ones, too.

 

(I just remembered because I brought them all home and put them in the refrigerator and decided just now to eat one.)

 

:D

 

12 days of chocolates....yum!

[Giorgi-one]

I don't think there is anything else I could think of to ask as you have pretty much hit everything I would normally ask when comparing two lines(even though they are sister lines).

 

It does surprise me about the buffet though. I figured they would try to keep a decent amount of food options there as well. But that wouldn't bother me so much as I tend to not go to the buffets all the time and eat at other places throughout a given ship.

 

Thanks for this little review though. I have been deciding if I want to try out Celebrity as well and this review has pretty much told me I should. I will be keeping my eyes on Celebrity Reflection when it comes to Fort Lauderdale. :)

 

I happen to think the WJ buffet is the worst at sea. The buffet on Summit is not worse than the buffet on Allure. Area is sized for a much smaller ship and food is just not good. The buffet on the newer Celebrity Solstice class ships blows away the WJ buffet.

[DonnaK]

I was so happy to find your review, Carol! We just booked a last minute cruise on Summit (Explorer was 9 days which didn't work with our schedule as well as the Sunday to Sunday itinerary of Summit). I'm sure we'll have a great time, and we are looking forward to a week of relaxing!

 

I'm a bit concerned about the buffet, as we like to eat most of our breakfasts/lunches there. I'm also a bit concerned about the temperature onboard, as I like it cool, especially when I am sleeping. Lastly, I hope my black slacks and sparkly top is fancy enough for formal night, as I don't have anything more formal and I don't want to eat in the buffet or specialty restaurant (the rest of my family will be dressed more formally)

[bighairtexan]

Dressy black slacks and a sparkly top is absolutely fine in the MDR on Celebrity on formal night.

[SeagoingMom]

The pool area was always busy, with much lounging about AND swimming. There is a giant Thalassotherapy pool in the adults-only Solarium. The first time that I walked past, all I saw were a lot of grey and white corks bobbing in the water. Yes, the oldies love this pool! Just what the doctor ordered. :D

 

 

And the solarium- hands down to Celebrity on this one. Those thalassotherapy pools are unbelievable. We live in them on sea days, and make a beeline for them when we return to the ship on port days!

 

I, too, loved the thalassotherapy pool on Celebrity Infinity, not because I am a "grey cork" but because I loved the atmosphere and hate swimming in chilly water!

 

When I look at pictures of RCI ships, I see shots of lovely solarium pools, which I understand are adults only. What is up with these pools? Are they heated? Are they truly adults only (well-enforced)? Are they quiet and serene, or are they the venue for belly-flop and hairy legs contests?

 

Thanks for your great review! It puts me off RC, and comments made by others makes me more willing to try Celebrity S class ships, though I have shied away from them because of "excess" size, and, based on internet photos, an uber-modern vibe, less like an oceangoing vessel than a trendy hotel, IMO.

[Merion_Mom]

I, too, loved the thalassotherapy pool on Celebrity Infinity, not because I am a "grey cork" but because I loved the atmosphere and hate swimming in chilly water!

 

When I look at pictures of RCI ships, I see shots of lovely solarium pools, which I understand are adults only. What is up with these pools? Are they heated? Are they truly adults only (well-enforced)? Are they quiet and serene, or are they the venue for belly-flop and hairy legs contests?

 

Thanks for your great review! It puts me off RC, and comments made by others makes me more willing to try Celebrity S class ships, though I have shied away from them because of "excess" size, and, based on internet photos, an uber-modern vibe, less like an oceangoing vessel than a trendy hotel, IMO.

 

So, what do you like? What cruise lines have you sailed?

 

The solarium on a Royal Caribbean ship is generally quiet. Pools are warm. (too warm for my taste) The age line is 16 years old. No games or activities.

 

Royal Caribbean cruises are great for active, involved cruisers; not so much for passive, easily-irritated-by-others cruisers. It is a mass market line, not an upscale, luxury line.

 

It is all about knowing what you like and finding the cruise line that provides it.

[SeagoingMom]

What cruise lines have you sailed?

 

Celebrity (Infinity), Carnival (Fascination), HAL (Zuiderdam) -- HAL is my favorite at the moment.

So, what do you like?

Well, clearly I like a warm, adults only, quiet pool. :) As for other aspects of ship life -- I can tell you what I have liked among the experiences I've had: a quiet, elegant atmosphere with few (or at least well-behaved) children, friendly, excellent service in all areas, good to excellent food in both MDR and buffet, musical options that include "ballroom" (non-"nightclub") dancing, a roomy cabin and large balcony, a "nautical" feel to the vessel: wood, brass, etc., lots of connection to the sea, both indoors: windows, bow observation lounge, etc., and outdoors: wide wraparound promenade deck, outdoor seating convenient to the buffet.

 

No one need bother pointing out to me that not every ship I have sailed on has had all of these features -- I know this. Still, I have enjoyed every cruise, as I am simply happy to cruise! There is very little about any of my cruises I have not enjoyed, so perhaps there really aren't any aspects of ships I have not sailed on that would actually prove unappealing to me. I just think some aspects seem like they would appeal to me more than others! In general, my husband and I are easy-going, find each others' company the most appealing part of our cruises, avoid areas we are not interested in, and find our our enjoyment.

 

I am one of those people who is curious about other ships, find them intriguing, and have therefore considered sailing on many different ships. So far, DH and I have chosen our cruises based on, in order of priority: date, itinerary, ship, cost, although "ship" and "cost" are probably about equal in weight. But because we cannot cruise as often as we would like (yet :rolleyes:), I do try pretty hard to choose a cruise that will have as many appealing-sounding aspects as possible, to get the most "bang" for our buck. Someday, I hope we will be free to take risks and try ships we perceive as further outside our "comfort zone", and just see what happens!

The solarium on a Royal Caribbean ship is generally quiet. Pools are warm. (too warm for my taste) The age line is 16 years old. No games or activities.

This sounds like just what I would like!

Royal Caribbean cruises are great for active, involved cruisers;

I have heard this type of description before, but I am a little uncertain of its precise meaning -- we are always "active" onboard -- walking, dancing, dining, attending shows. We are ceratainly "involved' in our own cruise, and enjoy meeting and chatting with others onboard, but we are not totally enthusiastic about being very involved in others' cruises, or having them too involved in ours... Yes, we mostly keep ourselves to ourselves -- we are not "joiners." But unless it would be impossible to avoid being constantly in the middle (or within earshot) of others' activities and pursuits, I think we could be happy.

not so much for easily-irritated-by-others cruisers.

Is there any cruise line that is good for such people? :eek: If so, I hope I am never on it!

It is a mass market line, not an upscale, luxury line.

And this type of line is all we choose to pay for right now -- we'll see if we ever decide to go the "luxury" route.

It is all about knowing what you like and finding the cruise line that provides it.

Amen!

[pinkrosesdeb]

We just booked our first Celebrity cruise and are excited to try it after being loyal to Royal long enough to become Diamond Plus. It is tough not knowing as much about Celebrity as Royal but ready to learn. Thanks for the great comparison. Deb

[oneputt18]

We also just booked our first Celebrity cruise for March, a quick 3 nighter.

 

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[Beach4me]

Forgive me if this has been asked in this tread and I missed it...and please know that I do NOT want to start a debate on dress code. Just a question - and, hopefully, a simple answer.

 

Is Celebrity still a stickler on dress after 5:00 p.m.?

 

The reason I ask is I was on a Celebrity cruise about 25 years ago during which they went absolutely nuts on you if you changed out of your dinner-wear after dinner. To the point of even putting notices in everyone's cabin on the 3rd night saying "It is inappropriate to change out of your dinner-wear after dinner." I changed into "day wear" after dinner one night and was approached by a member of the staff and asked to "kindly change or retire to my cabin for the evening". Funny thing was, I was just going up to the guest relations desk to get a deck of cards because I had retired to my cabin for the evening. (Remember when they used to hand out decks of cards?!)

 

I've been shy about trying Celebrity ever since as, yes, sometimes I do change my clothes after dinner!