Celebrity vs Royal Caribbean - is Celebrity stuffy?

[big bro]

Hi All,

 

My wife and I have been on 7 Princess cruises and our first Royal Caribbean cruise last year. We really enjoyed the Royal Caribbean cruise for the more casual (smart casual - no t shirts or flip flops in dining room) and seemed to be more excitement.

 

We are 40ish and like to drink beer and love to people watch. We are not big partiers but like to see people having a great time, not just reading books and playing cards....

 

Our travel agent is trying to talk us into a Celebrity Sillouette cruise, the price is better than RC and they currently have a promo which includes standard drinks.

 

Will i just be drunk and bored??

 

Thanks!

 

Big Bro

[CaroleSS]

Hi All,

 

My wife and I have been on 7 Princess cruises and our first Royal Caribbean cruise last year. We really enjoyed the Royal Caribbean cruise for the more casual (smart casual - no t shirts or flip flops in dining room) and seemed to be more excitement.

 

We are 40ish and like to drink beer and love to people watch. We are not big partiers but like to see people having a great time, not just reading books and playing cards....

 

Our travel agent is trying to talk us into a Celebrity Sillouette cruise, the price is better than RC and they currently have a promo which includes standard drinks.

 

Will i just be drunk and bored??

 

Thanks!

 

Big Bro

 

Oh boy.....you've opened a can o' worms now!

 

There are those that love both lines. Everyone's opinion is based upon their own preferences and experiences. You will receive posting on both sides.

 

Me....we found RCL to be great. We liked out X cruises, but felt they were a tad too formal for us. We prefer a slightly more relaxed atmosphere. BUT, we did enjoy X and think you will too.....SO take the X cruise and judge for yourself!!!

[Aquahound]

I've cruised these 2 lines several times. The Solstice Class ships are gorgeous. However, for the activities you described, RCI is the better fit.

 

As much as I enjoy Celebrity, the fact is, there are a lot less activities and the nightlife is not on par with RCI.

 

I'm confident you would love the ship, but would likely find yourself not quite as entertained as on RCI.

[navybankerteacher]

You will most certainly be drunk if you have more to drink than you can hold. You may be bored if you are the person who needs someone to tell him/her what to do every day. Celebrity is not as lively as RCI, but I think the accomodations are more comfortable, and the food and service a lot better. You might want to give X a try -- but not if you want big ship crowds and activities above everything else.

[Keith1010]

I think both lines are great.

 

In the end none of us can predict whether or not you will like Celebrity. You will have to try it yourself.

 

Keith

[SFCAcruiser]

Hi All,

 

My wife and I have been on 7 Princess cruises ....

 

From what I have read, Princess is the cruiseline that may be most similar to Celebrity. Generally, posters have reported that if you like one of these lines, you wil like the other, although each line has its own style.

[Snit13]

Hi All,

 

My wife and I have been on 7 Princess cruises and our first Royal Caribbean cruise last year. We really enjoyed the Royal Caribbean cruise for the more casual (smart casual - no t shirts or flip flops in dining room) and seemed to be more excitement.

 

We are 40ish and like to drink beer and love to people watch. We are not big partiers but like to see people having a great time, not just reading books and playing cards....

 

Our travel agent is trying to talk us into a Celebrity Sillouette cruise, the price is better than RC and they currently have a promo which includes standard drinks.

 

Will i just be drunk and bored??

 

Thanks!

 

Big Bro

 

We have sailed with Princess but switched to CELEBRITY about 5 years ago and have never looked back. We sailed B2B on Silhouette in April 2013 and unless we hit a lottery and can upgrade to a luxury line, it is CELEBRITY for us. We also sail RCCL and have 2 cruised booked on Enchantment. I agree, there is much better entertainment on RCCL but the food and atmosphere are far superior on Celebrity. The Solstice class ships are top of the line and we always sail AQUA class on Solstice ships. Try it, you will like it.

[Guest maddycat]

We sail both RCI and Celebrity. We prefer the more relaxed atmosphere on RCI. Service is excellent on both lines. We also prefer the dinner buffet on RCI. We like that RCI has a live pool band on its ships while Celebrity does not.

[sloopsailor]

We sail both RCI and Celebrity. We prefer the more relaxed atmosphere on RCI. Service is excellent on both lines. We also prefer the dinner buffet on RCI. We like that RCI has a live pool band on its ships while Celebrity does not.

 

RCI is more relaxed than Celebrity? That's the first time I have heard that one.

[kitty9]

Celebrity is more sedate than RCI. During certain times of the year, the average age on Celebrity could be 70+, and early nights are the norm. If you're looking for a lot of activities such as pool games , late night partying and the like, stick with RCI.

[OCruisers]

Hi All,

 

My wife and I have been on 7 Princess cruises and our first Royal Caribbean cruise last year. We really enjoyed the Royal Caribbean cruise for the more casual (smart casual - no t shirts or flip flops in dining room) and seemed to be more excitement.

 

We are 40ish and like to drink beer and love to people watch. We are not big partiers but like to see people having a great time, not just reading books and playing cards....

 

Our travel agent is trying to talk us into a Celebrity Sillouette cruise, the price is better than RC and they currently have a promo which includes standard drinks.

 

Will i just be drunk and bored??

 

Thanks!

 

Big Bro

 

Oh, Good Grief! If you liked RCCL better than Princess, you'll be bored silly on Celebrity. ;)

 

LuLu

~~~~

[cruzeluver]

We sail both RCI and Celebrity. We prefer the more relaxed atmosphere on RCI. Service is excellent on both lines. We also prefer the dinner buffet on RCI. We like that RCI has a live pool band on its ships while Celebrity does not.

 

Strange. I find Celebrity infinitely more relaxed than Royal which is far more high energy. We like both lines with a slight preference for Celebrity.

 

When did Celebrity get rid of live music by the pools? Are you sure this is accurate? They had one on our Silhouette cruise last year and each prior Celebrity cruise to that.

[big bro]

I am guessing by "Royal Caribbean being more relaxed" you mean not so formal?? From what I can see Royal Caribbean has more activities geared toward a younger crowd.

[Guest maddycat]

RCI is more relaxed than Celebrity? That's the first time I have heard that one.

 

Yes. As in less formal. On Celebrity you cannot attend the Elite coctail hour in shorts or jeans. On RCI jeans and shorts can be worn to the Diamond event. Again jeans and shorts are not allowed to any of the officer's parties on Celebrity and many of these parties are scheduled during the late morning or early afternoon. On a Caribbean cruise we like to stay in shorts during the day. Sometimes we will go to the Diamond event in shorts, have a glass of wine and then go back to our cabin to change for dinner.

 

I guess you were thinking of relaxed as meaning quiet, sedate. RCI is much more active than Celebrity which is another reason why we prefer RCI.

[jdvmd]

Yes. As in less formal. On Celebrity you cannot attend the Elite coctail hour in shorts or jeans. On RCI jeans and shorts can be worn to the Diamond event. Again jeans and shorts are not allowed to any of the officer's parties on Celebrity and many of these parties are scheduled during the late morning or early afternoon. On a Caribbean cruise we like to stay in shorts during the day. Sometimes we will go to the Diamond event in shorts, have a glass of wine and then go back to our cabin to change for dinner.

 

I guess you were thinking of relaxed as meaning quiet, sedate. RCI is much more active than Celebrity which is another reason why we prefer RCI.

There is a dress code for the Diamond Lounge. Never have seen anyone in shorts, most recently on the Allure last week.

OP, Celebrity is quite nice. I think you would find the ships are beautiful. Food and service very good.

[springfire]

Hi All,

 

My wife and I have been on 7 Princess cruises and our first Royal Caribbean cruise last year. We really enjoyed the Royal Caribbean cruise for the more casual (smart casual - no t shirts or flip flops in dining room) and seemed to be more excitement.

 

We are 40ish and like to drink beer and love to people watch. We are not big partiers but like to see people having a great time, not just reading books and playing cards....

 

Our travel agent is trying to talk us into a Celebrity Sillouette cruise, the price is better than RC and they currently have a promo which includes standard drinks.

 

Will i just be drunk and bored??

 

Thanks!

 

Big Bro

 

Celebrity ships are beautiful with outstanding food and service. RCCL is much more relaxed, with so many more activities. Princess would be a distant third to these cruise lines!

[cruiserking]

We sailed on the Summit a few years ago and loved the ship. The service was great, we met lots of great people, slots were friendly - a great cruise.

 

Jonathan

[DonnaK]

We are rather loyal to Royal. At the end of August, we took a last-minute cruise on Celebrity Summit from NJ to Bermuda. The ship and the cruise far exceeded our expectations. Nothing stuffy about that cruise at all! Food and service were better on the Summit, and most surprisingly, the entertainment was significantly better (with the exception of Royal's Allure/Oasis). There were more scheduled shows and activities on the Summit and the officers and entertainers were very visible and engaging. We're in our early 50's with two daughter in their early 20's, and ALL of us loved the Summit and wouldn't hesitate to cruise on Celebrity again.

[navybankerteacher]

Celebrity is not "stuffy" - they haven't the range of things like climbing walls, skating rinks, bowling alleys, etc. which are hallmarks of RCI, but it hey have better food and service. Cunard is probably the only mass market line which might reasonably be called "stuffy". HAL is mature, Princess is restrained, NCL is a free for all, Carnival are party ships -- you can put almost any label you want on any line if you focus on just one or two facets -- better to try them all and decide which best meets your definition of a great cruise line.

[GORDONCHICK]

I've cruised these 2 lines several times. The Solstice Class ships are gorgeous. However, for the activities you described, RCI is the better fit.

 

As much as I enjoy Celebrity, the fact is, there are a lot less activities and the nightlife is not on par with RCI.

 

I'm confident you would love the ship, but would likely find yourself not quite as entertained as on RCI.

 

I agree with one caveat: when are you cruising? The dates can affect the mix of passengers and for holidays, they will usually add activities.

 

I was okay with RCCL, and I can make my own entertainment, so I'd be on the Solstice.

[CPT Trips]

Celebrity is not "stuffy" - they haven't the range of things like climbing walls, skating rinks, bowling alleys, etc. which are hallmarks of RCI, but it hey have better food and service. Cunard is probably the only mass market line which might reasonably be called "stuffy". HAL is mature, Princess is restrained, NCL is a free for all, Carnival are party ships -- you can put almost any label you want on any line if you focus on just one or two facets -- better to try them all and decide which best meets your definition of a great cruise line.

 

Bowling on Royal? Thought that was NCL.

 

Big Bro . . . If you enjoyed Princess enough to cruise multiple times, I doubt you will be bored on X.

[PinkUK]

Hi, we are recently back from Silhouette, my husband and I are a little older than you but not greatly. Celebrity was a good fit for us, we liked the other passengers who were happy, relaxed and well behaved on our cruise at least. There was plenty enough entertainment for us with theatre shows every night, dancing, live music and the occasional party night. We didn't find it stuffy at all but at the same time we didn't find it scruffy which suited us and the food was really very good. I wish I could be back doing it all again. If you like a really lively scene it's probably not for you but we found that this meant there was a relaxed but grown up ethos we enjoyed.

 

Good luck with your decision.

 

Karen

[Host Anne]

We have sailed all three lines you are asking about numerous times. Celebrity is our favorite but we've always enjoyed our Princess and Royal Caribbean cruises as well. While Royal has more activities, especially on their larger ships, Celebrity has plenty of things to do, shows to see, music to listen to (Celebrity has live bands at their main pool).

 

I've sailed Celebrity at all times of years and never been on a sailing where the average age of the passengers was 70+. You are going to find an older crowd on sailings that are longer (14 days and up), regardless of the cruise line.

 

The S-class ships (named that for Silhouette) is our favorite ship sailing today. I don't think you'll be sorry you tried her. You can always go back to Royal for your next cruise. Good luck with your decision! ENJOY!