Can any Carnival cruisers tell me about Celebrity?

[BubMunkeyBles]

Did the summit in November and loved it. There were a lot of late 20/early 30 couples on board. I recommend upgrading to the premium package for drinks, it's 11.50 per day. We did one upgrade and used it for espresso and sparkling water at dinner plus redbulls. The martini bar was great and a fun way to try different vodkas or gin if you like those things. Michaels was great for beer, but the hours were not great. The nightclub was usually busy in the evenings playing lots of salsa, I assume because many of the couples were Puerto Rican.

 

 

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Awesome! Thanks. We already upgraded to the Premium package and are super excited to try something a little more elegant with less party atmosphere.

[RoscoeJames]

Awesome! Thanks. We already upgraded to the Premium package and are super excited to try something a little more elegant with less party atmosphere.

 

You will not be disappointed with Celebrity. Agree with all the posts regarding the ship, the food, etc. our last Celebrity cruise was just me and the DW and ate at the specialty restaurants 4 of the 6 nights which were awesome. Like Carnival better for the kids and relaxed atmosphere and the Fun.

 

 

Clay.

[LRene]

Carnival is what Carnival is. Unfortunately, they're trying to reinvent themselves as something we're not very fond of. We're one day from Diamond on Carnival with nothing booked in the future. We knows when or if we'll book again. We will, however, be back on Celebrity Equinox this month. I agree with the OP that the price we pay is very comparable to Carnival with a drink package.

 

I also agree with most of what everyone has said here. There are all ages on X, not just an older demographic but Alaska will be older on any line including Carnival. For the Caribbean, there are all ages but not a lot of kids unless it's a holiday sailing.

 

You won't see a hairy chest contest but you will see the officers jump in the pool in uniform to play volleyball. The martini bar is one of the hot spots before dinner. The S class ships are gorgeous and those with a lawn are so unique. We've also sailed the M class but prefer the S class.

 

We found the food much better on X with the buffet being heads and shoulders above Carnival. The MDR is much nicer in decor and ambience and the food is prepared and presented better. The specialty restaurants are awesome! Room service has a much more expanded menu. Healthy food options are plentiful. Service is top notch.

 

I don't have anything bad to say about Celebrity with cruises 3 and 4 booked and will book #5 while on board this month. To the OP, I'd recommend you try other lines and if what everyone has said here sounds appealing to you, Celebrity would be a good choice.

Edited January 7, 2014 by LRene

[kat228]

We did Celebrity for our Honeymoon and fell in love. It made it really hard to go back to Carnival afterwards (but we cruised in early November, before Celebrity's ships were back. And it was a killer deal. If we were to have a do-over, I would have probably opted to wait another month and spend some more money for Celebrity.) I'm willing to pay more for Celebrity. I have a review of the Equinox Mediterranean in my signature if you're interested.

 

You mentioned you were trying to figure out where Celebrity fits into the picture: Celebrity is to Royal Caribbean as Princess is to Carnival.

 

Someone else mentioned they were in their late 20s and thinking of Celebrity - we're about the same age. You will be among the youngest on the ship. It's definitely more of a refined atmosphere where Carnival is a little more laid back. I'm not a huge partier anyway, which is probably why I liked Celebrity. I liked being pampered. I felt much more relaxed on Celebrity's ship than Carnival's. A lot of that has to do with my personal preferences.

Edited January 7, 2014 by kat228

[Keel Haul]

Even the trivia contests were more intellectual and challenging.

The winner:)

[torybruno]

Just back from the Breeze, and our previous cruise before that was Celebrity. I find everything to be a little nicer, a little better, a little more attention to detail, etc. on Celebrity. Even my 23 and 18 year olds preferred Celebrity. They commented on Carnival, "I can't believe they let people in the MDR like that".

 

Didn't like the fact that the main pool area on Carnival was just too loud for us. Although, my boys would sure miss the Guys Burgers!

[Lola1210]

We just got off the Celebrity Century. We booked it because of the itinerary. We went through the Panama Canal. We usually go on Carnival and are going back to cruising on the Carnival. Century is a old ship and shows its age. We had a hard time getting out of the sliding door to go out on the balcony. I couldn't unlock it. My husband also had a hard time. There was a bump on the balcony outside the door and water gushed out of it. I lost my balance when I stepped on it due to walking problems. The cabin was drastically smaller than Carnival. Also, the bed had rounded corners I the bottom and it caused a problem forme because I am tall. I can't talk about the other Celebrity ships, but I am happy with Carnival.

[eclue]

We did a 15 night Panama canal cruise on Celebrity Millennium in October. It was by far the worst cruise we ever took. We are in our early 60's and late 50's but very active and adventurous..there were 4 of us. We thought we were in a nursing home. No music by the pool except for 45 minutes every day, the ship was very hot in some places ( was advised they keep it that way due to the cruise population...ie, the old folks are always cold ) Everyone talked about the great food on celebrity but that was not the case. The evening buffet was awful and bad service....we are used to Princess mainly b/c the piazza on the ship is an active place for entertainment and the INternational cafe....there was no such place and their little cafe had two or three offerings....just alot of quiet and solitude. Entertainment was awful....one night a pianist and another night a zylophone player...please!!!

We cruise Carnival now and then but mainly go on Princess. if you want a step above Carnival, try Princess. Believe Carnival is better than the M ships on Celebrity but it was a great itinerary thru the canal.

eclue:)

[CarolRoy]

We did two Celebrity cruises and not pleased with either one. Did the Celebrity Summit out of Bayonne to Bermuda and the Celebrity Constellation round trip from Amsterdam in the Baltic. Would not do Celebrity again. We pick a cruise by the itinerary and even if Celebrity has an interesting itinerary now, we would not book. Both times we had poor service, public areas were not kept clean, and the food left a lot to be desired.

 

We do prefer Carnival now. But will not hesitate to do another cruise on RCCl, HAL, or Princess.

[fair-winds39]

I am platinum on Carnival, but have never tried another cruise line. In looking for a cruise in April, Celebrity's prices from Florida are very similar to Carnival and include a free drink package. Can anyone who has been on both tell me the differences?

We will be on the Carnival Pride in Feb. of this year. This will be our 2nd time on the Pride, and our 18th cruise. Most of our cruises have been with Celebrity, but in 2007, we decided to try the Carnival Legend, and we really liked it. We booked the Legend after some prodding from a relative. We would never have tried Carnival otherwise. After the Legend we cruised with Carnival 5 more times on their Spirit Class ships (love the size). We don't choose cruises for the itineraries; we love sea days. We like Celebrity for the reasons that many other people have mentioned. I noticed subtle changes in 2010 when we were on the Carnival Pride; a little less formal than Celebrity, the ship décor busier than Celebrity, and the Carnival cruise geared toward more families.

 

Honestly, I was not quite certain that I would cruise with Carnival again after 2010, but I think cruising today is less formal, geared more to families. We cruise for different reasons today, than we did 15 years ago. We got a price for our Feb. cruise that we couldn't pass up and it will allow us to sit back, relax, have some fun. Plus, packing for the cruise will be much easier. A few years back I would say that for us the difference between the two lines was very obvious, but today, all the cruise lines are cutting back in certain areas. Bottom line....If the price is right, we'll sail with most any of the cruise lines, and we'll have a great time. Have fun with whatever you decide.

[SMSACE6]

I have enjoyed all five of my Carnival cruises ( taken between 2000 and 2010 ), and have only taken one Celebrity cruise back in 2002, which I also fully enjoyed.

 

If all goes well this year, I hope to sail on Celebrity to Bermuda in August, still a plan in progress. Yes Celebrity is in many ways a cut above Carnival, as per my memory and the reports back from my family who cruise yearly on Celebrity, but I also really do enjoy Carnival cruises which suit me also. There are differences, but if you know that going in, then you should be ok.

 

Celebrity for me would appeal mostly because I will be cruising with my mother. Also I think Celebrity has some great food, and service in the dining rooms and restaurants, and they still have a drink waiter or sommelier. I do actually like the quieter atmosphere on board on Celebrity.

 

But I love Carnival also for different reasons, one is that it is what I am most familiar with. The food as of my last cruise in 2010 was still pretty good, and I know that changes are in progress, but fully expect that I would still enjoy the food and not go hungry. I also like Carnival's casinos in which I have won nice little "sums" on most of my cruises. I know Im weird, but I like Carnival's wacky décor, even the fantasy class ships. I would however not let décor affect my cruise experience. Lots more I love about Carnival, too much to go on about, but let me say that YES, I will be back some day.

 

For now it looks like Celebrity will be my next cruise, and I am sooooo looking forward to it, just because I don't get to cruise often, and even less often with my Mom.

 

They are different, but if you know what to expect and, sorry to coin a cliché, go with an "open mind", you will enjoy either one.:)

Edited January 7, 2014 by SMSACE6

[flahagan]

Have been on Celebrity twice, most recently the Solstice Med cruise Nov. 2011. Also been on HAL 3 times, Princess once, RCCL and Carnival twice.

I have to say we were not thrilled with Celebrity. I found it bland and boring, even the decor was dull, no color at all, everything beige and/or white. Very limited entertainment options, limited space in public areas. We're definitely not partiers (we're 70) but the ship was just plain dead. There really wasn't anyplace to hang out and listen to good music in the evenings.

As for the food, there were several nights that we actually couldn't find one thing we liked - the food was TOO gourmet for us. On lobster night, I had to wait until mine was cold to get melted butter - they served it with some strange-tasting sauce.

And what a waste of space that lawn club is. Just plain dumb. Would have been a great place for miniature golf, though.

I'd sail with them again for the right itinerary with a good price that included the drink package, but they would not be my first choice. I personally feel they're very over-rated. Princess is good but usually VERY pricey and their cabins are so small. They have some great itineraries, though.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Have been on Celebrity twice, most recently the Solstice Med cruise Nov. 2011. Also been on HAL 3 times, Princess once, RCCL and Carnival twice.

I have to say we were not thrilled with Celebrity. I found it bland and boring, even the decor was dull, no color at all, everything beige and/or white. Very limited entertainment options, limited space in public areas. We're definitely not partiers (we're 70) but the ship was just plain dead. There really wasn't anyplace to hang out and listen to good music in the evenings.

As for the food, there were several nights that we actually couldn't find one thing we liked - the food was TOO gourmet for us. On lobster night, I had to wait until mine was cold to get melted butter - they served it with some strange-tasting sauce.

And what a waste of space that lawn club is. Just plain dumb. Would have been a great place for miniature golf, though.

I'd sail with them again for the right itinerary with a good price that included the drink package, but they would not be my first choice. I personally feel they're very over-rated. Princess is good but usually VERY pricey and their cabins are so small. They have some great itineraries, though.

 

I don't find Princess very pricey. Usally about $200 more pp. ships are a lot nicer than Carnivals but they too have had cutbacks in food and entertainment just not as drastic as Carnivals cutbacks.

 

Bill

[AmberTeka]

Well as as also a Platinum cruiser with Carnival (26 cruises) I can tell you that the difference is like comparing a Holiday Inn to a Ritz Carlton. Starting with the ships themselves for those of us who have been long time Carnival "neon" junkies, when walking into a Celebrity ship you are surrounded by a much higher end decor. From the moment you walk on board and presented a glass of champagne (in a real Champagne flute) you begin to notice the small differences. The wide selection of entertainment, the lice cooking demonstrations and enrichment lectures combined with heated pools and many food options. If I was to be at all critical I would offer that their specialty restaurants are more expensive then most but do offer amazing food quality.

The cabins are slightly smaller then Carnival but not enough to make you uncomfortable. With a little shopping you can find very reasonably priced sailings and you will experience something on Celebrity you don't any longer seem to get on Carnival, you will be made to feel special.

 

Love those Lice cooking demonstrations.

Made me smile.

Nice review. I found food on Celebrity......FOUL. Swimming in sauces. Too Foo Foo. LOVED the Activities. LOVED them. Shows were great.

[OCruisers]

We have and still do cruise on both Carnival and Celebrity from time to time.

 

They are very different. The food on Celebrity is better to us and Celebrity has always provided an excellent cruise experience.

 

Just keep in mind Celebrity is LOTS more laid back than Carnival with normally very little night entertainment after 11 PM.

The extremely limited smoking on Celebrity is a plus for some but a minus for others.

 

For us Charleston (Carnival Fantasy) is only two hours away so that is a factor when booking an extra cruise.

 

LuLu

~~~~

[Cruising Rules]

Love those Lice cooking demonstrations.

Made me smile.

Nice review. I found food on Celebrity......FOUL. Swimming in sauces. Too Foo Foo. LOVED the Activities. LOVED them. Shows were great.

 

I just don't comprehend why you folks don't yearn for sauté'd lice. Not sure I can go a week without it!! Glad I was able to provide you a smile. :-)

[janetz]

Carnival is what Carnival is. Unfortunately, they're trying to reinvent themselves as something we're not very fond of. We're one day from Diamond on Carnival with nothing booked in the future. We knows when or if we'll book again. We will, however, be back on Celebrity Equinox this month. I agree with the OP that the price we pay is very comparable to Carnival with a drink package.

 

I also agree with most of what everyone has said here. There are all ages on X, not just an older demographic but Alaska will be older on any line including Carnival. For the Caribbean, there are all ages but not a lot of kids unless it's a holiday sailing.

 

You won't see a hairy chest contest but you will see the officers jump in the pool in uniform to play volleyball. The martini bar is one of the hot spots before dinner. The S class ships are gorgeous and those with a lawn are so unique. We've also sailed the M class but prefer the S class.

 

We found the food much better on X with the buffet being heads and shoulders above Carnival. The MDR is much nicer in decor and ambience and the food is prepared and presented better. The specialty restaurants are awesome! Room service has a much more expanded menu. Healthy food options are plentiful. Service is top notch.

 

I don't have anything bad to say about Celebrity with cruises 3 and 4 booked and will book #5 while on board this month. To the OP, I'd recommend you try other lines and if what everyone has said here sounds appealing to you, Celebrity would be a good choice.

 

 

 

:D X has the BEST martini bars!

[FRMPEI]

What a bunch of well behaved responses. Nice to see that. I Generally only read the Celebrity and Carnival boards. Only been on Carnival once. I will recap what I think are the difference.(many are repeats).

 

1) If you don't like smoking then Celebrity is for you. Very few Public smoking places. But, on our Valor cruise we were not bothered by smoke only in the Casino.

 

2) Celebrity usually only has one announcement around noon each day. On our Valor Cruise CD Josh was constantly on the PA system not only telling you what was coming up but, what you already missed. This I found annoying.

 

3) Entertainment - This is so subjective but, we preferred the shows etc that Carnival offered over Celebrity.

 

4) Median Age is much higher on Celebrity in my opinion. If your are on greater than 7 day Celebrity cruise and you are less than 50 than you are the bottom end of the median age scale.

 

5) Kids Programs - even though we don't have young kids any more from our observation Carnivals seems to be better.

 

6) Decor of ships - Hands down Celebrities ships are much nicer. Okay let me rephrase that nicer than Valor. To me Valor's decor came off as tacky rather than celebrating Heroes. I love what Carnival has done with Sunshine and no more Joe Farcus (or whatever his name is) decorating.

 

7) If you like and must have water slides, Climbing walls, Hairy Chest/ Belly Flop Contest, Outdoor Movie Screens, Matre D singing in the MDR, etc then Celebrity is not for you.

 

8) Food another very subjective item - I like the way the "S' class ships have different stations in the buffet where you don't have to line up for item you don't want. MDR seems more formal with more attention to detail.

 

The above are just my opinion and hope this post and others help the OP with their decision.

 

Regards,

Kevin Reid

[OCruisers]

What a bunch of well behaved responses. Nice to see that. I Generally only read the Celebrity and Carnival boards. Only been on Carnival once. I will recap what I think are the difference.(many are repeats).

Regards,

Kevin Reid

 

It was great of you to put together a list of what others think about Celebrity vs Carnival since you've only been on Carnival once and never on Celebrity so it was an extra effort.

 

Good Job and thanks! :)

 

Would like to add .... On the Children/Teen program on Celebrity my two grandchildren liked Celebrity best of all when they were young and still like it as teens. To be fair, they never cruised on Carnival but have on NCL, RCCL, and Princess. They were also fine with the Princess program. Just seems Celebrity has always been and continues to be the best fit for them.

 

LuLu

~~~~

Edited January 8, 2014 by OCruisers

[cruzeluver]

It was great of you to put together a list of what others think about Celebrity vs Carnival since you've only been on Carnival once and never on Celebrity so it was an extra effort.

 

What makes you say FRMPEI has never been on Celebrity? According to his/her signature they have sailed Celebrity four times.

Edited January 8, 2014 by cruzeluver
more info

[DancerOT]

I truly believe that every cruise can be a great cruise if you are with the right people. In all honesty, I enjoy both Celebrity and Carnival. I think they both have strengths and weaknesses, but nothing major on either line has made me think about cruising that line again. In terms of food, I have had good food on both lines and bad food on both lines. At times, I have found the food on Celebrity to be a little bland (I love spice) and I have had some items on my very recent Carnival cruise to be downright awful. Yet the escargot and the Montrachat cheese appetizer on Celebrity are amazing while I really enjoyed the tacos at the Blue Iguana and the warm chocolate melting cake on Carnival. So basically, I think it is a draw in terms of food.

 

As a note, I am in my early 30s and fine the "fun" factor to actually be a bit higher on Celebrity. I think the production shows (and I am basing this on my most recent cruises) were far superior on Celebrity - the aerialist on the Summit was absolute stunning and breathtaking. The dancing during the shows on my recent Glory cruise was downright dreadful. (point of reference - I have been dancing for 25 years including 5 years doing aerial arts of varying sorts) The piano bar on Carnival, when there is a good piano bar player (I had a not good guy on Legend) is a huge plus. However, Jordan Peterson, who was on my recent Celebrity cruise was also very good - he just needed more time and a great venue at night. Interestingly, I have actually found the club on Celebrity to be a lot more fun and packed than on Carnival. I have no explanation why except that maybe I have been on some out of the ordinary cruises since most people do not agree with this sentiment. I also think I may have just been at the wrong bars because they were often empty on Carnival while I often hung out at the Martini bar on Celebrity which was constantly packed (and delicious)

 

Friendliness: I honestly find the people and staff on Celebrity to be friendlier (again, this is based on my last cruise on each line). I have met some very lovely people on both lines so I feel this is probably a draw in terms of other passengers, since it isn't something you can control. I do think the staff on Celebrity tend to be more focused towards service which is where you can tell the real difference is. I will also fully admit that on my recent cruise on Glory, I never once saw the Captain (not even at the returning guests party) and we never saw the officers walking around. However, on my recent cruise on Summit, I often found myself talking with the Captain and other officers as they were frequently out and about.

 

My personal preference is Celebrity, however I don't shy away from a cruise on Carnival (and I do shy away from one particular line due to a really not good experience - although still better than being at work). Frequently what I book comes down to price and itinerary. I am certain you will have a wonderful time because as I said at the beginning, it often comes down to who you are cruising with. Have fun and please know that I am jealous!

[DarthGrady]

I am platinum on Carnival, but have never tried another cruise line. In looking for a cruise in April, Celebrity's prices from Florida are very similar to Carnival and include a free drink package. Can anyone who has been on both tell me the differences?

 

I've only done one short cruise on Celebrity, but I was very happy with it. Their ships are very nice, and their food was good. I really liked their buffet, it was much nicer than what I've seen on Carnival or Royal. It was cleaner and the crew serves the food to you thus providing a classier dining experience.

 

I also liked that the annoying and ever present PA announcements were MUCH fewer. You could also just take pool towels versus checking them out. The pool deck was much more serene. No unbearably loud band or DJ music, just soft relaxing background tunes. Of course that serenity was ruined as we got sandwiched between the Carnival Destiny and Oasis of the Seas.

 

I have a pictorial review of that cruise linked in my signature if you want to check it out.

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[Mulege]

Not sure if this was mentioned. Celebrity offers full room service dining which means hot breakfast and full course dinner ordered off the MDR menu at no extra cost. A small tip is usually offered.

[bvhboat]

I am platinum on Carnival, but have never tried another cruise line. In looking for a cruise in April, Celebrity's prices from Florida are very similar to Carnival and include a free drink package. Can anyone who has been on both tell me the differences?

 

Tell me more about this "free drink package" :)

[cruzeluver]

Celebrity runs promos form time to time where you can select one of three benefits for booking under the terms of the promo (called the 1-2-3 Promo). One of the options is a free beverage package which includes alcoholic drinks up to a certain price. You can pay the difference to upgrade it to a package that includes more expensive alcohol. Their beverage packages are great and we use them even when not getting them for free as we think the prices are reasonable. They have non-alcoholic packages as well.