What can we expect on Silhouette vs RCCL?

[TheCount]

Good day.

We are Royal Caribbean diamond plus members and taking our first Celebrity Cruise which will be as an elite member in the very near future. We are in an Aqua class cabin on Silhouette, and looking for advise/comment on the difference or what we can anticipate on Celeb over the RCCL ship?

We have typically cruised on Adventure/Freedom/Oasis class ships with RCCL. First time to Celeb. but are veteran cruise passengers.

Thanks in advance for any info. :)

[cruisestitch]

You won't find drinks pre-loaded onto your Cruise Card

 

You will find either a two-hour cocktail party each evening or three drink vouchers per person to be used during that same time period at various bars around the ship

 

You will find a nice continental breakfast with free mimosas, bloody mary's, and fancy coffee drinks

 

You won't find so many announcements over the PA system

[chemmo]

The biggest difference we found was in volume and activity levels. Don't get me wrong there is plenty to see and do on Celebrity but you do not feel so surrounded by action! Even poolside Celebrity seems calmer and quieter.

 

We also found the food to be substantially better, especially in the speciality restaurants. As Aqua guests you will also find Blu a more refined area to dine for both breakfast and dinner.

 

Have a great cruise!

[TheCount]

The biggest difference we found was in volume and activity levels. Don't get me wrong there is plenty to see and do on Celebrity but you do not feel so surrounded by action! Even poolside Celebrity seems calmer and quieter.

 

We also found the food to be substantially better, especially in the speciality restaurants. As Aqua guests you will also find Blu a more refined area to dine for both breakfast and dinner.

 

Have a great cruise!

 

Appreciate the comments. Looking forward to our trip and seeing the difference(s). :)

[MustBCruzn]

Appreciate the comments. Looking forward to our trip and seeing the difference(s). :)

 

I've heard it described this way: when you board a Royal ship you say "WOW" and when you board a Celebrity ship you say "Ahhhh." Both nice in their own right, but Celebrity--particularly the Silhouette (my favorite ship) are the perfect relaxing vacation. Enjoy!

[KKB]

2 on RCCL (VERY different experiences...) & Celebrity our last 2 (and our upcoming one).

 

We LOVED the Allure--so so much to do & see. We loved the specialty restaurants, too.

 

Adventure of the Seas was our LEAST favorite cruise of all we have taken--fewest activities offered on any cruise we have been on. MDR food was decent.

 

Celebrity--activities seem to be not quite as extensive as Allure (but 6K on Allure v. 2K on Constellation is certainly a factor)

 

We just feel Celebrity to just be a slight tick up in elegance, service, etc. on our other cruises.

[Cruise a holic]

We enjoy both. Royal Oasis class has all of the bells and whistles- of course many more people and so much to do. We love the S class Celebrity Ships as they "apear" to be more refined and have a higher level of service. More adults on Celebrity then Royal which appears to cater to a more diverse population. We especially enjoy the Silly and Reflection ships on Celebrity. I am sure that you will enjoy your experience.

 

Blu should also be a nice experience for you.

[BigDnb]

My wife and I are just back off the December 6th cruise and are Diamond Plus rated on Royal Caribbean, so we have been on a few cruises.

 

The main difference we found between the two lines was AGE! We felt like we were cruising with a nursing home contingent and at almost 70, we were the "youngsters" on board! Now I have nothing against getting old and hope to myself someday (we are JUST upper middle aged right now!), but it was the land of canes and walkers and motorized chairs.

 

We LOVED the Holiday decorations of the ship, very tasteful and perfectly done and we thought the MDR was good, with smaller portions than used to be served, but considering the large size of most people, large enough for all. We avoided the buffet on the top deck as much as possible. The entertainment was good and the Broadway Show was one of the best ever on a cruise ship. We know that this time of year is not for bringing children along and we expected the passengers would be a little older, but not all refugees from Florida retirement centers. Our next cruise will be on the Allure in February, which has a much nicer mix of all ages and more entertainment options at night.

 

So it depends upon what you are seeking in a cruise. For us Royal would be our choice over Celebrity, mainly for age. But, on a positive note, we would be welcomed here when we are in our 90's!

[KKB]

My wife and I are just back off the December 6th cruise and are Diamond Plus rated on Royal Caribbean, so we have been on a few cruises.

 

The main difference we found between the two lines was AGE! We felt like we were cruising with a nursing home contingent and at almost 70, we were the "youngsters" on board! Now I have nothing against getting old and hope to myself someday (we are JUST upper middle aged right now!), but it was the land of canes and walkers and motorized chairs.

 

We LOVED the Holiday decorations of the ship, very tasteful and perfectly done and we thought the MDR was good, with smaller portions than used to be served, but considering the large size of most people, large enough for all. We avoided the buffet on the top deck as much as possible. The entertainment was good and the Broadway Show was one of the best ever on a cruise ship. We know that this time of year is not for bringing children along and we expected the passengers would be a little older, but not all refugees from Florida retirement centers. Our next cruise will be on the Allure in February, which has a much nicer mix of all ages and more entertainment options at night.

 

So it depends upon what you are seeking in a cruise. For us Royal would be our choice over Celebrity, mainly for age. But, on a positive note, we would be welcomed here when we are in our 90's!

 

This had less to do with Celebrity & more to do with the time of year you took your cruise.

 

We have done Celebrity 2x (tho both over spring break)--1/2 to 2/3 college students each time (I realize that is NOT typcial)

 

We have sailed both Princess & RCL the week after Thanksgiving & both times felt the crowd was MUCH older. The marriage game newlyweds were in their 50s. We met another couple in their 30s (we were 40s) & they asked if it is always this old of a crowd & we said NO. We have done 2 in Oct, 2 the week after Xmas & the rest in March & those early December cruises had a far different demographic than any others, regardless of line.

[grandgeezer]

We are on the Silohuette right now doing the second leg of a b2b. We did a b2b on the Allure the middle of October. We found the service, in both the dining room and cabins to be much superior on the Allure. We found the dining room food to be better on the Allure. We found the Windjammer to be a disaster, in all aspects and avoided it like the plague. We found the Allure to be way too crowded so the Silohutte gets the nod in the last two instances

Now I know why Celebrity has to include drink packages and RCL doesn't, the don't have to to attract customers.

[nekzaadvakil]

Having started out with Royal Caribbean and completed 3 cruises on the Silhouette in the last 3 years, we've often debated the comparison between these 2 lines.

 

We absolutely love RCCL and their Voyager class ships. We found the Silhouette pretty similar in size. We definitely preferred the Silhouette since it seemed more new/ modern/ contemporary in design.

 

We thought that the service was excellent on both liners. Nothing to complain about. The food is definitely better on Celebrity, especially the buffet. Since all 3 of our cruises on the Silhouette were in Europe (port intensive cruises) it has a good mix of all age groups. Activities were slightly less on Celebrity but since we were out nearly everyday, it didn't make such a huge difference.

 

We did miss the royal promenade. Silhouette has a somewhat smaller promenade which is lined with shops. Celebrity's Mast Bar and Grill at the poolside is absolutely brilliant.

 

Entertainment and shows were equally good. Since we like large ships, we wont go below the Voyager class on RCCL and Celebrity's S class ships unless an itinerary is REALLY good (Rio Carnival / Japan)

 

I can safely say that there is a high probability that you will really enjoy this ship.

[mrsgoggins]

I've only sailed on one ship of each so my comments are based on a very limited sample. However, the things that came to mind immediately are the no smoking policy in the casino on X (much better) and an evening chocolate on pillow with X (nice to have).

 

We also had an Aqua cabin, loved Blu but were not too enamoured with the fancy shower! I thought that the food was good on both but preferred the buffet experience on X.

 

We enjoyed both cruises and would sail with RCL for the right price and itinerary but felt that X was a a better fit for us.

[Extra Kim]

Is there a price difference between RCCL & X onboard the ships?

[JMG]

We are also D+ and have cruised on Celebrity several times. Just after we have stepped on board Celebrity ships we have been handed a glass of Champagne. We found that to be a nice welcome on board treat. After shore excursions, Celebrity sets up a small seating area prior to boarding ship for those that need to rest for a few minutes. They also have cool water and cold towels to give relief from the heat if you are in a warmer climate.

 

I felt that the Celebrity stateroom was lovely but it just did not have as much storage space as I have found on RCI. But, we have had a bottle of Celebrity Champagne in our stateroom upon arrival. As Elite, we have gotten a plate of appetizers every night in our stateroom. Our last cruise, you did receive a form to complete everyday if you wanted the appetizers. A few small nibbles but nicely done.

 

RCI's entertainment has been better than Celebrity. The Elite cocktail party has always been nice but a limited menu. We have had the 1,2,3 GO package so we were able to order anything.

 

We did enjoy not hearing announcements all day long over the PA system. At noon you hear the Captains report from the bridge.

 

We enjoy both lines and will continue to cruise both. Celebrity has often had a better price than RCI which has swayed us to continue to look at their itineraries. On RCI, your cruise fare has to include some of the costs for things like the Broadway shows.

[mrsgoggins]

RCI's entertainment has been better than Celebrity.

 

 

I'm sure that the above must vary from cruise to cruise. For instance, when we did a B2B on X's Constellation, the entertainment in the first week was very good, the second week not so much (guest entertainers that is; the ship's own entertainers were constantly good). On RCL's Splendour of the Seas, the ship's regular singers and dancers - but especially the dancers - were so bad it was funny!

[TheCount]

Thanks for the info shared. We are looking forward to trying Celeb. Vacation time can not come soon enough.

[rjrpar]

I'm sure that the above must vary from cruise to cruise. For instance, when we did a B2B on X's Constellation, the entertainment in the first week was very good, the second week not so much (guest entertainers that is; the ship's own entertainers were constantly good). On RCL's Splendour of the Seas, the ship's regular singers and dancers - but especially the dancers - were so bad it was funny!

 

 

Normally RCCL has much better entertainment but like you say, the quality does vary.

[3red7s]

we too, are D+ with RC, and will do our 1st Celebrity Silhouette cruise in Feb/2016. After reading the comments we are looking forward to better food, an older atmosphere, and quiet nights. However, we ARE big gambling people.....is there anyone out there that can comment on the casinos on RC vs casinos on Celebrity> Thank you