Tee & Chilli Posted December 31, 2015 #1 Share Posted December 31, 2015 After reading the boards I decided to give Celebrity a try. Returned today from my first Celebrity cruise. Just a few differences I noticed. Inside cabin had a night light in the room as well as in the bathroom Large golf size umbrella in the cabin available for use While tendering in Grand Cayman, Celebrity allowed my mom to use a collapsible wheelchair because her electric scooter could not be taken on the tender boat. The wheelchair was delivered to our cabin the night before Food - good to excellent Theatre tables had individual lights to allow cruisers and staff to see receipts Lunch hours at the buffet extended to 3:30 or 4:00 Cloth hand towels in the public restrooms Staff in the oceanview cafe asked a gentleman to leave when he entered in bare feet After day 1 when people made a mess of the dessert table, Celebrity staff served all desserts. This includes the chocolate fountain Guest Services was fully staffed and the line moved quickly. They answered the phone unlike Allure last month who didn't answer and when they did the rep asked us to hold and placed the phone down while we listened to her conversation. The waffles were hot and slightly crisp. Last month on Allure they were soggy everyday This morning I saw staff using fresh blueberries for the pancakes. Well done Celebrity!! I would not hesitate to sail with them again. While Royal also does an excellent job, Celebrity impressed me with the small attention to details. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
time4u2go Posted December 31, 2015 #2 Share Posted December 31, 2015 Thank you for the comparison. How did the price compare? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gw2fll Posted December 31, 2015 #3 Share Posted December 31, 2015 Thanks for the comparison. We too have sailed Celebrity and noted the same observations. I noticed the closing time of Oceanview Café flexed during your sailing. On our sailings on both Equinox and Solstice, the opening time of Oceanview Café flexed according to the port arrival time. Unlike our recent sailing on Allure where Windjammer held "tight" to the same opening time of 7:00 each morning - which pressured the venue severely by everyone trying to get in to eat before heading into port. We found the pricing very close to each other - all factors considered, e.g., promos, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biker19 Posted December 31, 2015 #4 Share Posted December 31, 2015 Staff in the oceanview cafe asked a gentleman to leave when he entered in bare feet. Royal does this in the Windjammer as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gerig Posted December 31, 2015 #5 Share Posted December 31, 2015 After reading the boards I decided to give Celebrity a try. Returned today from my first Celebrity cruise. Just a few differences I noticed. Inside cabin had a night light in the room as well as in the bathroom Large golf size umbrella in the cabin available for use While tendering in Grand Cayman, Celebrity allowed my mom to use a collapsible wheelchair because her electric scooter could not be taken on the tender boat. The wheelchair was delivered to our cabin the night before Food - good to excellent Theatre tables had individual lights to allow cruisers and staff to see receipts Lunch hours at the buffet extended to 3:30 or 4:00 Cloth hand towels in the public restrooms Staff in the oceanview cafe asked a gentleman to leave when he entered in bare feet After day 1 when people made a mess of the dessert table, Celebrity staff served all desserts. This includes the chocolate fountain Guest Services was fully staffed and the line moved quickly. They answered the phone unlike Allure last month who didn't answer and when they did the rep asked us to hold and placed the phone down while we listened to her conversation. The waffles were hot and slightly crisp. Last month on Allure they were soggy everyday This morning I saw staff using fresh blueberries for the pancakes. Well done Celebrity!! I would not hesitate to sail with them again. While Royal also does an excellent job, Celebrity impressed me with the small attention to details. I cruise both but prefer celebrity. I am a diamond member with royal and elite with celebrity, but wish and wish they would combine the programs since it is the same company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tee & Chilli Posted December 31, 2015 Author #6 Share Posted December 31, 2015 I agree about pricing. I previously thought Celebrity was much higher. I sailed Christmas week and the pricing was comparable. Additionally, Celebrity is the only cruise line to contact me and ask if I needed an interpreter. The hand dipped ice cream was a nice touch also. Norwegian also serves hand dipped. The yogurt/ice cream machines on other lines appear to be broken at times and messy from spills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gerig Posted December 31, 2015 #7 Share Posted December 31, 2015 Forgot to mention the entertainment shows are better on royal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonnaK Posted December 31, 2015 #8 Share Posted December 31, 2015 which Celebrity ship were you on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSaints1 Posted December 31, 2015 #9 Share Posted December 31, 2015 How're the M class ships just as good as the S class? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonnaK Posted December 31, 2015 #10 Share Posted December 31, 2015 Forgot to mention the entertainment shows are better on royal. We were on the XSummit twice out of NJ, and were blown away by the quality and quantity of live music throughout the ship in every venue every evening. The production shows were excellent (3 on a 7 day cruise, with much larger and more talented troupe members). No empty lounges, no pianos with no one playing, troupe members had smaller shows throughout the week including a jam session of all the performers on the ship. It was significantly better than anything we've experienced on any RCI ship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tee & Chilli Posted December 31, 2015 Author #11 Share Posted December 31, 2015 which Celebrity ship were you on? Celebrity Constellation - smaller ship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiamondSuiteCruiser Posted December 31, 2015 #12 Share Posted December 31, 2015 I also prefer Celebrity slightly over Royal. I Love that they don't have all the loud announcements, and also like their smoking policy. The suite perks better on Celebrity. I agree the entertainment is better on Royal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruising89143 Posted December 31, 2015 #13 Share Posted December 31, 2015 We much prefer X over RCI for many of the reasons that you listed. Both are great cruise lines but X gives us more for what we like in cruising. Still love the Oasis class ships. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tee & Chilli Posted December 31, 2015 Author #14 Share Posted December 31, 2015 I also prefer Celebrity slightly over Royal. I Love that they don't have all the loud announcements, and also like their smoking policy. The suite perks better on Celebrity. I agree the entertainment is better on Royal. Thanks for the reminder. I forgot no smoking in the casino. The bread basket with various spreads at dinner was a nice touch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canadian Cruiser98 Posted December 31, 2015 #15 Share Posted December 31, 2015 I've also cruised both lines and agree completely. Royal and Celebrity are our two favorite lines but Celebrity is just a slight notch above Royal in some areas. I particularly liked how they had lemonade, ice water and ice towels after a day in port on Celebrity, and how they had poolside servers. While I think Royal has poolside servers too, I've noticed they're less common than on Celebrity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvery Seas Cruiser Posted December 31, 2015 #16 Share Posted December 31, 2015 We very much enjoy Oasis Class ships and can't wait for Harmony of the Seas, but we are also fans of Celebrity, most especially their elegant Solstice Class ships. I really wish Royal Caribbean would follow Celebrity's suit and stop smoking in the casino. One thing Celebrity does not offer that Royal does is a dedicated 24/7 hours lounge for Elite amd Elite Plus members of the Captains Club which is the rough equivalent of Royal's Crown and Anchor loyalty club. Both lines are doing a lot lately to attract those who book suites. I have been so envious on Celebrity when I'd see a staff person bringing a tray of pastries and cookies each afternoon to the suites a few doors down from me. That would have been such a nice perk. I can't complain about Celebrity's entertainment but there have been some cutbacks. I miss the a capella quartet that used to sing throughout the ship and miss the string quartets, then trios and then duos that used to play in dining venues. Admittedly, it is very hard to beat the choices on Oasis Class ships for entertainment. It is always interesting to read what how others compare Celebrity and Royal Caribbean. Different passengers value different things in a cruise line. Often someone will mention something I didn't even notice. I learn a lot from others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tee & Chilli Posted December 31, 2015 Author #17 Share Posted December 31, 2015 I forgot the champagne when boarding. Ok..maybe this is a sign I need to sail again and take better notes.:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodyren Posted December 31, 2015 #18 Share Posted December 31, 2015 (edited) I also enjoy both cruise lines and when they are in the same ball park price wise we will chose one or the other. There are far more similarities than differences but our decisions usually come down to; For similar itinerary and at a similar price we would chose Celebrity if the drinks package was part of the deal. We would never purchase a drinks package as we do not drink huge amounts and value it around $20 pp pd (this is because we get the diamond drinks on RCCL and can bring two bottles of wine aboard with no corkage costs). So if the Celebrity cruise is within that sort of mark up we would probably chose Celebrity. If the RCCL cruise is cheaper (and the specials we have booked in Australia were significantly cheaper) we go Royal. Without the drinks package our diamond benefits suit us better than the elite ones. One big difference for me is the on board activity staff. Celebrity used to be fantastic in this area but they trimmed the numbers significantly about a year or more ago and there are far less organised activities than there were. Royal has more activities and far better variety of organised activities. So from our point of view. Cost. We book specials as we are flexible and can travel whenever things fit our budget (spend less cruise more). Usually Royal wins out. Celebrity has the occasional great deal with drinks included and we jump on those when we can. Food. Celebrity very slightly ahead in MDR and a little more ahead in the buffet.(probably due to the ice cream and sushi.) Entertainment. Shows equal. Music/bands equal. Activities staff. Royal way ahead. Edited December 31, 2015 by woodyren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodycruising Posted December 31, 2015 #19 Share Posted December 31, 2015 (edited) Royal Caribbean and Celebrity ships sailing out of Australia have no smoking anywhere inside or on balconies. Just two smoking areas out on decks. They follow Australian laws. I didn't note exact times, but the celebrity Solstice buffet seemed to be open longer hours than Voyager, plus more variety of food, although Voyager had enough variety. Longer hours works better for spreading the load of people, or it felt that way on Solstice anyhow. Edited December 31, 2015 by goodycruising Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lettrich Posted December 31, 2015 #20 Share Posted December 31, 2015 We have been on 4 Celebrity Cruises - 2 on M class, 2 on S class & 1 RC cruise - Adventure of the Seas. One Carnival Cruise & 1 NCL cruise in late 90's/2000. Our favorite lines are Celebrity, RC, Carnival then NCL. I feel the food is better on Celebrity - especially the buffet - Windjammer is mediocre at best. The main dining room is almost equivalent but I feel Celebrity has the edge. I also miss the Molecular Bar that is available on Celebrity ships. The cabins are similar. Celebrity has better service - my husband once spilled wine on his pants at a show. One of the workers asked us for our cabin number - my husband went up to change & our room attendant asked him to leave the jeans on the bed & they laundered it for free, even though my husband spilled his drink through no fault of the staff. We have cruised to Bermuda 2x on Celebrity, Mediterranean in 2012 & Alaska in 2013. This past summer we did RC to Southern Caribbean. Because we can only travel during the summer we have branched out to try RC for the Caribbean itineraries. Celebrity ships also feel less crowded. The pools this past summer were so warm & you could see how cloudy the water was by the sheer numbers of bodies in it on sea days. The one are that RC exceeded Celebrity was entertainment & activities - more karaoke, the Quest & game shows which were fun. We did book another RC cruise this summer on freedom of the Seas so we do enjoy RC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSaints1 Posted January 1, 2016 #21 Share Posted January 1, 2016 We've sailed Carnival 3 times, would RC or X be a better choice we don't like a lot of kids but better food and good onboard activities but no rock climbing or ice skating, flow rider but the reflection to The western Caribbean is 999 pp for an inside or the Oasis around 1000-1100 pp for an inside Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruising89143 Posted January 12, 2016 #22 Share Posted January 12, 2016 (edited) I've also cruised both lines and agree completely. Royal and Celebrity are our two favorite lines but Celebrity is just a slight notch above Royal in some areas. I particularly liked how they had lemonade, ice water and ice towels after a day in port on Celebrity, and how they had poolside servers. While I think Royal has poolside servers too, I've noticed they're less common than on Celebrity. I feel the same as you. I look at Celebrity as the RCI for adults. No water slides, rock climbing walls which leads to a lot less kids and a more laid back atmosphere. When it comes to comparing RCI, NCL and Carnival.....RCI will win just about every time but Celebrity is a slight step up across the board except the entertainment when compared to the Oasis class which I feel is best in class. Edited January 12, 2016 by cruisingator2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredflint Posted January 12, 2016 #23 Share Posted January 12, 2016 It is hard to really compare because many differences are opinion, but I have sailed Celebrity 3 times and Royal once. differences: Royal no omelets in windjammer No coffee early in the morning Really bad coffee ( really strong) overall Hard Beds Better entertainment HIGH Speed Internet!!!!!!!! Celebrity Comfy Beds better food selection in Windjammer Better desserts Less smoking On our Transatlantic the Celebrity ship had 1/2 the passengers of the Allure but 4 guest lecturers to Royals one. I know people that payed for a suite or are a higher level will say for them they were able to get an omelet or use starbucks for better coffee that is not my point. Royal is probably not for me due to hard beds to start with then the omelet and coffee issue along with the Windjammer hours, for most of the day you could always go to the windjammer on Celebrity and get coffee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denatravels Posted January 12, 2016 #24 Share Posted January 12, 2016 (edited) Haven't yet cruised celebrity, so don't have a lot to say. But I have had omelettes cooked to order in the windjammer on both rhapsody and Liberty. Edited January 12, 2016 by denatravels Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredflint Posted January 12, 2016 #25 Share Posted January 12, 2016 :o Haven't yet cruised celebrity, so don't have a lot to say. But I have had omelettes cooked to order in the windjammer on both rhapsody and Liberty. Not on allure only one place that was so small was not even funny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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