We Are Thinking Of Trying Celebrity Again

[curtdesilets]

I know from these boards and our experience that there are a number of previously loyal Celebrity fans that are cruising Oceania more often because of Celebrity's changes for the worse.

 

We are seriously considering returning to Infinity for a California Coastal Cruise this October as the itinerary suits our needs. My Wife and I were on the brand new Infinity during her Inaugural Season in 2001. As you might recall, Infinity won all sorts of reader poll awards (Conde Naste and the like) for several years. She was a special ship!

 

Any suggestions, ideas, comments from any of you that have sailed Celebrity recently. I am aware that Celebrity downsizing and cheapening has been going on for several years. Any improvements?

[Hawaiidan]

I know from these boards and our experience that there are a number of previously loyal Celebrity fans that are cruising Oceania more often because of Celebrity's changes for the worse.

 

We are seriously considering returning to Infinity for a California Coastal Cruise this October as the itinerary suits our needs. My Wife and I were on the brand new Infinity during her Inaugural Season in 2001. As you might recall, Infinity won all sorts of reader poll awards (Conde Naste and the like) for several years. She was a special ship!

 

Any suggestions, ideas, comments from any of you that have sailed Celebrity recently. I am aware that Celebrity downsizing and cheapening has been going on for several years. Any improvements?

 

 

Its not about which like Conde naste likes or what I like.....Its all about what you like. The ship has to fit the personality thus to some Carnival might be better than Oceania! You liked Celebrity and what it offered and you like the ports she is sailing to What more can be said

Not all ships are great for all people so forget the polls, the pundits and the reviews... none of them are YOU .

 

If you want to sail any ship that is attractive to you then that is the best ship period...end of story

 

Happy new year....

[2552phxcrzr]

We still sail Celebrity for the right itinerary at the right price. Have three booked for 2017 after our Insignia RTW.

 

No two cruise lines are alike ... no two cruise experiences are alike ... and comparing the experience once you are onboard to other experiences is a recipe for disaster and should be avoided. That is our motto for every cruise we embark. Be realistic about what to expect.

 

We did a nearly one month back-to-back on Infinity around the tip of South America at the end of 2015 and came away happy campers. We did a Silhouette Italy & France cruise this fall and came away happy campers.

 

By the way, love the M class aft concierge cabins with their extended verandas, and would recommend getting one of those ... unless you plan to book a suite.

[LHT28]

If you like the itinerary then go for it

[pete_coach]

We really like Celebrity and have been on 3 of the S class of the ships. Loved them all. Celebrity is a very good line and the ships and crews are wonderful. We liked the food and service too. I think you will really enjoy the cruise and should very well go for it. Please post your impressions as we are also thinking of that one.

As others have said, itinerary is important. To us, it has now become the most important driver for our cruise selection.

With so many destinations and so many lines plying the waters, they are all vying for your vacation dollars. While there are pros and cons and strong opinions for all lines, your vacation is what you make of it.

Asking on an Oceania forum if one line is better than Oceania is not wise because of the loyalty of the persons on the forum. Same goes if asking the questions on the opposite line forum.

Go for it and have a great time.

Edited December 31, 2016 by pete_coach

[Bo1953]

Thank you all for your great input and gentle advice. I find it easy for many to bash a line and not realize it is not for them, yet continue to bash and bash.. it gets down to personal preference.

 

If one finds a line they do not care for, for any reason, time to move on to another. No need to tease or threaten.

 

Again, if the price is right, the itinerary is right go cruising and do not look back... if service is not right, if food is not right, if passengers are not right change lines, no need to ask or announce, just do it!

 

Just my opine only... ;-D

 

bon voyage

Edited December 31, 2016 by Bo1953

[ORV]

As a regular Celebrity cruiser I don't agree with the basic premise that it's gone downhill. Yes it's changed, but not all for the bad. I like their product quite a bit, but it's different than Oceania. I cruise them both for different things.

 

Personally if you feel like the product is not as good as it used to be and haven't enjoyed your past few cruises with them then I'd spend my money elsewhere. You'll spend your whole cruise just finding things wrong, and comparing it with "the good ol' days"

 

I've never had a Celebrity cruise that I didn't enjoy. I always like the food and entertainment and bar product and service.

 

It's not Oceania.

[alexandra cruiser]

if it was a fit. Booked the jr.ph suite and was pleasantly surprised. Posted here I d do it again if right itinerary,etc.Only drawback for me was the longer lines for buffet,check in, disembarkation,etc. Prefer less children and less crowded pool.

Felt the extra dining venue for PH was fantastic.Loved the big musical shows.

So, I say, go for it. I range from Regent, Searborn,SeaDream,and Oceania now,but when younger did all the mass market ones. You DO tend to get what you pay for,as in anything. I never limit myself to 1 line, get brochures from many and pick and chose.So many places to see and so little time.

[lj77346]

I sail on both Oceania and Celebrity and enjoy both lines. Granted there are some differences between cruise lines, but if you like the itinerary and the price is right give the Infinity a try.

 

I sailed on an Infinity cruise through the Panama Canal in April 2016 and will be sailing on its Antarctica cruise in February 2017. The Infinity is in good shape, service was very good, cabins are nice, food is good, and there are bigger production shows. Although the number of passengers on the Infinity is about twice the amount on Oceania's Riviera, the ship never seemed crowded.

[maggie.1008]

I also sail with X and Oceania. 2 cruises on each in 2016. We were on the Infinity in 2001 and several times since. We did 11nt. Pacific Coast this past May on Infinity. This cruise for AQ1 was as much money as our Oceania cruise in the Med. I would not book a AQ1 again as when on our balcony I could hear loud music and movies from Roof Top Terrace above. Maybe this would not be a problem for some. X is by far the best Mass Cruise line. Oceania is a whole different experience with much better food and fewer guests.

[bitob]

We sail both but if we sail celebrity we only sail in a top suite to get butler luminae Michaels club etc. we don't think it's declining but we don't eat in the mdr or buffet ever. The buffet in our opinion has declined

 

We are on Seabourn now, sail celebrity in 3 weeks and have five more o cruises booked. We like them all

 

 

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[TrulyBlonde]

We sail both but if we sail celebrity we only sail in a top suite to get butler luminae Michaels club etc. we don't think it's declining but we don't eat in the mdr or buffet ever. The buffet in our opinion has declined

 

Ditto for us.

[Oville]

We got off the Eclipse on December 21 having stayed in a suite. The suite experience on Celebrity is outstanding and I highly recommend it. We did order a couple of dinners off the MDR menu while dining in Luminae and they were very good.

Edited December 31, 2016 by Oville

[bitob]

In luminae if you don't want anything on their menu or on the mdr menu they will make you almost anything you want. Pretty amazing

 

 

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[Mura]

We haven't sailed on Celebrity yet but we have friends who are Oceania lovers who also appreciate Celebrity, so we're willing to give it a try. We just haven't done so yet.

 

If you enjoyed past cruises on X and like the itinerary, I agree ... go for it.

 

I've seen negative comments here as well, but since people I respect have enjoyed Celebrity, I'm sure we would too.

 

Mura

[shorefolks]

We sail four lines: Celebrity, NCL, Princess, and Oceania, in current ascending order of preference- but that could change after any given cruise. With the obvious exception of comparing the lower three to Oceania with its higher price structure and concomitant higher level of amenities, we have honestly noticed variability within a cruise line (among ships, among cruises, among staff personally encountered, etc.) to equal or exceed that between cruise lines. Yes, there are particular characteristics of each line that, to us, are better than those of other lines (no line gets everything perfectly right), but our choices might not be the same as yours or those of some other cruisers.

 

The most important element of deciding on a cruise is an honest self-examination of which elements are important to you. Then try to see which line/ship/cruise best matches those elements- but be prepared for all of your work to run afoul of the actual circumstances you encounter. We generally love the food on Oceania and look forward to meals, but a noro-inflicted cruise last winter involved such poor dining room management that each meal was a frustrating ordeal. Still, we did not hesitate to book a cruise on the same ship for this April (but in a different area which we have wanted to visit).

 

Our cruising decisions are based primarily on itinerary and secondarily on price. A Celebrity cruise this December had rather poor food but, if the itinerary and price were favorable, we would book Celebrity again. As mentioned above, our favorite of the three, more "mass market," lines is Princess. Still, if the others schedule cruises that are of greater interest to us, we will sail with them instead. Bottom line: it is all about what is important to you personally- with some good luck thrown in.

[OzAbroad]

We continue to sail Celebrity when the itinerary and the timing is right. Having said that we have only sailed twice with them, once on the old Century which was OK but not something we would repeat, and once on Solstice in Aqua class a year ago.

 

That last experience was something I would happily repeat. We very much enjoyed the private restaurant and the Solstice class ships and would probably only sail in Aqua or above. It gives the big ship a smaller ship feel. On a cool weather cruise the solarium is delightful and the ships are wonderfully designed.

 

The food was good in Blu fro dinner and breakfast and also in the specialty restaurants, the main dining room we only visited once for lunch but we felt no need to explore it further.

[LuAnn]

and also sailed on her when she was new...right after 9/11 in fact ...out of San Juan...when many didn't want to fly/travel etc!! She did not disappoint then...nor has she many, many other times!!! We do think she is great!!!

 

We are booked on this coastal cruise in spring '18...and would not hesitate to ever book a cruise on this ship...and that cruise up the West Coast is super...we tried it once before...but DH had to leave the ship in SF due to a heart issue...had a pacemaker implanted in SF...hope to make the entire trip this time!!!

 

We only book AQ these days...because we love "Blu" versus the MDR...don't use the "spa"...DH can't do to heart issues...but others do like that aspect of AQ!!!

 

Let us know what you decide!!! LuAnn