A Poor Imitation Of Celebrity

[champagne123]

Why in the world is everyone getting so defensive and keep trying to defend the RCCL product? Who the heck cares what this person says? I don't. I am not a Royal Loyal....but love the product and that is all that matters. And who the heck uses shower caps? Water fountains? Oh, yeah, just what I would want..can we say "Noro Virus"? Lol :'):'):') Geezzzz maybe they should have gone to the library and do their research! (insert advice from CB)...lmao :halo:

Edited July 20, 2018 by champagne123

[Panda3]

My wife and our adult daughter sailed on Adventure of the Seas on July 6 to the Bahamas. This cruise was our birthday gift to our daughter, who had never been on a cruise before. My wife and I have been sailing almost exclusively over the years with Celebrity. We gave our daughter the choice of a Celebrity cruise to Bermuda or a Royal Caribbean cruise to the Bahamas. Both were for one week and both were on older ships. Our daughter chose the Royal Caribbean cruise because of the itinerary. She and my wife shared a balcony cabin.

 

Some observations, courtesy of my wife:

 

1. The public restrooms were filthy. There were no attendants to clean them during daylight hours. The bathroom floors on the pool deck were wet, slippery and dangerous.

 

2. Hand sanitizers which should be ubiquitous on all cruise ships were no where to be found. Sinks at the entrance to the Windjammer buffet restaurant were not used by all passengers. My wife had to actually ask for hand sanitizers and she was told on one occasion that none were available.

 

3. Overheated passengers returning to the ship from shore were not offered cold face towels or cold drinks to refresh themselves, and of course, no hand sanitizers were on display. Clearly, cleanliness was not a priority on this ship.

 

4. My wife described the vaunted on-board entertainment, allegedly a Royal Caribbean strength, as nothing special.

 

5. On a number of occasions the staff was slow clearing dirty plates from tables in the always crowded Windjammer buffet restaurant.

 

6. Even though disembarking at the port of Coco Cay (Royal Caribbean’s private island) is a ritual the ship performs on a weekly basis, you would think the crew would have learned how and known better. Thousands of impatient passengers were trapped in small, narrow, overheated, confining exit ways for 90 brutal minutes before being allowed off the ship. There were no water fountains at hand. Not surprisingly, under these extremely uncomfortable conditions the mob of passengers became unruly. My wife said she’s seen better organized riots.

 

7. My wife noted the door frames in their cabin shower were rusty. Same with the floor surface on the balcony. Curiously, these features did not appear in the Royal Caribbean cruise brochure.

 

8. Although she was Diamond class by virtue of her past cruises on Celebrity, my wife had to actually ask for basics like a shower cap and lotions and a robe. The cabin had no carafe of ice water.

 

9. Having purchased a soda package, my wife had to continually ask for straws, which the crew were stingy to hand out allegedly due to environmental concerns — but they were ever present on more expensive alcoholic beverages.

 

10. To be sure, and in fairness to Royal Caribbean, there were parts of the cruise my wife did enjoy. Contrary to her low expectations, my wife said the food was decent, though selections on the MDR menu were limited. She said her cabin attendant and MDR server were very good. But maybe because we booked this cruise late, the fare was no bargain compared to what we pay on Celebrity (where we normally book early) — and yet she received a lot less for our money. For years we’ve heard Celebrity described as an upscale version of Royal Caribbean (they are both owned by the same parent company), but until my wife’s upsetting experiences on this cruise we were unable to appreciate what upscale really means.

 

I am sorry you had those experiences. Those things would bug me too. I do not think that RCI is trying to be an imitation of Celebrity so I think expectations have to be adjusted. Royal Caribbean has there own brand and is a more budget type of cruise and kid friendly where Celebrity is a luxury cruise typically for older folks, no children.

[Biker19]

I want to try Celebrity but I’m always told it looks like a floating home full of elderly people onboard.

No, that's HAL.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

Someone said the daughter should have went with a friend but maybe the daughter and her friends are under 21 so she had to go with an adult ie her mam as per RC US regulations.

according to OP, his DD is a trial attorney. Most folks don't become one until after they are 21.

Plus, you'd think a trial attorney would be able to afford a cruise. I am no trial attorney, and my earnings are nowhere near a typical lawyer's income, but I took my parents on a cruise last year in addition to my hubby and kiddo.

[BecciBoo]

Even though I've been accused of being an RCCL cheerleader, I can say unequivically, I have Never seen a dirty bathroom before in over 22 cruises...except the Carni one.

 

There is always someone cleaning everywhere we look on most cruises. Always sanitizers. Most of the other complaints I have not experienced on any class of RCCL ship.

 

The only complaint we ever have is that the quality of the food could be better and she liked that! I have to cry fowl with most of the list. Maybe she boarded another cruise line by accident and thought she was on Adventure the whole week....????

 

RCCL doesn't pretend to be Celebrity, but BTW Celebrity is fabulous.

[Biker19]

Bookend...

 

[1980dory]

I wasn’t on the same sailing. The first sentence of my post makes that clear.

 

I am a member of Cruise Critic. My wife is not. She asked me to post her experience which may be of interest to other Cruise Critic members.[/quote

 

It's been many years since I signed up on CC and I don't recall how difficult it was to do so. (I'm sure the process was not too difficult or complex though). That said, I don't know about the process today. But I wonder why your wife has not signed up herself and posted her own comments. Don't you agree there would be much more credibility with that?

Likewise, could your daughter also sign up and give everyone HER opoinion of her first cruise?

[BecciBoo]

Those of you that think the MDR food on RCI is good have no idea what a good meal is.

 

 

I have a very good idea of what I like, and it is good. It could be better, but it is perfectly palatable as is.

[boscobeans]

I want to try Celebrity but I’m always told it looks like a floating home full of elderly people onboard.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

 

We've done about a dozen cruises on Celebrity and they were almost always from 10-12 days and when schools were still in session, so you wouldn't expect a young crowd. That being said there always was a good mix as far as ages go.

 

A few less scooters and such than on a similar HAL cruise but not in any way a "floating home."

 

bosco

[ID Cruiser]

Is your wife’s name Hyacinth Bucket by chance?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

 

Its bouquet.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Eslader]

Funny to watch all of you RCI cheerleaders attack this poor man. We like the value of RCI and travel in suites because of the good price and because we have young children. But for that, we would travel on Regent and similar lines. Those of you that think the MDR food on RCI is good have no idea what a good meal is.

 

OP, I have traveled on older RCI ships and never will again. Perhaps you can help your wife join CC so she can experience all the nasty trolls on here.

 

Enjoy your next cruise on Celebrity!

 

It's been explained many times why OP's critique is suspect. That some of us do not blindly believe every bad thing we read on the internet is not an indictment of our intelligence or character.

 

As for the MDR food, yes, I do know what a good meal is. As has been said many times on here, MDR is not going to be a 3-Mich-Star restaurant, and those expecting such are delusional. But it is also not Rookie Cook night at Denny's and those making it out to be are equally delusional.

 

 

The food in MDR is perfectly fine. Some is better than fine. Some is only okay.

 

 

I might flip your statement around and suggest that you do not know what a bad meal is if you think the MDR food qualifies. ;)

 

At any rate, eating in MDR means that I am on a ship and have shed my real life responsibilities for a week, and someone else is cooking for me and washing the dishes afterward. That's pretty great even if they didn't salt the soup enough. If I want better, I can always turn to an upcharge restaurant.