Should We Give Celebrity a Try?

[runner2013]

Hi all, 

I've sailed on several lines in the past.(hubby only Royal and Princess, I've also tried Ncl.) We are tossing around the idea of a cruise on Celebrity to see how it compares to Royal or Princess. We're in our 50's and not into a huge 'party' scene. We like having a variety of choices for activities that Royal offers, but not the kid/family situation that comes with it. (nothing against kids, please no bashing us for that)  We also really enjoy listening to nice music in the atriums on Princess with a glass of wine people watching. We are good at 'going with the flow' when it comes to a lot of things on board. As long as we have a view from our balcony we are content.  Could those of you who really enjoy Celebrity and sail with them often tell me what keeps you coming back? 

Food, atmosphere, service, or something else entirely. 

Any insite greatly appreciated. 

[ChicagoCruisin]

Celebrity is our favorite line for many of the things you are looking for.  Our goal of cruising is to be relaxed and feel taken care of.  

We find the food overall to be the best of the major lines, the service is quite a big step up.  We have had access to Luminae for suite guests, which was great.  And specialty restaurants are innovative and amazing.  But even the main dining rooms were very good and we would be happy with just the MDRs.

The ships are gorgeous and entertainment feels more special and interesting, but not glitzy and overdone. 

We also like that we dont feel nickled-and-dimed like on RCI and some of the other lines.

 

Hope you get a chance to try X and you like it as much as we do  🙂

[canderson]

If you're looking for a line that isn't on the PA all day telling you what a great time you're having, and where that next "can't miss" event is being held, you definitely want to give Celebrity a try.  We find their cruises to be far more relaxing than most other lines for a variety of reasons, including the above - which is a real issue on some others.  Changes the whole tenor of the vacation for us.

[deliver42]

We've sailed princess and Royal to match what you've done. We've also tried celebrity a few years ago on the Equinox. We came to love Celebrity so much that we have the beyond booked for December, and a 10 day on the Equinox again for Nov, 2023. The cruises are more upbeat than Princess in my opinion, and don't have the party atmosphere of Royal. The food and the service are amazing.

[Oskial]

Hi Runner 2013.  it sounds like you need a dose of Celebrity.  We have only tried Carnival and Celebrity but after reading the good and not as good (notice there is no "bad") reviews on some of the other lines, Celebrity is our choice for cruising.   I totally agree with everything that Chicago Cruisin said.  I think you will find that the service and food is great no matter where you are on the ship.  We had been on several all inclusive resorts before we started cruising and haven't looked back since.  If you want a cruise that has that relaxed atmosphere then Celebrity is what you will get.  (I feel like I should be working for these guys.)  Hope to see you on board some day! 

[runner2013]

So far Celebrity sounds like an experience we  would like.  Glad to read they are more on the 'relaxed' side and not 'in your face' with everything. 

[Mosttoyswin]

A big plus to us is celebrities no smoking indoors policy. On the lines that allow smoking indoors, even if only in the casino, I can still smell smoke inside the ship in various locations.  And somehow it seems like I always need to walk through the casino😊.

[lhsail]

A few years ago, when people asked us what our favorite cruise line was, we would say Princess.  And, we have also given RCI a chance lately taking advantage of the ability to sail out of Galveston.  We're now total Celebrity fans after having come back to them for several cruises in the past few years. 

 

We find the food and beverage options superior on Celebrity.  Especially as compared to RCI.  Although we enjoy an occasional dinner in Murano on the S class ships, we're perfectly happy with the MDR.  We're wine drinkers and the selections are definitely better on Celebrity, plus they have wine stewards/stewardesses that are actually knowledgeable.  Balcony cabins on Celebrity are bigger than the standard balcony on Princess and you always get at least a love seat and a small table.  

 

We are in our mid-60s and prefer the demographics on Celebrity.  Not nearly as many kids as are on RCI and we've been on Princess cruises when we've felt like the youngest on the ship.  Celebrity is more upscale than RCI without being stuffy.  The staff is always attentive and fun.  

 

We have two Princess cruises planned and will continue to take short RCI cruises out of Galveston, but we'll be back on Celebrity ASAP.  

[spillers493]

1 hour ago, runner2013 said:

Hi all, 

I've sailed on several lines in the past.(hubby only Royal and Princess, I've also tried Ncl.) We are tossing around the idea of a cruise on Celebrity to see how it compares to Royal or Princess. We're in our 50's and not into a huge 'party' scene. We like having a variety of choices for activities that Royal offers, but not the kid/family situation that comes with it. (nothing against kids, please no bashing us for that)  We also really enjoy listening to nice music in the atriums on Princess with a glass of wine people watching. We are good at 'going with the flow' when it comes to a lot of things on board. As long as we have a view from our balcony we are content.  Could those of you who really enjoy Celebrity and sail with them often tell me what keeps you coming back? 

Food, atmosphere, service, or something else entirely. 

Any insite greatly appreciated. 

We're right there with ya and considering a Celebrity cruise for our 30th anniversary next June, so I'm now following this thread😉

[peanut head]

We don’t sail often but when we do it’s only on Celebrity. We are in our late 50’s / mid 60’s and truly enjoy the activities offered (and the choice not to participate), the amazing food choices and venues, the different bar scenes (and lack of extreme partying), the feeling of comfortable luxury, knowing you will be pampered without it being overbearing and the genuine goodwill of all crew that you are cruising with them.  
 

[Arizona Wildcat]

We have sailed several lines .  Long past the drunken bashes on Carnival.   RCCL last cruise had an average age of 40 with a couple hundred (mostly well behaved kids).  Celebrity is about 15 years older with entertainment age appropriate.  Nuff said.

[Snit13]

Once I tried Celebrity there was no turning back.  I just completed my 19th ( I believe) Celebrity cruise and I have one booked in September 2022 and October 2023.  It is a class above all of the others mentioned in every category.  I have even sailed to Antarctica and The Galapagos with Celebrity.

The employees are always smiling and always working.  The food and service are awesome and all go out of their way to please and meet your needs.  If something is not to your liking just speak the the Officer in charge of that Department or Service and it will be remedied asap.

We were in a Suite on the Constellation in April and had 3 employees always at the ready to make certain all was well and that we were happy.  They decorated my cabin with baloons for my birthday and I received 2 bottles of wine in addition to the customary cake in the Luminae at dinner.

 

You should thoroughly enjoy Celebrity.  I do like Royal Caribbean too.

[julia]

You will never fully appreciate a cruise line until you have sailed with them.  You have absolutely nothing to lose by booking a Celebrity cruise.

[RollWave]

6 hours ago, runner2013 said:

Hi all, 

I've sailed on several lines in the past.(hubby only Royal and Princess, I've also tried Ncl.) We are tossing around the idea of a cruise on Celebrity to see how it compares to Royal or Princess. We're in our 50's and not into a huge 'party' scene. We like having a variety of choices for activities that Royal offers, but not the kid/family situation that comes with it. (nothing against kids, please no bashing us for that)  We also really enjoy listening to nice music in the atriums on Princess with a glass of wine people watching. We are good at 'going with the flow' when it comes to a lot of things on board. As long as we have a view from our balcony we are content.  Could those of you who really enjoy Celebrity and sail with them often tell me what keeps you coming back? 

Food, atmosphere, service, or something else entirely. 

Any insite greatly appreciated. 

Celebrity sounds perfect for you! We are in our 50's, love to listen to music, people watch, enjoy a balcony view, strolls on deck at night to take in the beautiful sea air, and we LOVE Celebrity! We recently took a weekend cruise on Royal. Had a nice time but it was not as relaxing as our Celebrity experiences.

We love the look of the Celebrity ships - understated & beautiful. Our experience with Celebrity has always been consistent and dependable - the food is always good (from the buffets to suite only dining in Luminae) , the service is always just as needed, we find the live music to be excellent, we love the Solarium pool, and enjoy leisurely afternoons sipping coffee and reading in Cafe Al Bacio...

We have travelled in every class of cabin (inside to a suite) and do not find the experience to be vastly different between the various class of cabin - in fact one of our most favorite trips was a Coastal California sailing (pre-covid) in a large interior cabin.

[earlydiner]

Just our opinion, but we feel that the "around the ship" music is much better on Princess than Celebrity.  Theater both are excellent.  

[Lbicklel]

Just took my first Celebrity cruise in May on the Equinox. Have also sailed NCL and RCCL.  After just the one cruise on Celebrity I’m ready to never sail any body else again.  My only complaint was that sometimes there were louder activities going on in areas when I would’ve rather been sitting in quiet like trivia in the observation lounge. The solarium can’t be beat for a quiet relaxing pool area. Food was the best of the three. We didn’t buy any specially dining and didn’t miss it.

 

 

[hobgoblin]

We took our first cruise on Celebrity Equinox on its maiden year in 2010 and have never been on any other cruise line since!

Now in our early 60s we find Celebrity covers all the bases for us and not having lots of noise and families with children running around really suits us ,the ambience is just great .

Price,itineraries ,cabins and food are all excellent ,give it a go!

 

[islandgirlejfan]

We've cruised on RCCL, Princess, NCL, and Celebrity.....we love Princess as much as Celebrity.  RCCL and NCL are not as couple oriented.  They weren't bad cruises, just different as they cater to a wider group.  We are in our early 60's and we were very concerned about 10 years ago when we took our first Celebrity we wouldn't fit.  Not sure now why there was even a concern!  Dining is fantastic without having to do speciality restaurants.  By the sounds of your post, you are already a great fit! 🙂

[runner2013]

Glad to read the solarium pool area is relaxing. On Princess we fell in love with the Sanctuary pool area and said we'd always pay the extra money in the future to stay there. We enjoy the 'little extras' we've  received while there. 

Have any of you been on Holland America as well.  We've been told to give them a try too. Are they similar to Celebrity? We're open to it, but  concerned we may be just a bit too 'young' for them at this point.🤣

 

[superduper123]

Yes! I recently sailed Celebrity after cruising exclusively with Royal Caribbean. ( I am 50-something also. ) I loved it! Mostly because of the passenger demographics. Primarily couples our age (ish) not many young families, a little quieter. There were still group activities offered, just didn't seem to be as loud, and something else I can't quite describe. Also, the food is better, and the decor a little fancier (IMO). The entire experience felt more upscale. I already have two previous cruises booked with Royal, but after that plan on making a complete switch to Celebrity. It's definitely more my style.

[chemmo]

12 hours ago, peanut head said:

We don’t sail often but when we do it’s only on Celebrity. We are in our late 50’s / mid 60’s and truly enjoy the activities offered (and the choice not to participate), the amazing food choices and venues, the different bar scenes (and lack of extreme partying), the feeling of comfortable luxury, knowing you will be pampered without it being overbearing and the genuine goodwill of all crew that you are cruising with them.  
 

Totally agree! 

[OysterD]

Everyone is different, but from what you said I think you would probably prefer Celebrity over RCI. 

 

After a lot of research, reading reviews, watching videos etc and considering other lines for our upcoming Sept cruise, we went with Celebrity. We had wanted to go on Beyond but we couldn't all get our time off work to match up with the sailing we wanted, so it'll be the Reflection for us. I've sailed with Celebrity before and absolutely loved it.

 

These two photos of the pool decks of the newest RCI ship (Wonder of the Seas) and the newest Celebrity ship (Beyond) sum up (to me at least) the fundamental differences between the two lines. One of these I could quite happily sit out at with a book and cocktail in hand, relaxing and chatting with friends. The other is full of water slides, rather garish colours and large metal bright orange palm trees!

 

 

[superduper123]

@OysterD Great comparison!

 

[Mimiya11]

We are major Celebrity fans (in our mid 60's - how did that happen 🙂 and continue to cruise primarily on their beautiful ships.  Food and service have always been terrific and we have never been disappointed on a Celebrity cruise.   

 

While there is no extreme partying, sometimes, we do find evenings a bit dull and their shows not great.   Except when they do silent discos which are fun (for us).   In comparison, while we were not impressed by Holland America's food or level of service, on a Mexican Riviera cruise a few years ago, the various music venues blew us away - from a dedicated venue for a blues band, to Lincoln Centre classical in another area to dueling pianos in yet another all on the same night!  I wish that Celebrity could take some tips from HA as far as evening performances go.  But the food and service will keep us away.  

 

We also loved the experience of Allure of the Seas as far as fun activities but once again, found the food (unless you pay for it) in the dining room bad, having to spend lots on specialty dining and overall service a bit hectic probably due the size of the ship.  

 

So it is worth trying various cruise lines to see if it is the line for you.   We have also been on Carnival (when kids were young), Princess, NCL, and are trying Viking next year as they have a Panama Canal itinerary we liked.   But we know we will always come back to Celebrity (booked for next fall) for their consistent quality levels.   Try it, you may like it 🙂    

 

 

 

[karmamule]

We've been deliberately sampling various cruise lines to find a favorite and this thread is great because our first Celebrity cruise is coming up. In the past we've cruised on MSC 3 times (in their Yacht Club, which avoids most problems people commonly complain about with them), NCL twice, and RCL once. We've enjoyed all of our cruises for different reasons, but wanted to branch out since none of those cruise lines have captivated us enough to dedicate to them.

 

Our next three cruises will be a study in contrasts: our first Carnival cruise will be on the Mardi Gras this October 2022, then in January 2023 we'll be on the Apex for our first Celebrity cruise. Following that will be a cruise on Virgin Voyages in April. We're giving all 3 lines the chance to show us their best face by booking suites for both cruises. (Excel Corner for Mardi Gras, Massive Suite for Virgin, and Celebrity Suite on the Apex)

 

We've been so excited by what we're reading about Celebrity here and seeing on various Youtube videos that we're fairly certain we're going to love it and have already booked an 11 day Canada/New England on the Summit for October 2023 as our second cruise on Celebrity. (Plus it's out of our hometown of Boston and the idea of not having to travel beforehand is wonderful.)

 

Edited June 21, 2022 by karmamule