Celebrity newbie (from RC)

[Mark_UK]

Hi all,

 

We're thinking of trying celebrity out for our next cruise, as having cruised with Royal for the last 10+ years (now Diamond Plus) I'd like to try something new - particularly given the constant upselling (and crazy drink package prices!). 

 

We are in our mid-30s and enjoy a mixture of chilling by the pool and some modern evening entertainment plus a bit of casino. We don't usually go in for the gameshows and quizes/activities. 

 

A few questions I have though...

 

1) We've generally preferred the newer RC ships like Quantum and Oasis class so I'm assuming it might be best to start with an Edge class? Solstice looks good too though?

 

2) Can you request a table for 2 or 4, rather than being seated with others? On Royal I've usually been able to email in advance. 

 

3) Are the excursions more expensive than Royal? 

 

4) Do they have an equivalent of RoyalUp? 

 

5) As Diamond Plus I believe we get Elite status? Do you get any welcome aboard drinks or snacks in your room like on Royal? 

 

And lastly, are the slightly higher prices worth it in your view?? 

 

Thanks in advance! 

 

 

[WestLakeGirl]

You will probably love Celebrity.  I can’t say if the excursions are more or less expensive though, because it would be hard to have two equivalent ones to compare head to head.  You should be able to request table side….four being easier to request than two.  Solstice is a great ship, so don’t hesitate to book it.

 

you will be Elite so be sure to set that up before you go since it isn’t automatic.  No welcome gift in the room though.

 

what itinerary are you looking at?

[39august]

Given your preferences for the larger RCI ships, you should probably try Edge class. That also skews to a slightly younger demographic.  Snacks in your cabin depends on class of cabin. Concierge and Aqua classes get daily canapes. I surely would NOT book a cabin just for this, however. You can get food to take to your cabin all over the ship!  There is no dedicated Captain's Club lounge, however, Cafe Al Bacio will blow away the coffee machines in the lounges on RCI. 

[keesar]

The biggest difference you will find is the energy level at night on Celebrity.  There is music but more relaxed.  I really enjoy my experiences on both.   Plus fewer children on board.  I find the food  at Celebrity a slight upgrade to Royal.

 

You will get a welcome aboard mimosa.  No free snacks in your room unless you go to a top level suite. We have had tables for 2 with no problem.  I would start with the S-class with Reflection or Silhouette as being the newest in that class.  But we enjoy all of the S-class ships. If you are looking at a suite, then consider the E-class.  I would pay the slightly higher prices for Celebrity.

[cangelmd]

Can’t comment on RoyalUp or excursion prices, but tables for 2 are no problem just ask. Remember that first night is often very chaotic in any of the dining rooms - if that evening is not what you want, just ask nicely.

My biggest piece of advice right now is do a lot of research before booking. We have been in lots of different cabins on both S-class and E-class, in suites, in AQ, in regular cabins  and in, lol, steerage. Especially now after the interrupted revolution, each ship truly is a little different, with the 3 E-class being the most similar. I look for different things on a Caribbean cruise where I’ve been to those places multiple times and might not get off the ship much vs a port intensive European or Alaskan cruise. Have fun dreaming, and welcome to Celeb. We first cruised Celeb in our 30s and loved it

[Mark_UK]

27 minutes ago, WestLakeGirl said:

You will probably love Celebrity.  I can’t say if the excursions are more or less expensive though, because it would be hard to have two equivalent ones to compare head to head.  You should be able to request table side….four being easier to request than two.  Solstice is a great ship, so don’t hesitate to book it.

 

you will be Elite so be sure to set that up before you go since it isn’t automatic.  No welcome gift in the room though.

 

what itinerary are you looking at?

 

Thanks! I'm either looking at a 7 night Norway out of Southampton (Silhouette) or a 10 night Israel/Egypt (Apex). Both look great! 

 

I quite like the idea of the all in pricing, even for the indulge/elevate stuff. I'm a little fed up thinking I've got a good deal on Royal only to find I've forked out the same amount again on drinks packages, gratuities, etc. 

[Mark_UK]

8 minutes ago, cangelmd said:

Can’t comment on RoyalUp or excursion prices, but tables for 2 are no problem just ask. Remember that first night is often very chaotic in any of the dining rooms - if that evening is not what you want, just ask nicely.

My biggest piece of advice right now is do a lot of research before booking. We have been in lots of different cabins on both S-class and E-class, in suites, in AQ, in regular cabins  and in, lol, steerage. Especially now after the interrupted revolution, each ship truly is a little different, with the 3 E-class being the most similar. I look for different things on a Caribbean cruise where I’ve been to those places multiple times and might not get off the ship much vs a port intensive European or Alaskan cruise. Have fun dreaming, and welcome to Celeb. We first cruised Celeb in our 30s and loved it

That's good to know regarding the table situation, thanks! I feel quite excited to try something new, it was a toss up between Celebrity and Virgin Voyages I think. 

[Turtles06]

41 minutes ago, Mark_UK said:

We've generally preferred the newer RC ships like Quantum and Oasis class

 

Having already sailed Celebrity when we first set foot on Anthem of the Seas, our first reaction to Anthem was that it was very reminiscent of a Celebrity S-class ship (which we love), but with an amusement park added.   We haven't sailed on Oasis class, or on Celebrity E-class yet, so I can't compare them, but Oasis from my reading seems to be even more of an amusement park at sea, which Celebrity's ships, thankfully, are not. 

 

Given your RCI ship preferences, I would agree that you would likely do well on Celebrity S- or E- class (although I think the M-class ships that have been "revolutionized" -- the Summit and the Millennium  -- are wonderful).

 

It's hard to imagine your not liking Celebrity.   Enjoy whatever ship you pick!

[PKB]

I would suggest, if you usually book a standard verandah and you are considering the Edge class, to to some extensive research on the infinite verandahs on Edge class.  There are loads of "love it" and "hate it" here.  Just want you to know what you are getting for your money.  If you book one with no information about what it is and what it is not, you maybe be sorely disappointed....or love the innovation!

[davekathy]

1 hour ago, Mark_UK said:

5) As Diamond Plus I believe we get Elite status? Do you get any welcome aboard drinks or snacks in your room like on Royal? 

No.

 

Celebrity doesn't have a dedicated lounge like the RCs DL. Celebrity currently has stopped doing  the CC HH in the Sky Lounge in the evening for their top three tier levels. You will have unlimited drinks loaded on our SeaPass card but you can only get the drinks in the evening from 5 to 7:PM at most bars/lounges. Great if you didn't book with AI. 

 

Smoking is not allowed in the casino, fleetwide. 

[Crazy planning mom]

1 hour ago, Mark_UK said:

 

Thanks! I'm either looking at a 7 night Norway out of Southampton (Silhouette) or a 10 night Israel/Egypt (Apex). Both look great! 

 

I quite like the idea of the all in pricing, even for the indulge/elevate stuff. I'm a little fed up thinking I've got a good deal on Royal only to find I've forked out the same amount again on drinks packages, gratuities, etc. 

Both of those itineraries are amazing.  Do them both.

[Mark_UK]

1 hour ago, PKB said:

I would suggest, if you usually book a standard verandah and you are considering the Edge class, to to some extensive research on the infinite verandahs on Edge class.  There are loads of "love it" and "hate it" here.  Just want you to know what you are getting for your money.  If you book one with no information about what it is and what it is not, you maybe be sorely disappointed....or love the innovation!

Interesting, thanks. Just looked at the infinite veranda on YouTube, does look quite different! I can see why it might be appealing? Hard to say until you've seen it in real life though I guess. 

[OysterD]

2 hours ago, Mark_UK said:

We are in our mid-30s and enjoy a mixture of chilling by the pool and some modern evening entertainment plus a bit of casino. We don't usually go in for the gameshows and quizes/activities. 

 

A few questions I have though...

 

1) We've generally preferred the newer RC ships like Quantum and Oasis class so I'm assuming it might be best to start with an Edge class? Solstice looks good too though?

 

2) Can you request a table for 2 or 4, rather than being seated with others? On Royal I've usually been able to email in advance. 

 

And lastly, are the slightly higher prices worth it in your view?? 

 

Early 40s here, cruised with celebrity before and loved it, can't wait for our upcoming cruise on Reflection in September. We considered the Apex 10 night to Israel but went with the 11 night to Istanbul and Greece instead. 

 

Chilling by the pool, evening entertainment and casino is exactly what we are planning on and I think the pool areas on Celebrity ships are much more conducive to a bit of relaxing than ones on RC! 

 

If you upgrade to aquaclass (oftentimes the difference between standard balcony or concierge and aqua can only be a couple hundred pounds...definitely worth it) then you get to eat in Blu, where most of the tables are for 2. Great food, smaller restaurant, more intimate and great service. Aquaclass (and concierge) also gets you a bottle in your cabin upon boarding, water delivered daily and canapés brought to your cabin every afternoon, but as someone else pointed out, the canapes alone are definitely not a major reason to book.

 

Even though Reflection is almost 10yrs old, before booking we watched a lot of recent videos, reviews, walk throughs etc and tbh it's looking really good for it's age. A lot of the decor, artwork, and general atmosphere of the ship seems timeless and still looks modern even today. 

 

We did look at RC but as someone else pointed out, a lot of the ships look more like floating amusement parks and that isn't our idea of a relaxing holiday! 

 

Whichever ship you choose with Celebrity I'm sure you'll have an amazing time, so go ahead and pick the itinerary/dates that work for you and enjoy yourselves!

[Mark_UK]

46 minutes ago, OysterD said:

Early 40s here, cruised with celebrity before and loved it, can't wait for our upcoming cruise on Reflection in September. We considered the Apex 10 night to Israel but went with the 11 night to Istanbul and Greece instead. 

 

Chilling by the pool, evening entertainment and casino is exactly what we are planning on and I think the pool areas on Celebrity ships are much more conducive to a bit of relaxing than ones on RC! 

 

If you upgrade to aquaclass (oftentimes the difference between standard balcony or concierge and aqua can only be a couple hundred pounds...definitely worth it) then you get to eat in Blu, where most of the tables are for 2. Great food, smaller restaurant, more intimate and great service. Aquaclass (and concierge) also gets you a bottle in your cabin upon boarding, water delivered daily and canapés brought to your cabin every afternoon, but as someone else pointed out, the canapes alone are definitely not a major reason to book.

 

Even though Reflection is almost 10yrs old, before booking we watched a lot of recent videos, reviews, walk throughs etc and tbh it's looking really good for it's age. A lot of the decor, artwork, and general atmosphere of the ship seems timeless and still looks modern even today. 

 

We did look at RC but as someone else pointed out, a lot of the ships look more like floating amusement parks and that isn't our idea of a relaxing holiday! 

 

Whichever ship you choose with Celebrity I'm sure you'll have an amazing time, so go ahead and pick the itinerary/dates that work for you and enjoy yourselves!

 

Thanks for the tips! 

 

RC is fun and their entertainment is often very good, but I've increasingly found the newer ships to be too crowded (no sunbeds, etc) and as I say, the constant upselling gets in the way of enjoying yourself. Them upping the drinks package to £80-a-day was the final straw. 

 

I did the Greek isles and Ephesus this year on Odyssey of the Seas and was fantastic! Would love to do it again and Istanbul too but seems those sailings next year on Apex are pretty high... Will keep an eye out!

Edited June 23, 2022 by Mark_UK

[Turtles06]

1 hour ago, Mark_UK said:

Interesting, thanks. Just looked at the infinite veranda on YouTube, does look quite different! I can see why it might be appealing? Hard to say until you've seen it in real life though I guess. 

 

Please do considerable research on the IVs (Infinite Verandas) before you book one, including reading the many discussions here on CC about them and comments from folks who have sailed in them.  They are not for everyone.   Folks who like the open feeling of a true balcony may be very disappointed with an IV.  

[Muushka]

4 hours ago, 39august said:

Given your preferences for the larger RCI ships, you should probably try Edge class. That also skews to a slightly younger demographic.  Snacks in your cabin depends on class of cabin. Concierge and Aqua classes get daily canapes. I surely would NOT book a cabin just for this, however. You can get food to take to your cabin all over the ship!  There is no dedicated Captain's Club lounge, however, Cafe Al Bacio will blow away the coffee machines in the lounges on RCI. 

I hope the OP realizes that Elite will not get your free coffee at Cafe Al Bacio.

We just graduated to Elite + and are very excited that it will finally be free!

 

We have done a few RCI cruises, 2 Freedom and 2 Oasis.  Way too busy for my idea of a relaxing cruise.

[SbbquilterUT]

We love Celebrity for DH and I  but then take family cruises with GS on RCCL for the kids activities.  You will not have Broadway shows like the Quantum class ships but there is entertainment in the theater as well as in lounges and public areas. For me a big difference is I like a smaller, quieter sailing so the difference between our Constellation sailing with 1800 guests and our Symphony of the Seas sailing with 5000 very different.   Food is very personal but I find the food choices a bit better on Celebrity usually.  As an Elite you will have free internet minutes to use and will have a free bag of wash and fold laundry each - I like that a lot as we travel with carry on luggage.  There is also a continental breakfast each morning for you in one of the speciality restaurants.  We are on our first Edge class sailing next month and can't wait to see her and explore her innovations.  Good luck choosing.

[Jazzbo]

41 minutes ago, Muushka said:

I hope the OP realizes that Elite will not get your free coffee at Cafe Al Bacio.

We just graduated to Elite + and are very excited that it will finally be free!

If you are sailing with an Always Included fare, coffee at Cafe al Bacio is included.

[Muushka]

27 minutes ago, Jazzbo said:

If you are sailing with an Always Included fare, coffee at Cafe al Bacio is included.

Yep.  But I thought they were discussing the perks of the cruise line's loyalty programs.

[Jazzbo]

19 minutes ago, Muushka said:

Yep.  But I thought they were discussing the perks of the cruise line's loyalty programs.

OP said in a later post that he liked the idea of the all in or even Elevate options.

[Mark_UK]

1 hour ago, Jazzbo said:

OP said in a later post that he liked the idea of the all in or even Elevate options.

 

Yes we'd probably look at the All Inclusive or one of the other packages which is part of the appeal. On RC with D+ we get 5 drinks anytime during the day, but not sure I like the idea of cramming a load in between 5-7pm! 🤣

[sgmn]

7 hours ago, Mark_UK said:

Hi all,

 

We're thinking of trying celebrity out for our next cruise, as having cruised with Royal for the last 10+ years (now Diamond Plus) I'd like to try something new - particularly given the constant upselling (and crazy drink package prices!). 

 

We are in our mid-30s and enjoy a mixture of chilling by the pool and some modern evening entertainment plus a bit of casino. We don't usually go in for the gameshows and quizes/activities. 

 

A few questions I have though...

 

1) We've generally preferred the newer RC ships like Quantum and Oasis class so I'm assuming it might be best to start with an Edge class? Solstice looks good too though?

 

2) Can you request a table for 2 or 4, rather than being seated with others? On Royal I've usually been able to email in advance. 

 

3) Are the excursions more expensive than Royal? 

 

4) Do they have an equivalent of RoyalUp? 

 

5) As Diamond Plus I believe we get Elite status? Do you get any welcome aboard drinks or snacks in your room like on Royal? 

 

And lastly, are the slightly higher prices worth it in your view?? 

 

Thanks in advance! 

 

 

We are RC diamond who have cruised three times this last year with Celebrity, twice on Silhouette and once on Beyond

 

1)Celebrity has a lot of 30 to 50 age groups (we are mid 60s) especially on Beyond

 

2) on Beyond last week and Silhouette we had their version of MTD and always got a table for two, though the tables are quite close together 

 

3) I thought the excursions were quite expensive 

 

4) yes, we upgraded from infinite balcony to concierge class for £80 pp on 10 day Beyond

 

5) no welcome aboard drinks. You get happy hour from Elite drinks menu from 5 to 7pm. There were two drinks with officers evenings where canapés were offered and cocktails (10 night cruise) 

If you are in concierge class you get snacks in your room every afternoon. IMO not very nice and left them most days. You also get a bottle of fizz . On Beyond it was undrinkable and after one sip we left it. Silhouettes was OK though

 

We get a basic cruise without drinks package or WiFi (we prepay gratuities), so the prices are comparable to RC. 

On the Beyond Cruise that left today from Barcelona there were only 1680 expected on board so there may be deals 

 

Edited June 23, 2022 by sgmn

[Mark_UK]

1 hour ago, sgmn said:

We are RC diamond who have cruised three times this last year with Celebrity, twice on Silhouette and once on Beyond

 

1)Celebrity has a lot of 30 to 50 age groups (we are mid 60s) especially on Beyond

 

2) on Beyond last week and Silhouette we had their version of MTD and always got a table for two, though the tables are quite close together 

 

3) I thought the excursions were quite expensive 

 

4) yes, we upgraded from infinite balcony to concierge class for £80 pp on 10 day Beyond

 

5) no welcome aboard drinks. You get happy hour from Elite drinks menu from 5 to 7pm. There were two drinks with officers evenings where canapés were offered and cocktails (10 night cruise) 

If you are in concierge class you get snacks in your room every afternoon. IMO not very nice and left them most days. You also get a bottle of fizz . On Beyond it was undrinkable and after one sip we left it. Silhouettes was OK though

 

We get a basic cruise without drinks package or WiFi (we prepay gratuities), so the prices are comparable to RC. 

On the Beyond Cruise that left today from Barcelona there were only 1680 expected on board so there may be deals 

 

Thank you - that's all extremely helpful! Sounds like you got a great deal on that upgrade! 

[the penguins]

15 hours ago, Mark_UK said:

Interesting, thanks. Just looked at the infinite veranda on YouTube, does look quite different! I can see why it might be appealing? Hard to say until you've seen it in real life though I guess. 

Look at the chairs. If you like to relax on your balcony in chairs that recline and with a reasonablely sized table you can't on an Infinity Balcony. Silhouette is our favourite - 4 times in the last 4 years. Captain's Club breakfast ( table service, croissants, Danish pastries, fresh fruit, smoothies, speciality coffees/teas, bloody Mary's, etc served in Tuscan Grill 08.00 to 10.00 is a great start to the day. We don't see the value in anything other than a Regular bslcony.

[ladylemondrop]

Hi Mark, we have sailed Royal (Anthem) and Celebrity (Silhouette/Reflection) as someone else mentioned they are comparable, there is more ‘fun’ on Anthem (Seaplex, sky diving, wall climbing, etc) but otherwise they feel very very similar. We too find food a notch up on celebrity, whereas entertainment is a notch down compared to the amazing shows on Anthem. You will probably enjoy the Martini bar on Celebrity, its a buzz in the evenings. We also enjoyed silent disco on our recent cruise. The all inclusive is so worth it, you can enjoy all the coffees, drinks, cocktails without worrying about cost. My choice of cruise is akways the longest I can take, as its just never long enough! Welcome to the boards! 
 

adding - here is our video review from Celebrity Reflection this May, we had fun! 

 

Edited June 24, 2022 by ladylemondrop