Celebrity review from first timer

[DShier1a]

Just retuned from Eclipse Aug 28 roundtrip from Vancouver.A very quick review.

 

http://click.email.cruisecritic.com/?qs=bf69395c270f821964ef86b163527de724878cc84b7a179dfd82faafa6ea3cea8870f1ba4f97afd12bda8b21bbf592cad56b5f1bd0e0103f4889354f9cabfae1

[jelayne]

Thanks for sharing your experience.  Did you return any of the overcooked meals?
We have done many cruises in Aqua and have had excellent food, but like any restaurant an occasional bad one and we always return the meal.  They bring another meal and the Chef gets immediate feedback on the cooking.

[DShier1a]

Just now, jelayne said:

Thanks for sharing your experience.  Did you return any of the overcooked meals?
We have done many cruises in Aqua and have had excellent food, but like any restaurant an occasional bad one and we always return the meal.  They bring another meal and the Chef gets immediate feedback on the cooking.

I did not return them but did fill out a comment card.The staff did steer us away from fish dishes twice. It was everything from breakfast to an unset creme brulee....which the waiter did switch as he could seen it was not right.I did not want to complain all the time and honestly should not have to. Eventually learned to have an omelet,  even with only cheese to get edible eggs and ate more of the really delicious bread before dinner. 

[thebutlerdidit]

Every experience is unique. I have only sailed on the Eclipse once. It was in 2013 and our first experience with both an S-class ship and Aqua class. During that cruise I was served the best and worst meals I’ve ever had on a ship. Best: one night we were offered a special dish that the chef had prepared - the best Moussaka ever! Worst: the lobster dish served on formal night. The sauce tasted like nothing but peppercorns. Something had gone terribly wrong. 
 

I still prefer sailing Aqua class. 

[TeaBag]

I think it is a good decision to give Celebrity another chance.  I would try another ship, even if you have to fly to the embarking port.  We always enjoy Blu.

[boulders]

Thanks for the comparison with HAL. I'm cruising Celebrity for the first time soon. My favorite other cruise line is HAL. 

[MarkWiltonM]

We sail HAL and Celebrity interchangeably (along with Oceania). Love the buffet on HAL's Pinnacle-class ships. Much better than Celebrity, especially the baked goods. The food and service in Celebrity's main dining rooms has been a little better than HAL's on our last two cruises on each line (but none of these are very good). We went to Sushi on 5 last year on Equinox and it was really horrible. About the worst food I've had on a cruise ship. There was only one other party there and I'm not surprised. The sushi bar on HAL's new Rotterdam ship, Nami, Sushi, was awesome and the place was packed. Almost as good as the sushi bar on the old Crystal ships. 

[broker1217]

We sail for the first time on Celebrity in 2 weeks---on the Eclipse and Aqua class.

I was hoping for better dining in Blu than the main dining room.

I'm sorry it was so disappointing for you. I eat primarily fish and chicken so a little concerned about your experience. 

I have tempered our expectations knowing the staff shortages--we will pack our patience.

[rj59]

I also did my first Celebrity cruise last month, after being a long-time loyalist to HAL and Princess. I try to focus on the positive, so I found things in the MDR and buffet that I liked, and then found crew and parts of the ship I also liked. As a price-conscious West Coast solo cruiser, I look for deals close to home, and I booked 4 cruises on Solstice out of LA from October-April, all with different itineraries, which I appreciate. Two of them had all-inclusive at a price half of that of HAL and Princess. I've cruised on RC several times, so the app and overall experience feels familiar. Ordinarily I don't care for a various classes of cruising, but I don't mind people paying more to subsidize my cruise, and I actually liked never having a crowded MDR, with people diverted to other restaurants. One thing I really liked about Celebrity was having a smoke-free casino. I also liked the views and ambience of the forward Skylounge, the peaceful solarium and pool deck that didn't have a TV screen blaring or people eating at tables, and even on an older ship, my inside roomy cabin had a sliding shower door, not the horrible curtains that plague me on HAL and Princess. I also booked Apex in March, since I wanted to try a very modern ship, so I can compare it with the newest ships by Princess and the Konigsdam, which I'll be on in December. I'm all about variety and finding the best of each cruise line, so I'm grateful to Celebrity for giving me a chance to expand my horizons and enjoy its unique pleasures and experiences. 

[chrismch]

The quicker the  restaurant mgr hears about an issue, the quicker it will be fixed. You don't need to make a big scene, just gently explain the problem.  The next diners will get a better meal as a result.

[the penguins]

12 hours ago, DShier1a said:

I did not return them but did fill out a comment card.The staff did steer us away from fish dishes twice. It was everything from breakfast to an unset creme brulee....which the waiter did switch as he could seen it was not right.I did not want to complain all the time and honestly should not have to. Eventually learned to have an omelet,  even with only cheese to get edible eggs and ate more of the really delicious bread before dinner. 

 I have lost count of the number of times the Hotel Director has asked passengers to tell them of issues when they happen so they have the opportunity to correct them. 

[chemmo]

3 hours ago, chrismch said:

The quicker the  restaurant mgr hears about an issue, the quicker it will be fixed. You don't need to make a big scene, just gently explain the problem.  The next diners will get a better meal as a result.

Agree, we have had little to complain about over the years but if we find something sub par we speak to the relevant staff member and the problem is usually resolved. For example, on one cruise in Luminae our breakfasts were warm first day rather than hot…Second day we noticed the trays coming through to the ‘prep’ area but then there was a lull before they were then served, again warm rather than hot. We raised the point with the M’D who thanked us for alerting him. Hot dishes the rest of the cruise. Hopefully not just for us too. 

Edited September 8, 2022 by chemmo

[southernbreezes]

12 hours ago, broker1217 said:

We sail for the first time on Celebrity in 2 weeks---on the Eclipse and Aqua class.

I was hoping for better dining in Blu than the main dining room.

I'm sorry it was so disappointing for you. I eat primarily fish and chicken so a little concerned about your experience. 

I have tempered our expectations knowing the staff shortages--we will pack our patience.

We take a Sky Suite or an Aqua Class every time depending on the price. We sailed on the Edge AQ in July and loved it. Blu is the best restaurant on the ship I feel...I could order off the Blu menu or any of the others...Main, Tuscany it was never a problem. As an added bonus the wine was wonderful and served in Riedel Wine Glasses! Lumina is very good but not as good as Blu.

Edited September 8, 2022 by southernbreezes

[mfs2k]

I find specialty restaurants are always far superior experiences to assigned dining room experiences.  
I try to book at least half our dinners in the Specialty restaurants and factor in that cost in our vacation. 

We were in Aqua and Blu on Equinox. I liked Blu a lot but I mostly appreciated the civility and service for breakfast  compared to the alternatives.