Royal Caribbean was great - should we try Celebrity next?

[Rogueperson]

15 hours ago, Driveshaft said:

We did it the opposite. We are elite on Celebrity and we were not impressed with the food on our last three, We had our first on RCL on the Allure in April and were so impressed with it we are going again this November.

This is disappointing.  I always felt Celebrity had an edge up on food.  When I went way back in 2003 and 2005, I thought the food was awesome and a totally step up from Carnival and NCL (I hadn't been on Royal at that point).  It would be many years before i went back.  2015, I wanted a special cruise for my honeymoon, and we were on Celebrity for a 15 night Panama Canal full crossing.  Food this time, was on par and was not nearly as special as it was back in 2003 and 2005.  The one thing I did like was the personal Sommelier, or it felt personal.   I was told anecdotally that they had massively improved since then, but i haven't been so.

It wasn't a bad cruise.  It was wonderful.  But foodwise, I expected more and didn't quote get it.

And in answer to the OP.  Yes, try Celebrity, Try EVERYTHING.  Each cruise focus is slightly different and if you're able, I would encourage everyone to experience what each of them has to offer.  I recently got blown away (well, its 3 years ago now), by Princess.  They still had a lot of the old touches that make cruising special.

Edited September 19, 2022 by Rogueperson

[PhillyFan33579]

The atmosphere on a Celebrity ship is completely different than an RCI ship. I like both cruise lines, but the experience is different. Celebrity is a much more relaxed environment with a little more pampering while RCI is a much more active environment with lots of activities always going on around the ship. I cruise more often on RCI because I like all the activities always going on. However, I also like Celebrity when I want to spend most of the cruise relaxing and doing a lot of reading. 

[4774Papa]

 

We have done 12 cruises on Celebrity, 7 on NCL and 2 on Royal.

 

We are Elite on Celebrity and Diamond on Royal (due to transfer from X).   Celebrity's elite happy hour is now of marginal value, since X changed it pricing regarding the drink package.   For a couple of years, you were forced into the drink package (we never want that since we are moderate drinkers).  Celebrity now offers basic pricing for a lower amount, but the difference is not huge.

On the other hand, Royal's Diamond four free drinks anywhere allows us to order wine with dinner, so we never pay for alcohol on a cruise.   Also, Royal's prices are better than Celebrity's.

 

Celebrity's ship design is great, but Royal's are not so bad.  I do miss on some Royal ships they don't have the aft bar just outside the buffet.   

 

Celebrity's main dining room dining is better than Royal's, but not by much.  Both are better than NCL's.

Royal's buffet is not as good as Celebrity, especially the salad bar, but you can dine in the MDR for lunch and there is a great salad bar.

 

Entertainment is better on Royal and NCL as well.   It is not bad on Celebrity, just nothing like what Royal has.  Loved the ice shows on Royal.

 

[crusnbee]

Was on the X Silouhette (I cant spell) in February. Was very disappointed in the food in the MDR. Stopped going there about half way through our 10 day cruise. There were also some lights out in the MDR and it felt like we were eating in the dark!

 

What I really liked about this cruise was the World Class Bar. Unique drinks, but they were all wonderful and the staff there was awesome!

 

You really should give them all a try. You never know what you will find!

CJ

[LeeW]

 

we enjoy both lines but Celebrity does tend to stay in port longer.  And of course the big Royal ships have limited places that they can dock (and we have been to those dozens of times).  

[smogfarmgirl]

I’ve appreciated all the replies! To add a little more info, we’re in our mid-40s, and hubby is not a fan of shows, per-se. We like live music, have fun with some karaoke, and want to dance a little. 
 

We thought most of the food in the MDR on allure was fantastic! A couple misses, but overall we were impressed. We did have The Key, so we got the Chops embarkation lunch and debarkation breakfast, which were both excellent. Hubby especially likes to have things to keep him busy, but a pool will do if nothing else. 
 

As we weren’t really planning another cruise, we will probably dive in and try X on the cheap end, just to give it a shot. Is it hard to be on X without doing Concierge or Aqua Class? The perks I’ve ready about (spa treatments, welcome lounge, etc) won’t be a big deal for us on this trip, but am I missing something that will ruin it for us going cheaper on this one?   

[homedepot124]

We are Pinnacle on RCCL and Elite+ on Celebrity so we have been on both a number of times. 

 

In the case of Allure, you started with the cream of the crop on RCCL.  Symphony is a close second.

The other RCCL ships are good, just not as good as Allure.  None of the shows on the other ships can top Mamma Mia on Allure.

 

We were on Celebrity Summit in July and the food and service have certainly gone downhill compared to before the shutdown. 

 

The buffet food is generally better on Celebrity, but we think the MDR food is comparable between X and RCCL.

 

 

[Airbear232]

On 9/18/2022 at 2:44 PM, smogfarmgirl said:

We just got off the Allure yesterday for our very first cruise. We really enjoyed it! The question now… Do we do another Royal Caribbean cruise, or should we try Celebrity? Pre-pandemic we had booked a cruise on Celebrity, that was canceled in March 2020. So now we are thinking of giving Celebrity a try. For those who have cruised both, what are the biggest differences/similarities, or what puts one above the other for you?

If you going with kids, I’d stay with Royal.  If just you and your significant other, then Celebrity.  Food and service much better. 

[cruzeluver]

A few more thoughts I have had on this topic.......

 

There are a lot of little touches that elevates the Celebrity experience over Royal :

 

1.rolled cloth towels in the public bathrooms instead of paper towels

2. better space-to-passenger-to-space ratios, so fewer passengers, less crowded on board

3.fruit kabobs and sorbet served poolside

4. better crew-to-passenger ratios, so more attentive service

5. Celebrity spends more per passenger on food and it shows in the quality 

 

We still love Royal as well, in fact our next cruise is on Serenade.

 

[davekathy]

We like the similarities and the differences between Celebrity and RC. 

[Mimiya11]

22 hours ago, wolfcathorse said:

we tried Equinox this past April and were not impressed. Service in MDR was super slow, seems like not enough staff. There was no feeling of being on a premium cruiseline. We won't go back. We're trying NCL next March.

 

We went on a Mexican Riviera cruise on NCL a few years back.   What we loved was their wide range of  entertainment venues.   Nothing else impressed, especially food, customer service, and high price for drink packages.   Otherwise would go on NCL again just for the entertainment and port themes. 

Having said that, Celebrity is our line of choice and perhaps you might try them again in the future after you see if NCL is your line.  Equinox is a pretty old ship and probably doesn't represent the overall line. 

Enjoy