Long time cruiser - 1st time Celebrity

[soccer2010]

We will be on Celebrity Reflection in the Spring of 2024 for an 8-nite ABC Island cruise.  We are Diamond on RCCL so we'll pick up some benefits.  Looking for tips, suggestions and what's different on Celebrity.  Thanks in advance.  I saw a decent early black friday deal so we thought that we would try something different.

[cruisestitch]

There are dozens of reviews of Reflection.  They are a good place to start.  Then search for the many posts comparing Royal and Celebrity.  Lots to read.

[D. B.]

Your Diamond on RCCL will make you Elite on X.

 If you have not done so by now you can check what perks Elite level includes on X's website.

    We have sailed on RCCL ships a lot especially the Oasis class ships because we love the Entertainment and the Central Parks on those ships.

   You did not mention your age group and weather you would be traveling with children or teenagers?

    As we are getting more "Mature" we like the vibe on X ships of the M and S class as they are a more traditional experience and less glitz and not trying to WOW you.

      But even these older ships have the features we appreciate with a good Guest to Crew ratio depending on the time of year and the Itinerary the age range of your fellow guests can vary but the lack of rock-climbing walls and waterslides helps make it quieter than RCCL.

   I hope you find cruising with Celebrity a pleasant experience.

[DaKahuna]

Your Diamond status on Royal Caribbean will make you Elite on Celebrity.  Make sure you profile reflects your status, 

 

 Unlike the drink vouchers loaded on your Sea Pass card on Royal Caribbean, Celebrity has an "Elite Happy Hour" nightly, except on embarkation and possibly the night of the Captain's Celebration.  You will be able to,  selected from a limited drink menu, get free drinks at any bar except the World Class bar, they do not have the Elite happy Hour beverages there.

 

Here is a link that outlines the privileges you will receive on Celebrity as Elite. 

 

https://www.celebritycruises.com/captains-club/tiers-and-benefits

 

 

[soccer2010]

We are both in our late 50s and will be cruising without any kids.  Relaxing by the pool and beaches is what we look forward to.

[Jim_Iain]

Welcome to Celebrity and hope you have a great cruise.    On the ABC cruise I would really recommend booking in advance a golf cart with Bonair Cruiser --   Fantastic self drive day of fun and exploration of the island on you own 

 

I know you will get good comparisons but thought I would drop that one as it was one of my favorite things on the ABC cruise.

[Cruise a holic]

We love the reflection.  Dine at the Lawn Club Grill for dinner.  IMO best speciality restaurant on board. 

Enjoy your cruise.  Also, love the ABC islands.

[chemmo]

15 hours ago, soccer2010 said:

We are both in our late 50s and will be cruising without any kids.  Relaxing by the pool and beaches is what we look forward to.

You will enjoy Celebrity….

 

The focus on RC tends to be activities and entertainment whereas on Celebrity it is more on rest and relaxation…

 

We find the food generally on Celebrity better than on RC in all venue types from the buffet to the speciality restaurants. Strongly recommend looking at a dining package.

 

Sincere best wishes for a great cruise.

[SHIP TRAVELER]

The Elite happy hour is not held on the night of embarkation so if you don't have a drink package you might want to bring on board some wine (two bottles per person allowed) to have that first evening.  Now that the drink packages are not built into all fares, I am seeing more people walking into the dining room with full glasses of wine.  Celebrity does not serve the elite happy hour drinks in the dining venues. There are sometimes free drinks served to players in the non-smoking casino.  These are some differences I notice between the two lines.

[kayehall]

13 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Welcome to Celebrity and hope you have a great cruise.    On the ABC cruise I would really recommend booking in advance a golf cart with Bonair Cruiser --   Fantastic self drive day of fun and exploration of the island on you own 

 

I know you will get good comparisons but thought I would drop that one as it was one of my favorite things on the ABC cruise.

Ditto

[rabidstoat]

4 hours ago, SHIP TRAVELER said:

The Elite happy hour is not held on the night of embarkation so if you don't have a drink package you might want to bring on board some wine (two bottles per person allowed) to have that first evening.  Now that the drink packages are not built into all fares, I am seeing more people walking into the dining room with full glasses of wine.  Celebrity does not serve the elite happy hour drinks in the dining venues. There are sometimes free drinks served to players in the non-smoking casino.  These are some differences I notice between the two lines.

 

I'm currently on the Edge. When boarding, there was a couple in the same cabin who had two bottles of wine each. They were prevented from bringing all four on board with them and told the limit was two bottles per stateroom and not two bottles per guest. They thought this was wrong but ended up just temporarily giving the two bottles to new friends they made with the couple behind them, who had no bottles of their own, and brought them in and handed them back once on the ship.

 

I went to the Celebrity site to see what the policy is and they have conflicting information, both in their Before Boarding FAQs:

 

1. In the section under "What is Celebrity Cruises’ Alcohol Policy?" it says: "Embarkation day when each guest is permitted to bring onboard with them up to two (2) bottles of wine (which are subject to a corkage fee) per guest."

 

2. In the section under "What items are prohibited onboard a Celebrity Cruises cruise ship?" it says: "Note: On boarding day, each stateroom may bring up to two 750 ml bottles of wine or champagne."

 

So in one place it says "two per guest" and in another place it says "two per stateroom." It seems like it's been enforced both ways. So your mileage may vary.