Celebrity is not more expensive

[billc23]

4 hours ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

What you listed is not free but included in the price 

 

I interpret Free to mean no extra charge... and it may be less ambiguous to say included.

[Dolebludger]

Well, yes. Regent advertises many things as “free” when it should be labeled as “included”. It is the usual cruise line marketing  language, which is just wrong. The real answer to this crap is to see what is included in the cruise you are looking at to book. Whether it is called “free” or called “included” you will get it. If not, you will not. If not it will be at extra cost, which will be high, as you are in a floating monopolopy!

[RichYak]

3 hours ago, zitsky said:

What’s your definition of a vigorous excursion?

Waking up hungover after a long night at the martini bar, gorging myself with scrambled eggs, bacon and coffee, making my way off the ship and trying to follow the person who is holding up a paddle with the same number as the sticker on my shirt…

 

Oh sorry, you were asking someone else

[markeb]

9 minutes ago, RichYak said:

Waking up hungover after a long night at the martini bar, gorging myself with scrambled eggs, bacon and coffee, making my way off the ship and trying to follow the person who is holding up a paddle with the same number as the sticker on my shirt…

 

Oh sorry, you were asking someone else

 

Ah. Grad school. Other than the cruise ship and the paddle and number.

 

That was a few years, I mean decades, ago...

[Dolebludger]

No, cool man, you can answer. You are me 40 years ago. But 40 years from then, we (and you) may want different cruise experiences. At 80 years old, I go to bed early, and drink much in the afternoon., we don’t stay up at night . And we don’t care much about late night activities on a cruise. Ship. 

 

[RichYak]

14 minutes ago, markeb said:

 

Ah. Grad school. Other than the cruise ship and the paddle and number.

 

That was a few years, I mean decades, ago...

Ha. My misspent youth came at a much younger age. I never did make it to grad school. I hit the ground running after claiming to have graduated from college with a BS degree (I eventually got that degree). No regrets at all. I did ok.

[markeb]

9 minutes ago, Dolebludger said:

No, cool man, you can answer. You are me 40 years ago. But 40 years from then, we (and you) may want different cruise experiences. At 80 years old, I go to bed early, and drink much in the afternoon., we don’t stay up at night . And we don’t care much about late night activities on a cruise. Ship. 

 

 

So many of these have turned into Celebrity, the current Celebrity, not some idolized history of Celebrity, versus a luxury cruise line. With little or no context. Didn't realize until the last few posts that you were 80. That's not a negative, but it provides context. I'm 61, but have potentially life shortening health issues and we're trying to enjoy life while we can. Our views on some of these things are a generation apart.

 

I do still enjoy some late night activity, although I fade a lot earlier than I did in my 20's or 30's. I'd rather hear the Foo Fighters than Sinatra on most nights (not all; Frank is still great). We're game to the notion of small ships, but not sure. The minibar is irrelevant to me. It's about 45 minutes for me to get to Union Station in DC and 3 hours from there to Midtown Manhattan on the train. Nothing in a cruise ship restaurant is going to compare to what I can get in Manhattan. And at some of the per person per night rates quoted in this thread my wife and I can stay in a very nice hotel in Manhattan and actually, believe it or not, eat multiple nights at Michelin 3-Star restaurants. Those aren't the rates I normally spend on a cruise, but that's what I'm comparing in my mind. And most days of the week I'd rather be in Manhattan than on a cruise ship if it's the same money. Or London, Munich, Naples, etc. And I do enjoy cruising!

 

I suspect we'll explore other lines more thoroughly in the future. We have a comfort level with the Celebrity and Royal Caribbean products. We're probably more likely to move laterally, maybe back to HAL, although there's also a memory of a cruise line that's almost certainly significantly different than when we last cruised them. The jump to the luxury lines requires a mental leap and normalizing $15-20K or more for a week long vacation, and we're not yet there.

 

If I'm lucky enough to make it to 80, I suspect my perspective will be more like yours. Who knows, the minibar may even become important! 😃

 

Fair winds and following seas...

[Dolebludger]

No, sir, I did not study at Harvard. My grand son there is in his third semester sophomore year. He is on their football team as offensive lineman. And I think he will end up in fine shape. But I didn’t attend any “fancy colleges”. I did get a law degree, however. My grand daughter is in middle school here in Durango, she is interested in jazz drumming, dance, and art. She will get any education she needs to launch. I guarantee! 
 

‘So, I am interested in choosing a cruise for me and wife that will be a real “service” cruise. In 2019, it was a Royal Suite cruise on the  Equinox. Then, the ship was a little shoddy, but the cruise (for the price) was great. Now, the price for such a cruise is out of the ball park. So what do we do? We book a cruise on Regent/Splendor for less, and  we get more. Sorry, guys.

[Dolebludger]

38 minutes ago, markeb said:

 

So many of these have turned into Celebrity, the current Celebrity, not some idolized history of Celebrity, versus a luxury cruise line. With little or no context. Didn't realize until the last few posts that you were 80. That's not a negative, but it provides context. I'm 61, but have potentially life shortening health issues and we're trying to enjoy life while we can. Our views on some of these things are a generation apart.

 

I do still enjoy some late night activity, although I fade a lot earlier than I did in my 20's or 30's. I'd rather hear the Foo Fighters than Sinatra on most nights (not all; Frank is still great). We're game to the notion of small ships, but not sure. The minibar is irrelevant to me. It's about 45 minutes for me to get to Union Station in DC and 3 hours from there to Midtown Manhattan on the train. Nothing in a cruise ship restaurant is going to compare to what I can get in Manhattan. And at some of the per person per night rates quoted in this thread my wife and I can stay in a very nice hotel in Manhattan and actually, believe it or not, eat multiple nights at Michelin 3-Star restaurants. Those aren't the rates I normally spend on a cruise, but that's what I'm comparing in my mind. And most days of the week I'd rather be in Manhattan than on a cruise ship if it's the same money. Or London, Munich, Naples, etc. And I do enjoy cruising!

 

I suspect we'll explore other lines more thoroughly in the future. We have a comfort level with the Celebrity and Royal Caribbean products. We're probably more likely to move laterally, maybe back to HAL, although there's also a memory of a cruise line that's almost certainly significantly different than when we last cruised them. The jump to the luxury lines requires a mental leap and normalizing $15-20K or more for a week long vacation, and we're not yet there.

 

If I'm lucky enough to make it to 80, I suspect my perspective will be more like yours. Who knows, the minibar may even become important! 😃

 

Fair winds and following seas...

 

[Dolebludger]

Well, if things important to you are available on X for the best price, go for it!  But BTW, we don’t pay the prices  you quote for Regent. But I will say that its prices  are  too high also. Everything in the hospitality  industry has become priced too high. I am preparing to just stay home here in the SW Rocky Mountains, because of the cost of going elsewhere costs too much. That is what it may be for us, after our two booked Regent cruise.

[ChucktownSteve]

8 hours ago, SusieAV8R said:

Is the bedroom separated from the main area in a Regent Penthouse suite like it is with a Celebrity Suite and above?

 I haven't sailed this ship yet but looking forward to it.  But it appears there is a wall between the two.

 

Here's a link to to a 360 degree virtual tour through Grandeur's Penthouse Suite.  You can drag and "walk" throughout the layout. 

https://www.rssc.com/discover-more/virtual-suite-tours/seven-seas-grandeur/penthouse-suite

 

 

[ChucktownSteve]

4 hours ago, markeb said:

 

So many of these have turned into Celebrity, the current Celebrity, not some idolized history of Celebrity, versus a luxury cruise line. With little or no context. Didn't realize until the last few posts that you were 80. That's not a negative, but it provides context. I'm 61, but have potentially life shortening health issues and we're trying to enjoy life while we can. Our views on some of these things are a generation apart.

 

I do still enjoy some late night activity, although I fade a lot earlier than I did in my 20's or 30's. I'd rather hear the Foo Fighters than Sinatra on most nights (not all; Frank is still great). We're game to the notion of small ships, but not sure. The minibar is irrelevant to me. It's about 45 minutes for me to get to Union Station in DC and 3 hours from there to Midtown Manhattan on the train. Nothing in a cruise ship restaurant is going to compare to what I can get in Manhattan. And at some of the per person per night rates quoted in this thread my wife and I can stay in a very nice hotel in Manhattan and actually, believe it or not, eat multiple nights at Michelin 3-Star restaurants. Those aren't the rates I normally spend on a cruise, but that's what I'm comparing in my mind. And most days of the week I'd rather be in Manhattan than on a cruise ship if it's the same money. Or London, Munich, Naples, etc. And I do enjoy cruising!

 

I suspect we'll explore other lines more thoroughly in the future. We have a comfort level with the Celebrity and Royal Caribbean products. We're probably more likely to move laterally, maybe back to HAL, although there's also a memory of a cruise line that's almost certainly significantly different than when we last cruised them. The jump to the luxury lines requires a mental leap and normalizing $15-20K or more for a week long vacation, and we're not yet there.

 

If I'm lucky enough to make it to 80, I suspect my perspective will be more like yours. Who knows, the minibar may even become important! 😃

 

Fair winds and following seas...

I believe I was were you are now. I'm halfway between you two in age.  A few years ago I did an analysis of my retirement account with very conservative returns and very high spending for vacations to see how much would be left at age 92, if I lived that long.  I wound up changing my cruising paradigm. I didn't see why I should leave so much to nieces and nephews. 

 

Before retiring, I was a workaholic and  planning for retirement. I did take cruises but not as many. Plus the market has been exceptionally good to me. That's when I began elevating to premium and luxury cruise lines. I found I liked it more than mass market lines on large ships.

I enjoy the variety of various itineraries on a cruise while gaining a glimpse of places I've not been before.  So many places to see and so little time before my sell by date.Then I look at cost pp/pn with what's included. IMO, I've also found value at the higher cruise level. 

Those that enjoy destination inclusive resorts or large cities in upscale accommodations do what they enjoy more than cruising. I prefer getting away on the water. It relaxes me more between ports.

[Gracie115]

56 minutes ago, ChucktownSteve said:

 I haven't sailed this ship yet but looking forward to it.  But it appears there is a wall between the two.

 

Here's a link to to a 360 degree virtual tour through Grandeur's Penthouse Suite.  You can drag and "walk" throughout the layout. 

https://www.rssc.com/discover-more/virtual-suite-tours/seven-seas-grandeur/penthouse-suite

 

 

 

 

Wow...what a beautiful suite.

[zitsky]

My husband is 59.  He won’t go back to Viking until he’s 95.  We’d rather get a smaller SS cabin on Celebrity and be in the Retreat for less than $15,000.  Plus airfare.  And we have a proper theatre for entertainment.  
 

I suppose we could maybe find a cabin for less on Regent but he likes the Celebrity entertainment.

 

I listen to Barbra Streisand and Billy Idol.  I’m looking forward to their Christmas concert together on Celebrity.

[Oceangoer2]

14 hours ago, jean87510 said:

Yes.  I think it's new to Caribbean.  Only has 2 yachts.  Our trip will visit Anegada, Anguilla, St Bart, Saba, Virgin Gorda, Norman Islands, Jost Van dyke.  Leaves from Saint Martin.  It doesn't dock.  They anchor offshore.  It's perfect for us as we just like active stuff, don't gamble, don't go to shows.  They take you on the rubber boats to shore.

Those 'rubber boats' were scary at first then I found my balance...some of the ports have names I haven't heard before...not the 'same old, same old'.  I think I could conduct tours on most of those we visit...😊.  Your cruise sounds lovely...enjoy!

[NMTraveller]

Celebrity entertainment ...  Grade C or B at best.  Not going on a lux line because of the entertainment ...  LOL

[jean87510]

2 hours ago, Oceangoer2 said:

Those 'rubber boats' were scary at first then I found my balance...some of the ports have names I haven't heard before...not the 'same old, same old'.  I think I could conduct tours on most of those we visit...😊.  Your cruise sounds lovely...enjoy!

Yep, beats the Nassau, CocoCay itinerary definitely!  

 

We decided recently to just pick active cruises based on itinerary moving forward (Alaska, French Polynesian/Australia, the ABCs, and unique places once my husband finally retires).  

[kirtihk]

On 3/3/2024 at 9:31 AM, zitsky said:

So I listened to all the folks saying Celebrity is expensive.  So I got a quote from Regent for a 14 day Japan cruise all inclusive with airfare in a Penthouse B suite with butler.  It came out to ONLY $49,000 for two pax.  I just about fell off my chair.

 

I realize a better comparison might be a veranda cabin which I’ve peeked at before on the website but never formally priced out.  But since Celebrity includes a butler again in all suites I wanted to compare butler for butler.

 

However I still don’t quite see how Celebrity is more expensive than THAT.  I’m not quite ready to spend that much on a cruise.  Unless I get free toilet paper.

Butler to butler comparison is not proper (it's only 1 aspect of pricing).  Also, Regent includes business class air fare, excursions in all ports, and unlimited Premium drinks.  Also, as I wrote on many occasions, on Regent the entire ship is at everyone's dispose while on Celebrity it's only 1 Retreat area.  Also, on Regent usable ships' space area per person is the largest of all cruise lines' ships.  Also, on Regent crew to passengers ratio (0.75 on Splendor, for example) is much higher than on Celebrity (0.45 on Edge, for example).

[Oceangoer2]

32 minutes ago, jean87510 said:

Yep, beats the Nassau, CocoCay itinerary definitely!  

 

We decided recently to just pick active cruises based on itinerary moving forward (Alaska, French Polynesian/Australia, the ABCs, and unique places once my husband finally retires).  

Good for you both!  Do IT before age gets in the way.

[kirtihk]

On 3/4/2024 at 6:31 PM, zitsky said:

Do Regent and Oceania have much entertainment?  

On our Regent Splendor cruise the theater orchestra had their own performance show in one of cozy lounges every night from 10:30 pm until midnight, and that was after their almost daily double theater performance!  And their show was different every night!!!.  I made friends (the band manager and flute player Wesley from New York and 2 lovely Ukrainian musicians - Yevgeniy and Stas) with few of them (talking for an hour or so over drinks after midnight - they are allowed to have drinks after the show).

[kirtihk]

18 hours ago, ChucktownSteve said:

When we booked a 2/2026 Regent Grandeur 14 day/ 8 ports Southern Caribbean (including the ABCs) last week, we got a 2 category free upgrade to Penthouse suite; (561-626 SQ FT). Without air or the pre-cruise hotel, it came to $782 pp/pn.

Included are:

 FREE Unlimited Shore Excursions

 FREE Unlimited Premium Beverages, Including Fine Wines and Spirits

 FREE Open Bars and Lounges Plus In-Suite Mini-Bar Replenished Daily

 FREE Pre-Paid Gratuities

 FREE three Specialty Restaurants

 FREE 24-Hour Room Service

 FREE Unlimited Wi-Fi

 FREE Daily Valet Laundry Service

 PENTHOUSE SUITES AND HIGHER INCLUDE: FREE Personal Butler and more

 

On Celebrity Ascent, also in 2/2026, an 11 night/6 port Southern Caribbean (without the ABCs) in a Celebrity Suite; (501 SQ FT) is $836 pp/pn. It includes the Luminae specialty restaurant only, premium liquor, butler, gratuity and wi-fi.

 

Since the Regent Penthouse Suite falls between the Celebrity Suit and Royal Suite, (which is 759 SQ FT), I didn’t price the latter because the Celebrity Suite is already more expensive.

 

IMO, Regent has had the best food I’ve eaten at sea with a wide variety of everyday options of upscale seafood and USDA Prime steak not available on Celebrity without an up charge. Our last three cruises were on Regent totaling 43 nights.  We have three booked on Azamara and one on Regent. 

 

Celebrity used to be our go to until about three years ago just after we hit elite+ and they shortened many cruises. We like 14 to 18 day sailings.  However too many cuts finally chased us to find other value.

 

Unlike the title of this thread, in my case, Celebrity is more expensive than Regent.

                                                                                                                                             

Seabourn food is great, too!  And it includes unlimited 24-hour black caviar served anywhere (literally) on the ship.  Unlimited red caviar is also available daily at the sushi time (6-7 pm before dinner in a lounge).

[Liao]

54 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

Celebrity entertainment ...  Grade C or B at best.  Not going on a lux line because of the entertainment ...  LOL

But like food, like/dislike of the entertainment is subjective.

[PTC DAWG]

11 hours ago, RichYak said:

Waking up hungover after a long night at the martini bar, gorging myself with scrambled eggs, bacon and coffee, making my way off the ship and trying to follow the person who is holding up a paddle with the same number as the sticker on my shirt…

 

I resemble that remark.  Only difference is the Casino came into play at some point...I can't pass a craps table with action going on.  🙂

 

Thus I think I would be bored stiff on the large yachts people keep crowing about here.  I'll charter my own boat in the Caribbean if I want to sail with 10 people.  

 

Choices are good..I do agree the Retreat is not for me...the Retreat Lounge reminds me of a Dr's waiting room...the pool/sundeck on the E class ships is nice...I have much more enjoyed my Yacht Club cruises over my Retreat cruises..the YC is just a more inviting area to me.  Lounge/breakfast/lunch buffets by the pool are all very appealing to me.  

[PTC DAWG]

1 hour ago, NMTraveller said:

Celebrity entertainment ...  Grade C or B at best.  Not going on a lux line because of the entertainment ...  LOL

 

 

Laughing at people for their opinion, that's a good one.  

Edited March 6 by PTC DAWG

[Stem to Stern]

5 hours ago, Gracie115 said:

 

 

Wow...what a beautiful suite.

It definitely puts the hoppenized and revolutionized sky suites on Summit to shame.