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Celebrity vs. other liners

sweetlouise

By sweetlouise,
in Celebrity Cruises

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sweetlouise

sweetlouise

Posted
Posted

This will be my 7th cruise but my first on CElebrity. How does it compare to other liners (Princess, NCL, Carnival) ??? We had a hard time finding a cruise that met with the dates we needed, we wanted 2 connecting or 2 rooms next to eachother (traveling with 2 teens), and I didn't want to be in the far bow or far stern.

 

The kids have only been on NCL and Carnival where it's very casual. Are we going to feel like we have to be dressed more formal all the time? I"m feeling a little nervous, almost like I settled because this was all we could get and we ended up spending more money than we planned and now I"m second guessing my choice. I do have until Wednesday to put down the deposit. I told our agent I wanted to talk it over with the family at dinner and get back to her but we had to put a hold on it just in case.

 

I know Celebrity offers the kids/teens club but my kids never want to do that but I'm wondering if the ship caters more to older clientele or if they do have a lot of young people. they are 14 and 16.

 

Please help me ease my mind (or help me change my mind!). We are traveling the southbound Alaska on July 31 on the Millenium.

 

Thanks,

simmy :-)

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mlmagic

mlmagic

Posted
Posted

While I have not been on Mille, so I cannot comment on that ship, I have been on Celebrity for other cruises, booked again for Alaska as well... Celebrity in my opinion:) is wonderful, I have absolutely no complaints! We have loved our X cruises and can't wait to go in August! We are also taking our 12 & 17 yr old daughters and they love cruising! They just love hanging out, reading a good book, eating, walking through all the ports and activities...it's fabulous quality family time. Thay offer wonderful food, service and ambiance...Hope this helps, You won't be dissapointed, don't worry...;)

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Lois R "Live from...." Rare

Lois R

Posted
Posted
This will be my 7th cruise but my first on CElebrity. How does it compare to other liners (Princess, NCL, Carnival) ??? We had a hard time finding a cruise that met with the dates we needed, we wanted 2 connecting or 2 rooms next to eachother (traveling with 2 teens), and I didn't want to be in the far bow or far stern.

 

The kids have only been on NCL and Carnival where it's very casual. Are we going to feel like we have to be dressed more formal all the time? I"m feeling a little nervous, almost like I settled because this was all we could get and we ended up spending more money than we planned and now I"m second guessing my choice. I do have until Wednesday to put down the deposit. I told our agent I wanted to talk it over with the family at dinner and get back to her but we had to put a hold on it just in case.

 

I know Celebrity offers the kids/teens club but my kids never want to do that but I'm wondering if the ship caters more to older clientele or if they do have a lot of young people. they are 14 and 16.

 

Please help me ease my mind (or help me change my mind!). We are traveling the southbound Alaska on July 31 on the Millenium.

 

Thanks,

simmy :-)

 

Hi,:) daytime is always casual attire....and for Alaska during the day

bring warm clothes..layering is the best.

Evenings, well, if you do a search you will find dozens of dress

code threads for evenings.

Celebrity has formal and "smart casual" choices. On a 7 night

sailing you will have 2 formal nights and 5 smart casual.

If you check their website it will give you a breakdown of it.

 

During the summer months I would guess your kids will find

other kids on board as that is when families usually vacation:)

Maybe not as many as Carnival but there are kids on board.

 

Enjoy your cruise, whichever you choose:)

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elvnga

elvnga

Posted
Posted

I did a Millinium class ship in Alaska a number of years ago and loved it. The ships are comfortable and full of nice art. Alaska was certainly less formal than the same ship in Europe. The indoor pool area on this class is very nice to have up North.

 

I have never traveled with teenagers but I have been told that experienced travelers in their teens enjoy Celebrity just fine. There were a number of teens on the Solstice in March and they seemed to be having a good time.

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leoandhugh

leoandhugh

Posted
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Here comes the other side of the coin. If you liked the casual atmosphere you found on Carnival and NCL, do not expect the same on X. Not that it is stuffy but it is certainly more formal, but fortunately Alaska cruises tend to be somewhat less formal than others - regardless of cruise line. I say, book it and go ahead; it will give you one more line with which to make future choices:)

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tiggerman101

tiggerman101

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I just booked a Celebrity cruise today and was wondering the same thing. On top of that it is a 14 day itinerary (Buenos Aires to Antarctica, Falkland Islands, Cape Horn). The ships look lovely, but this is a longer cruise with a lot of sea days. We really wanted the itinerary which is why we booked. I have been wondering about the atmosphere of the ship. It is on the Celebrity Infinity. It is a long way away, but I really wanted an aft balcony cabin which is why I booked so early.

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Casino Player

Casino Player

Posted
Posted
This will be my 7th cruise but my first on CElebrity. How does it compare to other liners (Princess, NCL, Carnival) ??? We had a hard time finding a cruise that met with the dates we needed, we wanted 2 connecting or 2 rooms next to eachother (traveling with 2 teens), and I didn't want to be in the far bow or far stern.

 

The kids have only been on NCL and Carnival where it's very casual. Are we going to feel like we have to be dressed more formal all the time? I"m feeling a little nervous, almost like I settled because this was all we could get and we ended up spending more money than we planned and now I"m second guessing my choice. I do have until Wednesday to put down the deposit. I told our agent I wanted to talk it over with the family at dinner and get back to her but we had to put a hold on it just in case.

 

I know Celebrity offers the kids/teens club but my kids never want to do that but I'm wondering if the ship caters more to older clientele or if they do have a lot of young people. they are 14 and 16.

 

Please help me ease my mind (or help me change my mind!). We are traveling the southbound Alaska on July 31 on the Millenium.

 

Thanks,

simmy :-)

 

A Lloyd Lindey Young greeting to you sweetlouise: I have sailed on Celebrity several times. Celebrity and Carnival are our two favorite cruise lines. I have been on RCCL, Regal Cruises, and NCL other than the already mentioned lines. My wife and I have taken multiple cruises on both Carnival and Celebrity. Only one each for other lines we have so far been on.

You will not have to dress more formal all the time. Dress for dinner is usually smart casual. Don't wear jeans, bathing suit, t-shirt, shorts, flip flops, sandals, or sneakers for dinner. Don't second guess your choice of Celebrity Cruise Line. It is a Greek line. It used to be called Chandris Cruises. They make you feel like a VIP. The have excellent service and the food is very good. I think Carnival has the best food. Celebrity Cruise Line cost a little more because it is a premuim cruise line. You will not have announcements for everything.

I mostly travel during the school year. So most lines at that time will cater to an older crowd. On past Celebrity cruises I have played in a table tennis tournament, and they have outdoor sports facilities (basketball, paddle tennis). You and your family should have a good time.

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LynneL

LynneL

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This doesn't answer your question about if Celebrity is more formal than other lines but just something I noticed on my Alaska cruise...

 

I sailed on Royal Caribbean and found the Alaska cruise to be a bit quieter than our cruises to the Caribbean, in part due to less kids on board even though it was in July. That may be the case no matter which line you choose. Seems to be the way on the Canada cruises too. Caribbean cruises are much more lively.

 

However, there were so many great things to do in Alaska as a family (check the port boards for some great tour suggestions) that if things are a bit quieter when back on board, the kids may not mind. If your ship has an enclosed pool, have them bring their swimsuits. On our cruise most people seemed to be thinking cooler weather & left swimsuits home. My few times in the pool I had it pretty much all to myself!

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sweetlouise

sweetlouise

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Some of the things we loved about Carnival were the fun & goofy activities they did: TV Theme Song Trivia, for which we won a "24 kt. gold plastic ship on a stick" (trophy), jeopardy style game show, newlywed/not-so-newlywed game, scavenger hunt on deck, hypnotist, etc. Do they do these types of things on Celebrity ????

 

Simmy :-)

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Casino Player

Casino Player

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Posted
Some of the things we loved about Carnival were the fun & goofy activities they did: TV Theme Song Trivia, for which we won a "24 kt. gold plastic ship on a stick" (trophy), jeopardy style game show, newlywed/not-so-newlywed game, scavenger hunt on deck, hypnotist, etc. Do they do these types of things on Celebrity ????

 

Simmy :-)

 

Celebrity does not do most of the items you listed. They did have a hypnotist give a show once though.

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Lois R "Live from...." Rare

Lois R

Posted
Posted
Some of the things we loved about Carnival were the fun & goofy activities they did: TV Theme Song Trivia, for which we won a "24 kt. gold plastic ship on a stick" (trophy), jeopardy style game show, newlywed/not-so-newlywed game, scavenger hunt on deck, hypnotist, etc. Do they do these types of things on Celebrity ????

 

Simmy :-)

 

Hi:), actually everytime I have sailed to the Caribbean they

have had "music trivia" out at the pool.

And from people I have talked to who have attended they have

also had the Newylewed Game.

Now they are probably not having the game around the pool

to Alaska;)

No scavenger hunts that I recall and no jeopardy either.

But they do have 2 styles of trivia...TEAM and Battle of The Sexes.

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T0M Cruzer

T0M Cruzer

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I'll chime in too. For background we are backpackers and endurance junkies. We are both upper management (I'm a CFO). We are the casual sort. I'm in agriculture, so even though I'm a CFO you'll find me in jeans on most days. Our friends can't believe we are cruisine enthusiasts, but we have around 25 cruises under our belts. That give you a point of reference?

 

We love the Alaska itinerary for it's active persuits, our kids (when they were teens) did too. The last Alaskan cruise we did with Celebrity was on the Infinity. It was wonderful. It is a little more laid back for teens than, say, Carnival, but there was plenty for them to do at all times. Plus, in my experience, the eating is what they like to spend a lot of time at and Celebrity has great food.

 

The difference that I see between RCL and CCL is the difference in the way the staff operates, and it's fairly subtle. (I should mention that I used to be a restaurant trouble shooter.) RCL (Royal and Celebrity lines) seems to have a policy where their staff has to be friendly to each other, as well as the guests. They are much more proactive in their persuit of making you comfortable. CCL (Carnival and Princess) is a little more relaxed in their approach towards guests, maybe a little more informal too.

 

So it really depends on what you like. For us, it's kind of funny. We prefer the attitude of the staffing on CCL, but the decor and entertainment on RCL. We had a suite with a butler once (on a Royal ship) and will never do that again. It was way too much of a good thing for us.

 

I think I can safely say that you will have a good time on whatever cruise you choose. I can't think of any cruise that we ever did where our kids said, "Gee, I don't ever want to do that again." My kids are now adults and bring their significant others with them, so I would say it's been a hit.

 

Carol (and Tom)

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sweetlouise

sweetlouise

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We changed our mind about Celebrity (mostly because we were not comfortable with the $$ it was going to cost) and booked with Princess instead. It's saving us over $2,000 overall which can be put towards next year's cruise..

 

Thanks to everyone that answered :-)

 

 

simmy

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Longboysfan

Longboysfan

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I just booked a Celebrity cruise today and was wondering the same thing. On top of that it is a 14 day itinerary (Buenos Aires to Antarctica, Falkland Islands, Cape Horn). The ships look lovely, but this is a longer cruise with a lot of sea days. We really wanted the itinerary which is why we booked. I have been wondering about the atmosphere of the ship. It is on the Celebrity Infinity. It is a long way away, but I really wanted an aft balcony cabin which is why I booked so early.

 

You will love that aft balcony.

Great rooms there.

If they have it at night the singer is there in the evening on deck 10? You can lock your door open a bit and hear him.

Great room to have friends you bring along and ship friends in. The room steward will give you some extra plates of snacks for them and the sushi bar above you can get that also and bring it down.

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Morris4me

Morris4me

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Straight from Celebrity's website:

 

Onboard Activities: http://http://www.celebritycruises.com/whyceleb/singleThumbTxtSub.do;jsessionid=0000_EPJRwhBviwh3S9VsOE947J:12hdebcnj?pagename=onboard_activities

 

Youth programs: http://http://www.celebritycruises.com/whyceleb/heroSingleTxtSub.do;jsessionid=0000_EPJRwhBviwh3S9VsOE947J:12hdebcnj?pagename=childrens_programs

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