After taking more than 70 Royal Caribbean cruises, I thought it was time to try a cruise on sister-brand Celebrity Cruises.
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45 Comments
he infinite veranda is a crap concept and the main reason why I have never sailed with Celebrity. Too many useless cabins. If it isn't a proper balcony, I'm not interested. No idea what their thinking was with this, but they really need to eliminate it going forward.
the better variety of food, at least somewhat similar to the old rcl menu, is another small reason to switch from rcl
Matt, great review and for the most part I agree with your findings. I do question your comment about the availability of drinks waiters on Royal v Celebrity. Since the restart we always struggled to find roaming bar staff on either. There are some staff, but they are not that available due to their limited numbers. Celebrity reminds me so much of Royal Caribbean back 20 plus years ago. Royal was a far more premium and traditional cruise product than we all see now. But in fairness it didn’t have the range entertainment or amenities we take for granted on more modern Royal ships either. Since Royal acquired Celebrity I have seen the shift with Royal being position more as a family cruise line to compete with the likes of Carnival. Celebrity has been kept as a more premium product, and while very contemporary, I think it caters more for the traditional cruiser in my opinion. One thing I would say is that I’d probably cruise with Celebrity more if Royal & Celebrity shared a common program. I fully agree that Royals C&A program is probably the best out there. Keep up the great work.
I love your information on ships but sometimes you talk so fast I can't understand what you're saying
I love both cruise lines. All-time favorite is royal Caribbean and NCL.
We have almost exclusively cruised on RC primarily because we live within close proximity to Galveston. Although things are changing, until recently our choices were pretty much limit to RC or Carnival. Everyone has a cruising style. When it comes to cruise lines and cruise ships there isn't a one-size-fits-all cruise experience. There really is something for everyone. I do think it is important to step outside your comfort zone from time to time. You might find yourself pleasantly surprised.
Royal are a pack of thieves, they stole my global suspension bonuses. I'm done with Royal, but if Celebrity is the same company I'll look elsewhere.
Agree with your Apex assessment! We just got off and were very disappointed by the lack of bar service and waiters
I can only warn you, the new Edge class ships are nice, but all the others are NOT up to standard.
Royal or bust
Not many waiters on NCL either. I think its because of drink package. The cruise lines dont wanna make it easy.
Matt – great video. I'd honestly been considering trying Celebrity, and after seeing your assessment I think I'm going to stick with what I know and love, and I'll just stay loyal to Royal! 🙂
Matt. The stage type is called a thrust stage. It is more suitable for singers music and more Shakespeare like shows. I have seen it used for even Japanese style shows too. Regular boradway can be done too. Just have to rethink it a little.
The traditional style of stage your are thinking of is called a proscenium stage. It has larger fly loft foe different scenes. It come from Pro Skena (may not have spelled that right) meaning in front of the Skene house. Where the back scenery would be, as well as backstage. Just some interesting information for you. This is from the theatre major in me.😊
Just got off of Apex today. We agree the bar service is bad ..
Myself & hubby are Diamond, and sister-in-law Diamond+. We decided to try Celebrity for the 1st time, and were status-matched to Celebrity Elite. We had a Concierge class cabin on the 9d Cayman-ABC over this past Thanksgiving on Equinox, and we loved it! Equinox is a Solstice-class ship, so regular balconies, not the infinity balconies that are on the Edge-class. We didn't buy the 'All Included', so we took advantage of most of the Concierge class & Elite status perks:
ELITE – seated breakfast in the Tuscan Grill (no hot items, but specialty coffee, Bloody Marys, mimosas & bellinis, plus choices of various platters of smoked salmon bagels, cheeses & fruits, meat slices of prosciutto, salami & mortadella, pastries, and juices).
ELITE – 1 complimentary laundry bag, up to 30 items wash, dry & fold
ELITE – several gatherings with complimentary drinks & sometimes with passed hors d'oeuvers: Captain's Club Welcome Party, Wine Tasting, Backstage Tour, Music & Mixology, Senior Officer Party
ELITE – 1 complimentary gelato, 1 complimentary specialty coffee in Specialty restaurant, 90 min free wi-fi
ELITE – Cocktail Hour (spent mostly at the Sky Lounge bar) where we had EXCELLENT service. A couple cocktails then a full glass of wine which we took with us to the MDR
CONCIERGE – embarkation lunch at the MDR
CONCIERGE – helipad cocktail party at sailaway from Grand Cayman
CONCIERGE – gathering at the Sky Lounge with passed drinks, hors d'oeuvres and 3 Bingo games (bottle of wine for winners)
CONCIERGE – bottle of sparkling wine (yes, we drank it!)
Agree that the other Concierge amenities weren't that exciting – daily afternoon canapes, pillow menu, bath robes…
We had GREAT entertainment every night of our 9d cruise! And there were many late nght pop-up events till 11pm (2 silent discos, white night pool deck party, ABBA night) plus music & dancing in the Sky Lounge afterwards. Not sure if the slew of entertainment was due to our great Cruise Director – Alexa from the UK!
The 1 thing we missed from Royal's perks are the drinks loaded to your card – wish Celebrity would adopt this practice.
I’m on the fence about cruising vs resorts. The price of internet is probably going to send me away or at least is a huge strike.
A cruise is not the same without the entertainment. Unless your very old or boring, just did Odessy last month. Enjoyed the live music, and was wanting even more.
I’m want to try Celebrity. Currently cruising Princess instead of Royal. Got sick of RC upcharges. WiFi and alcohol are overpriced on RC.
Princess isn’t gouging at least right now
Me in Puerto Rico thinking about getting a infinite balcony 👁️👄👁️
I’ve only done one celebrity cruise but I really really enjoyed it. It was on celebrity edge. It was in 2021 and I had a fantastic time. I would definitely not hesitate to go on another celebrity cruise.
We have moved to Celebrity from Royal. Even with their cutbacks I think the MDR is marginally better. Not interested in the 7000 folks that will be on Icon. And they don’t assume I will steal their towels and have me swipe my card and threaten to charge $25.
I do miss the free drink vouchers from Royal but we make do and spend a decent amount of time at Cafe alBacio!
You can’t compare the two. One is clearly geared towards families, adventure, entertainment, while the other is more upscale, relaxation, spa, food, for a mature audience.
I've definitely considered celebrity for an Alaskan cruise mainly because of the infinate veranda
I'm with you. We sailed Apex..my wife loved it, I prefer Royal.
We 💗 celebrity..good mix of ages, pretty ships,good food like floating spa..your points carry over..
Hmmm…wonder if that was due to ship. I was just on Beyond there was live music until 1145 most nights. Agree the WiFi is expensive. I always upgrade the drinks package. I do the “always included” as we always have a drinks package. I think no bar service when sitting is not the norm. Haven’t sailed on Apex as yet
I was thinking about taking a celebrity cruise because I am a foodie and I hear the food is better. Though I did enjoy my last royal Caribbean cruise I found there was nothing to do except go to the schooner bar- which I did every night. If there is no piano bar on celebrity I will have absolutely nothing to do. I did miss the paninis- which royal had a long time ago. And the food does look elevated on this video.. I don't know what to do. The perks of free drinks is 👍- I would miss that….
Are there any tween activities? I see young kids activities and adults but nothing in between?😢
On Celebtity the shows at night are not like Royal Caribbean and Celebrity don't have the Royal promenade.
I'd be more interested to know what your kids thought about the cruise in comparison.
Celebrity's Persian Garden is basically the same thing as a Thermal Suite pass on Royal.
We were on back to back sailings on Apex in Europe this past September and the wifi was amazing! Maybe Starlink has different coverage there? Was surprised to hear your comment on how average it was. We also were on a Celebrity ship in South American earlier this year and the Starlink coverage was subpar.
The key to the infinite veranda is to close the frosted bi fold doors when you drop the window. And, when the window is closed, you have more space in your room and floor to ceiling Sea views. I appreciate and enjoy that!
Just got off of the new ship Ascent! Unbelievable ship and we had a great Time. I love the concierge service!
We earned Diamond status on Royal and elite status on Celebrity by the number of cruises on each line. We prefer Celebrity for it’s laid back atmosphere. I believe the food on Celebrity is a little better. Also I like the suites on Celebrity better unless you are booking a Star class suite, the Royal Genie makes the cruise.
I was on the harmony of the seas docked next to your celebrity ship at Cozumel about 10 days ago 😂
Do they give you more than one bottle of champagne if requested or is it just on Embarkation day? I’m one of those people who loves champagne 😅
My husband and I did a transatlantic on the Apex Nov 5-18. We’ve been on both Royal and Celebrity and I agree with most of your critique. The reason we picked Celebrity for the TA was because of the Solarium on their ships. When weather is questionable, you can’t beat relaxing in an inclosed area. The lounge chairs are padded, you lookout on the ocean and waiters did come around taking drink orders. Also, with the sea days , there were activities and music going on around the ship all the time. The WiFi is Star-link and worked fabulously! We did have the premium but it was well worth it. Definitely consider Celebrity if you’re going somewhere where the weather is cool.
We are on the Celebrity Summit right now, and I agree with most of what was said in this video. We are Diamond Plus with Royal, and we missed the 5 drinks a day, for sure. Luckily, we hand-carried on 3 12-packs of soda instead of buying their $$$ soda/ drinks package. The food, so far, has been the best we’ve ever had on any cruise line we’ve sailed with, BUT we agree with 5 other first-time Celebrity cruisers we’ve spoken with: this cruise is just plain boring. There are not enough trivia or like activities (3-4 a day, tops.) The production shows and guest performers have been very good so far. In summation, we are very much looking forward to our next Royal Caribbean cruise.
I just took my first Oasis class ship cruise on RCL and the family loved it. We also have ICON booked for June. I am considering booking a Celebrity Ascent cruise but your video makes me think twice. On Allure there was so much to see and do that we weren't even able to see or do everything, leaving us wanting more. Our 9 yr old daughter loved the ship and the kids club so I am also worried she will be bored on a Celebrity cruise. Did your kids use the kids club on the Apex? What did they think of the cruise?
Thanks, I'll continue spending my money on RC
sorry you didn't like Celebrity. I feel the same about RC, I don't get the perks I get on Celebrity on RC. Why would I, they just kind of match and I haven't been loyal to RC where I am a diehard Celebrity cruiser. Yes, it is slower. As far as drinking, it's nice we don't get the drunks that are on RC. We get a few drinkers now and then, but not the party animals. There was plenty to do all the time. You just didn't find them all. The kids probably like RC waterparks, etc. The kids club on Celebrity is good, but any kid would probably prefer RC. That's fine with me because I really don't want to cruise with half the ship of kids, a few here and there are fine…but I like the vibe of not many kids.My cruise last week had less than 50 out of 2800 passengers. Celebrity always has a place to sit at the pool and buffet unlike RC where you have to fight the crowds of people. To each their own…if we all liked the same thing it would be a boring place.
Having sailed both recently, I'm terribly disappointed in Royal. Food was cold, lack luster and caused my SO to become ill. We ate at 3 specialty restaurants on board and those were just okay, way overpriced for the quality we received. The bed was so hard and uncomfortable, I seriously considered sleeping in a lounge chair. Service in general on Royal was disappointing. Everyone looked like they wanted to be anywhere but at where they were. Celebrity by contrast, was incredible! The food and service was top notch, beds were comfy and we left that cruise with a desire to book another one! I was hoping they would be more similar in quality and service. I will not be booking another Royal Caribbean Cruise. We booked with Carnival for next November. Figured it has to be better than what we just experienced.
My niece is the dr on the celebrity apex. From South Africa
Concierge class is not a class we would choose either. Doesn't offer anything we want. Aquaclass is much better. Doesn't the AC turn off in a regular balcony cabin when you have the doors open?
On Beyond, we had no problems finding things to do each evening, and often were disappointed when there were two shows at once & we had to miss something. There was always something going on in the martini bar area, a game on in Craft Social. Trivia isn't a thing on Celebrity, I've been saying that since our first Celebrity sailing in 2019. Less of a need to compete, I guess? We do agree that a piano bar would be good. Our guitar singer did a sing along almost every night at the Sunset Bar, so we had that.
On Celebrity status isn't as important as on Royal. It's not a thing people care about, nor flaunt like on Royal. That may be part of the difference you felt. No people wearing pins, lol. All passengers are treated like Zenith members. I think the bar service comment may vary by staffing, but it also goes back to the more relaxed atmosphere. I enjoy being able to sit down and not be constantly asked if I want a drink by every server walking by. We sailed on a Royal ship in September, after sailing Celebrity the prior two, and while it was fun and all, it reminded me why we choose Celebrity now. Did you notice the lack of announcements? One a day (unless in port, then you get a couple extra) around noon, captain & cruise director together, that's it. No sales, etc to interrupt your nap.
You didn't even mention the towels and blankets! We've always had to upgrade on Royal to the faster wifi, so there is no difference there. We're looking forward to Ascent next year!