hbrote

Were they offering free drinks? Just curious.

Not with this price.

Ive never seen a Celebrity price anywhere near the carnival pricing

I just returned from a five day Celebrity cruise and paid $319 pp for a Concierge level balcony. Carnival prices for an ocean view were more. I would look around more and you can find great deals on all lines.

HI all!

 

hbrote ~ enjoyed your comparison of Carnival & X. I too think the food is better on X. Do they still welcome you onboard with champagne or another drink? I like the concierge cabins too, love the flowers, hors d'oeuvres & wine.

I'm just going on my 3rd Carnival cruise but really liking the differences.

 

~ Jo ~ :)

If they had the welcome champagne I must have gotten by without noticing.

Yes the small things with concierge cabins are very nice and we enjoyed them.

Sounds like you need to stick with Celebrity. I see everything except check in was much more to your liking than anything Carnival has to offer. We are 50's and still love the Fun Fun Fun. I think we may always like it. But that doesn't mean we won't ever try another line. Kind of scared to though because I feel they'll be "too old"..lol for us.

Wow, how did you read that into my post...... I stated I would still cruise Carnival, just had another brand to consider. :D

You are upset that the cruise now cost more than when you booked, that makes little to no sense.

How did you get I'm upset ???? Because I used a bold and Italicized a word ?

How about this "Kids don't sail free". Telling folks "Kids Sail Free" is not a true statement, is it ???? I guess in our present society a false statement means nothing. Sorry I even answered the question.

I booked our upcoming cruise of the Freedom and we are taking our children and grandchildren. The first time I saw the sale listed I went and tried a fake booking and the results were more than I paid booking a year ago. Pretty poor business model the new CEO has. Did they think folks wouldn't catch on.

I wonder if others have noticed prices have not come down on future cruises.

I've been booked for over a year and not seen on REAL price drop. Only phoney sales.

How was the entertainment?

 

I too have been abandoning Lido due to the sound level the DJ plays. I was very happy 2 wks ago on Legend when it was a new DJ and the sound was appropriate. Could actually hear the music, not the noise!

The entertainment was very good. I do have to say I never make it to shows, so I can't comment on these. Other folks said they were good. The music played by the different groups I heard (2), were very good. No DJ on the lido / pool deck during boarding the five piece group and singer were excellent. We were in the "Revelations Lounge" on deck 11 (beautiful views) and the had a DJ after the karaoki and he was good playing a great mix at a volume level that was pleasant. I'm really hoping they get the DJ volume issue in control on the Freedom before our upcoming cruise.

On a lighter side, I let John Heald know that I had finally heard the DJ & music on the Freedom at a comfortable level, but I was a quarter mile away on an other ship. John must be getting plenty of complaints as he took interest in what I said on FB. I know that I have complained for a few years now. By the way I love almost every type of music from the 40's through the 90's.

I love Carnival but I'm getting older and just really want something with a little less FUN FUN FUN being shoved down my throat.

I know your what you are saying. We find ourselves spending less time on the Lido deck on each cruise and staying in and around the Serenity area's. I'm not saying I retire to the cabin after dinner but we still spend times in the lounges. I really had great times in the Martini bar, perhaps to good a time one evening.

We just returned from a quick five day cruise aboard the Celebrity Constellation (4/5/14) which we booked at the last minute for a price that was to good to pass up. My wife and I had been discussing trying another cruise line for a bit of time now and this cruise was perfect. We both have cruised only with Carnival and we are not unhappy with the cruise line. We did however, wanted to expand our horizons.

We were not sure how boarding was handled by Celebrity so we went by their instructions on our cruise documents. As stated, boarding would be at 11:30AM and we should arrive thirty minutes earlier. Celebrity lets people go right onto the ship once you have checked in (which is nice) but getting through check in was a little trying and no one was checked in until 11:30AM. At least they stick to their schedule but you are on your feet the entire time. Someone with problems standing for a long time should wait until a later time to check in. We boarded the Constellation at 12:00PM and were impressed by immediately by the décor of the ship. Unlike the designs of Joe Farcus, who must have loved Circus Circus in Las Vegas, the interior of Constellation was done in a much more subtle and refined designed. I believe this helps to set the tone of the cruise “right off the bat”.

Our staterooms would not be ready until 1:30PM so off to the Pool deck we went. The first thing I noticed was the level of music being played. You could actually talk to someone at your table. When we first arrived they were playing recorded music but the band was setting up and would be playing live shortly. We found a table near a service bar and relaxed with a cocktail, enjoying the music while deciding what we would eat for lunch. I decide on a burger and fry's that were excellent. While on Carnival I have had “Guys” burgers and the regular burgers served on the Lido deck and can say I enjoyed the burger on Celebrity more. My wife opted to try “Ocean View Cafe” to see what offerings they had. She returned with a Tuna and Chicken Salad which she said were “Wonderful”. About half way through our meal the band started to play and we were both prepared to be blasted out of our seats but were pleasantly surprised that the music level was enjoyable. I don't want to sound like an complainer but we have walked off the Lido deck on Carnival due to the DJ blaring music at a level where you could not talk to each other. I think it has been like this since the incorporation of the DJ on Carnival.

At 1:30PM promptly the announcement was made that all cabins were ready and we headed down to see what ours was like. We had booked a “Concierge Class” balcony, mid ship on deck eight. Once again the décor of the cabin was very nice, along the lines of the newly remodeled cabins on Carnival. I haven't been in a balcony cabin on Carnival for years. From what I remember the cabin might have been a bit more narrow than the Carnival but the balcony was longer than the suites on the Carnival Freedom . All and all I was not disappointed with our Stateroom. A bottle of champagne was chilling and awaiting sail away which is a nice touch they provide. Again promptly at 4:00 PM our muster drill was held and I dreaded standing in lines, waiting for late comers and packed in like sardines. We were both pleasantly surprised when we were told to meet in the theater for the drill. Celebrity does not have you wait outside, wonderful. In the case of a real emergency you would still report to the theater to be escorted to the life boats. I really appreciated this more than you know. By the way there were no drinks present and everyone paid attention, not being disruptive.

After the conclusion of the safety drill went back to the stateroom for sail away and a bit of champagne. Out on the balcony we anticipated our departure and were hearing some distinct music and a DJ. Funny but it wasn't from the Constellation. About a quarter of a mile away the Carnival Freedom was getting ready to leave and we were entertained by the DJ playing. You could hear everything said by the DJ and the lyrics of the songs perfectly. I certainly hope they turn the volume down on our next cruise.

We had Celebrity Select Dinning and made reservations for the next three days in the San Marco dinning room. I would like to say that the quality of the food aboard Celebrity is, in my opinion, much better than offered by Carnival. Service in the San Marco was impeccable and you did not have to wait a large amount of time between courses. Overall the food quality was excellent or better.

One of the bars aboard, The Martini Bar, was the place were a lot of the passengers spent time. Open at 4:00 PM promptly, you would get there a little bit early to get a seat at the bar proper. Celebrity has their best bartenders here and they all put on quite a show. The real neat thing, at least to us, was the chilled bar surface. It made a neat tablet for sketching and the more the cocktails were enjoyed more sketching was done.

Another enjoyable area was the “Cafe Al Bacio” a coffee bar with great tasting products served with a flair. Service here was also wonderful and you could enjoy a cappuccino while relaxing in a comfortable chair while watching the sea go by.

I know we did not explore some sections of the ship but of the areas we visited, they were all excellent.

The entire crew were approachable and more than helpful.

We like our short time aboard the Constellation that we booked another cruise and look forward to exploring more fully the Constellation.

Carnival and Celebrity are without a doubt different products. We will continue to cruise Carnival based on the selection of ports and time of year of the cruise but we now have another choice with our addition of Celebrity. I know we will cruise with Celebrity more often.

Overall. We fell in love with Celebrity and booked another cruise for next year .

Thank You for your review, I enjoyed comparing your views on Celebrity to ours. We have cruised on Carnival and just completed our first Celebrity cruise. We agree almost one hundred percent with your experience as compared to our cruise on the Constellation. We also booked while aboard for a twelve day European in 2015. Thanks again....

We just returned from our first Celebrity cruise aboard the Constellation. We did not find the music levels to high at all. In fact on the pool deck my wife and I could converse at the table with saying "What ?". As I said this was our first Celebrity cruise and all other have been on Carnival. You cannot converse, on the lido deck, with others at your table due to extremely high volume levels used by the DJ . I have complained about this after every cruise and it never seems to change. I happened to leave John Heald, brand ambassador for Carnival, a note on Facebook stating that for the first time I had experienced the music volume at a pleasant level from the Freedom but I was a quarter of a mile away leaving port on the Constellation.

Celebrity has an "Outstanding product", as we have discovered. We enjoyed ourselves so much we booked a twelve day cruise aboard the Constellation in Europe for 2015.

At least ten hours and in Venice overnight. Venice is a wonderful city this we need to explore more. An example of sites visited while in Rome were the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, a wonderful lunch and the Vatican Museum and St. Peter's Basilica. It was a full day with guides for the Vatican which saved so much time. On our next cruise most ports will be eleven hours and another overnight in Venice. Hope you find a great cruise and you will enjoy yourselves

we are not sure whether to do a inland trip of Italy, or do a cruise to Italy.

We did a cruise of Italy last year of the Carnival Sunshine and enjoyed it immensely. It was 12 days long with two sea days, which were appreciated. We visited Venice, Dubrovnik, Messina Sicily, Naples, Rome, Monaco,

You bet, we just booked another cruise this time including the Greek Islands and Turkey. This time we plan to spend a couple of days extra in Venice, traveling to Florence and back to Rome for the trip home. Don't be afraid to go for it and make sure you have a year in which to get all of your plans together. We made great use of the Roll Call on CC, met some wonderful people and had great excursions. The most fun is planning everything and seeing it come to fruition. :D

Just back Thursday from the Constellation and the service in the MDR and the rest of the ship was superlative. This was our first cruise on Celebrity and we were more than pleased. Booked the Constellation for Europe while on board.

Fantastic ship and crew........

We just returned from our first cruise with Celebrity and found the music levels on the pool deck fine. On Carnival, the music levels verge on 110db on the Lido deck. You can not talk with someone sitting next to you. As we pulled away from the pier in Fort Lauderdale you could hear distinctly the DJ and music from the Carnival Freedom even though we were a quarter of a mile away. I think this is a little excessive.

If I wanted to eat without a table cloth I would eat in the Lideo Deck Buffet not the Main Dinning Room. It's all in the name and perhaps they will change the name to Main Buffet.

First, I'm a coffee drinker and hated the coffee on board Carnival ships. On our last cruse on the Valor I again tried coffee in the dining room. Hey, this is different, prompting me to ask if the had changed. To my surprise our waiter

seemed taken back by the question, and with a smile, he added, they had in fact changed. A great surprise to me, it wasn't bad at all. Thank you for listening Carnival.

We got ours last week on the Valor.

GAPearl, Thanks for a great review AGAIN. We have followed your reviews and kind of your cruises just a few months after you have done them. Headed off in October to the Valor. Thanks Again......

Here's another Maritime Academy http://www.maritime.edu/.

They have their own freighter and turn out officers. The "Jone Act" put the USA out of the cruise business with their requirements for a US Flagged ship.

Here you go....

We NEVER get in a hot tub (notice no one leaves to use the bathroom)

We NEVER get in a pool (same as above)

WE NEVER go to the Comedy Club

We NEVER use the internet services (it's vacation)

We NEVER watch anything on the horrid Big Screen

We NEVER go to a TALK

We NEVER learned how to fold towels

We NEVER go to the Spa

We NEVER go to an Art Auction or Jewelry sale

We NEVER walk the track or jog or work out

We NEVER play shuffleboard, mini golf or go down the slide

We NEVER go into the Casino

We NEVER play bingo

We NEVER go to a dance club

We NEVER go to the Love and Marriage Game show

We NEVER take an afternoon nap

We NEVER lay out on deck (only on the balcony)

We NEVER go to some Karaoki

Thank you for sharing your cruise.... I have found it entertaining and informative in the way it was presented. Enjoy the kids for they will be grown and out before you know it.