Planning our first cruise, a few questions...

[utseabee]

We are planning our first cruise this summer for our 10th anniversary.

Only Celebrity and Princess have the iteneraries we like, and the timeframe. Celebrity is our front-runner. For experienced cruises, which would you choose, and why. (Our big deciding factor is that Princess seems more geared towards families, and we are taking our first kid-free vacation. And Celebrity has a bigger beer selection)

 

Also, are military dress uniforms acceptable as formalwear on the cruise ship?

[nps001]

I can't comment on Princess but I'm sure others will weigh in. Congrats on your Anniversary. And by all means, wear your military dress uniforms on formal nights.

[Project_gal]

Also, are military dress uniforms acceptable as formalwear on the cruise ship?

 

From our experience [our table companion worn military dress uniform on the final formal night], it was much MORE than accpetable. He was actually applauded.

[royalcruz]

The choice would be so easy for me: Celebrity wins. We like the style, the class, just the right amount of fun without it being over the top.

[kitkat9438]

Congratulations on your anniversary. Cruising is a wonderful way to celebrate.

 

Our first cruise was on Princess two years ago on the Caribbean Princess. We immediately fell in love with cruising and became addicted to it. Last December we went on the Celebrity Summit. I would have to agree that Celebrity is classier with better food and better service. There are some things we like better about Princess like the movies under the stars, a giant movie screen out by the pool where you watch late run movies at night with popcorn, etc. But the overall experience is much better on Celebrity.

 

You can't go wrong with either line. I wouldn't say that Princess is geared more toward families. It just depends on when and where you cruise on how many children you will find on board.

[Durkman]

I've worn military dress on past cruises (nothing recently--the days of me being able to fit into my military uniforms are LONG past! :)). I've found it to be more than acceptable. On my first cruise, while I was still active duty and just off a tour as a nuclear propulsion officer on USS Theodore Roosevelt, wearing my uniform got me an "in" with the ship's engineer--he was on the pool deck late one evening enjoying a beverage with some of his fellow officers. Anyway, I approached him and started a conversation and I got myself a private tour of the ship's engine room the next day. It was awesome. I wouldn't hesitate to wear my military dress uniform if I had the chance/ability.

 

Oh, and as far as your choice of cruise line, I don't think you can go wrong with Celebrity. IMO it is by far the nicest of the "mass market" lines as long as you're not looking for lots of different things for kids (which you aren't). We've sailed a bunch of different lines but are looking to "settle down" and start developing some loyalty credit. I think Celebrity's Captain's Club is pretty darn good--you can get to the middle tier on only your 3rd cruise (assuming you book Concierge Class or higher) and you can get to Elite on your 6th cruise. As best I can tell, no other cruise line allows you to get to their premier status in such a short amount of time.

[librarylady19]

We are planning our first cruise this summer for our 10th anniversary.

Only Celebrity and Princess have the iteneraries we like, and the timeframe. Celebrity is our front-runner. For experienced cruises, which would you choose, and why. (Our big deciding factor is that Princess seems more geared towards families, and we are taking our first kid-free vacation. And Celebrity has a bigger beer selection)

 

Also, are military dress uniforms acceptable as formalwear on the cruise ship?

 

If you book with Celebrity, be sure to mention your anniversary. At the very least, you will receive a cake during dinner. I witnessed several of these occasions in Blu, and was surprised by a cake and serenade for my own birthday!

A young Naval officer attended formal night in his dress uniform and it was quite impressive. Go for it!

If you want a kid-free experience, go with Celebrity; I don't think you can go wrong with the Solstice class ships for a wonderfully relaxing, pampered experience.

[PartyAllDaTyme]

As you can see by my signature, our first cruise was with Princess, but we're now confirmed Celebrity cruisers. Both lines, IMHO, offer a similar experience, but Celebrity has a much more restrictive smoking policy. Unlike Princess, moking is not permitted on the veranda, in the casino, and is restricted to one lounge in enclosed areas. DW is very sensitive to cigarette smoke, and we could only use our balcony about half the time due to various neighbors coming out to light up. If you smoke, I think you'll enjoy Princess more.

[Aqua's Mom]

Congratulations!

 

I just posted an answer to your question on another thread - a couple celebrating their 20th!

 

I think you'll like Celebrity better - even if you bring the kids. We met several families with children and were very impressed with the children's program as well as how the kids were treated on board.

 

Good luck with your choice. See my other comments at

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1139077

 

Post #12

[danacline]

I think it depends on how active you are, or want to be. We've taken a few cruises, starting with Princess for our 20th anniversary 10 years ago. Princess definitely has more activities, and perhaps more fun that Celebrity. However, after our last cruise, we have a new favorite - Royal Caribbean.

 

I've written about each cruise, so you may want to read at least my first review (Sea Princess) and my single Celebrity review (Millennium) for my thoughts at the time (I either write during the cruise, or immediately after returning home). There's also plenty of pix, both of the ships and all the ports.

 

In short, I don't think you'll go wrong with either, but if you're more active, Princess will offer more fun.

[utseabee]

Thank you all for the quick feedback!

we're not real big party people or clubbers, so I think Celebrity is more our style. We want to relax on the ship, and have fun exploring Alaska when we pull into port.

Husband smokes, but not so much that it would be a detering factor. he's hoping to be a non-smoker by then also.

 

I am considering booking Concierge class stateroom, is it a noticable difference in the cruise over a standard balcony room?

 

Thanks again!

[sunlovermtl]

Thank you all for the quick feedback!

we're not real big party people or clubbers, so I think Celebrity is more our style. We want to relax on the ship, and have fun exploring Alaska when we pull into port.

Husband smokes, but not so much that it would be a detering factor. he's hoping to be a non-smoker by then also.

 

I am considering booking Concierge class stateroom, is it a noticable difference in the cruise over a standard balcony room?

 

Thanks again!

 

Congratulations on your anniversary. By all means wear the uniform. I am humbled every time I see a uniform. It makes me take a minute to thank everyone for the freedom and lifestyle we live each day. CC rooms offer a bit more pampering. Flowers,hors d'oeuves,pillow menu,better bathroom amenities,better room service menu,extra point toward captain's club level. However we have booked a balcony gty twice on the Constellation and ended up in CC rooms. We have done 5 Celebrity cruises and our now Elite members. So it only take some good planning and you will have loads of thank yous (free laundry,drinks etc) from Celebrity in no time. 1 cruise credit for a 3-11 day cruise, 2 credits for a 12 and over cruise, 1 for cc rooms and up. If you land a cc room like we did but you paid for a balcony gty you still get the credit. We have sailed Carnival, Holland America,Princess and Royal Carribean but love Celebrity the best.

 

happy sailing

Claudette

[kitkat9438]

Thank you all for the quick feedback!

we're not real big party people or clubbers, so I think Celebrity is more our style. We want to relax on the ship, and have fun exploring Alaska when we pull into port.

Husband smokes, but not so much that it would be a detering factor. he's hoping to be a non-smoker by then also.

 

I am considering booking Concierge class stateroom, is it a noticable difference in the cruise over a standard balcony room?

 

Thanks again!

 

Which ship are you considering for Celebrity? There is definitely a difference in cabin sizes for the concierge class on the ships. If you are on the "M" class, such as the Summit, then the concierge class room and balcony are larger than the other ships. I believe on the solstice class, i.e. Equinox, Eclipse and Solstice, all the balcony rooms are the same size, with some having larger balconies if you are on the "hump" of the ship. We loved concierge class. The expanded room service breakfast menu was well worth it. We ate out on our balcony every morning and really enjoyed that. (the regular balcony cabins don't have access to this menu). You have better bedding, bath robes, shower head, flowers, champagne, fruit and canapes or cheese and crackers every day around 4:00. There's a list of room numbers that are good ones to pick I will post here, as well as the expanded room service breakfast menu. The rooms were posted by other cruisers so I can't verify, just passing them along.

 

Solstice Class:

I personally LOVED my C1 hump cabin #1243 - about triple the size of a standard balcony - it was HUGE!!!!! Literally the largest non-suite balcony on the ship! The balcony was great for hosting cocktail parties - we had 25+ people out there one day! Being on the aft part of the hump there was virtually no wind issue to deal with. We got sun when we wanted it, and shade if desired as well. Due to balcony depth there were no privacy issues related to the angled shape.

 

There are 58 +/- cabins with the same size balcony we had - they are:

 

Resort Deck: 2105, 2109, 2106, 2110

Penthouse Deck: 1547, 1552, 1601, 1605, 1606, 1610

Sky Deck: 1075, 1044, 1231, 1243, 1247, 1108, 1120, 1124

Panorama Deck: 9155, 9192, 9209, 9215, 9237, 9241, 9266, 9270, 9292, 9296

Vista Deck: 8199, 8162, 8255, 8259, 8281, 8285, 8228, 8232, 8254, 8258

Sunrise Deck: 7159, 7206, 7215, 7219, 7241, 7245, 7260, 7264, 7286, 7290

Continental Deck: 6155, 6156, 6209, 6215, 6237, 6241, 6210, 6214, 6236, 6240

 

Most of these are on the hump, but some are forward where the ship starts to indent. The rooms run the range from Category 2C, 1A, C1, or AQ (with the exception of 6209/6210 which are categorized as 07 Obstucted Balcony - great balcony at a small price!). There are also many cabins adjacent to the ones I listed that also have oversized balconies that are about double the size of normal ones, but I would go for the triple sized ones first

Here is an analysis of the Concierge Class Cabins on Constellation (Deck 8) to book. So many posts here ask if specific cabins are good ones, so (even though this is only my opinion) I thought people might find this helpful.

 

Background: My DW and I have enjoyed several Connie sailings in recent years in Concierge Class (CC) cabins on Deck 8. We enjoy the ship (its size, dining options, etc) so, knowing we’d be back, I took some notes to know which deck 8 CC cabins to book and which to avoid. We like Deck 8 because it has staterooms both above and below. We don’t like Deck 9 due to the overhang & lido above.

 

Please let me know if you find this info useful. We have an upcoming cruise on Summit and I could do a little more homework. Thanks for the feedback!

 

CC Cabins - Constellation Deck 8:

 

The “Great” Rooms with larger balconies: People love the aft-facing staterooms (8170, 8172, 8176, & 8185) for the views of the wake and super-large balconies. 8045 & 8046 with larger “triangle shaped” balconies are also popular. Book these if you can! But what if they are already gone…..?

 

Best standard (non-adjoining) CC Cabins: 8072, 8074, 8076, 8078, 8080, 8082, 8084, & 8086 (starboard side): Good mid-ship location and non-adjoining (no interior door to the neighboring room which some complain can be the source of noise/light from the next cabin). So, why are they good? Because the inside cabins that appear directly across the hall on the deck plan are NOT really there. Well, of course they’re there, but you would never know it! Their doors all open to the opposite (port side) hall (note they all have odd cabin numbers). So there is nothing (no cabins or service areas) opposite these CC Cabins across the hall …nothing but a hallway wall.

 

Also good (on the port side) are 8075, 8079, 8083, 8087, 8091, 8095 & 8099: These have the same good mid-ship location & are non-adjoining, you just have a neighbor across the hall. Very good rooms to book.

 

Need an adjoining room? Look to book 8114, 8116, 8118, 8120, 8122, 8124, 8126, 8128, 8130, 8132, & 8134 (Starboard side): Good mid-ship adjoining rooms. Also, there also are no entrances to the “crew only” area (the large white blank space on the deck plan) across the hall anywhere in this block of cabins!

 

Location of Crew-Only Service Doors: I like to avoid cabins across from doors to crew-only areas (ie food prep facilities, freight elevators, mechanical equipment etc). They can be the source of noise and/or additional activity. If that matters to you, note that doors to the crew-only areas (shown as white blank space on the deck plans) are located approximately opposite the following CC cabins:

 

Starboard side: 8052, 8060, 8066 8090 8138, 8150 & 8176 (aft cabin)

Port Side: 8047, 8065, 8069, 8107, 8109, 8115, 8141, & 8145

 

Rooms to Avoid:

8094, 8096, 8111, & 8115 – Partially obstructed by the dreaded window washing equipment. NOTE: Cabins affected by the window washing equipment vary by ship. These are the rooms on Constellation ONLY. For other M-Class ships check the deck plan listed “obstructed view” rooms to avoid.

 

8102 & 8108 – listed as “obstructed view”, small balcony, & windows of suite next door look onto balcony.

 

8047 & 8048 – less private balcony which is visable from the angled balcony of the neighboring room.

 

 

Each of the following cabins on the Millennium Class ships (Millennium, Infinity, Constellation, Summit) has some particular benefit over its peers of the same class -- most often an oversized veranda, sometimes larger cabin or nicer decor. Not all of these differences are accurately reflected in any known deck plans.

 

SS-6131,6132,6145,6146

 

CC-9043,9038,9201,9164,9162,9160

CC-8045,8046,8185,8176,8172,8170

CC-7203,7212,7208,7206

CC-6135,6136,6143,6144

 

2A-8161,8146,9173,9138

2B-7049,7080,7163,7166,7171,7173,7175,7177,7174,7176, 7178,7180

2C- 6016,6018,6020,6021,6022,6023,6024,6025,6026,6027, 6029,6030,6031,6033,6035,6053,6048

 

Since the Infinity, Constellation, Millenium & Summit are all the same configuration, these cabins will apply to your cruise.

 

In addition, have you heard the term "POSH" which stands for: Port side out, Starboard home. This term came about when the British were sailing from England to India (sunny vs shady side). Look at your itinerary to determine the direction the ship is traveling, this will help you decide on the side of the ship you may prefer. However, please realize when the ship docks, it may make a complete 180 turn before docking.

 

Concierge class menu:

Concierge Class Signature Dishes

___Granola Berry Parfait

___French Toast Finger with Marmalade Butter

___Baked Bananas

___Scrambled Eggs with Fresh Asparagus Spears

___Sunrise Fritata

___Russian Sevruga Caviar (30 gr. Jar) with

Traditional Trimmings - $44.50

Concierge Class Smoothies

___Mixed Fruit Smoothie

___Strawberry Smoothie

___Blueberry-Watermelon Smoothie

___Omega 3 Smoothie (prepared with Soy Milk)

Concierge Class Teasers

___Classic Champagne Cocktail - $5.50

___Mimosa - $5.50 ___Kir Royale - $5.50

___Bloody Mary - $3.45 ___Virgin Bloody Mary - $2.50

___Michel Roux Champagne, Half Bottle - $25.00

___Laurent Perrier Rose Brut, 750 ml. - $95.00

___Moët et Chandon Nectar Imperial, 750 ml - $72.00

Freshly Squeezed Juices

___Orange ___Grapefruit

___Pineapple ___carrot

Chilled Beverages

___Tomatoe ___Cranberry ___Apple

___Fresh Milk ___V-8 ___Prune

___Skim Milk

Fresh Fruits

___Honeydew ___Cantaloupe ___Banana

___Kiwi ___Pineapple ___Grapefruit

___Orange ___Mixed Fruits

Yogurts

___Plain ___Strawberry

___Blueberry ___Mixed Fruits

Cold Cereals

___Corn Flakes ___Raisin Bran ___Special K

___Oat Bran ___Total ___All Bran

Hot Cereals

___Oat Meal ___Grits

Eggs To Order

___Scrambled ___Fried ___Poached

___Boiled: __Minutes

Special Instructions: ________________________

_________________________________________

Omelets

___Plain ___Cheese ___Mushrooms

___Ham ___Fine Herbs ___Smoked Salmon

___Western ___Onion

Omelets can also be prepared with

___Egg beaters or ___Egg Whites (please check)

From The Griddle

___Bacon ___Link Sausage ___Ham

___Low-Fat Chicken Sausage ___Canadian Bacon

___Corned Beef hash ___Hash Brown Potatoes

Pancakes

___Plain ___Buckwheat

___Banana ___Blueberry

Served with maple Syrup

Pastries & Muffins

___Assorted Danish ___Croissant

___Blueberry Muffin ___Bran Muffin

From The Bakery – Assorted Bread & Rolls

___French Bread ___Plain Bagel

___Multi-Grain Bread ___Onion Bagel

___English Muffin ___egg Bagel

___Soft Rolls

Toast

___Whole Wheat Toast ___White Toast

___Rye Toast

Preserves & Spreads

___Strawberry ___Marmalade ___Lt Cream Cheese

___Blueberry ___Honey ___Salmon Spread

___Blackberry ___Butter

___Raspberry ___Margarine

COLD CUTS

___Salam ___Danish ham ___Black Forest Ham

___Smoked Salmon

Hot Beverages

___Coffee ___Decaffeinated Coffee

___Black Tea ___Earl Grey Tea

___Darjeeling Tea ___English Breakfast Tea

___Herbal Infusion (__Mint __Chamomile)

___Hot Chocolate ___Hot Milk

___Green Tea

Service Hours 6:00 Am To 11:00 Am

Service Time Requested _________

Guest Name _______________________________

Stateroom Number____________

__________________

 

 

 

[javalina]

Wow--thanks for posting the CC room service menu! I'd heard about it, and now I am *sure* we will order breakfast most days, to enjoy on our balcony. We splurged on a CC cabin for our 10 yr anniversary too.

 

Here's another YES vote for the uniform. I've also seen kilts with tux jackets on formal night which I think is wonderful.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[UR Cruisin]

Of the list of larger balcony rooms you have listed on the Solstice, which ones are concierge class and how do you know? Also, On the largest balconies, is the room so far away from the end of the balcony that you feel like you're in a hole? I like to look out my door and see the water.

Thanks for the info!