Celibrity over Carnival ?

[nbturfman]

We have sailed 4 times on Carnival and are considering Celebrity ( Equinox Feb28 - 11 days) for our next cruise. We like Carnival but were disappointed with the Miracle on our last trip. Food quality was not as good as in the past and not as much going on. We are both in our early 40's and like to be somewhat active on the ship. Which brings us to the Equinox as we think we are big ship folks. No piano bar is a drawback but is there lots of activities to keep us entertained? Are the shows good? Food? Any advice and thoughts are appreciated. Thanks and have a good one:confused:

[flclsax]

I cruised with Carnival for my first trip. At the time, thought it was great. Then I went on Celebrity....hands down a major improvement. If you are into the "Vegas" style of cruising with its glitz and flash then Celebrity isn't for you. I always describe it as "understated elegance". The crowds are a bit more laid back, the artwork and stylings of the ship are classy but not over the top. The food is fantastic and the entertainment options are very good. I wouldn't let the piano bar issue keep you from trying Celebrity as their Martini bar is a fun place to hang out. You didn't say if children were in the picture or not but I like Celebrity because it isn't a big family cruise line. While the children are there, they arn't in the numbers that Carnival or Royal would have. I like that alot! Give it a try...

[nealstuber]

We have sailed 4 times on Carnival and are considering Celebrity ( Equinox Feb28 - 11 days) for our next cruise. We like Carnival but were disappointed with the Miracle on our last trip. Food quality was not as good as in the past and not as much going on. We are both in our early 40's and like to be somewhat active on the ship. Which brings us to the Equinox as we think we are big ship folks. No piano bar is a drawback but is there lots of activities to keep us entertained? Are the shows good? Food? Any advice and thoughts are appreciated. Thanks and have a good one:confused:

 

You may find our recent review particularly relevant:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=68285

I don't know about S class Ships, but the Summit had a piano bar and the guy was very good.

[zoncom]

check out 130 member reviews on this site.

[janetz]

We have sailed 4 times on Carnival and are considering Celebrity ( Equinox Feb28 - 11 days) for our next cruise. We like Carnival but were disappointed with the Miracle on our last trip. Food quality was not as good as in the past and not as much going on. We are both in our early 40's and like to be somewhat active on the ship. Which brings us to the Equinox as we think we are big ship folks. No piano bar is a drawback but is there lots of activities to keep us entertained? Are the shows good? Food? Any advice and thoughts are appreciated. Thanks and have a good one:confused:

 

 

 

Its all great! Once you go CCL, its doubtful you will go back to Carnival.

 

 

 

[Mrs. Squirrel]

Its all great! Once you go CCL, its doubtful you will go back to Carnival.

 

Not for us. We sail different lines and enjoy them all for what each has to offer.

 

OP, don't hesitate to try Celebrity, but I am not happy to read your comments about Miracle, as we sail her in Nov. :( Did you do a review you could link?

[royalcruz]

Celebrity does not seem to work so hard to keep you entertained as Carnival does, but I much prefer Celebrity because it's quieter and more elegant. I found the air was too smokey on Carnival, so the only entertainment I was able to enjoy were the shows, and there was way too much "entertainment" noise in the dining rooms, so I didn't enjoy it. If you enjoy Carnival-style entertainment, you might be bored on Celebrity, but I love it. I'm in my 40s also.

[celebritydave]

We have sailed 4 times on Carnival and are considering Celebrity ( Equinox Feb28 - 11 days) for our next cruise. We like Carnival but were disappointed with the Miracle on our last trip. Food quality was not as good as in the past and not as much going on. We are both in our early 40's and like to be somewhat active on the ship. Which brings us to the Equinox as we think we are big ship folks. No piano bar is a drawback but is there lots of activities to keep us entertained? Are the shows good? Food? Any advice and thoughts are appreciated. Thanks and have a good one:confused:

Celebrity ships have Michael's club which is a piano bar. Very elegant, and the piano player/singer is usually very good. We have been on many Celebrity cruises and we never miss Michael's club.

 

Another advantage to Celebrity is their limited smoking policy. You don't have to worry about a smoky bar.

[janetz]

Not for us. We sail different lines and enjoy them all for what each has to offer.

 

OP, don't hesitate to try Celebrity, but I am not happy to read your comments about Miracle, as we sail her in Nov. :( Did you do a review you could link?

 

 

As far as sailing different lines we do the same. We sailed Carnival once and was the least favorite cruise for us. I would not spend the money to try them again, when "for us" other lines offer a better product. :)

 

[eandj]

Because you say you want to be "active" onboard and want to be "entertained", my thought is you may find Celebrity too low key. We don't want or need to be entertained with pool games, contests, loud music late in the night etc. So we find X perfect for our lifestyle. That being said, you would find the service is very good as is the food compared to Carnival. The no smoking policy very good. The traditional atmosphere and formal nights onboard make it a more upscale experience. The newest S class ships are more hip, not glitzy. No bells and whistles like water slides, rock climbing, ice skating etc. on any of the ships.

 

We enjoy the R&R on Celebrity. If we want more action or are going with a multigenerational group, we'd choose RCL.

[nbturfman]

Thanks for all the resposes. We will read some reviews and try and decide. We did not post a review of our Miracle cruise but I will be happy to answer any questions you may have. We had such a bad MDR experience on Miracle I spoke to the Maitre'd the first night. Service improved a little for a couple of days and then went back to being lousy. It was the first time we have not given an extra tip to the waiter and assistant waiter on a cruise and the reason we are looking at other lines. If Celebrity is understated as many say that will suit us fine - we are not stuck on over the top. Good shows, good service and great meal in the MDR are probably the biggest things for us. WE do like to watch some activities but that is secondary in comparison. Activities on lido are sometimes fun to watch but a lot can be said for kicking back with cold drink and good friends.

[bellybutton530]

Because you say you want to be "active" onboard and want to be "entertained", my thought is you may find Celebrity too low key. We don't want or need to be entertained with pool games, contests, loud music late in the night etc. So we find X perfect for our lifestyle. That being said, you would find the service is very good as is the food compared to Carnival. The no smoking policy very good. The traditional atmosphere and formal nights onboard make it a more upscale experience. The newest S class ships are more hip, not glitzy. No bells and whistles like water slides, rock climbing, ice skating etc. on any of the ships.

 

We enjoy the R&R on Celebrity. If we want more action or are going with a multigenerational group, we'd choose RCL.

 

I couldn't have said it better.... Perhaps you should opt for RCI instead of Celebrity. Before retirement, I'd cruise on Celebrity to get some R&R. I'd hardly leave the cabin before dinner, unless it was to shop or eat. After 55 cruises, there is no show I haven't seen before; no tour I haven't been on; no activity I haven't participated in. Celebrity fit the bill, especially after Vistafjord and Sagafjord stopped sailing.

 

Every ship has its' own distinct ambience. It may take you a couple of cruises to find the one that fits you, but there is a ship out there that will suit you. Good luck....:p

[nbturfman]

Great Review Nealstuber. Very helpful. Thanks

[nbturfman]

Just booked the Equinox - Celebrity here we come!

[klingoncruiser]

Always try other lines. See which one (s) is for you.

[Solstice23]

I couldn't have said it better.... Perhaps you should opt for RCI instead of Celebrity. Before retirement, I'd cruise on Celebrity to get some R&R. I'd hardly leave the cabin before dinner, unless it was to shop or eat. After 55 cruises, there is no show I haven't seen before; no tour I haven't been on; no activity I haven't participated in. Celebrity fit the bill, especially after Vistafjord and Sagafjord stopped sailing.

 

Every ship has its' own distinct ambience. It may take you a couple of cruises to find the one that fits you, but there is a ship out there that will suit you. Good luck....:p

 

Before retirement? HAHA we are age 32 and LOVE celebrity we are outgoing Athletic type people but like the relaxing boutique feel of Celebrity....we zip line, hike, snorkel, etc at port.

 

But I do agree it is older but then again on some other RCCL ships we have had same age demographic.

[nealstuber]

Just booked the Equinox - Celebrity here we come!

 

Congrats! On this board, there seem to be several folks jumping ship from Carnival.

[ivycruise]

I would say that for us it's not so much "jumping ship" to X as much as wanting to try something new. We are in our early 50's now and looking forward to our upcoming Summit trip to Bermuda. But then we don't consider ourselves loyal to any specific line and have enjoyed all of our cruises regardless of the line. The ability to drive to the port and to go to Bermuda for a longer stay is the main reason for us to decide the Summit vs RCI EOS. We're anxious to compare but also have some angst as this may be the last time we have a 17 and 18 year old with us and hoping they are not too bored compared to their previous cruises. We're looking forward to hopefully less crowds than our last experience on the Dream and the more restrictive smoking policy.

[GeorgiaPeach51]

Just booked the Equinox - Celebrity here we come!

 

You've got a good time in your future! We loved the Equinox, our first Celebrity cruise after a bunch on Carnival, Princess and a few on Holland America.

 

One thing we really enjoyed on Celebrity is the lack of loud, intrusive announcements. We also loved the uncrowded feel of the ship, the lack of smoking issues, using the casino without smoke interfering, the water and cold towels when you come back to the ship...the layout of the buffet area.

 

People who have perhaps not been on Carnival tend to think of all Carnival ships as being full of Vegas-style decorating but we found the newer Carnival ships to be much more appealing. That said, Celebrity just feels like a step up for us, partly due to a bunch of small touches that made Equinox very nice. The layout of the ship is great, we thought the staff was wonderful, we liked that there is not a constant push to sell, sell, sell.

 

Would we go on another Carnival ship? Yes, in time, if it was a newer one...and we would go on with different expectations than we would have for a Celebrity cruise, and would have a good time. We've only had one cruise where we had to say "never again and that was a waste of money".

 

It will be interesting to read your review when you return!

[caripoo]

REALLY??? I can't imagine the 2 lines being compared to one another, but that being said, cruising is and individual experience. What one likes, another dislikes. Try new lines, but my experience (over 24 cruises) you will love Celebrity.:D:D

[Chicago Boy]

Celebrity offers a different cruise experience. I think they attract an older crowd where there are fewer children. At least, that is our experience. If you are looking for a more upscale experience then Celebrity would be a great choice. Good luck in making your decision.

 

Chicago Boy:o

[ciera123]

We just returned from a Carnival cruise after several Celebrity and Princess cruises. Celebrity is a more elegant and upscale both in service and decor. Carnival seemed very smokey to us and they are called the Fun Ships for a reason. The age of the average cruiser seemed to be a lot younger on Carnival, too, including about 800 kids on the cruise we were on. The ship seemed loud whether in the dining room or out on deck, and the on-deck entertainment around the pool was geared a bit more for the younger crowd - hairy chest competition, drink mixology, etc. I did enjoy the cruise, but I will probably be sticking with Celebrity and Princess. :)

[mp1223]

Does anyone know if celebrity has any of these?:eek:

 

 

If so Mike should be just fine. HAHA Hi Mike i tried to email you but your email didn't work. have a great cruise.

Marvin & Debbie

[mizLORInj]

I'm glad I tried various cruise lines for myself, and have had a great cruise on every line every time.

[63galaxie]

Thanks for all the resposes. We will read some reviews and try and decide. We did not post a review of our Miracle cruise but I will be happy to answer any questions you may have. We had such a bad MDR experience on Miracle I spoke to the Maitre'd the first night. Service improved a little for a couple of days and then went back to being lousy. It was the first time we have not given an extra tip to the waiter and assistant waiter on a cruise and the reason we are looking at other lines. If Celebrity is understated as many say that will suit us fine - we are not stuck on over the top. Good shows, good service and great meal in the MDR are probably the biggest things for us. WE do like to watch some activities but that is secondary in comparison. Activities on lido are sometimes fun to watch but a lot can be said for kicking back with cold drink and good friends.

We just finished our second (and last) Carnival cruise. We gave it a "second try," hoping it would be different than our first, but it was just more of the same (loud music, tons of smokers, below-par food, hit-and miss service). After 8 cruises, Celebrity is my personal favorite (although Adventure of the Seas-RCI is a a close second). We love the decor, the food, the service, the whole ambiance, the specialty restaurants, the entertainment, and the ships themselves. For a little more money, it's an entirely different experience.

My only complaint is that Celebrity ships don't sail as much to the Caribbean during the summer, which is primarily when we sail now.

We'll never do Carnival again, but we'll continue to sail on Celebrity for the rest of our lives.