THAT much different than Celebrity

[shoegal24]

Hi all,

 

This might be a weird question, but... we did Celebrity to Alaska and absolutely loved it.

 

We're looking into booking a European trip for 2013 with RCI. Is RCI THAT much different than Celebrity? Do you think we'll be disappointed by the difference in food, service and accommodations?

 

FWIW, we're looking at the Liberty of the Seas.

 

TIA :)

[chiquita cruiser]

Hi - We started with Royal and then went on to Celebrity. For us and our friends, there is a difference. Celebrity still has many of those "small" amenities that Royal left behind when they decided on budget cuts. Also, we found crews on Celebrity to be a bit more "friendly" towards passengers. and just a bit more responsive. If you are travelling on an older ship you will find that its probably not as updated as the newer Celebrity ships although they are retroffitted from time to time. Just pick the itinerary you want and enjoy your cruise as much as you can. Our expectations can interfere with a good time. We have also taken RC cruises that we really enjoyed jus because the crew was so great with a super itinerary. Happy sailing,

C

[TEXASMUNK]

Food...major difference, Celebrity exceeds RCI by a wide margin.

 

Meals: (Dinner) is a dining experience, versus simply eating.

Formal nights: far more formal attire and you are requested to stay in formal attire for the evening.

 

Crew: Pretty close....Bit more attention to detail on Celebrity

 

Activities: Celebrity does not blast announcements, very few.

[sail2sea]

Never sailed Celebrity but hope to try it soon. I hope there is a difference. ;)

[royalcruz]

I prefer the food and the quiet relaxing days on Celebrity and the nightlife on Royal.

[ALSEAU]

To be honest if I am sailing a smaller (i.e. mid size) ship I would prefer Celebrity. Service and food is a touch better. But activities do not compare to the high octane entertainment on RCCL larger ships.

 

Another plus for Celebrity is that they offer a broader range of itineraries.

[CVU]

Celebrity is non smoking on balconies and casino etc. Not on RCL.:(

[We-R-Off]

I've only sailed Celebrity in the past, but have booked Royal Caribbean 12 day in May 13 but with trepidation since I've been hearing of the differences. We've loved Celebrity on the 2 cruises we've made but this time went for the date & itinerary for this upcoming cruise. Hope we made the right decision !!!!!

[Starry Eyes]

liberty will offer activities and venues celebrity did not rink, ice shows, flow rider, etc. the older the celebrity ship, the bigger the difference from liberty. so there is lots to see and do on liberty, making her a great choice for active people. I agree Celebrity's food has always been better and I feel their service is a bit better (though I have had some fabulous service on Royal Caribbean). you have heard of the balcony smoking issue. smoking is allowed in more venues on RCI than X....good or bad or insignificant depending on the passenger.

 

Since I am from the states, when I go to Europe, my priority is itinerary. I scrutinize the ports, including check if there is adequate time in each port of particular interest. I also check the timing, making sure I will have decent weather but trying to avoid overwhelming crowds. When I decide which itineraries and timing are right, I then check the line, ship and price....I check air itineraries and prices at the same time, as flight can be expensive and/or awkwardly scheduled.

 

If you are a real foodie, you may be disappointed in Royal Caribbean v Celebrity unless you budget for specialty restaurants. otherwise if the itinerary is right, I believe Liberty of the Seas is a fine choice for A European trip.

[PSCruiser]

You'll find RC closer to Celebrity than say, NCL or Carnival.

Can't make every line exactly the same, nor even every type of ship.

I think a Radiance-class ship will seem closer to Century, than either of those will be to the experience on Oasis-class.

[bellarosa]

We cruised holland for the first time and found celebrity food substandard, bland, plain.... We were not impressed with the activites on board and now we are concidering RC- friends of ours were just on the allures and said food is amazing and so is service. I got ill from the free water on celebrity and also had issue pre-cruie with them ( an celebrity agent told my travel agent that i said my agent doesnt know what she is talking about and that i dont want anything to do with her)- i called celebrity to tell them to pull the recorded tape that i did not say this and made a complaint and nothing i repeat nothing was done or followed up for us. She ruined my union with my agent now that ive dealt with for over 20 years.....

 

we will never sail celebrity again- steak with tough - chicken was rubbery - food was yuke in main dining room

[Janice M]

Hi all,

 

This might be a weird question, but... we did Celebrity to Alaska and absolutely loved it.

 

We're looking into booking a European trip for 2013 with RCI. Is RCI THAT much different than Celebrity? Do you think we'll be disappointed by the difference in food, service and accommodations?

 

FWIW, we're looking at the Liberty of the Seas.

 

TIA :)

 

We did one cruise with Celebrithy and I feel it is a cut above Royal. But we are very happy with Royal and all the cruises we did with them. I most definately would cruise Celebrity again.

Jan

[PSCruiser]

We cruised holland for the first time and found celebrity food substandard, bland, plain.... We were not impressed with the activites on board and now we are concidering RC- friends of ours were just on the allures and said food is amazing and so is service. I got ill from the free water on celebrity and also had issue pre-cruie with them ( an celebrity agent told my travel agent that i said my agent doesnt know what she is talking about and that i dont want anything to do with her)- i called celebrity to tell them to pull the recorded tape that i did not say this and made a complaint and nothing i repeat nothing was done or followed up for us. She ruined my union with my agent now that ive dealt with for over 20 years.....

 

we will never sail celebrity again- steak with tough - chicken was rubbery - food was yuke in main dining room

 

Uh, got a bad feeling you're not going to be too crazy with RC either.

Might want to stick with Holland.

[casinocompman]

Food on Celebrity is miles ahead. Activities on RC miles ahead.

[bellarosa]

Uh, got a bad feeling you're not going to be too crazy with RC either.

Might want to stick with Holland.

 

 

food quality is different on the allure of the seas as opposed to freedom of the seas... holland has No nightlife and we were bored at night...

 

my friend came back from allure and she said food better then holland!!!

[mo&fran]

For many years we cruised on Celebrity, then we decided to try Navigator of the Seas , a slightly smaller ship then Liberty, but much bigger than the M class we had been sailing.

I was overwhelmed by how big this ship was. The Royal Promenade is awesome. The roominess is unbelievable. That is a personal issue, but I find it difficult to go back to anything less.

Yes, there are more people, but a lot more space.

[Gonzo70]

food quality is different on the allure of the seas as opposed to freedom of the seas... holland has No nightlife and we were bored at night...

 

my friend came back from allure and she said food better then holland!!!

 

As someone who has cruised five times each on Celebrity and Royal (including a recent sailing on Allure) Celebrity has superior food. This is more of a focus/emphasis for Celebrity than RCI and they have a larger per/person food budget than does RCI. The food on RCI (especially main dining room) tends to be more plain than on Celebrity (though the new menus seem to be an improvement in this area). On Allure the exceptions would be 150 Central Park and Chef's Table, both of these venues I found to be superior to any Celebrity dining venue - but they are the two most costly specialty venues on Allure. Based on your posts (here and on other threads) there does not seem to be a cruise line that would satisfy what you are seeking in a vacation. You could find vastly superior food on a luxury line such as Oceania, but you will not find much in the way of activities. RCI is the best cruise lines for tons of activities, action, nightlife and fun venues - but (unless you plan to dine in the top tier specialty venues frequently) is not a place to look for haute cuisine.

[bellarosa]

As someone who has cruised five times each on Celebrity and Royal (including a recent sailing on Allure) Celebrity has superior food. This is more of a focus/emphasis for Celebrity than RCI and they have a larger per/person food budget than does RCI. The food on RCI (especially main dining room) tends to be more plain than on Celebrity (though the new menus seem to be an improvement in this area). On Allure the exceptions would be 150 Central Park and Chef's Table, both of these venues I found to be superior to any Celebrity dining venue - but they are the two most costly specialty venues on Allure. Based on your posts (here and on other threads) there does not seem to be a cruise line that would satisfy what you are seeking in a vacation. You could find vastly superior food on a luxury line such as Oceania, but you will not find much in the way of activities. RCI is the best cruise lines for tons of activities, action, nightlife and fun venues - but (unless you plan to dine in the top tier specialty venues frequently) is not a place to look for haute cuisine.

 

 

thanks but we are not looking for cuisine alla haute couture by any means. We experience steak like shoe leather, on Celebrity, dry not edible we had to send it back. We experience chicken breast very rubbery and cold... so when we say good food we mean decent , hot, steak that cuts with a steak knife and not dry - we will try allure

 

here is a link from customers who have sailed holland that thought food on allure royal was assume- and we are not referring to the pay venues

 

http://www.thepreismans.com/

[Gonzo70]

thanks but we are not looking for cuisine alla haute couture by any means. We experience steak like shoe leather, on Celebrity, dry not edible we had to send it back. We experience chicken breast very rubbery and cold... so when we say good food we mean decent , hot, steak that cuts with a steak knife and not dry - we will try allure

 

here is a link from customers who have sailed holland that thought food on allure royal was assume- and we are not referring to the pay venues

 

http://www.thepreismans.com/

 

Good luck with that. You will always be able to find some people saying the food on RCI was superior to Celebrity or HAL, but the fact of the issue is that RCI devotes less money per/person per/day towards food than does Celebrity and HAL and emphasizes the dining experience less so than sister line Celebrity. Most who have sailed multiple times across both lines feel the food is a bit better quality on Celebrity; not dramatically better, but better. On RCI even the steak I had at Chops ($30 per/person specialty restaurant) was of subpar quality and poorly cooked. You certainly will not go hungry on RCI and much of the food is good (and was great at 150 Central Park and Chef's Table), but to sail on Allure expecting better food than Celebrity in the MDR and buffet is dicey. Sail on Allure for the the experience of sailing on a massive ship with tons of activities, lots of energy, all sorts of cool venues to explore etc., not for the MDR and buffet food. In the MDR they are preparing meals for about 4,000 people per night, so it is not easy to get the temperature right, food cooked to one's specification (much is precooked and preplated banquet hall style) and the raw ingredients are not of high quality due to a low budget. It is amazing what they pull off under the circumstances and budgetary constraints, but keep your expectations reasonable for the MDR and buffet food or you are likely to be disappointed.

[Bakincakes]

X is a cut above RCI. We would compare RCI with NCL and Carnival.

 

And RCI has gotten into the business of trying to compete with Disney...adding characters to their ships, the newest being Barbie.:rolleyes:

 

We've had some good meals on RCI...but have found the MDR offerings to be subpar lately. Their specialties are good, but come with a price.

 

There is no balcony smoking on X but have had smoking neighbors on RCI and have never been bothered by their smoke.

[bellarosa]

Good luck with that. You will always be able to find some people saying the food on RCI was superior to Celebrity or HAL, but the fact of the issue is that RCI devotes less money per/person per/day towards food than does Celebrity and HAL and emphasizes the dining experience less so than sister line Celebrity. Most who have sailed multiple times across both lines feel the food is a bit better quality on Celebrity; not dramatically better, but better. On RCI even the steak I had at Chops ($30 per/person specialty restaurant) was of subpar quality and poorly cooked. You certainly will not go hungry on RCI and much of the food is good (and was great at 150 Central Park and Chef's Table), but to sail on Allure expecting better food than Celebrity in the MDR and buffet is dicey. Sail on Allure for the the experience of sailing on a massive ship with tons of activities, lots of energy, all sorts of cool venues to explore etc., not for the MDR and buffet food. In the MDR they are preparing meals for about 4,000 people per night, so it is not easy to get the temperature right, food cooked to one's specification (much is precooked and preplated banquet hall style) and the raw ingredients are not of high quality due to a low budget. It is amazing what they pull off under the circumstances and budgetary constraints, but keep your expectations reasonable for the MDR and buffet food or you are likely to be disappointed.

 

 

did you try the new menu below is a rewiew that says that main dining was really really good on allure..... so it depends what you standards are as well

 

 

http://www.cruise-addicts.com/forums/f15/allure-seas-161490/

[bellarosa]

did you try the new menu below is a rewiew that says that main dining was really really good on allure..... so it depends what you standards are as well

 

 

http://www.cruise-addicts.com/forums/f15/allure-seas-161490/

 

 

ANOTHER REWIEW FROM SOMEELSE WHO SAILED ON ALLURE

 

We were very pleased with the variety and the quality of the food provided. The dining rooms were well run and food was good quality. The service was excellent. The dining room menu was what you have come to expect with RCI. We were surprised that many of the tables surrounding us had infrequent attendance. It could be that they were trying the various specialty restaurants around the ship. If you want reviews of those venues you’ll have to go elsewhere since we didn’t try any of the specialty restaurants.

 

 

 

The other (free) dining places about the ship have a lot of variety. The Park Café, previously mentioned, had Panini and gave a European or large city café vibe that we liked. There’s Johnny Rockets, of course, that also serves breakfast – diner style, appropriately.

 

 

 

If you’re a coffee lover I’m sure you know Allure has the first Starbucks at sea. It didn’t seem to be overly busy any time we went by and we noted that they were advertising a “clearance sale” of pastries after about day 5 of the 7 day cruise. Surprisingly, the “normal” coffee – Seattle’s Best (which is part of the Starbuck’s family) – seemed to have improved from previous cruises. That may be the reason Starbuck’s didn’t have the appeal one might expect. Or it could just be that you had to pay for it – but at least it’s the same price as your home Starbuck’s.

 

 

 

Entertainment

 

This is an area where we noticed a marked difference from the other RCI ships we sailed on. First is the requirement to make a reservation (free) for the main shows. They do have a waiting line and will seat folks if those who reserved haven’t arrived just before show time. We didn’t have a problem getting in if we hadn’t made a reservation, but we did overhear one family say they couldn’t get into Chicago.

 

 

 

On other ships we were used to the idea of hitting the theatre each night after dinner and catching the main show of the evening – whether it be music, comedy, dance, etc. Instead there are shows in various venues that you might have previously only seen in the main theatre. There are both advantages and disadvantages to this. We like comedy shows and those are held in a dedicated comedy venue that seats about 100 people. There were two comics – both very good – but the staff told us they do the same show each night. So once you’ve been to the show you’ve seen all the comedy you’re going to on that cruise.

[Gonzo70]

Aren't you the same poster who on a previous thread complained that the Italian food in Italy wasn't as good as the Italian food in Canada? :confused:

[jewelinthesand]

here's my humble opinion. i went on constellation in 2005 and was totally wowed by the food and service, etc.

 

i have been on the explorer of the seas about 7 times since 2008 and the food was very good. perhaps not as high caliber as the constellation but still good. of course remember, it's mass produced as opposed to an upscale restaurant at home so ship food can't compare. the portofino specialty restaurant on explorer is unbelievable excellent. sooooooo good. service, food is top notch.

 

now we just went on the brand new celebrity silhouette in april and we were sooooooo disappointed in the food in the main dining room. it was good, don't get me wrong but totally on par with the explorer. since i paid about 3 times as much for that cruise and it WAS celebrity, i naturally expected much better. never again. royal is a much better bang for your buck. now the specialty restaurants on the silhouette were phenomenal. we went to four of them, a couple of them twice (it was a 12 nighter). they were all awesome!

 

like the OP said, go by the itin and price and choose from there. those are most important. and just go to have a good time and to enjoy the food, more becuase you aren't cooking it! :D

[bellarosa]

Aren't you the same poster who on a previous thread complained that the Italian food in Italy wasn't as good as the Italian food in Canada? :confused:

 

 

 

lol... no never did say this..... time for your morning coffee... ha ha