1st Celebrity Experience: Bad Luck or New Normal?

[excitedofharpenden]

As a matter of fact, I've had precisely NO experience with Celebrity or cruising at all for that matter. Hence the importance to me of being able to come here and read balanced reviews. Time and time again I see Celebrity fans jump on posters who dare to voice their dissatisfaction and offer all manner of excuses for the shortfall in meeting expectations (reminds me of the Apple forums - "that's not a problem, it's a feature"). This is not helpful to me.

 

Celebrity surely cannot be perfect. Not every expectation will be met. I for one, question claims to the contrary. I find it very helpful to understand areas where Celebrity may have difficulty meeting even basic expectations (e.g. eggs should be hot or at least very warm if they're not deviled or between two slices of whole wheat with mayo) and will plan accordingly - I'm VERY much looking forward to croissants and jam or bagels and smoked salmon on my balcony for my first ever cruise breakfast.

 

And as for the suggestion that below standard service should be expected on shorter cruises, I can't help but wonder how my employer would react if I suggested it was OK for the customer to be dissatisfied " 'cuz it was only a short engagement anyway... "

Personally I find it disrespectful to make comments like "the apologists are out". If you want balanced reviews then you need to read more than one thread, but then I'm sure you know that. A number of people having been asked the question, expressed an opinion as to why this particular cruise maybe wasn't as good as it might have been and given their own experiences, recommending to the OP to give it another go.

 

Phil

[wpgcycler]

I must be missing something here...........you've never been on a Celebrity cruise; in fact you've never been on a cruise at all and yet you have tons of opinions??!!!:rolleyes:

 

The OP ASKED for other peoples experiences and opinions and yet when they give them you say people are jumping on and insulting the OP???

 

Wow, I just don't get it sometimes. Not at all.:rolleyes:

 

"tons of opinions??!!!" :confused:

 

I don't have any, nor have I expressed any opinions on Celebrity cruises at all. I'm simply observing (after spending many hours on this board in preparation for my first cruise) that posts which voice any degree of dissatisfaction with a Celebrity cruise are frequently met with a barrage of posts which either contradict the poster's view or express some sort of excuse on Celebrity's behalf for their failure to meet expectations. Surely you don't suggest I need to have cruised on Celebrity to make this observation?

[K.T.B.]

I must be missing something here...........you've never been on a Celebrity cruise; in fact you've never been on a cruise at all and yet you have tons of opinions??!!!:rolleyes:

 

The OP ASKED for other peoples experiences and opinions and yet when they give them you say people are jumping on and insulting the OP???

 

Wow, I just don't get it sometimes. Not at all.:rolleyes:

 

You're definitely missing something: Tact.

[chicagopaul]

My wife and I are just beginning to cruise and trying to find our choice ship. We had heard great things about Celebrity and decided on a 4NT on the Costellation over Valentine's Day weekend. We were Concierge Class so did not get a chance to try Blu (next time). The highlight was a truly impressive meal at Oceanliners. However, since we are trying to really find our brand - we wanted to hear from seasoned Celebrity cruisers if our misses were exceptions or just the nature of a upscale yet mass market brand. We've also read reviews on the lowering of food quality in the MDR for Celebrity. Here's a quick list of misses. Of course - there is a longer list of wins but still would welcome others to share if this is typical.

 

 

 

- seated at Group table although requested private dining. Eventually resolved but uncomfortable.

 

- outdoor pools generally very cold

 

- very limited pool service for drinks

 

- lackluster food at San Marco. Worst was a flavorless tuna carpaccio and a $5 "ribeye" the last night

 

- room canapés consisting of a handful of raisins and olives (only 2 of 3 days)

 

- cold room service breakfasts both days ordered

 

- rude treatment by Nina at Guest Relations regarding first point above

 

 

 

Again, all is relative but any insights on others' experience will help understand if we just got a bad batch, should lower our expectations, or keep shopping (Princess?). Any help appreciated.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

 

I have found the pools on Connie to be colder, but keep in mind they are salt water pools and given the colder time of year this is to be expected. I've always found the pools on the S Class ships to be much warmer.

 

Regarding the other experiences you've had, they are rare. We always do select dining so we haven't had the problem you've mentioned below. I'm sorry to hear that Nina gave you a hard time at guest relations. While her attitude is definitely inexcusable, I believe it may be due to the shorter cruise length. Especially during Valentine's Day, I can see how it could have been a busy week on the cruise with many special requests. Either way, her attitude is not indicative of how Celebrity treats their guests.

 

I've always found the MDR food to be very good. There are times when things are bland, or things are not cooked right. I never hold it against the restaurant when this happens. I've found mistakes even at the finest restaurants in the world. If I don't like something, I send it back. How the restaurant handles these requests and how quickly they resolve these problems are what I hold the restaurant to. If I've ever had a problem in MDR I've found them very accommodating and quick to resolve the issue.

 

Limited Pool Service for drinks is sort of a theme for Celebrity. On Carnival for instance you'll see pool waiters walking by every 2 minutes trying to peddle their next drink. Celebrity isn't like this. They've always had much less pool waiters in comparison to other lines. Now, perhaps it is because of 123 Go packages that there are less pool waiters, but personally I seem to like it this way. More relaxing, but that is just me.

 

Room canapes...yea they're nothing special and what you received is quite the norm for Celebrity. We usually order room service in the late afternoon (a couple Shrimp Cocktails) to have while we get ready for the evening. Now, room service on the Connie I found to be quite poor. However, room service on every other Celebrity Ship I found to be impeccable. So your room service issue I believe is simply related to this ship.

 

Definitely give Celebrity another shot and sail on at least a 7 nighter or longer. I guarantee you, you will find better service and food in the future. On the longer cruises you will also see a much better clientele as well.

 

Cheers and Happy Cruising! Remember a bad day on a ship sure beats the hell out of a great day on land!

[cruzinlisa]

The short 3/4/5 night Connie cruises I don't think are the best way to define the Celebrity brand. They are too quick for passengers and crew to get into the groove so to speak.

 

Also the crowd on these shorter cruises tends to be a bit more "party heavy" than other celebrity cruises.

 

I was on Connie in January, and while I had none of the issues you mentioned, I did feel the vibe wasn't quite Celebrity.

 

I hate hearing this, considering that we are booked on a 5 day cruise on Connie. Hopefully since ours is during the week it will be less of a party crowd. We paid considerably more for this cruise than we have ever paid before, so while it does not need to absolutely blow us away, it does need to be a couple of steps above Carnival to make us repeat customers. Since we are new to Celebrity we won't notice if the service is a little less than it was in the past, as long as it is above what we are used to. Of course, having the drink package included on Celebrity with a few other goodies from our TA does give it an instant advantage.

 

The only saving grace for me is that it seems like most of the dining related complaints are related to the MDR and not Blu and we are Aqua. Of course that does not change any issues people may have had with guest services or cabin attendants, but some of that can be catching someone at the wrong moment. (I hope).

 

Thanks OP for your honest observations. Hopefully it was just an off experience.

[KKB]

IMHO, you would have to lower your expectations from this to switch to Princess. I think partly this was a factor of only being a 4 day cruise, as much as I hate to think that guests are treated differently on short cruises. I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it as much as you hoped to.

 

But I do not believe the OP needs to lower their expectations if they are cruising on Princess. Having cruised them 4x, we have had excellent cruises on every one. We have always had good to great food & excellent service on every one.

 

Having traveled extensively, we have occasionally encountered less than satisfactory meals, surly customer service & other incidentals that were not up to par. You are dealing with humans, it will happen--all over the world, at all price points.

 

Unless it is a HORRID experience all around, or one major incident is handled with gross negligence, I try not to make generalizing judgements about a brand.

 

Even having not cruised Celebrity yet (less than 3 weeks!!:)), I would say, no, this is not the norm. I would say try a longer cruise on Celebrity--and try Princess, too.

 

I will note that we have NEVER had a bad vacation--EVER (and we travel many times/year). But we do have airlines, airports, hotel brands, restaurants that we avoid due to multiple issues.

 

Having cruised DCL (won't again; nice, but not worth 30% more than other lines), RCCL (LOVED the Allure, Mariner was 'meh'--won't seek out a cruise on Mariner again UNLESS we find a great deal) & Princess (loved all 4 cruises)--you can see that I have prioritized my brands. My parents fav is Celebrity then RCCL then Princess & NCL is a distant 4th--but they chose NCL again for their most recent cruise!

 

Try a longer cruise, & if these problems continue, you won't likely be pleased with any mass market cruise line--be prepared to up your budget considerably for Crystal or Seabourn.

Edited February 19, 2014 by KKB

[emcee207]

You're definitely missing something: Tact.

 

I have tons of tact. After 14 cruises and ten years on this board if it looks like a duck it is a duck. So be it.

[emcee207]

"tons of opinions??!!!" :confused:

 

I don't have any, nor have I expressed any opinions on Celebrity cruises at all. I'm simply observing (after spending many hours on this board in preparation for my first cruise) that posts which voice any degree of dissatisfaction with a Celebrity cruise are frequently met with a barrage of posts which either contradict the poster's view or express some sort of excuse on Celebrity's behalf for their failure to meet expectations. Surely you don't suggest I need to have cruised on Celebrity to make this observation?

 

You don't have a clue........the Op asked for opinions, when he/she got them you chimed in like they were being attacked. You need a few more minutes on this board my friend............People here simply state their own experiences, some good, some bad. None are the rule and none are the exception. Just peoples own experiences and opinions.

 

And don't tell me about tact..........

[chicagopaul]

I hate hearing this, considering that we are booked on a 5 day cruise on Connie. Hopefully since ours is during the week it will be less of a party crowd. We paid considerably more for this cruise than we have ever paid before, so while it does not need to absolutely blow us away, it does need to be a couple of steps above Carnival to make us repeat customers. Since we are new to Celebrity we won't notice if the service is a little less than it was in the past, as long as it is above what we are used to. Of course, having the drink package included on Celebrity with a few other goodies from our TA does give it an instant advantage.

 

The only saving grace for me is that it seems like most of the dining related complaints are related to the MDR and not Blu and we are Aqua. Of course that does not change any issues people may have had with guest services or cabin attendants, but some of that can be catching someone at the wrong moment. (I hope).

 

Thanks OP for your honest observations. Hopefully it was just an off experience.

 

Don't worry Lisa, you'll enjoy the 5day. We just got off one and while we did notice a different in clientele (more party oriented and a little less class, no matter what the age) it was still a high class atmosphere when comparing it to other cruises or other vacation options. We had a great time and while we noticed some small differences, overall we had a great time, had great service and we are even contemplating taking the 5 day again this April.

[emcee207]

I hate hearing this, considering that we are booked on a 5 day cruise on Connie. Hopefully since ours is during the week it will be less of a party crowd. We paid considerably more for this cruise than we have ever paid before, so while it does not need to absolutely blow us away, it does need to be a couple of steps above Carnival to make us repeat customers. Since we are new to Celebrity we won't notice if the service is a little less than it was in the past, as long as it is above what we are used to. Of course, having the drink package included on Celebrity with a few other goodies from our TA does give it an instant advantage.

 

The only saving grace for me is that it seems like most of the dining related complaints are related to the MDR and not Blu and we are Aqua. Of course that does not change any issues people may have had with guest services or cabin attendants, but some of that can be catching someone at the wrong moment. (I hope).

 

Thanks OP for your honest observations. Hopefully it was just an off experience.

 

We just returned from two back to backs on the Connie, 2/2 and 2/8 sailings. After 14 cruises I think we have some idea of what is good and what is bad.

Yes, a five day cruise, especially with the beverage packages, is a bit livliver than most others. Thank god! It never got out of hand and was just fun.

 

The crew, especially the Captain and his staff, were extrordinary. Very engaging to the passengers and very fun. Best we've ever had. You will have a great time if you let the little things go and enjoy the fun times you'll have.

 

We were in AQ and enjoyed the food and the ambience.

 

don't read too much into what you hear here on CC; full of cynics and crybabies. And some even have never been on a cruise but, heck, what do I know???:rolleyes:

Edited February 19, 2014 by emcee207

[cle-guy]

The crew, especially the Captain and his staff, were extrordinary. Very engaging to the passengers and very fun. Best we've ever had. You will have a great time if you let the little things go and enjoy the fun times you'll have./QUOTE]

 

The captain was fun on ours as well. Played crew versus crew and guest volleyball, did a talk about building solstice class, and was humorous about ships movements, "we will perform what I like to call the donut maneuver" :-)

 

We were disappointed in the CD and the assistant CD however, though found the activities themselves engaging.

[Want2Cruise 701]

Celebrity is still our overall line of preference. Yes, we've had some misses but still like the line compared to others.

 

We've had a few misses with service.

 

The food overall is better than other cruise lines. Have I had a dish that I didn't particularly care for? Yes. But I've gone out to a nice restaurant here that we've paid a fortune for, and I didn't think it was all that up to par.

 

As far as pools, I hardly ever use them. They are so small on every cruise line. They are basically for a quick "dip" if you get hot I think.

 

The afternoon canapes never "wowed" us, but I don't cruise for that.

 

We've sailed RC and we found the cruise to be "ok". Not awful but not great. Middle of the road. The food wasn't as good as Celebrity but better than Carnival.

 

Sailed Carnival twice. One cruise was the worst experience we've ever had on a cruise. It was that awful. Said we would never sail them again. This fall DH and I wanted a vacation and were on a very limited budget and we wanted to cruise. The price was so reasonable we gave it a try. We actually had an enjoyable cruise. I think in part it was the price and the fact that it was very low season and the ship wasn't at capacity and very few children. The food wasn't great. Never is.

 

Overall, Celebrity is still the best line for us and will be our first choice when cruising. Yes, there are some misses but overall compared to other lines, they offer the best experience from the lines we've sailed.

 

Maybe you should try another line to compare so you will know which line is truly the right fit for you. But, I would advise to compare apples to apples. Since you've sailed a shorter cruise is might be best to compare a shorter cruise on another line so you can truly judge.

[ltroccoli]

Thanks everyone for the input. I appreciate the detailed responses and the "short cruise" theory. I agree that is shouldn't be this way but it gives me hope that Celebrity can still be my long term line. My biggest issue was the MDR meals and it sounds like the general solution is Aqua Class.

 

Again - all my misses are relative. My most recent cruise prior to this and only cruise in 7 years was a 7nt Oceania cruise on Regatta (heavily discounted). Oceania is not a yearly cruise option hence my search for the next best thing. I was excited that Celebrity was it and will definitely try it again on a longer cruise.

 

Thanks again.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

[retired067]

The apologists are out in force this morning. Love how people respond to a concern with "well' it's never happened to me!", as if the OP is either mistaken or making it up. Also, why should poor service be expected because the cruise is shorter :confused:? I can see that it may not be as personal given the short time to get to know the customer but surely it should be as personable and professional. And frankly, if I was running the company I'd recognize that many of the customers on a short cruise are maybe checking out cruising for the first time - the very best chance you get to win a customer for life...

 

Well, as I stated " it's never happened to me" every ones expectations and experiences are different. So the pools were cold, are they warm on other lines, it's salt water and guess where that comes from. Food very subjective, room service cold, did the food come from the fridge or was it not hot. And, the 3/4/5 night cruises do attract a different crowd, the short cruises are labelled, rum run, booze cruise, party hearty etc. and the staff are rushed. So, if you compare the mass carriers with an open mind I think you will find Celebrity at the top.

[wpgcycler]

 

Well, as I stated " it's never happened to me" every ones expectations and experiences are different. So the pools were cold, are they warm on other lines, it's salt water and guess where that comes from. Food very subjective, room service cold, did the food come from the fridge or was it not hot. And, the 3/4/5 night cruises do attract a different crowd, the short cruises are labelled, rum run, booze cruise, party hearty etc. and the staff are rushed. So, if you compare the mass carriers with an open mind I think you will find Celebrity at the top.

 

Thanks, I'm very much looking forward to the experience. And while I don't expect it to be perfect, I'm sure it will be a highlight of my life (despite what the cynics and crybabies say)!

[cruisetimeforme]

My cruise experiences span over 50+ sailings over the past 23 yrs on all the mass market lines from 3nt to 45 day sailings. Celebrity is our favorite and I'm assuming the same could be said for others commenting here as well. I'd suggest you give them another shot on one of their solsice class ships for a different experience than the M class. Try either specialty resturants or as you mention Aqua class, you'll most likely enjoy the dining better. Never had bad experience with guest relation staff but have to say room service is hit or miss.

[emcee207]

The crew, especially the Captain and his staff, were extrordinary. Very engaging to the passengers and very fun. Best we've ever had. You will have a great time if you let the little things go and enjoy the fun times you'll have./QUOTE]

 

The captain was fun on ours as well. Played crew versus crew and guest volleyball, did a talk about building solstice class, and was humorous about ships movements, "we will perform what I like to call the donut maneuver" :-)

 

We were disappointed in the CD and the assistant CD however, though found the activities themselves engaging.

 

You are spot on. I also loved it when he added, after "the donut maneuver" then "we will put the pedal to the metal", LOL

 

And I agree about the CD and his assistant. We've had better but all in all they were decent.

[cruisetrail]

My wife and I are just beginning to cruise and trying to find our choice ship.

 

1st Celebrity Experience: Bad Luck or New Normal?

 

 

My best advice for your.

1. You won't find your choice ship on message boards.

2. Never limit yourself to one cruise line.

 

It's a must to try a different product next time. It does not matter what cruise line you started with. Keep changing. Don't let them hook you on "loyalty programs".

Try best ships compare and get your answers. There is huge difference between cruise ships (even within a given cruise line).

Example: I would prefer Holland America Eurodam over any Celebrity ship any time, but I cannot imagine myself on the Maasdam of the same cruise line.

So when you are going to try the next cruise line - make sure you pick the best ship.

It's as easy as 1-2-3 to give you a "cruising program":

Queen Elizabeth

Eurodam & Nieuw Amsterdam

Liberty of the Seas

 

The best ship in Celebrity fleet is the Eclipse

 

You may also like to try the newest ships of the "fun" category: Carnival, NCL, Costa and MSC.

 

 

Enjoy your cruises on various cruise lines!

[Iamthesea]

OP, we are seasoned cruisers, so to speak. We have been on several Celebrity cruises. Last year, was probably one of our worse cruises, but still fun. It was the 4 night Valentines cruise on the Connie. :rolleyes: We had similar experiences as you. I think it is just the shorter cruises.

 

I am taking my adult daughters on the 5 night next month. I will be curious to see if there is any difference in the 4 and 5. In May, we will take a longer cruise on the Connie and longer cruises are much better.

 

Give Celebrity another chance. ;)

[Dunelm]

As a matter of fact, I've had precisely NO experience with Celebrity or cruising at all for that matter. Hence the importance to me of being able to come here and read balanced reviews. Time and time again I see Celebrity fans jump on posters who dare to voice their dissatisfaction and offer all manner of excuses for the shortfall in meeting expectations (reminds me of the Apple forums - "that's not a problem, it's a feature"). This is not helpful to me.

 

Celebrity surely cannot be perfect. Not every expectation will be met. I for one, question claims to the contrary. I find it very helpful to understand areas where Celebrity may have difficulty meeting even basic expectations (e.g. eggs should be hot or at least very warm if they're not deviled or between two slices of whole wheat with mayo) and will plan accordingly - I'm VERY much looking forward to croissants and jam or bagels and smoked salmon on my balcony for my first ever cruise breakfast.

 

And as for the suggestion that below standard service should be expected on shorter cruises, I can't help but wonder how my employer would react if I suggested it was OK for the customer to be dissatisfied " 'cuz it was only a short engagement anyway... "

 

I imagine that some of the "apologists" recognize that, for a lot of folk, cruising is one of the best value vacations around. Having cruised since the early 90's, I know that the price of cruising has not risen very much, if at all. We cannot expect everything to be first class when we are paying these prices for board, food, entertainment, and travel. We just have to look at international airfares to know that most cruising is a bargain.

[gretelkb]

I very rarely post on these boards but felt the need to chime in here. Many people have commented on issues in the MDR. I have noticed some inconsistency there, but, if we have been unhappy with any of the food we have had there it was always very promptly rectified. The key is that you must make your server aware of the problem and let him/her know what you would like the solution to be. "My steak is more well done than what I asked for, would you please take it back and bring me one that is medium rare?" will usually do the trick. I have also had a server notice that something was not what I expected and offer to bring something else without my even asking. Often this was simply personal taste and not an actual problem with the dish. Servers are not mind readers and are often too busy to think outside the box. Let it be known exactly what you want and most times you will receive it.

[wpgcycler]

I imagine that some of the "apologists" recognize that, for a lot of folk, cruising is one of the best value vacations around. Having cruised since the early 90's, I know that the price of cruising has not risen very much, if at all. We cannot expect everything to be first class when we are paying these prices for board, food, entertainment, and travel. We just have to look at international airfares to know that most cruising is a bargain.

 

Again, I won't be looking for perfection. I still can't believe how much is included in the price of our cruise! I do expect staff to be polite at all times and helpful where possible. As for the quality of the food, entertainment etc... given the number of choices offered I'll be shocked if I don't find something that's really enjoyable -and thanks to many frank assessments I've read on here, I'll have some idea of what to perhaps not look forward to.

 

It was a long, detailed, seemingly balanced review I read here that caused me to throw away all of my preconceived notions and apprehensions about cruising and just book. I'm sure I'll be glad I did!

[cle-guy]

I very rarely post on these boards but felt the need to chime in here. Many people have commented on issues in the MDR. I have noticed some inconsistency there, but, if we have been unhappy with any of the food we have had there it was always very promptly rectified. The key is that you must make your server aware of the problem and let him/her know what you would like the solution to be. "My steak is more well done than what I asked for, would you please take it back and bring me one that is medium rare?" will usually do the trick. I have also had a server notice that something was not what I expected and offer to bring something else without my even asking. Often this was simply personal taste and not an actual problem with the dish. Servers are not mind readers and are often too busy to think outside the box. Let it be known exactly what you want and most times you will receive it.

 

Very true, and usually should be no big deal either since there are dozens of plates just waiting to hit the dining room, (not like meals are cooked to order LOL) it's just an extra trip, but they have to be used to the running. Can just bring an extra out with the next table....and drop the replacement then.

[Lastdance]

Do yourself a favor and take a long cruise with Celebrity. If something isn't to your liking, take the time to speak up! You will be pleasantly amazed at what can happen. Also, do your homework before you cruise on another ship. It is truly amazing what you can learn. I know we would all love the "Love Boat" approach to cruising, but that is really not reality. When it is your vacation time, you really want a great one...you've worked hard, and really deserve a wonderful time!

Thank you for posting this information. It is sad when our expectations are not met over and over again. No one likes to hear this about a cruise, and this is not the norm, IMO. All of my cruises, so far with Celebrity, have been 10-14 days, and in Europe. My DH and I have thoroughly enjoyed everything about them; however, we do things for ourselves, and don't expect others to do things for us. That is just how we are. If we don't like something, we ask for something else in the MDR etc. As those who have commented above, you might want to try a longer cruise...:cool:

[beachluvr!]

Bummer, nothing like a bad cruise. Or a cruise with problems.

 

We've never had a problem with seating with any cruise line actually but we have turned to Select dining so we just show up as 2 people. Must of just got lucky.

 

Pools are downright cold - haven't been in one after my first cruise. You'd think they could be a bit warmer.

 

Get my own drinks, don't rely on the servers because on a hot day the drinks can get kind of warm by the time they get them to me. Wife drinks blended and they melt easily. Also good to get up once in a while. But there is no excuse for not selling you drinks.

 

Food is subjective. Haven't liked everything but like someone else mentioned, I'm not a foodie by any stretch.

 

My wife likes the canapes and I think she is the only one on the cruise. I've wanted to switch to something else but she won't let me. Too much food available for me to really care.

 

Hate to agree but Room Service breakfast is usually luke warm. Wish it was hot, but it never will be. If I want hot I have to go up and get it which defeats the purpose of room service, right? Never had hot breakfast room service on any cruise line though.

 

No excuse for rude service. Don remember ever receiving rude service, not just on Celebrity but other lines too. That is the one thing about a cruise be it Celebrity or Carnival, the people are great. But then, we are just lucky as we have never really had a problem that need to be addressed. People have bad days I guess.

 

And I know some say that a shorter cruise shouldn't have any different food, service, etc., but it does. Having been on both longer/shorter Celebrity, Royal Caribbean and Carnival cruises, I can attest there is a difference. The whole atmosphere is different. We know this and set our expectations accordingly.

 

We did sail on the Connie once after sailing on the S class ships. While enjoyable, the experience is nothing like the S class. But, some like the M class better. Considering we grew up with M class we know the ships inside and out but still like S class better. Try the S class.

 

Sorry you had a bad cruise. We love Celebrity and that is our brand of choice but have never been on a bad cruise.

Hi. I am going on my first 5 nite cruise. Can you tell me how it is different? I have cruised 5 times all seven nites. My sister is coming with me and it's her first cruise