Looking to switch from RCCL, but have some questions

[sford75]

My husband and I have been loyal to Royal for the last 6 years. We are looking to cruise again in december this year and are contemplating the Oasis (which we have sailed on before and loved) and the Reflection. We live in South Florida and not having to travel to the port is a big plus.

Anyway, as I have stated, we have been very happy with RCCL, but thinking we may want to change it up a bit to get a different experience, especially since the ports will be ones we have visited before.

So, has anyone cruised on both RCCL and Celebrity? What are the major differences? We have never really been into the production shows on RCCL. Tried to sit through Chicago, but had to leave. However, some of the things we love on RCCL are the Love and Marriage Show and The Quest. Does Celebrity have guest interactive shows like this? What other activities do they have that adults in their mid 30s might enjoy.

Thanks in advance!

[valencia star]

We have the exact same question! Been on Oasis & Allure and enjoyed very much. Looking to book western again on 12/6 either on Liberty or Reflection.

We like things to do onboard as we live in Fl & have a spa, pool, etc.

[TeaBag]

We have not sailed on RCCL so can't give you any comparison.

Since you would like to try Celebrity you might want to look at the offer beginning June 2 for your Dec cruise.

 

http://www.creative.rccl.com/Sales/Celebrity/Multi_Dest/Special_Offers/14038839_CEL_123Go_June_Offer.pdf

 

Celebrity has had the Newlywed Game on every cruise we've been on except the last one, so I don't know if it has been discontinued. Celebrity does not have the Quest.

[wallie5446]

Not going to be much help on the passenger particapition shows, we quit going years ago. That said we have not sailed an Oasis class yet, but have sailed on Vision, Voyager, and Freedom Class ships with RCCL, and the long gone Empress. Our DD worked on the Majesty, & Monarch.

 

We sailed the Reflection last Nov, simply put, it was a wonderful week. So much so, that we booked the Equinox, ( also S-Class ) for 11 days this year. This is our cruise to reach the Elite level in CC based on actual time on a Celebrity ship.

 

IOHO, even if there is not some of the 'stuff' you have been used to doing, you would not be sad for not booking with RCCL and going with Celebrity.

 

EW

[cruzsnooze]

If you search there is a thread about X cutting 50% of the activities staff so that will change the activities onboard. Until someone reports how the activities went it's an unknown right now.

[olemissreb]

I've only sailed on Celebrity twice (#3 is coming up in March) and RCCL once. I haven't been on any of the newer ships on either line - M class on Celebrity and AOS on RCCL. I prefer Celebrity because it is more relaxing - no announcements for art auctions, bingo, belly flop contests etc. There is only one announcement around noon from the bridge. The smoking policy is also better - no smoking on balconies or in the casino (not that I frequent the casino all that much). Not sure if RCCL has changed their smoking policy in the last 4 years or not.

 

I have heard people call Celebrity more refined and I guess that fits, but it also makes it sound stuffy. While Celebrity doesn't have the 80's dance party on the promenade like RCCL, they do have plenty to do if you want to do it. If you want to find a hidden corner somewhere and just read in peace and quiet, you can do that too. Because of all the announcements on RCCL, I found I couldn't relax as much because I felt like I needed to partake in more things and I couldn't really get into any of my books because the announcements distracted me.

 

I found the food to be about the same as well as the service. I did much prefer Anytime Dining on RCCL more than Select Dining on Celebrity. RCCL just seems to have that aspect running like clockwork. First time we sailed with Celebrity, we were in our early 40s and didn't feel like the youngest there at all. There were many in our Roll Call that were in their 20s & 30s and they all were having a great time.

[LPCKG]

As you will no doubt see below we cruised on RCI for a number of years and switched to X last year.

 

We loved the RCI style but just fancied something slightly different.

 

We loved our first cruise. I would say X has a more relaxed atmosphere onboard. We are early 30s yet we found a great mix of passengers. Good opportunity to mix and talk during predinner drinks. Activities are more refined ans more limited to those offered by RCI, in my opinion. Food offered/quality is, again, more refined in the buffet area although burger/fried available everyday on the top deck. We found the crew more attentive generally and really enjoyed our cruise so much so we have taking our second X cruise next month.

 

Hope this may help

[Tudy]

I have sailed on both the Reflection and the Oasis.The game love and marriage is a little more crazy on Oasis. No quest on Celebrity. The food is better on Reflection, generally the service too. Oasis has many more activities. We found a wonderful bartender that we loved on Oasis. Took us longer to find "our" bartender on Reflection, but we did indeed find him. We find that every cruise has it's highlights. Go with your gut.

[Big_G]

I have sailed on both the Reflection and the Oasis.The game love and marriage is a little more crazy on Oasis. No quest on Celebrity. The food is better on Reflection, generally the service too. Oasis has many more activities. We found a wonderful bartender that we loved on Oasis. Took us longer to find "our" bartender on Reflection, but we did indeed find him. We find that every cruise has it's highlights. Go with your gut.

 

I'll echo Tudy and add there is less activity poolside, a little more mature, and slightly better dressed. We try to do one Royal and one Celebrity a year. It's a more relaxed cruise and we enjoy the change of pace. You'll never know if it's for you until you try it.

[boingy300]

We are diamond on RCCL and sailed Oasis in November. We just finished our 1st Celebrity a few weeks ago. They were different cruises. The Oasis- the ship is the thing. ADHD central (& I like that)- lots to do. I could easily do a trans- Atlantic on the Oasis. The Celebrity (Silhouette) was different- Mediterranean Sea and very port intensive. Because of that we found the more relaxed, less structured evenings very pleasant. The molecular bar and the martini bar were fun. (I mean the molecular bar menu was so very cool!) The shows seemed to be better on Celebrity but admittedly....we didn't go to any shows on either ship. (I wasn't jazzed about Hairspray on Oasis but others liked it). I liked that Celebrity didn't count pool towels, pools didn't have a belly flop, gave us champagne when we boarded and warm blankets on the deck for night time star gazing. Mostly it depends on your likes and the itinerary. We felt Celebrity suited our needs/demographic and has slightly more varied ports (we are tired of the Caribbean...and honestly...I'm not going to surf or rock climb.)

Now 2 dings against Celebrity- I think the food on Oasis was better and they play the music loud (I'm an ER nurse and noise rarely annoys me). Ding against Oasis....disembarking with 6000 of my newest friends.

Bottom line- no such thing as a bad cruise but I highly recommend getting out of the Caribbean if you can. Cruising is a blast in a far away place. (Just my opinion. Everyone has different tastes!)

Karen

Edited May 29, 2014 by boingy300

[cruisingsince94]

Just did our 1st Celebrity cruise on the Constellation back in March. Loved the ship, food, service and the laid back atmosphere for the most part. There was no Quest or Love and Marriage game shows. Entertainment was pretty bland and it was reflected by a very empty theatre most nights.

[Pennstatedj]

We have been on 3 cruises on the Allure, and three other on Royal, all in the last five years. We also have been on many X cruises. Here is what I think. The food in general in the main dining is a little better on X with more entree choices as well as quality. Atmosphere on X is a little lower key if you are taking cruises over 7 days due to the age of the passengers since most retirees like me prefer longer cruises. X has more longer cruises especially in Europe. Shows are a little better on X. They also tend to have smaller alternative entertainment venues like guitar players, piano, and strings in all the smaller bars while shows are going on.

There are also liar club and love and marriage interactive shows on all ships. There are also theme nights on many ships depending where you are cruising. It is interesting when you get to Diamond or elite status on either line you start becoming bias as to what you like and do not see what the other lines have to offer. Each cruise has their pluses and minuses. We love X and always come back. We do visit others and always consider X our home. We just love the friendliness of most of the crews. It always seems like they are inviting us into their home and seem very proud of the ship.

Sorry for the rambling, just enjoy and happy cruising.

[cruiserhal]

We are Diamond Plus and had been loyal to Royal since 1988 but with the cuts over the years we are now loyal to Celebrity first, then Royal but only if the ship leaves from NJ or Baltimore. We no longer fly to any port for Royal, especially if there is a Celebrity ship doing a similar trip. For "flying" ports, other ships are looked at before Royal. Just my opinion.

 

I think you will like Celebrity so give it a try. However, I recommend a longer trip (10 to 14 days). It is very different than a shorter cruise.

 

Good luck either way.

[TMLAalum]

Hi Karen from Cincinnati-

 

I see from your signature that you are on the Solstice 1/19/16! Please join our "infant" roll call!http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2037735.

 

Barb from Cleveland

Edited May 30, 2014 by TMLAalum

[Rogueperson]

Granted, its been almost 10 years since my last Celebrity cruise, I found that I was a little young for Celebrity when i went. I was in my early 30s when i went to Alaska. It could have been the itinerary, as i went to Alaska, but then, it could also be the company. I felt the same way when i went to the Caribbean in 2003 on Celebrity as well. The average age seemed a bit higher at the time. I felt they were all my mother's age (mid 50s at the time).

 

If you're looking more for people your own age, you may do better staying with RCL, however, if you're looking for a "mature" atmosphere, and that's the best word I can think to use, then Celebrity is your cruise line. I think their activities lie more with enrichment than passing time. You will find more more classes on Celebrity.

 

Also, if you're looking for another perspective, then try Celebrity. Sometimes, you just have to experience it for yourself, and you can never do too many cruises.

[SUSIEK]

My husband and I have been loyal to Royal for the last 6 years. We are looking to cruise again in december this year and are contemplating the Oasis (which we have sailed on before and loved) and the Reflection. We live in South Florida and not having to travel to the port is a big plus.

Anyway, as I have stated, we have been very happy with RCCL, but thinking we may want to change it up a bit to get a different experience, especially since the ports will be ones we have visited before.

So, has anyone cruised on both RCCL and Celebrity? What are the major differences? We have never really been into the production shows on RCCL. Tried to sit through Chicago, but had to leave. However, some of the things we love on RCCL are the Love and Marriage Show and The Quest. Does Celebrity have guest interactive shows like this? What other activities do they have that adults in their mid 30s might enjoy.

Thanks in advance!

 

We sailed on The Reflection in March. We are in our late 30's/early 40's and have an 8 year old son. I am Diamond on RCCL but have not sailed on Oasis class.

 

My husband enjoyed the Reflection more than I did. I thought it was OK. The ship, aside from the weird art, is beautiful. The service was great (apart from the rude maitre'd at select dining... but that's another story.) To me it just seemed like something was missing. The average age was about 15 years older than we are, not that I have anything against that, but we received a few snide remarks and glares from other passengers when they saw our son. Apparently we didn't get the memo that kids were not welcomed :-0...LOL!

I never felt that way on Princess.

 

Hubby says it was a fluke. We just got a not so great crowd. No "hello's" in the elevator. We have always given/received hello's in the elevator.

 

At night, the bars were all full. There are a lot of bars/lounges on the Reflection... very nice. I don't recall a lot of activities going on as on RCCL. We love Quest too.

The alternate dining venues are excellent on the Reflection.

 

You should try the Reflection. Why limit yourself to 1 line? Also, try doing a search for the daily activity sheets from the Reflection... sorry I didn't keep ours, as this will give you an idea of the activities.

[Champagne Cruiser]

If you go to the Summit Bermuda Clelebrity Today someone just posted the dailies. Of course, Bermuda is a bit different since you are in the same port for 3 days and the Summit is an M class ship but it will give you a feel for X. Since X has been offering the free beverage package the have been attracting a younger crowd, and the Martini Bar seems to draw a younger crowd. They o have the Newlywed game, karaoke and they have started theme dance nights with the production dancers joining guests. We had a blast with this and on prior cruises we usually had a nightcap and want to bed. I find the food better on X and I enjoy having not so many announcements blaring all the time. X assumes you are an intelligent adult who can consult the daily program and show up at the events you want to attend. We like both RCCL and X, but cruise Royal for price and itinerary. We cruise X because we really like it. All things bing equal we choose X.

[boingy300]

Good point! IF I had children I would NOT sail Celebrity. Royal, Carnival or Disney better meets a family's needs. Been there done that and just want to relax. I personally felt Celebrity was more upbeat and energetic than Holland. It is so dependent on itinerary and age.

Karen

[buffetking]

Sailed on various RCL ships over the years. Have watched as the cruising experience has changed. After 15 cruises on RCL, we switched to Celebrity. RCL for the most part is mass market, "the ship is the destination" type cruising. Celebrity is a step up, a little more luxury,

a little more laid back. I book based on where I want to go. Im in Rome now spending a couple of days before I board the Celebrity Reflection. This will be one of the largest ships we have cruised on. We prefer smaller ships but will see how this trip goes. When we started cruising, we were in our late twenties...always some of the younger passengers on board.

Sometimes there was little to do except relax and watch the clouds float by (not a bad thing). Now in our fifties, we enjoy relaxing, not running around trying to do it all.

 

Happy travels !

[wallie5446]

Good point! IF I had children I would NOT sail Celebrity. Royal, Carnival or Disney better meets a family's needs. Been there done that and just want to relax. I personally felt Celebrity was more upbeat and energetic than Holland. It is so dependent on itinerary and age.

Karen

Each family is different, we took our kids on their first cruise in July 1993 on Cunard, the DD was 10. By the time our DD was 17 she had sailed on NCL, HAL, RCCL, and 4 times on Celebrity. Still to this day Celebrity is her favorite line, and she has worked on ship for RCCL.

Our first family portrait on ship, 1993.

Edited May 31, 2014 by wallie5446

[boingy300]

Good point. I was just judging by the families there and the activity. Another good point is that this was a port intensive cruise. Flavor may have changed on a more relaxed schedule.

Karen

[FL1stLady]

We have cruised on five different lines and have settled on RCCL and X as our cruiselines of choice. We select now based on any number of things: price, itinerary, departure port, sea days, friends going, etc. RCCL seems a bit more lively, but as another poster said, "All things being equal, we prefer Celebrity." We are Elite on Celebrity and thus, get Diamond on RCCL. We have definitely taken advantage of both. The food is much better on X, however, probably the best meal I've ever had was at a chef's table on RCCL. The buffet on X has an eggs benedict station(a favorite of mine) and real (free) ice cream. I remember being appalled my first time on RCCL that I had to give my room pass to get a towel from the pool. Did they think I was going to steal it?!! Frankly, I guess so. And that is probably due to past behavior by other guests. I too like the champagne/mimosas handed out upon embarkation. Makes you feel like a celebration for the beginning of a great cruise!:)