Undecided on cruising Celebrity or NCL - Help!

[calex]

Sure seems that a lot of us here have been on the Celebrity Solstice... last May we did a 9-day trip up the Pacific Coast. Definitely a nice ship with the lawn of the top deck and the glass show. We saw all 9 shows offered. We tried the early show the first night, but the theater was packed. So we attended the later show at 10 PM which was more sparsely attended. Of the 9 shows, 2 were production numbers with a musical and a dance show. They had a nice Cirque type show one night. Comedians for two nights, and a magician on another night. The other 3 shows were music entertainers. So there was variety and not a lot of musicals.

 

It seems like most passengers were on an early schedule and as others have indicated, not much night life after the late show unless you enjoy martinis and listing to the piano. About midpoint of the cruise, we both made comments that we had more fun on our prior NCL cruises. The Cruise Directory and his/her staff can really make a cruise fun on NCL. We have been lucky having good CD's on NCL. They were skillful at rallying the troops to join the different activities from contests to dance lessons.

 

Would we cruise Celebrity again - yes, if the itinerary was right. If NCL and Celebrity were doing the same ports, we would opt for NCL unless the perks on Celebrity were too good to pass up.

[graphicguy]

That's my fear with Celebrity. I don't want to go on a cruise and by the 3rd day have nothing else for us to do at night. Does anyone know what kind of entertainment Celebrity had? My wife and I aren't big musical fans so we usually skip those on every cruise (except when she made me sit through Hairspray on the Allure :eek:)

 

Yeah..I got that too. Celebrity seemed a lot more subdued. If you want that, nothing wrong with it.

 

None of the Celebrity shows I can even remember.

 

I DO remember Blue Man Group, Burn the Floor, Legends, Rock of Ages on my NCL cruises. All great shows.

[jackson bernard]

I usually prefer NCL but wont be going on the epic anytime soon because I like my privacy when using the bathroom....but to each their own so to say.

[graphicguy]

I usually prefer NCL but wont be going on the epic anytime soon because I like my privacy when using the bathroom....but to each their own so to say.

 

?????

 

OK...I'll bite!

[Crusin6]

I am an Ncl person mostly for price itinerary dates etc but will cruise any ship that I can afford and the dates and itin are good

 

The Ncl mdr stinks IMHO so we now opt only for the specialties in Ncl

 

However if you can afford celebrity I don't really think there is any reason to choose Ncl at all

[Scratch12]

Our last 3 cruises have been on the Norwegian Cruise Line. We love NCL and plan on traveling with them this coming January. So far the food has been delicious, the entertainment has been wonderful and our stewards who take care of us on our trips have been exceptional. Everyone is very friendly from the main staff on down the line. The ships have always been well maintained and very clean, we've never had any complaints at all when we have traveled on the NCL.

 

Happy Cruising,

 

Katmama

[jackson bernard]

Its because there is no proper bathroom in the cabin. The toilet is in some type of froasted booth right out in the open. I heard you can only see shadows while someone is on the bowl, but I can only imagine the noise and smell. Disgusting frankly considering the cabins are so small to begin with

 

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[mfrimodog]

Its because there is no proper bathroom in the cabin. The toilet is in some type of froasted booth right out in the open. I heard you can only see shadows while someone is on the bowl, but I can only imagine the noise and smell. Disgusting frankly considering the cabins are so small to begin with

 

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How are the bathrooms in the mini-suites? Any idea if they are the same?

[Aquahound]

Hello all!

 

I am having a serious dilemma and decided to ask for advice. My wife and I are planning a cruise in February of next year but cannot choose which cruise line to go on and could use some honest advice. We are trying to decide between going on the NCL Epic on Feb 8th or the Celebrity Silhouette on Feb 8th. We are looking at a mini-suite on the Epic or a Veranda on the Silhouette.

 

As a little background on us - we are both 29, have cruised 4 times all on RCCL (Mariner, Oasis, Allure, Independence) and are Platinum members. We enjoy some of the activities on RCCL but have become increasingly disappointed with their food and service. We want to be able to relax most of the time but enjoy having something to do too (trivia or comedians). We have a 3 year old but are leaving him with grandma so we can relax together! We are also looking forward to trying a new cruise line.

 

We mostly care about food, being able to relax, and good ship activities. We have really found that RCCL has not been doing very good at making a relaxing environment anymore...

 

I'm going to ask this same question on the Celebrity forum too just so I can get both ends of the spectrum.

 

Thank you in advance for any advice you can give us!!!

 

After reading your post and seeing what it is about RCI that makes you want to try something new, I recommend Celebrity. Epic is not a fix to the things you're wanting to get away from, but I think Solstice Class certainly is.

 

I can also confirm you will get loyalty status reciprocity on Celebrity from your RCI status.

[graphicguy]

Its because there is no proper bathroom in the cabin. The toilet is in some type of froasted booth right out in the open. I heard you can only see shadows while someone is on the bowl, but I can only imagine the noise and smell. Disgusting frankly considering the cabins are so small to begin with

 

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In all frankness...the bathrooms in every cabin of every ship I've ever sailed on has been small. You are confusing the fact that the sink is not in the same area as the toilet, which allows someone to use the sink while someone else is using the toilet. I think you got some bad information about the toilet somehow being out in the open in the cabin. The shower has its own room, the toilet has its own room and the sink is out in the open part of the cabin.

Edited June 3, 2014 by graphicguy

[newmexicoNita]

Hello all!

 

I am having a serious dilemma and decided to ask for advice. My wife and I are planning a cruise in February of next year but cannot choose which cruise line to go on and could use some honest advice. We are trying to decide between going on the NCL Epic on Feb 8th or the Celebrity Silhouette on Feb 8th. We are looking at a mini-suite on the Epic or a Veranda on the Silhouette.

 

As a little background on us - we are both 29, have cruised 4 times all on RCCL (Mariner, Oasis, Allure, Independence) and are Platinum members. We enjoy some of the activities on RCCL but have become increasingly disappointed with their food and service. We want to be able to relax most of the time but enjoy having something to do too (trivia or comedians). We have a 3 year old but are leaving him with grandma so we can relax together! We are also looking forward to trying a new cruise line.

 

We mostly care about food, being able to relax, and good ship activities. We have really found that RCCL has not been doing very good at making a relaxing environment anymore...

 

I'm going to ask this same question on the Celebrity forum too just so I can get both ends of the spectrum.

 

Thank you in advance for any advice you can give us!!!

 

I am getting into the debate or conversation a little late, but here is my opinion, for what it is worth. We have cruised 30 times and on all mass marketed lines. Celebrity has always been though to be a 1/2 step up and yes, the food is better. Or it was. We haven't cruised them for a few years. From what I have heard food has gone south on most lines. The reason we keep going back to NCL is, the great, friendly crew. We found the service on Celebrity to be just so/so and the staff not friendly, especially when it came to the activity end of things. In our case and it is just one case, (well more than one, we have sailed them more than once) the trivia leaders were the most unfriendly we have ever seen and our cabin stewards were not much better. The entertainment is better on NCL as well.

 

So if you really want to relax, have a good time, meet friendly people and enjoy the laid back atmosphere, go with NCL and just plan on eating some of your meals in the wonderful alternative dining rooms. If the food is really at the top of your list, maybe it wouldn't be a good fit. Also let me say, I doubt a single person on the Celebrity board would recommend you try NCL. This is another reason we are not sold on Celebrity, the passengers are so loyal they have closed minds, when it comes to any other cruise line.

[janpo]

I've never sailed the Epic but i did a you tube search and here's a video of the bathroom on the Epic. It's a little weird IMO...not sure why they did that.

 

 

[newmexicoNita]

I've never sailed the Epic but i did a you tube search and here's a video of the bathroom on the Epic. It's a little weird IMO...not sure why they did that.

 

 

 

It does seem weird, but it has a plus: 2 people can use the facilities at the same time. The downside, from what I have heard is the feeling of the shower being open, though it really isn't.

[Aquahound]

That's my fear with Celebrity. I don't want to go on a cruise and by the 3rd day have nothing else for us to do at night. Does anyone know what kind of entertainment Celebrity had? My wife and I aren't big musical fans so we usually skip those on every cruise (except when she made me sit through Hairspray on the Allure :eek:)

 

I'm still in my 30s and loved my Solstice cruise. The martini bar is the hot spot at night, but there is also nightly entertainment in several venues around the ship. If you enjoy beer, Celebrity just added a full menu of micro-brews. Celebrity also does all the game shows you find on all the cruise lines, along with a 60s night and several other skits they put on like comical dance competitions. They also do pool deck parties at night, have comedians and do trivia.

 

What's got me pushing you toward Celebrity is what you said in your first post. You said you didn't think RCI was good at creating a relaxing atmosphere. It's because of that comment I don't think Epic is the best choice for you. Celebrity is much a much better cruise for relaxing than NCL.

Edited June 3, 2014 by Aquahound

[HokiePoq]

Hello all!

 

I am having a serious dilemma and decided to ask for advice. My wife and I are planning a cruise in February of next year but cannot choose which cruise line to go on and could use some honest advice. We are trying to decide between going on the NCL Epic on Feb 8th or the Celebrity Silhouette on Feb 8th. We are looking at a mini-suite on the Epic or a Veranda on the Silhouette.

 

As a little background on us - we are both 29, have cruised 4 times all on RCCL (Mariner, Oasis, Allure, Independence) and are Platinum members. We enjoy some of the activities on RCCL but have become increasingly disappointed with their food and service. We want to be able to relax most of the time but enjoy having something to do too (trivia or comedians). We have a 3 year old but are leaving him with grandma so we can relax together! We are also looking forward to trying a new cruise line.

 

We mostly care about food, being able to relax, and good ship activities. We have really found that RCCL has not been doing very good at making a relaxing environment anymore...

 

I'm going to ask this same question on the Celebrity forum too just so I can get both ends of the spectrum.

 

Thank you in advance for any advice you can give us!!!

 

 

Price and itinerary are also considerations but since you didn't mention that I'll go on our experiences. I'd give Celebrity the edge on food but we find the food on NCL perfectly acceptable and much better (in my opinion, of course) than RCCL. I'd say entertainment and activities on NCL and RCCL are both comparable. The Celebrity board (check over there) has had several threads about severe cutbacks in onboard activities. We booked our upcoming Celebrity cruises because they were in a package with a landtour and air from the online agency we often book with. I will be disappointed if there is no trivia and other sea day activities we enjoy. Posters have said the cruise directors only have two now on their staffs. That would, if still true when you go, would really cut back on the activities. Overall we prefer the relaxed atmosphere on NCL (freestyle dining and no need for DH to pack a suit). There will probably be more people in your age range on NCL but that will depend on when you are cruising as certain voyages on all lines have mostly retired folks who can go on longer trips. Enjoy your cruise!

[jackson bernard]

In all frankness...the bathrooms in every cabin of every ship I've ever sailed on has been small. You are confusing the fact that the sink is not in the same area as the toilet, which allows someone to use the sink while someone else is using the toilet. I think you got some bad information about the toilet somehow being out in the open in the cabin. The shower has its own room, the toilet has its own room and the sink is out in the open part of the cabin.

 

If the sink is outside the toilet area how are you supposed to wash your hands before opening the door if you accidenty get poop on your hands?

 

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[graphicguy]

If the sink is outside the toilet area how are you supposed to wash your hands before opening the door if you accidenty get poop on your hands?

 

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Please tell me you aren't serious. Really? How will you turn the water on for the sink? Don't poo on your hands. That's basic, very basic hygene you learn as a kid.

[jackson bernard]

Please tell me you aren't serious. Really? How will you turn the water on for the sink? Don't poo on your hands. That's basic, very basic hygene you learn as a kid.

 

Well I am serious. I mean accidents happen. Even if your fingers do not go through the very thin toilet paper, what about the splatter when you pee? Isnt that the reason they normally have sinks and soap in water in bathrooms?

 

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[graphicguy]

Well I am serious. I mean accidents happen. Even if your fingers do not go through the very thin toilet paper, what about the splatter when you pee? Isnt that the reason they normally have sinks and soap in water in bathrooms?

 

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Not sure why I have to tell you this, but do the same as you would turning on the faucet.....opening a stall door....touching the toilet handle.... Do I have to go on?

[jackson bernard]

Its just gross. People are supposed to wash their hands before leaving the bathroom, not after.

 

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[Aquahound]

Well, op, there you go. Celebrity is your cruise line. You're less likely to exit the bathroom with poop fingers. ;)

[mayesq]

Don't most hotels have the sinks outside of the toilet area? I would think this is the same thing and you would proceed in the same manner. :rolleyes:

[graphicguy]

Don't most hotels have the sinks outside of the toilet area? I would think this is the same thing and you would proceed in the same manner. :rolleyes:

 

Exactly!

 

Sorry Jackson. Can't remotely take you seriously when you post stuff like you have in this thread. Gave me a chuckle, though!

[snow bunny]

Exactly!

 

Sorry Jackson. Can't remotely take you seriously when you post stuff like you have in this thread. Gave me a chuckle, though!

 

As I sit here laughing I want to say...really!!! My DH and I found the bathroom setup on the Epic a bit odd but we have been married for more than 30 years so guess we just went with the flow! I liked the fact that both of us could be getting ready without jamming into a small space. But as I have said to the OP, I think you will be more satisfied with Celebrity. I am going to be taking my fourth NCL cruise in October and have been on five Celebrity cruises. We choose the different lines for different reasons such as itinerary, who is going and lastly price!

 

snow bunny

[graphicguy]

Snow....we had read about how the bathrooms on the Epic were segmented (toilet in one room, shower in another). We thought that was a good idea. One person can shower, while the other has access to the toilet. And, one could use the sink, while another person is showering or had access to the toilet. So, for us, it seemed to offer a lot of flexibility.

 

If you want more traditional cruising, Celebrity is definitely the way to go. Without a doubt, Celebrity is more laid back. We didn't find it very exciting. That doesn't mean someone else won't, though.

 

Of all the reasons to pick one cruise line over another, the bathrooms aren't one of them, however.

 

My former GF and I had been living together for a year before we cruised together and found no issue with the Epic set up.

 

I do think anyone, who is traveling with a partner whom they aren't close to, or intimate with, might find any cabin bathroom arrangement on any ship a little confining.