NCL fan thinking of trying Celebrity

[Bocadude85]

My partner and I are thinking about taking a Vietnam & Philippines cruise on the Celebrity Century this coming March. We have cruised mostly with NCL and have been very pleased with them. We have also cruised with Royal Caribbean a few times and have been less then thrilled with them. How does the service and food on Celebrity compare to NCL/RCI? Is the atmosphere more formal? Has anyone sailed this itinerary?

[We're The Groupnors]

We have sailed all three lines: once with each NCL and Royal Caribbean and many times with Celebrity. We found NCL to be the most casual of the three. Although RCI and Celebrity are laid back, they are just not what I would call "casual". People will dress nicer for dinner on RCI and Celebrity, and it tends to be a little less "hectic" on Celebrity, so if you like to be really casual and enjoy a busier ship you may not like the evening atmosphere as much. The smoking policy is also very restrictive on Celebrity, so if you're a smoker that may be a deal breaker for you. The food and service on Celebrity we have found to be superior to both NCL and RCI.

[need2bespoiled]

My partner and I are thinking about taking a Vietnam & Philippines cruise on the Celebrity Century this coming March. We have cruised mostly with NCL and have been very pleased with them. We have also cruised with Royal Caribbean a few times and have been less then thrilled with them. How does the service and food on Celebrity compare to NCL/RCI? Is the atmosphere more formal? Has anyone sailed this itinerary?

 

If you're used to the newer NCL ships, lots of various dining venues and larger ships, the Century may not be your thing. The ships is the oldest, and smallest ship in the main fleet. It is leaving the fleet in April. Dining options are limited to:

 

Buffet

MDR

Muraon ("Fine French")

Aqua Spa (small buffet in indoor pool)

Pool Grill

 

There is also a small coffee shop.

 

Food is very subjective, but letting us know what types of things you prefer might help.

 

I have not looked at the itinerary, but it is probably a one off sailing as it is not long before Century makes its way to its new owner in mid April in Singapore. To us, a unique itinerary would probably be an advantage but probably not enough to get us to sail on Century.

 

While most areas are relatively well maintained, we did see lots of areas that could use maintenance this past March and the ship does show some decent wear and tear. However, some things will be nicer than NCL ships as there are real teak decks on some balconies as opposed to the rubber grating NCL uses. It will be less Vegas and more traditional ocean liner if that makes sense.

It will be a different experience, but it doesn’t mean it will be bad. Knowing what you liked or disliked about NCL and RCCL would help provide input.

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

[Bocadude85]

We have sailed all three lines: once with each NCL and Royal Caribbean and many times with Celebrity. We found NCL to be the most casual of the three. Although RCI and Celebrity are laid back' date=' they are just not what I would call "casual". People will dress nicer for dinner on RCI and Celebrity, and it tends to be a little less "hectic" on Celebrity, so if you like to be really casual and enjoy a busier ship you may not like the evening atmosphere as much. The smoking policy is also very restrictive on Celebrity, so if you're a smoker that may be a deal breaker for you. The food and service on Celebrity we have found to be superior to both NCL and RCI.[/quote']

 

Thank you for your insight. We are not smokers so that is not a issue for us. We generally eat in the specialty restaurants aboard NCL so we are used to getting dressed up for dinner so that will not be a problem for us either. In the evenings we like to grab a drink and play in the casino.

[Turtles06]

The smoking policy is also very restrictive on Celebrity' date=' so if you're a smoker that may be a deal breaker for you. [/quote']

 

NCL has banned smoking on balconies effective Nov. 1, so that's a huge improvement. Still allowed in the casino, which can be an issue for some.

[gardiner41]

We typically sail NCL as well.

Our first cruise was with Princess and we loved it as well.

We are doing the Ultimate Caribbean cruise with X in January. Essentially it is a Panama Canal cruise, but docs rather than transits the canal.

 

From all my research, and from first hand experience with friends who have sailed both and prefer X there are some major differences.

First and formost, Remember NCL is a mass market line and X is a premium line. So the demographic is different.

 

X is more formal, but not "super" formal like Cunard for example.

Typically there are 2 or more formal nights depending on the length of the cruise. I like dressing up my DH does not, so we have decided we will eat in one of the alternate venues on formal nights. Buffet or as one person told me, we can have our steward bring us a menu from the MDR and order room service off of it. Same great food, in our cabin, no dressing up.

So as with on NCL there are always lots of choices.

 

I think in your particular case...what is most important, is NCL does not do that itinerary. So it seems to me, if that is where you want to go, the destination is more important than the vessel to get you there.

Everything is about mindset. IF you go determined to enjoy exotic ports of call, and the X experience, you will. Remember not to do too much comparison, as it is apples and oranges. You know it will be a different onboard experience so go with a great attitude instead of looking for differences and comparisons and you will have a wonderful cruise.

[gardiner41]

Thank you for your insight. We are not smokers so that is not a issue for us. We generally eat in the specialty restaurants aboard NCL so we are used to getting dressed up for dinner so that will not be a problem for us either. In the evenings we like to grab a drink and play in the casino.

 

With this additional info...I would say X will suite you well! Enjoy!

[ECCruise]

Although there are differences, both NCL and Celebrity are mass market cruise lines. Maybe at somewhat different ends of the spectrum but nothing earth shattering.

 

We've sailed 20+ times on Celebrity, 10 times on NCL. Celebrity is actually trending more toward the NCL spectrum than the other way around. Many of NCL's innovations ("anytime" dining, specialty restaurants, more flexible disembarkation procedures as just a few) have been adopted by Celebrity among others.

 

Yes, Celebrity still has formal nights but have eliminated the requirement in all specialty venues as well as other areas of the ship. Yes, the decor is more understated than on most NCL ships. I think you will find the food in the MDR definitely better on Celebrity, the level of service better on Celebrity. Entertainment much more varied on NCL.

 

So much has to do with itinerary, also. On the cruise you are considering, I think you would find a pretty diverse group of North Americans, Canadians, Europeans and Asians.

[Bocadude85]

If you're used to the newer NCL ships, lots of various dining venues and larger ships, the Century may not be your thing. The ships is the oldest, and smallest ship in the main fleet. It is leaving the fleet in April. Dining options are limited to:

 

Buffet

MDR

Muraon ("Fine French")

Aqua Spa (small buffet in indoor pool)

Pool Grill

 

There is also a small coffee shop.

 

Food is very subjective, but letting us know what types of things you prefer might help.

 

I have not looked at the itinerary, but it is probably a one off sailing as it is not long before Century makes its way to its new owner in mid April in Singapore. To us, a unique itinerary would probably be an advantage but probably not enough to get us to sail on Century.

 

While most areas are relatively well maintained, we did see lots of areas that could use maintenance this past March and the ship does show some decent wear and tear. However, some things will be nicer than NCL ships as there are real teak decks on some balconies as opposed to the rubber grating NCL uses. It will be less Vegas and more traditional ocean liner if that makes sense.

It will be a different experience, but it doesn’t mean it will be bad. Knowing what you liked or disliked about NCL and RCCL would help provide input.

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

 

We always book our cruises based on the itinerary not the ship, we have never sailed on any of NCL's megaships so I do not think we would mind a smaller ship. We found the service on Royal Caribbean to be horrible, the staff were rude and seemed uninterested in helping the guests. On more then one occasion we had staff members flat out lie to us. I know food is very subjective and understand that some people love the MDR but we have never had a good meal in the MDR on NCL or RCI. I have heard the food is better on Celebrity though. We generally forgo the evening shows in favor of having a drink or two in the casino. I do like the casinos on RCI more then the ones on NCL. What we like about NCL is that they make us feel special, the staff has always been so warm and attentive and we love the multiple dining options. We generally try to sail in a suite when we cruise so that could be why our experience with NCL has been so wonderful.

[need2bespoiled]

We always book our cruises based on the itinerary not the ship, we have never sailed on any of NCL's megaships so I do not think we would mind a smaller ship. We found the service on Royal Caribbean to be horrible, the staff were rude and seemed uninterested in helping the guests. On more then one occasion we had staff members flat out lie to us. I know food is very subjective and understand that some people love the MDR but we have never had a good meal in the MDR on NCL or RCI. I have heard the food is better on Celebrity though. We generally forgo the evening shows in favor of having a drink or two in the casino. I do like the casinos on RCI more then the ones on NCL. What we like about NCL is that they make us feel special, the staff has always been so warm and attentive and we love the multiple dining options. We generally try to sail in a suite when we cruise so that could be why our experience with NCL has been so wonderful.

 

My opinion is the MDR is ok at best on Celebrity. Service will be varied and food OK. Still similar food factor mass banquet style food as on NCL on RCCL, marginally better, nothing special. Murano is similar to Le Bistro, but that is all you really have besides the MDR or Buffet for dinner. It may at a lot at $45/person per night to eat in Murano every night. By buying a package you may be able to get this down to $30/night. If you do eat there often, they’ll likely start to be willing to do some off menu cooking, but not guarantee of this.

 

If you’re a non-smoker you may enjoy the casino more as it will be smoke free.

 

I would say you _may_ be happy with a sky suite or maybe a Century suite on Century, but in my opinion it is the least desirable suite in the entire Celebrity Suite. I’d recommend a RS if there are any available.

Regardless of the cabin you book, I think you’ll generally find very friendly, helpful staff on Celebrity. By booking a Royal Suite you’ll have access to Michael’s Club which is a suite only lounge with dedicated Suite concierge. Access is also for the Penthouse and Century Suite, but not the Sky Suites. For many, including me, the level of service this lounge brings definitely adds a level of pampering to our cruise we enjoy.

 

I think the big downside you’ll notice are dining options if you’re not a MDR fan, that leaves the buffet or Murano.

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

[Bocadude85]

Thank you everyone for all your insight. We decided to book the cruise. Can not wait!!

[MizDemeanor]

My partner and I are thinking about taking a Vietnam & Philippines cruise on the Celebrity Century this coming March. We have cruised mostly with NCL and have been very pleased with them. We have also cruised with Royal Caribbean a few times and have been less then thrilled with them. How does the service and food on Celebrity compare to NCL/RCI? Is the atmosphere more formal? Has anyone sailed this itinerary?

 

 

What is is that you liked on the lines and the individual ships mentioned that you would like to replicate? Coming late to the party....

 

If you are booked already between your thread post and this reply enjoy warm skies and blue seas!!! :)