Celebrity vs royal Caribbean

[Sandifer]

We have cruised several times on celebrity and always enjoyed it. Our last cruise was about 3years ago. Recently we cruised on Royal Caribbean because it cruised out of galveston which is not too far from us. We were very disappointed. The food in our opinion was very poor, sometimes barely edible. Now I am worried that perhaps celebrity has also gone down hill. What we always liked about celebrity was the relaxed atmosphere and good food, especially the healthy items at the area close to the spa. Is celebrity still as good as it used to be?

[vulcan1971]

We have cruised several times on celebrity and always enjoyed it. Our last cruise was about 3years ago. Recently we cruised on Royal Caribbean because it cruised out of galveston which is not too far from us. We were very disappointed. The food in our opinion was very poor, sometimes barely edible. Now I am worried that perhaps celebrity has also gone down hill. What we always liked about celebrity was the relaxed atmosphere and good food, especially the healthy items at the area close to the spa. Is celebrity still as good as it used to be?

 

This same type of comparison was done in this very recent thread. Check it out.

 

My personal opinion... I was on 1 RCCL cruise in 2012 (a transatlantic). At that time, there was still permitted smoking on balcony. I vowed I would never sail RCCL again until it changed. Now that it has, I may consider in the future. I also thought the food on RCCL was uninspiring and bland most nights we were in the MDR. On a 15 day itinerary, that was a lot of bad food. We did do one night in the specialty restaurant and that was quite good. I don't recall the restaurant on the AOS, but it was very similar to the Tuscan Grille on Celebrity. I've generally liked or really enjoyed all the food I have had on all of my Celebrity cruises (and I have two more booked). That should tell you something. :)

 

Enjoy coming back to Celebrity (again).

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2156820&highlight=celebrity+vs+royal

Edited February 16, 2015 by vulcan1971

[We're The Groupnors]

Many people will say that it has gone down hill, but we still very much enjoy the food on Celebrity. Not everything is to our taste, but if we're dissatisfied with a particular dish we just ask for something else. I have been on RC once and I would agree the food was inferior.

[ROYALBOY]

We are sailing both, RCCL in August to New England/Canada in the MDR. We have always found something that that we could enjoy, but if we are looking for special we will book a speciality restaurant. Last time we were in Chops, we were asked to cut into our Filet Mignon to make sure we were happy... Nothing wrong with that.

 

For Celebrity, to the Southern Caribbean, we are in Aqua class, so will be dining in BLU. I have read good and bad so far but that is par for the course... we are lookingforward to it.:)

[HokiePoq]

We have cruised several times on celebrity and always enjoyed it. Our last cruise was about 3years ago. Recently we cruised on Royal Caribbean because it cruised out of galveston which is not too far from us. We were very disappointed. The food in our opinion was very poor, sometimes barely edible. Now I am worried that perhaps celebrity has also gone down hill. What we always liked about celebrity was the relaxed atmosphere and good food, especially the healthy items at the area close to the spa. Is celebrity still as good as it used to be?

 

 

I don't know that any line is as good as it used to be for those who go way back. Our way back is only a few years and yes, IMHO, Celebrity is still quite good. Our observation about RCCL food is exactly the same as yours. Sometimes inedible and we are not at all picky. RCCL food is the only cruiseline food we've had that was not acceptable. Their entertainment, however, is one of the best we've sailed on. I thought the food on X on our recently completed cruise was quite good, and just as good as it was five years ago. Service remains excellent.

[donnatello]

We were on RCI last 2 yrs ago, "X"...two weeks ago. I do think (and it's just MY opinion, that "X" is a step above RC). Definitely with regard to the fit and finish and appointments of the ship, itself. Also, as other folks have pointed out, when it comes to the issue of food, it's not just line to line, but ship to ship. I think the head chef and all the chefs on any ship play a very important role the the food served. We just got off the "Equinox" a couple of weeks ago and thought the food overall was not quite as good as what we had on the "Silhouette" in the fall.

[aml3679]

Thank goodness it was not just us. We ate not overly picky eithet but found the food on RCCL was nothing to write home about. We were very disappointed everywhere we ate. The main dining room hardly varied in what was offered, the food was served luke warm and there is not a dish that I would say that I would have again. We ate at all 3 specialty restaurants and hated Chops, Giovanni's was so so and we liked Izumi the best but chose to have the hot rocks and cooked our own food. When we cruised pn Celebrity, the food was consistently good. Carnival's food was way better than RCCL. Sad but true.

[villauk]

I think the head chef and all the chefs on any ship play a very important role the the food served. We just got off the "Equinox" a couple of weeks ago and thought the food overall was not quite as good as what we had on the "Silhouette" in the fall.

 

Disappointed to read this as we also enjoyed the food on Silhouette last year, and we're sailing on Equinox in a few weeks :(.

 

Lately, we've been swayed more towards X after many Royal sailings.

[ClairetoCruise]

Food is not a major factor for us.

We've cruised Royal Caribbean more in recent years.

It delivers more satisfaction.

Our Celebrity cruises leave us wondering why they get great press.

\

Claire

[tropical mama]

Celebrity is so much better than Royal. Truly modern luxury . I live in Tx and have been on the Navigator of the seas 3 times just got off on Feb 1 . The two are like day and night to me . I cannot wait now for my X cruise on the Silhouette in April . Yes it costs more and it is in Florida . To me the X experience is worth it . I will try the Liberty of the seas in Nov. out of Galveston . To me X never disappoints .

It's like going home . There's no place like home .

[Gracie115]

Royal is good for rock walls, zip lines, bumper cars(now!!), and many other activities....it's food, especially in the MDR, is very mediocre....we did like some of our meals on Oasis at the spec rest....but they are definitely a step down from X as far as food is concerned....

[Vivere LaDolceVita]

I think it may come down to a matter of perspective. On my 1st cruise on =X= in 1999, I remember thinking the food was amazing. However, I was also 19 and at the time, my taste buds were constantly being assaulted by borderline poisonous college cafeteria food. On my next cruise, for my honeymoon on RCI, I thought the food was good but nowhere near the level of =X=. Although, by that point, I had already been living in New York for several years and as my then-husband was a pharma sales rep who often took me out with his clients, I was used to dining in some pretty swank places. My next/last cruise on RCI was in 2013 and I got the distinct impression that the food had actually improved in the intervening years, while on my next =X= cruise later that same year, I thought the food had declined. However, on my most recent =X= cruise, I was surprised at the high quality of the food in the MDR and BLU.

 

So, in short, I think a lot has to do with changing/evolving expectations and perspectives. My general feeling is that food quality is very good on both RCI and =X=, with =X= having a slight edge (as it should, since it styles itself as being in the "premium" market). I very much doubt you would be disappointed in either experience, so long as you go with the right mindset and relax. :)

[miched]

Try Carnival and then make your own opinion. Your opinion is the only one that is important to you.

 

We are Platinum on Princess and haven't sailed on them in a few years. Last year before our Celebrity cruise there was a fantastic deal on Princess that was to good to pass up. After that cruise it will be very difficult to cruise with Princess again. Reading the reviews I was wondering if I was on the same cruise. Couldn't believe how most thought that it was fabulous. to them it may have been but there were too many things that we didn't like.

 

A few years ago were were on the Carnival Dream. Doubt if we will ever cruise with them again even though we are at the top of their loyalty club. We enjoyed the cruises we had with them until that cruise. Was it really bad or just our opinion because of life changes?

 

Been on a RCCL Crusie a few years ago. No problems but nothing impressed us and we don't need or use all of the attractions so we never went back.

 

When younger I use to think the only places to eat out were McD, And Burger King. Haven't been been in one in ages. They no longer appeal to me.

 

So far Celebrity still is offering what we enjoy and I am sure that eventually it will also be time to move on.

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌞

[zalusky]

Thank goodness it was not just us. We ate not overly picky eithet but found the food on RCCL was nothing to write home about. We were very disappointed everywhere we ate. The main dining room hardly varied in what was offered, the food was served luke warm and there is not a dish that I would say that I would have again. We ate at all 3 specialty restaurants and hated Chops, Giovanni's was so so and we liked Izumi the best but chose to have the hot rocks and cooked our own food. When we cruised pn Celebrity, the food was consistently good. Carnival's food was way better than RCCL. Sad but true.

 

Really! We had Giovanni's for lunch ($15 cover) and had this wonderful set of appetizers before we even got to the entree we were stuffed:

 

[bububr]

Quite frankly I sail both. And it really depends on the kind of vacation I'm planning.

 

Sometimes I feel like doing a tux (X). Sometimes I feel like just doing a suit (rccl) Sometimes I want to act silly and do the quest. Sometimes I just want to relax

 

Being Diamond and elite plus. I have had my share of good and bad food. Sometimes I send it back. Other times I'm just enjoying myself with the company at my table that it's not a big deal

 

Quite frankly what I have begun to hate are walkie talkies and cell phones. They interfere with both my and others vacations. People have become selfish and rude

 

Getting back to the question. There are always ups and downs. On any cruise and with feeding. 3000 people on board you can't really expect a five star meal all the time.

[rua642]

We look forward to enjoying quality meals when we go on vacation. We've had excellent experiences overall on our Celebrity cruises. We went on Liberty of the Seas a few months ago. The MDR was hit or miss. The lunch buffet ran the gamut of unappetizing to inedible. We did enjoy the ports and the entertainment, but Celebrity remains our cruise line of choice.

[Cindy]

I actually think Royal Caribbean's food is better now than it was 6 or 7 years ago...we had a couple cruises where it was just awful. I've found the food to be better since we switched to MTD...the service seems faster and the food comes out at the proper temperature which makes a world of difference.

 

We avoid the buffet as much as possible on any line, and we don't mind spending extra for specialties. We loved BLU on our only Celebrity cruise so far, but we also had a fantastic dining experience on the Oasis where we had access to Coastal Kitchen (the suite restaurant), ate in specialty restaurants four nights, and only went to the MDR once. Our last RC ship before the Oasis was Navigator, and we had a much better experience than the OP. Sometimes it's just luck...in addition to the menus and recipes, the chef, wait staff, table location, and passenger load all play a part in the quality of the food.

 

My preferences have really changed over the years. I used to love a big table in the MDR at late traditional seating, but now I prefer a smaller, quieter venue with more personalized service. That's one of the reasons I would choose Celebrity every time if they had a ship located closer to home. Unfortunately, if we just want to get away and float around the Caribbean, it's hard to justify flying to Florida unless it's for a unique itinerary or to do something really different, like the Oasis.