New to Celebrity!

[redflag216]

Hi all,

 

I am new to Celebrity, but not new to cruising. In the past two years, I have done 5 with Carnival and 1 with Princess (which was the most recent). I am not ashamed to say I've stuck with Carnival for the majority - timing, pricing and family friendly being some variables - but I was spoiled with Princess. Hence why my family and I have booked the Summit, which leaves in 300 days (who's counting?!).

 

I am also not ashamed to say that I think about cruising almost every day...and sometimes more than once a day! My spouse is definitely tired of me talking about Bistro on Five, shore excursions, the solarium, MDR menus etc. After reading information and many reviews about the Summit, I have high expectations for Celebrity.

 

So, I have a couple of questions for all of you cruisers out there:

 

1) Were YOUR expectations met upon your first embarkation?

2) What did Celebrity WOW you with?

 

And GO! :)

[MrCruzeaddict]

My first Celebrity cruise was on the Zenith (now gone). By today's standard it was a small ship. My previous cruises were on Carnival and RCCL. To me, Celebrity was just a cut above the others. More relaxed without as many obnoxious announcements and "forced fun". A classy ship and very relaxing.

 

 

Nothing really WOWED me. Sure, the newer ships are bigger, but the atmosphere is the same. It's just a more relaxed, but a more upscale cruise. We are sailing on the Equinox (again) in Feb. '16

 

 

Joe

Edited April 5, 2015 by MrCruzeaddict

[jelayne]

A lot of little things wowed us. Cool clothes & water on the dock returning from a day in port, organized quiet debarkation, casino that doesn't smell like an ashtray, no Bingo announcements- I could go on but then you have no surprises!

Enjoy your cruise.

[Vitamin_Sea]

Hi all,

 

I am new to Celebrity, but not new to cruising. In the past two years, I have done 5 with Carnival and 1 with Princess (which was the most recent). I am not ashamed to say I've stuck with Carnival for the majority - timing, pricing and family friendly being some variables - but I was spoiled with Princess. Hence why my family and I have booked the Summit, which leaves in 300 days (who's counting?!).

 

I am also not ashamed to say that I think about cruising almost every day...and sometimes more than once a day! My spouse is definitely tired of me talking about Bistro on Five, shore excursions, the solarium, MDR menus etc. After reading information and many reviews about the Summit, I have high expectations for Celebrity.

 

So, I have a couple of questions for all of you cruisers out there:

 

1) Were YOUR expectations met upon your first embarkation?

2) What did Celebrity WOW you with?

 

And GO! :)

 

Certainly nothing wrong with Carnival cruise lines. Never had a problem.

BTW, Princess is a Carnival company- Just like Costa, HAL, P & O, seabourn and Cunnard.

Edited April 6, 2015 by limoguy1

[workstocruise]

We've only sailed one time with Celebrity on the Constellation which is a sister ship I believe to the Summit, but we fell in love almost the minute we got on the ship. We were frequent RCCL and Princess cruisers but Celebrity's service, crew, food and entertainment blew us away and we did this cruise about 7 months after sailing on Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas. The Allure is an amazing ship and wowed us the minute we boarded so I was pretty nervous about booking the small and much older Constellation, but I worried needlessly. You will love Celebrity. Our next two cruises are on the Equinox in May and the Millenium in August. Celebrity is now our cruise line of choice. Have fun!

[BubMunkeyBles]

I'm Platinum on Carnival. I think it's a solid product for a good price. They could not beat my Summit rate coming up though when taking into account the alcohol package (which I guess will no longer be offered but it was a consideration this time). I also like that Celebrity has a MUCH better cancellation policy without so many weird rates. I don't like paying more just to know that if my husband deploys we can cancel. I have also sailed on RCCL (which is my least favorite of any cruise ever), HAL and some European lines. Celebrity is my favorite. I loved the Summit last year which is why I'm sailing her again in 13 days.

 

My favorite things that stood out on the Summit when compared to my past cruises- I surprisingly felt less nickel and dimed. I liked the cold wash cloths when coming from an 8 hour shore excursion. I loved the quietness in the evenings. I liked the lack of announcements all the time. The solarium.. amazing! It was just so relaxing.

 

I'm sure we will continue with Carnival, especially with the kids. Like I said, we like the product. But for adults only my preference is now Celebrity.

[Host Jazzbeau]

We sailed Summit three years ago and really loved her. I agree with all the details mentioned above, and will add that the high point of the ship for us was Normandie restaurant: the decor (original art deco gold leaf panelling from the classic Normandie ocean liner), the food, and the service. Luckily this restaurant is duplicated on every Celebrity (commemorating a different classic ocean liner on each M-class ship, and always called Murano on the S-class ships). The price may seem high (but you can easily get a discount on the first night), but it is worth it.

[ClaudiaB]

We have only sailed Celebrity (and soon Azamara) but when we planned our first cruise we went to a local travel agent who specialized in cruises (now we do that with a well-known on-line TA). He asked us lots of questions and "matched" us with Celebrity. We loved it instantly.

NO smoking inside anywhere, no place at all. NO smoking on balconies and very few spots outdoors. Because of the restrictive smoking policy it's probably somewhat of a deterrent to smokers because even in those designated spots I rarely see smokers. Which for me is a huge deal breaker. I don't know what it's like on Carnival, but I would hate to have to walk by a lounge or the casino and smell smoke.

I like that there is only one announcement over the PA during the day in the public areas, at 10 a.m., about 5 minutes or so from the captain and the cruise director. The Celebrity Today is put in your room each evening and the assumption is made that you are an adult and can read and decide what you want to do (or not to do) and can read the schedule without being interrupted throughout the day with announcements.

No need to check out towels for shore excursions at the beach - they will appear in your room at night and you just grab them and go. No checking them out at the pool either. Just grab one on the stack at the pool.

I love how friendly the staff is and how good the food is. I love the classy atmosphere and I love that I can choose to participate in something or not, and there aren't staff people urging me to join this or do that.

I love the different quiet areas throughout the ship for reading, stitching, having a conversation and enjoying a cocktail while watching the ocean.

From what I hear, the kid's club is great because there are not a lot of kids so they get more individualized attention. However, the only time we sailed with our "kids" they were in college so we have no personal experience there.

I hope you do enjoy your cruise. Next time try one of the S class ships. They're our favorite.

[alcpa1]

OP,

Welcome to Cruise Critic!!!!!

And welcome to the Celebrity boards.

We call the line "X". That goes back to the days when Chandris Cruise Lines sold out to RCI and became Celebrity Cruise Lines. The X was their symbol and short hand lovers are grateful.

I don't want you to get your expectations too high. You have a long time to plan your cruise and the "old" Summit will be that much older. Of course, we've another cruise booked on her but we're old salts who prefer the familiarity of the M class fleet.

I think the thing I like most about Celebrity is the LACK of a WOW factor. There's no hubbub unless you are doing self disembarkation, no pool party madness, not too many dancing and singing waiters any longer, and not too many sales pitches.

You are going to find more differences between Carnival and X than between Princess and X. The décor is very different compared with Carnival. The ambiance is also totally different. Cabins are cabins and since we don't know your choice suffice it to say you will have beds, dresser, a bath, sofa or chair, or even a balcony with seating.

We think the food is much better on X ships. Someone mentioned the specialty restaurants and we also think that the Normandie is the loveliest of the four M class offerings. They are all decorated differently with different names as well BTW.

I'm sure by the time you board, and are handed a glass of champagne, you will begin to relax and get a feel for life at sea with Celebrity.

[wallie5446]

Welcome to Celebrity.

 

Since it is a cruise line, you will find more thing alike than any couple of things that just 'jump' out as WOW. But there will be many of the everyday things that will make you go, Ouuuuuu, how cool to do it that way.

 

There are 3 reviews of the Summit you will enjoy, all by the same person that was in your shoes last Feb 2014. She just returned from their 3rd Summit cruise since then! Here is the link to the first one,

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1987902

[LuckiePuris]

I just came back from my first Celebrity cruise and loved it! Here's my review, feel free to post any questions on the review thread:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2192606

 

Celebrity definitely wowed me with all the little things.

[miched]

We are Platinum on Carnival and also Princess. Loved all of our cruises on them.

 

RCCL snobs would always tell us that RCCL a was such a big step greater than Carnival so we tried them. Wasn't impressed enough to go back, didn't seem any different than Carnival.

 

I looked at a Celebrity and convinced my wife that we should they them. She wanted to know why as she was happy with the other two lines.

 

Our first cruise was on the Solstice and as soon as we walked on and was given the welcome aboard glass of champagne we were hooked. We are now Elite Plus in their loyalty club and since sailing on Celebrity we sailed on Carnival Dream, Ruby and Caribbean Princess. We have 5 more cruises booked on Celebrity.

 

The Summit is a M class ship that is the older class and is more along the style of the Caribbean Princess. The S class ships are the latest and comparible to the Ruby.

 

If you are a smoker you may not like Celebrity because smoking is limited to a few outside areas.

 

You will find out for yourself if the line suits you but don't have your expectations too high because many things are changing and have changed since a lot of reviews have been wrote.

 

Would also recommend booking a cruise while on board to get more perks and to try a S class ship before making a final judgement as there are a lot of differences between the two classes.

 

happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌞

[TeaBag]

Hi all,

 

 

 

I am also not ashamed to say that I think about cruising almost every day...and sometimes more than once a day! My spouse is definitely tired of me talking about Bistro on Five, shore excursions, the solarium, MDR menus etc. After reading information and many reviews about the Summit, I have high expectations for Celebrity.

 

So, I have a couple of questions for all of you cruisers out there:

 

1) Were YOUR expectations met upon your first embarkation?

2) What did Celebrity WOW you with?

 

And GO! :)

I love that you think about cruising every day. Welcome to Cruise Critic! Get ready to think about it even more with Cruise Critic, the best site ever for anything related to cruising. Check out the ports section for tips and ideas on the ports you plan to visit.

 

As for Summit, that was one of our best cruises. We just loved the service and all the attention we got.

 

Our first cruise was on the long gone Meridian and we were wowed by the food and the service. Our only cruise before that was on Princess.

 

I think you will enjoy Summit and once you have sailed with her, do try an S class ship (Solstice, Equinox, Eclipse, Silhouette, Reflection).

 

Enjoy your cruise.

 

PS. The folks on here will be glad to talk to you anytime if your DH is bored with cruise talk!:D

[keithm]

Hi all,

 

I am new to Celebrity, but not new to cruising. In the past two years, I have done 5 with Carnival and 1 with Princess (which was the most recent). I am not ashamed to say I've stuck with Carnival for the majority - timing, pricing and family friendly being some variables - but I was spoiled with Princess. Hence why my family and I have booked the Summit, which leaves in 300 days (who's counting?!).

 

I am also not ashamed to say that I think about cruising almost every day...and sometimes more than once a day! My spouse is definitely tired of me talking about Bistro on Five, shore excursions, the solarium, MDR menus etc. After reading information and many reviews about the Summit, I have high expectations for Celebrity.

 

So, I have a couple of questions for all of you cruisers out there:

 

1) Were YOUR expectations met upon your first embarkation?

2) What did Celebrity WOW you with?

 

And GO! :)

Well for years we were dedicated Cunarders(I think that's the term)They stopped most of their Caribbean trips. Our TA always liked Celebrity & suggested the "Solstice" class ships. We did the Eclipse last year in Jan. We repeated the same trip this past Ja, & again loved it. So our reviews are based on Solstice class & Eclipse in particular. So here goes...1)We were all greeted by the guest relations staff, who were lined along the corridore as we boarded. The ship was very nice inside..Modern with touches of old style elegance.The staff all around the ship seemed happy to be there & to see us. This is always a nice touch.

2)Just really liked the interior. The Moonlight Sonata(MDR)was very elegant, with a huge wine tower. You won't see that on Carnival(or even Cunard for that matter)The Solarium was(and is) our favorite place to relax at sea. Nice generally new age type music. Great pool & nice hot tubs. Plenty of loungers & we love the "Clam shell" loungers. Great for 2 people. The food is excellent overall. Better than we had in Britannia(MDR of the Queen Victoria)Specialty rest. are great. Qsine is quite eclectic(perhaps too much for average diners)Food was excellent, but adventuresome(we're foodies, so we love it)Murano has excellent French food. Tuscany is kind of a Italian steak house. The entry is outstanding. Kind of like a huge wine barrel at the entrance. Bistro on 5 has crepes, which make a nice lunch time repast. Usually not very crowded. The shows in the theater are nice. Best this year we thought. Great magic shows & really funny comedians. A real high point are the elevators. You see the entire depth of the ship as you passd by several floors & see a large tree suspended between floors. Yes it's real as it sheds leaves at times. You should find this line to be far more luxurious than Carnival & in most cases Princess as well. We like more formal dresscodes & on the Eclipse(at least) pax dress quite nicely. I think you'll have a great time.

[Champagne Cruiser]

We have sailed the Summit 4 times and have 2 more cruises booked on her. The staff is the friendliest. As others have mentioned the welcome aboard champagne or mimosa and the cold towels and drinks upon returning onboard. We love Cafe Al Baccio. The specialty coffees and fresh iced tea are great (there is an extra charge, but included in the beverage pkg). The treats are free, croissants, cake, eclairs, etc. The thalassotherapy pool is heavenly. Also try the Aqua Spa cafe for lunch or a light breakfast. Afternoon tea is also in the Aqua Spa Cafe at 4:00 pm. The Oceanview cafe has fresh sushi at 5:30 pm. The pools are salt water which I love. The overall atmosphere is fun, yet relaxing which is what vacation is all about.

[4774Papa]

Hi all,

 

I am new to Celebrity, but not new to cruising. In the past two years, I have done 5 with Carnival and 1 with Princess (which was the most recent). I am not ashamed to say I've stuck with Carnival for the majority - timing, pricing and family friendly being some variables - but I was spoiled with Princess. Hence why my family and I have booked the Summit, which leaves in 300 days (who's counting?!).

 

I am also not ashamed to say that I think about cruising almost every day...and sometimes more than once a day! My spouse is definitely tired of me talking about Bistro on Five, shore excursions, the solarium, MDR menus etc. After reading information and many reviews about the Summit, I have high expectations for Celebrity.

 

So, I have a couple of questions for all of you cruisers out there:

 

1) Were YOUR expectations met upon your first embarkation?

2) What did Celebrity WOW you with?

 

And GO! :)

We have done NCL and Celebrity.

We find that Celebrity tends to take good care of details. Service is excellent and generally mistake free. Attendants and wait staff are well trained.

 

Also, Celebrity doesn't hassle you with promos on the cruise.

 

The food is excellent and we like the type of people that cruise X.

Well traveled and great company.

[OCruisers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

We mostly cruise on Princess (best all around fit for us) but have also been on several Celebrity and Carnival cruises.

You'll find Celebrity much more like Princess. ;)

Expect to have a wonderful Celebrity cruise! :D

LuLu

[artmc]

Hi all,

 

I am new to Celebrity, but not new to cruising. In the past two years, I have done 5 with Carnival and 1 with Princess (which was the most recent). I am not ashamed to say I've stuck with Carnival for the majority - timing, pricing and family friendly being some variables - but I was spoiled with Princess. Hence why my family and I have booked the Summit, which leaves in 300 days (who's counting?!).

 

I am also not ashamed to say that I think about cruising almost every day...and sometimes more than once a day! My spouse is definitely tired of me talking about Bistro on Five, shore excursions, the solarium, MDR menus etc. After reading information and many reviews about the Summit, I have high expectations for Celebrity.

 

So, I have a couple of questions for all of you cruisers out there:

 

1) Were YOUR expectations met upon your first embarkation?

2) What did Celebrity WOW you with?

 

And GO! :)

 

DW and I did four Carnival vacations and switched to Celeb because they offered a South American cruise - the Infinity (highly recommended). We've since done two other Celeb cruises, largely because we prefer the atmosphere (older but not stuffier) so I guess our expectations were exceeded.

 

Things that wowed us:

 

• The architecture - especially the main lobby, library and MDR
  
• The solarium - a pool large enough to do laps with hot tubs on either side
  
• Getting a free welcome aboard glass of champagne
  
• Coming back from shore excursions and being offered cold face cloths and a glass of water or fruit juice
  
• Overall level of service
  
• Food (not as good on our 3rd cruise as on the first two, but still excellent)
  
• Lack of hairy chest contests and the like
  
• No continuous announcements
  
• The entertainment
  
• Minimal amount of smoking