New to Celebrity...help us find a ship!

[ilovetotravel1977]

My husband and I have recently sailed both the NCL Epic and Escape. Epic was a great cruise, mostly due to the extra pool at Spice H20. However, the Escape cruise was bleh, due to only having one pool for 4500 people. He has no interest in sailing the Getaway or Breakaway as they both follow this same layout. He's a pool guy, and has made it known our next cruise must have more options in this area.

 

We are new to Celebrity, 39/41 years old. If anyone could suggest a ship that goes to the Caribbean for 7 days, have more than 1 pool, great nighttime entertainment and more then 1-2 options for free dining would be appreciated.

 

Thank you!

[nmg85]

All ships apart from xpedition have more then one pool. All have main dining area, buffet, grill etc to eat. Entertainment is similar on all.

[goody1]

My husband and I have recently sailed both the NCL Epic and Escape. Epic was a great cruise, mostly due to the extra pool at Spice H20. However, the Escape cruise was bleh, due to only having one pool for 4500 people. He has no interest in sailing the Getaway or Breakaway as they both follow this same layout. He's a pool guy, and has made it known our next cruise must have more options in this area.

 

We are new to Celebrity, 39/41 years old. If anyone could suggest a ship that goes to the Caribbean for 7 days, have more than 1 pool, great nighttime entertainment and more then 1-2 options for free dining would be appreciated.

 

Thank you!

 

We are about to take our 5th Celebrity Cruise on the Eclipse, however (and it is a big however) if you are wanting great night time entertainment, Celebrity are sadly lacking in this department.

[Miaminice]

Any of the S-class ships would be the closest comparison to Epic and especially Escape. Think Escape without all the wasted space for rope gardens, water slides, H2O, Margaritaville and the closed off Haven areas.

 

However, if you expect the high life and party of Escape, Celebrity is not for you. All Celebrity ships are more laid back - which is what the loyals prefer.

 

See the Ships section on our website to compare.

http://www.travelandcruise.net/travellove_en/Ships/ships.html

 

.

[MomtoCCC]

I would suggest looking at Royal Caribbean's Oasis or Freedom class ships.

[Happy2cruise]

Our favorite ship is the Silhouette and favorite feature is their adult pool:)

[Poconolady]

If he is a pool person,then Celebrity may disappoint him. Both pools are pretty basic, no slides or fancy extras, just pool and hot tubs. Also, no pool games.

[Hydrokitty]

I would suggest looking at Royal Caribbean's Oasis or Freedom class ships.

 

I agree....my daughter and SIL have cruised with us on Celebrity and loved it but the cruises they keep booking are Royal Caribbean...they're in your age group and RAVE about Oasis and the bigger ships and say they're better than Celebrity in every area except food: "RC food is very great, X food is amazing!! (their words)

Edited June 26, 2016 by Hydrokitty

[Lois R]

All the ships have 2 pools.....the larger one is outside for everyone.

 

The Solarium pool is inside, which is supposed to be adult only and a

quieter atmosphere.

 

Dining included in your cruise price?...main dining room, the grills

out at the pool and the Oceanview Cafe (the name of buffet). Also,

for breakfast and lunch there are items at the Aqua Spa Cafe that are

complimentary but other items have an extra charge. You can see the

prices of the items on their menu. The Aqua Spa Cafe is not opened for

dinner.

[Hydrokitty]

All the ships have 2 pools.....the larger one is outside for everyone.

 

The Solarium pool is inside, which is supposed to be adult only and a

quieter atmosphere.

 

Dining included in your cruise price?...main dining room, the grills

out at the pool and the Oceanview Cafe (the name of buffet). Also,

for breakfast and lunch there are items at the Aqua Spa Cafe that are

complimentary but other items have an extra charge. You can see the

prices of the items on their menu. The Aqua Spa Cafe is not opened for

dinner.

 

ssshhhhh Lois....we're trying to keep Aqua Spa Cafe a well hidden secret :D

We discovered it as an alternative for b'fast and lunch on our first Celebrity cruise on the Infinity and I don't know what we'd do without it.

[JonnyGUofD]

You should go on Royal Caribbean's oasis of the seas or allure of the seas. They have lots and lots of pools

[Tiggertastic]

Pools on celebrity really beat the epic and breakaway, they are much bigger, have 2 on the pool deck and a solarium pool. Breakaway has h20 just like epic.

 

Epics entertainment is so much better than celebrity in terms of having headliners etc but we have a fantastic time on celebrity and find we meet many more people than we do on ncl. Any of them are worth trying, the mdr food is so much better on celebrity too

[ilovetotravel1977]

Pools on celebrity really beat the epic and breakaway, they are much bigger, have 2 on the pool deck and a solarium pool. Breakaway has h20 just like epic.

 

Epic has a pool in Spice, the other Away class ships do not, they only have water features like waterfalls and a grotto.

 

That is why we would like to expand our search into other variations of pool decks :)

[SeaHunt]

You should go on Royal Caribbean's oasis of the seas or allure of the seas. They have lots and lots of pools

 

ITA. Pools and good entertainment - check. Have your husband watch this tour of Oasis pools:

 

 

You can also have him check out Cruise Critic's "Pictures of the 14 Best Cruise Pools" and see if any appeal :)

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/slideshows/?ID=536

[hcat]

I agree....my daughter and SIL have cruised with us on Celebrity and loved it but the cruises they keep booking are Royal Caribbean...they're in your age group and RAVE about Oasis and the bigger ships and say they're better than Celebrity in every area except food: "RC food is very great, X food is amazing!! (their words)

 

 

Depends on what size ship OP is looking for..and other interests,,,

 

We found all pools on Oasis to be very crowded...esp after early morning,,,both in poolside seating and in the pools. The adult only outdoor solarium big hot tub type pool was very nice...not good for swimming but also quite crowded

 

S class pools less crowded..2 outdoor and one in the solarium...not quite for laps but maybe earky in the day or off hrs,,

 

We did not find Oasis better than S class...unless you enjoy Rock Wall, zip line, floe rider, ice shows,. It was crowded in many places, you have to reserve for events and there are lines..mall design..,.i think great for families with children but not our cup of tea.

 

Night life was better than X but not that much better....just later into the evening. Restaurants, even Specialties on Oasis not same level as on Celebrity. But free dining options are limited depending on what cabin you book,

 

Royal is more high energy..but Reflection and Silhouette might be a good choice,,.

Edited June 27, 2016 by hcat

[ilovetotravel1977]

Depends on what size ship OP is looking for..and other interests,,,

 

We found all pools on Oasis to be very crowded...esp after early morning,,,both in poolside seating and in the pools. The adult only outdoor solarium big hot tub type pool was very nice...not good for swimming but also quite crowded

 

S class pools less crowded..2 outdoor and one in the solarium...not quite for laps but maybe earky in the day or off hrs,,

 

We did not find Oasis better than S class...unless you enjoy Rock Wall, zip line, floe rider, ice shows,. It was crowded in many places, you have to reserve for events and there are lines..mall design..,.i think great for families with children but not our cup of tea.

 

Night life was better than X but not that much better....just later into the evening. Restaurants, even Specialties on Oasis not same level as on Celebrity. But free dining options are limited depending on what cabin you book,

 

Royal is more high energy..but Reflection and Silhouette might be a good choice,,.

 

Thanks for this!

 

We don't need all the day time bells and whistles when just the two of us. If our 8 year old was with us, that would be what we would book. We just like to lay out all day and have a few drinks and take a few dips in the pool.

 

We don't mind paying for specialty dining, but it isn't something we would do every night, maybe 1-2 dinners just to change it up from the dining room/buffet.

 

As for shows, I like any show, hubby could care less, to be honest. He likes comedy, piano bar, etc.

 

Finally, the really massive ships are great, but I think we'd like to try something slightly smaller. Maybe in the 3000 passengers vs 4500 passengers.

 

Thanks for all your input folks!

[wallie5446]

Thanks for this!

 

We don't need all the day time bells and whistles when just the two of us. If our 8 year old was with us, that would be what we would book. We just like to lay out all day and have a few drinks and take a few dips in the pool.

 

We don't mind paying for specialty dining, but it isn't something we would do every night, maybe 1-2 dinners just to change it up from the dining room/buffet.

 

As for shows, I like any show, hubby could care less, to be honest. He likes comedy, piano bar, etc.

 

Finally, the really massive ships are great, but I think we'd like to try something slightly smaller. Maybe in the 3000 passengers vs 4500 passengers.

 

Thanks for all your input folks!

 

Having read this additional info, IMHO, any one of the S-Class ship would

fit the bill. The Reflection is our favorite ship in over 25 years, our last two have been on the Equinox, with 2015 being the best ever according to the wifester!

[ilovetotravel1977]

Having read this additional info, IMHO, any one of the S-Class ship would

fit the bill. The Reflection is our favorite ship in over 25 years, our last two have been on the Equinox, with 2015 being the best ever according to the wifester!

 

Thanks for your input! I will definitely check out this class.

[ClaudiaB]

We prefer the 11 and 14 day eastern and southern (exotic) Caribbean cruises, but if that's not in your ability right now, then look at Reflection. We haven't been on a 7 day Caribbean cruise - we like the longer ones with the ports like Barbados, Aruba, Bonaire, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, Dominica, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, Curacao. We prefer these ports MUCH MORE than the western ports of Cozumel, Grand Cayman, etc.

 

Definitely you want the S class ships, according to your comments. We are not pool people but we love the ship and the laid-back atmosphere. In fact, in over 140 days on Celebrity we have maybe gone to the pool about two hours total! You may really love the indoor solarium pool. Very relaxing. Nice music and quiet atmosphere. I've gone in there to read sometimes.

[SunnyAJ]

My husband and I have recently sailed both the NCL Epic and Escape. Epic was a great cruise, mostly due to the extra pool at Spice H20. However, the Escape cruise was bleh, due to only having one pool for 4500 people. He has no interest in sailing the Getaway or Breakaway as they both follow this same layout. He's a pool guy, and has made it known our next cruise must have more options in this area.

 

We are new to Celebrity, 39/41 years old. If anyone could suggest a ship that goes to the Caribbean for 7 days, have more than 1 pool, great nighttime entertainment and more then 1-2 options for free dining would be appreciated.

 

Thank you!

 

As everyone says, Celebrity is not huge in the pool area. However, don't let that discourage you! You'd love either the Reflection or the Silhouette. They both go to the Caribbean and are amazing. The dining and outside space are terrific and never feel too crowded. Does he like to be in the pool or just the area? Both of these ships have large pool decks, so even if you aren't in the pool, you aren't too far away. They have comfy seating with hammocks, lounges and cushy chairs. Celebrity always has plenty of towels and bar service around the pool too. I personally love the Alcoves, available on both of these ships. They are outside on the lawn and perfect for enjoying the outside.

 

Hope that helps a bit!

[Viva_la_Vida]

I'll throw my vote in the Reflection hat! Granted, haven't been on Silhouette yet, but it's on the bucket list.

 

Yup, the pools on Celebrity are way better than the Breakaway Class on NCL. The adult only solarium pool is amazing (and free!) and I never had trouble finding a padded lounger.

 

The reflection holds approx. 3,600 so it's also quite a bit smaller than the Escape.

 

As for food, you won't find the variety and flashiness that NCL has, at least on the surface. However, we found that Celebrity is way better at diverse and quality cuisine in the buffet. We love their sushi and indian. There are also great specialty restaurants, although they are generally more expensive than even the most pricey restaurants on NCL ($45 pp).

 

We loved the comedy on Celebrity. It was on par if not better than NCL in our experience. We found the crowd more lively on our Reflection cruise than our other Celebrity experience. I think a lot of it just depends on the time you sail. There are a LOT fewer little kids on Celebrity also, which for us was a perk.

 

The shows on Celebrity don't touch NCL's, but you'll always find a great bar and that makes everything funnier and more entertaining :p