C&A Diamond on Celebrity

[kearney]

Hcat.... we started sailing Celebrity in 2017 and have done about 6 cruises since then. We tried for the longer cruise and southern itinerary leaving out of Florida vs San Juan... stayed because it was comfortable.... like finding a pair of shoes that fit the first time without any blisters.... if that makes sense.  I still like Royal, and we don't mind kids... but we don't have any... and it was nice traveling with a more sedate crowd.  We did go on Royal's President's cruise last year... loved it... but it reminded me that Oasis class has so much going on that it is overwhelming.... you need to get your show reservations in... then make sure you can get dinners lined up 2 hours before the show starts.... While I am generally a planner.... I don't really like having to plan out everything months in advance... kinda like to go with the flow... and feel I can do that a bit better on Celebrity. I do wish there was a bit more going on that was not linked to spending $.... but I like to read while listening to the ocean... can't do that in Atlanta....

[Langley Cruisers]

On 6/14/2019 at 9:21 AM, Tatka said:

May I ask what type of snacks? Do you order them or they picked by server?

 

They are served to you with a cocktail napkin - we have seen chicken pieces on skewers, small quiche bites, egg roll/fried canape sort of thing, etc. 

 

9 hours ago, hcat said:

Just curious..why are so many Royal Diamonds crossing over these days?   

 

For us, we prefer the no-indoor smoking policy (the smoke-free casinos on X are great!).  Our last two cruises have been on Celebrity and we have definitely enjoyed that aspect of it, as well as the reciprocity benefits discussed in this thread. 😊

Edited June 15, 2019 by Langley Cruisers

[davekathy]

7 hours ago, kearney said:

Hcat.... we started sailing Celebrity in 2017 and have done about 6 cruises since then. We tried for the longer cruise and southern itinerary leaving out of Florida vs San Juan... stayed because it was comfortable.... like finding a pair of shoes that fit the first time without any blisters.... if that makes sense.  I still like Royal, and we don't mind kids... but we don't have any... and it was nice traveling with a more sedate crowd.  We did go on Royal's President's cruise last year... loved it... but it reminded me that Oasis class has so much going on that it is overwhelming.... you need to get your show reservations in... then make sure you can get dinners lined up 2 hours before the show starts.... While I am generally a planner.... I don't really like having to plan out everything months in advance... kinda like to go with the flow... and feel I can do that a bit better on Celebrity. I do wish there was a bit more going on that was not linked to spending $.... but I like to read while listening to the ocean... can't do that in Atlanta....

We bounce between Celebrity and RC. When cruising with RC we will only cruise on the Radiance, Voyager and Freedom class ships.  No mega ships for us. The Radiance class ships are our favorite. 

[wrk2cruise]

10 hours ago, kearney said:

Another benefit is a one cabin upgrade... so if you want a 1A cabin... you will be charged at the rate for a 2A cabin (as I recall)....

 

Actually you will be charged the rate for a 1B cabin.

[Mynki]

21 hours ago, davekathy said:

IMO for the same reason many Celebrity loyal elites and above are crossing over to RC.  The programs are reciprocal up to elite and diamond so you get to enjoy each others perks/benefits. Some may believe that the grass is greener on the other side(?). We cruise with both Celebrity and Royal but aren't loyal to either. We like the similarities and the differences between the two lines. Variety is the spice of life. 

We tried RCL last year. I quite enjoyed it. The change of scenery made a nice change as there were plenty of new venues to explore. I'd certainly sail with them again if the pricing and itinerary suited. 

We were on Independence and whilst the ship is much larger than X ships we found the bar service considerably better than X. We always managed to find a table in the Windjammer cafe whereas this has not always been the case in the Ocean View cafe and getting off and on the ship in port was much quicker than on X too. I had concerns about sailing on a mega ship and being crowded but in reality the experience was better than expected. 

Also whilst I think Celebrity offer a more upscale experience I don't think the overall service is that much better on X. I'd be interested in your thoughts if sailing both lines currently. 

[kearney]

8 hours ago, wrk2cruise said:

 

Actually you will be charged the rate for a 1B cabin.

Correct... I was going from memory

[TeeRick]

hcat, I think some will be like us.  We spent most of our earlier life cruising with RCCL mostly with our kids.  We are Diamond Plus. We went on mostly 7-day cruises and had to go during school vacation and holiday times and ships were crowded with kids. But we always had great family experiences.  Now as early retirees cruising as a couple, we tend to take longer destination cruises and like the smaller and much quieter Celebrity ships.  Even Edge is smaller than most RCCL ships.  But we do both lines.  In January this year we did back to back out of FLL on RCCL Harmony (6000+ passengers) followed by Edge (3000 passengers).  We enjoyed a 7-day Caribbean cruise on Harmony as much as the similar cruise on Edge.  We had a similar suite on both ships and the suite experience was really good on both ships.  I reviewed it earlier this year here on CC.  Bottom line is that we "grew" into Celebrity but we still like RCCL when we want to feel younger!

[sjb317]

Over the years, we were told by many that Celebrity was a step above Royal so after we reached D+, we decided to give Celebrity a try.   We enjoyed our cruise but decided that Celebrity and Royal were on the same step😂.

 

We pick whichever cruise line  has the best price and itinerary but if they are equal, then Royal is my first choice due to entertainment and food.  Celebrity’s food disappoints me a little,  there are more choices on the menus and in the buffet but it always seems somewhat bland.  

 

Sherri🙂

[davekathy]

7 hours ago, Mynki said:

We tried RCL last year. I quite enjoyed it. The change of scenery made a nice change as there were plenty of new venues to explore. I'd certainly sail with them again if the pricing and itinerary suited. 

We were on Independence and whilst the ship is much larger than X ships we found the bar service considerably better than X. We always managed to find a table in the Windjammer cafe whereas this has not always been the case in the Ocean View cafe and getting off and on the ship in port was much quicker than on X too. I had concerns about sailing on a mega ship and being crowded but in reality the experience was better than expected. 

Also whilst I think Celebrity offer a more upscale experience I don't think the overall service is that much better on X. I'd be interested in your thoughts if sailing both lines currently. 

We just did a B2B cruise on the Freedom (same class as the Independence) March 2019 out of San Juan. Enjoyed everything about the cruise. When we cruise it's just the two of us. We don't dine or sit with others in the bars or theater. We will sit and talk with others during the CC HH in the Sky Lounge and in the Diamond or Concierge Lounge on RC while enjoying a few before diner drinks. So for us service is always the same on both Celebrity and RC. Excellent with no complaints.  No comments on food and entertainment as IMO they are subjective.

Edited June 16, 2019 by davekathy

[kearney]

quick question.... on Edge they do not have a Sky Lounge so for the CC cocktail hours... they allowed you to drink at bars like the martini bar (from limited menu of course). I think I read that they were going to add a few drinks to your sea pass on other ships so that you could drink at other bars as well... but I may just be confusing Royals policy with Celebrity... I know there was something in an email...but can't find it... anyone know what the current policy is concerning the CC cocktail hour?

[davekathy]

6 minutes ago, kearney said:

quick question.... on Edge they do not have a Sky Lounge so for the CC cocktail hours... they allowed you to drink at bars like the martini bar (from limited menu of course). I think I read that they were going to add a few drinks to your sea pass on other ships so that you could drink at other bars as well... but I may just be confusing Royals policy with Celebrity... I know there was something in an email...but can't find it... anyone know what the current policy is concerning the CC cocktail hour?

February 2019 Celebrity changed the CC HH drinks loaded on your Seapass card to unlimited drinks at the bars/lounges. You cannot get CC HH drinks in the World Class Bar, Room Service or the dining rooms. Hours are from 5 to 7 PM except the first evening. No CC HH drinks on the first evening. 

Edited June 16, 2019 by davekathy

[kearney]

Thanks..that is what I thought..

[Tatka]

On 6/15/2019 at 9:28 AM, hcat said:

Just curious..why are so many Royal Diamonds crossing over these days?   And what ships are they  sailng?

 

If this is questions for me my signature can attest, we cruise with many lines. Only 5 cruises with Celebrity, but it was my favorite. Just not many itins out of Northeast. So we ended up sailing more with RCCL (which we now love too) more and NCL.

But we sail with X times to time and love it. Last two were Summit and Silhouette. 

[Tatka]

On 6/16/2019 at 7:01 AM, Mynki said:

Also whilst I think Celebrity offer a more upscale experience I don't think the overall service is that much better on X. I'd be interested in your thoughts if sailing both lines currently. 

 

     I agree with you. When we started cruising in 2003 on Celebrity Century and 2004 on RCI Splendor of the Seas difference in service was obvious. Celebrity was basically offering white glove service, RCI's service was good, but not compareble. Then it became more similar... although in 2015 on Summit we were amazed in MDR. All our waiters at select dining sounded like they were walking encyclopedias 🙂 or at least chefs. We picked at their training before dinners. It was amazing how they were taught about every dish. On our last cruise on Silhouette our wait team looked like they were extremely unhappy to have their job... I haven't seen it on any lines. 

 

 I do enjoy more refined pax on X more (on average of course). Both adults and kids. Not Cunard, but somewhat close.

[Ballymacjim]

On 6/16/2019 at 7:29 PM, davekathy said:

February 2019 Celebrity changed the CC HH drinks loaded on your Seapass card to unlimited drinks at the bars/lounges. You cannot get CC HH drinks in the World Class Bar, Room Service or the dining rooms. Hours are from 5 to 7 PM except the first evening. No CC HH drinks on the first evening. 

 

This is great news for me if true, could someone confirm this please?

I ask because we do like our "free drinks", and as Elites on Constellation last Oct/Nov we went up to the  Reflections lounge (5-7) as usual, only to be told that the drinks in there were no longer unlimited, and that the 3 per Seapass rule was being imposed in there too - across the fleet! They then took my card and marked off a drink when I ordered one!

I was less than pleased, I had booked my cruise months before and this was news to me! I took it up with the CC Hostess immediately, and after quite a heated debate she finally relented and told me I could have unlimited drinks across all bars between 5 and 7pm - "FOR THIS CRUISE ONLY".

I vowed I would not be back with Celebrity until they reverted back to the original rule, and have cruised 3 times since with other lines.

Don't get me wrong, I'm no alcoholic, but I really do look forward to those couple of hours of free booze, which I consider well and truly earned and paid for over many years of loyalty.

If Celebrity have relented on this as Davekathy says, then I am delighted, and will gladly consider sailing with them again...

Edited June 19, 2019 by Ballymacjim

[hcat]

Glad I posed this question.Very interesting replies..thanks to all.

 

I'm finding out or recalling more positives about Royal... we may go back on Royal to  Navigator or Mariner..

 

Although we disliked Oasis, the  nightly cocktail buffet was awesome..better than the MDR dinner,  and the Diamond  lite breakfast was nice.. but not as nice as X's Elite breakast.  Royal had livelier shows and more musical variety...reggae  latin, jazz,  .Hope that's still true!

[davekathy]

1 hour ago, Ballymacjim said:

 

This is great news for me if true, could someone confirm this please?

I ask because we do like our "free drinks", and as Elites on Constellation last Oct/Nov we went up to the  Reflections lounge (5-7) as usual, only to be told that the drinks in there were no longer unlimited, and that the 3 per Seapass rule was being imposed in there too - across the fleet! They then took my card and marked off a drink when I ordered one!

I was less than pleased, I had booked my cruise months before and this was news to me! I took it up with the CC Hostess immediately, and after quite a heated debate she finally relented and told me I could have unlimited drinks across all bars between 5 and 7pm - "FOR THIS CRUISE ONLY".

I vowed I would not be back with Celebrity until they reverted back to the original rule, and have cruised 3 times since with other lines.

Don't get me wrong, I'm no alcoholic, but I really do look forward to those couple of hours of free booze, which I consider well and truly earned and paid for over many years of loyalty.

If Celebrity have relented on this as Davekathy says, then I am delighted, and will gladly consider sailing with them again...

It is true as of February 2019. You cruised prior to the new change. You still are not allowed to get the CC HH drinks in the dining rooms, room service or the WCB. All other bars (including the Sky Lounge) you can get the CC HH drinks during the 5 to 7 PM window. Consider this your confirmation. 🍻

Edited June 19, 2019 by davekathy

[Mynki]

1 hour ago, hcat said:

Glad I posed this question.Very interesting replies..thanks to all.

 

I'm finding out or recalling more positives about Royal... we may go back on Royal to  Navigator or Mariner..

 

Although we disliked Oasis, the  nightly cocktail buffet was awesome..better than the MDR dinner,  and the Diamond  lite breakfast was nice.. but not as nice as X's Elite breakast.  Royal had livelier shows and more musical variety...reggae  latin, jazz,  .Hope that's still true!

The change of scenery alone will be enjoyable I'm sure. I'd do it. 

[woneill63]

We are going in the same direction, from Royal to Celebrity.  We really like the Voyager and Freedom class ships, these are our favorites on Royal.  While the Allure had all sorts of things to do, and was quite the experience, it was just way too crowded on sea days.  I tried the Brilliance recently and enjoyed that size ship also.  

We are going on our first Celebrity cruise next week, the Constellation out of Venice, and are looking forward to a different style of sailing.   We are hoping for better service and higher quality dining.  As our son is 12 years old, we will still cruise Royal often because of all they offer to young people.  When he is off to college, my wife and I will look at Celebrity first, and then Royal for our cruises.

I tried Carnival, NCL, and Princess, just wasn't my cup of tea.

 

 

[jdvmd]

Just stumbled upon this thread as we are looking at doing a Celebrity cruise later this summer. It has been several years since we sailed on Celebrity but back then we had access to Michael's Club for drinks etc. in the evening as well as breakfast in the morning. Has something changed for Elites in the last few years?

[WestLakeGirl]

Yes, Michael Club, also called retreat, is now for Zeniths and Suites.  Elites can have their drinks in a number of locations.  Breakfast will be held in Tuscany Grill

[magicolor_girl]

On 6/19/2019 at 10:58 AM, davekathy said:

It is true as of February 2019. You cruised prior to the new change. You still are not allowed to get the CC HH drinks in the dining rooms, room service or the WCB. All other bars (including the Sky Lounge) you can get the CC HH drinks during the 5 to 7 PM window. Consider this your confirmation. 🍻

When you say “unlimited drinks” Is it still from a list of specific labels/cocktails like on RCCL? My memory of the CC HH on Summit a few years ago is that we had to go to the specific lounge and then there was a list of wine/beer/cocktails available.

[late2cruisin]

14 minutes ago, magicolor_girl said:

When you say “unlimited drinks” Is it still from a list of specific labels/cocktails like on RCCL? My memory of the CC HH on Summit a few years ago is that we had to go to the specific lounge and then there was a list of wine/beer/cocktails available.

You no longer have to go to a specific lounge, but it is the same limited list of drinks at any bar or at the Cosmos lounge (or whatever it's called on the various ships) The change is that it is unlimited drinks (instead of 3) between 5 and 7 pm and you can have them at any bar (except the World Class Bar).

[little britain]

On 6/15/2019 at 2:28 PM, hcat said:

Just curious..why are so many Royal Diamonds crossing over these days?   And what ships are they  sailng?

I stuck with RCI to make 50% pinnacle and get my solo cruiser discount.  I don’t have a hope of making pinnacle, so time to look elsewhere.

Sometimes the X ships have different itineraries: so I’m going  with X for the first time in 5 years to NOLO, and the west coast South America cruise is high on my bucket list. 

[mac66]

On 6/15/2019 at 9:28 AM, hcat said:

Just curious..why are so many Royal Diamonds crossing over these days?   And what ships are they  sailng?

 

It is easier (and cheaper) to get to the higher levels (Diamond) on RC than it is on X.  X is a step up from RC so there is some benefit in trying a different cruise line once you've done RC and gotten to a higher level.   X has better food, better service and better amenities than RC, at least in my experience.

Edited June 25, 2019 by mac66