If You Were Offered A Free Celebrity Cruise, Which Ship Would You Choose?

[Mynki]

19 hours ago, villauk said:

 

 

Funnily enough, Connie is our favourite M class and Silhouette our S class 😉.

Sadly the Constellation guest relations team are not in the same league as the wait and room steward staff. 

 

Meeting with the hotel director shortly. 😞

[villauk]

19 minutes ago, Mynki said:

Sadly the Constellation guest relations team are not in the same league as the wait and room steward staff. 

 

Meeting with the hotel director shortly. 😞

 

 

What’s been the problem?

[NMTraveller]

I would have chosen Flora if it was on the list.  The opposite of Edge.

[shipgeeks]

Since this is a fantasy question, we choose Meridian.

[JBare]

I chose Silhouette as it’s the result of evolution not revolution. Its interesting that since the start of polling Silhouette has slowly crept up on the two E class vessels. We just recently sailed on The Edge and in my view it has the worst layout of any Celebrity vessel.  We have only sailed with Celebrity, our first cruise was on Century and we have been on every other Celebrity vessel since many of them many times. I’ve reserved judgement on the Edge until sailing her myself, much of the criticism is justified, much not. We really enjoyed our time on the Edge, the dining rooms, the pool and technology and there’s nothing that would prevent another trip on her or the Apex but it would be last choice and I think that once the novelty of the “ooh its shiny and new” vibe has worn off then it will sink in the rankings more. I chose Silhouette for both categories for the things it (and the other S class ships) has that the Edge does not.

 

[KAE27]

7 hours ago, vtcruising said:

I loved Oasis and Allure - cruised them when they were brand new and enjoyed the various areas to spread out and all the bells and whistles, but feel we have "graduated." Once we sailed on the Silhouette when she was brand new, we knew we were home. We loved the adult atmosphere (can remember a poor little 1 yr old out late in the fanciest restaurant on the Oasis at a table next to ours with clueless parents - she screeched the whole time and our dinner was quite unpleasant), the improved food (in Blu), many excellent specialty choices, the consistently amazing service, quiet areas and lovely lounges, no smoke!, etc., etc. The last cruise on the Allure they had Shrek characters parading around.

 

We are not the Mercury or M Class type - we prefer a bit bigger ship, with a more modern feel (and hate to admit it, but we aren't white glove service people 😉). We had the option to sail the Mercury (and I'm sure those ships were wonderful), but took a pass since we only can cruise 1-3 times a year, with our work schedules, and wanted to sail the bigger, more modern S Class ships mostly. Though we enjoy our M Class cruises, we do miss the specialty dining choices of S and E Class and the larger choices of venues to enjoy.

 

With the Edge Class, I like the modern feel and some of the bells and whistles (a bit like RCI in that way, though adult and not as gimmicky, IMO) combined with some very upscale, less crowded, relaxing places and excellent food, bar service and entertainment (not a production show person, but the music was amazing on our cruise in January). The suite life is excellent - the lovely Retreat Sundeck with pool, hot tub and bar is a game changer for us and the Retreat Lounge is gorgeous and comfortable (though less personalized from the concierges due to the large number of suites). I would definitely choose the Apex for a free suite cruise - hopefully, will even be better than the Edge.

 

Price is definitely an issue for us - will continue to sail E Class in Sunset Verandas with traditional balconies, unless we get a deal on a suite, but will also look at the Silhouette again (and we love the Reflection and will sail M Class for our FPC and great itineraries).

 

I guess I'm a bit puzzled about why a few people would choose the Apex or Edge, if free, though while essentially saying that they aren't going to like it, but will grudgingly try it. If I had a free cruise offered and was so sure that I would hate the Edge Class ships, I would choose my favorite ship and not have to cruise for 7 days with "the horrible furniture, crowds, noise, warm Martini Bar surface,  Edenists, greyness, no Sky Lounge, the eyesore of the Magic Carpet, etc.," but maybe that's just me. 🙂

 

I'm glad we have choices, as we all different in what we want when we cruise. X has 3 very different classes of ships to choose from, with some common threads, such as great staff and service.

 

 

 

Your style sounds so similar to ours that I am now even more excited to try the E class on Apex in less than six months!  Thanks for the lovely post.

 

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

7 hours ago, Miaminice said:

I can understand people being unhappy about the prices on E class. What I can’t understand is how many people have an opinion on E class based on hearsay without ever having set a foot on the ship itself. Sometimes I think the baseline is: change is bad! 😁 I bet that’s one thing the dinosaurs would have agreed on 😂

 

I have no objection to change.  I do object to the pricing on E class.  And my opinion is not based on hearsay, it's based on published facts:  very few actual balconies unless you book a suite.  Sorry, but infinite verandas don't count as balconies in my view.

[NMTraveller]

6 hours ago, JBare said:

I chose Silhouette as it’s the result of evolution not revolution. Its interesting that since the start of polling Silhouette has slowly crept up on the two E class vessels. We just recently sailed on The Edge and in my view it has the worst layout of any Celebrity vessel.  We have only sailed with Celebrity, our first cruise was on Century and we have been on every other Celebrity vessel since many of them many times. I’ve reserved judgement on the Edge until sailing her myself, much of the criticism is justified, much not. We really enjoyed our time on the Edge, the dining rooms, the pool and technology and there’s nothing that would prevent another trip on her or the Apex but it would be last choice and I think that once the novelty of the “ooh its shiny and new” vibe has worn off then it will sink in the rankings more. I chose Silhouette for both categories for the things it (and the other S class ships) has that the Edge does not.

 

Nice post.  I think that what matters is that 45% choose the new shiney ships and 55% choose the older but nicer and more functional ships.

 

Geez I did also miss the lawn club on Edge.  Edge reminds me of New Coca Cola.  Heavily hyped but a #Fail.

 

A new ship should have been up in the 70 to 80 percent approval rating range.

 

Add Flora to the mix and let’s see who wants to sail on Flora.  I do!

 

Some of our best photos were from the monster sized lawn chairs on the lawn club.

Edited October 26, 2019 by NMTraveller

[RodPat]

On 10/25/2019 at 1:30 PM, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

My reason to pick Edge or Apex as well on #2.  I won't pay the prices they're asking.  On #1, I didn't select either Edge or Apex as those window cabins masquerading as balcony cabins hold no appeal for me.  But I'd try as suite as they allegedly have actual balconies.

Linda, in a few weeks I will be able  to tell you if Edge is worth the bucks to sail on her.  We took a Celebrity suite and it does have a real balcony.  We normally take a Royal Suite but the price was really hard to swallow.  I am not sure I will like this suite but I will give it a try,  Will let you know all about the ship when we get back.  I think I might like it but not sure if I will sail it again.

 

Pat

[Oville]

2 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

Nice post.  I think that what matters is that 45% choose the new shiney ships and 55% choose the older but nicer and more functional ships.

There are a lot of old time Celebrity cruisers on this poll and Cruise Critic Members.  Sometimes change is hard to except.  I’m not going to waste my time counting but probably less than 200 cruisers have responded.  The poll is fun to see how people lean on CC but not an indication what the general public feel about E-Class.

[NMTraveller]

10 minutes ago, Oville said:

There are a lot of old time Celebrity cruisers on this poll and Cruise Critic Members.  Sometimes change is hard to except.  I’m not going to waste my time counting but probably less than 200 cruisers have responded.  The poll is fun to see how people lean on CC but not an indication what the general public feel about E-Class.

Cruise critic has the more advanced and intelligent cruisers.  The general public will choose the shiny new ship All hail the shiny new ship!  LOL!  I was young and made the same mistake on Anthem and Oasis.
 

The general public will be what makes me money on my RCL investments.

 

There is change for the better and change for the worse.  The smaller cruise ships are change for the better as are the luxury lines.

 

The average age of Celebrity cruisers is mid 50s.  If you are a younger,  cruise more and then we will talk.

 

I talk to the cruisers who have cruised more and I have learned more.  If you are younger you will probably like the younger crowd on RCL as well as loud and shouty.  

Cruise on!

 

Edited October 27, 2019 by NMTraveller

[Miaminice]

4 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

Cruise critic has the more advanced and intelligent cruisers.  The general public will choose the shiny new ship All hail the shiny new ship!  LOL!  I was young and made the same mistake on Anthem and Oasis.
 

The general public will be what makes me money on my RCL investments.

 

There is change for the better and change for the worse.  The smaller cruise ships are change for the better as are the luxury lines.

 

The average age of Celebrity cruisers is mid 50s.  If you are a younger,  cruise more and then we will talk.

 

I talk to the cruisers who have cruised more and I have learned more.  If you are younger you will probably like the younger crowd on RCL as well as loud and shouty.  

Cruise on!

 

What an arrogant and ignorant post!

 

Everyone has different preferences and priorities! We love Celebrity for their product - incl. Edge BTW. Just because other people have different priorities (e.g. family cruising), it doesn’t make them less experienced, less advanced or less intelligent.

 

 

 

Edited October 27, 2019 by Miaminice

[Mynki]

17 hours ago, villauk said:

 

 

What’s been the problem?

Ineffective staff and a lack of ownership from guest services. They really didn't want to escalate to the HD. Now met her. Problem remedied satisfactorily. :) 

[vtcruising]

I went on my first cruise in 1983 on an older, smaller ship and enjoyed it, but didn't love it (lack of stabilizers gave me weeks of vertigo). Over the years, we have sailed on ships old and new, but I am drawn to the shiny, new ones (Nordic Empress, Oasis, Allure, Silhouette, Reflection and Edge were all new when we sailed) - I love to explore and try new things.  I also appreciate the older ships and value their elegance and the often more peaceful experience, but given a choice, I would go for the new ship and excitement of discovery. The new ships become older and then can become favorites.

 

I like what I like and know many others like older, smaller ships. I understand and respect that and would never question their taste or intelligence, as I hope others would not think less of me because of my preference for the Silhouette, Reflection and Edge Class ships at the moment. I haven't even sailed on the Apex yet and am so excited to see what the new and shiny Celebrity Beyond will bring us!! 🙂

[K.T.B.]

For me the ship really doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things.  It's more about ports and/or itinerary than the ship when I cruise.

 

BUT with that said, I'd always opt for Silhouette if I had to make a choice.

Edited October 27, 2019 by K.T.B.

[NantahalaCruiser]

On 10/24/2019 at 8:56 PM, vtcruising said:

Understandable. I thought of it when I saw that a couple of people chose "none of the above" - maybe wording could have been "only would try this ship if free"? It would fit the Edge Class as some don't see those ships as their type of ship - it also would work for other X ships as well, since some don't think they would like the older, smaller M Class ships with fewer specialty restaurants and some don't like the Reflection, since she has been characterized as too crowded by some and has part of the Sky Lounge taken away for suites. Some might try those ships if free. Oh well, can't think of everything! 🙂

I chose would not take it and none of the above for 2 & 3 because 2 had no option to say no preference for a ship for suites since having never been in a suite I have no basis for a preference.

[Oville]

19 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

Cruise critic has the more advanced and intelligent cruisers.  The general public will choose the shiny new ship All hail the shiny new ship!  LOL!  I was young and made the same mistake on Anthem and Oasis.
 

The general public will be what makes me money on my RCL investments.

 

There is change for the better and change for the worse.  The smaller cruise ships are change for the better as are the luxury lines.

 

The average age of Celebrity cruisers is mid 50s.  If you are a younger,  cruise more and then we will talk.

 

I talk to the cruisers who have cruised more and I have learned more.  If you are younger you will probably like the younger crowd on RCL as well as loud and shouty.  

Cruise on!

 

I have quite a few cruises under my belt, perhaps more than you, who knows.

 

Our days of RCI are behind us and we have no intention to return especially to one of of the behemoths.   I don’t like “load and shouty” and have not experienced it on Edge with the except the Grand Plaza before first dinner seating.  I’d call it loud but not shouting.

 

Your first paragraph has left me speechless.

 

 

Edited October 27, 2019 by Oville

[royalcruz]

The suite Retreat on the new ships looks nice but there isn't shade, so we wouldn't use it. Also, we love Luminae but we're on restrictive diets, so we want Luminae next to the MDR so we can choose anything from both menus.

[vtcruising]

5 minutes ago, royalcruz said:

The suite Retreat on the new ships looks nice but there isn't shade, so we wouldn't use it. Also, we love Luminae but we're on restrictive diets, so we want Luminae next to the MDR so we can choose anything from both menus.

Though I agree that Luminae has a limited menu, people have said that they will work with you, especially if you talk to them ahead of time - they really want to make you happy. 

 

There are some shady areas on the Edge Retreat - maybe not enough for some or exactly where they would like it, but pretty nice areas, IMO. The Edge may not be a good fit for you, but wanted to make sure people had more info upon which to make their decisions. 🙂

 

 

 

The Retreat Lounge has a connected outside deck that is fully covered and great for breakfast, lunch, drinks  and reading in the shade.

 

 

[royalcruz]

20 minutes ago, vtcruising said:

Though I agree that Luminae has a limited menu, people have said that they will work with you, especially if you talk to them ahead of time - they really want to make you happy. 

 

There are some shady areas on the Edge Retreat - maybe not enough for some or exactly where they would like it, but pretty nice areas, IMO. The Edge may not be a good fit for you, but wanted to make sure people had more info upon which to make their decisions. 🙂

 

 

 

The Retreat Lounge has a connected outside deck that is fully covered and great for breakfast, lunch, drinks  and reading in the shade.

 

 

 

[royalcruz]

1 hour ago, vtcruising said:

Though I agree that Luminae has a limited menu, people have said that they will work with you, especially if you talk to them ahead of time - they really want to make you happy. 

 

There are some shady areas on the Edge Retreat - maybe not enough for some or exactly where they would like it, but pretty nice areas, IMO. The Edge may not be a good fit for you, but wanted to make sure people had more info upon which to make their decisions. 🙂

 

The Retreat Lounge has a connected outside deck that is fully covered and great for breakfast, lunch, drinks  and reading in the shade.

 

 

 

 

Hi vtcruising. I should have been more specific but just briefly stated what I would choose and why without thinking that it could harm someone's decision about suites on E class ships. Sorry about that. I also apologize for the above reposting of your photos, as I am having internet connection issues today.

 

You are correct, there is lots of shaded area in the Retreat. However, my DH and I require having traditional lounge chairs in the shade in order to enjoy our sea days, which I don't believe are in the Retreat. My friend just came back from a suite on the Edge and this is what she told be, and I don't see any lounge chairs in the shade in your photos either.

 

Regarding Luminae, I like the idea of choosing from both Luminae and MDR menus on the spot without having to plan my meals in advance. I've had several meals where between my DH and I we only chose one item on the L menu and everything else from the MDR menu. So that is important to me. And there is no way that I would want to send the staff decks away to the other kitchen when they are already so busy, as I am a very considerate person, not high maintenance at all. Also, on E class I love the small MDR restaurants, if you can even call them MDR, so I don't feel the need for Luminae like on the other ships where I don't want to eat in the huge room. Smaller restaurants is actually the main reason that we have booked suites or Aquaclass, believe it or not. We've been to the S and M class specialty restaurants so many times that we don't really want to go again. 

 

This is all just a matter of personal preference.

 

Edited October 30, 2019 by royalcruz

[Oville]

Thanks for the pictures VT, we’ll be looking for those shade spots in January.  Katie

[vtcruising]

14 minutes ago, royalcruz said:

Hi vtcruising. I should have been more specific but just briefly stated what I would choose and why without thinking that it could harm someone's decision about suites on E class ships. Sorry about that. I also apologize for the above reposting of your photos, as I am having internet connection issues today.

 

You are correct, there is lots of shaded area in the Retreat. However, my DH and I require having traditional lounge chairs in the shade in order to enjoy our sea days, which I don't believe are in the Retreat. My friend just came back from a suite on the Edge and this is what she told be, and I don't see any lounge chairs in the shade in your photos either.

 

Regarding Luminae, I like the idea of choosing from both Luminae and MDR menus on the spot without having to plan my meals in advance. I've had several meals where between my DH and I we only chose one item on the L menu and everything else from the MDR menu. So that is important to me. And there is no way that I would want to send the staff decks away to the other kitchen when they are already so busy, as I am a very considerate person, not high maintenance at all. Also, on E class I love the small MDR restaurants, if you can even call them MDR, so I don't feel the need for Luminae like on the other ships where I don't want to eat in the huge room. Smaller restaurants is actually the main reason that we have booked suites or Aquaclass, believe it or not. We've been to the S and M class specialty restaurants so many times that we don't really want to go again. 

 

This is all just a matter of personal preference.

 

No worries! I posted something on the wrong thread today. They probably thought I had lost my mind since it had nothing to do with the topic. 🙂

 

I noticed the lounge chair lack in the shade and totally understand. Maybe they will move the furniture around in response to complaints and put some lounges in the shade. So many people can’t be in the sun!

 

As far as Luminae, I was thinking of people with dietary restrictions  and how they will work hard to meet their needs. The limited menu is an issue though - totally agree. Luckily we enjoy most of the things on the menu so it’s not as much of an issue for us. Not sure if you are follow Jim’s live Edge thread, but they are introducing  new items  so something to look forward to when in a suite next!

 

Thanks for explaining!!🙂

 

 

Edited October 30, 2019 by vtcruising

[royalcruz]

31 minutes ago, vtcruising said:

No worries! I posted something on the wrong thread today. They probably thought I had lost my mind since it had nothing to do with the topic. 🙂

 

I noticed the lounge chair lack in the shade and totally understand. Maybe they will move the furniture around in response to complaints and put some lounges in the shade. So many people can’t be in the sun!

 

As far as Luminae, I was thinking of people with dietary restrictions  and how they will work hard to meet their needs. The limited menu is an issue though - totally agree. Luckily we enjoy most of the things on the menu so it’s not as much of an issue for us. Not sure if you are follow Jim’s live Edge thread, but they are introducing  new items  so something to look forward to when in a suite next!

 

Thanks for explaining!!🙂

 

 

You're welcome. I'll check out the new menus. We have a lot of food issues, but we love good food, LOL. Neither of us eats pork or shellfish. DH doesn't eat meat, but he'll eat most fish. And we don't usually eat dessert...we save the calories for wine and alcohol! 

😁😁😁

[vtcruising]

9 minutes ago, royalcruz said:

You're welcome. I'll check out the new menus. We have a lot of food issues, but we love good food, LOL. Neither of us eats pork or shellfish. DH doesn't eat meat, but he'll eat most fish. And we don't usually eat dessert...we save the calories for wine and alcohol! 

😁😁😁

As long as you have your priorities straight! I like the way you think!