Should we go?

[Piscesgirl20003]

Trying to decide if we should go.  Last cruise was December 2019.  Now it is finally time for a vacation.  Saw a couple of cruises that looked interesting but could not bring myself to pull the trigger.  Still having mixed feelings about sailing.  Unfortunately, did not book what could have been a very good affordable cruise on RC.  Now price is through the roof.  So there is one on Celebrity 10 day reasonably priced.  Have been to most of the places already.  We have already requested a specific time frame off so we cannot change our dates.

The problem is the last Celebrity cruise we went on was so BORING! Nothing to do but eat, sleep and repeat.  Food and entertainment was lackluster. We vowed to never go on Celebrity again.  Celebrity has gone downhill since our first one.

So should we bite the bullet and go because yes we miss the ocean and maybe it won't be so bad?  Or stick to our vow and forego a real vacation?  Staycation is not a vacation.

[cruisemom42]

I'm not sure how much help you'll find from the posts of others. It seems like you have two "fixed" points that don't have any common ground: you're constrained to a certain window for vacation and you want to book a cruise BUT apparently Celebrity is the only option for you and you've vowed not to sail with them again.

 

Your options are:

 

-- Book the Celebrity cruise: you haven't been on a cruise since 2019 and want to go. Just scale your expectations appropriately. Celebrity has good food, nice pool areas, live music throughout the ship and their ships are very pretty. Maybe not filled with "go-go-go" excitement, but still could be a nice way to relax and recharge your batteries, plus you can pursue active options in port.

 

-- Suck it up and pay more for the cruise you really want. If it's the only thing that's going to satisfy your desire to cruise, then book the one you really want. Maybe look at a lower cabin category or limit your spend in some areas onboard.  There is no sense paying for a different cruise if you really cannot overcome your objections to Celebrity; it would just be a waste of money.

 

-- Plan some other type of vacation instead. Plenty of people are headed to AIs in the Caribbean and Mexico instead of cruising. Or go to Vegas if you are looking for lots of entertainment.  Save cruising for another time when you can plan well in advance and be prepared to act when you see good deals in the future.

 

__ Stay home and be miserable. LOL.

 

Only you can figure out which option yields the best vacation for the money. I've cruised with many cruise lines over a lifetime and have only ever had one cruise experience I'd never repeat -- and that had nothing to do with entertainment but was all about a cabin with no A/C, a huge group onboard monopolizing most of the public spaces, and very indifferent to uncaring service.  I'd book with Celebrity in a minute if the choice were mine. (But it's not mine, it's yours...)

 

 

[evandbob]

Sounds like a land resort might be better given the constraints and dislikes the OP has offered.

[LHT28]

Find a cruise  that goes to the places you want to go  for  your budget

Surely there are other lines that do a similar itinerary to RCL

[Essiesmom]

Or you could be even more adventurous and try a new cruise line.  EM

[9tee2Sea]

Maybe fly to a destination and do a 3-4 cruise from that spot.  Fly to Los Angeles and do a Mexican Cruise.  Fly to New Orleans and do a Mexico Cruise.   You get 2 vacations in one.  A land vacation for a few days ( before/after) and your cruise vacation.

[bonsai3s]

55 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

I'm not sure how much help you'll find from the posts of others. It seems like you have two "fixed" points that don't have any common ground: you're constrained to a certain window for vacation and you want to book a cruise BUT apparently Celebrity is the only option for you and you've vowed not to sail with them again.

 

Your options are:

 

-- Book the Celebrity cruise: you haven't been on a cruise since 2019 and want to go. Just scale your expectations appropriately. Celebrity has good food, nice pool areas, live music throughout the ship and their ships are very pretty. Maybe not filled with "go-go-go" excitement, but still could be a nice way to relax and recharge your batteries, plus you can pursue active options in port.

 

-- Suck it up and pay more for the cruise you really want. If it's the only thing that's going to satisfy your desire to cruise, then book the one you really want. Maybe look at a lower cabin category or limit your spend in some areas onboard.  There is no sense paying for a different cruise if you really cannot overcome your objections to Celebrity; it would just be a waste of money.

 

-- Plan some other type of vacation instead. Plenty of people are headed to AIs in the Caribbean and Mexico instead of cruising. Or go to Vegas if you are looking for lots of entertainment.  Save cruising for another time when you can plan well in advance and be prepared to act when you see good deals in the future.

 

__ Stay home and be miserable. LOL.

 

Only you can figure out which option yields the best vacation for the money. I've cruised with many cruise lines over a lifetime and have only ever had one cruise experience I'd never repeat -- and that had nothing to do with entertainment but was all about a cabin with no A/C, a huge group onboard monopolizing most of the public spaces, and very indifferent to uncaring service.  I'd book with Celebrity in a minute if the choice were mine. (But it's not mine, it's yours...)

 

 

Well said...as always.

[jsn55]

If you were bored on your last cruise, obviously cruising is not for you.  Dining will never be anything more than 'mass food distribution', no matter how luxe the cruise is ... that's just a given.  If you are truly discerning about your meals, dining on a cruise will never be 'good enough'.  While there are all kinds of wonderful adventures available on shore excursions, the rest of a cruise is aimed at relaxing and just meandering through the week doing whatever you want to do.  If there's nothing you want to do, you'll be unhappy.  Cruising is a form of hedonism that appeals to many people.  If you don't enjoy that, why cruise at all?  

[BklynBoy8]

For the Majority of our Sailing History we have and enjoyed the Cunard Line. Our favorite is the QM2.

 

We believe their meals and alternate dining options are very good otherwise we would be have sailed with them since 1982.

 

On board activities like others ex. ball room dancing lessons, lectures, casino, movies, planetarium, mid day concerts, Themed Gala Evening, evening shows, G32 Disco and Ball Room dancing in the Queen Room. The other ships in Cunard have the same activities... 

 

You may need to think of changing Lines. 

[crystalspin]

5 hours ago, Piscesgirl20003 said:

Trying to decide if we should go.  Last cruise was December 2019.  ...Still having mixed feelings about sailing.  ...So there is one on Celebrity 10 day reasonably priced.  Have been to most of the places already.  We have already requested a specific time frame off so we cannot change our dates.

The problem is the last Celebrity cruise we went on was so BORING! Nothing to do but eat, sleep and repeat.  ...Staycation is not a vacation.

I read a travel-journalist's account of his first cruise and how he was "forced to do nothing". 

 

Our last cruise was Apr/May 2019. You can see all of our cancelled cruises in my expanded signature. We are finally ready to give cruising another try ($8500 in FCC that was going to expire was a factor). We are booked with a mini-suite to use up the $$$ and get most loyalty points. We are not excited about the itineraries (it's a B2B) although the first leg does have two new ports.

 

The important thing with all my current bookings, in the pandemic, is to have our own balcony and not to have to fly.

 

I don't know when your time-off is and if you are also trying not to fly -- sailing from Baltimore maybe? I would vote for the RCL cruise,  just consider the cost against all the trips you didn't take earlier in the pandemic!

[ldubs]

If you were sincere about your deep dislike of Celebrity, then why in the heck would you voluntarily do something you don't like.   I sure wouldn't. 

 

Do something you will enjoy.  

[mom says]

You seem stuck with a narrow view of sailing on a line you don't like or no vacation at all. Expand your options. Look at other cruise lines. Or (and I realize some CCers will consider this as heresy) do a land vacation. It's a great big beautiful world out there, and the best places to really experience are on land.

[Piscesgirl20003]

Thanks everyone for replying.  There are always other factors and feelings involved when trying to decide on a vacation.

 

I don't know if I am no longer excited about cruising or what.  I do miss the ocean breeze.  I think covid may be playing a big part in my hesitation.  I have looked into different lines NCL, Carnival, MSC.  Right now for our budget after missing out on the RCL cruise this is the best.

 

Some of the issue with the RCL cruise was flight cost and all of the extra fees.  Then for some reason I could only find flights that landed on the day of embarkation.  It was weird. 

 

I have done the Vegas thing no need to repeat it. 

 

 

[Mum2Mercury]

Why don't you do a half-land and half-cruise vacation?  If you find your next cruise "boring", it'll only be half of your trip. 

 

Other thoughts: 

- If you had a rotten time on Celebrity, choose another line. 

- Yes, prices are sky-high right now, but I feel sure they raised them for Black Friday.  Wait a bit, and they'll come down.  Wave Season is coming -- when?  February or March?  When they open all those new dates, prices'll drop.  

- Don't book the newest, largest ships -- they demand a premium price. 

- Book off-season. 

- Book an inside cabin.  

[Joebucks]

If you're bored with Celebrity, and want Royal without the price, give Carnival a shot again. 

[navybankerteacher]

8 hours ago, jsn55 said:

If you were bored on your last cruise, obviously cruising is not for you.  Dining will never be anything more than 'mass food distribution', no matter how luxe the cruise is ... that's just a given.  If you are truly discerning about your meals, dining on a cruise will never be 'good enough'.  While there are all kinds of wonderful adventures available on shore excursions, the rest of a cruise is aimed at relaxing and just meandering through the week doing whatever you want to do.  If there's nothing you want to do, you'll be unhappy.  Cruising is a form of hedonism that appeals to many people.  If you don't enjoy that, why cruise at all?  

Makes sense - think about finding other activities.

[Spif Barwunkel]

Seems like you are looking for encouragement and yet someone to blame should you decide to take another "BORING" Celebrity cruise and not enjoy it. Okay, although baseball season is over, I'll step up to the plate. Get on that X ship and have a tedious, monotonous adventure just like your last Celebrity cruise, all the while knowing that the cost is reasonable. You are already pre-disposed to what Celebrity has to offer so why not do something that you are familiar with, at a good price. 

 

Sometimes the lack of excitement and enthusiasm is not the fault of the destination(s). Rather, it could be the lack of creativity and adaptability among the travelers. Go for it! I will take full responsibility.

 

 

Edited November 26, 2022 by Spif Barwunkel

[Lois R]

I agree with the others on here....you said "We vowed to never go on Celebrity again.  Celebrity has gone downhill since our first one.".....but it is like you are trying to convince yourself by getting others to agree, to go on Celebrity again. If you were so bored and unhappy with them, try another cruise line.

There are plenty of them out there. 

[ontheweb]

If you do decide to go, go with the attitude that it will be an enjoyable experience.

 

If you go expecting it to be boring, it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

[MCC retired]

OP gave cruising a try .

As a former TA for 17 years I found there are were about 5% of 

people that I booked that found cruising was not for them after 

trying it.☹️