RC to Celebrity?

[prmami]

We’ve been sailing on Royal Caribbean for a couple of years now. We are looking for a different cruise experience. What’s  the difference between the two cruise lines.
Thanks in advance.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

I'd done some Royal cruises (Radiance-class to AK and 2x in Europe) before cruising on the Edge and then on the Summit. I did go back to Royal on the Anthem in February and that was a never again thing.

 

Biggest differences for me (and I am sure others will disagree with a lot of these or say it's specific to a sailing - and while the examples may be, the general idea isn't):

 

* Fewer children - not child-free - and those that were on board were generally well-behaved. On the Anthem in particular there were kids playing in a walkway at stairs and an elevator bank, running back and forth - while their parents laughed. How no one ended up getting knocked down period (much less down the stairs) is still a mystery to me. Later in the cruise there were parents letting their kids literally run around while they waited for their food in a specialty restaurant. Multiple crew members in the area spoke to the kids to no avail. FINALLY when the food came the dad came and got them - and yeah, one of the kids tripped and fell on the floor hard. Pretty much everyone in the area who they'd been annoying rolled their eyes like "Oh well." There aren't water slides on Celebrity. And as I understand it the kids' clubs are more STEAM based with activities, so they're a little more educational (that may just be my perception).

 

* Generally calmer and more relaxed atmosphere. People on Royal generally seem to be "OMG MUST DO EVERYTHING NOW" whereas on the X cruises I've been on people overall are just more chill.

 

* I've found the service - both cabin steward and dining room - a notch up on Celebrity over Royal on 3 of my 4 Royal cruises. Even on my non-Aqua cruise on the Edge.

 

And this may seem minor, but for me, the ability to take your carry-on to your cabin immediately upon boarding as you can on Celebrity makes a huge difference. Not just for me not having to drag my stuff around but there is so much more room in general to move around that day. And not so much hogging of seats in the buffet, etc. On the Anthem in February it was find a table, drop my stuff there, get my food...and then drag my stuff through a crowded buffet where others dragging luggage were trying to find places and hanging over tables like vultures so I wasn't taking up a table once I was done. The buffet manager kept making announcements that if you had finished to please go to wait in one of the lounges (which by then were all filled as well) so that others could sit to eat. It made embarkation day feel so much more chaotic than it has on either of my Celebrity cruises.

 

I definitely decided after Anthem that barring finding a great itinerary at a great price on a Radiance-class ship, I'm done with Royal. It's just not right for me where I am in what I like. But I love Celebrity.

[doghog]

1 hour ago, prmami said:

We’ve been sailing on Royal Caribbean for a couple of years now. We are looking for a different cruise experience. What’s  the difference between the two cruise lines.
Thanks in advance.

What do you like and not like about RC?  

[asctony]

Everyone has an opinion. However, who do you Believe? 

Try it and make your own opinion. 

How can anyone determine what you or I like vs what they like?

 

That's why we have choices. 

That's why there are more than one cruise line. 

 

Happy times are yours.

[cruisestitch]

No smoking anywhere indoors on Celebrity.  that makes a big difference in the casino

[DaKahuna]

You know all those announcements from the cruise director and activates staff that occur throughout the day -- you'll miss them with Celebrity.  There is usually one announcement per day by the captain, usually around 1000 and that's pretty much it. 

 

We came to Celebrity and sail it much more than Royal these days because the food and service was better.   

 

There are things we do miss aabout Royal - e.g. Junior Suites, and Johnny Rocket's but that's about it. 

 

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

3 minutes ago, cruisestitch said:

No smoking anywhere indoors on Celebrity.  that makes a big difference in the casino

Forgot that one! MAJOR plus!!! The smoke in the casino on Royal doesn't know how to stay only in the smoking area of the casino. So even if you don't go in the casino you're still subjected to the stink.

[hcat]

E Class ships  will be closer to Royal.. younger, more lively, loud pool games,  late night parties  But it mostly depends on the ship, itin, time of yr.  Diff program for loyalty drinks...Overall in our opinion, X is  more upscale and  has  more personal service.

 

We chose X years ago over Royal . no regrets!

[lv2cruisgrl]

We did RC for years but as we aged (now 68 and 75) we switched to Celebrity.  Won't go back to RC for a few reasons.

Food for us better on Celebrity.  Fewer children.  The large size of new RC ships no longer appeals to us. A more adult like atmosphere.   

You should just try Celebrity and judge for yourself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[newcruzer2]

2 hours ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

I'd done some Royal cruises (Radiance-class to AK and 2x in Europe) before cruising on the Edge and then on the Summit. I did go back to Royal on the Anthem in February and that was a never again thing.

 

Biggest differences for me (and I am sure others will disagree with a lot of these or say it's specific to a sailing - and while the examples may be, the general idea isn't):

 

* Fewer children - not child-free - and those that were on board were generally well-behaved. On the Anthem in particular there were kids playing in a walkway at stairs and an elevator bank, running back and forth - while their parents laughed. How no one ended up getting knocked down period (much less down the stairs) is still a mystery to me. Later in the cruise there were parents letting their kids literally run around while they waited for their food in a specialty restaurant. Multiple crew members in the area spoke to the kids to no avail. FINALLY when the food came the dad came and got them - and yeah, one of the kids tripped and fell on the floor hard. Pretty much everyone in the area who they'd been annoying rolled their eyes like "Oh well." There aren't water slides on Celebrity. And as I understand it the kids' clubs are more STEAM based with activities, so they're a little more educational (that may just be my perception).

 

* Generally calmer and more relaxed atmosphere. People on Royal generally seem to be "OMG MUST DO EVERYTHING NOW" whereas on the X cruises I've been on people overall are just more chill.

 

* I've found the service - both cabin steward and dining room - a notch up on Celebrity over Royal on 3 of my 4 Royal cruises. Even on my non-Aqua cruise on the Edge.

 

And this may seem minor, but for me, the ability to take your carry-on to your cabin immediately upon boarding as you can on Celebrity makes a huge difference. Not just for me not having to drag my stuff around but there is so much more room in general to move around that day. And not so much hogging of seats in the buffet, etc. On the Anthem in February it was find a table, drop my stuff there, get my food...and then drag my stuff through a crowded buffet where others dragging luggage were trying to find places and hanging over tables like vultures so I wasn't taking up a table once I was done. The buffet manager kept making announcements that if you had finished to please go to wait in one of the lounges (which by then were all filled as well) so that others could sit to eat. It made embarkation day feel so much more chaotic than it has on either of my Celebrity cruises.

 

I definitely decided after Anthem that barring finding a great itinerary at a great price on a Radiance-class ship, I'm done with Royal. It's just not right for me where I am in what I like. But I love Celebrity.

Couldn't have said it better, excellent comparison.

Esp. Loved the kid on the floor 🤔line😆

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

1 minute ago, newcruzer2 said:

Couldn't have said it better, excellent comparison.

Esp. Loved the kid on the floor 🤔line😆

I'd been trying to read, so I didn't see the fall, but I heard the splat. Kid got up and limped into the restaurant following their dad but appeared to be ok overall.

[robbinsca]

We have done both multiple times. Royal is definitely the one that I would take my grandkids to as they would be bored on Celebrity. When it is just the two of us seeking a calm vacation we prefer Celebrity. The vibes are definitely different- you decide- more fun or more relaxation? I like a mix of some of each.

[prmami]

16 hours ago, doghog said:

What do you like and not like about RC?  

Oh we like RC but my husband is ready for something different. We’ve been on the Freedom class ships and Voyager class. . Our most recent was on Wonder of the seas. My husband was expecting different stores located on the promenade area. 
 

we enjoy the entertainment. We are at a time that we would like a more relaxed atmosphere without dealing with baby strollers and kids running around 

[prmami]

2 minutes ago, prmami said:

Oh we like RC but my husband is ready for something different. We’ve been on the Freedom class ships and Voyager class. . Our most recent was on Wonder of the seas. My husband was expecting different stores located on the promenade area. 
 

we enjoy the entertainment. We are at a time that we would like a more relaxed atmosphere without dealing with baby strollers and kids running around 

I also wanted to add that I have the RCCC so I use the rewards for OBC. Not sure if we can use that on Celebrity.

[doghog]

17 minutes ago, prmami said:

Oh we like RC but my husband is ready for something different. We’ve been on the Freedom class ships and Voyager class. . Our most recent was on Wonder of the seas. My husband was expecting different stores located on the promenade area. 
 

we enjoy the entertainment. We are at a time that we would like a more relaxed atmosphere without dealing with baby strollers and kids running around 

We like the differences and the similarities between Celebrity and RC. Even Princess. I'll echo the huge + for Celebrity that there is no inside smoking. So if you are a nonsmoker you'll enjoy that. My only suggestion is book a Celebrity cruise and judge for yourself. Others experiences, opinions, likes and dislikes maynot be yours. 

 

With RC we only cruise the Freedom Class, Voyager Class and Radiance Class ships. 

 

With Celebrity we cruise the three different class of ships.  M Class, S Class and E Class ships. 

Edited May 26 by doghog

[doghog]

11 minutes ago, prmami said:

I also wanted to add that I have the RCCC so I use the rewards for OBC. Not sure if we can use that on Celebrity.

Yes you can. 

[PhillyFan33579]

I enjoy both cruise lines for different reasons. Since January of this year I have cruised on Celebrity three times (Constellation, Apex, Reflection) and RCI six times (Icon, Symphony, Allure, Explorer, Freedom (x2)). Since you asked about Celebrity, this is what I like about them:

- The casino is smoke free! Even if you don’t gamble this is a big plus, since smoke tends to drift out of the casino on RCI ships. 
- Limited number of kids (keep in mind I am in my late 50s with adult kids). This could be a negative if you want to cruise with your kids. 
- Towels are available without having to check them out/return them like on RCI. 
- Public restrooms are nicer with small towels (similar to what you see at upscale restaurant restrooms). 
- The senior officers interact a lot more with passengers than on RCI. 
- Better service such as staff walking around with cold towels on the outside decks and warm towels on inside decks. 
- In general the atmosphere is much more relaxed. 
- If you want a drink, very easy to get one, especially on the outside decks. Celebrity always has numerous “temporary” bars located around the outside deck areas. 
- This is more subjective, but I think the food and entertainment is better on Celebrity. 
- Currently, at least on cruises I have looked at/booked, it is cheaper to cruise on Celebrity’s newest ships than RCI’s newest ships (Utopia’s prices aren’t excessively high right now, but it will only be doing 3/4 day cruises).

- I don’t recall ever seeing anyone drunk/loud on a Celebrity ship. I can’t say that about RCI. 
- From my experience, people on Celebrity ships treat other passengers with more respect/courteous. However, I don’t think this is a problem on RCI. 
 

The bottom line for me is I like both cruise lines and cruise on both of them often. I plan to continue cruising both of them in the future,  but I have found myself booking Celebrity more frequently as I get older. At some point in the future I envision sailing on these cruise lines with a 50/50 split. 

[George C]

I agree with smoking and children which has already been mentioned, if in a suite celebrity is way better than rccl , suite lounge open all day with liquor available, all there ships have a suite restaurant and there suite restaurant is superior to CK. Plus suite pool on E class.

[phoenix_dream]

5 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

I enjoy both cruise lines for different reasons. Since January of this year I have cruised on Celebrity three times (Constellation, Apex, Reflection) and RCI six times (Icon, Symphony, Allure, Explorer, Freedom (x2)). Since you asked about Celebrity, this is what I like about them:

- The casino is smoke free! Even if you don’t gamble this is a big plus, since smoke tends to drift out of the casino on RCI ships. 
- Limited number of kids (keep in mind I am in my late 50s with adult kids). This could be a negative if you want to cruise with your kids. 
- Towels are available without having to check them out/return them like on RCI. 
- Public restrooms are nicer with small towels (similar to what you see at upscale restaurant restrooms). 
- The senior officers interact a lot more with passengers than on RCI. 
- Better service such as staff walking around with cold towels on the outside decks and warm towels on inside decks. 
- In general the atmosphere is much more relaxed. 
- If you want a drink, very easy to get one, especially on the outside decks. Celebrity always has numerous “temporary” bars located around the outside deck areas. 
- This is more subjective, but I think the food and entertainment is better on Celebrity. 
- Currently, at least on cruises I have looked at/booked, it is cheaper to cruise on Celebrity’s newest ships than RCI’s newest ships (Utopia’s prices aren’t excessively high right now, but it will only be doing 3/4 day cruises).

- I don’t recall ever seeing anyone drunk/loud on a Celebrity ship. I can’t say that about RCI. 
- From my experience, people on Celebrity ships treat other passengers with more respect/courteous. However, I don’t think this is a problem on RCI. 
 

The bottom line for me is I like both cruise lines and cruise on both of them often. I plan to continue cruising both of them in the future,  but I have found myself booking Celebrity more frequently as I get older. At some point in the future I envision sailing on these cruise lines with a 50/50 split. 

I agree with most of your opinions.  I am not debating yours, just adding a few different ones based on my experiences for another perspective, rather than re-typing all the points of view I agree with.

These days I am seeing way more kids on Celebrity due to their push for younger passengers- definitely fewer than Royal but way more than I used to see.  I believe the entertainment on Royal overall is quite a bit better.  I know that's subjective.  I sail a lot and am very tired of the same old/same old production shows on X.  Also, my opinion is that X tends to put their very best guest entertainers on their newest ships to the detriment of their older ships.  Same for lounge entertainers.  I also have on occasion, especially on the new X ships, seen quite a few drunk and loud people.  Don't see it as much on the S and M ships.  Overall I definitely prefer Celebrity, particularly on S and M class as I am of the older crowd and prefer a more traditional cruising experience.

[Harrisonkid]

I cruised Royal when my Family was Young. Great for Kids and young Families 

Now that we are retired our favorite is Celebrity.  Food is better and so is the over all service.

But i do believe Royal has better entertainment.

Both lines are fun so I agree if you find a cruise and price you like jump on it...cheers 

[doghog]

29 minutes ago, Harrisonkid said:

I cruised Royal when my Family was Young. Great for Kids and young Families 

Now that we are retired our favorite is Celebrity.  Food is better and so is the over all service.

But i do believe Royal has better entertainment.

Both lines are fun so I agree if you find a cruise and price you like jump on it...cheers 

We are old RDINKs and enjoy our RC cruises as much as our Celebrity cruises. 

[Stealthdog]

Just a very subjective generalization because opinions change based on types of ships, experiences on sailings, etc.

 

Up front I would say it probably depends on what class of ship you like/prefer....but

 

Overall, entertainment on Royal Caribbean is significantly better in my subjective opinion, especially on Oasis Class ships with the wide variety.  Celebrity's Edge Class ships is closing the gap, but still can't touch the Oasis Class entertainment.  When you get to the older, smaller ships, its more a push between the two lines and both will offer more traditional style cruise ship entertainment, centered around the theater. 

 

Food to me is a mix.  We find the MDR on Celebrity better, and if you sail Aqua Class you have access to the Blu restaurant, which is smaller with allegedly healthier options.  We love Blu because its quieter and not overcrowded like a MDR.  We like the specialty dining restaurants on Royal better than Celebrity, as well as the little cafes.  We don't do buffets very often, so can't help there much.

 

Children.  If you are a Sanderson Sister, you will prefer Celebrity.  There is a noticeable difference in the number of children on Royal vs Celebrity, so celebrity definitely has much more an adult feel.  But, if you are traveling with children, Royal would be a better option with more activities geared for them.

 

Casino - hands down Celebrity (though Royal has a better Casino rewards program IMHO).  Smokeless alone makes the casino on Celebrity a more pleasant experience.  On other lines, my eyes turn bloodshot red by the time I walk through a casino because of all the smoke.  

 

Adult recreation activities - Royal will offer more.  I don't remember which ship, but on one ship Celebrity removed the basketball court to expand their outdoor suite category space.  Before that, I had never been on a cruise ship without the basketball/soccer court.  

 

I'd say the service is consistently better on Celebrity than Royal, but that will all depend on the category of stateroom, where you eat, and how trained the staff is, so there could be scenarios where I could feel Royal had better service on a sailing by sailing basis. 

 

We enjoy both lines and are planning future sailings on both.  Hope this helps.

Edited May 27 by Stealthdog

[mcatmcat]

celebrity 

-better food 

-boring ships 

 

Im coming from royal as well. Royal is a fun ship lots of entertainment targeting millennials, but 2 years ag I went to the Harmony and the food was so bad that I was like I have to try something new. I went to celebrity and I was impressed with the food and how everyone smile and greet you with a happy face. But, activities at night can be boring. 

[jlawrence01]

The major differences that I see between Royal Caribbean and Celebrity:

 

1) The service on the ship is MUCH better across the board on Celebrity.  They have a lot of very experienced staff that has been on the ship for years and they do a great job of anticipating your needs day after day.  The royal Caribbean staff was generally less experienced and was very irritating - they were constantly talking about the cruise surveys.

 

2) The Celebrity ship officers are constantly present and interacting with the guests.  i noticed that a lot of the officers knew past cruisers.  these folks anticipated any issues to ensure smooth sailing.

 

3) In general, the menus - MDR and buffet - are much more creative on Celebrity than Royal Caribbean.  While the food is a lot better on Celebrity, both lines have had several dishes that were complete misses and should have been caught in the kitchen by a head chef.

 

 4)  Celebrity is a much older crowd, especially on the older ships.  They like to make the claim that the crowd is so much younger than HAL.  However,  I did not see that.  Royal Caribbean has a lot of families although not as many when you avoid the summer months.

 

 

 

 

[TeeRick]

On 5/25/2024 at 3:12 PM, prmami said:

We’ve been sailing on Royal Caribbean for a couple of years now. We are looking for a different cruise experience. What’s  the difference between the two cruise lines.
Thanks in advance.

Good comments here on this thread to help you decide.  Many others can be found by doing a search on this topic on the RCCL boards or the Celebrity boards.  Lots and lots of threads on this. We sail both lines.  More recently on Royal more than Celebrity because we get a much better value on the suites these days.