Getting Ready to Cruise on Celebrity for the first time

[dchurchward]

My wife Rebecca and I have been on multiple cruises. We have primarily been on Carnival and Royal Caribbean, with one cruise on Holland America. We are wondering what we should expect from Celebrity on this upcoming cruise? We chose to go with Carnival and Royal Caribbean in the past while we had children on board with us, but now that they are grown, we wanted to step things up a bit and try our Celebrity and Princess. It just happened that Celebrity had an itinerary that matched what we were looking for so we are giving them the first shot to see how we like them. My wife is in her late 40's and I am in my early 50's, and it looks like Celebrity should have some things we will like, great food, service, etc. We are going to be in an Aqua Class cabin if that makes any difference.

Are there any helpful tips or hints that people have for what we should ensure we try on this cruise? It is an 8 day cruise heading down to the ABC islands if it matters.

Thanks!

[jelayne]

We enjoy Blu both for food and service.

You will find Celebrity less noisy than Royal or Carnival only 1 announcement a day.

The crew is excellent and the Officers are very visible and friendly.

You did not mention which ship you are on but the Martini Bar on all is a great place to get a drink and see the flair bartending show each evening.

 

[dougocam]

Sounds like the Beyond. The ship is beautiful. Be sure to explore it carefully and find all the little hidden gems. The ABC’s aren’t particularly interesting islands, but the trip is very good. Be sure to go into Eden and enjoy the view. Sunset bar looks nice. Really good ice cream in the front of the buffet. I loved the walking track to get in some steps. Specially restaurants are pretty good, but not budget friendly. Even if you love going to casinos, avoid playing on the ship. Lowest odds on anything I’ve ever seen. The shows were above average. 

[mrgabriel]

Take advantage of everything that Aqua Class offers. For us, Blu is the highlight. I love having breakfast there. It's a bit more civilised way to start the day. I always use the Persian Gardens at least once, especially if the weather is poor or we're on a cold weather cruise. If you inclined, you can try out an exercise class.

 

You will receive a bottle of sparkling wine (it ain't anything fancy) but you need to ask the Stateroom Attendant for it. You can request it in advance. 

[zitsky]

Use the Persian Garden every chance you get.  Spa, rain room, heated loungers etc.  It's included.  Massages and spa treatments are extra.

 

Blu is open for breakfast and dinner.  I think the service and food are very good.

 

I'm not sure you'll enjoy Celebrity being so young.  Most of us go to bed around 5pm, at least that's what they're saying in the "I'm too young for Celebrity thread."  😁

[dchurchward]

I appreciate all of the thoughts so far. The cruise is on the Celebrity Reflection. I would have liked to go on the Beyond, but the Reflection sail dates worked the best for us. We do plan on going to Blu and the Persian Garden quite frequently. 

[Aunt P]

Just got off Reflection last week, and we were also in Aqua. We had the best time. The ship was beautiful, our room was in great shape, and the staff in Blu were the best! You can order from the main dining menu if there are items you prefer to what's on offer at Blu. We found great choices from both. Definitely make time for breakfast there as well. We had lunch on embarkation day at Sushi on 5 to avoid the buffet crowds, and we were glad we did.

 

Have Sebastien in Ensemble Lounge make you a drink on your way to dinner. Or after - he made a delicious chocolate martini! It was a nice quiet place to relax at the end of the day. 

 

Hope you have a fantastic cruise!

Edited Tuesday at 03:50 AM by Aunt P
edit to add additional detail

[keesar]

The first night in Blu is usually rather chaotic.  We usually avoid Blu on the first night and take advantage of discounts at the Specialty Restaurants.  Breakfast in Blu is excellent  and one of our favorite meals.  

 

Bring a list of amenities that you are entitled to in Aqua.  You may have to remind your stateroom attendant.

[LouChamp]

Aloha. Have been blessed to sail Celebrity since its inception in 1991 with the Meridian and countless times since. The vibe reminds me of the W hotels.  You will have a wonderful time although of recent the ships have become more mainstream and larger losing some of their character.  That said having been on the other lines you have mentioned they each have their own personalities and I wish you smooth sailing!

[cruisetonowhere10]

15 hours ago, zitsky said:

Use the Persian Garden every chance you get.  Spa, rain room, heated loungers etc.  It's included.  Massages and spa treatments are extra.

 

Blu is open for breakfast and dinner.  I think the service and food are very good.

 

I'm not sure you'll enjoy Celebrity being so young.  Most of us go to bed around 5pm, at least that's what they're saying in the "I'm too young for Celebrity thread."  😁

DH and I are right in that age range (just a big older) and like Celebrity just fine. Very happy to relax and go to bed early…

[gold1953]

4 hours ago, keesar said:

The first night in Blu is usually rather chaotic.  We usually avoid Blu on the first night and take advantage of discounts at the Specialty Restaurants.  Breakfast in Blu is excellent  and one of our favorite meals.  

 

Bring a list of amenities that you are entitled to in Aqua.  You may have to remind your stateroom attendant.

We have never felt Blu to be that way on the first night

[cruisegirlppp]

2 hours ago, LouChamp said:

Aloha. Have been blessed to sail Celebrity since its inception in 1991 with the Meridian and countless times since. The vibe reminds me of the W hotels.  You will have a wonderful time although of recent the ships have become more mainstream and larger losing some of their character.  That said having been on the other lines you have mentioned they each have their own personalities and I wish you smooth sailing!

This is off topic but I rarely see anyone mention the Meridian. We took our first cruise, ever, on her to Bermuda in 1996. I still remember what a beautiful ship she was and that the whole experience was magical. Thanks for reminding me!

[Liao]

18 hours ago, dchurchward said:

My wife Rebecca and I have been on multiple cruises. We have primarily been on Carnival and Royal Caribbean, with one cruise on Holland America. We are wondering what we should expect from Celebrity on this upcoming cruise? We chose to go with Carnival and Royal Caribbean in the past while we had children on board with us, but now that they are grown, we wanted to step things up a bit and try our Celebrity and Princess. It just happened that Celebrity had an itinerary that matched what we were looking for so we are giving them the first shot to see how we like them. My wife is in her late 40's and I am in my early 50's, and it looks like Celebrity should have some things we will like, great food, service, etc. We are going to be in an Aqua Class cabin if that makes any difference.

Are there any helpful tips or hints that people have for what we should ensure we try on this cruise? It is an 8 day cruise heading down to the ABC islands if it matters.

Thanks!

Prepare yourself for some of if not the best service crew at sea!  You will have very nice entertainment, just not the same as on Carnival and the crowd will skew on the older side of 50+.  

[cricketgirl]

Yes, Celebrity tends to be an older crowd than Royal, but don't let that scare you off.  I am in my late 40s, have been cruising celebrity for years and love it!  Celebrity certainly ticks all the boxes for me - lots to do on the ships, a bit more upscale, and there's always music/dancing going on late at night if you are in the mood to be up late.  Check out the "silent discos", they usually have 2 per week and they are a lot of fun.  You also have a great itinerary - the ABC islands are a treat.  Have a great time on your cruise!

[Judyrem]

15 minutes ago, cricketgirl said:

Yes, Celebrity tends to be an older crowd than Royal, but don't let that scare you off.  I am in my late 40s, have been cruising celebrity for years and love it!  Celebrity certainly ticks all the boxes for me - lots to do on the ships, a bit more upscale, and there's always music/dancing going on late at night if you are in the mood to be up late.  Check out the "silent discos", they usually have 2 per week and they are a lot of fun.  You also have a great itinerary - the ABC islands are a treat.  Have a great time on your cruise!

ABC islands are my favorite especially Bonaire, best snorkeling ever!

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

19 hours ago, dchurchward said:

I appreciate all of the thoughts so far. The cruise is on the Celebrity Reflection. I would have liked to go on the Beyond, but the Reflection sail dates worked the best for us. We do plan on going to Blu and the Persian Garden quite frequently. 

 

I think the assumption that you were going to be on Beyond is that this summer it's primarily the Beyond doing the ABCs.