Celebrity vs Royal Caribbean

[J-Hawk]

We usually cruise on Royal Caribbean and are considering Celebrity. Can anyone tell me what's different? What are everyone's thoughts. Thanks!

[taxatty]

Dining room food is more upscale and generally better. We preferred RCI's buffet.

 

Less of a party atmosphere.

 

Ship decor is more sedate and little classier. The whole cruise experience is a little classier, including the stateroom TV menu selections, champagne at embarkation, and cold towels and drinks when you board after a shore excursion.

 

Much fewer announcements, fliers left in the room, etc.

 

Entertainment in most venues is a cut below RCI's.

 

You do often pay extra for it.

 

Les

 

[Jeanine&Jim]

Hello, We have cruised 2 times with Royal Carribean and 2 with Celebrity. We love them both. Our opinion is that the Food is a little more gourmet and a little better in the dining room aboard Celebrity than RC. But we had no real complaints with RC food. Anytime I don't cook for days I am happy. It is also important to remember how many people are being served at the same time. It is not like a restaurant that serves many less meals. That said, you will not go hungry on either line. We think the dining room service is also a little better on Celebrity as well as the entertainment. But all the above are only minimally better on Celebrity. We like the promenade on RC but the shops are better on Celebrity. We also like the Thallos pool on Celebrity. So in a nut shell we would cruise on either line and be satisfied. We usually let the itinerary dictates what cruise line to go on. Good luck, Jeanine and Jim

[J-Hawk]

Dining room food is more upscale and generally better. We preferred RCI's buffet.

 

Less of a party atmosphere.

 

Ship decor is more sedate and little classier. The whole cruise experience is a little classier, including the stateroom TV menu selections, champagne at embarkation, and cold towels and drinks when you board after a shore excursion.

 

Much fewer announcements, fliers left in the room, etc.

 

Entertainment in most venues is a cut below RCI's.

 

You do often pay extra for it.

 

Les

 

 

Thanks, Les! It sounds like RCI is more of the line for us. We have two young children and like a good party. We really enjoy the formal nights on RCI for the atmosphere, but like to be relaxed the other 5 nights. Sedate is definately not our style!

[J-Hawk]

Hello, We have cruised 2 times with Royal Carribean and 2 with Celebrity. We love them both. Our opinion is that the Food is a little more gourmet and a little better in the dining room aboard Celebrity than RC. But we had no real complaints with RC food. Anytime I don't cook for days I am happy. It is also important to remember how many people are being served at the same time. It is not like a restaurant that serves many less meals. That said, you will not go hungry on either line. We think the dining room service is also a little better on Celebrity as well as the entertainment. But all the above are only minimally better on Celebrity. We like the promenade on RC but the shops are better on Celebrity. We also like the Thallos pool on Celebrity. So in a nut shell we would cruise on either line and be satisfied. We usually let the itinerary dictates what cruise line to go on. Good luck, Jeanine and Jim

 

 

Thanks, it does help. It's hard to be disappointed anytime that you cruise!

[willysgrandma]

Thanks, Les! It sounds like RCI is more of the line for us. We have two young children and like a good party. We really enjoy the formal nights on RCI for the atmosphere, but like to be relaxed the other 5 nights. Sedate is definately not our style!

 

 

While I love Celebrity, it may be a bit too sedate for you if you like a good party. More sedate and the kids programs are not as good as they are on RCCL simply because RCCL is much more kid oriented.

[tprime76]

The best way I have figured out how to describe the differences are:

 

Choose Royal Caribbean if you are looking to have fun

Choose Celebrity if you are looking to relax.

[KCcruisin07]

I can't speak to the children's programs, which seems to be your main concern, but everything on the Celebrity cruise we took was excellent while RCCL had many problems on the cruise we took. The main difference we saw was that Celebrity had high standards for dining and customer service whether in the dining room, the staterooms, or other areas of the ship. On the other hand RCCL is less expensive.

[jplotts865]

I've been on both...ten cruises (I think) on RCI and two on Celebrity. Unfortunately, the recent Christmas cruise on Celebrity Century was, alas, the absolute worst cruise I've ever taken. I found myself looking at a Royal Caribbean ship in George Town and wishing I'd booked RCI instead of the "upscale" Celebrity ship. I do think the Celebrity ship was just too crowded for the crew to deal with...EVERYTHING was just a little bit "off" - service, food, entertainment. For the first time ever on a cruise I was glad when dinner was over the first night out...and also or the first time ever actually got up and left one of the shows. I will say that Celelbrity did react to, and resolve, both our very unfortunate initial table assignment and the nightmarish noise conditions above our cabin - actually did find us another cabin on a totally booked ship so I will not fault the line. However, the cruise was essentially ruined following the events of the first day/night and I do not think there is much difference between the two lines. I will sail on Celebrity again but do not consider it remotely better than Royal Caribbean - if anything my loyalty to RCI remains very much intact. The entertainment on Celebrity is definitely inferior to anything you'll find on RCI - I suspect the food may be somewhat more interesting on Celebrity but on our recent cruise it was nothing whatsoever to write home about. Bottom line...they're essentially the same.

[Sky Sweet]

Celebrity and Royal Caribbean and more alike than different, but these are their main differences.

 

Celebrity has older passengers, while Royal Caribbean is more family oriented

 

Celebrity is very laid back, while Royal Caribbean has a more energetic feel to it and appeals to people who prefer to be active.

 

Many Royal Caribbean Ships now offer a choice between assigned seating or anytime dining, while Celebrity only has fixed seating.

 

Royal Caribbean has better perks for its repeat passengers.

 

Celebrity has a better specialty restaurant.

 

Royal Caribbean has gorgeous ships with innovative features.

[Cruise Junky]

Celebrity and Royal Caribbean and more alike than different, but these are their main differences.

 

Celebrity has older passengers, while Royal Caribbean is more family oriented

 

Celebrity is very laid back, while Royal Caribbean has a more energetic feel to it and appeals to people who prefer to be active.

 

Many Royal Caribbean Ships now offer a choice between assigned seating or anytime dining, while Celebrity only has fixed seating.

 

Royal Caribbean has better perks for its repeat passengers.

 

Celebrity has a better specialty restaurant.

 

Royal Caribbean has gorgeous ships with innovative features.

 

I think you have summed it up in a nutshell!

[Deeliteful]

Hi Jennifer

 

I would agree with Sky Sweet - I love both lines but enjoy Celebrity slightly more - my DB and DSIL enjoy RCI much more mainly because of the fabuolous Kids Clubs. I think that RCI would definitely be your better bet.

 

Pat

[cavkc]

We have been in the extremely fortunate situation to have taken 2 cruises only 6 weeks apart, one on Celebrity’s Millennium and the other on RCI’s Brilliance of the Seas. Both cruises were 12 nights, with similar itineraries in the Med, one starting in Venice and the other in Barcelona. Approximately half the ports of call were also the same. FYI we are both in our early 40’s and have taken these cruises purely as personal vacations. On the Millennium cruise, we cruised just the 2 of us, but on Brilliance we took our 2 teenage sons.

 

Whilst we have cruised before on both these classes of ship, it is much easier to compare the two having sailed on them both in such a relatively short space of time.

Millennium vs Brilliance

 

Brilliance is a much more modern design of ship, with much use of glass. We particularly liked the open atrium at the centre of the ship. We preferred the art work and general more modern design of Brilliance.

 

Millennium is the older of the Millennium class ships and she is starting to look a little tired around the edges. Nothing major, however in terms of general ship maintenance/appearance, the Brilliance is probably slightly better.

 

The outdoor swimming pool on Brilliance is more pleasant as there is a very shallow 10ft ledge, which is wonderful for relaxing. However the sun beds on Brilliance were literally crammed in one next to the other with absolutely no space in-between. On Millennium you have a great deal more ‘personal space’ around you, including small tables etc. Also the sun beds on Millennium were padded, whilst on Brilliance they were the plastic, slat variety (very uncomfortable)

 

Brilliance had many more daily ‘activities’ around the pool area, which again would appeal to younger cruisers.

 

The one thing on Brilliance which drove me mad was the constant announcements, whereas Celebrity have a minimum announcements policy, although I believe this is supposed to be improving.

Whilst the staffs on both ships were fabulous, there is clearly a higher ratio of staff per passenger on Millennium, which makes it much easier to get service during busy periods.

 

The shows on Brilliance tended to appeal to us more than Millennium, with more light-hearted performances. Also, approximately half the shows on Brilliance were before dinner for late seating, which I much prefer.

 

Food

 

This is one area in which we found there is absolutely no comparison. Whilst there was nothing actually wrong with the food on Brilliance, Celebrity outshone them in every area.

 

We much preferred the layout of Windjammers buffet on Brilliance, they have separate stations for example for salads, hot food etc. whereas on Millennium you had very long queues forming around the central buffet area.

 

We ate at both Chops and Portofinos on Brilliance and The Olympic on Millennium. Again, nothing wrong with Chops or Portofinos, however The Olympic is far superior, both in terms of food and service, which is much more formal. The Olympic is $10 more expensive at $30 per person however it really is silver service and the quality of food is as good as the very best land-based restaurants.

 

Dress Code

 

Brilliance was certainly a more casual cruise, whereas on Millennium, guests tended to get dressed up even on the casual nights. Personally I preferred the Millennium dress however DH preferred the relaxed dress of Brilliance so it really is a matter of personal preference. If you REALLY like to dress up every evening though, Celebrity is probably more the cruise line for you. That said, if you would prefer to be able to wear jeans some evenings, RCI is probably more your cup of tea.

 

Kids Club

Whilst our boys were not with us on the Millennium cruise, they have cruised on a Millennium class ship, therefore I their thoughts may be appreciated. They have cruised on both lines from a young age and in their minds absolutely nothing beats a cruise, no matter which line. Whilst they enjoyed the clubs on both lines, they actually preferred Celebrity.

In their opinion, the activities were better organized on Celebrity and more inventive. Their main complaint with RCI was that whilst more activities may be advertised, on numerous occasions when they turned up for a scheduled activity staff were not available and thus it was cancelled.

Summary

 

We would not hesitate to sail again on either ship, should the itinerary, dates, prices etc. etc. match our requirements at the time. However, should we have any choice in the matter, we both agreed at the end of the cruise, that all in all, we had preferred Millennium and that Celebrity would be our first choice in the future.

 

The key aspects of the Celebrity experience that swing it for us are : superior food and specialty restaurants, ratio of personal space and the ‘no announcements policy’.

[WilsonCat]

Nice comparison cavkc. You make the Millennium sound like it's so much older, it's only 2 years older than Brilliance.

 

Having cruised with both, I personally pick X over RCCL, my wife is the opposite. I think that is because of the kids programs that RCCL offer. They are far superior to X. Not that X is bad, it's just not as good.

 

As a previous poster said, you will find more in common with the two than you would think.

[Chardo]

How would the Century compare to RCL Majesty of the Seas or Norwegian Sky (all three are shorter cruises out of Miami)? We're a family with two young teens, not super-active, don't need kids club, rock wall, skating rink, etc., just other kids to hang with (President's Day break, so think most ships will have plenty of families). Quality food is a must. Prefer somewhat more upscale clientele, so I'm kinda ruling out Carnival (here come the flames--still the reputation for Carnival's short cruises doesn't fit my demographic, to be polite).

[jackdiamond]

We are Elite with Celebrity and Diamond with Royal. Our favorite ships are the Celebrity M class and the Royal Radiance class. We enjoy both of them, but the M class is a notch higher. We will cruise the Equinox this year; and, I expect that our views will not be different. Also, I believe that your room category might influence your assessment of these two ships.

[KRN]

We have cruised once on each line - both times with our children who were 6 &10 in Alaska with Celebrity, 8&12 in the Caribbean with RCCL. I have to say we actually liked the kids club on X better. The RCCL cruise was a Feb. vacation week with lots of kids. The one thing that really surprised us was how many people didn't go to the main dining room at all for dinner during the RCCL cruise. We were at a table for 10, a family of 4 never showed.

 

Overall, while we enjoyed them both greatly, I prefer X over RCCL for the kids program. But I wouldn't hesitate to take either.

[debsavas]

I like the pool area better on RCCL than on Celebrity. On the Solstice we were on top of each other. If you like the casino, the no smoking policy on Celebrity Solstice was wonderful for us non-smokers. I will say the food is better on Celebrity. People also dressed up more. I am 47 and my husband is 59. Even without our kids not traveling with us, we prefer RCCL, only because we are looking for more things to do. But like someone else said, if you want to relax Celebrity is better. I would travel again on both if the price and itinerary was right.

[blewits]

Hi, first time poster here. Wow, you guys are great. I am a member on a similiar site that is all about Disney World and based on your experiences and posts, I already feel right at home.

 

Nuts and bolts: Looking at a cruise for 2 women - me and best friend. I want to get away from my dear, beloved children sent straight from heavan ;), and she doesn't have any. Both of us therefore want relaxation, good food, easy going, pampering. I know - I just described a Celebrity cruise to a "T". I've been on only 3 cruises and all were Celebrity. Somewhat devoted to the line because of food quality and level of service. . .

 

So, you experienced travelers out there: If I choose the RC, Navigator of the Seas over the Celebrity Century, am I going to be sorry I chose RC over Celebrity? Just need some reassurance.

 

I've been reading and searching past post for hours. I know buffet food is better on RC. Dining room better on Celeb. but I mainly will take meals in DR. I would prefer most meals in the DR. Breakfast, lunch and dinner if offered. Experience tells me Dining Room food is better anyway. I am also worried about service standards on RC. My experience w/service on Celebrity has been so good in the past that I'm afraid anything else will be disappointing. Opinoins on service appreciated and desperately wanted.

 

Last issue, and a VERY big one is smoking. My friend and I would like to have a cig. w/our morning coffee (preferably on our balcony), a smoke by the pool w/our drink, etc. Celebrity looks to have a very strict non smoking policy and perhaps RC will let me smoke on my own balcony and perhaps on one side of the deck by the pool. Is this the most accurate info?

 

Sorry to be so long but the sail date is Feb. 5 and I don't have much time to decide. Looking at RC 4 night Western Caribbean vs. Celebrity 5 night for the same money. In Feb or Mar. Balcony room only.

 

Sorry to go on forever but I'm pressed for time, so had to get it all out there!

 

Thanks and if anyone would like to ask me about Disney World, bring it on!:D

 

Wendy

[blewits]

oh, and I forgot to add. . . I'm also worried about being nickeled and dimed to death on RC. Granted last time I cruised, sodas were free! It sounds like Celebrity has more "free" services. Is that accurate?

 

And our ages are 40 but we'll be reading, eating and doing things like playing bingo. Parties are not what we are looking for on this trip but that whole smoking thing is a MAJOR factor.

 

Thx again,

Wendy

[brazilgirl]

My 2 cents:

 

I sailed on the Celebrity Summit in May (Med) and the Mariner of the Seas in Dec (Western Caribbean).

 

Staterooms- Both times we had inside staterooms. Celebrity is the winner here -more space , nicer decor imho. However , RCI had more "nooks and crannies " to put things away.

 

Ship itself- Mariner has more of a "wow" factor , with Promenade shopping area etc.I loved the artwork on the Mariner.

Celebrity has more muted elegance and is pretty. Tie -too different , both lovely.

 

Smoking (for previous poster.)My husband smokes....both ships he smoked in the designated area by pool windows-you can sip coffee ...

 

Entertainment-liked Celebrity better....maybe because it was a 12 day cruise?

 

 

Food-MDR food didn´t blow me away on either ship. Buffet on both good , but Celebrity better. Speciality restaurant on Celebrity wins.But I loved Chop´s and Portofinos too.

 

Kid´s Club-Both great!!! 1 of my kids preferred Celebrity , 1 preferred RCI (more kids her age) , one loved both.

 

Bottom line -both ships are wonderful . I´d go on either line in a heartbeat , but I´d say I prefer Celebrity and have chosen them for my next cruise.

 

Kim

[Mrs_Tiki]

Hi Wendy/blewits,

 

Watch out, bringing up the smoking policy sometimes gets folks riled up on the boards!

 

You are accurate that Celebrity's policy is more restrictive. If it is important to you to be able to smoke on your veranda, then the only option is RCI. I think that you are very considerate to research the policy before you choose your cruise.

 

DH and I just returned from the Navigator of the Seas, and it was a great ship! We love the food and service on Celebrity, but agree with others RCI has the edge on nightlife, onboard activities and overall "fun factor." If you are looking for quiet and relaxation, then Celebrity would be better, but you could always retreat to your balcony for some quiet time on RCI.

 

The smoking issue aside, if I were planning a girls getaway, I would probably choose the Navigator over the Century. (In the interest of full disclosure, I have never been on the Century, but would assume that it is somewhat similar to the M-class ships that we have been on.)

[blewits]

Thanks y'all and thanks for the heads up Ms. Tiki about the smoking issue being such a hot topic. I called X today to confirm that I had my facts straight. After talking with their agent, I decided on the RCI.

 

It is important to my best friend and me that we will be able to smoke on our balcony. It's her first cruise and we will be doing hum-drum things like having wine and cheese plates out there, coffee and a "pre" breakfast out there, pre dinner drinks, etc. Just chatting and catching up. We also like naps and reading. I'm tellin' ya, we are just one big party waitin' to happen! :)

 

It will be a great opportunity to visit another cruise line. Now, I'm gonna go fret over the food quality I may have just sacrificed???? :confused:

 

Wendy