Questions From Celebrity Newbie

[CHOCBANAWAD12]

6/19 Constellation Dover-Stockholm 14 N. will be my 21st cruise, but my first on Celebrity.
Here goes:
1. Are they really as uptight as it appears?
2. Can I put tips on stateroom account or do I have to lug cash?
3. I am willing to dress up for 3 formal nights, but how serious are they about informal nights? Do I really need a tie and jacket?
4. Can anyone give me any tips about Celebrity that would differ from Princess, HAL, NCL, RCI, etc?
Thank you
Sam

[Lois R]

Hi Sam[img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]
Uptight?..where? LOL...I haven't sailed as much as lots of folks...but 3 times on Celebrity in the last 11 months...
You can put your tips on your account...
Can't give you information on a longer cruise --only sailed 7 nights...I love dressing up [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img].
And I can't give you a comparison as the only Royal ship I have been on was the Soveriegn of the Seas..so that would be comparing apples to oranges.
But in 3 cruises there has been nothing "uptight" to me. Just returned from the Mercury a week ago...one of the best weeks I have ever had [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]..wonderful crew, food...and 5 of the best tablesmates EVER...I consider them REAL FRIENDS now[img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img].

Phil...Marti...Ken, Lisa, Virginia...I miss all of you!

Next up...HORIZON Sept 18th to Bermuda!

See My Century and Mercury Pictures at:
[url="http://community.webshots.com/user/lovescruising"]http://community.webshots.com/user/lovescruising[/url]

[plvogel]

I do not wear a jacket and tie for the informal nights. Just a nice shirt and slacks. Celebrity is not uptight, in fact, it is quite layed-back...friendly staff, no obnoxious announcements all day, lots of nice touches, excellent cuisine. Once you sail celeb, you will not want to sail anyone else

Sun Princess 5/96
Sun Princess 12/97
Crown Princess 1/98
Sun Princess 11/99
R2 5/2000
Sea Princess 9/2001
GTS Summit 12/2002
GTS Summit 5/2003
GTS Summit 9/2003

Until Galaxy Transatlantic
[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=111111&cdt=2004;9;03;17;00;00&timezone=GMT+0100[/img]

[CHOCBANAWAD12]

Thanks for both responses. PLV... looks like you have an excellent basis for comparison. My attitude has been adjusted. Amazing how one or two casual comments can pre-prejudice me.
Sam

[superjerryw]

Uptight - that depends on your definition. They do try to keep things a little more formal on Celebrity. On the formal nights the guests are requested to remain in their formal attire the entire evening. If you go to the theatre after dinner almost everyone will still be dressed up. On other cruise lines many people will dress for dinner and then change back to their shorts for the remainder of the evening.

As for the informal nights you will find many men wearing a jacket, but no one will stop you from entering the dining room is you are not. I was just on the Galaxy and there were men in dining room on informal night wearing golf shirts.

<applet code="countdown.class" CODEBASE="http://*************/java-sys" width="203" height="25">
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Donuts, is there anything they can't do....

[crishsapig]

Uptight, well...you should have been at our table last month [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img] There was nothing uptight going on there! And then on to the Navigator...what happens on Celebrity stays on Celebrity [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img] You can take it any way you want it when on a Celebrity ship. It can be the time of your life if you make it happen [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img] ~Christine

Celebrity Mercury October 19, 2003



March 13, 2004 on the Mercury
[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=da70d6&cdt=2004;3;13;17;00;00&timezone=GMT-0800[/img]

October 13, 2004 on the Mercury
[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=da70d6&cdt=2004;10;17;17;00;00&timezone=GMT-0800[/img]

[cruisebunny32]

I would not call it "uptight" Celebrity pays attention to detail. They do it right! And if you like to be pampered, than this is the cruiseline for you. You do have alternative dining if you don't want to dress up. You can also have dinner in your cabin or order a pizza, which is awesome! So you do have choices! I prefer the dining room, the service and food are the best in the world!

Carnival Victory "Cruise to Nowhere" 10/04
Carnival Glory 2/04
Celebrity Millie 4/03
Celebrity Zenith 3/02
Celebrity Century 3/00, 3/01
Celebrity Zenith 6/99
Celebrity Galaxy 3/98
Celebrity Century, 1/97
NCL Dreamward 7/95

[luv1another4ever]

Hey Lois!

Thanks for the pics they were great!

Thanks to everyone else for the tips on formal night, they are truly appreciated.

We are going on the Mercury in May and can't wait.

Any opinions on teenagers and dinner jackets? Our 16 year old son has a jacket and our 15 year old doesn't, so, do I go and purchase one for the younger one? or do I just have the older one take his and not worry about the younger one? Or, since one doesn't have one just let both go without? (They will both have dress clothes - shirt, tie, slacks & shoes, it is just the jacket that I am worried about). Any suggestions would be helpful - I may be concerned about nothing, but it is better to ask now then to be on the ship and have done the wrong thing!

Thanks again for all of the info.

Shelly

[rwb]

Recently, the recommendation for informal nights has softened to a jacket only (not tie). In the past year, I've seen a significant number of men wearing jackets and sport shirts on those nights. Even some without jackets. Though it depends on the specific passenger makeup, around half of all men will wear tuxes or dinner jackets on formal nights.

My sense is that dressing down, but presentably, does not cause any problem with either the Celebrity staff or fellow passengers.

I wouldn't spend a second worrying about a teenager's lack of dinner jacket. If it's a problem for you, and it would make him more comfortable, rent one onboard or at your local formal shop.

[Danno]

It has been my experience that the staff on Celebrity are there to SERVE not ENTERTAIN...This whole generation of perky servers is driving my right up the wall. A bit of small talk and a smile is very welcome but trend toward table side vaudeville is very annoying.

In a nutshell, I think you'll find the servers on X, professional, quiet, friendly, unintrusive, and highly skilled...what more could you want??

Dan

Century X1,Galaxy X2,HorizonX5,VolendamX1,

Zenith Oct/04
Century Feb/05

[nealberk]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by sadrezin:
6/19 Constellation Dover-Stockholm 14 N. will be my 21st cruise, but my first on Celebrity.
Here goes:
1. Are they really as uptight as it appears?

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

The folks on this board are typical Celebrity passengers. Smart, intelligent, witty, enjoying class, not overly pretentious, respectful of a good meal- yes, but uptight? Only if we eat too much and can't sit down without fear of popping the buttons on our clothes!

[Lois R]

Neal...very good [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

Dan, I agree with you on the most part....but, If you want to become friendly with your wait staff..they will certainly oblige! Our table was probably one of the most fun in the entire dining room last month [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img].
I was going to say the loudest...but it was not "obnoxious"....though, I am sure the few tables around us could hear our laughter [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img].
And by the last couple of nights...Phil and our waiter played a couple of jokes on Lisa and it was some of the funniest things you could ever imagine [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img].
I will treasure those friends forever..and remember that table and my waiter too[img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]. For anyone going on the Mercury....Tweety was our waiter..he was fantastic..and what a great nicname!

Next up...HORIZON Sept 18th to Bermuda!

See My Century and Mercury Pictures at:
[url="http://community.webshots.com/user/lovescruising"]http://community.webshots.com/user/lovescruising[/url]

[Danno]

A very skilled server will take his/her lead from the atmosphere at the table...I have no problem with that at all. But when my wife and I go out for a quiet dinner together I don't really want a floor show provided by a CHIRPY server...when we go to a sports bar with a group, different matter.

I find the servers on X have always respected the fact that they are to be part of a good dinner experience NOT the centre of attention.

Dan

CenturyX1,GalaxyX2,HorizonX5,VolendamX1,

Zenith to Bermuda Oct/04
Century to E.Caribbean Feb/05

[Lois R]

Quote by Danno
---------------------------------------------
"I find the servers on X have always respected the fact that they are to be part of a good dinner experience NOT the centre of attention."

----------------------------------------------
That part I totally agree with [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

Next up...HORIZON Sept 18th to Bermuda!

See My Century and Mercury Pictures at:
[url="http://community.webshots.com/user/lovescruising"]http://community.webshots.com/user/lovescruising[/url]