Brilliant idea ... or bad MISTAKE?! We Booked a Cheap, OLD Celebrity Cruise Ship!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ต.ค. 2024
- What were we thinking?! Would it go horribly wrong? We've all seen those adverts: luring you in with tempting deals, and impossibly low prices! But is there a catch? We decided to put it to the test and booked ourselves aboard just about the oldest Celebrity ship. Would it be creaking, would it feel out of date?
We were sailing from Athens in Greece, on a fabulous sounding itinerary...let's see how it went!
In this Episode we provide a full review of the Celebrity Infinity.
* Celebrity Cruise ship
* Celebrity Cruises Entertainment
* Embarkation Day Celebrity Cruise
* Celebrity Mediterranean Cruise
* What is included in a Celebrity Cruise
* Celebrity drinks package
* cruise ship tour
* Celebrity Cruises Mediterranean
* Best Celebrity Cruise ship
* Celebrity Cruise lines
* cruise news
* cruise vlog
A day in the life
celebrity cruise behind the scenes tour
The Restaurants, Main dining rooms, and Speciality Outlets
The cabins
The pool Area
Celebrity Cruises Entertainment
The deck areas and Rooftop Garden
Who this cruise suits
The buffet
Embarkation Day Celebrity Cruises
Newest Celebrity cruiseship
This is part one of our coverage for this ship. Video 2 will be our Video Diary, where we show you what a typical day aboard feels like, the activities on offer, and what you can get up to. It's our arnchair guide, in which you'll feel really immersed.
Sister ship to :
Celebrity Summit
Celebrity Millennium
Covered in this video:
celebrity cruise
Balcony cabin
Le Petit Chef
Raw on 5 sushi and Japanese seafood
Fine Cut steak House
cruise news
luxury ship
princess cruise
royal Caribbean
icon of the seas
utopia of the seas
carnival cruise
Cafe Al Bacio
Oceanview Buffet
Sunset Bar
Celebrity Constellation
Largest cruise ship
Hi, welcome to Ritzy Travel Guide, my name is Bill, we are here bringing you our latest travel reviews from around the globe! We'll be travelling right around the world on cruise ships, all inclusive resorts, tropical destinations... and the deals of the day.
In this video :
If you enjoyed this video please let us know in the comments box! In the meantime you can watch our video on the newest Celebrity ship here:
th-cam.com/video/7LZ1mYhuV3U/w-d-xo.html
You guys are unbelievably entertaining. My wife and I love your videos and sense of humor. Great job guys!!!
Really kind of you to say, thank you John!!
I prefer the older, less glitzy, ships so long as the service and food are good.
The service was absolutely excellent, and the food in the Main Dining Room very good.
I am elderly and absolutely prefer the older more comfortable ships. You do understate the vast savings you experienced.
Hi there, fully agree that older ships are very popular with some cruisers. It makes for a wonderfully diverse cruise market.
Concerning the savings, it was also partially due to the fact we sailed out of season, and at last minute.
Hence my comment it's great to be able to make these savings, even for newer ships too.
I'm younger but I agree! Give me these older ships that actually feel like ships rather than massive crowded theme parks any day!
Hi Bill, excellent suff and yes please to old footage, from someone that still watches the Love Boat for that nostalgia!!!
Ha ha, and why not watch the Love Boat!! Thanks for letting me know and the old footage
@@ritzytravelguidecñtz
Bill your wife is a delight. Beautiful inside and out. Another brilliant, amusing and informative video. Thanks 😊
I am indeed a very lucky Guy! Your comment will really make her day! Thank you so much 😊
Your "tongue-in-cheek" humor, and intelligent insights are off the charts. Keep up the great work! BTW, the long wait in queue for evening dining is attributable to short staffing issues. Empty tables exist because there is no one available to provide service -- an issue which may even extend back to the kitchen.
Hi there, thank you so much for your very kind words.
Yes, I think you're absolutely right, it is due to short staffing. Which is an absolute shame, as the dining staff are so friendly and so willing!
Definitely want to see archived footage! I’m 38, my first cruise was in 2002 and I miss the older times of cruising. My husband and I love the older, smaller ships
Hi Morgan, will do!
My first cruise was in 1982 on Song of America. My first Celebrity cruise was on Horizon in 1990. I have lived through many changes in cruise industry. We leave for my 132nd cruise trip next month on Celebrity Millennium for a 12-night Japan cruise. After that, a family Thanksgiving Caribbean cruise on Harmony and then Oceania Regatta in April. My favorites are the smaller ships, like Regent, Azamara and Oceania.
Wife and I went on the Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas in February of this year. It was just her and I. Our only goal was to have a getaway and relax. Yes, the ship is older. Yes, the ship is smaller. But that's what made that trip AMAZING. No waterslides, no FlowRiders, no Bumper Cars, No Central Park, no boardwalk..... ie none of the bells and whistles of the newest ships in the fleet. We saw the same passengers regularly and were able to make new friends. The amount of staff was smaller as well, and they genuinely seemed to be a small family. They were friendly, helpful and a pleasure to deal with. We sail on casino comps, and Vision came up on our certificate from Symphony last month (June). We both got Junior Suites and will be sailing on Vision again Feb. 2025. And we cannot wait. There is something about the intimate "good ole days" of cruising. I have been on cruise ships since 1980, and I know what cruising used to be. And this was a throwback to that era in cruising. And it was glorious.
Hi, great to hear from you, thanks so much for your thoughts and comments.
Totally agree with you that smaller ships give such an intimate experience. More like cruising used to be.
We have just come off Azamara Pursuit, which is very much considered a smaller ship, at 680 passengers. So totally relate to your experience. We'll be putting out a full video on Azamara coming soon
PLEASE put your archived footage on TH-cam!!! The world needs it :)
Haha 😂
I agree- archive cruise videos would be fantastic
Thank you
@charzforesto8141 Will do, thanks for letting me know!
@@ritzytravelguidecan’t wait to see them
Yes would love to see the old Summit videos
I think a lot of us would love to see your older cruise ship videos, the couples that cruise together stay together ❤️
Lovely sentiment. Couples that cruise together do stay together. Thank you so much 😊
I stumbled on your videos in preparation for my wife and I upcoming trip to Rome, followed by a cruise on Celebrity Ascent to Barcelona this summer. Your videos stand out for several reasons; good filming at a pace that you can get to see and enjoy what you are looking at; your commentary is both informative, but fun. This is not serious, depressing stuff, it is a cruise! We really enjoy your sense of humor and find your insights both unique and entertaining. Our first cruise was about 20 years ago aboard the Celebrity Zenith. We ate dinner at a large table in the Main dining room with 6 other fellow travelers that were assigned to the same table . The Zenith was old and small, but it was all new and amazing to us. One of the other couples told us this was their 30th cruise, and offered a piece of advice that I remember and follow to this day. “ A bad day on a cruise is usually better than a good day at work “.
Looking forward to seeing more stories about the older cruise ships, or pretty much anything that you offer. Thanks…
Hi Alan, what a lovely message to read, thank you so much. You're so right, it's not meant to be depressing stuff, hence we try to be as cheerful as possible! And I might very slightly modify you're sentiment: "A bad day on a cruise is nearly ALWAYS better than a good day at work!!'. What a fantastic mantra.
Wishing you a great time in Rome, and Barcelona, and aboard the Ascent!
Excellent coverage on this older Celebrity ship. Yes times are a changing, we've just returned to the UK from the Celebrity Solstice this weekend on our Bucket list cruise, Singapore to Sydney ( we picked this ship over the Edge ) from our previous experience on the Edge. Yes an older ship but spotlessy clean, good shows, and great guest speakers, and lets not forget the indulgent Cafe el bacio for coffee and cake.
Thanks for this very enjoyable coverage.
Hi Steve, what an amazing bucket list cruise from Singapore, I'm sure you had a really memorable trip.
We love the Cafe Al Baccio too, one of our favourite places are sea!
What irritates me is that Celebrity “had” an upgrade system in place for these older “M” class ships. One or two even had it done. They were stem to stern “ Revolutionized”. However, their new president (who came from Royal Caribbean), has decided to cancel that program, while they continue to charge ever increasing premium prices for cruises on ships that are extremely dated and in less than fine condition.
Yes, it is extremely surpring they have elected to leave the Infinity, and a few others, by the wayside in terms of sympathetic and needed upgrading.
One could also be controversial and point out that many of the ships they are neglecting are on the European and Asian circuit, not those in the lucrative North American region. But that's a hot potato subject for another day!
"historic" is the tried and true descriptive word; "dated" is an absurd marketing insult invention.
Celebrity should be embarrassed and cut prices on the older ships. The lack of updating cruise cabins while maintaining relatively the same advertising, promotion, and price as new ships would not be allowed for hotels. They'd have to be rebadged and prices would decrease as they fall to pieces.
100% agree
There is nothing wrong with old ships, we all get old. Embrace it.
@Sunset672 embracing it, we're on 2 more older ships this year, from a variety of cruise lines!
They're totally updated on the Summit and Millennium. They were planned to be updated on the Infinity but the pandemic got in the way.
@@Sunset672 The cabin should have been in better shape on this ship. As for it looking dated, I couldn't care less tbh. The new ones are gray and overly bright, IMO. Digital vs. analog, sometimes I prefer analog. The Edge ships will be "older" when the new class is introduced in a few years. Good is good regardless of age but you're right. We all get older and so does what we create.
Lol, with my Naval experience, I can confirm that despite that those rooms were heavily outdated compared to the newer ships... They're 5 star luxuries compared to what we get on our ships lol
That's true!
Where did your wife get that tan over-sweater? And why does she always look so fabulous?
She'll be absolutely delighted you said that! I've been trying to convince her to start a lifestyle channel on TH-cam, as she absolutely loves fashion, fitness, cooking and entertaining....but she says she's too shy!
The over sweater came from Mango 🙂
We'd like to see your older cruise footage - would be very interesting!
Thanks Terence!
I couldn’t care less about decor. Non-functional drawers? That’s an issue.
We were on the Constellation twice, also the Silhouette and Reflection...we are going on the Ascent in about a month, so it will be interesting to see the difference. Thank you for your review. I would love to see some of your old footage. My first cruise was in 1986, so it would be very nostalgic! Thanks rosie
Hi Rosie, great to hear from you. Have a fantastic time on the Ascent. We have a video on that, on our channel, if you haven't already watched it
We had 3 cruises on Infinity ,all post COVID. I found that little worn furniture and carpet id not bother us. Any bad drowning was fixed within very short time. We liked old way : constant place in restaurant,the same waiter,who knows our names and preferences,less people around, almost no children,etc. the first cruise was just after COVID and we booked Aqua class for the balcony cost. That cruise was like a luxury. Generally,we enjoyed them a lot. Actually much more than newest Holland America. Of course new ship is better,we liked Edge and Epic. Just like everything new and “ younger” . The only thing : the prices must be lower on older ships. Like on used cars. And the companies would have own notch in business
Definitely create a “back in the day” video! 😮
Will do, thanks for letting me know
I was giggling when you were fussing w the drawer 😅 But I must say, an older quieter ship, w excellent food, clean, smaller capacity and quieter ports sounds perfect to me. Enjoyed the footage from 2003 and would enjoy seeing more. ✌🏻
Thanks Kate!
Brilliant concept comparing older and newer ships. As always you created an excellent video. And yes, I’d like to see your old cruising footage. 🙏
Many thanks indeed !
One area where Celebrity is downgraded is presentation. The "old" Celebrity had the pastries on a white linen folded tray and a special pastry chef presenting them. The food is not the same as Celebrity in their prime. It may still be good, but it isn't outstanding anymore.
😊😊😊 I love it!!!! thanks for this vlog.... I have seen Celebrity last min cruise here in Miami and it was more $$$ than SeashorecMSC Butcit was good to see this video
So glad you enjoyed it!
😂 Thank you for the laughter when you mentioned, "bakelite switches". I just subscribed.
Great to have you along!
My understanding is on that ship dining is scheduled.
Enjoyable video, as usual. At the end you said that you were a little bit bored but what about your wife? She is always a ball of energy what with the gym, swimming and no doubt other activities. So does she share your opinion?😃
Hi there. Great to hear you. Whilst we love the Celebrity experience across their entire fleet of ships, we both were of the opinion we prefer the Edge Class of ships, and most recently the cruise we had on the Ascent a few weeks earlier. We prefer the greater choice and variety aboard the Edge Class. Such as dining, entertainment, sports, and general facilities.
I'll be bringing out a video on this very subject, covering the reasons why.
Thank You Bill, great professional and helpful videos.
When you make a video on Azamara, if possible please comment on how this small ship moves in rough seas and if many cruiser are affected by included alcohol in combination with seasickness
Hi Anastasia, sure, no problem will give lots of feedback on the Azamara trip. Though,we are sailing on the Italian Riviera, so I'm not sure the seas will be very rough!
Very interesting video guys, I was interested because I will be on a millennium class celebrity ship, The Constellation, at the end of the year for New Year's.
Wishing you a great cruise on the Constellation! Please let us know after, how it went!
thanks you! you just safe us from s nightmare in MSC vituosa. can we have a suggestion of a small-medium ship which is quiet (in August) ?
Hi, can you give a bit more information. Such the geographical area you want, is it for kid, or older people ?
Hi, I'm new here. Your content looks great! However, the drone footage is making my stomach turn. I appreciate the idea, but the extreme wide view is just too much. Sorry, just my opinion.
Thanks for the feedback, I'll try to use it differently in future
It's only 4 years older than the QM2 so it's surely more to do with any refits. (QM2 has no USBs of course...).
Hi Andrew. Yes, you are absolutely right, Infinity is only a little older than QM2, but we feel that QM2 has been kept far more up to date, with sympathetic, and systematic upgrading. QM2 recently came out of dry dock, and had a far larger scope of upgrades, compared to Infinity. Such as changes to furniture throughout, lighting, carpets, decor and ID. (though not cabins nor USB!)
It's a shame that Celebrity has decided against anything more meaningful
I LOVE your commentaries, hilarious!
Thank you!
I'm thinking of a solo cruise athens based in February, good deal, on the Infinity. Loved your notes and hints.
Thanks Hendrik, good luck with that
The reason for the waiting for dinner seating and then have empty tables is because of lack of dining room staff. They deploy the best waiters to the new ships. We had the same issue this summer on Queen Mary 2. The experienced staff has been moved over to Queen Anne and they always seemed to short staffed every where.
Hi there, yes there did seem a lack of staff
An informative video, thank you. Whie I would sail on an old ship if I were given a free cruise, in reality I only consider newer ships.
Hi thete, thanks for your comment. I think it very much depends on the itinerary too. Some of the older ships go to some amazing destinations
Sailed the Infinity in 2004 and the Equinox in 2010 and 2014. I loved them then. But after seeing your video on the Ascent, that is the one I would like to try. Not surprising. I wouldn't want my 2004 Avalon back in place of my 2023 Tesla, even though I loved the Avalon when I had it.
That's a great analogy!!
Thank you for your priceless tips .... of 'what to eat at dinner if you haven't got any teeth.' lol 😄 And yes, please put some of your old footage on YT, would love to see it. I' like the vibe of the older ships as well. Thank you again, for a wonderfully entertaining vlog.
Thanks so much for your kind comments!
Could the delay in the main dining room be because of the number of staff available and not the number of open tables?
Hi, yes I think that is the case. Running on too few staff.
We just sailed on the Ascent in June through Spain, Italy and France. Overall, we loved the cruise, however there are many times we found ourselves battling the larger crowds, namely at breakfast, dinners, excursions, pool, gym, etc.
Yes, I can imagine that could be true at certain times. Smaller ships can have benefits!
We spotted the Ascent in Portofino. We were on Azamara at the time, and were anchored in the bay together. We like both these ships very much. For different reasons
In the 1990s I sailed on the Celebrity ship Discovery. Beautiful ship! Wonderful spacious room! Wonderful food! You didn't exhaust yourself walking from one end of the ship to the other end. I miss these ships!
Definitely one of the benefits of smaller ships!
I think Emma Cruises took the identical trip recently
Yes, Emma got off as we got on!
Before having our daughter we were on 5 straight cruises with Celebrity back in the early 2000s. We loved the Millenium class ships. We just started cruising again last summer, again with Celebrity. Our first cruise back was on the Celebrity Summit. The ship has seen better days. However, the nostalgia was definitely there! We are actually going on our first Edge Class ship in June. We are so excited. It will be interesting to compare and contrast both experiences. Thank you for another great review! Please keep them coming!
Just love the older ships.ill take a 2,000 passenger ship over a 6,000 one.
Me too!
I had eggs Benedict on the Millenium when it was new. I got very sick!!
Bad luck
Hi will be on the celebrity millennium in June for a 12 night Japan, cruise
Have a great time, Japan should be a fabulous visit!
We took the infinity to the Canary Islands and Morocco in December and while there were some tired places, same great food and service plus $1000 obc.!
Hi Barry, fully agree, the service and food are both excellent!
@@ritzytravelguide to the point where we cancelled our specialty dining the food was so good. The way I figure it the dumbest person in Harvard will get a better job than the valedictorian at a community college. Give me the order ships of celebrity anytime over the newest MSC or Carnival
the older ships have more deck space as they are not floating funfairs
Very true
I think it's a very good and well thought out assessment. I was just on a 4-day Celebrity Silhouette which was not a last minute booking. But it was priced on par with Cunard Britannia Class as far as cost per day. An older ship for sure but it was quite nice all things considered. I had always sailed Cunard so Celebrity was a wake up call so to speak. Perhaps not as elegant as Cunard but the food quality was light years better as was the gym. The room was ok. It was difficult to figure out exactly what you get in Aqua Class as opposed to the next level down. Celebrity is rather opaque in their explanations and rather than tell you in a clear concise manner, they make you look it up. As best we can tell, we had better soap and shampoo and that's it! Service was terrific. We too found the open dining process convoluted and opted for the buffet. But we liked the buffet and it was nice that for brekkie and lunch you could eat outdoors. We also found that the cabin cabinetry and draws were broken and cheap. In this respect, the Cunard cabins are definitely nicer. But we found the bed to be comfortable. All in all, we liked Celebrity and will give them another look. If Queen Anne is not a game changer for Cunard, then it's time to shift brands. Food and gym are what we like and Celebrity, even on an older ship, made Cunard look old and dumpy in my humble opinion.
Hi Sam, lovely to hear from you, and many thanks indeed for your detailed and well considered thoughts. I heartily agree with your conclusions.
Interesting comparisons you make between Cunard and Celebrity. Yes, the food on Celebrity in the Main Dining Room can often be better than Britannia. But I think the older Cunard ships overall are in better condition that Celebrity oldercships.
Queen Anne will be a very key test for Cunard. It will be a fascinating launch, and litmus test of how Cunard moves forward, and can hold onto its client base.
Very good commentary! I do prefer the older smaller ships.
They have a lot of character!
I was just on the Celebrity Summit, on a cruise that was 100% full. And that's where the older, smaller ships really shine. They were simply designed better. No waiting. No lines. You could always get a table or a seat in a show. The new mega ships offer many things, but at the expense of space and spontaneity. If you don't book things in advance and/or show up very early you can't get in. Who needs that kind of stress on a vacation? Give me the older, smaller ships any day!
Hi there. Many thanks for your comments. Totally agree with you about space on older smaller ships, the passenger capacity ratio is really good.
We just got off Azama Pursuit, which has just 700 passengers, and we never had any waiting, or crowding issues.
Been in Millennium class ships 5 times since 2006 as recently as Nov 2023. I like the way they are as long as they are clean and not worn looking. Been on the new big NCL and RCL ships and do not like anything about them. Too many people fighting for everything on board. We like Azamara.
@@rlf5736 We like Azamara too! Have you had a chance to watch our latest 2 videos on Azamara? Just released
Yes. Nice video and agree with assessment. Service and food is great.
My first time watching your videos and I just loved it. I’ve subscribed and can’t wait for future videos. Thank you for being you and don’t change a thing!
Many thanks Danny, very kind of you to say!
How about go smaller like a 500 passenger or less cruise 🙏
Hi there. We recently came off Azamara Cruises, which has just under 700. Thoroughly recommend that. You can see the video here:
th-cam.com/video/jNPwsyzZFp8/w-d-xo.html
Looked like you were being rough on the cabin furniture. Maybe celebrity should charge you for the damages.
We'd only been in there 53 seconds!
@@ritzytravelguide 😁
Good video. I never saw your promised specialty restaurant review, which I was waiting for but never occurred. The experience looks great however, you never mentioned the cost. Clearly the point of cost savings was implied by your initial premise of small, older, out of season ship. So, what did this cost?
I don't know if I was on the Infinity or a comparable one, but watching your review is making me feel that my cruise took place in the Middle Ages. It surely seemed state of the art and modern back in 2004.
😂🤣. Does it seem like you were on the Ark with Noah?!
@@ritzytravelguide Looking back, yes. But at the time, it was like a generation ship traveling to a distant galaxy.
Great description!
My wife wants your wife’s sunglasses - what are they?
She bought them in Mallorca, Spain. They were a local brand!
Please do old up to 30 years ago videos you mentioned please
Will do, thanks for letting me know
Sorry guys, did I miss something. Days and cost?
He we were aboard for 10 nights. As we secured a last minute deal, it was $72per night
Great video guys 👍🇬🇧 and my wife said she really wants your wife's adidas tracksuit and gym gear 😄😎👍
Ha, ha, yes it's very bright gym gear! She has a collection of them, really glow in the dark!!
I would love to see some of your archived footage as well🙂
Thank you, I'll be sprinkling in some archive footage into future editions!
The prime rib recommendation for those with no teeth and the duck having hanged in the engine room for two weeks :) My favorite comments!!
Thanks Alan! I did have a few other comments, but didn't put them in the edit, for fear of people complaing that I was being a bit flippant!
I thought that they were funny and of course, tongue-in-cheek 😂 I agree that the midsize ships may be the sweet spot.
A very fun, entertaining, informative and comprehensive video! Love your sense of humor - you had me laughing out loud several times. For someone like me that is not an experienced cruiser (on the contrary - I'm taking my very first cruise in Oct '24) - the insight you can give being a cruise expert is very much appreciated. Luckily, the 2 people I'm going on the cruise with were actual survivors of the U.S.S. Titanic! ....... Ok, I did exaggerate a bit on that one - they been on several cruises, and I'll lean on their knowledge and experience. Looking forward to my cruise on the Celebrity Eclipse. Thank you for a great video!
Wishing you an amazing time on the Eclipse. Do let us know afterwards how it went, and what you thought!
Hello again Liverpool Kev here again....Thank you so much for an excellent video...Nostalgic for me...I worked on Infinity twice...once in a passenger cabin and another time in crew accommodation....(noisy)...my agent was sworn at for complaining haha...Fond memories though...I would not like to be on a massive ship...even if more polished...my first cruise (non working) was P&O Oceania...a really nice experience...I volunteered to do stand up comedy in the main theatre which got me work at a later date...ooh er...Happy memories...Thank you again...Liverpool Kev
Hi Kev, great to hear from you. What a coincidence you worked on Infinity! You'll know it like the back of your hand! Fond and nostalgic memories indeed!
Wow I loved your old cruise footage. Amazing 👏👏👏
Thank you so much!
Hello Bill, I enjoyed watching the video .If you don't mind, too share the price ,and did you have to buy a drink package .thank you .
Hi Cheryl, we didn't buy the drinks package, as it was port intensive, and were ashore almost every single day. So we paid as we went for the drinks
The cost of the cruise was about $620 per person, for Ocean View, for the 10 night sailing. Typically in the Mediterranean it costs double to triple that with Celebrity. Because, we booked last minute, and in low season, we were able to get the good price.
Your fisheye lens is difficult to watch.
I'll scale it back in the next video!
I noticed in your montage of old ships the Star Princess - maybe a comparison of ships with the same names. Although I'm not sure how many brands besides Princess recycle their names...
I prefer older smaller ships where the crew to passenger ratio is better and you get less drunk party goers. The newer, bigger ships cater to people who only want new because they think that is better and just want to party and drink as much as they want and never leave the ship. The smaller older cruise ships can go into different ports and place more on service and less on party features. My question is, why do people always think new is better and when do you consider something old, 6 months a year, 5 years? Why do you need USB ports, you should be living the moment not uploading the moment, if you must use ever electronic device known to man, then get an adapter and adapt your life. That is what traveling is all about adapting to the place your are visiting.
Haha, that TV looks old to you, but in 1999 they were still putting CRTs (Tube TVs with the curved glass front) on ships. Flat panels then were still very rare and expensive! So that area has been refit at least.
That's true!
"dated" and "refresh" are the most ridiculous marketing tools of the current vacation industry. Let's just stick to "historical." I really don't care about anything except hygenic and cleanliness
I just discovered your channel and have seen 3 already. I have never been on a cruise, but like videos on them.
I enjoy your personality and humor. Is your lovely wife Vietnamese?
I would definitely enjoy seeing your old cruising footage in future episodes Bill. I’m also looking forward to your port video on Ephesus. I went there years ago but would love to return.
This was an interesting episode. I think apart from the dated cabins, what struck me was the dreary, rather dark lighting especially in the main restaurant. These days, the new ships seem to have brighter lighting which helps to give a much more modern feel.
Hi Lisa, lovely to hear from you. Ephesus was a delight, as were the other port stops, such as Thessaloniki, Rhodes and Knossos. It's a gorgeous part of the Mediterranean. Hopefully getting those videos out over coming weeks.
We went on a Greece cruise to islands and Turkey. Turkey was CLOSED due to the census! No one allowed out of their domicile except for us cruise passengers! Streets empty except for police with their guns.
We were able to tour because we did not count as residents, though hotel guests were. We were able to see Ephesus and a rug shop (I think the owner was the mayor's brother). LOL . Very weird, like a Sci fi movie....no one there. Sadly, I could not visit the market (closed too)
@karensheppard1471 Wow, that must have felt weird!
First time viewing one of your videos. You are a rather cheeky! 😂😂😂.
We do our best!!
I'm wondering if the reason you had to wait for a table is because they didn't have enough waiters or other staff. It might of been not enough cooks. That way your food could come out to your table properly hot and prepared correctly. 😊
Some of my best cruises have been on these older ships - they're taking such good care of them. I'm not fully sold on those glass portholes in the floor of the buffet - I think that would go straight for my stomach, haha!
Hi Fraser! Those portholes are kind of quirky and fun!!
We sailed Infinity twice. In 2008 and 2011 both Alaska. We liked the ship.
I'd cruise on that ship! Space has better desdign elememts compared to today's ships, which resemble sardine cans.
A thumbs up for a compilation of older cruises!
Thanks Sonja!
Have you been on Norwegian Jewel
Hi, no.
On ICON of Royal Caribbean they have the Overlook which is an observation area and it's free.
You do realise that the 'newest, largest, shiniest' cruise ships out there are being banned from more and more ports that are interesting to call at and also the age of a vessel has nothing to do with the decor of the vessel nor the facilities on board (the look and functionality of things) it is all to do with how the ship is maintained and refitted in dry-docking as there are some 25 year old ships that are far better in condition, features and design than some 5 year old ships.
Well done great video, brought back some great memories, if you can get a deal on one of these, totally worth it!👍
Many thanks!
Enjoyed your videos! Yes, I like to see your old footages.
Thank you Diana!
Eggs Benedict. Deeeeeliscious. But...Did they have Ketchup?
Hey....I'm not at MY prime any more. The ship and I will get along just fine.
It's nice you dress for dinner.
Hi, yes you feel all the better for dressing up!
Yes they can, we loved the Aquaclass cabin on deck 11 and friendly staff and cruise buddies were great. We had a fabulous time.
Years ago the Infinity was our first cruise. EXCELLENT. YOU FORGOT TO MENTION THE FANTASTIC ‘LIBRARY ON BOARD THE INFINITY ‘. THIS CRUISE IS A BARGAIN. BRAVO .
You are correct lovely library!
What a fun video! Great that you could take the last minute deal! I’d love to see some of your old cruise footage. Thank you. 😎
Thank you Judy!
Would love the videos of your older cruises… especially if you ever sailed on the SS Norway
I sailed on the original Pacific Princess, and her sister ship Ocean Princess several times, and LOVED them. I was so sorry when they were sold. I would gladly sail on them today.
Those Princess class of ships were timeless!
@@ritzytravelguide Being small (relatively) they felt warm and fuzzy. I miss them.
So your Azamara Cruise you are now on will be a nice contrast for a 24-26 year old ship. Azamara has updated the ships nicely. The rooms are gorgeous and my favorite spot on the ship is the Living Room.
Hi, just go on board Azamara Pursuit last night, and looking forward to the sail up the Italian coast.
We just found your channel and enjoy it very much! We are older and like the peace of an older charming ship. We just returned from Alaska on the Sapphire Princess. It too is older but not crowded and very relaxed! Thank you so much for your informative and fun travel videos. Cheers!
Hello there, great to hear from you. We well remember sailing on the Sapphire Princess, a few years ago. As you say, a lovely ship!
Very informative. Ive loved this review. Very funny too " for those that don't have any teeth" . Im still laughing😂. I shall look out for all your videos now. X
Thank you so much Jackie, lovely to have you with us 🙂
Hi Bill my favourite class of ship Milleneum class. Why would a ship appear dated probably because the owners have not bothered to do even the simplest of repairs? After all many people live in homes built in the 20;. 30's 40. 50's etc and would not live anywhere else, but have updated those homes. I have never thought about ships being dated. What does that actually mean? Certainly, updating can mean updating shower heads, taps TV's and so on and how hard can that be? but furniture was probably of a far better quality than the rubbish on present-day ships. As long as the ship is clean well looked after great service then I am happy and I am sure a lot of people feel the same way. For me keep the latest ships such as those Celebrity ships with that monstrosity hanging off the side ruining the lines of the ship (assuming it has lines). The people running them have no idea. Cunard, P&O, Princess and more have gone downhill since being taken over by such as Carnival. Same applies to airlines. Who in their right mind would fly with a Uk airline (I am originally from UK and now live inAustralia) or Qiants or any US airline? The Asian Airlines, hotels and just abut everything else are far beyounf what the rest of us have. Just look at Japanese railways. We are being left behind in many. ways. Car industries gone for instance
Hi Gregory, many thanks for your thoughts. Personally, we are quite big fans of classic ships, and enjoy sailing on them when we can. What caught us by surprise with the Infinity is that Celebrity have chosen to hold back it's 'refresh.' Sister ships Millennium and Summit have both had substantial updates in the last couple of years. Resulting in great looking ships, ready for the next 20 years. Infinity and some others in the Celebrity range are getting passed over
This means one has to check quite carefully which ships have been attended to, and which haven't, even though it's the same line!
Very enjoyable and entertaining video Bill. Thank you. We were worried your wife would spill on her lovely white top during dinner. Furthermore, you’ve answered a lot of questions. Looks like the normal Celebrity package with excellent food. Value for money? Absolutely! Please keep up the good work and keep these videos coming.
Good point about my wife's white top! The duck came the nearest to spoiling proceedings, in the dripping stakes!
Interesting that eating dinner in the MDR isn't prebookable beyond a 5.30pm sitting. We've found P&O has removed the ability to join a virtual dinner queue on their App on their 4 smaller ships. We always used it in the past, but now you turn up & if they can't seat you they give you a pager to summon you when a table is ready. They always offered the pager before, but we always opted for the virtual queue on the app as you could be anywhere on the ship when you were called to dinner. The pagers have a very limited range, so everyone loiters around waiting to be called. Major downgrade in our opinion.
Hi, yes very similar situation with the Infinity. They issue you a pager, and you loiter. Everybody has to loiter!
I know this is going to be an entertaining, engaging, and beautifully done review as this channel always produces. I want to say something about the Infinity before I watch this and Celebrity in general because I'm about 6.5 decades on the earth and a long time Celebrity cruiser. I went on the Millennium in 2000 when it was brand spanking new and aboard other Celebrity ships up to the Edge class. And I think we should look sometimes at the ships as they were new more than that they are now old.
Celebrity is from Chandris Celebrity line and started with the Meridian (an old, at the time, Greek ship). They wanted a more upscale brand and were big on food and presentation and some classic aspects while adding a modern perspective. That really summed up Celebrity's style. The Horizon class ships, from the early 90s, were Celebrity's modern ships but I don't believe they had balconies. They offered a lot of traditional spaces, lounges, great food presentation, and a bit of modern art. They were at a point retrofitted with some aspects of the later Century class ships. They were mid sized (near 50,000 tons). Then the Century class introduced a more upscale ship and a, for the time, megaship. I want to make that clear. 70-80,000 tons, in the mid 90s was considered huge, a megaship. These ships had radical art, screen art, huge aft located dining rooms, cigar lounges called Michael's Club, and were very luxurious. They had great presentation and food (at least early on). What was most unique is on most sister ships, they're the same with different colors and patterns on the furniture. The Century ships weren't. They had their own unique furniture on each ship in the lounges and public areas and they really had an impact defining Celebrity as a premium brand.
The Millennium ship lost that uniqueness. The 4 ships were almost the same from ship to ship, but the patterns and colors on the furnishings changed. The big deal about the Millennium ships were introducing the fancy specialty dining based on old oceanliner themes. Those are gone now and they've been retrofitted with Solstice class attributes. The big deal was another set of elevator banks as the ship was built on a Radiance class Royal Caribbean hull, and that specialty dining room for an extra charge. That's what set it apart. It was an extraordinary experience for not a lot of money. They did lose one lounge, my favorite aft-located lounge from the Century class ships. Overall, I thought the space in them wasn't utilized well but they felt luxurious. So, all of the restaurants you'll see were retrofitted, as well as the piano bar. Michael's Club was originally a cigar bar and was available to all passengers.
The Solstice class ships kept a lot of the Millennium ship designs but had its own type of hull. They added a lot more specialty restaurants but still retains the Michael's Club lounge as a cigar lounge for all and then turned it into a piano bar. I liked it best as a piano bar. The Martini Bar was the real big hit in those but it proved to be small. Some of the specialty dining was a big hit as well. It offered a lot of intimate spaces so they had a charm. All of the Celebrity ship decor is "retro modern." It's based on elements of art deco and 20s to 60s and early 70s style in public clubs and spaces but with a more modern look. So, the ships were evolutions of each other. For the existing Celebrity fleet, the Solstice class is my favorite but my all-time favorite is unequivocally the Century class.
The Edge ships, IMO, lose that magic. They turned trendy modern using the ubiquitous gray and light colored woods found in almost all new modern designs of this time. These Edge ships will be dated in 20 years as 2020s ships due to this character. All of the types of comments on the Infinity's staterooms will apply to the Edge in maybe 7 or 8 years IMO. They kept all of the restaurants from the Solstice class and added more. They did the ship within a ship thing so the front area of the ship, above the theater, is the suite passengers area. As a result of this, there is no more sky observation lounge. They also moved the Martini Bar, a 1930s recreation style, to a more contemporary, run-in-the-mill (IMO) hotel multi level lobby style and added a dance floor to make it the trendy "heart of the ship" plaza/atrium/whatever it is called. They made a 2 story area called the Club to serve as a multifunciton space and a space in the back for interactive entertainment (Eden). As you can tell, I'm least enamored to those ships as I think they lost the spirit and feel and soul of the previous class of ships. I do understand while those new to Celebrity may love them.
So, Celebrity is trying to bring Edge like character to all of their ships in something called "revolutionizing" them. They've redone some areas of the Millennium class Millennium and Solstice while the Infinity and Constellation have far less extensive changes. The up side is, the Millennium and Solstice have "modern" staterooms and much better buffet areas. The downside is their dining rooms are now trendy looking beige with pops of teal look and they've lost the classic elegance of the original. The move toward beige and gray is just not one I care for. The Infinity and Constellation still have their classic dining rooms and I hope they keep them for as long as they sail. So yes, the Infinity may be "dated" but everything becomes dated. There is good in some "dated" aspects IMO and downsides to some "modern" ones. I just go for character and mood and feel I'm not wedded to old vs. new, just observe the character and feel and look and wish to preserve the most characterful. But there's a lot of subjectivity into what is characterful.
Benjamin thank you very much for your expansive and very well crafted and thought out comments. There's so much you wrote that is spot-on and to the point.
There is undeniably a need for these more 'classic' types of cruise ships. Their layout, and feel absolutely suits some people, and should be encouraged to remain in service for as long as practicable. It just needs the cruise lines to spend the necessary money on them, to keep them relevant, sympathetically refreshed, and worthy of inclusion in their fleet!