Matt, my wife and just went on Reflection in August and really loved it. We also really benefitted from status matching. We are only Platinum level on Royal but on Celebrity we received a cabin upgrade - we booked a Concierge Cabin guarantee that was essentially the same price as a normal balcony. This was upgraded to an Aqua class cabin which gave us access to the spa area, which my wife loved, and access to Blu, which was an elevated dining experience from the main dining room.
Just got off the Reflection 3 days ago and the main shows had absolutely phenomenal vocalists. And they also had Rebel (The Tenors of Rock) who were amazing! And on a ship with 3k passengers there could not have been more than a dozen kids under 18. This is definitely a cruise for an older crowd who wants to relax.
Great and helpful video, Matt! Was deciding between Virgin and Celebrity for our 20th anniversary cruise and we settled on Reflection! We are only Gold on RC so no biggie there, but we picked a sky suite and we are super excited about all of those benefits! Thank you for sharing your experience!
My very first Celebrity cruise was on the Reflection in November of 2023. It was also my first solo cruise. I loved it so much that I just sailed again on the Reflection 2 weeks ago. I have one final sailing on her in 3 weeks time. This will be 3 cruises on the Reflection in less than 1 year. This is how much I love this ship. I haven't been on a mega ship as of yet, but I really don't think I'll enjoy it. Celebrity has just the right amount of passengers where I don't feel overwhelmed or congested.
I’m a smoker and I agree with you. If you want to hit off your vape you need to go to the smoking section. I always go to the smoking sections and I get furious with non smokers that deliberately come to that area and complain about the smoking smell. I’m happy to go to smoking area to keep my bad habit from bothering you now you as a non smoker stay away if you’re bothered.
I'm hearing really good things with Celebrity. I like the idea of the "smaller capacity ships" instead of the Mega ships.4K and under is our favorite ships.
"mega ship" is a evolving term. When I was a cruising in the late 1990s, 75,000 tons was a megaship. So, everything today from Celebrity would be a megaship. What is going on now is more ship within a ship stuff which is limiting the amount of space non-suite passengers get on a ship. Therefore, they get larger to create the same amount of space for non-suite passengers.
Celebrity is my favorite cruise line along with RCL. I have been on Reflection 3 times. Each time it was a 15 day cruise either to the Southern Caribbean or the British Isles.
I was on celebrity reflection 2 times this past month. Aqua class is the way to go. But honestly it’s been the best experience so far! Loved every moment and can’t wait to go again. Trying royal on the utopia for my first time only 3 weeks after those.
Hi Matt. My wife and I went on our first Celebrity cruise in late August on the Reflection. We absolutly loved it and have booked another cruise on the Equinox in Feburary. We are longtime NCL cruisers but Celebrity is winning us over.
We sailed on Reflection last weekend. Our first Celebrity cruise. No status. Spacious interior cabin. It was a really nice experience. We will def sail Celebrity again.
Dedicated fan of both! Have Diamond status on Royal which cross-walks to Elite on Cel. These days, we tend to use Royal for 7 night or less cruises, and Cel for unique itinerary and long repo cruises. For example, 2025 will see us on AOS out of LA for a 7 night Mexican Riviera cruise, and then a 13 night repo from Barcelona to Lauderdale on Cel Eclipse. Also eyeing a Sydney-Honolulu (or reverse) repo in '26.
My wife and her sisters just got off the Reflection last week. They took their parents on their very first cruise and they liked it so much they booked another 6 day on Reflection in December. My wife and I also have been on Reflection a couple of times and it is a great smaller ship that seems to flow well.
Interesting. My wife and I booked a 5 night cruise departing in November, aboard the Reflection for a total of $2050, concierge class, balcony, including travel insurance, all fees and gratuities. PLUS, we received a $300 on board credit for signing up for the Celebrity VISA card. We didn’t use a Travel Agent. Pays to book early and scan the details. To upgrade from Standard Veranda to Concierge class, we only paid $10 each.
We have been on Celebrity once (Equinox) and overall it was a decent ship, however, we found out every night that the ship "closes down" at or around 10pm... not fun! The food was good, but agree with Matt here... the entertainment was lacking and below average. We may give Celebrity another chance in the future, but other cruise lines are currently getting our business as we sail 3-4 times per year.
We just sailed the 4 night Reflection cruise out of FLL to Bimini and Perfect Day and our experiences were very similar to yours minus the Zenith class perks. We stayed Aquaclass and loved it and have booked a 6 night concierge class cruise in March on Reflection.
This seems like a slippery slope. If I was Diamond or D+, would that change much? Emerald? I know what you're getting at, but ultimately (without trying to sound very full of myself), I think it's more about sharing my experience than explaining what I had happen is what you can have happen. Insight into my trip, if that makes sense.
@@RoyalCaribbeanBlog love you Matt but they are right. Your video is based on what you experienced on Celebrity WITH your status. This does not help anyone that is not on the same status level
Celebrity is my absolute favorite (now that my kids are all grown and I don't HAVE to do DCL). We've lucked out with entertainment, but during 17 nights on the Edge last spring, the magician was a local magician who had been performing at the Rinky Dink local amusement park. Surely they could get better than that? I think it skews older, so most of us seniors are in bed by 10 PM - but they seem to be really pushing for a more multi-gen friendly experience.
We just went on Celebrity Reflection for a 4 night and had a lovely time. The food is better, we like the main show singers for entertainment and we are in bed by 10:30 anyway. Celebrity Edge is still our favorite, but for under $1000 we had two people in a balcony, with drinks package, all in all a good time.
I took my first cruise with Celebrity on the Reflection, on their September 23 four-day cruise! I just recently reached Diamond status on Royal, so I had Elite status on this cruise. I had already purchased the drink package, so I can't say that I was really able to take advantage of the "happy hour" benefit. I pretty much agree with everything you said - I was in a standard balcony room, solo, so it was plenty of room for me. I enjoyed the additional amenities offered in the bathroom, and the twice a day room refresh. I had flowers delivered on the second night, and I don't know if that is typical or was because of my Elite status. I had one meal at the Lawn Club Grill, which was really, really nice. I wish I had a larger appetite, but I actually skipped the appetizer. There was light rain and wind outside that was blowing into the seating area. It took them a while to actually move me. But the filet was delicious! I also loved the Café El Bacio. I tried the salted caramel martini and it was so good, I came back and had another one the next day. I wasn't terribly concerned with the late night entertainment, because I was so tired. Not sure why, because I stayed a couple of nights at the Hilton before I boarded. I took the Brightline down from Orlando, which I really like. I already have my second Celebrity cruise booked, over Thanksgiving. There was another good sale, so I decided to take advantage of it. This is on the Constellation and it's a nine day cruise. So this time, I can take advantage of their laundry special. It will be interesting to compare this ship with the Reflection, as I believe that the Constellation is older. I've noticed that both Royal and Celebrity tend to do a great job keeping their public areas fresh, but the rooms are looking a little tired.
Solstice was my first cruise. I ventured on the August 11-18th, 2024 voyage, from Vancouver, around southern alaska and back. Im from Ontario, meaning that at 19 I'm officially an adult, I can drink, I can gamble, I can go fight in a war. I can pretty much do what I want. I was extremely disappointed to realize that this cruise and all other cruises have a worldwide policy of everything being over 21. Like, wtf. Im an adult, being treated like a child. So for the majority of the cruise i didn't have a whole lot to do. I couldn't go out and drink with my colleagues who were all over the age of 21. Obviously theres other stuff to do, but for my age category, not a whole lot. Theres kids stuff, tween stuff, and adult stuff, but not a whole lot for ages 18-21. At least the buffet was somewhat decent, and ports were okay
I found the food on Celebrity to be superior to Royal Caribbean. If you want great entertainment, then by all means take a Royal Caribbean cruise, but being older and retired, I don’t need any water slides or rock climbing walls. Enjoy the more mature atmosphere on Celebrity.
@TheDvreyna1975 it seems you're confusing Celebrity for Carnival. They're the ones that have Guy's, and yes most of the other food on Carnival is lackluster.
Making sure you know there is storage above the beds :-) you said 3 drawers and then a hanging closet. But above the bed are 2 large cabinets for storage.
We took our first Celebrity cruise (Apex) last year when a planned cruise on Mariner ots was cancelled (its time in drydock was extended). Scrambled to find a replacement and Celebrity popped up. Enjoyed it very much. Service and food were great. Liked the concept of four themed MDRs. We thought the shows were spectacular, easily on par with Royal. Backstage tour was very interesting. Cabin was terrific (infinity balcony--though not sure we would choose Infinity again). Still sailing mostly with Royal, but hope to weave in some more trips on Celebrity.
Recently sailed on Celebrity Reflection. Loved our trip to Bimini and Coco Cay. My big problem was the VERY loud music in the atrium area. I noted that in my online survey!
After being loyal to Royal for more than two years, we just finished our first cruise with Celebrity. Being in our mid 30's we found that while they offered great service and food, the ship was so boring and their was hardly anything to do. Pool bars closed at 7:30 pm and didn't open until 10am. The entertainment also wasn't the best. The entire ship seemed like it "went to bed" at 9:30 pm and it was deserted most of the evenings. Unfortunately, we will be returning to Royal for dance party's, good vibes and FUN!
Seems to me, the main things that Pinnacle got was a nicer cabin and access to the Retreat lounge. Everything else is what everyone has access to. Thanks for sharing Matt. I found it helpful and I am not a Pinnacle...yet! LOL! 😎😎😎
We love Royal caribbean. We love the big ships even tho we don't have kids we still prefer the oasis class ships. Have not tried celebrity yet but will soon.
We just got off Reflection and aren’t even home yet. One thing we enjoyed was how easy Fort Lauderdale terminal is compared to Miami! We will continue to cruise RC with our kids due to all the on board activities but for the two of us Celebrity was very nice!
I have moved on from Royal but I will say I do miss the ice shows and the Broadway shows. I really miss the ice shows. They were really fun. My next sailing is on the Love Boat (lol) to Alaska. I never did well in the hot weather sailings. My internal system just does not adjust to the heat well and I thrive in the cold. Plus the slightly older crowd is probably a better match for me.
I love both Royal and Celebrity. No other line can match Royal’s Oasis/Icon class ships for entertainment venues, but Celebrity is the winner in food and service and views of the oceans! I’ve got a ways to go to reach your status though. 🙂
We cruised Royal for years, but have moved to Celebrity for our last 15 cruises. We prefer the Solstice class Celebrity ships over the Edge class. We find food and service better on Celebrity, but entertainment is much better on Royal. We are disappointed that RCL continues to not allow the combination of cruise night points for both cruise lines. Good review...
I honestly dislike the Edge class. What do you prefer about the Solstice class? I think the Solstice class is their best class currently. Millennium is OK.
Ref. storage space. Use packing cubes the you can use the overhead storage space. We have been on Celebrity more than 60 times. Once we discovered packing cruise space has never been an issue.
Cheryl and I have traveled twice now with Celebrity - once on Equinox (which we think is a sister to the Radiance class ships with Royal) and once on Summit. I agree with you on the entertainment point. They could be better. One of the comments Cheryl had about Celebrity is that they treated us like adults. Letting us drop off our bags with the understanding that we couldn't stay there. When you want a towel for the pool - just grab one from the pile - no checking in and out to make sure we return it. Celebrity matched our Diamond status to their Elite which really didn't do anything for us. We enjoyed the participating in the Captain's Club Celebration (Their version of Royal's Top Tier event) but that was about the only perk we really noticed. We did appreciate the non-smoking Casino and spent some time there (and now get mailers from the Blue Chip Club often to come back). The Glass Blowing class on Equinox was a fun event - but one and done for us. Over all though - our Diamond Status (soon to be Diamond Plus) gets us much more on Royal and where we will probably be most of the time. Would we choose a Celebrity ship again? If the ports were places we wanted to visit ? Absolutely. Would I choose Celebrity over Royal just for the ship? Probably not.
I agree with Matt that MSC Yacht Club is much better than Suites/Pinnacle Lounge on RC. Matt’s got his finger on the pulse and these new mega ships from RC have that Carnival smell. I'm looking forward to more MSC Yacht Club content. 🎉 🚢👏
I tried Celebrity in March on the Beyond. My status match was Elite+. Loved the ship & the MDR food was a big step above Royal. The included 2 hr. Happy Hour from 5-7 pm was okay, but my Royal Diamond+ 5 free drinks a day is much better. No soda package on Celebrity & non-alcohol drink package was $39 per day. Didn't see a sale on it. Solarium & Cafe Baccio both awesome. Entertainment was not on the level of Royal. I spent so much time in the non-smoking casino, I won a free cruise! Less children on board was noticeable. Booked on Apex in December.
When you talked about live music in the suite lounge, it reminded me of a time we were on Harmony in the Costal Kitchen for dinner... The table next to us was a large group who were having a lot of fun decided they were going to literally kidnap the piano guy and dragged him into the CK. The Maître d' wasn't happy. Piano guy played 2 songs but you could tell he was extremely nervous. LOL We thought it was great as did mostly everyone else there. Hope the piano guy didn't get in any trouble and maybe something Royal should consider doing one night during the cruise.
By the way..there is storage over the bed... I used this a lot to store folded polo and t-shirts and shorts.... we have gone on 14 day cruises on this class... years ago... and had no problem with storage. did you check out the sky lounge... great place to sit for sailing out of ports. I love ocean view... just got off Adventure of the Seas... buffet was okay but heavy on burgers and hot dogs...nothing like the offering on Celebrity. I did like the live music... the ensemble lounge usually had a nice trio... but no sing along like schooner bar. DH had mobility issues and were very disappointed at AOS's Schooner bar set up... could not access it with scooter. Favorite Royal ship class is the Radiance class...that Schooner bar is great. You are right about entertainment on Celebrity... could be improved... but if choosing investment in entertainment vs cabin service... hard choice. S class ship is my favorite Celebrity class... not crazy about Edge class. The central area with the martini bar on Edge...felt like a mall... and the specialty restaurants located in that area get bombarded by the martini bar music... on S class the specialty restaurants feel special... not mall like.
At one time Michael's Club wasn't a suite only venue and was a piano bar with sometimes sing-alongs. I love the Ensemble lounge on Solstice. Nothing like the Ensemble lounge exists on the Edge, one of the reasons why I'm not fond of that class. And the Martini Bar on the Solstice ship is much classier yet lively and feels like some chic club yet a bit retro. The one on the Edge is just a sunken bar in a modern, but somewhat nondescript hotel or mall-like space. The specialty restaurants on the Solstice class are mostly aft and Murano is outside of the quiet Ensemble Lounge. Raw on 5 and Le Bistro and I think Fine Cut steakhouse are all in that noisy Grand Plaza are on the Edge ships. And the dark Club on the Edge is nothing like the Sky Bar on Solstice.
For storage did you realize that there are storage cabinets above the beds. Not the best place but lots of room. I/we have cruise celebrity many times and find it a bit more classy than Royal, and I agree that the food selections are better.
I haven't been on Celebrity since 2019, but what I missed was being able to order the Chops filet in the main dining room on RCCL. Has Celebrity added an upgraded steak to their menu? Thanks for the video.
Hi, Matt! We are Diamonds who started on RC. We recently cruised on Celebrity because their itineraries and ship vibes match our needs better. Celebrity also upgraded their mattresses to cashmere, and they are very comfortable. An officer on the ship verified that the mattresses were upgraded across the fleet. When I was on the phone with a Celebrity agent to reprice my bookings, he told me that Celebrity spends more per person for food and that when the Celebrity ships are in Coco Cay, there are fewer passengers from both lines in order to give Coco Cay a feeling of more exclusivity for the Celebrity passengers. Did you notice a smaller amount of people on CC? Anyway, congratulations on achieving Pinnacle status. I do want to experience the new Icon class. Take care. 🎉
After eating the food for 15 days on Jewel of the Seas to Greenland, we really are leaving Royal Caribbean. This was our first cruise as Diamond. After many tries on Adventure, Navigator, Oasis, Allure, Symphony,Harmony, Voyager,Grandeur,Vision and Jewel we decided the best service at sea wasn’t worth the worst food at sea.
And we were on that same cruise & found the food very good in the MDR! In fact, I won’t do the dining pkg anymore because you can get the same foods ( not every night) in the MDR and at a cheaper price! We are Diamond Plus. The entertainment is top notch!
I really enjoyed your comments about your recent experience on Celebrity. We have a cruise booked on the Constellation in February. We would be Elite Plus status. My question is elite plus to Diamond plus , what are the perks on Celebrity? We sailed Celebrity a few years past and had a very bad experience, haven’t been back since. Now willing to try them again. Hope it will e better.
We went on the Allure of the seas last month and docked next to the Reflection at Coco cay. Thanks for answering most of my questions about that ship. Only question I have now is Celebrity geared more towards adults only? Were there a lot of kids on board? Thanks again for the video!
Royal people got the best upgrade of them all. NOT only are Celebrity perks superior with full drink package but the service is more professional, loyalty lunch superior, captains are more interactive and personable, bar tenders more fun like Carnival, loyalty staff memorizes all Zenith guests names from the start Honestly for the most part once you have seen a Royal show there is no need to see it again. I really don't ever need to see another Aqua Show or Ice Show. The differences are minor for the most part Royal is living in past glory
I’ve been on 8 RC cruises and am Diamond level, have a Celebrity cruise booked for May (Fjords), can’t wait to see whether we are converted by the elevated experience or will miss the nightlife?
I'm not surprised that you had a great time on Celebrity. Everything is slightly elevated, like the food, cabins, shows, and public areas. I'm going to guess that a cruise on Celebrity is considerably more expensive than Royal. I have a Royal cruise in December, but I will definitely consider Celebrity for next year.
Celebrity prices can be more reasonable than Royal on some ships. On the Beyond, I booked an Edge Solo Infinite Veranda, partially obstructed (which was fine) for $1700, 7-night southern Caribbean sailing.
I only cruise Celebrity and RCL. Differences are clear - better food and service on Celebrity, better entertainment and more activities on bigger RCL ships.
I am curious if you have a Royal C&A number, do you get points toward your status by going on celebrity? Like if I am trying to move up my status, going on Celebrity may not help in that.
I've been on alot of cruises. I agree that celebrity the food and service is head and shoulders above other cruise line. I also agree that the ship is dead at night. I close the nightclubs, bar and casino. The passengers are generally older, upper middle class, less children more grandparents. Celebrity and Priness are in the same group. You will not find a water slide on their ship.
Just got off the Celebrity Reflection. I love it, beautiful ship BUT I can see why Royal Cruisers don't like it. It really shuts down after 10 pm. Only Casino and Sky lounge open till late. Sky Lounge dies down after midnight. Casino only option after midnight. Also Celebrity does a really good job of late night snacks/pizza in the buffet.
I am looking into Celebrity . We are now in our 60s. We live in Texas and just got off Harmony in Sept. Way too big for us now, and too many families with kids. Celebrity does not sail from Texas but Princess does. So I am looking into Princess as well
There is one Celebrity cruise I would LOVE to go on, but it would be very hard to for me. And that's a cruise around Japan. I know Royal does an Asian Cruise. But I would just want to do one that travels around Japan alone. But the hardest part is flying to it. I got a back injury that would make it hard to travel for that long, and I'm very tall. I have to wear knee pads on flights cause my knees are jammed so hard into the seat in front of me.
Hello thank you in advance for any answer or information you can give me I'm really curious wasn't the crowd on Celebrity much much older than Royal Caribbean I'm assuming that maybe the nightlife which on Royal Caribbean has four bars and venues each night with piano players Latin bands rock musician an actual band playing in three or four different venues does that happen on Celebrity at night time till midnight 1:00 a.m. thank you so much for any information
I still don't get where you heard that Cay is pronounced "key". Everything I've heard on RCTV along the the Perfect Day official song pronounce it "kay".
Remember all these extras he got he most likely sits in the casino and bets all the time on all his cruises puts everything on a card and builds up points like he says but this doesn't fit the mold for the everyday regular people who don't go on vacations much!! Plus, he is doing videos for the ship, and he is most likely working with them or for them!
Was there young people on this 3 day sailing? The wife and I regularly sail Celebrity and love it, we’re young and don’t mind the age group. However I’m going on a guys trip and we’re looking at the Reflection for this itinerary, but I know they aren’t going to have fun if there’s not other young people on board. Was wondering what the crowd looked like on this sailing? Thanks!
Matt, my wife and just went on Reflection in August and really loved it. We also really benefitted from status matching. We are only Platinum level on Royal but on Celebrity we received a cabin upgrade - we booked a Concierge Cabin guarantee that was essentially the same price as a normal balcony. This was upgraded to an Aqua class cabin which gave us access to the spa area, which my wife loved, and access to Blu, which was an elevated dining experience from the main dining room.
Just got off the Reflection 3 days ago and the main shows had absolutely phenomenal vocalists. And they also had Rebel (The Tenors of Rock) who were amazing! And on a ship with 3k passengers there could not have been more than a dozen kids under 18. This is definitely a cruise for an older crowd who wants to relax.
Great and helpful video, Matt! Was deciding between Virgin and Celebrity for our 20th anniversary cruise and we settled on Reflection! We are only Gold on RC so no biggie there, but we picked a sky suite and we are super excited about all of those benefits! Thank you for sharing your experience!
My very first Celebrity cruise was on the Reflection in November of 2023. It was also my first solo cruise. I loved it so much that I just sailed again on the Reflection 2 weeks ago. I have one final sailing on her in 3 weeks time. This will be 3 cruises on the Reflection in less than 1 year. This is how much I love this ship. I haven't been on a mega ship as of yet, but I really don't think I'll enjoy it. Celebrity has just the right amount of passengers where I don't feel overwhelmed or congested.
I’m a smoker and I agree with you. If you want to hit off your vape you need to go to the smoking section. I always go to the smoking sections and I get furious with non smokers that deliberately come to that area and complain about the smoking smell. I’m happy to go to smoking area to keep my bad habit from bothering you now you as a non smoker stay away if you’re bothered.
I'm hearing really good things with Celebrity. I like the idea of the "smaller capacity ships" instead of the Mega ships.4K and under is our favorite ships.
"mega ship" is a evolving term. When I was a cruising in the late 1990s, 75,000 tons was a megaship. So, everything today from Celebrity would be a megaship. What is going on now is more ship within a ship stuff which is limiting the amount of space non-suite passengers get on a ship. Therefore, they get larger to create the same amount of space for non-suite passengers.
Celebrity is my favorite cruise line along with RCL. I have been on Reflection 3 times. Each time it was a 15 day cruise either to the Southern Caribbean or the British Isles.
Being a solo cruiser I end up paying 2000 to 3000 for a balcony cabin. Very sad but I love cruising! Loved Celebrity Reflection.
just debarked from celebrity ascent and the experience has been amazing! way better than rcc, in my opinion.
I was on celebrity reflection 2 times this past month. Aqua class is the way to go. But honestly it’s been the best experience so far! Loved every moment and can’t wait to go again. Trying royal on the utopia for my first time only 3 weeks after those.
Hi Matt. My wife and I went on our first Celebrity cruise in late August on the Reflection. We absolutly loved it and have booked another cruise on the Equinox in Feburary. We are longtime NCL cruisers but Celebrity is winning us over.
Awesome video, the wife and I are due to go on our 1st non Royal cruise in over 15years on the Ascent in March. This helps
We sailed on Reflection last weekend. Our first Celebrity cruise. No status. Spacious interior cabin. It was a really nice experience. We will def sail Celebrity again.
We were on Reflection several times until they changed from 7 Nights to 3-4 Nights and enjoyed it. The Retreat Area and Laminae was Great...
I agree about the vaping!
We have been on 2 Celebrity cruise and so far love Celebrity. Our next 3 cruses are booked on Celebrity instead of Royal.
Dedicated fan of both! Have Diamond status on Royal which cross-walks to Elite on Cel. These days, we tend to use Royal for 7 night or less cruises, and Cel for unique itinerary and long repo cruises. For example, 2025 will see us on AOS out of LA for a 7 night Mexican Riviera cruise, and then a 13 night repo from Barcelona to Lauderdale on Cel Eclipse. Also eyeing a Sydney-Honolulu (or reverse) repo in '26.
Thank you. Much needed video. My mother just became pinnacle on RC and is booking Celebrity as well, so this was perfect❤
We went on relflection in June and did like it! Buffet was great and relaxed environment
Celebrity attracts a different crowd than RC. I've been on both and Celebrity does appeal to an older crowd.
I’m older but it does not appeal to me
My wife and her sisters just got off the Reflection last week. They took their parents on their very first cruise and they liked it so much they booked another 6 day on Reflection in December. My wife and I also have been on Reflection a couple of times and it is a great smaller ship that seems to flow well.
Its still a big ship at over 120,000 tons. I guess it is what you are used to, lol.
Interesting. My wife and I booked a 5 night cruise departing in November, aboard the Reflection for a total of $2050, concierge class, balcony, including travel insurance, all fees and gratuities. PLUS, we received a $300 on board credit for signing up for the Celebrity VISA card. We didn’t use a Travel Agent. Pays to book early and scan the details. To upgrade from Standard Veranda to Concierge class, we only paid $10 each.
We have been on Celebrity once (Equinox) and overall it was a decent ship, however, we found out every night that the ship "closes down" at or around 10pm... not fun! The food was good, but agree with Matt here... the entertainment was lacking and below average. We may give Celebrity another chance in the future, but other cruise lines are currently getting our business as we sail 3-4 times per year.
It depends on the sailing. I haven't found that to be the case with Celebrity.
We just sailed the 4 night Reflection cruise out of FLL to Bimini and Perfect Day and our experiences were very similar to yours minus the Zenith class perks. We stayed Aquaclass and loved it and have booked a 6 night concierge class cruise in March on Reflection.
You may have missed the storage above the bed. There are 2 good sized shelf/cubbies above the bed. You can actually see them in your video.
I love Celebrity❤There is a cruise line for everyone
Not sure how helpful this video is for normal cruisers. Please rename it: I'm Pinnacle on Royal, this is what it gets me on Celebrity.
That is exactly what I was going to say.
How do things like this apply to us “normal people”?
I want to know if this was because of your status level or because you are an influencer?
Status level. Celebrity had no idea I was on the ship
This seems like a slippery slope. If I was Diamond or D+, would that change much? Emerald?
I know what you're getting at, but ultimately (without trying to sound very full of myself), I think it's more about sharing my experience than explaining what I had happen is what you can have happen. Insight into my trip, if that makes sense.
@@RoyalCaribbeanBlog love you Matt but they are right. Your video is based on what you experienced on Celebrity WITH your status. This does not help anyone that is not on the same status level
Celebrity is my absolute favorite (now that my kids are all grown and I don't HAVE to do DCL). We've lucked out with entertainment, but during 17 nights on the Edge last spring, the magician was a local magician who had been performing at the Rinky Dink local amusement park. Surely they could get better than that? I think it skews older, so most of us seniors are in bed by 10 PM - but they seem to be really pushing for a more multi-gen friendly experience.
We just went on Celebrity Reflection for a 4 night and had a lovely time. The food is better, we like the main show singers for entertainment and we are in bed by 10:30 anyway. Celebrity Edge is still our favorite, but for under $1000 we had two people in a balcony, with drinks package, all in all a good time.
Love Solstice class.
I took my first cruise with Celebrity on the Reflection, on their September 23 four-day cruise! I just recently reached Diamond status on Royal, so I had Elite status on this cruise. I had already purchased the drink package, so I can't say that I was really able to take advantage of the "happy hour" benefit. I pretty much agree with everything you said - I was in a standard balcony room, solo, so it was plenty of room for me. I enjoyed the additional amenities offered in the bathroom, and the twice a day room refresh. I had flowers delivered on the second night, and I don't know if that is typical or was because of my Elite status.
I had one meal at the Lawn Club Grill, which was really, really nice. I wish I had a larger appetite, but I actually skipped the appetizer. There was light rain and wind outside that was blowing into the seating area. It took them a while to actually move me. But the filet was delicious! I also loved the Café El Bacio. I tried the salted caramel martini and it was so good, I came back and had another one the next day. I wasn't terribly concerned with the late night entertainment, because I was so tired. Not sure why, because I stayed a couple of nights at the Hilton before I boarded. I took the Brightline down from Orlando, which I really like.
I already have my second Celebrity cruise booked, over Thanksgiving. There was another good sale, so I decided to take advantage of it. This is on the Constellation and it's a nine day cruise. So this time, I can take advantage of their laundry special. It will be interesting to compare this ship with the Reflection, as I believe that the Constellation is older. I've noticed that both Royal and Celebrity tend to do a great job keeping their public areas fresh, but the rooms are looking a little tired.
Solstice was my first cruise. I ventured on the August 11-18th, 2024 voyage, from Vancouver, around southern alaska and back. Im from Ontario, meaning that at 19 I'm officially an adult, I can drink, I can gamble, I can go fight in a war. I can pretty much do what I want. I was extremely disappointed to realize that this cruise and all other cruises have a worldwide policy of everything being over 21. Like, wtf. Im an adult, being treated like a child. So for the majority of the cruise i didn't have a whole lot to do. I couldn't go out and drink with my colleagues who were all over the age of 21. Obviously theres other stuff to do, but for my age category, not a whole lot. Theres kids stuff, tween stuff, and adult stuff, but not a whole lot for ages 18-21. At least the buffet was somewhat decent, and ports were okay
I found the food on Celebrity to be superior to Royal Caribbean. If you want great entertainment, then by all means take a Royal Caribbean cruise, but being older and retired, I don’t need any water slides or rock climbing walls. Enjoy the more mature atmosphere on Celebrity.
I so agree with you!!
Ditto!!!
@TheDvreyna1975 it seems you're confusing Celebrity for Carnival. They're the ones that have Guy's, and yes most of the other food on Carnival is lackluster.
@@shaniahhudson correct my bad
Making sure you know there is storage above the beds :-) you said 3 drawers and then a hanging closet. But above the bed are 2 large cabinets for storage.
We took our first Celebrity cruise (Apex) last year when a planned cruise on Mariner ots was cancelled (its time in drydock was extended). Scrambled to find a replacement and Celebrity popped up. Enjoyed it very much. Service and food were great. Liked the concept of four themed MDRs. We thought the shows were spectacular, easily on par with Royal. Backstage tour was very interesting. Cabin was terrific (infinity balcony--though not sure we would choose Infinity again). Still sailing mostly with Royal, but hope to weave in some more trips on Celebrity.
Recently sailed on Celebrity Reflection. Loved our trip to Bimini and Coco Cay. My big problem was the VERY loud music in the atrium area. I noted that in my online survey!
After being loyal to Royal for more than two years, we just finished our first cruise with Celebrity. Being in our mid 30's we found that while they offered great service and food, the ship was so boring and their was hardly anything to do. Pool bars closed at 7:30 pm and didn't open until 10am. The entertainment also wasn't the best.
The entire ship seemed like it "went to bed" at 9:30 pm and it was deserted most of the evenings.
Unfortunately, we will be returning to Royal for dance party's, good vibes and FUN!
It’s been a lot of years since I have cruised on Celebrity but I would definitely consider sailing on one of their ships again in the future.
Seems to me, the main things that Pinnacle got was a nicer cabin and access to the Retreat lounge. Everything else is what everyone has access to. Thanks for sharing Matt. I found it helpful and I am not a Pinnacle...yet! LOL! 😎😎😎
I agree with your smoking objection.
We love Royal caribbean. We love the big ships even tho we don't have kids we still prefer the oasis class ships. Have not tried celebrity yet but will soon.
I was on Symphony of the Seas on Sept 15 we docked next to Reflection at Coco Cay.
We just got off Reflection and aren’t even home yet. One thing we enjoyed was how easy Fort Lauderdale terminal is compared to Miami! We will continue to cruise RC with our kids due to all the on board activities but for the two of us Celebrity was very nice!
I agree with you about the entertainment at nights. That's my only complaint with celebrity
I have moved on from Royal but I will say I do miss the ice shows and the Broadway shows. I really miss the ice shows. They were really fun. My next sailing is on the Love Boat (lol) to Alaska. I never did well in the hot weather sailings. My internal system just does not adjust to the heat well and I thrive in the cold. Plus the slightly older crowd is probably a better match for me.
@14:00 Regarding storage space, did you miss the cabinets above the bed? Those are easily missed.
I think you're right!
Very informative! Thank you!
I love both Royal and Celebrity. No other line can match Royal’s Oasis/Icon class ships for entertainment venues, but Celebrity is the winner in food and service and views of the oceans! I’ve got a ways to go to reach your status though. 🙂
My husband and I are thinking about trying Celebrity for our 10th Anniversary next year. We are late 40s...no kids, and have Elite status.
We love Celebrity for many reasons. But, we plan to try Royal, now that points are shared.
Matt, you look good, congratulations. It's hard to stay in shape on cruise ships.
You missed the clothing storage above the bed. Those two wooden cabinets open up.
You were critical of the storage in your room. Did you notice the cabinets above the bed? We found plenty of storage on the Solstice class ships
We cruised Royal for years, but have moved to Celebrity for our last 15 cruises. We prefer the Solstice class Celebrity ships over the Edge class. We find food and service better on Celebrity, but entertainment is much better on Royal. We are disappointed that RCL continues to not allow the combination of cruise night points for both cruise lines. Good review...
I honestly dislike the Edge class. What do you prefer about the Solstice class? I think the Solstice class is their best class currently. Millennium is OK.
I agree. The food is better on Celebrity but the entertainment is much better on RC. If you like your entertainment, don't even bother with MSC.
We were on the MSC Meriviglia 2 years ago and found the entertainment very good, and we have been on RC, Celebrity, NCL, and MSC.
Ref. storage space. Use packing cubes the you can use the overhead storage space. We have been on Celebrity more than 60 times. Once we discovered packing cruise space has never been an issue.
Thank you very much for review!
Nice ship love celebrity
Cheryl and I have traveled twice now with Celebrity - once on Equinox (which we think is a sister to the Radiance class ships with Royal) and once on Summit. I agree with you on the entertainment point. They could be better. One of the comments Cheryl had about Celebrity is that they treated us like adults. Letting us drop off our bags with the understanding that we couldn't stay there. When you want a towel for the pool - just grab one from the pile - no checking in and out to make sure we return it. Celebrity matched our Diamond status to their Elite which really didn't do anything for us. We enjoyed the participating in the Captain's Club Celebration (Their version of Royal's Top Tier event) but that was about the only perk we really noticed. We did appreciate the non-smoking Casino and spent some time there (and now get mailers from the Blue Chip Club often to come back). The Glass Blowing class on Equinox was a fun event - but one and done for us. Over all though - our Diamond Status (soon to be Diamond Plus) gets us much more on Royal and where we will probably be most of the time. Would we choose a Celebrity ship again? If the ports were places we wanted to visit ? Absolutely. Would I choose Celebrity over Royal just for the ship? Probably not.
Equinox is a Solstice class ship. The Radiance sisters are the Millennium class ships. The Summit is a Millennium class.
Sounds great and happy for you , based on my age I will never reach Pinnacle nor Zenith hence why I did not finish watching the video
I love celebrity.
I agree with Matt that MSC Yacht Club is much better than Suites/Pinnacle Lounge on RC. Matt’s got his finger on the pulse and these new mega ships from RC have that Carnival smell.
I'm looking forward to more MSC Yacht Club content. 🎉 🚢👏
I tried Celebrity in March on the Beyond. My status match was Elite+. Loved the ship & the MDR food was a big step above Royal. The included 2 hr. Happy Hour from 5-7 pm was okay, but my Royal Diamond+ 5 free drinks a day is much better. No soda package on Celebrity & non-alcohol drink package was $39 per day. Didn't see a sale on it. Solarium & Cafe Baccio both awesome. Entertainment was not on the level of Royal. I spent so much time in the non-smoking casino, I won a free cruise! Less children on board was noticeable. Booked on Apex in December.
When you talked about live music in the suite lounge, it reminded me of a time we were on Harmony in the Costal Kitchen for dinner... The table next to us was a large group who were having a lot of fun decided they were going to literally kidnap the piano guy and dragged him into the CK. The Maître d' wasn't happy. Piano guy played 2 songs but you could tell he was extremely nervous. LOL We thought it was great as did mostly everyone else there. Hope the piano guy didn't get in any trouble and maybe something Royal should consider doing one night during the cruise.
I really miss live music with dinner on a cruise
Lol loved the vape comment 😂😂😂
By the way..there is storage over the bed... I used this a lot to store folded polo and t-shirts and shorts.... we have gone on 14 day cruises on this class... years ago... and had no problem with storage. did you check out the sky lounge... great place to sit for sailing out of ports. I love ocean view... just got off Adventure of the Seas... buffet was okay but heavy on burgers and hot dogs...nothing like the offering on Celebrity. I did like the live music... the ensemble lounge usually had a nice trio... but no sing along like schooner bar. DH had mobility issues and were very disappointed at AOS's Schooner bar set up... could not access it with scooter. Favorite Royal ship class is the Radiance class...that Schooner bar is great. You are right about entertainment on Celebrity... could be improved... but if choosing investment in entertainment vs cabin service... hard choice. S class ship is my favorite Celebrity class... not crazy about Edge class. The central area with the martini bar on Edge...felt like a mall... and the specialty restaurants located in that area get bombarded by the martini bar music... on S class the specialty restaurants feel special... not mall like.
At one time Michael's Club wasn't a suite only venue and was a piano bar with sometimes sing-alongs. I love the Ensemble lounge on Solstice. Nothing like the Ensemble lounge exists on the Edge, one of the reasons why I'm not fond of that class. And the Martini Bar on the Solstice ship is much classier yet lively and feels like some chic club yet a bit retro. The one on the Edge is just a sunken bar in a modern, but somewhat nondescript hotel or mall-like space. The specialty restaurants on the Solstice class are mostly aft and Murano is outside of the quiet Ensemble Lounge. Raw on 5 and Le Bistro and I think Fine Cut steakhouse are all in that noisy Grand Plaza are on the Edge ships. And the dark Club on the Edge is nothing like the Sky Bar on Solstice.
For storage did you realize that there are storage cabinets above the beds. Not the best place but lots of room. I/we have cruise celebrity many times and find it a bit more classy than Royal, and I agree that the food selections are better.
I haven't been on Celebrity since 2019, but what I missed was being able to order the Chops filet in the main dining room on RCCL. Has Celebrity added an upgraded steak to their menu? Thanks for the video.
Thanks for sharing ❤🚢
Hi, Matt! We are Diamonds who started on RC. We recently cruised on Celebrity because their itineraries and ship vibes match our needs better. Celebrity also upgraded their mattresses to cashmere, and they are very comfortable. An officer on the ship verified that the mattresses were upgraded across the fleet. When I was on the phone with a Celebrity agent to reprice my bookings, he told me that Celebrity spends more per person for food and that when the Celebrity ships are in Coco Cay, there are fewer passengers from both lines in order to give Coco Cay a feeling of more exclusivity for the Celebrity passengers. Did you notice a smaller amount of people on CC? Anyway, congratulations on achieving Pinnacle status. I do want to experience the new Icon class. Take care. 🎉
What's up with the new rules about the outlets? Now just usb hubs?
Coco K! You killing the rhyme scheme.
Reflection is fire. We went in January.
After eating the food for 15 days on Jewel of the Seas to Greenland, we really are leaving Royal Caribbean. This was our first cruise as Diamond. After many tries on Adventure, Navigator, Oasis, Allure, Symphony,Harmony, Voyager,Grandeur,Vision and Jewel we decided the best service at sea wasn’t worth the worst food at sea.
And we were on that same cruise & found the food very good in the MDR! In fact, I won’t do the dining pkg anymore because you can get the same foods ( not every night) in the MDR and at a cheaper price! We are Diamond Plus. The entertainment is top notch!
I really enjoyed your comments about your recent experience on Celebrity. We have a cruise booked on the Constellation in February. We would be Elite Plus status. My question is elite plus to Diamond plus , what are the perks on Celebrity? We sailed Celebrity a few years past and had a very bad experience, haven’t been back since. Now willing to try them again. Hope it will e better.
We went on the Allure of the seas last month and docked next to the Reflection at Coco cay. Thanks for answering most of my questions about that ship. Only question I have now is Celebrity geared more towards adults only? Were there a lot of kids on board? Thanks again for the video!
Royal people got the best upgrade of them all. NOT only are Celebrity perks superior with full drink package but the service is more professional, loyalty lunch superior, captains are more interactive and personable, bar tenders more fun like Carnival, loyalty staff memorizes all Zenith guests names from the start
Honestly for the most part once you have seen a Royal show there is no need to see it again. I really don't ever need to see another Aqua Show or Ice Show. The differences are minor for the most part
Royal is living in past glory
The atmosphere on Royal Carribean has gotten to be so much like Carnival. Celebrity is a refreshing change and upgrade.
I’ve been on 8 RC cruises and am Diamond level, have a Celebrity cruise booked for May (Fjords), can’t wait to see whether we are converted by the elevated experience or will miss the nightlife?
I'm not surprised that you had a great time on Celebrity. Everything is slightly elevated, like the food, cabins, shows, and public areas. I'm going to guess that a cruise on Celebrity is considerably more expensive than Royal. I have a Royal cruise in December, but I will definitely consider Celebrity for next year.
Celebrity prices can be more reasonable than Royal on some ships. On the Beyond, I booked an Edge Solo Infinite Veranda, partially obstructed (which was fine) for $1700, 7-night southern Caribbean sailing.
Royal Caribbean needs better perks for the Crown and Anchor
* My idea to update the Crown and Anchor loyalty program.
I only cruise Celebrity and RCL. Differences are clear - better food and service on Celebrity, better entertainment and more activities on bigger RCL ships.
I am curious if you have a Royal C&A number, do you get points toward your status by going on celebrity? Like if I am trying to move up my status, going on Celebrity may not help in that.
Unfortunately not. The point totals are siloed apart
I've been on alot of cruises. I agree that celebrity the food and service is head and shoulders above other cruise line. I also agree that the ship is dead at night. I close the nightclubs, bar and casino. The passengers are generally older, upper middle class, less children more grandparents.
Celebrity and Priness are in the same group. You will not find a water slide on their ship.
We survived 14 nights with plenty of storage on a Solstice class ship.
I went on reflection April and November we will be in eclipse for 10 nights ❤🎉😂😅
Just got off the Celebrity Reflection. I love it, beautiful ship BUT I can see why Royal Cruisers don't like it. It really shuts down after 10 pm. Only Casino and Sky lounge open till late. Sky Lounge dies down after midnight. Casino only option after midnight. Also Celebrity does a really good job of late night snacks/pizza in the buffet.
I am looking into Celebrity . We are now in our 60s. We live in Texas and just got off Harmony in Sept. Way too big for us now, and too many families with kids. Celebrity does not sail from Texas but Princess does. So I am looking into Princess as well
Great video, now I want to try Celebrity! Do my RC Crown and Anchor points transfer to Celebrity?
No, but your status does
There is one Celebrity cruise I would LOVE to go on, but it would be very hard to for me. And that's a cruise around Japan. I know Royal does an Asian Cruise. But I would just want to do one that travels around Japan alone. But the hardest part is flying to it. I got a back injury that would make it hard to travel for that long, and I'm very tall. I have to wear knee pads on flights cause my knees are jammed so hard into the seat in front of me.
Love Celebrity! It’s so much more high end than RC
I book several groups on Celebrity.
How do u become a zenith member
Hello thank you in advance for any answer or information you can give me I'm really curious wasn't the crowd on Celebrity much much older than Royal Caribbean I'm assuming that maybe the nightlife which on Royal Caribbean has four bars and venues each night with piano players Latin bands rock musician an actual band playing in three or four different venues does that happen on Celebrity at night time till midnight 1:00 a.m. thank you so much for any information
I still don't get where you heard that Cay is pronounced "key". Everything I've heard on RCTV along the the Perfect Day official song pronounce it "kay".
It used to be pronounced "Key." Maybe that's changed.
Remember all these extras he got he most likely sits in the casino and bets all the time on all his cruises puts everything on a card and builds up points like he says but this doesn't fit the mold for the everyday regular people who don't go on vacations much!! Plus, he is doing videos for the ship, and he is most likely working with them or for them!
The extras are from loyalty matching as was clearly stated in the video bud not casino stuff
Was there young people on this 3 day sailing? The wife and I regularly sail Celebrity and love it, we’re young and don’t mind the age group. However I’m going on a guys trip and we’re looking at the Reflection for this itinerary, but I know they aren’t going to have fun if there’s not other young people on board. Was wondering what the crowd looked like on this sailing? Thanks!
Yes, good mix of ages. Plenty of people under 40 for sure
@@RoyalCaribbeanBlogThank you!
nothing after 10pm is good for us. That's bed time!
How was the dining experience in Luminae?
Didn't eat there. Should I have?
@@RoyalCaribbeanBlog Yes. It's better than the Coastal Kitchen on Royal. (But I only eaten there on the Edge class ships)
Just expand your channel to the Royal Cribbean Corp blog