We just tried our first Celebrity cruise last month, and here is our opinion on how they compare with an Oasis-class Royal Caribbean ship: - Staff: Far more courteous on Celebrity. Almost everyone smiled and greeted us every time we passed by them. The staff on Celebrity made our experience top notch, and they’re the number 1 reason we’d try Celebrity again. - Clientele: On average, upper-scale people on Celebrity and more social. I found it easy to meet people and get into good conversations, more so than on Royal. - Kids: Yes, they’re on Celebrity, but we found them to be better behaved overall than on Royal. - Cabins: More spacious on Celebrity. - Buffet: Noticeably better quality on Celebrity. So good in fact, we had dinner at the buffet twice. - Main Dining: Royal’s food quality and service in the MDR is FAR better than Celebrity’s, which was very surprising. My theory is that Celebrity is pushing people to book the specialty restaurants. Specialty Dining: Excellent on both cruise lines. Food and service were both exceptional. Bars: Celebrity has some courteous bar tenders, but Royal has more knowledgeable ones who will make a drink strong without you asking for it. Entertainment: You can’t beat Royal on an Oasis-class ship. Casino: Royal’s staff is more hospitable here, but I enjoy that the casino is non-smoking on Celebrity. Wifi: Royal’s was far better. Celebrity’s was dysfunctional. Vibe: Celebrity is chic and relaxing. People dress up much more at night on Celebrity. Royal has more energy and is super casual. Drinks Package: Royal’s is much more inclusive and worry-free. I had the Classic package on my Celebrity cruise and was nickel-and-dimed several times. Hope this helps!
I have been on several RCL Cruises and two Celebrity. I agree with most of what you said. However, I didn’t see a difference in the bartenders and I don’t use the casino, so no opinion there.
My wife and I are 25 year loyal to royal but after a short trip on Silhouette just like this video, we are now loyal to Celebrity. What a fabulous experience. Outstanding service and quality food. So relaxing and laid back. We are booked on 2 celebrity cruises in the near future. Can’t wait.
Thomas Guertz, that is a remarkable period of loyalty to one cruise-line! Which tier of the loyalty programme have you reached? Did you get matching status with Celebrity? How the benefits compare with those in the Royal Caribbean branded loyalty programme?
@@brentshuffler1234 Sorry for the misunderstanding. We always go back to Royal but have been on several other lines. Been cruising for 60 years Started at 5 y/o. We’re always looking for new experiences but Celebrity really impressed us.
@@brentshuffler1234 I was Royal Loyal before trying Celebrity. Yes, there is matching loyalty up to Diamond equivalent. And yes, Celebrity is more chic, relaxed, better food, and service. Oasis class has amazing shows and lots of areas and activities to choose from, to include just relaxing.
Your parents were on a long cruise, so the older crowd is normal, but on a 7 day cruise there is a nice mix of families and seniors. The difference I've found on Celebrity is that the kids on Celebrity are mindful of their surroundings and are well behaved, as opposed to Royal, where kids sometimes run amuck without parental control. I'm Diamond on Royal, so I speak from experience. Celebrity is now our go to line.
This was a super helpful video. My husband and I are well-past our rock climbing and surfing days and just want a quiet sundeck where we can get peacefully tipsy on mimosas all morning, lol.
Living in Texas, the majority of our cruises have been on Royal out of Galveston during the shoulder seasons. As the port continues to develop and grow, I have my fingers crossed that Celebrity will begin sailing out of Galveston. While we've always enjoyed our western Caribbean cruises, we would love to see some cruises that offer different ports/itineraries of longer durations. Because of the itinerary, we have a 10-night Carnival cruise booked out of Galveston in 2024 that will not only cruise to the typical western Caribbean ports, but also to Costa Rica, Panama, Cartagena, Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao.
My wife and I had our last "alone" cruise before the kids on the Silhouette, both 32 at the time. By far our best cruise and we weren't the youngest couple on the ship. The Silhouette is a beautiful ship, the art work is amazing, food was above par for cruise food, the crew was the best we've ever had. The passengers on board were kind and friendly, no one was in a rush. It was a relaxing, laid back, now worries cruise. I would recommend to anyone, go on a Celebrity Cruise. There were a lot less kids then RCL or Carnival. We spent our on last day in the adult only pool area, my wife and I still reminisce about it to this day.
Celebrity is a solid cruise line through and through. Having sailed on Carnival, Royal, and Princess many times, I always come back to Celebrity. Enjoy. .
I’ve sailed w Celebrity a few times & I’ll tell everyone: RCL can’t hold a candle to Celebrity when it comes to food! I usually lose 5 lbs on a one week RCL sailing. No kidding. I’d rather gain 5 lbs!!!
As I said in another reply; it just depends on what kind of vibe you want on your cruise. But yes, the food we had on our Celebrity Equinox cruise in 2018 was amazing. Crew service was beyond expectations, and we can't wait for our 2024 Celebrity Beyond cruise. Here in June, we will be on the RCCL Adventure of the Seas for 7 nights, and are just as excited as this will be our first time on Royal Caribbean.
We love Celebrity for all of the reasons mentioned in the video! We also find it cheaper to cruise Celebrity over Royal when you factor in the drink package, Wi-Fi and tips.
As a single, 43 year old man, I am now more likely to choose Celebrity over Royal when the cost difference is reasonable. Great video showing cruise lines are more different than one is better or worse.
We have done 4 cruises with Celebrity ranging from 7 to 12 days since 2015. We have another scheduled in a year. We have only done 1 RCI cruise with another coming up in 6 months. HAL PCL and NCL have been the other lines we have sailed with 2 each. Celebrity by far has been the best experience for us and will remain loyal to the brand.
Mercy Rodriguez, that is an enviable frequency of cruises! Are you retired? Also curious to know whether you started with one cruise-line, gained Diamond status or equivalent, and the got status-matching on the other cruise-line? Sounds like Pinnacle status is either a fait accompli for you all or you are very close?
I'm in the opposite situation. I've never sailed on any line aside from Celebrity. so I'm looking forward to my first Royal sailing (on Mariner) in July.
I was just on Mariner in 10-23 and loved it. I've been on many cruise lines. Just the right size with plenty to do. Oh and by the way it was refurbished in 17 or 18 and then not used for 2 years. Coof19. But it is or just was in 3-23 dry docked in Spain for another refresh. Research it. Enjoy.
I have just returned from a celebrity beyond cruise. Everything was fantastic, the staff the food, entertainment and the staterooms were a very good size. This was my first cruise with celebrity, it certainly won’t be my last. 👍🤗
You're gonna love the ascent. Shows are wonderful. The food is great. Staterooms beautiful. Service impeccable. No nickle and dime tricks. Shows are in theater also in eden and they are plentiful. Don't miss any of them. Take a nap if you have to, lol
We just went on the Celebrity Apex. We are very loyal Royal Caribbean cruisers and are going on the Wonder next month. I had not been on Celebrity since 2015. My experience at that time was that the ship was boring, entertainment was not that good and the food/service was not that good. We had a whole different experience on the Apex. The food, entertainment, activities were all really good. We missed some shows in the smaller venues because there were not enough seats even though we got there early. I stood for one show and didn't want to stand in front of anyone. I do miss the wow factor of the entertainment on a RC oasis class ship and there is more to do. We loved our cabin on the Apex (infinite balcony). I would like to go on the Beyond next. For us this is in an addition to our Royal cruises and not instead of. Fun fact: When we were in ST Kitts, the wonder of the seas was docked across from us.
I am going on the reflection April 2024 to ABC islands and will be my first celebrity cruise. I also have only done royal Caribbean cruises so I am anxious to see the difference. Me and my wife are in our early 60’s so less kids sounds very nice. Our last cruise with Royal there were so many kids it got really crazy.
Hi, Matt! I like the comparisons of the sister brands: RCL and Celebrity. RCL owns Azamara and Silver Seas Luxury Cruises. Now is the time to take us on those adventures if you can! As an experienced cruiser, I still enjoy and learn from your RCL blogs.😀
Carol, RC sold off Azamara. We sailed on the Azamara Journey for our 25th Anniversary, many years ago. It was a 10-day Greek Islands cruise out of Venice, Italy. Definitely a luxury experience.
I recommend Disney Cruise too! I’ve gone on many (and sorta outgrown them) but they are a lot of fun and VERY clean! They gave us sanitizing wipes before every dinner!
My wife and I went on the Celebrity Silhouette. We loved it. Great food, great service, great staff, friendly and helpful. Cafe Al Baccio is gerat and the cuppucinos and lattes are included if you get the drink package. The desserts there are always free and included. Entertainment was amazing.
I sailed on my first celebrity cruise last month….and i would have to say it was one of the best! The celebrity equinox was a wonderful experience….. i have sailed on carnival, royal Caribbean, & MSC……. Of all of them…..carnival was my first…..and i probably cant compare it because it was a 4 night cruise, while the others were 6+ nights….. also, it was a while ago……on the Mardi Gras…..which was an older ship in the late 80s….i will say it was kept up quite well….but even though i was in my late 20s…..i found the crowd just a bit too young for me! Royal has always been to my liking……. MSC surprised me with their international flavor & crowd…..but celebrity…..got my heart ♥️! I was told the crowd would be much older…. But i found it to be a chill experience which i enjoy! There were so many people to meet and greet…….i had fun with new adventures…..and the food was excellent……it was probably one of the best buffets i have seen…. To be honest, i preferred the buffet over the main dining rooms…..there were just so many choices…. This was a pleasant surprise……i will be sailing on the “beyond” next month…..i can’t wait!!!
Just got off RC’s Symphony of the Seas and have been on multiple cruises on both lines. We are looking at the Silhouette for a cruise next year. I was worried that maybe the entertainment wouldn’t stack up with the Symphony but this video has calmed my fears. The Silhoette is now the leader out of the gate for next years cruising adventure. Thank you!
It doesn’t take much for any ship to outshine RCL. It’s April 2023 & I have two RCL cruises booked this month. On the 17th, I have a 4 night MIA-NAS & on the 30th, I have a 15 nt cruise to Rome. You’d think I must love RCL, right? Well, I once did. There have been so many cut backs & short cuts made on this once lovely cruise line, that it’s losing many of it’s loyal passengers. Since January, I’ve had 3 7 nt RCL cruises & each time, I’ve lamented all the changes. I have one more this October, a 14 nt from Barcelona. After that, I’m changing my allegiances to possibly Viking or Celebrity. RCL might be sorry but the quality is no longer there.
My wife and I were able to experience both a short and a longer Celebrity cruise in 2014 when we cruised back to back a 5 day Caribbean cruise, followed by an Atlantic cruise, back to Europe. The short one was a real party trip, many young passengers and a lot of partying. The demographic on the Atlantic crossing was much older and the atmosphere on bord was much calmer. More like an elders house ;-) But we loved it all!
Celebrity is very nice. I went on a 7 day cruise and it was fabulous. Very pretty ship Reflection was comfortable and well laid out. Beautiful art and decor on the ship. The food was good and service excellent, great entertainment. I have also cruised on Royal Carribean Mariner, Symphony, Sovereign, Majesty and Monarch which were all spectacular ships. The service and food were great. The ships were fun and decor was nice. Lots of activity appropriate for any age group. Celebrity and Royal Carribean ships were both nice. I would cruise on either one anytime I can book and go.
The solarium is an adults only area, that's why there's plenty of sitting. People with kids or the ones that like loud music by the pool, don't like being there.
Having been on many lines I was just on Mariner and loved it. Booked 2 more Royal. Alaska in June and ironically enough the same ship in October on Radisson. I will already know the ship's layout and wonder if the same crew will be on it. Moved up to a suite this time. Keep booking. Let's go...
Going on a Celebrity cruise for the first time in July so this video helps in setting some expectation. After I booked, I notice there isn’t any water slide, wall climbing, bumper car, etc on this cruise so I hope we won’t feel too bored. Look forward to the amazing food that I have been hearing about.
@@anaguerraa509 My honest opinion is that this ship is not as great as I thought. It is not bad but it is just under my expectation. I guess I am those who is still looking for “activities” like the bumper car, iFly, etc. The Celebrity Eclipse just don‘t have any of that. As for the food, I think Royal Carribean just had better options overall. I started to feel bored with the breakfast buffet after several days. I think I will go back to RC on my next cruise.
We’ve sailed Celebrity three times when our kids were babies. As our kids got older we divided to try RC so Our last two cruises were on the Royal Caribian Allure and Oasis. The food on Oasis and Allure was atrocious compared to any of our Celebrity cruises. The Oasis last June was so crazy packed that it was a job within itself just trying to watch out for each of our kids going in all different directions. From the chaos at the pool to the subpar food we said no more so we booked Celebrity Ascent for. February vacation. Our kids are 11 and 9 and I’m sure they’ll have a blast.
@@sharondalynnewton7562 If you are worried on going on royal Caribbean then if u have a family with kids under the age of 18 all is good but if ur kids are older or u don't have kids then ye be worried cos u will be in a world of children
FIRST I'd like to say both offer a wonderful cruise experience. Celebrity offers stellar service and knows how to cater to people with perfect etiquette . When we cruised many years ago on the millimeum ship the crew treated my 8 yr old and 11 year old like prince and princess. They called my son master john and always acknowledged them by name. They know how to make people feel like royalty for a week, lol. Rcl also had great service the large ships are more kid friendly, like oasis sip and allure if the seas have lots to do for kids to enjoy and young adults also.i love both ❤️
Always have an extremely positive experience sailing on Celebrity. So far have sailed on Millennium twice, Equinox (Aqua Class) once, and now Reflection (Aqua Class) for the first time, departing on 01/06/2024.
Went on the Celebrity Millennium in 2003 and never went back. It was a great cruise; good food and amazing staff. I won't go back because after 63 cruises it was there that I discovered "cruise snobs". I met more people who "would NEVER sail on *insert supposedly inferior line here*. Seven days of "we're better than them" was enough for me.
Would love to see more comparisons between a Royal Caribbean cruise vs "X". As someone who's only cruised Royal, I like to know what else is out there especially from a Royal perspective. Thanks you!
The review and comparison was spot-on! As a cruiser of both RCCL and Celebrity, and having no kids, we prefer Celebrity. We are on Silhouette for 14 days coming up in November. RCCL offers free drinks to it's club members, Celebrity does not...just sayin'. Due to the newer, more "exciting" ships, RCCL is still appealing. We like going on BOTH!
My wife and I went on Equinox twice without the kids and loved it. When we go on cruises with the kids, we do Royal, last one one Oasis and we're looking forward to going back.!!!
We have been on Royal Carribean with family (young adults) and found it good for activities. When we travel by ourselves, we much prefer Celebrity. We love the food, the service and the overall ambiance. However, our first cruise on the new class is this summer. We have 6 cruises booked over the next 2 years with 5 being Celebrity. 1 Royal Carribean because Celebrity does not d0 the coast of Norway all the way to the Artic Circle.
While it's less common to have younger people on Celebrity, break time cruises will attract families. I've done 2 Celebrity cruises. 1 to Mexico when I was 15 and we had a pretty big teen group. Next was a 12 day Mediterranean when I was 24. We had a big young adult group. Definitely not as many as Royal (8 of my cruises have been on Royal) but still a fair amount. Gotta love the reciprocal status too!
I love big ships. D+ on RCCL. Did 1 celebrity years ago. Liked how they matched our status. I would need try a larger ship to compare. Notice celebrity has better ports .
My hubby and I's 5th cruise is with Celebrity. That's in 20 days, can't wait! We're not drinkers and partygoers, so we stay away from Carnival and I think Celebrity is the right one for us based on this review :) Royal Caribbean is also great, sailed with it once so far, but certainly not the last. We've been to Costa twice, entertainment is great but food is so-so. As for Aida, it's the opposite. Great food but entertainment was so-so.
Our favorite and we have the Ascent booked for Jan 2024. At the end of this month we're going on Mardi Gras which will be our first Carnival in over 10 years. I want to try that class ship and love going out of Port Canaveral. We are ready for the different vibe and experience and will have a good time on both.
The reason there was more kids and younger couples on your cruise is due to being spring break and a shorter cruise. Just like Royal, the shorter the cruise, the younger the crowd will be. Longer cruises will be an older crowd
Went on Celebrity Equinox in mid-august and it was amazing! The food and the service seemed better than what I've come to expect from RC. Would definitely recommend Celebrity Cruise
This was my 1st Celebrity cruise as well. OceanView cafe: Loved it!!! However I was underwhelmed with my MDR experience. Overall the Celebrity vibe was a good fit for me.
My wife and I sailed Celebrity Equinox (Capt Kate) in March of 2019 for our 25th wedding anniversary! We enjoyed the food, upscale vibe and the "ice" bar alot! The ship felt like an older crowd (we were 53 & 45 in 2019) to us for sure! The bars all seemed to close by 11pm and there was not a lot to do afterwards... We also didn't get the glass blowing event as we gave it a visual attempt to understand this desire.
Great video. As someone who doesn’t have kids and has only cruised with Royal Caribbean and Norwegian, I’m really in a cruise that caters to my demographic. Will definitely look into Celebrity
You will enjoy Celebrity! Love it! We have sailed on 50+ cruises on 7 different lines. Celebrity is the best. Don’t want to sail on 6000 passenger ships.
My wife and I are NCL loyal but so far we have traveled on their smaller ships. This November will be our first time on their newer larger ships. After watching this video I feel the next time we travel it will be with Celebrity.
I was a little worried by one of Matt's reviews. He said the food is better on Celebrity, but the live music and entertainment is better on Royal. He must have been comparing Oasis class which is understandable. Thank you for showing us the live music and entertainment is good on the Silhouette. We are thinking about giving Celebrity a try. Loyal to Royal.
Hi Matt! Thanks for everything you do. I tend to appreciate Celebrity a bit more because I'm mobility impaired, so all the extras i can't do anyway. The food is better on Celebrity. It doesn't help that i recently had a horrible experience on vision of the seas, but that is an anomaly for anytime I've been on Royal. My Best cruise was on symphony but i enjoyed my time on Explorer and others. I will be going on Wonder of the seas for the first time in October. Is there a must do?
I like both and usually prefer Celebrity up to the Edge ships. I disappointed by the Edge ships. For RCCL, it's the liveliness and on some ships, an incredible variety of venues for things to do. For Celebrity, it is the relatively laid back experience and tbh, I like lounges and nightlife and some deck time. You're right, longer cruises have older people. Sometimes Celebrity's crowds are in the mostly 40s up age range but there are families on some sailings.
We were on the Celebrity Millenium in February 2023 (Eastern Caribbean) and on the Liberty of the Seas (Western Caribbean in May 2022. On Celebrity, on our cruise, there were 21 people under age 21, period but that could be expected as we never cruise during busy periods. While there were more on RCL, it never seemed overwhelming. As for entertainment, neither was really very good. On the Celebrity, the entertainment was pretty good BUT the lights and sound in the main theatre were old and dated. On RCL, teh movie screen was not working when we were on the ship. There were no Broadway style shows as the staff was NOT on board; the cruise director patched some shows together with what people he had on board and a couple entertainers they flew in. The major difference, in my opinion, was the level of service on Celebrity that I have not seem on another cruise ship. The staff made sure that you got what you wanted. RCL was a lot less polished and experienced. I am waiting to find another cheap Celebrity cruise as we had a blast.
Thank you for this! I’ve never been on Royal but as a solo cruiser I don’t know if I’ll ever get to try Royal as they’re actually now turning solo passengers away from booking or charging more than 100% solo supplements. But Celebrity does have some better deals for solos now and again and I think this will be more affordable for me to try as a solo. I am guessing the people you met probably didn’t sail Royal with their family due to price as they’ve just gotten a bit too pricey.
How did you get the impression that Royal was turning away single guests? I hope it wasn’t a phone rep because that’s absolutely not true (I mean, they don’t have those awesome single cabins and single-supplement discounts like other cruises 😢) but you definitely can sail Royal if you’re willing to pay the double occupancy fare. I’m no Royal fan girl, but if you like Royal I just wanted to make sure you knew there’s no policy or even scheme to discourage single guests. You’re a profitable proposition for them - pay full price by eat half the food? Yes, please.
IMO celebrity was great, we were on Silhouette also and Mariner of the Seas. No comparison celebrating was better than anything on RCL...Food Entertainment, ship layout, casino etc..
Just returned from a Carnival 4 day, weekday sailing. Never again. Too many kids, too loud everywhere, plus our cabin flooded. Believe this line caters to party people and families.
Thank you Matt and thank you Allie! I l believe I read about this on the blog, so it's nice to see it fleshed out in a video. My girlfriend and I are new to Royal as of 2022. So far we have sailed on Freedom, Harmony, Navigator and soon on Ovation to Alaska. We've had our eyes on Celebrity so this video was very helpful. Our Ovation sailing is coming up May 11th 2023 and we are excited. It will be our first Quantum class ship and visit to Alaska. I looked into a sailing on Celebrity, but unfortunately the arrival times to Juneau and Skagway were much later than Ovation, and it seemed like less time would be spent. That was the deal breaker for us. I'm curious as to why that is the case? Anyway, thanks again for this!
I have to say there is a lot for kids to do. The kids club and X club have got so much to do during the day and can open from 7:00am - 2am as they do sleep overs, gaming nights, games all day.
So happy to hear that there were fun activities for the kids. We are sailing on Celebrity Silhouette next June with family, including 4 grandchildren who have never cruised - ages 10, 12, 13 and 15. Hope they enjoy cruising as much as we do.
Love Oasis Class and love Edge and the Equinox. We will continue to cruise both…and dabble in others. We just disembarked the Silver Origin, unfortunately my wife loved it too. 😂. We will try Carnival this fall.
would really love it if Celebrity and Royal cruise points helped on status. For example, I went on a Celebrity 7 day last summer...and right now I am 7 points away from Diamond Status on Royal....kicking myself for jumping over to try it. Our plan is after we hit Diamond to jump back over to Celebrity and try to achieve the next tier their before coming back to Royal.
The question I have is- did the experience really make the extra cost worth it? You paid what we would try to pay for a JS on a Royal ship, and got a guarantee inside- that's a pretty steep increase in cost for that. I just have a tough time to add 50% more to my cruise like that (I looked up what seems to be comparative cruises).
@@katiereed8361 Yes- just did a quick search, and found many cruises for 3 and 4 night where a JS is less than $800. Let alone for a ocean view or balcony- which is better than an inside cabin.
I think it all comes down to what kind of vibe you are looking for on a cruise. Royal Caribbean and Carnival are priced and designed for families with abundant activities for children. Celebrity does not have all of that, as Allie pointed out in her video, and I can attest to having sailed on one of their ships. We are sailing on RCCL Adventure of the Seas here in June with our graduating high school senior, because there will be more things for him to do onboard. But in April of 2024, we will be on Celebrity Beyond for a more relaxed and quieter vibe. It can also come down to staff to passenger ratio. RCCL averages 2.63 guests per crew member (3:1), Celebrity averages 2.2 guests per crew member (2:1). It's all preference. Do you want that excitement and energy vibe, or that quieter, more relaxed atmosphere? Our 11-night celebrity for 2 is double what our 7-night RCCL is for 4, but with the perks of the suite we booked, we feel its worth it. We are excited for both cruises. We look forward to experiencing our first RCCL and sharing our comparison. I understand money is a huge factor in all this. That is why we only cruise once a year, or once every two years. We book early and pay for that luxury experience.
We did one Med Celebrity cruise and enjoyed the port heavy voyage. But have been loyal to royal and don’t know if we want to work so hard to raise our level on Celebrity. Wish Royal would do some kind of allowance to raise your level based on your status on Royal.
Haven't been on Celebrity yet but I have two booked in the next 18 months. Feel a bit guilty because my next three cruises are booked and none are on Royal! Excited to see the difference, neither was cheap though but that was largely due to the length and itinerary. The cabin looked nice on this video and the food looked great.
I think Spring Break probably really skewed the Demographics. I did Ruby Princess last spring break and the demographics were very similar to a RCL cruise. But people I talked to on a B2B2B had said the week before there had been just a handful of kids.
We prefer Celebrity if it is just my husband and I. Royal is great for families - especially multi-gen. But there is no comparison to the food and the overall experience on Celebrity.
Our grandkids - ages 10, 12, 13 and 15 - are foodies. We booked Celebrity because they are well travelled and are adventurous eaters. They will eat all kinds of seafood, including sushi and escargots. Also steak tartare. Hope they enjoy their first cruise and the activities and meeting kids from all over. We are sailing out of Bayonne on June 22, so we are expecting quite a few kids.
I went on this exact cruise with my teen daughter. It was spring break, so there are expected to be more kids than during non-vacation times. My daughter and I had the best time. My daughter actually picked the ship. She did not want water slides, bumper cars et. She wanted to chill. This was only our 2nd cruise. Our first one was a crowded short cruise with Carnival that in my daughter's words felt a little trashy. Lots of drunk people and screaming kids. Since that day Carnival is off the table for us. After coming home from the Celebrity cruise I already booked another Celebrity cruise just for just my husband and me. After this wonderful experience on the Silhouette, I have become a little picky. I would love to try Royal Caribbean, but I am worried the ships are too big and too loud, and not as nice. Is there a ship on Royal that compares to the Silhouette in size and quality?
I think the Voyager class ships of RCL compare to Silhouette. Research Mariner, Navigator and Adventure of the Seas. The size (tons) is similar, and the number of passengers is about 3,000. Mariner recently refurbished (2023).
Matt has great article on RoyalCaribbeanBlog: “Royal Caribbean ship classes ultimate guide “. Within the article, he has links to ship’s Guide & Review.
My wife and I sailed on the Celebrity Apex earlier this year, and I can say that the buffet on the Apex was THE best buffet I've ever had. Not to say that the buffets I've had on RCL were bad...not at all, but Celebrity was head and shoulders the best. Both in terms of variety as well as quality.
The age demographic is most certainly dependent on the length of the cruise and the time of year. Anything over 7 days will almost automatically have an older demographic. Spring Break and holidays will also be quite a bit younger in general.
I would never guess that Celebrity is better than RC, It seems that CC is a low budget option for those who could not afford RC. Anycase i will always do prefeer RC =)
My problem with RCL: all in $US dollars. Very expensive drinks packages, horrid 18% gratuities (if no package) and very expensive shore excursions. The food was decent. The constant upselling of anything and everything extra gets annoying.
We just tried our first Celebrity cruise last month, and here is our opinion on how they compare with an Oasis-class Royal Caribbean ship:
- Staff: Far more courteous on Celebrity. Almost everyone smiled and greeted us every time we passed by them. The staff on Celebrity made our experience top notch, and they’re the number 1 reason we’d try Celebrity again.
- Clientele: On average, upper-scale people on Celebrity and more social. I found it easy to meet people and get into good conversations, more so than on Royal.
- Kids: Yes, they’re on Celebrity, but we found them to be better behaved overall than on Royal.
- Cabins: More spacious on Celebrity.
- Buffet: Noticeably better quality on Celebrity. So good in fact, we had dinner at the buffet twice.
- Main Dining: Royal’s food quality and service in the MDR is FAR better than Celebrity’s, which was very surprising. My theory is that Celebrity is pushing people to book the specialty restaurants.
Specialty Dining: Excellent on both cruise lines. Food and service were both exceptional.
Bars: Celebrity has some courteous bar tenders, but Royal has more knowledgeable ones who will make a drink strong without you asking for it.
Entertainment: You can’t beat Royal on an Oasis-class ship.
Casino: Royal’s staff is more hospitable here, but I enjoy that the casino is non-smoking on Celebrity.
Wifi: Royal’s was far better. Celebrity’s was dysfunctional.
Vibe: Celebrity is chic and relaxing. People dress up much more at night on Celebrity. Royal has more energy and is super casual.
Drinks Package: Royal’s is much more inclusive and worry-free. I had the Classic package on my Celebrity cruise and was nickel-and-dimed several times.
Hope this helps!
Great review!!! Thanks for all the details!!
I have been on several RCL Cruises and two Celebrity. I agree with most of what you said. However, I didn’t see a difference in the bartenders and I don’t use the casino, so no opinion there.
This was awesome!
Did you like classic drinks package on celebrity? We can drink coktails like caipirinha anda pina colada?
My wife and I are 25 year loyal to royal but after a short trip on Silhouette just like this video, we are now loyal to Celebrity. What a fabulous experience. Outstanding service and quality food. So relaxing and laid back. We are booked on 2 celebrity cruises in the near future. Can’t wait.
Thomas Guertz, that is a remarkable period of loyalty to one cruise-line! Which tier of the loyalty programme have you reached? Did you get matching status with Celebrity? How the benefits compare with those in the Royal Caribbean branded loyalty programme?
@@brentshuffler1234 Sorry for the misunderstanding. We always go back to Royal but have been on several other lines. Been cruising for 60 years Started at 5 y/o. We’re always looking for new experiences but Celebrity really impressed us.
@@brentshuffler1234 I was Royal Loyal before trying Celebrity. Yes, there is matching loyalty up to Diamond equivalent. And yes, Celebrity is more chic, relaxed, better food, and service. Oasis class has amazing shows and lots of areas and activities to choose from, to include just relaxing.
Did they transfer your Crown & Anchor status?
@@HanhNS Yes
Your parents were on a long cruise, so the older crowd is normal, but on a 7 day cruise there is a nice mix of families and seniors. The difference I've found on Celebrity is that the kids on Celebrity are mindful of their surroundings and are well behaved, as opposed to Royal, where kids sometimes run amuck without parental control. I'm Diamond on Royal, so I speak from experience. Celebrity is now our go to line.
This was a super helpful video. My husband and I are well-past our rock climbing and surfing days and just want a quiet sundeck where we can get peacefully tipsy on mimosas all morning, lol.
Living in Texas, the majority of our cruises have been on Royal out of Galveston during the shoulder seasons. As the port continues to develop and grow, I have my fingers crossed that Celebrity will begin sailing out of Galveston. While we've always enjoyed our western Caribbean cruises, we would love to see some cruises that offer different ports/itineraries of longer durations. Because of the itinerary, we have a 10-night Carnival cruise booked out of Galveston in 2024 that will not only cruise to the typical western Caribbean ports, but also to Costa Rica, Panama, Cartagena, Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao.
My wife and I had our last "alone" cruise before the kids on the Silhouette, both 32 at the time. By far our best cruise and we weren't the youngest couple on the ship. The Silhouette is a beautiful ship, the art work is amazing, food was above par for cruise food, the crew was the best we've ever had. The passengers on board were kind and friendly, no one was in a rush. It was a relaxing, laid back, now worries cruise. I would recommend to anyone, go on a Celebrity Cruise. There were a lot less kids then RCL or Carnival. We spent our on last day in the adult only pool area, my wife and I still reminisce about it to this day.
Celebrity is a solid cruise line through and through. Having sailed on Carnival, Royal, and Princess many times, I always come back to Celebrity. Enjoy.
.
IMHO, Celebrity has better food, better crew. We aren't into rock climbing or roller coasters anyhow!
Exactly, us too.......
And less Children
I’ve sailed w Celebrity a few times & I’ll tell everyone: RCL can’t hold a candle to Celebrity when it comes to food! I usually lose 5 lbs on a one week RCL sailing. No kidding. I’d rather gain 5 lbs!!!
As I said in another reply; it just depends on what kind of vibe you want on your cruise. But yes, the food we had on our Celebrity Equinox cruise in 2018 was amazing. Crew service was beyond expectations, and we can't wait for our 2024 Celebrity Beyond cruise. Here in June, we will be on the RCCL Adventure of the Seas for 7 nights, and are just as excited as this will be our first time on Royal Caribbean.
英雄所見略同，我的看法和你一致🌟
另，客人層次也不一樣😊
We love Celebrity for all of the reasons mentioned in the video! We also find it cheaper to cruise Celebrity over Royal when you factor in the drink package, Wi-Fi and tips.
As a single, 43 year old man, I am now more likely to choose Celebrity over Royal when the cost difference is reasonable. Great video showing cruise lines are more different than one is better or worse.
We have done 4 cruises with Celebrity ranging from 7 to 12 days since 2015. We have another scheduled in a year. We have only done 1 RCI cruise with another coming up in 6 months. HAL PCL and NCL have been the other lines we have sailed with 2 each. Celebrity by far has been the best experience for us and will remain loyal to the brand.
We love Celebrity, out of the 8 to 9 cruises we do a year, we do half on Royal and half on Celebrity!
Mercy Rodriguez, that is an enviable frequency of cruises! Are you retired? Also curious to know whether you started with one cruise-line, gained Diamond status or equivalent, and the got status-matching on the other cruise-line? Sounds like Pinnacle status is either a fait accompli for you all or you are very close?
@@brentshuffler1234 we are retired, we started in 1986, we have tried them all, at the end Celebrity and Royal won
This sounds amazing and right up my alley at this point in my life
I'm in the opposite situation. I've never sailed on any line aside from Celebrity. so I'm looking forward to my first Royal sailing (on Mariner) in July.
I was just on Mariner in 10-23 and loved it. I've been on many cruise lines. Just the right size with plenty to do. Oh and by the way it was refurbished in 17 or 18 and then not used for 2 years. Coof19. But it is or just was in 3-23 dry docked in Spain for another refresh. Research it. Enjoy.
I love Royal and Celebrity.
I have just returned from a celebrity beyond cruise. Everything was fantastic, the staff the food, entertainment and the staterooms were a very good size. This was my first cruise with celebrity, it certainly won’t be my last. 👍🤗
For just my wife and I, we mainly sail on Celebrity, but for family cruises (with Grand Kids), we sail on RCL.
After 20+ Carnival cruises we are going on our first RC on 4/22 and Celebrity Ascent November 2024. Can’t wait.
You're gonna love the ascent. Shows are wonderful. The food is great. Staterooms beautiful. Service impeccable. No nickle and dime tricks. Shows are in theater also in eden and they are plentiful. Don't miss any of them. Take a nap if you have to, lol
Trying our first Celebrity cruise in October. Looking forward to seeing the difference and how our experience lines up with this review.
PLEASE don't use the term "cheap"! You SHOULD use less expensive or lower cost. Cheap relates to poor quality.
We just went on the Celebrity Apex. We are very loyal Royal Caribbean cruisers and are going on the Wonder next month. I had not been on Celebrity since 2015. My experience at that time was that the ship was boring, entertainment was not that good and the food/service was not that good. We had a whole different experience on the Apex. The food, entertainment, activities were all really good. We missed some shows in the smaller venues because there were not enough seats even though we got there early. I stood for one show and didn't want to stand in front of anyone. I do miss the wow factor of the entertainment on a RC oasis class ship and there is more to do. We loved our cabin on the Apex (infinite balcony). I would like to go on the Beyond next. For us this is in an addition to our Royal cruises and not instead of. Fun fact: When we were in ST Kitts, the wonder of the seas was docked across from us.
I am going on the reflection April 2024 to ABC islands and will be my first celebrity cruise. I also have only done royal Caribbean cruises so I am anxious to see the difference. Me and my wife are in our early 60’s so less kids sounds very nice. Our last cruise with Royal there were so many kids it got really crazy.
Hi, Matt! I like the comparisons of the sister brands: RCL and Celebrity. RCL owns Azamara and Silver Seas Luxury Cruises. Now is the time to take us on those adventures if you can! As an experienced cruiser, I still enjoy and learn from your RCL blogs.😀
Carol, RC sold off Azamara. We sailed on the Azamara Journey for our 25th Anniversary, many years ago. It was a 10-day Greek Islands cruise out of Venice, Italy. Definitely a luxury experience.
@@MB-uy5kh Thanks for the info!
I recommend Disney Cruise too! I’ve gone on many (and sorta outgrown them) but they are a lot of fun and VERY clean! They gave us sanitizing wipes before every dinner!
I thank your husband for his service to our country.
Thank you, Joe!!
My wife and I went on the Celebrity Silhouette. We loved it. Great food, great service, great staff, friendly and helpful. Cafe Al Baccio is gerat and the cuppucinos and lattes are included if you get the drink package. The desserts there are always free and included. Entertainment was amazing.
Great comparison by Allie,she did a amazing job 😊
I think so too!
I sailed on my first celebrity cruise last month….and i would have to say it was one of the best! The celebrity equinox was a wonderful experience….. i have sailed on carnival, royal Caribbean, & MSC……. Of all of them…..carnival was my first…..and i probably cant compare it because it was a 4 night cruise, while the others were 6+ nights….. also, it was a while ago……on the Mardi Gras…..which was an older ship in the late 80s….i will say it was kept up quite well….but even though i was in my late 20s…..i found the crowd just a bit too young for me! Royal has always been to my liking……. MSC surprised me with their international flavor & crowd…..but celebrity…..got my heart ♥️! I was told the crowd would be much older…. But i found it to be a chill experience which i enjoy! There were so many people to meet and greet…….i had fun with new adventures…..and the food was excellent……it was probably one of the best buffets i have seen…. To be honest, i preferred the buffet over the main dining rooms…..there were just so many choices…. This was a pleasant surprise……i will be sailing on the “beyond” next month…..i can’t wait!!!
Just got off RC’s Symphony of the Seas and have been on multiple cruises on both lines. We are looking at the Silhouette for a cruise next year. I was worried that maybe the entertainment wouldn’t stack up with the Symphony but this video has calmed my fears. The Silhoette is now the leader out of the gate for next years cruising adventure. Thank you!
It doesn’t take much for any ship to outshine RCL. It’s April 2023 & I have two RCL cruises booked this month. On the 17th, I have a 4 night MIA-NAS & on the 30th, I have a 15 nt cruise to Rome. You’d think I must love RCL, right? Well, I once did. There have been so many cut backs & short cuts made on this once lovely cruise line, that it’s losing many of it’s loyal passengers. Since January, I’ve had 3 7 nt RCL cruises & each time, I’ve lamented all the changes. I have one more this October, a 14 nt from Barcelona. After that, I’m changing my allegiances to possibly Viking or Celebrity. RCL might be sorry but the quality is no longer there.
My wife and I were able to experience both a short and a longer Celebrity cruise in 2014 when we cruised back to back a 5 day Caribbean cruise, followed by an Atlantic cruise, back to Europe. The short one was a real party trip, many young passengers and a lot of partying. The demographic on the Atlantic crossing was much older and the atmosphere on bord was much calmer. More like an elders house ;-) But we loved it all!
Celebrity is very nice. I went on a 7 day cruise and it was fabulous. Very pretty ship Reflection was comfortable and well laid out. Beautiful art and decor on the ship. The food was good and service excellent, great entertainment. I have also cruised on Royal Carribean Mariner, Symphony, Sovereign, Majesty and Monarch which were all spectacular ships. The service and food were great. The ships were fun and decor was nice. Lots of activity appropriate for any age group. Celebrity and Royal Carribean ships were both nice. I would cruise on either one anytime I can book and go.
The solarium is an adults only area, that's why there's plenty of sitting. People with kids or the ones that like loud music by the pool, don't like being there.
I look forward to sailing on Celebrity one day. I wish we could book Celebrity while on RC. Thanks for your review! 😊
Having been on many lines I was just on Mariner and loved it. Booked 2 more Royal. Alaska in June and ironically enough the same ship in October on Radisson. I will already know the ship's layout and wonder if the same crew will be on it. Moved up to a suite this time.
Keep booking. Let's go...
Radiance?
@@jackiebyers3424 Yes
Going on a Celebrity cruise for the first time in July so this video helps in setting some expectation. After I booked, I notice there isn’t any water slide, wall climbing, bumper car, etc on this cruise so I hope we won’t feel too bored. Look forward to the amazing food that I have been hearing about.
How was iiiiiitttt
@@anaguerraa509 My honest opinion is that this ship is not as great as I thought. It is not bad but it is just under my expectation. I guess I am those who is still looking for “activities” like the bumper car, iFly, etc. The Celebrity Eclipse just don‘t have any of that. As for the food, I think Royal Carribean just had better options overall. I started to feel bored with the breakfast buffet after several days. I think I will go back to RC on my next cruise.
We’ve sailed Celebrity three times when our kids were babies. As our kids got older we divided to try RC so Our last two cruises were on the Royal Caribian Allure and Oasis. The food on Oasis and Allure was atrocious compared to any of our Celebrity cruises. The Oasis last June was so crazy packed that it was a job within itself just trying to watch out for each of our kids going in all different directions. From the chaos at the pool to the subpar food we said no more so we booked Celebrity Ascent for. February vacation. Our kids are 11 and 9 and I’m sure they’ll have a blast.
Oh my goodness the food was “atrocious” that says a lot! I just booked star of the seas for 2025. Should I be worried??
@@sharondalynnewton7562 I've read it has improved. And it's not always great on Celebrity either.
@@sharondalynnewton7562 where was the food atrocious which ship?
@@sharondalynnewton7562 If you are worried on going on royal Caribbean then if u have a family with kids under the age of 18 all is good but if ur kids are older or u don't have kids then ye be worried cos u will be in a world of children
FIRST I'd like to say both offer a wonderful cruise experience. Celebrity offers stellar service and knows how to cater to people with perfect etiquette . When we cruised many years ago on the millimeum ship the crew treated my 8 yr old and 11 year old like prince and princess. They called my son master john and always acknowledged them by name. They know how to make people feel like royalty for a week, lol. Rcl also had great service the large ships are more kid friendly, like oasis sip and allure if the seas have lots to do for kids to enjoy and young adults also.i love both ❤️
Always have an extremely positive experience sailing on Celebrity. So far have sailed on Millennium twice, Equinox (Aqua Class) once, and now Reflection (Aqua Class) for the first time, departing on 01/06/2024.
Went on the Celebrity Millennium in 2003 and never went back. It was a great cruise; good food and amazing staff. I won't go back because after 63 cruises it was there that I discovered "cruise snobs". I met more people who "would NEVER sail on *insert supposedly inferior line here*. Seven days of "we're better than them" was enough for me.
Would love to see more comparisons between a Royal Caribbean cruise vs "X". As someone who's only cruised Royal, I like to know what else is out there especially from a Royal perspective. Thanks you!
The review and comparison was spot-on! As a cruiser of both RCCL and Celebrity, and having no kids, we prefer Celebrity. We are on Silhouette for 14 days coming up in November. RCCL offers free drinks to it's club members, Celebrity does not...just sayin'. Due to the newer, more "exciting" ships, RCCL is still appealing. We like going on BOTH!
My wife and I went on Equinox twice without the kids and loved it. When we go on cruises with the kids, we do Royal, last one one Oasis and we're looking forward to going back.!!!
Definitely hands down Royal Caribbean all day!! ❤ I will always pick Royal Caribbean
We have been on Royal Carribean with family (young adults) and found it good for activities. When we travel by ourselves, we much prefer Celebrity. We love the food, the service and the overall ambiance. However, our first cruise on the new class is this summer. We have 6 cruises booked over the next 2 years with 5 being Celebrity. 1 Royal Carribean because Celebrity does not d0 the coast of Norway all the way to the Artic Circle.
Great info, I’m emerald with RCL been thinking about doing a Celebrity cruise 👍🏾
While it's less common to have younger people on Celebrity, break time cruises will attract families. I've done 2 Celebrity cruises. 1 to Mexico when I was 15 and we had a pretty big teen group. Next was a 12 day Mediterranean when I was 24. We had a big young adult group. Definitely not as many as Royal (8 of my cruises have been on Royal) but still a fair amount.
Gotta love the reciprocal status too!
When is Matt going to try a Celebrity cruise? This has to happen!
Would be surprised since Matt frequently talks about his children, hints they are not yet in high school.
That squeeze at 1:04 lol
haha!
I love big ships. D+ on RCCL. Did 1 celebrity years ago. Liked how they matched our status. I would need try a larger ship to compare. Notice celebrity has better ports .
Yum that drink you “clinked” together looked good. What was it ?
My hubby and I's 5th cruise is with Celebrity. That's in 20 days, can't wait! We're not drinkers and partygoers, so we stay away from Carnival and I think Celebrity is the right one for us based on this review :) Royal Caribbean is also great, sailed with it once so far, but certainly not the last. We've been to Costa twice, entertainment is great but food is so-so. As for Aida, it's the opposite. Great food but entertainment was so-so.
Our favorite and we have the Ascent booked for Jan 2024. At the end of this month we're going on Mardi Gras which will be our first Carnival in over 10 years. I want to try that class ship and love going out of Port Canaveral. We are ready for the different vibe and experience and will have a good time on both.
We're doing our first Celebrity cruise in February on the Apex. Had a great cruise on the Allure OTS last February, it will be fun to compare😂
Great to hear. Trying celebrity to Alaska this yr.
The reason there was more kids and younger couples on your cruise is due to being spring break and a shorter cruise. Just like Royal, the shorter the cruise, the younger the crowd will be. Longer cruises will be an older crowd
Went on Celebrity Equinox in mid-august and it was amazing! The food and the service seemed better than what I've come to expect from RC. Would definitely recommend Celebrity Cruise
This was my 1st Celebrity cruise as well.
OceanView cafe: Loved it!!! However I was underwhelmed with my MDR experience.
Overall the Celebrity vibe was a good fit for me.
After watching I may give them a try. I’m loyal to Royal ❤
My wife and I sailed Celebrity Equinox (Capt Kate) in March of 2019 for our 25th wedding anniversary! We enjoyed the food, upscale vibe and the "ice" bar alot! The ship felt like an older crowd (we were 53 & 45 in 2019) to us for sure! The bars all seemed to close by 11pm and there was not a lot to do afterwards... We also didn't get the glass blowing event as we gave it a visual attempt to understand this desire.
Great video. As someone who doesn’t have kids and has only cruised with Royal Caribbean and Norwegian, I’m really in a cruise that caters to my demographic. Will definitely look into Celebrity
You will enjoy Celebrity! Love it! We have sailed on 50+ cruises on 7 different lines. Celebrity is the best. Don’t want to sail on 6000 passenger ships.
My wife and I are NCL loyal but so far we have traveled on their smaller ships. This November will be our first time on their newer larger ships. After watching this video I feel the next time we travel it will be with Celebrity.
I was a little worried by one of Matt's reviews. He said the food is better on Celebrity, but the live music and entertainment is better on Royal. He must have been comparing Oasis class which is understandable. Thank you for showing us the live music and entertainment is good on the Silhouette. We are thinking about giving Celebrity a try. Loyal to Royal.
Are ships on Celebrity less crowded in general than Royal ships?
I feel like the parents’ cruise had old people because of the sailing. Most young people would not desire to do the Panama Canal cruise.
Hi Matt! Thanks for everything you do. I tend to appreciate Celebrity a bit more because I'm mobility impaired, so all the extras i can't do anyway. The food is better on Celebrity. It doesn't help that i recently had a horrible experience on vision of the seas, but that is an anomaly for anytime I've been on Royal. My Best cruise was on symphony but i enjoyed my time on Explorer and others. I will be going on Wonder of the seas for the first time in October. Is there a must do?
I like both and usually prefer Celebrity up to the Edge ships. I disappointed by the Edge ships. For RCCL, it's the liveliness and on some ships, an incredible variety of venues for things to do. For Celebrity, it is the relatively laid back experience and tbh, I like lounges and nightlife and some deck time. You're right, longer cruises have older people. Sometimes Celebrity's crowds are in the mostly 40s up age range but there are families on some sailings.
Interesting pointers
We were on the Celebrity Millenium in February 2023 (Eastern Caribbean) and on the Liberty of the Seas (Western Caribbean in May 2022. On Celebrity, on our cruise, there were 21 people under age 21, period but that could be expected as we never cruise during busy periods. While there were more on RCL, it never seemed overwhelming. As for entertainment, neither was really very good. On the Celebrity, the entertainment was pretty good BUT the lights and sound in the main theatre were old and dated. On RCL, teh movie screen was not working when we were on the ship. There were no Broadway style shows as the staff was NOT on board; the cruise director patched some shows together with what people he had on board and a couple entertainers they flew in. The major difference, in my opinion, was the level of service on Celebrity that I have not seem on another cruise ship. The staff made sure that you got what you wanted. RCL was a lot less polished and experienced.
I am waiting to find another cheap Celebrity cruise as we had a blast.
1:03 watch the guy cop a feel lol
He really went for it. Hard to believe that got past editing. LOL!. Excellent work, my friend.
the last celebrity cruise we went on, the whole crew were grumpy for the first 2 days. i'd try the line again though.
Thank you for this! I’ve never been on Royal but as a solo cruiser I don’t know if I’ll ever get to try Royal as they’re actually now turning solo passengers away from booking or charging more than 100% solo supplements. But Celebrity does have some better deals for solos now and again and I think this will be more affordable for me to try as a solo. I am guessing the people you met probably didn’t sail Royal with their family due to price as they’ve just gotten a bit too pricey.
How did you get the impression that Royal was turning away single guests? I hope it wasn’t a phone rep because that’s absolutely not true (I mean, they don’t have those awesome single cabins and single-supplement discounts like other cruises 😢) but you definitely can sail Royal if you’re willing to pay the double occupancy fare. I’m no Royal fan girl, but if you like Royal I just wanted to make sure you knew there’s no policy or even scheme to discourage single guests. You’re a profitable proposition for them - pay full price by eat half the food? Yes, please.
@@jahbern the weekend cruiser talked about it on his channel as well as i experienced it while booking myself online
IMO celebrity was great, we were on Silhouette also and Mariner of the Seas. No comparison celebrating was better than anything on RCL...Food Entertainment, ship layout, casino etc..
Just returned from a Carnival 4 day, weekday sailing. Never again. Too many kids, too loud everywhere, plus our cabin flooded. Believe this line caters to party people and families.
I think I will check this out. Do you know if your status carries over from Rc to Celebrity?
Yes, 9t does
I have always looked at Celebrity for my wife and I and RCCL is for my whole family.
Will royal Caribbean give us credit on crown and anchor if we sail celebrity
Thank you Matt and thank you Allie! I l believe I read about this on the blog, so it's nice to see it fleshed out in a video. My girlfriend and I are new to Royal as of 2022. So far we have sailed on Freedom, Harmony, Navigator and soon on Ovation to Alaska. We've had our eyes on Celebrity so this video was very helpful.
Our Ovation sailing is coming up May 11th 2023 and we are excited. It will be our first Quantum class ship and visit to Alaska. I looked into a sailing on Celebrity, but unfortunately the arrival times to Juneau and Skagway were much later than Ovation, and it seemed like less time would be spent. That was the deal breaker for us. I'm curious as to why that is the case? Anyway, thanks again for this!
I have to say there is a lot for kids to do. The kids club and X club have got so much to do during the day and can open from 7:00am - 2am as they do sleep overs, gaming nights, games all day.
So happy to hear that there were fun activities for the kids. We are sailing on Celebrity Silhouette next June with family, including 4 grandchildren who have never cruised - ages 10, 12, 13 and 15. Hope they enjoy cruising as much as we do.
Love Oasis Class and love Edge and the Equinox. We will continue to cruise both…and dabble in others. We just disembarked the Silver Origin, unfortunately my wife loved it too. 😂. We will try Carnival this fall.
Ditto, except I have no desire to cruise on Carnival, not my vibe.
would really love it if Celebrity and Royal cruise points helped on status. For example, I went on a Celebrity 7 day last summer...and right now I am 7 points away from Diamond Status on Royal....kicking myself for jumping over to try it. Our plan is after we hit Diamond to jump back over to Celebrity and try to achieve the next tier their before coming back to Royal.
The first day is alot to take in for first tme cruisers. We still feel outta place for certain shows on the ships. We r starting to feel old. Haha
The question I have is- did the experience really make the extra cost worth it? You paid what we would try to pay for a JS on a Royal ship, and got a guarantee inside- that's a pretty steep increase in cost for that. I just have a tough time to add 50% more to my cruise like that (I looked up what seems to be comparative cruises).
You can get a junior suite for $800?
@@katiereed8361 Yes- just did a quick search, and found many cruises for 3 and 4 night where a JS is less than $800. Let alone for a ocean view or balcony- which is better than an inside cabin.
Good to know, thank you
I think it all comes down to what kind of vibe you are looking for on a cruise. Royal Caribbean and Carnival are priced and designed for families with abundant activities for children. Celebrity does not have all of that, as Allie pointed out in her video, and I can attest to having sailed on one of their ships. We are sailing on RCCL Adventure of the Seas here in June with our graduating high school senior, because there will be more things for him to do onboard. But in April of 2024, we will be on Celebrity Beyond for a more relaxed and quieter vibe.
It can also come down to staff to passenger ratio. RCCL averages 2.63 guests per crew member (3:1), Celebrity averages 2.2 guests per crew member (2:1).
It's all preference. Do you want that excitement and energy vibe, or that quieter, more relaxed atmosphere? Our 11-night celebrity for 2 is double what our 7-night RCCL is for 4, but with the perks of the suite we booked, we feel its worth it. We are excited for both cruises. We look forward to experiencing our first RCCL and sharing our comparison.
I understand money is a huge factor in all this. That is why we only cruise once a year, or once every two years. We book early and pay for that luxury experience.
Great review ⭐️
Much appreciated
Matt-why doesn’t Celebrity sail any of her ships out of Port Canaveral?
They have a smaller fleet than Royal, and I'm guessing the South Florida cruise market is more lucrative
I wish they would also! Its the biggest “con” for me. I can get to Port Canaveral in an hour, but driving to FLL is a very long drive.
Did you video the places early in the Morning? I don't see much people
We did one Med Celebrity cruise and enjoyed the port heavy voyage. But have been loyal to royal and don’t know if we want to work so hard to raise our level on Celebrity. Wish Royal would do some kind of allowance to raise your level based on your status on Royal.
Get to Diamond on RCCL and then get Celebrity to match your status.
Haven't been on Celebrity yet but I have two booked in the next 18 months. Feel a bit guilty because my next three cruises are booked and none are on Royal! Excited to see the difference, neither was cheap though but that was largely due to the length and itinerary. The cabin looked nice on this video and the food looked great.
RCL or Crlebrity the money goes in the same deep pockets, anyways, i love cruising and have done Alaska back to back on Radiance! 🥰❤️👍
I think Spring Break probably really skewed the Demographics. I did Ruby Princess last spring break and the demographics were very similar to a RCL cruise. But people I talked to on a B2B2B had said the week before there had been just a handful of kids.
We prefer Celebrity if it is just my husband and I. Royal is great for families - especially multi-gen. But there is no comparison to the food and the overall experience on Celebrity.
Our grandkids - ages 10, 12, 13 and 15 - are foodies. We booked Celebrity because they are well travelled and are adventurous eaters. They will eat all
kinds of seafood, including sushi and escargots. Also steak tartare. Hope they enjoy their first cruise and the activities and meeting kids from all over. We are sailing out of Bayonne on June 22, so we are expecting quite a few kids.
Great video. Thank you
Love Celebrity.
Do you receive Crown and Anchor points for days on Celebrity since they're owned by the same corporation?
no.
I went on this exact cruise with my teen daughter. It was spring break, so there are expected to be more kids than during non-vacation times. My daughter and I had the best time. My daughter actually picked the ship. She did not want water slides, bumper cars et. She wanted to chill. This was only our 2nd cruise. Our first one was a crowded short cruise with Carnival that in my daughter's words felt a little trashy. Lots of drunk people and screaming kids. Since that day Carnival is off the table for us. After coming home from the Celebrity cruise I already booked another Celebrity cruise just for just my husband and me. After this wonderful experience on the Silhouette, I have become a little picky. I would love to try Royal Caribbean, but I am worried the ships are too big and too loud, and not as nice. Is there a ship on Royal that compares to the Silhouette in size and quality?
I think the Voyager class ships of RCL compare to Silhouette. Research Mariner, Navigator and Adventure of the Seas. The size (tons) is similar, and the number of passengers is about 3,000. Mariner recently refurbished (2023).
Matt has great article on RoyalCaribbeanBlog: “Royal Caribbean ship classes ultimate guide “. Within the article, he has links to ship’s Guide & Review.
@@jackiebyers3424 that's very helpful! Thanks for the information. I will check them out.
@@jackiebyers3424 thank you so much! I will check it out.
How are the buffets and dining on the Celebrity cruise?
My wife and I sailed on the Celebrity Apex earlier this year, and I can say that the buffet on the Apex was THE best buffet I've ever had. Not to say that the buffets I've had on RCL were bad...not at all, but Celebrity was head and shoulders the best. Both in terms of variety as well as quality.
@@rogeredwards3563 does Celebrity has the themed buffet night (Caribbean, Mexican, etc.) like how RCL has?
The age demographic is most certainly dependent on the length of the cruise and the time of year. Anything over 7 days will almost automatically have an older demographic. Spring Break and holidays will also be quite a bit younger in general.
Wish they would sail out of Galveston. We don't want to fly to get to a cruise-adds so much to the cost and so much hassle.
I would never guess that Celebrity is better than RC, It seems that CC is a low budget option for those who could not afford RC. Anycase i will always do prefeer RC =)
My problem with RCL: all in $US dollars. Very expensive drinks packages, horrid 18% gratuities (if no package) and very expensive shore excursions. The food was decent. The constant upselling of anything and everything extra gets annoying.