Celebrity vs. Royal Caribbean - any feedback?

It has been a while for either, but I think Celebrity is a cut above.

Since you're not getting much feed back here, why not post your question on cruisecritic.com

Jenbirds
We've never cruised Celebrity but we have just returned from a Panama Canal Cruise with Royal Caribbean. There were four of us and our friend has food allergies. The first night of our cruise our friend spoke with our waiter about his allergies. Each night at dinner our waiter would bring the next night's menu to him and the two of them would discuss what was on the menu that he could and could not have and he would actually order the next nights dinner at that time. Our meals were always very good.

Lots of great feedback and suggestions here. Thank you everyone!

We have sailed both. For quality and selection, Celebrity was best but I believe since RCCL owns Celebrity, you're good either way.

Done both. 2 Celebrity and 9 RCCL. Food on Celebrity is a notch better.

Hi,

We have cruised with Celebrity three times and it was perfect! I have a medical condition requiring me to have specific butter and milk. I contacted Celebrity beforehand and they had my special butter and milk available. They gave me a large supply for my cabin and also had it available during meals. They didn't even charge me extra.

Don't worry - you'll be in good hands.
Maureen

I've been on both, although not too recently. Had a great time on each, Celebrity did seem to have better food and was nicer and cleaner. The crew on RCCL was friendlier.

Been on both lines a number of times. Loved the Summit in every way. The itinerary was Southern Caribbean, 10 nights. Celebrity is renowned for its chef, and the service at table is special. We're back into Royal Caribbean after a few years away, and have noticed a change. Voyager class is outstanding. Little less sophisticated than Celebrity, but oh, a good time all the time can't be beat! We're doing our second trans-Atlantic with RC, on Navigator of the Seas this coming spring.

PS. On both lines you can specify dietary restrictions. Best to do it ahead of sailing. They love to please!

I think the difference between RCIs three brands (Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Azmara) is the type of passenger each caters to. All three are excellent- for the demographic they intend to attract. Thankfully, RCI has decided not to challenge Carnival's dominance in the Freshman Spring Break category.

Royal Caribbean builds bigger and bigger ships with more and more things for passengers who are looking for their ship to be a destination in itself. Which is good, because when the Oasis comes out at the end of the year (her sister ship, Allure, is due in 2010), she'll practically be an island unto herself. (Many of their older, smaller ships are transitioning to more exotic home ports, like Dubai, where the Azamara brand has existing relationships.) Service on board is "good" to "very good" across a vast array of facilities and on-board activities. But don't expect the polish of higher-end Celebrity.

Celebrity justly prides itself on its overall dining experience, but if your dietary needs include Kosher, be aware that the Torah emphasizes proper preparation, not necessarily successful outcome. (It was almost painful to watch a young Orthodox rabbi and his wife pretend to enjoy dinner on a cruise through the Baltic this summer.) Also, keep in mind that Celebrity's ships do not offer the dazzling range of on-board facilities available on Royal Caribbean. They offer a more limited number of activities, but do them extraordinarily well.

So answer for yourself: Would you prefer the opportunity to do a new activity every hour or have crew able to anticipate your every need? If neither of these matter, just pick your favorite itinerary.

Jenbirds:

I'll be going on the Celebrity Summit in 2010 to Bermuda. This will be my first time on a different cruiseline. I'm looking forward to it. I also like RCI too and I never been on that line. Well all I could say is make a list of what both ships have to offer or not offer and take it from there.