Finally bit the bullet and booked on Celebrity.

[ruadisneyfan2]

Dh has been wanting to try something different and land vacations are so ridiculously overpriced these days. His instructions were to "find something that's a good deal".
The 5-nt cruise on the Dream was around $3500 (before OBB discount). We booked 5-nts on Celebrity Summit and got an Aqua Class Verandah that includes gratuities, wifi and their basic drink package for $2550 with $100 OBC. This is one aspect that I'm not complaining about. This is like getting flights and airport parking for free.

The last time we tried another cruise line was in 2009 with RCCL. We only ended up missing DCL more. Maybe dh just needs a little reminder of that feeling. Maybe there will be a lot of things we love about Celebrity.
Dh is happy that on sea days they offer a tour of the ship that includes an engineering tour and bridge tour (also galley & laundry). Of course, for a fee. DCL should make this a perk for Pearl members. He's also happy that they have a fairly large TV mounted on the wall opposite the bed.
Even with booking less than one month in advance, I was able to get an 11:00am PAT.

At least I still have our 14-nt WBPC in October to look forward to.
I'm looking forward to relaxing in the sun but hoping I don't see the Magic or Dream while in port.

 

[auntlynne]

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I will let you know. My TA says a lot of DCL families eventually switch to Celebrity as their kids get older. She said service and amenities are on par.

 

[Boopuff]

We just cruised Celebrity. Our first cruise. As much as I’d love to cruise DCL, the cost is so much more! We loved everything about our cruise (concierge class was fabulous) have fun!

 

[Marc D]

We are a Celebrity family that switched to DCL when our son was born. As he got older, we went back to Celebrity with him for a 14-nights Baltic and an Alaska cruise last summer, both in suites. Suites in Celebrity come with free alcoholic drinks, free dining in the room, a butler, priority everything, a private upscale restaurant and the rooms are massive. Their Concierge service puts DCL’s Concierge service to shame. Even then, the cost per day was the same or under a non-Concierge family verandah room on DCL. The cost comparison with regular rooms is not even worth mentioning.

On other forums, some are reporting that the food quality on Celebrity has taken a turn for the worst since the fall. Before that, including last summer in Alaska, we found that their offerings in the buffet was way above Cabanas and that the MDR was about the same as DCL. The suites restaurant Luminae is better than Palo by a mile in terms of variety and quality.

The kids amenities exist on Celebrity but our son never wanted to go after we did the open house. Before turning 11, when they get more liberty, they impose very restrictive rules, plus activities require to sign up and sometimes have a cost associated with them. We didn’t expect him to use the service so it wasn’t a problem for us. The evening shows feature very talented performers but they are using generic cruise-type material. The excursions are mostly the same as DCL, but they do not offer the specific family-oriented excursions that DCL sets up.

 

[holula]

My parents enjoy DCL (I’m the big Disney fan!) but they also really enjoyed Celebrity. They said the food was really excellent, so if you like food you’re in luck! (However that was pre COVID.)

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

My parents enjoy DCL (I’m the big Disney fan!) but they also really enjoyed Celebrity. They said the food was really excellent, so if you like food you’re in luck! (However that was pre COVID.)

When my mom was still alive, my parents would sail with us on DCL in the fall during a week that our kids had 3 days off school, but then take a 14-nt Celebrity cruise in Feb or March without us.
They loved both. They reached gold level with DCL but now my dad won't cruise without her.

I don't want to be a stick in the mud and act like I can't change or try new things, but DCL is so familiar and such an easy trip to plan. While onboard, it has a special vibe that is hard to describe that I just wasn't feeling on the 2 times we tried RCCL.

 

[tvguy]

Loved Celebrity on our October 2019 cruise. Only complaint, the hard sell on Celebrity to sign up for extra cost dining. Disney, in my experience, is the only line where they have a wait list for extra cost dining. On HAL our server said HAL over estimated demand for extra cost dining, and under estimated demand for MDR.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Loved Celebrity on our October 2019 cruise. Only complaint, the hard sell on Celebrity to sign up for extra cost dining. Disney, in my experience, is the only line where they have a wait list for extra cost dining. On HAL our server said HAL over estimated demand for extra cost dining, and under estimated demand for MDR.

This is the the kind of thing that, if repetitive, really irks dh. To him, we’ve paid for an all-inclusive vacation, knowing there are options to spend more if we choose. What we didn’t ask for is a constant pushy sales staff everywhere or the feeling of being nickel and dimed repeatedly.

At first we were wanting to book Concierge Class, not Aqua, and without the drink/wifi/tips package. We dont drink a lot of soda and only a few drinks with alcohol per cruise, so we felt the package would cost more OOP than pay-as-you-go. We hemmed and hawed and dh griped he would be annoyed to pay every time he wanted a few sips of tea. We are just not accustomed to doing that on dcl.
When that sold out and our only option was the more expensive Aqua class with package, we figured we better book something soon or end up with a full ship and just staying home.
His job is super busy right now and he feels like he really needs a vacation. These dates worked perfectly between when I need to be available for my dad so we didnt have a lot of other cruises that we could choose.

 

[hrhdhd]

I took 5 Celebrity cruises in the last 14 months and never had a hard sell on specialty dining. Frankly, people are having a hard time getting specialty reservations these days.

Also, tea bags are available 24/7 in the Oceanview Cafe. You don't have to pay for it.

 

[tvguy]

I took 5 Celebrity cruises in the last 14 months and never had a hard sell on specialty dining. Frankly, people are having a hard time getting specialty reservations these days.

Also, tea bags are available 24/7 in the Oceanview Cafe. You don't have to pay for it.

Then you have more current information than me. We were on the Eclipse in October 2019. They had someone stationed outside every free dining venue asking people if they had signed up for Specialty Dining, and at lunch in the buffet they had staff going table to table asking the same. They even offered 50% off on the price. Otherwise, it was an amazing cruise.

 

[John VN]

Then you have more current information than me. We were on the Eclipse in October 2019. They had someone stationed outside every free dining venue asking people if they had signed up for Specialty Dining, and at lunch in the buffet they had staff going table to table asking the same. They even offered 50% off on the price. Otherwise, it was an amazing cruise.

I think 2019 could be considered Stone Age Cruising, chronologically speaking.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I think 2019 could be considered Stone Age Cruising, chronologically speaking.

BC nowadays means Before Covid.
For most people alive right now, we’ve never seen a 3 year span of life with this many changes in the world.
Maybe not the most changes in 3 years ever though. Our grandparents living through WW2 could give a good debate if they were alive now.

 

[RAD]

We've been on two Celebrity cruises last year and never had a hard sell for optional dining, but YMMV.

The Summit is one of their older ships but was last updated in 2019. It's also one that uses gas turbine engines for their main generators/propulsion so vibrations are very minimal if that type of thing bothers you.

You should find their service and food quality equal if not better than what you find on DCL, plus since you're in Aqua class you can eat your meals in Blu which is the restaurant that Aqua class is gets, in addition to the main dining room if you prefer the menu there on a certain night. If you like this cruise I recommend you give an Edge class ship a try, they've really stepped it up when they designed that class IMHO.

And if you haven't already sign up for their Captains Club, which is their version of the Castaway Club, https://www.celebritycruises.com/captains-club . Also make sure you sign up for Power Up points, it's a chance to earn points in CC by watching a web cast or answering a quiz https://www.celebritycruises.com/captains-club/tiers-and-benefits#power-up-points . They just had one on cruise in Europe, after you get your member number you can go to https://register.gotowebinar.com/re...pf=Y&emct=E&lnkid=REGISTER_CTA&rcid=103318056 and register for it and watch the video.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

Once I become Platinum (3 more cruises) and have done every ship (I haven't done the Wish) I will transition back to another cruise line...I love Disney but other cruises offer other things as well. Have an open mind!

 

[holula]

I don't want to be a stick in the mud and act like I can't change or try new things, but DCL is so familiar and such an easy trip to plan. While onboard, it has a special vibe that is hard to describe that I just wasn't feeling on the 2 times we tried RCCL.

That’s a bit how I feel about other lines. I liked Royal and NCL just fine and would take them for a good itinerary and I’d do Princess again for something like Alaska… but DCL makes me happy the second I walk on board. The others are just a cruise.

 

[soniam]

We did Celebrity Summit in a suite without our son in 2018 and loved it!!! We still do DCL, but this year is the last year he will be in the teen club. We are doing another Celebrity, again without him, this summer on Beyond. I think the service, amenities, and food are better than DCL; however, we were in a suite. I really liked the quality of the coffee and tea included with the premium drink package. Usually, the tea is swill, and I have to use my own. Cove Cafe does have good tea for a price. The buffet was way better than DCL. I remember a little bit of a push for dining on the first day in the buffer but nothing after that. We did do the premium dining and enjoyed it, not as much as Remy though. We might do some DCL after our son ages out/graduates high school for special cruises like the holiday ones, but I think we will probably do more Celebrity, river cruises, and I want to try Virgin.

 

[tvguy]

BC nowadays means Before Covid.
For most people alive right now, we’ve never seen a 3 year span of life with this many changes in the world.
Maybe not the most changes in 3 years ever though. Our grandparents living through WW2 could give a good debate if they were alive now.

LOL. Yup, back three years go when an in person muster drill was no big deal, not a war crime like today!

 

[tvguy]

I think 2019 could be considered Stone Age Cruising, chronologically speaking.

What does that make my 1980 cruise?

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

We chose the Summit because we like smaller ships. Even on DCL, if given the choice we’d choose the Magic first, then Wonder, before Dream or Fantasy. No real desire to sail the Wish.
I did notice that Celebrity’s ships that are similar in size to the Dream/Fantasy, have a capacity of several hundred fewer passengers. That is no accident. All passengers have a better experience with fewer crowds.
I feel like the Dream/Fantasy would be a much better experience if they removed all the cabins on one deck. As if they just didn’t build deck 6 and renumbered the rest.