I am comparing a 9 night Celebrity cruise on the Millennium with a 7 night Royal cruise on the Serenade of the Seas. I have been on one Royal Caribbean cruise and I thought it was amazing!! I would like to the 9 night with Celebrity but dont know if it will be as good as Royal! Has anyone been on both Celebrity and Royal who can compare them? Or has anyone been on Celebrity who can tell me about it?
YES!!! I have cruised both cruise lines. I just cruised on the Millennium for a 14 day Australia/New Zealand cruise in February 2009. The ship is great and we loved it. It was our second Celebrity cruise; previously on the Millennium’s twin sister, the Constellation.
When we cruised on the Constellation (14 day Baltic cruise) a couple years ago our first reaction is Celebrity IS a cut above Royal Caribbean. The service from the cabin steward and wait staff and everyone else was just a cut above RC. The crew was friendlier and more attentive. We liked the Constellation just a little better than the Millennium but the ships are just about identical. We are Diamond members of RC’s Crown and Anchor Society (frequent cruiser club) but we have already booked another Celebrity cruise for next year.
I have not cruised on the Serenade (that’s one of the Radiance Class that I want to go on), but we have been on three (3) of its sister ships, the Jewel, Brilliance and Radiance of the Seas. So I know very well the layout of the Serenade. It is one of my favorite of RC’s ship classes. We have also booked another cruise on the Brilliance for this year. So we’ll see the ship again soon.
The one big difference I noticed about Celebrity vs RC is Celebrity is a bit more reserved and quieter. RC has all of those great on-board activities that attract younger and more active passengers. Or maybe it was because both of our celebrity cruises were 14 days and not in the Caribbean where most younger cruisers like to go.
But you don’t have to worry about it not being as good on Celebrity; it will likely be better.
December 28th, 2009 at 11:20 am
Celebrity is more elegant and luxurious, but I love Royal Caribbean as well. I don’t think you’ll go wrong with either of them.
I read that the Millennium was chosen as number 2 in the Top 10 Large Ships category and number 2 Food/Dining by Conde Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards. It seems to be a very nice ship.
Here are more details on it: http://www.gofox.com/cruises/shipInfo.php?infoId=25
Have you checked out the Virtual Tour of the Millenium?
http://www.celebritycruises.com/multimedia/shipVirtualTour.do;jsessionid=0000JDQRYWt0b86QMQW9×4fnyaW:12hdbcveb?shipCode=ML
I would suggest talking with travel agent, as they might be able to take what you’re interested in and match it to the best cruise line. Either way, I wouldn’t book your cruise online. I can give you the name of my travel agent if you’re interested. Have Fun!
References :
http://www.gofox.com
http://www.celebritycruises.com
December 28th, 2009 at 11:48 am
uh , i’ve never been on celebrity .. but i’ve been on a bunch of royal & never ever did they let me down .
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December 28th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
YES!!! I have cruised both cruise lines. I just cruised on the Millennium for a 14 day Australia/New Zealand cruise in February 2009. The ship is great and we loved it. It was our second Celebrity cruise; previously on the Millennium’s twin sister, the Constellation.
When we cruised on the Constellation (14 day Baltic cruise) a couple years ago our first reaction is Celebrity IS a cut above Royal Caribbean. The service from the cabin steward and wait staff and everyone else was just a cut above RC. The crew was friendlier and more attentive. We liked the Constellation just a little better than the Millennium but the ships are just about identical. We are Diamond members of RC’s Crown and Anchor Society (frequent cruiser club) but we have already booked another Celebrity cruise for next year.
I have not cruised on the Serenade (that’s one of the Radiance Class that I want to go on), but we have been on three (3) of its sister ships, the Jewel, Brilliance and Radiance of the Seas. So I know very well the layout of the Serenade. It is one of my favorite of RC’s ship classes. We have also booked another cruise on the Brilliance for this year. So we’ll see the ship again soon.
The one big difference I noticed about Celebrity vs RC is Celebrity is a bit more reserved and quieter. RC has all of those great on-board activities that attract younger and more active passengers. Or maybe it was because both of our celebrity cruises were 14 days and not in the Caribbean where most younger cruisers like to go.
But you don’t have to worry about it not being as good on Celebrity; it will likely be better.
References :
Cruised both cruise lines and ships.
December 28th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
Celebrity is a "premium" cruise line – better service, better food, nicer atmosphere, etc. However, if your Millennium cruise is departing from San Juan, that may affect the cruise experience. I would rather go with Celebrity [been on two, just not the Millie] than RCI [haven't been but family has and thought it was so-so].
You might want to check CruiseCritic.com. Click on "Reviews" and read the "Member Reviews" for opinions on both ships. You might also want to check "Boards", where you can find discussions on any and every topic related to cruising.
In general, a seven-night cruise will have a different demographic than a nine-night cruise and the departure port will also make a difference.
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December 28th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
They are quite similar as to quality. The biggest difference is the activity level is higher and the guests a little younger on Royal.
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