This year I tried my first Celebrity cruise after over twenty Royal Caribbean cruises, and there were a few things I wish I knew before setting foot onboard.
It’s easy to stick to the status quo when it comes to cruising. Even still, I always aim to try something new on every cruise vacation, whether trying a new-to-me cruise line or simply booking a type of cabin I haven’t booked before.
Exploring something new, of course, comes with learning curves. So when I booked my first-ever Celebrity cruise this past summer—a 7-night Norwegian Fjords itinerary on Celebrity Silhouette—I expected to encounter a few growing pains.
I wasn’t sure what to expect with the cruise line’s atmosphere, dining experience, and onboard activities, but I was excited to see what Celebrity Cruises was all about.
After my week onboard, these are the seven things I wish I knew before I set foot on a Celebrity ship.
Loyalty perks are plentiful, but be sure to read the fine print
Before I set foot on a Celebrity cruise, I made sure to match my loyalty status with Royal Caribbean to Celebrity Cruises. The two lines offer a status matching program, and my Diamond Plus status with Royal Caribbean meant I qualified for Elite Plus, the second highest tier in Celebrity’s Captain’s Club program.
As an Elite Plus member, I received excellent perks during my Celebrity cruise, including free drinks during the ship’s daily happy hour, access to exclusive events, and discounts on extras like specialty dining and wifi packages.
Even with these lucrative perks, I wish I knew to read the fine print of each loyalty benefit. The happy hour, for instance, only offers a very limited menu of beverages, and not every bar onboard participates in the daily event.
Related: Celebrity Cruises' Captain's Club loyalty program info, tips & secrets
In addition, while I could receive two complimentary bags of laundry with my status, I didn’t realize the benefit’s stringent limitations. As I was about to send a bag of dirty clothes to the ship’s laundry services on the fifth day of my cruise, I realized the benefit had expired—it was not offered within three days of disembarkation.
If I knew to read the fine print, I would have had a better idea of the ins and outs of each loyalty benefit.
I wish I knew not to wait until the end of the cruise to try new venues
Like most of today’s modern cruise ships, Celebrity Silhouette boasts numerous bars, lounges, entertainment venues, and onboard activities to keep passengers busy during their time onboard.
Throughout my weeklong cruise, however, I found myself sticking to the same venues, whether catching a game at Craft Social—Celebrity Cruises’ sports bar—or enjoying a gorgeous view of Norway from the Sunset Bar.
It wasn’t until the final night of my cruise that I came across the Ensemble Lounge, a low-key, cozy bar offering live music and an elegant cocktail menu.
The Ensemble Lounge was far less busy than venues like the Martini Bar and Café al Bacio, and I was impressed by the performance from the instrumentalist and vocalist.
Related: Celebrity Cruises Drink Package Info, Tips, Pros & Cons
Almost immediately, I regretted not finding the lounge sooner, and it made me wonder what else I missed out on by sticking to the same familiar lounges all week long.
On my next Celebrity cruise, I’ll be sure to check out more venues around the ship at the start of the cruise rather than the end.
I wish I knew the price was comparable to Royal Caribbean
Celebrity Cruises is a premium cruise line, which is generally considered a step above mass market lines like Carnival and Royal Caribbean.
Knowing this, I expected cruise fares on Celebrity ships to be moderately higher than those on Royal Caribbean. As someone who often cruises on a budget, I wrote Celebrity off as “too expensive” for my travel style.
Related: How much does a cruise cost?
As it turns out, my preconceived notions about Celebrity Cruises’ pricing was completely wrong. I began planning my European cruise, and I was surprised to see Celebrity’s pricing comparable to Royal Caribbean’s.
When I first booked the cruise, I paid just $1,830 for two guests in an interior cabin, which was comparable to the $1,858 I spent on a Royal Caribbean cruise to Europe two years prior. Although I ended up adding a third guest to the cabin and upgrading to a balcony, I was still impressed with Celebrity’s pricing.
I only wish I knew to check Celebrity Cruises’ prices for previous cruise vacations instead of assuming the premium line would be out of my budget.
I wish I knew about all of the live cooking stations at the buffet
One regret from my Celebrity cruise is that I didn’t know about all of the diverse cooking stations at Oceanview Cafe, the cruise line’s signature buffet.
Buffets are a staple on any cruise ship, but Celebrity’s buffet is particularly impressive, offering a wide selection of made-to-order cooking stations. Everything from a panini station to custom pastas and charred-to-order crème brûlées were available on Celebrity Silhouette.
Prior to embarking the ship, I didn’t realize the breadth of stations that would be available. I unknowingly overlooked these stations during my first few buffet meals, and it was only later in the cruise that I realized just how many choices were offered.
Next time, I’ll know to try all of the various stations to better customize my dining experience.
I wish I knew to try more restaurants
Speaking of dining, one of my regrets from my Celebrity cruise was not trying one of the cruise line’s specialty restaurants.
Like most cruise ships, Celebrity Silhouette offers a mix of restaurants that are included in guests’ cruise fares and those that come with an extra charge.
I often treat myself to specialty dining meals when cruising, but I decided against it on my first Celebrity sailing. Having already spent a hefty chunk of change flying to Europe and booking three nights in Amsterdam, I wanted to save money by sticking to included dining venues.
I stuck to this money-saving plan during my week onboard, but I occasionally found myself regretting my choice. It wasn’t until I got onboard that I realized the variety of specialty dining available, from technology-focused meals at Le Petit Chef to outdoor dining at The Porch.
Related: 5 savvy ways I saved money on my first Celebrity cruise
Prior to my cruise, I wish I knew I might want to try these dining options. If I had, I would have budgeted for a few specialty meals or purchased a dining package ahead of time.
I wish I knew there was limited storage in the cabin
I had few complaints about the spacious balcony cabin I booked for my Celebrity Silhouette cruise. Despite the cabin’s slight obstructed view, it was a comfortable place to rest and unwind during my week onboard.
Nonetheless, there was one aspect of my cabin I didn’t love—the storage space.
Related: 30 cruise cabin hacks that cruisers love
Although older cruise cabins tend to lack features like storage and ample electrical outlets, cabins on ships built after 2010 usually boast more modern features. Celebrity Silhouette was built in 2012, so I assumed there would be adequate storage space in the cabin.
Unfortunately, I was disappointed with the storage space available. While there were three drawers in the cabin’s dresser, the only other storage space—aside from the closet—were two shelves above the bed. I found these shelves too high for easy access.
Sharing the cabin with two relatives, it was difficult to keep our belongings separated and organized. Looking back, I wish I had brought easy-to-pack items like a hanging shoe organizer and magnetic hooks to keep the cabin less cluttered during the week.
Finally, I wish I knew to arrive at activities earlier
Having cruised with Royal Caribbean so many times, I’ve become accustomed to the cruise line’s regularly scheduled programming. Whether the Quest adult game show, Harry Potter trivia, or live guitar music at the pub, most Royal Caribbean cruises offer similar activities.
While onboard my first Celebrity cruise, though, I was pleased to see new-to-me activities when browsing the Cruise Planner. I was intrigued by activities like the Musical Murder Mystery game show and Olympic curling, and I couldn’t wait to try them out.
Yet if I had known beforehand, I would have arrived at onboard activities significantly earlier than I did. When I tried to attend the watercolor painting class, for example, I was turned away due to the activity reaching maximum capacity.
On my next Celebrity cruise, I’ll make it a point to show up to activities at least twenty minutes before they are set to begin.
