My first Celebrity cruise was only two years ago, and it quickly became my new favorite cruise line.
After more than two decades of sailing with Royal Caribbean, I finally decided it was time to branch out and experience something new. I was a longtime Royal Caribbean cruiser with my family growing up, and continued cruising with the brand throughout college and adulthood.
However, Celebrity Cruises had always been on my radar for their modern vessels and destination-heavy itineraries. My husband and I don’t have any children, so the adult-focused experience was particularly intriguing.
In April 2023, I set sail on a short four-night sailing on Celebrity Silhouette with my sister. The quick itinerary included visits to Key West, Florida and Nassau, Bahamas with one day at sea.
Celebrity Silhouette is a Solstice-class cruise ship launched in 2011. The ship measures about 1,047 feet and 122,400 gross tons, with capacity for nearly 2,900 guests. The vessel underwent a significant refurbishment under Celebrity’s fleetwide Celebrity Revolution program in 2020, which added modern upgrades and enhanced public spaces to the ship.
I learned quickly that Celebrity doesn’t necessarily try to be like Royal Caribbean, even though the two share a parent company. After one day onboard, the differences between Celebrity and Royal Caribbean were more obvious.
What surprised me most wasn’t one specific thing about the cruise, but rather an accumulation of small, thoughtful details across my four days on board. I loved having a fresh perspective and experiencing something new-to-me. After cruising with the same cruise line time and time again, you don’t always notice these smaller details.
From the ship’s overall atmosphere to the service style to the design philosophy, Celebrity felt like a new world that I never experienced.
Here’s what it was like sailing on Celebrity Cruises for the first time as a 30-year-old, including everything that left me surprised.
Celebrity doesn’t have onboard thrills, but leans into comfort and style
Celebrity’s fleet is vastly different from Royal Caribbean’s newest and biggest ships, including a lack of top-deck attractions or eye-catching thrills for families.
Because of this, you won’t find waterslides, FlowRider surf simulators, zip lines, skydiving simulators, or bumper cars. And honestly, the absence of all that creates a different vibe from the moment you step onboard a Celebrity cruise ship.
My sister and I agreed that Celebrity Silhouette felt more like a boutique hotel at sea than a cruise ship. We immediately noticed how the decor was warm and contemporary rather than bold or stuffy.
Public spaces were airy, elegant, and designed to feel upscale. Instead of running from activity to activity, I found myself enjoying the many lounges, sitting outside to savor the fresh air, or listening to live music in the atrium with a martini.
In this way, Celebrity’s cruise experience is centered on relaxation rather than wow-factor thrills and family-friendly fun. For travelers who want a ship that feels refined and luxurious, Celebrity could be a good fit for you.
The onboard vibe feels adult-focused, but it’s not a kid-free zone
Before this sailing, I’d heard repeatedly that Celebrity “doesn’t have many kids onboard.” While kids are welcome on board Celebrity’s cruise ships, the experience is very adult-centric.
I found this to be partially true, as the cruise line does cater to adults. However, during my spring break sailing, there were absolutely families on our sailing, including those with little kids and teens.
Even still, Celebrity’s onboard experience isn’t focused on kids, as the ambiance is very adult-focused. Without slides, arcades, and top-deck attractions, the ship simply doesn’t cater to the high-energy environment that defines some mainstream cruise lines.
As a result, even when kids are onboard, the overall experience is still fairly calm. And without much to do for kids, Celebrity naturally attracts an older demographic. Overall, I really enjoyed the relaxed, upscale environment during my Celebrity cruise.
The small, unexpected touches really elevated the experience
If I had to pick one of my favorite aspects of my Celebrity cruise, it would be the cruise line’s attention to detail. Throughout our sailing, there were subtle touches that I didn’t quite expect, but I immediately started to appreciate.
For instance, during our cruise, every lounger on the pool deck had a neatly rolled towel already placed. This eliminated the need for towel checkout stations like you’d find on Royal Caribbean. In addition, we returned from a hot port day to find chilled towels and fruit-infused water waiting at the gangway.
And at dinner in the main dining room, we were offered different butters and dips to try with our freshly made bread. It might seem insignificant, but I looked forward to this each evening!
Finally, in our stateroom, a fresh rose appeared on the coffee table one evening, followed by a complimentary tote bag another night. These aren’t make-or-break perks, but the small touches help curate a more premium experience onboard compared to Royal Caribbean.
Some aspects feel familiar if you’ve sailed Royal Caribbean
Because Royal Caribbean and Celebrity share a parent company, their technology ecosystems look nearly identical. The app, the online check-in, and the luggage tag process all felt so familiar that I barely had to think about it.
This was especially true with the muster drill. Just like Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises offers the digital muster process where you watch a safety video on your phone and then stop by your muster station to check in.
The digital muster drill is fast, simple, and much more enjoyable than the old-school routine where everyone had to stand on the promenade deck with their life jackets on! For someone transitioning from Royal Caribbean, I appreciated this familiarity, as it made the embarkation and check-in process feel seamless.
Loyalty perks transfer over, but it’s not one-for-one
One of the most pleasant surprises of the trip was how Celebrity honored my loyalty status from Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society. My Diamond Plus Royal Caribbean status translated into Elite Plus status with Celebrity, which made the sailing feel even more premium.
These Captain’s Club perks included:
- A nightly cocktail hour with a selection of complimentary drinks
- Discounted internet packages
- Complimentary specialty coffee
- Free laundry service
- A free scoop of gelato
- Priority check-in benefits
- One-day access to the thermal spa (during a port day)
- Complimentary specialty coffees
However, Celebrity’s loyalty perks don’t match exactly with Royal Caribbean’s.
For example, Elite members can enjoy complimentary drinks during happy hour each night, but the hours and drink menu are quite limited. I missed having my drink vouchers with Royal Caribbean, which can be used anywhere onboard each day of your cruise.
Even still, the reciprocal loyalty recognition adds significant value for those wanting to stay in the Royal Caribbean ecosystem. It’s nice to receive similar perks without completely starting over with a new loyalty system.
Wi-Fi was fast, but the higher price tag surprised me
Even though Celebrity uses the same satellite provider as Royal Caribbean (Starlink), the pricing onboard was noticeably higher.
On our sailing, the premium Wi-Fi package was $35 per day before Elite discounts. In comparison, Royal Caribbean charges closer to $25 per day for the same internet access.
The service itself was worked well, as it was stable enough for email, social media, and light browsing. However, the price jump felt disproportionate and without any reason. If you rely heavily on connectivity during your sailings, that difference can add up quickly on longer cruises.
The buffet at Oceanview Cafe was phenomenal
Celebrity’s onboard buffet, called Oceanview Cafe, ended up being one of the highlights of the cruise. The variety was excellent across all meals, including breakfast, lunch, and dinner. My sister and I were both impressed with the variety and quality of the food.
Compared to many mainstream cruise lines, we found there to be more options for international flavors. Moreover, the made-to-order stations were surprisingly impressive. One day for lunch I had a gyro that tasted like something from a specialty restaurant rather than a buffet!
Desserts were also beautifully displayed, with small pastries and cakes that looked more like a Parisian bakery than cafeteria. Don’t miss the cake day where a variety of expertly crafted cakes are served!
For cruisers who prefer dining at the buffet over sit-down restaurants, Oceanview Cafe is one of the best cruise buffets I’ve encountered.
Short sailings aren’t really Celebrity’s thing, and it shows in the crowd
Part of the reason this sailing felt unique is because Celebrity doesn’t offer as many four-night cruises. Sister-brand Royal Caribbean focuses more heavily on the short-cruise market, with plenty of sailings to their Perfect Day at CocoCay island.
If you’re wanting a party-focused Caribbean cruise, Royal Caribbean is usually the better option.
Instead, Celebrity’s diverse fleet is focused on longer, destination-driven itineraries to places like Alaska, Europe, South America, and Asia. Those itineraries naturally attract a different demographic with travelers who place more emphasis on itinerary than onboard thrills.
Because of this, even a short sailing still attracts an older clientele. The crowd during our cruise felt relaxed and more focused on enjoying the ship than chasing nonstop entertainment. The energy was noticeably more subdued compared to similar short sailings on other lines.
Even our basic inside cabin felt more spacious than I expected
For this cruise, we booked a guarantee inside cabin, and we anticipated the space would be quite small. In my experience, mainstream cruise lines have found plenty of ways to make cabins smaller to squeeze more people onto cruise ships.
To our surprise, Celebrity Silhouette’s interior cabin was very comfortable and spacious. Our room had a king-sized bed, a full-size sofa (a rare feature for inside cabins on many lines), and a well-designed bathroom with ample storage.
Even the lighting felt warmer and more inviting than I’ve experienced with other interior cabins!
The only drawback to our cabin was its location. Because we had a guarantee cabin, we ended up next to a crew-only access door.
Unfortunately, this meant we had to endure early-morning noise, which wasn’t ideal for sleeping. I ended up run down with a nasty cold because I slept terribly with all the noise. But aside from that, our interior cabin exceeded expectations for the lowest-priced category onboard.
Celebrity won’t blow your budget
Celebrity Cruises often refers to itself as having a modern, accessible approach to luxury, and I was never quite sure what this meant. After four nights aboard Celebrity Silhouette, I can totally understand what the cruise line means!
Celebrity’s brand feels more upscale, and the onboard experience reflects that. But the pricing, especially for Celebrity’s older ships, isn’t dramatically more expensive than mainstream cruise lines.
It’s apparent that Celebrity isn’t trying to be ultra-luxury. Instead, the cruise lines finds a sweet spot with elevated service, refined spaces, and thoughtful details. Moreover, you won’t have the intimidating formality or shockingly high price tag of luxury cruise lines.
If you want to feel more pampered without paying premium-luxury fares, Celebrity Cruises can be an ideal middle ground.
My first Celebrity cruise was far more eye-opening than I expected.
They say first impressions are everything, and I couldn’t help but fall in love with Celebrity Cruises. The cruise line offers an experience that feels elevated, yet accessible and comfortable. Celebrity’s vessels are stylish without feeling too pretentious, and I appreciated how the design was detail-oriented without feeling over-the-top.
During our cruise, I found the ship’s design cultivated constant relaxation. The service was more thoughtful and personal while the atmosphere was more adult-focused rather than flashy.
And while it may not have the jaw-dropping features of newer megaships, Celebrity offers a quieter, more refined version of cruising that many travelers appreciate.
For a four-night trial run, my Celebrity Silhouette cruise left me wanting more! Upon disembarkation, I was eager to book more cruises on Celebrity after my experience, and I’ve already taken multiple sailings across various ships in their fleet since then.
In particular, I couldn’t wait to book one of Celebrity’s longer, itinerary-focused cruises to really experience the cruise line’s bread-and-butter. Now, I’ve sailed across Norway, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand with Celebrity!
If you’ve only sailed mainstream lines so far, I would highly recommend booking a Celebrity cruise. The premium experience feels luxurious and premium, leading to an overall rejuvenating experience.
