Royal Caribbean
This large, stylish premium ship is good for family-friendly cruising
The Ship. This slimline ship is a sister to Celebrity Equinox (2009), Celebrity Reflection (2012), Celebrity Silhouette (2011), and Celebrity Solstice (2008). It has a steeply raked stern, which includes a mega-yacht-style ducktail platform above the ship’s propulsion pods; it is attractive, and nicely balances the ship’s contemporary profile.
Behind the two smallish funnels is a real grass outdoor area, the Lawn Club. This is the authentic stuff – not green fake turf – and it seems to like the salty air. The club is open to all, so you can putt, play croquet or bocce ball (like bowling or French boules), picnic on the grass, or perhaps sleep on it. Several pool and water-play areas are found on Resort Deck: one in a glass-roofed solarium, a sports pool, a family pool, and a wet zone. The deck space around the two pools, however, isn’t large enough for the number of passengers carried.
The interior spaces are well designed, with most of the entertainment rooms positioned forward, and dining venues located in the aft section. There’s a wine bar with a sommelier; a cocktail lounge that reflects the jazz age of the 1930s and ’40s; a bar with the look of an ocean-going yacht; Quasar, a bar with designs from the 1960s and ’70s and large screens that create a nightly light show synchronized to music; and an observation lounge with a dance floor.
Celebrity’s signature Martini Bar, with its frosted bar and more than 100 varieties of vodka as well as martinis, has a small alcove called Crush with an ice-filled table where you can participate in caviar and vodka tasting, or host a private party. It’s noisy and congested.
An innovative Hot Glass Show, housed in an outdoor studio on the open deck as part of the Lawn Club and created in collaboration with Corning Museum of Glass, includes demonstrations and a narrated performance of glass-blowing. Resident glass-blowing artists also host workshops.
An Apple ‘iLounge’ is equipped with 26 Apple MacBook Pro work stations (you can also buy Apple products). Also, the elevator call buttons are located in a floor-stand ‘pod’ and, when the elevator arrives, a glass panel above it turns from blue to pink.
Gratuities are automatically charged to your onboard account.
Accommodation. This is both practical and comfortable. There are numerous price grades, depending on size and location.
In non-suite-grade cabins there is little space between the bed and the wall, but all accommodation includes twin beds convertible to a queen- or king-size bed with premium bedding, sitting area, and vanity desk with hairdryer, but little drawer space. Although closets have good hanging space, other storage space is limited. Bathrooms have a shower enclosure, toilet, and tiny washbasin. A charge of $3.95 for room service applies between 11pm and 6am.
Note that cabins 1551–1597 on the port side and 1556–1602 on the starboard side on Penthouse Deck (Deck 11) suffer from ‘aircraft carrier’ syndrome because they are directly under the overhanging Resort Deck. They have little exposure to sun or light, so sunbathing is out of the question. Many thick supporting struts ruin the view from these cabins, which are otherwise pleasant enough.
Other accommodation grades are: Veranda; Family Veranda; Concierge; Ocean View; and Interior (no-view) cabins. Suite-grade categories are: Aqua; Sky; Celebrity; Royal; and Penthouse. Suites have much more space, plus larger balconies with good-quality sunloungers, and more personal amenities.
Dining. Moonlight Sonata is the 1,430-seat two-deck main dining room (included in the cruise price). It has ocean views on the port and starboard sides, and to the stern (aft). The design is stunning and contemporary. At the forward end, a two-deck-high wine tower provides an eye-catching focal point.
Suite-class occupants can dine in the more exclusive Luminae restaurant, with tableside preparation of signature dishes, an eclectic menu, and a selection of over 400 wines.
Blu is a 130-seat specialty restaurant just for the occupants of Aqua-class cabins. The room has a pleasing, but rather cool, blue decor.
The following dining spots provide an alternative to the main dining room, good for special occasions or just for something different.
Murano is an extra-cost, reservations-required venue offering high-quality traditional dining with a French flair and fine table settings, including large Riedel wine glasses. Food and service are very good.
The Tuscan Grille is an extra-cost venue that serves Kobe beef and premium-quality steaks. Its entrance has beautifully curved arches – it’s like walking into a high-tech winery. There are fine views from huge aft-view windows.
Qsine is an extra-cost, 90-seat, reservations-required, tablecloth-free ‘fun-food’ restaurant, with trendy interactive iPad food and wine menus that include cute foodie video snaps. The food consists of multi-flavored, multi-colored, quirky small-bite items to tease your taste buds. The food is presented in some unusual ways – even on sticks. It’s a quirky experience.
For snacks and less ambitious meals, the options are:
Sushi on Five features extra-cost sushi and cooked items including noodle and hot pot dishes.
Café al Bacio & Gelateria is a coffeehouse serving Lavazza Italian coffee. It is on one side of the main lobby, but it’s small and lines quickly form at peak times. The seating is mostly in large, very comfortable armchairs.
Oceanview Café and Grill, a large, tray-free, casual self-serve buffet venue, which includes a number of food islands, and good signage. However, it’s impossible to get a warm plate for so-called hot food items.
The AquaSpa Café is for light, healthier options (solarium fare), but the selections are not exactly thrilling.
The Mast Bar Grill and Bar is an outside venue offering fast food.
Entertainment. The 1,115-seat Eclipse Theater (the main showlounge) stages three circus-themed production shows featuring acrobatics.
Colorful theme nights are held in the Observation Lounge (whose bland daytime decor comes alive at night thanks to mood lighting effects). The 200-seat Celebrity Central hosts stand-up comedy, cooking demonstrations, enrichment lectures, and feature films. Quasar is a high-volume nightclub.
An Entertainment Court showcases street performers, psychics, and caricaturists, and is in the center of the ship. There’s also a big-band-era cocktail lounge with live jazz-styled music, set adjacent to the Murano, the specialty restaurant.
Spa/Fitness. The Canyon Ranch SpaClub is laid out over two decks. A large fitness center includes kinesis (pulleys against gravity) workout equipment, plus all the familiar gym machinery.
An extra-cost, unisex thermal suite features several steam and shower mist rooms and a glacial ice fountain, plus a calming relaxation area with heated tiled beds, and an acupuncture center.