Celebrity Infinity Review

Celebrity vs. Carnival

Review for Alaska Cruise on Celebrity Infinity
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mstherapist2009
First Time Cruiser • Age 50s

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Sail Date: Jun 2009

My first cruise was on Carnival to Mexico 10 years ago. We switched to Celebrity because we heard it had more upscale food and better attitude of the staff. When I boarded I noticed immediately a difference in the staff on Celebrity compared to Carnival. Everyone always said hello to you and if you looked lost they would stop to give you directions. I constantly felt catered tomeaning almost all crew members would always ask if I wanted a drink, how was my cruise, anything they can do to make it better before the cruise ends. I mean these people were always smiling and aiming to please. I was impressed it was much better than Carnival's staff.The median age was 40 years old or older going to Alaska. Unlike Carnival to Mexico it was a older crowd. Also, there were tons of Asian people on the boat atleast 30%.  I was disappointed that their really wasn't any pop or rock music played in the evenings. It was very seldom and you had to stay up till midnight to hear it in the lounges. Mostly, it was either latin music, 50's to the 70's-but nothing you hear on the radio station.The music and bands were very good-it was nice to hear different music. But would have been better if I go to hear Nickleback or some band on the top 40 pop stations.I was disappointed that Celebrity did not make those cute little animal creatures out of the towels like Carnival does. Also, Carnival would have you do the cha cha line in the dinner room and they seemed more fun. Are waiter were very good but it was not a party atmosphere like Carnival is-it really catered to sophistication and the older clientel. If your in your 20-30's you want to go on Carnival for your generation of music and games.Overall, I did enjoy my cruise-one big reason is because of the Therlassopool (salt water pool) which is very therapeautic and the Persian Spa which is a combination of four different sauna rooms (1 is aromatherapysmells like mint steam, the other is a mild hot sauna, one is a really hot steam room and the other is a very hot dry sauna. They also have warm benches you sit on and they keep all the rooms dimmly lit so you are relaxed. The positive side was that the cruise only allows 50 people on board to access the persian Spa during the entire cruise. It costs $100 per person to use the saunas for 1 week. When we went there would be only one other couple in the sauna. It was nice that they limited the sales to the Persian Spa to only 50 people or it would have been miserable and crowded.I felt ripped off by the Spa when it came time for a massage. One lady said that the cost of a massage for that day was $39 so I said I would be back tomorrow to sign up. When I signed up I found out it cost $75 for a 25 minute back massage. That was so ridiculously high. When they added the gratiuty it came up to $84. I told them I wasn't going to have it done. They said my appointment was less than 30 minutes away and they couldn't cancel and give me a full refund only half my money back. So I went and had it done. If I would have waited till the last day I could have gotten a 60 minute full body massage for $99. Which would have still been high but a better deal. The massage was good but I have to warn you. They tell you to drink 2 liters or more of water when your done with your massage or you might get sick. I thought that was a load of crap. So I ignored the suggestion. The last day of the cruise I was so ill. I was running a 104 fever and this continued for a week after the cruise. I was never so sick. My doctors at first thought it was the flu but tests confirmed it wasn't...They later said it could be sinusitis...but I didn't have a runny nose. They gave me antibiotics anyways...and I felt it didn't make a dent. I was sick for 2 weeks after the cruise. I trully believe she released a lot of toxins into my body with the deep tissue massage I got. Being a Physical Therapist I have to kick myself for going against what I learned in school about massage doing that to some people. I just thought I had a better immune system...Found out I didn't.I absolutely hated the fitness instructors on board. They had quite a few detox seminars that I went to. Hoping to find out some new information. Actually, they would give you only a little information then reel you in with a sales pitch. If you signed up for a body fat analysis for $30 they would give you a nutrition plan that would help you lose weight. I bought it and was hooked up to this analysis machine that measures water wieght in your body and body fat. After the analysis the fitness instructor laid it on really thick. She stated that I was in poor health and recommended to me and my friend that we purchased $900 of Elemis Detox pills-which she stated was the best detox system in the world. I declined and she made me feel like crap because I had wasted her time and trully didn't want to be healthy.  When I got home I looked up Elemis and found you could get the same amount of pills on Ebay for $150.  Also, I found the fitness instructors to be too faced. They told everyone at the seminar to read Kevin Trudeau's book called Natural Cures they don't want you to know about. Of course, they didn't know that I had already read it and Kevin Trudeau says that anyone that believes in pedaling pills or detox pills at you is a quack. So it seemed hypocritical that they would be pushing Elemis at me. In fact all the facial products and massage products were Elemis. And of course after my massage they tried to get me to buy a $40 bottle of massage cream. It was annoying.  If your looking for health information on this cruise....skip the seminars...they are just attempts to get you to buy stuff.The Aqua spa did have healthy meals but it was like two choices and always-salmon or pasta with a little olive oil on it. You did have to fight for a chair to lay on by the indoor pool but not the outdoor pool.The food was excellent but if you like chocolate-you won't find it on this cruise line. They made a lot of cakes that looked like chocolate but they didn't taste like it-can't describe it. Also after 8:00 there was no places open for food. If you were looking for 24 hour food...your wrong. You can only get room service after 8:00. Even the bars and dance places had no food. not even pretzels for your drinks.

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