With the companies having the same owner, often cruisers like to know how Celebrity and Royal Caribbean compare. I thought it would be interesting to read a review that makes some specific comparisons. First, a little background about us. We were traveling as three to a cabin (my husband and I, and our adult son). My husband and I have been on more than 30 cruises, and my son almost as many. We had cruised RCI before, but vowed not to return until the smoking policy had improved (specifically no smoking on balconies, as we had a balcony experience ruined before by having chain smokers next door). We primarily cruise Celebrity (25+ cruises) and as such enjoy their Elite+ Captains Club status (I mention this only as it relates to a comparison to the RCI Crown and Anchor benefits). We chose a Superior Ocean View cabin. The comparisons I will make will compare Freedom of the Seas versus Celebrity Solstice class ships in general. I realize there are differences between other types of ships within each fleet,, so that needs to be considered when reading the review.

Cabins: I liked the fact that there was an option to choose a room a bit larger than standard on FOS. Every few feet makes a difference in a cruise cabin. FOS televisions are smaller than those on Celebrity, particularly as compared to the Concierge or Aqua Class cabins. There are also alot more options for channels on Celebrity, including a decent sized inventory of free movies. The rooms themselves are fairly comparable as regards arrangement, decorating, and storage. IMHO storage could be improved on each cruise line. One decided improvement on FOS was the bed for the third person. It was much larger and much more comfortable than the options on Celebrity.

Bathrooms: I prefer the Celebrity bathroom as it is more spacious in general, and in the shower in particular. The only toiletries provided on FOS were shampoo and small bars of soap. We asked for, and were provided, conditioner, body wash and hand lotion. On Celebrity, some of these items are provided in all cabins, and all are provided in the higher level balconies. But overall the bathroom was nice. Read more