Why We're Choosing Celebrity Cruises Over Royal Caribbean in 2026 (Celebrity Reflection Review)
Source: Our analysis of the creator's lived experience, based on what they said in this video.
Creator's Key Takeaways
Spoiler alert, Celebrity is definitely going to be as often as possible for us.
The food had made a huge difference.
Celebrity casinos are 100% nonsmoking. And that was a very big deal for us.
The video poker machines upgraded to the higher pay tables, but they are still at the $10 level. So, this was enormous for us.
Creator's Tips & Advice
🆕New to Cruising? This Creator Addresses:
Questions This Creator Answers
Topics Covered
Scale: 0–5 strips in half-step increments. 0 = “meh”, 5 = “bacon bliss”. Aggregated from creator-review sentiment, weighted by channel expertise.
About our Bacon Score methodologyYouTube Video Description↓
After sailing on the Celebrity Reflection, we’re officially adding Celebrity Cruises to our regular rotation — even while still chasing Pinnacle on Royal Caribbean! In this video, we break down exactly why Celebrity won us over: better food variety, more mature crowds, non-smoking casino, upgraded video poker pay tables, excellent service, and how the Points Choice program makes it easy to enjoy both brands. Topics covered: • Food & Dining Experience (Main Dining Room vs Royal) • Entertainment, Activities & Crowd Vibe • Casino Comparison (Non-smoking + Video Poker at $10/point!) • Loyalty Benefits & How Pinnacle will give us Zenith on Celebrity • Cabins, Pools & Overall Ship Experience If you're a Royal Caribbean loyalist wondering if Celebrity is worth it — this video is for you! 🔗 Related Videos: • Royal Caribbean Points Choice Program Explained (January 2026): https://youtu.be/9-_Cx8vMsM0 • Video Poker on Royal Caribbean - Hidden Updates: https://youtu.be/pRXeM0gWWOo • Royal Caribbean's Casino Program Deep Dive: https://youtu.be/SHBxiziYYT0 Timestamps: 00:00 - Our Big Decision 01:38 - Why Celebrity Over Royal? 02:30 - Food Differences 03:52 - Entertainment & Activities 04:55 - Loyalty Perks Comparison 05:40 - Cabins & Pool Experience 07:21 - Crowd Vibe 08:42 - Casino Experience (Huge Difference) 12:18 - Video Poker Pay Tables & Points 17:15 - Future Plans with Pinnacle + Zenith Make sure to like if this helped and subscribe with notifications for more cruise + casino content! #CelebrityCruises #RoyalCaribbean #CelebrityReflection #CruiseReview #Cruise2026