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I've sailed with every Royal Caribbean cruise line — here's how to pick the best one for you
I've sailed with every Royal Caribbean cruise line — here's how to pick the best one for you
Brittany ChangJul 27, 2024, 18:24 IST
<p class="ingestion featured-caption">Royal Caribbean Group oversees three brands — Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, and Silversea — that all target different cruisers.Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Wayleebird/Shutterstock</p><ul class="summary-list"><li><a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/royal-caribbean-icon-of-the-seas-trip-price-expensive-2023-11">Royal Caribbean Group</a> oversees Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea.</li><li>The three brands target different guests, from families with young kids to older wealthy travelers.</li></ul><p>You've probably heard of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/royal-caribbean-icon-of-the-seas-cruise-ship-photo-tour-2024-1">Royal Caribbean's cruises</a>. But you might not know that it has two sister brands — and they're nothing alike.</p><p>The cruise line's parent company, Royal Caribbean Group, oversees three businesses that all target different cruising segments: families (<a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/icon-of-the-seas-joins-royal-caribbean-fleet-2023-11">Royal Caribbean International</a>), premium (Celebrity Cruises), and ultra-luxury (Silversea).</p><p>I've been on complimentary non-revenue sailings with all three. And let me tell you, they all had little in common.</p><p>Royal Caribbean is like a theme park at sea, Celebrity has a boutique hotel feel, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/silversea-new-ultra-luxury-silver-ray-cruise-ship-amenities-2024-6">Silversea</a> has floating five-star resorts. </p>
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But there is one feature that ties the trio together — a loyalty program.
Royal Caribbean International's loyalty program is known as the "Crown and Anchor Society."Brittany Chang/Business Insider
Royal Caribbean International — the cruise line for families with young children.
Icon of the Seas first set sail in late January.Brittany Chang/Business Insider
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Expect attractions like waterslides, mini-golf courses, surf simulators, and children's water playgrounds.
Icon of the Seas has a six-slide waterpark.Brittany Chang/Business Insider
The cruise line is generally considered its parent company's most affordable brand.
Some of Royal Caribbean's newer ships have Bionic Bar, staffed by robot bartenders.Brittany Chang/Business Insider
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Beyond floating hotels, the brand also boasts Perfect Day at CocoCay, its $350 million private island in the Bahamas.
Royal Caribbean has invested $350 million into Perfect Day at CocoCay.Brittany Chang/Business Insider
Celebrity Cruises — the choice for travelers who want a premium, trendy ship.
The Celebrity Apex has uniquely colorful spaces.Brittany Chang/Insider
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Celebrity's contemporary lounges and rooftop gardens are designed to target Gen Xers.
Celebrity's new Edge Class ships have the Magic Carpet, a bar and lounge attached to the side of the vessel that can move vertically across the decks, doubling as the tender embarkation site.Brittany Chang/Insider
Some of its dining venues also have fees.
The Edge Class Celebrity Apex has upscale and trendy spaces like the Eden bar and restaurant.Brittany Chang/Business Insider
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But just because it's a premium cruise line doesn't mean its ships are small.
Celebrity Apex has a rooftop garden with programs like morning yoga.Brittany Chang/Insider
Silversea — the pick for wealthy travelers who prefer small, quiet ships and sumptuous amenities.
Silver Ray, launched in mid-June, is Silversea's latest Nova Class vessel.Brittany Chang/Business Insider
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The brand has started targeting younger travelers with its latest vessels.
Silver Ray is 801 feet long and 54,700 gross tons, markedly larger than Silversea's previous ships.Brittany Chang/Business Insider
If Celebrity has minimal kid-oriented amenities, Silversea has none.
For dinner, guests on Silver Ray can grill their own shrimp, steaks, and lamb chops at the alfresco Grill.Brittany Chang/Business Insider
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Like other luxury cruise lines, Silversea has all-inclusive packages that include flights and excursions.
Every suite on Silver Ray has a balcony.Brittany Chang/Business Insider
It's also the only cruise line with SALT, an acronym for 'sea and land taste.'
Silversea's newer ships host cooking classes at the SALT Lab.Brittany Chang/Business Insider
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Speaking of, it's also the only Royal Caribbean Group line with complimentary spa access and drinks.
Dolce Vita, one of Silversea's signature bars, has "free-spirited" cocktails like the Pink Lady, prepared with Lyre's London Dry Spirit and Orange Sec, lemon, egg white, and grenadine.Brittany Chang/Business Insider
With these high-end amenities comes comparatively hefty fares.
Celebrity Cruises' Celebrity Beyond, Royal Caribbean International's Icon of the Seas, and Silversea's Silver Cloud.Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Wayleebird/Shutterstock