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From Celebrity to P & O


british betty
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We always look at Celebrity first when planning a holiday but have noticed that P&O have some very good prices on an itinerary that Celebrity doesn't have. This of course is very tempting for holiday obsessed people who like an extra holiday if at all possible. We're not looking for lots to do onboard.

 

We've been in various different categories on various ships and have also sailed with other lines.

 

To be honest my main criteria is a larger than standard size balcony so that I can enjoy peace and quiet and watch the sea. My DP is generally just happy to cruise. Unfortunately, we're not able to go to "suite" level, the prices are good, but not quite good enough for that .

 

Any opinions would be appreciated, thanks.

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Morning Betty.

I think it really just depends on what is important to you on a cruise. We have enjoyed cruises with both Celebrity and P/O - they are very similar. The itinerary is a key factor in our decision, so if you have seen a particular itinerary on P/O at a good price I say go for it and you will then know for future if P/O is for you. Drinks prices on P/O are a bonus after a Celebrity cruise, however personally I think the food choice is better on Celebrity. Sorry I cant really offer advice as to the Balcony - we are just pleased to be on a cruise and the room is of little importance as we are usually out and about, either somewhere on ship or in port.

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If you book early with select fare you can pick your cabin. The cabins in the stern have larger balconies, for example on Azura R 746 to R752 ...B748 to B757 ..C752 and C753 ..Do 34 and D735. You can tell the larger balconies from the deck plan(on P&O website) of the ship you are looking at.

 

Sent from my SM-P900 using Tapatalk

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Agree that aft cabin balconies are the biggest and would recommend them if the itinerary is to cooler places. We love them because they're very private. Cabins on C deck are also double sized balconies and only partly covered so you can have privacy but also sunshine . We've done a few cruises on Celebrity and prefer the entertainment on P&O

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Yes we generally cruise princess but also get some amazing deals on P&O the big difference to us that they are no snobs on American ships and I do love cruising with our USA friends, also the food is much better on Princess but it all goes down to taste

 

Saying that I am very much looking forward to sailing on Britannia can't wait to get back on the Royal this month

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Yes we generally cruise princess but also get some amazing deals on P&O the big difference to us that they are no snobs on American ships and I do love cruising with our USA friends, also the food is much better on Princess but it all goes down to taste

 

Saying that I am very much looking forward to sailing on Britannia can't wait to get back on the Royal this month

 

 

We don't find Celebrity ships as much fun or nearly as sociable as P&O. Don't know what you mean by snobs but the people we meet on P&O are definitely not what I'd call snobs. We go on a cruise to have a good time and sure it will be in Oceana in 5 days :)

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Morning Betty.

I think it really just depends on what is important to you on a cruise. We have enjoyed cruises with both Celebrity and P/O - they are very similar. The itinerary is a key factor in our decision, so if you have seen a particular itinerary on P/O at a good price I say go for it and you will then know for future if P/O is for you. Drinks prices on P/O are a bonus after a Celebrity cruise, however personally I think the food choice is better on Celebrity. Sorry I cant really offer advice as to the Balcony - we are just pleased to be on a cruise and the room is of little importance as we are usually out and about, either somewhere on ship or in port.

Having cruised with both lines we find good and bad with them , we love the formal nights on P and O and feel Celebrity are moving to a much more relaxed theme it will be interesting to see what our USA friends make of the "chic casual" attire , as we have seen shorts and flip flops in a speciality restaurant on Celebrity !!! .. as regards drinks prices we have had the free drinks package on our last two Celeb cruises and will have it again next September but still find P and O to be competitive compared with dining out in the UK where there are not many restaurants where you can get a decent bottle of wine for £16..Must dash almost time to pack for Azura !!!!!

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We also have to have a balcony, and prefer the peace and quiet just enjoying listening to the sea and watching the world go by.

 

Azura and Ventura have large balconies on C deck. You are shaded by the balcony above, but also have the other half of the balcony open, so you get the best of both worlds.

I know many folks like aft balconies, but they wouldn't be for me as I'd find it too noisy with the wake (when the ship is moving). There's also more vibration in that area and I've also read where there are certain "smells" and some balconies have been covered in a "soot". Can't remember the specific ships and they may not have been P&O, but as some ships are basically the same design, some "flaws" may also be replicated.

 

We were on the Celebrity Eclipse and although I enjoyed the bigger bathroom and the flooring on the balcony, I didn't like the wardrobe being next to the bed (prefer the walk-in wardrobe on P&O), and I prefer the general layout on P&O. Celebrity were also rubbish in dealing with our - potentially life-threatening - food allergies, whereas P&O have been brilliant with this. I also felt that the P&O dining rooms were more welcoming.

 

Although I enjoyed our Celebrity cruise, I wouldn't actively consider another cruise with them, unless it was a fantastic deal. Prefer the P&O experience, but we also have a Princess cruise booked, so both are good.

 

Hope these thought are useful. Happy cruising.

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We did a transatlantic on the Eclipse in November which was our first time with Celebrity and we found the drinks really expensive and the entertainment not as good as P&O, the bars and lounges on the Eclipse didn't have much appeal and we much prefer the P@O ships for layout and ambience. Celebrity wins on food and the buffet was really well laid out and flowed a lot better than we have experienced before. The bathroom on the Eclipse was better but the cabin and balcony seemed smaller than that on Azura and Ventura and the wardrobe space on these ships is also much better. I found service on both lines excellent.

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We did a transatlantic on the Eclipse in November which was our first time with Celebrity and we found the drinks really expensive and the entertainment not as good as P&O, the bars and lounges on the Eclipse didn't have much appeal and we much prefer the P@O ships for layout and ambience. Celebrity wins on food and the buffet was really well laid out and flowed a lot better than we have experienced before. The bathroom on the Eclipse was better but the cabin and balcony seemed smaller than that on Azura and Ventura and the wardrobe space on these ships is also much better. I found service on both lines excellent.

 

Our experience exactly. Did I write this in my sleep?:D

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My parents went on a cruise with P&O on Britannia last year, having previously sailed with Celebrity many times, on numerous ship.

 

They loved the ship and said it was the best they have ever sailed on, in fact today they have just booked another cruise, this time on Arcadia.

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