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Princess Elite....trying Celebrity??


ian441672
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Hi

 

I'm a UK cruiser, Elite on Princess usually travelling on a Penthouse Suite or equivalent. I'm cheesed off that Princess never give a drinks package to UK customers, and I saw Celebrity do, plus free internet!

 

I have only done 1 Celebrity cruise before 3 years ago and have 30 or so points (!), so regrettably will have no status on board, but I was impressed overall by my 'Cannes Film Festival' cruise, where I got a similar deal.

 

I am tempted to book a Caribbean cruise in a Sky suite (I think basic entry level suite, seems smaller than Princess, though prices similar), on Celebrity Reflection.

 

I see I get access to Michaels Lounge potentially...

 

Just a couple of questions, or peoples opinions please for a relative Celeb newby - Is the Sky Suite worth it, or should I go higher; are the suite perks worth having (on Princess, they are, free 24 hour laundry, mini bar set up, private mimosa breakfast etc); anything else I should be aware of or consider?

 

There are some aft rooms, last third of ship available, plus at the very aft, at the end of the ship. I have done these before and whilst scenic, the engine noise can be a bit of a disturbance early morning whilst docking!

 

Any observations, opinions or suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Many thanks.

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We have done sky suite on a sister ship aft and really loved it, not the biggest suite. We do like celebrity suite perks nice lounge open all day and suite restaurant was also excellent , sky suite on some of the ships are much smaller than the ones on refelection. Entertainment is much better on princess.

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Thanks for that, and yes, the suites look almost a 1/3 smaller on some ships. Just came off a Princess, and even that entertainment has been hit and miss. I think it has gone down hill over the years. The lounge does sound interesting and I assume you turn up when you like, without bookings and can have a table for two?

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The SKY SUITE is more or less similar in size to a Princess Jr. Suite.

I usually book suites on whatever cruiseline I'm on. While Celebrity is my 1st choice, I do have a Ruby Princess (vista suite) booked for next year.

While there are some perks on a Princess full suite I like (mini bar set up and bkfst in specialty restaurants) I feel the perks on a Sky Suite and above are much better. The use of Michael's Club w/ included drinks and ESPECIALLY Luminae which is a separate menu and a real separate room rather than Princess' version Club Class which is a separate area w/ maybe a couple of extra menu items.

 

THe lounge (Michael's Club) isn't a restaurant. Just a drop in place where they do serve limited food (Afternoon tea, pre-dinner canapes etc) so yes you just show up any time you want. It's more of a "Lounge feel" in that there are sofas, club chairs and coffee/cocktail tables rather than a table for 2 etc.

Luminae is a full service restaurant and since it's basically only for suites, you don't have to make a reservation, but you come when you please and most of the seating is for 2.

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I'm elite on Princess and mostly sail minis, with a few suites here and there. I've also been in a couple of Sky Suites on Celebrity.

 

Sky suites are equivalent to minis on Princess, although their layout is more like a large balcony cabin with a couch. Bathroom has better drawer storage than a Princess mini.

 

A Sky suite gets all the suite perks, except a shoreside concierge and free specialty dining. There may be couple of minor things.

 

They do get the lounge, open all the time, but staffed part of the time. On the Reflection, there's a wall with cold water, sodas and maybe beer. They also get suite only restaurant which I described to a friend as club class dining on steroids. It has it's own menu, but you can order off the main dining menu as well.

 

Hope this helps.

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IAN,

 

I have cruised numerous times in a suite on Princess and Celebrity.

I have found the Celebrity Sky Suites to generally be less expensive than Princess P.H. Suites, but it is difficult to compare pricing. The Celebrity pricing varies significantly based on supply and demand. I do not know if this is true for U.K. bookings, but Celebrity suites usually (not repositioning cruises) include the Best bundle which includes $150 pp, free gratuities, free unlimited internet, and the Premium Drink Package.

 

 

My wife and I prefer the AFT corner S1 Sky Suites. Although in our opinion they are significantly nicer than a Princess mini suites, they are not has large as the Princess P.H. Suite. The Celebrity suite benefits are significantly better than the Princess suite benefits (except for the free laundry on Princess). The Michael’s Club is a great no cost venue. (A little less valuable if you already have the Premium Drink Package). The dedicated Suite only restaurant, Luminae, is open for breakfast and dinner everyday. Also for lunch on sea days. It is sort of like the Princess Speciality restaurant breakfast, but for every meal. It will be more crowded, so it is not exactly the same.

On Celebrity you will have a Butler as well as Cabin Steward, so the cabin service is better.

 

 

The Royal Suite on Celebrity is much larger than a Princess suite and is somewhat like the Owner Suites in the older R Class Princess ships, but with much greater benefits. The R.S. Includes unlimited speciality dining, free mini bar, two full bottles of alcohol in you cabin, free Premium Drink Package, and free laundry. IMO you should check the price on this option. It is particularly valuable if you do not get the Best bundle with you Suite booking. The RS is also very large.

 

 

If you have any particular questions, I will be happy to Share my experiences on both cruise line’s suites. My wife and I like them both. I should also add that the outside deck furniture on the Princess is much nicer than the Sky Suite with the full loungers. The RS is more like Princess’s deck furniture. (It has a hot tub type of tub on the balcony which we find of no value)

Good luck

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Thanks very much for your insightful replies, that does help and it is nice to read how you compare Princess with Celebrity, including balcony furniture, room lay out etc. Helpful and interesting.

 

It seems that it is expensive at first look if you compare it to a Princess Jnr suite size wise, but perks wise, it is far better (Ruby Penthouse is fantastic!). I have done O/S and P/S also, so I may be in for a small shock initially. But reading about the other perks and restaurants it seems quite exciting, especially the dining (like the Sabatinnis breakfast for suite on Princess), and better than the Club dining I currently enjoy also. I will miss my status I am sure, but I want to give it a try otherwise I will always be wondering.

 

You have sold it well, the lounges and bars seems right up our street, so I will reread again what you have said, and if I have any further questions, I will be back!

 

Thanks so much again.

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You are welcome. Price wise I always compare suite to suite, so in my case a Sky Suite to a Vista Suite.I wanted to clarify that the Corner AFT S1 that I mentioned as a balcony door and a large port hole which is really nice. There are S1 suites on the Reflection that are not AFT with the porthole.

I agree the Club Dining on Princess was a nice improvement and it was an attempt to get closer to the Luminae experience.

The Reflection (and Silhouette) has a few extra Speciality restaurant than the other Solstice Class ships, the Porch and Lawn Grill.

Do not forget to compare the Royal Suite pricing with the Princess suite pricing for future reference.

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You are welcome. Price wise I always compare suite to suite, so in my case a Sky Suite to a Vista Suite.I wanted to clarify that the Corner AFT S1 that I mentioned as a balcony door and a large port hole which is really nice. There are S1 suites on the Reflection that are not AFT with the porthole.

 

I agree the Club Dining on Princess was a nice improvement and it was an attempt to get closer to the Luminae experience.

 

The Reflection (and Silhouette) has a few extra Speciality restaurant than the other Solstice Class ships, the Porch and Lawn Grill.

 

Do not forget to compare the Royal Suite pricing with the Princess suite pricing for future reference.

 

 

 

Thanks. I noticed quite a few Sky suites were available on all floors. On some there were purely at very aft, on very outer corner. These seem to be the ones you refer to on slightly lower floors. You would recommend these? I’ve had the aft OS on princess (huge!) for Alaska and it was amazing. Could be the same for the Caribbean?

 

I like the larger modern ships, so again it seems just what we are after. I like the speciality restaurants, in my view these are better than princess and the equivalent on celebrity to the Crown Grill (can’t remember name) was outstanding. Better than Lumiere would you think?

 

Thanks again.

 

 

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I haven’t sailed Princess, but I have sailed in a Sky Suite. I want to point out that Reflection has some unique Sky Suites on deck 12, midship. They were once Aqua suites, so they have nice showers instead of the tub/shower combos you’ll find in the other Sky Suites. However, unless you prefer midship, I’d agree with the others that the corner aft Sky suites seem more spacious, have plenty of natural light, and more privacy.

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Thanks. I noticed quite a few Sky suites were available on all floors. On some there were purely at very aft, on very outer corner. These seem to be the ones you refer to on slightly lower floors. You would recommend these? I’ve had the aft OS on princess (huge!) for Alaska and it was amazing. Could be the same for the Caribbean?

 

I like the larger modern ships, so again it seems just what we are after. I like the speciality restaurants, in my view these are better than princess and the equivalent on celebrity to the Crown Grill (can’t remember name) was outstanding. Better than Lumiere would you think?

 

Thanks again.

 

 

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I usually try for the higher deck corner Aft because ai like the overhang/shade on my balcony. I think all the corner S1 on the areflection are OK with the same balcony size. At least one of the Solstice Class ships has a thinner balcony on deck 6. I would search for any actual cabin that you are considering. The corner Aft is always our preference.

 

The only Princess Owner Suite that I have experienced was on the smaller ship (R class) and it was amazing.

 

I do believe Celebrity has better speciality restaurants, but at a higher price. The Murano’s is our favorite. I like the Porch for lunch occasionally. I would suggest trying the Tucson and Lawn at least once.

I cruised in a Royal Suite once that included all speciality dining at no extra cost, but we still dined in Luminae for dinner at least 50% of the time.

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I usually try for the higher deck corner Aft because ai like the overhang/shade on my balcony. I think all the corner S1 on the areflection are OK with the same balcony size. At least one of the Solstice Class ships has a thinner balcony on deck 6. I would search for any actual cabin that you are considering. The corner Aft is always our preference.

 

The only Princess Owner Suite that I have experienced was on the smaller ship (R class) and it was amazing.

 

I do believe Celebrity has better speciality restaurants, but at a higher price. The Murano’s is our favorite. I like the Porch for lunch occasionally. I would suggest trying the Tucson and Lawn at least once.

I cruised in a Royal Suite once that included all speciality dining at no extra cost, but we still dined in Luminae for dinner at least 50% of the time.

 

Sorry to bother you again - just looking at the S1 corner aft suites, they seem to have connecting doors on the deck plans?

 

Would this be an issue with noise or disturbance.? I always try to avoid hotel rooms with connecting doors as it can be a nuisance, so I was wondering would this be the same?

 

Thanks.

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We love the entry level Sky suite because of the associated perks. When we do upgrade, it's always to a RS bc the perks also include unlimited specialty dining and a in-room bar set up with beer and soft drinks, mixers, and choice of two bottles of liquor which can be traded for wine....not to mention impeccable service. But if you're not interested in those things, the Sky is the great! If you want a little more room, then the CS can accommodate that wish...but I've never stayed in this category.

BTW...We've always received impeccable service, regardless of category...didn't mean to imply that you only get it in a RS or higher.

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Sorry to bother you again - just looking at the S1 corner aft suites, they seem to have connecting doors on the deck plans?

 

Would this be an issue with noise or disturbance.? I always try to avoid hotel rooms with connecting doors as it can be a nuisance, so I was wondering would this be the same?

 

Thanks.

 

Those corner suites "connect" to the adjacent room only by a small hallway outside your cabin door. It's actually very nice as you enter this hallway via a door from the main hallway where you enter a vestibule aprox 5' x 10' where the 2 cabin door are. Very private and very quiet.

 

We also love those corner suites. I believe its only Reflection where the one on deck 6 has a smaller balcony. Some people love the ones on deck 12 as there is some cover above but others don't like them as the outdoor buffet seating is above and there can be some chair noise from above.

 

We have done deck 7 and 8 and have been very happy. Only downside is you may not see your butler as much as there are only 2 suites on each deck on these lower floors. Of course if you need something you will have their mobile phone number.

 

I would take any of the aft corner over the mid ship S1 cabins.

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Sorry to bother you again - just looking at the S1 corner aft suites, they seem to have connecting doors on the deck plans?

 

Would this be an issue with noise or disturbance.? I always try to avoid hotel rooms with connecting doors as it can be a nuisance, so I was wondering would this be the same?

 

Thanks.

 

Wrk2cruise is correct about the extra Vestibule for the S1 corner AFT cabins. The two cabins are not connected and it is a really nice private buffer. Makes the cabin even better as only one other cabin every comes close to your door as you need to swipe your card to enter the area. Perhaps a slight inconvenience because you have to swipe twice and enter and exit thru two doors.

 

A good deal on an RS would be about what you pay for a PH suite on Princess from my experiences.

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Hi Ian

We too were top of the Princess loyalty scheme. Lots of cruises with them over the years. We usually had OS. However, we changed cruise lines to Celebrity (X) about 6 years ago and have never looked back!

Now we book Celebrity Suites and Reflection Suites.

Good points: Luminae suite-only dining, Michael's Club, perks (they get better the better the suite!), ship decor, the food in speciality dining venues, the service both in the restaurants and around the ship, the entertainment away from the theatre, the embarkation and disembarkation.

Not as good as Princess, in our opinion: the excursions.

 

We loved the smaller ships of the Princess fleet: Pacific P and the old Royal P. Also, the old Crown and Regal Princesses.

 

After 6 cruises on the X Silhouette (we're on her again next year), Constellation and Reflection, we are very unlikely to return to Princess. We do have an Azamara cruise booked for 2020 ----but the ports were the deal clincher: along the west coast of Africa from Portugal to Cape Town. We'll be quite happy to return to X.

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Just checked - there are no aft corner suites left on deck 12, just decks 10 and 9. They look slightly smaller on the deck plans - would they be just as good on the lower decks to have? Thanks!

I do not believe the Deck 10 and 9 balconies would be smaller based on my experience. I suggest you search the cabin that you are considering to try and avoid the window washing equipment on the Reflection.

The decks other than 12 will not have as much overhang/shade.

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I do not believe the Deck 10 and 9 balconies would be smaller based on my experience. I suggest you search the cabin that you are considering to try and avoid the window washing equipment on the Reflection.

The decks other than 12 will not have as much overhang/shade.

 

 

We had an S2 on Equinox right next to the corner S1 baloncy on Deck 12 a few years back. One of the first things we noticed was all the rear facing balconies, other than those on deck 12 had almost not shade. Depending on your itinerary this could make a big impact on balcony usability. I was very thankful we had the balcony coverage as we were on a Greek Isles Cruise in August. I would have never been able to sit out there during sail aways in the direct sun. With one of the covered balconies we had our own cheese and wine sail aways each port. Just something else to consider.

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Just checked - there are no aft corner suites left on deck 12, just decks 10 and 9. They look slightly smaller on the deck plans - would they be just as good on the lower decks to have? Thanks!

What date are you considering for your Reflection Cruise?

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That’s really kind of you. Thanks, I’ll get on it today.

 

And thanks to everyone for your valued and detailed replies. Who knows, hopefully I’ll climb up the status ladder in Celebrity too now!!

 

Thanks again.

 

 

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