Is Celebrity an "Upgrade" From Princess?

Just returned from our 1st Princess cruise on mega-ship Sapphire Princess to Mexican Riviera & were extremely disappointed in many aspects. We have not cruised major cruise lines for about 20 years, doing river barging in Europe instead. Last major line cruise was with RCI before Carnival took it over & we loved it.

The Personal Choice Dining was a joke. We had made numerous reservations which were not honored ("lost" in the reservation system). We had to struggle every day with trying to make dinner reservations. In the future, we will always go with Traditional Dining. We ended up eating in the buffet (aaagh!) 4 nites of the 7. The food was really mediocre everywhere & bar & restaurant service was rushed, harried and indifferent.

On the other hand, our minisuite with balcony was very nice & we had an excellent room steward. Also room service (albeit with a very limited menu) was prompt, efficient & pleasant.

The ship was very crowded with kids in all pools & the deck chairs were jammed with people.

Have heard food on Celebrity better & know very little about the line. Would appreciate hearing from those who have traveled Princess & Celebrity about how the shipboad experiences are different.

We have cruised 10 times with Princess, twice as often on Celebrity. We have another 6 booked with Celebrity, none with Princess... We have voted on what we think is better.

We might cruise again with Princess but for now we are happy with everything that Celebrity is doing.

Carnival has not taken over RCI. RCI owns Celebrity.

The ship was very crowded with kids in all pools & the deck chairs were jammed with people.

This happens on some Celebrity sailings as well

Last major line cruise was with RCI before Carnival took it over & we loved it.

 

In the future, we will always go with Traditional Dining. We ended up eating in the buffet (aaagh!) 4 nites of the 7.

 

On the other hand, our minisuite with balcony was very nice & we had an excellent room steward. Also room service (albeit with a very limited menu) was prompt, efficient & pleasant.

 

The ship was very crowded with kids in all pools & the deck chairs were jammed with people.

 

Have heard food on Celebrity better & know very little about the line. Would appreciate hearing from those who have traveled Princess & Celebrity about how the shipboad experiences are different.

First off, you'll be happy to know Carnival did not buy RCI. They Bought Princess.

Celebrity is the upscale version of Royal Caribbean. They still have Traditional Dining and are aimed at an older crowd. The food and service are rated at some of the best.

In the latest poll by Conde Nast Taveller, they rated as the #3 cruise line behind only Raddison and Crystal, both Luxury cruise lines. They had 7 ships rated in the top 11 last year, taking numbers 1 and 2.

From what I have read in your post, Celebrity will give you more of the cruise experience you came to expect from your cruise all those years ago. The industry has changed, but Celebrity has done their best to hold on to the classic cruise experience

We have sailed Princess twice, Celebrity twice and have one future cruise booked with each. Sorry you didn't enjoy Sapphire, we sailed her last year and had a great time.

You will not be disappointed with Celebrity. That little extra touch of service is there. I would post more but just "lost" a very nice response to you and can't do it again.

Celebrity? , yes!

We have cruised on Princess for 10 times, then switched to Celebrity. There is really a big difference, especially with service, and some little things, like cloth placemats on your tray in the buffet line, and waiters waiting to help carry your tray. I know these are such small things, but they add to a more upscale cruise experience with Celebrity. Dining in the main dining room was also more of a fine dining experience, with lower lighting and less noise than we had on Princess.

We will go on our 10th cruise in Jan with Celebrity, and have two more booked after that.

We just got back from a crossing on the QM2 and we still prefer Celebrity over Cunard.

Princess is still a good line, and they have some good itineraries, and if the right itinerary comes along that we can't pass up, we may still consider taking Princess.

Grace

Golfette, I had much the same take on my one Princess cruise (Golden). I was underwelmed by the indifferent service, the laughable personal choice dining, the crowded feel of the ship, and the ship photographer who followed my daughter around all week (that would NEVER fly on Celebrity!)

We've gone on 15 Celebrity cruises, with 2 more booked, and always feel that the service onboard is so wonderful, from our stateroom steward to our wait staff in the restaurant to the bar staff. These people remember your name by the second night, and they are so well trained and polite. I think the food is better on Celebrity, too. The staterooms have a much larger shower than Golden Princess' teeny-tiny shower! Even though you'll see chair hogs on Celebrity, you'll be able to find a deck chair on a higher deck above the pool. The pools are saltwater on Celebrity, and they're only open 'til about 8pm, not 24/7 like on Princess. I think the caribbean bands on Celebrity are better than those on Princess. The theatres on Celebrity is much, much larger, and realistically accommodates the numbers of people who want to see the shows. The showroom on Golden was so small, you had to show up 45 minutes early just to get a seat in the back row...behind a pillar! I did enjoy some of the shows I saw on Princess, just couldn't get in to see most of them! Celebrity's musical shows aren't exactly Broadway performances, but they're pretty good, for the most part, and there are usually good comedians and magicians on other nights, along with solo or duo music acts.

All in all, I'd say that Celebrity is a decided step up from Princess.:D

Golfette: we have sailed both Princess and Celebrity and truly like them both. We were also on the same ship as Catmand and you the Sapphire and we truly had a wonderful time. We had virtually no problem with Anytime Dining, never once made a reservation and got in right away. Now granted we eat early around 5-6p.m. and had no problem. We also enjoyed the buffets; in fact the Sapphire had one of the best and I have been on 6 different Princess ships.

As for food I truly in my opinion think the food on both Princess and Celebrity are quite the same. Now there will be differing opinions but this is mine. The service is a little bit better on Celebrity. I would sail both Princess and Celebrity again. In fact I have 2 princess's cruises scheduled and one of Celebrity.

Marilyn

Sorry that you got stuck with "personal choice" dining. We had it on our second Princess cruise and made sure to request traditional on our subsequent two Princess cruises.

I'd book a cruise on both cruise lines again. We don't really have a strong preference. Some things are better on each--but not enough to tilt one of them way above the other for us.

I can understand you thought the food was mediocre if you had to eat in the buffet. We always prefer to eat in the dining room--breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

We have sailed on Sun Princess [May, 2002-Alaska]; Regal Princess [August 2003-Baltic] and Diamond Princess [November 2004-Mexican Riviera]. We have cruised on Galaxy [October 2001-Caribbean]; Mercury [January 2002-South America]; Infinity [November 2002-Panama Canal]; Millennium [May 2003-Mediterranean]; Infinity again [November 2003-Hawaii] and Galaxy again[May 2004-Trans-Atlantic]

We enjoyed the first two Princess cruises, partly because they had excellent land tours of four and six days respectively. However, like the initial poster's experience on Sapphire Princess, we were deeply disappointed with the Diamond Princess Mexican Riviera cruise; and frankly, would not sail it again. Overall the Celebrity experience is much better. The food is better, the service is better, the ships are nicer and the sea day Enrichment Programs provide a good deal of worthwhile activity. We felt crowded and rushed on Diamond Princess, and thought the Personal Choice dining was a poor choice! We tried to arrange traditional seating dining but were not able to do so, and the waiting list had more than 400 people on it, so I conclude we are not alone in our opinion of personal choice dining, especially on a mega-ship. We are looking forward to cruising on Constellation next fall to New England and Canada.

Galaxy again[May 2004-Trans-Atlantic]

Hi again Phil...Why not post links to your excellent reviews

Arno

For us, no comparison. Celebrity wins hands down. We took a trip on Grand Princess last December and it was awful. Bad food, bad service, no a/c in cabins etc....... I actually shudder when I think about it!

Been there. Cruised Celebrity many times - Princess one time.

While Princess does have some real good things going for it.

Celebrity beats them out in food and service.

I will give Princess a plus on their production shows. But that was before they were taken over by Carnival.

It is what you are looking for in a cruise.

Rooms were slightly larger on Celebrity.

The main problem we had with Princess is their customer service.

In a word - ROTTEN.

They did not give a dam about us when we called. They had our $ and that was that.

At least Celebrity helps a bit. And the Captains Club is a great plus.

The short answer:

YES! Celebrity is better.

I will give Princess a plus on their production shows. But that was before they were taken over by Carnival.

 

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We just got home from a cruise on the Sun Princess and thought that the entertainment was not very good. We have cruised Princess 5 times and think that the entertainment has not been as good on the last two as it was previously. And the drinks seem to be watered down more now. I don't know if this is a result of the buyout by Carnival or if Princess is just looking to cut costs.

 

We will take our first Celebrity cruise on the Century in Dec. and we are really looking forward to it.

Is Celebrity an "Upgrade" From Princess?

Do fish swim?

We like both. 4 Princess cruises, 2 on Celebrity. Prefer the service on Celebrity, prefer the freedom of Personal Choice dining on Princess (and only on one on our 4 cruises did we have to wait more than 5 minutes for a table for dinner on Princess, and we go at "peak" times). Prefer the Freshwater pools and entertainment on Princess, prefer the food and the T-Pool (if it were only fresh water!) on Celebrity.

I will give Princess a plus on their production shows. But that was before they were taken over by Carnival.

 

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We just got home from a cruise on the Sun Princess and thought that the entertainment was not very good. We have cruised Princess 5 times and think that the entertainment has not been as good on the last two as it was previously. And the drinks seem to be watered down more now. I don't know if this is a result of the buyout by Carnival or if Princess is just looking to cut costs.

 

We will take our first Celebrity cruise on the Century in Dec. and we are really looking forward to it.

 

 

 

How can they water down , scotch on the rocks or a Martini?:D

 

 

and why because Carnival Corp owns Princess cruise lines, is that a negative???

 

Carnival also owns HAL, Cunard, and the very upscale Seabourne.

RCCl owns Celebrity and you will here folks say how much more upscale Celebrity is to RCL.

doen't make much sense to me, since each individule line operates seperatly and does not conform to the Corporation other lines

 

 

Phil

Been on both and both are great.

1. Princess wins for repeater benefits. There is no comparison between what Celebrity offers and Princess provides its repeaters.

2. Anytime dining is our favorite. We can request and get the same table, waiter and time the whole cruise. We can dine with friends we met on the cruise whereas, in traditional you are with the original table for the entire cruise.

3. Production shows are better on Princess.

4. Food is about the same on both.

5. Service is better on Celebrity if you want someone to carry your tray to the table for you.

6. Celebrity has a better spa area.

7. Celebrity is a little more formal/dressier.

Happy Cruising!

Been on both and both are great.

1. Princess wins for repeater benefits. There is no comparison between what Celebrity offers and Princess provides its repeaters.

2. Anytime dining is our favorite. We can request and get the same table, waiter and time the whole cruise. We can dine with friends we met on the cruise whereas, in traditional you are with the original table for the entire cruise.

3. Production shows are better on Princess.

4. Food is about the same on both.

5. Service is better on Celebrity if you want someone to carry your tray to the table for you.

6. Celebrity has a better spa area.

7. Celebrity is a little more formal/dressier.

Happy Cruising!

As I have stated, we have cruised both lines many times, and I find your comparisons to be exactly the same as mine. can't go wrong either way.:)

Phil

Thanks for your responses. Your reviews gave me some hope. Those saying that the two were nearly the same struck terror to my heart. The service we encountered on Princess in the dining rooms (when we were permitted to eat there), the bars & the buffet was so darn bad I almost fell over myself in gratitude when a waiter actually brought me a glass of much-needed water. Service was rushed, inept & often downright rude. I'd like to cruise in the future, but never want to find myself in that situation again. I will check out more on Celebrity to the best of my ability & if we have to upgrade to Radisson or Crystal, we might just bite the bullet & do that & cruise less often.

Thanks for your responses. Your reviews gave me some hope. Those saying that the two were nearly the same struck terror to my heart. The service we encountered on Princess in the dining rooms (when we were permitted to eat there), the bars & the buffet was so darn bad I almost fell over myself in gratitude when a waiter actually brought me a glass of much-needed water. Service was rushed, inept & often downright rude. I'd like to cruise in the future, but never want to find myself in that situation again. I will check out more on Celebrity to the best of my ability & if we have to upgrade to Radisson or Crystal, we might just bite the bullet & do that & cruise less often.

Can't comment on your experience with Princess as I was not on that cruise.My experiences after over 50 cruises on various cruise lines: Never encountered what you did on Princess or any cruise line.

Dining room service has never been as bad as you encountered. Never been refused to enter/eat in a dining room on any ship when the dining room was open. Normally, on boarding day, dining rooms are not open until 5 or 6pm. I guess I have been lucky and have been on the right ship at the right time. Wish you luck in the future on whatever cruise line you choose. Happy Cruising!

We have sailed Celebrity 6 times and Princess 10 times. My opion is that they are about the same...each winning different points.

1. Princess wins for upkeep and repairs... general appearance of ship and cabins.

2. Celebrity wins for service and courtesy of crew. Princess was pretty good, though.

3. Princess wins for entertainment.

4. Food is pretty close with Celebrity with a slight edge for presentation and variety. We've never had trouble on Princess with PC dining. With groups larger than 8, we always do traditional dining.

5. Princess wins for embarkation... disembarkation is about the same (mostly due to US customs and immigration)

6. Itineraries are both pretty good.. Princess has more ships.

7. Princess wins on price! Celebrity has priced themselves a little high for what they provide,

8. Celebrity wins in the passenger department... don't see nearly as many complainers and generally rude people....

Oh Goodness! When we just happen to dock next to a Princess ship when we are on another cruise line, I always feel Princess is where "I belong ...." :rolleyes:

So many cruises on Princess! Only four on Celebrity .... but, totally LOVE Celebrity! Celebrity so reminds me of the way Princess use to be!

We will continue to sail on BOTH!

Happy Sailing! OCruisers :)

I read these comments on such great service on Celebrity, I falied to see it. If you think someone taking your tray to a table is good service...I sure don't. I can carry my own and that way wander where I want till I find a spot I like. I found it to be very annoying. The buffet isn't open all the time on Celebrity and it always had long lines! On Princess it's open 24/7 and you can move through to what you want with ease, even in busy times. Celebrity's food was good but lacked variety over our 11 day cruise. I found much more variety on the menu each day. We will always have assigned seating, I am not interested in the choice dining. To me the decor on Celebrity was bland with Princess being more colorful. I found people dressed about the same on both ships. Entertainment good on both. I go for the Las Vegas type shows with the dancers, not much for commedians or magic shows.

I have never had a negative experience on all the Princess cruises nor on the one Celebrity. I would rank them about equal with my favorite being Princess. I would cruise Celebrity again but all things being equal I would chose Princess even if it cost more. I am looking forward to the Sun Princess in Nov.

Carol

We sailed on Celebrity for a long time. But on several recent cruises we had some pretty bad experiences with staff attitudes; dirty staterooms; higher prices; lack of itineraries, etc. that made us look for an alternative. When you compare "apples-to-apples" we decided on Princess. Compare the frequent cruiser programs of all cruise lines and you can readily see that Princess leads the industry. Since we moved to Princess this year, we have completed 10 cruises with them. Service is great; crew attitudes is excellent; food is good; and the price is right.