Princess over Celebrity

[brownie9]

What would make me choose Princess over Celebrity? I have a cruise on each that would work for me. Just wanted to know if there is any difference???

 

Thanks for your help,

 

Brownie 9

[mizLORInj]

Wow, tough call. They are both so similar. I like both and would have to consider cost and itinerary too. I do want to try out Celebrity's Solstice class ships.

I've found the cost is usually higher to sail Celebrity (except for Summit which I would not sail again till its refurb in 2012).

 

Which are you comparing?

[Nanatravel]

Celebrity 'was' my first love of a cruise line. However, as you can see from my history below, we have been cruising on Princess lately. Balcony Cabins on Celebrity usually have a small sofa, while Princess balconies do not. Princess offers Anytime dining although I love late Traditional and I am not sure about Celebrity. Shows are a notch better on Princess, while Celebrity might offer something 'different'. Food choices are equal. Buffet on Princess is preferred as it is open longer (or was since we last sailed Celebrity). Alternative dining options on Princess are very good but the specialty dining was a rare treat on Celebrity. They make you feel like a celebrity.

 

I now go for itinerary and time at port. I pick a fairly new ship that I haven't sailed upon if at all possible, although many ships are twins. I book the category I can live with and the location.

 

Good luck.

[chamima]

We've sailed a lot on Princess and wanted to try Celebrity because we are non smokers (no smoking in cabins or balconies on their ships) and because the Aqua class on their Solstice class sounded intriguing.

So we went on a one week cruise on the Solstice last Dec.

The initial price of the cruise was very inexpensive but we found everything on board was more than on Princess. Specialty coffee $5 vs. $2.50, martini $12 vs. $8, Corkage $25 vs. $15, even the wine was higher. We like Princess food better (especially the desserts!).

However, the specialty restaurant Murano was really something special!~

That said, the Solstice was a BEAUTIFUL ship. The service was similar, the bathroom (and the shower) MUCH nicer and the bed much more comfortable. Closet was small and storage not very good.

If everything were equal we would choose Princess over Celebrity but we wouldn't rule out another Celebrity cruise. Hope this helps!

[wrxrob]

When we researched our first cruise, we looked at Celebrity, but the overall consensus was that Princess had a younger crowd and more activities. We are in our early 30s, and did not want to cruise on a ship ENTIRELY of the retired community.

 

That said, I've heard good things about Celebrity since, and would still like to try out their Solstice. Since we've only been on one cruise (Crown Princess), we have nothing to compare that to.

[brownie9]

We are comparing a Europe cruise tour on the Eclipse to a Europe cruise on the Princess Ruby. Looks the same to me. It is so hard to choose. We have cruised many times but on RCCL or Carvinal. We are looking for a little less party and more relaxation with a LITTLE bit of party.

 

Brownie 9

 

 

 

 

quote=mizlorinj;29079255]Wow, tough call. They are both so similar. I like both and would have to consider cost and itinerary too. I do want to try out Celebrity's Solstice class ships.

 

I've found the cost is usually higher to sail Celebrity (except for Summit which I would not sail again till its refurb in 2012).

 

Which are you comparing?

[indycrew]

we sailed the Solstice soon after it came out. We were total RCCL people, in our late 50's, and thought we would "upgrade". We found the Solstice rather staid and "old ladyish". Claim to fame that they do not have many notices over the PA, and it was quiet, but we felt we missed out on things. We are not partiers, but wow, it was quiet, except the martini bar, which was outstanding. The ship was, however, beautiful...food, okay - not a step up that we expected from RCCL. We are taking our first Princess June 9th...so it will be a test. All we have heard is very positive!:o

[Expat...]

Found them very comparable for me, really like both, should also say was on Holland America for first time on a Med. cruise, really thought it was similar as well. In my 30's and found them all equally enjoyable.

[brownie9]

Thanks so much. You all have been helpful.

 

Brownie 9

[geoherb]

We like both. Princess has won out more times with us. So now, we factor in the past passenger perks on Princess whenever we sail with another cruise line. Overall, the food and entertainment are satisfactory on both. I also like HAL.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Princes food is better

[need2cruisesoon]

What would make me choose Princess over Celebrity? I have a cruise on each that would work for me. Just wanted to know if there is any difference???

 

Thanks for your help,

 

Brownie 9

 

Last year at this time we were deciding between the Equinox or Ruby for the July '10 Med cruise. We made a decision based on port itinerary and subsequently went with Ruby. Had a great time on the Ruby and would highly recommend.

[ScottFromUtah]

DW and I been on three cruises: Princess (Alaska), Celebrity (Greece and Turkey), and Holland American (South American and Antarctica). We loved them all. We judge our cruises primarily by the cultural and scenic land tours at the ports, and not so much on the ship itself. But we enjoyed all three ships; the food, service, recreation, shows, lectures and other amenities were excellent on all of them. I just wish they all had a bigger running track. :mad: It's hard to do a 10-mile marathon training run on a track that is 13 laps per mile. :eek:

 

We have booked two future cruises--one next month (June 2011) to Russia and Scandinavia, and another one in January 2012 to Australia and New Zealand (with a post-cruise trip to Fiji). Both of those cruises are on Princess. Why did we choose Princess? We didn't. We booked the cruise based on where and when we wanted to go, and both cruises happen to be Princess.

[Gatormomma]

We have sailed on both. The most recent was in December on Celebrity Equinox. The ship is beautiful. The stateroom is huge and beautiful. We really liked the accommodations. The food -- wasn't that good. Speciality restaurants are overpriced!!

 

We think Princess has better food; however, as you said, staterooms are small, and sofas come with a price. We always travel with the itinerary, so decisions always have to be made.

 

Either way....you will have FUN.

[KruzPrincess]

I think you would likely enjoy either one. I sailed on the Equinox last year and it was my first Celebrity cruise. I usually cruise Princess. It was a good cruise and I enjoyed it. I prefer Princess. The balcony cabins on the Equinox are larger and the beds are more comfortable. I liked the cabin better. It was very quiet and sedate on Celebrity. I find there's more activities, but not big partying on Princess. Both ships are lovely in their own way. The new Celebity ships are more modern and the newer Princess ships have more charm. Food is subjective, but I like Princess food better. I went Celebrity last year to try it and my next two cruises booked are on Princess. Princess has the best loyalty program.

[sammamishcruiser]

Our very first cruise was on Princess (Sun Princess, 2006) and we loved it, then again, it was our first cruise. I would sail on Princess again, IF the price and itenerary were the right ones.(NOT on the Sun) As you can see by my countdown clocks, I have 3 celebrity cruises coming up. The prices on ALL three of these cruises- almost same #of nights and itenerary - are higher on Princess (by at least 2- 3 hundred)!! Also, we thought the theater on Celebrity was a lot better, did not have to get ther 1/2 hour before show or save seats:(:eek:! You could walk in 5-10 min before and still find seats together!

The food on both was good, IMHO! Celebrity now has anytime dining, but have not tried it yet.

I did enjoy the atrium on the Princess ship, very nice. The nod goes the celebrity for the staterooms -they ALL have couches, even inside cabins. Good for company!

 

We have not sailed the S class ships yet, so cannot comet on them. We hope to sail Princess again, BUT not on the Sun Princess, could not get my DH on it, he did not like the enclosed balcony.

 

We also enjoy the No-Smoking policy on Celebrity! I can actually go in the Casino and use our balcony!!:)

Melody:D

[Infi]

Both are great cruiselines, and very similar. If you like one, you'll probably like the other. They offer a similar experience with more of an emphasis on food and service than the mass-market lines. Celebrity has some of the best specialty restaurants at sea IMHO. They may be pricier than Sabatini's and Crown Grill on Princess, but I think the quality and service you receive justifies the price. I choose Princess over Celebrity for itinerary and at the holidays because they excel in both of those areas. If you've found an itinerary you like, why not go with the line you haven't tried before? You may find a new line you enjoy.

[cruzinchris]

DH and I only sailed on Celebrity once (Horizon, Southern Caribbean, 1997) and were not enamored with several aspects of the line. In fact, the cruise was so disappointing that we took a break from cruising altogether for several years and vacationed at some very nice Caribbean resorts and travled to Europe.

 

That said, there is an upcoming Celebrity cruise that will feature Food Network's Chef Anne Burrell. The Mediterranean itinerary isn't appealing, and most of the voyage is trans-Atlantic to New York for the Caribbean season. DH and I both like Burrell and think it would be awesome to meet her and participate in onboard cooking classes, demonstrations, social events, etc., all of which are additional to the initial cruisefare. We're still debating about whether or not it might be worth it to sail with Chef Anne who was recently nominated for a Daytime Emmy for her FN show, "Secrets of a Restaurant Chef".

 

Of course, what would really be nice is for Princess to offer a similar sailing with a celebrity Chef :D

 

Bon Appetit!

Chris

[PescadoAmarillo]

I think that which cruiseline's food will appeal more to you depends on which type of food you like to eat. Beef eaters will find far more on Celebrity than on Princess; seafood eaters will prefer Princess. We find Celebrity's ice cream to be better, and I love their breadsticks. Celebrity's buffet is far superior (IMO), with more fresh, made to order foods (and while their buffet itself does close throughout the day, the pasta, stir fry and sandwich stations are generally open from about 11:30a to 8:00p or so).

 

So saying, DH, who loves beef and ice cream, is probably more of a Princess fan than I am, so he certainly finds something to eat on their ships.

 

Entertainment is also subjective, but, in general, I prefer what others might term "highbrow" entertainment" (as opposed to comedians who joke about cruise ship toilets and airline travel), and I have found it to be more plentiful on Celebrity than on Princess.

 

It's sad, but I see us migrating more and more away from Celebrity (150 days) to Princess (250+ days) simply because Princess is, in general, a better value for us, not because we prefer their product (although both cruiselines are our two favorites and both are fine with us).

[FritzG]

After 2 Ruby TA's we tried Eclipse's first TA this past fall. We were disappointed in Celebrity, and we'll definitely choose Princess for our next cruise. We were in Concierge class, and we liked the larger bathroom and sofa in the cabin, but the closet was tiny and the storage area above the beds was a joke. We didn't like that there was nowhere to walk all around the ship outside. We love walking around outside on a couple of decks on Princess. We found the food and entertainment to be much better on Princess. Celebrity was not a good fit for us at all.

[Cruisematic]

Been on both (more on Princess) and both have their advantages. We have future cruise credits for each and would make the best of either.

[psyfi]

I have sailed both. We would choose Princess if they had a better itinerary but is the itinerary was comparable, we prefer Celebrity. I think their food is better (although Princess has better pizza) and our last cruise on the Eclipse was the best--we had so much fun onboard. I like the non-smoking aspect and fewer announcements. Tough choice, have fun planning!

[ClairetoCruise]

We are comparing a Europe cruise tour on the Eclipse to a Europe cruise on the Princess Ruby. Looks the same to me. It is so hard to choose. We have cruised many times but on RCCL or Carvinal. We are looking for a little less party and more relaxation with a LITTLE bit of party.

 

Brownie 9

 

 

 

 

quote=mizlorinj;29079255]Wow, tough call. They are both so similar. I like both and would have to consider cost and itinerary too. I do want to try out Celebrity's Solstice class ships.

 

I've found the cost is usually higher to sail Celebrity (except for Summit which I would not sail again till its refurb in 2012).

 

Which are you comparing?

 

I'd take Ruby because RELAXING is easier. Food is always available so you don't have to consider time and getting dressed after a long day in port. Also the pools are open longer and there are more places to find entertainment. Did anyone mention the long promenade on Ruby and the abbreviated version w/life boats on Celebrity S-Class ships.

 

Claire

[FritzG]

 

I'd take Ruby because RELAXING is easier. Food is always available so you don't have to consider time and getting dressed after a long day in port. ... Did anyone mention the long promenade on Ruby and the abbreviated version w/life boats on Celebrity S-Class ships.

 

Claire

 

The long promenade that we enjoyed so much on Ruby was something we really missed on Eclipse.