Who do we go with?

[kentona]

After completing our first cruise just a few days ago, we are now hooked on cruising and are already thinking about our next one for next year.

For our first cruise we went on the Grand Princess for 7 nights to the Norwegian Fjords.

We have decided on the destination for our next cruise - the Mediterranean from Southampton (neither of us like flying).

This leads to my question, which is who should we go with 1) Princess, 2) Royal Caribbean or 3) Celebrity?

Can anyone shed any info about Royal Caribbean or Celebrity that will help us make our decision, or put forward any other Cruise lines that we might have not thought about.

We are both in our mid-thirties and enjoyed the princess's approach to the dress code, but are thinking that there might be more to do on the ship on sea days with Royal Caribbean and then there are the excursions which appear to be cheaper and more extensive with Celebrity.

What are the food options like in the buffet restaurants on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity? Do they only serve an option from the main dining room, like Princess?

Many thanks for any info.

S&M

[dforeigner]

If you like Princess, stay with Princess. If you want to try another line, give Celebrity a shot. Now keep in mind the following, Celebrity's night life is not as good as Princess'. Being the the Med is a port intensive cruise, this is probably a non issue. One thing that Celebrity does do better is the theater. They have better capacity and there is no need to show up 30-40 minutes before the show in order to get a seat.

[Keith1010]

I happened to think that Princess does a better cruise of the Med than either RCI or Celebrity. I do like Celebrity though and would recommend them for a cruise. Celebrity is owned by RCI and is considered a premium cruise line. Many of the RCI ships are great for kids and RCI has a younger passenger base than Celebrity.

 

When you select the Med I believe the major driver should be the itinerary but Princess does have some excellent itineraries.

 

Keith

[firefly333]

I love RCL but there are some routes Princess does well, like Alaska. For Caribbean, Im happy with RCL and cant wait to see Oasis.

[eh2zed]

Princess and RCCl are rated generally equal and Celebrity a half to a full star higher. You will have a good time and eat well on any of them. In the Med its all about itinerary. Pick the itinerary you like best.

[momofmeg]

Princess and RCCl are rated generally equal and Celebrity a half to a full star higher. You will have a good time and eat well on any of them. In the Med its all about itinerary. Pick the itinerary you like best.

 

I agree, Celebrity is better, but I would go with any.

 

To the OP, since you are "hooked," I suspect you will cruise many more times. If budget is an issue, go with best price. If you favor some ports offered by one line,over others and budget is not an issue, choose by ports.

 

You really can't go wrong all are good cruise lines-and heck-in time-you can go on all 3 lines since you live in the UK.

[Nebr.cruiser]

I personally don't think there is all that much difference between the major cruise lines; I've sailed all three you mentioned, as well as Carnival and NCL (though not in the Med, or only partially on transantlantics) and each have their good and not as good points.

 

Princess and Celebrity are probably more alike, RCI does have more active activities, at least on certain ships, such as the rock climbing wall and ice skating or flow rider. I don't like their buffet food, though.

 

Princess buffet food is better but congested. Celebrities buffet food is good, but doesn't vary much from day to day. IMO, the main dining room food has always been fine on all three.

 

The best shows I've had at sea were actually on Norwegian, the others are comparable to each other, though the Princess theaters are a little more crowded. We do like MUTS, though (at night).

 

Since Med cruises are usually so port intensive, probably the ship itself isn't that important. We rarely take ship excursions, usually private, so I can't address the price comparisons there.

[Essiesmom]

Why are you not considering P&O, sister line to Princess, sailing nearly identical ships...Cunard also sail the Med. from Soton. Lots more choices out there...EM

[jocap]

I was just going to suggest that, Essiesmom!

I've found very little difference between Princess and P&O's large ships, which are all "Grand" class, Grand Princess being the first of that style ship from the shipyards.... Ventura is packed with things to do, but is classed as a family ship (who worries- we're just going to book our 4th cruise on her, and we're pensioners.....), Azura is slightly more formal.

Don't forget that the American owned ships may seem slightly cheaper, but P&O have pub price drinks with no 15%; other tips are suggested at around £3 per day; shuttles are free and you may get free transport or parking included.....so it works out pretty much the same.

Having said that, Independence seems to suit all ages, and has consistantly good reviews both here and on other forums.

Celebrity always seems to be a notch higher than the other lines in food and service, but doesn't get the same marks for activities.

Cunard comes out with high scores, and is the most formal of all.

What a lot of studying you now have to do!

Enjoy choosing! :D

Jo.

[kentona]

Many thanks all for your feedback.

 

As for P&O, I don't know why we didn't think of them, but will certainly look into their ships and itinerary.

 

Thanks again.

[Starry Eyes]

If shipboard activities are a priority, I suspect young cruisers will love Royal's Independence of the Seas. I love the ship and have had good food and service when she cruised the Caribbean. Prices on European cruises seem very low this year, suggesting there is currently too much capacity in Europe this summer. I suspect, therefore, that fewer or smaller ships will be placed there future. You may want to pick one of the big ships now, as they may or may not be back in future years.

 

since I live in the US for me a Med cruise is more about the ports, so I pick mostly by itinerary. that may be different for those from the other side of the pond. happy cruising.

[OK Rancher]

I've been on all three lines you mention, and find that, overall, Princess has the best offerings. Yes, if you are rock climbers or surfers, RCCL has more active offerings, but when it comes down to it, I find the service, food and overall experience better on Princess. I think Celebrity has good food, but some of its high marks are based on its reputation for good food and not the actual food. All the lines have made some great strides in dining.

 

But in the Mediterranean, I would always go with the ports I wanted to see.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

celebrity is very nice