This Princess Just Tried Celebrity...

[MsSoCalCruiser]

[quote name='kywildcatfanone']This is us. 13 cruises all with Princess and I'm afraid to try another for fear of disappointment. :D[/QUOTE]

I've cruised on Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Princess, and Celebrity. I have never been disappointed on any cruise. Sure there are some things I like better than others. But I have thoroughly enjoyed each and every cruise. You'll never know if you like it unless you try it.

[MsSoCalCruiser]

[quote name='richsea']I just found this thread & thanks to the OP for the honest comparisons. While Celebrity is our line of choice, we've been on 3 Princess cruises, with a 4th booked in November. I think that the 2 lines are more alike than different, with both providing the type of cruise we enjoy.

I think that when anyone who is used to one line tries another, the best, & hardest thing to do is avoid day to day comparisons. On our 1st 2 Princess sailings, we sent a lot of time comparing, & while we enjoyed ourselves, there was always the "Celebrity does things this or that way". On our 3rd Princess sailing, we decided to just embrace the differences, & not compare them. At the end of the cruise we realized what a fantastic time we had! I guess it's all in your mindset going in.

By the way, it was real nice reading this thread without the "my line is better than yours" bickering.:)[/QUOTE]

This was very nice, thank you. I don't like bickering either.

[Putterdude]

[quote name='Cruise Junky']But...you only needed 10 cruises on Celebrity to become elite vs 15 on Princess. 3 cruises short and you stop cruising them seems kind of strange[/QUOTE]
[SIZE="3"]
I acknowledge it's their loyalty program and they can make whatever changes whenever they want they want with it. However, when the goal posts are moved 200% mid game then the plan becomes a disincentive to those negatively impacted. I rather liken it to if Anheuser-Busch were to increase the price of beer by 200% to a cruise line, wouldn't they source out another vendor; well we are seeking a new cruise line...or returning to an old one. If you benefited under the change, and many did, then good on you. I also acknowledge that many like the structure of the new plan. However, there were certainly a large number of people like ourselves who were allowed to slip between the cracks mid game and were quite vocal about it in the Celebrity forum. We weren't looking for anything extra, we just wanted to be grandfathered in the program until we reached the next level, Elite, which was reasonably within our grasp. In our case, we felt cheated, there is nothing strange about it, it is a matter of principle.[/SIZE]:mad:

[geoherb]

We benefitted from the changes made by Celebrity to its loyalty program. We had an ocean view and two inside cabins on those cruises. Our three cruises turned into more credits than we deserved, but we're still a long way away from the next level. But I don't think we'll be sailing with them again in the near future. The prices don't work out to be good for us, especially after considering the benefits we get on Princess and HAL. Even when we make it to their next level, the benefits aren't as good as we got on Princess after five cruises. Edited September 6, 2014 by geoherb

[Croptop]

My thanks to the OP and all of the contributors to this thread. My wife and I have only ever cruised with Princess and since we're still a long way away from Elite status, we haven't felt the urge to look at other cruise lines. But this thread has made the thought of trying out a Celebrity cruise just a little more intriguing. So perhaps when it comes time to book our next passage, we'll take a peek at what Celebrity has to offer and if it compares favourably to Princess we'll give them a try.

And lastly, like a few previous posters before me, I'd like to applaud everyone for their positivity and civility in this thread. It was a real pleasure to read through the comparisons between the ships without having to wade through a storm of "we're the best; you suck" type comments.

One question comes to mind, though, as I look at Celebrity fares: How does Celebrity handle price drops after you've made a booking? One of the things I *love* about Princess is how there is no hassle whatsoever when a fare drops after we've made a booking. One phone call and *BAM* my fare has been adjusted to whatever the new, best deal is. Does Celebrity do the same thing? Edited September 6, 2014 by Croptop
Added question about Celebrity pricing.

[Cruise Junky]

[quote name='Croptop']One question comes to mind, though, as I look at Celebrity fares: How does Celebrity handle price drops after you've made a booking? One of the things I *love* about Princess is how there is no hassle whatsoever when a fare drops after we've made a booking. One phone call and *BAM* my fare has been adjusted to whatever the new, best deal is. Does Celebrity do the same thing?[/quote]

Hi there...yes, they do. You have to be careful perhaps a bit more with Celebrity price drops. As they offer things like these free drink packages, they are not combinable with any special fares like Senior discounts. So you have to make sure (or your TA has to make sure) that a price drop is a true price drop and not a special fare so you don't lose any perks. But yeah, they basically operate the same as Princess on fare drops.

[RocketMan275]

[quote name='Cruise Junky']Rocketman, definitely not more formal now it probably was back in 2005 on my first Celebrity cruise but not now.[/QUOTE]

I actually booked a cruise on Silhouette last fall. I cancelled based upon the comments posted by some on the Celebrity forum on formal nights and dress codes. I decided that if the comments made by the more prolific proponents of formal night reflected the attitude of those who cruised Celebrity, I should go elsewhere.

[Cruise Junky]

[quote name='RocketMan275']I actually booked a cruise on Silhouette last fall. I cancelled based upon the comments posted by some on the Celebrity forum on formal nights and dress codes. I decided that if the comments made by the more prolific proponents of formal night reflected the attitude of those who cruised Celebrity, I should go elsewhere.[/quote]

Oh man, I don't blame you. They're brutal over there about formal attire. Honestly, it's not like that on board the ship. I'm really sorry to see that you cancelled. Solstice is the only ship I've ever walked on and were just stunned at how gorgeous she was. A jacket will get you in anywhere and all the specialty restaurants are smart casual on formal night just like Princess.

[RocketMan275]

[quote name='Cruise Junky']Oh man, I don't blame you. They're brutal over there about formal attire. Honestly, it's not like that on board the ship. I'm really sorry to see that you cancelled. Solstice is the only ship I've ever walked on and were just stunned at how gorgeous she was. A jacket will get you in anywhere and all the specialty restaurants are smart casual on formal night just like Princess.[/QUOTE]

I figured things were different once on-board. I was torn between Celebrity and Princess and the attitude I encountered on the Celebrity threads only tipped the scales. But the bottom line was, I really didn't want to associate with people who displayed that kind of arrogance. It is one thing to hold strong feelings. It is another thing to brag about refusing to allow waiters to seat someone at your table because you disagree with their dress. Or, to escort the maitre d through the dining room pointing out dress code violations.

[PescadoAmarillo]

We did most of our Celebrity cruises when we really did have to pack a lot more clothing to meet evening dress requirements. But they've since changed their dress codes and now we wouldn't have to pack any differently than for a Princess cruise.

There are self-appointed dress code police on both boards. You may not have encountered them yet on the Princess board because perhaps their numbers are fewer. Frankly, people spouting that they would point out others' dress code violations to the maître de or the ill-dressed passengers themselves tells me more about them than the cruise line or fellow travelers.

[jagoffee]

[quote name='Cruise Junky']But...you only needed 10 cruises on Celebrity to become elite vs 15 on Princess. 3 cruises short and you stop cruising them seems kind of strange[/QUOTE]

Actually in the previous overly generous Celebrity program you could earn the Elite level after only 5 cruises. It is now closer to the Princess earning method.
The controversy was in the implementation of the new earning method especially with cruises already booked. Celebrity made it effective immediately. Cruisers in higher level cabins and longer cruises benefited immediately while those in lower level cabins immediately earned less.
You received one credit for a single cruise no matter the category/length, another credit for a Concierge (non suite) and above cabin, and another for cruises over a certain number of days (10 or so, but I do not remember the exact number). For a total of 3 credits on one cruise. The earning system is now based on cabin category and days cruised. Inside cabins earn less and high level suites earn significantly more on a per day basis. More in line with the Princess system.

As several have mentioned they are not cruising Celebrity because the implantation process penalized them immediately and they did not earn the Elite level as they expected. Reasonable disappointed. Celebrity also added to new levels above the Elite level.

[Cruise Junky]

It actually didn't penalize them immediately because everyone's points converted by the same amount. 1 point = 30points. It did however penalize someone with a lower category booked for a future cruise. They would not receive the points that they [U]assumed[/U] they would get.