Celebrity or Princess?

[NOSaints1]

What difference is between Celebrity vs Princess? What has better food, entertainment, intenerays and for the price what would you recommend?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Cruise Junky]

I like both and I don't think there is one answer besides "depends" to any of your questions. I have 11 on Princess and 2 on Celebrity. I sailed on Millennium in 2005 and it was nice but we returned to Princess. We sailed on Solstice in Late April and wowza..stunning ship

 

Food...MDR was fancier on Celebrity but the food is good in both

 

Itineraries...completely depends on what you're looking for

 

Specialty restaurants...celebrity by a land slide

 

Drinks and specialty restaurants are more expensive on Celebrity. But if you book before the 31st you get a free drink package

 

Bottom line for us if pricing and itinerary were similar, if it's a M class, I'll pick Princess but if it's an S class..Celebrity

Edited July 30, 2014 by Cruise Junky

[JF - retired RRT]

For me, the main difference is that Princess allows you to "stack" OBC. You don't have to pick and choose (as is true with most others). We have military, shareholders, plus any OBC that Princess and the TA are giving. It can really add up. It lets us take excursions or decrease the overall cost of the cruise (when we have a positive balance at the end - we get it back).

[Oxo]

For me, the main difference is that Princess allows you to "stack" OBC. You don't have to pick and choose (as is true with most others). We have military, shareholders, plus any OBC that Princess and the TA are giving. It can really add up. It lets us take excursions or decrease the overall cost of the cruise (when we have a positive balance at the end - we get it back).

 

X also allows you to Stack OBC. We have a Military, TA OBC, and FCC OBC, (total OBC $750) plus the Classic Beverage Package (free) on our next X cruise. On our other X cruise the fall we have the same stacked OBC for a total of $500.

 

With X you must prepay your excursions whereas you don't on Princess. If you choose Anytime/Select Dining on X you must also prepay that. These two things are IMO not better. Princess does not charge you until you get on-board.

 

Food is very subjective. We cruise both X and Princess. Food also depends on the ship/chief. X's S class ships have very good Ocean View Cafe while Royal/Regal (new Princess ships) have excellent buffet area with a lot of food choices.

 

Cabins are bigger on X with bigger verandas too when comapre to Royal/Regal.

 

Inside pool on X S Class ships are very nice and quiet whereas Royal/Regal and most Princess ships do not have indoor pool.

 

If you are Elite or above on X or Elite on Princess, Princess has better perks such as Internet and laundry. X has a better free Happy Hour from 5-7PM with free drinks. Princess does not have a free Happy Hour, but they do have free bar setup for Elite in Cabin. Princess does have an evening reduced drink with snacks.

 

They both are good. Price, ports and ship are the big factors.

 

X does not discount, however, we get some big OBC from our TA and X. Princess does allow TA discounts and OBC, too.

[geoherb]

I like both. Since I own Carnival Corp. stock and don't own RCI, the shareholder credit sometimes gets Princess or HAL ahead of Celebrity if the price and itinerary are equivalent.

[PatriciaF]

If you are willing to pay for Aqua Class--Celebrity is the cruiseline to sail. Eating breakfast and dinner in BLU is liking eating in a specialty dining room everynight.

 

Otherwise, I think they are about equal.

 

Itinerary/Price, not the cruiseline, is the decision maker for us.

[PescadoAmarillo]

Oxo- what is the military OBC on Celebrity? I've not heard of that before.

[Oxo]

Oxo- what is the military OBC on Celebrity? I've not heard of that before.

 

X does not give you a certain/exact $ amount. What they do is discount the price as shown:

 

'Additional Discounts

Are you eligible for additional discounts? Check or enter all that apply below.

Passengers: Adults 2

Someone in my travel group :

Is a resident of State or Province

Is age 55+

Is an active or retired member of the U.S. Military or Canadian forces

Is an active or retired member of U.S. or Canadian Police, Fire Dept. or EMT'

You check the applicable box(s) then click on APPLY and they come back with a adjusted price. Whereas Princess gives you a specific OBC if you are Military.

 

This is Example of what comes back after you apply the discounts:

'Savings Best cruise fare shown Onboard Credit Best cruise fare shown Your Fare

Average per person cruise fare based on the total number of guests in your stateroom after all cruise fare discounts have been applied. Pricing may vary depending on stateroom category selected. 2,899.00 USD*'

 

Hope this helps you. Anyone can go to the X site and try to see what they can get off. However, the discounts are not always available for every cruise/date. Whereas, Princess gives you the OBC on every cruise/date.

Edited July 30, 2014 by Oxo

[Cruise a holic]

I like both and I don't think there is one answer besides "depends" to any of your questions. I have 11 on Princess and 2 on Celebrity. I sailed on Millennium in 2005 and it was nice but we returned to Princess. We sailed on Solstice in Late April and wowza..stunning ship

 

Food...MDR was fancier on Celebrity but the food is good in both

 

Itineraries...completely depends on what you're looking for

 

Specialty restaurants...celebrity by a land slide

 

Drinks and specialty restaurants are more expensive on Celebrity. But if you book before the 31st you get a free drink package

 

Bottom line for us if pricing and itinerary were similar, if it's a M class, I'll pick Princess but if it's an S class..Celebrity

 

Having sailed on both- I would pick Celebrity. When we sailed on Princess a few times, we experienced crowding, especially in the theatre which is inadequate in size, especially the Caribbean Princess. Many people were saving seats, and the Princess staff did nothing, except play an announcement, not to save seats- but it wasn't enforced. The buffet is poor- based on all of the lines we have sailed on, the poorest. Few choices- same old same old.

 

The Princess ship is drab in decor. We did experience a few positives. We enjoyed the paino bar which is lacking on Celebrity. We truly liked the Santuary. The service and seating were great- I was nice not to fight over lounge chairs- however the Silhouette and Reflection, both Celebrity ships have cabana's which were also great. Because we stayed in a suite, we like Princess breakfast in Sabatini's every morning. Celebrity has only one announcement daily- Princess, like it's sister Carnival sends announcements all day long- So not as relaxing. The S class Celebrity ships have great specialty restaurants and the Martini and Molecular bars are really outstanding.

 

While the Celebrity M class ships aren't as grand as the S class, I would vote for Celebrity as a better cruise line hands down.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

Edited July 30, 2014 by Cruise a holic

[dorisis]

For me, the main difference is that Princess allows you to "stack" OBC. You don't have to pick and choose (as is true with most others). We have military, shareholders, plus any OBC that Princess and the TA are giving. It can really add up. It lets us take excursions or decrease the overall cost of the cruise (when we have a positive balance at the end - we get it back).

 

I am going to agree with this post. We are Elite on both lines but find we actually pay less on Princess because we often have some refund from OBCs The Full Suite perks are also better on Princess.

[vplsh]

You have to compare classes and ages of ships. If you like the M class Celebrity ships, compare them to, perhaps, the grand class on Princess.

 

We have sailed on Celebrity Summit and Caribbean Princess this year. My preference is the Summit, more for the lack of inside smoking venues, lounge chair comfort, and entertainment. That doesn't mean that we didn't like the Caribbean Princess. We did. Food and service were equal to Celebrity. As mentioned above, however, if you can book Aqua Class on Celebrity, nothing compares to the dining experience in Blu.

[kendon]

For me, the Summit should be sent out to sea with cement shoes. We were on it two years ago and it was awful. Six months later it failed health inspection. It was filthy, the decor looks like an HGTV project gone bad, the buffet was barely edible, the shopping deck played music from a boombox with wires all over the floor and walls, and having to wait with your carry on luggage in a packed public space until the rooms were available was extremely annoying. Perhaps the Cindarella of the Celebrity fleet, I don't know, but I'm turned off to Celebrity for good. I didn't see anything upscale about this ship.

 

I vote for Princess.

[Cruise a holic]

For me, the Summit should be sent out to sea with cement shoes. We were on it two years ago and it was awful. Six months later it failed health inspection. It was filthy, the decor looks like an HGTV project gone bad, the buffet was barely edible, the shopping deck played music from a boombox with wires all over the floor and walls, and having to wait with your carry on luggage in a packed public space until the rooms were available was extremely annoying. Perhaps the Cindarella of the Celebrity fleet, I don't know, but I'm turned off to Celebrity for good. I didn't see anything upscale about this ship.

 

I vote for Princess.

 

I would give the S class ships a try- Especially the Reflection and the Silhouette. You might change your opinion. The Summit isn't new- but we haven't had any negative experiences. In fact we typically board early and the cabins are ready by one. The buffet on the S class ships are very well designed- different stations vs. the long single line.

 

Enjoy your cruises!

[ready2cruzagain]

I love both Princess and Celebrity but I enjoyed the music on Princess so much more. We love listening to a good band before dinner but on Celebrity, it was a challenge. The cruises we went on played a lot of 40's music which we did not enjoy. Other than that, they would have a guitarist or a piano player. So for me, the entertainment is better on Princess.

[Wineart]

We are elite on Celebrity, but tried Princess for the first time this year because they had a Panama Canal itinerary that was better for us than Celebrity's. We had not been on Princess in about 20 years, and enjoyed the Panama Canal cruise very much. I had a January 2015 cruise booked on Celebrity, but got concerned because of all the negative Celebrity comments being posted on the Celebrity board, and decided to cancel the Celebrity cruise and booked with Princess instead.

[Bruin Steve]

First of all, you likely won't have a bad cruise on either...

And...everyone has their own criteria and standards and expectations...What is important to you may not be to me...

Things like Food (in general) and Entertainment (in general) can be very subjective...

 

That said, though I enjoy both lines, I would always take Celebrity first...for the following reasons:

 

1) Celebrity ships are more spacious. Space per passenger ratios are much higher. Ships are less crowded. Little in the way of waits or lines.

 

2) The showrooms on Princess are not well sized for the number of passengers--leading to more difficulty finding seats or the neccessity to show up earlier.

 

3) Cabins on Celebrity are more ample--at least in terms of usable space. It is a design thing rather than just square footage. The standard Celebrity cabin...in all categories...gives you a sitting area with a sofa. You have to go to a minisuite on Princess to match this. (though storage/drawer space on Princess, over the Celebrity S-class, is superior.

 

4) Dining rooms on Celebrity are more "grand"--larger open spaces spanning multiple floors--giving a more elegant feel than the closed in low-ceilings on Princess.

 

5) Service is better on Celebrity (note the superior crew per passenger ratios).

 

That said, I would not hesitate to cruise on either...Just that, if all things were equal (same itinerary, same price, etc.), I would easily choose Celebrity...

 

JMHO...

[HUNKY]

Having cruised mainly on Celebrity, I find the differences to be small, but important.

 

Celebrity - Welcome glass of sparkling, real bars of soap, bottles of lotion, shampoo and conditioner, chilled water and ice stocked every day (including embarkation day). Superior design and style, indoor solarium pool, ability to reserve specialty dining in advance, complimentary behind the scenes tours, cold towels at the pool, complimentary sushi hour, deli station on buffet. These types of things add up.

 

Although, I must admit, we have a Christmastime cruise on Regal Princess mainly due to a GREAT price as a result of our not so good Noro/fog/shortened cruise on Caribbean Princess. I just wish the cabanas on Princess Cays were nicer and that we could reserve our shipboard poolside cabana in advance.

 

I would suggest trying both! Maybe four nights on Celebrity, followed by three on Princess. Hopefully you will have many years and opportunities to try multiple cruise lines!

[sbflcruiser]

Everyone has things that appeal differently to them. We typically choose Princess first but Celebrity would fall directly 2nd. One the biggest pluses on Princess is the Laundry.. (whether you get it free with elite or use the laundry facilities) We have sent it out on Celebrity but were not happy with the cost nor the results. Love the rooms much better on Celebrity, the buffet food in my opinion is an tie, find breakfast much better on Princess, lunch and dinner better on Celebrity. Main dinning room slight edge to Celebrity. Pizza hands down princess. Grill hands down Princess. Also love the Pub lunch on sea days for Princess. Specialty dining goes to Celebrity. Pools outside venue, tie. The entertainment, other than main shows, hands down to Princess. Main shows only goes to Princess on the 2 new ships, Regal or Royal, otherwise goes to Celebrity. Service, friendliness of staff etc, hands down goes to Princess. The new enclave on the Royal/Regal also tilts the spa to Princess. Love that with the Celebrity soda package you can have cans of soda not just from the "gun".

 

Everyone places a different valve on these items, but for us Princess gets the edge above, but would not hesitate to book with Celebrity. What ever you choice enjoy your cruise.

[OCruisers]

While Princess is a better "All Around" fit for us, we have never had a bad cruise on Celebrity. :)

LuLu

[UpcountryTravelers]

We find Princess and Celebrity to be very close. In fact, Princess' only competition is Celebrity and vice versa. Everyone else is either WAY down in quality and service, or way UP in cost!

 

Depending on itinerary, would go with either one, although Princess loyalty package is better, and you get to use any pool bar on Princess.

[avalon1025]

If you are willing to pay for Aqua Class--Celebrity is the cruiseline to sail. Eating breakfast and dinner in BLU is liking eating in a specialty dining room everynight.

 

Otherwise, I think they are about equal.

 

Itinerary/Price, not the cruiseline, is the decision maker for us.

 

Agree, aqua class is overall a better experience than Princess

[avalon1025]

I am going to agree with this post. We are Elite on both lines but find we actually pay less on Princess because we often have some refund from OBCs The Full Suite perks are also better on Princess.

 

The celebrity suite perks include butlers, Blu, a separate concierge lounge, drink package, and soon a dedicated suite restaurant. Princess doesn't even come close

[LovetheSea]

I am an Elite member on Celebrity and just booked our tenth cruise on Princess. Celebrity wins hands down for the food. On my last Princess cruise they only had Meatloaf at the carving station for the sail away lunch. The drinks in the bar are much better on Celebrity. Entertainment better on Celebrity. I like the pools better on Princess. Especially in Alaska. The price is usually better on Princess. Had better experiences with the crew on Princess. Waiters, cabin stewards etc. We got tired of the itineraries on Celebrity. Tired of going to San Juan and Nassau. I also like RCCL. Diamond member on that line. Been on Norwegian, Carnival and Holland. Not a fan. These are my personnel experiences for me. I am sure others may have had different ones.

[TM]

We're elite on Princess and only have a couple of cruises on Celebrity. I think the overall arrangement of the buffet area on the newer Celebrity ships is much better than on Princess. Definitely more variety and much more open and better laid out. The pasta and deli sections are great. And while the dining rooms themselves are nicer in appearance than on Princess ships, I think the food in the MDR on Princess wins hands down over Celebrity. Definitely a greater variety of dishes in the MDR on Princess and you certainly can't beat their soups and pastas. The entertainment on Princess is much better on Princess than Celebrity which is almost non-existent after 10:00 pm. I also found the cabins and storage space much better laid out on Princess although the couch in most rooms on Celebrity was nice to have but certainly not a deal breaker. You can't go wrong with either cruise line but we'll most likely continue to stick with Princess.

[HUNKY]

Just remembered another difference, Celebrity has actual sommeliers and a much more varied wine list.