Where is food better - Princess or Celebrity

[rdsqrl]

She has only cruised celebrity 1 time. I personally know that. Thank you for being her voice. Lol

Thank you for missing my point.

 

[Oxo]

Thank you for missing my point.

 

 

I must have missed it. Try again. Thank you!

[pris993]

We are elite on Princess and Celebrity... never thought Celebrity was better.

 

We don't cruise for food, we eat better at home.

 

But, do feel Princess is better for us and our tastes. We prefer food prepared simply and usually special order MDR meals. Princess is very responsives, Celebrity has always been hit and miss. The new X class ships never delivered to our satisfaction in the MDR. We tried BLU once, okay but not outstanding. BLU is more like Princess in the MDR for us. l Depending on the price difference, we usually book a CC cabin on X, similar to a Princess mini suite.

 

Have not been on the new Royal or Regal, too much like a X ship for me, "miss" the main deck on X, so no point booking the Royal or Regal. Much prefer the Grand class ships on Princess.

 

Do feel the buffet on X is very good and would give it an edge to Princess, since I have not been on the Royal or Regal. We typically skip the MDR on X and stick with the buffet as a result, since we find the MDR on X to be too crowded and noisy and since we don't feel the food and service up to par no point.

 

We enjoy breakfast in our cabin on both Princess and X.

 

Enjoy Sabatini's on Princess... only order the veal chops though.

[Mikeandme]

DH and I sail on both lines regularly and are Elite on both. We enjoy MDR food on both, but I would give the nod to Princess in this regard. Blu, too, is good. We just returned from a b2b on Celebrity Summit and experienced their new dining venue for the first time and absolutely loved it. Luminae is on par with, if not better than, specialty restaurants on both lines, and we recommend it highly for those who sail in suites. Food quality, preparation, presentation, and service are all top notch. It certainly came as a pleasant surprise to us. Meals are individually prepared, so it is restaurant quality. If food is important, this trumps everything available on both lines. We've always sailed in suites on Celebrity, so this was a welcome surprise for us.

[kendon]

I have only been on one Celebrity ship, the Summit, and the experience was so poor (particularly the food) that I won't give it a second chance. Just because the ship is old, doesn't mean that the standards have to be much lower than the rest of the fleet. I never understood that.

 

Anyway, of course my vote is for Princess.

[athenagirl]

We cruised on the Solstice last year from Hawaii to Vancouver. The ship is absolutely beautiful and the entertainment was great but the food in the MDR and buffet was way below average and that includes the service in MDR. The lack of choices and pitiful dessert in the buffet was most disappointing. Rude and lack of service in the MDR, rubbery prawns, lack of fruit on what was supposed to be a blueberry topped cheesecake .....we were told they didn't have any so all you get is sauce. However, the food in the specialty restaurants was great. Princess on the other hand has never disappointed. Tasty and varied buffet, you actually get cake and pie slices, not little squares that all taste the same as on Celebrity. Food and service always good in MDR and if you were in any way disappointed, you could opt for something else. We also enjoyed Sabatini's. We also sailed on the Celebrity Mercury several years ago .....most disappointing in every way. Will definitely stick with Princess.

[Iamcruzin]

Tasty and varied buffet, you actually get cake and pie slices, not little squares that all taste the same as on Celebrity

I thought I was the only one who noticed those little squares. They should be served on a tooth pick. I have had larger samples in the supermarket. Don't even get me started on the jello and pudding that was served in a shot glass.

[lucky cal]

Celebrity has a pool side grill that cooks burgers to order.

 

And those burgers (and fries) were fantastic on Celebrity Reflection last summer!

[Cruise Junky]

We cruised on the Solstice last year from Hawaii to Vancouver. The ship is absolutely beautiful and the entertainment was great but the food in the MDR and buffet was way below average and that includes the service in MDR. The lack of choices and pitiful dessert in the buffet was most disappointing. Rude and lack of service in the MDR, rubbery prawns, lack of fruit on what was supposed to be a blueberry topped cheesecake .....we were told they didn't have any so all you get is sauce. However, the food in the specialty restaurants was great. Princess on the other hand has never disappointed. Tasty and varied buffet, you actually get cake and pie slices, not little squares that all taste the same as on Celebrity. Food and service always good in MDR and if you were in any way disappointed, you could opt for something else. We also enjoyed Sabatini's. We also sailed on the Celebrity Mercury several years ago .....most disappointing in every way. Will definitely stick with Princess.

 

I think we were on the same cruise but with very different experiences towards the food.

[UpcountryTravelers]

We've sailed Princess a lot, and only the one cruise on the then-new Celebrity Reflection. We found the food to be very equal, with Princess better on some things and Celebrity on others. (Princess wins on escargot and breadsticks, two favorites.) The buffet with the table service on Princess is superior. Royal Princess and Regal Princess have the best buffet we've seen on any line. But Princess has nothing to compare with the wonderful brunch on the Reflection. And Celebrity has nothing to compare with the IC. MDR food and service we found to be very similar.

 

We will be sailing more Celebrity in the future, but Princess will always be our favorite, unless they go with everything Regal and Royal.

[Colo Cruiser]

I thought I was the only one who noticed those little squares. They should be served on a tooth pick. I have had larger samples in the supermarket. Don't even get me started on the jello and pudding that was served in a shot glass.

 

Sounds like fun, jello shots?

[GUT2407]

Really not a huge difference.

 

But none of the mainline cruise lines serve great food, it is conference or wedding food, but it has to be, they are serving thousands of meals, It is good without rising to great, the biggest plus is there is plenty of it and f you don't like a dish there's always something else.

[Iamcruzin]

Sounds like fun, jello shots?

Minus the Vodka.:(

[Cruise Junky]

Really not a huge difference.

 

But none of the mainline cruise lines serve great food, it is conference or wedding food, but it has to be, they are serving thousands of meals, It is good without rising to great, the biggest plus is there is plenty of it and f you don't like a dish there's always something else.

 

Exactly. One might be more to your taste but the level of quality across main stream lines is pretty much the same.

[grandpaiscruising]

I recently returned from the Ruby Princess to Alaska for my 23rd Princess cruise and found the food in the MDR to be as good or better than I get on Celebrity in the MDR. Princess had lobster in the MDR and on Celebrity you only got lobster in a specialty restaurant. I spend 14 days this winter on Celebrity dining in Blu and it was superior to what I got in Princess. If you dine in Blu or better then Celebrity is better. Otherwise I like Princess and will continue to sail both lines. The specialty restaurants on Princess are also more affordable as they can cost almost twice as much on Celebrity.:)

 

Silhouette, 3/26/17, Summit, 5/8/16 Solstice, 2/14/16 HAL 56 days, RCCL 104 points, NCL 28 days, Princess Elite 228 days, Royal 14 days, Cunard 49 days, Celebrity Elite+ 757 points

[Hawaiidan]

Both, are mid level mass market ships who compete against each other. Celebrity has no better meals but they get the edge by having more options.

Too you can include Royal Caribbean as an equal.

 

Superior mass market would be Holland America... but way less options but better food than the aforementioned 4

 

For great food you need to go to the luxury ,Seabourn Crystal, Silversea and the best of the best for food...Oceania which currently spends more on food per passenger than any other line and all its restauraunt are no charge,/inclusive so you can eat 32oz Prime porterhouse and steamed whole maine lobster daily...all included in your fare

[Oxo]

Princess had lobster in the MDR and on Celebrity you only got lobster in a specialty restaurant. The specialty restaurants on Princess are also more affordable as they can cost almost twice as much on Celebrity.:)

 

QUOTE]

 

If you are Elite+ on Celebrity I really don't understand what ships you have sailed on and can say the only got lobster in a Specialty Restaurant. Like you, we do Princess and Celebrity. In the past 2 years we have done 6 Celebrity cruises and never did we NOT have lobster in the MDR. We sailed on the Solstice, Silhouette, Equinox and Eclipse. We seldom go the SRs since they charge $45 and $50/lperson, unless you get a % discount.

I consider both cruise lines equal in food and service. Some things you can get on the everyday menu on Celebrity where you cannot get them on Princess. However, there are other things that Princess excels in such as pasta, pizza, IC, Royal & Regal Buffet, just to mention a few.

As for dining in Blu, the big factor that many talk about is the healthy menu (small portions). Now Celebrity has the Suite Dining Room. Yet, many who can use the Suite DR, still order from the left side of the MDR menu. Now, why? Because the Suite DR menu is limited to selection.

I owe no loyalty to either cruise line as we cruise them both. However, I try to tell the experiences we have had and not be a cheerleader for any cruise line.

Food is very subjective!!!!

[Pam in CA]

I agree that Pam needs to cruise an S class celebrity ship.;) Especially if she is going to compare it to the newest Princess ships. No comparison. Summit is a pretty, traditional ship, but is over 15 years old.

I only compared the buffet on the newest Princess ships. :) And yes, I have only one Celebrity cruise, the Summit, and paid almost $2,400 for a tiny, cramped balcony cabin with no mini-frig, no WiFi, no laundry, etc. The space between the bed and the wall was 11", measured with a measuring tape. Yes, it had a small couch but it didn't fit and had to be angled. That's a heck of a lot of money to pay for one person on a 7-day cruise. Granted, the Summit has been renovated since then but I'm reluctant to spent that kind of money for what could be a similar experience.

 

There were other issues such as my toilet was non-operational for four days without a response from any Celebrity staff or representative other than, "You, too?"; the wheelchair (not mine) that my steward stored literally in front of my cabin door every night that I had to move to get in and out of my cabin, the scooter parked permanently in the narrow passage to get to the other side of the ship to the elevators, etc. I wouldn't try Celebrity again unless I got the deal of the century. Just my opinion and experience.

Edited May 23, 2015 by Pam in CA

[Aquahound]

I only compared the buffet on the newest Princess ships. :) And yes, I have only one Celebrity cruise, the Summit, and paid almost $2,400 for a tiny, cramped balcony cabin with no mini-frig, no WiFi, no laundry, etc. The space between the bed and the wall was 11", measured with a measuring tape. Yes, it had a small couch but it didn't fit and had to be angled. That's a heck of a lot of money to pay for one person on a 7-day cruise.

 

Are you sure you were on the Celebrity Summit? :confused: Other than no self-serve laundry, that description doesn't sound like a balcony room on Summit at all.

[Iamcruzin]

Are you sure you were on the Celebrity Summit? :confused: Other than no self-serve laundry, that description doesn't sound like a balcony room on Summit at all.

 

I was in an Ocean view on the Summit and it was better than any room I had on Princess. The food was mediocre at best but we were very happy with the room and service. We have booked a balcony, ocean view, and interior on Princess and I always found the rooms to be cramped and the bathroom shower small.

[Loucat]

Due to the "food issue" we stopped sailing unless we do suites on Princess or if we sail X , it would be Aqua Class again.

Eating in Blu is hands down a great experience.

On Princess, we walked out of Sabatini's due to the service and food. Other specialty restaurants were OK.

We are foodies and eat well at home and expect nothing less when we sail.

So, we sail less but stopped doing MDR meals and buffets.

We gave up on RCL 2 years ago as having reached D+ with many sailings, I could not see paying good money to eat awful food. Their MDR food and specialty venues declined so much since we began sailing.

[Oxo]

I only compared the buffet on the newest Princess ships. :) And yes, I have only one Celebrity cruise, the Summit, and paid almost $2,400 for a tiny, cramped balcony cabin with no mini-frig, no WiFi, no laundry, etc. The space between the bed and the wall was 11", measured with a measuring tape. Yes, it had a small couch but it didn't fit and had to be angled. That's a heck of a lot of money to pay for one person on a 7-day cruise. Granted, the Summit has been renovated since then but I'm reluctant to spent that kind of money for what could be a similar experience.

 

There were other issues such as my toilet was non-operational for four days without a response from any Celebrity staff or representative other than, "You, too?"; the wheelchair (not mine) that my steward stored literally in front of my cabin door every night that I had to move to get in and out of my cabin, the scooter parked permanently in the narrow passage to get to the other side of the ship to the elevators, etc. I wouldn't try Celebrity again unless I got the deal of the century. Just my opinion and experience.

 

Pam, seriously you should try another Celebrity cruise. We sailed on the Sea Princess back in 1988 and said we would never cruise Princess again. It was just before it went into Dry Dock on a South East Asia cruise. However, we did try Princess again and now we are going on our 51 and 52 Princess cruise.

One bad experience is not the total experience. We understand you had a bad experience with the toilet. We had the same experience on Princess where someone down the hall kept flushing diapers down the toilet. As for the wheelchair and scooter, sounds like you were on HAL. Remember, you did a lot of HAL.

Just a suggestion. See you on the next Princess cruise.