Royal Princess vs. Celebrity Eclipse

[coldcdn]

My wife and I cruised on the Royal Princess and Celebrity Eclipse last year as part of multiple B2B cruises. I took notes and am finally posting a comprehensive comparison.

 

Before I give my review, I'll note that my wife and I are 46 and 45 year old professionals from Canada, but she has a mobility disability so that factors greatly into our vacations and is why cruises work so well for us. That being said, it also factors greatly into our review of cruise ships (as you'll note below).

 

The ships/cruise lines are compared and reviewed by area below:

 

Staterooms: Princess has better storage and closet space, but Celebrity has better doors (both entrance and balcony). The entrance doors on the Princess ship were ridiculously narrow, so if you're a larger person, which we're not, take this into consideration! We preferred the Princess beds for comfort, but the Celebrity beds for their rounded, space saving design. Overall we preferred the Celebrity staterooms to Princess, but the latter had some excellent features we appreciated.

 

Balcony: Celebrity has excellent balconies, but we found the outrage expressed by some about Princess balconies was largely unfounded. Ours was fine. Overall though, Celebrity has better balconies and access to them.

 

Dining: If you're just comparing the main dining rooms, there is no question the overall food is better in the Princess MDR. They also have a better selection and overall food quality (e.g. lobster). However, if you add the specialty restaurants and the buffet, Celebrity wins hands down. Granted the specialty restaurants on Celebrity are more expensive but at least you can get a table (for all 7 nights we were not able to get a reservation at the Crown Grill, despite trying multiple different methods to get one). The food and service is also fabulous at the Celebrity specialty restaurants. As for the buffet, while the selection is quite good on Princess, the design and layout is absolutely the worst (similar to HAL's Eurodam). There is little space and it always feels crowded. For design, food quality and ease of use, Celebrity's buffet is far superior. Overall dining may be a toss-up, but if you're a foodie or like ambiance, then Celebrity wins.

 

Entertainment: No questions that entertainment is better on Princess, as this is definitely not one of Celebrity's strong suits. However, the actual entertainment venues are better on Celebrity. They are easier to find, and used for better applications than on Princess. Also I have to mention accessibility, as the venues on Princess are quite inaccessible (odd entrances, oversize furniture etc), while the ones on Celebrity are all fully accessible. One complaint we have with both cruise lines is their lack of ability to coordinate entertainment in the lounges to work well with a plan for pre-dinner drinks. Finally, the outdoor movies on Princess are fabulous! Great option. So overall, hands down the best entertainment is on Princess.

 

Service: Overall staff friendliness, helpfulness and level of "cheer" goes to Celebrity. However, for those with allergies, the staff on Princess were great and better than Celebrity. Both lines offer good service, but when looked at in every aspect over the entire ship, Celebrity has better overall service.

 

Accessibility: This isn't even close. Celebrity Solstice Class ships are the most accessible ships afloat. Many reviews point to HAL or some other examples of accessible ships. They are wrong. Period. All public spaces (except the top sun deck) and restrooms on Celebrity ships are fully accessible with automated door openers. That cannot be said of any other major line. Princess' public spaces and restrooms are horribly inaccessible, which is disturbing for a newly designed ship that clearly caters to North Americans. If this is an issue for you, choose Celebrity. Full stop.

 

Bars: Celebrity has more usable selections, better ambiance and they are in better locations. To clarify, Princess has more actual selections, BUT they are in unusual and not well thought out locations, making them impractical places to enjoy a drink. Celebrity has options for all types of moods or requirements (e.g. sea views, wine lists, pre-dinner entertainment etc). As for a late night, night club-style bar, Princess wins this one for sure. Quasar on Celebrity is really poor!

 

Spa: Princess. Period. The spa on the Royal/Regal Princess is spectacular. Nothing against the spa on the Eclipse, but you simply cannot compare the two. If you're a spa person, look no further and book the Royal/Regal Princess immediately. It feels like a massive, high-end, luxury hotel spa. While I'm not a spa person, I was stunned at how amazing it was (and I've toured top-end spas in many locations around the world).

 

Ship Maintenance/Repair: We were both surprised at the lack of maintenance being carried out on the Royal Princess. We were even more surprised by the sheer amount of rust that was visible on this new ship. This simply does not happen on Celebrity. They have staff working daily to scrub, sand, and paint everywhere, whereas Princess does not seem to have the same commitment. We both commented that this could present a problem going forward as these new ships will appear to age prematurely. We had similar comments about other maintenance throughout the ship. Celebrity seems to focus more on this than Princess.

 

Embarkation: Both were excellent. Fast, friendly and easy. Princess scans your passport as your room card photo, while Celebrity takes a live picture at check-in.

 

Debarkation: Both were excellent and well organized. Worth noting that on both there are no longer the constant and annoying announcements, or long lineups to get off the ship. However, if you do encounter such lineups and delays, don't blame the cruise line, blame US Customs.

 

Muster Drill Process: Princess wins this one hands down. If you're goal is to get on with enjoying your holiday or having a drink then you may like Celebrity as its a video presentation in a dining room/lounge. If, however, your priority is on life saving during an emergency, Princess does a good job. You actually have to put on your life jacket properly (what a novel concept!). While I hate these drills, they do have their place and Princess' drill is far superior.

 

Fellow Passengers: This won't be a rating, but more just information. Celebrity attracts a slightly younger and more ethnically diverse demographic (e.g. British, Germans, French, Spaniards, Russians etc). To put it bluntly, it is blatantly obvious that Princess caters to white, english-speaking, North Americans. We happened to overhear three separate and distinct accusations of racism being levied against Princess staff, which was shocking. I'll make no comment on this, other than we overheard them.

 

Ship facts: Celebrity Eclipse - 1,047' long, 123' wide, 126,000 tonnes, 3,046 passengers.

Royal Princess - 1,083' long, 126' wide, 142,229 tonnes, 3,560 passengers.

 

 

To conclude, in our personal opinion only, the Celebrity Eclipse (and other Solstice Class ships) are superior to the Royal/Regal Princess. Both have their own strengths and weaknesses, but taken as a whole, Celebrity wins. One final comment, in terms of feeling crowded, the Royal Princess ship felt crowded in many areas despite being a larger ship. The Celebrity Eclipse never felt crowded in any space. So if personal space is important, factor this in.

[Bimmer09]

Thanks for sharing this comparison review.

 

I haven't been on the Royal but am familiar with Princess and get my first taste of X on the Silhouette in January.

 

Norris

[caribill]

 

Entertainment: No questions that entertainment is better on Princess, as this is definitely not one of Celebrity's strong suits. However, the actual entertainment venues are better on Celebrity. They are easier to find, and used for better applications than on Princess.

 

Not sure what you found hard to locate for entertainment on the Royal.

 

Most venues are along deck 7 from aft to forward. Other entertainment may be on the atrium which you pass and can see going on deck 7.

Edited October 25, 2015 by caribill

[Mom33]

My wife and I cruised on the Royal Princess and Celebrity Eclipse last year as part of multiple B2B cruises. I took notes and am finally posting a comprehensive comparison.

 

Fellow Passengers: This won't be a rating, but more just information. Celebrity attracts a slightly younger and more ethnically diverse demographic (e.g. British, Germans, French, Spaniards, Russians etc). To put it bluntly, it is blatantly obvious that Princess caters to white, english-speaking, North Americans. We happened to overhear three separate and distinct accusations of racism being levied against Princess staff, which was shocking. I'll make no comment on this, other than we overheard them.

 

Ship facts: Celebrity Eclipse - 1,047' long, 123' wide, 126,000 tonnes, 3,046 passengers.

Royal Princess - 1,083' long, 126' wide, 142,229 tonnes, 3,560 passengers.

 

 

To conclude, in our personal opinion only, the Celebrity Eclipse (and other Solstice Class ships) are superior to the Royal/Regal Princess. Both have their own strengths and weaknesses, but taken as a whole, Celebrity wins. One final comment, in terms of feeling crowded, the Royal Princess ship felt crowded in many areas despite being a larger ship. The Celebrity Eclipse never felt crowded in any space. So if personal space is important, factor this in.

 

Have you seen the 2015 Conde Nast Traveler's large ship ratings yet? :)

 

1.Disney 90.563

2.Cunard 89.411

3.Princess 84.463

4.Norwegian Cruise Line 83.023

5.Royal Caribbean International 82.374

6.Celebrity 81.729

[srpilo]

My wife and I cruised on the Royal Princess and Celebrity Eclipse last year as part of multiple B2B cruises. I took notes and am finally posting a comprehensive comparison.

 

Before I give my review, I'll note that my wife and I are 46 and 45 year old professionals from Canada, but she has a mobility disability so that factors greatly into our vacations and is why cruises work so well for us. That being said, it also factors greatly into our review of cruise ships (as you'll note below).

 

The ships/cruise lines are compared and reviewed by area below:

 

Staterooms: Princess has better storage and closet space, but Celebrity has better doors (both entrance and balcony). The entrance doors on the Princess ship were ridiculously narrow, so if you're a larger person, which we're not, take this into consideration! We preferred the Princess beds for comfort, but the Celebrity beds for their rounded, space saving design. Overall we preferred the Celebrity staterooms to Princess, but the latter had some excellent features we appreciated.

 

Balcony: Celebrity has excellent balconies, but we found the outrage expressed by some about Princess balconies was largely unfounded. Ours was fine. Overall though, Celebrity has better balconies and access to them.

 

Dining: If you're just comparing the main dining rooms, there is no question the overall food is better in the Princess MDR. They also have a better selection and overall food quality (e.g. lobster). However, if you add the specialty restaurants and the buffet, Celebrity wins hands down. Granted the specialty restaurants on Celebrity are more expensive but at least you can get a table (for all 7 nights we were not able to get a reservation at the Crown Grill, despite trying multiple different methods to get one). The food and service is also fabulous at the Celebrity specialty restaurants. As for the buffet, while the selection is quite good on Princess, the design and layout is absolutely the worst (similar to HAL's Eurodam). There is little space and it always feels crowded. For design, food quality and ease of use, Celebrity's buffet is far superior. Overall dining may be a toss-up, but if you're a foodie or like ambiance, then Celebrity wins.

 

Entertainment: No questions that entertainment is better on Princess, as this is definitely not one of Celebrity's strong suits. However, the actual entertainment venues are better on Celebrity. They are easier to find, and used for better applications than on Princess. Also I have to mention accessibility, as the venues on Princess are quite inaccessible (odd entrances, oversize furniture etc), while the ones on Celebrity are all fully accessible. One complaint we have with both cruise lines is their lack of ability to coordinate entertainment in the lounges to work well with a plan for pre-dinner drinks. Finally, the outdoor movies on Princess are fabulous! Great option. So overall, hands down the best entertainment is on Princess.

 

Service: Overall staff friendliness, helpfulness and level of "cheer" goes to Celebrity. However, for those with allergies, the staff on Princess were great and better than Celebrity. Both lines offer good service, but when looked at in every aspect over the entire ship, Celebrity has better overall service.

 

Accessibility: This isn't even close. Celebrity Solstice Class ships are the most accessible ships afloat. Many reviews point to HAL or some other examples of accessible ships. They are wrong. Period. All public spaces (except the top sun deck) and restrooms on Celebrity ships are fully accessible with automated door openers. That cannot be said of any other major line. Princess' public spaces and restrooms are horribly inaccessible, which is disturbing for a newly designed ship that clearly caters to North Americans. If this is an issue for you, choose Celebrity. Full stop.

 

Bars: Celebrity has more usable selections, better ambiance and they are in better locations. To clarify, Princess has more actual selections, BUT they are in unusual and not well thought out locations, making them impractical places to enjoy a drink. Celebrity has options for all types of moods or requirements (e.g. sea views, wine lists, pre-dinner entertainment etc). As for a late night, night club-style bar, Princess wins this one for sure. Quasar on Celebrity is really poor!

 

Spa: Princess. Period. The spa on the Royal/Regal Princess is spectacular. Nothing against the spa on the Eclipse, but you simply cannot compare the two. If you're a spa person, look no further and book the Royal/Regal Princess immediately. It feels like a massive, high-end, luxury hotel spa. While I'm not a spa person, I was stunned at how amazing it was (and I've toured top-end spas in many locations around the world).

 

Ship Maintenance/Repair: We were both surprised at the lack of maintenance being carried out on the Royal Princess. We were even more surprised by the sheer amount of rust that was visible on this new ship. This simply does not happen on Celebrity. They have staff working daily to scrub, sand, and paint everywhere, whereas Princess does not seem to have the same commitment. We both commented that this could present a problem going forward as these new ships will appear to age prematurely. We had similar comments about other maintenance throughout the ship. Celebrity seems to focus more on this than Princess.

 

Embarkation: Both were excellent. Fast, friendly and easy. Princess scans your passport as your room card photo, while Celebrity takes a live picture at check-in.

 

Debarkation: Both were excellent and well organized. Worth noting that on both there are no longer the constant and annoying announcements, or long lineups to get off the ship. However, if you do encounter such lineups and delays, don't blame the cruise line, blame US Customs.

 

Muster Drill Process: Princess wins this one hands down. If you're goal is to get on with enjoying your holiday or having a drink then you may like Celebrity as its a video presentation in a dining room/lounge. If, however, your priority is on life saving during an emergency, Princess does a good job. You actually have to put on your life jacket properly (what a novel concept!). While I hate these drills, they do have their place and Princess' drill is far superior.

 

Fellow Passengers: This won't be a rating, but more just information. Celebrity attracts a slightly younger and more ethnically diverse demographic (e.g. British, Germans, French, Spaniards, Russians etc). To put it bluntly, it is blatantly obvious that Princess caters to white, english-speaking, North Americans. We happened to overhear three separate and distinct accusations of racism being levied against Princess staff, which was shocking. I'll make no comment on this, other than we overheard them.

 

Ship facts: Celebrity Eclipse - 1,047' long, 123' wide, 126,000 tonnes, 3,046 passengers.

Royal Princess - 1,083' long, 126' wide, 142,229 tonnes, 3,560 passengers.

 

 

To conclude, in our personal opinion only, the Celebrity Eclipse (and other Solstice Class ships) are superior to the Royal/Regal Princess. Both have their own strengths and weaknesses, but taken as a whole, Celebrity wins. One final comment, in terms of feeling crowded, the Royal Princess ship felt crowded in many areas despite being a larger ship. The Celebrity Eclipse never felt crowded in any space. So if personal space is important, factor this in.

 

Thanks for your belated review

 

 

Based on your prior preferences and cruise history your ultimate conclusion comes as no surprise

Srpilo

[jasbo49]

Coldcdn: I appreciate your taking time for such a thorough discussion. But I have some major concerns with your approach.

 

You have been on just one Princess cruise in the last 13 years, yet you declare the entire cruise line the winner or loser in many categories based on just one ship. If you want to say the Eclipse beats the Regal in accessibility, or whatever, that's one thing. but I don't see how you can say one cruise line wins this or that battle based on one ship, one cruise.

 

You say Princess puts its bars in weird places. Don't you think you're just accustomed to Celebrity? I'm accustomed to Princess and to me there's nothing weird about bar placement. In your entire discussion of bars, you don't mention that Princess liquor prices (bars, wines, stateroom setups, etc.) are quite a bit lower than Celebrity's.

 

You also brand Princess a racist cruise line based on thin (or no) evidence. That's pretty brash. I've never seen anything to support that notion.

 

If I were to rate the entire Celebrity cruise line based on my one cruise, I'd say Celebrity cruises are full of loud-mouth drunks. But I realize that was just one cruise.

 

Jim

Edited October 25, 2015 by jasbo49

[cruiseblues2013]

Coldcdn: I appreciate your taking time for such a thorough discussion. But I have some major concerns with your approach.

 

You have been on just one Princess cruise in the last 13 years, yet you declare the entire cruise line the winner or loser in many categories based on just one ship. If you want to say the Eclipse beats the Regal in accessibility, or whatever, that's one thing. but I don't see how you can say one cruise line wins this or that battle based on one ship, one cruise.

 

You say Princess puts its bars in weird places. Don't you think you're just accustomed to Celebrity? I'm accustomed to Princess and to me there's nothing weird about bar placement. In your entire discussion of bars, you don't mention that Princess liquor prices (bars, wines, stateroom setups, etc.) are quite a bit lower than Celebrity's.

 

You also brand Princess a racist cruise line based on thin (or no) evidence. That's pretty brash. I've never seen anything to support that notion.

 

If I were to rate the entire Celebrity cruise line based on my one cruise, I'd say Celebrity cruises are full of loud-mouth drunks. But I realize that was just one cruise.

 

Jim

 

I agree, we took our first Celebrity cruise last year, and sometimes I feel guilty after one 14 day cruise, but, we will never go on another Celebrity again. For many reasons, and we have sailed all lines.