Cruise Line shoot out - Celebrity vs. Princess

[El Crucero]

We are “Elite” category on Celebrity. We have sailed on both Millennium and Solstice class ships on Celebrity over the last four years. Every one of our cruises on Celebrity has been outstanding with only minor complaints that are not worth mentioning in retrospect. There are pros and cons to Millennium class and Solstice class ships, but that is the subject of another thread. We have always traveled in Concierge and Aqua class balcony staterooms on Celebrity. We have TWO cruises booked with Celebrity for 2016.

 

 

We have many friends who are fans of Princess. We were most anxious to give Princess a try, just to compare the two lines. We got a great price for a cruise on the Star Princess in early December, 2015, our first cruise with them. We booked a “mini-suite” on the Star Princess.

 

 

The following review reflects our personal experience and our personal interests. Our opinions are consistent with 80% of the previous comparisons between the two lines on CC. But, we recognize that reasonable people may disagree with our opinions.

 

 

Embarkation/Disembarkation: On Celebrity you can board about 11am but your stateroom will not be ready until about 1pm. On Princess you can embark at 12:30 pm and your stateroom will be ready for you immediately. Disembarkation is similar and equal. The edge here goes to Celebrity because you can hang out aboard and get to the lunch buffet before the crowd arrives. We had to wait in line for the lunch buffet aboard Star Princess, not a good first impression.

 

 

Ship maintenance: We are going to compare the Star Princess to the Celebrity Constellation which were built about the same time and are about the same size. Celebrity is the clear winner here. The Constellation is much better maintained than the Star

 

 

Stateroom: We were overwhelmed by the size, layout, storage, and convenience of the Princess mini-suite. This stateroom is MUCH better than anything on Celebrity including Celebrity's “Sky Suite.” We LOVE Princess “mini-suites.” However a deal-breaker for us is that mini-suite balconies are not private! Because of the design of most Princess ships, the balcony on the deck above is setback and overlooks the balcony below. Every balcony we have had on Celebrity has been private with an over head cover. (we have since learned that that there are a handful of mini-suites on Princess at the stern of the ship that are private.)

 

 

There is much more storage in a mini-suites than on Concierge/Aqua staterooms. The closet in a mini-suite is huge and more convenient and better located! The mini-suite has a tub/shower (we used the tub sometimes) while Concierge/Aqua on Celebrity has shower only. Bathroom amenities on Celebrity are high end while on Princess they are basic. Bathrobes and towels are large, thick and luxurious and waiting for you in the closet on Celebrity. On Princess the towels are small and thin and you have to ask for bathrobes which are thin and basic. We found the mattresses more comfortable on Celebrity.

 

 

Overall, our compared staterooms are a toss up on both lines.

 

 

Buffet: Celebrity wins here, hands down. There is no comparison.- larger, more variety, and better organized. On Princess you get complimentary ship water, orange juice, coffee and tea. On Celebrity you get all those plus about four selections of other fruit juice and punches. You won't go hungry at the Princess buffet but the food is pretty unexciting.

 

 

Pizza, Ice Cream, and the Hamburger Grill: In our opinion the pizza and hamburger grill are slightly better on Celebrity. Celebrity has the best french fries we have ever tasted anywhere and that includes Belgium where french fries are a national specialty. Soft serve ice cream (chocolate and vanilla) is complimentary but real ice cream (three flavors) is an extra $1.50 on Princess. Celebrity has about a dozen flavors of real ice cream that changes on a daily basis. It is delicious and always complimentary. Celebrity is the winner.

 

 

 

MDR: Princess has three MDRs and you are assigned to one. These rooms have lower ceilings and feel more intimate. Celebrity has one huge dining hall with a ceiling extending up two decks. It tends to be loud and noisy and hardly relaxing. Princess gets the nod here. However, if you go Aqua or Suite class on Celebrity you get your own private dining room which beats anything on Princess.

 

 

Food Quality: We find the food quality to be good and equal on both lines. You will find some hits and misses on both lines but that s a matter of personal taste. The food presentation on Celebrity is more “artistic” than on Princess. My wife is a fan of escargot which is always available on Celebrity for dinner menu but never available on Princess. A slight edge to Celebrity here.

 

 

Specialty Restaurants: Princess restaurants are generally $25. You get three courses plus dessert. Celebrity restaurants are $35 to $50. You get five courses plus dessert. Specialty restaurants on both lines are fabulous, but again the presentation on Celebrity is more elaborate. We do find that Celebrity does offer “sales” on their restaurants at half off, generally on port days. This is an outstanding bargain! We did not experience any price reduction on the Princess restaurants even on an overnight port stay. One thing that Celebrity has that Princess doesn't is the “Q-sine” specialty restaurant. This is a dining experience that should be enjoyed at least once in a lifetime! Again, Specialty Restaurants are a toss up on both lines.

 

 

Ship layout: Both the compared ships are very similar.

 

 

Ship decoration: Princess decorates their ships and staterooms with traditional faux paintings that will not offend any taste. Some will call the decoration “bland.” There is much use of “wood paneling” throughout the Princess but it is really metal paneling cleverly painted to look like wood. Celebrity ships are decorated in a modern fashion with lots of high end contemporary art throughout the ship. Some will call the decoration a bit too “edgy.” What is better is a matter of personal preference.

 

 

Stage Shows: The production show on Princess was horrible! Performers lip-synced to a pre-recorded sound track. There was minimal use of background staging and stage lighting. Celebrity performers are singing live with a live band and elaborate backdrops. I wonder why Princess even bothers to put on a production show.

 

 

Onboard Activities and Shopping: Similar on both ships. Celebrity does have the Solarium adults only pool and Princess doesn't. Princess has the outdoor movie theater but they never showed anything we were interested in.

 

 

Passenger Characteristics: We found that Princess passengers tend to be younger and into tee shirts and levis with holes in them as “smart casual.” In fact, I observed one female passenger with a Harley Davidson tee shirt and levis on formal night in the MDR! Princess should just skip the pretense and eliminate formal nights if they are going to allow this. Celebrity passengers tend to be older, well healed, and better dressed. We always dress up for formal nights and Celebrity fits our lifestyle better.

 

 

Staff: the International staff on both ships is outstanding! Some people cruise because of destination or convenience or price. Our primary reason for cruising is to interact with young people from all over the world. We have never been disappointed in their enthusiasm to share information about their home countries. We had fascinating discussions with two young people from the Ukraine last year on Celebrity during the uprising. One was in favor of remaining independent, the other thought reunification with Russia presented better opportunities for him in the future. We learned more about the internal issues in the Ukraine (my wife's family immigrated from the Ukraine during the Bolshevik revolution) than we could learn in the mass media. On Princess we had an enlightening discussion with a gay server from Thailand about the challenges he faced in his home country. Celebrity does have a better staff to passenger ratio than Princess. On Celebrity we have two stateroom stewards, on Princess just one. Staff officers were never seen on Princess. On Celebrity you see the staff officers everywhere asking how they can improve your cruising experience. Sometimes they even remember you by name! Last year I told the Operations Officer on Celebrity that the only complaint I could think of is we no longer received fresh flowers in our room. The next day we had a beautiful bouquet in our stateroom compliments of the Officer!!!!!!

 

 

Odds and Ends: Princess has “high tea” every afternoon served by the staff in one of the dining rooms with white table cloths. It is complimentary and surprisingly good. Celebrity has a “high tea” once a voyage and I think it is $25 (complimentary for suites). Bar drinks on Princess are generally $9 or less. They have a “happy hour” in mid afternoon and late evening with 2 for 1 price plus $1. This is an outstanding bargain for alcohol. Celebrity never has a “happy hour” and their drinks start at $10. However, Celebrity has a Captain's Reception every day for loyalty club members with free cocktails for two hours. We find the fresh bread on Celebrity to be very good. On Princess, we find the fresh bread outstanding. Princess has the complimentary bistro style International Cafe. It is very good and much better than their buffet. Celebrity has nothing like this that is complimentary. Celebrity stateroom interactive TV is much better than Princess. You can order room service, in room movies, and more channels to choose from.

 

 

Loyalty Programs: Celebrity has a much better loyalty program than Princess with better perks and easier to achieve loyalty goals.

 

 

Pricing: We find the cost per day to be about equal on Princess and Celebrity but we shop carefully.

 

 

So in the final analysis, Celebrity is a clear winner for our lifestyle. So why did we book THREE future cruises while aboard the Star Princess? We live in Southern California. We love cruising. Celebrity has pretty much abandoned the California market during the last two years. Princess has a home port in Los Angeles for three of their ships with lots of trips to the Alaska, Hawaii, and Mexico with a Los Angeles back to Los Angeles itinerary. This eliminates the expense and hassle of airline travel for us. With Celebrity you can easily double the cost of your cruise when you add in airline travel to the East Coast and beyond.

 

 

We hear rumors that Celebrity is going to homeport one of their older ships in San Diego in a few years. If that happens we will utilize Celebrity more on the West Coast.

[cwtravel]

Hello-

My wife and I cruise both Princess and Celebrity and are at the Elite level on both (more nights on Celebrity, more cruises on Princess). A couple of thoughts on your review:

 

- Embarkation lunch on Princess is the dining room on Celebrity usually Bistro on Five. Most Princess ships also have the International Café and some have Alfredo's, both usually uncrowded on the first day. We never hit the buffet first day.

 

- The Emerald Deck mini-suites have large, covered balconies on the Grand Class Princess ships but they tend to get booked quickly. This is generally our first cabin choice but we also like the Caribe Deck regular balcony cabins with the larger balcony. In my opinion the Sky Suites, though usually more expensive than a Princess mini suite, provides a much better cruise experience with the butler and now the suite only restaurant though some butlers are great (Gordon on the Reflection) and some are just ok.

 

- Frequent cruiser perks, again in my opinion are better, at least at the Elite level on Princess. More internet minutes (and they are tied to the length of the cruise unlike Celebrity) and the bar set up + unlimited laundry vs the # of items on Celebrity. I do like the day pass to the Persian Gardens Celebrity offers.

 

I also think overall entertainment is better on Princess and during US Football season especially like Movies Under the Stars. Nothing like watching the game sailing on a warm night with popcorn/hot dog and beer!!

 

Chris

[DonRobertoSanJuan]

Funny that you feel Princess passengers are younger than the ones on Celebrity. We took a Princess cruise to Alaska this summer and we felt like we were in an old people's home.:eek: We are in our late sixties, but we felt too young for that crowd and will not cruise Princess again.

[El Crucero]

Funny that you feel Princess passengers are younger than the ones on Celebrity. We took a Princess cruise to Alaska this summer and we felt like we were in an old people's home.:eek: We are in our late sixties, but we felt too young for that crowd and will not cruise Princess again.

 

Yes, our experience was based on our one cruise with Princess. Other people may have different experiences on other Princess cruises.

[I&J Cruisers]

After 40 cruises on many lines my experience is that Princess has the worst customer service ever. Issue occurred about 15 years ago. Will never give them any of my money again.

[SetU2]

To be fair, Alaskan cruises skew older for all cruise lines.

 

 

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[sidewalkdrop]

In my experiences, Celebrity beats Princess in all areas except nighttime activities. Celebrity had much better stage shows, but Princess had more to do and more variety outside of the theater.

 

Princess' lunch buffet is a joke compared to Celebrity's and I think Celebrity also had better quality food in the MDR.

 

Getting on the ship earlier on Celebrity was also a nice bonus.

[richsea]

Thanks for your views; well thought out.

 

I think that Celebrity & Princess offer very similar experiences, with each having things that they do better than the other, depending upon what is important to you.

 

Like you, after our first Princess cruise, I did the same thing, came up with a comparison. What we realized during our 2nd Princess cruise, is that we were spending too much time with comparisons, & tried to enjoy our sailings without the constant "Celebrity does this, or that". Lo & behold, we found that Princess indeed does provide us with an experience that we enjoy very much. I often wonder if our preference is Celebrity because they were our first few sailings, & if circumstances were reversed, Princess would be our first choice.

 

Right now, with us feeling that Celebrity is focusing more on newer cruisers, along with the higher fares, we are definitely paying closer attention to alternative cruise choices, whereas in the past, Celebrity was always first.

[Kirsten T]

We've also gone back and forth between Princess and Celebrity. We prefer the S-class ships to the Princess Grand and Crown class, but if X doesn't have an itinerary matching our vacation dates or price range, we're very comfortable on Princess. We've found the overall experience to be very similar. Like Richsea, we've decided that different isn't necessarily good or bad - it's just different.

 

El Crucero, if they base Island or Coral Princess out your way, minis on those ships come in many locations and with many balcony configurations. Lots of covered minis on those two ships; we're particularly fond of both ships for that, and for their smaller size and covered solarium pool area. We also like the larger Princess ships, but Coral and Island are our favorites.

[bigbenboys]

I did some looking around. We are cruising in March 2016 on Celebrity in a Sky Suite. S1 for 7 nights. We get all four perks. Celebrity Sky Suite with OBC of $850, premium drink package, gratuities and unlimited internet. Princess Mini-Suite center ship with drink package, gratuities and 680 mins of internet.

 

The differences is Princess is $9.85 more than Celebrity.

 

I'm not sure how to work in cost for Michaels Club and Luminae. OR if Princess has a Concierge and restaurant for Suite guests. I'm just trying to compare apples to apples.

 

We are Platinum on Princess and Elite Plus on Celebrity.

[El Crucero]

I did some looking around. We are cruising in March 2016 on Celebrity in a Sky Suite. S1 for 7 nights. We get all four perks. Celebrity Sky Suite with OBC of $850, premium drink package, gratuities and unlimited internet. Princess Mini-Suite center ship with drink package, gratuities and 680 mins of internet.

 

WOW! that is an attractive benefits package from Celebrity! We are cruising on Inifinity in Aqua in May 2016, we didn't get as much in benefits, but that cruise is sold out.

 

OR if Princess has a Concierge and restaurant for Suite guests. I'm just trying to compare apples to apples.

 

We are Platinum on Princess and Elite Plus on Celebrity.

 

We were on Star Princess two weeks ago in a mini-suite. Princess doesn't classify a mini-suite as a "suite." However, it doesn't matter because in the "real suites" - no butler, no private restaurant, nothing like Michael's Club. I can't speak to other Princess ships. I would stick with Celebrity if I were in your shoes!

[Cindy]

I did some looking around. We are cruising in March 2016 on Celebrity in a Sky Suite. S1 for 7 nights. We get all four perks. Celebrity Sky Suite with OBC of $850, premium drink package, gratuities and unlimited internet. Princess Mini-Suite center ship with drink package, gratuities and 680 mins of internet.

 

The differences is Princess is $9.85 more than Celebrity.

 

I'm not sure how to work in cost for Michaels Club and Luminae. OR if Princess has a Concierge and restaurant for Suite guests. I'm just trying to compare apples to apples.

 

We are Platinum on Princess and Elite Plus on Celebrity.

 

We were in a suite on Princess a couple weeks ago. We were disappointed with both the cabin itself and the perks when compared to other lines, especially on ships with the Coastal Kitchen/Luminae suite restaurants. We would choose an AQ on Celebrity over a suite on Princess. To us, even though the cabin is smaller the value is much greater because of BLU.

[ljk76]

I also prefer Celebrity, especially in a standard balcony comparison. We like having a couch, which requires a mini suite on Princess. We also had minor service issues with Princess and rudeness from customer service. There just hasn't been interest on our part in going back to Princess although we had cruised with them 4 times.

[bigbenboys]

This will be our 1st time in a Sky Suite. We have been booking Aqua lately with some Concierge cabins when we are with family and friends. With Celebrity going non formal we might book Concierge again. We will see how it goes. Thanks.

[El Crucero]

I also prefer Celebrity, especially in a standard balcony comparison. We like having a couch, which requires a mini suite on Princess.

 

Actually on the Star Princess they had standard balcony and premium balcony. Standard balcony has no couch, premium balcony is slightly larger and has a couch. Mini-suites are larger yet.

[Gordoncruickshank]

We did 6 princess cruises some in mini suites and some in full suites before we found Celebrity. We have now cruised 10 times with Celebrity since we were last on Princess with anther 5 Celebrity cruises booked.

 

On Celebrity we did a number of AQ cabns but recently we have been in suites. We have done SS, CS, and RS and there is no comparison between what Celebrity offers suite guests compared with Princess. On Princess you get breakfast in Sabatini's and that is it. I don't think I need to detail what you get on Celebrity in these boards if you are in a Suite, even an SS. The difference is night and day and up is probably the single reason why we are unlikely to return to Princess.

 

One minor irritation. On Princess we always received shareholder benefit, on Celebrity, only on first cruise. After that other offers, benefits meant that you didn't qualify.

[El Crucero]

This will be our 1st time in a Sky Suite. We have been booking Aqua lately with some Concierge cabins when we are with family and friends. With Celebrity going non formal we might book Concierge again. We will see how it goes. Thanks.

 

It will be interesting to see if guests in BLU (Aqua) and Luminae (SS and higher) dress up more than those in the MDR for dinner with "elegant chic". I hope so. A fine dining experience in the MDR does not include table mates in NHRA tee shirts, baseball caps on backwards with sunglasses propped on top. The Oceanview buffet sure, but not in the MDR.

 

And Gordon Cruickshank, I love to see my Scottish mates dressed in their kilts and fine jackets and sashes on formal nights. A showstopper!

Edited December 21, 2015 by El Crucero

[bigbenboys]

I can only speak for myself. In the evening I where mostly Polo, Ted Baker, Hugo Boss and Burberry. My jeans are blue, black or khaki. My dress pants if I bring them are a jeans cut with pockets on the outside of the rear. They are not out jeans material. My shirts are long sleeves or polo's. I'm 57 and liking the changes that Celebrity have made.

[Hlitner]

Interesting thread. So we will add our comments. For the record, we are Elite Plus on Celebrity (most recent cruise 2 weeks ago on the Eclipse) and Elite on Princess (most recent cruise last month on the Regal). We cannot comment on the older "Connie" since we have never been on that specific ship. But we are very familiar with the Grand Class Princess ships having been on at least 10 cruises on various vessels in that class.

 

So, when we embarked (NYC) last month on the Regal we were onboard by 11:30 (we get priority boarding) but the cabins were not available until nearly 1pm. As to the Princess entertainment, the shows on the Regal were new, but accompanied by the pre-recorded tracks all to typical on most cruise lines. The shows were fine, but we did miss live music.

 

On the Eclipse, the shows were very good and the music provided by a 7 piece band (drums, keyboard, bass guitar, lead guitar, sax, trumpet, and trombone) and the sound in the theater was as good as we have ever heard on our 100+ cruises.

 

As to buffets, the food on the Regal (and we are told it is similar on the Royal) was simply amazing and far better then we had on the Eclipse. Princess Pizza is our favorite at sea, but Celebrity is nearly as good :). But the sandwich bar on Celebrity continues to use meats that we would probably throw out if we found it in our own fridge at home. The grills (burgers and hotdogs) are good on both lines although we prefer the Celebrity burgers since they have more meat and are not as overcooked as the "crispy" burgers on Celebrity.

 

So, personally, we would cruise on either line (they both have their pros and cons). Ironically, we just booked a cruise today and it is on HAL where the food is not up to the standards of either Celebrity or Princess.....but we cannot resist the long HAL itineraries (the one we booked is 55 days). My point is that after cruising on 14 lines we have learned that each line has their pros and cons....and this can often vary depending on the actual vessel.

 

Hank

[Cruzaholic41]

You cannot be a frequent cruiser on one line, try one ship on another line, and give a fair and accurate comparison of the entire cruise lines.

 

First, Princess has an older average cruiser than Celebrity.

 

Second, a Princess mini-suite is not a comparable room to Celebrity Concierge/Aqua Class. They're 2 totally different concepts.

 

Third, go on Royal/Regal Princess and you'll say Princess has the better buffet.

 

You see my point? Your comparison is better labeled Celebrity vs Star Princess.

[Hlitner]

You cannot be a frequent cruiser on one line, try one ship on another line, and give a fair and accurate comparison of the entire cruise lines.

 

First, Princess has an older average cruiser than Celebrity.

 

Second, a Princess mini-suite is not a comparable room to Celebrity Concierge/Aqua Class. They're 2 totally different concepts.

 

Third, go on Royal/Regal Princess and you'll say Princess has the better buffet.

 

You see my point? Your comparison is better labeled Celebrity vs Star Princess.

 

All good points although we might disagree with the age issue. IMHO, based on an awful lot of cruises on both lines, the median age of passengers is more related to the length of cruise and time of year. Take a 7 day cruise during any school holiday and there will be younger passengers with lots of kids. But take a 14 day+ cruise during the school year and you will get a much older crowd (and only a few kids). This is why we have traditionally taken the 14 day Caribbean cruise (now done on the Eclipse) right after Thanksgiving (have done this for quite a few years). And on that particular Celebrity cruise one could retire if they had the franchise on scooters, canes, and wheelchairs. Our experience on Princess is exactly the same, although since they eliminated their 14 day Caribbean cruises (used to be on the Grand) we seldom take Princess in those waters.

 

Hank

[Mango Mike]

Actually, unless you've already done so, it would be interesting to see the replies from those who frequent Princess if you were to post this comparison on the Princess forum. I'll take a wild guess and say you'll hear some very different points of view.

[El Crucero]

Actually, unless you've already done so, it would be interesting to see the replies from those who frequent Princess if you were to post this comparison on the Princess forum. I'll take a wild guess and say you'll hear some very different points of view.

 

I was going to do that, but my understanding is you cannot cross post on CC.

[richsea]

You cannot be a frequent cruiser on one line, try one ship on another line, and give a fair and accurate comparison of the entire cruise lines.

 

First, Princess has an older average cruiser than Celebrity......

 

I have to disagree with you on that. Our 4 Princess cruises had a younger passenger mix than any of our Celebrity cruises.

 

I agree that you can't judge a cruise line by just one sailing on one ship.

[richsea]

I was going to do that, but my understanding is you cannot cross post on CC.

 

There is no reason why you can't post the same topic on different forums.