Comparing Princess and Celebrity

[Bimmer09]

Norris,

 

You are doing an amazing job and it is much appreciated. Oddly enough we will be sailing both of these lines this year after a fairly long absence and it is great to get a preview of the current state of affairs on both. As we have been recently sailing with lines that have no ship photographers or art auctions I was curious to hear if there are differences in the aggressiveness of each in your experience.

 

Thanks again for putting this together.

 

John

 

Thanks for the compliments, John.

 

I'll certainly be covering Photographers and Art Auctions soon. Maybe today.

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Norris, Blu is not open for lunch. It is available for breakfast and dinner only. If you are going Aqua class, Blu is the private restaurant. Suite guest can eat there on a "space available" basis, but Aqua class gets priority seating. Aqua class guests eat lunch at the buffet, one of the other free venues, or one of the cost extra specialty restaurants.

 

Thank you sir for the clarification re lunch.

 

At breakfast time Blu was never more than 60% full so we never had a wait or were asked to return later. We always ate a late breakfast (8.30 onwards)

 

The buffet was a worthy lunch spot. I pretty much ate Indian food each day-but some of those dishes changed from day to day. I could have enjoyed making my own tacos from the Mexican bar too. Next time! So many choices, including many carved meats.

 

Cheers!

 

Norris

 

[Bimmer09]

A quick question about Cafe al Bacio if you don't mind. Is the food all at no extra charge except for the gelato, just like the International Cafe? And is the variety similar: pastries in the morning; sandwiches, salads and desserts the rest of the day? (OK, that was two questions. My bad.)

 

Jasperdo-as you say no charge for the pastries, just gelato.

 

I can't comment on lunch as I never ate there ever. I just walked past.

 

Next time!

 

Norris

[virginialucy]

A quick question about Cafe al Bacio if you don't mind. Is the food all at no extra charge except for the gelato, just like the International Cafe? And is the variety similar: pastries in the morning; sandwiches, salads and desserts the rest of the day? (OK, that was two questions. My bad.)

 

There are no sandwiches or salads at Cafe al Bacio. In the afternoon and evening they have cakes, cookies, and other dessert items.

[Bimmer09]

There are no sandwiches or salads at Cafe al Bacio. In the afternoon and evening they have cakes, cookies, and other dessert items.

 

Thanks for answering Jasperdo's question!

 

By the way I love that quote at the foot of your signature.

 

Norris

[willtravel8090]

Norris,

 

I have read your Emerald and more recently you Ruby review... Now your comparison... All I can say is I truly enjoy you.

 

Warm Regards,

Lisa

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[Bimmer09]

Norris,

 

I have read your Emerald and more recently you Ruby review... Now your comparison... All I can say is I truly enjoy you.

 

Warm Regards,

Lisa

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

Lisa, thanks very much for the compliment!

 

I'm glad to see you reading along.

 

Norris

[wowzz]

Norris

Without appearing to be a cheapskate, do you think you can compare a few drink prices in due course. Say, glass of merlot, or Heineken. Not Coke, as I fortunately have never drunk it, nor would want to!

[Bimmer09]

Art auctions. I'm not a buyer but of course lots of people are. I had a new friend on a ship who bought a huge photo of the Beatles with Muhammad Ali for $3200 on a sailing. I imagine there are many of them in circulation.

 

 

 

Princess has a permanent art gallery on its ships usually in a little traveled part of deck 6. These get brought out maybe 3 times a week and staged in Explorers Lounge which is little used during the day. I make jokes in my reviews about the Tiger Heads (they never run out of those) and always wonder whose walls such a thing would end up hanging on. Everyone has their own taste of course. There's a lot of Art Sale mail delivered to our cabin during the week. We never go.

 

I tried to visit the Sky Lounge, right at the top of the Silhouette, looking over the bow early in our week onboard . I kept running into this...

 

 

 

Park West private auction taking up the room from 10.30 am to 4 pm. I eventually found the room open on Thursday when we were docked in St Maarten.

They had comped rooms on the ship for some people- I don't know how many but I talked to one each day while having a smoke. He had already bought some by mid week. I didn't ask if it was a Tiger head-I just assumed.

 

They had a permanent mini-gallery in the Boulevard of Shops on deck 4 but had so much stock stored away in a former kids play room on deck 15 that they had to branch out into the entertainment spaces. There were 5 auctions that I am aware of. We had one piece of mail every day. You get 1 free "piece of art" just for showing up! (so how much is that worth?)

 

After they gave up the Sky Lounge on Wednesday they moved down to the Entertainment Court forward to set up live auctions

.

 

 

And moved to the Grand Foyer to show their wares-here they are setting up another auction on the last day.

 

 

ART AUCTIONS?

 

ADVANTAGE PRINCESS

 

(JUST LESS AGGRESSIVE, LESS FREQUENT, LESS JUNK MAIL)

[OzKiwiJJ]

We only had one MDR experience but the service was poor- it's all in the Silhouette review but we will give it another go on the Reflection. You can have the best service team working just a few tables away from Cheech and Chong on any ship. We've had a couple of weak last nights on Princess too but we roll with it.

 

 

We prefer the MDR for all meals where possible.

 

One thing I did notice is the difference in how Princess staffs the MDR at breakfast and lunch compared with Celebrity.

 

They are both very similar at dinner, with a waiter and assistant waiter for a group of tables, although Celebrity also has sommeliers.

 

Princess keeps this same pattern for breakfast and lunch. The waiter / assistant waiter takes the orders and brings everything except pastries - there are usually two waiters circulating with trays of baked goods. The waiters have the same number of tables to serve as they do at dinner. Although there is no guarantee you will get the same waiters at breakfast or lunch, on Dawn we often ended up in the same area so had a similar experience to dinner where the waiters know your preferences after a couple of days.

 

On Celebrity it is chaos, especially for breakfast.

You sit down and are given a menu.

Someone comes up to offer you juice.

Someone else comes up to offer you coffee.

Someone else comes up to offer you pastries.

Eventually someone comes up and takes your order.

If you're having a couple of items, eg fruit followed by a hot dish (and that's when I like my tea) as often as not most of the waiters magically disappeared by the time the fruit was served and it was difficult to get tea then. I learnt to order it early and hope the food service wasn't too slow (sometimes it was).

 

Lunch on Celebrity wasn't as chaotic as breakfast but it was obvious that the waiters had more tables in their areas than at dinner.

 

Advantage - Princess

for MDR Service

 

:D

Edited March 6, 2016 by OzKiwiJJ

[Bimmer09]

Norris

Without appearing to be a cheapskate, do you think you can compare a few drink prices in due course. Say, glass of merlot, or Heineken. Not Coke, as I fortunately have never drunk it, nor would want to!

 

Hi, here's a link to a thread on the various beverage packages. You'll see Heineken in the Classic in the beers under $7 list. Merlot shows in the same package in wines under $11.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2283776

 

 

I started with the Classic (comped) but moved up to Premium so I could get O'Douls Non Alcoholic beer to drink in the daytime. At night I had a glass of wine (up to $13) or a Premium beer like Guinness.

 

Hope this helps!

 

Norris

[Jasperdo]

Jasperdo-as you say no charge for the pastries, just gelato.

 

 

There are no sandwiches or salads at Cafe al Bacio. In the afternoon and evening they have cakes, cookies, and other dessert items.

Thanks to both of you for the quick response to my question.

[Anubi]

Norris, you're are going to have to keep finding things to compare. I look forward to reading this thread each morning with my very real morning coffee and cybermuffin. What are we all going to do to get our "Norris Fix" when you're done??:eek::eek::eek:

[2onboardagain]

Art auctions. I'm not a buyer but of course lots of people are.

 

 

 

 

 

Princess has a permanent art gallery on its ships usually in a little traveled part of deck 6. These get brought out maybe 3 times a week and staged in Explorers Lounge which is little used during the day. I make jokes in my reviews about the Tiger Heads (they never run out of those) and always wonder whose walls such a thing would end up hanging on. Everyone has their own taste of course. There's a lot of Art Sale mail delivered to our cabin during the week. We never go.

 

I tried to visit the Sky Lounge, right at the top of the Silhouette, looking over the bow early in our week onboard . I kept running into this...

 

 

 

Park West private auction taking up the room from 10.30 am to 4 pm. I eventually found the room open on Thursday when we were docked in St Maarten.

They had comped rooms on the ship for some people- I don't know how many but I talked to one each day while having a smoke. He had already bought some by mid week. I didn't ask if it was a Tiger head-I just assumed.

 

They had a permanent mini-gallery in the Boulevard of Shops on deck 4 but had so much stock stored away in a former kids play room on deck 15 that they had to branch out into the entertainment spaces. There were 5 auctions that I am aware of. We had one piece of mail every day. You get 1 free "piece of art" just for showing up! (so how much is that worth?)

 

After they gave up the Sky Lounge on Wednesday they moved down to the Entertainment Court forward to set up live auctions

.

 

 

And moved to the Grand Foyer to show their wares-here they are setting up another auction on the last day.

 

 

ART AUCTIONS?

 

ADVANTAGE PRINCESS

 

(JUST LESS AGGRESSIVE, LESS FREQUENT, LESS JUNK MAIL)

 

Norris thanks so much for the information. I had fervently hoped that during our "escape" from Art Auctions these last few years that they would eventually go away put it looks like we will have to brace ourselves as we re-enter their realm this year. I guess P.T. Barnum was right!

 

John

Edited March 6, 2016 by 2onboardagain

[nursedibdob]

I'm glad to say that we suffered far fewer art auctions on Eclipse last April. There was a permanent area set up by the word class bar but we didn't see them branch out anywhere else..

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[KruzeKrazy!]

Art auctions...

 

Well I must not be in the target market because I just don't get the point if them on a cruise ship (other than as another revenue source for the cruise line, of course).

 

I've never thought, "Hey, we're on a cruise visiting some great locations so let's buy an overpriced painting that we don't need of something totally irrelevant as a momento...":what:

[jlf1]

Norris, you're are going to have to keep finding things to compare. I look forward to reading this thread each morning with my very real morning coffee and cybermuffin. What are we all going to do to get our "Norris Fix" when you're done??:eek::eek::eek:

 

I absolutely agree. I'm dreading the day that I read "The End"

[Wiltonian]

Art auctions...

 

Well I must not be in the target market because I just don't get the point if them on a cruise ship (other than as another revenue source for the cruise line, of course).

 

Is there any other point? On our first cruise, we couldn't get our heads round the whole concept. We still can't.

 

Stuart

[kimlovesfl]

Is there any other point? On our first cruise, we couldn't get our heads round the whole concept. We still can't.

 

Stuart

 

Neither can we, especially when you look at the "art". My husband and I made fun of the art on our recent cruise on the Royal, to the point where he mentioned it in his post-cruise survey. I can't believe people actually buy this crap.

 

Also don't see the point of the high-end jewelry stores. Do people really buy expensive jewelry on cruises? I would much rather have some moderate-priced clothing stores on board, something I would actually purchase. I can't wear jewelry at work, so the stuff I have now gets unused, why buy more. Maybe that's just me.

[KruzeKrazy!]

The only "positives" regarding the "quality" of the art is I've yet to see 'Dogs Playing Poker' or 'Elvis on Velvet'... But I must admit I've both looked for and half expected to see them...

 

And now back to our program: Norris' great Princess/X comparison!:cool:

[Bimmer09]

I was asked about ship's photographers which some luxury lines don't have anymore.

 

On Princess there are about 10 of them (that was the number on our last P cruise) and they have a huge area to display their work.

 

 

 

They have a shop

 

 

And they sell Nikon and GoPro cameras, accessories and binoculars.

 

 

The only time I find them intrusive is when they work the MDR on Formal Nights

 

 

On formal Nights all of them will be working and on deck 7 there will be posing areas along the main walkway and even outside some of the elevators. Starting around 4 pm couples and families in their best duds will be posing in the Piazza stairs so you may have to take a detour. The photos cost $20 for an 8 X 10. We just say "No thanks" when they offer to take our photo.

 

We visit the Photo Gallery each day and buy our photos if they turned out OK.

 

We don't mind the gangway photos that happen when you get off the ship in port.

The photographers usually have two of their colleagues dressed according to the port-e.g in Alaska when we get off there will be a gunslinger and a barroom floozie or they are wearing bear and moose costumes- good clean goofy fun and again-some thing outside your everyday experience ( I hope). In Italy they were Centurions or mustachioed Pizza chefs.

 

This pair of goofballs were waiting for us outside the MDR on a non formal night.

The girl with the crazy expression was from Northern Ireland so she and I had already struck up an onboard rapport. Photo from Emerald Princess.

 

The Photo team also have a videographer who records deck parties, sail aways and accompanies some of the excursions for a DVD that they sell at the end of the cruise. We usually buy those for $60.

 

 

Next up- X

[Bimmer09]

Norris, you're are going to have to keep finding things to compare. I look forward to reading this thread each morning with my very real morning coffee and cybermuffin. What are we all going to do to get our "Norris Fix" when you're done??:eek::eek::eek:

 

Anubi, thanks for the enthusiasm!

 

When I get down to comparing the teaspoons on each line you'll know the end is nigh.

 

So far we have no more cruises lined up until next January's Reflection-we just changed that booking yesterday to a different itinerary; Cozumel/Grand Cayman/Falmouth and Labadee. Sailing from Miami so there will be a lot of new photo opportunities.

 

Can't wait!

 

Hopefully we can decide on something for this summer soon.

 

Cheers!

 

Norris

[helen haywood]

Norris, I must just say that that many Art Auction events is not the norm on Celebrity! I've been on over 20 Celebrity cruises and never seen a set up in the foyer or entertainment court or more than once in the Sky Lounge. You mentioned you met some people who were comped regarding your cruise....I think all those Art Auctions was cruise specific to that sailing.

 

Just didn't want people to think that's usual on Celebrity.

[Bimmer09]

Norris, I must just say that that many Art Auction events is not the norm on Celebrity! I've been on over 20 Celebrity cruises and never seen a set up in the foyer or entertainment court or more than once in the Sky Lounge. You mentioned you met some people who were comped regarding your cruise....I think all those Art Auctions was cruise specific to that sailing.

 

Just didn't want people to think that's usual on Celebrity.

 

Thanks, Helen. Yes I'm sure the private Sky lounge events were only for the invited guests who had their cabins comped-no doubt good spenders for Park West. The other events were open to all passengers who signed up for the auctions.

 

Cheers,

 

Norris

[Sunbreez]

Thanks for your comparisons Norris. I have never sailed Celebrity but seem to get emails every day from them. I have sailed with Princess, NCL, RCL and Carnival. One day I will try Celebrity.