Taking Princess to Get to Celebrity Cruise

[mcrcruiser]

May 8th we sail on the Island Princess for a 3 night repositioning cruise from the world Cruise Center San Pedro ,Ca to Vancouver BC . After one night in Vancouver ,we board Millennium May 12th for the 8 night Alaska cruise .;)

 

It will be interesting to make comparisons between the way Princess vs Celebrity does for their passengers .It has been a long time since we sailed on any Princess cruise ship ;as the vast majority of our 70 cruises has been on Celebrity cruise ships :D

[upwarduk]

I look forward to your comparison.

[Karynanne]

Years ago we did somewhat the same thing, but in reverse. We had a 10 day Pacific Coastal cruise on Mercury, that ended in Vancouver, and decided to take Golden Princess back to Seattle for a 1 night cruise. Big mistake for us! It ended up being a 24 hour loud party ship. We couldn't wait to dock in Seattle. The comparison was startling. We've never cruised another line since...except for for Azamara.

[mcrcruiser]

Years ago we did somewhat the same thing, but in reverse. We had a 10 day Pacific Coastal cruise on Mercury, that ended in Vancouver, and decided to take Golden Princess back to Seattle for a 1 night cruise. Big mistake for us! It ended up being a 24 hour loud party ship. We couldn't wait to dock in Seattle. The comparison was startling. We've never cruised another line since...except for for Azamara.

 

Yikes ,we wouldn't want to encounter that ;however ,this ship is coming to the San Pedro area via the Panama Canal continual cruise & there are people disembarking in San Pedro to take planes from LAX. The ship then continues 3 more days into Vancouver BC .Thus ,we don't expect a party ship atmosphere on this 3 night cruise .:)

[reedprincess]

Years ago we did somewhat the same thing, but in reverse. We had a 10 day Pacific Coastal cruise on Mercury, that ended in Vancouver, and decided to take Golden Princess back to Seattle for a 1 night cruise. Big mistake for us! It ended up being a 24 hour loud party ship. We couldn't wait to dock in Seattle. The comparison was startling. We've never cruised another line since...except for for Azamara.

A 1 night sailing on any line is going to be a bachannal, it's one night! Most folks are onboard to let loose. It's hardly a comparison between lines to compare a 1 night sailing on any ship to a 10 night on any other - completely different crowds! Same holds true for the 7-night sailings vs 10 or 14-night sailings on Celebrity or Princess or whatnot. Slightly younger more active on a 7-night over a 10 or more night simply due to cost and vacation time.. It's a bummer you let that one-nighter color an entire cruise line, as Princess is much more like Celebrity than it is different - similar demographics, amenities, etc... I dare say if Celebrity had a one night sailing, it would have a similar experience ce - lots of partying and noise, etc.

Oh well, lots of cruise lines out there to enjoy..Happy sails!

[Karynanne]

A 1 night sailing on any line is going to be a bachannal, it's one night! Most folks are onboard to let loose. It's hardly a comparison between lines to compare a 1 night sailing on any ship to a 10 night on any other - completely different crowds! Same holds true for the 7-night sailings vs 10 or 14-night sailings on Celebrity or Princess or whatnot. Slightly younger more active on a 7-night over a 10 or more night simply due to cost and vacation time.. It's a bummer you let that one-nighter color an entire cruise line, as Princess is much more like Celebrity than it is different - similar demographics, amenities, etc... I dare say if Celebrity had a one night sailing, it would have a similar experience ce - lots of partying and noise, etc.

 

Oh well, lots of cruise lines out there to enjoy..Happy sails!

 

 

Live and learn. The majority of our cruises now are TA's and European cruises. Great atmospheres!

[teecee60]

 

May 8th we sail on the Island Princess for a 3 night repositioning cruise from the world Cruise Center San Pedro ,Ca to Vancouver BC . After one night in Vancouver ,we board Millennium May 12th for the 8 night Alaska cruise .;)

 

 

AND you get to avoid the air travel you dislike so much! (at least ONE way) Nicely done! Enjoy! :D ;)

Edited March 8, 2016 by teecee60

[DrivesLikeMario]

I've been on the Island many times. It's a nice-sized ship and the service has always been excellent IME. I love the size of the ship and seeing passengers I know often, but the opposite deck plan drives me bananas every time I'm on it. The Horizon Court is in the bow of the ship and the gym is in the stern. Totally opposite of almost all the other ships. I just cannot get used to that. The good part is that the views from the very forward part of the HC are awesome especially when there are big waves.

[reedprincess]

Live and learn. The majority of our cruises now are TA's and European cruises. Great atmospheres!

 

The majority of our cruises, no matter what line, are 10 nights or more.... It makes a huge difference in the demographics onboard... The 1, 3, 4, 5 night sailongs are mainly just let your hair down and parry cruises, no matter what line. Folks trying to cram a week or more worth of vacation in a very, very few days. We rarely even consider a 7 nighters anymore, unless it's with friends who absolutely cannot do longer - and then we do a least a back-to-back!

It wouldn't hurt to give Princess another try, on a longer sailing - if itinerary and price work out. They have a very good product too...

[LabGuy64]

I don't know that i agree with you there....for balcony, OV and inside the product is more similar that not....but as the price goes up the difference becomes wide indeed.....and at the top level celebrity offers a product far superior to princess

 

 

 

 

The majority of our cruises, no matter what line, are 10 nights or more.... It makes a huge difference in the demographics onboard... The 1, 3, 4, 5 night sailongs are mainly just let your hair down and parry cruises, no matter what line. Folks trying to cram a week or more worth of vacation in a very, very few days. We rarely even consider a 7 nighters anymore, unless it's with friends who absolutely cannot do longer - and then we do a least a back-to-back!

It wouldn't hurt to give Princess another try, on a longer sailing - if itinerary and price work out. They have a very good product too...

[c-legs]

note to OP...Millenium is coming off a pretty expansive drydock when you

board her May 12th.If you are fully aware of that, then your expectations would naturally be tailored accordingly. If you were not aware of that, then...now you are !! ;)

Cheers

[Cruise Raider]

Yikes ,we wouldn't want to encounter that ;however ,this ship is coming to the San Pedro area via the Panama Canal continual cruise & there are people disembarking in San Pedro to take planes from LAX. The ship then continues 3 more days into Vancouver BC .Thus ,we don't expect a party ship atmosphere on this 3 night cruise .:)

 

We have also done that in reverse and it was wonderful....I don't think you will encounter a huge party atmosphere as you might on a one night cruise. We took the Solstice out of Seattle on an 11 night cruise that ended in Vancouver at Canada Place. We stayed one night at the Pan Pacific and met up with some friends up there to cruise back down to San Francisco on the Island Princess. OMG -- this was the trip of a lifetime!!

 

We did tend to compare and loved Celebrity a bit more overall but then also loved getting together with our friends for the 3 night cruise to sail back home.

On the short cruise, we all had a wine and appetizer party on our balcony where everyone brought their own plate of appetizers to the party. Now, nobody ended up picking the same items so it really was a lot of fun. We even saw whales during our party. The one thing that we compared and liked that surprised us was being on deck 6 in one of the cheapest balcony categories on the Solstice. On part 2, we booked a cabin on the Caribe deck (deck 10) on the Island -- both had x-large balconies. We learned that we really loved being on a lower deck....good thing, too, the higher ones are oftentimes more expensive....at least on Celebrity.

One other thing we noticed is that the dining rooms and showrooms were a lot more crowded, though, on the 3 night cruise. The lines for the MDR for anytime dining were crazy long!! We showed them, though, just made reservations for every night to avoid the long wait times. We would gather and have a drink at the bar and then it was time for dinner.

 

For us, the second leg of the cruise was not a lot more than airfare, so why not?? Plus, they fed and housed us for 3 full days....didn't even charge us to haul our luggage. What could be better than that?

[wallie5446]

May 8th we sail on the Island Princess for a 3 night repositioning cruise from the world Cruise Center San Pedro ,Ca to Vancouver BC . After one night in Vancouver ,we board Millennium May 12th for the 8 night Alaska cruise .;)

:D

 

I think this is one of the best planning ideas EVER!

 

What is the cost diff tween flying and cruising? If you don't mind?

EW

[WpgCruise]

The O.P. might best adjust their expectations on the 3 day Princess cruise to Vancouver and based on our experience here's why.

 

A few years ago we did the Ft. Lauderdale to Vancouver cruise, in the time frame the O.P. has booked. It was sold as 2 cruises, Ft. Lauderdale to Los Angeles, Los Angeles to Vancouver. The second segment was indeed a 3 day party cruise. We were 2 of perhaps 200 people who stayed on for the entire cruise and what a difference. Service, demographics, menus, everything was different. Not bad, but not a normal Princess cruise by any stretch of the imagination. Plus of course that time of year coastal weather is cold, rainy, bumpy. A voyage more than a cruise.

 

We were the first Princess ship of the season into Vancouver, and it was not pretty. We waited over 2 hours for a pilot, then docking, as it was a whole new experience for the bridge staff took another hour. Customs/Immigration, was pretty much a new experience for everyone, once again I suspect as we were the first of the season. It was lunch time when we finally found ourselves outside Canada Place, and once again because it was the first of the season horrible liens for Taxi's that just weren't there.

 

Much of it honestly wasn't the "fault" of anyone, it just was what it was, but if it was our first Princess experience it may well have been our last. Princess can and usually does deliver a much better experience than the one we had, but if we were to do it again, I'd rather go into it with realistic expectations.

 

Or truth to be told, if we were to do it again, we would have gotten off in Los Angeles and flown home from there.

[Cruise Raider]

I think this is one of the best planning ideas EVER!

 

What is the cost diff tween flying and cruising? If you don't mind?

EW

 

I cannot speak to the cost for this passenger, but on ours, we could have taken a flight home from Vancouver at a cost of approx. $200 pp. for economy seat. We got a nice Caribe deck balcony for approx. $250 pp after taxes and fees -- and it ended up being a lot cheaper than first class airfare if you are comparing apples to apples. After all, first class provides you food (got that on our cruise), a comfortable seat (got a comfortable bed on our cruise), free baggage fees (got that on our cruise) and cocktails (had a free mini bar set up in our room). I think it was actually a savings if you look at this way. Best way to travel in my opinion....and it didn't violate the PSVA. Sweet!!!

[mcrcruiser]

I think this is one of the best planning ideas EVER!

 

What is the cost diff tween flying and cruising? If you don't mind?

EW

 

Several facts factor into the difference in cost . Air from San Diego to Vancouver airport would be $387 including checked bags ;however ,The airport is a long taxi ride to Canada Place & we would have to pay for a hotel at the airport ,for the night prior to the cruise .

 

Now the cruise price for 3 nights is $500 total cabin cost . We get the Westin Bayshore hotel (5 minute taxi ride ) for free with our star points .

 

It is really convenience & not having to deal with the airport on the way up .;) After the Alaska cruise + 6 nights in the interior of Alaska , we have flights from Anchorage to Seattle & then we are visiting friends in Calgary for a week .thus ,we fly from Seattle to Calgary on Alaska airlines .From Calgary to LAX we fly Air Canada & we rent a car to drive home .

[mcrcruiser]

note to OP...Millenium is coming off a pretty expansive drydock when you

board her May 12th.If you are fully aware of that, then your expectations would naturally be tailored accordingly. If you were not aware of that, then...now you are !! ;)

Cheers

 

Yes we are aware that Millenium is coming out of a $8,000,000 remodel dry dock per Celebrity Cruises on Cruise Critic .We are looking forward to the new & revitalized Millenium:D