New to Royal Princess--how does it compare to Celebrity Equinox?

[edgekid]

We’ll be on the Royal this December..We were on the Celebrity Equinox last year and loved the days at the pool, the food, both in the MDR and specialty restaurants, however, the night life activities were very limited..looking for some insights from others who have been on both of these ships..Thanks

Edited August 14, 2016 by edgekid

[pris993]

I have not been on the Royal yet, but we are elite on Princess and elite on Celebrity. Have been on the Eclipse, Equinox, Silhouette on Celebrity.

 

Given my X experience I would guess you will love Princess, since you liked X.

 

We feel the service, food, entertainment are all better on Princess.

 

The Royal and Equinox are similar in design.

 

Bottom line only you can decide what you like best, checking it out is the best way.

[HleeCruiser]

We’ll be on the Royal this December..We were on the Celebrity Equinox last year and loved the days at the pool, the food, both in the MDR and specialty restaurants, however, the night life activities were very limited..looking for some insights from others who have been on both of these ships..Thanks

 

 

We have been on both recently. And Princess wins in almost every category. Food, Service, Ship Décor, Entertainment, Cabins. But wait the balconies on Equinox get the nod .Also Equinox wins for pool areas (Covered Pool) Crown Grill is head and shoulders above the Tuscany Steak House and Equinox has nothing to compare to International Café and Alfredos Pizza Restaurant.

Edited August 14, 2016 by HleeCruiser

[edgekid]

Appreciate the feedback, people..One thing strikes me as odd..Princess does not let you reserve specialty restaurants prior to the cruise..other than that minor issue as well as the limited shade at the pools, I’m sure we’ll have a

great time..

[4cats4me]

We like both ships very much and orefer each for different reasons, but the entertainment is much better on The Regal/Royal. We found ourselves looking for things to do in the evening on the Equinox both times

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Colo Cruiser]

Appreciate the feedback, people..One thing strikes me as odd..Princess does not let you reserve specialty restaurants prior to the cruise..other than that minor issue as well as the limited shade at the pools, I’m sure we’ll have a

great time..

 

 

Not odd at all......

This is a good thing and works just fine.

Edited August 14, 2016 by Colo Cruiser

[edgekid]

Sorry, Keith..It is odd since every other cruise line we’ve been on has permitted passengers to book restaurants, and sometimes shows, prior to boarding..it allows us to plan our days or nights accordingly..

[Woobstr112G]

Not odd at all......

This is a good thing and works just fine.

 

I'm with you on this one sir.....:):):)

 

Bob

[riclop]

We’ll be on the Royal this December..We were on the Celebrity Equinox last year and loved the days at the pool, the food, both in the MDR and specialty restaurants, however, the night life activities were very limited..looking for some insights from others who have been on both of these ships..Thanks

 

There is no comparisons the Royal is much better, we went on Equinox once and that was enough, very boring!!!!!!!!!!!

[msw.delafield]

I'm a 98% Princess cruiser, but did sail on Solstice in 2008 when I was trying to determine my brand loyalty by comparing Celebrity/RCI/Princess.

 

At that time, my impression was that Celebrity was a tad more sophisticated and felt more elegant than I personally needed.

To your point, it got very quiet on Celebrity very early.

 

This past year I've had opportunity to sail Royal Princess twice and really do like the ship.

I'll still prefer a 'grand class' ship for warm weather (best top deck & pool options) but the Royal had a similar elegance as I felt on Celebrity.

And they accomplished this while maintaining all of the accustomed Princess standards and expectations I've come to appreciate.

 

Royal is a big ship, that you will notice for sure.

But Princess did a pretty good job of making all of the spaces/venues feel smaller and intimate.

You only feel the true size of the ship if you need to traverse from end-to-end.

Most venues are contained between a few of the lower decks.

 

But, back to nightlife - Princess has music/entertainment well into the evening depending on your preference.

Theater shows, princess live, trivia, passenger participation game shows, and comedians/magicians, etc. - all of this well on towards 10pm or later.

Typically one evening 'on deck' type party starting around 9pm on warmer sailings.

Ongoing music/entertainers in different venues into late hours.

Finally there is the nightclub, varies by ship, carrying on past midnight.

 

You may enjoy the elegance of the Royal Princess compares to Celebrity and also find performers or nighttime entertainment to keep you engaged well into the evening.

 

Doubt you will be disappointed!!

[Brisbane41]

They are two totally different lines and have a different cruise feel to them. I have been with both lines. They are both better than each other in different areas.

 

I think Celebrity may have the less crowded and larger ship than Princess. It is always that way with Celebrity. Princess ships these days tend to cram as many people on as possible. Celebrity does it less than Princess.

[JimmyVWine]

Sorry, Keith..It is odd since every other cruise line we’ve been on has permitted passengers to book restaurants, and sometimes shows, prior to boarding..it allows us to plan our days or nights accordingly..

 

It also causes an unecessary sense of competition that results in people booking up spaces months in advance on the belief that they might, kinda, sorta, maybe want to dine in a Specialty Restaurant on that night, so they may as well put down a marker just in case. And this locks out others who actually want those spots. Then the early bookers later decide to go on excursions that conflict with their reservations, or decide to go to the Theater for a show, and of course, many forget to cancel leaving the whole "waiting list" situation a mess. Nobody knows with certainty what their plans are going to be months in advance but that wouldn't stop people from booking up slots. And if the reservation book opens up 30 days in advance, then you might as well make your reservations once you get on board. Sometimes people need to be saved from themselves. This is one of those times.

[easyboy]

You won't regret being on the Royal

[edgekid]

Thanks for the info, Mike...

[edgekid]

Hey, JimmyV..While we do not fall into the category of people you describe who make reservations months in advance, I do understand why it might create a situation where people are locked out..Thanks for the input...

Edited August 16, 2016 by edgekid

[dutchclogs]

Considering Princess for the first time for the itinerary. Have previously enjoyed concierge class on Celebrity. Curious what would the equivalent cabin on Princess?

 

TIA

[Luvmyrotti]

Considering Princess for the first time for the itinerary. Have previously enjoyed concierge class on Celebrity. Curious what would the equivalent cabin on Princess?

 

TIA

 

Princess recently introduced the club class mini-suites. Includes private dining room and other amenities.

[skynight]

"Sorry, Keith..It is odd since every other cruise line we’ve been on has permitted passengers to book restaurants, and sometimes shows, prior to boarding..it allows us to plan our days or nights accordingly."

There is no need to pre book specialty restaurants prior to the cruise. It is very easy to book on board after you know the schedule for the cruise. Shows are all walk in, no reservations required. Some shows have three performances, some two. Choose the time you like. Theater shows that start in the mid-evening time frame are the most crowded and you have to arrive at least 30 mins early if you wish to get the best seat. Other times are not so crowded. Shows in the Vista Lounge can also be crowded, SRO, in the mid evening time slot. Later shows are not so crowded.

[Pam in CA]

Sorry, Keith..It is odd since every other cruise line we’ve been on has permitted passengers to book restaurants, and sometimes shows, prior to boarding..it allows us to plan our days or nights accordingly..

One major difference could be that the dining room food on Princess is much better. Unless there's a special promotion for your cruise that includes dinner in a specialty restaurant, there's no problem getting a reservation in a specialty restaurant. I've seen staff standing outside trying to get passengers to come and dine there.

 

If you plan to go to a specialty restaurant on a formal night, make your reservation as soon as you board by either calling the DINE line or going to the restaurant.

[Colo Cruiser]

Sorry, Keith..It is odd since every other cruise line we’ve been on has permitted passengers to book restaurants, and sometimes shows, prior to boarding..it allows us to plan our days or nights accordingly..

 

 

 

I understand what your saying if thats what you are used too.

But on Princess it does work well. You should be able to book the night you want. For peace of mind head there on embarkation day and make your res then. ;)

[msmoger]

I understand what your saying if thats what you are used too.

But on Princess it does work well. You should be able to book the night you want. For peace of mind head there on embarkation day and make your res then. ;)

 

This is correct information and good advice. We have never had any difficulty getting the reservation we want.

[helenb]

I'll be the naysayer here. We are elite on both Celebrity and Princess. We love Celebrity for the elegant Silhouette class ships and the wonderful food. IME, the MDR food and the specialty restaurant food is much better on Celebrity. Q*Sine, Murano, Bistro on 5.... there is nothing to compare on Princess. That being said, the specialty restaurants on Princess are cheaper (International Cafe on Princess is free compared to Bistro on 5, Crown Grill is $29 pp instead of $50 or more) and Princess does shine in the MDR with pasta dishes and souffles. Regardless, I have always gained weight on both cruise lines!

 

I haven't been on Royal Princess, which apparently has a new buffet design, but the buffet on the Solstice-class Celebrity ships far outshines the Grand-class Princess ships in terms of design, food quality and food selection.

 

Where Princess excels is (as others have stated) in entertainment, offering a wide variety of shows and programs every night. On Celebrity I find that if I don't care for the evening entertainment in the main theatre, there is little to do. As a result, we tend to prefer Princess for cruises with lots of sea days (such as Panama Canal or Hawaii) and Celebrity for port-intensive cruises (such as Europe).

 

I too am a planner and prefer to be able to book specialty restaurants in advance and know that it is all settled, without rushing to make reservations as soon as I board. However there is a significant benefit to *not* being able to book in advance: Princess doesn't charge you in advance either. Even shore excursions, which can be reserved in advance, don't have to be paid in advance. This means that it is much easier to use your OBC on Princess for specialty dining and excursions, whereas on Celebrity, since you have to pay for all of this in advance, it is much tougher to use significant amounts of OBC.

[stevenr597]

My wife and I are planning a Transatlantic in 2017.

 

We had narrowed down our selection to a Solstice Class Celebrity and Royal Princess. Note that we have been on Equinox several times in the past, as well as the Royal (we are elite on Celebrity, and Platinum on Princess). After looking at the list of Ports, we decided to select Club Level on the Royal Princess. We have been quite happy with both lines, certainly each one has its strengths and deficiencies.