Regal Princess vs. Celebrity Silhouette for Caribbean B2B

[chrispee]

Hello cruising experts, I'm hoping that those of you who have sailed on both the royal class ships and the solstice class ships can weigh in on a decision that I'm having trouble making. We are going to take two b2b week long cruises this spring break starting on March 12th. It has been narrowed down to a sideways inside on the Regal Princess, or an obstructed view balcony on the Celebrity Solstice. I've figured out both prices converted to USD with all OBC etc factored in:

 

Regal Princess sideways inside for $3770

 

Celebrity Solstice obstructed balcony for $5300 (includes classic drink package).

 

My wife and I will be traveling with our 8 year old son who likely won't use the kids' club. He enjoys the music venues, dining, and pools, and so do we. We're not big drinkers, but would enjoy having the included classic drink package on Celebrity. We have sailed M-class celebrity before, but never Princess. I think we'd be perfectly happy with either ship, but we really like the modern aesthetic of the Silhouette. Inineraries look like a wash to me, but I'm interested in others input? Long story short, I'm torn as to whether or not the Silhouette balcony is worth an extra $1500 for two weeks... your thoughts?

[ISABELLA]

Hello cruising experts, I'm hoping that those of you who have sailed on both the royal class ships and the solstice class ships can weigh in on a decision that I'm having trouble making. We are going to take two b2b week long cruises this spring break starting on March 12th. It has been narrowed down to a sideways inside on the Regal Princess, or an obstructed view balcony on the Celebrity Solstice. I've figured out both prices converted to USD with all OBC etc factored in:

 

Regal Princess sideways inside for $3770

 

Celebrity Solstice obstructed balcony for $5300 (includes classic drink package).

 

My wife and I will be traveling with our 8 year old son who likely won't use the kids' club. He enjoys the music venues, dining, and pools, and so do we. We're not big drinkers, but would enjoy having the included classic drink package on Celebrity. We have sailed M-class celebrity before, but never Princess. I think we'd be perfectly happy with either ship, but we really like the modern aesthetic of the Silhouette. Inineraries look like a wash to me, but I'm interested in others input? Long story short, I'm torn as to whether or not the Silhouette balcony is worth an extra $1500 for two weeks... your thoughts?

 

It is not a fare comparison - Inside cabin and 2D balcony.

How much time do you spend on the balcony? but to have one will cost you $100/ day for 3 people...if you buy drinks or package on Princess - what that price will be?

[WISH84]

I agree, you can't compare the rooms because they are so different. For something like this I think you should just take a look at what features each ship has and decide on your own merits which ship will best serve your needs. Now if the rooms were apples to apples, I would always go with a balcony. But in this case.. you've got one compared to an inside cabin.

 

 

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[reedprincess]

FWIW - if the drink package in Celebrity is an attraction, for the same difference in price, you can buy the all-inclusive package on Princess - so you're not getting anything free on Celebrity.. The AIBP for 2 for 14 nights will be $1577.80, which is basically the exact difference in price between the Princess and Celebrity cruise - and the Princess package covers far, far more than the Celebrity classic package. So, scratch that as a deciding factor... On Princess, you can get the Soda and More package - which includes sodas and non-alcoholic cocktails - for $8.05pp, it's a steal for those who are non-alcohol drinkers. You can get a coffee card for those specialty coffees for about $36 for 15 specialty coffees. Celebrity doesn't offer that. And their non-alcoholic packages arw significantly more expensive....

Also, Princess allows you to bring as much wine onboard as you like. One bottle pp will have no corkage fee, and any additional will have a $15 corkage fee assessed at check-in...

Now - cabins...a balcony is great, if you really use them at all.. Some people enjot just having the private space if needed but rarely use then, others spend hours - only you know how much you may want that. The obstruction on Celebrity is likely minimal, ie seeing the lifeboats if looking straight down or something similar.

The sideways insides in Royal class ships are quite spacious and great layout - way more storage than Celebrity cabins! Celebrity bathrooms win - solid shower doors, more bathroom storage, overall slightly more spacious, but it's a toss up...

Perhaps consider one of the Deluxe balconies in Regal with obstructed view - their very often less expensive than interiors (ours are for our next 4 cruises!)

We have enjoyed both lines many times and both ships you're looking at also.. For us, overall, we prefer Princess for the more laid back atmosphere, more evening entertainment including lots more live music, more activities overall whether outdoors around the pool or inside around the atrium, etc... More youngsters also...just in case your youngster does want to try the kids club, or just hang with people closer to his age..

The decor of Regal is beautiful classic ship meets more modern updates.. Very beautiful, IMO....we also enjoy the more modern style of Celebrity, but sometimes miss the connection to "old school" cruising.

You wouldn't go wrong with either, I'm sure.... Enjoy, whichever you choose!!

[chrispee]

Thanks for your help everyone! I'm not considering a balcony on the Regal as they are more expensive than on the Silhouette (hence the strange comparison of options based largely on value). We aren't big drinkers and wouldn't bother with a package unless it was an included freebie. I suppose an added bonus to us would be avoiding the overhead bunks if we went with the Silhouette. I realize that this is more of a preference based decision given the two different types of cabins, but I was interested in hearing more experienced cruiser's pro/con list. Thanks again!

[patrickmoran]

My wife and I just did 2 weeks on the Silhouette immediately followed by 2 weeks on the Royal Princess in the Med. Both in balcony cabins. We did 10 days on the Royal in the Carib in a sideways inside. Because you have 2 weeks, I recommend the S. The extra space and balcony will be welcomed. I liked the MDR on S better but the food was good on both at the buffet.

[Hlitner]

Have cruises both ships multiple times (just off the Regal last Sunday) and would cruise on either with no hesitation. Each ship has their pros and cons...but both vessels are gorgeous and are pretty equal overall. As to a balcony cabin, keep in mind that its more about a balcony. The balcony cabins give you a very nice floor to ceiling view of the sea, sky, etc. Inside cabins lack the view....but some actually love them because the lack of light makes for great sleeping in the morning :). Most folks who have had a balcony cabin find it very difficult to go back to inside cabins.

 

Hank

[skynight]

You can't really compare a balcony fare with an inside cabin fare. But the $1530 difference is enough to purchase around 140 alcoholic cocktails during a 14 day cruise, 10 per day. It's more if you drink straight spirits, wine or liqueurs. Almost all drinks on Princess have a menu price of under $10.

[chrispee]

Just to give an update; we ended up booking a guarantee balcony on the Celebrity Silhouette. It was a tough choice, and like others have alluded to I think we would have been happy either way! Since we're traveling with our 8 year old son the clincher was being able to hang out on a balcony when he's in bed.

 

Now the exciting game of checking back to see when we've received a cabin assignment. When I login to look at our bookings, I currently see "#GTY Veranda Stateroom On Na." under my stateroom. Am I correct in assuming this will turn into a cabin number eventually?

[FlorenceItaly]

Just to give an update; we ended up booking a guarantee balcony on the Celebrity Silhouette. It was a tough choice, and like others have alluded to I think we would have been happy either way! Since we're traveling with our 8 year old son the clincher was being able to hang out on a balcony when he's in bed.

 

Now the exciting game of checking back to see when we've received a cabin assignment. When I login to look at our bookings, I currently see "#GTY Veranda Stateroom On Na." under my stateroom. Am I correct in assuming this will turn into a cabin number eventually?

 

Yes, you are correct. With Celebrity, once cabin is assigned you may request a different cabin within the same category. I go onto the Celebrity UK site to see ALL cabins available. If you used a TA they will have to request this. If you booked directly with Celebrity, you may call and speak to them directly.

 

 

Marie