Need Opinions

[CintiCruzer]

Hi All

My wife and I are just back from a New England trip on the Regal Princess... I have never been so disappointed on the service and such on this past cruise - Food was mediocre at best, ran out of wine by the glass, service was substandard at the bars and our room is just plain worn out... I think it is time to look at another line to help us enjoy our vacation time.

In reading about Celebrity, I am seeing lots of levels of service and such, just looking for some opinions... typically, we like a larger cabin with balcony (don't need suites), we like the anytime dining for just the two of us, but we like good food and great service... 

We have traveled on Royal Caribbean, 20 years ago, and Caraval before that... been on Princess ever since 

looking for some opinions from experienced cruisers on your experiences

Thanks in advance

Cinti Cruzer

 

[dkjretired]

7 minutes ago, CintiCruzer said:

Hi All

My wife and I are just back from a New England trip on the Regal Princess... I have never been so disappointed on the service and such on this past cruise - Food was mediocre at best, ran out of wine by the glass, service was substandard at the bars and our room is just plain worn out... I think it is time to look at another line to help us enjoy our vacation time.

In reading about Celebrity, I am seeing lots of levels of service and such, just looking for some opinions... typically, we like a larger cabin with balcony (don't need suites), we like the anytime dining for just the two of us, but we like good food and great service... 

We have traveled on Royal Caribbean, 20 years ago, and Caraval before that... been on Princess ever since 

looking for some opinions from experienced cruisers on your experiences

Thanks in advance

Cinti Cruzer

 

 

Maybe look at an Aqua Class cabin which gets you Blu, the restaurant for AQ patrons. Full anytime dining, smaller dining room and more made to order dining.  If you have never been to Bermuda, the Summit provides a great experience and is going in next year prior to Bermuda season for a complete makeover.

Edited October 31, 2018 by dkjretired

[bigbeergut]

2 minutes ago, CintiCruzer said:

Hi All

My wife and I are just back from a New England trip on the Regal Princess... I have never been so disappointed on the service and such on this past cruise - Food was mediocre at best, ran out of wine by the glass, service was substandard at the bars and our room is just plain worn out... I think it is time to look at another line to help us enjoy our vacation time.

In reading about Celebrity, I am seeing lots of levels of service and such, just looking for some opinions... typically, we like a larger cabin with balcony (don't need suites), we like the anytime dining for just the two of us, but we like good food and great service... 

We have traveled on Royal Caribbean, 20 years ago, and Caraval before that... been on Princess ever since 

looking for some opinions from experienced cruisers on your experiences

Thanks in advance

Cinti Cruzer

 

 

You come to the right place if you want opinions 😉  None of the cruise lines are like they were 20 years ago, I'm sure you've seen that on Princess.  To get larger than a balcony cabin on Celebrity you'll need to move to a suite.  But you'll probably find the stand balcony cabins adequate.  I think you'll like the anytime dining.  No problem getting tables for two and the wait usually isn't too bad but I would suggest making reservations (even if you switch them on-board).  Concierge usually doesn't provide much of an advantage except slightly better cabin locations.  Aqua is unique with a dedicated dining room.  many now book with perks and select the unlimited drink benefit.   Find a discounted cruise and give celebrity a try.

[Georgia_Peaches]

Our first Celebrity experience was in an Aqua class cabin several years ago and we were hooked.  We love the sophistication of the line and have always had exceptional service.  I've read plenty of reviews that indicate that Celebrity isn't what it used to be but since we've sailed with them 6 years ago, I can't think of a single negative experience.  Since Aqua we have opted for suites for an even more elevated experience.

[CEOofVacation]

Another vote for Aqua stateroom if you want to dip your toes in Celebrity, which is our minimum level when cruising with Celebrity.  We upgrade to a Sky Suite if the price is right.  Aqua has a dedicated dining room, Blu, with superb personalized service and good food.  Blu aims to please.  We are spoilt by the server, assistant server and sommelier in Blu.  We are also spoilt in Luminae, the suite dining room, but feel that Blu spoils us even more.  You won't go wrong booking an Aqua stateroom or a Sky Suite, which is the entry level suite for Celebrity.

Edited November 1, 2018 by CEOofVacation

[lais]

I think you would be very pleased with Celebrity.  Pick up an aft facing c1 balcony on the M class ships for a super large balcony otherwise on S class people rave about the angled balconies.   We always get aft facing balconies and on S class they have plenty of room for us. 

[Silkroad]

The OP didn’t say they wanted a more expensive cruise, so why suggest Aqua, which is usually overpriced IMO? If I read the post correctly, they had a Veranda cabin & dined in the Princess Main Dining Room(s). OP, I’d suggest a Celebrity Veranda cabin. I wouldn’t choose Concierge (except on M class ships, where they are larger than Veranda cabins) unless it’s the same price, or less, as an equally appealing Veranda cabin. You’ll find numerous threads on these boards about the quality of food, service, and ambiance, in the Celebrity MDR. I have recent experience with Select Dining (anytime dining) on Silhouette this summer & Reflection last spring, and both were excellent. 

Edited November 1, 2018 by Silkroad

[royalcruz]

Celebrity rooms and Verandas feel bigger than that of standard veranda rooms on Regal Princess. Service is inconsistent on both lines. I would recommend a suite or Aqua. I should also say that I've only had good service in the MDR on Celebrity, but I've heard many complaints.

Edited November 1, 2018 by royalcruz

[39august]

We have decided to skip both concierge and aqua cabins in the future. All balcony cabins are the same size, just under 200 sq. feet. Instead of paying more for very minor perks (footstools on balcony, umbrella, or with aqua the Blu dining, etc. ), we are now booking regular balcony cabins and buying a 3 or 4 night specialty dining package. Less costly this way. We are Pinnacle on RCI, so many cruises there. But we are now completely hooked on Celebrity''s ambiance and service. Very elegant ships. 

[Silkroad]

5 minutes ago, 39august said:

We have decided to skip both concierge and aqua cabins in the future. All balcony cabins are the same size, just under 200 sq. feet. Instead of paying more for very minor perks (footstools on balcony, umbrella, or with aqua the Blu dining, etc. ), we are now booking regular balcony cabins and buying a 3 or 4 night specialty dining package. Less costly this way. We are Pinnacle on RCI, so many cruises there. But we are now completely hooked on Celebrity''s ambiance and service. Very elegant ships. 

While I agree with much of what you’ve said, you are incorrect about Veranda cabin dimensions. Concierge & Aqua cabins on M-class ships are larger than Veranda cabins on those ships. On S-class ships, all three cabin classes are indeed the same size. 

Edited November 1, 2018 by Silkroad

[phoenix_dream]

13 minutes ago, Silkroad said:

The OP didn’t say they wanted a more expensive cruise, so why suggest Aqua, which is usually overpriced IMO? If I read the post correctly, they had a Veranda cabin & dined in the Princess Main Dining Room(s). OP, I’d suggest a Celebrity Veranda cabin. I wouldn’t choose Concierge (except on M class ships, where they are larger than Veranda cabins) unless it’s the same price, or less, as an equally appealing Veranda cabin. You’ll find numerous threads on these boards about the quality of food, service, and ambiance, in the Celebrity MDR. I have recent experience with Select Dining (anytime dining) on Silhouette this summer & Reflection last spring, and both were excellent. 

You may find (as we do) that in many cases Aqua is actually no more expensive than Concierge and often similar in price to verandas, particularly as it gets closer to sailing.  Sometimes we have found Aqua costing less than a veranda!  True story (and we sail Celebrity a lot, usually in Aqua).  You are not wrong in that it is sometimes priced quite a bit higher, but that is definitely not always the case.  So worth considering for the Blu experience.  

[39august]

Sorry. I should have said all balcony cabins are the same size on S class ships. 

[Jim_Iain]

1 hour ago, Silkroad said:

While I agree with much of what you’ve said, you are incorrect about Veranda cabin dimensions. Concierge & Aqua cabins on M-class ships are larger than Veranda cabins on those ships. On S-class ships, all three cabin classes are indeed the same size. 

You are correct -

Concierge & Aqua Class    Cabin 191 SqFt      Balcony  41 Sq Ft

Verandah                              Cabin 170 SqFt      Balcony 38 Sq Ft

[cruising princess 1964]

We switched from Princess to Celebrity a few years ago.  Best thing we did 

Yes there are cutbacks like any other cruise line but it is still the best in class

We stay in a verandah mid ship cabin and have no complaints

Do not feel we need to pay more for other categories but that is a personal preference

We would rather spend on a specialty dining or upgrade the drink package but that is just for us

You will not be disappointed

 

[jagoffee]

Based on my experience the OP will find the Regular Veranda Celebrity Cabin and Veranda larger than the equivalent one on Princess.  This is especially true when comparing the Celebrity Solstice Class to the New Royal Princess Class.

The bathroom especially the shower is significantly better as well.

 

[cachouonacruise]

On 10/31/2018 at 7:25 PM, CintiCruzer said:

Hi All

My wife and I are just back from a New England trip on the Regal Princess... I have never been so disappointed on the service and such on this past cruise - Food was mediocre at best, ran out of wine by the glass, service was substandard at the bars and our room is just plain worn out... I think it is time to look at another line to help us enjoy our vacation time.

In reading about Celebrity, I am seeing lots of levels of service and such, just looking for some opinions... typically, we like a larger cabin with balcony (don't need suites), we like the anytime dining for just the two of us, but we like good food and great service... 

We have traveled on Royal Caribbean, 20 years ago, and Caraval before that... been on Princess ever since 

looking for some opinions from experienced cruisers on your experiences

Thanks in advance

Cinti Cruzer

 

Dear OP, 

 

I agree with fellow posters and in my opinion, Celebrity is definitely worth a try!

 

Our first cruise was on RCL in 1992, since then we enjoyed one more on this line, 2 on HAL and two on X, one standard veranda on Solstice and AQ (class M) on Infinity. We found the cabin sizes and balcony on both X ships, felt that storage space was sufficient and enjoyed showers with a door rather than curtains. 

 

We may not be food experts, but we enjoyed our food and service, both in the MDR on Solstice and in Blu (infinity). Blu is set up as anytime dining and this option is available in MDR as well as mentioned by fellow posters.  We found servers, sommeliers and maitres D very helpful and friendly. Our experience in Murano was exceptional! The Oceanview cafe is set up in islands rather than a long counter, allowing for a nice flow of people and offered good food options as well. 

 

We felt less pressure for sale pitches, fewer announcements on speakers, and entertainment, variable from good to excellent for the most part. 

 

The staff, though, made a big impression on us, from the captains all the way to cabin attendants, very high level of professionalism, very friendly and helpful.

 

We are in our mid 50s now and so far we found X a good fit for us. We booked two more cruises so far.

 

Just an opinion, as requested! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[NantahalaCruiser]

16 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

You are correct -

Concierge & Aqua Class    Cabin 191 SqFt      Balcony  41 Sq Ft

Verandah                              Cabin 170 SqFt      Balcony 38 Sq Ft

The above areas are for M-class ships

For S-class ships, all three of these cabin classes have the same larger cabins: 194/54 SqFt.

[catugirl]

DH and I took the same Canada/New England cruise on Regal Princess three years ago in a mini-suite, and I’m surprised you had a bad experience.  We had amazing food in the MDR (comparable to Blu in X’s Aqua Class), and service was excellent.  It was one of the best cruise experiences we’ve had.  We have only cruised in a regular veranda on Princess once, and the things we didn’t like were the size of the showers and the lack of a couch in the cabin.  Of course, that’s not a problem in a suite or mini- suite.

 

I second the suggestions for Aqua Class on X.  IMHO, even if you pay more for it, eating in Blu alone is worth it.  The food, service and ambiance are great!  And there are other good amenities to AQ.  We enjoyed complimentary bottled water and iced tea in our room every day.  We enjoyed using the thermal loungers in Persian Garden for no cost.  The fresh fruit, cut flowers and sparkling wine were nice touches.  And the priority embarkation saved us time, as the regular line to embark was very long.  DH and I don’t care for the MDR, so now we always either cruise in AQ or a suite.

 

I’m sure you will love Celebrity.

[Denny01]

The stanard Celebrity SR is larger than the standard Princess. When we booked Princess, we booked Mini-Suites because the standard SR’s didn’t have room for any visitors. Celebrity standard SRs do - it has a couch and room for 4 to sit and visit. And the Celebrity shower was larger also. 

 

The service on Celebrity as a cut above in my opinon as was the dining. And I found the Princess theaters had less seating and you had to get there 45min early to get seating together. Celebrity has much better seating. 

 

I’ve enjoyed Princess, but find Celebrity a definite cut above. But of course, I mainly Cruise Celebrity unless there is a major reason to go with another Line.

 

Den