Princess loyalist - just returned from a Celebrity Carribean Cruise - Compare and Contrast!

[ian441672]

Hi

 

I have seen and often asked myself how Princess and X compare, so having just having come back from 10 days in the Caribbean, I thought I would share a brief overview of what I felt the differences were, good and bad.

 

A brief background (for demographics) - We are Elite Princess customers, about 15 cruises behind us usually staying in a suite and enjoy the perks. We are only second tier up on X (now), and stayed in their entry level Sky Suite and we chose this our second X cruise because of a preferred itinerary plus a good deal on a free drinks package, wifi and gratuities.

 

Embarkation: Wow! I know I will get chastised here, as not everyone is a suite passenger, but this is how it went for us. Arriving around 11.30  at Fort Lauderdale, walking through we saw a sign that said suite pax, this way. We were shown to a private elevator which took us to a private security check in area. No-one was there, we were screened and checked in, within 5 minutes. No lines, hold up or anything! We were told our room was ready (it wasn't as it turned out, but the steward was very good and let us leave our cases in the room anyhow), and we could board at leisure. This is in complete contrast to the melee that Princess always seem to have, suite or not. We were an individual, it was so quick an deficient and friendly. A win for Celebrity.

 

Room: Sky Suite, 1014 (I think), corner aft of ship, rectangular shape, large portal window for viewing and a double sliding door with large corner balcony for aft and port side views. Entry to the room was through a door off the main hallway, leading to a smaller private hallway area, and our room and another adjoining room. Very private and noise free. Not as big as standard Princess Penthouse suites, one TV, 2 metal structural pillars in the room (careful during the night and on rocky seas!!). Probably 1.5 times size of Princess Junior suite, but sideways and slightly wider. Bathroom was small, tub shower like a Junior Suite and it was cramped. Balcony furniture was not that comfy, no cushioned seats, just the soft plastic mesh ones, that we couldn't rest on too long. Overall though, it was a lovely room, plenty of space to relax, put your things and a decent size sweeping balcony, not really overlooked. The only thing that woke us was neighbouring toilets being vacuum flushed - seemingly quite loud!  In comparison, difficult to choose, but Princess might just edge it for the comfy seating outside and a larger bathroom.

 

Food: As a suite guest, similar to Club dining, we had access to the suite only Lumiere restaurant, a separate dining room away from the main dining room, about 1/3 in size probably. It had its own menu usually consisting of 3/4 appetisers and main meals, plus a standard chefs special, that remained the same throughout. Luckily though, you also had access to the main dining room menu which provided far greater choice. Sometimes we had to ask for it, other times it was provided. Like Princess, the quality varied and the first night we were disappointed, with a dried pork tenderloin. It got better, and when it was good it was very good, and when it  wasn't, well, it was just a bit disappointing! Just like Princess. Every meal started with an Amuse Bouche, but service was slow, far much more so than Club. It would often take 45 minutes before our appetiser came up, and the overall dinner service could last up to 2 hours. We like a leisurely dinner, but felt this was just a bit too long. It wasn't like that every meal, but a lot of the time it was. Service was good though, friendly fun and interactive. Celebrity do the wine thing well. The restaurant had a sommelier (I think they all do) who would offer us a choice, make a recommendation or remember our favourites, and it was basically a free pour. No signing, no slow service, no skimping - just free flow and consistent. The only time I have had a drinks package on Princess, we had to sign for every drink and it was a nuisance. Overall, almost a tie - Princess can be outstanding on food and equally mediocre. We had less to compare with as only our second X cruise, so it is tough. Despite the free flowing wine and consistent service and similar flaws (and highlights) from both, Princess only just edge it for me.

 

Buffet / Fine Dining: We are not buffet people. We enjoy being seated, choosing our food from the menu and being looked after and we don't always rave about Princess buffets (although of late they have got better). We only tend to go there for a poolside lunch or a quick breakfast if we haven't got time to wait (in Lumiere!). I have to say though, the buffet on X was (to us) a very high quality of food and amazing choice. I don't like American breakfasts (sorry USA friends, I adore you and the USA, but not your streaky bacon and strange sausages!!), so to see a UK breakfast station is always welcome (though you still can't get the baked beans right!!). But lunch is where it excelled, a Mexican station, a curry station, a carvery, a lovely salad and fresh make your own sandwich bar, a 'speciality of the day' area, plus your normal cakes and pastries. All set in a spacious free flowing port to starboard crossways area (with Princess there are walls/corridors between the differing sides of the buffet - here it is all one, and works much better, though I think in the Regal Class, it is more open plan now). Here, Celebrity win it for me.   

 

We also went to the Tuscan Grill, an Italian version of the Crown Grill I would liken it most to. $55 per head but you could choose whatever you wanted from an extensive choice, with no surcharges for extra courses (like what Princess have just introduced). It is a larger menu than Princess speciality dining restaurants, more choice and the quality is certainly there. It is more expensive than Princess, but the service was very good, with more choice, higher quality, no 'extras' to pay, so Celebrity just has it for me here too, in a nice aft setting, watching the wake of the ship and the waves sail by.

 

Service / Perks: With the free drinks package (we paid $10 pppd to upgrade to the better drinks package rather than the basic one - main difference is $9 max drink to $15 per drink [from memory], which was worth it for us, and they gave us a day free for some reason), we did not miss our Princess mini bar set up, although here, our mini bar of beer, soda and water was always overflowing at all times. Other Elite perks were not missed too much surprisingly (we had free internet which was outstanding by the way; hopefully the new Medallion internet will be like this, but it was almost like being at home - fast and consistent!). We missed the Sabatini's breakfast for sure, a peaceful mimosa filled breakfast in personal surroundings, and although Lumiere tried to deliver it, it couldn't.  The Butler service was good, though we didnt use him much, he was friendly and personable, always a smile on his face. He arrange a balcony tea for us a couple of times, which was nicer than Princess. Far less of it ( in a good way), with nice sandwiches, scones that actually tasted as scones and some delicious pastries. I enjoy Princess, but this edges it again. He would also bring us canapes, cheese and meats, pastries and so on. It was not necessary, but nice. This would be a tie I think, as with being Elite / Suite / Butler, and freebies thrown in this time, it is difficult to compare and contrast, with some slightly better and some slightly not!

 

Entertainment:  Hmmmm. Hit and miss (in my view). One guy just wasn't funny until he started juggling at the end which raised a few titters. Another comedian had apparently been on AGT or the like, and perhaps it is because we are British, but we just didn't find him funny either, just talking nonsense. We and a few others walked out. Production shows were OK, on a par with Princess. One was described as almost 'Cirque' like. Ahem, not quite, but still quite good. One highlight was a 50's rock'n'roll Jerry Lee Lewis guy. Outstanding piano player and great singer and good showman, and he even did a duet with the (good) cruise director Richard, Goodness Gracious, Greeeeat Balllls of Fire!!  A tie.

 

Other bits and Pieces: Not sure why, perhaps because we were a suite customer, we got invited to the bridge for half an hour along with 10 or so others. Interesting and we were shown round by a 3rd officer, we had restricted access to the bridge, saw the whole set up and could take pictures. A nice welcome touch which appealed to us.  Lunch was nice in Lumiere, and a nice change on sea days, to have a 2/3 course lunch with free pouring wine! Then only 3 hours till tea, then 3 hours till dinner. We were so worried about where our next meal was coming from!  We did miss the Grand Piazza in Princess, the communal area to sit, have a coffee, sandwich, pastry, salad etc watch the world go by, listen to a bit of live music etc. Celebrity have Café Bocha, but it is not the same, very busy and crowded and a lesser menu.  Michaels Club is a good addition for suite guests too, with free cocktails and sometimes live entertainment of an evening, serving afternoon tea from 3.30. Can be a bit dull (light wise) in their and the décor doesn't add to it much, but it is a nice respite sometimes, for something different. We only went in their 2/3 times, but I could see it was popular, and your suite concierge is based there too, to help book restaurants and treatments etc. The new Edge class ships are giving them a brighter more open plan and huge upscale makeover.

 

Atmosphere wise, Celebrity go slightly ahead. With most of the bars, they are in open space (not in a closed room such as Wheelhouse Bar, or Explorers lounge), they are all similar in openness like Crooners bar. There always seems to be something going on too. I found on Princess, nothing would be happening in Crooners as there was a Panpipe flute man playing in the plaza area, or a string quartet doing some tune which stopped everything else from happening. On X, there were bars a plenty set up to walk by and sit down, with a pianist, a live vocalist and band, or just a duet playing nice acoustic versions of old and modern songs. It led to a better atmosphere in these areas and you could always find something to see and do, rather than hide away in a closed bar with not always something going on. Celebrity have a big plus there.

 

In saying that, there is far less natural light on a X ship than Princess and less windows visible, or ability to hop out on deck to have a wonder. It is a completely different layout of course, but it was noticeable of the lack of natural light in the main entertainment areas.

 

Casino was good, more going on than a Princess one, with spot prizes, free cruises, free slot play for everyone, free drinks at certain times. More visibility of activity, and even my non-casino wife said this, as she won a $75 spot prize for putting her first $ in all cruise!!

 

Think that's mainly it! This is not knocking Princess - I love the company and have enjoyed sailing around the world, and I enjoy and appreciate the perks I have earnt and hopefully continue to earn. But, there is competition out there, and business to be won. When X offer me free gratuities, wifi and drinks, I am not going to say no. I was surprised about how little I missed my suite/Elite Princess perks, though probably I got a whole lot of them in other ways. Sabatini's was the big thing I missed, and a decent size bathroom, plus the plaza/piazza area and Alfredo's lovely pizza restaurant! Damn, the more I write, the more I miss!!! However, X did deliver - a great room, a visit to the bridge, free pouring wine and strong general amenities and a great buffet and some top service providers.

 

I'm still loyal, Celebrity Wowed me. Princess will be my first call, but Celebrity will be right up there as a strong contender. In the UK we rarely got good deals such as the X triple benefits, and only now have we just got a good Princess deal of £35pppd extra for the triple whammy of drinks, gratuities and wifi. If that hadn't happened, Princess may have lost some business, but I keep an open mind. We had a lovely cruise, great service, lovely ship, great buzz and good vibe, certainly enough to entice us back - well done Celebrity; but equally I am looking forward to our maiden Enchanted Princess cruise this June - looking forward to coming 'back home'! Decisions, decisions...…..

 

PS - As fairness, I will duplicate this post in Celebrity and Princess pages.

 

Thanks for reading, hope I didnt bore, and please remember and I do acknowledge, these views are only mine from a grateful and lucky position of being Elite and sometime suite customer.

 

Ian.

[ian441672]

Our room, afternoon tea, sailaway from St Lucia, Sun rise in St Kitts, and a sunset from our little window!

[Croptop]

Thanks for posting this comparison. To date, I've only ever sailed on Princess. Today, I'm sitting here in Vines on the Regal on a turn-around day at Terminal 21 in Port Everglades and the Celebrity Edge is in port across from us. Just looking at her exterior has me itching to try a sample cruise on X. Your review has convinced me that I should give X a try soon. 

[ian441672]

12 minutes ago, Croptop said:

Thanks for posting this comparison. To date, I've only ever sailed on Princess. Today, I'm sitting here in Vines on the Regal on a turn-around day at Terminal 21 in Port Everglades and the Celebrity Edge is in port across from us. Just looking at her exterior has me itching to try a sample cruise on X. Your review has convinced me that I should give X a try soon. 

Haha! Not necessarily my intention, but good for you!  Vines on the Regal is a lovely place to relax, hope you enjoy your holiday. The Edge looks great I have to admit, and their new one, the Apex looks magnificent. With prices to match unfortunately!! Have fun, good luck 🙂

[Cruise Raider]

We have sailed quite a few times on both lines.  While Celebrity is my absolute favorite line, we do tend to cruise on Princess at three times as often.  

I agree with much of your assessment of both lines.  I would add that I think Celebrity does a better job with maintaining their ships and I do value their elite perks a lot more than those on Princess.  Now, those comments need to be taken with a grain of salt as we usually sail on older ships when on Princess.  As for the elite status perks, we don't ever send our laundry out ... I just like doing my own laundry at home.  So, that perk is wasted on us.  We do, however, like our pre-dinner cocktails and on Celebrity, they are free and on Princess, aside from the mini bar set up, there is a charge for drinks at that event.  I also like the coffee house breakfast on Celebrity, where the specialty coffees, smoothies and mimosas are also a free perk.  For us, that beats the free mini bar set up that Princess gives us.  

The cabins on Celebrity for non-suite rooms are so much nicer but I do like the open closets that are on Princess ships.  

The public areas on Princess for events, shows, acts, etc are way too small for the number of passengers they have onboard.  And my only other observance about the dining is that Princess really created a mess when changing their traditional dining times.  Not that many people like it so they go to the anytime dining room and create very long lines there.  It is next to impossible to get a table at 6 PM anymore.  

I do like Princess' rather liberal wine policies more than Celebrity's.  Oh, and the specialty dinners on Princess are a lot more reasonable in comparison, although maybe not quite as inimate.  

The new bedding on Princess wins hands down (not sure how new it really is anymore, though)!!  

I also love the new medallion on Princess.  And Princess also offers more itineraries that I am interested in.  She has a ship home ported just a hop skip and a jump from our front door ... so that is always nice!!  

 

 

 

[villauk]

1 hour ago, ian441672 said:

When X offer me free gratuities, wifi and drinks, I am not going to say no.

 

 

Nothing is free. You are paying for those items, they are just included with the initial pricing 😉.

 

We feel X and Princess are more similar than different. However, many say the suite experience, since they have thrown all their energies in that direction, is better on X. X’s prices after the Edge class was released were off the spectrum. Luckily, we decided to give other lines a try as itineraries are more important to us. We do consider both lines as the Elite perks are not something that would keep us to a particular line, whilst missing out on other great places to explore.

 

Thanks for the review.

Edited January 26, 2020 by villauk

[mnocket]

Thanks for the review.  I'm a non-suite passenger, but your impressions pretty much match mine.  The two lines are far more alike than different.  I would gladly sail on either.  The only thing I absolutely hate about either line is the choice of bar mixers used by Princess.  For my taste, the pina colada and margarita mixes are horrible.  I love both drinks when on vacation, but when sailing Princess I have to pass. Other than that one thing, I am equally happy sailing on Princess or Celebrity.  In fact, I leave in a few days  for 28-days aboard the Emerald Princess.

[tompeter]

Maybe I missed it....What ship were you on?

Thanks!

 

[Justalone]

New to cruising, and considering Celebrity or Princess as first cruise.
I enjoyed your comparison Celebrity v. Princess. 
As well seasoned cruisers,  in your opinion,  how were the ships shore excursions?   We’re they well organized process to get off the ship?   Tendering?  Better on Celebrity or Princess?

Thank you,

[Dbld777]

We have 11 Princess cruises under our belts and recently sailed on the Celebrity Silhouette and of course had a great cruise. One other difference that we missed was the interaction with the Cruise Director's staff that we typically find on Princess. The typically young and outgoing staff who facilitate many of the activities onboard(trivia, game shows, etc.) make the trip more enjoyable for us. I know it's a one data point comparison, but the CD's staff on Celebrity were almost invisible.  Anyone else experience this difference?

 

[kywildcatfanone]

This is interesting, thanks.  We are princess loyalists, mainly because we are elite and like a few of the perks, but we have been wondering about celebrity.

[hellokittyluver]

Hello...we are the opposite, we are Elite on Celebrity going on my first Princess Cruise on the Royal Princess in April. Can someone share a copy of the Premium Drink Package on Princess so I know if my favorite drinks are there. Thanks in advance.

 

[voljeep]

what are your favorite drinks ?

[reedprincess]

16 minutes ago, hellokittyluver said:

Hello...we are the opposite, we are Elite on Celebrity going on my first Princess Cruise on the Royal Princess in April. Can someone share a copy of the Premium Drink Package on Princess so I know if my favorite drinks are there. Thanks in advance.

 

Anything you want, $12 and under. Which is 97-98% if the menu.

There's no specific list of drinks on the Premier Beverage Package, just the price cap.

 

What drinks are you concerned about??

[tothemall&beyond]

I have 29 Princess cruises (most of them at least 14 days in length) under my belt and have only sailed with them since 2007. We have only one cruise on X to date: a 14 nt trans-Canal back in 2006 on the Infinity - and we loved it. But then Princess got us hooked in that it allows us to stack multiple OBC's (my veterans, our CCL shareholder, FCC's and more) while X doesn't. That said, I am about to go on a Caribbean cruise on X's Equinox in less than 2 weeks and am very excited about it. Have a Concierge veranda cabin with 4 perks included. Can't wait to see how I like the experience and compare the two lines.

[ian441672]

2 hours ago, Justalone said:

New to cruising, and considering Celebrity or Princess as first cruise.
I enjoyed your comparison Celebrity v. Princess. 
As well seasoned cruisers,  in your opinion,  how were the ships shore excursions?   We’re they well organized process to get off the ship?   Tendering?  Better on Celebrity or Princess?

Thank you,

I think Princess have it here and as much a X were ok in organisation, Princess have it down to a fine art with precision engineering! No tenders on our cruise thankfully, and the ships excursion were of a similar quality to Princess. Again, overall not much in it, but logistically I think princess just edge it. 

[ian441672]

3 hours ago, tompeter said:

Maybe I missed it....What ship were you on?

Thanks!

 

Sorry, Celebrity Reflection. One of the newer larger class of vessel. 

[cheeseclan]

Thanks for the info ian441672.  We have gone on over 30 Princess cruises and do like being elite but have decided to take a Celebrity cruise.  We are actually sailing on the Reflection this week for the 10 day Caribbean.  We are not in a suite but in the Aqua class cabin.  Am excited to try something new.

[ian441672]

6 hours ago, cheeseclan said:

Thanks for the info ian441672.  We have gone on over 30 Princess cruises and do like being elite but have decided to take a Celebrity cruise.  We are actually sailing on the Reflection this week for the 10 day Caribbean.  We are not in a suite but in the Aqua class cabin.  Am excited to try something new.

Have fun. It would be interesting to view your comparisons too. It’s a lovely ship, enjoy. 

[Mike45LC]

I too enjoy both Princess and Celebrity.  I noted the OP's comment about the service in Lumeire being slow and meals taking forever.  We were Aqua class on our last X cruise, and service at Blu was smothering, as well as slow.  And I did NOT like the Blu menus at all; the "healthier" dishes were just not my cup of tea, and I do not need to see asparagus on my plate, ever!

 

Even though our waiter told us we could order off of any of the other menus, for most of the meals, we ate in the Main Dining Rooms.  Even without reservations, we were always seated promptly and served very well.  And not smothered!

 

[mnocket]

On 1/26/2020 at 12:56 PM, Dbld777 said:

We have 11 Princess cruises under our belts and recently sailed on the Celebrity Silhouette and of course had a great cruise. One other difference that we missed was the interaction with the Cruise Director's staff that we typically find on Princess. The typically young and outgoing staff who facilitate many of the activities onboard(trivia, game shows, etc.) make the trip more enjoyable for us. I know it's a one data point comparison, but the CD's staff on Celebrity were almost invisible.  Anyone else experience this difference?

 

 

It really has to do more with the individual Cruise Director than the particular cruise line.  I've experience good and not-so-good CDs on both Celebrity and Princess.