Princess Suite Experience

[Relaxinginthesun]

My DW and I and are long-time cruisers on RCCL and Celebrity.  Due to work commitments we are only able to take one vacation a year, but we are fortunate to be able to always sail in a suite.  While we enjoyed our last two cruises on Celebrity, for the first time we were left feeling that the experience fell short of expectations.  I am starting to plan this year’s vacation and I am considering trying a new line and once option I am looking at is a cruise on the Discovery Princess in a Penthouse Suite.

Over the years the Cruise Critic Community has provided valuable information, tips and advice that have enhanced our cruise vacations and that I what I am seeking now.  I would appreciate cruisers who have sailed on both Celebrity and Princess providing any insight as to why in your opinion we would enjoy a Princess cruise or why we would be disappointed.   I thank you in advance for your helpful and informative comments. 

[Sam.Seattle]

Celebrity still has a better suite experience when you factor in the Retreat.  We still enjoy the Suites on Princess.  Just reset your expectations and give Princess a try.  The price point for a Princess suite is much less than Celebrity.  On Celebrity we stay in the Royal Suite or higher.  Princess we will sail in full suite or Mini Suite.  

 

Cheers

🍷

[MJSailors]

@Relaxinginthesun FYI

Mini suites on Princess are a larger  cabin and balcony.

They are not part of the Suite category/perks.

When you check the Princess web site for cabin categories, you will see what I mean.

There is an excellent review on this thread now posted by @Bimmer09.

He was on the Ruby Princess over the Christmas holiday, in a suite. His photos of the accommodations will give you an idea of what a suite may look like.

We are long time customers of Princess -pre Covid days.

The ships are beautifully decorated and maintained. They may not have the modern look of Celebrity ships that have been “modernized” by Hoppen. We consider them to be comfortable and welcoming in their design.

You will not find water slides, rock walls and other “entertainments” that you would find on a RCCL ship.Another reason we prefer Princess with Celebrity as a close second.

MJ🙋🏻‍♀️

[dog]

I had the aft corner PH suite in Caribe deck on Discovery. It was fantastic.

[Melnal2]

43 minutes ago, Sam.Seattle said:

Celebrity still has a better suite experience when you factor in the Retreat.  We still enjoy the Suites on Princess.  Just reset your expectations and give Princess a try.  The price point for a Princess suite is much less than Celebrity.  On Celebrity we stay in the Royal Suite or higher.  Princess we will sail in full suite or Mini Suite.  

 

Cheers

🍷

The new 'Signature Suite' amenities on the Sun Princess include a private sun area, a concierge lounge, and a private restaurant.  Maybe Princess is trying to match the amenities offered by other cruise lines?

[DiRonT]

Go to You Tube and you will find videos of the Suite you are looking at, specifically on Discovery Princess.  We have stayed in aft suites as well as the Riviera deck suites port and starboard.  We love the size of the aft balconies (especially on Baja and Dolphin decks) but don't love that there is not much shade.  We like the layout of the suites on Riviera deck best and love the proximity to the Concierge Lounge (only available on Royal Class shops).  It is so nice to have quick and easy access to coffee and specialty coffees in the morning and snacks throughout the day, as well as happy hour drinks in the evening.

 

 

[FLAlaska]

I know you asked about comparisons, I can't give you that but I can give you my experience on the Sky, a sister ship of the Discovery. I was travelling solo.

I found the suite to be really nice, the bathroom was amazing. Lots of room, separate bathtub and shower and the toilet was separate as well.  I was on the Riviera Deck and had the Concierge Lounge practically across the hall. The concierges were great, they booked my Sanctuary, even after I was told they were booked solid., helped me with dining reservations and anything i needed. Great place to grab a snack, soda , a drink. Everyone there was really accommodating.

The reserve dining worked great. Just walked on down, and was seated right away, had the same server and table each time.

Sabatinis suite breakfast was enjoyable , quiet and relaxing.

While there is no retreat or special sections  for suite guests like the retreat, I really enjoyed the service, the space, the lounge. 

I will come down to what you want and expect from a suite. The price for suites on Princess aren't as high as Celebrity, that accounts for the lack of extra suite public space. But I am a simple person, very low maintenance and didn't really need it.

[HBCcruiser]

Here is a link to my Live review from the Discovery a few years ago if you are interested in what it was like. We had the Sky Suite followed by a Penthouse suite. Photos are included.

 

 

[c-boy]

18 minutes ago, Melnal2 said:

The new 'Signature Suite' amenities on the Sun Princess include a private sun area, a concierge lounge, and a private restaurant.  Maybe Princess is trying to match the amenities offered by other cruise lines?

👍 apparently they got my email 😆