Celebrity Cruiser Looking to try Princess! Help!

[Cruise Raider]

12 hours ago, Retired-N-Happy said:

Let's be real here.  Unless you're a 20 something heavy beer drinker, not many people can drink 15 alcoholic drinks per day.  And I'll take Princess's basic drink package that tops out at 15.00 and 15 drinks over Celebrity's drink package at 10.00 and unlimited drinks.  On Celebrity you need to consume more because the package doesn't include any good liquors let alone a craft cocktail. And if you want to upgrade to the Deluxe premium package it's 48.00 per day to do it based on 20 pp plus 20% gratuity.

The imposed limit probably has more to do with discouraging sharing of the beverage package vs cutting one off after 15 drinks. 

I can’t even count the number of times others have said, “No way will I drink 15 drinks, so I’m just going to share them with my cabin mate!”  
Just look at the prices of buying components of the package separately, if two people are staying in one cabin.  You come out even or ahead by both buying the plus or premier fare package vs buying the stand alone beverage package for one.  

 

[memoak]

13 hours ago, Retired-N-Happy said:

When's the last time you consumed 15 drinks on Princess?

Last week. Hit the limit once in 26 days but averaged 8-10 every day and sometimes 12-14. Easy to do 2 late morning drinks, 2 with lunch , 1-2 afternoon wines, 2 pre dinner drinks, 2 with dinner, a few in the casino and the my double Sambucca to take to the staterroom

 

Edited May 2 by memoak

[Retired-N-Happy]

5 hours ago, swjumbo said:

Erm…. last few weeks….many times!!!

Congratulations, you're really getting your monies worth.

[Retired-N-Happy]

4 hours ago, disgirl said:

 

The OP said they like drink packages.  I believe that is a big note to point out a difference between the 2 lines.  It isnt hard to do....

 

Based on a Sea day - 

Wake up and get a baileys and coffee (maybe 2) from the coffee bar

Have a mimosa at breakfast (or bloody mary if you like those)

10am - pool (or wherever you are)  beer or beverage

11am - pool (or wherever you are)  beer or beverage

1230pm - 1 or 2 with lunch

2pm - pool (or wherever you are)  beer or beverage

3pm - pool (or wherever you are)  beer or beverage

A pre dinner drink in the Piazza or Vines

630pm - 1 or 2 with supper

That is going to leave you 4-5 to have at the disco over the course of the evening or at the casino or in the theater while watching the show, or at the piano bar, or wherever you are.

 

😄

Congratulations on showing how you personally can knock back 15 drinks per day.  But do you really need to cruise on another line such as Celebrity because they have an unlimited amount of drinks. (At a 10.00 ceiling with standard bar choices)

[Retired-N-Happy]

4 hours ago, swjumbo said:

 

No problem whatsoever getting champagne on the Celebrity drinks package but not so easy with Princess.

Again, each to their own!

Which drink packages are you comparing?  The basic on Celebrity has a 10.00 ceiling using bar level liquors and you can't even get a Blue Moon or even a Michelob Ultra since they charge 11.00 for them. The basic on Princess is 15.00 and you can get a plethora of beer choices, craft cocktails and espresso martinis.  If you need to upgrade to premium on Celebrity, it's 24.00 pp per day.  

[Retired-N-Happy]

2 hours ago, memoak said:

Last week. Hit the limit once in 26 days but averaged 8-10 every day and sometimes 12-14. Easy to do 2 late morning drinks, 2 with lunch , 1-2 afternoon wines, 2 pre dinner drinks, 2 with dinner, a few in the casino and the my double Sambucca to take to the staterroom

 

Yet you have no problem with the 15 drink limit because of the great casino deals you get with free balconies.  My comparison was that the 15 drink limit on Princess with the 15.00 drink price limit blows away the unlimited drinks with 10.00 limit on Celebrity.

[memoak]

31 minutes ago, Retired-N-Happy said:

Yet you have no problem with the 15 drink limit because of the great casino deals you get with free balconies.  My comparison was that the 15 drink limit on Princess with the 15.00 drink price limit blows away the unlimited drinks with 10.00 limit on Celebrity.

You may have missed something I love the plus package. I was responding to a post about “who ever hits 15”. Also the 15 drinks has nothing to do with cabin deals. The casino does not buy me drinks anywhere

[Retired-N-Happy]

8 minutes ago, memoak said:

You may have missed something I love the plus package. I was responding to a post about “who ever hits 15”. Also the 15 drinks has nothing to do with cabin deals. The casino does not buy me drinks anywhere

I understand but the free casino deal you get from Princess  would be the primary reason to cruise Princess over Celebrity.  I know there are drinks on the Plus package with the 15.00.limit that you couldn't get on Celebrity because their basic package tops out at 10.00.  Even though it's unlimited, it's unlimited crap against the higher end stuff available on Princess with the Plus package.

[swjumbo]

1 hour ago, Retired-N-Happy said:

Which drink packages are you comparing?  The basic on Celebrity has a 10.00 ceiling using bar level liquors and you can't even get a Blue Moon or even a Michelob Ultra since they charge 11.00 for them. The basic on Princess is 15.00 and you can get a plethora of beer choices, craft cocktails and espresso martinis.  If you need to upgrade to premium on Celebrity, it's 24.00 pp per day.  

I’m comparing premium drinks package on both.

 

[disgirl]

16 minutes ago, Retired-N-Happy said:

Congratulations on showing how you personally can knock back 15 drinks per day.  But do you really need to cruise on another line such as Celebrity because they have an unlimited amount of drinks. (At a 10.00 ceiling with standard bar choices)

 

I never once said that was MY drinking itinerary, I just laid out what a day at sea could look like and how easy it is to use up 15.  Obviously people do max it out (as stated here by others and as I have in the past).  I have cruised on many different lines, but mostly Celebrity and Princess.  

 

Have a nice day.

[weregoingcruising]

Is there a troll on this forum?

[weregoingcruising]

47 minutes ago, Retired-N-Happy said:

I understand but the free casino deal you get from Princess  would be the primary reason to cruise Princess over Celebrity.  I know there are drinks on the Plus package with the 15.00.limit that you couldn't get on Celebrity because their basic package tops out at 10.00.  Even though it's unlimited, it's unlimited crap against the higher end stuff available on Princess with the Plus package.

You know alot about drink pakages. Which one do you buy and how many drinks aday do you consume?

[Gail & Dan]

8 minutes ago, weregoingcruising said:

You know alot about drink pakages. Which one do you buy and how many drinks aday do you consume?

we all have our own Ideas and Limits but you can hit 15 With out to much trouble .

None the less this is a comparison not a drinks question ! 

We Like the Celebrity Ships Layout is much Better than Princess, the Itinerary on Princess is the best we find it fits our needs well , staff is great on both and the food is good on both 

All in all there very comparable to each other , we switched back to princess do to the price Gouging on celebrity i find princess more bang for the buck ! 

at the end of the day you cant go wrong choosing either ! but Princess for us is he Better Choice ! 

Dan

[ldubs]

7 hours ago, deultgen said:

 

We have been on both lines many times.  In general we like them both and always enjoy our travels.  We prefer Celebrity but Princess regularly has deals that are too good to pass up.

 

Food:  If you enjoy the food in the Main Dining Room on Celebrity, you will likely enjoy the MDR on Princess as well.  Outdoor pizza by the pool is better on Princess, burgers better on Celebrity.  The International Cafe on most Princess ships is outstanding.  There is nothing really like it on Celebrity.  

 

Drinks:  The packages on Princess are better for us since they include wifi and gratuities.   I like the feel of the bars on most Celebrity ships, but a good Manhattan is a good Manhattan.

 

Entertainment and service seem about the same to me.  

 

Room - I believe the standard balcony room on each is about the same size.  I find the room seems larger on Celebrity with a couch in the room standard.  There is much more storage on a Princess ship (both closet and storage area).

 

With the exception of the packages, which we don' use, I think your description is pretty good.  

 

For us, all things considered, it has been cyclical over  the years.  For a while it was Princess.  Then for some years (prior to the pandemic) it was Celebrity.  These days, it seems Princess has bounced back.  Or, we have bounced back to Princess.  I enjoy both lines and, while we have not been on Edge class, we enjoy the ships on both lines.  

[Retired-N-Happy]

1 hour ago, swjumbo said:

I’m comparing premium drinks package on both.

 

Celebrity's is 24 pp per day higher just for drinks and you still have to pay gratuities.  Princess's is 20 pp per day higher for Premier and you have many more additions such as two specialty meals, unlimited casual dining etc.

There is truly no comparison.

[Retired-N-Happy]

51 minutes ago, weregoingcruising said:

You know alot about drink pakages. Which one do you buy and how many drinks aday do you consume?

I have purchased drink packages ever since they started many years ago on Celebrity.  I've had them on Celebrity, Princess, Carnival, MSC, NCL and RCI.

The best value and it's not even close is Princess. Drinks per day varies.  6-7 on a slow day, double digits on a good day.  And I do 90% of my alcohol consumption while cruising.

[swjumbo]

22 minutes ago, Retired-N-Happy said:

Celebrity's is 24 pp per day higher just for drinks and you still have to pay gratuities.  Princess's is 20 pp per day higher for Premier and you have many more additions such as two specialty meals, unlimited casual dining etc.

There is truly no comparison.

As I said earlier, each to their own.

For a few extra bucks I enjoy the better glasses, unlimited drinks, not having to ask for ‘champagne not Prosecco’!

I agree the specialty dining is better value with Princess but….. and if money were no object…. I’d have Celebrity over Princess.

[beshears]

Reedprincess, I like your posting on this subject. We were on the Regal for the first time and really enjoyed it for the most part.

[Retired-N-Happy]

4 hours ago, swjumbo said:

As I said earlier, each to their own.

For a few extra bucks I enjoy the better glasses, unlimited drinks, not having to ask for ‘champagne not Prosecco’!

I agree the specialty dining is better value with Princess but….. and if money were no object…. I’d have Celebrity over Princess.

You mentioned that you like the Premium package on Celebrity. It's nice but you pay 24 for the upgrade and another 16 for gratuities on Celebrity.  So that's an extra 40 a day or 80 a day for two.  It adds up and because of this Celebrity is now in our rear view mirror.

[suzyed]

On 4/30/2024 at 9:29 PM, beltsbear said:

Yes, loyalty on celebrity got us a free bag of laundry each 7 days after just five cruises.  That’s not gonna happen till maybe our 12 cruise on princess. 

Not necessarily...you can reach Elite without having to take 12 cruises if you sail on longer cruises and use days instead of sailings.  Once you get to be Elite you have free laundry as much as you want....no limit.

[suzyed]

On 4/30/2024 at 9:30 PM, Moondogy said:

After 15 cruises.  Unless you reach Elite status using days rather than sailings.

 

[suzyed]

On 5/1/2024 at 9:48 AM, Lady Arwen said:

 My big issue with Princess is that smoking is allowed in the casino and it wafts out into the other public areas.  If you stay in the casino, even for just a few minutes, your hair and your clothes reek of smoke. The bathrooms on Princess, unless you’re in a suite, are tiny with awful shower curtains.  It’s dreadful!  We’re doing one last Princess cruise in August and cancelled the rest.  Just rebooked them all on Celebrity.  We’re Elite on Celebrity, so we get some nice benefits. I really tried to like Princess and gave them a fair shot, but my DH has said enough is enough.  

Because of the shower curtains? Oh and the smoke...ok.  What are the perks on Celebrity beyond what Princess offers besides the free drinks at the happy hour which is included in the Plus or Premier package.

[suzyed]

On 5/1/2024 at 1:22 PM, robbinsca said:

Tried Princess for the first time last year and we were generally pleased. The Plus program is $60 a day, but gave the impression of being all inclusive. Celebrity onboard charges for the same things (drinks, wifi and gratuities) seem much, much higher. 
 

Princess entertainment was problematic- you needed to arrive 15-20 minutes before the show to get a seat. It seemed to be a little more “highbrow” with operatic performances and such. Celebrity used public spaces that overflowed into walkways for games and the showrooms were more of a Broadway/ Rock Concert style.

 

The Princess OV cabin seemed really small. There was not enough room between the bed and the side wall to fit a little nightstand on both sides. Our last Celebrity cruise was in a Concierge Class cabin so it was inherently nicer, but even that was a great deal on an older ship and the cabin price was less than Princess’s OV.

 

Celebrity’s service was a little better, and they offered reserved dining times at large group tables- which DW and I both like. Princess had better quality food outside the MDR and the specialty dining prices were more reasonable. Our friends won a free Specialty dinner on Celebrity, and while it was truly a special setting it was not worth our expense to join them.

 

Overall- I am happy to spend time on either one. I used to be a NCL guy but my choices would be either of these lines over NCL now.

 

 

I kept hearing how I was going to LOVE Celebrity!  I found it nice enough but I didn't love it any more than Princess.  
Every night we went to dinner we had to wait and were given a beeper so we could go and wait and have a drink. 
The Elite lounge free cocktails were nice but 1 or 2 is all you can get in the time allotted. Drink packages eliminated the need for this. 
I'm trying to recall what was better or even equal to Princess?  To be fair I have only been on one Celebrity cruise....but have not been enticed to try them again.  Princess seems to have nicer itineraries and more bang for the buck.

[suzyed]

10 hours ago, Retired-N-Happy said:

Congratulations, you're really getting your monies worth.

I imagine it is easier to do on a 7-10 day sailing but I can't imagine doing 15 drinks/day on a 25-32 day sailing!  You may have to check in to Betty Ford's when you get home!  LOL!

[cgolf1]

5 hours ago, suzyed said:

I kept hearing how I was going to LOVE Celebrity!  I found it nice enough but I didn't love it any more than Princess.  
Every night we went to dinner we had to wait and were given a beeper so we could go and wait and have a drink. 
The Elite lounge free cocktails were nice but 1 or 2 is all you can get in the time allotted. Drink packages eliminated the need for this. 
I'm trying to recall what was better or even equal to Princess?  To be fair I have only been on one Celebrity cruise....but have not been enticed to try them again.  Princess seems to have nicer itineraries and more bang for the buck.

 

There are people out there like us, at least I think there are, that don’t get a beverage package or the plus thing on Princess. The times the only option on X to book was with the beverage package, the most alcoholic drinks a day we had was maybe 5 on a sea day. So for us the elite happy hour will be nice and we are close to that level now. That said though looking at 2026 cruises Princess has the prices and itineraries that interested me the most. This year is our first Princess cruise and if we like it 2026 will be our second or third, we are now in the pattern of booking deals once the paid in full window closes to get  a bonus cruise each year.