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Celebrity to Princess and I am lost


TXRed
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We just changed our Alaska cruise from Celebrity to Princess Star, May 2019...so I have a few questions. I have been reading some but my husband wants me to ask .... C no longer has 'formal nights' on their Alaska sailing (not sure of any other destinations) Does Princess still have formals nights? Is the coffee card worth it? Is the coffee really that bad? Are the specialty restaurants worth the price? I am sure I have many more and I will try to find the answers before asking. Thanks

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Princess does Alaska very well !

 

We did Alaska in May on the Coral, a couple years ago.

 

Yes, Princess does have what you would call Formal Nights... Photographers set up everywhere, etc..

But, it is a very loose interpretation.

Get decked out to the nines! or go resort nice looking...

Either will work.

 

Except for the newer ships, I understand that they do not serve real brewed coffee, so you might want to do the Coffee Card. I used some of mine for Green Fruit Tea drinks on the Coral!

 

To me, yes, the specialty restaurants might be well worth it !

The charge is much less than Celebrity.

Find out about the menus in the Main Dining Rooms, and plan accordingly.

 

On the CORAL, we only did one specialty restaurant.

The MDR on the CORAL at that time was VERY good.

That was counted by the fact that the Buffett at that time was not very good.

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We just changed our Alaska cruise from Celebrity to Princess Star, May 2019...so I have a few questions. I have been reading some but my husband wants me to ask .... C no longer has 'formal nights' on their Alaska sailing (not sure of any other destinations) Does Princess still have formals nights? Is the coffee card worth it? Is the coffee really that bad? Are the specialty restaurants worth the price? I am sure I have many more and I will try to find the answers before asking. Thanks

 

Yes, Princess has Formal nights. You don't have to participate as there are plenty of other places to eat than MDR. Many people opt for purchasing specialty dining on formal nights. The dress code in specialty dining is always "smart casual" which Princess defines as what you would wear to a nice restaurant at home. Most men wear a suit on formal night if they eat in MDR (Main Dining Room.). Some just wear nice slacks and a shirt and tie. You will likely see a few in a tux but that seems to be declining.

 

The coffee card is no longer a card. It's an electronic credit on your cruise card. It offers unlimited fresh-brewed coffee (supposed to be only for the card holder) and 15 specialty coffees. If you don't use all 15 of those you lose them. No more carrying them over to subsequent cruises. The specialty coffee can be used for anybody you like. The "regular" coffee on Star Princess (not Princess Star) is from a syrup. It varies from quite acceptable to horrid. I once had a very good cup of coffee in the dining room at lunch and then had a refill that was like crankcase oil. Most of the time I find it OK. The fresh brewed at IC (International Cafe) is consistently good but requires a coffee "card".

 

Whether or not a specialty restaurant is "worth it" is entirely subjective. If you want to order beef I suggest paying for the specialty restaurant (Crown Grill). The beef in MDR seems to have gone downhill big time. The other specialty dining option on Star Princess is Sabatini's which is Italian. I "think" they also offer the Crab Shack some nights. It's off of the buffet. All three have a charge.

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I think each of those are subjective. Princess formal dress code is higher than Celebrity elegant but you will get away with the same clothes if you wish.

 

Coffee card, depends how fussy you are and how much coffee you drink

 

Specialty restaurants we use some cruises not others

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We just changed our Alaska cruise from Celebrity to Princess Star, May 2019...so I have a few questions. I have been reading some but my husband wants me to ask ....

 

C no longer has 'formal nights' on their Alaska sailing (not sure of any other destinations) Does Princess still have formals nights? Yes but they are neither enforced nor participated in with the voracity you may recall from when X (never saw the abbreviation 'C' before) had them fleetwide. Slacks and a button down shirt will pass muster, though in May you will probably be adding a lightweight sweater or jacket (not outdoor windbreaker).

 

Is the coffee card worth it? Is the coffee really that bad? I'm not much of a coffee person but the cost of the now-virtual card for what you get (fifteen specialty coffee drinks plus unlimited fresh brewed coffee and premium tea from the International Cafe) seems like a bargain to me. Prices for all beverages from alcoholic to those ubiquitous west coast coffee concoctions are noticeably lower on Princess than on X and its corporate brethren RCI.

 

Are the specialty restaurants worth the price? Again the cover charges for Princess specialty restaurants are 1/3 or more lower than on Celebrity. Though their menus may seem somewhat perfunctory compared to the artsy pretense of X. The Crown Grill Steakhouse and Sabatini's Italian Trattoria are nice diversions from the MDR, and at $29 fairly priced. The real treat may be the Chef's Table if you wish to go for an all out feast.

 

I am sure I have many more and I will try to find the answers before asking. Thanks Ask all that you wish, but I hope you have found the Princess website more helpful than Celebrity's. Actually there are no cruiseline websites less helpful than theirs--but hopefully your Princess research will not yield any surprises that would have been dealbreakers if known beforehand. I say that because I am in the very small minority that considers Celebrity and Princess quite dissimilar, rather than so many posters on both boards who are indifferent to their respective products.

 

My thoughts in red above. May is the perfect time for an Alaska cruise, I just did two back to back this year.

Edited by fishywood
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We’re regular X cruisers that have just returned from a Princess Alaskan sailing. We found that the formal night was far more dressier on Princess than Chic night on X - think what X used to be before Chic was introduced. Didn’t see one person in shorts in the MDR like I have recently on X.

 

The specialty restaurants were virtually half the price of X’s. If you have the Sip ‘n Sail promo the special coffees are included in the package. If not, you can either buy a virtual coffee card or pay as you go. All drinks, on the whole, were less expensive than any on X. I didn’t find one that wasn’t included in my beverage package.

 

 

Their website is also a breeze compared to X’s. You can actually see everything that applies to your reservation - even any OBC!

 

 

You are unable to prebook Anytime Dining like you can on X. I can’t speak for your ship, but we were unimpressed with the buffet on The Grand (far too small for the size of ship and the choice wasn’t great). We did like the afternoon tea each day in the MDR (no extra charge) and also the pub lunches offered in the Crown Grill a couple of times during the sailing.

 

 

Oh, and the internet packages are far reasonable to purchase.

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Yes, Princess has Formal nights. You don't have to participate as there are plenty of other places to eat than MDR. Many people opt for purchasing specialty dining on formal nights. The dress code in specialty dining is always "smart casual" which Princess defines as what you would wear to a nice restaurant at home. Most men wear a suit on formal night if they eat in MDR (Main Dining Room.). Some just wear nice slacks and a shirt and tie. You will likely see a few in a tux but that seems to be declining.

 

The coffee card is no longer a card. It's an electronic credit on your cruise card. It offers unlimited fresh-brewed coffee (supposed to be only for the card holder) and 15 specialty coffees. If you don't use all 15 of those you lose them. No more carrying them over to subsequent cruises. The specialty coffee can be used for anybody you like. The "regular" coffee on Star Princess (not Princess Star) is from a syrup. It varies from quite acceptable to horrid. I once had a very good cup of coffee in the dining room at lunch and then had a refill that was like crankcase oil. Most of the time I find it OK. The fresh brewed at IC (International Cafe) is consistently good but requires a coffee "card".

 

Whether or not a specialty restaurant is "worth it" is entirely subjective. If you want to order beef I suggest paying for the specialty restaurant (Crown Grill). The beef in MDR seems to have gone downhill big time. The other specialty dining option on Star Princess is Sabatini's which is Italian. I "think" they also offer the Crab Shack some nights. It's off of the buffet. All three have a charge.

Welcome to Princess ! Everything that Thrak said above is accurate.

 

You will love how well Princess does Alaska ! They have wonderful guest speakers and talks about the scenery, geography, glaciers, wildlife, and culture. It is an amazing journey, and you really will "come back new." Have fun ! - EBC

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We just changed our Alaska cruise from Celebrity to Princess Star, May 2019...so I have a few questions. I have been reading some but my husband wants me to ask .... C no longer has 'formal nights' on their Alaska sailing (not sure of any other destinations) Does Princess still have formals nights? Yes, Princess still has formal nights. 2 per 7 night sailing. You can expect to see tuxes, suits, sport coats and ties, etc for guys, and gowns, cocktail dresses, pantsuit, etc for ladies

 

Is the coffee card worth it? Is the coffee really that bad? Coffee is subjective. I don't drink it, so really can't say. Princess uses same syrup, etc that Celebrity does in their free stuff.. So, if free stuff on Celebrity works for you, so it will on Princess. The coffee package gives you 15 specialty coffees plus unlimited fresh brewed coffee, hot chocolate and teas, as long as you have one "specialty coffee" left.

Are the specialty restaurants worth the price? IMO - yes they are, more than they are on Celebrity. Lower price, higher quality, more individual than Celebrity. Yes, worth it, IMO.

I am sure I have many more and I will try to find the answers before asking. Thanks

Welcome to Princess... From a Celebrity Elite Plus...

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Princess does Alaska very well !

 

We did Alaska in May on the Coral, a couple years ago.

 

Yes, Princess does have what you would call Formal Nights... Photographers set up everywhere, etc..

But, it is a very loose interpretation.

Get decked out to the nines! or go resort nice looking...

Either will work.

 

Except for the newer ships, I understand that they do not serve real brewed coffee, so you might want to do the Coffee Card. I used some of mine for Green Fruit Tea drinks on the Coral!

 

To me, yes, the specialty restaurants might be well worth it !

The charge is much less than Celebrity.

Find out about the menus in the Main Dining Rooms, and plan accordingly.

 

On the CORAL, we only did one specialty restaurant.

The MDR on the CORAL at that time was VERY good.

That was counted by the fact that the Buffett at that time was not very good.

 

Thanks so much for your reply. Happy to read that even though there are 'formal' nights resort wear is also an option.

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Yes, Princess has Formal nights. You don't have to participate as there are plenty of other places to eat than MDR. Many people opt for purchasing specialty dining on formal nights. The dress code in specialty dining is always "smart casual" which Princess defines as what you would wear to a nice restaurant at home. Most men wear a suit on formal night if they eat in MDR (Main Dining Room.). Some just wear nice slacks and a shirt and tie. You will likely see a few in a tux but that seems to be declining.

 

The coffee card is no longer a card. It's an electronic credit on your cruise card. It offers unlimited fresh-brewed coffee (supposed to be only for the card holder) and 15 specialty coffees. If you don't use all 15 of those you lose them. No more carrying them over to subsequent cruises. The specialty coffee can be used for anybody you like. The "regular" coffee on Star Princess (not Princess Star) is from a syrup. It varies from quite acceptable to horrid. I once had a very good cup of coffee in the dining room at lunch and then had a refill that was like crankcase oil. Most of the time I find it OK. The fresh brewed at IC (International Cafe) is consistently good but requires a coffee "card".

 

Whether or not a specialty restaurant is "worth it" is entirely subjective. If you want to order beef I suggest paying for the specialty restaurant (Crown Grill). The beef in MDR seems to have gone downhill big time. The other specialty dining option on Star Princess is Sabatini's which is Italian. I "think" they also offer the Crab Shack some nights. It's off of the buffet. All three have a charge.

 

Thank you for your reply. A nice slacks and a shirt and tie will work for my husband. I think a coffee

credit' will be for me. I love my coffee. Not much on specialty coffees though. I looked at the menu at The Crown Grill...yummy and certainly seems worth it. And yes, less expensive than Celebrity

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I think each of those are subjective. Princess formal dress code is higher than Celebrity elegant but you will get away with the same clothes if you wish.

 

Coffee card, depends how fussy you are and how much coffee you drink

 

Specialty restaurants we use some cruises not others

 

Thank you for your reply.

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My thoughts in red above. May is the perfect time for an Alaska cruise, I just did two back to back this year.

 

Thank you for your reply...I think I was going to type Celebrity and got interrupted....thus the C instead of X

 

All the replies are pretty consistent ...

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TX Red ... You will be fine wearing the same sort of clothes on Princes you are use to wearing for all occasions on Celebrity. (y)

 

Thank you...That's great for us.

Edited by TXRed
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We’re regular X cruisers that have just returned from a Princess Alaskan sailing. We found that the formal night was far more dressier on Princess than Chic night on X - think what X used to be before Chic was introduced. Didn’t see one person in shorts in the MDR like I have recently on X.

 

The specialty restaurants were virtually half the price of X’s. If you have the Sip ‘n Sail promo the special coffees are included in the package. If not, you can either buy a virtual coffee card or pay as you go. All drinks, on the whole, were less expensive than any on X. I didn’t find one that wasn’t included in my beverage package.

 

 

Their website is also a breeze compared to X’s. You can actually see everything that applies to your reservation - even any OBC!

 

 

You are unable to prebook Anytime Dining like you can on X. I can’t speak for your ship, but we were unimpressed with the buffet on The Grand (far too small for the size of ship and the choice wasn’t great). We did like the afternoon tea each day in the MDR (no extra charge) and also the pub lunches offered in the Crown Grill a couple of times during the sailing.

 

 

Oh, and the internet packages are far reasonable to purchase.

 

Thank you for your reply. A friend just recommended I take my french press and just get hot water....that's an idea! Will you elaborate on the pub lunches? Again thanks for your reply.

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Welcome to Princess ! Everything that Thrak said above is accurate.

 

You will love how well Princess does Alaska ! They have wonderful guest speakers and talks about the scenery, geography, glaciers, wildlife, and culture. It is an amazing journey, and you really will "come back new." Have fun ! - EBC

 

Thanks....we are excited!

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Dear OP, why did you switch from Celebrity to Princess?

 

We are surprising our son and DIL with this cruise for their Christmas gift. X left on Friday and we would have to fly in to Seattle on Thursday...meaning my son would be taking 2 works days off . Princess sails on Sunday. So he would not have to take extra days off. We can fly in on Saturday and still be able to go to Pike's Market. That's the only reason.

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Welcome to Princess... From a Celebrity Elite Plus...

 

Thanks! We are pretty easy going travelers. We love to cruises. It's been a couple more yrs than we would have like since we cruised. We are very excited to be able to do so again.

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We have done Alaska on both lines. In my opinion, Princess did it better. It also had fewer upcharge items and what it had was less costly. For instance, afternoon tea is not nearly as fancy on Princess, but it is free. You can also get scones at the buffet if that's all you want. On Celebrity it was $25.

 

Formal night is a loose term. Any amount of "dress up" will be fine and the term applies only to the main dining rooms. If you don't want to dress up at all, this is a good night to do specialty dining. "Worth it" is a personal thing--we got it included in our cruise booking package, so it was a no brainer. The food was very good in the Crown Grill.

 

Coffee package--includes unlimited fresh brewed coffee or premium tea bags for the person purchasing the card AND 15 specialty coffees and/or teas (think Starbucks) which can be shared. Again, "worth it" is up to you. You can purchase any of these items separately if you opt to not get the card. The tea is $1.25 + 15% gratuity if not on the card, specialty drinks are in the $3-5 range. Package, including grats is $36.

 

Princess has not gone to the "ship within a ship" concept that Celebrity and NCL have. They do have Club Class dining but that is a small area of the main dining room and has one or two non-menu items each night. They get the same menu as the regular dining area. We had Club Class included on our last cruise. While it is very nice, it is nothing like the totally separate restaurants on some lines, and thus doesn't have the issue of those lines skimping on the regular people!

 

Princess web site is FAR easier to use than Celebrity.

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Thank you for your reply. A friend just recommended I take my french press and just get hot water....that's an idea! Will you elaborate on the pub lunches? Again thanks for your reply.

 

 

The pub lunches were offered a couple of times during the cruise in The Crown Grill - no extra charge. There were different menus for both days e.g. fish & chips, ploughman’s lunch, scotch egg salad, battered shrimps (my boys thought this would be like scampi back home but it was slightly different). The desserts were bread & butter pudding and sherry trifle (our teens, 18 & 16 years, were miffed as they couldn’t have this due to being minors - we’d previously never heard of being denied food because of a small alcohol content :confused:). It was a nice change for lunch on a sea day.

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We have done Alaska on both lines. In my opinion' date=' Princess did it better. It also had fewer upcharge items and what it had was less costly. For instance, afternoon tea is not nearly as fancy on Princess, but it is free. You can also get scones at the buffet if that's all you want. On Celebrity it was $25.

 

Formal night is a loose term. Any amount of "dress up" will be fine and the term applies only to the main dining rooms. If you don't want to dress up at all, this is a good night to do specialty dining. "Worth it" is a personal thing--we got it included in our cruise booking package, so it was a no brainer. The food was very good in the Crown Grill.

 

Coffee package--includes unlimited fresh brewed coffee or premium tea bags for the person purchasing the card AND 15 specialty coffees and/or teas (think Starbucks) which can be shared. Again, "worth it" is up to you. You can purchase any of these items separately if you opt to not get the card. The tea is $1.25 + 15% gratuity if not on the card, specialty drinks are in the $3-5 range. Package, including grats is $36.

 

Princess has not gone to the "ship within a ship" concept that Celebrity and NCL have. They do have Club Class dining but that is a small area of the main dining room and has one or two non-menu items each night. They get the same menu as the regular dining area. We had Club Class included on our last cruise. While it is very nice, it is nothing like the totally separate restaurants on some lines, and thus doesn't have the issue of those lines skimping on the regular people!

 

Princess web site is FAR easier to use than Celebrity.[/quote']

 

I do love scones and afternoon tea. Usually can't get the guys to do formal nights...but I think a dress shirt and tie will be doable for them. I checked Princess website and it is more user friendly. Thanks for your reply and information.

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The pub lunches were offered a couple of times during the cruise in The Crown Grill - no extra charge. There were different menus for both days e.g. fish & chips, ploughman’s lunch, scotch egg salad, battered shrimps (my boys thought this would be like scampi back home but it was slightly different). The desserts were bread & butter pudding and sherry trifle (our teens, 18 & 16 years, were miffed as they couldn’t have this due to being minors - we’d previously never heard of being denied food because of a small alcohol content :confused:). It was a nice change for lunch on a sea day.

 

The pub lunches sound very interesting..ad I love bread pudding♥

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