Which ship from San Juan -Celebrity Summit, Caribbean Princess, or RCCL Serenade?

[sweetlowcountry]

After much thought, we've decided to fly to San Juan and cruise the Southern Caribbean in November 2010. I need help finding a ship! Our options are Celebrity Summit, Caribbean Princess, or RCCL Serenade. We will book either a Ocean View or Balcony and hope for an upgrade. We will probably end up with a balcony by the sailing, even if we have to pay a little for it. What is your favorite ship for food, service, cleanliness, newness, etc?

 

Here is a little information about us... early/mid 30s, married for 3 years. We've cruised RCCL and Carnival. Liked RCCL Mariner when we cruised in 2006. We are tired of Carnival and ready for a change. We love great wine, great food, adult only areas, piano bars, jazz, nonsmokers, the outdoors, relaxation, and adventure! Don't like too many kids, don't mind older people or others our age with no kids. Usually like dining at the surcharge restaurants because the food and service are better.

 

As you can see from my signature, we've usually sailed bigger ships. I'm worried that the San Juan sailings will be crowded due to the smaller ship size. Your thoughts? Which ship is the best - Celebrity Summit, Caribbean Princess, or RCCL Serenade?

[dosherpack]

Can't speak for the others, I have only been on Serenade. But based on your likes, I believe you will be very happy with her. There are two specialty resturants, Chops and Portafino. Both are outstanding with Chops being a classic steakhouse and Portafino being an Italian fare. Serenade is a lovely ship and has a tremendous amount of glass to view the sites from indoors (including glass elevators facing the outside of the ship). Passenger makeup will be dependent upon time of year more than anything else, but getting to San Juan tends to limit the number of children and the very elderly. I am scheduled to sail on Serenade again in April and I can't wait. I don't think you can go wrong with her.

[Cruiseorr]

We sailed on the Summit out of San Juan last year. The food was good, and we enjoyed our stateroom as always. We were booked in concierge class, though I'm not really sure what benefit that really was. The beds are new and very comfortable, and you get duvets. We enjoyed our balcony, and you can get a full breakfast through room service, which is not the case on many other cruise lines, such as Princess. They all have some variation of a continental breakfast, but not much beyond that. Since you are going to be on your honeymoon, room service might be rather important!

 

The ship was showing some signs of wear and tear. One example:We purchased a pass that would allow us unlimited access to the thermal suite during the cruise. After a couple of days, we noticed that the special showers (the ones with multiple jets that spray you from top to bottom) in the thermal suite were out of service, which was annoying. The spa attendant said something about the water lines up there in the spa being at the end of the line, which made the pressure too low to adequately supply the multiple jets, which was why the tropical rain shower feature was not always working correctly. Oh really? Thanks for mentioning that after we had already spent our money on the spa pass! There is a very nice thallasotherapy pool open to everyone, so save your money on the spa pass.

 

I've never been on a large RCL ship, so I don't have any input on them, but I do hear it's a good cruise line for younger adults, and there are many reviews for this ship under member reviews.

 

If you two are non smokers, the Celebrity policy is one of the best because it prohibits smoking in staterooms and balconies. Princess allows smoking in all staterooms and balconies. So, if your neighbor is smoking out on their balcony, you get to share in their habit. On our cruise on the Island Princess, I think we were in the middle of a Phillip Morris convention because everyone around us was chainsmoking outside on their balconies the entire week. Not sure about RCL's policy.

 

All three ships have pros and cons, and I'm sure you guys are going to have a really wonderful cruise no matter who you choose.

Wishing you both very happy on your upcoming wedding.

[sweetlowcountry]

Thanks dosherpack. I've been waiting to see a member review of the Serenade while she is in San Juan! The ones on the member review page are from Alaska... I know there will be some posted in the next week or so!

 

Cruiseorr - thanks for the info about the Summit. I don't know much about Celebrity so I'm interested in getting as many opinions as possible.

 

We've been on RCCL Mariner, I'm assuming Serenade is somewhat similar, even though it is a smaller ship. We loved the Mariner because the decor was not too flamboyant. Carnival's decor seems to be a little "loud" for my taste.

 

I'm interested to hear more about the Caribbean Princess and the Celebrity Summit. I heard long ago that Celebrity has the best food and Princess was slipping in service a bit. I would like to know anyone's thoughts as of today.

[ncdachsiemom]

We went on the RCCL Serenade last year at Christmas, and previously we went on the Radiance of the Seas. I love that class of ships....the interior is beautiful. The Serenade was wonderful....great food and service...one of my favorite ships. :) Our teenagers wanted to go on the Carnival Freedom this time because of the giant waterslide and the fact that it will be half full of teenagers. :eek: Since it is their Christmas, guess we will manage....we booked all suites so at least us adults will be able to get a lounge chair on our balcony!:p I haven't been on Carnival in 25 years, so I hope it is a nice cruise....we wanted the western itinerary and it fit our time frame nicely.

 

Have a great cruise....and by the way,if you haven't spent time in San Juan, you might want to try a 2-3 day pre- or post-cruise. It is a beautiful city that we really enjoyed.

[alcpa1]

We have taken 5 or 6 cruises to the southern Caribbean from San Juan on all three lines you mentioned. We have been on the Summit and the Serenade but not the Caribbean Princess.

It is true that all three are smaller than the Mariner, but size is relative until you compare the new Oasis or the smallish R class ships of Princess and Azamara. You will not feel crowded on these ships. They are still quite large with a pleasing passenger space ratio.

Take a careful look at the itineraries as you compare the alternatives. Having been to most of the islands I would not hesitate to return to any of them.

If you do not want to go to St. Thomas then the Summit is your ship. Smoking is severly limited in comparison to the other two. The specialty restaurant is wonderful. and there is another alternative dining experience in the Lido with a minor service charge that is casual but with white tablecloth service. There tend to be fewer children on Celebrity and unless you happen to have children on fall break you probably would not notice them on board.

We also love the Serenade and the Radiance class ships. The D class cabins are well laid out and I actually prefer them to the Concierge Class cabins on the Summit. There will be a little more evening activity on the Serenade, but only marginally. The Specialty restaurants are very good and if they still have the mystery dinner consider it too.

We are not big Princess fans so I will leave the raves to others.

So it's back to itineraries and cost of course.

Happy planning and happy cruising.

[perlgirlnj]

We've sailed both the Summit and the Serenade out of San Juan, both of them over holiday periods (New Year's Eve one year and Christmas the next). Both ships were full due to holiday period and neither one felt terribly crowded to us. They are both really lovely ships, with beautiful decor and elegant touches.

 

The difference was in style. I'd call the Serenade higher on the "glitz" scale, and the Summit higher on the understated elegance scale. I was sure I'd like the Summit better because of the more elegant profile, but I found myself missing some of the "wow" that comes from a glitzy ship. I also expected the food to be better on the Summit and it wasn't, at least for us.

 

In terms of specialty restaurants, the Serenade has 2, while the Summit has just the 1. I thought all 3 of them were worth the money for an elegant experience.

 

As for nice places to have a drink, we particularly liked the champagne Bar on the Serenade, and the martini bar on the Summit. The martini bar I think also had a scotch bar on the other side, and both of them overlooked a nightclub where jazz/swing music was playing. It was very nice. The Summit also had a piano bar (maybe called Michael's?) but when we went there it was so cold that we had to leave.

 

I'd happily sail either of them again. In fact, we're sailing the Serenade over Christmas this year but not because it's any better than the Summit. We just thought it would be more fun to alternate than to go on the same one two years in a row. I'm not sure why it's never worked out for us to try the Princess ship out of San Juan but it just hasn't.

 

I'd guess that if you liked the Mariner, you'd like the Serenade. There's also a bit more of nightlife and action which may appeal to your age/stage. Or not, depending on your preferences.

 

But honestly? They're both really lovely but with a different feel.

 

Can't help you on the Princess ship but I'd love to hear others' feedback since we seem to like the San Juan Caribbean route alot!

[cruznjan]

I've sailed on the Summit and the Serenade, and I would recommend either of the two.

[Clutterlady]

Have sailed the Caribbean Princess twice and she is my favorite Princess ship so far. She is big, but never felt crowded! You have your choice of traditional dining or anytime dining. Two great pay dining venues, Crown Grill or Sabatinis. Food being subjective, to me the Horizon Court buffet and the Cafe Caribe have some of the best buffet food at sea. The International Cafe, which is free, was a great addition to the ship as well as Vines the wine and sushi bar. Four fresh water pools, two are adults only.

 

Can't go wrong sailing Princess....enjoy no matter which ship you choose:)

[johnfas]

Okay so I will give you first hand experience with the Caribbean Princess. We had a great cruise on her a little over two years ago. My daughter had a wedding cruise and was married on St. Thomas. It was just wonderful. Princess did a great job with the whole venture and it was probably the least stressful wedding I have ever encountered. The ship was very nice. The food was excellent as we all (38 of us) dinned together nightly. They put us all together in one area so we could exchange tables and sit with whom we wanted. Nice! We had the wedding dinner in Sabatini's and the only thing people all agreed on was, it was too much food! Most have never experienced a dinner like that so they thoroughly enjoyed it. In Sabatini's you only order a main course, everything else is brought to the table to try.

We found the ship clean, very friendly, many venues to keep everyone busy. Between the Vista and Princess theater, Wheelhouse and Martini bar plus many other places for entertainment you are in no shortage of your type of place to lounge. As far as kids you will probably encounter fewer on Princess that RCCL or Celebrity? Although we have been on all four of the lines you mentioned most have been with Princess and RCCL. We do enjoy Princess the best. The food is always good, entertainment best of all the ships we have been on, staff is utterly friendly that is from the room steward to wait staff, customer service and even the workers doing maintenance, we have had nothing but positives to say about them. They must enjoy what they do. Now remember a cruise is what YOU make of it. If you go in with the attitude that every detail has to be perfect, forget it. We have done 11 cruises (six on Princess) and can honestly say have enjoyed every one. There will be something different about every cruise line. If you have not experienced Princess I highly suggest you do. The ships are really done up nice.

The alternative restaurants are very nice, Italian and a steak house. They also have something called Chef's dinner. While it is pricier (we plan on doing it on our next cruise) most people say it is really nice and worth it. You get to go into the galley to start. They give you wine with every food pairing. The dinner is created especially for the 10-12 guests at that dinner. Then you get some other perks like a picture, and princess cookbook etc. It is only done 3-4 times per week so you have to book right away or you may get shut out. Of course Princess has first and second seating along with anytime dining, which we are sold on. Like the idea to eat when you feel like and the opportunity to sit with others at a large table or by yourself. We generally like to eat with others so if we are not vacationing with friends then we join a large table. Of course you can always have your dinner served on your balcony. Slightly more romantic......

As far as adult only areas there is one on Princess but it is has a fee involved. We have seen but not tried. Don't need that much privacy, as we are on a cruise for the fun of it.

 

Contrary to what someone else said the smoking situation is not bad on Princess. One side of the ship is designated to smokers. If you do not like smoke (ugh) then just stay on the other side. You cannot smoke in your rooms but if you have a balcony then who is going to stop you? Beside that, only smoking in the casino and in the cigar bar is allowed. We are definite anti smokers but have not had any situations to remember.

Something I failed to mention, the Caribbean Princess is a large but not super sized. So you will not feel crowded except maybe on sea days. But you will never not be able to find a lounge. They have them all around the ship away from the pools etc. Oh yes the MUTS is a very nice feature also. Thought we would never watch a movie or concert, but we found it is nice and relaxing on a warm night. Movie ends and still plenty of time to enjoy the casino, go to the Caribbe cafe or just for a drink before bed time.

Well talked long enough so just look at the itinerary if it looks good do your first Princess cruise and enjoy it!! I definitely agree with Clutterlady!

[Zubsin]

Sailed Celebrity Summit Christmas 2008 and Caribbean Princess Spring Break 2009 (yes some say I'm adicted to the caribbean) Have never sailed RCCL.

I liked both ships food is good on both, gym was good on both, entertainment better on Celebrity.

We book Concierge class when we sail Celebrity for the extra perks and breakfast on the balcony. Celebrity has more luggage space under the bed but Princess has a better closet set up.

We were LUCKY enough to do the Chef's Table on the Caribbean Princess and it is worth every penny so if you pick Princess try to do the Chef's table.

I liked most of the ports and all of the excursions we took. We are very active 50's so we always book the most active excursions. The hike to Rendevoux Beach (CP) was the best!

We're going to try NCL Jewel spring 2010 western caribbean so we'll have more to compare.

I'm sure you'll like whatever cruise you select. Donna

[Private Island]

Wow, great information from everyone! We have been on the Serenade of the Seas and the Summit a couple of times and love each ship! Why not think about a back to back cruise on the Summit with alternating itinerary's? We will be giving that a try in January!

[sweetlowcountry]

I love all the great reviews!! Thanks to all of you! I thought there would be a clear winner out of the 3 ships, but it looks like they are all great ships. Now, I just need to make the final decision. Oh what to do? Thanks again everyone. I really enjoyed reading all this!

[Cruiseorr]

memo to johnfas....with all due respect, smoking on Princess is allowed on any and all balconies AND staterooms throughout the fleet irregardless of location/side of ship/etc. You may be lucky and be placed in an area with no neighbors who smoke....and then again, you may not (like we were). Trust me, there is no such policy where you may request a specific side of the ship to avoid smokers. There have been many threads devoted to this subject, and even though this was not the topic of this thread, I just wanted to set the record straight for Honeymooners in case that is an issue that's important to them. Princess has so many other good things going for it that it may just be a minor inconvenience to some...or not. If you know the facts, you can make an informed decision which is why we have this forum.

 

To my knowledge, the only cruise line mentioned in this thread that prohibits smoking on any and all balconies is Celebrity. You may count as an exception the introduction of "spa class" staterooms on other cruise lines, where smoking is prohibited. We enjoyed this feature on Carnival, and are looking forward to booking with the renovated HAL ships offering this category. This may well have been introduced on RCL, and for us non-smokers, it would be a very welcome feature. I haven't sailed on RCL in years and so could not comment.

 

For Celebrity to take the lead in this trend to keeping our staterooms and balconies smoke free, I must applaud them. It's way overdue. And if you think smoking on the balconies is merely an inconvenience, google "fire on Star Princess" and look at some of the videos of the fire a couple of years ago that was started by a cigarette on a balcony. Princess did not change their smoking policy after this disaster, but did renovate all their balconies to be fire retardant.

 

I'm not trying to discount how wonderful an experience you and your family had on your cruise, only to set straight the error in the smoking policy you mentioned in your post. I wish you were correct, because we really like Princess, but at this moment in time, unfortunately it's just not the case.