Help me decide Princess or Celebrity Med

[Guyab815]

I have booked a 12 day Med Cruise with Princess for Sept 2011 this would be my first time with Princess, I chose this cruise because of the itinerary, I had originally chosen Celebrity Solstice for their 12 day Med cruise in Sept, but opted for Princess because the itinerary added Turkey and Greece. Since booking I ran across a Pied Piper Cruise with the Celebrity Solstice Itinerary but in August. I am now thinking I would love to do the Med with a Gay Tour Group instead of the standard straight cruise, more for the opportunity to meet and hang out with other gay men and women. I have been on 3 cruises with Celebrity and have always had a blast and have met great new friends both straight and gay and never felt out of place and I have also done Atlantis a few times, but have always come back from that cruise exhausted. I guess I am looking for the best of both worlds. I chose Sept because of the crowds in Europe in the summer, but would be willing to deal with it in August. Was wondering if anyone could give me some insight on Princess vs Celebrity and what people think of the Pied Piper Tours and being on a cruise in August.

Thanks everyone.

[bmichael415]

I have booked a 12 day Med Cruise with Princess for Sept 2011 this would be my first time with Princess, I chose this cruise because of the itinerary, I had originally chosen Celebrity Solstice for their 12 day Med cruise in Sept, but opted for Princess because the itinerary added Turkey and Greece. Since booking I ran across a Pied Piper Cruise with the Celebrity Solstice Itinerary but in August. I am now thinking I would love to do the Med with a Gay Tour Group instead of the standard straight cruise, more for the opportunity to meet and hang out with other gay men and women. I have been on 3 cruises with Celebrity and have always had a blast and have met great new friends both straight and gay and never felt out of place and I have also done Atlantis a few times, but have always come back from that cruise exhausted. I guess I am looking for the best of both worlds. I chose Sept because of the crowds in Europe in the summer, but would be willing to deal with it in August. Was wondering if anyone could give me some insight on Princess vs Celebrity and what people think of the Pied Piper Tours and being on a cruise in August.

Thanks everyone.

I can't comment on Pied Piper but I can tell you that my experiences with Princess have been top notch. There have always been many FOD on board and we have a fabulous time.... it is "Princess" after all! I would suggest going with the Princess trip and enjoying the extra ports. There will always be another PP or Atlantis trip to take in the future.

[shepp]

I've only been on one X cruise and am now a Princessite, though I'd be more than happy to try a Solstice-class ship. In my admittedly limited experience, the most notable difference between X and Princess is the decor. I do prefer X's sleekness, but the rest is a tradeoff, as in X's daily sushi vs. Princess' daily tea and scones.

 

All the Princess cruises I've been on have been thoroughly gay-friendly, as was the Celebrity Mercury. I think the profile of the passengers- and their attitudes - are as much dependent on itinerary and season as on whether it's Princess or Celebrity. (Though, FWIW, I do glean from these boards that many Princess regulars have an "I love Princess" attitude while X fans lean toward, "I would never sail anything else." If you get my drift.)

 

Which ship will you be on?

[Guyab815]

As of right now I am sailing on the Ruby Princess. The Celebrity sailing is on the Solstice which I have done twice and will be doing again in March.

[Guyab815]

Brett thanks for the reply. you are right about there will always be another Atlantis of Pied Piper Cruise. I find that the timing of their cruises never seems to match with my vacation. This year the Pied Piper trip land on a big birthday for me so I thought it would be a good way to celebrate.

[bmichael415]

As of right now I am sailing on the Ruby Princess. The Celebrity sailing is on the Solstice which I have done twice and will be doing again in March.

The Ruby is a great ship. I have sailed her twice now and she never fails to impress. The crew has been remarkable both times and always seems to go out of their way to make sure I have felt welcome. Still talk with some of them on a regular basis!

 

That being said... A PP trip during a birthday celebration is sure to be a good time. Again, never having been on a PP cruise, I can't really speak to that. To me, the extra ports would seal the deal and I would go with Princess - but having so much "family" around seems quite fun as well. You have a tough call to make here! :)

[wittyfellow]

Wow, tough choice... We love Celebrity and have never sailed on Princess, but we have friends who have, mostly from SF, doing the Alaska route. They have told us that its a nice alternative to Celebrity/RCL/NCL.

 

We have looked into booking the PP cruises when the Atlantis ones didn't match our schedule, but have always ran into conflict somehow, either my partner came up with last minute work demands or I had to travel for business. Again, our friends who have used PP for their cruises have loved it. We've been told that the group leaders are usually top notch, fun events are planned with an open schedule and plenty of "alone" time if you so desire.

 

I think you'll have lots of fun with the PP group; not that you won't on the Princess... Happy b day in advance!

--a

[Guyab815]

Brett

Thanks so much for your thoughts, yes i am still debating the 2, like you the addition of Istanbul and Athens are pulling me in the direction of princess.

[Guyab815]

Thanks Wittyfellow. when I lived in San Francisco I almost did a Princess Cruise to Alaska then at the last minute decided on Maui. This is the first the PP cruise and our schedules match, and we thought it would be great to meet people to share tours with, that we had more in common with. Thanks for the birthday wishes , this one is going to hurt. Hope you guys enjoy your upcoming cruise.

 

Guy

[bmichael415]

You will let us know what you decide, I hope!

[SgpMBL]

We've sailed on both Princess and Celebrity and there is much to enjoy on both. Both also have a GLBT-friendly clientele and staff. Celebrity is our favorite, but would cruise Princess depending on itinerary and price.

 

We did a Western Medit on the Ruby Princess last year that took us from around from Gibraltar, Cagliari, Rome, Florence, Monaco, and Barcelona. It's a great ship. We just recently did a holiday cruise on the Celebrity Summit in the Caribbean, but have not yet done a Celebrity cruise in the Medit.

 

Some significant differences:

• Friends of Dorothy (FOD). We thought Princess did a better job with FOD meetings. It was actually posted in the Princess Patter, had a good turnout, and has a member of the cruise staff as a host. (Though sometimes the event felt more like a Friends of Bill W meeting.) Celebrity had it on a bulletin board, but that was it. Like on any ship, if your gaydar works, then you'll be fine with or without an FOD meeting.
  
• Food. Food was always very nicely presented at Princess and was quite good. For the more casual food, if you like pizza, I think theirs is the best at sea. However, it was a bit repetitive over a long cruise (ours was 16-days). Celebrity's presentation could have been better, but the taste was very good and the selection was great. We especially liked the healthy options in the spa cafe.
  
• Activities & Entertainment. Both Princess and Celebrity do a good job of scheduling activity options and I think their entertainment is comparable. Princess does have the Movies Under the Stars on many of their ships and this is a nice activity during sea days. However, the Mediterranean tends to be a port-intensive cruise, so you may not have much time, but it's nice to be able to partake.
  
• Energy on the Ship. I think Princess has a higher energy level and it felt like there were any activities on the ship. Celebrity was refined and low-key (though had many parties available if you choose to partake). So if you're looking for eventful, Princess is probably more your style, while if you're looking for relaxation, Celebrity may be the way to go. Celebrity didn't feel particularly crowded for us, while Princess felt a little more cramped.
  

Hope this helps. Either way, have a great birthday cruise.

[Guyab815]

Yes I will let you know, thanks again for the advice

[Guyab815]

SgpMBL thanks so much for the info and the birthday wishes, I am a big Celebrity fan of the Solstice class ships, but everyone seems to agree on Princess and how gay friendly they are. I just may have to get out of my comfort zone with Celebrity and try another line. Again thanks for the info.

Guy

[Harry Cane]

My two cents:

 

No experience with PP, but I've had good experiences on both Celebrity and Princess. My last Princess (Star), a Baltic cruise last summer, was pretty pathetic, though. I found the food choices had gone down and for the first time ever in about a dozen cruises, staff was rude to me. Been on the Solstice twice and really enjoyed the ship.

 

Having said all that, I'd still go with itinerary. Istanbul was one of my favorite places ever and in fact, it's on my go-back list.

[jeffreytx]

Parnter and I along with another Gay couple are on the Ruby departing Barcelona on the 20th of April.

[jeffreytx]

Reposting without spelling error in Title :)