My take on Celebrity Eclipse vs. Royal Princess

[Mom33]

Thanks for your opinion. LOL

 

Perhaps you would be interested in more opinions:

"Condé Nast Traveler readers rank the best cruise lines in the world, including

Large Ships (more than 2,000 passengers)" :D

 

Disney 90.563

Cunard 89.411

Princess 84.463

Norwegian Cruise Line 83.023

Royal Caribbean International 82.374

Celebrity 81.729

[Oxo]

Perhaps you would be interested in more opinions:

"Condé Nast Traveler readers rank the best cruise lines in the world, including

Large Ships (more than 2,000 passengers)" :D

 

Disney 90.563

Cunard 89.411

Princess 84.463

Norwegian Cruise Line 83.023

Royal Caribbean International 82.374

Celebrity 81.729

 

Thanks, that changes every year. That is not the item I was discussing.

[ORB]

We just came off of the Royal; it was only our second Princess Cruise but overall (for the things we enjoy doing) we greatly preferred our cruise on the Crown Princess.

 

The Royal interior spaces are stunningly beautiful, and the Piazza is gorgeous. The size probably comes from the fact that Princess has placed almost everything around the Piazza on three decks. That’s also part of the problem; there are few places on the ship to get away from the noise of activity and just quietly read a book while looking out at the ocean from time to time.

 

The staff and service were always very good, and we had no complaints. I thought the buffet at HC was one of the best organized I’ve ever seen at sea.

 

It’s not just the central bank of elevators that are on split control systems; there are only four cars in the aft bank, yet it is on two systems. Of course, this means a car will often stop on a floor after someone has already boarded another elevator.

 

We were dining with a number of people who had mini-suites who were appalled by how tiny the balconies were. We were in an interior, so I can’t really say. Most of the balconies aren’t particularly private; the seawalk allows one to look down into most of the balconies along the side of the ship, and anyone on the Horizon Terrace can see down into the aft balconies.

 

The theatre struck us as small for so large a ship, but we never found it crowded for the early or late show. We were usually dining during the middle show, so I can’t say how that would be.

 

We definitely missed the covered Promenade--usually our favorite place to sit--and it was clear a lot of lot of loyal Princess cruisers did too.

 

I would go on the Royal again if the price or itinerary were right, but I also know it will never become a “favorite”. On the other hand, our 10-day cruise was completely sold out. As a Carnival Corp. stockholder, I will be very happy with the Royal if she can continue that--I’ll just try personally to sail on some of Princess’s other ships.

[mafig]

Pam, What Celebrity ship were you on and when?

 

The reason I'm asking is that I recall being on this board maybe two years ago and reading a similar post from you. You should try the new Celebrity ships...they are stunningly beautiful.

 

I, too, had a less than wonderful experience on X several years ago (Summit ... in 2003, I think). Didn't cruise with Celebrity for many years after. But, guess what, I found a great deal on one of the new S-class ships and tried it ... and it was GREAT.

 

I wish I hadn't let one cruise keep me away for so many years. I'd have been Elite by now.:o

[keithm]

Perhaps you would be interested in more opinions:

"Condé Nast Traveler readers rank the best cruise lines in the world, including

Large Ships (more than 2,000 passengers)" :D

 

Disney 90.563

Cunard 89.411

Princess 84.463

Norwegian Cruise Line 83.023

Royal Caribbean International 82.374

Celebrity 81.729

Conde' Nast readers make up a very small percentage of cruisers overall, so I place little

credence in their opinions.

[Oxo]

Ratings are very nebulous (hazy, vague, indistinct, or confused:) they change every year. I obtained these from Cruise Critic.com What do they prove? Your choice is the one that counts!

Your Ultimate Cruise Guide http://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/

 

Top 10 Ships

Oasis of the Seas

Allure of the Seas

Norwegian Getaway

Carnival Breeze

Norwegian Breakaway

Celebrity Reflection

Freedom of the Seas

Carnival Splendor

Carnival Liberty

Carnival Conquest

 

The best Large cruise ships overall chosen by cruisers. All rankings are based on member review ratings for cruises taken in 2014.

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/cruiserschoice_index.cfm?Category=Overall&sort=large

Disney Dream Rating: 4.7

Disney Fantasy Rating: 4.7

Nieuw Amsterdam Rating: 4.7

Celebrity Equinox Rating: 4.6

Celebrity Reflection Rating: 4.5

Celebrity Eclipse Rating: 4.5

Allure of the Seas Rating: 4.5

Carnival Liberty Rating: 4.4

Jewel of the Seas Rating: 4.4

Carnival Valor Rating: 4.4

 

 

The best Large cruise ships for the value chosen by cruisers. All rankings are based on member review ratings for cruises taken in 2014.

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/cruiserschoice_index.cfm?Category=ValueforMoney&sort=large

Carnival Liberty Rating: 4.5

Carnival Valor Rating: 4.5

Celebrity Reflection Rating: 4.5

Celebrity Equinox Rating: 4.5

Carnival Freedom Rating: 4.4

Celebrity Eclipse Rating: 4.3

Jewel of the Seas Rating: 4.3

Disney Dream Rating: 4.3

Disney Fantasy Rating: 4.3

Ruby Princess Rating: 4.3

[Mom33]

The Conde Nast ratings are for 2015. Celebrity's Conde Nast ratings were on top in 2014. They have plummeted this year. Oxo and Keithm, I don't suppose you gave any merit to the ratings last year though, right?

 

I agree with the OP's review. Both Princess and X are very much attractive to similar clientele and have pros and cons that are not a problem for those that wish to try the two lines.

 

Your efforts on the Princess board seems to be to put Princess down as an undesirable cruise line. It shouldn't surprise you that you are meeting resistance. :D

[Oxo]

Your efforts on the Princess board seems to be to put Princess down as an undesirable cruise line. It shouldn't surprise you that you are meeting resistance. :D

 

Wait a minute!!!! Where are you coming from when you think your know exactly what I am trying to do when I address the lack of a capability to view my account on the TV?

This year I have cruised on 3 Princess cruises.

I am Elite on Princess and have over 50 cruises on Princess.

Go to the Celebrity board and see where I address Celebrity's short comings, too. I defend Princess when I think that is true.

 

Please clarify where I am putting Princess down as an undesirable cruise line. The resistance I am seeing here is where people don't want or accept any changes that they don't agree with. Such as IT toys.

 

I think you are way off on your supposition and it is totally unfounded.

 

However, that is your opinion and you can express your opinions on this forum freely.

[Mom33]

Wait a minute!!!! Where are you coming from when you think your know exactly what I am trying to do when I address the lack of a capability to view my account on the TV?

This year I have cruised on 3 Princess cruises.

I am Elite on Princess and have over 50 cruises on Princess.

Go to the Celebrity board and see where I address Celebrity's short comings, too. I defend Princess when I think that is true.

 

Please clarify where I am putting Princess down as an undesirable cruise line. The resistance I am seeing here is where people don't want or accept any changes that they don't agree with. Such as IT toys.

 

I think you are way off on your supposition and it is totally unfounded.

However, that is your opinion and you can express your opinions on this forum freely.

 

Hmmm.....perhaps your avatar misled me.

Edited October 29, 2015 by Mom33

[Oxo]

Hmmm.....perhaps your avatar misled me.

 

To be honest with you, I don't even see avatars when I read the forums. I also do not see the signatures and number of cruises or what ships people have been on. I disabled those features years ago. Too much extraneous info that has no value. I will check my avatar out now and change it. Thanks for the info.

 

Just changed my avatar. I see what it was and I have no 'cheerleader affiliation' to anyone cruise line. With over 100 cruises on many cruise lines, they all provide something we enjoy.

Edited October 29, 2015 by Oxo

[4cats4me]

Wait a minute!!!! Where are you coming from when you think your know exactly what I am trying to do when I address the lack of a capability to view my account on the TV?

This year I have cruised on 3 Princess cruises.

I am Elite on Princess and have over 50 cruises on Princess.

Go to the Celebrity board and see where I address Celebrity's short comings, too. I defend Princess when I think that is true.

 

Please clarify where I am putting Princess down as an undesirable cruise line. The resistance I am seeing here is where people don't want or accept any changes that they don't agree with. Such as IT toys.

 

I think you are way off on your supposition and it is totally unfounded.

 

However, that is your opinion and you can express your opinions on this forum freely.

 

 

16 Princess cruises here and only three X. Love both lines. Each has its own stengths. I have followed your posts on X's forum for years and find you to be a very fair and balanced poster and have always enjoyed your input ;)

Edited October 29, 2015 by 4cats4me

[Oxo]

16 Princess cruises here and only three X. Love both lines. Each has its own stengths. I have followed your posts on X's forum for years and find you to be a very fair and balanced poster and have always enjoyed your input ;)

 

Thank you for your opinion. I detest 'cheerleaders.' Everyone has an opinion and everyone cannot agree with everyone else's likes or dislikes. I try to be civil and voice my opinion, suggestions and experience obtained from other cruise lines.

 

My biggest complaint is those that try to take over a forum with one time experiences. Just because they don't want it, it should not be changed. Times change and just look back over the years on how much cruising has changed.

 

There is no one cruise line that is the best and has the best to offer. That is why there are so many different cruise lines. Some people cruise only one cruise line and never experience anything different. Too many people try to own a cruise line and will never allow any changes. That is a shortcoming. Never should anyone say 'if you don't like what this cruise line does or how it does it, go to another one.'

 

I am very fortunate that I can cruise and cruise frequently. Others are not as fortunate and thus they can only rely on the information provided on these forums. Lets be honest, accept suggestions and opinions.

 

We are the paying customers and we should have a voice on what we would like to see and changes we would like to be made. Cruising is changing like everything else in this world. Technology is moving fast. Maybe too fast for some of us that we don't want it. However, it is here and will continue to progress, regardless of what we want or don't want.

 

Enjoy a ship, a cruise and a cruise line whatever one that may be.

[perditax]

Well said. The "hater versus cheerleader" (or, as we call it in my business, fanboy) dynamic works to the benefit of absolutely no one. If you defend a line to the death, everyone can see that you're not objective. Believe me, it is obvious. Same goes for those who "have it in" for a given line.

Edited October 29, 2015 by perditax

[Iamcruzin]

Well, my pet peeve is IT people who think the world begins and end with their little toys. If you find Princess's systems not up to your standards, please feel free to sail with Celebrity. I personally would prefer that Princess focus more on developing new itineraries, improving onboard food and entertainment, and hiking staff pay instead of instituting unneeded technology just for the sake of having it.

 

Just think about all of the money they would save on paper and toner if passengers could just view their account on the TV. When we are traveling as a family it prints out four accounts. I don't need to print a breakdown of everyones hotel fees I just want to see how much the kids spent.

[JF - retired RRT]

Having to leave the ship after the first leg of the trip along with possible cabin change could be a deal breaker for us when we cruise in 2017.

That isn't a Princess issue. It is a requirement for the US Customs & Border folks. You have to leave the ship anytime the ship hits a US Port to embark/disembark a new batch of passengers (turn around day).

[Iamcruzin]

I haven't sailed on either of these ships but agree with the pros and cons that the OP brought up.

 

On both lines I have sailed on the older and smaller ship. I prefer these ships mostly because they carry fewer passengers. As far a price is concerned I find that once you factor everything such has the cruise price and how you spend on board Celebrity has been the winner for me. I don't have stock in either line, was not in the military so OBC has to come from the cruise line or TA. Celebrity seems to be meeting my needs in this category as well as itinerary. I'm platinum on Princess and basically nothing on Celebrity. I find for us the rewards on Celebrity have more value at the lower level. I received a category upgrade worth $60 on my second sailing. I can't even mail a letter with that worthless stamp that Princess gives out. I would receive internet minutes with Princess at this point but I find that there are a lot more hot spots in port these days that have better connections so the free internet minutes doesn't hold as much value anymore. At this point I'm so far away from elite on both lines that the entire system will probably change before I even get near that level so loyalty is not an incentive for me. I actually think that I'm better off that way.

 

I find the ocean view room that I had on Celebrity was far better than any room that I have had on Princess. On Princess I have sailed in an inside, ocean view and balcony. I didn't realize how much room that closet took up until I sailed on the Summit.

 

Food although subjective is 10 times better on Princess in all eating venues. I didn't starve on Celebrity but the food prep was so inconsistent. The specialty restaurants are way over priced in my opinion and not that great as far as the food is concerned. I found the service on both brands to be on par.

 

My next sailing is on the Summit again. This time to Bermuda which Princess doesn't sail. After this I think that I'm going to look at lines that sail from the N.Y. area even if if means Carnival, NCL or Royal Caribbean. I think Princess will always be my first choice but I am just figuring out that I can either sail longer or in a better room category if I don't have to pay for airfare or a pre cruise hotel.

[Flafun888]

I don't have stock in either line, was not in the military so OBC has to come from the cruise line or TA. Celebrity seems to be meeting my needs in this category as well as itinerary. I'm platinum on Princess and basically nothing on Celebrity.

 

Thank you for your post...it was particularly helpful for me and probably many others who are just starting to cruise; don't have stock/military status; and/or sailed on diff lines, so don't have loyalty privileges built up w/any specific line yet. I've done one on X M class and one on Princess Grand, with one coming up next year in my first S class X ship...so very interesting to read this thread.