Comparing Princess and Celebrity

[Cruise Junky]

 

Celebrity -

1) We had a 1A veranda cabin on the middle hump of Reflection (S-class) so we could get the huge balcony. But very small cabin and almost no storage. Nice bathroom, tho.

 

2) On Infinity (M-class) we had a huge, special S1 Sky Suite (cabin 6145). Cabin and balcony were great, especially the bathroom! But we didn't get free Internet nor were we allowed in Michael's.

 

3) Our butler was totally worthless; he was basically a room service server who expected a big tip. He told us that we had to pay to eat in Blu (false!) and refused to book us a bridge tour or to eat at the Captain's table. Such a putz!!

 

4) Love escargot on the everyday menu. Umm. And the buffet on Reflection was fantastic; not on Infinity, tho. Loved most food in Blu, but not everything. Some offerings were weird. Really enjoyed Qsine; fun experience.

 

 

I had the same cabin on Solstice. Did you miss the over the bed storage? It's huge and there used to be a $5 charge for suites to eat in Blu. Can't remember when it was phased out but your butler may not have been wrong. The ship might have only recently phased it out.

[Bimmer09]

I had never been on a ship with a multi-deck MDR before. Here's the Grand Cuvee dining room. It can hold 1200 diners

 

THE WOW FACTOR!

 

 

 

The lofty Wine Tower

 

 

We prefer quieter corners

 

 

There's a full account in my X review on our last night onboard of our one experience there where we witnessed very poor service and lackluster food.

 

However I am prepared to try the MDR on my next X sailing as I am sure they are better than that.

 

I can only base my opinion on my first impressions of their MDR operation on that one visit. They do have Sommeliers -which isn't the norm on Princess.

 

MDR?

 

ADVANTAGE PRINCESS

 

(FOR THE FOOD AND THE SERVICE EVEN WITHOUT A WOW FACTOR FROM THE ROOMS)

[Go-Bucks!]

I had the same cabin on Solstice. Did you miss the over the bed storage? It's huge and there used to be a $5 charge for suites to eat in Blu. Can't remember when it was phased out but your butler may not have been wrong. The ship might have only recently phased it out.

 

 

We used the overbed storage, but what we really needed was more closet hanging space.

 

There was no charge. As a matter of fact, the hostess and maitre d' at Blu were surprised that we didn't start eating there until the 3rd night. They said, "where have you been? We've been expecting you for 2 nights." When we told him what the butler said, they were shocked.

 

We also think there are many more activities to do on Princess than on X.

Edited February 22, 2016 by Go-Bucks!

[Cruise Junky]

We used the overbed storage, but what we really needed was more closet hanging space.

 

There was no charge. As a matter of fact, the hostess and maitre d' at Blu were surprised that we didn't start eating there until the 3rd night. They said, "where have you been? We've been expecting you for 2 nights." When we told him what the butler said, they were shocked.

 

We also think there are many more activities to do on Princess than on X.

 

I agree on the Activities.

[RMMariner]

Really great comparison. We have only cruised twice. Princess to Hawaii and Celebrity to Alaska. It has been very interesting to find out what a more seasoned traveler thinks of the two lines. We personally enjoyed Princess more, but really found there to be more similarities than differences.

 

Keep up the good work!

[El Crucero]

I don't know yet what the perks on X are besides the packages when booking.

 

Hi Norris, just sitting quietly by and enjoying this thread since we have cruised on both Celebrity and Princess. I was going to wait until the end of your excellent and humorous review to comment but you are now forcing my hand with the comment above. Now since you trace your roots to northern Ireland and I trace mine to County Longford means that now we can enjoy a pugilistic contest of fisticuffs of viewpoints where spitting, eye gouging, and ear chewing are not only permitted but encouraged! So here goes.

 

Here are the benefits for Elite Plus status from Celebrity's website which is comparable to Princess' Elite status:

 

• • Complimentary 200-minute Internet package
  
• • Complimentary tea, cappuccino, latte and espresso
  
• • 10% discount on any Beverage or Wine Package‡
  
• • 15% discount on any Specialty Restaurant‡
  
• • 20% discount on any digital or print photo package at the Photo Gallery
  
• • Private shipboard departure lounge with continental breakfast
  
• • Invitation to the Elegant Tea event*
  
• • Complimentary access to Persian Garden (on one port day of your choice, while the ship is in port)
  
• Two complimentary bags of laundry (wash, dry, fold) on all Celebrity cruises (more laundry on cruises more than 7 days)
  
• • Complimentary dry cleaning of one item (more cleaning on cruises more than 7 days)
  

 

Celebrity offers different points based on the number of days on a cruise and the type of stateroom you select, e.g. inside stateroom earns 2 pts. per day and suites earn as many as 18 pts. per day. On Celebrity, I earned Elite Plus level after 150 days of cruising. It would have been fewer days if I had booked suites. On Princess, I cruise 150 days to earn Elite level regardless of stateroom level.

 

 

I know I am in the minority, but I much prefer Celebrity's loyalty program over Princess. I know Princess gives me free Internet and unlimited laundry at the Elite level, but we don't use those services while on board. Celebrity's Internet and laundry at Elite+ is more than we ever use. Yes, Princess gives me a cocktail hour each afternoon at Elite level but I have to pay $5 for those cocktails. Celebrity offers a 2 hour cocktail party with 3 free drinks. I give the edge to Celebrity for their loyalty program.

 

 

However, Princess does offer 2 for 1 happy hour in the afternoon in one of their lounges. Celebrity doesn't offer anything like that. So I agree with you, that the edge goes to Princess on the lounges.

 

 

Our favorite lounge on Celebrity is the Ensemble Lounge. We love the ambiance and the low level lighting that we find romantic.

 

 

One other nit I would like to pick is your comparison of a Sky Suite to a larger suite on Princess. I understand that you want a suite on the stern and S class Celebrity ships don't offer that. However, the M class ships do have a couple of penthouse suites at the stern. So I think it would be a better comparison would be suites of similar size on the two lines. And we like the layout of a Princess mini-suite better than Celebrity's Sky Suite which are about the same size.

 

 

 

Although, Celebrity S class ships are newer and bigger and very nice, we much prefer the older Celebrity M class ships. I think it would interesting to compare an M class ship to the Princess ship, which might be a fairer comparison.

 

 

We agree in general with your assessments thus far. I think they are fair and objective and honest. We like both lines and each has their pros and cons. We will be cruising on both in the future. Celebrity is our preferred line and we give the edge to them overall.

 

 

Okay, carry on with your review, I have my cyber popcorn in one hand and an adult beverage in the other. :D

[Woobstr112G]

Most recently Caribbean Princess.

 

Norris

 

I seem to remember that he told me (Sept 2015) that he might be going to another ship. Cannot remember which ship he indicated he would transfer (if in fact he did leave) to.....:):):)

 

Bob

[Bimmer09]

Really great comparison. We have only cruised twice. Princess to Hawaii and Celebrity to Alaska. It has been very interesting to find out what a more seasoned traveler thinks of the two lines. We personally enjoyed Princess more, but really found there to be more similarities than differences.

 

Keep up the good work!

 

Hi, I'm glad to see you are finding value in my comparison. Thanks for letting me know you are reading.

 

Princess is our go-to line but we are happy to have tried X and can now have more choices of itinerary and ship. So we're happy.

 

Cheers,

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Hi Norris, just sitting quietly by and enjoying this thread since we have cruised on both Celebrity and Princess. I was going to wait until the end of your excellent and humorous review to comment but you are now forcing my hand with the comment above. Now since you trace your roots to northern Ireland and I trace mine to County Longford means that now we can enjoy a pugilistic contest of fisticuffs of viewpoints where spitting, eye gouging, and ear chewing are not only permitted but encouraged! So here goes.

 

Here are the benefits for Elite Plus status from Celebrity's website which is comparable to Princess' Elite status:

 

• • Complimentary 200-minute Internet package
  
• • Complimentary tea, cappuccino, latte and espresso
  
• • 10% discount on any Beverage or Wine Package‡
  
• • 15% discount on any Specialty Restaurant‡
  
• • 20% discount on any digital or print photo package at the Photo Gallery
  
• • Private shipboard departure lounge with continental breakfast
  
• • Invitation to the Elegant Tea event*
  
• • Complimentary access to Persian Garden (on one port day of your choice, while the ship is in port)
  
• Two complimentary bags of laundry (wash, dry, fold) on all Celebrity cruises (more laundry on cruises more than 7 days)
  
• • Complimentary dry cleaning of one item (more cleaning on cruises more than 7 days)
  

 

I know I am in the minority, but I much prefer Celebrity's loyalty program over Princess. I know Princess gives me free Internet and unlimited laundry at the Elite level, but we don't use those services while on board. Celebrity's Internet and laundry at Elite+ is more than we ever use. Yes, Princess gives me a cocktail hour each afternoon at Elite level but I have to pay $5 for those cocktails. Celebrity offers a 2 hour cocktail party with 3 free drinks. I give the edge to Celebrity for their loyalty program.

 

One other nit I would like to pick is your comparison of a Sky Suite to a larger suite on Princess. I understand that you want a suite on the stern and S class Celebrity ships don't offer that. However, the M class ships do have a couple of penthouse suites at the stern. So I think it would be a better comparison would be suites of similar size on the two lines. And we like the layout of a Princess mini-suite better than Celebrity's Sky Suite which are about the same size.

 

Although, Celebrity S class ships are newer and bigger and very nice, we much prefer the older Celebrity M class ships. I think it would interesting to compare an M class ship to the Princess ship, which might be a fairer comparison.

 

We agree in general with your assessments thus far. I think they are fair and objective and honest. We like both lines and each has their pros and cons. We will be cruising on both in the future. Celebrity is our preferred line and we give the edge to them overall.

 

Okay, carry on with your review, I have my cyber popcorn in one hand and an adult beverage in the other. :D

 

Hola El Crucero!

 

Thanks for the detailed response, some of which I have edited out although readers can refer to the original a few posts above.

 

The Elite benefits on both lines are good to have but Suite bookings already bring you some of those on your first cruise-eg the Persian Garden access on port days but the X % discounts are good to have as is 2 free bags of laundry (but that is unlimited on Princess from suite #1 onwards) Elegant Tea invitation? I will show you the Afternoon tea we get on Princess later (regardless of status).

 

The Princess Elite cocktail hour we don't bother to attend anymore. We enjoyed the free munchies but the $5 cocktails didn't mean much as I am not a big cocktail drinker. We got 150 minutes of Internet on Princess on becoming Platinum status and that continues into Elite. I have never used all my minutes as I mainly have the computer along to download my photos to each day in case something happens to my camera.They are good for downloading e mail though.

 

Some of the perks are negated by having the various packages dangled as a lure to book (we got unlimited Internet without even knowing we would) such as the Beverage Package and Access to Michael's where free cocktail hour is pretty much whenever you show up. The OBC on our next X is $550 which is handsome.

 

It's good to have the perks, I'll say that, whether we use all of them or not. It's nice to feel you are not missing out on anything and keeping money in your pocket (e.g the discount on ship photos) is always a good thing.

 

The ones that matter to us on Princess are the quiet breakfast in Sabatini's, the unlimited free priority laundry (Suites before Elites) and the 150 mins internet are the ones that we enjoy most. Special embarkation/ disembarkation lounge we get with the Suite on both lines. We got 56 points each for our Silly trip but must have a ways to go to reach Elite on X. (I'm not sure how many points we need but whatever it is we won't chase it)

 

Regarding the Sky Suite vs the Princess Aft Suites comparison. I knew P would come out on top. We have to sail aft and we like suites*. We were happy in our X suite although it was a step down from P. We were aft and the room was spacious and well appointed. As we now love the S Class design we'll be happy to sail 7309 again and again. (already booked same cabin on Reflection)

 

* Although it won't figure in the comparison I should tell you that our first Princess suite was a free upgrade a week before we sailed Crown Princess.

Our first P sailing was the Coral which had no cabins aft of any kind. On sailing out of an Alaskan port on the Coral we saw a P ship which had a whole aft full of cabins-the Sapphire Princess. I told Carol-wow those must be nice lodgings to have!

 

5 months later on our next cruise we got the free upgrade and found ourselves in a Penthouse Suite aft-we were hooked!

 

I am sure that we will sail an M Class aft suite at some point and in the meantime I will look for photos and videos of such.

 

Thanks for all the Elite info- I have it bookmarked now.

 

And thanks most of all for writing such a detailed response.

Much appreciated!

 

Norris

 

[Bimmer09]

Ok, this will be a quickie but it's something that is worth knowing about- especially on voyages more than 7 days.

 

Princess has laundry rooms with washers, dryers and steam irons on each passenger deck. On longer voyages-10 days and above you can keep your clothes looking good and pack less.

 

I've not used them as Suites get free unlimited laundry so I send out the clothes we wore while staying in FLL and can use them later in the cruise.

 

On X we sent out a bag of laundry and it cost $32 for a small bag.

 

There are no self service laundries on X. Elite members can get two free bags of laundry (thank you El Crucero for that info).

LAUNDRY?

 

ADVANTAGE PRINCESS

[baldercash]

Ok, this will be a quickie but it's something that is worth knowing about- especially on voyages more than 7 days.

 

Princess has laundry rooms with washers, dryers and steam irons on each passenger deck. On longer voyages-10 days and above you can keep your clothes looking good and pack less.

 

I've not used them as Suites get free unlimited laundry so I send out the clothes we wore while staying in FLL and can use them later in the cruise.

 

On X we sent out a bag of laundry and it cost $32 for a small bag.

 

There are no self service laundries on X. Elite members can get two free bags of laundry (thank you El Crucero for that info).

LAUNDRY?

 

ADVANTAGE PRINCESS

 

My wife would disagree and argue that doing laundry while on a cruise is not a perk or advantage only if I were to do it and then she would be complaining about the shoddy job I did of folding or separating the dedicates, whites or whatever. She definitely would not let me near it with a hot iron!

 

I am enjoying your review keep it up.

Cheers

[El Crucero]

The ones that matter to us on Princess are the quiet breakfast in Sabatini's,

 

Suites on X eat breakfast in Blu which I think is comparable to Sabatini's.

 

We got 56 points each for our Silly trip but must have a ways to go to reach Elite on X. (I'm not sure how many points we need but whatever it is we won't chase it)

 

You need 300 pts on X to reach Elite and 750 pts to reach Elite Plus. So in your case, if you take the same stateroom on X (Sky Suite) for the same number of days, you would reach Elite in 6 cruises (in your case 42 days) and Elite Plus in 13 cruises (or 91 days). On P it will take us 150 days or 15 cruises to reach Elite (or whatever they call it). I still give the edge to Celebrity for their loyalty program.

 

* Although it won't figure in the comparison I should tell you that our first Princess suite was a free upgrade a week before we sailed Crown Princess..........5 months later on our next cruise we got the free upgrade and found ourselves in a Penthouse Suite aft-we were hooked!

 

Yes, I have heard that P has a more liberal upgrade policy than X, although we have yet to experience that.

 

And thanks most of all for writing such a detailed response.

Much appreciated!

 

Hey, wainaminute, we haven't even started the fun part yet of spitting, eye gouging, and ear chewing!

[Bimmer09]

thanks so much for this. we have cruised 3 x on princess and once on NCL and have been debating about trying X..... we enjoy princesses trivia and line dancing classes, the light hearted stuff wth the cruise staff, do they have a similar amount of that on celebrity? also any compairsons from people like us who are in the inside or oceanview cabins are helpful.

 

Hi again- I've got a copy of Celebrity Today open at a sea day (Friday Jan 22) when there are always lots of onboard activities. I'll look for trivia, dancing classes and anything else interesting....

 

9.00 Watercolor class in the art studio

 

10.15 Salsa dance Fitness class by the pool

 

10.15 General Knowledge Trivia Ensemble Lounge

 

10.30 How to cook the perfect fish-Lawn Club Grill

 

10.30 Ink Painting Art Studio

 

12.45 Dance class by the Pool

 

2.30 Vegetable Carving by the Pool

 

3.00 Latin dance class in the gym

 

3.45 Movie music Trivia Ensemble Lounge

 

3.45 Line dance class Grand Foyer

 

4.15 General Knowledge Trivia Ensemble Lounge

 

Hope this helps!

 

Norris

 

[El Crucero]

On X we sent out a bag of laundry and it cost $32 for a small bag.

 

But on X they gave you $550 OBC to pay for as much laundry as you want or for whatever. I don't think P gives that much in OBC (although self service laundry is free). Self service laundry is never going to happen on any of our cruises on any line. ;)

 

Carry on, I'm really hooked now!

[FunCruiser56]

Ok, this will be a quickie but it's something that is worth knowing about- especially on voyages more than 7 days.

 

Princess has laundry rooms with washers, dryers and steam irons on each passenger deck. On longer voyages-10 days and above you can keep your clothes looking good and pack less.

 

I've not used them as Suites get free unlimited laundry so I send out the clothes we wore while staying in FLL and can use them later in the cruise.

 

On X we sent out a bag of laundry and it cost $32 for a small bag.

 

There are no self service laundries on X. Elite members can get two free bags of laundry (thank you El Crucero for that info).

LAUNDRY?

 

ADVANTAGE PRINCESS

 

Honestly the last thing I want to do on my cruise vacation is laundry ;)

Bev

[Bimmer09]

My wife would disagree and argue that doing laundry while on a cruise is not a perk or advantage only if I were to do it and then she would be complaining about the shoddy job I did of folding or separating the dedicates, whites or whatever. She definitely would not let me near it with a hot iron!

 

I am enjoying your review keep it up.

Cheers

 

Agreed that laundry can be a chore-if you let it build up. I was born at a time when doing laundry meant washing the clothes in a galvanized tub outdoors and using a washboard as an agitator -a lot of elbow grease but I was maybe 5 years old when I offered to help my grandma and had a ton of energy ( I moved in with her as her house overlooked a fishing harbor and I was nuts about the sea even then). Drying the clothes meant clothespins and hanging them on a line to dry (they smell so good). I also was allowed to cook at that age and that has stood me in good stead my whole life. My grandma's house had no running water and no flush toilet (an outhouse and a bucket) so, even though my parents had a nice modern house half a mile away, I got along fine without any amenities so I appreciate any simple luxuries that come my way. I had an amazing childhood and wouldn't wish it any other way. I moved back in with my parents when I was 15.

 

Ironing is a chore until you invest in a good iron (not available back then) like a Rowenta. Spend $80 to $100 and you will whistle happy tunes as you breeze through a pile.

 

I understand where your wife is coming from-she's on a cruise, no cooking or housekeeping duties allowed.

 

Thanks for the kind comments on this comparison. I'm happy to see you reading along and thanks for letting me know you are.

 

Cheers!

 

Norris

[Yuk0n Jack]

Sure am enjoying this comparison post. My wife and I are big fans of aft cabins, though we haven't been able to do a suite yet - maybe when we go on a cruise without our daughters (19 and 21) we can splurge on a suite.

 

Looking forward to your additional comments on this comparison post!

[Bimmer09]

Some of my comparisons, having been on X twice (Reflection and Infinity) and 6 Princess ships (Sun, Coral, Crown x 2, Caribbean, Emerald & Grand). I think both lines have their own, different, pluses and minuses. I've enjoyed both and have more booked on each. Some thoughts . . . .

 

Princess -

1) We had a Vista suite on Dolphin deck (Grand) and it had the largest balcony of the Vista suites. Plenty of room to have the loungers pointed straight out. But all the deck furniture was in desperate need of refinishing!! Real shame to charge big money for a cabin with worn out furniture (including the broken down sofa).

 

Housekeeping Supervisor fail and something I have found on a few suites on PCL.

No excuse for it ever.

 

2) When boarding the Grand at 12:30pm, our Vista suite had not been cleaned at all! Very unusual, but what a disappointment. We had to leave the cabin until around 5pm when it was finally done. Our steward was very nice, but new and worked very slowly.

 

Another Supervisor fail. A new steward needs follow-up if anyone does.

 

3) Love IC & pizza. On last cruise I had the best pizza ever. Breakfast in Sabitini's is always a highlight. Crab Shack seafood was to die for!!

 

Agreed on Sabatini's breakfast. A quiet and refined way to ease into each day.

 

3) Our butler was totally worthless; he was basically a room service server who expected a big tip. He told us that we had to pay to eat in Blu (false!) and refused to book us a bridge tour or to eat at the Captain's table. Such a putz!!

 

Looks like we may have had the same butler!

 

Hi, thanks for the comparisons input. I've edited it a bit for my comments.

 

I'm glad to see you following this thread.

 

Cheers!

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Sure am enjoying this comparison post. My wife and I are big fans of aft cabins, though we haven't been able to do a suite yet - maybe when we go on a cruise without our daughters (19 and 21) we can splurge on a suite.

 

Looking forward to your additional comments on this comparison post!

 

Thanks for joining in and for your enthusiasm!

 

Princess afts are either suites or balcony cabins and just the shower there sent us running for the exit when we looked into one on turnaround day. Mini suites on the stern would be enjoyable- but not happening.

 

Cheers!

 

Norris

[SheriffJoe]

Hello again Bimmer....I have been reading but not yet posting on this thread, another great read for sure and mostly agree on your observations except for a few though all could be properly debated over a few Martini's in Crooners or The Martini Bar. As I stated before we prefer X with Princess a relatively close second along with RCCL and those are about all we will cruise.

 

MDR....Having eaten dozens and dozens of meals in X and P's MDR's I give X the nod. Your 1 meal with its issues isn't really a true comparison (though I know its all you have at the moment and will be back for more later) X's MDR service and food have slipped as of the last 8 or 9 years for sure but are still a tad above P IMO where as when we fell in love with X 14 years ago the MDR experience both service and food was head and shoulders above P and to this day the grandeur of an X MDR can't be matched by a P MDR....

 

Laundry...I actually see this as a win for X for not having a self service laundry, especially for those poor saps who don't know any better and book a cabin right across from one of them as every time the open their cabin door it looks right into the laundry and during the day there always seem to be a few people milling around outside the laundry clogging the passageway....

 

Lastly I know you must have an aft suite but comparing a higher level Princess suite against an X sky suite isn't really a proper comparison either as X's Sky suite is comparable to P's mini suite in size and price and in that comparison a P mini is not even in the same league with an X Sky suite with its butler and all of the regular suite perks where as a mini suite on P gives you NOTHING but a larger room! :eek:

 

 

Again, keep up the good work and I will be following....

[Bimmer09]

Suites on X eat breakfast in Blu which I think is comparable to Sabatini's.

 

You need 300 pts on X to reach Elite and 750 pts to reach Elite Plus. So in your case, if you take the same stateroom on X (Sky Suite) for the same number of days, you would reach Elite in 6 cruises (in your case 42 days) and Elite Plus in 13 cruises (or 91 days). On P it will take us 150 days or 15 cruises to reach Elite (or whatever they call it). I still give the edge to Celebrity for their loyalty program.

 

Yes, I have heard that P has a more liberal upgrade policy than X, although we have yet to experience that.

 

Hey, wainaminute, we haven't even started the fun part yet of spitting, eye gouging, and ear chewing!

 

In red While I enjoy our breakfasts in Blu for the food it is a busy and noisy room. In Sabatini's which is a much bigger and more plushly decorated room there are usually maybe 6 other diners in a room that could hold maybe 120. Italian opera or Neapolitan songs play softly and the service is spectacular. We ease into the day in Sabatini's. We can order anything that is being cooked on the ship in Sabs and if I give them a days's notice that can be steak and french fries if I want. I am a big cheerleader for the Sabatini breakfast experience. My videos would show the difference in noise level and ambiance alone.

 

Wow-thanks for the points needed to reach Elite on X! 6 suite cruises? One down 5 to go, LOL.

 

re the free upgrade on our 2nd PCL cruise....

 

After our first cruise on P we were assigned a Personal Cruise Planner and he's someone I could banter with and is a direct phone call or e mail away. He was looking out for us when a suite was canceled last minute (Monday and we sailed Saturday). I think what also played in our favor was the fact that we always book early and through the cruise line so no TA discounts and when onboard we always spend freely. I think that from talking to me he thought that we might get hooked if we experienced a suite-and he was right. Luckily it was aft. In the long run it was an empty suite that brought a lot of future revenue to Princess and pleasure to us-a Win-Win for both.

 

Norris

 

[G&Gcruisers]

Norris,

Best wishes to you this week....as you re-face your ordeal.

May the perp rot in jail!

[LynMcGad]

I have 2 Celebrity cruises under my belt and another one booked. I have loved my X experiences so far, but have been curious about some of the other lines, Princess in particular. Followed your Celebrity review, and went back and read a couple of your Princess reviews. Am really looking forward to your comparison. And I love your sense of humor!

[RDC1]

But on X they gave you $550 OBC to pay for as much laundry as you want or for whatever. I don't think P gives that much in OBC (although self service laundry is free). Self service laundry is never going to happen on any of our cruises on any line. ;)

 

Carry on, I'm really hooked now!

 

Princess has a lot more ways to combine OBC. I am heading out this Friday for a b2b. Total OBC for the two cruises $1500.

 

Even if you don't use the laundry facilities, the fact that Princess has them for the people that do use them is a significant advantage, especially on longer cruises, such as 31 days.

Edited February 22, 2016 by RDC1

[Bimmer09]

Hello again Bimmer....I have been reading but not yet posting on this thread, another great read for sure and mostly agree on your observations except for a few though all could be properly debated over a few Martini's in Crooners or The Martini Bar. As I stated before we prefer X with Princess a relatively close second along with RCCL and those are about all we will cruise.

 

MDR....Having eaten dozens and dozens of meals in X and P's MDR's I give X the nod. Your 1 meal with its issues isn't really a true comparison (though I know its all you have at the moment and will be back for more later) X's MDR service and food have slipped as of the last 8 or 9 years for sure but are still a tad above P IMO where as when we fell in love with X 14 years ago the MDR experience both service and food was head and shoulders above P and to this day the grandeur of an X MDR can't be matched by a P MDR....

 

Laundry...I actually see this as a win for X for not having a self service laundry, especially for those poor saps who don't know any better and book a cabin right across from one of them as every time the open their cabin door it looks right into the laundry and during the day there always seem to be a few people milling around outside the laundry clogging the passageway....

 

Lastly I know you must have an aft suite but comparing a higher level Princess suite against an X sky suite isn't really a proper comparison either as X's Sky suite is comparable to P's mini suite in size and price and in that comparison a P mini is not even in the same league with an X Sky suite with its butler and all of the regular suite perks where as a mini suite on P gives you NOTHING but a larger room! :eek:

Again, keep up the good work and I will be following....

 

Sheriff Joe, great to see you again. If you'll just leave your sidearms with my hostess I'll address your points.

 

Firstly I'd be mighty honored to debate with you in Crooners or the Martini Bar.

 

Re the X MDR- it gets a big WOW from me. Sadly I have only one experience to date of the service and vittles and both were flops-BUT I will give them a 2nd and even 3rd chance to impress and satisfy.

 

Aft suites-they are what they are as the lines have chosen them to be. I have said we were not unhappy with our Sky Suite but they lose in a comparison to what Princess calls aft suites. That's fair in my book. There are no mini suites aft on Princess: just tiny balcony cabins. Princess doesn't have the range of suites on board that X does where a bigger more luxurious room can be bought. A few ships in the PCL fleet have Owner's Suites which are about 750 sq ft but we don't seek them out. We had 932 sq ft on their smallest ship Ocean Princess but that's all there was to choose from aft. It cost 50% more than a Grand Class ship suite. Small ships can be very pricy.

 

Thanks to a reader on the X board we knew exactly what an aft Sky suite would look like before booking through their photos. We liked it. Still do.

 

I think the Sky suite is bigger than the PCL mini suite-certainly had more empty floor space and room to move around. It didn't cost mini-suite money but was comparable to a Princess vista suite in price. (cheaper than our favorite Penthouse Suite that is in the comparison)

 

Mini on Princess seen from the front door

 

 



 

Versus

 

 

 

Many thanks for your response!

 

Norris