Comparing Princess and Celebrity

[midwestchick]

Hi Norris,

I followed along on your last Princess cruise. I missed your post on the X forum...been busy planning for our upcoming cruises.

I've been thinking about you as I plan for our Barcelona experience.

I'm wondering though...what made you decide against Azamara? It's our most favorite cruise line.

I'll follow this since we are doing a Star Princess cruise in October. I'll also look at the X forum to read your review. We have sailed on the Silhouette...I was not as impressed as you seem to be. A lot had to do with officers and staff and the somewhat unfriendliness compared to the Summit. Possibly things have changed since we sailed. We will be sailing on the Equinox in May.

 

By the way...what ever happened with the beating and robbery you experienced? I hope you had some resolve to that.

[Keith1010]

Interesting comparisons.

Keith

[Bimmer09]

Norris, I followed your review of the Emerald late last year and closely followed your recent Celebrity review. I am one of those who took a Celebrity cruise years ago and have not been back. However, your review has peaked my interest. Looking forward to this update!

 

Thanks for taking the time to write this comparison!!

 

Diana

 

Hi Diana, I went on the Silhouette with an expectation of liking the ship but the rest of the product-the food,service and entertainment was a big question mark but not something I was concerned about. I am not a worrier by nature.

The reviews on CC (members section) of the S Class don't hint at disaster up ahead. I might have gone on an M Class and written a totally different review.

We gave X one chance to impress us and they did.

 

I also went on board determined not to be comparing it to Princess at every turn but just revel in the newness of everything and I am sure Carol would confirm that the word Princess didn't escape my lips for a week.

 

I'm glad the review has given you cause to rethink X. We now have two lines and 28 ships to choose from.

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Hi Norris,

I followed along on your last Princess cruise. I missed your post on the X forum...been busy planning for our upcoming cruises.

I've been thinking about you as I plan for our Barcelona experience.

I'm wondering though...what made you decide against Azamara? It's our most favorite cruise line.

I'll follow this since we are doing a Star Princess cruise in October. I'll also look at the X forum to read your review. We have sailed on the Silhouette...I was not as impressed as you seem to be. A lot had to do with officers and staff and the somewhat unfriendliness compared to the Summit. Possibly things have changed since we sailed. We will be sailing on the Equinox in May.

 

By the way...what ever happened with the beating and robbery you experienced? I hope you had some resolve to that.

 

Hi, the Silhouette review is in my signature now so it will always be around for you to read. I'll get to the Officers, the staff and unfriendliness in this comparison later.

 

As I recall the Azamara cruises were 10 days and we can only do 7.

 

Regarding your last question the perpetrator was arrested after another armed home invasion in a different state a month later. He's been in jail since December awaiting trial. All is well.

 

Cheers,

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

love your comparison........

I've cruised Celebrity also, but I stick with Princess because of the perks I get for being Elite and also my Carnival shares.

Very hard to give up:confused:

 

Thanks Karen!

 

We are also Elite but have no shares. As we book suites mainly the Elite doesn't buy us much beyond what the suite provides so it's not a major decider right now.

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

G'day Norris

 

Loving your comparison.

 

Possibly another issue for us is that Princess was our "first".

 

Wife says if Princess added an Aqua Spa Cafe and a Sanwuch Bar she'd be as happy as...

 

I'm glad you are finding merit in the comparison Gut.

 

Princess was our first too. If we were to look for a cruise today we now have two worthy lines to choose from and 10 more ships and itineraries. That helps.

 

I didn't try the Aqua Spa Cafe-but I will next time as your wife is so gung-ho on it!

 

Cheers,

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Norris, great and interesting comparison. I haven't ever seen one with pictures and a play by play narrative like yours.

 

I have pulled up the deck lounger. However, due to health considerations I will pass on the muffins. The libations are another matter. Adjustments will be made to compensate.:D

 

Waiting for the rest! :cool:

 

ar, great to see you again and I'm glad you're tuned in to the comparison.

 

I've had a lot of people mention health considerations after eating my muffins.

I wasn't wearing my glasses when I baked them and will need to check that recipe again.

 

Norris

 

[RocketMan275]

Vista on Emerald Princess Caribe deck C750

 

 

If you look at the far lounger-it's upright and the end is touching the glass wall.

I couldn't lay down or recline on it as the deck is about 3 ft shallower than a Penthouse balcony.

 

You'll also see the beam I mentioned between the loungers.

 

Scroll back a few posts to the Penthouse pic.

 

However a Vista will save you about $1000 which on a port intensive cruise was worth giving up the space for.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Norris

 

Helpful, but another question. What about Vista suites on other than Caribe? Our's is on Dolphin. I understand that most consider Caribe balconies to be superior but that isn't always the fact on the aft.

[Bimmer09]

Norris, I was only able to read the introductory paragraph and I'm already in love. I don't know if my husband and I will ever get a chance to sail either Princess or Celebrity, but you make me want to.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

Hi, if you can dream it , you can do it (Disney slogan)

 

You'll get glimpses of what each line/ship can offer as this unfolds.

 

Make it happen. You'll be glad you did.

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Helpful, but another question. What about Vista suites on other than Caribe? Our's is on Dolphin. I understand that most consider Caribe balconies to be superior but that isn't always the fact on the aft.

 

Hi, I did a youtube search on Vista Suites Dolphin Deck Princess Cruises but it only showed mini suites so I can't give you a definitive answer. As the stern is vertical I think it unlikely that your balcony will differ from the one I showed on the Emerald as you are just one deck below.

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

We booked the cruise. We showed up and boarded. We've been to our room. We've had lunch. We've checked the mail waiting for us and found we have complimentary unlimited internet (score!) Also in our mail was our excursion tickets.

 

I've already claimed the Princess web site to be a smooth operator. The excursions section there is particularly well done. Each excursion has a step by step overview telling you how far you will walk, how long the bus ride is, when you will find a bathroom, where you can or cannot take photos, where there will be food and drinks and so on. Very thorough. There's usually a one minute edited video to show the highlights of your tour.

 

The Celebrity website doesn't have such rich detail. The X website also makes you pay for the excursion up front before you are on the ship so you can't use your OBC for that.

 

With Princess you pay nothing up front and can cancel up to 24 hours before. That's when your shipboard account will be charged. At home you can rethink excursions and change them at will without having to call the cruise line.

 

On shore the two excursions we took on X both had us walking to the dock gate to meet our guide rather than the Princess method of having the guide near the foot of the gangway holding up our tour number. It was a little disorganized in St Kitts as the local vendor running the tour wasn't well organized and communicative-but it didn't spoil the Sugar Train excursion.

 

EXCURSIONS?

 

ADVANTAGE PRINCESS

 

(FOR THE WEBSITE INFO, THE NO-PAY UP FRONT AND DOCK ORGANIZATION)

[Bimmer09]

Now if it feels like ADVANTAGE PRINCESS is showing up a lot there is a lot to cover still to come and there may be opportunities for Celebrity to dazzle.

If you've read my Silhouette review you may already know that.

 

In no particular order I'll be talking about;

 

The Pools

The Specialty restaurants

Entertainment

Movies on board

Artwork

Smoking on board

Bars

Shops

Shows and the theaters

Service

Crew friendliness

Lounges

Bands

Deck parties

Formal/Elegant chic nights

Room Service

Photographers

Outdoor spaces

Outdoor dining

The Buffet

The Officers

Muster drill

Elevators

MDRs

Quiet places to curl up with a book

Internet

Duty Free

Casino

Art Auctions

First impressions of the ships

Coffee

Places to find peace and quiet even at a cost

Unique features of each ship

 

and whatever else comes to mind....

 

In other words-there's more to come.

 

Norris

 

[midwestchick]

Hi, the Silhouette review is in my signature now so it will always be around for you to read. I'll get to the Officers, the staff and unfriendliness in this comparison later.

 

As I recall the Azamara cruises were 10 days and we can only do 7.

 

Regarding your last question the perpetrator was arrested after another armed home invasion in a different state a month later. He's been in jail since December awaiting trial. All is well.

 

Cheers,

 

Norris

 

 

I'm happy to hear they have the perp locked up.

I hope you're able to try Azamara one day...we love the smaller ship for many reasons.

May I ask..did you mention in your last report that you used a private driver in Barcelona? We're looking for a good recommendation for someone to show us around.

[Pmorton3360]

I think I know how the coffee is going to go. Pam

[scorchestra]

I"m loving this comparison! It's so much fun to read. By the way, i booked a few excursions for our upcoming Celebrity cruise and even though we had to pay up front, we can cancel up to 24 hours before. I've had a difficult time trying to find out details about our excursions; times are not listed, etc.. so i have a hard time figuring out how many excursions I can do in one day.

 

Anyway, thanks for the writing. Do yo have any muffins for today? ; )

I have my coffee ready.

[jt58203]

My opinions of two Celebrity Solstice class ships & two Princess ships:

 

Hand scooped Ice Cream (@ buffet): Celebrity! Always about 8 yummy flavors at a time & changes throughout the day. The "After 8" is my fave!

 

Best Pizza: Princess

Best Hot Dogs: Princess

Pub Lunch Fish & Chips: Princess

 

Six-foot long couches in standard balcony cabin (Solstice Class Ships): Celebrity

 

The shows are too modern on X (Cirque type shows, etc.). I enjoy the variety on Princess much better.

 

Princess ships are more elegant. (But having free champagne handed out to all passengers on Celebrity embarking the ship is classy!)

[Bimmer09]

As this is a warm weather Caribbean cruise with 3 sea days how are the pools?

 

Princess has 5 on the Grand Class, one of which has a current machine (Lotus Spa pool) and one which is a wading pool for kids. The other 3 are separated with one,The Calypso pool, being under the movie screen, the next midship one the Neptune pool by the Trident Grill and Pizza stand and the third right at the stern and is adults only. Fresh water pools all.

 

The Lotus Spa Pool

 

 

The Calypso Pool

 

 

The Neptune Pool

 

 

** I don't have a pic of the kids splash pool ready to hand. It's filled with sharks and greased handrails so the kids can't escape-if that helps.

 

The Aft Pool

 

 

Next up- the Silhouette Pools

[ggprincess2004]

Greetings Norris,

 

We tried X this past December after extreme loyalty to Princess, which they earned each and every cruise, with the exception of one. We also love aft suites. In our minds, Princess wins in many of the categories, but we would not hesitate to sail X again - in a suite.

 

Breakfast in Sabatini's wins over Luminae hands down IMHO, but having our butler deliver cappuccino and a croissant each morning, ringing a door bell to announce his arrival, was wonderful. We discontinued heading to Luminae for breakfast. We almost never miss a Sabatini's breakfast. But we found that the food in Luminae for luncheon and dinner improved exponentially (it had no place to go but up) and completely enjoyed our noon and evening dining experiences there. So we must rate the morning experience a toss-up.

 

We did find the buffet experience on X disappointing - yes, I know, a major disagreement with other reviewers. But we used the buffet as I got a sinus infection and didn't want to be rude to other diners for a few days. It was the same thing, all the time. And the pizza was inedible. I could live on Princess pizza on a world cruise. OK, didn't mean to highjack your review - I shall be good and sit quietly in a deck lounger sipping something soothing and munching some popcorn. Please continue.

 

Brief hi to Wanda and Jackie - miss you ladies.

 

Let the games continue....

 

G

[Bimmer09]

I'm happy to hear they have the perp locked up.

I hope you're able to try Azamara one day...we love the smaller ship for many reasons.

May I ask..did you mention in your last report that you used a private driver in Barcelona? We're looking for a good recommendation for someone to show us around.

 

Hi again, we used Pepito Tours in Barcelona (see review) and were 100% happy.

We did a Gaudi Tour.

 

Azamara is on the radar. I get an e mail from them 3 times a week. I like the videos on youtube with the interactive officers (like X) and the overnight stays.

 

We are familiar with their R Class ships having sailed on the Ocean Princess.

 

Norris

 

[Bimmer09]

I"m loving this comparison! It's so much fun to read. By the way, i booked a few excursions for our upcoming Celebrity cruise and even though we had to pay up front, we can cancel up to 24 hours before. I've had a difficult time trying to find out details about our excursions; times are not listed, etc.. so i have a hard time figuring out how many excursions I can do in one day.

 

Anyway, thanks for the writing. Do yo have any muffins for today? ; )

I have my coffee ready.

 

Thanks for echoing my views on the Excursions.

 

Re the muffins- there are two men from the Center for Disease Control in my kitchen right now inspecting my muffin pans. I am not getting a warm fuzzy feeling....

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

My opinions of two Celebrity Solstice class ships & two Princess ships:

 

Hand scooped Ice Cream (@ buffet): Celebrity! Always about 8 yummy flavors at a time & changes throughout the day. The "After 8" is my fave!

 

Best Pizza: Princess

Best Hot Dogs: Princess

Pub Lunch Fish & Chips: Princess

 

Six-foot long couches in standard balcony cabin (Solstice Class Ships): Celebrity

 

The shows are too modern on X (Cirque type shows, etc.). I enjoy the variety on Princess much better.

 

Princess ships are more elegant. (But having free champagne handed out to all passengers on Celebrity embarking the ship is classy!)

 

Hi jt-see highlighted in red above. No Cirque type shows on our cruise. Singers and comedians and a Beatles Tribute band. We missed a comedy juggler.

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Greetings Norris,

 

We tried X this past December after extreme loyalty to Princess, which they earned each and every cruise, with the exception of one. We also love aft suites. In our minds, Princess wins in many of the categories, but we would not hesitate to sail X again - in a suite.

 

Breakfast in Sabatini's wins over Luminae hands down IMHO, but having our butler deliver cappuccino and a croissant each morning, ringing a door bell to announce his arrival, was wonderful. We discontinued heading to Luminae for breakfast. We almost never miss a Sabatini's breakfast. But we found that the food in Luminae for luncheon and dinner improved exponentially (it had no place to go but up) and completely enjoyed our noon and evening dining experiences there. So we must rate the morning experience a toss-up.

 

We did find the buffet experience on X disappointing - yes, I know, a major disagreement with other reviewers. But we used the buffet as I got a sinus infection and didn't want to be rude to other diners for a few days. It was the same thing, all the time. And the pizza was inedible. I could live on Princess pizza on a world cruise. OK, didn't mean to highjack your review - I shall be good and sit quietly in a deck lounger sipping something soothing and munching some popcorn. Please continue.

 

Brief hi to Wanda and Jackie - miss you ladies.

 

Let the games continue....

G

 

Hi and thanks for the response. We agree on Luminae.

 

Re the buffet I ate the same two dishes all week for lunch- Indian food (which had new items daily and some repeats) and the steak and fries. I didn't check out all the options-just headed for the Indian section and tucked in. Dee-lishus!

 

 

I ate it outdoors each time and a waiter brought me my beer. Nice.

 

The Princess pizza is a home run. No question.

 

Cheers!

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

I think I know how the coffee is going to go. Pam

 

Pam as Coffee is Life I'll do that later this afternoon!

 

Norris

[jt58203]

Hi jt-see highlighted in red above. No Cirque type shows on our cruise. Singers and comedians and a Beatles Tribute band. We missed a comedy juggler.

 

Norris

 

That's good to know as it's been 3 years since my last X cruise.

[midwestchick]

Hi again, we used Pepito Tours in Barcelona (see review) and were 100% happy.

We did a Gaudi Tour.

 

Azamara is on the radar. I get an e mail from them 3 times a week. I like the videos on youtube with the interactive officers (like X) and the overnight stays.

 

We are familiar with their R Class ships having sailed on the Ocean Princess.

 

Norris

 

 

 

Muchas gracias. 🤗 😊