Celebrity Summit vs Caribbean Princess

[Notquite50]

Planning a 50th Birthday cruise with my best friend. We are leaving our DH and kids behind for a once in a lifetime girls getaway. We tentatively booked Caribbean Princess out of FL going to the ABC islands with a Veranda, but now we are considering switching to Celebrity Summit with an Ocean View leaving from PR, and going to St. Thomas, Martinique, St. Croix, St. Kitts, and Dominica.

 

Realizing that what one person likes- another may not, I would very much appreciate if you would be kind enough to weigh in with your opinions and suggestions on if we should switch.

 

Here is our back story. We are turning 50, non smokers, love the beach. We are both pretty easy to please but would also appreciate good food. We are both from NJ. Flights to FL and PR are comparable in price, so I don't think that will influence our decision. We both have sailed on Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas and my friend did the Oasis.

 

Here are some of our questions/concerns:

Ship condition - From what I have read on these boards, the CB may need some TLC. I fully understand it's ship and it's not brand new, but I want to make sure there are no glaring issues - such as broken bathrooms.

 

Adult only pool - Let's face it - we are leaving our own children home for a reason and we are both teachers so the idea of an adult only only pool is very appealing. I LOVED the Adult only pool on the Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas.

 

Smoking: Neither of us are smokers and I have severe asthma so smoke is an issue for me. Just want to make sure that if we are not in the smoking areas there won't be lingering smells. (no offense to smokers).

 

Itinerary - This is a tough one because the days at sea on Princess are appealing because of the down time and the ability to just veg out - but on the other hand the islands for Celebrity are also really appealing because there will be many islands I've never been to and may be great to visit.. So, quite honestly I really don't know what I'm asking of you here or what I want, but please feel free to comment.:confused:

 

Entertainment: Again - we are pretty easy to please. If someone is going to sing to me and try to entertain me - I'm pretty sure I will be happy. Can anyone shed light into what else there is - i.e. Bingo.

 

Spa: If we go Summit - we only have 1 sea day so this may not even be an issue.

 

Specialty Restaurants vs. Food in the MD.

 

Drink Pkg.- if we book with Celebrity the basic drink pkg. is included. Does anyone know if this will include drinks like Baybreeze, beer, and drinks with little umbrellas. If not - I assume we can upgrade the package.

 

As I've already mentioned - I TRULY appreciate any advice you can give that will help us make our decision.

[FlorenceItaly]

I have sailed on the Celebrity Constellation three times, as recent as April. The Constellation is a sister ship to Summit. I leave for the Summit at the end of the month. We cruised on the Celebrity Princess in September, 10 day, NY to Quebec. It was way too big and crowded for us. It is not a ship I would choose to go on again. Also, a drink package always wins for me :).

 

 

 

Marie

[Champagne Cruiser]

We love the Summit (have sailed her 6 times.)so I may be a bit prejudiced. In general I think the entertainment is better on Princess, the food much better on Celebrity. The Summit itinerary you are taking is our lesser favorite if you love beaches. There are no sandy beaches in Dominica, but if you snorkel do take the boat trip (not the overland trip) to Champagne where there are warm bubbles. If you don't snorkel, make Dominica an "at sea" day and enjoy the ship without the crowds. This way you can relax and not fight everyone at the buffet, around the pool. There is usually discounts at the spa in port days. The adult only pool on Summit is a thalassotherapy pool. It is heavenly. We also love Cafe al Bacio for specialty coffees and are included in the Classic beverage package. Both Captain Kate and Captain Alex are the best, so warm, welcoming, personable. Celebrity still has sommeliers in the dining rooms who can help you with your wine choices vs just waiters in Princess and Royal. However, I like the itinerary of the ABC islands. The Summit just came out of dry dock and there is no smoking anywhere inside the ship.

[zoncom]

I usually cruise Celebrity. My last Princess cruise was a 16N Transatlantic on Ruby when X was sold out. I agree with Florence it was too big and crowded. Food mediocre. Sister ship to CP. Summit has excellent itin but I would look at both Silhoutte and Reflection for an even more special cruise.Better food ,decor and pools.Look up photos here to compare all ships.

[FlorenceItaly]

Another thing I remembered about the CP, was the very poor layout of the Lido(buffet).

 

 

 

Marie

[Ozzmund]

Been on both, prefer the Summit. The tobacco policy, the adults only indoor pool, the food, and the drink package tips the scale. The Summit itinerary is better IMO.

[vickykay]

We usually cruise on Celebrity so may be somewhat biased. We did cruise in the Caribbean Princess a few years ago as we wanted to do a one week cruise to NE and Canada and Celebrity did not have an August sailing ( teachers also). While we had an enjoyable cruise, we MUCH prefer the M class ships to the CP. Better food and we enjoy the large MDR ( on the CP it was three small dining rooms). On the CP there were hallways that went nowhere. The ocean view cafe is much better (my opinion) on Celebrity. We also found the beds on Princess extremely hard making sleep difficult. We did enjoy the coffee cafe on the Caribbean Princess. We have done the itinerary on the Summitt you are looking at out of PR and enjoyed it very much.

[vplsh]

We have sailed on both ships several times- 6 on Summit and 4 on CB. We like both. They are both older ships in very good condition with great crews. The itinerary of both are excellent as well, so that doesn't really enter into your decision.

 

We love sailing out of San Juan, so that's always a plus. We prefer the specialty restaurants on Summit, and the Solarium pool is very nice. On Princess, we always pay extra for reserved chairs in the Sanctuary, which is adults only and directly above the Lotus Spa pool. That provides us with a child-free environment (I, too, am a teacher/principal) with shade. It's pricey- $210 for the week, but we consider it worth it and take an oceanview cabin to offset the price.

 

The thing that sets the Summit apart from any Princess ship is the non-smoking policy. I, too, am allergic to smoke and the CB allows it in the casino, which means it floats out to the areas around the casino. There is no smoking whatsoever in any indoor venue on Summit, and it is wonderful.

 

Hope that helps! Enjoy whatever you choose!!

[swigso]

Just another note,

If you sail on the Summit or any celebrity ship,contact

Captains club and have your ROyal status transferred

[Essiesmom]

For your asthma...Casino is usually VERY smoky on Princess ships, except on the few non-smoking nights. EM

[TomTN]

That particular Princess ship is the most crowded cruise ship we have been on. Horrible theater overcrowding. Many people standing around with food on their trays waiting for a table in the buffet. Gridlock in pubic areas in the evening.

I think Princess has better ships.

[Cruise a holic]

Planning a 50th Birthday cruise with my best friend. We are leaving our DH and kids behind for a once in a lifetime girls getaway. We tentatively booked Caribbean Princess out of FL going to the ABC islands with a Veranda, but now we are considering switching to Celebrity Summit with an Ocean View leaving from PR, and going to St. Thomas, Martinique, St. Croix, St. Kitts, and Dominica.

 

Realizing that what one person likes- another may not, I would very much appreciate if you would be kind enough to weigh in with your opinions and suggestions on if we should switch.

 

Here is our back story. We are turning 50, non smokers, love the beach. We are both pretty easy to please but would also appreciate good food. We are both from NJ. Flights to FL and PR are comparable in price, so I don't think that will influence our decision. We both have sailed on Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas and my friend did the Oasis.

 

Here are some of our questions/concerns:

Ship condition - From what I have read on these boards, the CB may need some TLC. I fully understand it's ship and it's not brand new, but I want to make sure there are no glaring issues - such as broken bathrooms.

 

Adult only pool - Let's face it - we are leaving our own children home for a reason and we are both teachers so the idea of an adult only only pool is very appealing. I LOVED the Adult only pool on the Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas.

 

Smoking: Neither of us are smokers and I have severe asthma so smoke is an issue for me. Just want to make sure that if we are not in the smoking areas there won't be lingering smells. (no offense to smokers).

 

Itinerary - This is a tough one because the days at sea on Princess are appealing because of the down time and the ability to just veg out - but on the other hand the islands for Celebrity are also really appealing because there will be many islands I've never been to and may be great to visit.. So, quite honestly I really don't know what I'm asking of you here or what I want, but please feel free to comment.:confused:

 

Entertainment: Again - we are pretty easy to please. If someone is going to sing to me and try to entertain me - I'm pretty sure I will be happy. Can anyone shed light into what else there is - i.e. Bingo.

 

Spa: If we go Summit - we only have 1 sea day so this may not even be an issue.

 

Specialty Restaurants vs. Food in the MD.

 

Drink Pkg.- if we book with Celebrity the basic drink pkg. is included. Does anyone know if this will include drinks like Baybreeze, beer, and drinks with little umbrellas. If not - I assume we can upgrade the package.

 

As I've already mentioned - I TRULY appreciate any advice you can give that will help us make our decision.

 

Having sailed on both multiple times, I would choose the Summit. The Princess ships have smoking in many more venues. If you are a non-smoker walking near or through the casino is horrible for example. The food in the MDR IMO and Buffet and so much better on the Summit- the choices on Princess are few, we were extremely disappointed with the buffet- perhaps the worst of all of the ships we have sailed on. The adult pool area is great on the Summit in fact if you want a little privacy and quiet on the Caribbean Princess, you have to book the Sanctuary which is pricey. We went to the theatre on the Caribbean Princess and had problems finding seats- not a problem on the Summit. We enjoy the specialty restaurants on the Summit- Yes you can upgrade the drink package on the summit-but it is a choice. Cafe al Bacio on the Summit is wonderful you can have wonderful coffee drinks included in the basic package- you can purchase a coffee card on Princess- but it doesn't compare. You also get bottled water-no charge with the Summit basic drink package. Both ships aren't new- but the summit was recently in dry dock and the public spaces have been refurbished.

 

Entertainment on both similar- nothing like the RC Oasis class ships. We really enjoy the Summit. I find Princess crowded and disorganized. Like her sister Carnival. Remember you are on the Summit page- try the Caribbean Princess and see from those who might like the ship their comparison.

 

We enjoy cruising and any cruise is better then no cruise! Enjoy

Edited July 12, 2016 by Cruise a holic

[20pluscruises]

Although I do not know much about the Princess I would not recommend the Summit. The food in Blu was not great. Major cutbacks on everything from apps to dinner. Very disappointing. Also, the bathrooms were not working several times during the week. We (three couples) are still trying to figure out what the dry dock upgrades were to the ship???? (other than the movie screen and indoor pool loungers). The entertainment was not entertaining. I was embarrassed for them. All three couples (even with the Bayonne Port being very convenient) will not be sailing on the Summit in the future.

WTH has happened to Celebrity?

Edited July 12, 2016 by 20pluscruises

[Host Jazzbeau]

Haven't been on Summit in a few years so can't contradict the above post's bad review, but we were just on sister-ship Connie last month and it was a completely different story: Luminae was great, no cutbacks visible, entertainment excellent and varied, ship (and plumbing) in great shape. Furthermore, Caribbean Princess doesn't seem to be doing that well lately; here's a review that is very thorough and very off-putting:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2377502

[DrivesLikeMario]

I've sailed on both ships. Both have an adults-only pool.

 

The Summit handles rough seas much better than any Princess ship if that's a concern. Having the drink package just makes life a little more hassle-free on Celebrity too.

 

I would go for the itinerary. As much as I love Princess, to me it's more of a couples-cruise atmosphere - JMHO after 25 or so cruises with them.

[20pluscruises]

Haven't been on Summit in a few years so can't contradict the above post's bad review, but we were just on sister-ship Connie last month and it was a completely different story: Luminae was great, no cutbacks visible, entertainment excellent and varied, ship (and plumbing) in great shape. Furthermore, Caribbean Princess doesn't seem to be doing that well lately; here's a review that is very thorough and very off-putting:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2377502

 

I do hope the cutbacks don't continue to the other ships! The lobster is now in a soupy sauce with rice, the fried brie is now fried won ton with no brie visible, the filet was stringy and tough, the egg roll is now just cabbage in a teenie tiny 2" by 2" tortilla. (2" is being generous) the sea bass (dorado?) now does not come with artichokes and only 3 capers to be found. The salmon was okay. The deserts...YIKES! The cafe was suggested the last few nights. I'm hoping the meals will improve for future guests, but I have a feeling this may be a portion of the new menu they have been talking about for the last year or two. This makes me very upset as I like Celebrity but it has been too much in cutbacks.

Edited July 12, 2016 by 20pluscruises

[Host Jazzbeau]

I do hope the cutbacks don't continue to the other ships! The lobster is now in a soupy sauce with rice, the fried brie is now fried won ton with no brie visible, the filet was stringy and tough, the egg roll is now just cabbage in a teenie tiny 2" by 2" tortilla. (2" is being generous) the sea bass (dorado?) now does not come with artichokes and only 3 capers to be found. The salmon was okay. The deserts...YIKES! The cafe was suggested the last few nights. I'm hoping the meals will improve for future guests, but I have a feeling this may be a portion of the new menu they have been talking about for the last year or two. This makes me very upset as I like Celebrity but it has been too much in cutbacks.

 

Was this Blu or MDR? Maybe the difference is that we were in Luminae. Also we never order lobster on a ship because we have been spoiled by regular visits to Maine.

[20pluscruises]

Was this Blu or MDR? Maybe the difference is that we were in Luminae. Also we never order lobster on a ship because we have been spoiled by regular visits to Maine.

 

Blu,,,and yes, there is nothing like Maine lobster. :)

[Notquite50]

Thanks everyone for your opinions and suggestions. We decided to jump ship and canceled the resize for Princess. Although we are going from a veranda to an Ocean View the difference in cost was over $650 per person. We were able to book the Summit with the Big- Better- Best promotion and got tips, premium drink pkg, and internet included. Plus $150 OBC. I feel very confident that we made the right decision and can't wait until November. Thanks Again!!!

[jb008]

Although we are going from a veranda to an Ocean View the difference in cost was over $650 per person. We were able to book the Summit with the Big- Better- Best promotion and got tips, premium drink pkg, and internet included. Plus $150 OBC.

 

Keep an eye on pricing. I've had good luck upgrading reservations with X even after final payment with no penalty, just price difference. I've also heard of people able to upgrade to higher categories if prices drop below your current booking (although no refund).

 

I think you'll enjoy the slightly smaller ship feel. We were on Ruby a few years ago (~3k pax) and it was noticeably smaller and felt less crowded on Summit. Even moving up to the Solstice class (Equinox) felt bigger (EQ 2.8k vs 2.2k). Although I haven't sailed Princess in a few years, we loved P but switched to X due to the itineraries and have been perfectly content sailing with X since. Pricing on X also seems to be a little lower than P, once you factor in the OBC and perks.

 

San juan is a great destination in it's own right, and sailing out of SJU versus Florida is my strong preference. The Summit itineraries are great, and if you can extend the cruise by a day on either side, San Juan has some really interesting history, culture, food, and some solid resorts.

[BratDet]

I am sailing on Summit to Bermuda as we have not been able to drive to port for a long while.

 

I will compare the two (although you have made your decision), when I get back.

 

I just left the Caribbean Princess (which is CB, not CP abbreviated..think the Coral Princess is the CP designation) for the SIXTH time July 19...that was the ship sailing the British Isles...no problem with our room, or seen in general....

 

Our first cruise was on Celebrity out of Bayonne 10 years ago, and they sold the ship soon after- so we wound up on Princess ever since.

 

We had good, delicious food in the MDRo CB, never bothered with the specialty restaurants as we have already done them...

 

Although we were given 500 free internet minutes, looking forward to free unlimited also as we hate trying to be quick to log on and off and it makes my husband more relaxed although he logs on for work daily....

 

Heck we have the Go Best package for this Summit cruise- so we will have a hard time spending our 750$ OBC...

 

Almost ready to go!

Bernadette

[Arzeena]

We haven't been on the Caribbean Princess but have been on the Ruby and loved that ship. I also love the Summit. So for me the choice would be which one has an itinerary I like better and the $$$.

[Cruise a holic]

We have only sailed on the Caribbean princess and crown prince. We vote celebrity summit better in all areas. Best part of our princess cruise was the piano bars

[s2kreno]

smoking areas there won't be lingering smells. (no offense to smokers).

 

Itinerary - This is a tough one because the days at sea on Princess are appealing because of the down time and the ability to just veg out - but on the other hand the islands for Celebrity are also really appealing because there will be many islands I've never been to and may be great to visit.. So, quite honestly I really don't know what I'm asking of you here or what I want, but please feel free to comment.:confused:

 

.

Did that itinerary on the Summit last year and it was fantastic. If you can get a guide named David Brandy (he's on the dock with a white van -- people look for him) in Saint Kitts you will get an incredible day for about $25. We did the same route as the (expensive) train excursion, but because we were in a nice air conditioned van, we got to stop and do things -- have a barbecue, hold a baby monkey, see the town -- and he told us (about ten in the van) to ask him anything and he'd answer. We learned about everything from local food to the economy, real estate, education, culture -- one of the best days.

 

Dominica has a great ships excursion in which you kayak down a river and into the ocean, then you get a taste of local food and rum. Really well done.

 

Saint Croix, we did our own thing -- went to the Domino Club and "fed" a non-alcoholic beer to the famous beer-drinking pigs. Great pictures.

 

I have done about ten cruises from the bare bones Universe (Semester at Sea program) to the lux Seabourne and I think Celebrity strikes the perfect balance between luxury and price. The crew on the Summit is exemplary and treats everyone well. I don't think you can go wrong with them.

Edited July 31, 2016 by s2kreno

[Aquahound]

I've been on both the Summit and CB, and I would pick the Summit. CB felt very crowded to me and the decor reminded me of my late grandmother's house. The dining room was very cramped and chaotic, whereas on Summit, it was very spacious and 2 stories. Also, I liked the indoor pool on Summit, and the standard staterooms are larger on Summit. You have to book a mini suite on CB to get the living space of a standard balcony on Summit. Standard rooms and CB (anything below a mini suite) do not have a couch.