Excited, but...

[Cruisy McGee]

We are booked in Aqua on Solstice to Alaska with Go Best this summer. I am very excited about this cruise, but I can't help but wonder....

 

I've never sailed Celebrity before (and my husband has never cruised before). I love the look of the S-class ship with so much glass and the decor looks beautiful. That said, I have sailed Princess before and enjoyed it. I can get a Club Class mini-suite on Emerald Princess for $500 less for the week for the same itinerary - this does not include gratuities, beverage package or wifi, but does have the same OBC. I don't care about the wifi, but beverages and gratuities are obvious considerations. With the Mini I would get a tub and 323 sq ft as opposed to the 194 in X's Aqua. I like the look of the X ship more in photos, though. The Princess cruise would likely end up costing slightly more by the time I add in drinks and grats, but with much more space.

 

I realize I'm on the Celebrity forum, but I know many of you have sailed Princess as well. Given the same itinerary, which would you choose, Aqua on X or Club Class Mini-Suite on Princess?

[sanger727]

I'm curious what got you to the aqua class with 'go best' promotion on celebrity. If you are looking to shave a bit off the price - most itineraries include 'go better' in the price and 'go best' is an upcharge. You can get the OBC and beverages with go best - will cover your gratuities plus a small balance leftover.

 

Or you could downgrade to a regular veranda room and save quite a bit. Can still do the 'go better' or 'go best' promotions. And can purchase the spa pass if that was part of the attraction. Would just not get access to 'blu'.

 

I can't speak to princess but a relative I've cruised with went on a princess Alaska cruise and rated princess far below celebrity in overall cruise experience.

 

 

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[Bo1953]

You need to select the line to sail based on what is important to you, and it sounds like more space and a tub is the factor in your decision.

 

bon voyage

[Cruisy McGee]

I'm curious what got you to the aqua class with 'go best' promotion on celebrity. If you are looking to shave a bit off the price - most itineraries include 'go better' in the price and 'go best' is an upcharge. You can get the OBC and beverages with go best - will cover your gratuities plus a small balance leftover.

 

Or you could downgrade to a regular veranda room and save quite a bit. Can still do the 'go better' or 'go best' promotions. And can purchase the spa pass if that was part of the attraction. Would just not get access to 'blu'.

 

I can't speak to princess but a relative I've cruised with went on a princess Alaska cruise and rated princess far below celebrity in overall cruise experience.

 

 

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I'm not looking to shave off the price. I'm just looking to get the most for my money (aren't we all?) I keep reading people talking about how Celebrity is really cutting back and it makes me nervous. I don't know what it was like before, so it's probably all good to me. It just makes me question my decision.

 

I'm really drawn to all the glass of the Celebrity S-class ships. Aesthetically, I find the photos very appealing. Much more so than Princess. That, the beverage package and Blu are all big draws. Then I priced out Princess just for comparison and started second guessing myself.

 

I appreciate hearing that your relative rated Celebrity above Princess for Alaska. We've been to Alaska, so while we are very much looking forward to the scenery and experience, this isn't a one and only Alaska trip for us. We are looking for an overall experience.

[bmct]

I agree, go with what's best for you. I am Elite on both Princess and Celebrity. I much prefer X. I've been in Aqua Class on the Reflection. Blu for breakfast was good, but I wasn't thrilled with the dinner selections. My DH, on the other hand, loved Blu for dinner.

[Cruise Raider]

We have sailed up to Alaska nearly a dozen times, half on Princess and the other half on Celebrity. We've also sailed in mini-suites on Princess and in Aqua Class on Celebrity and on the Emerald Princess and the Solstice so might be able to help you out on this. However, I have not sailed in a club class cabin on Princess as of yet so cannot speak to that personally but have read many great things about it.

Anyhow, we have another sailing booked on the Solstice for next week ... that should say it a lot .... but our last Alaska cruise several months ago was on Princess.

 

Hands down, I would pick the Celebrity sailing. This is not to say we don't like Princess a lot ... we do. Most of our past sailings are on Princess. Celebrity is our absolute favorite, though. I love the S-class ships and they keep them in very good condition. Aqua Class will give you many of the same benefits as the club class ... your own dining room, priority embarkation and such, etc. But Aqua Class has Blu, your own specialty restaurant, plus entrance into the Persian Gardens (spa) and don't forget the relaxation lounge, which is a wonderful place to sit for sail away, especially in Alaska. I love the indoor pools on the S-class ships. I don't think there is an indoor pool on the Emerald. Plus, your balcony will be uncovered so totally exposed to the elements on the Emerald....which isn't optimal in Alaska. Your balcony will be totally covered in AQ on the Solstice and there is even a nice lawn area where you can picnic or play games during nicer weather. We were treated to a wonderful concert during sail away from Victoria a couple of years ago .. held on the lawn, they set down blankets and they served wine and cheese. It just doesn't get better than that.

While the AQ cabins don't have any bigger bathroom or tub that you will find in the Princess mini suites, they have a fabulous shower head, nice thick towels and robes. You will also get footstools on your balcony on Celebrity but only chairs. There would probably be 4 chairs on your balcony on Princess. The cabins themselves, other than the bathrooms are about equal to me. Celebrity will have a sofa in the cabin and you will find the same on Princess. Princess will have a little divider cabinet but the mini is not really separated into two rooms. I don't care for the layout. I think there is as least as much usable space on the S-class ships. Princess Mini's have two tvs.

Now, as far as the perks ... this is where I would have no question as to whether to go on Celebrity or Princess. The beverage package is priceless to us. We can get specialty coffees and mimosas / bloody mary in the morning if we want, water throughout the day, drinks by the pool, pre-dinner cocktails, wine with dinner, a nice cordial after dinner, soda to sip on in the casino or during the show ... no hassle. It's not to say that Princess makes it a hassle and we even have a future cruise booked on Princess where we do have the beverage package included as a free perk, but all those drinks add up without the package.

We also value the free gratuities and additional onboard credit but like you, we don't care so much about the free internet.

I still think the Solstice is a better deal with a superior experience. We have cruises for years and are in our mid-fifties and mid-sixties and this is usually typical for the demographics on Celebrity and Princess ... but we don't usually sail during the summer months. If you like a get away from children, the Aqua Class rooms only hold two passengers so usually, you will not see many (if any) children on this deck. This may or may not be important to you. Also, Celebrity is more restrictive with their smoking policy ... and not allowed in anywhere in the interior of the ship. Princess does allow smoking in a couple of places onboard. Neither allow smoking on the balconies or in the cabins.

Princess still has formal nights whereas Celebrity went elegant chic (their words). So, no suit, tux gowns or ties necessary on Celebrity but you will still see some fellow passengers dress to the nines. Princess still has formal nights but you could get away with nice slacks, dress shirt and tie for a man and a nice sparkly top and pants for women if you wanted to go that route. We like the more casual options so, of course, Celebrity does work out better for us. Although, the specialty restaurants on either line are always just smart casual dress so you could still do Princess and not take any formal clothing if you don't choose to do so.

 

Hopefully, I have given you enough info to chew on for a while. I would go with what you have booked but also listed things about Princess that you might like. Either would be a great cruise. But, I am biased ... and do admit to it.

[Kartgv]

We sail on both lines, have been on the Solstice, have not been on the Emerald. The one major complaint we had about the Solstice was that there was not enough indoor bar/lounge space with views of the outside. The Ensemble Lounge was nice but for some reason they insisted on closing all the heavy drapes at about 5:30 each evening, making it dark and uninviting for us. Cellar Masters kept the drapes open, but it's somewhat closed off (not good for 'people watching') and was usually almost empty.

 

We recently had to make a similar decision (Celebrity Aqua vs.Princess Club Mini) and decided to go with the Club Mini. One factor for us was the larger cabin & bathroom size, since our cruise includes 10 sea day. We also aren't that crazy about Blu menus for a longer cruise; though many people love them. Club Class dining gives you the full MDR menu plus at least one extra specialty item in a private area of the room with less crowding than the MDR main section. You're right that right now the Princess booking perks are awful unless you're booking 3rd & 4th passengers in a cabin. Hope this helps - you'll probably be happy with either choice.

[Cruise Raider]

I'm not looking to shave off the price. I'm just looking to get the most for my money (aren't we all?) I keep reading people talking about how Celebrity is really cutting back and it makes me nervous. I don't know what it was like before, so it's probably all good to me. It just makes me question my decision.

 

I'm really drawn to all the glass of the Celebrity S-class ships. Aesthetically, I find the photos very appealing. Much more so than Princess. That, the beverage package and Blu are all big draws. Then I priced out Princess just for comparison and started second guessing myself.

 

I appreciate hearing that your relative rated Celebrity above Princess for Alaska. We've been to Alaska, so while we are very much looking forward to the scenery and experience, this isn't a one and only Alaska trip for us. We are looking for an overall experience.

 

Just to add .. I really wouldn't worry about people complaining about cutbacks. You see equal cutbacks on every mass market cruise line lately. We just sailed on Celebrity a few weeks ago and I didn't notice anything really missing. Service was great, food was amazing, no luck in the casino but still had a lot of events we joined in on. You cannot get a small martini in the martini bar any longer, which is covered under the classic package but you could go one flight down to the passport bar and bingo...there you could get one. You no longer get bottles of water delivered to your cabin in Aqua Class daily, but since you have the beverage package, you can pick one up at any bar to restock your room. I am just not thinking of anything we would be missing that would be of great importance to us. They did do away with the grand buffet but that was a couple of years ago and Princess doesn't have one either.

Just to mention, I do like the closets better on Princess and there are only small shelves that double as nightstands for the S-class ships .... I have a work around for those, though. I just bring a small throw away box to keep all my nighttime stuff on that little shelf. Oh....and Princess has self serve laundry rooms (one on nearly every passenger deck) with washers, dryers and ironing boards /irons. On Celebrity, you have to send your clothing out for cleaning or pressing.

Just thought I would add those couple extra pieces of info in case they are important to you.

[Toronto Guy]

Not all Alaska itineraries are created equal. Celebrity does not go to Glacier Bay and and check to see if you are sailing inside passage or not. I wouldn't do any Alaska cruise that sails west of Vancouver island. I prefer Celebrity and love Aqua Class, but there are other things to consider and princess is also good quality. I just prefer celebrity decor and more space per passenger. I also think celebrity's loyalty program is far better.

 

 

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[Airportlimbo]

We've done Princess (Pacific Coastal) and Celebrity (Alaska), we are looking to book another trip on Celebrity since there was a lot we liked.

 

We enjoyed the steakhouse from Princess but that was the only thing we missed. We found the demographic too old on Princess for us a little dead. Whereas the Celebrity had more life around bars and shows.

 

What we'd improve on Celebrity is the entertainment, as we find it still lacking but our standards are quite high. Our experience level is from London's west end and Vegas.

 

-A

[TRadle]

We are sailing to Alaska on July 21st on the Solstice. This will be our fourth time on her and we actually choice this itinerary to get this ship.

[sippican]

If you were considering the land tour extension in Alaska, I'd say Princess hands down - they are the tops for lodges and their cruisetours there.

That being said, for a cruise, you need to decide what your preferences are.

We love the Solstice Class ships - they are our favorite. We felt very closed-in on Princess, low ceilings and dark decor. We did not enjoy dining, but think we may have had a better experience if we had booked Club Class.

On Celebrity we choose the Sky Suites for all of the suite class perks, much better that Club Class on Princess.

 

No matter which you choose, I think you will have a great trip!

[sanger727]

I'm not looking to shave off the price. I'm just looking to get the most for my money (aren't we all?) I keep reading people talking about how Celebrity is really cutting back and it makes me nervous. I don't know what it was like before, so it's probably all good to me. It just makes me question my decision.

 

 

 

I'm really drawn to all the glass of the Celebrity S-class ships. Aesthetically, I find the photos very appealing. Much more so than Princess. That, the beverage package and Blu are all big draws. Then I priced out Princess just for comparison and started second guessing myself.

 

 

 

I appreciate hearing that your relative rated Celebrity above Princess for Alaska. We've been to Alaska, so while we are very much looking forward to the scenery and experience, this isn't a one and only Alaska trip for us. We are looking for an overall experience.

 

 

Sure. I simply meant that if your concern was value for the money - you've chosen two upgrade options that are removable. So the cost could be lowered with changes that may or may not have value to you.

 

I haven't sailed aqua because the room cost increase is too much for the 'benefits' for me. I'd rather use the extra savings to buy a spa pass and/or specialty dining package.

 

 

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[Cruisy McGee]

Thanks everyone for the great info! Cruise Raider your posts were particularly helpful. I did choose Celebrity for many of the reasons you mentioned and I don't know why I'm second guessing....probably has something to do with final payment looming. ;) Also, I would like to become a more frequent cruiser, but that will be dependent on my husband enjoying his first cruise so I really want to make the right choice for him. The drink package will go a long way to his happiness, though, as he will like not worrying about the bar tab at the end. I'm going to stick with my choice and trust my gut.

 

Thanks for the insight everyone.

[Cruisy McGee]

If you were considering the land tour extension in Alaska, I'd say Princess hands down - they are the tops for lodges and their cruisetours there.

That being said, for a cruise, you need to decide what your preferences are.

We love the Solstice Class ships - they are our favorite. We felt very closed-in on Princess, low ceilings and dark decor. We did not enjoy dining, but think we may have had a better experience if we had booked Club Class.

On Celebrity we choose the Sky Suites for all of the suite class perks, much better that Club Class on Princess.

 

No matter which you choose, I think you will have a great trip!

 

I think this is why I was looking for something other than Princess. Having sailed them before, I enjoyed it, but did feel rather closed in. The interior spaces rarely had views of the outside and they were rather dark.

 

We are not doing a land tour this time. We did a land vacation to Alaska a few years ago and spent a couple weeks in Seward, Anchorage and Denali. It was wonderful! This time we're going to do the cruise, enjoy the scenery and relax.

[lawgeek]

Cruisy:

 

Can't give comparison to club class on Princess as I have not experienced. I can comment on AQ as our July 28, 2017 sailing will be our fourth in AQ and second on a Solstice class ship. AQ was what attracted me to Celebrity in the first place...well that and that first cruise was the first I had seen a booze package available on any cruise line!

 

AQ is the reason I have shown some loyalty to Celebrity. Our past experience on larger ships was good, but dining was always meh. On one HAL cruise, we resigned ourselves to eating the specialty restaurant Pinnacle Grill as the MDR was not very good (PG was awesome though and cruise was awesome otherwise).

 

With AQ, we get a small dining venue experience with better than average food. Blu is a great venue and I would hate to cruise without that option. I also love the breakfast in there.

 

There are also other amenities that we appreciate including the shower and the heated mirror (on most other cruise ships I would have to defog the mirror with hair dryer after every shower). Also, PG is an awesome perk on the S class ships, not so much ***** M class though!

 

I have been comparing pricing overall with Princess as my final payment is due in a few days, I cannot find what I would consider to be a comparable deal.

 

If you are sailing on 7/28 on Solstice, please join our Roll Call as it is very lonely in their right now!

[Cruise Raider]

Thanks everyone for the great info! Cruise Raider your posts were particularly helpful. I did choose Celebrity for many of the reasons you mentioned and I don't know why I'm second guessing....probably has something to do with final payment looming. ;) Also, I would like to become a more frequent cruiser, but that will be dependent on my husband enjoying his first cruise so I really want to make the right choice for him. The drink package will go a long way to his happiness, though, as he will like not worrying about the bar tab at the end. I'm going to stick with my choice and trust my gut.

 

Thanks for the insight everyone.

 

Anytime!! I try to be honest with all my assessments so am hoping it helps others when making decisions. I think you will have an amazing time on the Solstice ...if for nothing else, an indoor pool becomes quite invaluable for those cruises up in Alaska. I am sailing on her next week so please feel free to let me know if I can look into anything else for you while on board.

[gijoe76]

Solstice to Alaska has an amazing naturalist, Brent Nixon. If you have the drink package, the wine stewards in Blu will pair wine with each course every night at dinner.

 

Take the Orca whale watching trip in Victoria. We saw a dozen Orca feeding. It was amazing!

 

We try to catch the Aqua cabins when they are on sale. We love them!

[Cruise Raider]

Solstice to Alaska has an amazing naturalist, Brent Nixon. If you have the drink package, the wine stewards in Blu will pair wine with each course every night at dinner.

 

Take the Orca whale watching trip in Victoria. We saw a dozen Orca feeding. It was amazing!

 

We try to catch the Aqua cabins when they are on sale. We love them!

 

Oh yes.... Brent Nixon!! Not to be missed!! I would sail in circles in the middle of the ocean to be on a cruise where he is the naturalist onboard. I go to every single one of his lectures. I tell you, if we all had teachers in school that were this engaging, every kid would pop out of bed in the morning so as not to be late for his class.

[BEAV]

I have to agree with Cruise Raider's assessment in post #6. We've sailed both lines to Alaska, and when we sail Princess it's almost always in a mini-suite. While the Princess mini-suite is larger in size than Aqua class, I think the overall cruise experience is a definite step up on Celebrity, especially when you have access to BLU restaurant. We also love the decor of the S-class ships. Good luck with your decision and have a wonderful cruise to Alaska!

[Cruisy McGee]

Solstice to Alaska has an amazing naturalist, Brent Nixon. If you have the drink package, the wine stewards in Blu will pair wine with each course every night at dinner.

 

Take the Orca whale watching trip in Victoria. We saw a dozen Orca feeding. It was amazing!

 

We try to catch the Aqua cabins when they are on sale. We love them!

 

Is Brent Nixon on all Solstice Alaska cruises? I have seen his name mentioned before and would love to hear his presentations.

 

I would love to see Orcas! On our last trip to Alaska we were lucky enough to have a mother humpback and her calf swim right up to the small boat we were on for the day (Kenai Fjords Captain's Choice Tour - sadly discontinued :(). It was an absolutely incredible experience. The two of them played very near the boat for over 30 minutes and actually swam right in front of the bow at one point. Even the naturalist was in awe. I've never seen Orcas, though, so that is definitely on my list.