Is Celebrity worth $400 more than Princess?

[HS2BS]

One of the biggest differences is that Celebrity has an indoor pool that also is almost completely shaded. We have done both ships; have been on Silhouette 6 times(3 transatlantics) and Regal only once( though have been on Royal twice). This spring we are doing a b2b on Regal, transatlantic and then the Baltics. As the pricing is usually about the same - it's the perks that make the difference (we're elite on Princess and elite plus on Celebrity).

If you had booked during Princess's sip and sail and gotten the drink package it would have been my choice for the Caribbean, (we are doing Eclipse 14 day in February), but Celebrity is offering the drink package and more this time off year so we go with Celebrity!

 

Hal

[chamima]

I haven't been on Regal Princess, but I've been on several Princess cruises and I do a lot of research.

 

 

 

I think that without the drink package I would pick Regal. The ship is supposedly beautiful. Without the drink package I think you'll find the drinks on Celebrity are more expensive. I also, from what I've read, think you'll find the food on Princess has improved over the last few years, while Celebrity's has gone down. I can't image that Princess' buffet is worse than Celebrity's.

 

 

 

The entertainment on Princess is better.

 

 

 

I don't like the way Princess does Anytime dining at all and that's what's kept me off of them but recently Celebrity's "select" dining has been VERY chaotic.

 

 

 

I'd pick Princess.

 

 

 

300+ days on Celebrity. 150+ days n Princess.

 

 

 

One line might excel in some areas more than the other, but no telling what would be more important to you. Entertainment better on Princess. More live music, better shows. Food a slight nod to Celebrity. Specialty restaurants both good but way more expensive on Celebrity. Cabin a bit larger on Celebrity. Closet set-up better on Princess.

 

 

 

For $400 (assuming a 7 day cruise) I'd be sailing Princess.

 

 

 

 

 

I agree with both of these posts.

 

We haven't sailed on the Regal or the Silhouette but have sailed many times on their sister ships, the Royal and the Eclipse/Equinox.

 

I'd definitely go with Princess.

 

There is much more entertainment, the drinks and specialty restaurants are less expensive.

 

 

 

 

 

And then next year find a cruise on Celebrity that is less than Princess and you can come back on here and compare for someone else.

 

I’ve also found the service better on Princess. Maybe because the crew seems happier.

Edited December 24, 2017 by chamima

[CruisinGirl777]

I have been on both lines and I would pick Celebrity. Much better food, nicer decor, larger more well designed spaces, enthusiastic crew, better and longer entertainment shows and more. I do like Princess but with such a minimal difference in price, I would choose Celebrity.

[4cats4me]

We have sailed on Equinox three times, Sister ship to Silhouette, most recent sailing on Equinox in October after a three-year absence from Celebrity. We last sailed on the Regal last March, third time on that ship and 17th cruise on Princess. Although we are booked for the Silhouette for April, we are vacillating between the Regal still. We love both lines for different reasons. We had s wonderful cruise on Celebrity two months ago. However, we had an all inclusive package, which we had never had before.

Price wise, the Regal has been much pricier all year than the Silhouette due to the perks at booking on Celebrity. However, recently the two ships are similarly priced.

What does OP like via entertainment?

What I like more about Celebrity: sophisticated atmosphere. We were in Aqua so loved Blu as our dedicated restaurant. Love the nightclub electronic [emoji445]. Their bands were more contemporary than Princess, even though Princess has good entertainment.

Princess entertainment skews to an older demographic, think Beatles, Beach Boys, lots of showtunes. Celebrity is more funky music, 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s. We we were quite surprised. Nightclub much larger on Celebrity. Princess Club 6 on the Regal has a poor layout and the same old music every night played on a loop.

However, Princess has a BOGO deal in the night club every night buy one get one for a $1 from 11-12.

Also 3-4 pm at Crooner’s

Drinks on X are way more pricy than on Princess. Around $15 after tip for many drinks.

Smaller martinis are cheaper.

We like the cocktails on Princess more, and there is more bar staff and they’re much friendlier than on Celebrity. On Celebrity most seem to have drink packages and bartenders appear to be overworked and stressed, and there’s hardly anyone at the pools to take orders, unlike on Princess, where there’s always plenty of drink service

 

Buffet> Hands down the Regal is the winner by leaps and bounds.

We were pretty underwhelmed with X’s buffet in October, even though we used to think it was the be all end all. Food quality there has tanked badly since our three year absence.

We found things that were decent, but a lot of stuff was of poor quality, too.

 

We like the buffet so much on the Regal, we don’t even bother eating in the dining room.

 

We like that Regal has movies under the stars.

 

We like the pools on X better.

We love that they have an indoor pool, basically adult environment.

 

We like the balconies on X much more than on the Regal. Regal has tiny balconies.

 

We like the bathrooms better on X and having a couch in the room.

 

We like the coffee bar n X more than Princess.

 

We love Alfredo’s on the Regal.

 

Specialty restaurants are pricier on X but there are more to choose from.

 

We do love the Crown Grill on the Regal.

 

We love the atrium on the Regal. Far superior atmosphere than that of the Equinox.

 

Princess crowds seem more mature. Celebrity crowd seems more international and people dress up in the evenings more compared to on Princess.

 

Shows are much better on Princess and more varied.

 

On Princess you can go to one showroom and then catch another show in the other showroom shortly after. On X it is just the main showroom and then you don’t have much options for other entertainment unless you partskecof ABBA night in the disco or silent disco by the pool.

 

Okay, that is all I can think of at the moment.

 

And the cabin stewards seem friendlier and more engaging on Princess, too.

 

Officers seem friendlier and more engaging. on X.

 

Would I pay $400 more for X? I actually thing I would.

[helen haywood]

Really?! I've never sailed Princess and your comparison just convinced me to try!

 

 

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[davekathy]

We're booking a last minute cruise in February. I've researched and thought I wanted a balcony on the Celebrity Silhouette. However, the Regal Princess is $400+ less for their balcony. Is it really worth that much more? We've only cruised on RC, Disney and Carnival before. We're ok with both itineraries and neither includes drinks. We've heard Celebrity is nicer but is it really that much nicer?

Thank you!

Since you've never cruised with Princess why not ask the same question on the Princess Forum?

[friendships]

We're booking a last minute cruise in February. I've researched and thought I wanted a balcony on the Celebrity Silhouette. However, the Regal Princess is $400+ less for their balcony. Is it really worth that much more? We've only cruised on RC, Disney and Carnival before. We're ok with both itineraries and neither includes drinks. We've heard Celebrity is nicer but is it really that much nicer?

Thank you!

 

 

 

We sailed the Regal Princess last year with balcony rooms and were sadly disappointed with the size of the rooms compared to Celebrity Solstice class ships. The Silhouette is one of the newer Solstice class and we have not been on that one but have sailed the original Solstice three times (and other ships in the fleet as well x2) and have really enjoyed the spacious balcony rooms. They have small sofas, coffee tables, and a desk area with great storage.

The Regal had a lovely long closet and great storage but barely enough room to get between the end of the beds and the wall and only two small straight back chairs next to the balcony with a small desk.

Worse, you couldn’t sit in the chairs on the balcony without hitting your knees on the balcony itself, and I’m only 5’2”!! So I’d definitely vote for any Celebrity Solstice class over Regal Princess. We didn’t find anything special about our one Princess cruise to draw us back to them.

So yes, we would recommend Celebrity over Princess.

 

 

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[Ken the cruiser]

Personally, if we were going to book a Caribbean cruise and since we love food and have no desire to cruise with children, we would also compare an Oceania cruise on either their Riviera or Marina before we would make a final decision.

[cruisemom42]

We've sailed on both Silhouette and on Regal Princess, same time of year but one year apart.

 

Although we were previously big fans of Princess, we loved Silhouette and PROBABLY would choose that ship, even with the $400 difference in pricing.

 

We loved the decor, the "vibe" of the ship, the entertainment (yes, we preferred Celebrity's entertainment -- perhaps because we're not huge fans of all the interactive "game show" type games that Princess now depends heavily on....). We thought the buffet food was better, if not the set-up, and liked Celebrity's specialty restaurants more.

 

I will say that for those who say Celebrity's cabins (in that category) are larger -- I'm not sure that's really true. The Celebrity cabin, while it contains a small couch, is very crowded and hard to get around in with that couch. Celebrity's bathroom is a plus, but Princess cabins have better storage.

 

Altogether there are pluses/minuses for both. But Celebrity had that indefinable "something" that appealed to us and we really enjoyed it. Regal Princess, not so much.

[Hlitner]

Thanks, hoping to hear from someone who has experienced both to see if it's worth more. Hard to make that decision.

 

We have experienced both (many times) most recently on the Reflection (21 days) ending last week and 10 days on the Regal Princess last month. Yes, it would be hard to make a decision. There are pros and cons to each line and ship. In your situation we would pay particular attention to the itinerary (including the times in ports) and give that major consideration. Also keep in mind that the balconies on the Regal/Royal Princess ships are very small when compared to Celebrity. I would have a problem justifying $400 more for Celebrity.....given most other issues being equal.

 

Hank

[gisnered]

Are you balcony potatoes? We are, and frequently will come back early to the ship from an excursion just to sit on the balcony and read. And any sea days find us on the balcony, rather than the upper decks.

 

From what I've read on the Princess board, the standard balcony on Regal is much shallower than Silhouette. There was a good deal of commentary about this on the Princess Board when the Royal P (sister ship to Regal) came into service. It is my understanding that you can't comfortably sit facing directly out. For some it doesn't matter, but it's a total deal breaker for us. You might want to check threads about it on the Princess board to help make a decision.

[chamima]

Are you balcony potatoes? We are, and frequently will come back early to the ship from an excursion just to sit on the balcony and read. And any sea days find us on the balcony, rather than the upper decks.

 

From what I've read on the Princess board, the standard balcony on Regal is much shallower than Silhouette. There was a good deal of commentary about this on the Princess Board when the Royal P (sister ship to Regal) came into service. It is my understanding that you can't comfortably sit facing directly out. For some it doesn't matter, but it's a total deal breaker for us. You might want to check threads about it on the Princess board to help make a decision.

 

We are what you call "balcony potatoes".

We had one of those small balconies on the Royal and honestly it was fine.

We didn't have any dinners out there - it probably would have been cramped for that but for coffee and pastries in the morning and wine and reading in the afternoon it was fine.

It was definitely much smaller than what we had on other Princess ships and on the Eclipse but we could sit comfortably just angled a little instead of straight out.

And I'm 5'3" and my husband is 6'.

 

BTW -there are some larger balconies on the angle in the center of the ship and on the aft but we booked that particular cruise last minute and just took what was left.

[Hlitner]

We have done 3 cruises on the Regal in normal balcony cabins, and yes, they are quite shallow but a normal cabin-wide width. Unlike balconies on the Celebrity S-Class ships, one cannot sit on a Regal/Royal balcony facing out to the sea and have their legs extended. In order to extend legs you have to angle the seats towards each other. Ironically, Princess pioneered large balconies (in regular cabins) when they introduced their Grand Class ships. In fact, on the Grand Class Caribe deck..the balconies are oversized. But for some reason Princess decided to vastly shrink the regular balconies on their newer Royal Class ships.

 

Regarding balconies, beware the the Celebrity S-Class balconies do not have any lighting...so if you want to use your balcony after dark you will not be reading a book (unless you have your own light). Princess, on the other hand, always has a decent outdoor light on their balconies. As I have said many times in the past, there are pros and cons to various lines and ships.

 

Hank

[donh1]

We have done 3 cruises on the Regal in normal balcony cabins, and yes, they are quite shallow but a normal cabin-wide width. Unlike balconies on the Celebrity S-Class ships, one cannot sit on a Regal/Royal balcony facing out to the sea and have their legs extended. In order to extend legs you have to angle the seats towards each other. Ironically, Princess pioneered large balconies (in regular cabins) when they introduced their Grand Class ships. In fact, on the Grand Class Caribe deck..the balconies are oversized. But for some reason Princess decided to vastly shrink the regular balconies on their newer Royal Class ships.

 

Regarding balconies, beware the the Celebrity S-Class balconies do not have any lighting...so if you want to use your balcony after dark you will not be reading a book (unless you have your own light). Princess, on the other hand, always has a decent outdoor light on their balconies. As I have said many times in the past, there are pros and cons to various lines and ships.

 

Hank

No lights on the balcony is a big plus for me. Nothing worse than having neighbors on both sides with their lights on for no reason. Better views at night in the darkness.

[Ladyinflight]

We're booking a last minute cruise in February. I've researched and thought I wanted a balcony on the Celebrity Silhouette. However, the Regal Princess is $400+ less for their balcony. Is it really worth that much more? We've only cruised on RC, Disney and Carnival before. We're ok with both itineraries and neither includes drinks. We've heard Celebrity is nicer but is it really that much nicer?

Thank you!

Is there a couch in the Princess balcony room? That might be the difference in the price of the balconies. I like to have the couch instead of just a chair to sit on. Check that out:confused:

[4cats4me]

We have done 3 cruises on the Regal in normal balcony cabins, and yes, they are quite shallow but a normal cabin-wide width. Unlike balconies on the Celebrity S-Class ships, one cannot sit on a Regal/Royal balcony facing out to the sea and have their legs extended. In order to extend legs you have to angle the seats towards each other. Ironically, Princess pioneered large balconies (in regular cabins) when they introduced their Grand Class ships. In fact, on the Grand Class Caribe deck..the balconies are oversized. But for some reason Princess decided to vastly shrink the regular balconies on their newer Royal Class ships.

 

 

 

Regarding balconies, beware the the Celebrity S-Class balconies do not have any lighting...so if you want to use your balcony after dark you will not be reading a book (unless you have your own light). Princess, on the other hand, always has a decent outdoor light on their balconies. As I have said many times in the past, there are pros and cons to various lines and ships.

 

 

 

Hank

 

 

 

Great point about the balcony lights. We were so pleased to not have the lights on the Equinox in October, as on Regal Princess last time we had inconsiderate neighbors who always left their light on. Very annoying. I love to sit on a dark balcony and enjoy the night sky.

[iancal]

In the grand scheme of things the difference is minor.

 

Go with your gut. Make a decision and then stop shopping.

 

We like both. But, you might just want to check the Celebrity Tuesday Specials. We have enjoyed some exceptional late booking offers from this program. Celebrity's Solstice class ships are usually at the top of our list.

[riclop]

we're booking a last minute cruise in february. I've researched and thought i wanted a balcony on the celebrity silhouette. However, the regal princess is $400+ less for their balcony. Is it really worth that much more? We've only cruised on rc, disney and carnival before. We're ok with both itineraries and neither includes drinks. We've heard celebrity is nicer but is it really that much nicer?

Thank you!

no way!!!

[ilymom!]

Decision made. Celebrity Silhouette, February 18th. Deciding factor, Balcony size and indoor pool (in case of rain). After adding up the perks it wasn't much different in price. Thank you for all the advice. Next cruise Princess Regal or we may spend a bit more and go on Viking or Oceania.

[ilymom!]

Not to be mean or sarcastic but If you are a bottom troller than NO.

 

I am sure if you are trying to get a bargain cruise than there are much cheaper fares on other lines. Personally I have sailed on many other cruise lines that others may consider trash and really haven’t found much difference in the mainstream cruise lines. Enjoyed the dining, entertainment and being at sea. Service has been great on all of them. The cabins and ship are cleaner and almost spotless and unless you are Raymond’s mother Maria I am sure cleaner than most people’s house.

 

I feel that the entertainment is better on Princess and their late night shows are better along with the lounge acts. They also have a true piano bar. Food, drinks and etc aren’t much different. Cheaper specialty restaurants on Princess.

 

Only you can determine what the difference in cost is worth.

 

That is my opinion and I am sure many others will disagree.

 

Happy cruising and merry Christmas. 🌊🛳🇺🇸🌅🎄

 

I'm not sure what a bottom troller is. I've been called many things but never a bottom troller. If wanting the most bang for my buck if two ships are comparable makes one a bottom troller, then I guess I am one. We travel quite a bit and I always go for the best deal on what I want. Three years ago after shopping around, I was able to get first class tickets on Virgin Airlines Dreamliner to London for over half the price. An amazing experience for an unbelievable price. If that make me a bottom troller, then I'm so glad to be one. I'm not looking to save money by taking a Carnival Cruise. That was fine when I was a youngster but not really my cup of tea. I had always heard Celebrity was a class above the rest but after reading so many reviews, it seems it's not what it once was, thus the question.

 

We did decide on the Celebrity after weighing out the options. So many helpful posts including yours. We did have the nightlife on Regal as being important but the pool and balcony won out. Thank you for your input.

[ilymom!]

I love both the Regal Princess and Silhouette. There is more entertainment on Regal. Both have great buffets and wine bars. It's really nice to spend a day in the Regal Sanctuary (upcharge, but the most amazing service), but they don't have a nice free solarium like Silhouette. Princess lacks having enough shaded areas for lounge chairs by the pool. Both have good service. The Silhouette is more modern and elegant, and the passengers seem to be more interactive on Celebrity than on Princess...at least that has been my experience. Whatever you decide, have a great time, and see if you can get an upgrade to a deluxe balcony if you go on Regal. By the way, the obstructed balconies on either ship are fine to me, but that's subjective.

 

Thank you for your input. We chose the Silhouette, the indoor pool/solarium won out. We may do a Princess next time. This is our first cruise in 8 years and our first without our kids or friends.

[ilymom!]

We have sailed on Equinox three times, Sister ship to Silhouette, most recent sailing on Equinox in October after a three-year absence from Celebrity. We last sailed on the Regal last March, third time on that ship and 17th cruise on Princess. Although we are booked for the Silhouette for April, we are vacillating between the Regal still. We love both lines for different reasons. We had s wonderful cruise on Celebrity two months ago. However, we had an all inclusive package, which we had never had before.

Price wise, the Regal has been much pricier all year than the Silhouette due to the perks at booking on Celebrity. However, recently the two ships are similarly priced.

What does OP like via entertainment?

What I like more about Celebrity: sophisticated atmosphere. We were in Aqua so loved Blu as our dedicated restaurant. Love the nightclub electronic [emoji445]. Their bands were more contemporary than Princess, even though Princess has good entertainment.

Princess entertainment skews to an older demographic, think Beatles, Beach Boys, lots of showtunes. Celebrity is more funky music, 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s. We we were quite surprised. Nightclub much larger on Celebrity. Princess Club 6 on the Regal has a poor layout and the same old music every night played on a loop.

However, Princess has a BOGO deal in the night club every night buy one get one for a $1 from 11-12.

Also 3-4 pm at Crooner’s

Drinks on X are way more pricy than on Princess. Around $15 after tip for many drinks.

Smaller martinis are cheaper.

We like the cocktails on Princess more, and there is more bar staff and they’re much friendlier than on Celebrity. On Celebrity most seem to have drink packages and bartenders appear to be overworked and stressed, and there’s hardly anyone at the pools to take orders, unlike on Princess, where there’s always plenty of drink service

 

Buffet> Hands down the Regal is the winner by leaps and bounds.

We were pretty underwhelmed with X’s buffet in October, even though we used to think it was the be all end all. Food quality there has tanked badly since our three year absence.

We found things that were decent, but a lot of stuff was of poor quality, too.

 

We like the buffet so much on the Regal, we don’t even bother eating in the dining room.

 

We like that Regal has movies under the stars.

 

We like the pools on X better.

We love that they have an indoor pool, basically adult environment.

 

We like the balconies on X much more than on the Regal. Regal has tiny balconies.

 

We like the bathrooms better on X and having a couch in the room.

 

We like the coffee bar n X more than Princess.

 

We love Alfredo’s on the Regal.

 

Specialty restaurants are pricier on X but there are more to choose from.

 

We do love the Crown Grill on the Regal.

 

We love the atrium on the Regal. Far superior atmosphere than that of the Equinox.

 

Princess crowds seem more mature. Celebrity crowd seems more international and people dress up in the evenings more compared to on Princess.

 

Shows are much better on Princess and more varied.

 

On Princess you can go to one showroom and then catch another show in the other showroom shortly after. On X it is just the main showroom and then you don’t have much options for other entertainment unless you partskecof ABBA night in the disco or silent disco by the pool.

 

Okay, that is all I can think of at the moment.

 

And the cabin stewards seem friendlier and more engaging on Princess, too.

 

Officers seem friendlier and more engaging. on X.

 

Would I pay $400 more for X? I actually thing I would.

 

I want to do both now! Thanks so much!

[ilymom!]

Since you've never cruised with Princess why not ask the same question on the Princess Forum?

 

With the Christmas rush, I just posted here. I never got around to posting on the Princess Forum, too much wrapping and cooking to do! I think I received a fair amount of advice for both. Honestly, if there was an indoor pool on the Princess, I would have chosen Princess over Celebrity based on the advice I received here.

[ilymom!]

Personally, if we were going to book a Caribbean cruise and since we love food and have no desire to cruise with children, we would also compare an Oceania cruise on either their Riviera or Marina before we would make a final decision.

 

I really toyed with the Oceania Riviera Seaswept Breezes after your advice. We've only been on 3 and 4 day cruises so we will get our feet wet on a week long cruise first. A balcony for one person was the same price as our total trip with Drinks, Internet, gratuity on Celebrity. Before spending that much, I need to make sure we enjoy cruising. Somehow I think it's unlikely we won't enjoy it!

[ilymom!]

In the grand scheme of things the difference is minor.

 

Go with your gut. Make a decision and then stop shopping.

 

We like both. But, you might just want to check the Celebrity Tuesday Specials. We have enjoyed some exceptional late booking offers from this program. Celebrity's Solstice class ships are usually at the top of our list.

 

Ooh, we don't have to pay until tomorrow so maybe there will be a Tuesday Special. Either way, the decision is made. Silhouette in Feb.